bookmeanderings's reviews
339 reviews

Re- review 5 stars, up from 4 stars.

I love this series. Its characters, its story, the action, the suspense, the intrigue, everything. Pierce Brown has really improved in his writing from the original Red Rising trilogy in Iron Gold.

I gave this book 4 stars the first time around in large part due to the jarring move from 1 first person POV to multiple POV's in Iron Gold. Instead of just Darrow we get Darrow, Lyria(a Red), Ephraim(a Gray), and Lysander(a Gold). With Lyria and Ephraim both being brand new characters and Lysander being a character from the original trilogy that we know little about.

Since this was a re-read it was a much more smooth read for me. I really enjoyed every POV, but in particular enjoyed Darrow's and Ephraim's. Ephraim's story is so interesting and fun to follow and his backstory makes him all the more compelling. His reasons for being the way that he is and doing the things that he does are very well thought out and make sense. He is very relatable. Darrow of course is compelling and passionate as usual. A LOT happens in Darrow's POV and we see how the continued war has affected him and his relationships with those he loves.

Iron Gold truly felt like a 1st book in a series. The world had been re-built after the ending of Morning Star 10 years earlier and this was not the same Red Rising world that we were used to. A lot has changed and I really like that about this. Bold move Pierce Brown and excellently done. Respect.

The plot was at first slow to get moving in everybody's but Darrow's POV. The first 1/3 or so of the book was spent getting to know the new characters and I was completely okay with that. I am excited to get to know them even better.

I loved this book upon my re-read and I cant wait for Dark Age to come out on Tuesday so I can see what happens next!

"Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it."

"Living, being in the world, was a much greater and stranger thing than she had ever dreamed."

These books, simply said, are magical. If you are looking for the massive worldbuilding and complex character development of modern fantasy, do not look here. However, if you want excellent(but not flowery) prose, a well done and meaningful story, and some great characters along the way, look no further. I now understand why Ursuin K Le Guin is mentioned along with the other greats as one of the forerunners of fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A mysterious warrior carrying a sword imbued with a demon, a beast charmer, a priest, a scholar, an actor, a wife, and a husband go on a journey across a place called “The Execration” to make their petitions to a Mad God. What could go wrong?

Anthony Ryan’s first in a series of novellas was a fast paced, edgy journey that by the end I didnt want to stop reading. Getting to know the world through the eyes and discussions of the characters as they crossed the Execration was one of my favorite parts of the story.

Our characters were all unique and fun to get to know. Pilgrim had the most depth and back story and therefore the best arc of any of the characters. I really enjoyed him. Seeker and Player were also well done and very intriguing.

What an ending! I was debating between 3 and 4 stars for this one and the ending solidified it at 4 stars and made me want more of this world and these characters. Pilgrimage of Swords is definitely worth a read!

3.5 stars rounded up. You know those stories that just give you hope? Those tales that uplift you and make you believe in the better part of humanity? That show you that there is still good in the world even in the face of what looks like insurmountable evil? That’s what this book was for me. The Thief Who Spat in Luck’s Good Eye just made me feel good. From the characters, to the world itself, to the action and suspense, Michael McClung has shaped a world that I truly love and is always a joy to return to reading.

In this sequel to The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids, Holgren comes to Amra with a secret and an opportunity. When Holgren was young and foolish he had bartered his soul away for the sake of revenge. The only way to escape his fate is to seek immortality at the ancient and mythical city of Thagoth and he needs Amra’s help. Thus begins their quest.
Book 2 was very different than the first book in the series in that it takes place almost entirely outside of Lucernis, the city the first book almost solely focused on. McClung expands the world quite a bit through the travels of our main characters as they try to reach the city of Thagoth and deal with what awaits them there.

As always, I loved Amra. She is my favorite part about these books. Her wit, charm, stubbornness, and courage are what makes these books special. A few of the things she goes through really expand her as a person and we get to know her more. I really enjoyed her character development and that she doesn’t take crap from anybody, even a god.

