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kathydavie's review
4.0
Second in the Forest Kingdom fantasy series, and this story revolves around the most horrible family.
My Take
Nope, it doesn't appear to be your usual Simon Green, for it is a more fantastical fairy tale than urban anything with its monsters in the castle — both the ghostly, other realm ones and the human ones. But Green shines with the horrifying descriptions of all the awful, vicious, cruel, disgusting!, nightmarish creatures he creates and the betrayals that abound. Only one of those betrayals rebounds, lol.
This series seems to be loosely held together in that it refers back to the Forest Kingdom from the first book, Blue Moon Rising, 1, but without the same characters. From the horrors of the people Jordan must deal with, the story quickly includes then increases the horrors of the monsters as battle after battle is waged attempting to save the unimportant, save the castle, and provide the princes with amusement.
Jordan was really desperate or else he would have been much more suspicious of how easily they offered him more and more money. I'm surprised he didn't lash back at Argent about his comment about "a dozen just like you".
I can't imagine why anyone would want any of the king's sons to inherit. The king sounds like he was the best of the lot and that's not saying much. He was an idiot carried away with delusions of grandeur and not the welfare of his people. Nor can I blame Brion for wanting some respect, but he has a lousy way of going about it.
Interesting that the Regent who is depicted as such an honest man has his own ambitions to be the new king's advisor. With what he knows about the brothers, why would he think he'd be allowed to live?
Whoa…I think Elizabeth deserves what she gets, but still…
It's a clean slate in this one, and I'm looking forward to Down Among the Dead Men, 3.
The Story
It's the greatest role Jordan will ever play — and the money they offer is out of this world.
But when Jordan arrives at Castle Midnight, he must wonder if even that is enough. For the Castle has been without half of the restraining hand with the king dead, and Catriona is hard pressed to keep the Unreal on its own side. Monsters are melting through and taking people, rooms.
To win the right to rule, the princes must find the crown, the seal and the will, and they've taken too long. The Regent has thrown the hunt open to any with the Blood. The Rite of Transference will allow anyone powerful enough to take the throne.
The more Jordan gets to know the man he's impersonating, the people who surround him, and the others involved, the more he wants out. For none of them are worthy. And it's a new hero who steps forth.
The Characters
The Great Jordan is a down-on-his-luck actor, once acclaimed throughout the land, but no more.
Count Roderik Crichton is an advisor to King Malcolm of Redhart. Robert Argent, a trader, and Sir Gawaine of Tower Rouge are his accomplices. Sir Gawaine's brother is Vivian Hellstrom (I think he's the Lord Vivian in Blue Moon Rising, 1); they were the only two who survived the siege at Tower Rouge. Lady Emma is Gawaine's wife.
Castle Midnight is…
…very old and a place of power. What is Real or Unreal is a matter of opinion. It's the king and the steward, Catriona Taggert, a.k.a., Kate, who keeps the balance between them. Damon Cord is her apprentice. Brion DeGrange is in charge of security. A former bandit leader, Roderik has him under a geas, forced to serve.
Prince Viktor of Redhart is too ill to appear and undergo the rituals, but he must to inherit. Weak, capricious, arrogant, and vicious, his talent is with fire. The ambitious Lady Heather Tawney is Viktor's current love.
King Malcolm is dead, which has upset the balance of power. Until the rituals are undergone and the heir chosen, the Regent, Count William Howerd, leads the kingdom. He's married to Lady Gabrielle, the king's daughter with an air power. Count Richard Penhalligan, one of the Regent's staunchest supporters, and his family were not safe in their chambers. Jonathan of Virbrook is the son of Michael and Clarissa Trelawney of Virbrook, only not.
Prince Lewis is the oldest and has a gift for earth magic. He's a master with a sword and viciously cruel at everything else. He employs the sorcerous Monk and Ironheart, a knight who gave up everything for immortality and is now Lewis' pet murderer.
Prince Dominic is the youngest brother with a gift for water. He's also, as Gawaine puts it, barking mad and too interested in the darker magics. He's married to the cold, calculating Lady Elizabeth, who played Viktor off against Dominic to the point that Viktor was banished for some years. Dark John Sutton works for Dominic with forty-seven kills to his credit.
A sanctuary is a person who radiates peace, ease, and comfort against the darkness of the world. Grey Davey is one of the best, and Mother Donna is another, one of the most powerful, with an aura of peace, calm, and genuine love and caring. Captain Matthew Doyle is one of the reliable guardsmen. Captain Timothy Blood had been a spy for most of his life, now he treasures the trust he has in his fellow guardsmen.
Access to the Stone is dependent on there being a king; it also imparts power to the king and to the steward, who is running ragged with her efforts to defend against the Unreal. Geordie is one of the ghosts in Castle Midnight. He's looking for his mother, Lady Mary of Fenbrook. The bloodhound came with Viktor's room.
