Helpful Score: 2
The plot is pretty huge, and I dont want to give away too much of it, so now I will commence gushing about all the things I loved about this book. First, there are tons of thinking characters in this book men, women, soldiers, servants, good guys, bad guys, short, tall, crippled, healthy. Next, nature plays a big, big role as these folks lived very close to it. In fact, spoiled grain leads to one of the overwhelming illnesses. Also, the wizards are able to converse with wildlife. Caliphestros himself would simply tell you it is science and learning and patience that allows him to use birds to send messages and to communicate with Stasi, the beautiful white panther of Davenwood. There is also plenty of humor to break up the serious tone of treachery and deceit most of it from the Bane Hildebrant. Next, you can tell Carr did some research, pulling in elements from a long ago and all but forgotten Roman Empire, medical knowledge available at the time, military hierarchy and formations. These aspects gave the tale that feeling that maybe, just maybe, this really did happen so long ago. All in all, a most excellent read.
Initial rating 3* for intimidating length & writing style.
Once hooked into the wonderful characters (if overdone vague & circular storytelling, again style), I'd rate 4.5*...I truly did want to know what would happen to these people!
ABRUPT non-Ending - rating drops back to 3*
The main problem is that we have only an oversimplified resolution of one problematic (villainous) character, but no resolution of the history of Broken, the plague's origin, the disappearance & deaths of so many children, the religious fanatics & royalty, or the beloved characters of the book (save Stasi & her daughter). We are left with a warning, that the real evil is yet to be recognized (although it was always obvious) or dealt with...and one of our heroes will return when another wizens up. So, we never learn what happens to send this city/country into obscurity...or the lives/final days of the main characters.
And it leaves a person wholeheartedly unsatisfied & wondering why he/she has bothered to invest so much effort & time in such a lengthy work.
To sum it up in one word: pointless.
Elevated rating due to the majority of the 600+ pgs being an interesting work.
Once hooked into the wonderful characters (if overdone vague & circular storytelling, again style), I'd rate 4.5*...I truly did want to know what would happen to these people!
ABRUPT non-Ending - rating drops back to 3*
The main problem is that we have only an oversimplified resolution of one problematic (villainous) character, but no resolution of the history of Broken, the plague's origin, the disappearance & deaths of so many children, the religious fanatics & royalty, or the beloved characters of the book (save Stasi & her daughter). We are left with a warning, that the real evil is yet to be recognized (although it was always obvious) or dealt with...and one of our heroes will return when another wizens up. So, we never learn what happens to send this city/country into obscurity...or the lives/final days of the main characters.
And it leaves a person wholeheartedly unsatisfied & wondering why he/she has bothered to invest so much effort & time in such a lengthy work.
To sum it up in one word: pointless.
Elevated rating due to the majority of the 600+ pgs being an interesting work.
