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Pact and Pattern #2
Ogród Imperium
Wojna uczyni potwora z każdego.
Rebelia osiąga punkt wrzenia. Powstańcy nie cofną się przed niczym, byle uwolnić się od Imperium. Niedawni sojusznicy nagle stają się śmiertelnym, nieprzewidywalnym zagrożeniem, ale bez nich Głupi Kundel nie ma żadnych szans na pokonanie Imperatora Teneta. Nawet ze swoją nowo nabytą mocą, przychylnością Bogów i niezłomnym pragnieniem wolności. A jednak musi stanąć do tej walki. Musi powstrzymać szaleństwo krwi i ochronić tych, którzy kiedyś ochronili jego. Aby to zrobić, będzie musiał zaryzykować wszystko - i uciec się do starożytnej magii, która może rozerwać świat na strzępy.
Rebelia osiąga punkt wrzenia. Powstańcy nie cofną się przed niczym, byle uwolnić się od Imperium. Niedawni sojusznicy nagle stają się śmiertelnym, nieprzewidywalnym zagrożeniem, ale bez nich Głupi Kundel nie ma żadnych szans na pokonanie Imperatora Teneta. Nawet ze swoją nowo nabytą mocą, przychylnością Bogów i niezłomnym pragnieniem wolności. A jednak musi stanąć do tej walki. Musi powstrzymać szaleństwo krwi i ochronić tych, którzy kiedyś ochronili jego. Aby to zrobić, będzie musiał zaryzykować wszystko - i uciec się do starożytnej magii, która może rozerwać świat na strzępy.
526 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2022
76 people are currently reading
1458 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Greathouse
7 books202 followersJ.T. Greathouse is the BFA-nominated author of the Pact & Pattern trilogy. His short fiction has appeared, often as Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis, in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Writers of the Future 34, Deep Magic, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, he has worked as an ESL teacher in Taipei, as a bookseller, and as a high school teacher. He currently lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife Hannah, two cats, and several overflowing bookshelves.
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October 12, 2022
ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
The Garden of Empire did not live up to The Hand of the Sun King, but it is a good sequel—with issues—that also promises incredible things to come in the third and final book of the trilogy.
The Hand of the Sun King by J.T. Greathouse was the best fantasy debut I read and published in 2021. I loved everything about The Hand of the Sun King. And as the first book of a trilogy, I think Greathouse's debut is criminally underrated, and it deserves more readership. Knowing how much I loved the first book in Pact and Pattern trilogy, it is not an exaggeration to say that the second novel, The Garden of Empire, was one of my most anticipated books of this year. And now that I've read the book, I'm sad to admit that even though I enjoyed it, it didn't manage to live up to the quality of its predecessor. Greathouse, if you’re somehow reading this review, stop what you’re doing and browse something else.
Look here, even though I looked forward to reading this book, I was honestly a bit afraid of reading The Garden of Empire due to one storytelling change I heard will be taken by the author for this sequel. Unfortunately, in this case, my fear was founded. I knew before I read this book that unlike The Hand of the Sun King, which is told exclusively from the first-person perspective of Wen Alder, The Garden of Empire will utilize multiple POV characters in the narrative. Those who've read The Garden of Empire will know what I'm talking about. I have nothing against multiple POV chapters; you should know this by now. Most of my favorite epic fantasy books are told through several POV characters rather than one. But it gets much trickier when this storytelling decision is applied in the second volume and beyond when the first book of the series is told exclusively through first-person narration. In other words, The Garden of Empire was almost Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan all over again.
For those who haven't read Blood Song or Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan, I'm going to give you a brief refresher. Vaelin was the sole main character of Blood Song, and he had a relatively small spotlight in the sequel: Tower Lord. Vaelin, the main character of Blood Song, pretty much became a useless supporting character in the third book: Queen of Fire. Fortunately, this degradation of the main character hasn't happened yet with the series. Wen Alder is still undoubtedly the main character of Pact and Pattern trilogy. Though I will say this, Alder became as infuriating and clueless as Fitz from The Realm of the Elderlings, a character I dearly loved, in The Garden of Empire, but more on this later. My issue with the changes to multiple POV characters is that The Garden of Empire didn't feel like it required this change.
Alder stated in the detailed recap at the beginning of the book that this has turned into a story of an empire, which I understand and necessitate the inclusion of three other POV characters. One is an interlude character, and the other two POV characters are Hand Pinion and Koro Ha. But for about 60% of the book, close to nothing interesting happened in Hand Pinion and Koro Ha's chapters. There was a big pacing issue or a middle-book syndrome with this. There was a heavy emphasis on magic and world-building, but many explanations were told in an info-dump manner resulting in a forgettable magic system. I would've loved having a POV chapter from Atar, but nope. She barely appeared in this sequel. In the first 60% or so, practically nothing crucial happened in the story, and then everything exploded insanely in the last 100 pages. It took me a week to read the first 350 pages and then one sitting to read the final 100 pages. That should show you the fluctuating level of investment I had with The Garden of Empire. If it weren't for how well-written the prose was, I would've dropped the novel before I reached the tension-packed final quarter.
I've been pretty negative in my review so far, but I mean what I said that I absolutely loved Greathouse's prose. This is one aspect where I felt the quality showcased in The Hand of the Sun King remains strong in this sequel. I felt Greathouse's writing was beautiful, easy, and a joy to read. Regarding the quality of prose, I believe Greathouse is one of the best new fantasy writers. Vivid, immersive, beautifully structured, and Greathouse showed he can certainly write both melancholic and action-packed scenes. As proven in the final sequence of The Garden of Empire.
The climax sequence of The Garden of Empire was absolutely breathtaking. It is worth persevering to get to this point if you're struggling with the pacing of the first half. I wondered where the story was going, and by the end, I was so pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. Maybe not the overall execution itself, but the result was just awesome. Not only does the brutal climax sequence escalate the scope and tension of the series, but the thrilling confrontations and ending also show big promises that the third book will be a return to greatness. Who knows, it is very likely the third book may become the best of the trilogy.
After all the pros and cons mentioned so far, and how much I loved The Hand of the Sun King, I wish I could give The Garden of Empire a higher rating and more positive review. But going back to the point of Alder being reminiscent of Fitz, and also, some parts of the execution of the climax sequence, there was actually one more major gripe I had with The Garden of Empire. I have to be careful about this because this is spoilery. For the entirety of the book, Alder is convinced he was rightfully doing things out of necessity. This is a great theme, even at the risk of making Alder an infuriating and selfish character to read. I did not mind this. The issue, however, is that people around him willingly did not prevent him from doing what he was determined to do for god knows what reasons. They intentionally kept secrets from him, and in the end, Alder is called stupid and an idiot for doing what he did.
Why are things being kept from Alder for the entirety of the book? No idea. Greathouse might be saving the full revelations for book three, which (once again) makes this an incredibly frustrating trope to use. Or maybe, in the worst case, Greathouse didn't know what to do with the revelations. The bottom line, right now, the characters keeping secret from Alder throughout the book and then blaming him for his actions are just unforgivable and lazy storytelling. It's reminiscent of Fitz, but at least for Fitz, we often find out, in the same book, why secrets are kept from him. Here, it doesn't feel like something that needs to be postponed until the third book. And until I read the final book to find out, and judge for myself, whether the keeping secrets trope is merited or not, the lukewarm rating for The Garden of Empire stays.
This review was not easy to write. In fact, I hated writing it. The Hand of the Sun King is one of my favorite books, and I genuinely wished I could love The Garden of Empire much more. I have to be truthful in my reviews. Otherwise, there's no point in my positive reviews as well. The Garden of Empire is written beautifully, but sadly, it is afflicted with infuriating tropes and the middle-book syndrome. The good thing, though, is what happened at the end of the book showcased the big potential for the third book to be the best of the trilogy. And I sincerely hope that will end up becoming a reality.
