Jonas
No fancy shmancy stuff, just pure character development. This series keeps getting better and better. This time a more remote location is used. The new characters were great, I hope to see some of them again but I don't think H&R will return to this beautiful place. For Royce this is a real gamechanger.. he learns more about what he is and really has to come to terms with it. Hadrian faces some challenges too but keeps a bit to the background. The artist and Lady Dulgath were really characters. Even Fawkes being in a typical role, was a great addition to the plot. Great storytelling imo. I thank this series for breaking my reading slump! Not sure if I should pick up Rise of Empire or read the 4th chronicle now 😂
Quick paced, real tension and character development. Hadrian & Royce were not the real big roles in this one. While they are still a big chunk of the story, Hilfred really takes the center role. The story is quick to unfold and while some parts were foreseeable, they still delivered. The danger is real, as the protagonists and antagonists both show. While Hadrian is rubbing off on Royce, he can still show how ruthless he was/is. One of my favorite books from this universe so far
The story of how Hadrian and Royce meet and become a team. For a short book, a lot happened. It reads like a train and keeps the story focussed. I only read the first of book of revelations and I know now, that I should have read this one first. Their distinct characters really shine and they really learn to team up.. the hard way. Great origin story, I will finish these books before going on with Revelations.
I received this book through Booktaster NonFiction.
This could be a great addition to any teacher's library. It's not a read front to back kind of book but rather pick a chapter that describes your situation. I am not a teacher but as a recent student I can say that most of the charm found in this book, is lost in teachers. Real passion is something very rare. My girlfriend is studying to become a teacher and she is sometimes overwhelmed by tasks a teacher has to do, while most of these tasks are not oriented toward the children. This book is more oriented toward the children/learners. Small yet helpful hints can be found here, if only they would be read by the right people!
It took me a long time to finish this one. The start and middle were not really exciting for me and I got lost in it a few times, having to start over again. I was constantly thinking what would be the goal of this book but after a while it becomes clear, the title even said it. The swords are the main objective here and while doing this, the people learn a lot more things (which I leave for you to explore). Raithe is rather a secondary character here, Persephone really takes the spotlight with her female companions. Sacrifices are made and they go deep. Even while I felt a bit disconnected to the story, this connected me in the saddest way possible. It really jumps the story and proves just how far they are willing to go.
TLDR: Slow start and mid but the last part is really a kicker.
Royce and Hadrian are a likable team. Two outlaws with each a good skillset, master thief and fighter. This books contains two stories which were good but not earth shattering good. I enjoyed reading them but found them to be pretty predictable at points but that's bound to happen after reading a lot of fantasy. I will continue reading the story but maybe with a little pause in it. It's great these books are all completed, even the prequels from how Royce and Hadrian meet. That could be a good pause?
I received this book for free through http://booktasters.net
This is not a book for beginners or newbies to configuration management. In a nutshell, CM is everywhere: the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the coca cola we drink.. It has all been developed using a predefined and tested workflow, making sure the result is standardized.
If this is something you have been dabbling in, then this is a book for you. Otherwise.. watch out. I picked this up for my own interest in IT but It gets really advanced really quickly. The first few chapter are entry level but it quickly turns up the pace and it lost me at a point. Nearly half the book I read at high speed because I didn't understand most of the concepts handled.
The writing style is pretty typical for this kind of book. Main flow of the writing is clear and fluid but I was annoyed by the number of acronyms used overall. Almost every page (re)introduces acronyms and it's confusing to keep up. Some of the graphs got a bit dull and I missed a bit of color. The themes are all really branched out but still connected at the core. Chapters are built up individually, so you can pick it up where you want to.
Conclusion: It's a good book for people in the field but I wouldn't recommend it as an introductory book.
This kit contains everything you need to play D&D.. but you can only play the one adventure and the pre generated characters. Character creation is one of the most fun things to do (complex too) but there is nothing of it here. The rules are cut down to a bare minimum but you'll still need the core books to really enjoy everything going on.
For the DM there is no guide to the checks: climbing slippery wall? DC 15. No why.
I find it kind of lacking in imagination but it is a way to start without spending lots of money.
Also some handout maps or just a poster would be really nice, now I still had to search for it and print it myself.
The story itself is okay but don't expect any huge twists, also a lot of encounters should be skipped to keep up the pace.
All in all I would recommend the set for real first timers but try getting someone to DM for you who has already played the game.
