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mikibooks's review
5.0
Cada uno tiene su forma y sus criterios para calificar en GR los libros que lee. El mío, absolutamente personal, tiene algunas variables lógicas en cuenta (estructura, personajes, trama, etc) pero básicamente responde a sensaciones, a algo meramente instintivo, que viene de las entrañas. Son las emociones que se me ponen en juego cuando lo leo. No pretendo que siga ningún precepto mas que el de estar en sintonía con mis ideas, sentimientos, gustos y convicciones.
Cuando leí Scorpions 1, no tuve dudas de que merecía un 5: por su trama, el desarrollo de sus personajes, la intensidad y credibilidad de lo que sucedía, los nudos y vueltas de tuerca, los destellos que ya aparecían sobre el poder, la política y los intereses, y cómo todo se mezclaba en perfecta armonía, teniendo sobre todo en cuenta de que se trataba de una primera parte. Pero sin desmerecer nada de lo dicho, y reafirmándolo aún, su segunda parte lo supera ampliamente. No es que su predecesora merezca menos estrellas sino que ésta se lleva muchas mas. Es lo que uno sueña que sean las segundas partes. ¿Por qué?
Primero por los personajes. Kendras es absolutamente genial y estará para siempre en mi altar, pero lo es no solo por mérito propio sino también en relación con la galería de personajes no tan secundarios que lo rodean. No son simples satélites o muñecos puestos en relación con un personaje armado para que todos los lectores lo amen. Voinov se tomó el trabajo de pensar cada uno, de darles vida, de dotarlos de características, ideas, sentimientos y roles. No es un diseño pensado en detalle, y luego copiado por computadora una docena de veces. Por eso parte de la gracia es ir descubriéndolos y viendo para dónde se disparan. Cada uno es diferente, con fuerza e identidad propia. Algunos desarrollos me los esperaba con ansiedad, me imaginaba que podía suceder, pero con esa mezcla de "quiero que pase esto, pero no quiero, y si pasa ¿cómo hará su autor para rearmar todo, cómo reaccionarán los demás ante el cambio en las reglas del juego?". Jamás pongo spoilers en mis reviews, ni hablo en particular de la trama (para eso vayan mejor a leer el libro), pero hay algo que quiero decir: Graukar me sedujo el corazón y los instintos. Qué mágico vinculo con Kendras y qué diferente a otros que ha tenido.
Otro punto que para mí fue bisagra es el lugar de la mujer en el universo de Scorpions, y en general de la igualdad de género. No hay roles asignados de acuerdo a los géneros y sus prejuzgadas características: hay mujeres guerreras, comandantes, líderes, reinas. No sirven exclusivamente al propósito de justificar la necesidad de que haya mujeres, poniéndolas siempre como las "damiselas en peligro". Para eso mejor no incluyas ninguna e inventate que los niños nacen de una almeja. En Scorpions las mujeres son figuras claves para el desarrollo de la trama, tanto como puede serlo un hombre o un transexual. No es un detalle menor. Para mi es vital. No sé por qué es tan difícil para los autores incluir personajes femeninos que no caigan siempre en los mismos clichés: o como interés amoroso del protagonista, o como figura maternal / familiar, o como víctima. Y cuando alguien piensa en la necesidad de ahorrarse alguna crítica por la "igualdad de genero", le arman a la mujer una personalidad absurdamente poderosa, o la hacen una guerrera desproporcionadamente habilidosa. Sin embargo siempre en algún momento -indefectiblemente- termina necesitando ayuda del macho alfa; cuando su "esencia femenina" le juega una mala pasada y necesita un miembro viril de caña.
Y como si fuera poco, las intrigas políticas y los juegos de poder. Soy politóloga. Mi tema es ese. Me seduce inexorablemente, sobre todo cuando está bien armado. Cuando muchos intereses se ponen en juego frente a la conquista del poder político, en la forma que sea. Y mucho más cuando éstos son múltiples y variables. Nado en mi salsa de chocolate.
Que suerte haber conocido a [a:Aleksandr Voinov|3074905|Aleksandr Voinov|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1269087737p2/3074905.jpg]. Qué suerte haber ampliado mi campo de lectura. Qué alucinante que es sentir el incomparable placer que una inteligente, profunda, entretenida e intensa lectura puede generar en un humilde lector.
Debo admitir que cuando un autor me desestructura la cabeza me pongo un poco tonta, me vuelvo algo groupie y stalker. Así que si su autor llega a leer esta única review en castellano de su magnífico libro le pido disculpas de antemano en el caso de que mi agradecimiento y felicidad lleguen a ser muy pesados.
