I'm not giving this book five stars merely for its brilliance, though it certainly is a work of grandeur—the beginning of what feels like a grand gameI'm not giving this book five stars merely for its brilliance, though it certainly is a work of grandeur—the beginning of what feels like a grand game, intricately woven by a mastermind. We’ve all heard of the spectacular plot and the immersive magic system of The Way of Kings. However it’s the characters who truly make it unforgettable. They’re all gems, each one a marvel, but Kaladin... Kaladin stole my heart. I'm utterly, hopelessly in love with this man....more
At last, CHEERS to my inauguration to the vast universe of Discworld!
"Guards! Guards!" Umm... it was good. Okay, noo, this book was Flippin' Amazing. At last, CHEERS to my inauguration to the vast universe of Discworld!
"Guards! Guards!" Umm... it was good. Okay, noo, this book was Flippin' Amazing. I devoured it like Errol chomps on kettles and coals! But I did that with grace, mind you.
Now, bear in mind that while "Guards! Guards!" is my first book by Pratchett, it wasn't my first attempt. I tried reading "Mort" before. Twice! But I failed miserably. I was too impatient to jump on the hype train, and Pratchett's old-school English humor just bounced off my thick skull. It was a mess, like trying to teach a troll to tap dance.
However, with "Guards! Guards!", it wasn't the hype that got me. It was curiosity. I decided to give Discworld another go. After some proper research (read: frantic Googling), I found out "Guards! Guards!" is one of the most famous (if not the most famous) books in the series. So, one day, I sat down and started reading. And the rest? It was a fantastic journey (dreamy sigh).
I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook simultaneously. Highly recommend the audiobook. Jon Culshaw absolutely nailed it. I loved how he did Sergeant Colon's voice... it was pure gold. Aaaa!...more
Currently on my semester break, I've been trying to read the books that have been sitting on my bookshelTitle: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Currently on my semester break, I've been trying to read the books that have been sitting on my bookshelves for a while; basically, the ones I own physical copies of. "A Game of Thrones" was easily my most anticipated one out of those books. I remember buying this book 2-3 years ago with the money I saved by skipping lunch in school. And now I honestly feel like the money went to waste (the excited little me had bought the second book too!).
I believe everyone knows about the plot of "A Game of Thrones" at this point, so I won't waste our time talking about the storyline. Also, if you want to know why one should read this series, I'm sure you can find tons of raving reviews on the internet. It has great action, political intrigue, battle scenes, and an incredibly well-built fantasy world. It's epic, it's brutal, and the writing is compelling enough to keep you turning the pages.
However, despite all its positives, reading this book felt like torture. I honestly didn't even mind how brutal and gruesome it was. I won't dive deep into the issue of sexism in fantasy books, mainly the ones written by male authors. I've come to compromise when it comes to epic fantasy, especially medieval fantasy. So, I approached this book with an open mind. I knew there would be lots of sexism. But what I did not expect was the complete lack of appreciable female characters. The book objectified women so much that I lost my cool. Even when there's absolutely no need, the author would casually insert some offensive comments about women. How is it possible that not a single male character (out of so many) respects women? Are you telling me all men are that bad?
The characterization was bad. There are eight POVs and plenty more on the side - and not a single one of them is likeable. Now don't give me the excuse of morally grey characters. Morally grey characters are what Joe Abercrombie writes. The characters in this book are just bad. The closest Martin gets to a truly nuanced character is through Catelyn. And even she's not very likeable and has a bad attitude. However, I definitely have to say, I loved Arya.
This book contains the worst romance and sex scenes I've read. There are tons of bizarre flowery euphemisms. And don't even get me started on the author's obsession with incest! The urge to vomit while reading this book was extremely strong, trust me.
In the end, I'm just plainly disappointed. This book put me into a reading slump. It was such a torture. Will I continue? We shall see about that. But I'm not even coming near this book for a while. Bye....more
It pains me to say this but I didn't enjoy this book. The Heroes is officially my least favorite Joe Abercrombie book till date.
I'm a huge fan of JoIt pains me to say this but I didn't enjoy this book. The Heroes is officially my least favorite Joe Abercrombie book till date.
I'm a huge fan of Joe Abercrombie. And the First Law is one of my most favorite universe to explore. I love grimdark fantasy and Abercrombie is a master at writing them. I've apparently seen many First Law to claim that The Heroes is their favourite book in the series (or at least of the standalone trilogy). So I obviously had high expectations from this book. Sadly I am very very disappointed.
