The parts that stuck out the most for me were the war depictions. Abercrombie writes them so well I felt I was at the front lines - the racing thoughts in the heads of the soldiers as they rush headlong to certain death - it was very detailed and a tad personal.
Can a female character really be a heroine if life hasn't fucked her sideways (often in the form of sexual abuse) to shape her up?
The book hits over and over with great character moments, stellar world building, and plot moments that had me enraptured. I expect Greene's work in the series to only get bigger and better
Locke is a genius. He makes Kaz Brekker look like a child (which he is; well kinda). His schemes are bloody schemes. Don't get me wrong, Locke Lamora is not a good guy in any way. He's more of an anti-hero that'll always have my support.
When a fantasy book has lots of characters, it's scary because that means not all of them will make it. Even at that I can't help loving them and hope the author doesn't kill off all my favorites.
The structure of the Tsurani society becomes much clearer as we are allowed to explore the involution, the finer points of the socio-political construct.
With all the plotting and schemes going on, one would be forgiven for not giving apt credit to the excellent world-building. Being a fan of Feist's former series set in this world, it's once again delightful to read about the cultures and peoples of Tsurani.
Our hero has lots of adventures as she rises through the ranks in a bid to prove herself to allies and foes alike. This first part of the book is fast-paced. Time flies as a lot of character development goes on.
The main characters resume their atrocious acts with barely any hint by the author as to purpose. Even as you read on, things only become mildly clearer. The only obvious thing is that there's conflict, on a very large scale at that.
The scenes featuring the Bonehunters are rather comic, as well as revealing a great deal about their origins. There are a number of connections to be made, between different characters, historical events, peoples, and gods, the deciphering of which proves a puzzling delight for readers.
Robert Jordan has brought literary realism to a totally new level. A pity the author had to die when he did. His writing is simply unique!
In this book, it's easy to see, analyse and weigh the merits of careful character-building that sacrifices plot acceleration for vivid literary realism, against simple plot progression.