The High Warlock saved the Forest Kingdom in the Demon Wars. He also made Gawaine his magic ax. Bloody Bones is one of the old creatures, a Transient Being who lived on blood and has been bound to his barrow. A Gateway is High Magic and allows the Unreal access into the castle. A lich is a walking dead man.
The Cover
The cover is, well, it is fantastical in its bright colors. The monsters and Jordan are accurate enough, but don't count on reading of any almost nude, pointy-breasted women in this.
The title is a conundrum, for both Blood and Honor are important, but only one is respected.
My Take
Nope, it doesn't appear to be your usual Simon Green, for it is a more fantastical fairy tale than urban anything with its monsters in the castle — both the ghostly, other realm ones and the human ones. But Green shines with the horrifying descriptions of all the awful, vicious, cruel, disgusting!, nightmarish creatures he creates and the betrayals that abound. Only one of those betrayals rebounds, lol.
This series seems to be loosely held together in that it refers back to the Forest Kingdom from the first book, Blue Moon Rising, 1, but without the same characters. From the horrors of the people Jordan must deal with, the story quickly includes then increases the horrors of the monsters as battle after battle is waged attempting to save the unimportant, save the castle, and provide the princes with amusement.
Jordan was really desperate or else he would have been much more suspicious of how easily they offered him more and more money. I'm surprised he didn't lash back at Argent about his comment about "a dozen just like you".
I can't imagine why anyone would want any of the king's sons to inherit. The king sounds like he was the best of the lot and that's not saying much. He was an idiot carried away with delusions of grandeur and not the welfare of his people. Nor can I blame Brion for wanting some respect, but he has a lousy way of going about it.
Interesting that the Regent who is depicted as such an honest man has his own ambitions to be the new king's advisor. With what he knows about the brothers, why would he think he'd be allowed to live?
Whoa…I think Elizabeth deserves what she gets, but still…
It's a clean slate in this one, and I'm looking forward to Down Among the Dead Men, 3.
The Story
It's the greatest role Jordan will ever play — and the money they offer is out of this world.
But when Jordan arrives at Castle Midnight, he must wonder if even that is enough. For the Castle has been without half of the restraining hand with the king dead, and Catriona is hard pressed to keep the Unreal on its own side. Monsters are melting through and taking people, rooms.
To win the right to rule, the princes must find the crown, the seal and the will, and they've taken too long. The Regent has thrown the hunt open to any with the Blood. The Rite of Transference will allow anyone powerful enough to take the throne.
The more Jordan gets to know the man he's impersonating, the people who surround him, and the others involved, the more he wants out. For none of them are worthy. And it's a new hero who steps forth.
The Characters
The Great Jordan is a down-on-his-luck actor, once acclaimed throughout the land, but no more.
Count Roderik Crichton is an advisor to King Malcolm of Redhart. Robert Argent, a trader, and Sir Gawaine of Tower Rouge are his accomplices. Sir Gawaine's brother is Vivian Hellstrom (I think he's the Lord Vivian in Blue Moon Rising, 1); they were the only two who survived the siege at Tower Rouge. Lady Emma is Gawaine's wife.
Castle Midnight is…
…very old and a place of power. What is Real or Unreal is a matter of opinion. It's the king and the steward, Catriona Taggert, a.k.a., Kate, who keeps the balance between them. Damon Cord is her apprentice. Brion DeGrange is in charge of security. A former bandit leader, Roderik has him under a geas, forced to serve.
Prince Viktor of Redhart is too ill to appear and undergo the rituals, but he must to inherit. Weak, capricious, arrogant, and vicious, his talent is with fire. The ambitious Lady Heather Tawney is Viktor's current love.
King Malcolm is dead, which has upset the balance of power. Until the rituals are undergone and the heir chosen, the Regent, Count William Howerd, leads the kingdom. He's married to Lady Gabrielle, the king's daughter with an air power. Count Richard Penhalligan, one of the Regent's staunchest supporters, and his family were not safe in their chambers. Jonathan of Virbrook is the son of Michael and Clarissa Trelawney of Virbrook, only not.
Prince Lewis is the oldest and has a gift for earth magic. He's a master with a sword and viciously cruel at everything else. He employs the sorcerous Monk and Ironheart, a knight who gave up everything for immortality and is now Lewis' pet murderer.
Prince Dominic is the youngest brother with a gift for water. He's also, as Gawaine puts it, barking mad and too interested in the darker magics. He's married to the cold, calculating Lady Elizabeth, who played Viktor off against Dominic to the point that Viktor was banished for some years. Dark John Sutton works for Dominic with forty-seven kills to his credit.
