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Full-Blood Half-Breed: A Novel
In Cleve Lamison’s hard-hitting debut, two young men divided by an intense hatred—yet marked with a common destiny—have the power to save the world . . . or destroy it. It’s been two thousand years since the bastard spawn of the god Creador lost their war to enslave humankind, transforming the Thirteen Kingdoms into a violent world where the martial arts are exalted as sacred gifts from the gods—and honor is won through arena blood sport. Paladin Del Darkdragón, a sixteen-year-old warrior-in-training, is a “half-breed.” His battle against pure-blood bullies like Fox the Runt has forced him to master the four fighting forms. But when he blends them, he is condemned as a heretic by authorities and banished from the training temples. Seeking redemption, he enrolls in the arena games, savage trials that end in death. This year’s games mask an old plot driven by a new prophet. With a horde of Creador’s Bastards and an army of fanatics led by Fox the Runt at his command, the Prophet will bend the world to his will or burn it to ash. Paladin faces an impossible redeem his honor in a fight he can’t hope to survive, or abandon his loved ones to perish in the sweeping holy war consuming the Kingdoms.
- GenresFantasy
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 19, 2014
With this work, Cleve Lamison channels the ability of the best authors of speculative fictions (e.g., Butler, LeGuin, Tepper, L'Engle), to use the fantastic to help us see and understand ourselves. Not since Butler's Xenogenesis series have I encountered work that challenged me to consider the individual and societal implications of multiracial identity. Typically, speculative fiction "does away" with race (see, for example, Star Trek where distinct racial groups still exist far into the future, but race ostensibly "doesn't matter" to the society) or does some minor hand-waving acknowledging that race exists (Joss Whedon and Orson Scott Card I'm talking to you), or worse plays into the same racialized hierarchies and stereotypes that currently exist (Why are most of the people of color in the Game of Thrones adaptation enslaved? and why are the evil people in the Jacksonian LotR films people of color?). Lamison does something quite extraordinary. He crafts a universe with an 18th century Linnaean view of race. According to Linnaeus (the Great Taxonomist) race was a descriptive construct based on geography and culture. It was not a hierarchical conception of race where one race was better than others. By uniting all of the races in the Thirteen Kingdoms in a common theological framework, in the same way that one god is not better than the others, neither are the people. In Lamison's world, race matters all of the time, but not necessarily in ways that would be familiar to a contemporary reader who takes for granted the rigid ordering of races from lighter (good) to darker (bad). What becomes interesting then in the universe of the 13 Kingdoms is how that world deals with the question of multiracial identity. The fear that we would traditionally reserve for darker-skinned people is reserved for "híbridos." By conflating race, ethnicity, and religion, Lamison's work asks us to consider the ways that we assign meaning to each of these things. The protagonist Palladin need not answer that most vexing of questions for multiracial individuals, "What are you?" because he already knows who he is. He is not the problem, we are. The writing was creative and inventive. The story was compelling. My primary complaint was that the next installment was not yet available.
March 8, 2014
An excellent story full of action and struggle that will keep you on tenterhooks throughout. A clever observation on religion and society plays out through the struggles of the characters. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
March 12, 2014
I’ve been watching the Penguin Random House eBook imprints tentatively since the initial furor over the contract terms. (Which did, apparently, get resolved quickly.) But I hadn’t dipped my toes in until the blurb of Full-Blood Half-Breed made me want to give a Hydra book a chance. What tempted me? Well, there was the holy martial arts, which made me think of the terrific Avatar: The Last Airbender. (I first watched it with my niece, and then I totally watched the rest by myself. No shame.) Then there was the promise of an action-packed tournament. A quick read culminating in a showdown between two young warriors representing their religions? Sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Paladin is one of the two narrators. He’s the eponymous full-blood half-breed, which refers to the fact he’s descended from all four of the world’s races. This already sets him back in life, because mixed-race people are treated like second-class citizens in this world. But worse, he’s been thrown out of the temples for all four fighting styles because he refuses to devote himself to one. He wants to represent all of his heritage when he fights, and convince others that that’s a good thing, not heresy. He’s more than a touch naive about people being forced to consider that their religion might be wrong. He’s also quite convinced by his own awesomeness and rightness, like many a teenage boy.
His rival is Zwergfuchs, whose name only gets more ridiculous from there. He goes by the much less ridiculous Fox the Runt (no, really) and is the other narrator. His passages are interminable. If Paladin is foolhardy, at least it’s because he’s an idealist and has his heart in the right place. Fox the Runt is a hateful little brat who falls instantly in love and changes everything about himself for a girl and somehow manages to become an even worse person in the meantime. (His redeeming quality is considering that racism might, in fact, be bad.) The girl he falls in love with follows the Vile Creador, an ersatz sort of Christian God, and he converts to her religion. The main usefulness of Fox the Runt’s passages is to show what the cult is up to, but I’m just not sure it’s worth the time spent in his slimy head. There are tantalizing hints of the cult using magic to force people to join, but that plotline never comes to fruition in Full-Blood Half-Breed.
You see, the tournament isn’t the climax. It’s merely the build to a holy war, which is apparently going to range across the next book, because Full-Blood Half-Breed isn’t a standalone. Maybe that could be mentioned somewhere on the cover or blurb. I hate when I reach the end of a book and it’s all, “Surprise! This is a series! Please read the next book to see how everything works out.”
There is quite a bit to like about Full-Blood Half-Breed. I feel like religion is glossed over in a lot of books nowadays, despite being a bit part of many people’s lives. It is interesting to see a world with so many religions shaping the character’s ideas of class and such. It’s also interesting to see race discussed frankly in a fantasy novel. But I just find so much of the story hugely off-putting. Fox the Runt is gross, full stop. Paladin is a more interesting protagonist, flawed but capable of growth, with something to prove and challenges to overcome. But even he could be gross, such as when it comes to the girl he had a crush on who didn’t reciprocate because she saw him as a kid. When she gets into trouble, he writes it off as her always being shallow and makes zero effort to help her in any way. And honestly, the novel drags until it reaches the tournament passages. And even those aren’t too interesting until the final event. (Archery and tilting are much more exciting on-screen than on the page.)
There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than reading Full-Blood Half-Breed. But Cleve Lamison’s debut leaves me wishing I’d read something else.
Paladin is one of the two narrators. He’s the eponymous full-blood half-breed, which refers to the fact he’s descended from all four of the world’s races. This already sets him back in life, because mixed-race people are treated like second-class citizens in this world. But worse, he’s been thrown out of the temples for all four fighting styles because he refuses to devote himself to one. He wants to represent all of his heritage when he fights, and convince others that that’s a good thing, not heresy. He’s more than a touch naive about people being forced to consider that their religion might be wrong. He’s also quite convinced by his own awesomeness and rightness, like many a teenage boy.
