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Gods of the Caravan Road #2
The Leopard
Part one of a two-book epic fantasy, set in a world as richly drawn as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, but with Mideastern and Eastern flavors
In the days of the first kings in the North, there were seven devils…
Ahjvar, the assassin known as the Leopard, wants only to die, to end the curse that binds him to a life of horror. Although he has no reason to trust the goddess Catairanach or her messenger Deyandara, fugitive heir to a murdered tribal queen, desperation leads him to accept her bargain: if he kills the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach will free him of his curse. Accompanying him on his mission is the one person he has let close to him in a lifetime of death, a runaway slave named Ghu. Ahj knows Ghu is far from the half-wit others think him, but in Marakand, the great city where the caravan roads of east and west meet, both will need to face the deepest secrets of their souls, if either is to survive the undying enemies who hunt them and find a way through the darkness that damns the Leopard.
To Marakand, too, come a Northron wanderer and her demon verrbjarn lover, carrying the obsidian sword Lakkariss, a weapon forged by the Old Great Gods to bring their justice to the seven devils who escaped the cold hells so long before.
In the days of the first kings in the North, there were seven devils…
Ahjvar, the assassin known as the Leopard, wants only to die, to end the curse that binds him to a life of horror. Although he has no reason to trust the goddess Catairanach or her messenger Deyandara, fugitive heir to a murdered tribal queen, desperation leads him to accept her bargain: if he kills the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach will free him of his curse. Accompanying him on his mission is the one person he has let close to him in a lifetime of death, a runaway slave named Ghu. Ahj knows Ghu is far from the half-wit others think him, but in Marakand, the great city where the caravan roads of east and west meet, both will need to face the deepest secrets of their souls, if either is to survive the undying enemies who hunt them and find a way through the darkness that damns the Leopard.
To Marakand, too, come a Northron wanderer and her demon verrbjarn lover, carrying the obsidian sword Lakkariss, a weapon forged by the Old Great Gods to bring their justice to the seven devils who escaped the cold hells so long before.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
21 people are currently reading
1352 people want to read
About the author
K.V. Johansen
28 books139 followersMostly, I write secondary world fantasy about people on the edges, with shapeshifters, demons, gods, and occasionally dragons. These days, I largely write for adults, though I've written many children's and YA fantasy novels and some children's science fiction, as well as picture books, plus I've been known to perpetrate literary criticism. I also write as Kris Jamison -- a contemporary lit book, Love/Rock/Compost.
My main scholarly interests are ancient and medieval history and languages, and the history of children's fantasy literature. What else can I say? My life is unexciting. I'm acquiring more guitars as I get older; music is very important to me even though I'm no good at it. I'm also, occasionally, an artist.
Here on Goodreads, I'm only rating/reviewing books I've really liked a lot. Sometimes I rate with stars, sometimes I don't, but a book is only on my Goodreads shelves if I liked it. For serious critical analysis from me, you'll have to turn to Quests and Kingdoms or Beyond Window-Dressing.
My main scholarly interests are ancient and medieval history and languages, and the history of children's fantasy literature. What else can I say? My life is unexciting. I'm acquiring more guitars as I get older; music is very important to me even though I'm no good at it. I'm also, occasionally, an artist.
Here on Goodreads, I'm only rating/reviewing books I've really liked a lot. Sometimes I rate with stars, sometimes I don't, but a book is only on my Goodreads shelves if I liked it. For serious critical analysis from me, you'll have to turn to Quests and Kingdoms or Beyond Window-Dressing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
August 15, 2014
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
The Leopard was a really tough book to rate and as I sit down to write this review, I find myself waffling back and forth on my thoughts. For one thing, I did not expect the unconventional structure, effectively dividing the novel into two separate parts. Because The Leopard is also the first installment of a duology, with the bulk of the story still left untold in book two, it’s also hard to decide how I really feel based on what happened here alone.
After the prologue, we are introduced to Deyandara, a bastard tribal princess who suddenly becomes her mother’s sole heir when everyone else in the family was murdered. But before this news even has the chance to settle, Deyandara is made messenger to the goddess Catairanach, who sends her on a quest to seek out the assassin known as the Leopard. Said assassin, whose true name is Ahjvar, is a cursed man who only wants to die, taking his burden to the grave. However, Deyandara’s message from the goddess changes all that. If he accepts her mission to kill the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach promises to free him from his curse. Along with his companion the escaped slave Ghu, Ahj sets off to perform this one final task.
Then we reach Part Two of the novel, which features a whole cast of different characters, apparently bringing back some of the familiar faces for those who have read Blackdog, an earlier novel based in K.V. Johansen’s world of the Marakand. We don’t get to see much (or anything) of Deyandara, Ahjvar or Ghu again. I don’t even know what more I can say beyond that, since Part Two also really lost me, and I found myself struggling through the rest of the novel. The truth is, while I ate up Part One, I practically had to force myself through Part Two, and almost had to throw in the towel. I spent most of the time trying to care about Moth, Mikki, and the other new characters, but never quite managed.
Though it is not necessary to read Blackdog first before tackling The Leopard, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this second part more if I had. At the very least, I think I would have felt more of a connection to the characters, this group of mysterious shapeshifters and otherworldly beings whose convoluted activities only seem to have a tenuous link to the storyline I read in Part One. In Part Two we see that Ahj’s activities have resulted in some rather strong ripples, but I still found it hard to stay focused since all the while Ahjvar, Deyandara and Ghu remained ever present in the back of my mind. It wasn’t long until I realized I wish I could have been reading about them instead.
This book won’t be for everyone; because of the vast difference in my feelings for the two different story lines, I still wonder if it is for me. Johansen’s style also takes getting used to. She clearly loves detail, but it’s a double-edged sword. The wonderful descriptions that made Part One such a vivid and scintillating experience also made Part Two feel lagging and tedious – though no doubt this has a lot to do with how effectively each story line captured my attention. My love of the setting was a constant, however; I’m a big fan of sword and sorcery set in Middle Eastern and Eastern influenced worlds, and Johansen’s writing is perfect for bringing this environment to life.
The world of Marakand really is quite lovely, and I enjoy its people, cultures and magic. But it wasn’t enough, because ultimately the main issue I had with this book was its structure. It’s one thing to weave two different storylines in tandem, it’s quite another to place a very distinct split in the middle of a novel. I put a lot of stock in characters and I’m usually extremely averse to the idea of drastic changes in players or perspective, so I don’t think this book worked for me – but it might for you.
The Leopard was a really tough book to rate and as I sit down to write this review, I find myself waffling back and forth on my thoughts. For one thing, I did not expect the unconventional structure, effectively dividing the novel into two separate parts. Because The Leopard is also the first installment of a duology, with the bulk of the story still left untold in book two, it’s also hard to decide how I really feel based on what happened here alone.
After the prologue, we are introduced to Deyandara, a bastard tribal princess who suddenly becomes her mother’s sole heir when everyone else in the family was murdered. But before this news even has the chance to settle, Deyandara is made messenger to the goddess Catairanach, who sends her on a quest to seek out the assassin known as the Leopard. Said assassin, whose true name is Ahjvar, is a cursed man who only wants to die, taking his burden to the grave. However, Deyandara’s message from the goddess changes all that. If he accepts her mission to kill the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach promises to free him from his curse. Along with his companion the escaped slave Ghu, Ahj sets off to perform this one final task.
Then we reach Part Two of the novel, which features a whole cast of different characters, apparently bringing back some of the familiar faces for those who have read Blackdog, an earlier novel based in K.V. Johansen’s world of the Marakand. We don’t get to see much (or anything) of Deyandara, Ahjvar or Ghu again. I don’t even know what more I can say beyond that, since Part Two also really lost me, and I found myself struggling through the rest of the novel. The truth is, while I ate up Part One, I practically had to force myself through Part Two, and almost had to throw in the towel. I spent most of the time trying to care about Moth, Mikki, and the other new characters, but never quite managed.
