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idkimoutofideas's review against another edition
1.0
This book was... a lot. The amount of times I had to put this book down because I just really did not like it was too many. I'm honestly surprised I even finished it, especially considering it's over 500 pages long. Some authors can make 500 pages seem like only 100. This is not one of those authors.
First off, the author felt the need to describe every single aspect of every single character and the place they were in and what the weather was and what everyone was wearing. In some cases that can be really well done. In this book, it ground the story to a halt. Every time a new character was introduced I groaned because I knew there was at least 5 pages of description for this one side character, along with a flashback to their tragic backstory. There were also so many characters I could not keep track of them all. Too many stories were happening at once, and there were too many people with names that were just so dumb, like Peussus and Jewuul and Jakkol and Rorekk.
The authors blurb says that he was a film director, which makes a lot of sense. It's very obvious that the author had a clear picture in his mind of what every thing is supposed to look like and tried to get it across, but every time he did it it just stopped the momentum of the story. There were also many times I was confused about how he was describing things, for instance the amount of times he described Ashar feeling a 'bluish essence/energy/calm', I mean what does that even mean? He also kept stopping everything that was going on to describe things that weren't really important to the story, but glossed over the actual exciting bits. Like when one of the main characters is kidnapped, escapes, and then becomes the leader of a gang of orphans. All of that happens on one page.
Also, the writing style itself was just not good. Other than being incredibly bland and boring, he kept saying things that didn't really make sense or were too difficult to understand. On the second page there is a line that reads 'the cryptic meaning of the prophecy was an endless cause of querulous contention'. Dude, just say that no one can understand the prophecy, you don't have to go so over the top like that.
.
.
.
Warning: mentions of sexual assault
Why is it that male fantasy authors feel the need to include sexual assault in everything they write? The author was so clearly trying to imitate Game of Thrones, but it really isn't needed. You don't have to go on for pages about the temple virgins, and how the bandits are threatening to violate them. Please, please, just stop.
.
.
.
All in all, a really bad book that I would not recommend. There was no sense of pacing, the writing style itself was hard to understand, and there were too many people thrown in for no reason at all.
First off, the author felt the need to describe every single aspect of every single character and the place they were in and what the weather was and what everyone was wearing. In some cases that can be really well done. In this book, it ground the story to a halt. Every time a new character was introduced I groaned because I knew there was at least 5 pages of description for this one side character, along with a flashback to their tragic backstory. There were also so many characters I could not keep track of them all. Too many stories were happening at once, and there were too many people with names that were just so dumb, like Peussus and Jewuul and Jakkol and Rorekk.
The authors blurb says that he was a film director, which makes a lot of sense. It's very obvious that the author had a clear picture in his mind of what every thing is supposed to look like and tried to get it across, but every time he did it it just stopped the momentum of the story. There were also many times I was confused about how he was describing things, for instance the amount of times he described Ashar feeling a 'bluish essence/energy/calm', I mean what does that even mean? He also kept stopping everything that was going on to describe things that weren't really important to the story, but glossed over the actual exciting bits. Like when one of the main characters is kidnapped, escapes, and then becomes the leader of a gang of orphans. All of that happens on one page.
Also, the writing style itself was just not good. Other than being incredibly bland and boring, he kept saying things that didn't really make sense or were too difficult to understand. On the second page there is a line that reads 'the cryptic meaning of the prophecy was an endless cause of querulous contention'. Dude, just say that no one can understand the prophecy, you don't have to go so over the top like that.
.
.
.
Warning: mentions of sexual assault
Why is it that male fantasy authors feel the need to include sexual assault in everything they write? The author was so clearly trying to imitate Game of Thrones, but it really isn't needed. You don't have to go on for pages about the temple virgins, and how the bandits are threatening to violate them. Please, please, just stop.
.
.
.
All in all, a really bad book that I would not recommend. There was no sense of pacing, the writing style itself was hard to understand, and there were too many people thrown in for no reason at all.
moirwyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/08/26/the-immortal-crown-by-kieth-merrill/
This is the week where I finish all of the books that have been sitting on my Goodreads “Currently Reading” shelf forever. I started reading The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill back in May, and despite really liking the plot, it’s taken me a while to finish it. It’s a pretty hefty dose of epic fantasy, and well worth the read.
The plot of The Immortal Crown revolves around a prophecy. Something something something fatherless child will find thirteen stones of light/power/magic that when reunited can grant the wearer immortality, but the exact words and meaning of the prophecy have been subject to the distortions of time and a multitude of interpretations. In the novel, there are three different characters who fit the bill–Drakkor, a sympathetic villain, Ashar, a monk-in-training, and Qhuin, a talented slave. Each of these characters has encountered at least one of the stones and has been moved by its power. Each has a different vision of a better life, and is pitted against each other in the quest for the stones. Meanwhile, a tyrannical king is losing his mind and will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and immortality.