You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Casey, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Lana, Leigh, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
The Garden of Empire did not live up to The Hand of the Sun King, but it is a good sequel—with issues—that also promises incredible things to come in the third and final book of the trilogy.
‘Ambition is only a failing if one cannot live up to it,’
The Hand of the Sun King by J.T. Greathouse was the best fantasy debut I read and published in 2021. I loved everything about The Hand of the Sun King. And as the first book of a trilogy, I think Greathouse's debut is criminally underrated, and it deserves more readership. Knowing how much I loved the first book in Pact and Pattern trilogy, it is not an exaggeration to say that the second novel, The Garden of Empire, was one of my most anticipated books of this year. And now that I've read the book, I'm sad to admit that even though I enjoyed it, it didn't manage to live up to the quality of its predecessor. Greathouse, if you’re somehow reading this review, stop what you’re doing and browse something else.
“Arrogance buries its roots deep. No matter how we think it is weeded from us, it springs back anew, masking itself with the flower of benevolent purpose.”
Look here, even though I looked forward to reading this book, I was honestly a bit afraid of reading The Garden of Empire due to one storytelling change I heard will be taken by the author for this sequel. Unfortunately, in this case, my fear was founded. I knew before I read this book that unlike The Hand of the Sun King, which is told exclusively from the first-person perspective of Wen Alder, The Garden of Empire will utilize multiple POV characters in the narrative. Those who've read The Garden of Empire will know what I'm talking about. I have nothing against multiple POV chapters; you should know this by now. Most of my favorite epic fantasy books are told through several POV characters rather than one. But it gets much trickier when this storytelling decision is applied in the second volume and beyond when the first book of the series is told exclusively through first-person narration. In other words, The Garden of Empire was almost Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan all over again.
“Anger never motivated any pupil to the heights of success.”
For those who haven't read Blood Song or Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan, I'm going to give you a brief refresher. Vaelin was the sole main character of Blood Song, and he had a relatively small spotlight in the sequel: Tower Lord. Vaelin, the main character of Blood Song, pretty much became a useless supporting character in the third book: Queen of Fire. Fortunately, this degradation of the main character hasn't happened yet with the series. Wen Alder is still undoubtedly the main character of Pact and Pattern trilogy. Though I will say this, Alder became as infuriating and clueless as Fitz from The Realm of the Elderlings, a character I dearly loved, in The Garden of Empire, but more on this later. My issue with the changes to multiple POV characters is that The Garden of Empire didn't feel like it required this change.
‘You give me too much credit. As the sage Traveller-on-the-Narrow-Way writes, a sculptor is only as good as the jade in his hands.’
Alder stated in the detailed recap at the beginning of the book that this has turned into a story of an empire, which I understand and necessitate the inclusion of three other POV characters. One is an interlude character, and the other two POV characters are Hand Pinion and Koro Ha. But for about 60% of the book, close to nothing interesting happened in Hand Pinion and Koro Ha's chapters. There was a big pacing issue or a middle-book syndrome with this. There was a heavy emphasis on magic and world-building, but many explanations were told in an info-dump manner resulting in a forgettable magic system. I would've loved having a POV chapter from Atar, but nope. She barely appeared in this sequel. In the first 60% or so, practically nothing crucial happened in the story, and then everything exploded insanely in the last 100 pages. It took me a week to read the first 350 pages and then one sitting to read the final 100 pages. That should show you the fluctuating level of investment I had with The Garden of Empire. If it weren't for how well-written the prose was, I would've dropped the novel before I reached the tension-packed final quarter.
‘We can only arrive at genuine understanding by interrogating our misconceptions… There is no shame in being wrong, so long as one is able to accept correction from your teachers, your parents, and the sages.’
I've been pretty negative in my review so far, but I mean what I said that I absolutely loved Greathouse's prose. This is one aspect where I felt the quality showcased in The Hand of the Sun King remains strong in this sequel. I felt Greathouse's writing was beautiful, easy, and a joy to read. Regarding the quality of prose, I believe Greathouse is one of the best new fantasy writers. Vivid, immersive, beautifully structured, and Greathouse showed he can certainly write both melancholic and action-packed scenes. As proven in the final sequence of The Garden of Empire.
'When all things align according to their proper place, peace and harmony reign; when things fall out of their ordained position, all descends to chaos and disruption'
The climax sequence of The Garden of Empire was absolutely breathtaking. It is worth persevering to get to this point if you're struggling with the pacing of the first half. I wondered where the story was going, and by the end, I was so pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. Maybe not the overall execution itself, but the result was just awesome. Not only does the brutal climax sequence escalate the scope and tension of the series, but the thrilling confrontations and ending also show big promises that the third book will be a return to greatness. Who knows, it is very likely the third book may become the best of the trilogy.
'This might be our only chance. But at what cost? You are treating lives like tools. Worse, like pieces upon a game board, to be spent and risked and lost to achieve your aims. I wonder if this is the empire’s influence on you. I hope so. Then, at least, this callousness would be but a product of the evil I already fight, rather than some evil all its own.’
After all the pros and cons mentioned so far, and how much I loved The Hand of the Sun King, I wish I could give The Garden of Empire a higher rating and more positive review. But going back to the point of Alder being reminiscent of Fitz, and also, some parts of the execution of the climax sequence, there was actually one more major gripe I had with The Garden of Empire. I have to be careful about this because this is spoilery. For the entirety of the book, Alder is convinced he was rightfully doing things out of necessity. This is a great theme, even at the risk of making Alder an infuriating and selfish character to read. I did not mind this. The issue, however, is that people around him willingly did not prevent him from doing what he was determined to do for god knows what reasons. They intentionally kept secrets from him, and in the end, Alder is called stupid and an idiot for doing what he did.
“Every great and meaningful endeavour, I reasoned, must feel impossible to those who begin it. Yet I had no choice but to begin, or else to watch the pattern of the world either remade to suit the cruel vision of the emperor or submerged into the darkest depths of violence and chaos.”
Why are things being kept from Alder for the entirety of the book? No idea. Greathouse might be saving the full revelations for book three, which (once again) makes this an incredibly frustrating trope to use. Or maybe, in the worst case, Greathouse didn't know what to do with the revelations. The bottom line, right now, the characters keeping secret from Alder throughout the book and then blaming him for his actions are just unforgivable and lazy storytelling. It's reminiscent of Fitz, but at least for Fitz, we often find out, in the same book, why secrets are kept from him. Here, it doesn't feel like something that needs to be postponed until the third book. And until I read the final book to find out, and judge for myself, whether the keeping secrets trope is merited or not, the lukewarm rating for The Garden of Empire stays.
“Every choice reshapes the pattern of the world—a heavy enough burden when those choices stood only to reshape one’s own life and the paths one might traverse. How could anyone endure a life so full of choices that shaped the paths of others?”
This review was not easy to write. In fact, I hated writing it. The Hand of the Sun King is one of my favorite books, and I genuinely wished I could love The Garden of Empire much more. I have to be truthful in my reviews. Otherwise, there's no point in my positive reviews as well. The Garden of Empire is written beautifully, but sadly, it is afflicted with infuriating tropes and the middle-book syndrome. The good thing, though, is what happened at the end of the book showcased the big potential for the third book to be the best of the trilogy. And I sincerely hope that will end up becoming a reality.
You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Casey, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Lana, Leigh, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
dnf
October 25, 2023DNF 50% Zaczekam na premierę 3 tomu i przeczytam całość od początku.
August 1, 2023
The Hand of the Sun King was the first-person autobiographical recounting of Wen Alder’s formative years. As The Garden of Empire mentions quite early on, there is still much of Wen Alder’s story to tell, yet this is now becoming the story of an empire. This is a neat way of explaining that throughout this entry, we follow Alder’s first-person perspective again, and we also follow another handful of point-of-view perspective characters, in the third person. Alder’s former tutor Kora Ha is one of the perspectives presented, as is Hand Pinion, brother to Alder’s one-time best friend. These are both characters that readers will be familiar with from the first book, and to bolster this tale of the empire is a new character who has an untamed magic and potential that is making the Gods pay attention, in a similar fashion to the way they are acknowledging Alder’s presence and importance. The switch between first and third-person perspectives works smoothly and isn’t jarring at all. It’s seamless to the extent I only really noticed it when I was 75% through the novel.