I really like Holgren and I would like to get to know him more. Although he was present for most of this book it didn’t seem like his development was really a focus and I felt like that was a shame. This whole journey was his idea and essentially his story so I expected more of a role for him.
Tha-Agoth and Athagos were really interesting. The magic and lore they brought to the table was so cool to see and imagine. There was a particular scene where Tha-Agoth does something really powerful and it was described in so vivid a way that I felt like I could see it happening in front of my eyes.

The world was expanded quite a bit in this one. We have interludes where the gods are looking down on Amra, Holgren, and all the events happening around them like chess pieces on a board and I really enjoyed this addition. That, along with more of the history and lore of the world being discussed and the stakes being raised because of that made for an enjoyable read.

The only complaint I have about this book was the character work. I think the use of the “journey/quest to stop the end of the world” trope, though well done in its own right, really took the heart out of the story at times. I loved the first book so much because the story never took itself too seriously. It was gritty and dark at times yes, but almost always with a smirk and a “what the heck we’re gonna die sometime why not today?” type of attitude. This book wasn’t as fun as the first book and I miss that. I would like to see a return to more focus on the characters and having a fun adventure and less focus on stopping a world ending doom.

With that being said, if you are looking for something light, a book with characters that you can admire because they are truly good people, and a story that is fast paced and intriguing, pick this one up. I will definitely be continuing this series to see what happens next!

You can read this and more of my reviews at https://fanfiaddict.com/david-ss-reviews/

This arc was won in a giveaway by Tor books. This does not affect my review in any way.

3.5 stars. I came into the Fate of the Fallen not knowing what to expect. With a synopsis that promised flipping the chosen one trope on its head and an author that I had faith in having previously enjoyed the Kings Dark Tidings series, I had high expectations. Although I can’t say that Fate of the Fallen lived up to my lofty expectations, I can say that this unorthodox tale was thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable.

The biggest strength of Fate of the Fallen was the characters. We follow the two main POV’s of Aaslo and Myropa. Aaslo is a forester, caretaker of the forest, and best friend of the chosen one Mathias. Aaslo starts out as a recluse at the beginning of the book. Quiet and unassuming, he would rather be taking care of his beloved forest alone than dealing with the village and people that live near it (Introverts everywhere relate instantly). Throughout the story however, we see Aaslo grow into a more deep character. Although at times he would still rather be back in his forest, he grows and comes to care more for the wide world and the people in it, especially the friends he makes along the way.

Myropa is a reaper, one of many that collect and ferry souls to the afterlife. Although I can’t really say much without spoilers, I can say that I really enjoyed getting to know Myropa’s personality, her back story, and seeing her character growth throughout this story. Through Myropa’s perspective we get to see the machinations of several gods that are either benevolent, malevolent, or indifferent in regards to the plight of humanity. Her perspective gives us a ton of insight into the history and shape of the world in which we find ourselves.

The narrative in this one felt quite meandering at times. Our heroes are journeying for most of the story, but there was never a true goal in the journey except the vague notion to “save the world.” This wouldn’t bother me typically, but there were so many different things going on and so many new characters showing up that I was sometimes left thinking “what was the point of that?” This is the first book in a series though and I believe a lot of the things that bothered me about the plot will be answered or addressed in the coming books.

Now back to some positive things. Kel Kade writes sword fights beautifully, full of great descriptions and wonderful suspense. I feel like a broken record saying this as I’ve mentioned it in my last couple reviews, but I love it when the main characters do not feel safe to make it to the end and I felt that with Aaslo. Every time there was a fight there was no guarantee he would make it out alive. This built up the tension and connected me to the story even more.

Kel Kade toed the line between upending longstanding tropes and satire in this one. There were moments where I laughed out loud at some absurdity spoken by a character and those were some of the best parts of the story. There were also a few emotional moments of deep grief, sadness, and loss that I found touching and genuine.

Overall, this was a fast, original, and fun read. If you want a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, that the author specifically wrote to be different from most fantasy of today and succeeded, pick this one up. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series to see where the story goes next.