Though it is not necessary to read Blackdog first before tackling The Leopard, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this second part more if I had. At the very least, I think I would have felt more of a connection to the characters, this group of mysterious shapeshifters and otherworldly beings whose convoluted activities only seem to have a tenuous link to the storyline I read in Part One. In Part Two we see that Ahj’s activities have resulted in some rather strong ripples, but I still found it hard to stay focused since all the while Ahjvar, Deyandara and Ghu remained ever present in the back of my mind. It wasn’t long until I realized I wish I could have been reading about them instead.
This book won’t be for everyone; because of the vast difference in my feelings for the two different story lines, I still wonder if it is for me. Johansen’s style also takes getting used to. She clearly loves detail, but it’s a double-edged sword. The wonderful descriptions that made Part One such a vivid and scintillating experience also made Part Two feel lagging and tedious – though no doubt this has a lot to do with how effectively each story line captured my attention. My love of the setting was a constant, however; I’m a big fan of sword and sorcery set in Middle Eastern and Eastern influenced worlds, and Johansen’s writing is perfect for bringing this environment to life.
The world of Marakand really is quite lovely, and I enjoy its people, cultures and magic. But it wasn’t enough, because ultimately the main issue I had with this book was its structure. It’s one thing to weave two different storylines in tandem, it’s quite another to place a very distinct split in the middle of a novel. I put a lot of stock in characters and I’m usually extremely averse to the idea of drastic changes in players or perspective, so I don’t think this book worked for me – but it might for you.
March 24, 2015
The quote on the front suggested that this would be good for readers of Robert Jordan, which I can see might be correct in terms of there being such sheer numbers of Jordan fans some might like this too, but tells you nothing of use about the book really.
Given this is more of a silk road fantasy, heavy on the sense of age, dust, intensity, gods and demons, it's got a lot more in common with Steven Erikson. It's a slower story though and lacking the enormous scale of Erikson.
Despite being the first in a pair, it's still a book of two halves and the second of those is certainly a hell of a lot easier to read if you've already read Blackdog (which I have, but still struggled to remember details). Sadly, the Leopard only appears in the first half and then drops off the map so the book would have been better called The Lady, which is the name of the sequel.
So despite the excellent writing and great setting, her world-building far more interesting than most, that division does the reader no favours, nor does the fact that the seven devils have at least two names and we hop between them - added to the fact I was reading this in small periods and I ended up struggling in the middle. But being familiar with Holla-Sayan I at least had a foothold there and made it on through to the end.
Given this is more of a silk road fantasy, heavy on the sense of age, dust, intensity, gods and demons, it's got a lot more in common with Steven Erikson. It's a slower story though and lacking the enormous scale of Erikson.
Despite being the first in a pair, it's still a book of two halves and the second of those is certainly a hell of a lot easier to read if you've already read Blackdog (which I have, but still struggled to remember details). Sadly, the Leopard only appears in the first half and then drops off the map so the book would have been better called The Lady, which is the name of the sequel.
So despite the excellent writing and great setting, her world-building far more interesting than most, that division does the reader no favours, nor does the fact that the seven devils have at least two names and we hop between them - added to the fact I was reading this in small periods and I ended up struggling in the middle. But being familiar with Holla-Sayan I at least had a foothold there and made it on through to the end.
June 18, 2014
It started off nicely. A woman is searching for an assassin because her goddess told her to. And I will start with that. I liked this world, there are Gods and Goddesses everywhere, every spring, lake and river. A very old sort of religion. There are also wizards in this worlds, and a few devils that has come into the world. Nasty beings. There is also talk of demons as we meet a half demon.A lot to work with. A world of clans, fights and citystates
Ok so that is the world so far. Deyandara is the woman riding to find her assassin. Her story was interesting and I liked her. Ahjvar is the assassin and his story is even more interesting. He has some serious issues. He has a servant called Ghu who I at first did not think much about but then he grew on me. I really wonder what he is about.
And then there were more! Yes I would have liked to follow these first few along but suddenly a lot more sprung up and I did not see much of any of the previous characters. I did miss them and I will not you about the rest cos some things can be secrets. But, the book changed.
Anyway, the book takes place mostly in Marakand. A city where old Gods fell and the Lady become the prime Goddess. But who is the Lady, she was not like that before. It's a city where her soldiers are to be feared, a city where something is wrong.
Conclusion:
An interesting start. A war is coming too, I do like war. And what will happen to Marakand?
Ok so that is the world so far. Deyandara is the woman riding to find her assassin. Her story was interesting and I liked her. Ahjvar is the assassin and his story is even more interesting. He has some serious issues. He has a servant called Ghu who I at first did not think much about but then he grew on me. I really wonder what he is about.
And then there were more! Yes I would have liked to follow these first few along but suddenly a lot more sprung up and I did not see much of any of the previous characters. I did miss them and I will not you about the rest cos some things can be secrets. But, the book changed.
Anyway, the book takes place mostly in Marakand. A city where old Gods fell and the Lady become the prime Goddess. But who is the Lady, she was not like that before. It's a city where her soldiers are to be feared, a city where something is wrong.
Conclusion:
An interesting start. A war is coming too, I do like war. And what will happen to Marakand?
May 19, 2014
originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
When Pyr showed their spring-summer titles of 2014, one book leapt out of the catalog, The Leopard. What I always say when I get a Pyr book is: look at that amazing cover. They really have some of artistic covers, though they always say, don't judge a book by it's cover, I would have bought this solely to showcase the front! The Leopard is the first book in a duology termed Marakand with The Lady out this fall, The Leopard isn't the first book that is set in the world of Marakand, K.V. Johansen's Blackdog also took place in the same world of Marakan, though there is a whole new focus for The Leopard, with new characters but also some old acquaintances make for a reappearance. Though I read a wide range of genre fiction my true "love" lies at the Epic Sword and Sorcery fantasy and these themes are shown in full detail in The Leopard. It has a lot of classic elements working in it's favor, which often can get heavy, but K.V. Johansen spins them in her own way to produce one engaging, action packed story.
One of the most alluring things about The Leopard for me was the prologue to the story (which you can read over at the tor.com website). It readily sets a certain dark tone for the story but also triggered in me a lot of questions, who are we looking at exactly and what could the follow-up and link be between this and the remainder of the story. What really sets the mood for this Epic adventure were the sentences: "In the days of the first kings of the north, there were seven wizards" and "And in the days of the first kings of the north, there were seven devils" the mentioning of wizards, devils and demons just inspires a whole lot of promise for the story. If you read the excerpt, you can make up the writing style of K.V. Johansen and this is something that works in favor of the story. She writes epic fantasy to the point, there isn't a dwaddle in hammering on and on about a certain subject or piece of scenery instead you get what you read but she does it in a way that you don't miss out on the fine details of the story. This balanced narration readily helped to set the right pacing from the start of the story right down until the end, throwing the story into a nice rapid when the action took place and a more calm pacing when events were reflected upon or past events being told to you.
After the prologue the story is divided into two parts, I am saying this because these are two different storylines. In the first part you are introduced to the assassin known as The Leopard, Ahjvar. Ahjvar has a past, he has been cursed, and he doesn't want to live anymore, basically he is tired or it all. A possibility of relieve comes to him in the form of the goddess Catairanach, she sends her messenger, Deyandara to Ahjvar with the message that if he preforms a certain task, his curse will be lifted. In order to get his curse removed, the famous Leopard has to preform one final task, assassinate the Voice of Marakand. Ahjvar accepts this task albeit in a reluctant way. The assassination job is a pretty straight forward one, the Voice of Marakand is a well known person in Marakand. Though this job might sound like a one deal for such an excellent assassin, it seems that Ahjvar fate has been spinned in a certain direction... Not for his better. Accompanying Ahjvar on this task is Ghu. Ghu and Ahjvar have been traveling together for sometime now, Ghu comes over as a bit of an slow person, but he soon proves to be far from this. Later on in the story you see that Ghu is much more than he has first let one, working for the better. Just as Ahjvar, Ghu has his own demons that he has to face. He and Ahjvar get separated and they stories are subsequently told from their perspectives, I liked how they both acted in their storylines, eventhough separated they do think about what the other is facing. And when something happens with Ahjvar, Ghu is torn between what he should do with Ahjvar. And this is pretty much where their story ends. K.V. Johansen leaves their story on quite a cliffhanger moment.
