Andres
I truly relished how the protagonist, Prince Jorg Ancrath, was presented, constructed and how you can root for him throughout his journey despite that he's a horrific individual. This all critics can agree on, but I focused more on the fact that he is a monster; he's a character of the most sinister nature that you will be appalled by his behavior as well as be constantly on edge to what he will do next.
The story and its conclusion remind me of «A Clockwork Orange» in the way that the reader follows a despicable teenager as he commits heinous acts to then at some point reflect on his actions. Yet, don't expect regret or absolution from his part this time around; I liked the way the author incorporates fantasy elements; it's not like he establishes a clear magic system but I like the “casualness” of it all, as it doesn't attempt to overwhelm the reader with aspects that are difficult to understand nor does it give power beyond reach to those who exert it (and the bases are well established, so things don't just “happen” without reason).
It's definitely a great read, to the point it could be called “simple” or straightforward once you start reading, but the author plays with your expectations just like the antagonists play with Jorg's. Without giving anything away, there are instances towards the second part of the novel that recontextualizes everything you understood about the character as well as his desire for revenge, which enriches the narrative in retrospect. Then, when the story began to reach its climax and the protagonist began his retaliation, I simply couldn't stop reading.
The story is dark and rather graphic (murder, rape, torture, acts of genocide, etc.), so read at your discretion. But, if you want to experience an engaging story with a protagonist to be amazed at, as well as be shocked at his atrocious actions, then I can assure you're going to have a good(?) time.
If you've read/watched «Berserk» (Rest in Power, Miura Sensei), then this should be a Tuesday Tea Party.
I truly relished how the protagonist, Prince Jorg Ancrath, was presented, constructed and how you can root for him throughout his journey despite that he's a horrific individual. This all critics can agree on, but I focused more on the fact that he is a monster; he's a character of the most sinister nature that you will be appalled by his behavior as well as be constantly on edge to what he will do next.
The story and its conclusion remind me of «A Clockwork Orange» in the way that the reader follows a despicable teenager as he commits heinous acts to then at some point reflect on his actions. Yet, don't expect regret or absolution from his part this time around; I liked the way the author incorporates fantasy elements; it's not like he establishes a clear magic system but I like the “casualness” of it all, as it doesn't attempt to overwhelm the reader with aspects that are difficult to understand nor does it give power beyond reach to those who exert it (and the bases are well established, so things don't just “happen” without reason).
It's definitely a great read, to the point it could be called “simple” or straightforward once you start reading, but the author plays with your expectations just like the antagonists play with Jorg's. Without giving anything away, there are instances towards the second part of the novel that recontextualizes everything you understood about the character as well as his desire for revenge, which enriches the narrative in retrospect. Then, when the story began to reach its climax and the protagonist began his retaliation, I simply couldn't stop reading.
The story is dark and rather graphic (murder, rape, torture, acts of genocide, etc.), so read at your discretion. But, if you want to experience an engaging story with a protagonist to be amazed at, as well as be shocked at his atrocious actions, then I can assure you're going to have a good(?) time.
If you've read/watched «Berserk» (Rest in Power, Miura Sensei), then this should be a Tuesday Tea Party.
Not gonna lie, I struggled a lot getting through this book as its pace became dreadfully pedantic at certain points of the story.
I found the protagonist to be rather bland and one-dimensional throughout most of the story, as it's made clear he is “The Chosen One” on top of the fact that he has an ability that almost strips him from being in peril. On the other hand, the construction of the antagonists and the way they executed their plans was enthralling, which gave you insight to what the protagonist would face in the future as well as providing the reader with worldbuilding (which is splendid, but at the same time challenging).
Yet (after pushing myself to continue reading), at around 78% into the book the protagonist does a complete 180 and surprised the shit out of me. All this build up, all the thoughts of people telling you he was incredible, all the people praising him, truly paid off. I say this because I couldn't believe he was the same character, as he suddenly delivers killer dialogues, takes smart and intelligent decisions, and completely destroys (verbally, spiritually, and physically) every single antagonist, person who tried to manipulate him, and those who underestimated or took him for granted; I mean, holy shit, it was EPIC, not because characters were telling you, but because you could see it; Suddenly, I could see just why the protagonist and novel are praised.
