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Wolf's-own #1
Ghost
Book 1 of Wolf's-own Dwelling in the land of Ada and defending magic users called the Jin, Fen Jacin-rei is a trained assassin and an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the Voices of the Ancestors, spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of madness and solitude, yet Fen Jacin-rei desperately clings to his sanity and ferociously protects the family he loves. But how does Fen do it? Kamen Malick has every intention of finding out. When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen one choice: join us or die. Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen-and to have the Untouchable for himself-Malick sets to unraveling Fen's past while Fen delves into the mysteries surrounding Malick. As Fen's secrets slowly unfold, Malick is drawn into a crusade that isn't his, one surprisingly similar to his own quest for vengeance. Yet irony is a bitter reward when Malick discovers the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.
350 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2012
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April 8, 2014
the genesis of a nap.
here's an idea—let's read an enormous novel comprised almost entirely of a series of tedious discussions!
infested by interminable fugues of introspection regarding these discussions as they are occurring!
occasionally interrupted by flashbacks to discussions that occurred in the past!
here's an idea—let's read an enormous novel comprised almost entirely of a series of tedious discussions!
infested by interminable fugues of introspection regarding these discussions as they are occurring!
occasionally interrupted by flashbacks to discussions that occurred in the past!
July 12, 2013
It would appear that I’m becoming quite the floozy for fantasy novels. I’m so easily seduced by the worlds of mystic and magic, it’s ridiculous! I love that the author has the freedom to create their own rules and I get to enjoy the ingenuity of their bold creativity.
So, about the story: ***GR Buddies you have permission to skim this part *** Fen Jacin-rei aka Ghost, is born to be an Untouchable - cursed to host the lunatic ravings of his ancestors who whisper, chatter and scream at him constantly. Permanently bombarded by too many words, too fast, too loud one over the other, they scuttle his mind and drive him to lunacy.
“Let the Untouchables wander in their madness, starving and stumbling, touch them not—to help or hinder—because one wisp of a touch might alter their course, change Fate. Shackle them with the braid so all would know, all could see plainly.”… “Touching an Untouchable—for good or ill—with the intent to alter his course, was death. No excuses, no explanations, no quarter.”
Pretty shitty fate huh?
But Fen Jacin-rei has found a way to dull the voices in his head, but it leaves his body scarred and his mental state teetering on the edge of breaking point. When Fen Jacin is given to Asai (an Adan seer) in return for his families ‘protection,’ the young, vulnerable and impressionable Fen is tutored and manipulated into becoming Asai’s assassin, his tool and his means of twisting fate into his favour. And who better for the task than one who is Untouchable?
But the now grown-up Fen is no fool when he learns he has been used and betrayed by the tutor he adored. Fen turns against him, his ‘mentor’ his ‘guardian’ and burns his own path of vengeance; changing the fate of many, but none more so than that of Malick and his merry band of mercenaries.
And this is when it really gets interesting; the interaction between Fen and Malick is a whole heap of fun.
*** but read this part***
Malick reminds me of a rebellious English Lord: a rake with a rampant libido, a profligate with capricious habits, OR a swashbuckling pirate sporting a perpetually smug smirk and a soft cheeky chuckle. Suave, confident, powerful, deadly, inconveniently compassionate, humorous and instantly infatuated with Fen, the angry Untouchable Ghost who is an enigma with too many mysteries that Malick really wants to solve.
Fen is socially disabled, struggling to interpret the motivation and actions of others, especially Malick’s. Fen presents a pretty, calm and calculating facade, certainly not the crazy norm of an Untouchable. He is strong, stoic and lethal when cornered, sporting a kind of madness behind his glare and hiding secrets.
*** skim again if you wish ***
All that Fen is presents a consuming need and a challenge to Malick. Now he must convince Fen to join him and his fellow assassin’s. Malick has much to offer after all, Fen just doesn’t know it yet. It could be more than the offer of help seeking retribution, more than protection, more than sex, and more than precious silence - if only Fen would trust him.
Will Malick give up his rebellious capricious ways for this enigmatic Ghost and reveal his own secrets and agenda’s? Will he really help Fen to carry out his vengeance and successfully woo the Untouchable in the process? Either way, the game is on!
*** but just quickly read this part ***
Cummings reveals the magical and manipulative machinations of this complicated plot slowly through the viewpoint of many different characters and a non-linear storyline. This might annoy some readers, but I felt this style only aids the carefully structured plot reveals. Her graceful, lyrically vibrant writing, exquisite characterisation and captivating world of Gods, mortals and blood magic are indeed a pleasure to be savoured and she earns a spot on my favourite author shelf after the first 6%. Carole Cummings is an awesome writer.
It’s easy to establish a bond with each of these characters by gaining a personal insight. BUT there’s a small down side to so many perspectives. Fen’s characterisation is the focus and becomes repetitive, because I kind of got the picture after the third or fourth protagonist offered an opinion. The author would have been better focussed on explaining the language, history, gods, and cycles – thus not having the reader rely on the glossary for clarification. She also tends to get a bit wordy between the dialog and I find myself going back three pages to check what the original question was – I hate that.
This book is the first in what is obviously a serialised story; each book carrying on where the next left off. So don’t expect a dramatic conclusion in this one, it’s going to leave you hanging. Cummings uses this book as the set up to an epic adventure and an arresting romance (I hope). I’m very much invested in how it’s all going to play out and I can’t wait to discover more of sexy Malick – he is delicious.
So, about the story: ***GR Buddies you have permission to skim this part *** Fen Jacin-rei aka Ghost, is born to be an Untouchable - cursed to host the lunatic ravings of his ancestors who whisper, chatter and scream at him constantly. Permanently bombarded by too many words, too fast, too loud one over the other, they scuttle his mind and drive him to lunacy.
“Let the Untouchables wander in their madness, starving and stumbling, touch them not—to help or hinder—because one wisp of a touch might alter their course, change Fate. Shackle them with the braid so all would know, all could see plainly.”… “Touching an Untouchable—for good or ill—with the intent to alter his course, was death. No excuses, no explanations, no quarter.”
Pretty shitty fate huh?
But Fen Jacin-rei has found a way to dull the voices in his head, but it leaves his body scarred and his mental state teetering on the edge of breaking point. When Fen Jacin is given to Asai (an Adan seer) in return for his families ‘protection,’ the young, vulnerable and impressionable Fen is tutored and manipulated into becoming Asai’s assassin, his tool and his means of twisting fate into his favour. And who better for the task than one who is Untouchable?
But the now grown-up Fen is no fool when he learns he has been used and betrayed by the tutor he adored. Fen turns against him, his ‘mentor’ his ‘guardian’ and burns his own path of vengeance; changing the fate of many, but none more so than that of Malick and his merry band of mercenaries.
And this is when it really gets interesting; the interaction between Fen and Malick is a whole heap of fun.
*** but read this part***
Malick reminds me of a rebellious English Lord: a rake with a rampant libido, a profligate with capricious habits, OR a swashbuckling pirate sporting a perpetually smug smirk and a soft cheeky chuckle. Suave, confident, powerful, deadly, inconveniently compassionate, humorous and instantly infatuated with Fen, the angry Untouchable Ghost who is an enigma with too many mysteries that Malick really wants to solve.
Fen is socially disabled, struggling to interpret the motivation and actions of others, especially Malick’s. Fen presents a pretty, calm and calculating facade, certainly not the crazy norm of an Untouchable. He is strong, stoic and lethal when cornered, sporting a kind of madness behind his glare and hiding secrets.
*** skim again if you wish ***
All that Fen is presents a consuming need and a challenge to Malick. Now he must convince Fen to join him and his fellow assassin’s. Malick has much to offer after all, Fen just doesn’t know it yet. It could be more than the offer of help seeking retribution, more than protection, more than sex, and more than precious silence - if only Fen would trust him.
Will Malick give up his rebellious capricious ways for this enigmatic Ghost and reveal his own secrets and agenda’s? Will he really help Fen to carry out his vengeance and successfully woo the Untouchable in the process? Either way, the game is on!
*** but just quickly read this part ***
Cummings reveals the magical and manipulative machinations of this complicated plot slowly through the viewpoint of many different characters and a non-linear storyline. This might annoy some readers, but I felt this style only aids the carefully structured plot reveals. Her graceful, lyrically vibrant writing, exquisite characterisation and captivating world of Gods, mortals and blood magic are indeed a pleasure to be savoured and she earns a spot on my favourite author shelf after the first 6%. Carole Cummings is an awesome writer.
It’s easy to establish a bond with each of these characters by gaining a personal insight. BUT there’s a small down side to so many perspectives. Fen’s characterisation is the focus and becomes repetitive, because I kind of got the picture after the third or fourth protagonist offered an opinion. The author would have been better focussed on explaining the language, history, gods, and cycles – thus not having the reader rely on the glossary for clarification. She also tends to get a bit wordy between the dialog and I find myself going back three pages to check what the original question was – I hate that.
This book is the first in what is obviously a serialised story; each book carrying on where the next left off. So don’t expect a dramatic conclusion in this one, it’s going to leave you hanging. Cummings uses this book as the set up to an epic adventure and an arresting romance (I hope). I’m very much invested in how it’s all going to play out and I can’t wait to discover more of sexy Malick – he is delicious.
February 26, 2012
This is serious fantasy, a complex, multi-layered story whose mythology is strongly influenced by Oriental themes. It's a story that rewards readers with beautiful prose, atmospheric settings, and unique characters.
Fen was born one of two male twins into the Jin people. He was destined to become an Untouchable (or Ghost), living with the voices of the Ancestors in his head, slowly turning him insane. But he was taken from his family when the voices first came, to live under the mysterious and harsh tutelage of Asai, a member of the oppressive Adan people. Asai hides Fen from his family and the outside world, and uses punitive methods to turn him into a skilled assassin, a tool for Asai's treacherous schemes.
But Fen discovers Asai's duplicity and runs to save his family before it is too late. Although his mother is taken, he is able to hide his siblings. Just after this he is ambushed by the beautiful and deadly Malick and his band of assassins, and forced to join them in their crusade against the Adan.
The book is written in multiple third person POV's, a technique that I initially had a lot of problems with. But it allowed me to see and understand all the characters and elements in the story. And it never detracted from the plot, which, irrespective of who is narrating, follows a perfect course from beginning to end. Nor do the voices of the secondary characters overwhelm our two MC's. My only reservation was that each person's voice was fairly similar in tone.
As far as the romance goes there is great chemistry between Fen and Malick, both of them being flawed, mysterious and gorgeous. The climactic love scenes are extremely passionate and sensual.
There is a slighlty cliffhander ending, i.e. some things resolved, some left open. I was thinking all the way through that I wished there was a glossary, because some of the deity concepts (e.g. Wolf and Raven are Gods? moons? cycles??) are confusing. But then I finally found it after I already finished. Damn kindle starts at the first page and I didn't think to look before that! I strongly recommend readers to keep one eye on the glossary as you read because it will enhance your enjoyment of the story.
I really enjoyed this novel. Now that we know who Malick and Asai really are, and now that Fen and Malick have taken some hesitant steps towards each other I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel because it feels like the stakes are really high. Highly recommended for fans of real fantasy.
Fen was born one of two male twins into the Jin people. He was destined to become an Untouchable (or Ghost), living with the voices of the Ancestors in his head, slowly turning him insane. But he was taken from his family when the voices first came, to live under the mysterious and harsh tutelage of Asai, a member of the oppressive Adan people. Asai hides Fen from his family and the outside world, and uses punitive methods to turn him into a skilled assassin, a tool for Asai's treacherous schemes.
But Fen discovers Asai's duplicity and runs to save his family before it is too late. Although his mother is taken, he is able to hide his siblings. Just after this he is ambushed by the beautiful and deadly Malick and his band of assassins, and forced to join them in their crusade against the Adan.
The book is written in multiple third person POV's, a technique that I initially had a lot of problems with. But it allowed me to see and understand all the characters and elements in the story. And it never detracted from the plot, which, irrespective of who is narrating, follows a perfect course from beginning to end. Nor do the voices of the secondary characters overwhelm our two MC's. My only reservation was that each person's voice was fairly similar in tone.
