Jake
Im really not completely sure what I feel about this book! On one hand I loved it and on the other I'm so confused as to why I did, I have never read anything like it. The writing took me a little while to get used but then found it brilliant in places, simple and to the point but packed with brilliant moments and detail as well as baron and strange! Our nameless characters were at the same time bare bones and so vivid in my mind and their situation both captivating and heartbreaking!
The end felt quite abrupt and would maybe have liked another 25 pages to explain a bit more what happened, but it was definitely impactful.
Definitely a story I will think about for some time to come
Another great entry to the series! Took me about a third of the book to get invested in the new POVs but when they slowly started to click it was brilliant!
The much more zoomed in story was another place where it was different but same as with the new characters it really grew on me!
Not much you can say in a book 4 without giving away spoilers but it shone new light on some of our original characters and made me view them much more favourably!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Amazing
Fantastic! This is a non stop rollercoaster ride through the early middle years of Caesar! We have some huge names in Roman history here, Crassus, Pompey, Spartacus and many more and the young Caesar just manoeuvring through them like a hot knife through butter! Great, great book, would highly recommend.
That was a fantastic and long book (not in a bad way). It had some of the best battle scenes I have ever read as well as character insights. I certainly understood even less of this entry than Gardens of the Moon but found all the new details and reveals so interesting. It is so complex and almost every paragraph leaves you with more questions but it gives answers subtlety throughout the following pages...some...maybe!
I feel I preferred Gardens of the Moon slightly more, I really enjoyed the characters in this but not quite as much as book one. These character grew on me in all ways throughout the story whereas in Gardens of the Moon I felt they all just gripped me from the start!
Once I finish the series and reread this book it could easily jump to a higher rating and that all my opinions and thoughts will change. Plus its possible that once it has all sunk in over the next few days it might get bumped up too.
Bloody great book, bring on Memories of Ice
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
A brilliant and thought provoking book about humanities struggle with itself and the world around us! Set in a civilisation both more and less advanced than ours we see the struggle of Stefan Advani. There is only one city left on a dying earth and a floating prison. Some really great characters here too! Will keep me thinking for a while I think.
4.25 stars
‘You three are quite the jesters, ain't you?' ‘Have a smile at breakfast,' droned Shivers, stony-faced, ‘you'll be shitting joy by lunch.'
I LOVED this book! GREAT characters, highlights for me being Orso, Rikke and Clover absolutely amazing whenever they were on the page! Side note, Leo is such an idiot! Great continuation from book 1 and I am so excited to get to book 3 very soon
‘The Dogman's daughter has the Long Eye,' said Stour, and a few of his warriors muttered and grumbled unhappily. ‘I have to fight fire with fire.' ‘That'll win you naught but ashes,' said Calder.
If you are hoping it will keep you safe from all life's axes, you will be disappointed. But then it is the fate of hope to end in disappointment, as it is the fate of light to end in darkness and life in death. They are still worth something while they last.'
I enjoyed this book and its a solid 3.5 stars! I adore Macro and Cato (getting to book 21 of a series surely proves that) and all the supporting characters mostly Petronella and Apollonius. I just felt that for a book that on the front cover says “In Roman Britannia, the Boudica revolt begins...” we had to wait a really long time for it to actually begin! Maybe 65/70% of the way through was where I felt it stepped into another gear! I do appreciate the setting up of the story though and its probably me being impatient to get to the action.
Having said that, I am VERY excited for book 22 after that ending!
Another solid entry to the Eagles of the Empire series
Wow, thats how to start a series! I am certain I missed most of what was happening and the finer points but it didn't matter! Im sure it will be revealed to me as I go through the series, even with all of that, this was a great book, engaging, funny at times and with action and mystery to keep you hooked and intrigued. Some of the best characters I have ever read, Anomander Rake (even though his part was fairly small in this book) will probably be one of the coolest characters ever, Parran, Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners, Tattersail and the other mages!
I think the most interesting par for me was the magic “Warrens” I can't wait to find out how they work.
“Open yourself to the Warren that comes to you – that finds you. Draw forth its power – as much as your body and soul are capable of containing – but remember, when the body fails, the gate closes.”
The way the characters interact with each other is great, how he swaps the POV mid fight or scene so you see what the other people are seeing/thinking is brilliant! And the fluidity of characters from chapter to chapter or even scene to scene, you like them and think they are fighting for good one page then suddenly through a POV shift or just the next sentence completely change your mind about them! Made everything very real.
A masterpiece, and supposedly a weaker entry to the series coming from some Malazan veterans! If thats true then I am in for a ride.
I cannot wait to start Deadhouse Gates!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A great conclusion to a great series! As usual Ben Kane nails the ending....and beginning and middle! Ferdia is such a great character and his relationship with King Richard is brilliant to read! Would highly recommend this to anyone, but especially anyone with a taste for the Plantagenets and the crusades