His rival is Zwergfuchs, whose name only gets more ridiculous from there. He goes by the much less ridiculous Fox the Runt (no, really) and is the other narrator. His passages are interminable. If Paladin is foolhardy, at least it’s because he’s an idealist and has his heart in the right place. Fox the Runt is a hateful little brat who falls instantly in love and changes everything about himself for a girl and somehow manages to become an even worse person in the meantime. (His redeeming quality is considering that racism might, in fact, be bad.) The girl he falls in love with follows the Vile Creador, an ersatz sort of Christian God, and he converts to her religion. The main usefulness of Fox the Runt’s passages is to show what the cult is up to, but I’m just not sure it’s worth the time spent in his slimy head. There are tantalizing hints of the cult using magic to force people to join, but that plotline never comes to fruition in Full-Blood Half-Breed.
You see, the tournament isn’t the climax. It’s merely the build to a holy war, which is apparently going to range across the next book, because Full-Blood Half-Breed isn’t a standalone. Maybe that could be mentioned somewhere on the cover or blurb. I hate when I reach the end of a book and it’s all, “Surprise! This is a series! Please read the next book to see how everything works out.”
There is quite a bit to like about Full-Blood Half-Breed. I feel like religion is glossed over in a lot of books nowadays, despite being a bit part of many people’s lives. It is interesting to see a world with so many religions shaping the character’s ideas of class and such. It’s also interesting to see race discussed frankly in a fantasy novel. But I just find so much of the story hugely off-putting. Fox the Runt is gross, full stop. Paladin is a more interesting protagonist, flawed but capable of growth, with something to prove and challenges to overcome. But even he could be gross, such as when it comes to the girl he had a crush on who didn’t reciprocate because she saw him as a kid. When she gets into trouble, he writes it off as her always being shallow and makes zero effort to help her in any way. And honestly, the novel drags until it reaches the tournament passages. And even those aren’t too interesting until the final event. (Archery and tilting are much more exciting on-screen than on the page.)
There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than reading Full-Blood Half-Breed. But Cleve Lamison’s debut leaves me wishing I’d read something else.
dnf
February 25, 2014More reviews on my blog.
This book is basically Twilight for boys. It panders to the shallowest stereotypes, has laughably poor worldbuilding, and is overly-focused on the central gimmick. Replace long, drawn-out descriptions of feelz with long, drawn-out descriptions of fighting that are just as pointless and dull. Replace needless descriptions of everyone’s outfits with needless descriptions of everyone’s possessions. Replace “but our love is special, you don’t understand!” with “but my martial arts style is special, you don’t understand!” Instead of 26 words for Edward’s eye color, we get endless reminders that Fox is short. No need to replace the dragging storyline, tell-over-show writing, endless recounting of mundane activities, or absurd ‘romance.’ Both have that down pat. And much like Twilight feels like reading someone’s wet dream, FullBlooded HalfBreed is like reading some teenage boy’s Conan-inspired daydream.
It’s almost impressive how bad the worldbuilding is in this book, considering how much there is of it. But there were times I couldn’t think at all thanks to how many times I’d bashed my head into the desk. It’s an utter mess of extremes all tossed into a salad bowl, with no nuance and no sense of depth. It took random elements from Japan, Germany, Spain, and…somewhere in Africa, I’m not up to speed on all those cultures, and it just said “yup, these all live here now. Yes, those are wildly divergent cultures. No, I don’t care that there’s absolutely no inbetween. They just all exist, but with nothing else existing, and also somehow they’re also really close together. Also fuck you.” Oh, and while those may be full cultures in this ‘world,’ all you’ll get to see is a bunch of random shit from them. Yeah, this book seems to think that “worldbuilding” can be replaced with “random junk and foreign words.” It pissed me off something fierce to see such a hamfisted approach.
The bits that are unique(ish) to the book, the magic and the fighting and the religion, have so much exposition attached to them that I just stopped caring. They weren’t woven into the culture or the setting, they were just flung at you like an unwanted lecture. “Yes, that’s great, you made shit up and then told it to me, I am not impressed that you made shit up and then told it to me instead of doing something with it.”
In fact, most of the writing was like that. Just great big chunks of lecturing. We had backstories upon backstories upon backstories shoved into scenes and exposition coming out the seams and all of it was clunky. What little dialogue we got was awkward and stilted, and I was really sick of the random foreign words by the time I quit. There was no need for that. None at all. If everyone is speaking Spanish, and it gets ‘translated’ to English because that’s the language of the book, there’s no need to leave a bunch of random ‘amigos’ and such in Spanish. There were times I’d skip half a page just because there were so many of these huge phrases that I literally could not understand.
The characters could have been interesting, if I’d gotten to see more of them. Between all the exposition and backstories going on, there was very little actual character interaction. Everyone was basically an actor, standing around, waiting for the narrator to be finished so they could actually do something. Maybe they did actually do something in the second half. But I was never going to warm to Paladin. The guy was just too overpowered. He had the best fighting, the strongest magic, the coolest parents, the awesomest grandparents, the specialist lineage, OMG SHUT UP ABOUT HOW SPECIAL PALADIN IS HE HASN’T EVEN DONE JACK SHIT YET.
The plot…eh, had potential, I guess. Hard to tell, though, because everything just draaaaged ooooon and oooooon. Half the book was spent on two days. TWO DAYS. During which time very little happened. I think like three chapters were on Paladin’s birthday party. There was set up for some interesting stuff to happen, but damned if I’m going to stick around to find out at that pace. Heaven help us if the war is next week; it’ll take a whole series of books to get to it!
This book is basically Twilight for boys. It panders to the shallowest stereotypes, has laughably poor worldbuilding, and is overly-focused on the central gimmick. Replace long, drawn-out descriptions of feelz with long, drawn-out descriptions of fighting that are just as pointless and dull. Replace needless descriptions of everyone’s outfits with needless descriptions of everyone’s possessions. Replace “but our love is special, you don’t understand!” with “but my martial arts style is special, you don’t understand!” Instead of 26 words for Edward’s eye color, we get endless reminders that Fox is short. No need to replace the dragging storyline, tell-over-show writing, endless recounting of mundane activities, or absurd ‘romance.’ Both have that down pat. And much like Twilight feels like reading someone’s wet dream, FullBlooded HalfBreed is like reading some teenage boy’s Conan-inspired daydream.
