nicolas_ledren

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Good Reads First Reads. I was torn between four and five stars, but opted for five. I'm not usually much for these sorts of gritty, who-double-crossed who type books, but this one was fantastic! The pace is quick enough to keep it exciting, but not so fast that you can't keep a handle on what's going on. I really loved the pseudo-Byzantine atmosphere and the relics. The author gives a great feel for a late medieval/early modern city. Also, the author's descriptions of Drothe's fencing techniques are fantastic, accurate and exciting. As a former fencer, I can clearly picture what is happening on each side of a duel he describes. One element I particularly enjoyed was the pacing on a wider scale. Just as I was getting weary of one situation, the author ramped up the overarching plot about the journal just enough to keep me interested. As I was tiring of the back and forth between all the different players, the author gave me chapter 25 and Solitude. That portion really took it to another level of excitement and stripped away the maneuvering of the Kin to reveal Drothe's true character and quality. Degan is a great character! And though I didn't connect with Drothe right away, he and Kells too, grew on me. On the negative side, it took a while to feel much connection to Drothe. This didn't bother me much at first, as I always allow time for a book and its characters to grow on me. Also, I like the idea of different kinds of criminals, but I was getting kind of burnt out on the different names the author kept lobbing at me. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and I look forward to more! Yay Drothe!

2020-08-26 06:31