I enjoyed the acknowledgement that the prophecy had been twisted from its original meaning, and the ambiguity as to who (if anybody) really knows what’s going on. History is at best an educated guess based on what’s survived from the past as seen through the lens of the present, and that’s even more true in a world when the lines between the mythical and the mundane start to blend.
I also enjoyed seeing a villain who isn’t evil for the sake of being evil, but rather is doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt. In fact, there were moments in the book where I found myself rooting for Drakkor in spite of my best instincts. After surviving a brutal initiation ritual from a cult of crazed warlocks, he amasses a band of followers, and despite his penchant for violence he’s a far more respectable leader than the king.
The Immortal Crown is written much in the style of A Song of Ice and Fire, with lots of point-of-view characters coming in and out of the spotlight. My favorite character was Meesha, the king’s slightly disinherited granddaughter. She’s a kickass tomboyish type who stays true to her values and can both beat up and outsmart her enemies, who often take her for granted.
Related to my ASOIAF comparison, my biggest complaint with The Immortal Crown was the ending. I felt as if there wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion to any of the story arcs that had begun in the novel, but rather that after 500ish pages, it was time to move on to the next volume. This is a common complaint that I have with epic fantasy though, and isn’t unique to this book or series. There’s a big difference between writing one story that’s broken into book-sized chunks and writing a story that has multiple book-sized story arcs that when put together tell a larger one, and I tend to prefer the latter.
I’ve read a lot of epic fantasy over the years, and The Immortal Crown can certainly hold its own. I look forward to seeing this series continue.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/08/26/the-immortal-crown-by-kieth-merrill/
This is the week where I finish all of the books that have been sitting on my Goodreads “Currently Reading” shelf forever. I started reading The Immortal Crown by Kieth Merrill back in May, and despite really liking the plot, it’s taken me a while to finish it. It’s a pretty hefty dose of epic fantasy, and well worth the read.
The plot of The Immortal Crown revolves around a prophecy. Something something something fatherless child will find thirteen stones of light/power/magic that when reunited can grant the wearer immortality, but the exact words and meaning of the prophecy have been subject to the distortions of time and a multitude of interpretations. In the novel, there are three different characters who fit the bill–Drakkor, a sympathetic villain, Ashar, a monk-in-training, and Qhuin, a talented slave. Each of these characters has encountered at least one of the stones and has been moved by its power. Each has a different vision of a better life, and is pitted against each other in the quest for the stones. Meanwhile, a tyrannical king is losing his mind and will stop at nothing in the pursuit of power and immortality.
I enjoyed the acknowledgement that the prophecy had been twisted from its original meaning, and the ambiguity as to who (if anybody) really knows what’s going on. History is at best an educated guess based on what’s survived from the past as seen through the lens of the present, and that’s even more true in a world when the lines between the mythical and the mundane start to blend.
I also enjoyed seeing a villain who isn’t evil for the sake of being evil, but rather is doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt. In fact, there were moments in the book where I found myself rooting for Drakkor in spite of my best instincts. After surviving a brutal initiation ritual from a cult of crazed warlocks, he amasses a band of followers, and despite his penchant for violence he’s a far more respectable leader than the king.
The Immortal Crown is written much in the style of A Song of Ice and Fire, with lots of point-of-view characters coming in and out of the spotlight. My favorite character was Meesha, the king’s slightly disinherited granddaughter. She’s a kickass tomboyish type who stays true to her values and can both beat up and outsmart her enemies, who often take her for granted.
Related to my ASOIAF comparison, my biggest complaint with The Immortal Crown was the ending. I felt as if there wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion to any of the story arcs that had begun in the novel, but rather that after 500ish pages, it was time to move on to the next volume. This is a common complaint that I have with epic fantasy though, and isn’t unique to this book or series. There’s a big difference between writing one story that’s broken into book-sized chunks and writing a story that has multiple book-sized story arcs that when put together tell a larger one, and I tend to prefer the latter.
I’ve read a lot of epic fantasy over the years, and The Immortal Crown can certainly hold its own. I look forward to seeing this series continue.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
4.0
I love finding a good epic fantasy series to really dig into. The Immortal Crown has a lot of the elements I love to see. We start out with a prophecy - one that's changed over the years and over the miles. We even start with a hint of dragons.
Eventually we follow several potential prophecy fulfillers as they journey into new parts of their life - from adventure to first tastes of freedom to potential love. There are sooo many characters, but each story seems to entwine itself in the overall storyline in an easy and memorable way. I didn't once have a problem remembering who was doing what and where they were in the journey.
Some of the characters and lore were a little expected - the girl who prefers pants and is surprisingly good at swords, the ancient people who left a forgotten legacy, but it was done with just enough of a twist or with a little bit extra that it really made the characters stand out.