It’s almost impressive how bad the worldbuilding is in this book, considering how much there is of it. But there were times I couldn’t think at all thanks to how many times I’d bashed my head into the desk. It’s an utter mess of extremes all tossed into a salad bowl, with no nuance and no sense of depth. It took random elements from Japan, Germany, Spain, and…somewhere in Africa, I’m not up to speed on all those cultures, and it just said “yup, these all live here now. Yes, those are wildly divergent cultures. No, I don’t care that there’s absolutely no inbetween. They just all exist, but with nothing else existing, and also somehow they’re also really close together. Also fuck you.” Oh, and while those may be full cultures in this ‘world,’ all you’ll get to see is a bunch of random shit from them. Yeah, this book seems to think that “worldbuilding” can be replaced with “random junk and foreign words.” It pissed me off something fierce to see such a hamfisted approach.
The bits that are unique(ish) to the book, the magic and the fighting and the religion, have so much exposition attached to them that I just stopped caring. They weren’t woven into the culture or the setting, they were just flung at you like an unwanted lecture. “Yes, that’s great, you made shit up and then told it to me, I am not impressed that you made shit up and then told it to me instead of doing something with it.”
In fact, most of the writing was like that. Just great big chunks of lecturing. We had backstories upon backstories upon backstories shoved into scenes and exposition coming out the seams and all of it was clunky. What little dialogue we got was awkward and stilted, and I was really sick of the random foreign words by the time I quit. There was no need for that. None at all. If everyone is speaking Spanish, and it gets ‘translated’ to English because that’s the language of the book, there’s no need to leave a bunch of random ‘amigos’ and such in Spanish. There were times I’d skip half a page just because there were so many of these huge phrases that I literally could not understand.
The characters could have been interesting, if I’d gotten to see more of them. Between all the exposition and backstories going on, there was very little actual character interaction. Everyone was basically an actor, standing around, waiting for the narrator to be finished so they could actually do something. Maybe they did actually do something in the second half. But I was never going to warm to Paladin. The guy was just too overpowered. He had the best fighting, the strongest magic, the coolest parents, the awesomest grandparents, the specialist lineage, OMG SHUT UP ABOUT HOW SPECIAL PALADIN IS HE HASN’T EVEN DONE JACK SHIT YET.
The plot…eh, had potential, I guess. Hard to tell, though, because everything just draaaaged ooooon and oooooon. Half the book was spent on two days. TWO DAYS. During which time very little happened. I think like three chapters were on Paladin’s birthday party. There was set up for some interesting stuff to happen, but damned if I’m going to stick around to find out at that pace. Heaven help us if the war is next week; it’ll take a whole series of books to get to it!
March 13, 2014
This review was originally published with Avid Reviews: www.avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.com
I was quite surprised by this new fantasy debut. I read a few reviews before diving into this book, and they all purported that this novel had a stale plot line, and was filled with needless violence. I therefore went in to this book with lowered expectations, and my best hope was for a book that I would be able to get to the end of without too much difficulty. I can honestly say that this book was a very pleasantly surprise. I can only assume that the reviews I read were from people that had only read the first few chapters, or were thrown off when they found a book that had been classified as YA that didn’t contain a female heroine and a sappy romance.
I would be hesitant to classify this novel as YA. The two POV characters are teenage boys on the brink of manhood, but the book also contains many adult themes, and a lot of the plot is filled with intricate political intrigue that is centered on the world’s clashing religious factions. The novel also contains a good amount of graphic violence, as the two main characters are set against themselves in the arena with the intention of causing each other serious physical harm, or, in one case, even death.
The story focuses on the rivalry between Paladin Del Darkdragón, and Fox the Runt. They are both young men, and warriors in training. They live in a world where their martial art is tied to their religion, and the way to praise their god of choice is to practice a certain fighting style. Paladin struggles because he is a half-breed, and therefore the descendant of followers of all the different gods and their unique fighting styles. His blended martial arts have gotten him kicked out of all the temples in the city, yet he still insists on worshipping all of the gods rather than devoting himself to just one. After Paladin’s honor is questioned by Fox the Runt, he must fight in a tournament to prove his worth. Unfortunately, even if he does win, he will be ridiculed as a heretic and pagan for embracing all the gods. Paladin finds himself having to choose between honor and the safety of his own family, while Fox the Runt struggles with an upbringing that has brought him nothing but hatred of his own countrymen and Paladin’s mixed ancestry in particular.
The plot of this novel was relatively fast paced, despite a few sections that were a bit slower due to their focus on political and religious intrigue. Even during the slower sections, I found the book engaging, and the places where the plot picked up were very intriguing. The plot is complex, and is devoted to the importance of two young men on opposing sides of an impending religious feud. The world the book takes place in is extremely intricate and fascinating, even though it does take a while to get into the book’s rhythm and understand the complexity of the religious status quo. I would recommend this book to those that are interested in the martial arts, enjoy epic fantasy, and also those that enjoy a good dose of intrigue with their speculative fiction. The book’s plot is left open-ended, and I will be looking forward to reading any sequels that are to come.
Overall, I enjoyed this debut even though it is not a book that may appeal to the masses of speculative fiction fans. I would rate this book a 7.5/10.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
I was quite surprised by this new fantasy debut. I read a few reviews before diving into this book, and they all purported that this novel had a stale plot line, and was filled with needless violence. I therefore went in to this book with lowered expectations, and my best hope was for a book that I would be able to get to the end of without too much difficulty. I can honestly say that this book was a very pleasantly surprise. I can only assume that the reviews I read were from people that had only read the first few chapters, or were thrown off when they found a book that had been classified as YA that didn’t contain a female heroine and a sappy romance.
I would be hesitant to classify this novel as YA. The two POV characters are teenage boys on the brink of manhood, but the book also contains many adult themes, and a lot of the plot is filled with intricate political intrigue that is centered on the world’s clashing religious factions. The novel also contains a good amount of graphic violence, as the two main characters are set against themselves in the arena with the intention of causing each other serious physical harm, or, in one case, even death.
The story focuses on the rivalry between Paladin Del Darkdragón, and Fox the Runt. They are both young men, and warriors in training. They live in a world where their martial art is tied to their religion, and the way to praise their god of choice is to practice a certain fighting style. Paladin struggles because he is a half-breed, and therefore the descendant of followers of all the different gods and their unique fighting styles. His blended martial arts have gotten him kicked out of all the temples in the city, yet he still insists on worshipping all of the gods rather than devoting himself to just one. After Paladin’s honor is questioned by Fox the Runt, he must fight in a tournament to prove his worth. Unfortunately, even if he does win, he will be ridiculed as a heretic and pagan for embracing all the gods. Paladin finds himself having to choose between honor and the safety of his own family, while Fox the Runt struggles with an upbringing that has brought him nothing but hatred of his own countrymen and Paladin’s mixed ancestry in particular.
