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A review by aconstellationoftomes
The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams
2.0
2,5 stars
“Cage what you fear, and when it escapes it will consume you utterly.”
The Emperor's Knife is bold and ambitious, but I struggled to fully invest in the story. The story is vague and confusing and the plot is loose and unstructured, leading to a lack of urgency and emotional impact.
Despite intriguing characters and an interesting premise, the characters are weak and the frequent and choppy PoV shifts makes it hard to connect with the narrative or care about the characters' struggles. The relationships and romantic subplots, which have the potential to be compelling, fall flat because the writing doesn't sufficiently convey the emotions the characters are experiencing.
That being said, there’s a unique quality to this story that stands out in a positive way. The writing is strong, with some excellent metaphors. The premise is interesting, the concepts are unique and the world and magic system is captivating. The political machinations are also well-done. However, in all these aspects, there’s something incomplete and lacking in depth.
Overall, there’s something missing in this story, despite its creativity. The Emperor's Knife has potential, and I can see where the author wanted to go with the story, but it ultimately fails to be engaging and immersive.
“Her father had told her that a person who can live in the desert can live anywhere—fight anywhere. These flowers looked delicate, but they must be strong, to survive here. Indomitable.”
“Cage what you fear, and when it escapes it will consume you utterly.”
The Emperor's Knife is bold and ambitious, but I struggled to fully invest in the story. The story is vague and confusing and the plot is loose and unstructured, leading to a lack of urgency and emotional impact.
Despite intriguing characters and an interesting premise, the characters are weak and the frequent and choppy PoV shifts makes it hard to connect with the narrative or care about the characters' struggles. The relationships and romantic subplots, which have the potential to be compelling, fall flat because the writing doesn't sufficiently convey the emotions the characters are experiencing.
That being said, there’s a unique quality to this story that stands out in a positive way. The writing is strong, with some excellent metaphors. The premise is interesting, the concepts are unique and the world and magic system is captivating. The political machinations are also well-done. However, in all these aspects, there’s something incomplete and lacking in depth.
Overall, there’s something missing in this story, despite its creativity. The Emperor's Knife has potential, and I can see where the author wanted to go with the story, but it ultimately fails to be engaging and immersive.
“Her father had told her that a person who can live in the desert can live anywhere—fight anywhere. These flowers looked delicate, but they must be strong, to survive here. Indomitable.”