Blackwing

Personal Rating System:
5 stars: Exceptional - I was hooked from beginning to end, and this book stayed with me after putting it down.
4 stars: Thoroughly enjoyed it, a great read with minor flaws.
3 stars: Literal definition of OK. 3 stars is NOT a bad book. It is also not a good book.
2 stars: Didn't enjoy it. Honestly probably should not have finished it.
1 star: Hated it, a terrible book that I couldn't finish.
“Burning was a bad way to go, but my reserves of empathy were usually exhausted on orphans and puppies, a lot higher up the list than arsonists and arseholes.”
Overall Impression: I absolutely loved Blackwing. If Joe Abercombie wrote Mad Max fanfic you would end up with Blackwing. Will this book stay with you after you put it down? No. Will this book change your life? Again, no. But will you drink up every word on every page and turn each page more quickly than the last? Absolutely. This was pure, dark fun from beginning to end.
Feel: Dark. Desolate. Bleak. Hilarious in a twisted macabre sort of way.
Strengths: The vibes! The world! The monsters! The characters! I loved it all.
Weaknesses: No big weaknesses for me here. I think if you're looking for some thought provoking literature you might want to keep looking, but for an immersive fun summer blockbuster of a read, look no further
Recommendation: Do you like big scary monsters and a post apocalyptic wasteland that changes all who enter it? Do you like your heroes drunk, vulgar, and oh so relatable? Do you like a plot that will keep you guessing, and bad guys big enough to give you nightmares? This is the one for you.

recenzie pe larg https://bloguldesefe.ro/2021/03/03/western-si-noir-la-frontiera-dintre-genuri-blackwing-de-ed-mcdonald/

Well that was a nicely rolled up package as a fantasy enthusiast. All the makings of a well laid out world and interesting if rather “god” type magic system. POV is very well maintained and some of the characters are well fleshed out. All in all if you are looking for a low investment kind of fantasy Galharrow's got it covered. Onwards

Really liked this, despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of first POVs books but the world building and plot were great. The grimdark fantasy setting was well done and I liked how the author added some elements of horror, post-apocalyptic and sci-fi in it. The author's writing style was excellent, I even highlighted some phrases I found well written, which I rarely do.

The diversity of characters was great too, I especially loved having disabled women in the cast and a gay male character that actually survives at the end. Each character was very complex and interesting in their own way.

The mc, Galharrow was interesting too, hard, violent and uncompromising (but he didn't end up being the sort of terrible human being you just want them to diaf). I just really liked his voice and dark humour, plus I always love when characters curse a lot. The love and devotion he still had for Ezabeth after so many years and the deep affection he had for the members of his crew made him a touching character too. I liked how he was the most « emotional » one in the relationship with Ezabeth.
I loved Ezabeth too. She first appears to be an aloof and mysterious powerful figure, but she really is a strong person, emotionally and physically with her own insecurities (the fear of becoming mad like other magician because of her powers, accepting Galharrow's love for her despite the past etc).
I'll definitely read the rest of the series.

Might

This is a fantastic grimdark debut!!!

This book follows Blackwing Captain Ryhalt Galharrow and his band of misfits as they patrol the Range and protect Valengrad from the horrors that live in the Misery.

The Misery is a remnant of the war between The Nameless and the Deep Kings that ended a century ago. The Misery is a dead land, tainted by long ago magic. The only things that thrive there are unnatural and evil. Crowfoot created the Misery, and Nall created his engine to drive the Deep Kings back. It worked. After seeing the devastation caused by Nall's engine, the Deep Kings have stayed out of range. But they are not gone. They are waiting.

Galharrow is an agent of Crowfoot. Although he's had no orders for years now, he keeps patrolling, and rooting out the creatures that have slipped through. He's starting to believe that he is free of Crowfoot until the bird tattooed on his arm bursts free with a message. He is to find Lady Ezabeth Tanza and protect her at all costs.

The Deep Kings are coming.

I absolutely loved this book!! I loved the magic of the Spinners, and the world was interesting. The characters are awesome. I loved them all, but Galharrow and Ezabeth are my faves. And Nenn and Tnota. Just all of them!

If you like grimdark, you have to read this book. I'm kind of glad I waited to read it because Ravencry will be out on June 18th. YAY!!!

This fantasy debut is getting a lot of attention, and the good news is that it's (mostly) merited. It's set in a far future post apocalyptic world, with just a few small enclaves of humanity left in a wasteland known as the Misery (which put me in mind a bit of the Cursed Earth from Judge Dredd, with more freakiness). There are powers in this world - the evil Dead Kings want to destroy the towns and outposts left, while the Nameless oppose them, although it'd be a stretch to call the Nameless the good guys. Our mercenary hero is indentured to one of these Nameless, and it's a message he receives (via the medium of a crow tearing itself out of its tattooed likeness on his arm) that sets our story in motion.

There's a lot to like here. The world building is original and well done, with enough locations outside the story hinted at to make you feel that this is a thought through world that could support several more novels set in it. Likewise, the author cleverly leaves enough threads dangling to set up the sequel without leaving you feeling shortchanged by the ending of this one - it's definitely a complete novel in itself. The action writing is viscerally brutal, and although only three or four characters get any real depth of characterisation, it's still effectively done. My only gripe is that the narrator is constantly at pains, like on almost every page, to remind us just how DARK and GRITTY he is, and that he deals with his TRAGIC PAST with ALCOHOL and VIOLENCE, because he is DARK and GRITTY with a TRAGIC PAST, etc, etc. Nevertheless, it's a good book, and I'm on board for the next one.