I would have liked a tad more excitement. There are a few great moments, but I feel like I missed a bit of the "sword" in the "sword & sorcery" book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
Eventually we follow several potential prophecy fulfillers as they journey into new parts of their life - from adventure to first tastes of freedom to potential love. There are sooo many characters, but each story seems to entwine itself in the overall storyline in an easy and memorable way. I didn't once have a problem remembering who was doing what and where they were in the journey.
Some of the characters and lore were a little expected - the girl who prefers pants and is surprisingly good at swords, the ancient people who left a forgotten legacy, but it was done with just enough of a twist or with a little bit extra that it really made the characters stand out.
I would have liked a tad more excitement. There are a few great moments, but I feel like I missed a bit of the "sword" in the "sword & sorcery" book.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
sangloup's review against another edition
3.0
Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2021 - Category #18
Challege Topic: Author with the same name as one of your loves ones.
I discovered this book through a name search at my library. It was on Audio, so I decided to give it a shot even though it was 20 hours. I really like Tolkien-esque fantasy Saga's and this one kind of sounded like that from the Synopsis. Unfortunately... I can't say that I was thrilled or loved this book.
The story has a good plot. Published in 2016 and marketed as Book 1 of a Saga (so the publishers, Shadow Mountain, were under the assumption there is at least 3 more books coming) and here we are in 2021 and I can find nothing about the possibility of book 2.
The author spends a lot of time on telling the reader what they are seeing instead of showing, and the character development (there are quite a lot of characters) is not very strong and sometime contradictory. I won't say you shouldn't read the book, just saying be prepared to not really crawl into the book and not have any resolution at the end... of any subplot.
Challege Topic: Author with the same name as one of your loves ones.
I discovered this book through a name search at my library. It was on Audio, so I decided to give it a shot even though it was 20 hours. I really like Tolkien-esque fantasy Saga's and this one kind of sounded like that from the Synopsis. Unfortunately... I can't say that I was thrilled or loved this book.
The story has a good plot. Published in 2016 and marketed as Book 1 of a Saga (so the publishers, Shadow Mountain, were under the assumption there is at least 3 more books coming) and here we are in 2021 and I can find nothing about the possibility of book 2.
The author spends a lot of time on telling the reader what they are seeing instead of showing, and the character development (there are quite a lot of characters) is not very strong and sometime contradictory. I won't say you shouldn't read the book, just saying be prepared to not really crawl into the book and not have any resolution at the end... of any subplot.
giraffesareweird's review against another edition
2.0
1/4 of the way through and i realized that nothing had happened, and i didn't care about any of the characters. Maybe it gets better, but i figured 'why bother' at this point and moved on.
biblioholicbeth's review against another edition
2.0
Three males, each without a lineage. Each potentially the one destined to fulfill a prophecy, none knowing the part they may yet play. In this book - the first in a series - we learn about each of them and what drives them forward towards a destiny that may not necessarily be the one they believe.
First - this is a LONG book. A door-stopper. Should you choose to read it, you might want to go for an e-book, if you read them.
As for the book itself, I almost stopped reading by page 11. At that point, it felt like the author couldn't decide on what to write, so he just threw in EVERYTHING. Dragons? Check. Orphan? Check. Creepy old crone? Double-check. Epic quest? Check, check, check. It was as if there was a yellow pad with a handwritten checklist nearby, and as each thing was thrown in, a box got marked off. But - I persevered. By page 31, we had yet another mysterious orphan (I didn't realize at the time that we would end up with 3 mysterious orphans), delivered in the dead of night. And the overly florid language was driving my crazy. What could be said in 5 words instead took 3 sentences. EVERYTHING has major descriptives. Again, I persevered. And finally, after way longer than it feels like it should have taken, I completed this epic. And...it was ok.
The characters are extremely thoroughly described. By the end of the book, any reader will be able to picture each major character (and many minor ones) in exquisite detail, and will know their motives (and motivations) back to front. There is no lack there - other than the fact that the majority of all the characters who may have something to do in book two when it arrives are male. Diversity is not this book's strong point.
The story? Well, it seemed to ebb and flow. The religious system in the story reminded me more of Christianity than anything else, and occasionally I wondered if there was a hidden motive in there for that. The language, as I mentioned, seemed sometimes overdone, to the point of shrinking the book if the editing had been a bit better. There are a lot of things that seem to be a bit convenient - mysterious voices can only compensate for so much, yet here they seem to be working overtime. However, by the time I got to the end, I started to feel more interested in what was going to happen - only to find out that NOTHING was. That's right - there is no real ending. It's all one big build-up for the next book. Very disappointing to put that much effort into reading, only to figure out that none of these characters I had followed for so long were able to get any closure on *anything*.