The Heroes is a book taking place over a course of three days, in a battle field. You would expect it to be eventful, no? But it wasn't. The writing felt monotonous after a certain point. Nothing significant was happening. The characters was having boring monologues and speaking gibberish with each other. The pacing felt so slow. All of my interest in reading this book totally evaporated in the air. I just saw no point in continuing with it. So I quit.......more
Since the release of "The Justice of Kings", I have been seeing it everywhere on the internet. This series is BookTube's darling. So it hurts me to saSince the release of "The Justice of Kings", I have been seeing it everywhere on the internet. This series is BookTube's darling. So it hurts me to say that..I didn't enjoy this book.
Not enjoying "The Justice of Kings", was mostly my own fault. I picked it up clearly knowing that I do not typically enjoy political fantasy. And this book is political fantasy to its core. I just saw the audiobook available in my library and failed to resist (sigh)
Also there were a lot of characters in this book. Many of them were introduced within a short time interval. And all of them had difficult names. I had a hard time remembering who is who. After a certain point, I stopped trying all together... I'm obviously not good at remembering names. However it would have been nice if the author had provided a character list in the book.
Overall, I thought "The Justice of Kings" was a good book. But reading it felt like a chore to me personally. Wouldn't continue with the series....more
"Deadly beauty is the starkest variety. And you will never find a murderess more intoxicating, more entrancing, than the sea."
"Memory is often"Deadly beauty is the starkest variety. And you will never find a murderess more intoxicating, more entrancing, than the sea."
"Memory is often our only connection to who we used to be. Memories are fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves."
Brandon Sanderson can never write a bad book. I already knew that but this book just strengthen my trust in him. Tress of the Emerald Sea have easily made it to the list of my favorites books of 2024. And Tress? This girl is in a word... Incredible. Definitely one my the best book heroines I've ever met.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a whimsical epic fantasy standalone. Every aspect of this book mesmerized me. It was just so perfect. The world building was amazing. The characters were well fleshed and had distinct qualities. There's a cute romance at the center of this book. However, to me, the best part of Tress of the Emerald Sea was its magic system. Imagine oceans of something that isn't water, basically non-liquid oceans....Do I need to say more?? Please go and read this book if you haven't yet. Trust me you'll love this one.
"Danger is like icy water; you can get used to it if you take it slowly."
"Strange desperation is exactly the state that often leads to genius."
"We pretend that love is rational, if we can only see the pieces, the motivations."...more
Reader - *dead* "The Sword Of Kaigen", Guilty as charged....
Pain is all I know now. Intense, never ceasing pain...The last book that had given me such Reader - *dead* "The Sword Of Kaigen", Guilty as charged....
Pain is all I know now. Intense, never ceasing pain...The last book that had given me such deep wounds was "The Song of Achilles". Yes, I am comparing this book with a masterpiece cause The Sword Of Kaigen" is a masterpiece on it's own...just in a different way. I cried my eyes out and bleed to death anyway.
"Stay,” she said softly and tugged him in until their bodies leaned together. “Stay and watch the sun set with me."
✷ · ˚ * . * * ⋆ . · ⋆ ˚ ˚ ✦ ⋆ · * ⋆ ✧ · ✧ ✵ · ✵
"You learn over time that the world isn’t broken. It’s just… got more pieces to it than you thought. They all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young."
The mountain Takayubi shelters the Kaigenish Empire from the rest of the world. The poeple of Takayubi lives to serve the Empire. They are always the first one to endure the blows from the enemies when they attack. High up on the mountain, is seated the prestigious Kumano academy - renowned for training the best and elite warriors of the Empire. Kumano Academy doesn't only train its students to be fighters, it brings out the best of them in the light. The poeple of Takayubi are not only warriors but also owner of many great magical talents.
In this multi-pov epic fantasy story, we mainly follow Misaki, a warrior woman who had abandoned her own dreams to nurture and protect her famliy - years ago. We also follow Momaru, Misaki's eldest son. Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might have been misled by the empire he's fighting for.
A mother struggling to repress her violent past, A son struggling to grasp his violent future, A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.
"The Sword Of Kaigen" is an incredibly well written fantasy novel, put together with exceptional skill and deployed on a grand scale. I can't pinpoint a single thing that I didn't like. I loved every bit and piece of this book. I enjoyed every single second of reading it. And this is a standalone, which is crazy. Because from where I'm standing, I only see a book wrapped in perfection. The author packed so much into one single book....it's just wonderful.