The Hand of the Sun King was presented as Alder having to choose between two sets of cultures, magics, and loyalties. Playing in the back of his mind was his competitive drive and ambition to gain the full potential of unrestricted magic that he had glimpsed so briefly and dangerously in his youth. In The Garden of Empire Wen Alder (or Foolish Cur as he’s known to one contingent) has picked and/or been forced to choose a side. He still wishes to master and understand magic’s full potential and he wants to draw his own route through the world whilst keeping those he cares about safe.
I commented within my The Hand of the Sun King review that the magic system seemed tidy and not over-complicated. It’s more of the same here, however, the cannons of magic, the different styles of power, and the way that they can be wielded are all presented as more in-depth and expanded upon. It’s at a point now that with Greathouse’s set foundations, further explanations, and Alder’s magical trials and exploits, as a reader, we understand the magic as precisely as Alder does. This is with all its potential and possibilities, yet it isn’t without its dangers and unpredictability.
I really enjoyed following Alder as a protagonist again which I guess makes me a glutton for punishment as lots of unfortunate things still seem to happen to him and those he cares about. This is taking into consideration that he’s grown and matured, and all things considered, seems to be making better choices and giving pretty good advice. Alder has traits and “luck” that are reminiscent of FitzChivalry Farseer from The Realm of the Elderlings, one of my favourite fantasy protagonists.
Alder’s point of view page time was my favourite to follow but Koro Ha and Pinion’s chapters definitely grew on me the more I read them. With Koro Ha, we see the reverberations of him tutoring someone who, unbeknown to him, would become a rebel. Through his storyline, we witness new cultures and parts of the world that weren’t shown in the first entry. With Hand Pinion’s narrative, readers are presented with the internal happenings of the empire: the opposite side of the rebellion, maybe elements of imposter syndrome when he compares himself to his brother, and someone who wants revenge. There are also many side characters who shine when they are given the limelight. Many members of Greathouse’s ensemble are an absolute joy to read about, effortlessly complimenting the main players and showcasing excellent banter, wit, and dialogue. There are a few hidden motives, mysteries, and revelations throughout too.
I rated The Hand of the Sun King with a strong 9/10 rating. I’ll award The Garden of Empire with a 7.5/10 yet I think most who enjoyed the first will find a lot to savour here too. I personally thought that between the 35%-70% mark, some chapters dragged a bit and I wasn’t glued to the pages as I had been at other points in this series. Some of these slower moments were successful though in adding quality and depth to the world-building and Greathouse’s fantasy world feels a lot more complete and organic now.
Koro Ha’s tale and another point of view narrative don’t have as much of a solid and rewarding payoff as Alder and Pinion’s do. That being said, the loose ends with regards to those characters seem very intriguing and the last 20%, in general, is superb and on par with the finest moments I’ve read in SFF so far this year. The characters and the world at the end of The Garden of Empire are almost unrecognisable from what we’re welcomed to at the start and I’m all-in for the final novel in this series, which Greathouse is hopeful will be released in 2023. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Wen Alder/Foolish Cur and how his decisions will continue to affect the empire and the world.
I received a review copy of The Garden of Empire in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to J.T. Greathouse and Gollancz.
The Hand of the Sun King was presented as Alder having to choose between two sets of cultures, magics, and loyalties. Playing in the back of his mind was his competitive drive and ambition to gain the full potential of unrestricted magic that he had glimpsed so briefly and dangerously in his youth. In The Garden of Empire Wen Alder (or Foolish Cur as he’s known to one contingent) has picked and/or been forced to choose a side. He still wishes to master and understand magic’s full potential and he wants to draw his own route through the world whilst keeping those he cares about safe.
I commented within my The Hand of the Sun King review that the magic system seemed tidy and not over-complicated. It’s more of the same here, however, the cannons of magic, the different styles of power, and the way that they can be wielded are all presented as more in-depth and expanded upon. It’s at a point now that with Greathouse’s set foundations, further explanations, and Alder’s magical trials and exploits, as a reader, we understand the magic as precisely as Alder does. This is with all its potential and possibilities, yet it isn’t without its dangers and unpredictability.
I really enjoyed following Alder as a protagonist again which I guess makes me a glutton for punishment as lots of unfortunate things still seem to happen to him and those he cares about. This is taking into consideration that he’s grown and matured, and all things considered, seems to be making better choices and giving pretty good advice. Alder has traits and “luck” that are reminiscent of FitzChivalry Farseer from The Realm of the Elderlings, one of my favourite fantasy protagonists.
Alder’s point of view page time was my favourite to follow but Koro Ha and Pinion’s chapters definitely grew on me the more I read them. With Koro Ha, we see the reverberations of him tutoring someone who, unbeknown to him, would become a rebel. Through his storyline, we witness new cultures and parts of the world that weren’t shown in the first entry. With Hand Pinion’s narrative, readers are presented with the internal happenings of the empire: the opposite side of the rebellion, maybe elements of imposter syndrome when he compares himself to his brother, and someone who wants revenge. There are also many side characters who shine when they are given the limelight. Many members of Greathouse’s ensemble are an absolute joy to read about, effortlessly complimenting the main players and showcasing excellent banter, wit, and dialogue. There are a few hidden motives, mysteries, and revelations throughout too.
I rated The Hand of the Sun King with a strong 9/10 rating. I’ll award The Garden of Empire with a 7.5/10 yet I think most who enjoyed the first will find a lot to savour here too. I personally thought that between the 35%-70% mark, some chapters dragged a bit and I wasn’t glued to the pages as I had been at other points in this series. Some of these slower moments were successful though in adding quality and depth to the world-building and Greathouse’s fantasy world feels a lot more complete and organic now.
Koro Ha’s tale and another point of view narrative don’t have as much of a solid and rewarding payoff as Alder and Pinion’s do. That being said, the loose ends with regards to those characters seem very intriguing and the last 20%, in general, is superb and on par with the finest moments I’ve read in SFF so far this year. The characters and the world at the end of The Garden of Empire are almost unrecognisable from what we’re welcomed to at the start and I’m all-in for the final novel in this series, which Greathouse is hopeful will be released in 2023. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Wen Alder/Foolish Cur and how his decisions will continue to affect the empire and the world.
I received a review copy of The Garden of Empire in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to J.T. Greathouse and Gollancz.
May 16, 2024
3.5⭐️
Z trzech głównych wątków - Głupiego Kundla, Dłoni Lotki i Koro Ha - najbardziej podobał mi się ostatni.
Wątek Głupiego Kundla zawierał ciekawe elementy dotyczące tworzenia kanonu magii - widać silne inspiracje Ursula K. LeGuin. Reszta to była taktyka wojenna, która raczej nie jest moim ulubionym tematem.
Wątek Dłoni Lotki zupełnie do mnie nie przemówił, gdyż krążył w sumie tylko dookoła taktyki wojennej.
Wątek Koro Ha był naprawdę świetny i bardzo wciągający. Dodatkowo dawał czytelnikowi do myślenia, a momentami nawet zaskakiwał. Jeśli ktoś lubi klimaty akademickie to też powinno mu się spodobać ;)
Niemniej mam wrażenie, że duża część książki była przegadana i lawirowała dookoła samej taktyki wojennej aniżeli jakiejkolwiek akcji. Dopiero końcówka miała w miarę satysfakcjonujące tempo i zostawiła pole do popisu w ostatnim tomie.
Z trzech głównych wątków - Głupiego Kundla, Dłoni Lotki i Koro Ha - najbardziej podobał mi się ostatni.