RTC. I really need to speed up my re-read to be ready for The Burning White in October! I read audiobooks so much slower than physical or ebooks.

Absolutely phenomenal. It just keeps getting better and better. Well done Brent Weeks.

SPOILERS for the first two books of the series, but no spoilers for King of Assassins.

This is an incredible story of familial love and loyal friends. A story of prejudice and secrets, and the cost of both. A story of assassins, plots, betrayals, and secret agendas. The final installment in the autobiography of Girton Club-Foot, apprentice to Merela Karn, King’s Assassin, Death’s Jester, and Steadfast Friend. Welcome, once again, to the Tired Lands.

I have some really mixed feelings about this book. See, part of me knows that this is a really excellent book. Another part of me, namely my heart, got ripped apart in the pages of this book. That part of me took almost a month before I could get my thoughts together to write this review. For that, I blame the author. This book doesn’t pull any punches and does that brilliantly. Now, after that stellar introduction where I promised that your heart will be ripped out leaving you nothing more than a shattered shell of your former self, let’s get into it.

King of Assassins starts out 15 years after the events of Blood of Assassins and once again, I have to start out by praising R. J. Barker for the amazing way he utilizes time jumps. I can honestly say that I’ve never read a series where I’ve seen time jumps handled better than this one. Often when time jumps occur characters start to do non-sensical things that would never make sense for their character when we knew them in the last book. Not so in this series. R.J. Barker manages this brilliantly by bringing in back story via internal monologue and conversations from the present day story. We not only get to go through what the characters are going through now, but we get to see and feel the tension and weight the last fifteen years have put on a young King and his friends. This not only serves to familiarize the reader with the present day characters, but also gives an already compelling and interesting plot a personal and intimate feel.

Girton Club-Foot, as always, is such a great POV to follow. 15 years later, Girton is still a deadly assassin. Though maybe one step slower, his cunning and experience more than make up for this. Girton has now taken up the mantle of Death’s Jester and with that the responsibility of being the master, the adult. Even through this, the Girton in this book was a much more hopeful and optimistic person than the depressed and angry Girton we got throughout most of Blood of Assassins. I really enjoyed how we got to see Girton find some happiness at times through the love of his friends. Girton and his Master, Merela Karn’s relationship as mother and son is always a highlight for me. Their moments together, which are somewhat fewer in this installment, are nonetheless beautiful and heartwarming. Through Girton’s perspective we also get to see a lot of Rufra, Aydor, Merela, and a host of other characters. I am continually impressed by the amount of character development that Barker is able to accomplish among all these characters through only one POV. Each character felt fully realized with believable motivations and actions.

Let’s talk about the setting. The majority of King of Assassins takes place in the High King’s castle of Ceadoc and the town surrounding it. From the start, Ceadoc is an incredibly atmospheric setting. I love when a setting is not just a random place and can really add something to the story. The plague ravaging the town only weeks before, along with the filth, disrepair, and tension in the air really helped set the tone for the entirety of the book. The corruption, greed, moral depravity, and outright sociopathic tendencies of some of Ceadoc’s residents added even more to the bleak atmosphere that was already present.

King of Assassins had some of the best action scenes out of the entire trilogy. R. J. Barker writes fight scenes beautifully and the use of assassin “iterations” has always been one of my favorite parts of the books. However, in this one there were so many different twists, turns, and unexpected events that you always had to expect one at any moment. This left me on the edge of my seat, never knowing if an arrow was going to come streaking out of the dark or there would be a knife in someone’s back in the most “mundane” of situations. But that’s the thing about this book, nothing could ever feel only mundane because the tension was built so high. The characters you love are constantly in danger from all sides and the setting and residents of Ceadoc establish the tone early on of a very bleak and hostile environment.

This is a trilogy well worth reading. If you are looking for something different, something unique with assassins, intrigue, and a mystery to boot, pick these up. You won’t be disappointed.