The prose is beautiful. Yes, writing style is wordy and very desprictive. But it never feels boring. I was enthralled by the prose. It lured me in like a deadly lullaby until I found myself unable to pull away. I was enchanted by the way M.L. Wang writes the emotional scenes. Some of the parts are really emotional and heartbreaking. I cried and cried and cried.
"The Sword Of Kaigen" is a dark and gruesome war based story that also utilizes elemental magic. The elemental magic is a really core aspect of the book. The combat within this book is astoundingly good. It's visual and harrowing. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed the action sequences and fighting scenes of a book so much. The combination of Japanese Samurai style sword play and the elemental magic is amazing to say the least.
The characters are some of the best I have ever met. All of them have just the right amount of emotional depth. The characterization is so good that they appear to be achingly real. You would feel their pain and agony in your bones, you'll want to cry because of them, for them. The author portrays motherhood beautifully. The way she writes about Misaki's relationship with her sons is pure perfection. The author genuinely approaches topics such as family and martial arts and feminism and racism too. The book discusses very important things without feeling it tried so hard to do so. Every emotion, every scene, every character is so well written and so fleshed out, I could relate to them and I loved them and I mourned them and I can’t stop thinking about them.
"The Sword Of Kaigen" is a wonderful book I will like to recommend to everyone out there. This book is a hidden gem. From first page to the last one, it was an epic, wild ride for me. This book is going to stay with me in many years to come....more
"When the dead betray the living, the victims are memories."
"We were foolish to think the Fhrey were gods, but it was insanity for the Fhrey to
"When the dead betray the living, the victims are memories."
"We were foolish to think the Fhrey were gods, but it was insanity for the Fhrey to believe it, too. I’d rather be foolish than insane."
Back in 2021, I tried to read Theft of Sword, the first book of The Riyria Revelation, Sullivan's first and most famous work till date. Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan. I ended up dnf'ing the book around 200 pages in. It was probably due to the lingering disappointment from the experience that it took me so long to pick up "Ages of Myth". Honestly, I had no plans to read it. Even after seeing everyone reading and loving The Riyria Chronicles, I had no intention of returning to this world known as Elan. However, Regan from PeruseProject finally convinced me to give it a go. We share very similar tastes when it comes to books. So, I decided trust her recommendation; her raving praises for this book had me intrigued. And now I'm so glad that I read this book, I am happy that I didn't give up on Sullivan. "Ages Of Myth" was fantastic in a word. I can't recall the last time I had so much fun reading an epic fantasy book...Marvellous and splendid. Going to start book two immediately.
"He had a hundred potential directions, a multitude of choices, and the enormity of the options left him paralyzed. Freedom, he discovered, had built a greater prison than his family or clan had."
"Only a shattered promise yields a rich, glittering yolk of a tale."
The story is narrated by a professor of fairy tales, named only the Bridegroom"Only a shattered promise yields a rich, glittering yolk of a tale."
The story is narrated by a professor of fairy tales, named only the Bridegroom, who manages to wed the unfathomably wealthy and mysterious Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, a fellow lover of tales, who promises him unending happiness and security if he vows to never pry into her past.
But a few years later, Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams. The house is ALIVE and it lures the narrator in. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.
By the end of our third year of marriage, I understood that the secret to everlasting love was fear. Fear tethered love in place. Without the terror that came from imagining a life without your beloved, there was no urgency in loving them.
This book was as magical as it was haunting. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a gothic infused story that unravels the darkest parts of friendship and marriage and challenges the extent one would go to protect their secrets. I loved Roshani Chokshi's writing. The prose was lyrical. It felt like the author was whispering a forbidden story in my ears. And I loved every moment of this story. Reading The Last Tale of the Flower Bride was a surreal feeling, but one that I definitely enjoyed. The plot or the story itself wasn't anything mind blowing. Yet I am gonna give it 5 stars because of hiw it made me feel. After all we all read to feel something, to escape from the reality, No?...more
"The Book of Babel" has lost all its charm and wit. I loved the previous two books but this third insThe spell wore off. Where did the cool stuffs go?
"The Book of Babel" has lost all its charm and wit. I loved the previous two books but this third instalment was really underwhelming. I tried but still failed to enjoy it. I missed the humor. I missed the cool gadgets and marvellous inventions. I really really missed seeing the crew all together and of course their banter. This book was heavy with political intrigue and action; not what I was expecting. Overall "The Hod King" was really underwhelming. It failed to meet the high expectations I had from this series. Disappointing....more
A fun and fierce adventure, set in a picturesque new fantasy world. There are Dragons and dragon riders. Lots of political intrigues, conspiracies andA fun and fierce adventure, set in a picturesque new fantasy world. There are Dragons and dragon riders. Lots of political intrigues, conspiracies and betrayals. And a passionate love story in the centre of all of these that will make you giddy with delight...