Wątek Głupiego Kundla zawierał ciekawe elementy dotyczące tworzenia kanonu magii - widać silne inspiracje Ursula K. LeGuin. Reszta to była taktyka wojenna, która raczej nie jest moim ulubionym tematem.
Wątek Dłoni Lotki zupełnie do mnie nie przemówił, gdyż krążył w sumie tylko dookoła taktyki wojennej.
Wątek Koro Ha był naprawdę świetny i bardzo wciągający. Dodatkowo dawał czytelnikowi do myślenia, a momentami nawet zaskakiwał. Jeśli ktoś lubi klimaty akademickie to też powinno mu się spodobać ;)
Niemniej mam wrażenie, że duża część książki była przegadana i lawirowała dookoła samej taktyki wojennej aniżeli jakiejkolwiek akcji. Dopiero końcówka miała w miarę satysfakcjonujące tempo i zostawiła pole do popisu w ostatnim tomie.
August 23, 2023
2023 read: pretty much the same thoughts as first read.
--
2022 read 3.5 stars
I struggled a lot getting into this book. It felt rushed and even with multiple POV it felt like little of substance happened for the bigger part of the book.
I don't mind having multiple POV. I do mind however, when the first book in a series is written from one POV (whether it be first or third POV) and later books in the series introduces additional POV's. It's even more frustrating when it is first POV because writing in first perspective is like a promise that the book(series) will only follow that specific character. Greathouse chose to keep Alder in first POV in this instalment and for the new POV characters he used third POV. This is an interesting way to write POV because with it you can really distinguish the main character from other characters but it’s also very difficult to do well and can easily look sloppy.
And Greathouse didn't even choose the best new characters to follow? He added Pinion and Koro Ha that are familiar from the first book and a new third character in the interludes. I never cared much for Pinion in the first book and while I liked Koro Ha, I never felt him interesting enough to have as a POV character. The problem with these two as POV characters in this book is that neither brought anything to the book. Pinion was mostly angry and then had a change of heart and a smidge insight with the emperor. It was fun to learn about Koro Ha's illegal school but his arc was just rushed through it was difficult to get a grip on it, though I have some suspicions where he'll be in the next book. The book would have been the same without them. There could have been other characters to follow that could have actually brought extra and needful insights to broaden the plot and the world-building.
Okay, gonna stop ranting about POVs now.
This definitely felt like a middle book, a bridge to move stuff from book one to book three. As I mentioned above, I did struggle in the beginning and it took at least 100 pages before I had found my footing. After finishing the book I also had to go back and reread several passages because I had retained it rather poorly.
I loved the magic in the first book. In this it was much more difficult to grasp, which might have been my struggles to focus and retain the information. But there are a lot more going on with the magic and the handling of it .
--
2022 read 3.5 stars
I struggled a lot getting into this book. It felt rushed and even with multiple POV it felt like little of substance happened for the bigger part of the book.
I don't mind having multiple POV. I do mind however, when the first book in a series is written from one POV (whether it be first or third POV) and later books in the series introduces additional POV's. It's even more frustrating when it is first POV because writing in first perspective is like a promise that the book(series) will only follow that specific character. Greathouse chose to keep Alder in first POV in this instalment and for the new POV characters he used third POV. This is an interesting way to write POV because with it you can really distinguish the main character from other characters but it’s also very difficult to do well and can easily look sloppy.
And Greathouse didn't even choose the best new characters to follow? He added Pinion and Koro Ha that are familiar from the first book and a new third character in the interludes. I never cared much for Pinion in the first book and while I liked Koro Ha, I never felt him interesting enough to have as a POV character. The problem with these two as POV characters in this book is that neither brought anything to the book. Pinion was mostly angry and then had a change of heart and a smidge insight with the emperor. It was fun to learn about Koro Ha's illegal school but his arc was just rushed through it was difficult to get a grip on it, though I have some suspicions where he'll be in the next book. The book would have been the same without them. There could have been other characters to follow that could have actually brought extra and needful insights to broaden the plot and the world-building.
Okay, gonna stop ranting about POVs now.
This definitely felt like a middle book, a bridge to move stuff from book one to book three. As I mentioned above, I did struggle in the beginning and it took at least 100 pages before I had found my footing. After finishing the book I also had to go back and reread several passages because I had retained it rather poorly.
I loved the magic in the first book. In this it was much more difficult to grasp, which might have been my struggles to focus and retain the information. But there are a lot more going on with the magic and the handling of it .
May 8, 2024
My gratitude to NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.
"The Garden of the Empire" transitions smoothly from the events of the first volume "The Hand of the Emperor" by the clever employ of the main character's bref recollections. Wen Alder, who now embraced his Nayenese roots and name -Foolish Cur, often glances at his tumultuous past, at his mistakes and tries to envision and create a better future for himself, his people and in large the whole world.
If in the first volume there was only the first person narrative of the main hero, here we are graced with there more points of views beside Adler's. These different perspective allowed more angles into the domination - resistance conflict, giving insight into both.
There was a deep exploration and use of the magic system which captivated me, even though there was a slow pace for the first half of the novel.
The intensity increased after the half mark and all the previous worldbuilding explorations paid off, in my opinion.
The themes of war, injustice, the blurred lines between right or wrong were deeply embedded into this narrative. Adler's justifications give some interesting answers : "Yet the necessary can still be harmful. There was value in accepting fault for the flawed means required to pursue good ends."
Getting to immerse myself into "The Pact and Pattern" universe was a rewarding and anticipated experience. J. T. Greathouse's prose felt beautiful and balanced through the whole novel.
"The Garden of the Empire" is a well crafted second instalment which I recommend after enjoying the first volume, "The Hand of the Emperor".
You can now support my passion for books with a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
"The Garden of the Empire" transitions smoothly from the events of the first volume "The Hand of the Emperor" by the clever employ of the main character's bref recollections. Wen Alder, who now embraced his Nayenese roots and name -Foolish Cur, often glances at his tumultuous past, at his mistakes and tries to envision and create a better future for himself, his people and in large the whole world.
If in the first volume there was only the first person narrative of the main hero, here we are graced with there more points of views beside Adler's. These different perspective allowed more angles into the domination - resistance conflict, giving insight into both.
There was a deep exploration and use of the magic system which captivated me, even though there was a slow pace for the first half of the novel.
The intensity increased after the half mark and all the previous worldbuilding explorations paid off, in my opinion.
The themes of war, injustice, the blurred lines between right or wrong were deeply embedded into this narrative. Adler's justifications give some interesting answers : "Yet the necessary can still be harmful. There was value in accepting fault for the flawed means required to pursue good ends."
Getting to immerse myself into "The Pact and Pattern" universe was a rewarding and anticipated experience. J. T. Greathouse's prose felt beautiful and balanced through the whole novel.
"The Garden of the Empire" is a well crafted second instalment which I recommend after enjoying the first volume, "The Hand of the Emperor".
You can now support my passion for books with a small donation here https://ko-fi.com/mariareadssff
August 24, 2022
“She remembers the corpses with the clarity of a pool filled only by the rain. Their blood soaking the hide floors, the earth beneath. Bones and meat displayed as by a butcher. Shanks and legs. Tongues. Heads, their eyes still staring, their faces swollen and putrid and all but unrecognisable.
But they had been the tents of her people, painted with their
patterns.”
The Garden of Empire by J. T. Greathouse is the outstanding sequel to one of my favourite debuts of last year, The Hand of the Sun King. Broader in scope, seeped in electrifying magic and topped with a heart stopping finale, this is a sequel not to be missed.
Throughout the first instalment we journey through a coming of age tale which sees our main protagonist, Wen Alder, of half Nayeni and half Sienese descent, walk a precarious line within the Sienese Empire, desperately seeking magic that would free him once and for all. Now, our Wen has become his Nayeni namesake, Foolish Cur. Branded an imperial traitor; he joins his uncle, Harrow Fox, and grandmother in the rebellion against the Sienese, in a war to liberate the Nayeni people. As Emperor Tenet tightens his grip upon the Sienese empire, Harrow Fox and his Nayeni rebels plot their next strike. Wen Alder once defeated the Sienese with magic that was beyond the Emperor’s control, he is therefore the Nayeni’s greatest weapon, but tensions are high as Harrow Fox cannot trust his nephew who once served the Emperor himself.