As far as the romance goes there is great chemistry between Fen and Malick, both of them being flawed, mysterious and gorgeous. The climactic love scenes are extremely passionate and sensual.
There is a slighlty cliffhander ending, i.e. some things resolved, some left open. I was thinking all the way through that I wished there was a glossary, because some of the deity concepts (e.g. Wolf and Raven are Gods? moons? cycles??) are confusing. But then I finally found it after I already finished. Damn kindle starts at the first page and I didn't think to look before that! I strongly recommend readers to keep one eye on the glossary as you read because it will enhance your enjoyment of the story.
I really enjoyed this novel. Now that we know who Malick and Asai really are, and now that Fen and Malick have taken some hesitant steps towards each other I'm greatly looking forward to the sequel because it feels like the stakes are really high. Highly recommended for fans of real fantasy.
June 1, 2012
This book is very clearly a fantasy with gay characters, brilliant, complex and intriguing, and not primarily a romance. The two (most) main characters, Fen Jacin-rei the Ghost and Kamen Malick, are gay and in a very complicated form of relationship-building, heavily affected by the fact that neither one is quite a vanilla human. However the biggest thing that moves the book away from the romance category is the use of numerous third-person POVs to tell different aspects of the story.
There are at least eight POVs in play here at different points, weaving a very detailed plot with a lot of hidden motivations and a fair amount of flashbacks. There are Gods, and mortals and people who fall somewhere in between, with magic and not a few knives (even leaving out the two dozen or so that Jacin carries.) Jacin caught my heart from the start, and Malick, although twisty and harder to get a handle on, is also already dear to me. Watching them almost come together was painful and delightful. (well, they do connect in some ways, but the chasm between them is still huge.) But the plot also has me in its grip.
If you read this book and love it, you will want the next one immediately. The story ends with some of the complexity explained, but with all the relevant action still hanging in the balance. I immediately started the next installment. Go into these looking for a world-building fantasy, complicated by an unusual romance, and peopled by some very fascinating characters, and you will be enthralled.
There are at least eight POVs in play here at different points, weaving a very detailed plot with a lot of hidden motivations and a fair amount of flashbacks. There are Gods, and mortals and people who fall somewhere in between, with magic and not a few knives (even leaving out the two dozen or so that Jacin carries.) Jacin caught my heart from the start, and Malick, although twisty and harder to get a handle on, is also already dear to me. Watching them almost come together was painful and delightful. (well, they do connect in some ways, but the chasm between them is still huge.) But the plot also has me in its grip.
If you read this book and love it, you will want the next one immediately. The story ends with some of the complexity explained, but with all the relevant action still hanging in the balance. I immediately started the next installment. Go into these looking for a world-building fantasy, complicated by an unusual romance, and peopled by some very fascinating characters, and you will be enthralled.
August 25, 2014
Ghost Wolf's-Own is the most exciting, emotional, absorbing book I've read in a long time. Come the last 100 pages or so I had to force myself to slow down and rationed myself to 20 pages a night not wanting it to end.
It's the type of book where I find myself wanting to read paragraphs or whole sections again (and again!) because they are so well written and enjoyable to read. I couldn't rush through this book and wanted to slow down and take it all in. I knew from the sample I read that I was going to love the book and it didn't disappoint on any levels. This has gone straight to the top of one of my most favorite reads ever.
The balance of character and world building is exactly right and keeps you on the edge of your seat right the way through. Fen Jacin-rei and Kamen Malick are equally lovable, tragic, flawed, complex characters and you can but hope that it will all turn out right for them in the end.
This is my first book by Carole Cummings and I'am not only looking forward to starting book 2 of the series but also other book's by Carole. Thank-you Carole for such a well written and enjoyable read.
It's the type of book where I find myself wanting to read paragraphs or whole sections again (and again!) because they are so well written and enjoyable to read. I couldn't rush through this book and wanted to slow down and take it all in. I knew from the sample I read that I was going to love the book and it didn't disappoint on any levels. This has gone straight to the top of one of my most favorite reads ever.
The balance of character and world building is exactly right and keeps you on the edge of your seat right the way through. Fen Jacin-rei and Kamen Malick are equally lovable, tragic, flawed, complex characters and you can but hope that it will all turn out right for them in the end.
This is my first book by Carole Cummings and I'am not only looking forward to starting book 2 of the series but also other book's by Carole. Thank-you Carole for such a well written and enjoyable read.
March 15, 2012
4.5 stars
Wow, I got so caught up in this book I didn't want to put it down!
I've always been a fan of fantasies I could sink my teeth into and this one is definitely one of those! I was drawn in from the start with Malick's cocky attitude and his desire for Fen then I got caught up in how cold Fen was and the world they live in, the job they do and the creatures they are. It was unbelievably fascinating.
I loved all these characters. Malick is so arrogant, loose and doesn't outwardly care about anything. He knows when to joke but he knows when to be serious. It's quite a contradiction but he plays it so well it was hard for me not to like him even though he's kind of a slut. Then there's Fen who has to be in complete control over everything or else the insanity that is part of his nature would take over. He's quiet, filled with hatred and anger. He doesn't appreciate being mocked because of his inability to be normal. Considering he's an Untouchable, someone who hears the Ancients voices in their head, and still sane, since Untouchables generally do not have a long life due to becoming insane, it's a miracle Fen is as sane as he is. He fascinated me so much! His past, his present and the possibility of his future had me captivated. His desires and his impulses made the story fun especially since Malick brought out so much in Fen (mostly anger) and allowed Fen the opportunity to reach his desires.
Honestly, I loved this book. I devoured it and didn't want to put it down. I was crushed with the ending but I loved the conflicts within the story. It's a slow going story, you have to learn so much to be able to understand everything and everyone and why it is all important but that is what amazed me with this book. The world is unique and interesting enough it sets itself apart from other fantasy stories and has a different take on psychics, telepaths and Gods in general. Really, the world is vast but extremely fascinating, IMO.
I loved the story but I did have a few problems with it. The flashbacks annoyed me occasionally and the fact we got other peoples POVs so often aggravated me. All I wanted was more of Fen and Malick and while we do get them from other people's POVs, I wanted more of 'their' parts. Their thoughts and assumptions and conclusions. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen as often as I'd have liked and if anything that is my biggest complaint. Occasionally it was too wordy. Run on monologues were a bit too excessive even for me who usually doesn't mind. I.e. explanations within explanations within explanations that weren't necessarily needed. At least not from what I could tell.
I'm both extremely upset and strangely glad by the ending. Upset because it's left on a cliffhanger (damn those cliffhangers!!! And such a massive one too!) but glad because if it had been concluded the 'proper way' the ending would have been way too rushed and not genuine or consistent with the rest of the story. Still, I'm frustrated with how it was left!! Grrrrrrr
In the end, I adored the story. I loved the characters, the world, their angst and their conflicts. I might have been frustrated a time or two but this is definitely a fantasy series I'm anxiously awaiting to continue. I can't wait to read the next book!
Wow, I got so caught up in this book I didn't want to put it down!
I've always been a fan of fantasies I could sink my teeth into and this one is definitely one of those! I was drawn in from the start with Malick's cocky attitude and his desire for Fen then I got caught up in how cold Fen was and the world they live in, the job they do and the creatures they are. It was unbelievably fascinating.
I loved all these characters. Malick is so arrogant, loose and doesn't outwardly care about anything. He knows when to joke but he knows when to be serious. It's quite a contradiction but he plays it so well it was hard for me not to like him even though he's kind of a slut. Then there's Fen who has to be in complete control over everything or else the insanity that is part of his nature would take over. He's quiet, filled with hatred and anger. He doesn't appreciate being mocked because of his inability to be normal. Considering he's an Untouchable, someone who hears the Ancients voices in their head, and still sane, since Untouchables generally do not have a long life due to becoming insane, it's a miracle Fen is as sane as he is. He fascinated me so much! His past, his present and the possibility of his future had me captivated. His desires and his impulses made the story fun especially since Malick brought out so much in Fen (mostly anger) and allowed Fen the opportunity to reach his desires.
Honestly, I loved this book. I devoured it and didn't want to put it down. I was crushed with the ending but I loved the conflicts within the story. It's a slow going story, you have to learn so much to be able to understand everything and everyone and why it is all important but that is what amazed me with this book. The world is unique and interesting enough it sets itself apart from other fantasy stories and has a different take on psychics, telepaths and Gods in general. Really, the world is vast but extremely fascinating, IMO.
I loved the story but I did have a few problems with it. The flashbacks annoyed me occasionally and the fact we got other peoples POVs so often aggravated me. All I wanted was more of Fen and Malick and while we do get them from other people's POVs, I wanted more of 'their' parts. Their thoughts and assumptions and conclusions. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen as often as I'd have liked and if anything that is my biggest complaint. Occasionally it was too wordy. Run on monologues were a bit too excessive even for me who usually doesn't mind. I.e. explanations within explanations within explanations that weren't necessarily needed. At least not from what I could tell.
I'm both extremely upset and strangely glad by the ending. Upset because it's left on a cliffhanger (damn those cliffhangers!!! And such a massive one too!) but glad because if it had been concluded the 'proper way' the ending would have been way too rushed and not genuine or consistent with the rest of the story. Still, I'm frustrated with how it was left!! Grrrrrrr
In the end, I adored the story. I loved the characters, the world, their angst and their conflicts. I might have been frustrated a time or two but this is definitely a fantasy series I'm anxiously awaiting to continue. I can't wait to read the next book!
July 16, 2012
I would really like to give this book 4 stars. Carole Cummings obviously knows how to write, with appealing prose and arresting characters and heartwrenching conflicts. But...but...but...
Well, first off, I am SO tired of the "woops, you thought this was a standalone novel but really it's just a fragment of a serialized story" syndrome. I mean, sure, trilogies and fantasy series are all the rage, but authors still need to make SOME effort to conform to good plot structure in each installment of the series. You know, exposition, story arc, climax, resolution, that sort of thing? Unfortunately, this book cuts off JUUUUUUST when the climax should be arriving at any moment. INCREDIBLY annoying. For some reason I'm noticing more and more of this bait-and-switch tactic lately, especially amongst indie authors. Cut it the heck OUT, guys!
Also -- I am a huge fan of character and emotion, as anyone who has spoken with me about books will already know. And this book has lots of both -- and, IMHO, both are very well done. However, Cummings indulges in these even more than *I* would really prefer, which is saying something. The plot suffers. IMHO the book could have been improved by tightening this aspect up quite a bit.
Third -- good worldbuilding here, for the most part. And yes, this is definitely secondary-world fantasy, not any brand of urban fantasy. I was interested in the gods and the main ethnic divisions and so on, and the world she built allowed for some good convoluted intriguing and manipulation. However, Cummings leans too heavily on her glossary to explain terms and concepts, rather than making them clear within the story itself. This is a crutch for lazy writers, IMHO.
Fourth -- for the squeamish amongst you -- this *is* a book put out by a "gay romance" publisher, and the two MCs are in fact gay/bi men. And there is some sex involved. And, in fact, they are stumbling towards falling in love over the entire course of the book. However, there's only two sex scenes in the entire book -- neither one of which is anything near as explicit or raunchy as in, for instance, The Steel Remains -- and it is not at all clear by the end of the book that either one of the characters will ever truly be in love with the other, nor whether they will ever get a real HEA. One assumes that will all work itself out over the course of the series. I'd also like to point out that nobody in this society thinks anything about which gender anybody else is taking to bed -- which I, for one, find quite refreshing.
All in all -- this is several steps above what one might normally think of as gay romance, especially in the complexity of the plotting and characterization and in the quality of the worldbuilding. If you can tolerate the serialized structure and you're looking for something a little off the usual fantasy track, you might give this one a try.
Well, first off, I am SO tired of the "woops, you thought this was a standalone novel but really it's just a fragment of a serialized story" syndrome. I mean, sure, trilogies and fantasy series are all the rage, but authors still need to make SOME effort to conform to good plot structure in each installment of the series. You know, exposition, story arc, climax, resolution, that sort of thing? Unfortunately, this book cuts off JUUUUUUST when the climax should be arriving at any moment. INCREDIBLY annoying. For some reason I'm noticing more and more of this bait-and-switch tactic lately, especially amongst indie authors. Cut it the heck OUT, guys!