As for the second part of the book, here old acquaintances are being introduced. Those from Blackdog. I still have Blackdog on my TBR pile, so I don't know how that story went down but a quick scan on the synopsis showed the same names. In the second part of the book you don't focus on Ghu, Deyandara or Ahjvar, but instead on the Moth, Mikki and some other "special" characters. These aren't you average humans, no think of shapeshifters, half-demons and demons. I was very pleased with this introduction as this directly plays into the premise of the Epic Sword and Sorcery story that K.V. Johansen writes in The Leopard. Ok so what happens in the second part? Other forces aren't in favor of the Lady of Marakand and the Voice of Marakand as well, because even though Ahjvar got rid of the last Voice of Marakand a new one has arisen... One who has even more dangerous plans. There is only one person who can get rid of The Lady... Also there is a lot of exposition in the latter part of the book, which was really appreciated. In the first part of the book you get to see the current events as they go by, in the second part K.V. Johansen delves deeper into the past of her world and recalls several histories that really help make the story come together. Just as similar as the first part of the story K.V. Johansen leaves this part of the story on just a cliffhanger moment as well!
With splitting up the story in this way, K.V. Johansen has created an interesting type of narration. Even though there are two separate stories present, you don't loose sight of one or the other, this is owed to the clear and easy writing style of K.V. Johansen. In the story of The Leopard you can clearly see that she is building up a foundation of her world and the inevitable events that will take place in the sequel. Leaving both parts on a cliffhanger moment readily leaves you wanted to read the sequel immediately. Nicely done.
Now for what a lot of Epic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery fans want to see in book. Action. Non-stop, cool stuff, unbound elemental magic. From the beginning of the book down to the ending there are some pretty tight and intense fighting scenes. Early on in comes to show that K.V. JOhansen has a great way of bringing over the fighting scenes to the reader, they aren't all one on one person but often with multiples. When I read such a fighting scene it always reminds me of controlled choas. Letting the action get intense showing multiple perspectives of the fight itself but not letting the story run rampant. I can only imagine that it must take skill to be able to put that down, just throwing the pacing of the story up a few levels before letting the story wind down when the action is over, just perfect.
With The Leopard, K.V. Johansen has created an action packed Epic Fantasy story that will suit the needs of every fan. It's not the first book in the Marakand universe but you don't have to have read Blackdog to enjoy it. K.V. Johansen describes the world, it surrounding and everything in it with nice details but keeping the story to the point maintaining a nice pacing all throughout the story. The Leopard is exactly such a book that you want to read when you pick up an Epic Fantasy book. Full of action, magic, betrayals and K.V. Johansen tops it off with shapeshifters and demons, what is there not to like! The narration of the book was done in a most interesting way, dividing the book into two part with two separate storylines that are both left on a cliffhanger moment. I am eager to see how the stories will converge in the sequel, The Lady, which Pyr will publish later this year. Definitely a recommendation.
When Pyr showed their spring-summer titles of 2014, one book leapt out of the catalog, The Leopard. What I always say when I get a Pyr book is: look at that amazing cover. They really have some of artistic covers, though they always say, don't judge a book by it's cover, I would have bought this solely to showcase the front! The Leopard is the first book in a duology termed Marakand with The Lady out this fall, The Leopard isn't the first book that is set in the world of Marakand, K.V. Johansen's Blackdog also took place in the same world of Marakan, though there is a whole new focus for The Leopard, with new characters but also some old acquaintances make for a reappearance. Though I read a wide range of genre fiction my true "love" lies at the Epic Sword and Sorcery fantasy and these themes are shown in full detail in The Leopard. It has a lot of classic elements working in it's favor, which often can get heavy, but K.V. Johansen spins them in her own way to produce one engaging, action packed story.
One of the most alluring things about The Leopard for me was the prologue to the story (which you can read over at the tor.com website). It readily sets a certain dark tone for the story but also triggered in me a lot of questions, who are we looking at exactly and what could the follow-up and link be between this and the remainder of the story. What really sets the mood for this Epic adventure were the sentences: "In the days of the first kings of the north, there were seven wizards" and "And in the days of the first kings of the north, there were seven devils" the mentioning of wizards, devils and demons just inspires a whole lot of promise for the story. If you read the excerpt, you can make up the writing style of K.V. Johansen and this is something that works in favor of the story. She writes epic fantasy to the point, there isn't a dwaddle in hammering on and on about a certain subject or piece of scenery instead you get what you read but she does it in a way that you don't miss out on the fine details of the story. This balanced narration readily helped to set the right pacing from the start of the story right down until the end, throwing the story into a nice rapid when the action took place and a more calm pacing when events were reflected upon or past events being told to you.
After the prologue the story is divided into two parts, I am saying this because these are two different storylines. In the first part you are introduced to the assassin known as The Leopard, Ahjvar. Ahjvar has a past, he has been cursed, and he doesn't want to live anymore, basically he is tired or it all. A possibility of relieve comes to him in the form of the goddess Catairanach, she sends her messenger, Deyandara to Ahjvar with the message that if he preforms a certain task, his curse will be lifted. In order to get his curse removed, the famous Leopard has to preform one final task, assassinate the Voice of Marakand. Ahjvar accepts this task albeit in a reluctant way. The assassination job is a pretty straight forward one, the Voice of Marakand is a well known person in Marakand. Though this job might sound like a one deal for such an excellent assassin, it seems that Ahjvar fate has been spinned in a certain direction... Not for his better. Accompanying Ahjvar on this task is Ghu. Ghu and Ahjvar have been traveling together for sometime now, Ghu comes over as a bit of an slow person, but he soon proves to be far from this. Later on in the story you see that Ghu is much more than he has first let one, working for the better. Just as Ahjvar, Ghu has his own demons that he has to face. He and Ahjvar get separated and they stories are subsequently told from their perspectives, I liked how they both acted in their storylines, eventhough separated they do think about what the other is facing. And when something happens with Ahjvar, Ghu is torn between what he should do with Ahjvar. And this is pretty much where their story ends. K.V. Johansen leaves their story on quite a cliffhanger moment.
As for the second part of the book, here old acquaintances are being introduced. Those from Blackdog. I still have Blackdog on my TBR pile, so I don't know how that story went down but a quick scan on the synopsis showed the same names. In the second part of the book you don't focus on Ghu, Deyandara or Ahjvar, but instead on the Moth, Mikki and some other "special" characters. These aren't you average humans, no think of shapeshifters, half-demons and demons. I was very pleased with this introduction as this directly plays into the premise of the Epic Sword and Sorcery story that K.V. Johansen writes in The Leopard. Ok so what happens in the second part? Other forces aren't in favor of the Lady of Marakand and the Voice of Marakand as well, because even though Ahjvar got rid of the last Voice of Marakand a new one has arisen... One who has even more dangerous plans. There is only one person who can get rid of The Lady... Also there is a lot of exposition in the latter part of the book, which was really appreciated. In the first part of the book you get to see the current events as they go by, in the second part K.V. Johansen delves deeper into the past of her world and recalls several histories that really help make the story come together. Just as similar as the first part of the story K.V. Johansen leaves this part of the story on just a cliffhanger moment as well!
With splitting up the story in this way, K.V. Johansen has created an interesting type of narration. Even though there are two separate stories present, you don't loose sight of one or the other, this is owed to the clear and easy writing style of K.V. Johansen. In the story of The Leopard you can clearly see that she is building up a foundation of her world and the inevitable events that will take place in the sequel. Leaving both parts on a cliffhanger moment readily leaves you wanted to read the sequel immediately. Nicely done.
