Adam
I saw Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini and jumped on board with no hesitation. I don't know what this book thinks it wants to be, but I only made it about a 1/3 of the way through before I couldn't do it any more. Seriously disappointing. It may make more sense if you get further through it, but it really grated on me. The characters, their “language” (both dialogue & manner of speaking) and the over zealousness of being R-rated... just not for me. Going back to re-read X-Force to feel better.
This is really a great book. It's satisfying in a way that I don't know is totally earned, but can't be denied. It has heart, action, throwback appeal, and it's still kind of tough to pin down why it satisfies. No one denies Millar's credentials, but I was still surprised at how well this resonated. It's not flawless, but it's is more than worth the read.
decidedly more entertaining and focused than Vol 3. The art was much more up my alley and they found a much smoother way of incorporating multiple artists. When this book opens it basically jumps to past the conclusion of Vol 3 into a present day that doesn't explain what happened in between and I found that mildly frustrating. My feeling at the end of Vol 3 was that there was some unresolved stuff that was not address and now with this it was like the author decided not to even bother, but pick up fresh somewhere else. I don't know if any of this was covered in like an individual comic that wasn't included in this collection or not. There is definitely a pattern in these books of introducing other adventuring teams that are often reflective of the Rat Queens. I'm not sure if it's exhausting yet or still funny. All together, this volume brought me back into the fold and reminded me why I enjoy this title.
Another very entertaining volume from Skottie Young about the terror that is Gert. Some fun plot stuff that tried new things in Gert's world. This one transitions nicely towards the next phase and without spoiling anything, I think it will be a nice change of pace to keep everyone interested and invested. These are fun books that are easy to pop in and out of.
I've never really been a huge fan of Superman stories, but this one was different (obviously) and intriguing. I really enjoyed what Millar did with the canon and his use of some JL members. There was a complexity here that was satisfying without feeling like you couldn't keep hold of all the strings. Very solid book all around.
Ok, this one confirmed it. It's too oddly put together and there is nothing interesting or redeeming about the protagonist. There are times the art is breathtaking and others where it's almost anime-y in a way that feels unconnected. The story has some merit, but there are 2 different plots trying to be the A plot and it contributes to this clunky feeling. I've read worse comics for sure, but this one just doesn't quite pull it off.
This would have been a 4 star review and I would have talked about how much this book was different from the first in the series, while still keeping a lot of the same tones and movements. Then, I read the last page of the epilogue and ground my teeth. There is a “twist” in there that I am not sure I like at all. I don't know what function it's going to serve and I don't know that it feels earned... etc... My opinion might change down the road, but for right now I feel kind of cheated. It will almost certainly keep me from reading the last book right away as it struck me as a cheap move.
6/24 review: Listened to the audiobook to catch back up so I try to get back into this series. The narrator made some choices I wouldn't have with inflection/tone and I think that colored my experience. Still an outstanding story, still looking forward to the next book.
(original review) I like a book about a team of people working together where you feel like you're honestly getting to know them all. The characters in TFE all felt fully realized to me and substantial. There are some interesting facets to the world and the “powers” people have that are unique and intriguing. There weren't any times where this book drug on or felt arduous and it certainly could have. Overall I really enjoyed this and look forward to the rest of the series.
I am reading this after already having really enjoyed “Six of Crows”, but I didn't like this as much. I think it has to do with some of the YA tropes I am only just now starting to see for myself. Until recently I hadn't read much YA fiction, but for a library reading challenge I powered through a bunch. This book trips over some of them (young, female protagonist who goes from ugly duckling to swan, finds great power, has to come to grips with the strings being pulled around her, etc). I am going to continue this series because I've read good things about the next book and it has the chance to really rebound. Just generally grousing about this not giving me quite the same experience the other series in the same world did.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
I believe this is intended for a YA audience and they may have enjoyed certain parts of this book more than I did. There were large parts of this book that I liked and some interesting ideas, like how magic and faith worked in the two different societies. However, there were times when the audience was left to interpret information without enough context. In most Fantasy or Sci Fi books I expect to have to fill in some of the edges for myself, but here the world felt a little thin in places. The character development also felt a little inconsistent at times. I understand that the characters were all developing as people, but there was some pretty abrupt shifts that didn't always feel earned. Not everyone really got the redemption they needed for me to “like” them as the story progressed.
Overall, it is an interesting story and has a specific voice. I can see where this story could easily continue in another installment and I would certainly read that book as well. My only hope at that point would be that we get some more specifics for the world itself.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
There were part of this book that I enjoyed. There were some characters that were interesting and compelling. There was also a lot of overreaching and convoluted narrative. At one point I think there was a computer embedded in a wall? I don't know, there was some stuff that I wasn't crazy about. The aforementioned “Prince” is also a terrible person and character. It's one thing to write someone we're supposed to dislike, it's another for him to be monstrous and expect us to care what happens to him in the end. I don't understand how there are three of these books. I've read worse, but this also wanted to be much better than it actually was.
I finished this the other day and am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. The author wanted moral complexity, but I feel like it get a little muddled at times trying to be clever. For me there was also a span of this book where I was having trouble tracking all the new characters/nationalities we were being introduced to and keeping them straight. I enjoyed the fantasy elements and the political structure that was being laid out. I also see how this was supposed to set up a larger world and give plenty of room for further stories to be told. I am hopeful the next book from the Night Angel series the author is able to really dive into the characters and mythology in a way he couldn't in book 1.
This book reads quickly and really succeeds on the strength of the characters. Their point of view and relationships gave this book a lot of focus and momentum. I am also sad that there isn't any more forthcoming from the Six of Crows series, I really came to like these people and getting to know them.
This whole book would have been like the last 15 minutes of an action movie. It started to read very quickly & the tension mounted accordingly. The last two pages will stick with me for quite a while. I had read several books in this series before, but I'd never been able to get my hands on the last couple and I'd never read the whole thing in order. I am almost certainly going to revisit this often.