Also -- I am a huge fan of character and emotion, as anyone who has spoken with me about books will already know. And this book has lots of both -- and, IMHO, both are very well done. However, Cummings indulges in these even more than *I* would really prefer, which is saying something. The plot suffers. IMHO the book could have been improved by tightening this aspect up quite a bit.
Third -- good worldbuilding here, for the most part. And yes, this is definitely secondary-world fantasy, not any brand of urban fantasy. I was interested in the gods and the main ethnic divisions and so on, and the world she built allowed for some good convoluted intriguing and manipulation. However, Cummings leans too heavily on her glossary to explain terms and concepts, rather than making them clear within the story itself. This is a crutch for lazy writers, IMHO.
Fourth -- for the squeamish amongst you -- this *is* a book put out by a "gay romance" publisher, and the two MCs are in fact gay/bi men. And there is some sex involved. And, in fact, they are stumbling towards falling in love over the entire course of the book. However, there's only two sex scenes in the entire book -- neither one of which is anything near as explicit or raunchy as in, for instance, The Steel Remains -- and it is not at all clear by the end of the book that either one of the characters will ever truly be in love with the other, nor whether they will ever get a real HEA. One assumes that will all work itself out over the course of the series. I'd also like to point out that nobody in this society thinks anything about which gender anybody else is taking to bed -- which I, for one, find quite refreshing.
All in all -- this is several steps above what one might normally think of as gay romance, especially in the complexity of the plotting and characterization and in the quality of the worldbuilding. If you can tolerate the serialized structure and you're looking for something a little off the usual fantasy track, you might give this one a try.
August 2, 2012
This book has all the marks of epic fantasy: world building on a grand scale, a suppressed people in need of being freed, magic, ancestors and spirits who keep 'interfering', even immortals. The language is sweeping, and events unfold at a fairly sedate pace (my personal feeling) despite the fact that quite a lot happens.
I had trouble with the characters, who seemed more like pawns than real people. The language is not my thing, and the pace was too slow and unfocused for me to really get into the book. And the flashbacks almost drove me crazy. My fault entirely, but I will read the sequels because I am curious about the underlying concept and what will come of some of the developments.
Recommended for people who like epic fantasy, enjoy being swept away by lyrical, almost poetic language, and those who prefer to read about battles of good versus evil where it isn't immediately obvious (at least to my analytical mind) who is on which side.
I had trouble with the characters, who seemed more like pawns than real people. The language is not my thing, and the pace was too slow and unfocused for me to really get into the book. And the flashbacks almost drove me crazy. My fault entirely, but I will read the sequels because I am curious about the underlying concept and what will come of some of the developments.
Recommended for people who like epic fantasy, enjoy being swept away by lyrical, almost poetic language, and those who prefer to read about battles of good versus evil where it isn't immediately obvious (at least to my analytical mind) who is on which side.
January 18, 2013
Giving a summary of the plot is a bit complicated for me because I was born wordy. We're in a world where the Gods don't seem to listen to people anymore. There's a people of oppressors, the Adan, keeping a people with magic, the Jin, in their leash. While the cycle is changing from the Raven to the Wolf, a pair of twins are born from the Jin people: the one under Raven, Joory, holds a powerful magic; the one under Wolf, Fen Jacin-rei, is an Untouchable, a Ghost, a Catalyst, or, as one character explains:
The pin in the crux of the fulcrum that would shake the world. [...] The divine breath of inspiration. All sums dividing into Zero [...]. Pure potential. Neither good nor evil, but always the capability for either or both. Always with one foot hovering over the abyss.
Pure potential. My favorite concept when I studied philosophy. My book, I can't help thinking. Untouchables are both divine and wretched creatures. No one can touch them because it could alter the course of their existence, and therefore the fate of the world. Also, they hear the voices of their Ancestors, talking to them constantly and making them go mad.
Fen is taken away from his family by Asai, a man belonging to the Adan with goals that are not clear. He tries to teach Fen to control the voices, he makes a warrior out of him, dangling the safety of his family in fron of him and taking advantage on the boy's crush on him, until he does something that makes Fen leave.
The mysterious Malick, the leader of a gang of assassins with a troubled past, is sent by the elusive Mage to capture Fen and make him a part of their group. Fen is reclusive, focused on his personal quest to save his mother and his siblings, he tries to control everything around him, because it's the only way he can keep his sanity and function. Malick is attracted to the pretty Ghost, he can read the passion in the other man's eyes, but at the same time he needs Fen, because he could be the mean to reach someone Malick wants to take a revenge on. So Fen finds himself close to someone who can treat him as an equal, but he also knows he could be a pawn of someone else's schemes. He has to cede control in order to reach his own goal.
Fen is a character that holds a lot of contradictions. Asai has been able to control him using guilt, making him strive for perfection and setting goals he was sure Fen would fail. Fen should be a mess, but there's a core of strength in him, even if it's all projected to the outside: there's almost nothing Fen does for himself. When Malick arrives, though, set on his seduction, he allows Fen to feel something freely, to experience the silence, the quiet of the voices and to relinquish his control, let someone else love him, allow someone else to have him and see him, naked in body and need, because maybe Fen starts to realize that he is someone when Malick takes care of him.
The story is told with multiple point of views. Fen is the absolute protagonist. The other characters add their own stories and their privileged point of view of what's going on between Fen and Malick. If you want to read this book, you have to know that you'd probably want to invest on the whole series, because there are many questions that will probably have their answers only at the end. This first book is told alternating flashbacks to the current storyline. I am not a big fan of flashbacks, but they didn't annoy me, because they took the place of a possible info-dumping. The writing was beautiful, not because it was poetic or flashy, but because it seemed simple with sudden, powerful insights. The anticipation was so fine and when Fen gave himself to Malick it was beautiful without being exceedingly hot, just fine, beautiful.
Fen is a great character, I hope he won't rely too much on other people, not even Malick, but I know it's inevitable things will go much worse before getting better. I'll wait a little bit before reading the next book, I don't want to burn out. The story is not exactly fast-paced, so I guess diluting it would make me enjoy it more. I really liked it.
The pin in the crux of the fulcrum that would shake the world. [...] The divine breath of inspiration. All sums dividing into Zero [...]. Pure potential. Neither good nor evil, but always the capability for either or both. Always with one foot hovering over the abyss.
Pure potential. My favorite concept when I studied philosophy. My book, I can't help thinking. Untouchables are both divine and wretched creatures. No one can touch them because it could alter the course of their existence, and therefore the fate of the world. Also, they hear the voices of their Ancestors, talking to them constantly and making them go mad.
Fen is taken away from his family by Asai, a man belonging to the Adan with goals that are not clear. He tries to teach Fen to control the voices, he makes a warrior out of him, dangling the safety of his family in fron of him and taking advantage on the boy's crush on him, until he does something that makes Fen leave.
The mysterious Malick, the leader of a gang of assassins with a troubled past, is sent by the elusive Mage to capture Fen and make him a part of their group. Fen is reclusive, focused on his personal quest to save his mother and his siblings, he tries to control everything around him, because it's the only way he can keep his sanity and function. Malick is attracted to the pretty Ghost, he can read the passion in the other man's eyes, but at the same time he needs Fen, because he could be the mean to reach someone Malick wants to take a revenge on. So Fen finds himself close to someone who can treat him as an equal, but he also knows he could be a pawn of someone else's schemes. He has to cede control in order to reach his own goal.
Fen is a character that holds a lot of contradictions. Asai has been able to control him using guilt, making him strive for perfection and setting goals he was sure Fen would fail. Fen should be a mess, but there's a core of strength in him, even if it's all projected to the outside: there's almost nothing Fen does for himself. When Malick arrives, though, set on his seduction, he allows Fen to feel something freely, to experience the silence, the quiet of the voices and to relinquish his control, let someone else love him, allow someone else to have him and see him, naked in body and need, because maybe Fen starts to realize that he is someone when Malick takes care of him.
The story is told with multiple point of views. Fen is the absolute protagonist. The other characters add their own stories and their privileged point of view of what's going on between Fen and Malick. If you want to read this book, you have to know that you'd probably want to invest on the whole series, because there are many questions that will probably have their answers only at the end. This first book is told alternating flashbacks to the current storyline. I am not a big fan of flashbacks, but they didn't annoy me, because they took the place of a possible info-dumping. The writing was beautiful, not because it was poetic or flashy, but because it seemed simple with sudden, powerful insights. The anticipation was so fine and when Fen gave himself to Malick it was beautiful without being exceedingly hot, just fine, beautiful.
Fen is a great character, I hope he won't rely too much on other people, not even Malick, but I know it's inevitable things will go much worse before getting better. I'll wait a little bit before reading the next book, I don't want to burn out. The story is not exactly fast-paced, so I guess diluting it would make me enjoy it more. I really liked it.
August 14, 2014
This review can also be found on my blog: A Match Made in Heaven
I picked up this book because I was in the mood to try something new. M/M romance was something I hadn't tried yet and this one was recommended to me. But I ended up enjoying it for mostly different reasons. Fantasy has always been one of my favourite genres so it was pretty easy for me to get into this. I love stories that introduce new worlds to me, and especially worlds with their own mythology and forms of magic.
“Giving his life for another means nothing to him, because he can always have more, but for you, he'll give up his soul.”
I enjoyed the idea and the story, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. There are so many things that I still don't understand about what was going on. Who some of the characters were, what their involvement is, what the magic means, who is supposed to have it, and several other things. I just let it slide for the most part because I assume that it will make more and more sense as I continue to read. Some things I didn't understand at the beginning of this book made sense by the end, and I still have three more books to grasp the rest. But I would have been able to enjoy this more if it had been introduced to us more smoothly. The characters never paused in their narration to explain things to us. Its the complete opposite to info dumping.
I also didn't enjoy the alternating POVs. The POV alternated between the two leads and the villain, and those all make sense, but also three supporting characters which were unnecessary, and their input didn't really add anything to the story. It wasn't just a little bit either. There may have been a bit more of Malick than the others, but the three supporting characters were featured nearly as much. The flashback chapters, however, were more useful and necessary, and I felt like I learned a lot from those. But I was still annoyed that they were so frequent and so long. The information that we got from them could have been given to us in brief flashbacks rather than 20 page segments.
But I was still very interested in the story. Even if I am not entirely sure what it is that Malick and Fen are fighting for, besides saving Fen's mother, I felt invested in their success and I am excited to read the next book. The most important factor in any book for me is the characters, and I really loved Malick and Fen. Most of the book was from Malick's POV so we really got to see Fen through his eyes and it was really amazing and sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful. The way Malick would just stare at him as if he was a paragon in everything he did. And knowing what Fen had been through and how unworthy he felt made it all very sad at the same time. Malick was a more complex character than you may at first think, and I long for him to help Fen and be what he needs, but Fen is the one that really won my heart.
“Have it your way, then. Pretend that your deepest, most secret wish isn't that someone would love you like you know Malick can, if you let him.”
The romantic elements of this story really just skimmed the surface and introduced the possibility, so I ended up enjoying this for the characters and the world more than anything else, which are what I have always looked for most in a book. It was easy to enjoy, although maybe not easy to understand. But I look forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more not only about the story and world, but the characters and what they are capable of and what they will be able to do for each other and their world.
I picked up this book because I was in the mood to try something new. M/M romance was something I hadn't tried yet and this one was recommended to me. But I ended up enjoying it for mostly different reasons. Fantasy has always been one of my favourite genres so it was pretty easy for me to get into this. I love stories that introduce new worlds to me, and especially worlds with their own mythology and forms of magic.
“Giving his life for another means nothing to him, because he can always have more, but for you, he'll give up his soul.”
I enjoyed the idea and the story, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. There are so many things that I still don't understand about what was going on. Who some of the characters were, what their involvement is, what the magic means, who is supposed to have it, and several other things. I just let it slide for the most part because I assume that it will make more and more sense as I continue to read. Some things I didn't understand at the beginning of this book made sense by the end, and I still have three more books to grasp the rest. But I would have been able to enjoy this more if it had been introduced to us more smoothly. The characters never paused in their narration to explain things to us. Its the complete opposite to info dumping.
