Stuart Maher

I wanted to like this. The concept and cover art are great. I wanted it to be engaging and approachable and fun and all the things. The authors even wrote a nice note for the Early Reviewers. They seem great.

I did not like the book. I tried, a few times, and managed to get to page 42. It needed an editor as much as this review needs an editor. Which is probably pretty badly.

Clunky transitions did no one any favors.

And I've seen other reviewers mention the names - I honestly thought there was one main character called Aaaahhh-something; there are two main characters: Ahhh-something and Almost-Athena. There were, in the first 30 pages, about 674 (I lost count) other characters with names like a'Piersnow, Slaskte9sxh, Pursts, Parsts, Spoliditych, and a'Piersnof.

I was completely lost.

I loved that the characters promised depth and a sprawling world. But. I mean. None of them were individuals I could understand, appreciate or support.

One phrase stuck out to me as an example of poor writing (again, like this review), "Our world has magic, but..." Sigh. When you have to explain that they are on a different world by saying they are on a different world you're doing it wrong. It's hackneyed to tell someone to 'show me, don't tell me' but please. Show me.

I'm sorry I didn't like it. I would like to see the story stripped to its core and rewritten.… (mehr)

Athynae na Ridire and Athlain Treyson are the oldest children of two heroes responsible for defeating the Darkening and the first children born on the island of Inis Bolcan after the end of that event. Athynae is asked by her mother to try to help sort out some problems with a group from the mainland who are trying to get permission to get into a part of the island held by some native tribes to claim an inheritance. With the help of Athlain and her brother Rahvin, she manages to not only see the documents that supposedly prove this inheritance—which the mainlanders were unwilling to show to her mother—but also finds that they are definitely forgeries. With this information, the actual plan (an illegal hunt) is soon uncovered and the conspirators on the island dealt with. While in other books, this would likely lead directly to a larger adventure involving at least those on the mainland behind the hunt plan, in this case the matter seems to be considered over by Athynae, Athlain, and Rahvin, and the story quickly covers the next couple of years before some mercenaries are hired to injure or kill the three during a combat tournament. They manage to learn of and thwart the plan with some assistance, but are shut out of the investigation due to the political complications that they lack the skill to handle.

I wanted to rate this higher as I read it, but it ends pretty much just as the main story of the series seems to be starting. I liked the interactions between the characters (although Athynae’s behavior can border a bit too close to bullying at times), that none of the characters are portrayed as flawless, and none of the antagonists seem to be evil just because they’re evil (aside from possibly the person behind the Darkening, but they’re more a background detail than an actual character). I’ll probably be here for the next book, since I do want to know where this is going and the authors were able to keep me interested during what was essentially just set-up for the story.… (mehr)