I doubt I would read the second book, but...maybe. If I did, I would either get it in e-book on sale, or borrow it from the library. Even after 535 pages, I'm not invested enough to make the monetary investment for another one.
First - this is a LONG book. A door-stopper. Should you choose to read it, you might want to go for an e-book, if you read them.
As for the book itself, I almost stopped reading by page 11. At that point, it felt like the author couldn't decide on what to write, so he just threw in EVERYTHING. Dragons? Check. Orphan? Check. Creepy old crone? Double-check. Epic quest? Check, check, check. It was as if there was a yellow pad with a handwritten checklist nearby, and as each thing was thrown in, a box got marked off. But - I persevered. By page 31, we had yet another mysterious orphan (I didn't realize at the time that we would end up with 3 mysterious orphans), delivered in the dead of night. And the overly florid language was driving my crazy. What could be said in 5 words instead took 3 sentences. EVERYTHING has major descriptives. Again, I persevered. And finally, after way longer than it feels like it should have taken, I completed this epic. And...it was ok.
The characters are extremely thoroughly described. By the end of the book, any reader will be able to picture each major character (and many minor ones) in exquisite detail, and will know their motives (and motivations) back to front. There is no lack there - other than the fact that the majority of all the characters who may have something to do in book two when it arrives are male. Diversity is not this book's strong point.
The story? Well, it seemed to ebb and flow. The religious system in the story reminded me more of Christianity than anything else, and occasionally I wondered if there was a hidden motive in there for that. The language, as I mentioned, seemed sometimes overdone, to the point of shrinking the book if the editing had been a bit better. There are a lot of things that seem to be a bit convenient - mysterious voices can only compensate for so much, yet here they seem to be working overtime. However, by the time I got to the end, I started to feel more interested in what was going to happen - only to find out that NOTHING was. That's right - there is no real ending. It's all one big build-up for the next book. Very disappointing to put that much effort into reading, only to figure out that none of these characters I had followed for so long were able to get any closure on *anything*.
I doubt I would read the second book, but...maybe. If I did, I would either get it in e-book on sale, or borrow it from the library. Even after 535 pages, I'm not invested enough to make the monetary investment for another one.
bcinkoske's review against another edition
5.0
The story is very well written and I look forward to the next book. The search for the lost stones of power has stirred up the entire world. Who finds the stones will determine the future path of the world. Several individuals are pursing the stones, each with their own agenda. Each path is different leading to the same ending.
kittalia's review against another edition
3.0
I really did enjoy this book. I listened to it recorded by Tim Gerard Reynolds and he did a fantastic job. It was an interesting plot, interesting characters, and interesting worldbuilding. All of the characters were very distinct and I never mixed them up. When the second book comes out I am excited to read it.
That being said, there were several things I didn't love about it. My biggest problem was a lack of cohesion. It had a very large cast of main characters that overlapped sometimes but were very disparate. Between a ruthless villain, a religious postulant, an aged tyrant, a mysterious slave, and an unfeminine ex-princess, along with many minor viewpoint characters, it was a lot to juggle. They were only weakly united by the theme of the magic stones, and they weren't (yet) drawn into an overarching plot and weren't well balanced. Often main characters disappeared for chapters at a time, weren't introduced until well into the book, and had timelines that didn't match up. There were lots of flashbacks that weren't always super clear (although it may have been the audio format) and made it hard to follow.
As far as cleanness goes (for those who care), the book didn't have any all-out sex scenes, but did have lots of mention of prostitutes, lots of attempted rape, and lots of seducers. Not necessarily R-rated, but definitely not something kid-appropriate.
Overall, I enjoyed it but there were things that bothered me and detracted from the book. Without the rest of the series out, I could see this series coming together very well or falling apart. Only time will tell.
That being said, there were several things I didn't love about it. My biggest problem was a lack of cohesion. It had a very large cast of main characters that overlapped sometimes but were very disparate. Between a ruthless villain, a religious postulant, an aged tyrant, a mysterious slave, and an unfeminine ex-princess, along with many minor viewpoint characters, it was a lot to juggle. They were only weakly united by the theme of the magic stones, and they weren't (yet) drawn into an overarching plot and weren't well balanced. Often main characters disappeared for chapters at a time, weren't introduced until well into the book, and had timelines that didn't match up. There were lots of flashbacks that weren't always super clear (although it may have been the audio format) and made it hard to follow.
As far as cleanness goes (for those who care), the book didn't have any all-out sex scenes, but did have lots of mention of prostitutes, lots of attempted rape, and lots of seducers. Not necessarily R-rated, but definitely not something kid-appropriate.
Overall, I enjoyed it but there were things that bothered me and detracted from the book. Without the rest of the series out, I could see this series coming together very well or falling apart. Only time will tell.
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