I also didn't enjoy the alternating POVs. The POV alternated between the two leads and the villain, and those all make sense, but also three supporting characters which were unnecessary, and their input didn't really add anything to the story. It wasn't just a little bit either. There may have been a bit more of Malick than the others, but the three supporting characters were featured nearly as much. The flashback chapters, however, were more useful and necessary, and I felt like I learned a lot from those. But I was still annoyed that they were so frequent and so long. The information that we got from them could have been given to us in brief flashbacks rather than 20 page segments.
But I was still very interested in the story. Even if I am not entirely sure what it is that Malick and Fen are fighting for, besides saving Fen's mother, I felt invested in their success and I am excited to read the next book. The most important factor in any book for me is the characters, and I really loved Malick and Fen. Most of the book was from Malick's POV so we really got to see Fen through his eyes and it was really amazing and sometimes heartbreakingly beautiful. The way Malick would just stare at him as if he was a paragon in everything he did. And knowing what Fen had been through and how unworthy he felt made it all very sad at the same time. Malick was a more complex character than you may at first think, and I long for him to help Fen and be what he needs, but Fen is the one that really won my heart.
“Have it your way, then. Pretend that your deepest, most secret wish isn't that someone would love you like you know Malick can, if you let him.”
The romantic elements of this story really just skimmed the surface and introduced the possibility, so I ended up enjoying this for the characters and the world more than anything else, which are what I have always looked for most in a book. It was easy to enjoy, although maybe not easy to understand. But I look forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more not only about the story and world, but the characters and what they are capable of and what they will be able to do for each other and their world.
March 3, 2012
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Carole Cummings doesn't merely tell a good story, she paints a masterpiece with words until you can see, hear, feel, taste, and smell the world she's created. The world-building is spectacular, and the folks she's filled that world with are three-dimensional and engaging.
The story is told from multiple POVs and switches between the current time and the past, and while this may sound confusing, it gave me clarity in the unfolding events, and I even found myself looking forward to the next little trip into the past that would unveil yet another clue into the current state of affairs.
Fen is heartwrenchingly tragic, and Malick is awesome as the hero, flawed, irreverant, and danged proud of it. Add in an odd assortment of enemies and allies, and I found myself on the edge of my seat in excitement one minute, and howling with laughter the next. The breakfast scene with Malick's acquired family is hilarious!
The one intimacy between our two heroes manages to be tender, scorching hot, passionate, and fierce, all at the same time, and I am in awe of Ms. Cummings ability to portray emotions with a finger sliding down a cheek, a sidelong glance, and even the gentle caress of hair on skin.
There's never a dull moment, and now I count the days until I can rejoin Fen, Malick, and their allies on this grand adventure. Ms. Cummings' sweeping epic reminds me why I fell in love with reading to begin with. Highly, highly recommended!
The story is told from multiple POVs and switches between the current time and the past, and while this may sound confusing, it gave me clarity in the unfolding events, and I even found myself looking forward to the next little trip into the past that would unveil yet another clue into the current state of affairs.
Fen is heartwrenchingly tragic, and Malick is awesome as the hero, flawed, irreverant, and danged proud of it. Add in an odd assortment of enemies and allies, and I found myself on the edge of my seat in excitement one minute, and howling with laughter the next. The breakfast scene with Malick's acquired family is hilarious!
The one intimacy between our two heroes manages to be tender, scorching hot, passionate, and fierce, all at the same time, and I am in awe of Ms. Cummings ability to portray emotions with a finger sliding down a cheek, a sidelong glance, and even the gentle caress of hair on skin.
There's never a dull moment, and now I count the days until I can rejoin Fen, Malick, and their allies on this grand adventure. Ms. Cummings' sweeping epic reminds me why I fell in love with reading to begin with. Highly, highly recommended!
January 4, 2014
Synopsis:
Dwelling in the land of Ada and defending magic users called the Jin, Fen Jacin-rei is a trained assassin and an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the Voices of the Ancestors, spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of madness and solitude, yet Fen Jacin-rei desperately clings to his sanity and ferociously protects the family he loves. But how does Fen do it? Kamen Malick has every intention of finding out.
When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen one choice: join us or die. Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen—and to have the Untouchable for himself—Malick sets to unraveling Fen’s past while Fen delves into the mysteries surrounding Malick.
As Fen’s secrets slowly unfold, Malick is drawn into a crusade that isn’t his, one surprisingly similar to his own quest for vengeance. Yet irony is a bitter reward when Malick discovers the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.
My Thoughts:
This book had actually caught my eye a few months ago when I was looking for more M/M to read. I think that I had ended up putting it off to read right then because the rating here isn't as high as I liked. However, I've been on a M/M fantasy binge these days and figured this would fit right in. I was right and I ended up loving the book.
I seriously love Carole Cummings writing. It really paints the world she created for this series quite vividly and made me fall in love with Malick and Fen both instantly. I know some people have issues with the flashbacks at the ends of chapters, but I liked them. They led up to present day revelations and made things make so much more sense. All of the revelations we got in this and I just know there are still more secrets to be uncovered.
I really like the characters in this book. Malick is easy to love. So much deeper than he lets on in the beginning. And he pays attention--once he stops thinking with his cock, anyway. I think he understands a lot more about Fen than the others give him credit for. I understand why he's turned away from what he is as well. I hope he doesn't end up in a bad place while trying to save someone that very likely cannot be saved. It wouldn't be all that difficult for Malick to lose his heart--literally and figuratively--with Fen involved.
Fen is tragic and I do love me a tragic hero. His life hasn't been so great, but he has the love of his brother, mother and little sister. And he loves them all so much. Probably even that little prick Morin. Part of Fen's problem is that he loves too much and too deeply. It's the thing that makes him so easy to manipulate and those that would do it have no issues with doing it. The only one it seems to bother to treat him that way is Malick. Fen has a lot in his head and a lot on his plate. It's no wonder he's stressed out and tries to close everyone off. The sad thing is, is that he needs others and it pains him that he does.
Asai is a douche. I think that in his own way, he does care about Fen, but those feelings are not something he can let get in the way of what he really wants. And what he really wants is not everything he says he wants. In a way, it is that, but it's also more than that. I was dying to know what he was up to, but when I found out, I was still shocked. I wanted to smack the shit out of him. Especially for the way he was using Fen in order to do it, the bastard. He'd kill Fen's whole family to get what he wants. The man is a manipulative douche. I love every time he gets thwarted. I can't wait for him to get what's coming to him.
I never would have realized just how many hands are involved in what's going on in the overall plot. There are a lot of players here and Malick is pretty resentful of it all, but he can't really do anything about it. He's as stuck in all of this as Fen is. I'm going right into book two to see if vengeance is served. I sure hope so. And I wouldn't call this a romance, yet. I think it may yet get there, but no, not quite yet... I really want to see that develop.
Dwelling in the land of Ada and defending magic users called the Jin, Fen Jacin-rei is a trained assassin and an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the Voices of the Ancestors, spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of madness and solitude, yet Fen Jacin-rei desperately clings to his sanity and ferociously protects the family he loves. But how does Fen do it? Kamen Malick has every intention of finding out.
When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen one choice: join us or die. Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen—and to have the Untouchable for himself—Malick sets to unraveling Fen’s past while Fen delves into the mysteries surrounding Malick.
As Fen’s secrets slowly unfold, Malick is drawn into a crusade that isn’t his, one surprisingly similar to his own quest for vengeance. Yet irony is a bitter reward when Malick discovers the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.
My Thoughts:
This book had actually caught my eye a few months ago when I was looking for more M/M to read. I think that I had ended up putting it off to read right then because the rating here isn't as high as I liked. However, I've been on a M/M fantasy binge these days and figured this would fit right in. I was right and I ended up loving the book.
I seriously love Carole Cummings writing. It really paints the world she created for this series quite vividly and made me fall in love with Malick and Fen both instantly. I know some people have issues with the flashbacks at the ends of chapters, but I liked them. They led up to present day revelations and made things make so much more sense. All of the revelations we got in this and I just know there are still more secrets to be uncovered.
I really like the characters in this book. Malick is easy to love. So much deeper than he lets on in the beginning. And he pays attention--once he stops thinking with his cock, anyway. I think he understands a lot more about Fen than the others give him credit for. I understand why he's turned away from what he is as well. I hope he doesn't end up in a bad place while trying to save someone that very likely cannot be saved. It wouldn't be all that difficult for Malick to lose his heart--literally and figuratively--with Fen involved.
Fen is tragic and I do love me a tragic hero. His life hasn't been so great, but he has the love of his brother, mother and little sister. And he loves them all so much. Probably even that little prick Morin. Part of Fen's problem is that he loves too much and too deeply. It's the thing that makes him so easy to manipulate and those that would do it have no issues with doing it. The only one it seems to bother to treat him that way is Malick. Fen has a lot in his head and a lot on his plate. It's no wonder he's stressed out and tries to close everyone off. The sad thing is, is that he needs others and it pains him that he does.
Asai is a douche. I think that in his own way, he does care about Fen, but those feelings are not something he can let get in the way of what he really wants. And what he really wants is not everything he says he wants. In a way, it is that, but it's also more than that. I was dying to know what he was up to, but when I found out, I was still shocked. I wanted to smack the shit out of him. Especially for the way he was using Fen in order to do it, the bastard. He'd kill Fen's whole family to get what he wants. The man is a manipulative douche. I love every time he gets thwarted. I can't wait for him to get what's coming to him.
I never would have realized just how many hands are involved in what's going on in the overall plot. There are a lot of players here and Malick is pretty resentful of it all, but he can't really do anything about it. He's as stuck in all of this as Fen is. I'm going right into book two to see if vengeance is served. I sure hope so. And I wouldn't call this a romance, yet. I think it may yet get there, but no, not quite yet... I really want to see that develop.
May 25, 2012
I have read A LOT of fantasy themed M/M romance, and I will read a lot more (as long as people keep writing it :)), but you know I have to rate Carole right up the top. Number one status. Seriously. Why? Woman can WRITE!
She can write a plot- not some half-arsed pseudo plot to support the sexy bits, a proper plot you need to see through to completion, and will hang on the edge of your seat, and hold your breath 'til you get there.
She can write characters- real ones! With personalities, and back stories, rather than a) The horny one, b) the less horny one who is easily convinced to accept his inner horniness, and it doesn't get deeper than that. One could never accuse this author of such banalities.
She also (to the chagrin of some readers) understands that there is more than one way to tell a story, and the best way is not always linear (get a grip folks, this is not a new concept).
This fits in the 'romance' genre because the development of the relationship is integral to the plot(remember, there's a proper plot), and drives the plot. No, I'm not gonna tell you what the 'Plot' is- read the blurb! That's not why I'm here. I'm here to tell you to READ this book! Then read the rest of them, because you'll NEED to.
She can write a plot- not some half-arsed pseudo plot to support the sexy bits, a proper plot you need to see through to completion, and will hang on the edge of your seat, and hold your breath 'til you get there.
She can write characters- real ones! With personalities, and back stories, rather than a) The horny one, b) the less horny one who is easily convinced to accept his inner horniness, and it doesn't get deeper than that. One could never accuse this author of such banalities.
She also (to the chagrin of some readers) understands that there is more than one way to tell a story, and the best way is not always linear (get a grip folks, this is not a new concept).
This fits in the 'romance' genre because the development of the relationship is integral to the plot(remember, there's a proper plot), and drives the plot. No, I'm not gonna tell you what the 'Plot' is- read the blurb! That's not why I'm here. I'm here to tell you to READ this book! Then read the rest of them, because you'll NEED to.
Read
February 19, 2017DNF at 30%
An epic fantasy with lots of POV's and flashbacks. Sadly, it's really not my thing, although I can see why others would like it. No rating, it's a good book, just not my cup of tea.
An epic fantasy with lots of POV's and flashbacks. Sadly, it's really not my thing, although I can see why others would like it. No rating, it's a good book, just not my cup of tea.