Ni cabe aclarar que espero con ansias la tercera y última parte.
Cuando leí Scorpions 1, no tuve dudas de que merecía un 5: por su trama, el desarrollo de sus personajes, la intensidad y credibilidad de lo que sucedía, los nudos y vueltas de tuerca, los destellos que ya aparecían sobre el poder, la política y los intereses, y cómo todo se mezclaba en perfecta armonía, teniendo sobre todo en cuenta de que se trataba de una primera parte. Pero sin desmerecer nada de lo dicho, y reafirmándolo aún, su segunda parte lo supera ampliamente. No es que su predecesora merezca menos estrellas sino que ésta se lleva muchas mas. Es lo que uno sueña que sean las segundas partes. ¿Por qué?
Primero por los personajes. Kendras es absolutamente genial y estará para siempre en mi altar, pero lo es no solo por mérito propio sino también en relación con la galería de personajes no tan secundarios que lo rodean. No son simples satélites o muñecos puestos en relación con un personaje armado para que todos los lectores lo amen. Voinov se tomó el trabajo de pensar cada uno, de darles vida, de dotarlos de características, ideas, sentimientos y roles. No es un diseño pensado en detalle, y luego copiado por computadora una docena de veces. Por eso parte de la gracia es ir descubriéndolos y viendo para dónde se disparan. Cada uno es diferente, con fuerza e identidad propia. Algunos desarrollos me los esperaba con ansiedad, me imaginaba que podía suceder, pero con esa mezcla de "quiero que pase esto, pero no quiero, y si pasa ¿cómo hará su autor para rearmar todo, cómo reaccionarán los demás ante el cambio en las reglas del juego?". Jamás pongo spoilers en mis reviews, ni hablo en particular de la trama (para eso vayan mejor a leer el libro), pero hay algo que quiero decir: Graukar me sedujo el corazón y los instintos. Qué mágico vinculo con Kendras y qué diferente a otros que ha tenido.
Otro punto que para mí fue bisagra es el lugar de la mujer en el universo de Scorpions, y en general de la igualdad de género. No hay roles asignados de acuerdo a los géneros y sus prejuzgadas características: hay mujeres guerreras, comandantes, líderes, reinas. No sirven exclusivamente al propósito de justificar la necesidad de que haya mujeres, poniéndolas siempre como las "damiselas en peligro". Para eso mejor no incluyas ninguna e inventate que los niños nacen de una almeja. En Scorpions las mujeres son figuras claves para el desarrollo de la trama, tanto como puede serlo un hombre o un transexual. No es un detalle menor. Para mi es vital. No sé por qué es tan difícil para los autores incluir personajes femeninos que no caigan siempre en los mismos clichés: o como interés amoroso del protagonista, o como figura maternal / familiar, o como víctima. Y cuando alguien piensa en la necesidad de ahorrarse alguna crítica por la "igualdad de genero", le arman a la mujer una personalidad absurdamente poderosa, o la hacen una guerrera desproporcionadamente habilidosa. Sin embargo siempre en algún momento -indefectiblemente- termina necesitando ayuda del macho alfa; cuando su "esencia femenina" le juega una mala pasada y necesita un miembro viril de caña.
Y como si fuera poco, las intrigas políticas y los juegos de poder. Soy politóloga. Mi tema es ese. Me seduce inexorablemente, sobre todo cuando está bien armado. Cuando muchos intereses se ponen en juego frente a la conquista del poder político, en la forma que sea. Y mucho más cuando éstos son múltiples y variables. Nado en mi salsa de chocolate.
Que suerte haber conocido a [a:Aleksandr Voinov|3074905|Aleksandr Voinov|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1269087737p2/3074905.jpg]. Qué suerte haber ampliado mi campo de lectura. Qué alucinante que es sentir el incomparable placer que una inteligente, profunda, entretenida e intensa lectura puede generar en un humilde lector.
Debo admitir que cuando un autor me desestructura la cabeza me pongo un poco tonta, me vuelvo algo groupie y stalker. Así que si su autor llega a leer esta única review en castellano de su magnífico libro le pido disculpas de antemano en el caso de que mi agradecimiento y felicidad lleguen a ser muy pesados.
Ni cabe aclarar que espero con ansias la tercera y última parte.
leahkarge's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Praise:
1. Character Development: Kendras and Adrastes have come a long way since the end of Scorpion. We see Adrastes go from the selfless, dutiful Officer to the unforgiving king, willing to do anything to get what he wants. In turn, the veil over Kendras' eyes is slowly lifted, and he reaches a level of maturity not previously met, due to the new responsibilities that are thrust upon him in his new role as Officer. He begins to abandon his blind faith in Adrastes, and his trust and loyalty begins to shift to others.
