Search
Search results
Ross (3284 KP) rated Nightblade's Vengeance in Books
Oct 10, 2017
*** I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
This summer I read the first Nightblade trilogy: I loved the first one (the world-building, the three different stories running in parallel and occasionally crossing over), enjoyed the second one (character development was the focus plus setting up the conflict in the conclusion) and tolerated the final book (largely a repeat of the same plot as the first two plus a number of loose ends left un-tied).
Given how I fell out of love with the series as it went on, I was a little tentative about reading this, the first in a new trilogy following on from the events of the first. I have to say it was very poor.
Pretty much nothing happens throughout the book, the sole focus is on political manoeuvring and the nightblades have become a shadow of what they were to be at the end of the first series.
The king is dying and has no heir, so one of three lords looks likely to be chosen to take the throne (or decide to take it). There is some unrest within the populace of the Kingdom towards nightblades (ninja-like warriors with a spidey-sense warning them of danger and allowing them to sense each other) - rumours are spreading that nightblades are demanding unreasonable payment for protection and are harming those they are supposed to be serving. And a particularly weak nightblade, the daughter of a dayblade (whose powers are used to heal rather than in combat) killed in service, by a mysterious warrior who subsequently vanished, is looking for vengeance (hence the title).
And that is pretty much it. The plot is very basic, the narrative takes an absolute age to cover what few events are happening and the vocabulary is pretty limited (I think at one point within three paragraphs about 6 things were said to have happened "in a moment" or "for a moment").
Twice in the book the phrase "to cut a long, boring story short" was used and I can't help but think Kirk was referring to what he himself should do.
I wasn't sure after ending the nightblade trilogy whether I would return to the world of the nightblades. Now I am certain I won't.
This summer I read the first Nightblade trilogy: I loved the first one (the world-building, the three different stories running in parallel and occasionally crossing over), enjoyed the second one (character development was the focus plus setting up the conflict in the conclusion) and tolerated the final book (largely a repeat of the same plot as the first two plus a number of loose ends left un-tied).
Given how I fell out of love with the series as it went on, I was a little tentative about reading this, the first in a new trilogy following on from the events of the first. I have to say it was very poor.
Pretty much nothing happens throughout the book, the sole focus is on political manoeuvring and the nightblades have become a shadow of what they were to be at the end of the first series.
The king is dying and has no heir, so one of three lords looks likely to be chosen to take the throne (or decide to take it). There is some unrest within the populace of the Kingdom towards nightblades (ninja-like warriors with a spidey-sense warning them of danger and allowing them to sense each other) - rumours are spreading that nightblades are demanding unreasonable payment for protection and are harming those they are supposed to be serving. And a particularly weak nightblade, the daughter of a dayblade (whose powers are used to heal rather than in combat) killed in service, by a mysterious warrior who subsequently vanished, is looking for vengeance (hence the title).
And that is pretty much it. The plot is very basic, the narrative takes an absolute age to cover what few events are happening and the vocabulary is pretty limited (I think at one point within three paragraphs about 6 things were said to have happened "in a moment" or "for a moment").
Twice in the book the phrase "to cut a long, boring story short" was used and I can't help but think Kirk was referring to what he himself should do.
I wasn't sure after ending the nightblade trilogy whether I would return to the world of the nightblades. Now I am certain I won't.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Prophet in Books
Oct 10, 2017
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated A Murder of Quality in Books
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 10, 2017)
A long boring episode of Murder She Wrote
John Le Carre is well known for his mystery novellas however this one doesn't seem to reach the bar. It felt like reading a long winded episode of Midsomer Murders. It was fairly pedantic and obvious and barely engaging but shorter than a usual Le Carre book.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Madman in Books
Oct 10, 2017
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Nationalism in Books
Oct 10, 2017
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Between the World and Me: Notes on the First 150 Years in America in Books
Oct 10, 2017
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Paradise Lost in Books
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 10, 2017)
Better to read carefully otherwise hard to concentrate
Listened on Audible.co.uk.
While Milton's classic fails to live up to Dante's Inferno, it's still an interesting listen. Admittedly I completely switched off listening, it requires careful reading to understand some of the old dialect - similar to accessing Shakespeare without any context. I can vouch for reading as a fan of Shakespeare, Dante and Chaucer.
The in-between explanations barely scratched the surface. The obvious irritating misogynistic aspect was also a big turn-off although understandably rehashing some fundamental themes of the Bible. Overall, sinfully boring to listen to.
While Milton's classic fails to live up to Dante's Inferno, it's still an interesting listen. Admittedly I completely switched off listening, it requires careful reading to understand some of the old dialect - similar to accessing Shakespeare without any context. I can vouch for reading as a fan of Shakespeare, Dante and Chaucer.
The in-between explanations barely scratched the surface. The obvious irritating misogynistic aspect was also a big turn-off although understandably rehashing some fundamental themes of the Bible. Overall, sinfully boring to listen to.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Blood Ties in Books
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 10, 2017)
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book. A great combination of intrigue, mystery and even a touch of the supernatural, this whodunnit is filled with a fair few climactic twists. DI Charlie Moon returns having to work against the grain after his suspension from duty, even hiring the help of a local journalist to solve this gruesome murder. While the conclusion may have ended abruptly, it culminates in the ultimate karmic retribution. Jenny Francis manages to capture both the idyllic countryside and the brutality of injustice in one swoop of her pen. An enjoyable read.