February 23, 2012
As always, Carole Cummings's writing and characters are awesome. And, since the story is told through multiple POVs - like more traditional fantasy - we get to know them all to some extent. But, the prize for the most awesome among the characters goes to Malick undoubtedly. The servant of gods who rebels against them while still trying not to break their laws. The servant of gods who drinks excessively and is a slut. The man who is running from feelings and still has them. Impertinent. Stubborn. In a word, awesome.
Fen, "the little Ghost", still isn't completely there yet. Oh, he is brave, strong, stubborn, loyal beyond words. Deadly and, yes, sometimes cute beyond words. But, he is also damaged, naive and used left and right. But, the seeds of his own awesomeness are there and I am looking forward to seeing them blossom. Samin, Shig, Yori, Joori, Asai and others are great secondary characters and I expect their further development through the series.
The flaw of the book is that, well, it's not finished. Of course, you say, when there are four books planned. But, even in the series, I expect every book to finish something, some smaller story line. Perhaps, Wolf's-own was, similarly to Guardian, wrote as one, continuous book and then divided into series. I don't know, but that would explain why it is so open-ended. Why the magic properties of Jin are not yet explained in detail. They are somehow connected to the elements thus called earth-bound, fire-bound, etc. but we have yet to see how they use it because they hide lest they will be killed or Disappeared. The same goes for the magic properties of Maijin and Temshiel, "children" of gods, though we can glean some of their abilities through the novel. The plots, the conspiracies abound and, so far, we can understand only one of them (that doesn't mean that the "bad guy" has no hidden trumps in his sleeve). This leaves you wanting more, but it's also somewhat frustrating.
Still, this is the first book in the series. And vivid characters and wonderful writing make me both want the answers and forgive the lack of them. This time. XD
Oh, something I noticed - Carole Cummings can write sexual tension like nobody else. She can make you think that there was sex on every other page when there was only one sex scene in the entire book (I'm not counting a short flashback). And she can make that one scene hot while never using the usual M/M formulas and never becoming too explicit. You don't believe me? Read Impromptu. There is a scene there, against the door, that will send you right to the cold shower.
A must read for fantasy fans. And I have a feeling, once Malick and Fen accept the inevitable (XD), it will become a must read for M/M readers as well. Beware, Wil and Dallin! Fen and Malick are on the scene.
Fen, "the little Ghost", still isn't completely there yet. Oh, he is brave, strong, stubborn, loyal beyond words. Deadly and, yes, sometimes cute beyond words. But, he is also damaged, naive and used left and right. But, the seeds of his own awesomeness are there and I am looking forward to seeing them blossom. Samin, Shig, Yori, Joori, Asai and others are great secondary characters and I expect their further development through the series.
The flaw of the book is that, well, it's not finished. Of course, you say, when there are four books planned. But, even in the series, I expect every book to finish something, some smaller story line. Perhaps, Wolf's-own was, similarly to Guardian, wrote as one, continuous book and then divided into series. I don't know, but that would explain why it is so open-ended. Why the magic properties of Jin are not yet explained in detail. They are somehow connected to the elements thus called earth-bound, fire-bound, etc. but we have yet to see how they use it because they hide lest they will be killed or Disappeared. The same goes for the magic properties of Maijin and Temshiel, "children" of gods, though we can glean some of their abilities through the novel. The plots, the conspiracies abound and, so far, we can understand only one of them (that doesn't mean that the "bad guy" has no hidden trumps in his sleeve). This leaves you wanting more, but it's also somewhat frustrating.
Still, this is the first book in the series. And vivid characters and wonderful writing make me both want the answers and forgive the lack of them. This time. XD
Oh, something I noticed - Carole Cummings can write sexual tension like nobody else. She can make you think that there was sex on every other page when there was only one sex scene in the entire book (I'm not counting a short flashback). And she can make that one scene hot while never using the usual M/M formulas and never becoming too explicit. You don't believe me? Read Impromptu. There is a scene there, against the door, that will send you right to the cold shower.
A must read for fantasy fans. And I have a feeling, once Malick and Fen accept the inevitable (XD), it will become a must read for M/M readers as well. Beware, Wil and Dallin! Fen and Malick are on the scene.
July 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this book!
The beginning was a bit slow, and I really didn't care much for the flash backs though I knew they were essential. I just really wanted to get back to the present!
I totally and utterly fell in love with the lovely Malick and his out-of-control libido (lol). He was just too adorable of a character with an intriguing past. And he "fell" first. You have to admit, that gives a character some points.
As crass as it may seem, I liked Jacin a lot more when they had sex (which was only once, by the way, in case anyone wants to know). Why? He just seemed. . . a lot cuter. And nicer. LOL, but in some ways, I found in much more intriguing and "aww" than Malick. It depends on what you like in a character, really.
The storyline was a bit slow, and sometimes the writing (or maybe it's just me), had me going a bit wait what? What just happened?. There were actually some sentences where I was a bit like "What are you trying to say?". That wasn't too much of a problem but.
However all in all, it was a great read and a lovely book. I definitely recommend it to any who enjoys fantasy gaymance (not paranormal).
The beginning was a bit slow, and I really didn't care much for the flash backs though I knew they were essential. I just really wanted to get back to the present!
I totally and utterly fell in love with the lovely Malick and his out-of-control libido (lol). He was just too adorable of a character with an intriguing past. And he "fell" first. You have to admit, that gives a character some points.
As crass as it may seem, I liked Jacin a lot more when they had sex (which was only once, by the way, in case anyone wants to know). Why? He just seemed. . . a lot cuter. And nicer. LOL, but in some ways, I found in much more intriguing and "aww" than Malick. It depends on what you like in a character, really.
The storyline was a bit slow, and sometimes the writing (or maybe it's just me), had me going a bit wait what? What just happened?. There were actually some sentences where I was a bit like "What are you trying to say?". That wasn't too much of a problem but.
However all in all, it was a great read and a lovely book. I definitely recommend it to any who enjoys fantasy gaymance (not paranormal).
September 4, 2016
So I guess I'll be reading the next one, oh, IMMEDIATELY.
July 12, 2012
5 Hearts
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Oh, my freaking God… put down whatever you are doing get this book and read your little hearts out. This type of book is the reason why I love fantasy so much, the pure joy of the imagination, the complete world building and the mysterious characters that all have their own stories.
Fen Jacin-rei is an Untouchable, a Ghost, a loner driven to distraction by the voices that plague him; it is only his training that saves him from complete madness. Kamen Malick is the leader of a small band of assassins who has been ordered to get Fen working with them at any cost. But, as secrets come out about Fen, Malick has his own secrets that he is trying desperately to keep hidden.
Wow, just freaking wow, the world building in this book is world-class, the characters are all incredible and the story-line and plot are fantastic. The story begins with Malick looking for Fen and finding him from then on the story and characters will intrigue and baffle you. Malick is just so full of awe about himself, but he is completely loveable, Fen is a cold hard-hearted bastard, but as you get to know his story and background you understand his need to be as cold as possible.
The story is from many POV not just Malick and Fen’s, but also from Malick’s group of friends and Fen’s mentor which means that we get a full-bodied story will lots of detail, but we never lose focus of the story-line. Malick spends most of the book trying to seduce Fen, because he has a very cavalier attitude towards sex and it isn’t until he knows Fen a little better that he realizes that he genuinely likes Fen. Fen spends a lot of time rebuffing Malick, because of how he was treated in the past. We also have flashbacks to Fen’s life before; starting on the night he was born.
I really can’t tell you more about the story-line, because really it would ruin it for you. This is a journey that you have to take yourself, because you have to be immersed to absorb all the details that make it so good. The ending isn’t a happy ever after or a happy for now, it’s a ‘we have to see what happens’, it is left in a place that will be picked up again in the next book (4 books altogether) and it will be a continuation of this story. Malick and Fen do get together in this and yes, they have explosive, erotic and sensual sex, but Malick has a long way to go to gain Fen’s complete trust and hopefully his love. While Fen will probably find it hard to believe Malick, because of Malick’s own manipulation early on.
So, In all honesty this is a fantasy whose characters just happen to be gay. If you are expecting sex and love on every page then don’t bother. This is a genuine Fantasy like Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage Trilogy. So, I recommend this to those who love fantasy, mystery, bloody fights, intrigue, scorching hot sex, great characters, awesome world building and the promise of another three books to come.
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Oh, my freaking God… put down whatever you are doing get this book and read your little hearts out. This type of book is the reason why I love fantasy so much, the pure joy of the imagination, the complete world building and the mysterious characters that all have their own stories.
Fen Jacin-rei is an Untouchable, a Ghost, a loner driven to distraction by the voices that plague him; it is only his training that saves him from complete madness. Kamen Malick is the leader of a small band of assassins who has been ordered to get Fen working with them at any cost. But, as secrets come out about Fen, Malick has his own secrets that he is trying desperately to keep hidden.
Wow, just freaking wow, the world building in this book is world-class, the characters are all incredible and the story-line and plot are fantastic. The story begins with Malick looking for Fen and finding him from then on the story and characters will intrigue and baffle you. Malick is just so full of awe about himself, but he is completely loveable, Fen is a cold hard-hearted bastard, but as you get to know his story and background you understand his need to be as cold as possible.
The story is from many POV not just Malick and Fen’s, but also from Malick’s group of friends and Fen’s mentor which means that we get a full-bodied story will lots of detail, but we never lose focus of the story-line. Malick spends most of the book trying to seduce Fen, because he has a very cavalier attitude towards sex and it isn’t until he knows Fen a little better that he realizes that he genuinely likes Fen. Fen spends a lot of time rebuffing Malick, because of how he was treated in the past. We also have flashbacks to Fen’s life before; starting on the night he was born.
I really can’t tell you more about the story-line, because really it would ruin it for you. This is a journey that you have to take yourself, because you have to be immersed to absorb all the details that make it so good. The ending isn’t a happy ever after or a happy for now, it’s a ‘we have to see what happens’, it is left in a place that will be picked up again in the next book (4 books altogether) and it will be a continuation of this story. Malick and Fen do get together in this and yes, they have explosive, erotic and sensual sex, but Malick has a long way to go to gain Fen’s complete trust and hopefully his love. While Fen will probably find it hard to believe Malick, because of Malick’s own manipulation early on.
So, In all honesty this is a fantasy whose characters just happen to be gay. If you are expecting sex and love on every page then don’t bother. This is a genuine Fantasy like Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage Trilogy. So, I recommend this to those who love fantasy, mystery, bloody fights, intrigue, scorching hot sex, great characters, awesome world building and the promise of another three books to come.
June 12, 2012
Wolf's-own: Ghost by Carole Cummings is a complicated and compelling work of fiction. There are secrets and conspiracies to uncover while discovering a new world filled with Gods and their crossing paths and laws. Fen Jacin-rei is an Untouchable, no one is supposed to aid or hinder him but people have definitely interfered in his life. He has been trained as an assassin as he learned to stay in control with the voices of the Ancestors ringing in his head. Kamen Malick is an assassin in his own right, and his own rules to follow. Malick wants to discover what lies under Fen's control will working towards his final goal, vengeance against a powerful man that uses others to gain even more power. However, was their meeting engineered, or simply fate that will lead the to find more than justice? As the secrets unfold, a bigger picture becomes visible, and no one is happy with what it shows.
Wolf's-own: Ghost is the first book in a series. My feelings are torn on how to talk about this book. Let me start with saying that I will definitely be reading the next book, Wolf's-own: Weregild. Now down to the nitty gritty. When I started the book I seriously felt like there must have been a book before Ghost, the world was built and solid but I felt like I did not know the world. Even after having finished the book, I am not sure that I have the full feel of the world, the gods within it, and the languages. Then there were all the flash backs and changes in point of view, which raised my frustration level a little more. However, the characters really captured my attention and drew me in completely.
Sadly, just when I thought I had a full grasp on all the players and the full scope of what was happening, the book ended. This left me with a bit of cliff hanger anger, but I still will follow through and keep reading. The characters are quirky and fun. Malick's team is a strange family unit, which really interested me. Each team member had their own issues, and own stories to tell, which I enjoyed. The relationship between Malick and Fen progressed perfectly and kept me reading. I am looking forward to seeing where all the set up found in Ghost takes readers.