The plot of this novel was relatively fast paced, despite a few sections that were a bit slower due to their focus on political and religious intrigue. Even during the slower sections, I found the book engaging, and the places where the plot picked up were very intriguing. The plot is complex, and is devoted to the importance of two young men on opposing sides of an impending religious feud. The world the book takes place in is extremely intricate and fascinating, even though it does take a while to get into the book’s rhythm and understand the complexity of the religious status quo. I would recommend this book to those that are interested in the martial arts, enjoy epic fantasy, and also those that enjoy a good dose of intrigue with their speculative fiction. The book’s plot is left open-ended, and I will be looking forward to reading any sequels that are to come.
Overall, I enjoyed this debut even though it is not a book that may appeal to the masses of speculative fiction fans. I would rate this book a 7.5/10.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
March 11, 2015
This was a well written fantasy novel and not a standalone. It’s important to know this so that you understand that the extensive world building was necessary to lay the foundation for this series. I give major points to the author for having a duel POV between the protagonist and antagonist. That was cool. It really added to the story.
The fighting was exciting and fun. I liked both Padalin and Fox. They were great characters. They were really well developed. They were younger than I expected, but I still liked them. I liked their mindsets as they fought especially. I think that the fighting was actually my favorite part. That being said, I found religion, racism, class war quite interesting.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, I think you will enjoy this book. The action is fantastic and I was completely intrigued with the fantasy world created. I was left with a few questions, but suspect they will be answered in the following books.
My only complaint was that this book felt like it took forever to read. I don’t know if it was slow, or just so full of information that I was exhausted, but it felt LONG. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I swore I read for weeks. ;)
I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in this series.
Overall I give this book 3 stars and pair it with several kamikaze shots!
Purchase link - Full-Blood Half-Breed
The fighting was exciting and fun. I liked both Padalin and Fox. They were great characters. They were really well developed. They were younger than I expected, but I still liked them. I liked their mindsets as they fought especially. I think that the fighting was actually my favorite part. That being said, I found religion, racism, class war quite interesting.
If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, I think you will enjoy this book. The action is fantastic and I was completely intrigued with the fantasy world created. I was left with a few questions, but suspect they will be answered in the following books.
My only complaint was that this book felt like it took forever to read. I don’t know if it was slow, or just so full of information that I was exhausted, but it felt LONG. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I swore I read for weeks. ;)
I will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in this series.
Overall I give this book 3 stars and pair it with several kamikaze shots!
Purchase link - Full-Blood Half-Breed
March 15, 2014
Full-Blood Half-Breed is an exceptionally well-written book - once you get into it. Cleve Lamison jumps right into the thick of his story with the tale of a teenage boy named Paladin Del Darkdragon. This novel was hard for me to get into in the beginning because he blends several languages together (English, Spanish, German, and Japanese) when speaking slang, technical, or mystical terms. However, that was also one of the things that made this novel so thrilling. The blending theme was interwoven throughout the entire storyline. Paladin Del Darkdragon is a blended-race youth who decided to blend the five martial arts styles together into his own unique style that makes him a heretic to the entire Thirteen Kingdoms, who believe that purity in all things, including fighting and worship make them supreme. This novel really spoke to me as a modern conflict retold through ancient viewpoints. In a time when religious and political purity is being touted as being the supreme objective for people, I found this book really spoke to me about the need for "blended viewpoints" in both subjects because, as the book proves, without blending the viewpoints, one's take on the world tends to be rather myopic. I can't wait to see what this author had in store for the sequel!!
April 18, 2014
Yes, yes, yes! Lamison’s first book nails it! Like a comic book busting through its panels, the rich characters pop through, dragging you into their world of fast paced action and drama. Though a teen novel I found it gritty enough for adults to sink their teeth into, as melodrama aside, the human condition and struggle for freedom is evident through out. Lamison’s version of light side verses dark side is not so black and white. He dares to have his heroes balance on the edge of the knife, and run the blades length. The pathos of racism and class war and religion mirrors our own world and his Paladin is a hero we all need inside and long for, a bold sagely maverick, that knows himself and the world around him . .I can’t wait for the next installment!
March 12, 2014
ARE.YOU.FUCKING.KIDDING.ME?
SERIOUSLY?
SOMEONE WROTE THIS?
AND SOMEONE AGREED TO PUBLISH THIS?
AND SOME PEOPLE EVEN LIKED THIS?!
I am man hear me roar ... Please just shut up already.
DNF
SERIOUSLY?
SOMEONE WROTE THIS?
AND SOMEONE AGREED TO PUBLISH THIS?
AND SOME PEOPLE EVEN LIKED THIS?!
I am man hear me roar ... Please just shut up already.
DNF
March 19, 2016
In un mondo di mescolanze e contraddizioni, dove l'umanità è divisa in quattro razze che servono quattro dei attraverso l'uso rituale di arti marziali, e dove la purezza razziale è uno patente di nobiltà, due ragazzi completamente diversi, eppure molto simili nel loro desiderio di emergere, finiscono inevitabilmente in rotta di collisione. Uno è un puro sangue, e allo stesso tempo un reietto della sua razza, della quale non ha le caratteristiche salienti, l'altro un sangue misto di incredibile bellezza e grande talento, che però, proprio a causa della non purezza del suo sangue, si sente spinto a usare uno stile di lotta che mescola le caratteristiche di tutte e quattro le arti rituali, per ottenere una nuova arte tanto micidiale quanto ritenuta blasfema.
In questa situazione già abbastanza complicata, si innesta un nuovo dio, che pretente di essere l'unico e il cui profeta esige la sottomissione di tutti i cittadini tramite un vero e proprio bagno di sangue.
Chiaramente destinato ad avere un seguito, questo lungo fantasy è piuttosto intrigante, anche se la lettura risulta a tratti difficile a causa dell'uso eccessivo di un mix linguistico assai variegato.
Ringrazio la Random House Publishing Group - Hydra per avermi inviato una copia in anteprima in cambio di una recensione onesta.
n a world of crossbreeding and contradictions, human race divided into four breeds that are at the service of four gods by means of four ritual martial arts and racial purity is a patent of nobility. Two young men are completely different, yet very similar in their desire to emerge, and inevitably end up in a fight. One is a pure blood, and at the same time an outcast of his race, of which has not the salient features, the other is a mixed blood of incredible beauty and talent, but, precisely because of the non- purity of his blood, feels compelled to use a fighting style that combines the features of all four rituals arts, to get a new art very deadly, and considered blasphemous .
In this situation already complicated, it inserts a new god, that pretends to be the one, and whose prophet demands the subjugation of all citizens through a real bloodbath.
Clearly intended to have a sequel, this long fantasy is quite intriguing, even if the reading is sometimes difficult due to the excessive use of a multi-faceted linguistic mix .
I thank the Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
In questa situazione già abbastanza complicata, si innesta un nuovo dio, che pretente di essere l'unico e il cui profeta esige la sottomissione di tutti i cittadini tramite un vero e proprio bagno di sangue.
