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jesslynh's review
4.0
Reading this book was like watching a good cop show. It was a nice breath of fresh air to my book doldrums.
smitchy's review
3.0
My first impression of this series is that it is a kind of darker more violent cross between Lord of the Rings and the Discworld. Orcs, Dwarves, humans and Elves inhabit the Anhk-Morpork like city of Yenara. Rem is new to the city and down to his last few coins when a bar brawl lands him in the cells of the city watch. His quick thinking saves the watch commander from a fellow prisoner and Rem manages to talk himself into a new job. Partnered with a surly dwarf named Torval, Rem is in for a roller coaster education in the politics of the great city: Torval's old partner turns up dead, a young heiress is murdered and the girl Rem fancies is missing and that's just the first day on the job.
This is the first book in the Fifth Ward series and there are a few times when we do get a little bogged down in exposition, and there are a couple of times the fighting got a bit old (Torval has a habit of hitting first and asking questions when people are unconscious) but overall there is a heck of a fast pace to the story. Like Rem, we are dropped into this strange new city and you have to pay attention to keep up. There are some great characters here who I hope we will see more of as the series continues.
Recommended for 14+ due to the violence
This is the first book in the Fifth Ward series and there are a few times when we do get a little bogged down in exposition, and there are a couple of times the fighting got a bit old (Torval has a habit of hitting first and asking questions when people are unconscious) but overall there is a heck of a fast pace to the story. Like Rem, we are dropped into this strange new city and you have to pay attention to keep up. There are some great characters here who I hope we will see more of as the series continues.
Recommended for 14+ due to the violence
jasonabbott's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lunarxcross's review
5.0
I didn't know I was in need of a fantasy buddy cop story until I read this one! I was in dire need.
Loved it!
Loved it!
teri_b's review
5.0
I loved reading this book, getting to know the two main characters, Rem and Torval and how they get into their partnership as ward watch of the city Yenara, that hosts not only humans but also dwarves and orcs and elves and mages.
We see them solving a murder mystery and uncovering deep lying rot in the city. There are fantastic sword fights and brawls to be lived through and there are women who have their own wit.
Dale Lucas has set with his debut novel and fantastic base for further exploration of his main characters as well as the world they have agreed to guard.
We see them solving a murder mystery and uncovering deep lying rot in the city. There are fantastic sword fights and brawls to be lived through and there are women who have their own wit.
Dale Lucas has set with his debut novel and fantastic base for further exploration of his main characters as well as the world they have agreed to guard.
nlord's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
eloiseinparis's review
2.0
A great idea, however the story just didn't work for me. It's a fast read, but it wasn't a fun one for me. I won't be continuing with this series.
vinayakmalik's review
3.0
Had hoped for something like Terry Prachetts Watch series but nothing like it. No humor at all.
dranostaj's review
3.0
An interesting start to a series, but a little lacking in the end. The premise for the series grabbed me at first: what if COPS was set in a fantasy setting? Billed as a seedy and gritty fantasy series, at times felt a little above the top or average. The two main characters (who hate each other at first) become partners (I wouldn't say friends but they had something of a working relationship at the end) while solving the mystery of who killed a member of the watch. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The story opens with Rem in a jail after a bar fight. He wakes up, pleads his case, and viola! Becomes a member of the watch in one of the roughest sectors of the city, Fifth Ward. He's paired up with a Dwarf Torval; a tough talking and tough hitting no nonsense Dwarf. The story quickly evolves into a fantasy who dunit after Torval's last partner is killed, complete with corrupt officials and assassins coming into the night trying to kill both Rem and Torval.
One of the more interesting aspects of the story is Rem. It's all from his point of view, and he tries to hide his past and why he came to Yenara. But there is the rub: There are two mysteries: Who is Rem (what is his past, why did he run) and who killed the member of the watch? Some of those are answered, but I'll leave that to the reader to figure that out.
Leaving out details, as to not spoil the story, I would say the story has a nice ebb and flow to it, however, I really didn't get a sense of feeling satisfied in the end. The author had nice discroptions and characters, but there wasn't anything over the top or unique about this book. As a reader I like to be Jerry McGuired, in other words: Show me the plot! Was there some nefarious plot between the Orcs and the other towns? Would this explain why and how Torval's family was murdered? Maybe that's how and why he came to the town to begin with...
Alas, I don't mean to rewrite the series, but my greater point is I didn't see enough meat and potatoes to this story. It would have been great to have some large revelations that the characters uncovered trying to discover the one who murdered the member of the watch (which gets further confusing with a young elf noble that is murdered along the way).
All in all I'd say this is a good read, but I don't think (as a reader anyway) I was heavily invested in the series to read the next one.