Bellamy, the youngest prince of Silas is returning home after many years of staying abroad to tend his delicate health. No outsider knows about his sudden return; Bellamy has no intention of changing that. Then one day, his pet (whose name is Bastard) wanders off and the prince chases after her. Unfortunately, they loses their way back. Soon Bellamy is taken captive by some goons. Lost and captured- alone in enemy territory, Bellamy’s true identity will get him killed, or worse. He has always longed for adventure...but not like this. When his smoking-hot fellow prisoner asks who he is, the prince adopts a disguise and claims to be a minstrel.
Rakos was the rising star of the Draskoran dragon riders until betrayal landed him in chains. He knows two things for certain: he can’t trust anyone, and he wants his dragon back. When a pretty, fragile minstrel asks who he is, Rakos claims he’s a farmer.
Bellamy and Rakos reaches to an agreement, Rakos needs Bellamy's magic to get back his dragon. In return, he promises to help Bellamy to reach the border. This is an alliance formed out of desperation, but soon enough both of them start wishing that the partnership would blossom into something more.......more
It was really good. But God! Did it drag...Also I was given some wrong information. I thought there would be more of the #Middle_book_syndrome
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It was really good. But God! Did it drag...Also I was given some wrong information. I thought there would be more of the war beasts. I expected them to be the main focus of the story. But that didn't happen. Some of the characters lost their charm...It was quite underwhelming tbh. However Vintage makes it all better ☺
Vintage, Tor, Noon, Aldasair and Bern - I really loved these characters in the first instalment. But in this one? Not so much. Well, except for Vintage. She was perfect as always. It felt as though the other characters have lost all their charms. There was depth in any of these characters. They seemed two dimensional and boring. Noon was stiff and distant throughout the whole book. While I absolutely loved Tormalin in "The Ninth Rain", he annoyed the hell out of me here. His actions were immature and stupid. He was whining all the damn time. I really missed my humorous and charming Tormalin, the oathless. I missed his jokes. His comedic timing has always been so perfect. But Tor hardly cracked anything jokes in this book. Aldasair and Bern were solid characters. However I would've preferred to read Bern's pov, which didn't happen of course.
I was excited to meet the war beasts. But Jen Williams disappointed me. I kind of hated Vostok. Kirune was so cute! I expected some "bonding" moments between the war beasts and their riders. But there was none. Williams tells us that they have bonded, but we don't get to see that. Emotions were completely absent in the narration of this book. No inner monologues, no commentaries. "The Bitter Twins" was a plot driven book through abd through. And I prefer characters focused stories. So, it really didn't work for me....more
Unique and fascinating. A perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The cast of characters is beyond amazing. I loved this book would be an understatement Unique and fascinating. A perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The cast of characters is beyond amazing. I loved this book would be an understatement in this case.
The continent of Sarn has suffered from many alien invasions from an enemy known as the Jure’lia, the worm people. The Eboran empire, a once wealthy and prosperous place, for centuries has been the central defence against this formidable foe. Their tree-god, Ygseril, would deliver various war beasts that would aid the valiant Eboran warriors during the battles, and each time the Jure’lia were defeated. However, in the last assault, known as the eighth rain, a final climax between Ygseril and the Jure’lia caused the death of the sacred tree-god. Now, Ebora is in ruin and Sarn faces the ever terrifying prospect of another invasion, but this time without their defenders.
Eborans are on the verge of extinction following the death of their tree-like god Ysegril but Hestillion is doing all she can to keep him alive. In fact she'll go to any lengths to save him… any lengths at all. Hest's brother Tormalin can't sit around and wait for the end. So he's engaged by Lady Vincenza (Vintage) de Grazon to be her factotum and hired sword during her quest for knowledge. It's turning into more of an adventure than they'd planned, even before Fell witch and fugitive Noon joins them. Now the trio must work together, putting prejudices and passions aside (others' as well as their own). The Ninth Rain is coming and more than Ebora is in danger.
The synopsis of this book is really really confusing. I read it several times yet couldn't grasp on what it's supposed to mean...Therefore, you can say I started it blindly, knowing almost nothing about the trilogy. I only knew that our main character is 40 years old and possibly queer. That's it. And I really had no difficulties getting into it. The writing is very accessible. The book is fast paced. Explains the vast world and the magic system thoroughly. Just be patient and enjoy the company of the characters. The information will come to you by themselves.