Chiaramente destinato ad avere un seguito, questo lungo fantasy è piuttosto intrigante, anche se la lettura risulta a tratti difficile a causa dell'uso eccessivo di un mix linguistico assai variegato.
Ringrazio la Random House Publishing Group - Hydra per avermi inviato una copia in anteprima in cambio di una recensione onesta.
n a world of crossbreeding and contradictions, human race divided into four breeds that are at the service of four gods by means of four ritual martial arts and racial purity is a patent of nobility. Two young men are completely different, yet very similar in their desire to emerge, and inevitably end up in a fight. One is a pure blood, and at the same time an outcast of his race, of which has not the salient features, the other is a mixed blood of incredible beauty and talent, but, precisely because of the non- purity of his blood, feels compelled to use a fighting style that combines the features of all four rituals arts, to get a new art very deadly, and considered blasphemous .
In this situation already complicated, it inserts a new god, that pretends to be the one, and whose prophet demands the subjugation of all citizens through a real bloodbath.
Clearly intended to have a sequel, this long fantasy is quite intriguing, even if the reading is sometimes difficult due to the excessive use of a multi-faceted linguistic mix .
I thank the Random House Publishing Group - Hydra for sending me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2014
3.5 stars great idea but .....
I found this a difficult book to review and I'm not sure exactly where to start, I really liked the blurb for this book and couldn't wait to start reading.
One thing I have to say is that this seemed like a much longer book, in fact when I was about half way through I went back to check just how many pages it contained, I generally read fairly quickly but it took me a long time to get through this book.
This book is primarily about two boys, sixteen year old Paladin who's a mixed-race young boy and pure blooded Fox the Runt. Paladin has developed a unique fighting style which incorporates all four fighting styles as a homage to his heritage, this mixed fighting style has him thrown out of the temples since you're only supposed to use the fighting style tied to one temple. Fox the Runt although dirt poor is a pure blood and feels himself above Paladin and all of mixed race.
I believe there could be a really good book inside this one but for me it got lost, there was just too much, I know the scene had to be set and characters introduced but at times it was so slow and I found myself skimming like I said earlier it felt like a much longer book.
Now this book is told from both Paladin and Fox's perspective and I personally wasn't keen on this it sometime took a while to realise a switch had taken place and it didn't help that I didn't like Fox at all, I know he's not likeable and he's not supposed to be but I didn't really want his perspective although I can appreciate the book wouldn't have worked as well without this, so a necessary evil.
I liked the idea of the different gods, temples and fighting styles I think the racism and religion was well written.
Will I read the next book, no I don't think so.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing House
I found this a difficult book to review and I'm not sure exactly where to start, I really liked the blurb for this book and couldn't wait to start reading.
One thing I have to say is that this seemed like a much longer book, in fact when I was about half way through I went back to check just how many pages it contained, I generally read fairly quickly but it took me a long time to get through this book.
This book is primarily about two boys, sixteen year old Paladin who's a mixed-race young boy and pure blooded Fox the Runt. Paladin has developed a unique fighting style which incorporates all four fighting styles as a homage to his heritage, this mixed fighting style has him thrown out of the temples since you're only supposed to use the fighting style tied to one temple. Fox the Runt although dirt poor is a pure blood and feels himself above Paladin and all of mixed race.
I believe there could be a really good book inside this one but for me it got lost, there was just too much, I know the scene had to be set and characters introduced but at times it was so slow and I found myself skimming like I said earlier it felt like a much longer book.
Now this book is told from both Paladin and Fox's perspective and I personally wasn't keen on this it sometime took a while to realise a switch had taken place and it didn't help that I didn't like Fox at all, I know he's not likeable and he's not supposed to be but I didn't really want his perspective although I can appreciate the book wouldn't have worked as well without this, so a necessary evil.
I liked the idea of the different gods, temples and fighting styles I think the racism and religion was well written.
Will I read the next book, no I don't think so.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing House
April 14, 2014
Full-Blood Half-Breed
Cleve Lamison
Hydra
Full-Blood Half-Breed is a fantasy novel set in a city during the lead up to the Torneo a huge tournament that unites the realms. Paladin is a young man who has blended the fighting forms of the four gods which is blasphemy. He has been thrown out of each fighting monastery. He is the blend of also of the four races as well.
Paladin’s nemesis is Fox, the Runt. He is pure blood Nord, but he is short and has been pushed around by the Nords all his life. He wants to win the Torneo to prove himself, but also to win the love of a girl. Torneo is not just about fighting, it is politics and both Paladin and Fox are caught up in the politics that swirl around the them. The world is balanced on a knife edge and the slightest thing may send it to destruction.
I like the characters that Lamison creates. They are real and gritty. It is clear that no one is simply evil or completely good. Their motivations are complex and deep. The plot is more straightforward, but there is sufficient there to hold our interest. I did find a few places where the quality of the writing is inconsistent, but nothing to push be out of the story or make me give up on the book. I expect as the series develops that the writing will solidify. This novel is the beginning of a series, yet it has a little bit of completion so I didn’t feel that the author just stopped writing. I enjoyed the unique spin on the theme of multiple gods versus “the one true God” and will be interested to see how it develops in later books.
I recommend the book for people who like swords and sorcery fantasy and like their books to be earthy and placed in real feeling characters and situations.
Cleve Lamison
Hydra
Full-Blood Half-Breed is a fantasy novel set in a city during the lead up to the Torneo a huge tournament that unites the realms. Paladin is a young man who has blended the fighting forms of the four gods which is blasphemy. He has been thrown out of each fighting monastery. He is the blend of also of the four races as well.
Paladin’s nemesis is Fox, the Runt. He is pure blood Nord, but he is short and has been pushed around by the Nords all his life. He wants to win the Torneo to prove himself, but also to win the love of a girl. Torneo is not just about fighting, it is politics and both Paladin and Fox are caught up in the politics that swirl around the them. The world is balanced on a knife edge and the slightest thing may send it to destruction.
I like the characters that Lamison creates. They are real and gritty. It is clear that no one is simply evil or completely good. Their motivations are complex and deep. The plot is more straightforward, but there is sufficient there to hold our interest. I did find a few places where the quality of the writing is inconsistent, but nothing to push be out of the story or make me give up on the book. I expect as the series develops that the writing will solidify. This novel is the beginning of a series, yet it has a little bit of completion so I didn’t feel that the author just stopped writing. I enjoyed the unique spin on the theme of multiple gods versus “the one true God” and will be interested to see how it develops in later books.
I recommend the book for people who like swords and sorcery fantasy and like their books to be earthy and placed in real feeling characters and situations.
September 16, 2014
[NO SPOILERS] I was "all in" until I finished the last page, let me tell you.
Every layer of the world-building, from people to places to things to languages, was top-notch and well thought out. It is quite a complicated world that Cleve has drawn, yet his consistency and identifiable languages helps the reader to catch on. Characterization, A+. Plot, Thumbs up.