The story opens with Rem in a jail after a bar fight. He wakes up, pleads his case, and viola! Becomes a member of the watch in one of the roughest sectors of the city, Fifth Ward. He's paired up with a Dwarf Torval; a tough talking and tough hitting no nonsense Dwarf. The story quickly evolves into a fantasy who dunit after Torval's last partner is killed, complete with corrupt officials and assassins coming into the night trying to kill both Rem and Torval.
One of the more interesting aspects of the story is Rem. It's all from his point of view, and he tries to hide his past and why he came to Yenara. But there is the rub: There are two mysteries: Who is Rem (what is his past, why did he run) and who killed the member of the watch? Some of those are answered, but I'll leave that to the reader to figure that out.
Leaving out details, as to not spoil the story, I would say the story has a nice ebb and flow to it, however, I really didn't get a sense of feeling satisfied in the end. The author had nice discroptions and characters, but there wasn't anything over the top or unique about this book. As a reader I like to be Jerry McGuired, in other words: Show me the plot! Was there some nefarious plot between the Orcs and the other towns? Would this explain why and how Torval's family was murdered? Maybe that's how and why he came to the town to begin with...
Alas, I don't mean to rewrite the series, but my greater point is I didn't see enough meat and potatoes to this story. It would have been great to have some large revelations that the characters uncovered trying to discover the one who murdered the member of the watch (which gets further confusing with a young elf noble that is murdered along the way).
All in all I'd say this is a good read, but I don't think (as a reader anyway) I was heavily invested in the series to read the next one.
vinayvasan's review
4.0
A dwarf and a man walk into a bar and get into a bar fight :)
This one was so much super fun - drawing inspiration from mismatched cop buddy movies as much as from standard fantasy tropes - to craft a rollicking story, that frequently had one grinning while becoming progressively darker. Rem, an ordinary man, serves as our window to the story as he fortuitously finds himself part of the city watch, one of the 5 in the city hosting elves, orcs, dwarves and men. This complexity of races inhabiting this world brings its own challenges wrt administering the law. A rookie, he finds himself saddles with a rather short-tempered, shoot-first-ask-questions later (or the equivalent in this world) dwarf as they investigate the case of the dwarf's dead partner even as the city grapples with a spate of women missing
Make no mistake, the book is really about the mucky undertones of the city. It gets right and dirty, our lead pair often wade within the muck, both literally and figuratively even as they tangle with the various race factions of the city, some who want them to stop investigating, other who have their own agenda. As with the cop buddy movies, there is a wonderful dynamic between the naive, eyes wide open, wanting to prove a point rookie and his cynical, been-there-done-there hard as nails partner. There is an easy flow to the book, there are hints around the city itself and the politicking with a good amount of history as well explained without significant exposition dump.
The book gets darker, and bodies do start dropping. The seamy underside of the city is deadly seamy. Rem is quite believable as a new character who happens to be a wonderful fighter as well. Torval as the dwarf added menace and unpredictability and happened to be an expert in making a situation worse. There are a lot of hints on Rem's background which will come into play through the series.
We have seen the Fifth ward in good detail. Now looking forward to exploring other wards.
This one was so much super fun - drawing inspiration from mismatched cop buddy movies as much as from standard fantasy tropes - to craft a rollicking story, that frequently had one grinning while becoming progressively darker. Rem, an ordinary man, serves as our window to the story as he fortuitously finds himself part of the city watch, one of the 5 in the city hosting elves, orcs, dwarves and men. This complexity of races inhabiting this world brings its own challenges wrt administering the law. A rookie, he finds himself saddles with a rather short-tempered, shoot-first-ask-questions later (or the equivalent in this world) dwarf as they investigate the case of the dwarf's dead partner even as the city grapples with a spate of women missing
Make no mistake, the book is really about the mucky undertones of the city. It gets right and dirty, our lead pair often wade within the muck, both literally and figuratively even as they tangle with the various race factions of the city, some who want them to stop investigating, other who have their own agenda. As with the cop buddy movies, there is a wonderful dynamic between the naive, eyes wide open, wanting to prove a point rookie and his cynical, been-there-done-there hard as nails partner. There is an easy flow to the book, there are hints around the city itself and the politicking with a good amount of history as well explained without significant exposition dump.
The book gets darker, and bodies do start dropping. The seamy underside of the city is deadly seamy. Rem is quite believable as a new character who happens to be a wonderful fighter as well. Torval as the dwarf added menace and unpredictability and happened to be an expert in making a situation worse. There are a lot of hints on Rem's background which will come into play through the series.
We have seen the Fifth ward in good detail. Now looking forward to exploring other wards.
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