However, Wen Alder is aware of a bigger threat, one that will cause the end of the world. The Emperor plots to break the ancient pact between Witches and Gods provoking the Gods into bringing their wrath and destruction upon the entire Empire. Wen must find a way to stop him, to prevent an apocalypse, even if that means using ancient magic which might also ire the Gods. But every war has its costs, and its sacrifices.
Once again Greathouse’s prose is atmospheric, beautifully descriptive and crafted with a true love for storytelling. I would like to thank him for beginning The Garden of Empire with a summary of the first book, told by Wen Alder, which was not only extremely useful but it also fitted perfectly into the story. After all, the first book is written as an intimate account of Wen’s life, therefore it felt natural for him to recount the events which led him to joining the rebellion. Wen also informs us that this will no longer be his story alone. Greathouse incorporates additional POV’s of characters from across the empire, those being Ral Ans Urrera, Koro Ha and Hand Pinion. Although this came as a surprise, I actually felt it was the best choice as Wen Alder’s actions had consequences which rippled throughout the empire, therefore by having these POVs we could see the effects in greater detail. However, having the story spread across the empire did leave me wanting a map to better visualise how far apart our characters were, but this is a personal preference as I always love a good fantasy map.
Wen Alder now treads an even more dangerous path, caught between wanting desperately to be accepted by his Nayeni family, particularly his uncle Harrow Fox, and letting go of his former relations with the Sienese army. On both fronts he faces difficulties, the Nayeni do not trust him, and the Sienese hate him for his betrayal. Yet ultimately Wen desires peace, for all of Nayen. I love Wen’s character, the way he weighs every decision he makes, how each life he takes or each person who dies because of him plays upon his mind be they Nayeni or Sienese. He may be morally grey in many aspects but underneath he is a character who truly cares. He wants to prevent the destruction of Nayen, he longs for the liberation of the Nayeni people but not for it to be replaced by the oppression of the Sienese. He is very much a pawn being used by higher beings and I felt much sympathy for him.
“Does this seem right?
Right would be a life of poetry, of art, and of some simple work that left him with just enough wealth to be generous with his friends. No flashing swords. No screaming children or howling mothers. No cities condemned by the failure of an ill-planned trap.”
In Toa Alon, Wen’s former tutor Koro Ha faces a similar dilemma as he is also caught between two conflicting cultures. When Koro Ha is mysteriously tasked with teaching a selection of Toa Aloni students in the hopes of raising a generation of scholarly citizens of Toa Alon, he accepts, though cautiously, as this will lead him back to the country of his birth and where his family still reside. Koro Ha wishes to make the Nayeni people, as he did with Wen Alder, into people of higher status becoming the Emperor’s Hands and Voices, so that they may be treated as equal to the Sienese rather than merely oppressed under Sienese rulers. Though this causes much conflict between his family, particularly his father and brother-in-law who wish for Toa Aloni culture and their way of life to be fully restored. I found Koro Ha’s narrative extremely compelling because Greathouse poses a fascinating debate, is it enough to have Nayeni people highly educated and living in peace in accordance with the Sienese doctrine, or is it more important that the Toa Aloni people work towards their culture, magic and freedom being re-established? As the narrative dives deeper we learn how beautiful the Toa Aloni culture is; their wonderful stories, elegant scripture, their architecture and their stonespeakers who use extraordinary magic, Koro Ha begins to realise the tragic loss as the invaders made their practices illegal. As news of Wen’s betrayal reaches Toa Alon, it casts much doubt upon Koro Ha’s teaching and eventually forces him into hiding. He had spent much of his life teaching the Sienese doctrine, believing it was the right path for a peaceful future but now faced with the Empire’s oppressive regime, he realises the significance of his own heritage. I absolutely loved this narrative arc.
On the other hand, the addition of a POV by Hand Pinion gave us much insight into the plans of the Sienese. Hand Pinion is a character seething with hatred for Wen, perhaps rightfully so as Wen did betray him and played a role in the death of his brother, Oriole. Even so, his character was hard to feel compassion for as for much of the novel his perspective is so blinded. Though upon seeing the Emperor's wrongdoing, the unnecessary slaughter of their own people, Hand Pinion shows his displeasure which I thought was a fascinating turning point for his character. Though he is then caught in a tangled web, as his hatred for Wen compels him to do as the Emperor bids in order to carry out his revenge for the death of his brother.
That is the intricate beauty of The Garden of Empire. Greathouse poses many philosophical ideas where each character’s morals and ideology are put to the test and we see exactly how war shapes them. Not only does Greathouse delve deeper into his characters, he also expands upon the magic system which became one of my favourite aspects of the novel. If you know me, you’ll know I love my complex magic systems. Firstly we meet Ral Ans Urrera, a stormrider who is uninhabited by the pact and can wield wild and fierce magic. Her rage is warranted mind you as her people are all but annihilated, but her interludes gave me so much tension as we see the great threat she poses to the pact. As does Wen Alder, who begins to discover more about the canon of sorcery from his mentor Hissing Cat, and more about the pact from Okara the wolf God, and then pushes further into the creation of sorcery itself. He is able to not only improve on his skills of veering (I absolutely loved this ability), healing, shielding and battle magic but he seeks to pass on his skills and create new Nayeni witches. Again, given the limitations of the pact, Wen also plays a very dangerous game. This all leads to a breathtaking final act which I found epic in every way.
“‘Why is it that, for all your power, for all you wrested away from the gods, you witches of the old sort left the world so broken?'
‘This isn't a thing of the pattern, Cur, Hissing Cat said, her voice sharp. This is a thing of human will.'”
The last few chapters of The Garden of Empire are extremely moreish, and delivered many thrilling surprises. Greathouse sweeps his readers into an intricate tale of Gods and Witches, of rebellion and liberation, of wild magic and morally grey characters, and leaves us wanting more. I cannot wait to see how this story will conclude in the third and final book.
Review copy provided by Jenna and Javerya at Gollancz. Thank you both!
The Garden of Empire is out now.
But they had been the tents of her people, painted with their
patterns.”
The Garden of Empire by J. T. Greathouse is the outstanding sequel to one of my favourite debuts of last year, The Hand of the Sun King. Broader in scope, seeped in electrifying magic and topped with a heart stopping finale, this is a sequel not to be missed.
Throughout the first instalment we journey through a coming of age tale which sees our main protagonist, Wen Alder, of half Nayeni and half Sienese descent, walk a precarious line within the Sienese Empire, desperately seeking magic that would free him once and for all. Now, our Wen has become his Nayeni namesake, Foolish Cur. Branded an imperial traitor; he joins his uncle, Harrow Fox, and grandmother in the rebellion against the Sienese, in a war to liberate the Nayeni people. As Emperor Tenet tightens his grip upon the Sienese empire, Harrow Fox and his Nayeni rebels plot their next strike. Wen Alder once defeated the Sienese with magic that was beyond the Emperor’s control, he is therefore the Nayeni’s greatest weapon, but tensions are high as Harrow Fox cannot trust his nephew who once served the Emperor himself.
However, Wen Alder is aware of a bigger threat, one that will cause the end of the world. The Emperor plots to break the ancient pact between Witches and Gods provoking the Gods into bringing their wrath and destruction upon the entire Empire. Wen must find a way to stop him, to prevent an apocalypse, even if that means using ancient magic which might also ire the Gods. But every war has its costs, and its sacrifices.