I had decided to dog-ear each page that contained a phenomenal turn of phrase that caught my eye; a third of the way through the book, I stopped that practice because I realized I was dog-earring practically every other page, ha ha. I loved the way Cleve took non-human things and gave them a human quality, here and there. A perfect example of that: Winter squatting on the horizon. That, folks, is a winner.
I did feel that the pacing mid-story slowed down a bit, but at the same time, I don't think it could be helped. I saw nothing extraneous that could have been left out, and the story never lost me. When the beef between the two main characters finally came to a head, it was well worth the wait! I remember collapsing back in my chair and saying, "HAVE MERCY" out loud when it was over. LOL
The climax and the ending came at the perfect spot, in my opinion. I was satisfied while also hoping for more, future-wise. I enjoyed this read, and I suspect other readers have too.
Every layer of the world-building, from people to places to things to languages, was top-notch and well thought out. It is quite a complicated world that Cleve has drawn, yet his consistency and identifiable languages helps the reader to catch on. Characterization, A+. Plot, Thumbs up.
I had decided to dog-ear each page that contained a phenomenal turn of phrase that caught my eye; a third of the way through the book, I stopped that practice because I realized I was dog-earring practically every other page, ha ha. I loved the way Cleve took non-human things and gave them a human quality, here and there. A perfect example of that: Winter squatting on the horizon. That, folks, is a winner.
I did feel that the pacing mid-story slowed down a bit, but at the same time, I don't think it could be helped. I saw nothing extraneous that could have been left out, and the story never lost me. When the beef between the two main characters finally came to a head, it was well worth the wait! I remember collapsing back in my chair and saying, "HAVE MERCY" out loud when it was over. LOL
The climax and the ending came at the perfect spot, in my opinion. I was satisfied while also hoping for more, future-wise. I enjoyed this read, and I suspect other readers have too.
March 24, 2014
I was expecting an MMA, boy becoming man type story when I picked this book up. What I got was, yes, that, and so much more. This book drew me in with Paladin, a young man trying to follow his own personal ethics, and honour his heritage as best he can (despite pressure to privilege one aspect or another over the rest), and another young man, Fox the Runt, struggling to make a place for himself when he feels as though he's never been valued or loved or respected because of his appearance.
There's so much bound into this novel about race and religion, about acceptance, about following and honouring a personal code, and all of it is great though perhaps a little blunt, but the story itself, without worrying about getting a message from the book, is really strong. I was drawn right in and I want to come back for a sequel (oh please oh please!).
Easily recommended for fans of action-fantasy, martial arts, coming of age tales.
See my complete review at To Each Their Own Reviews
Received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
There's so much bound into this novel about race and religion, about acceptance, about following and honouring a personal code, and all of it is great though perhaps a little blunt, but the story itself, without worrying about getting a message from the book, is really strong. I was drawn right in and I want to come back for a sequel (oh please oh please!).
Easily recommended for fans of action-fantasy, martial arts, coming of age tales.
See my complete review at To Each Their Own Reviews
Received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.
July 25, 2014
Maligned, rebel, fighting genius engages with the establishment for a one time smack down which ends up being the catalyst for all out war.
I received this book from NetGalley for an impartial review.
Wow, I hate to give a thumbs down on a book I received for free...BUT this one just didn't do it for me. The initial promise of blended martial arts being used against the evil traditionalists was promising. Unfortunately it went down hill from there. The names of the characters and the various cults were contrived. The scenes and character building was shallow, relying more on telling than showing. The special power of what I started calling the "stoner look" which was used for mind control by the zealots was a little deus ex machina-ish. Those are the acceptable things. What I really didn't like was that the characters often weren't true to themselves...when they were they became very one dimensional. Some folk may like it - not me.
Top Hat Reviews
I received this book from NetGalley for an impartial review.
Wow, I hate to give a thumbs down on a book I received for free...BUT this one just didn't do it for me. The initial promise of blended martial arts being used against the evil traditionalists was promising. Unfortunately it went down hill from there. The names of the characters and the various cults were contrived. The scenes and character building was shallow, relying more on telling than showing. The special power of what I started calling the "stoner look" which was used for mind control by the zealots was a little deus ex machina-ish. Those are the acceptable things. What I really didn't like was that the characters often weren't true to themselves...when they were they became very one dimensional. Some folk may like it - not me.
Top Hat Reviews
March 17, 2014
An awesome read! Laughs and killer action! The characters seemed realistic in a way most boy characters don't these days. They were just like a lot of my friends. I can't wait for the next book to come out!
February 1, 2025
"Hey! Bastard!"
No, I'm not insulting you. That's my favorite line in the book. I won't spoil it for you by providing context.
There is much here for a fan of fast-paced fantasy to enjoy: creative world building, vicious feuding, blood soaked violence, and a dash of romance, all bound together in a snappy plot. I was particularly interested in the author's blending of real world languages, religions, and martial arts to create a vivid hybrid world that is two parts familiar and one part new.
However, I was sometimes bogged down by all the foreign words (Real? Made up? I couldn't always tell, which is no bad thing) and names of deities and ethnic groups. I would have welcomed a pronunciation guide and a glossary.
I also sometimes found myself lost in a welter of action playing out too fast for my taste. This may not bother genre fiction devotees, but for me the richly imagined world the author lovingly created really needed more space to unfold; the story and its teasingly suggested backdrop of history and mythology needed more time and development. Many times I have criticized a book for unnecessary filler. Here my criticism is the opposite. The short length gave the last third of the book - which I greatly enjoyed - a bit of a rushed feel, although again, this might be more a reflection of my own taste for the slow burn.
It has been more than 10 years since Cleve Lamison published this novel. Its greatest strength - an alternate reality into which its creator clearly poured his heart - should be realized in a sequel, ideally one in which the author takes his time to lay out both world and story. The experience and maturity of a decade will surely assist him to this end.
No, I'm not insulting you. That's my favorite line in the book. I won't spoil it for you by providing context.
There is much here for a fan of fast-paced fantasy to enjoy: creative world building, vicious feuding, blood soaked violence, and a dash of romance, all bound together in a snappy plot. I was particularly interested in the author's blending of real world languages, religions, and martial arts to create a vivid hybrid world that is two parts familiar and one part new.
However, I was sometimes bogged down by all the foreign words (Real? Made up? I couldn't always tell, which is no bad thing) and names of deities and ethnic groups. I would have welcomed a pronunciation guide and a glossary.
I also sometimes found myself lost in a welter of action playing out too fast for my taste. This may not bother genre fiction devotees, but for me the richly imagined world the author lovingly created really needed more space to unfold; the story and its teasingly suggested backdrop of history and mythology needed more time and development. Many times I have criticized a book for unnecessary filler. Here my criticism is the opposite. The short length gave the last third of the book - which I greatly enjoyed - a bit of a rushed feel, although again, this might be more a reflection of my own taste for the slow burn.
