I hadn’t heard of this book until I saw the book tour for it. The title alone had me intrigued and the blurb sounded interesting so I figured that I’d give it a shot. Right away the writing grabbed my attention and I knew I was going to love this one. I love finding a great hidden gem and They Met in a Tavern should be on every fantasy fan’s radar. This book was full of action, had really great characters and a fast paced plot.
The characters in this book are all extremely well fleshed out. My favorite character was Brass. He was so funny and tons of his lines had me laughing out loud. I also really connected with Phoenix. Phoenix has a really pure heart and has worked hard to get past his horrific memories. I found him incredibly easy to empathize with and he had some really raw moments. I also really loved Snow. Snow is an assassin and a pretty morally grey character, but you can tell that she’s a good person underneath and just watching out for her old friends. Since this book is about the Starbreakers reuniting there is a lot of history between all of these characters and while it is given to you a piece at a time you really get to understand all of the relationship dynamics and why the group fell apart.
The plot was incredible. All of the Starbreakers are on a hit list and constantly attacked so they wind up coming back together to try and stop it and stay alive. The pacing is fast and the book is incredibly action packed. There were so many moments where I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the writing too, it was so vivid and I was transported into the story. I kept finding time to read, even when I should have been doing other things.
The world is really interesting. You get thrown right into the world without a lot of explanation. There are a several different kinds of magic that you get to see in the book and while some of it is slowly explained a lot of it isn’t. I wish the world building was a little bit clearer, but I wasn’t confused or anything. I loved all of the different types of magic an the entire world. I would totally love to read a prequel series about the adventures of the Starbreakers or get another book in this world.
They Met in a Tavern is an incredible indie debut. This book is a hidden gem and deserves all the hype. I can’t remember the last time I read such a fun fast paced fantasy. The world was so cool and while I would have liked a bit more history and explanation of the magic system I was never confused. I absolutely loved this book and was really impressed by the whole thing. If you’re looking for a funny and fast paced fantasy full of action you really need to check out They Met in a Tavern....more
I’ve had some of Anthony Ryan’s books on my TBR for ages, so when I saw that he was coming out with a new series I requested an ARC. I didn’t really know what to expect with this book and decided to go in pretty bling and right away I knew I was going to love the book. Anthony Ryan’s writing captured me right away and I quickly found myself sinking into this story. The Pariah is a character driven fantasy novel that is full of adventure.
I really loved the writing style. The Pariah is told in first person from Alwyn’s point of view as if Alwyn is telling us the story of what happened. A lot of my favorite stories are told in this manner and I always enjoy this style. I really loved Alwyn as a main character. Despite being an outlaw and doing some immoral things at times, he really is a great guy. Alwyn is loyal to his friends and is pretty honorable in comparison to many around him. He is also pretty clever and always scheming and planning. The story takes many twists and turns though, so despite all of Alwyn’s careful planning he often has to just go with the flow.
While this is definitely a character driven book there is still plenty of action. So much happens throughout the course of this book that I couldn’t even begin to summarize it all. But at times I did feel like the pacing was slow or inconsistent. I also felt like the plot kind of fell to the backseat. It was more like we followed Alwyn on his journeys and adventures rather than following a clear plot, but since the writing was so good I didn’t really mind that it felt like the book didn’t have a ton of direction.
I also have to mention that I really loved the found family vibes I got with the group of main characters. Many characters come and go throughout the novel, but I became really attached to Evadine, Toria and Brewer. All of the characters grew tremendously throughout the story and I am really invested in their stories. I loved Alwyn’s entire character arc, we watch him grow from a boy into a man. In the beginning he idolizes Decklin, but by the end he is his own man making decisions based on what he thinks is right and he is no longer trying to impress anyone.
I really enjoyed The Pariah and am so glad I finally got a taste of Anthony Ryan’s writing. I do wish that the plot was done a bit better and that the pacing was a little more consistent, but overall it’s hard to find reasons to complain. There were so many parts of The Pariah that blew me away. I can’t wait to continue the series....more
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