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Ross

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Masterpiece

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-02-25

'Assassin's Apprentice' and the 'Farseer Trilogy' was brilliant. 'Ship of Magic' stands on its shoulders and sees all the farther. Do yourself a favor: read this book and enjoy the absolute best that fantasy literature has to offer.

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Not Sure What All the Fuss is About

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-17-25

This book is a clinic in plot and character motivation. Excellent characters and solid writing. Not the most original story, but easily unique enough to stand out of the crowd.

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Reading Between The Lines

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-27-24

The prose and atmospheric storytelling in this novel are incredible. While the plot does not boast a major goal for much of the narrative, the rich world and well-executed literary techniques are more than enough to satisfy while things get set up. Subtle similis and character juxtaposition abound in what is a undeniable proof that SFF can be just as artistic as any other genre.

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Calculated and Convoluted

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-09-24

Keep your notepad handy! There's a lot of moving parts here. ASOWWL is an exciting story with a little bit of everything we expect to see from the modern fantasy epic. A little bit Sanderson, a little bit Rothfuss, and a refreshing lack of the Martin darkness that's been poorly replicated time and again. What's left is a new, entertaining series on my second tier shelf next to authors like... well, the three I just named. If you're a fan of the books I've mentioned, you will enjoy this. If you find them overly complicated and daunting, this will likely be too. For fans of fantasy epics, I highly recommend it!

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Bleak, Blunt, and Beautiful... In a Way

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-18-24

The Black Company is a fantastic story veiled in an odd, blunt, and pessimistic writing style. if you are looking for a happy adventure fantasy, this may not be for you. If you're looking for prose that will blow you away, this also may not be for you. Rather, the story offers a bleak tale about bad people working for bad people fighting bad people to stop bad people. Somewhere in between, you stumble across the occasional iota of humanity and hope the characters have the wisdom to recognize and preserve it. Overall, a solid read.

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Space Oddesies Are Hard...

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-23-23

...and this one is done well. In a saturated market of mediocre planet hopping adventures, this one does a great job standing out from the crowd. It captures the immaturity of young adults without making them idiots or useless (something that's in far too much of the genre), which I appreciate very much. It's not perfect and has plenty of eye-rolling moments in both internal and external dialogue as well as with some of its tropes. However, if you're a fan of strange alien cultures, exciting plot pacing, and excellent narration, you will appreciate Ashfall Legacy.

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Bloated but Solid

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-10-23

If you are a fan of Weird Fantasy, you will at least find this book interesting if not quite good. The story is excellent, the characters motivated and well crafted, and the weirdness the acrid flavor of an overcrowded metropolis of pollution, mutations, haphazardly grafted limbs, and mysterious fluids. If that's not your cup of tea, I don't blame you, but some will love it. My biggest criticism is that China Mieville is often too good of a description writer for his own good. Half this book is spent describing all the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, hallucinations, and unsightly activities of the city it takes place in. Sometimes, an interesting story happens too. So, if you have the patience for it, this book is wonderful. I'm happy I read it end to end, but don't go in expecting a page turner.

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Held Back By a Lackluster Lead

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 09-26-23

Abruptly (get used to that word), this story impressed upon me one of the greatest problems plaguing YA novels: the clueless protagonist. The world is interesting, the characters dynamic, and the plot of solid quality and, at times, masterful execution. However, there's no way around it, Rand Al'thor is an idiot. Most of that is because he is a young farm boy, so there is a legitimate reason, but reason or no, you will be beating your head against a wall for much of this story wondering just how many times this cast can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

If you're curious about the narrator, 10/10! Perhaps some would consider her over dramatic at times, but her interpretation of the story and characters worked for me. Highly recommend this version to the classic.

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I may not know their names...

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-24-23

... but I cared for them more than the vast majority of characters in literature. Typical McCarthy, events just happen, no explanation for the world; not even names for the characters. This journey from East Tennessee to probably somewhere in the Carolinas won't stun you with the uniqueness of it's unfolding tragedy, but it will leave you touched. Beyond worth reading. Magnificent.

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Unique enough to stand out, average enough to fade

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-27-23

Skyhunter bids us follow a young woman incapable of speech due to a childhood injury as she fights through a losing war for a society viewing her as an unwanted refugee and foreigner. The writing style is serviceable, the twists and turns fine, the setting interesting enough to hold your attention, and the characters likeable without being memorable. Overall, it's a solid young adult post-apocalyptic(ish) story that is worth the read. But I'll probably find myself mixing the main character or villain up with another story a few years from now. Bottom line: above average.

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