Now for what a lot of Epic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery fans want to see in book. Action. Non-stop, cool stuff, unbound elemental magic. From the beginning of the book down to the ending there are some pretty tight and intense fighting scenes. Early on in comes to show that K.V. JOhansen has a great way of bringing over the fighting scenes to the reader, they aren't all one on one person but often with multiples. When I read such a fighting scene it always reminds me of controlled choas. Letting the action get intense showing multiple perspectives of the fight itself but not letting the story run rampant. I can only imagine that it must take skill to be able to put that down, just throwing the pacing of the story up a few levels before letting the story wind down when the action is over, just perfect.
With The Leopard, K.V. Johansen has created an action packed Epic Fantasy story that will suit the needs of every fan. It's not the first book in the Marakand universe but you don't have to have read Blackdog to enjoy it. K.V. Johansen describes the world, it surrounding and everything in it with nice details but keeping the story to the point maintaining a nice pacing all throughout the story. The Leopard is exactly such a book that you want to read when you pick up an Epic Fantasy book. Full of action, magic, betrayals and K.V. Johansen tops it off with shapeshifters and demons, what is there not to like! The narration of the book was done in a most interesting way, dividing the book into two part with two separate storylines that are both left on a cliffhanger moment. I am eager to see how the stories will converge in the sequel, The Lady, which Pyr will publish later this year. Definitely a recommendation.
June 26, 2015
Finally putting up a review of this (way late, unfortunately).
Before getting into this book, not only would I recommend reading Johansen's other novel "Blackdog", but I'd also tell you to consider that this is pretty much part one of a two part continuous narrative. ("The Leopard is the "Dust of Dreams" to "The Lady"'s "The Crippled God" if you can get that Erikson reference.) The end kind of jolts, but if I know what the author has in store for me, I won't dock a great book for it.
"The Leopard" introduces us to the world Over-Malagru and the grand city of Marakand, only hinted at and referenced in "Blackdog". We get even more cultures and breathtaking locations, more gods, more fascinating (and aesthetically pleasing) characters. Moth and Mikki make a return to action here as well and I couldn't be more pleased as they're two of the most compelling fantasy characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. What Johansen writes particularly well are character-character interactions and relationships. In "Blackdog" it was Holla-Sayan/Attalissa and Moth/Mikki and in "The Leopard" she continues this with the dynamic between Ahjvar and Ghu, and later Deyandara.
If you like your fantasy complicated, scenic, epic, myth-stuffed, irresistible, then you need to be reading K.V. Johansen.
Before getting into this book, not only would I recommend reading Johansen's other novel "Blackdog", but I'd also tell you to consider that this is pretty much part one of a two part continuous narrative. ("The Leopard is the "Dust of Dreams" to "The Lady"'s "The Crippled God" if you can get that Erikson reference.) The end kind of jolts, but if I know what the author has in store for me, I won't dock a great book for it.
"The Leopard" introduces us to the world Over-Malagru and the grand city of Marakand, only hinted at and referenced in "Blackdog". We get even more cultures and breathtaking locations, more gods, more fascinating (and aesthetically pleasing) characters. Moth and Mikki make a return to action here as well and I couldn't be more pleased as they're two of the most compelling fantasy characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. What Johansen writes particularly well are character-character interactions and relationships. In "Blackdog" it was Holla-Sayan/Attalissa and Moth/Mikki and in "The Leopard" she continues this with the dynamic between Ahjvar and Ghu, and later Deyandara.
If you like your fantasy complicated, scenic, epic, myth-stuffed, irresistible, then you need to be reading K.V. Johansen.
January 4, 2019
I ended up not caring about the characters by the end of the book. I won't be reading the rest of the series.
June 6, 2020
I adore this world. I adore KV Johansen's evocative prose, her rich characterisation; this story rewards the reader who is patient and mindful of its nuances, and rewards them in spades. But if you come into it expecting breakneck pace and gobs of action or the kind of cinematic set-piece battles so often associated with epic fantasy, it will frustrate you to no end. It's simply not that kind of book.
Although this is the first volume of a duology within a larger series, The Leopard feels very much like a middle book, in the sense that the reader is dropped into a world that already lives and breathes, and the reader is not introduced to it gradually. We are presented with new characters, and a new part of the world (though if you've read Blackdog the city of Marakand and its maybe-mad ruler has already been established) but the feel is very much that of a piece of a larger story.
Johansen has also had to make some structural choices that contribute to this "middle book" feel: the division into uneven parts; the narrative shift from Deya, Ahj and Ghu to Ivah, Moth and Mikki (though this is mostly smooth, if you're paying attention) without any obvious resolutions or cliffhangers; the fact that there is no obvious hero's jouney or other clear through-line to follow. But the world is so gorgeously rendered I really didn't mind at all, and to be honest I don't know that the author could have done it differently, given the tales-within-tales nature of the series. In fact, I have a feeling that when I finish the sequel, The Lady, I will find that this duology is actually one big book, structurally and thematically, and its division into two a mere publishing convenience.
As I'm writing this review, I have begun to think the whole series will come together like that, as a tapestry of individual stories that together form a larger mythos, reminiscent of the prose edda - this is entirely congruent with Johansen's lifelong interest in history and linguistics, her portrayal of Moth as (among other things) a skaldic poet, and the recurring motifs of storytellers and histories that pepper the structure of these books.
So this "middle book" feeling is not to the book's detriment at all, when it is viewed as part of a larger whole. As a novel, The Leopard is technically accomplished, with bags of atmosphere and almost a fever-dream quality to its depictions of Ahj's troubled soul (souls?) and the skittering, barely-sane Lady. However I can understand how a reader who was expecting something different might find that confusing or muddled, and the structure unsatisfying, especially if they are reading it in isolation from the rest of the caravan road mythos. Caibrate your expectations accordingly, and it is a breathtakingly atmospheric, properly mythic epic fantasy that I personally cannot wait to read more of.
Although this is the first volume of a duology within a larger series, The Leopard feels very much like a middle book, in the sense that the reader is dropped into a world that already lives and breathes, and the reader is not introduced to it gradually. We are presented with new characters, and a new part of the world (though if you've read Blackdog the city of Marakand and its maybe-mad ruler has already been established) but the feel is very much that of a piece of a larger story.
Johansen has also had to make some structural choices that contribute to this "middle book" feel: the division into uneven parts; the narrative shift from Deya, Ahj and Ghu to Ivah, Moth and Mikki (though this is mostly smooth, if you're paying attention) without any obvious resolutions or cliffhangers; the fact that there is no obvious hero's jouney or other clear through-line to follow. But the world is so gorgeously rendered I really didn't mind at all, and to be honest I don't know that the author could have done it differently, given the tales-within-tales nature of the series. In fact, I have a feeling that when I finish the sequel, The Lady, I will find that this duology is actually one big book, structurally and thematically, and its division into two a mere publishing convenience.
As I'm writing this review, I have begun to think the whole series will come together like that, as a tapestry of individual stories that together form a larger mythos, reminiscent of the prose edda - this is entirely congruent with Johansen's lifelong interest in history and linguistics, her portrayal of Moth as (among other things) a skaldic poet, and the recurring motifs of storytellers and histories that pepper the structure of these books.
So this "middle book" feeling is not to the book's detriment at all, when it is viewed as part of a larger whole. As a novel, The Leopard is technically accomplished, with bags of atmosphere and almost a fever-dream quality to its depictions of Ahj's troubled soul (souls?) and the skittering, barely-sane Lady. However I can understand how a reader who was expecting something different might find that confusing or muddled, and the structure unsatisfying, especially if they are reading it in isolation from the rest of the caravan road mythos. Caibrate your expectations accordingly, and it is a breathtakingly atmospheric, properly mythic epic fantasy that I personally cannot wait to read more of.
May 4, 2018
This is one of the finest works of fantasy I’ve read. I was absolutely entranced by the use of language and poetry and metaphor in the narrative. The book evoked a wide range of emotions in me, inspired me, and completely transported me to a different world—one stark and plagued with demons and bound gods and troubled by usurper-devils. I really can’t praise this book enough. Fantastic novel.
June 27, 2014
First things first, I got this book from the publisher, so thank you Pyr for this opportunity.