It has been more than 10 years since Cleve Lamison published this novel. Its greatest strength - an alternate reality into which its creator clearly poured his heart - should be realized in a sequel, ideally one in which the author takes his time to lay out both world and story. The experience and maturity of a decade will surely assist him to this end.
March 31, 2014
This book sounded interesting and it started off really well. It starts off with a rivalry between two boys studying a martial art form in a monastery to a goddess.
The first time the author switched the main character though, my enjoyment of the story jumped way down. I hate main character switching and the trend toward this in modern stories is horrifying. Every time an author switches heads I am jarringly yanked out of the flow of the story and thrust into a new story; often this is done without any warning leaving me confused as to who I am reading about for a paragraph or tow. Once I realize the author has shifted I have to go back and reread the part I just read because I realize it was from a different perspective.
The worst part was the author switched to a character that was the antagonist and was not a character that I could relate to. He was the main antagonist, or so I thought. Even with this double perspective though he continued to be the antagonist and a whiny brat to boost.
I thought the idea of the gods that everyone worshiped but different people worshiped one over the other an interesting idea. The idea of a different fighting style for each one was also interesting. This book had a lost to say on racism and religious intolerance, and I enjoyed how the author approached this.
But then the book started to drag. All I wanted to do was finish the book and it kept dragging.
I came to realize that the one God religion was an analogy for Christians, and most specifically for Catholics. The one God religion forgives you for your sins no matter what you do. As long as you ask for forgiveness after you do something, its OK. All your sins will be forgiven. Forgiveness is a part of the Catholic church, but to be forgiven you have to be truly sorry, swear never to do it again, and have not premeditated it knowing you would be forgiven.
The antagonist at one points decides to commit a crime because its for the one God and he could be forgiven later. All that mattered was he fulfill a prophesy. This is the main example of the forgiveness thing I mentioned.
This book seems highly influenced by the idea behind the crusades which is that anyone who does not believe in God must be destroyed in his name. For this crusade though, the people never have to leave their land. All they have to do is kill the heretics in the cities.
There were also lost of questions left unanswered that I hope the author would answer in a sequel.
I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book. The fight scenes were well written and enjoyable. The story flowed fairly well except for when changing characters. The middle of the book was slow, but filled with interesting concepts.
I liked the book for the most part and would recommend this to boys/men that like action filled fantasy books.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra in return for an honest review.
The first time the author switched the main character though, my enjoyment of the story jumped way down. I hate main character switching and the trend toward this in modern stories is horrifying. Every time an author switches heads I am jarringly yanked out of the flow of the story and thrust into a new story; often this is done without any warning leaving me confused as to who I am reading about for a paragraph or tow. Once I realize the author has shifted I have to go back and reread the part I just read because I realize it was from a different perspective.
The worst part was the author switched to a character that was the antagonist and was not a character that I could relate to. He was the main antagonist, or so I thought. Even with this double perspective though he continued to be the antagonist and a whiny brat to boost.
I thought the idea of the gods that everyone worshiped but different people worshiped one over the other an interesting idea. The idea of a different fighting style for each one was also interesting. This book had a lost to say on racism and religious intolerance, and I enjoyed how the author approached this.
But then the book started to drag. All I wanted to do was finish the book and it kept dragging.
I came to realize that the one God religion was an analogy for Christians, and most specifically for Catholics. The one God religion forgives you for your sins no matter what you do. As long as you ask for forgiveness after you do something, its OK. All your sins will be forgiven. Forgiveness is a part of the Catholic church, but to be forgiven you have to be truly sorry, swear never to do it again, and have not premeditated it knowing you would be forgiven.
The antagonist at one points decides to commit a crime because its for the one God and he could be forgiven later. All that mattered was he fulfill a prophesy. This is the main example of the forgiveness thing I mentioned.
This book seems highly influenced by the idea behind the crusades which is that anyone who does not believe in God must be destroyed in his name. For this crusade though, the people never have to leave their land. All they have to do is kill the heretics in the cities.
There were also lost of questions left unanswered that I hope the author would answer in a sequel.
I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book. The fight scenes were well written and enjoyable. The story flowed fairly well except for when changing characters. The middle of the book was slow, but filled with interesting concepts.
I liked the book for the most part and would recommend this to boys/men that like action filled fantasy books.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra in return for an honest review.
August 9, 2014
Paladin Del Darkdragon is the only son of two renown warriors: a thunder weilding fighter turned blacksmith, and a dead straight arrow shooter. Apart from his good looks and half-breed complexion, the other thing that sets him apart is his fighting style; while all the other youngings and fighters chose one fighting style to honor whichever of the thirteen gods they worship, Paladin is master in the art of all 13 fighting skills. He believes his blend is a tribute to all the gods, but none of the temples from which he has been expelled think the same, and neither does his archival, Fox Von Hammerhead.
Fox is master of the Ahikobushi style, and has a quick, calculating wit that makes up for his lack of height and physical appeal. Fox and Paladin have fought more than once, Paladin winning each time. Fox claims that Paladin's fightng style is treachery, and challenges him to compete in the Torneo, which Paladin's father has forbidden him from ever entering.
By the beginning of the Torneo, Paladin is out of favor with his parents, and in more trouble than he imagined he would be. Fox has found a new religion, and a prophecy he must fulfil. Nothing must stand in the way of his victory, especially not the half-breed.
There are a LOT of things going on in this book. Too many langages spoken all at once (English, German, French and Spanish in the same sentence?) The names and titles get confusing too. The story gets engaging, I just wish it were a lot simpler to follow. Too many matters being discussed too: tribe, societal caste systems, religion...Reminsicent of a pot of soup with too many ingredients. Ingredients are supposed to sweeten it, but if it gets too much, it takes over the soup. The story continues, but i'm not really looking forward to the sequel.
October 22, 2014
At first, I wasn't going to rate this book as high as I did, but the more I read, the more I liked it. I guess I was so concerned with figuring out what language these people were using and why there was a mess of words from different parts of the world. But, really, it has nothing to do with the book, and I was a bit crazed at the time.
Paladin is a sixteen year old training to becoming a warrior. He's considered a "half-breed", which causes some problems with the "pure-blood" people that live in his kingdom. Instead of studying and using just one fighting style, Paladin blends the four styles, which also causes some problems. When one of these pure-bloods, Fox the Runt, humiliates Paladin, he retaliates by entering the Torneo, a tournament that tests the people's fighting skills. But one of the religious groups, the Viles, have other ideas in mind for this year's Torneo.