It turns out that many readers and critics also acknowledged that the book is hard to get through, mainly due to the surplus of themes that are delivered. So, after multiple readings, the novel improves. The prose itself was also quite challenging, as I found myself revisiting paragraphs many times to figure out what exactly happened, the more so whenever action “scenes” took place; it takes time to get used to. Nevertheless, I must say that Frank Herbert did create a phenomenal epic that definitely deserves the praise, but it's not one I would recommend to a casual reader unfamiliarized with the genre.
Not gonna lie, I struggled a lot getting through this book as its pace became dreadfully pedantic at certain points of the story.
I found the protagonist to be rather bland and one-dimensional throughout most of the story, as it's made clear he is “The Chosen One” on top of the fact that he has an ability that almost strips him from being in peril. On the other hand, the construction of the antagonists and the way they executed their plans was enthralling, which gave you insight to what the protagonist would face in the future as well as providing the reader with worldbuilding (which is splendid, but at the same time challenging).
Yet (after pushing myself to continue reading), at around 78% into the book the protagonist does a complete 180 and surprised the shit out of me. All this build up, all the thoughts of people telling you he was incredible, all the people praising him, truly paid off. I say this because I couldn't believe he was the same character, as he suddenly delivers killer dialogues, takes smart and intelligent decisions, and completely destroys (verbally, spiritually, and physically) every single antagonist, person who tried to manipulate him, and those who underestimated or took him for granted; I mean, holy shit, it was EPIC, not because characters were telling you, but because you could see it; Suddenly, I could see just why the protagonist and novel are praised.
It turns out that many readers and critics also acknowledged that the book is hard to get through, mainly due to the surplus of themes that are delivered. So, after multiple readings, the novel improves. The prose itself was also quite challenging, as I found myself revisiting paragraphs many times to figure out what exactly happened, the more so whenever action “scenes” took place; it takes time to get used to. Nevertheless, I must say that Frank Herbert did create a phenomenal epic that definitely deserves the praise, but it's not one I would recommend to a casual reader unfamiliarized with the genre.
This was an interesting read.
Can't say I've read something like this before, but also I'm not sure it's for everyone. Needless to say, I kept thinking about this weeks after finishing it.
You follow this woman as she “lives” her mundane life without any sort of excitement. She sleeps, goes to work, eats this energy-protein-mix to sustain herself, and repeats. It's only after she orders delivery from two brothers that everything changes for her. She starts a new hobby, she makes friends with them, she starts to think about new career choices, and she stopped drinking that f*ing sht.
Somehow, we find ourselves rooting for her, but then the story takes some “liberties” that could be interpreted as “magical realism”. Cutting it short, there's a point in the novel that (well, actually it was foreshadowed in the emails exchanged between the protagonist and the eldest of the brothers) catches you by surprise a little, but you just roll with it. Then something else happens, and you're like, “what?” in the surreal kind of way. Yet, I personally also rolled with it, even if I still can't accept certain characters disgustingly got away with somethings.
In the end, there's a lesson to be learned here (like with every book), but I feel this one only displays to the one who reads it; I feel the author quoted Rick Sanchez on this one: “There's a lesson here and I'm not going to be the one to figure it out”.
This was an interesting read.
Can't say I've read something like this before, but also I'm not sure it's for everyone. Needless to say, I kept thinking about this weeks after finishing it.
You follow this woman as she “lives” her mundane life without any sort of excitement. She sleeps, goes to work, eats this energy-protein-mix to sustain herself, and repeats. It's only after she orders delivery from two brothers that everything changes for her. She starts a new hobby, she makes friends with them, she starts to think about new career choices, and she stopped drinking that f*ing sht.
Somehow, we find ourselves rooting for her, but then the story takes some “liberties” that could be interpreted as “magical realism”. Cutting it short, there's a point in the novel that (well, actually it was foreshadowed in the emails exchanged between the protagonist and the eldest of the brothers) catches you by surprise a little, but you just roll with it. Then something else happens, and you're like, “what?” in the surreal kind of way. Yet, I personally also rolled with it, even if I still can't accept certain characters disgustingly got away with somethings.
In the end, there's a lesson to be learned here (like with every book), but I feel this one only displays to the one who reads it; I feel the author quoted Rick Sanchez on this one: “There's a lesson here and I'm not going to be the one to figure it out”.