I recommend Ghost to fans of fantasy. The love story that is told through this book, and hopefully through the series is just about perfect. However, readers that would be offended by romance that does not fit the traditional man/woman relationship should skip this series. The characters are very sure of their sexuality and there is no big deal made of homo or heterosexual relationship. It is written as just part of life, as it should be rather than a point of contention.
Wolf's-own: Ghost is the first book in a series. My feelings are torn on how to talk about this book. Let me start with saying that I will definitely be reading the next book, Wolf's-own: Weregild. Now down to the nitty gritty. When I started the book I seriously felt like there must have been a book before Ghost, the world was built and solid but I felt like I did not know the world. Even after having finished the book, I am not sure that I have the full feel of the world, the gods within it, and the languages. Then there were all the flash backs and changes in point of view, which raised my frustration level a little more. However, the characters really captured my attention and drew me in completely.
Sadly, just when I thought I had a full grasp on all the players and the full scope of what was happening, the book ended. This left me with a bit of cliff hanger anger, but I still will follow through and keep reading. The characters are quirky and fun. Malick's team is a strange family unit, which really interested me. Each team member had their own issues, and own stories to tell, which I enjoyed. The relationship between Malick and Fen progressed perfectly and kept me reading. I am looking forward to seeing where all the set up found in Ghost takes readers.
I recommend Ghost to fans of fantasy. The love story that is told through this book, and hopefully through the series is just about perfect. However, readers that would be offended by romance that does not fit the traditional man/woman relationship should skip this series. The characters are very sure of their sexuality and there is no big deal made of homo or heterosexual relationship. It is written as just part of life, as it should be rather than a point of contention.
September 12, 2012
This review is for book one and two. This was a world that slowly unfolded as you moved through the story, little nuggets of information would build upon each other to provide an understanding of this world. I can see where this might be too slow for some readers, but I enjoyed this pace and understanding the history. The flashbacks in book one really helped me understand the characters better and provided a strong foundation for the story.
This story definately had a cast of characters and each had something to offer and enhance the story, this is definately not a two MC story, nor is it primarily a romance, rather a fantasy. Jacin and Mal both started as such strong characters and I loved to see their interactions together...they oozed tension and amusement. Both had their moments of vulnerable strength that just makes me absolutely delighted.
As we moved into book two, my feelings toward the MCs started to change and I thought that Jacin really began to disappear. After I finished book two, I thought, seriously my strong vulnerable character has just disappeared, why did the author do that to me! But as I've sat on it for a few days now, I appreciate the author showing this breakdown of a character that has endured so much, really how long can a person hold out like he has.
I enjoyed these stories, but sometimes wanted more action and steadier pacing, but in the long run it didn't take away from my interest in the overall story. Good read!
This story definately had a cast of characters and each had something to offer and enhance the story, this is definately not a two MC story, nor is it primarily a romance, rather a fantasy. Jacin and Mal both started as such strong characters and I loved to see their interactions together...they oozed tension and amusement. Both had their moments of vulnerable strength that just makes me absolutely delighted.
As we moved into book two, my feelings toward the MCs started to change and I thought that Jacin really began to disappear. After I finished book two, I thought, seriously my strong vulnerable character has just disappeared, why did the author do that to me! But as I've sat on it for a few days now, I appreciate the author showing this breakdown of a character that has endured so much, really how long can a person hold out like he has.
I enjoyed these stories, but sometimes wanted more action and steadier pacing, but in the long run it didn't take away from my interest in the overall story. Good read!
July 17, 2012
WOW! That was awesome! This is giving me the same excitement as KMM's Fever series or Ginn Hale's Rifter. Betrayel, lust, romance, evil gods and men. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who to trust and changing my mind once more details were revealed. Then only levels of trust because everyone has their agendas. Amazing characters each with their own stories of tragedy and triumph. This is only the first book! I'm so nervous how this is going to play out because even the good guys are dubious in their intentions. So good! RECOMMEND to all my fantasy loving friends. There is a romantic element and yes, sex on page :-D but the story comes first.
June 14, 2012
Review for Ghost and Weregild together posted at The Armchair Reader, as well as the Weregild GoodReads Page.
The review contains spoilers for this book and is for the complete first part of the Wolf's-own story, books 1 and 2.
The review contains spoilers for this book and is for the complete first part of the Wolf's-own story, books 1 and 2.
July 18, 2016
Since I consider ‘Wolf’s Own – Ghost’ and ‘Wolf’s Own – Weregild’ to be one book, this review applies to both.
First, Carole’s writing style is gorgeous – nearly edible. It is her greatest strength as an author. I love to read her stuff just for the luscious and descriptive language.
Second, her characterization is amazing. Like her writing style, she excels at building and examining complex characters in detail – getting inside their heads and taking the reader with her. Jacin, the tragic hero, is nearly insane, fragile yet, at the same time, amazingly strong and talented. Malick, the cocky hero, is complex, hard-to-read, flawed, tough, but with a (somewhat tarnished) heart of gold. And both Jacin’s real family and Malick’s adopted family, are full of equally complex, three-dimensional characters with their own stories to tell.
Carole’s world-building is extremely detailed, almost overwhelming at times in its complexity because it is so thoroughly developed. A lot of the reviews here mention the multiple POVs and flashbacks. Personally, I find the multiple POVs and flashbacks a bit confusing, but I am very left-brained and I tend to be rather linear when I read. It is a matter of preference, in my opinion, and doesn’t detract from the story if you are willing to, as a more linear reader, knuckle down and spend some effort to keep up.
There is humor and passion, adventure and intrigue, and most of all, a complex, exciting story. It is darker than my usual read, but Carole’s writing skill and characterization kept me intrigued.
Oh, and the art on the covers is yummy too!
First, Carole’s writing style is gorgeous – nearly edible. It is her greatest strength as an author. I love to read her stuff just for the luscious and descriptive language.
Second, her characterization is amazing. Like her writing style, she excels at building and examining complex characters in detail – getting inside their heads and taking the reader with her. Jacin, the tragic hero, is nearly insane, fragile yet, at the same time, amazingly strong and talented. Malick, the cocky hero, is complex, hard-to-read, flawed, tough, but with a (somewhat tarnished) heart of gold. And both Jacin’s real family and Malick’s adopted family, are full of equally complex, three-dimensional characters with their own stories to tell.
Carole’s world-building is extremely detailed, almost overwhelming at times in its complexity because it is so thoroughly developed. A lot of the reviews here mention the multiple POVs and flashbacks. Personally, I find the multiple POVs and flashbacks a bit confusing, but I am very left-brained and I tend to be rather linear when I read. It is a matter of preference, in my opinion, and doesn’t detract from the story if you are willing to, as a more linear reader, knuckle down and spend some effort to keep up.
There is humor and passion, adventure and intrigue, and most of all, a complex, exciting story. It is darker than my usual read, but Carole’s writing skill and characterization kept me intrigued.
Oh, and the art on the covers is yummy too!
July 9, 2012
I could have given it three stars but I am so over books the have this many flashbacks. Editor's please, please, please tell your writer's to tell a linear story. No not because people are stupid, or because when it comes to time we are a linear species, but because when you are reading a story that constantly goes back, it never feels like the story is moving forward.
Also I understand that you the author have lived in this world with the character's for days on end. Me, not so much. The writing was as if this was the seventh book in a series and readers would be on board. Well, no its the first book. With countries, language, God's, and even a calendar that were not explained.
The silliest thing about this book, the main character hear's the voices of the ancestor's in his head. 344 pages not once do we hear what they say or see him take action based on their directions. And of course we were left with a cliffhanger, so no action, no resolution.
I will say that it was written in a lyrical style that was nice, but if I just wanted to read pretty words that don't mean anything to me I could just hangout in the greeting card aisle.
Also I understand that you the author have lived in this world with the character's for days on end. Me, not so much. The writing was as if this was the seventh book in a series and readers would be on board. Well, no its the first book. With countries, language, God's, and even a calendar that were not explained.
The silliest thing about this book, the main character hear's the voices of the ancestor's in his head. 344 pages not once do we hear what they say or see him take action based on their directions. And of course we were left with a cliffhanger, so no action, no resolution.
I will say that it was written in a lyrical style that was nice, but if I just wanted to read pretty words that don't mean anything to me I could just hangout in the greeting card aisle.
August 27, 2016
4.5 stars.
Wow! This is the first book in a new fantasy series that is truly amazing. The complexity of the plot and characters keep you riveted thought the entire novel, while the pain of Fen's life tears you apart. The characters are layered, varied, quirky and full of life. Over the course of the story, so many characters are slowly revealed to be more than they appear, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. This is not a light-hearted story in any shape or form - well, apart from some smart-ass humor at times - but it is the mere glimmer of hope that entices you to keep reading, keep hoping that things will go Fen's way, just for once! Unfortunately though, it will be a least one more novel before Fen's future is determined... Damn it! (lol!)
Recommended for lovers of traditional/epic fantasy novels.
Wow! This is the first book in a new fantasy series that is truly amazing. The complexity of the plot and characters keep you riveted thought the entire novel, while the pain of Fen's life tears you apart. The characters are layered, varied, quirky and full of life. Over the course of the story, so many characters are slowly revealed to be more than they appear, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. This is not a light-hearted story in any shape or form - well, apart from some smart-ass humor at times - but it is the mere glimmer of hope that entices you to keep reading, keep hoping that things will go Fen's way, just for once! Unfortunately though, it will be a least one more novel before Fen's future is determined... Damn it! (lol!)
Recommended for lovers of traditional/epic fantasy novels.
January 7, 2014
4.5 stars
This is actually a really good fantasy book. The world building is complex, multilayered, intriguing. The characterization is also solid. I had some tiny issues with the writing - there were too many POV-s, at times I came across some modern words and idioms. If I expected mainly romance, I would be really frustrated with all the POV-s and flashbacks detracting from the main heroes and dragging out the plot. As it was, I was a bit frustrated, but I also love Fantasy genre and appreciate complex fantasy worlds.
As for the romance part - it was gooood. I loved Malick - he is exactly my type of the hero. So I'm rooting for him and hoping he will manage to completely charm Jacin as he charmed me))
Going on with the Weregild
This is actually a really good fantasy book. The world building is complex, multilayered, intriguing. The characterization is also solid. I had some tiny issues with the writing - there were too many POV-s, at times I came across some modern words and idioms. If I expected mainly romance, I would be really frustrated with all the POV-s and flashbacks detracting from the main heroes and dragging out the plot. As it was, I was a bit frustrated, but I also love Fantasy genre and appreciate complex fantasy worlds.
As for the romance part - it was gooood. I loved Malick - he is exactly my type of the hero. So I'm rooting for him and hoping he will manage to completely charm Jacin as he charmed me))
Going on with the Weregild
March 15, 2022
So bad, so so bad. I started out really liking it—even though the main character of the story was an annoying lecherous dimwitted asshole, the flashbacks to Jacin-rei's childhood, the intrigue around his birth, and the absolute devotion of the two twin brothers towards each other made me hope!
I shouldn't have hoped. I seemed to forget that the main character is . . . well, the main character. Inescapable. Dominating. I have to suffer through his point of view, endlessly. Cummings' writing didn't do that any favours either. She writes paragraphs upon paragraphs of useless crap where characters think the same thing over and over again, explain things that don't need to be explained, allude to such obvious stuff that it's downright insulting, have conversations within conversations, etc, Extremely useless filler. A third of the book could've easily been cut and it'd be a mercy.
Malick, the main character, is just plain disgusting. He gets turned on by his love interest's emotional suffering. There is no chemistry. And listen, I'm all for unlikable characters, but for the love of god, don't write in a way that paints that behaviour in a positive light. Like, is the audience is supposed to go "boo hoo, tragic soul so it's totally romantic when he thinks about fucking the guy that's about to cry"? There's nothing normal about that. And oh ho, when he chooses not to rape his love interest but is still thinking about how painfully turned on he is the entire time, we're supposed applaud? Oh what a good guy, he stopped himself from being a rapist! Everyone cheer! And then they fuck anyways bc now that they've talked about how messed up they are, it's totally okay! He looks like he doesn't want it, but Malick knows him better and can tell that he actually does want it, and isn't it so fucking hot when he punches me in the face? God, he's so hard from that. /s
Um. . .
