bookmeanderings's reviews
339 reviews

“There comes a moment in life when we see ourselves as others see us. I suppose that is part of growing up, and it is not always comfortable.”

Thank you to HarperAudio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this did not influence my thoughts or opinions on this novel.

The highest praise I can give to The Pale Horseman is that every time I read it I easily got fully immersed into this world of Saxons, Norsemen, kings, lords, swords, and shield walls. Bernard Cornwell has a way of writing about characters, places, and events that makes the reader feel like they are in the story themselves. Every time I was reading I felt like I was watching these events unfold in person and for me it can’t get much better than that.

As in The Last Kingdom, we follow Uhtred of Bebbanburg as the single POV throughout the entire story. Uhtred is one of those characters that doesn’t necessarily get a lot of character development, but his presence, conviction, and passion make for a compelling POV all the same. This isn’t to say that Uhtred didn’t grow in this book. On the contrary, Uhtred often contemplates questions about religion, right and wrong, and what it means to be a good person. Ultimately however, Alfred is my favorite character of this series. I’m not sure if it is his unwavering belief in God, his courage despite his physical ailments, or his stubborn refusal to give in when all hope seems lost. It is probably a combination of all three. Alfred is an incredibly deep and well thought out character and I look forward to more of him in the coming books. In fact, all of the characters in The Pale Horseman are fleshed out, believable and have their own unique personalities.

“There is such joy in chaos. Stow all the world’s evils behind a door and tell men that they must never, ever, open the door, and it will be opened because there is pure joy in destruction.”

Although we didn’t see as much action in this one as in the first book, the stakes were raised dramatically. There is one chance, and one chance only to save not only Wessex from the Norse invaders, but all of what would become England. Uhtred, Alfred, and the men of Wessex find themselves in a very precarious situation that could end with their utter destruction at any time. This tension drove the story and gave the narrative a weight that I felt the first book lacked at times. There was never a doubt in The Last Kingdom who would ultimately be victorious, but in The Pale Horseman the danger was far more real and far reaching.

This was an engaging read with incredible characters, increased stakes, and a fascinating world that I kept wanting to come back to whenever I had the chance. I will continue to highly recommend this series and in particular, this book. Well worth the read!

This is the story of a war. Of a man haunted and ashamed by the things he’s done. A story of a king desperately trying to survive and claim his throne. A story of love, of loyalty to family and friends. And, as always in this series, a story of mystery and assassins.

At this point I have read the entire Wounded Kingdom Trilogy and I can say that this book was my favorite. It had a perfect blend of great pacing, character development, intrigue, world building, and amazing action sequences.

We start off this book with a 5 year time jump from where the previous book, Age of Assassins, ended. This was a bit of a shock for me at first as I had not expected it. However, R. J. Barker does an amazing job of weaving in the important details of those 5 years throughout the present day story and because of that we get believable character development. Excellently done.

I really enjoyed getting to learn more about the magic system in this one. Getting to explore it more and learn it as Girton learns it was really cool. The stakes were raised in this one as Girton struggles to learn to control his sorcery amid the strife, intrigue, and mystery that surrounds Rufra’s war camp.

Girton’s perspective was so compelling in Blood of Assassins! There were times when I wanted to scream at him to stop making stupid choices and there were other times I just wanted to give him a hug. Girton may have matured into a man, but at times he is still emotionally a boy and it shows quite frequently throughout this book. That, along with the fact that he is trying to find a mysterious assassin and spy while trying to not get killed himself, made for an intense and gripping perspective that kept me turning pages late into the night. Girton’s relationship with his master Merela Karn was one of my favorite parts of the book. More akin to a mother and son, their bond is deep and the love they have for each other was an amazing thing to see, especially in a story that took a darker turn than its predecessor. Two other characters that I found very interesting and had a surprising amount of depth were Rufra and Aydor. The character development that R. J. Barker is able to do outside of Girton with only that one perspective continues to amaze me.

The battle sequences were as always, beautifully described. I love assassins in large part because when they fight it is like a dance and R. J. Barker is adept at describing this dance of assassins. Beyond the descriptions, there was a palpable tension and realness to this bleak world of The Tired Lands. This made the possibility that the characters you know and love may not survive all the more credible and the tension even greater throughout the entire story.

With epic battle sequences, an intriguing mystery, and heartwarming moments, Blood of Assassins has it all. If you haven’t already you need to check this series out.

Simply put, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the pacing, the writing style, the dialogue, the action, the overarching plot. Everything. It was brilliant. I'm really glad Holy Sister is out. I wouldn't want to wait to read the last installment.

“When you’re fighting a crowd, it’s good to shout potentially threatening things like “Crossbows!” or “Fire!” or “Giant Flying Cat!” every once in a while.”