Review second read
Having read the first three books again in a short time, I found this one to be the most chaotically written. The scope of this one is just a lot, even for such a big book. But the payoff at the end is huge, so many reveals at once. It surely makes up for the previous chaos. I would score it less than the second one but this still fully deserves 5 stars.
I got way more out of this reread than I anticipated, some things even felt completely new, they just hadn't clicked the first time around. Ready for Rhythm now!
(Also the audiobook version from Graphic Audio is amazing for this series!)
Review first read
The book took some time to get going. A lot more explaining and talking before a big finale (ofcourse). Not a real cliffhanger but bittersweet! Altough I saw kaladin as the main protagonist, Dalinar really took over here. His flashbacks were really tragic and made his character grow enormous. He's a bit like Sazed but than more contested. Great development and the story gets more interesting with every reveal. Sanderson stays the master of epic fantasy once again
I received this book through NetGalley.
This is a great book about ways to work. It's split up in two overlapping categories, yourself and others. Each of the themes within these categories is backed up with research data, relating to percentages of people that scored high (or low) in each of the themes main topic. This sounds boring but it's brought in a juicy way, ,o long charts with loads of data here. There is an intro and a summary containing the entire book in short, super for a quick review. I found the beginning themes to be very captivating. “Do less, then Obsess” and “Don't just learn, loop” are my favorites. The other themes were a bit tedious and took me longer to get through but still interesting. The writing style is akin to Steven Pressfield's books, I would compare the book against Mastery though this book is a lot shorter. Some of the themes were recurring (read: not unique in the ‘idea' world) but the data supporting it, is what makes it different. Grammar was very fluent, you will not be flung down with big words. All in all a very satisfying read, I will definitely check out other books from the writer! Thanks for the early copy!
This series was perfect. Laughs, action, camaraderie, heroism and trust.. all found in a band of outlaws who are forced into big events they don't want to be a part of. This last one ended on a high note with everything at stake, throwing in all the things the other stories showed glimpses of. The writer did a terrific job confusing the reader with ‘certain' events, constantly keeping me on edge.
I compared this series to the Firefly TV series but those characters are rather pale in comparison to the ones from the Ketty Jay. I'm sad that this is the end of the series but I'm very satisfied with the way it did.
Very special read, I did not except a lot of fantasy from this one at first but there was actually a bunch! While the main character is mute, there still is a connection with him. All the shit he goes through, the pain, the misery and still he's able to find happiness in the small things. The storyline from the commander of the knights of Jade and Ash was a bit unexpected and sudden. Overall the line between good and evil is very thin, which displays itself in some stunning events. Looking forward to the second one.
Very different from the first one but not in a bad way. There are still a lot of battles but the kind of battles are totally different. The adversaries feel more dangerous and there is a lot more at stake. New characters are interesting and very “likeable/hateable”. The old ones get more depth. The female characters steal the show again! Ending went really quick but the final 5 pages give a real large scale and ominous effect. I was hoping for a tad more magic from some characters but overall use was already a nice and subtle addition to the world.
Nice read - It edges a bit toward the stormlight archives (Kaladin/Winter & Dalinar/d'Ivoire) but the world is completely different. I found the musket/cannon warfare a very interesting change from other fantasy books I normally read. The main story line was a bit predictable but good nonetheless. There boundary between what is good and what is bad is vague, which is great ofcourse. I will definitely read the others from this series.
Waw, instant favorite! Every member goes deeper into their own storyline and the main storyline explores the Manes in detail. Loved every aspect, especially the Harkins V Slag faceoff, I really wanted the cat to just die :D Only time I was ever a fan of animal cruelty, but Slag was necessary for Harkins to grow a pair . The dynamics from the members is really great, they have their own clear point of view and they can only take a limited amount of shit. I hope we see more from the Manes and the Century knights (Crake & Bree has to happen!). Awesome series!
Great intro story! How they all got together, the backstories and all the humor!
A lot of things happened, there were no dull pieces. Really something for Firefly fans (and others too, of course). The general transportation is with airships, not really technological things but more steampunk. Navigation is all done the primitive way which actually enhances the ‘piraty' feeling. Every character has their own personalities and traits. Crake and Frey are definitely the most interesting ones while Harkins and Pinn fall outside of the scope. I found the actions to be very fluent and easy to follow. The writing was tight (always something important or just funny going on) and clever as to not revealing all the information to the reader (like a plan being revealed to the reader while it's actually put to action). I hope we also get some more adventures from Slag. He's making plans, I'm sure of it.