Watching their relationship change over the course of the novel was both thrilling and bittersweet. Thrilling because it was so beautifully written and constantly left me in anticipation of what would happen next. Bittersweet because I can't help but miss the Adrastes of the first novel.
2. New Characters: There are several new players introduced in Lying with Scorpions, and four in particular struck my fancy: Runner, Nhala, Shadow, and Graukar.
Nhala and Runner are both strong female characters who are respected and admired for their skills, and not looked down upon simply because they were born women or for also having softer sides. Granted, majority of the Scorpions don't know yet that Runner is a woman (Or do they?), but I hold out hope that they would treat her the same when they are enlightened, and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
I immediately liked Shadow because of his straight-forward manner and humor. Graukar, though, was a little harder for me to decide on. Part of me resisted liking him because I was still trying to cling to the hope that Adrastes wouldn't change so drastically, and because I was unsure who Kendras and I could trust. But that didn't last very long and I started to like him despite myself. Once I accepted this, every time he was on page, I got the warm and fuzzies and I would find myself smiling. When he left, I missed him immediately and wished Kendras and the Scorpions had gone with so we could have more of him.
3. Familiar Characters: WIDOW. Yes, all the yeses. He's intelligent, snarky, loyal to his lady, and manipulation is one of his many skills. If you don't love Widow, you are wrong.
4. Varied Representation: One of my absolute favorite things about the Memory of Scorpions books is the variety. More than one race and ethnicity is represented. Several different sexualities are explored. The characters are not thrust into one stereotype and forced to stay there. Identities are fluid and multifaceted.
5. Emotional Response: If there is one thing I can stay about Aleksandr Voinov's writing, it's that it consistently elicits strong, emotional reactions from me while I read. I connect with the characters, feel for them. I respond to events as if it were my friends I was watching, reacting with happiness, anxiety about their circumstances (which was the predominant response with LwS), scolding when they do something foolish, or any other manner of response. There are only two or three authors who, without fail, bring this out in me, and he is counted among them.
Complaints:
I actually have none. I mean, I wish I had the next book already to read, but I am more than willing to wait as long as necessary if that means it will be just as amazing as Scorpion and Lying with Scorpions.
Favorite Quotes:
Kendras touched his lips to Graukar’s, and that killed all other thoughts. He couldn’t remember wanting another man so desperately, so tenderly, so completely. He wouldn’t have stepped back from this if it destroyed him, or Graukar, or both of them. It felt rather like two fires uniting and eating into each other—they ceased to exist, yet flared higher and brighter than they would have on their own.
And there was glory in burning.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3384-3387)
“You’ll have to show me one day.”
“I’d give a lot to be able to take you along. There are sights up in the Shoulders that change a man’s heart.”
“You don’t like my heart as it is?” Kendras pushed the blankets away. “What about the rest of me?”
Graukar dropped the saddlebags. “The rest of you? What are you, Kendras, if not all heart?” He leaned down over the bed, kissing Kendras, tenderly, thoroughly.
(Kendras & Graukar, Kindle Locations 3752-3756)
He hadn’t lost himself so completely with any other man, didn’t mind it with Graukar, because the way the man was embracing him, feet to feet, legs to legs, back to chest, they felt almost like one body, and it was like trusting part of your body to not give in, not fail you now.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3788-3790)
Praise:
1. Character Development: Kendras and Adrastes have come a long way since the end of Scorpion. We see Adrastes go from the selfless, dutiful Officer to the unforgiving king, willing to do anything to get what he wants. In turn, the veil over Kendras' eyes is slowly lifted, and he reaches a level of maturity not previously met, due to the new responsibilities that are thrust upon him in his new role as Officer. He begins to abandon his blind faith in Adrastes, and his trust and loyalty begins to shift to others.
Watching their relationship change over the course of the novel was both thrilling and bittersweet. Thrilling because it was so beautifully written and constantly left me in anticipation of what would happen next. Bittersweet because I can't help but miss the Adrastes of the first novel.
2. New Characters: There are several new players introduced in Lying with Scorpions, and four in particular struck my fancy: Runner, Nhala, Shadow, and Graukar.
Nhala and Runner are both strong female characters who are respected and admired for their skills, and not looked down upon simply because they were born women or for also having softer sides. Granted, majority of the Scorpions don't know yet that Runner is a woman (Or do they?), but I hold out hope that they would treat her the same when they are enlightened, and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
I immediately liked Shadow because of his straight-forward manner and humor. Graukar, though, was a little harder for me to decide on. Part of me resisted liking him because I was still trying to cling to the hope that Adrastes wouldn't change so drastically, and because I was unsure who Kendras and I could trust. But that didn't last very long and I started to like him despite myself. Once I accepted this, every time he was on page, I got the warm and fuzzies and I would find myself smiling. When he left, I missed him immediately and wished Kendras and the Scorpions had gone with so we could have more of him.
