Never in my history of reading epic fantasy protagonists have I had cause to hate a character that was previously my favorite!
Never in my history of reading epic fantasy protagonists have I had cause to hate a character that was previously my favorite!
Duel at Araluen is a fast-paced, fun read that you can finish in a couple of sittings (or one sitting if you have enough spare time).
Maddie is a great MC with badass slingshot skills. I must say that I saw the plot twist a mile off, but it didn't take away my enjoyment when it eventually played out.
Perhaps, when Brandon Sanderson is done writing the Stormlight Archive, Malazan will finally have a true competitor for magic systems.
With his latest book, he's clearly outdone his own freakishly scary-good standards. And, in years to come, he'll be heralded as one of the very elite authors to have ever penned a letter in the genre.
In the place of complex characters and elaborate settings, the author builds on the magic system and the world lore, both of which are done fairly well.
One of my most beloved things in the book was the characters. They're brave, petulant, criminal, and amusing.
I do not believe that I could have reduced the overall length to any extent without sacrificing core story elements, and indeed I did not want to do that.
If you're looking for noble characters with a strong sense of right and wrong, happy endings, and damsels in distress, this book is not for you.
The book, rather than being plot-based, is character-based. It follows the development of a character from being a juvenile psycho to being mature.
The entire thing is a complex weave of even more complex characters, themes of violence, betrayal, love and redemption.
The plot becomes more complex here as the author continues from where he left off in Words of Radiance. So far, I have a feeling the main storyline is yet to start.