And let's not even get into the flat supporting characters. Spacy girl that says nonsense and occasionally wisdom, giggles to herself, acts like a child, and generally acts insane, but sEeS iNtO PeoPLes SoUls. Oh how quirky! Buff dude that fights and seems gruff on the outside but he's got such a melty inside, you just have to get to know him! He's sensitive despite his unwelcoming appearance! What an original character. A sister that acts like a mother, and chides the rest of the characters, but she's allowed bc she's like their mother, and brings them food, and stitches their wounds, and this is totally okay bc if she doesn't mother them who will?!
I . . . cannot.
Despite the godawful characters, Cummings seemed to create a pretty interesting world, with gods and jin, and special rules and historic conflict. But she went about explaining all of it just terribly. I finished the book and I still don't really get a lot of it. Maijin are supposed to be troublemakers for the mortals (but what the hell are their origins), and Temshiel are gods' servants that clean up after them, blah blah, but how do they go about it? How do they actually keep balance? Why do they want to? What are the motivations of these different groups? What are they even?? It kind of hints that they're immortal, but that could've definitely been a hyperbole, which wouldn't surprise me given the authors wordy writing style. But they can conceive and give birth to children? Who . . . are also immortal? How do their powers even work??? One is a "seer" that sees the future, another is a shapeshifter, another can turn invisible, etc. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Can they have more than one power? I dunno, but for a supposedly immortal creature that's sent by the gods to keep balance in their universe (?), turning invisible doesn't seem like a very useful skill for doing that, much less surviving humanity. And there's talk of reincarnation ? What ? It's got so much great potential, but it's just so badly executed that it's downright tragic.
I couldn't. There's just too much crap to weed through that the little positive things I enjoyed aren't worth it to suffer through the rest.
I shouldn't have hoped. I seemed to forget that the main character is . . . well, the main character. Inescapable. Dominating. I have to suffer through his point of view, endlessly. Cummings' writing didn't do that any favours either. She writes paragraphs upon paragraphs of useless crap where characters think the same thing over and over again, explain things that don't need to be explained, allude to such obvious stuff that it's downright insulting, have conversations within conversations, etc, Extremely useless filler. A third of the book could've easily been cut and it'd be a mercy.
Malick, the main character, is just plain disgusting. He gets turned on by his love interest's emotional suffering. There is no chemistry. And listen, I'm all for unlikable characters, but for the love of god, don't write in a way that paints that behaviour in a positive light. Like, is the audience is supposed to go "boo hoo, tragic soul so it's totally romantic when he thinks about fucking the guy that's about to cry"? There's nothing normal about that. And oh ho, when he chooses not to rape his love interest but is still thinking about how painfully turned on he is the entire time, we're supposed applaud? Oh what a good guy, he stopped himself from being a rapist! Everyone cheer! And then they fuck anyways bc now that they've talked about how messed up they are, it's totally okay! He looks like he doesn't want it, but Malick knows him better and can tell that he actually does want it, and isn't it so fucking hot when he punches me in the face? God, he's so hard from that. /s
Um. . .
And let's not even get into the flat supporting characters. Spacy girl that says nonsense and occasionally wisdom, giggles to herself, acts like a child, and generally acts insane, but sEeS iNtO PeoPLes SoUls. Oh how quirky! Buff dude that fights and seems gruff on the outside but he's got such a melty inside, you just have to get to know him! He's sensitive despite his unwelcoming appearance! What an original character. A sister that acts like a mother, and chides the rest of the characters, but she's allowed bc she's like their mother, and brings them food, and stitches their wounds, and this is totally okay bc if she doesn't mother them who will?!
I . . . cannot.
Despite the godawful characters, Cummings seemed to create a pretty interesting world, with gods and jin, and special rules and historic conflict. But she went about explaining all of it just terribly. I finished the book and I still don't really get a lot of it. Maijin are supposed to be troublemakers for the mortals (but what the hell are their origins), and Temshiel are gods' servants that clean up after them, blah blah, but how do they go about it? How do they actually keep balance? Why do they want to? What are the motivations of these different groups? What are they even?? It kind of hints that they're immortal, but that could've definitely been a hyperbole, which wouldn't surprise me given the authors wordy writing style. But they can conceive and give birth to children? Who . . . are also immortal? How do their powers even work??? One is a "seer" that sees the future, another is a shapeshifter, another can turn invisible, etc. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. Can they have more than one power? I dunno, but for a supposedly immortal creature that's sent by the gods to keep balance in their universe (?), turning invisible doesn't seem like a very useful skill for doing that, much less surviving humanity. And there's talk of reincarnation ? What ? It's got so much great potential, but it's just so badly executed that it's downright tragic.
I couldn't. There's just too much crap to weed through that the little positive things I enjoyed aren't worth it to suffer through the rest.
February 22, 2015
Things Done Well: Overall, it's very nicely written. While the sense of story telling is not for me, the author has a good sense of language and descriptions. Stylistically, I can respect her choices to do the flashback thing, flipping back and forth between the present and the past. That's cool. It's mostly not confusing. She's good at letting me as a reader know the personality of the character from what they say and what they do. That's pretty important considering the fact that Jacin doesn't really talk much. So it is utterly important that she makes it clear how he is and what his actions mean from observations by other characters. It's great.
Things Done Just Okay: Personally I could get through the book with an understanding of say if I was a tourist visiting the land for the first time, in kind of outsiders point of view. With that being said, its like say if that tourist didn't do any research of the upcoming trip they are going so they know nothing about that culture or the history and what they understand about this new land is just what their tour guide tells him. I definitely feel like if she didn't have the specialized vocabulary for certain things like magic, and I don't know why are grapefruits called oblates? It's things like this that cause confusion. Getting thrown into this world with a lot of weird vocabulary and needing to check what everything means because fuck if I know what a temshin is when she never even mentioned it before in the book. If she had a clearer more straight forward writing style, it would be better suited to the fantasy words vocabulary list. Its like she want to dilute some murky water with even murkier water--how is anyone supposed to know what liquid it is if she makes it so hard to tell what is what? With that being said, the author still gives good enough descriptions so I at least have some sense of knowing what is going on. Because I'm a huge fan of reading stories where I'm just thrown into this magical world and I don't have a fucking clue what's going on, I'm very willing to let the author take me through this adventure.
Characterizations of the side characters are also done just okay and I say that because there's not enough POVs written for perhaps the most interesting people in the book. Like I want to know more about Samin, Yori, Shig, and Umeia. They rock. What does Samin do when he's not sparring with Jacin or dealing with MaDick's bullshit (see below)? What other convos could Yori have with Jacin and for that matter Shig! Let Shig braid Jacin's long lustrious beautiful hair for goodness sakes! Let her braid it and put some fucking flowers in it and make him even more gorgeous! Umeia! What does she do in the day? What does Jacin's siblings do when they are waiting for him to drop off supplies? I want to know more about these great side characters, but instead I get a shit ton of fucking Madick and Assai. I'm done with things done just okay. Because the rest of it is not okay.
What the F*@)@)_!!_U!*@*@*!IJWDJ??? Are you DOING???: Ok, ok. I don't really have a problem with the way she wrote her story or her tone or the way she writes. That's cool, I'm all open to diverse styles and whatever. The biggest thing I could not stand is her argument as to why the deepest depths of hell would I, as a reader, be convinced as to 1) why Madick is so great 2) Why Jacin has to be stuck in between the two biggest asshole protagonists ever. Because help me, I might have lost something though I highly doubt it, I just mentally cannot romanticize Jacin's love interests. Isn't that what you are supposed to do when there is romance. You see a ship and think oh that's it huh ok I'll sit back for this ride. I can't sit back. Especially when every POV I read of Madick and Assai I just want them to just immolate and disintegrate so I don't have to read about them anymore.
Let's start off with Madick. He's supposed to be this great guy and I'm supposed to be fallen for his charms and all that, but the thing is he doesn't have any and I don't think he ever will. He is literally one of the most disgusting characters I have ever read and there are many facets as to why. Upon seeing Jacin, he stalks him to the bath to watch him bathe. It is revealed that its because he has to recruit Jacin, which would be fine except during that time the reader is assaulted with all these incredibly creepy and predatory language of how he wants to do Jacin and it doesn't matter if Jacin is okay with it. Madick treats Jacin as if he was a thing. That's absolutely disgusting. And then every Madick POV afterwards he's always talking to Jacin with secondary intentions and fantasies of how he wants to fuck Jacin. It's so incredibly disgusting and gross.
Let's pause for a second to talk about Assai (I'm aware I'm spelling their names "wrong" but in my head these are far more accurate). Assai is Jacin's first love. Ignoring the fact that he's a million years older than Jacin and his teacher, Assai is the most psychologically and emotionally manipulative man ever. Seeing how Jacin talks, it's like reading how someone from an abusive relationship talks--Assai has managed to brainwash him and get him to do his bidding to a tee. From the first dialogue where Madick is spying on Jacin talking to Assai at his house after checking up on his sibs, Jacin was like Yo Assai you totally sent my mother off to die you motherfucker and Assai is like no that's what they told you to think and in fact you slipped him that info so its really you. Like really?? Go burn you fucker, BURN!! He's so manipulative, but Assai is meant to be hated. Fair enough, let's move back to Madick.
Okay so Madick is supposed to be this prince charming in comparison to Assai. He's supposed to be the better alternative because we must have this love triangle thing. The thing is, he's actually just as manipulative as Assai. To get Jacin to tell him what he wants, he's disgustingly manipulative to a point where I'm confused because is this Assai or Madick? Madick hates Assai? Isn't that funny because has he looked in the mirror? One thing that crossed the line for me was how he gets the information out of Jacin. Because he not only corners Jacin, he molests him and makes him almost cry several times. I know the author is probably trying to build some kind of sexual tension but that's the opposite of what I am getting. Like the farthest thing away from chemistry or sexual tension. At least Assai didn't molest himalthough he's a pedophile but that's another story.Madick gets jealous so often later and whines about why is Jacin getting along with everyone but not him? Like its such a mystery. If he gets almost raped everytime he talks to Madick, yea I mean why is Jacin avoiding him? It's NOT like he's dangerous or anything! Oh dear me , no! It's because its ~*~*~roMAnCe~*~*~.
Madick is the most disgusting Gary Stu I've ever read. Why? Because everyone seems to deal with his shit. Jacin comes from a terrible past, and Madick is like I'll be your white knight! I'll save you. Shut the fuck up and burn you fucker. Jacin didn't even fucking ask you, shitstick. Samin is like I disagree with you and your decisions and gives him advice and Madick is like shove it. Supposedly Samin is his best friend. You don't tell your friend to shove it everytime he gives you advice. Why does this guy have friends? Everyone laughs off his flaws like oh hahaha that's just Madick he'd hump a pole if you gave him one. Oh haha that's just Madick, he likes to assert his authority to show off how much of a MAN he his. Oh hahaha that's just Madick his dumbass senseless decisions are the most important even if they don't make sense. Why is everyone dealing with this asshole? Oh that's right because he also happens to be the special snowflake who has the magical powers to protect everyone. That and being a great fighter even better that Jacin because he took Jacin down quickly with barely any sweat. Not even Umeia puts him into his place, she fears her younger brother. I'm so fucking done with this asshole.
I can't deal with being presented a total Gary Stu and being forced to root for abusive boyfriend no.1 or abusive boyfriend no.2. This shouldn't be romanticized because it's not wonderful in real life (not that it was in this book). I know fiction is just fiction but I think there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed. If you want to read it, by all means go ahead, opinions are subjective. But I'd at least look for a better book where you can root for a better alternative who doesn't threaten the main character or abuse him or her. Knowing Jacin's past, he deserves a whole lot better and Madick or Assai are not remotely qualified to give it to him.
(As a final note, I've read smut one thousand times better written and far more interesting in fanfiction.)