3. Familiar Characters: WIDOW. Yes, all the yeses. He's intelligent, snarky, loyal to his lady, and manipulation is one of his many skills. If you don't love Widow, you are wrong.
4. Varied Representation: One of my absolute favorite things about the Memory of Scorpions books is the variety. More than one race and ethnicity is represented. Several different sexualities are explored. The characters are not thrust into one stereotype and forced to stay there. Identities are fluid and multifaceted.
5. Emotional Response: If there is one thing I can stay about Aleksandr Voinov's writing, it's that it consistently elicits strong, emotional reactions from me while I read. I connect with the characters, feel for them. I respond to events as if it were my friends I was watching, reacting with happiness, anxiety about their circumstances (which was the predominant response with LwS), scolding when they do something foolish, or any other manner of response. There are only two or three authors who, without fail, bring this out in me, and he is counted among them.
Complaints:
I actually have none. I mean, I wish I had the next book already to read, but I am more than willing to wait as long as necessary if that means it will be just as amazing as Scorpion and Lying with Scorpions.
Favorite Quotes:
Kendras touched his lips to Graukar’s, and that killed all other thoughts. He couldn’t remember wanting another man so desperately, so tenderly, so completely. He wouldn’t have stepped back from this if it destroyed him, or Graukar, or both of them. It felt rather like two fires uniting and eating into each other—they ceased to exist, yet flared higher and brighter than they would have on their own.
And there was glory in burning.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3384-3387)
“You’ll have to show me one day.”
“I’d give a lot to be able to take you along. There are sights up in the Shoulders that change a man’s heart.”
“You don’t like my heart as it is?” Kendras pushed the blankets away. “What about the rest of me?”
Graukar dropped the saddlebags. “The rest of you? What are you, Kendras, if not all heart?” He leaned down over the bed, kissing Kendras, tenderly, thoroughly.
(Kendras & Graukar, Kindle Locations 3752-3756)
He hadn’t lost himself so completely with any other man, didn’t mind it with Graukar, because the way the man was embracing him, feet to feet, legs to legs, back to chest, they felt almost like one body, and it was like trusting part of your body to not give in, not fail you now.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3788-3790)
nelsonseye's review
3.0
Good but hard to read at times. The ending was quite interesting and I wonder how things will resolve.
kaje_harper's review
5.0
Kendras is now the Officer of the Scorpions. And although their numbers are small, and half of them are new, he feels that heart-deep loyalty to his men that has always been the Scorpion way.
Adrastes has claimed the throne of Dalman. And he is once again moving in the halls of power to which he was born and bred. As his lover and bodyguard, Kendras is at his side watching, seeing the machinations and schemes, the plans and power, that are so different from when this man was Kendras' own Officer. Little things begin to rankle, like the way Adrastes still tries to command the Scorpions over Kendras' head. Or his growing revelation of how far his ambitions lie. And while enemies must be dealt with, there is a ruthless streak appearing that Kendras isn't comfortable with.
For Kendras, these are murky days. Scorpions have always had open relationships, lying with whomever they pleased, but loyal to the death in their fighting. Now that he is lover to a king, Kendras isn't sure where he stands. If he looks at another man, will that man be in danger from this new Adrastes? What about when he takes a new Scorpion in with the usual ceremony. The arrival of people with ties to his past, and information about his parents further unsettles him. And he finds himself watching everyone's back, and faces with choices. By the end of the book, his future is only more unclear, when his friends may be enemies, and everything he has loved and counted on is becoming quicksand under his feet.
And excellent gay fantasy read. And the wait for the next book will be too long. Just a few hours now, and it's already too long. Recommended to fantasy-lovers who don't need happy romance endings.
Adrastes has claimed the throne of Dalman. And he is once again moving in the halls of power to which he was born and bred. As his lover and bodyguard, Kendras is at his side watching, seeing the machinations and schemes, the plans and power, that are so different from when this man was Kendras' own Officer. Little things begin to rankle, like the way Adrastes still tries to command the Scorpions over Kendras' head. Or his growing revelation of how far his ambitions lie. And while enemies must be dealt with, there is a ruthless streak appearing that Kendras isn't comfortable with.