This quote is a good lead in to the tone of this entire book. Whether in dire circumstances, or just normal conversation, our three main characters were always witty, funny, and really took the edge off of a world that was very bleak.

We follow the first person perspective of Falcio Val Mond throughout the entire book. I know some people really don’t like first person narration, but when it is done well I find it very enjoyable and possibly even preferable to third person. You get to know the character in a deep and intimate way that you don’t often get with a third person perspective.

Through Falcio’s eyes we get to know the world and the people in it. Falcio was First Cantor of the Greatcoats, the leader of the King’s most loyal soldiers. Although the King has been killed by the hand of the treacherous Dukes of the realm, Falcio is still doing his best to serve his king and serve the realm in the name of freedom and justice. Along with his best friends and also former Greatcoats, Kest and Brasti, they go about the country trying to fulfill their King’s final request.

Even though we only get Falcio’s perspective, our trio of Greatcoats have a lot of personality to go around. Falcio is the leader. Kest and Brasti look to him ultimately to make decisions. He is the strategist and the optimist. A man with a tragic past that drives him to be the most avid believer in the principles of justice and freedom that the King so strongly wanted the Greatcoats to uphold. Kest is pragmatic, serious, and deadly with a blade. Utterly loyal and selfless, you don’t want to mess with Kest. And then there is swaggering Brasti. Brasti is a jokester, playboy, and master of the bow. The chemistry between these three Greatcoats was one of the best parts of the book and I look forward to seeing more of that as the story progresses.

The narrative was action packed. At the beginning of the book Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are framed for murder and have to go on the run and it never lets up from there. The actions scenes were very well written and there was always a sense that our characters were in imminent danger. Nobody felt safe to get to the end of the book and I loved that.

I also really enjoyed the themes of never losing hope, humor, loyalty, and justice throughout this story that is so bleak at times. This book sets out to show that even when the world seems at its darkest, there is always a little light.

The city of Rijou and the time spent there was incredible. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the atmosphere that Sebastien De Castell brought to the table when he created that city, its current political system, and especially a particular “holiday” that they celebrate yearly had me on the edge of my seat constantly. This was a large portion of the book and by far my favorite part. I never knew what was going to happen next and I couldn’t stop myself from turning to the next page.

There were a few villains in this one, but the best villain by far was the Duchess of Hervor. She gave me a “some (wo)men just want to watch the world burn” type of vibe. I hated her so much throughout this book even though she didn’t get a ton of page time. I am hoping throughout the rest of the series that the other villians can be a little more developed.

I had a hard time connecting to the big picture story in this one. Maybe that is a weakness of the first person narration, but I was so involved in Falcio and company’s current problems and predicaments that I honestly didn’t find myself caring too much about the state of the rest of the country. To be fair, I think the world is about to expand a lot more and the “big picture” story will get much more page time in the next three books.

All that to say I am so glad I finally got around to reading Traitor’s Blade. It is an action packed, witty, character focused story and I am so excited to see where it goes next in Knight’s Shadow.

3.5 stars. I've decided to not do a full review of this one because I just dont have enough to say about it. This conclusion was unfortunately quite underwhelming for me. I still love the world, the magic systems, and the characters which is why this ended up being 3.5 stars. However, without getting into spoilers, the big reveal at the end concerning the gods.....I just didn't care to be honest. In fact, this book for me was a tale of two halves. I was riveted and anxious to turn the page for the first half of this book. However, the 2nd half was at times a slog and just focused on things that I felt hadn't been built up properly for me to care about. It may just be me and my personal taste, I don't know. But that's how I felt unfortunately. Here's hoping that Gods of Blood and Powder returns to the quality of The Crimson Campaign and doesn't let up!

“I tried to imagine a world where I remembered being forced to prove I was worth existing. No wonder this society had issues.”

It was so good to get back into this world with these characters. I really enjoyed Skyward and so Starsight was on my list of most anticipated releases for 2019. Although there was one thing in particular that caused me to give this 4 stars instead of 5, I still really enjoyed Starsight.
Let’s talk about the plot. This book felt like it was a stepping stone to the rest of the series. What I mean by that is it was an entry focused a lot on worldbuilding and setting certain situations up for the rest of the series, rather than a full on story that could stand on its own like Skyward. There was just enough plot progression to get me excited for the rest of the series, but not enough for me to love book 2 in and of itself.

