Scan barcode
A review by kerryiscurrentlyreading
The Servant and the Scoundrel by Chris R. Sendrowski
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Luck? What is that, but a crutch for mediocrity?" Opon The Cook
This was such a frustrating book. The last 10 Chapters or so changed this from a rage read to a "Oh, now I need to know more" read. In the end, I did like it. And I would read the next one - But I would hope some of these issues get addressed.
Ultimately, I can't help but feel that the author has spent so long with this world in their head that they just know it inside and out, unfortunately, they have forgotten that the reader doesn't have the same context. Changes to timelines, and colours etc, might seem small and petty, but as a reader, they bring me out of the story every time because, I have to stop and think "But wasn't it night time on the previous page? Why is it afternoon?" - This feels sloppy.
This would actually have been a 5 Star read for me if the editing had been better.
The setting itself is ambitious - it gives steampunk meets sword and sorcery but neither is very successful.
The first half or more of this book is slow, and not due to the usual World Building you expect in a "High" Fantasy. Its slow because it feels like the author has simultaneously lost the plot and is hunting around for it, while also trying so hard to "Tell" you into believing Philem is good at his job and sees' his staff as family.
And your honour, I for one am not buying it. The author needed someone to pull them back, there are a lot of things in this book that a seasoned editor would have pushed back on (and perhaps, they did but the author was so enamored with their vision, that they forgot about readability, and pesky things like time making sense)
Obviously, this is a review and just my opinion, but the story was so disjointed that I couldn't get "lost" in the pages, I kept getting pulled out by irritants like:
- The Awful Lorianas "Creed" - Which is nether profound nor funny, and is referred to so often, it becomes annoying. Its no "May the odds be ever in your favour".
- The Author needs to pick a lane, are we dispensing with modern concepts altogether? i.e. Leagues instead of Kilometers, Turns instead of Days, Calls instead of hours? If so - You CANNOT in the same sentence use "Cyanide Gas" and "Other Magic Poisons"
- If its a Venerdeer and a Venerfox - why is it just a Bear and not a Venerbear?
- Family, family, family - The thing that makes the found family piece so successful is that usually, the reader will realise it before the Main Character does, and that is usually because the author shows. This book tells, it does sooo much telling and in the end, uses the word "Family" so often, that by about 15 Chapters in, its meaningless. I don't believe it.
- The are silly mistakes in continuity and timeline. In chapter 7 for example, there is a section where the lights core is bright orange, and then its blue. Granted, this could be an orange and blue light, but as that is never explained, it feels like a mistake.Oh, and then the lights are green, and then some different lights are used because torches wont work but then later the torches work….
- Again, Page 93 - Philem talks about schooling with Warden (who later becomes Worden) for 10 turns. But when they meet - Its clear they don't know each other
- Sillium Dore makes no sense either, at one point the author mentions only 2 at a time attend, but them talks of "all the students"
- Passage of time is also an issue, especially in chapter 14 - 3 hours disappears like magic, and then the suckling pig goes from Blue to Purple or was it purple to blue? And the method of cooking is different but not because of a conscious choice (i.e. Philem doesnt say "Oh, we should cook this different next time", it just is different.
- Finally "Her eyes TREMBLED"???????? Really? really?
"Luck? What is that, but a crutch for mediocrity?" Opon The Cook
This was such a frustrating book. The last 10 Chapters or so changed this from a rage read to a "Oh, now I need to know more" read. In the end, I did like it. And I would read the next one - But I would hope some of these issues get addressed.
Ultimately, I can't help but feel that the author has spent so long with this world in their head that they just know it inside and out, unfortunately, they have forgotten that the reader doesn't have the same context. Changes to timelines, and colours etc, might seem small and petty, but as a reader, they bring me out of the story every time because, I have to stop and think "But wasn't it night time on the previous page? Why is it afternoon?" - This feels sloppy.
This would actually have been a 5 Star read for me if the editing had been better.
The setting itself is ambitious - it gives steampunk meets sword and sorcery but neither is very successful.
The first half or more of this book is slow, and not due to the usual World Building you expect in a "High" Fantasy. Its slow because it feels like the author has simultaneously lost the plot and is hunting around for it, while also trying so hard to "Tell" you into believing Philem is good at his job and sees' his staff as family.
And your honour, I for one am not buying it. The author needed someone to pull them back, there are a lot of things in this book that a seasoned editor would have pushed back on (and perhaps, they did but the author was so enamored with their vision, that they forgot about readability, and pesky things like time making sense)
Obviously, this is a review and just my opinion, but the story was so disjointed that I couldn't get "lost" in the pages, I kept getting pulled out by irritants like:
- The Awful Lorianas "Creed" - Which is nether profound nor funny, and is referred to so often, it becomes annoying. Its no "May the odds be ever in your favour".
- The Author needs to pick a lane, are we dispensing with modern concepts altogether? i.e. Leagues instead of Kilometers, Turns instead of Days, Calls instead of hours? If so - You CANNOT in the same sentence use "Cyanide Gas" and "Other Magic Poisons"
- If its a Venerdeer and a Venerfox - why is it just a Bear and not a Venerbear?
- Family, family, family - The thing that makes the found family piece so successful is that usually, the reader will realise it before the Main Character does, and that is usually because the author shows. This book tells, it does sooo much telling and in the end, uses the word "Family" so often, that by about 15 Chapters in, its meaningless. I don't believe it.
- The are silly mistakes in continuity and timeline. In chapter 7 for example, there is a section where the lights core is bright orange, and then its blue. Granted, this could be an orange and blue light, but as that is never explained, it feels like a mistake.Oh, and then the lights are green, and then some different lights are used because torches wont work but then later the torches work….
- Again, Page 93 - Philem talks about schooling with Warden (who later becomes Worden) for 10 turns. But when they meet - Its clear they don't know each other
- Sillium Dore makes no sense either, at one point the author mentions only 2 at a time attend, but them talks of "all the students"
- Passage of time is also an issue, especially in chapter 14 - 3 hours disappears like magic, and then the suckling pig goes from Blue to Purple or was it purple to blue? And the method of cooking is different but not because of a conscious choice (i.e. Philem doesnt say "Oh, we should cook this different next time", it just is different.
- Finally "Her eyes TREMBLED"???????? Really? really?