Once again Greathouse’s prose is atmospheric, beautifully descriptive and crafted with a true love for storytelling. I would like to thank him for beginning The Garden of Empire with a summary of the first book, told by Wen Alder, which was not only extremely useful but it also fitted perfectly into the story. After all, the first book is written as an intimate account of Wen’s life, therefore it felt natural for him to recount the events which led him to joining the rebellion. Wen also informs us that this will no longer be his story alone. Greathouse incorporates additional POV’s of characters from across the empire, those being Ral Ans Urrera, Koro Ha and Hand Pinion. Although this came as a surprise, I actually felt it was the best choice as Wen Alder’s actions had consequences which rippled throughout the empire, therefore by having these POVs we could see the effects in greater detail. However, having the story spread across the empire did leave me wanting a map to better visualise how far apart our characters were, but this is a personal preference as I always love a good fantasy map.
Wen Alder now treads an even more dangerous path, caught between wanting desperately to be accepted by his Nayeni family, particularly his uncle Harrow Fox, and letting go of his former relations with the Sienese army. On both fronts he faces difficulties, the Nayeni do not trust him, and the Sienese hate him for his betrayal. Yet ultimately Wen desires peace, for all of Nayen. I love Wen’s character, the way he weighs every decision he makes, how each life he takes or each person who dies because of him plays upon his mind be they Nayeni or Sienese. He may be morally grey in many aspects but underneath he is a character who truly cares. He wants to prevent the destruction of Nayen, he longs for the liberation of the Nayeni people but not for it to be replaced by the oppression of the Sienese. He is very much a pawn being used by higher beings and I felt much sympathy for him.
“Does this seem right?
Right would be a life of poetry, of art, and of some simple work that left him with just enough wealth to be generous with his friends. No flashing swords. No screaming children or howling mothers. No cities condemned by the failure of an ill-planned trap.”
In Toa Alon, Wen’s former tutor Koro Ha faces a similar dilemma as he is also caught between two conflicting cultures. When Koro Ha is mysteriously tasked with teaching a selection of Toa Aloni students in the hopes of raising a generation of scholarly citizens of Toa Alon, he accepts, though cautiously, as this will lead him back to the country of his birth and where his family still reside. Koro Ha wishes to make the Nayeni people, as he did with Wen Alder, into people of higher status becoming the Emperor’s Hands and Voices, so that they may be treated as equal to the Sienese rather than merely oppressed under Sienese rulers. Though this causes much conflict between his family, particularly his father and brother-in-law who wish for Toa Aloni culture and their way of life to be fully restored. I found Koro Ha’s narrative extremely compelling because Greathouse poses a fascinating debate, is it enough to have Nayeni people highly educated and living in peace in accordance with the Sienese doctrine, or is it more important that the Toa Aloni people work towards their culture, magic and freedom being re-established? As the narrative dives deeper we learn how beautiful the Toa Aloni culture is; their wonderful stories, elegant scripture, their architecture and their stonespeakers who use extraordinary magic, Koro Ha begins to realise the tragic loss as the invaders made their practices illegal. As news of Wen’s betrayal reaches Toa Alon, it casts much doubt upon Koro Ha’s teaching and eventually forces him into hiding. He had spent much of his life teaching the Sienese doctrine, believing it was the right path for a peaceful future but now faced with the Empire’s oppressive regime, he realises the significance of his own heritage. I absolutely loved this narrative arc.
On the other hand, the addition of a POV by Hand Pinion gave us much insight into the plans of the Sienese. Hand Pinion is a character seething with hatred for Wen, perhaps rightfully so as Wen did betray him and played a role in the death of his brother, Oriole. Even so, his character was hard to feel compassion for as for much of the novel his perspective is so blinded. Though upon seeing the Emperor's wrongdoing, the unnecessary slaughter of their own people, Hand Pinion shows his displeasure which I thought was a fascinating turning point for his character. Though he is then caught in a tangled web, as his hatred for Wen compels him to do as the Emperor bids in order to carry out his revenge for the death of his brother.
That is the intricate beauty of The Garden of Empire. Greathouse poses many philosophical ideas where each character’s morals and ideology are put to the test and we see exactly how war shapes them. Not only does Greathouse delve deeper into his characters, he also expands upon the magic system which became one of my favourite aspects of the novel. If you know me, you’ll know I love my complex magic systems. Firstly we meet Ral Ans Urrera, a stormrider who is uninhabited by the pact and can wield wild and fierce magic. Her rage is warranted mind you as her people are all but annihilated, but her interludes gave me so much tension as we see the great threat she poses to the pact. As does Wen Alder, who begins to discover more about the canon of sorcery from his mentor Hissing Cat, and more about the pact from Okara the wolf God, and then pushes further into the creation of sorcery itself. He is able to not only improve on his skills of veering (I absolutely loved this ability), healing, shielding and battle magic but he seeks to pass on his skills and create new Nayeni witches. Again, given the limitations of the pact, Wen also plays a very dangerous game. This all leads to a breathtaking final act which I found epic in every way.
“‘Why is it that, for all your power, for all you wrested away from the gods, you witches of the old sort left the world so broken?'
‘This isn't a thing of the pattern, Cur, Hissing Cat said, her voice sharp. This is a thing of human will.'”
The last few chapters of The Garden of Empire are extremely moreish, and delivered many thrilling surprises. Greathouse sweeps his readers into an intricate tale of Gods and Witches, of rebellion and liberation, of wild magic and morally grey characters, and leaves us wanting more. I cannot wait to see how this story will conclude in the third and final book.
Review copy provided by Jenna and Javerya at Gollancz. Thank you both!
The Garden of Empire is out now.
July 26, 2022
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Hand of the Sun King was one of my favorite books of 2021 and I was eagerly anticipating this sequel for a year. What we have here is a sequel that raises the stakes of the story in every way imaginable while keeping that poetic writting of book 1. The author changed the narrative by introducting new POV characters to the story but this was need for the novel to progress and build toward the wild climax. You will not want to miss this. This will be a spoiler free review, but I will be touching upon events from the previous volume.
Wen Alder, once an integral part of the empire and Hand of the Sun King has now been branded a traitor. Now missing one hand and the mark of the Emperors power gone, he has now become Foolish Cur and joined the rebellion. Alder realizes the stakes are raised to an intense level with the Emperors desire and vengeance needing to be put to stop. Sacrifices and death are littring the country side and Alder must make a drastic choice. With the help of the Gods and a stuborn teacher Alder plans to make a Pact of his own with the Gods and use his new found power to create his own army of magic users. Will he succeed?
As i mentioned in the introduction we do get other view point characters in this sequel as well. We have Pinnon who is now a Hand of the emperor. Driven for revenge against Alder for his past actions but at the same time seeing the pain and destruction need to accomplish this goal. The rebellion will be put down even if Pinnon needs to resort to drastic measures. Finally we have Kora Ha, once the tudor of Alder now opening up a school to preserve his teachings to the next generation. He may have bitten off more than he can chew.
The raising of stakes and the drastic changes Alder has to go through is what makes this story shine. There were several scenes which left me in complete shock while the slow build up kept me sweating like a tea kettle waiting to scream. The switch in the number of POV characters will not work for some readers but please know that the story needed these additions. Wild twists and shocking revelations will leave you begging for the finale. I know I am!
Cheers!
I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Hand of the Sun King was one of my favorite books of 2021 and I was eagerly anticipating this sequel for a year. What we have here is a sequel that raises the stakes of the story in every way imaginable while keeping that poetic writting of book 1. The author changed the narrative by introducting new POV characters to the story but this was need for the novel to progress and build toward the wild climax. You will not want to miss this. This will be a spoiler free review, but I will be touching upon events from the previous volume.
Wen Alder, once an integral part of the empire and Hand of the Sun King has now been branded a traitor. Now missing one hand and the mark of the Emperors power gone, he has now become Foolish Cur and joined the rebellion. Alder realizes the stakes are raised to an intense level with the Emperors desire and vengeance needing to be put to stop. Sacrifices and death are littring the country side and Alder must make a drastic choice. With the help of the Gods and a stuborn teacher Alder plans to make a Pact of his own with the Gods and use his new found power to create his own army of magic users. Will he succeed?