Now that we’ve gotten past that let’s discuss everything that I did love about Starsight. Since we just talked about it, let’s jump into world building. The relatively local, small world of Skyward is expanded dramatically in book 2. We get to see and hear about new planets and peoples. So many new alien species! We also learn more about the history of both humanity and some of these other species and can therefore better understand why the universe is in its current state. We get to see the inner workings and political machinations of the government that holds the humans captive on Detritus. Finally, we are introduced to new technology that will dramatically alter the rest of the story. This was Sanderson at his best, delivering a well thought out, immersive world that kept me wanting more.

“That’s what war is,” Cobb told me. “A bunch of sorry, desperate fools on both sides, just trying to stay alive. That’s the part that those stories you love leave out, isn’t it? It’s always more convenient when you can fight a dragon. Something you don’t have to worry you’ll start caring about.”

We get to follow Spensa almost solely throughout this book with a few interludes here and there to break it up. I loved Spensa’s character development in this one. We see her continued growth from the somewhat bitter and immature person that she began as in Skyward into the self sacrificing, mature leader that she needs to be for her people. I also really liked how there was far less bravado on Spensa’s part in this one. Her growth in Starsight always felt organic, never forced. There was a reason for the way she was previously and her growth is continually believable and well thought out.

“I was hoping to discover another AI, so we could complain about organics together. Wouldn’t that have been a fun time?”

Spensa and M-bot’s witty banter was a highlight for me as well. There were so many times where I laughed out loud during their conversations. We also get to see a more serious, introspective side of M-bot that we hadn’t seen much of before. This added an unexpected and welcome depth to the story, as well as M-bot’s character. Also, Doom Slug, enough said.

The action sequences, though fewer than in Skyward, were no less exhilarating and high stakes. Sanderson has mastered the art of space warfare and it shows in Starsight. Incredibly well done.

There were also several themes in Starsight including the effects of stereotypes and prejudice, taking responsibility for the choices you make, and the value of every life that made this book so much more than just an entertaining story.

I really enjoyed Starsight. This was a fast, easy read with so many things to love including the expansive world building, deep character development, thrilling space action, and witty dialogue. I can’t wait for book 3!

“May all the dead gods take pity on anything that stands in my way, for I will not.” – Holgren

I have had a somewhat up and down experience with the Amra Thetys series so far. I greatly enjoyed book 1 and then I didn’t enjoy book 2 nearly as much, though it was still a good book. However, I can say for sure that The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate was absolutely excellent and if that continues for books 4 and 5 it will propel this series into one of my favorite series of all time.

Here’s the thing. I love a good, epic fantasy with an incredibly intricate plot and detailed worldbuilding. However, I also love a good, light fantasy that focuses more on a thrilling story, characters that are just plain good people and that you care about deeply, and a smaller world that is easily understood and imagined. That was what this book was for me. Michael McClung knew exactly what type of book he wanted to write and did it to perfection.

“It’s good to have one person who believes in you. Especially when you’re having a hard time believing in yourself.” – Amra

Once again, Amra Thetys comes to the forefront of why I loved this so much. As I was reading I realized that Amra reminds me a lot of one of my favorite protagonists of all time, Vin from the first Mistborn Trilogy. Amra is a survivor by the strength of her will and sheer stubborness. Like Vin, many of her struggles and her strengths come from a hard and traumatic childhood. Amra’s character development is slow, steady, and in my opinion very realistic for someone who has gone through what she has. Amra is also incredibly likable. She is blunt, but not abrasive or rude and her witty, sarcastic humor to gods and mortals alike made me laugh more than a few times. Amra does not take crap from anyone and is easily my favorite character of this series. The side characters including the return of Holgren, as well as a host of brand new characters, each added something unique to the story.

The story takes place almost exclusively in a city called Bellarius, the town where Amra was born. Bellarius was incredibly atmospheric. This city was dark, full of corrupt government, gangs, thieves, and a palpable tension and danger. Also adding to this was that Amra was coming home to a place that held some of her darkest memories. The descriptions of Bellarius added a layer to the plot and world that would not have existed otherwise.

The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate is a fast paced story with excellent characters, an intriguing plot, and a dose of humor and heart that allows us to see hope in a dark world. At a mere 250 pages, this book was so much fun to read and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Read it!

“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.”

Upon my 3rd read through of this book, I thought it was about time that I do a review. Now you might think, “wow, he has read this book three times, this is going to be a gushing review.” If you would have said that after my first read, you would have been right. Now don’t get me wrong, I still absolutely love this tale of love, loss, trouble, music, and magic, but thinking about it through the past two years has given me some new perspectives that I’m excited to share with you. Also, be prepared for a lot of quotes because this book is very quotable.