Well, you have to merit innovative and imaginative world-building, of which this book has plenty. The richly imagined world was very fun to explore and the author can also write good characters. I quickly found myself fascinated by some of the characters and despite having not much action, found myself thoroughly devouring the pages; and then came the second part. As a two part book, the second part somehow didn't really gel with the first for me and at times felt forcefully detached.
'The Leopard' has its setting in a middle eastern influenced world, in which the author takes quite a different approach for her races and magic system as well. And the story is told from the viewpoints of some fascinating characters. After a kind of mysterious and enjoyable prologue, we are quickly introduced with the titular character Ahjvar who is known as 'The Leopard', who is sought out by a princess send on a mission to find him by a god; who ironically wants Ahjvar to go on a mission of his own, to kill a false/mad priest of a god in Marakand. Ahjvar is promised salvation from his curse in reward for this mission from the god. He somewhat reluctantly agrees and journeys to his goal with his servant/companion Ghu, who is one of the most interesting character of the book. Through a few trials and some good character exploration they reach their destination, again goes through some more trials and their story ends in a kind of a cliffhanger a bit more than halfway through the book. Up to this the book was excellent and almost flawless in execution, barring a few too many similarly/confusingly named characters which forced me to go back to the 'dramatis personae' at the beginning.
The second part is where the book loses some of its charm. It may be due to the fact that the author introduces characters from her previous novel in the same world and unlike the characters from the first part it is hard to relate to them. Mostly due to the fact that the author seems not really trying to introduce the readers with these characters in quite the same way, as it somehow seems that she thinks we already care for them. This part tells the story of Moth and Mikki seeking on their own mission; and also the 'Blackdog' Holla-Sayan, trying to lead a normal life, yet getting tangled in the troubles brewing in Marakand. It was hard for me to appreciate these characters as I didn't read 'Blackdog' and I kept hoping to read more of the characters from the first part which really hampered my enjoyment.
The middle-eastern feeling world was very unique and the different tribes/races; their cultures, customs, gods and their myths were really quite fun to read about. The influence of Tolkien and LotR is apparent through the methodology of story telling in part of the author and I for one really enjoyed that bit. One other nice aspect was the stunning cover and the delightful maps which really made the city of Marakand that much more beautiful to imagine.
For me the book really suffered due to its second part, cause as a new reader I felt somewhat unwelcome and it felt a bit like false advertising as this book was supposed to be first part of a duo-logy. But owing to the promise of the things to come and once again due to desire for more exploration of this wonderfully and vividly imagined world I would definitely come back for the second part. I really wanna know what happens to the likes Ghu, Ahjvar, Deyandara, Nour etc. and for making me feel that way the author do deserve a lot of praise.
I was thinking of giving this 4.5 while reading its first part, but due to the sense of wariness and confusion in its second part I have to give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
Well, you have to merit innovative and imaginative world-building, of which this book has plenty. The richly imagined world was very fun to explore and the author can also write good characters. I quickly found myself fascinated by some of the characters and despite having not much action, found myself thoroughly devouring the pages; and then came the second part. As a two part book, the second part somehow didn't really gel with the first for me and at times felt forcefully detached.
'The Leopard' has its setting in a middle eastern influenced world, in which the author takes quite a different approach for her races and magic system as well. And the story is told from the viewpoints of some fascinating characters. After a kind of mysterious and enjoyable prologue, we are quickly introduced with the titular character Ahjvar who is known as 'The Leopard', who is sought out by a princess send on a mission to find him by a god; who ironically wants Ahjvar to go on a mission of his own, to kill a false/mad priest of a god in Marakand. Ahjvar is promised salvation from his curse in reward for this mission from the god. He somewhat reluctantly agrees and journeys to his goal with his servant/companion Ghu, who is one of the most interesting character of the book. Through a few trials and some good character exploration they reach their destination, again goes through some more trials and their story ends in a kind of a cliffhanger a bit more than halfway through the book. Up to this the book was excellent and almost flawless in execution, barring a few too many similarly/confusingly named characters which forced me to go back to the 'dramatis personae' at the beginning.
The second part is where the book loses some of its charm. It may be due to the fact that the author introduces characters from her previous novel in the same world and unlike the characters from the first part it is hard to relate to them. Mostly due to the fact that the author seems not really trying to introduce the readers with these characters in quite the same way, as it somehow seems that she thinks we already care for them. This part tells the story of Moth and Mikki seeking on their own mission; and also the 'Blackdog' Holla-Sayan, trying to lead a normal life, yet getting tangled in the troubles brewing in Marakand. It was hard for me to appreciate these characters as I didn't read 'Blackdog' and I kept hoping to read more of the characters from the first part which really hampered my enjoyment.
The middle-eastern feeling world was very unique and the different tribes/races; their cultures, customs, gods and their myths were really quite fun to read about. The influence of Tolkien and LotR is apparent through the methodology of story telling in part of the author and I for one really enjoyed that bit. One other nice aspect was the stunning cover and the delightful maps which really made the city of Marakand that much more beautiful to imagine.
For me the book really suffered due to its second part, cause as a new reader I felt somewhat unwelcome and it felt a bit like false advertising as this book was supposed to be first part of a duo-logy. But owing to the promise of the things to come and once again due to desire for more exploration of this wonderfully and vividly imagined world I would definitely come back for the second part. I really wanna know what happens to the likes Ghu, Ahjvar, Deyandara, Nour etc. and for making me feel that way the author do deserve a lot of praise.
I was thinking of giving this 4.5 while reading its first part, but due to the sense of wariness and confusion in its second part I have to give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/
July 8, 2014
I usually don't write too many reviews but I felt the need on this one. I really wanted to like this book; I wish I could give different ratings for different aspects. The world building in The Leopard was vast and I got the sense that the world and cultures were diverse, unique and developed. However, that wasn't conveyed very well at all to me, the reader. It jumped from place to place, never really explaining, only skimming. Or the author threw words, characters, places, times, events at me as if I should just know. The writing was good. The talent is there but the presentation fell way, way too short.
The first three characters you are introduced to are well developed and I wanted to know more. The relationship between Ahj and Ghu left me going.. wait, what? Confused but intrigued as to the nature. And then the story just.. stopped. Deyandara just drops off the planet, Ahj is developing and then its like his story gets a huge pause button so the second half of the story can be about a totally different cast of characters. At least Ghu was kinda-sorta around for the second bit so you could continue to ponder about who/what he is, but he too is just left in an alley.
I gave up trying to understand the second half of the book. A good ten new characters, ones the reader is suppose to connect with (I think?) are just tossed into a chapter. Demons, more Gods, weapons with names that were more than weapons (I think?)..
I don't think I can even read Volume Two when it comes out. Not if its more of this. I think it would have done better was perhaps a trilogy, so that the 350-some pages could have been spent introducing, in small quantity, the world and the characters that I KNOW I could come to really love. Instead, its just a mess of who-knows-who/what/when/where. Really disappointed. The Blackdog was on my to-read list before this and I don't think I'll end up reading that one now either.
Give me a few novels about just Moth and Mikki, or Ahj and Ghu's earlier years, or heck, Ghu's pre-Ahj life. I'd even take a short story! I want to love these characters but in this book I simply can't.
The first three characters you are introduced to are well developed and I wanted to know more. The relationship between Ahj and Ghu left me going.. wait, what? Confused but intrigued as to the nature. And then the story just.. stopped. Deyandara just drops off the planet, Ahj is developing and then its like his story gets a huge pause button so the second half of the story can be about a totally different cast of characters. At least Ghu was kinda-sorta around for the second bit so you could continue to ponder about who/what he is, but he too is just left in an alley.
I gave up trying to understand the second half of the book. A good ten new characters, ones the reader is suppose to connect with (I think?) are just tossed into a chapter. Demons, more Gods, weapons with names that were more than weapons (I think?)..
