the_pale_woman's reviews
479 reviews

I've been putting off reviewing this because I'm truly divided on my feelings. 

To start with a positive, I really enjoyed reading this giant book. This expansive, interconnected universe of worlds is everything I've always wanted from a book series. It's why I started reading the Cosmere in the first place. This huge tome of a book just adds to that greater whole, and it's better for it. As a pseudo conclusion, I wouldn't say it's perfect, but it was satisfying to consume. 

However, I'm ultimately disappointed in the execution. What happened to subtlety in storytelling? When every theme and emotion of a story is fully spelled out and constantly repeated, you close the door to interpretation and introspection. It excludes the element of human complexity that makes fiction its own art. This feels too influenced by self-help books and picture books. As if it's not adult fantasy anymore, but some family-friendly Marvel flop. Simplified for the masses and politically correct. Now, as much as I want to nitpick every cringe moment and pedantic mental deficiency inclusion, I just don't have the time. Plus, my biggest gripe was that one Jasnah chapter, and that's not even a big part of the book. 

Overall, I did like this book. It may not sound like it, but I did. My feelings are just complicated and can't be fully summed up with trite rhetoric.

Yes, this one rounded out the plot and the setting of the crawl. It even lays some groundwork for further satisfaction and payoffs. But beyond anything, it was just a fun listen. I can't wait to see Carl and Donut burn it down and, as always... kill, kill, kill!

This was a fantastic sequel. Carl and Donut are quickly climbing the ranks of best character duos.

I wouldn't go so far as to say these are flawless pieces of literature. That's ridiculous. However, in my experience, it is rare to find an interesting science fiction series that can keep some humor flowing. I might be basic, but these books are actually inducing genuine laughter. I'm happy I gave these a go despite the litRPG label. I'd recommend you do the same.

New achievement! You've found a new favorite book! 

You are now tasked with the mission to acquire and read the rest of the series. Ideally, in audiobook form to experience the quintessential performance of the one-man show, Jeff Hays. 

There are currently seven books in this ongoing series. The infallible sources of Reddit estimate this series will be anywhere from eight to ten books long, but all warn that the future of this series is not fixed. This shit just got a TV deal, and that changes its completion status to uncertain. Regardless, you're now officially a fan, and the condition is permanent. 

Reward: There is no reward. Isn't being entertained enough of a reward for you? 

I enjoyed this sequel slightly more than the first book. It is the same length as the first, but I felt this book made twice as much progress in both plot and character development. The ending was satisfying, if not marginally cathartic, and I think it's a great setup going into the conclusion of the trilogy. 

However, I can't help thinking that Uhtred from Cornwell's Saxon Stories is the superior character. I can't help making the comparison, and it's unavoidable given their similar origin stories. Not to mention the practically identical memoir-like narrative device in the books. Derfel is a fantastic protagonist and narrator for this tale, but he's missing that ineffable quality Uhtred was able to create. It's as if Derfel walks so that Uhtred could later run. In retrospect, I wish I had read this trilogy before picking up The Last Kingdom. That would have worked better historically speaking as well. 

Regardless, I'm excited to pick up the last book of this Arthurian retelling. It's probably my last Cornwell for the foreseeable future but I'm motivated to continue reading more historical fiction. 
 

This was an enjoyable read, but I believe I should have waited a bit longer before starting this series after finishing the Last Kingdom series. While I was pleased to be back with Cornwell, narrated by Keeble as is proper, I found the stories to be quite similar. In comparison, I must say that Uhtred is the superior character. However, Merlin is intriguing and may potentially carry this series for Derfel.

On the surface, the concepts here appear intriguing and promising. However, the execution lacks depth and fails to fully explore the potential of the ideas. In my opinion, the book falls short in various ways, resulting in an overall underwhelming experience. This was so lackluster that I found it hard to maintain my motivation to finish it and might have abandoned it if I hadn't used an audible credit on it. My initial confidence in the book, based on its descriptions, unfortunately proved to be misguided. While a compelling concept is essential, it alone does not guarantee a good story. I had hoped for a satisfying conclusion that would tie the elements together, but the ending proved even more disappointing than the character development. Every aspect of the book, from plot to characterization, fell below my expectations. Ultimately, I felt that this book was a cosplay of a fantasy book rather than the genuine article.