A sanctuary is a person who radiates peace, ease, and comfort against the darkness of the world. Grey Davey is one of the best, and Mother Donna is another, one of the most powerful, with an aura of peace, calm, and genuine love and caring. Captain Matthew Doyle is one of the reliable guardsmen. Captain Timothy Blood had been a spy for most of his life, now he treasures the trust he has in his fellow guardsmen.
Access to the Stone is dependent on there being a king; it also imparts power to the king and to the steward, who is running ragged with her efforts to defend against the Unreal. Geordie is one of the ghosts in Castle Midnight. He's looking for his mother, Lady Mary of Fenbrook. The bloodhound came with Viktor's room.
The High Warlock saved the Forest Kingdom in the Demon Wars. He also made Gawaine his magic ax. Bloody Bones is one of the old creatures, a Transient Being who lived on blood and has been bound to his barrow. A Gateway is High Magic and allows the Unreal access into the castle. A lich is a walking dead man.
The Cover
The cover is, well, it is fantastical in its bright colors. The monsters and Jordan are accurate enough, but don't count on reading of any almost nude, pointy-breasted women in this.
The title is a conundrum, for both Blood and Honor are important, but only one is respected.
anna_hepworth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Great book, but easy to put down and forget about, which is what has lost it the last 1/2 star. The writing is great, the characters are a fantastic mix of not-quite-stereotypes of sword and sorcery fantasy (whether the book counts as sword and sorcery I'm leaving to other people to argue about), the world building is complex, and the plot has so many different bits and bobs going on I was repeatedly surprised by details I hadn't noticed.
While the viewpoint character is a wandering actor who gets co-opted into a complicated political drama, I think my favourite 'character' is actually the castle. So many weird and wonderful things going on, at the intersection of the Real and the Unreal. Intriguing that the Unreal was pretty much always the stuff of nightmares, but I presume it had its less soul sucking and murderous moments. Second choice would probably be one of the ghosts.
One of the details I found frustrating was how poorly the majority of female characters were treated. Not just in world, but also how slim their characterisation and roles in the story were. Minimal to no back story, one thread (at best) of story that shows up more in its absence. The exception is the castle Steward, Taggert, who is everywhere, fighting incursions of the Unreal, and providing a foil for our viewpoint character to develop and become the kind of leader they believe in. Taggert's first scene was a turning point for how I felt about the book, although it was less about the introduction of a female character I found interesting, and more in that the Unreal was introduced in a way that took this story from the merely political to the fabulously fantastical.
While the viewpoint character is a wandering actor who gets co-opted into a complicated political drama, I think my favourite 'character' is actually the castle. So many weird and wonderful things going on, at the intersection of the Real and the Unreal. Intriguing that the Unreal was pretty much always the stuff of nightmares, but I presume it had its less soul sucking and murderous moments. Second choice would probably be one of the ghosts.
One of the details I found frustrating was how poorly the majority of female characters were treated. Not just in world, but also how slim their characterisation and roles in the story were. Minimal to no back story, one thread (at best) of story that shows up more in its absence. The exception is the castle Steward, Taggert, who is everywhere, fighting incursions of the Unreal, and providing a foil for our viewpoint character to develop and become the kind of leader they believe in. Taggert's first scene was a turning point for how I felt about the book, although it was less about the introduction of a female character I found interesting, and more in that the Unreal was introduced in a way that took this story from the merely political to the fabulously fantastical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Death of parent and Murder
multiple undead characters, none of whom are having a good time.tessla's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hotsake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Not as funny as the first and the characters aren't as fun, interesting, or engaging either. The story was tense and exciting for most of the book until the final act where everything felt way too rushed. Don't get me wrong the ending was very exciting and I ended the book with a smile on my face. I just feel like another 100 pages or so would've helped make the pacing better and flesh out the final act a bit.
laci's review
3.0
I'm a bit disappointed. And I expected something a lot different: namely, all the things that made the first book in the series, Blue Moon Rising, entertaining and unique. This didn't include any of the endearing characters; it didn't even include the titular Forest Kingdom, darn it. And while I don't generally mind authors coming up with various names for their beasts so they don't have to call them 'demons' as everybody else, calling them "the unreal" was just dumb, immersion-breaking and unbelievable in-universe.
wishanem's review
3.0
Though less funny and still riddled with cliche, I enjoyed this book more than the first entry in the series. Not a sequel, this story has only a couple of references to the events of the previous book.
The violence and medieval court politics of Blue Moon Rising return, but this time they're accompanied by a more interesting plot and more varied fight scenes. The villains of this story are also more creatively presented, and the conflicts are resolved in more novel ways.