I loved the inimitable world Jen Williams has created. It's epic in scope, full of magic and magical creatures. The world building has the perfect blend of Sci-fi and Fantasy. In this world, an inhuman species called Eborans reside alongside the humans. They have a very long life span. The Eborans are graceful warriors, the sole protectors of the land. These Eborans are like an unison of human, vampire and elf. Then we have Eboran war beasts. Very fascinating creatures. However we don't get to see them much in the first book. We also have witches in this world. The witches posses fire magic that's called Winnow flame. Then there are these worm pe0ple who wants to destroy the land........more
“There are no kind masters, Letty,’ Anthony continued. ‘It doesn’t matter how lenient, how gracious, how invested in your education they make out t“There are no kind masters, Letty,’ Anthony continued. ‘It doesn’t matter how lenient, how gracious, how invested in your education they make out to be. Masters are masters in the end.”
“Nice comes from the Latin word for “stupid”,’ said Griffin. ‘We do not want to be nice.”
I recognize "Babel" as a brilliant work of fiction. Trust me, I get it when you say it's a masterpiece. But all of you forgot to mention that "Babel" is a book written by a brilliant author exclusively for the brilliant minds. It's a masterpiece for poeple whose intellectual level is very very high. And me? I'm the dumbest person in the universe. I didn't enjoy "Babel". Adding a little touch of magic on the pages doesn't make a book fantasy fiction. British-empire-plus-magic is unchanged from what you know of history; I was bored, I was underwhelmed. The author stayed to close to the real history. I didn't see her taking any bold steps to make this book unique. She infact seemed very timid about changing the shape of the world. I failed to distinguish the Babel world from the real world. Great fantasy? It is not....
"Babel" is a fine reproduction of the history of British Imperialism. This would be perfectly functional historical fiction if you consider the book as a historical fiction. But I have seen most of the readers referring to "Babel" as a fantasy novel. They couldn't be more wrong. There is no way "Babel" is a fantasy novel. And if is a fantasy, then I have to say that it is one of the most undeveloped fantasy books I've ever read.
Truth to be told, I have several complaints against this book. But I am not a good critique and I really have interest in turning this review into a rant. So, I'll try to keep it short. The characterization work was very poor. R.F. Kuang is a talented author, no doubt, but she doesn't have much talent for writing compelling characters. I felt no connection to the characters in "Babel". Robin Swift is extremely bland and unoriginal as a protagonist. All of the characters are more or less the same. There was nothing distinct about them. How they behaved didn't feel appropriate according to the "ultimate guide to human behavior" (That was pompous. I know. ) Their reaction to certain circumstances didn't add up. There weren't adequate inner monologues. The characters, in a word, seemed more like robots than normal human beings.
It reads like a text book and I have got * more than enough* text books to read already...So, nope. Not for me. Thank you.
"If worn for too long, a costume becomes comfortable, natural. A man always in disguise must take care lest he become the disguise.”
From t
"If worn for too long, a costume becomes comfortable, natural. A man always in disguise must take care lest he become the disguise.”
From the very first page of this sequel to Senlin Ascends, life once again takes some drastic turns for our main protagonist, Thomas Senlin. Once a man of letters, then progressing to a man of action, he must now live a life piracy. The hunt for Senlin’s wife, Marya, becomes more complex and as Senlin and his crew struggle to survive upon their stolen airship, he realises he’s going to need help, a lot of help. In their desperation they decide to seek out the infamous Sphinx.
“We are, each of us, a multitude. I am not the man I was this morning, nor the man of yesterday. I am a throng of myself queued through time. We are, gentle reader, each a crowd within a crowd.”
"Arm Of The Sphnix" is lot more whimsical and captivating than "Senlin Ascends". This time around, we get to explore the tower in depth; its as surreal as ever, with more strange clockwork mechanisms and bizarre animals, magnificent balloon airships.
Bancroft's prose is exquisite and poetic. In this instalment, his writing is more accessible than it was in his debut. His voice is stronger, the story is much more organised. "Arm Of The Sphnix" has multiple povs. It follows all the members of Senlin's ragtag crew. Senlin’s character still remained at the forefront of the narrative. But we also receive Edith, Voleta, Iren and Adam's perspective on various events.
