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veraann's review against another edition
3.0
Starts out slow for me, coming off the previous book that was even slower. This one did pick up the pace and interest toward the end. The jumping around did bring me out of the story a bit, and it felt very abrupt to me. I will continue this series and see how things come together. It seems that is how these books are, can drag and sometimes I don't see the point until he brings it all around together to make sense. This does end on somewhat a cliffhanger so there were many things left unsatisfied that I hope will have a worthwhile conclusion in the next couple books.
bookshopghost's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tristanv's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theshleester's review against another edition
Realised I didn't care about the characters, I wasn't following the story, the writing isn't the best, and I was tensed to skip the next rape scene every time I picked it up.
All in all, seemed best to quit.
All in all, seemed best to quit.
jamsl94's review against another edition
2.5
I appreciate the experiment into showing how this world works by exploring the business side of things. But the main fantasy plot is more interesting and sadly neglected in comparison.
winterscape's review against another edition
5.0
Rise of a Merchant Prince is a delight to read. You know how in stories the soldiers will be facing certain death and will have the "what could have been" conversation? "I would have gone home and married that pretty lass" or "Oh, if only I could return and fulfill my dream of becoming a famous bard" or whatever. And you feel sad for a future that will never come.
Except, in Rise of a Merchant Prince, the "what could have been" actually gets played out! A character had goals, dreams, aspirations? Watch them live out their life! It's so refreshing. It's so real. It brings the characters to a different level of depth than their soldier martyr counterparts above. People live, people move on, and people keep striving towards their own happiness.
I found the second novel in the Serpentwar Saga to be much more affecting and full of humanity than the first. While Shadow of a Dark Queen was more thrilling, with higher stakes, Rise of a Merchant Prince manages to be interesting in a down-to-earth way, while maintaining the same level of quality as the first.
I highly recommend the series.
Except, in Rise of a Merchant Prince, the "what could have been" actually gets played out! A character had goals, dreams, aspirations? Watch them live out their life! It's so refreshing. It's so real. It brings the characters to a different level of depth than their soldier martyr counterparts above. People live, people move on, and people keep striving towards their own happiness.
I found the second novel in the Serpentwar Saga to be much more affecting and full of humanity than the first. While Shadow of a Dark Queen was more thrilling, with higher stakes, Rise of a Merchant Prince manages to be interesting in a down-to-earth way, while maintaining the same level of quality as the first.
I highly recommend the series.
dalicieux's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ellyrarg's review against another edition
2.0
A filler book, aimed to build up to the following I suspect. Mostly about Roo and building his trading company, very minor movement forward on the war across the sea but mostly filler.
kaboomcju's review against another edition
2.0
I fairly enjoyed the first book of this series. This one, however, was horrible. Let's put aside the pacing problems (something I can handle) and get to the two issues that bugged me. The lesser issue is the fact that Feist cannot write women characters. Seriously, every female character is either a sexual instrument or a pathetic weakling. They are only there to support the male characters. Even Roo's wife (a character who I started out really liking) turns out to be nothing more than a plot device. And the one possibly strong woman in the book is sleeping with at least two men; because, you know, sex makes them feel special.
The biggest problem I have with this is the main character: Roo Avery. He is not a strong protagonist. He is unsympathetic to say the least, and I found myself hating him more and more as the book progresses. He starts out well enough: deciding he needs to marry Karli. He doesn't really care about her, but he begins to see she's interesting and fairly intelligent (the author goes nowhere with Karli's knowledge about trading). After the wedding, however, Roo is so infatuated with making money that he could really care less what happens to his wife and his children (oh, don't get me started on how childish he acts when he finds out his firstborn is a girl). He later on has a mistress and decides he doesn't love his wife. He does multiple despicable things, and then at the end he has some immediate breakthrough and all of a sudden he's a doting husband and father. What?! The fact that Roo's overall story could have been told in 100 pages didn't help. I couldn't care less about the trading practices going on in Krondor (again, pacing issues). And now I'm supposed to CARE about Roo because suddenly he feels bad? Nope. Sorry. I found myself liking Roo's employees much more than liking him.
The biggest problem I have with this is the main character: Roo Avery. He is not a strong protagonist. He is unsympathetic to say the least, and I found myself hating him more and more as the book progresses. He starts out well enough: deciding he needs to marry Karli. He doesn't really care about her, but he begins to see she's interesting and fairly intelligent (the author goes nowhere with Karli's knowledge about trading). After the wedding, however, Roo is so infatuated with making money that he could really care less what happens to his wife and his children (oh, don't get me started on how childish he acts when he finds out his firstborn is a girl). He later on has a mistress and decides he doesn't love his wife. He does multiple despicable things, and then at the end he has some immediate breakthrough and all of a sudden he's a doting husband and father. What?! The fact that Roo's overall story could have been told in 100 pages didn't help. I couldn't care less about the trading practices going on in Krondor (again, pacing issues). And now I'm supposed to CARE about Roo because suddenly he feels bad? Nope. Sorry. I found myself liking Roo's employees much more than liking him.