I don't think I can even read Volume Two when it comes out. Not if its more of this. I think it would have done better was perhaps a trilogy, so that the 350-some pages could have been spent introducing, in small quantity, the world and the characters that I KNOW I could come to really love. Instead, its just a mess of who-knows-who/what/when/where. Really disappointed. The Blackdog was on my to-read list before this and I don't think I'll end up reading that one now either.
Give me a few novels about just Moth and Mikki, or Ahj and Ghu's earlier years, or heck, Ghu's pre-Ahj life. I'd even take a short story! I want to love these characters but in this book I simply can't.
September 8, 2014
Review written for and published by Portland Book Review on September 5th:
The assassin Ahjvar, also known as the Leopard, has been cursed with an inability to die. Cranky and hiding out in a remote costal village with the enigmatic runaway slave Ghu, Ahjvar is called into the service of Catairanach, the very god that cursed him so long ago. The Lady of Marakand, a bustling trade city to the south, has launched a war for unknown reasons resulting in the slaughter of Catairanach’s people. With the promise of removing his curse, Ahjvar and Ghu head south, unaware of the danger awaiting them.
The Leopard begins strong, introducing three complex characters with violent and dynamic pasts. However, just as readers may think they’re about to find out what makes Ahjvar, Ghu and Deyandara tick, they completely disappear from the narrative and are replaced by a new set of characters. Unfortunately, these new characters are developed only superficially, making it exceptionally difficult to care much about their predicament. The Leopard is a book with large groups of gods, demons, legends, magic and plenty of violence for readers who enjoy detailed fantasy worlds, but be prepared for the abrupt shift in cast halfway through the book.
The assassin Ahjvar, also known as the Leopard, has been cursed with an inability to die. Cranky and hiding out in a remote costal village with the enigmatic runaway slave Ghu, Ahjvar is called into the service of Catairanach, the very god that cursed him so long ago. The Lady of Marakand, a bustling trade city to the south, has launched a war for unknown reasons resulting in the slaughter of Catairanach’s people. With the promise of removing his curse, Ahjvar and Ghu head south, unaware of the danger awaiting them.
The Leopard begins strong, introducing three complex characters with violent and dynamic pasts. However, just as readers may think they’re about to find out what makes Ahjvar, Ghu and Deyandara tick, they completely disappear from the narrative and are replaced by a new set of characters. Unfortunately, these new characters are developed only superficially, making it exceptionally difficult to care much about their predicament. The Leopard is a book with large groups of gods, demons, legends, magic and plenty of violence for readers who enjoy detailed fantasy worlds, but be prepared for the abrupt shift in cast halfway through the book.
June 11, 2015
Should have realised this was a sequel to Blackdog (which I did not finish), but didn't notice until I was 90% of the way through.
I grew to like Ahjvar and Ghu, but , and the other characters weren't interesting or likable out of the context of the previous book.
Overall, like Blackdog, felt kind of generic. No real conclusion, the story just fizzles out at the appropriate time. Will not read the next one.
I grew to like Ahjvar and Ghu, but , and the other characters weren't interesting or likable out of the context of the previous book.
Overall, like Blackdog, felt kind of generic. No real conclusion, the story just fizzles out at the appropriate time. Will not read the next one.
Read
April 2, 2018DNF @56 pages in (You know it's not working when you're not further along after almost two weeks), but I plan to continue of one day when I'm in the mood. I really like the premise, but just really couldn't get into the writing style right at the moment.
Maybe it's just me, but pro-tip: If you want people to pay attention to your story, maybe don't bog it down with an info dump full of names, titles, cities and countries every few sentences. The 8 (!!!) pages of Dramatis Personae should have really tipped me off.
Fingers crossed that I'll get back to this one day...
Maybe it's just me, but pro-tip: If you want people to pay attention to your story, maybe don't bog it down with an info dump full of names, titles, cities and countries every few sentences. The 8 (!!!) pages of Dramatis Personae should have really tipped me off.
Fingers crossed that I'll get back to this one day...
June 7, 2016
I gave this 3 stars, but I really wish I could give it a 3.5. The Leopard is full of intriguing characters, set in a deep, complex, and beautiful world. It's a great story, but it has some significant pacing issues and unprepared readers are at risk of drowning in the flood of characters, lore and worldbuilding. Those who haven't read the in-direct prequel Blackdog are even more at risk. I really had a great time overall with this book, but it's issues will keep me from rereading for some time.
Want to read
April 13, 2017The other readers have written that you have to read another book to understand the second half of this one. But luckly I won`t have to go there.
And indeed this one looks like an extremely slow-paced book. Usually I`m a fast reader and I had real difficulties to watch the story and understand the things in it.
I said stop after fifty pages.
And indeed this one looks like an extremely slow-paced book. Usually I`m a fast reader and I had real difficulties to watch the story and understand the things in it.
I said stop after fifty pages.
April 26, 2014
This is very hard to judge because it's one big book divided into two for publication purposes. Perhaps it will turn out good.
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August 1, 2019
The Leopard...if you like perfectly ordered stories this book is not for you. Johansen's writing style is a bit haunting and I was not able to stop once I started. None of the characters are quite what they seem and are more than they let on. Definitely cannot wait for "The Lady" in December.
July 2, 2014
Some cool magic and a great start, but got way to convoluted the last third of the story, or I would of given it 4 stars!
December 30, 2017
A word of warning to anyone deciding whether to read this: the synopsis is misleading, but it's still a good read.
Ahjvar and Ghu are touted as the main characters, and it starts off following them, but focus quickly shifts to other characters, and they move to the background. I originally picked up this book because I wanted to read more about Ahjvar and Ghu, so this was a bit of a let down.
Even so, this book had me captivated from beginning to end, even through some rocky patches. I gave it a 4/5 for keeping me interested, regardless of the rough spots.
The author builds a unique and captivating world that pulls the reader in without spoon feeding it to them, and they did a great job of telling the story, but there are a few places where (in my opinion) accounts of past events were incoherent and I was unsure who was speaking, or what was being referred to. It later becomes clear that there are other books set in this world and immediately before the events of this story; I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read them first, but the author still gave enough information to piece things together.
The author also tries to convey a certain character's conflict/insanity by essentially mashing together words into page-long run on sentences. This was an interesting approach at first that was used to good effect, but it gets old fast. This could have been done much better.
Overall, it was a good read, and I immediately picked up the second book in the series after finishing it.
Ahjvar and Ghu are touted as the main characters, and it starts off following them, but focus quickly shifts to other characters, and they move to the background. I originally picked up this book because I wanted to read more about Ahjvar and Ghu, so this was a bit of a let down.
Even so, this book had me captivated from beginning to end, even through some rocky patches. I gave it a 4/5 for keeping me interested, regardless of the rough spots.
The author builds a unique and captivating world that pulls the reader in without spoon feeding it to them, and they did a great job of telling the story, but there are a few places where (in my opinion) accounts of past events were incoherent and I was unsure who was speaking, or what was being referred to. It later becomes clear that there are other books set in this world and immediately before the events of this story; I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read them first, but the author still gave enough information to piece things together.
The author also tries to convey a certain character's conflict/insanity by essentially mashing together words into page-long run on sentences. This was an interesting approach at first that was used to good effect, but it gets old fast. This could have been done much better.
Overall, it was a good read, and I immediately picked up the second book in the series after finishing it.
January 9, 2015
Review for both 'The Leopard' and 'The Lady'.
https://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/...
‘The Leopard’ and ‘The Lady’ are a two-book fantasy series set in the same world as ‚Blackdog’. The two books can be read without having read ‚Blackdog’, but I’d recommend reading that book first. I hadn’t read it when I started The Leopard and though it is a whole different story set in the same world, there are characters and reference to the story in ‚Blackdog’ that will be lost on anyone who hasn’t read that one.
‘The Leopard’ and ‘The Lady’ are one big book split in two. It is quite obvious this used to be one continuous story before it was split. The characters that start the story in ‘The Leopard’ disappear halfway through the story to give the stage to a whole new set of characters. I thought this was an interesting choice. The first set of characters set the whole story in motion and lead us to Marakand, one of the most important cities in the book. There another cast of characters takes over and continues the story in Marakand, while the others continue their journey to other parts of the country.