The characters development is phenomenal. Senlin is not the same man we met in the first book, not anymore. I was pleased to see his naivety lessen, his actions become bolder, and his sense of loyalty to his friends deepen. Senlin's character is so utterly, beautifully human that it never ceases to amaze me. That is why I am so drawn to his character. The other characters are also interesting. I love Edith and Voleta. Both are such awesome badass female characters. They are very very different from each other but I loved them both. Iren doesn't receive the spotlight as frequently. I still liked her. Adam is frustrating to be honest. It made me happy to see that he wants to repent for his actions. He wants to gain the captain's trust once again. He was working really hard for it to be honest. Yet I found him uninteresting, sometimes even annoying. All in, Senlin remains as my favourite character.
“It had never occurred to him how unforgiving books were until he lay at the bottom of a great pile of them.”
The humor is fantastic. This book gave me a good laugh. Many of the characters become sassy and good naturedly bantered or quibbled with one another in this instalment, even when events took perilous turns. Aside from the prose, the magic system, the characters and the humor, I also loved the close knitted friendships we get to see here. Thomas Senlin and his crew are all so loveable. I loved their banter and amazing dynamic with each other. Specially, Senlin and Edith. These two has such an unbreakable bond, built upon mutual trust and respect. If Senlin wasn't married already, I would've started to ship him with Edith.
I liked that this book was focused on fewer geographical locations. There wasn't much of info dumping which gave me relief. Bancroft takes us deeper into the incredible world that he has created. But it never seemed rushed or tiring to me. The pacing is just perfect. Not for a single moment I felt overwhelmed or underwhelmed. And the ending! It is purely evil. The book ends with a cliffhanger. It threw me off. I literally have no idea which direction the author wants to take the story to. Nevertheless, I'm really really excited to read book 3....more
Magnificent. Surprisingly short in length yet deliciously clever. Never imagined a novella could be so good. Sanderson is truly an evil genius.
In thisMagnificent. Surprisingly short in length yet deliciously clever. Never imagined a novella could be so good. Sanderson is truly an evil genius.
In this book, we are following Wan ShaiLu, an infamous and staggeringly talented forger. She is proud of herself for being a true artist but forgery is prohibited. So, that makes her a criminal in the eyes of the empirical judicial system. One day, she gets betrayed by her partner and is caught. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.
"The Emperor's Soul" had an unique and intelligently crafted plotline. Sanderson's prose was accessible as always. The world building was marvellous. The magic system was rich and inventive. I loved the characters. Specially our character Shia. She's doubtlessly one of the cleverest and strongest female characters I've ever met. In very few pages Sanderson manages to weave a complete yet intricate tale of magic, theft, and human connection, with none of the flippancy short-stories and novellas sometimes convey. Loved this book!
I listened to the graphic audiobook of "The Emperor's Soul". It was an incredible experience. The full cast narration, the sound effects were absolutely perfect. The audiobook definitely levelled up my reading experience by a lot. Highly recommended.
Let me clear one thing first, it isn't the book. It's me. I just expected something totally different from this book.
"The Founders Trilogy" is one of Let me clear one thing first, it isn't the book. It's me. I just expected something totally different from this book.
"The Founders Trilogy" is one of my favourite adult fantasy series ever. I binged the first two books within a week and absolutely loved them. "Foundryside" made it to my best books of 2022 list. So, naturally, I was too hyped up for the last instalment. I expected something epic, something supreme, harrowing and fast paced. I thought it would be another high stakes heist story. That is where I got it all wrong.
"Locklands", unlike the first 2 books of the series, isn't a heist story. It's much more plot driven than character focused. Tangles of conspiracy and political turmoil- these are the things than occupie most of the pages. "Locklands" kicks off almost ten years after the events of "Shorefall". Lots of things have changed in the mean time. The world has changed, our characters have changed..It just bothered me a little. I don't know why but everything felt new and unknown to me. I couldn't connect with the characters like before. Again, we don't get two of our main characters' povs anymore. I knew this would happen. Yet I felt disappointed. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that...my favourite rag tag band aka the awesomest mischievous thieves aren't together anymore. Sancia and Berenice were amazing in this book. They were a lot more mature and contemplative. Still, it waa the same...
The romance received the centre focus. Even though these two girls are my favourite saphic couple, I was bored. And the pacing of the book also didn't work for me. I felt no interest in whatever was going on. Eventually, I ended up skimming through the pages and finish it with a lot of difficulty. I think the timing was wrong. I shouldn't have picked this book up right before my exams. My mistake...I still love this series though. I would highly recommend you to check it out. I may reread "Locklands" someday and may be I will enjoy it then....
The ending reminded me of "The Hero of Ages".......more
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