Things Done Just Okay: Personally I could get through the book with an understanding of say if I was a tourist visiting the land for the first time, in kind of outsiders point of view. With that being said, its like say if that tourist didn't do any research of the upcoming trip they are going so they know nothing about that culture or the history and what they understand about this new land is just what their tour guide tells him. I definitely feel like if she didn't have the specialized vocabulary for certain things like magic, and I don't know why are grapefruits called oblates? It's things like this that cause confusion. Getting thrown into this world with a lot of weird vocabulary and needing to check what everything means because fuck if I know what a temshin is when she never even mentioned it before in the book. If she had a clearer more straight forward writing style, it would be better suited to the fantasy words vocabulary list. Its like she want to dilute some murky water with even murkier water--how is anyone supposed to know what liquid it is if she makes it so hard to tell what is what? With that being said, the author still gives good enough descriptions so I at least have some sense of knowing what is going on. Because I'm a huge fan of reading stories where I'm just thrown into this magical world and I don't have a fucking clue what's going on, I'm very willing to let the author take me through this adventure.
Characterizations of the side characters are also done just okay and I say that because there's not enough POVs written for perhaps the most interesting people in the book. Like I want to know more about Samin, Yori, Shig, and Umeia. They rock. What does Samin do when he's not sparring with Jacin or dealing with MaDick's bullshit (see below)? What other convos could Yori have with Jacin and for that matter Shig! Let Shig braid Jacin's long lustrious beautiful hair for goodness sakes! Let her braid it and put some fucking flowers in it and make him even more gorgeous! Umeia! What does she do in the day? What does Jacin's siblings do when they are waiting for him to drop off supplies? I want to know more about these great side characters, but instead I get a shit ton of fucking Madick and Assai. I'm done with things done just okay. Because the rest of it is not okay.
What the F*@)@)_!!_U!*@*@*!IJWDJ??? Are you DOING???: Ok, ok. I don't really have a problem with the way she wrote her story or her tone or the way she writes. That's cool, I'm all open to diverse styles and whatever. The biggest thing I could not stand is her argument as to why the deepest depths of hell would I, as a reader, be convinced as to 1) why Madick is so great 2) Why Jacin has to be stuck in between the two biggest asshole protagonists ever. Because help me, I might have lost something though I highly doubt it, I just mentally cannot romanticize Jacin's love interests. Isn't that what you are supposed to do when there is romance. You see a ship and think oh that's it huh ok I'll sit back for this ride. I can't sit back. Especially when every POV I read of Madick and Assai I just want them to just immolate and disintegrate so I don't have to read about them anymore.
Let's start off with Madick. He's supposed to be this great guy and I'm supposed to be fallen for his charms and all that, but the thing is he doesn't have any and I don't think he ever will. He is literally one of the most disgusting characters I have ever read and there are many facets as to why. Upon seeing Jacin, he stalks him to the bath to watch him bathe. It is revealed that its because he has to recruit Jacin, which would be fine except during that time the reader is assaulted with all these incredibly creepy and predatory language of how he wants to do Jacin and it doesn't matter if Jacin is okay with it. Madick treats Jacin as if he was a thing. That's absolutely disgusting. And then every Madick POV afterwards he's always talking to Jacin with secondary intentions and fantasies of how he wants to fuck Jacin. It's so incredibly disgusting and gross.
Let's pause for a second to talk about Assai (I'm aware I'm spelling their names "wrong" but in my head these are far more accurate). Assai is Jacin's first love. Ignoring the fact that he's a million years older than Jacin and his teacher, Assai is the most psychologically and emotionally manipulative man ever. Seeing how Jacin talks, it's like reading how someone from an abusive relationship talks--Assai has managed to brainwash him and get him to do his bidding to a tee. From the first dialogue where Madick is spying on Jacin talking to Assai at his house after checking up on his sibs, Jacin was like Yo Assai you totally sent my mother off to die you motherfucker and Assai is like no that's what they told you to think and in fact you slipped him that info so its really you. Like really?? Go burn you fucker, BURN!! He's so manipulative, but Assai is meant to be hated. Fair enough, let's move back to Madick.
Okay so Madick is supposed to be this prince charming in comparison to Assai. He's supposed to be the better alternative because we must have this love triangle thing. The thing is, he's actually just as manipulative as Assai. To get Jacin to tell him what he wants, he's disgustingly manipulative to a point where I'm confused because is this Assai or Madick? Madick hates Assai? Isn't that funny because has he looked in the mirror? One thing that crossed the line for me was how he gets the information out of Jacin. Because he not only corners Jacin, he molests him and makes him almost cry several times. I know the author is probably trying to build some kind of sexual tension but that's the opposite of what I am getting. Like the farthest thing away from chemistry or sexual tension. At least Assai didn't molest him
Madick is the most disgusting Gary Stu I've ever read. Why? Because everyone seems to deal with his shit. Jacin comes from a terrible past, and Madick is like I'll be your white knight! I'll save you. Shut the fuck up and burn you fucker. Jacin didn't even fucking ask you, shitstick. Samin is like I disagree with you and your decisions and gives him advice and Madick is like shove it. Supposedly Samin is his best friend. You don't tell your friend to shove it everytime he gives you advice. Why does this guy have friends? Everyone laughs off his flaws like oh hahaha that's just Madick he'd hump a pole if you gave him one. Oh haha that's just Madick, he likes to assert his authority to show off how much of a MAN he his. Oh hahaha that's just Madick his dumbass senseless decisions are the most important even if they don't make sense. Why is everyone dealing with this asshole? Oh that's right because he also happens to be the special snowflake who has the magical powers to protect everyone. That and being a great fighter even better that Jacin because he took Jacin down quickly with barely any sweat. Not even Umeia puts him into his place, she fears her younger brother. I'm so fucking done with this asshole.
I can't deal with being presented a total Gary Stu and being forced to root for abusive boyfriend no.1 or abusive boyfriend no.2. This shouldn't be romanticized because it's not wonderful in real life (not that it was in this book). I know fiction is just fiction but I think there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed. If you want to read it, by all means go ahead, opinions are subjective. But I'd at least look for a better book where you can root for a better alternative who doesn't threaten the main character or abuse him or her. Knowing Jacin's past, he deserves a whole lot better and Madick or Assai are not remotely qualified to give it to him.
(As a final note, I've read smut one thousand times better written and far more interesting in fanfiction.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2019
Me quede con las ganas...
I ended up wanting more. More fighting, more old legends, more of everything really; I had a previous series I had been meaning to rec like weeks ago but in the end never did, like I don’t many others –that really deserve the rating, is just that sometimes I ran out of time or out of words. But this one, this fu**ing one, just would not quit. Just like Malick actually, this series screamed and shrieked at me, demanding I write it a recommendation in form of a love letter. It asked me to tell anyone else who’s maybe interested in reading that’s, it’s so very worth it.
So a love letter, yes? Here we go…
Sort of...
I ended up wanting more, I wanted to know more about Skel –knowing what I do after reading the four books, 1618 pages, I think Skel was a very solid presence in the first half even while being dead. How can an author manage something like that just with words and how can a reader not feel a little awe at all of it?
How did Asai get the blood? Did he kill him? Drained him? There were so many amulets, that while it’s said Skell gave his blood willing? How could he give all of it? Or he accepted to die (go to spirit?) just because of it? –My mind was in the gutter while reading but while all this was going on, I was thinking blood-play? Anyone? I mean I think Asai/Skell were just perfect for each other in a sense but awful for each other in another. And then there was Malick… this poor fu**er didn’t even know in what he was getting into while he accepted to be friends/lovers with Skell. Skell had been Asai’s since the beginning, and quite honestly, I would have liked to see more of their relationship. An interesting dynamic, it was, I have no doubt.
I also ended up wanting more quiet moments. Mal, being just Mal without any danger trying to please, woo, love Fen. Even more so now, that Fen seems to reciprocate his love. I wanted to see the honeymoon face of their relationship or close to it as we could get.
I wanted more conversations, more cuddles, more Fen feeling just happy at being finally loved. I mean I wanted to see them live together in the house Malick brought for fen. Blissful quiet domesticity before another thing/catastrophe strikes them again. I wanted to see them jealous, and I wanted more sex now Fen knows he loves Malick. I just wanted, I guess…
More.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t get lost in it, in them, in the story, in the carefully planned lore. Malick was my fave, but the entire story really deserves the attention. It does and I hope someday, the author decides to continue it or to make another world and story as good as this one. It’s been a while since I have liked a story this much.
Rec 4.75/5 stars.
I ended up wanting more. More fighting, more old legends, more of everything really; I had a previous series I had been meaning to rec like weeks ago but in the end never did, like I don’t many others –that really deserve the rating, is just that sometimes I ran out of time or out of words. But this one, this fu**ing one, just would not quit. Just like Malick actually, this series screamed and shrieked at me, demanding I write it a recommendation in form of a love letter. It asked me to tell anyone else who’s maybe interested in reading that’s, it’s so very worth it.
So a love letter, yes? Here we go…
Sort of...
I ended up wanting more, I wanted to know more about Skel –knowing what I do after reading the four books, 1618 pages, I think Skel was a very solid presence in the first half even while being dead. How can an author manage something like that just with words and how can a reader not feel a little awe at all of it?
How did Asai get the blood? Did he kill him? Drained him? There were so many amulets, that while it’s said Skell gave his blood willing? How could he give all of it? Or he accepted to die (go to spirit?) just because of it? –My mind was in the gutter while reading but while all this was going on, I was thinking blood-play? Anyone? I mean I think Asai/Skell were just perfect for each other in a sense but awful for each other in another. And then there was Malick… this poor fu**er didn’t even know in what he was getting into while he accepted to be friends/lovers with Skell. Skell had been Asai’s since the beginning, and quite honestly, I would have liked to see more of their relationship. An interesting dynamic, it was, I have no doubt.
I also ended up wanting more quiet moments. Mal, being just Mal without any danger trying to please, woo, love Fen. Even more so now, that Fen seems to reciprocate his love. I wanted to see the honeymoon face of their relationship or close to it as we could get.
I wanted more conversations, more cuddles, more Fen feeling just happy at being finally loved. I mean I wanted to see them live together in the house Malick brought for fen. Blissful quiet domesticity before another thing/catastrophe strikes them again. I wanted to see them jealous, and I wanted more sex now Fen knows he loves Malick. I just wanted, I guess…
More.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t get lost in it, in them, in the story, in the carefully planned lore. Malick was my fave, but the entire story really deserves the attention. It does and I hope someday, the author decides to continue it or to make another world and story as good as this one. It’s been a while since I have liked a story this much.
Rec 4.75/5 stars.
unfinished
July 10, 2017DNF at 3%
Don't like the writing style, overly pretentious for me, like the author tried very very hard to describe everything in lyrical prose style, which is not a bad thing and some people love it but obviously I found it tedious for my brain and kept me from enjoying the story because imho you don't really need lyrical style to deliver good story, especially with a plot like this one.
Lyrical is not really important part for me, what's the use of pretty words if it feels empty and superfluous and pretentious and I found myself skimming more because I don't think I'd miss anything important from exaggerated and dramatic prose about everything. I'm more into character development, plot, world building, good storytelling too of course, but obviously I won't find out the quality of the rest in this book because unfortunately the lyrical style was screaming hard "Ohhh...I'm so poetic...." and it's too unbearable for my brain to function properly to the point that I fell asleep TWICE in the span of 3% of this book. It's sad because I had high hopes for its plot.
Don't like the writing style, overly pretentious for me, like the author tried very very hard to describe everything in lyrical prose style, which is not a bad thing and some people love it but obviously I found it tedious for my brain and kept me from enjoying the story because imho you don't really need lyrical style to deliver good story, especially with a plot like this one.
Lyrical is not really important part for me, what's the use of pretty words if it feels empty and superfluous and pretentious and I found myself skimming more because I don't think I'd miss anything important from exaggerated and dramatic prose about everything. I'm more into character development, plot, world building, good storytelling too of course, but obviously I won't find out the quality of the rest in this book because unfortunately the lyrical style was screaming hard "Ohhh...I'm so poetic...." and it's too unbearable for my brain to function properly to the point that I fell asleep TWICE in the span of 3% of this book. It's sad because I had high hopes for its plot.
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