Their are two main story lines throughout the two books. The first is that of Deyandara, Ahjvar and Ghu. Deyandara is the bastard daughter of a Queen and the half sister of the High King. When her family is murdered by the forces of Marakand, the Goddess of her land, Catairanah, sends her to find The Leopard, an assassin, so she can execute revenge on Marakand. Ahjvar and his companion Ghu, though reluctant at first, follow her to Marakand.
Ahjvar, cursed by the Goddess Catairanah seeks only an end to the torment he has been going through for years. A murdering spirit lives inside him, wakening every other night, hungry for blood. Ahjvar story is a fascinating one. The details of his past unfold at the end of ‘The Lady’ and I was very satisfied by how he fit into the greater picture.
Ghu remains a mystery until the very end. As Ahjvar’s loyal companion, he first seems a bit slow at first, more a servant than anything else. But later on we find out that Ghu is much more than that and I thought it was fantastic how he slowly became a big force in the story, though he isn’t one of the most important characters at first.
The second storyline is that of the Lady of Marakand, who has corrupted the city. There are those who see through her deception and want to overthrow her, to bring back peace, prosperity and the rightful Gods to the city. They are a varied bunch those. Ivah is a wizard who has already made an appearance in ‚Blackdog’, while the Blackdog himself is also in the city. The demon bear (name) and his partner Moth have also arrived in the city, because Moth has a very specific and dangerous mission to complete. Together with the last priest of one of the old Gods they try to make an end to the Lady’s reign, but to do that they have to face the fearsome Red Masks first. And not just anyone can kill the Red Masks. The most interesting thing about this storyline though was in my opinion Zora’s perspective. Zora is a dancer in the temple of the Lady, but she’s actually still loyal to the old Gods. However, when the old Voice of the Lady is murdered, she is chosen to take her place. But instead of talking through The Voice, as the Lady has always done in the past, The Lady takes over Zora body, so she can have more control over the city. It is soon clear however that The Lady isn’t the Goddess she pretends to be. All these different souls/personalities in one body must cause some confusion and the author has depicted this wonderfully. The chapters told from The Lady/Zora’s perspective are incoherent, chaotic and sometimes difficult to follow. Though this may be jarring for some readers, I thought it was very fascinating and a very bold choice to use this kind of narrative.
Next to all these great characters and their fight for righteousness, the world building definitely also deserves a mention. A Middle-Eastern setting with interesting cultures and tribes gave the perfect background this story needed.
It was interesting to watch the story of the devils/wizards unfold. Starting the books, you know the story of the seven devils who merged their souls with that of the seven wizards and who were later imprisoned by the Gods and Goddesses of the land.
The devils tricked the wizards in joining their body to be able to roam the world and rule it. What they didn’t expect is that merging their soul with that of another being would change them as much as it would change the other. During the story we encounter a few of these devils and it’s interesting to see how different they’ve become and what road they want to walk on Earth.I loved how the Gods and Goddesses of the land were very flawed and also able to die. Though most are benign and want to help their folk and their land, they also make very human mistakes. The fact that they can be punished and can be killed made them kind of vulnerable. Though they are ethereal and command reverence, they still have a weak spot.
The story comes to a powerful conclusion in ‘The Lady’, giving us closure for both the major story lines. I was more than satisfied by the ending and the exciting action-filled last battles. Some of the characters seem set on a certain path after all that happened in Marakand and in the Duina Catairna, but some still have an interesting future ahead of them that could give rise to a continuation of their story.
The Marakand books were amongst my favourite reads of 2014. I enjoyed reading both of them very much. These books are a rich Epic Fantasy written in a complex, but beautiful writing style that is immensely captivating. I would recommend to first read ‚Blackdog’ before you start this two-parter. It will give you more background on some of the characters that is lacking in these books. Another tip is to really view these books as one and read them one after the other, it will give you a more coherent and fluent story.
Overall a series that I very much enjoyed and I will be keeping an eye out for more work from K.V. Johansen in the future!
https://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/...
‘The Leopard’ and ‘The Lady’ are a two-book fantasy series set in the same world as ‚Blackdog’. The two books can be read without having read ‚Blackdog’, but I’d recommend reading that book first. I hadn’t read it when I started The Leopard and though it is a whole different story set in the same world, there are characters and reference to the story in ‚Blackdog’ that will be lost on anyone who hasn’t read that one.
‘The Leopard’ and ‘The Lady’ are one big book split in two. It is quite obvious this used to be one continuous story before it was split. The characters that start the story in ‘The Leopard’ disappear halfway through the story to give the stage to a whole new set of characters. I thought this was an interesting choice. The first set of characters set the whole story in motion and lead us to Marakand, one of the most important cities in the book. There another cast of characters takes over and continues the story in Marakand, while the others continue their journey to other parts of the country.
Their are two main story lines throughout the two books. The first is that of Deyandara, Ahjvar and Ghu. Deyandara is the bastard daughter of a Queen and the half sister of the High King. When her family is murdered by the forces of Marakand, the Goddess of her land, Catairanah, sends her to find The Leopard, an assassin, so she can execute revenge on Marakand. Ahjvar and his companion Ghu, though reluctant at first, follow her to Marakand.
Ahjvar, cursed by the Goddess Catairanah seeks only an end to the torment he has been going through for years. A murdering spirit lives inside him, wakening every other night, hungry for blood. Ahjvar story is a fascinating one. The details of his past unfold at the end of ‘The Lady’ and I was very satisfied by how he fit into the greater picture.
Ghu remains a mystery until the very end. As Ahjvar’s loyal companion, he first seems a bit slow at first, more a servant than anything else. But later on we find out that Ghu is much more than that and I thought it was fantastic how he slowly became a big force in the story, though he isn’t one of the most important characters at first.
The second storyline is that of the Lady of Marakand, who has corrupted the city. There are those who see through her deception and want to overthrow her, to bring back peace, prosperity and the rightful Gods to the city. They are a varied bunch those. Ivah is a wizard who has already made an appearance in ‚Blackdog’, while the Blackdog himself is also in the city. The demon bear (name) and his partner Moth have also arrived in the city, because Moth has a very specific and dangerous mission to complete. Together with the last priest of one of the old Gods they try to make an end to the Lady’s reign, but to do that they have to face the fearsome Red Masks first. And not just anyone can kill the Red Masks. The most interesting thing about this storyline though was in my opinion Zora’s perspective. Zora is a dancer in the temple of the Lady, but she’s actually still loyal to the old Gods. However, when the old Voice of the Lady is murdered, she is chosen to take her place. But instead of talking through The Voice, as the Lady has always done in the past, The Lady takes over Zora body, so she can have more control over the city. It is soon clear however that The Lady isn’t the Goddess she pretends to be. All these different souls/personalities in one body must cause some confusion and the author has depicted this wonderfully. The chapters told from The Lady/Zora’s perspective are incoherent, chaotic and sometimes difficult to follow. Though this may be jarring for some readers, I thought it was very fascinating and a very bold choice to use this kind of narrative.
Next to all these great characters and their fight for righteousness, the world building definitely also deserves a mention. A Middle-Eastern setting with interesting cultures and tribes gave the perfect background this story needed.
It was interesting to watch the story of the devils/wizards unfold. Starting the books, you know the story of the seven devils who merged their souls with that of the seven wizards and who were later imprisoned by the Gods and Goddesses of the land.
The devils tricked the wizards in joining their body to be able to roam the world and rule it. What they didn’t expect is that merging their soul with that of another being would change them as much as it would change the other. During the story we encounter a few of these devils and it’s interesting to see how different they’ve become and what road they want to walk on Earth.I loved how the Gods and Goddesses of the land were very flawed and also able to die. Though most are benign and want to help their folk and their land, they also make very human mistakes. The fact that they can be punished and can be killed made them kind of vulnerable. Though they are ethereal and command reverence, they still have a weak spot.