“When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.“

Speaking of new perspectives, let’s talk about our main character and the one who’s perspective we get for the most of the book, Kvothe (pronounced like “Kwothe” or “quothe”). A lot of the reviews from people who didn’t like NOTW, and even from a lot of the people who did like it, talk about how they really did not like Kvothe. There are things these reviews say that are true. Kvothe is annoyingly arrogant at times, makes stupid decisions, and is a little too “love struck” for his own good. However, in my opinion Kvothe more than makes up for this with his wit, kindness, generosity, loyalty, and determination to be the best at everything he does. Although I didn’t always love Kvothe, I always found him incredibly compelling. I really enjoyed many of the side characters as well. Wilem, Simmon, Auri, Bast, Kilvin, Elodin, Denna, and many others all had unique, well fleshed out personalities that made the story come to life in a way that would have otherwise been impossible.

“Have you ever been annoyed and amused with yourself at the same time? It’s an interesting feeling to say the very least.”

This book is split up into two sections. There are interludes where Kvothe is telling his story to a chronicler of stories. The other and main part of the story is that story coming to life, and boy does it have life. Rothfuss weaves his prose into the story so well that it is nearly poetic. He makes even the most mundane of situations feel musical and full of life. For example:

“I wanted to tell her that she was the first beautiful thing I had seen in three years. That the sight of her yawning to the back of her hand was enough to drive the breath from me. How I sometimes lost the sense of her words in the sweet fluting of her voice. I wanted to say that if she were with me then somehow nothing could ever be wrong for me again.”

While at times the prose is full of deeper meaning and music, Rothfuss never takes himself too seriously either. There are many situations throughout this story where I laughed out loud at a comment or action of one of the characters. Rothfuss strikes a really good balance between the two.

“Are you hurt?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Especially in my everywhere.”

This may drive some people crazy, but I love how Rothfuss gives us breadcrumbs here and there about the lore and history of this world. There are little to no info dumps here. These breadcrumbs are like a giant, mysterious puzzle that can only be solved by the 2nd book being read and the 3rd being published (hopefully within the next few years). I loved how the author weaves the lore into the story.

“If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way”

Which is how I feel about this review. This will not be my best review. In fact, as I was typing it I was tempted to just erase the whole thing and just do a post of the incredible quotes that are held within these pages. When it comes down to it, I really enjoyed the characters, plot, and worldbuilding. However, where The Name of the Wind really shines is the unique writing style and in particular Rothfuss’ prose. The most beautiful and relatable prose I have ever read. This may not be a perfect book(I am not sure that one even exists), but it was the perfect book for me.

2.25 stars.

“First thing you learn wandering the long roads, kid. Everyone thinks they’re the hero of their own story.”

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Orbit for my audiobook copy of Spellslinger. This is no way effected my review of this book.

I want to put a disclaimer at the beginning of this review. This book was clearly targeted to a younger audience. I would say it is on the younger side of YA Fantasy. So somebody closer to the age that this book is meant for would most likely enjoy it much more than I did. Also, I wanted to give a shoutout to the narrator Joe Jameson who did an incredible job.

The premise of this story was solid and should have led to something I really enjoyed. A clan of magic users, a mysterious stranger, and an underdog story are all tropes that I really tend to enjoy. However, there were just too many things that fell flat for me in the execution. Let me explain.

Kellen, our main protagonist, was very likeable. He is someone that was easy to root for throughout the story. However, that is where the positives ended for me. For this type of story to be really gripping there has to be an element of imminent danger to the character(s) that you are following. Unfortunately in Spellslinger, I never felt that Kellen was ever in any real danger. There were plenty of fights and action, but I never worried about him actually making it out alive.

I would even have been happy with the danger of him being hurt emotionally in some way instead of physically(wow that sounds sadistic, sorry about that), but unfortunately when things did happen that should have been emotionally jarring for a 15 year old he seemed to take it in stride and kept moving without much effect. I felt there should have been more time set aside for Kellen’s character development throughout the events of this book, especially grieving and the effects of combat and death all around him. In fact most everyone in this story, including the villains, lacked depth. I am a very character driven reader and I think that even for a younger YA audience Spellslinger could have gone into much more depth when it comes to the characters.

The magic system was intriguing at first, but unfortunately ended up by the end of the book feeling very mundane. It was very simple and was not explained much past what we knew in the first couple of chapters. This is something that I think could work fine for a younger audience, but as an avid fantasy ready for most of my life it fell short for me.

The humor in this story at times was really good and I had quite a few chuckles. However, at other times it felt over the top and immature. This is another thing that I think might work better for the intended audience of this book.

I don’t want this to sound like this was a terrible book in the slightest. Spellslinger was at times highly entertaining, but ultimately it was lacking in a lot of areas that are important in order to take a story from just okay to great.

I will never say that John Gwynne can't write a great ending. Every one of his books so far....just wow. RTC