Overall, this was a really interesting book. Watching how much religion separates the people in these kingdoms and how much it changes them was fascinating. The action scenes were well-written and I liked watching Paladin grow up so quickly, especially in his actions after the Torneo. I can't wait for the second book (if there's going to be one...which, let's face it, there's always a second one).
Paladin is a sixteen year old training to becoming a warrior. He's considered a "half-breed", which causes some problems with the "pure-blood" people that live in his kingdom. Instead of studying and using just one fighting style, Paladin blends the four styles, which also causes some problems. When one of these pure-bloods, Fox the Runt, humiliates Paladin, he retaliates by entering the Torneo, a tournament that tests the people's fighting skills. But one of the religious groups, the Viles, have other ideas in mind for this year's Torneo.
Overall, this was a really interesting book. Watching how much religion separates the people in these kingdoms and how much it changes them was fascinating. The action scenes were well-written and I liked watching Paladin grow up so quickly, especially in his actions after the Torneo. I can't wait for the second book (if there's going to be one...which, let's face it, there's always a second one).
March 10, 2014
There were a lot of good things in this book. It was different, not really at all like a lot of other fantasy. The pacing was a bit uneven. Some parts seemed really exciting, and I had a hard time putting it down. But then other times the story seemed to almost come to a screeching halt, and I got quite bored.
I wish the story had been longer. It seems like as soon as things really got going, the story ended. It seemed pretty obvious there will be more books, but I like it when authors do a little better job of finding a good stopping point. This was definitely not the worst I've read in that respect, but could have been better.
Maybe it's just my weariness of series that is coloring my view here. There are just so many of them, and by the time the next books come out, I've forgotten what happened previously, and there is no way I have time for constant re-reads.
Anyway, this was pretty good, and I would recommend it to certain readers, but I don't think all fantasy readers will love it.
I wish the story had been longer. It seems like as soon as things really got going, the story ended. It seemed pretty obvious there will be more books, but I like it when authors do a little better job of finding a good stopping point. This was definitely not the worst I've read in that respect, but could have been better.
Maybe it's just my weariness of series that is coloring my view here. There are just so many of them, and by the time the next books come out, I've forgotten what happened previously, and there is no way I have time for constant re-reads.
Anyway, this was pretty good, and I would recommend it to certain readers, but I don't think all fantasy readers will love it.
July 15, 2014
I loved the ideas this book was based around (child prodigy(s), mixed heritage, combining martial arts, bucking the system) but I could not get past the delivery. I had a really hard time understanding the quasi Spanish?/Hispanic? culture combined with a quasi Japanese?/Chinese? culture,with maybe some German thrown in(?). There is a deity system system that is important to the book but I never fully grasped, partially due to the wild names given to things (characters,'classes', 'magics', places, etc) that I could not even assign a butchered pronunciation in my head. I guess I also did not understand the way he was prejudiced against racially for being a of 4 races, but his parents (who would have to be mixed themselves right?) are apparently held in high esteem for being such great warriors.
Great over all idea, but I put it down about 80% through, and I probably should have given up earlier.
Great over all idea, but I put it down about 80% through, and I probably should have given up earlier.
January 7, 2017
I read the free sample and was excited to buy and read this book. After what was in the sample, though, the book began to drag. The author has put a lot of thought and development into his world, but he takes too long to explain it. The information is dribbled out a little at a time, making it sometimes hard to understand what is happening. The antagonist has a strong backstory and motivation, but his development is rather silly. (He goes from doubt to zealotry in less than a page, though the book infers there is more going on with the conversions.)
About the time I was starting to wonder if I really wanted to read this book, it got good again. The world-building was done, and everything started to come together. As I read, I got more and more emotionally invested in the book, until I was mentally yelling at the main character's parents. (This is a good thing.) By the end, I was hoping there is a sequel. (It doesn't look like it at this time.)
About the time I was starting to wonder if I really wanted to read this book, it got good again. The world-building was done, and everything started to come together. As I read, I got more and more emotionally invested in the book, until I was mentally yelling at the main character's parents. (This is a good thing.) By the end, I was hoping there is a sequel. (It doesn't look like it at this time.)
March 27, 2014
The world building was thorough and believable with an excellent balance of dialogue, action, and character building. The characters were very well developed, though I didn't like how Paladin came across as the spoiled, naive teenager. That said, I still liked Paladin, I just wasn't expecting such a young adult feel to the novel as it was presented as a violent, adult fantasy novel in the description. The dual points of view between Paladin and Fox, the antagonist, were brilliantly done. At times I sympathized with Fox and understood him~almost, which is excellent considering how dark of a character he is.
For the full review go to: http://mccorkleheather.wix.com/heathe...
For the full review go to: http://mccorkleheather.wix.com/heathe...
March 29, 2016
What can I say but this, this book is a mess, it is a jumble of english mixed with spanish, what I assume to be Japanese and something else. Then you go ahead and ignore all those languages and add nordic people and other races not aligned with those languages, science/ elementalism, religious pantheons, a cult of one god followers.
I mean come on, stick to a methodology or set of rules, a set of religions, rather than just pack everything you can think of in there. Made a bigger prolonged deal out of the tourneo and make i have more significance. Will not be reading any more of this series.
I mean come on, stick to a methodology or set of rules, a set of religions, rather than just pack everything you can think of in there. Made a bigger prolonged deal out of the tourneo and make i have more significance. Will not be reading any more of this series.
October 2, 2014
The Author pens " Full-Blood Half-Breed" in a fast paced plot filled with drama, martial arts, and good vs evil with touches of religion. As I believe, this was the Author's debut book in which found the storyline to be an engaging page turner with characters that were multi-leveled and believable. I did feel at the end there is another book to come, as the book ended without really ending....if that makes sense. A fantastic book for all young adults and adults alike.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
March 25, 2014
The story appears to be aimed at the comic book set. It was imaginative and exciting, with simple narration. I hope that additional installments are planned because the book appeared to end just when everything was in question. It is written with strong references to Christianity as worshippers are invited to serve the one god and receive forgiveness and salvation. Yet in the ending, the one god worshippers are the bad guys, or appear to be. The book stopped without really ending.
August 23, 2014
I stayed up and fought through a horrible allergy flare-up to finish this one and it was worth it. The beginning will have you a bit confused as you try wrap your head around the basics of the background story, but stick with it. If you stories about the underdog fighting to hold on to his truth against insurmountable odds; this is your book.
August 8, 2014
well defined backdrop and characters. Well written, but leaves little to the imagination. Good read for the in between of others and plenty of action for the avid fight and combat reader. I would reccomend this to ages 14 and up!
June 4, 2015
this book is about Paladin Del Darkdragón, a sixteen-year-old warrior-in-training and his fight against the bullies who don't like him. He is on a quest to save the world from destruction. i didn't like this book at all. i wouldn't recommend this book
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