The story comes to a powerful conclusion in ‘The Lady’, giving us closure for both the major story lines. I was more than satisfied by the ending and the exciting action-filled last battles. Some of the characters seem set on a certain path after all that happened in Marakand and in the Duina Catairna, but some still have an interesting future ahead of them that could give rise to a continuation of their story.
The Marakand books were amongst my favourite reads of 2014. I enjoyed reading both of them very much. These books are a rich Epic Fantasy written in a complex, but beautiful writing style that is immensely captivating. I would recommend to first read ‚Blackdog’ before you start this two-parter. It will give you more background on some of the characters that is lacking in these books. Another tip is to really view these books as one and read them one after the other, it will give you a more coherent and fluent story.
Overall a series that I very much enjoyed and I will be keeping an eye out for more work from K.V. Johansen in the future!
January 3, 2019
Deyandara travels far from her homeland in search of the assassin called the Leopard. She shares her visions with him and a way to lift the curse placed upon him. Death for a final death. The Leopard is the first book in the Marakand duology set in the God of the Caravan Road series.
I loved the cover artwork and was intrigued after reading the summary. I was a little put off when I realized this wasn't the first book in the series despite it's labeling.
I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot. The characters were interesting and the world building was rich. I liked the lore and magic system as well.
The second half of the book lost my interest until the ending conflict. The initial cast was swept away for a whole new larger cast as well as repetition of the lore. It made the prose very dense, confusing, and dull. The action scenes recaptured my interest but the poetic prose made it clunky and unclear at times.
I enjoyed the expansion of the magic system. I liked the magical abilities the characters demonstrated.
The story ends abruptly with the conflict at a stand still. Though I enjoyed many components of the story I don't plan to continue the series.
I loved the cover artwork and was intrigued after reading the summary. I was a little put off when I realized this wasn't the first book in the series despite it's labeling.
I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot. The characters were interesting and the world building was rich. I liked the lore and magic system as well.
The second half of the book lost my interest until the ending conflict. The initial cast was swept away for a whole new larger cast as well as repetition of the lore. It made the prose very dense, confusing, and dull. The action scenes recaptured my interest but the poetic prose made it clunky and unclear at times.
I enjoyed the expansion of the magic system. I liked the magical abilities the characters demonstrated.
The story ends abruptly with the conflict at a stand still. Though I enjoyed many components of the story I don't plan to continue the series.
May 20, 2019
Entrancing! Despite it being a long while since I read Blackdog, I still remembered enough to pick up on all of the references scattered in this book. This world has such a great interrelationship between humans, their gods, and the devils that roam the earth - but this book would feel more jarring if you didn't know that this is in essence part 1 of a 2-part series.
The characters are all great, and the return of Holla-Sayan! I absolutely need to see where this story ends up.
The characters are all great, and the return of Holla-Sayan! I absolutely need to see where this story ends up.
October 26, 2017
This was a lucky, used-bookstore find, and I'm very glad I purchased it. It is a very rich, complex story, filled with gods, goddesses, demons, and humans somewhere in between. Yes, there is some confusion about everything going on in the beginning, but that is par for the course, and in my opinion, better than knowing exactly what's going to happen from beginning to end. This was a delightful and refreshing read. I purchased the three related books in anticipation of wanting to read them all!
July 25, 2018
A little confusing at times with the prose due to the author's style, but that style also leads to some beautiful, lyrical paragraphs of magic, demons and gods born of earth, water, ice and ash and other visceral, elemental forces. I disliked some of the plot choices, which resulted in some archs manifesting too swiftly, but loved the book as a whole for the author's refreshingly distinct voice (which encompasses the entirety of the book instead of just choice elements.)
July 5, 2017
Well written, compelling characters with an interesting world. Really enjoyed this book, and did not read [Blackdog], which is somewhat of a prequel? (Maybe like The Hobbit is a prequel for LOTR) Even so, the main character's ideas and situation was well explained through events, instead of the author directly telling, which I enjoy.
December 20, 2017
The story started off interesting, and then when it veered away from Ahjvar and Ghu, I found myself not caring about the story and only reading just to get another glimpse of those two characters.
December 22, 2017
A very rich and detailed world. Somewhat confusing, but due to the quality of the story and the writing, I am giving 4 stars, assuming that other books in the series will clear things up for me.
February 15, 2020
didn't realize i read the second book before the first dfujkflbglfk
November 18, 2024
Good follow up tale.
Wasn't expecting to the see the Blackdog back in action again but I'm happy just the same.
Wasn't expecting to the see the Blackdog back in action again but I'm happy just the same.
August 4, 2014
THE LEOPARD left me conflicted. I tell my fellow NaNoWriMo writers to "start in the middle," because it throws the reader into the plot, theoretically in an interesting place. This book certainly did that, though the caveat to the aforementioned writing advice is that you have to inform your readers later in the book so they know what was going on beforehand. I don't feel like THE LEOPARD ever really explained very much, which affected my enjoyment of the book. It seemed like it could be part of a larger story, one that I wasn't familiar with, and sometimes that shook me out of the story. It sounds like there is a book related to this world that possibly explains backstory for characters we see in THE LEOPARD, but I had no idea about that when I picked up the book from Edelweiss (it's marked as book one in a series, after all!). I wish I had read that, honestly, because I think I would have liked the book more.
Also, I don't feel the blurb does this book justice. True, the first part does deal with The Leopard, an assassin who carries a curse in his essentially-immortal life, and just wants to be rid of it. We also meet his servant/partner, a simple man who is more than he seems; but just what that more is, we don't learn, which is really frustrating. Then the book delves into the lives of a completely different set of characters, again with hints at backstory which I feel I should know, but never do. This split makes the blurb seem odd, since it mainly focuses on the assassin, which a small bit about the other characters. I've read that this is really just part one of a two book series that really should just be one big book. I can't fault the publishers for that too much--I understand printing costs and other things like that, but I feel like too much was left for book two.
Now, it sounds like I'm bashing the book. It's actually very well written, and the world-building is stellar. It's not just another medieval-esque setting as typical of most fantasy novels out there, but instead has an interesting Middle-Eastern desert vibe. The gods and goddesses of this world are real, if perhaps not directly involved in everyday life. And when one character has an up close and personal interaction with one of them (or does she?), the author depicts the crazy-making of such an event with loving detail. Indeed, there is plenty of loving detail for all sorts of things in the book, and this makes for lyrical passages that are quite nice, and action scenes that are punchy. I just feel like the characters needed more motives (why are half of them doing what they're doing?).
I would highly recommend reading the previous related book for more backstory before reading this one, or wait until the next book comes out and read them together. It's a good story, but it seems like something is missing.
Received as a free digital ARC via Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Also, I don't feel the blurb does this book justice. True, the first part does deal with The Leopard, an assassin who carries a curse in his essentially-immortal life, and just wants to be rid of it. We also meet his servant/partner, a simple man who is more than he seems; but just what that more is, we don't learn, which is really frustrating. Then the book delves into the lives of a completely different set of characters, again with hints at backstory which I feel I should know, but never do. This split makes the blurb seem odd, since it mainly focuses on the assassin, which a small bit about the other characters. I've read that this is really just part one of a two book series that really should just be one big book. I can't fault the publishers for that too much--I understand printing costs and other things like that, but I feel like too much was left for book two.
Now, it sounds like I'm bashing the book. It's actually very well written, and the world-building is stellar. It's not just another medieval-esque setting as typical of most fantasy novels out there, but instead has an interesting Middle-Eastern desert vibe. The gods and goddesses of this world are real, if perhaps not directly involved in everyday life. And when one character has an up close and personal interaction with one of them (or does she?), the author depicts the crazy-making of such an event with loving detail. Indeed, there is plenty of loving detail for all sorts of things in the book, and this makes for lyrical passages that are quite nice, and action scenes that are punchy. I just feel like the characters needed more motives (why are half of them doing what they're doing?).
I would highly recommend reading the previous related book for more backstory before reading this one, or wait until the next book comes out and read them together. It's a good story, but it seems like something is missing.
Received as a free digital ARC via Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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