As i mentioned in the introduction we do get other view point characters in this sequel as well. We have Pinnon who is now a Hand of the emperor. Driven for revenge against Alder for his past actions but at the same time seeing the pain and destruction need to accomplish this goal. The rebellion will be put down even if Pinnon needs to resort to drastic measures. Finally we have Kora Ha, once the tudor of Alder now opening up a school to preserve his teachings to the next generation. He may have bitten off more than he can chew.
The raising of stakes and the drastic changes Alder has to go through is what makes this story shine. There were several scenes which left me in complete shock while the slow build up kept me sweating like a tea kettle waiting to scream. The switch in the number of POV characters will not work for some readers but please know that the story needed these additions. Wild twists and shocking revelations will leave you begging for the finale. I know I am!
Cheers!
August 20, 2022
I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have been waiting for this book to come out for about a year now, I did really enjoy the second half of this book because you can tell the whole book its building up to this climactic meeting with the emperor and Foolish Cur. Curs perspective was my favorite while Pinions POV was a bit underwhelming until around half way through.
I think the world building was even better in this one than in the first book but what held it back from being a 5 star read was that it took me a long time to get through the first part of it and when it switched to Kora Has POV or Pinion I would try to get back to the main characters chapters as soon as possible. But that ending has me really excited for the third book in this series!
I think the world building was even better in this one than in the first book but what held it back from being a 5 star read was that it took me a long time to get through the first part of it and when it switched to Kora Has POV or Pinion I would try to get back to the main characters chapters as soon as possible. But that ending has me really excited for the third book in this series!
October 30, 2024
Minusy: czytanie zajęło mi tak długo, że prawie nie pamiętam, co się tak naprawde tam działo.
Plusy: pomimo ogromnego odcinku czasu, w jakim zrobiłam sobie przerwę, powrót do lektury był super łatwy i przyjemny.
Plusy: pomimo ogromnego odcinku czasu, w jakim zrobiłam sobie przerwę, powrót do lektury był super łatwy i przyjemny.
November 7, 2022
3,5*
Pattern willed it and I got the arc thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group.
Bare bones: Foolish Cur, formerly known as Wen Alder defied the Emperor's canon and landed himself right at the middle of centuries old conflict between powers that can reshape the pattern of the world. Being a witch of old sort he becomes the only one who can challenge the Emperor and the ultimate tool Nayen rebellion needs against Sien. But every decision he makes has long-lasting consequence to people in his life and world around him and with those stakes he has to be sure he's fighting on the right side.
-This novel is a direct continuation of The Hand of the Sun King and Wen Alder's story- with one significant change. In introduction where Wen refreshes our memory of events from the first book, he informs the reader that story isn't his own any more and that others played an important role in events that will unfold. I guessed right away we will have pov chapters from other characters and I was holding my fingers crossed it's a certain teacher we saw last time at the pinnacle of Ven's career and I was right. Koro Ha gets his own arc in a different part of Sien Empire, previously independent lands of Toa Alon, Koro Ha's birth place and the home of legendary Stonespeakers. Another character we get insight into is Hand Pinion, brother of tragically murdered Oreole who had a role in betrayal Empire played against Ven in Greyfrost Keep. There are few chapters that teased another witch of old sorts but her presence in the novels is merely hinted and I assume she will play a very important role in the future. This is the most noticeable difference, but each pov is showing a different side of Empire's constricting rule, so it doesn't detract from the main storyline. To be honest, I wasn't sure how will this go considering Ryan did the same with The Raven's Shadow trilogy, but once I finished the book, Koro Ha's and Pinion's chapters were some of my favourite. And on that subject...
-I am a character reader. I feel like I can overlook less interesting plot and not as well imagined world-building if I like the characters. But if characters don't work, nothing works. With first person narration, coming of age aspect and inner turmoil about cultural identity Wen experienced, I can honestly say THotSK is tailor-made for a reader like me and that's why I liked it more. The second book is more fast-paced, with less introspective passages and much higher stakes and I flew through it, but I enjoyed the more intimate nature of first book more. There was something really captivating about Wen's ambition to learn everything there is about the magic and choices he made because of this. He has the vanity of someone who thinks he knows much more than others which makes him blind to consequences and I loved this about him. Second book shows Foolish Cur devoted to the rebellion and this goal he's aiming to seems to be other people's goal more than his. This makes his character somewhat less complex and, consequentially, less interesting to read about. On the other hand, Koro Ha coming to his own conclusions and feelings about Empire's occupation of his homeland and Pinion's slightly deranged journey were chapters where I got more of that vibe from the first book.
-Another thing that affected my enjoyment of Foolish Cur's chapters is the exposition. The first book has this very interesting dichotomy of Sien's elegant, but somewhat stifling philosophy and Nayen's wild, but somewhat disruptive belief system. And for me the whole nature of it resembled to a thoughtful comparison of Confucianism and Daoism and I was enthralled. The second book is more focused on Gods and their Pact with witches of old sorts. And I didn't mind further exploring the magic system, I just didn't like it was done through Hissing Cat's begrudging info-dumpy explanations that would always come up short until she divulges another piece of information in later chapter. It's one of those situations where you just wish a character who has all the information would just outright say it, instead of dragging it through book. Hence why the ending didn't quite work for me: because the stuff happened not just because Foolish Cur behaved true to his Nayen-given name, but because Hissing Cat didn't tell him everything for reasons.
-The ending blew the story right out of the water and opened up the whole thing to a much bigger scale. It's a world-ending scenario with Foolish Cur at the centre of it and I am looking forward to seeing how he deals with Gods and his ambition in next book.
All in all, this is a great sequel to THotSK and I enjoyed it a great deal.
***************************************
It will be a long wait 'till August, but "such is the ebb and flow of the pattern of the world."
One of my most anticipated releases. <3
Pattern willed it and I got the arc thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group.
Bare bones: Foolish Cur, formerly known as Wen Alder defied the Emperor's canon and landed himself right at the middle of centuries old conflict between powers that can reshape the pattern of the world. Being a witch of old sort he becomes the only one who can challenge the Emperor and the ultimate tool Nayen rebellion needs against Sien. But every decision he makes has long-lasting consequence to people in his life and world around him and with those stakes he has to be sure he's fighting on the right side.
-This novel is a direct continuation of The Hand of the Sun King and Wen Alder's story- with one significant change. In introduction where Wen refreshes our memory of events from the first book, he informs the reader that story isn't his own any more and that others played an important role in events that will unfold. I guessed right away we will have pov chapters from other characters and I was holding my fingers crossed it's a certain teacher we saw last time at the pinnacle of Ven's career and I was right. Koro Ha gets his own arc in a different part of Sien Empire, previously independent lands of Toa Alon, Koro Ha's birth place and the home of legendary Stonespeakers. Another character we get insight into is Hand Pinion, brother of tragically murdered Oreole who had a role in betrayal Empire played against Ven in Greyfrost Keep. There are few chapters that teased another witch of old sorts but her presence in the novels is merely hinted and I assume she will play a very important role in the future. This is the most noticeable difference, but each pov is showing a different side of Empire's constricting rule, so it doesn't detract from the main storyline. To be honest, I wasn't sure how will this go considering Ryan did the same with The Raven's Shadow trilogy, but once I finished the book, Koro Ha's and Pinion's chapters were some of my favourite. And on that subject...