For Kendras, these are murky days. Scorpions have always had open relationships, lying with whomever they pleased, but loyal to the death in their fighting. Now that he is lover to a king, Kendras isn't sure where he stands. If he looks at another man, will that man be in danger from this new Adrastes? What about when he takes a new Scorpion in with the usual ceremony. The arrival of people with ties to his past, and information about his parents further unsettles him. And he finds himself watching everyone's back, and faces with choices. By the end of the book, his future is only more unclear, when his friends may be enemies, and everything he has loved and counted on is becoming quicksand under his feet.
And excellent gay fantasy read. And the wait for the next book will be too long. Just a few hours now, and it's already too long. Recommended to fantasy-lovers who don't need happy romance endings.
mindforbooks's review
5.0
How have I never reviewed this book??
Still one of my favourites even after all this time.
One of the things I like best about this book is seeing Kendras learn that love isn't hero worship. Let's face it, the feelings he has for the men in his life haven't been exactly clear cut. We see Steel trying to own him in book one and we also see Kendras look at Adrastes, his rescuer, as if he is infallible.
These aren't the best building blocks for relationships and I think Kendras is so lost he doesn't understand that he deserves more. Until Graukar that is. A man who treats him as his equal and is patient with him and kind to him. Who treats him with respect and gives him the truth even when it's not easy to hear.
"'To take the measure of a man, watch not how he treats his friends, watch how he treats a conquered foe.’ This, now, is the first moment I’m afraid of Adrastes of Fetin.”
Looking through my highlighted quotes I see that the majority of them are Graukar quotes. He is so wise and I just find him and Kendras to be the most romantic of romances.
“You’re staying here, aren’t you?”
“Nowhere I’d rather be.”
*le sigh*
I actually think that the closest Kendras had to the kind of relationship he has with Graukar is his relationship with the Medic and it makes his memories of him all the more bittersweet.
This book also has Runner and yet again we see how different a man Kendras is compared to his predecessor. Kendras isn't exactly what we would call 'smart'. He doesn't understand the politics of the world he finds himself in. Subterfuge is definitely not his forte and he can be naive but he is so bloody loyal and brave and just so human that it is impossible not to love him and seeing what he does for Runner makes him one of my all time favourite characters.
I really want to dive into A Taste for Poison right away but I'm also kind of scared so I'll wait until Monday but I'm loving being back in this world.
Memory of Scorpions trilogy will be rereleased on the following dates:
Scorpion: 23 December 2018
Lying with Scorpions: 23 December 2018
A Taste for Poison: 23 December 2018
I originally read these books in 2014 added them to my favourites and gave them all 5 stars. I am rereading as a beta reader for the re-issued books.
_______________________________________
Review to follow but this was just perfection.
Without a doubt one of the best I've read this year!! Feel unbelievably sad that I've finished it.
poultrymunitions's review
3.0
A cherished favorite, redone.
Kendras lives in my brain.
...and so does Steel.
I think the more polished ending works well, but do wish each titanic shift had time to flower on its own, so I could savor each revelation before the next one came along.
I can see why fantasy authors have trouble keeping these things under a million words: when things happen at this scale, with the fate of a shattered empire in the balance, it's difficult to conclude cataclysmic upheaval with a show of hands in a tent.
Still.
With characters this compelling, a man's allowed to be greedy. I may have wanted more regardless—a million words, or a thousand.
God, I love me some Kendras.
And Steel. And ...Sylvan?
Mmmm. Him maybe best of all.
Recommended.
Kendras lives in my brain.
...and so does Steel.
I think the more polished ending works well, but do wish each titanic shift had time to flower on its own, so I could savor each revelation before the next one came along.
I can see why fantasy authors have trouble keeping these things under a million words: when things happen at this scale, with the fate of a shattered empire in the balance, it's difficult to conclude cataclysmic upheaval with a show of hands in a tent.
Still.
With characters this compelling, a man's allowed to be greedy. I may have wanted more regardless—a million words, or a thousand.
God, I love me some Kendras.
And Steel. And ...Sylvan?
Mmmm. Him maybe best of all.
Recommended.
calila's review
4.0
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would. I had been putting it off forever. But I really really enjoyed it. I really liked how much emotion there was in and how much focus it got. Much like the book I read before this, there is a lot of sex, with a lot of people. But it's for a purpose, it's to build trust and intimacy between them. It's a form of caring for one another. And it doesn't take away from the relationship between Kendras and The Officer. It adds to it in a way. Oddly. Steel on the other hand, was delusional and I did not care for him and I was not sad with the way the book ends him. Widow grew on me, as he's supposed to. I felt so much pity for the boy king. I'm glad it ends for him how it does. I am excited to read the next book now.
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