The violence and medieval court politics of Blue Moon Rising return, but this time they're accompanied by a more interesting plot and more varied fight scenes. The villains of this story are also more creatively presented, and the conflicts are resolved in more novel ways.
heyt's review
4.0
This was a fun adventure through the murky world of succession wars. I loved Jordan and thought he was likable and funny at times. He's in over his head in a place where the real and unreal are fighting for dominance. I thought he held his own in a castle filled with horrible people and things. I was quite satisfied at how everything turned out and would love to read more about Jordan and the Steward. There was also a nice nod to the events in Blue Moon Rising at the beginning despite the fact that the events in that book happened seven years prior.
melbsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Trigger warnings: gore, body horror, blood, violence, murder, death, fire
9/1/2023
This time around, I'm bumping this up to 5 stars. I love Jordan so much as a protagonist. Kate is a delight. The Unreal is creepy and unsettling and used extremely well throughout. And yeah, there are some pacing issues, but it was so much FUN that I was having a fantastic time even in the slower moments.
10/6/2017
4.5 stars.
I love the crap out of this. Jordan is such a great character, and I love how much he develops as he slowly realises that Viktor is a big ol' bag of dicks who gives zero fucks about anyone but himself. I love Kate Taggart a lot. I love the way the Unreal isn't exclusively evil. As I said last time, the pacing is a little off at times, but it's so much fun and there's so many twists and turns and I love the crap out of it.
4/11/2013
I love Simon R. Green's books. They're equal parts fantastic worlds, cringeworthy gore, and "I'm taking none of your crap" sass and humour. This is no exception. I found this book in a discount bin for $5 several years ago, and loved it pretty much from the get-go. Despite being book 2 in the Forest Kingdom series, it can serve very nicely as a stand alone. It features completely new characters, although there are passing references throughout to the Demon War, the High Warlock, and Princes Rupert and Harald.
Jordan's a pretty fabulous character. Yes, he's a bit full of himself, but he undergoes some pretty dramatic character development after arriving at Castle Midnight. Green's female characters are, as always, total badasses. But not in a stereotypical, cookie cutter way. They're complex and strong and determined, with motives that aren't revealed until the last minute. And there are only hints at romance between Jordan and Kate.
Yes, there are some pacing issues - I was surprised by how much of the story was still to come when I only had 100 pages to go - and in typical Green fashion, there were some scenes that made me downright nauseated, even on the umpteenth reread. But it's still pretty damned fabulous.
9/1/2023
This time around, I'm bumping this up to 5 stars. I love Jordan so much as a protagonist. Kate is a delight. The Unreal is creepy and unsettling and used extremely well throughout. And yeah, there are some pacing issues, but it was so much FUN that I was having a fantastic time even in the slower moments.
10/6/2017
4.5 stars.
I love the crap out of this. Jordan is such a great character, and I love how much he develops as he slowly realises that Viktor is a big ol' bag of dicks who gives zero fucks about anyone but himself. I love Kate Taggart a lot. I love the way the Unreal isn't exclusively evil. As I said last time, the pacing is a little off at times, but it's so much fun and there's so many twists and turns and I love the crap out of it.
4/11/2013
I love Simon R. Green's books. They're equal parts fantastic worlds, cringeworthy gore, and "I'm taking none of your crap" sass and humour. This is no exception. I found this book in a discount bin for $5 several years ago, and loved it pretty much from the get-go. Despite being book 2 in the Forest Kingdom series, it can serve very nicely as a stand alone. It features completely new characters, although there are passing references throughout to the Demon War, the High Warlock, and Princes Rupert and Harald.
Jordan's a pretty fabulous character. Yes, he's a bit full of himself, but he undergoes some pretty dramatic character development after arriving at Castle Midnight. Green's female characters are, as always, total badasses. But not in a stereotypical, cookie cutter way. They're complex and strong and determined, with motives that aren't revealed until the last minute. And there are only hints at romance between Jordan and Kate.
Yes, there are some pacing issues - I was surprised by how much of the story was still to come when I only had 100 pages to go - and in typical Green fashion, there were some scenes that made me downright nauseated, even on the umpteenth reread. But it's still pretty damned fabulous.
tricky's review against another edition
3.0
I did not realise that this was second in the series of Blue Moon Rising and that was a book I really did enjoy. This was fun, read it in a day, smiled in a couple of bits and found myself be transported away to a different place.
My only gripes was that book took a long time to get started and then heads off at a cracking pace. I was at about page two hundred and I was thinking there must be another book as there was so much going on. I hoped it would not be finished in a rush which can be disappointing. This was tied up nicely and it was good fun.
The characters had some depth to them and there was a fair amount to keep you intrigued.
I like Green's writing, his ideas and he really deserves a bit more recognition.
My only gripes was that book took a long time to get started and then heads off at a cracking pace. I was at about page two hundred and I was thinking there must be another book as there was so much going on. I hoped it would not be finished in a rush which can be disappointing. This was tied up nicely and it was good fun.
The characters had some depth to them and there was a fair amount to keep you intrigued.
I like Green's writing, his ideas and he really deserves a bit more recognition.
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