I read this some years ago and it left an impression. But... I can't remember how it ended because at the time the next one in the series was not available.. Have to steal it from my friend againto reread it again...

I received a copy of this book through the First Reads program on Goodreads.com. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book or really even what to expect after reading the short teaser description. I started off very intrigued and was quickly sucked into the world that Hoffman created for this first novel in a series.

I was worried that I wasn't going to like the book because the title and first couple of chapters made me worry that it was going to be religious fiction, which is not really my cup of tea. But as it turns out, the religious aspect is a catalyst to the story and instead it seems (from this first book at least) that it is more a criticism of blind religious zealotry (while also providing interesting critiques of other aspects of society as other groups of people are introduced).

This book definitely had all the elements that keep my attention: dystopian themes, a fantasy setting, conflicted characters, and, at times, a seemingly anti-hero protagonist. The setting is a timeless one, as many arguments could be made both for the idea that it is in the future and that it is set in the past - which really allowed me to set that question aside and just focus on the story.

The author's use of language to describe what is happening is excellent. He uses unique metaphors so I had little trouble understanding the tastes, smells, etc. of things that only exist in the world of this book. I also had no trouble vividly imagining the various battle scenes - while they aren't overly-described, the descriptions are just enough to get a clear picture without slowing down the action.

I would say I had a hard time putting down this book and the only reason it took me a week to read it was that I was busy and didn't have as much time to read as I would like. I definitely recommend to anyone who likes fantasy novels, especially with dystopian overtones. ( )

A fantasy story about kids escaping a violent religious group. The story is incredibly dark, especially with the characters being so young. It is not written all that well and the story is also not all that interesting. It has a basic good vs evil type vibe, but that may change as the series goes on. I don't plan on continuing reading the series though. ( )

The main character is being raised as an especially skilled brutal killer amongst other brutal killers, in a kind of monastery. When he escapes, he keeps brutally killing in self defence as he finds out more about the world. I stuck with it to the end, but no other plot points stuck with me. Can't be bothered reading the rest of the series. ( )

This book is a bit of a literary hot-potato; it does not sit comfortably in any hand I try to grasp it with to hold it up and talk about it.

Let me come at it circuitously by means of reference: I feel like this sits somewhere halfway between Lies of Locke Lamora and Five Wounds. It has the big-fantasy leanings and bantering, cynical characters of the former, paired with the simplicity, omniscient-narrator and brutality of the latter. And yet, while both of those books were outstanding, jaw-dropping articles of elevated art, this is not quite so sublime. Let me be clear: it's very good. But it's just not magnificent, and it was aiming, I think, for that.

Throughout the book, I felt like the book was walking a tightrope of writing style. It did tricks, and they were consistently delightful tricks. Again and again, the prose was clever, entertaining, wry and engaging. And that's not even counting the fact that it pulled off an impeccable omniscent narrator, something that I am generally against and of which I am always keenly on the lookout for fuck-ups. However, the style never (for me) rose to the level of true literary grace. It never sparkled. It lacked that Lamora-esque lustre.

Here's another thing: the world sent me constantly slightly on edge. It's compiled - in geography and sociology and history - of a piled-up melange of just-left-of-centre real-world references (Memphis is near the Scablands, so initially I thought this was a sort of post-apocalyptic America [awesome!] but then it became obvious that Memphis was extremely Venetian [...still awesome?] and then they mentioned Norwegians and Arnhemland [er?] and then York was just to the north [...okaaay] and there were completely traditional medieval Jews [I give up]). Because of that, I kept trying to make sense of it and place it in real-world context. I don't think it fits, I'm not sure it's supposed to fit. I think perhaps the real-world references are supposed to make it feel "less fantastical" and therefore more comfortable (possibly to a teenage audience, but another way that this hot-potatoes is in the fact that it should be YA, except for how dark and gritty it is in places), but it had precisely the opposite effect on me: never knowing where I stood, I could never get comfortable.

The characters are strong and, even when they do stupid things, they do them for reasons that are very strongly sensible for who they are and what has previously shaped them. On the other hand, they're also allegedly fourteen, and then there's all that sex. It's not that I'm prudish, it's just that I'd like the hero to be at least sixteen before he has the destiny-shaping love of his life. You're a teenager. You'll get over it. Jeez.

Despite all that, it's an engaging, page-turning read (except, for me, the part where he clinically recounts a battlefield probably recognisable as Agincourt even if I hadn't cheated and read his endnotes) with excellent writing style and intriguing characters. I'm not sure it was as exciting as the blurb suggested it could be. And while I see the resemblance to all the authors it's been compared to (as well as the two I used, I've seen Umberto Eco and KJ Parker) I don't think it shines as brightly as any of them, possibly because it's trying to be everything at once. ( )