-I am a character reader. I feel like I can overlook less interesting plot and not as well imagined world-building if I like the characters. But if characters don't work, nothing works. With first person narration, coming of age aspect and inner turmoil about cultural identity Wen experienced, I can honestly say THotSK is tailor-made for a reader like me and that's why I liked it more. The second book is more fast-paced, with less introspective passages and much higher stakes and I flew through it, but I enjoyed the more intimate nature of first book more. There was something really captivating about Wen's ambition to learn everything there is about the magic and choices he made because of this. He has the vanity of someone who thinks he knows much more than others which makes him blind to consequences and I loved this about him. Second book shows Foolish Cur devoted to the rebellion and this goal he's aiming to seems to be other people's goal more than his. This makes his character somewhat less complex and, consequentially, less interesting to read about. On the other hand, Koro Ha coming to his own conclusions and feelings about Empire's occupation of his homeland and Pinion's slightly deranged journey were chapters where I got more of that vibe from the first book.
-Another thing that affected my enjoyment of Foolish Cur's chapters is the exposition. The first book has this very interesting dichotomy of Sien's elegant, but somewhat stifling philosophy and Nayen's wild, but somewhat disruptive belief system. And for me the whole nature of it resembled to a thoughtful comparison of Confucianism and Daoism and I was enthralled. The second book is more focused on Gods and their Pact with witches of old sorts. And I didn't mind further exploring the magic system, I just didn't like it was done through Hissing Cat's begrudging info-dumpy explanations that would always come up short until she divulges another piece of information in later chapter. It's one of those situations where you just wish a character who has all the information would just outright say it, instead of dragging it through book. Hence why the ending didn't quite work for me: because the stuff happened not just because Foolish Cur behaved true to his Nayen-given name, but because Hissing Cat didn't tell him everything for reasons.
-The ending blew the story right out of the water and opened up the whole thing to a much bigger scale. It's a world-ending scenario with Foolish Cur at the centre of it and I am looking forward to seeing how he deals with Gods and his ambition in next book.
All in all, this is a great sequel to THotSK and I enjoyed it a great deal.
***************************************
It will be a long wait 'till August, but "such is the ebb and flow of the pattern of the world."
One of my most anticipated releases. <3
Read
May 20, 2024Marzyłam o DNFie po 10%… 1 tom mnie bardzo rozczarował, chociaż zakończenie było ok. Myślałam, że na tej fali 2 tom będzie lepszy… niestety, było gorzej. A mnie w pewnej chwili jeszcze bardziej przestało interesować cokolwiek w tej historii. Po 3 już nawet nie sięgam.
July 29, 2022
I received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Orion Books in exchange for a review.
4/5 stars.
The Garden of Empire is a fantastic sequel to Hand of the Sun King. In my opinion it took everything that was good about the first book and made it better. It also took the worst part of the first book and improved it significantly.
The author expands all the already interesting magic system and fleshes it out. The magic feels much more dramatic and well used here.
The world is also developed a much more. You really get a feel for the different cultures in this world. We got a bit of Nayen, a lot of Sien and a very small bit of An-Zabat in HOTSK. Here, we get so much more about the land and people of Nayen. We also get introduced to Girzan and Tao Alon and we start to see how all these oppressed cultures actually feel about the Empire.
These new perspectives come in the form of additional POVs, which I thought were the real standout addition to the series. Adding Pinion and Koro Ha's perspectives was such a breath of fresh air and I loved their storylines.
The reason I loved their addition so much, is because after reading HOTSK, I couldn't help but hate the main character, Foolish Cur/Wen Adler. I don't know if the author intended for the protagonist to be so unlikeable, but by the end of the first book, I couldn't stand him. He was so arrogant and solely focused on learning ALL THE MAGIC. But he never really had a reason for it and was just so irritating when he couldn't do it all. Also he portrays himself as a moral and righteous person who cares about people and the different parts of the Empire when all he cares about is magic.
In TGOE, this is toned down a lot. Particularly because he finally does know ALL THE MAGIC. But I found Foolish Cur a lot more tolerable here as he was more focused on something other than himself.
I also have to note that the battle at the end of the book was really well done. And there was a great twist to it.
Would really recommend this book and The Pact and Pattern series as a whole. Hoping this book does well on release.
4/5 stars.
The Garden of Empire is a fantastic sequel to Hand of the Sun King. In my opinion it took everything that was good about the first book and made it better. It also took the worst part of the first book and improved it significantly.
The author expands all the already interesting magic system and fleshes it out. The magic feels much more dramatic and well used here.
The world is also developed a much more. You really get a feel for the different cultures in this world. We got a bit of Nayen, a lot of Sien and a very small bit of An-Zabat in HOTSK. Here, we get so much more about the land and people of Nayen. We also get introduced to Girzan and Tao Alon and we start to see how all these oppressed cultures actually feel about the Empire.
These new perspectives come in the form of additional POVs, which I thought were the real standout addition to the series. Adding Pinion and Koro Ha's perspectives was such a breath of fresh air and I loved their storylines.
The reason I loved their addition so much, is because after reading HOTSK, I couldn't help but hate the main character, Foolish Cur/Wen Adler. I don't know if the author intended for the protagonist to be so unlikeable, but by the end of the first book, I couldn't stand him. He was so arrogant and solely focused on learning ALL THE MAGIC. But he never really had a reason for it and was just so irritating when he couldn't do it all. Also he portrays himself as a moral and righteous person who cares about people and the different parts of the Empire when all he cares about is magic.
In TGOE, this is toned down a lot. Particularly because he finally does know ALL THE MAGIC. But I found Foolish Cur a lot more tolerable here as he was more focused on something other than himself.
I also have to note that the battle at the end of the book was really well done. And there was a great twist to it.
Would really recommend this book and The Pact and Pattern series as a whole. Hoping this book does well on release.
October 25, 2023
2.5 Niestety męczyłam się czytając ją. W porównaniu do pierwszego tomu jest zwyczajnie nudna, a z głównym bohaterem nie polubiłam się na tyle by jego los mnie interesował.
July 30, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with this advanced reader copy to review. All of my ARC reviews are spoiler-free! The Garden of Empire is expected to release August 4th 2022.
The Garden of Empire is a direct continuation of The Hand of the Sun King, following Wen Alder after he has chosen to defy the empire and places himself in the centre of the war between the Sienese and the Nayeni people. The Empire has incited war against the Gods themselves and Alder wishes to use his magic to stop them, but the rebellion’s plans to fight back against the Empire veer close to a dangerous path that raises questions of how different the two sides truly are from one another.
Now, Alder makes it clear that this is no longer just his story but one that encompasses something much greater. As a result, we also see moments of the story told by Hand Pinion, the brother of Alder’s closest friend, and Koro Ha, Alder’s former tutor, as they too navigate their places within the Empire and outside of it.
Like the first instalment in this trilogy, The Garden of Empire is beautifully written, the prose engaging and vivid without losing itself in dramatics. The magic systems and the world lore and economic systems are further elaborated on, but this story remains character driven for the most part. Alder’s inner turmoil surrounding his identity as he comes to understand the grey areas of the two worlds he has been raised between feels incredibly human; he is a deeply flawed character, struggling with feelings that I imagine will resonate with almost anyone who has ever felt like they might not belong. Equally, some of the passages told by Hand Pinion and Koro Ha were some of my favourites for the way that they tackled the Empire v the Rebellion from different angles, each one inciting multiple conflicting emotions. There is also a much stronger focus on the Gods and the pacts they made with the witches, whereas in the first book we were given the interesting, if not somewhat on the nose dichotomy of the elegant but controlling Sienese philosophy versus the wild, uncouth but free-spirited Nayeni people. This focus on wider, ancient powers is elegant and vividly described, the increasing complexity was cleverly integrated and really opens the plot up to something that I think, come the third book, could be utterly shattering.
Although it didn’t bother me enough to knock a star off, I have to say that I did feel that this book was a little more heavy handed than the first when it came to the idea of maintaining tradition. Progress is not always a bad thing, but there are moments when it almost feels like that is the message that we’re supposed to take from Alder’s journey, moments that imply that preserving everything known about the old ways is the ‘right’ path, so to speak. That said, there is a third book to come and that could very well be a point of contention as things come to a close, so I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt because honestly, this series continues to be something unlike anything I have read before, and I am utterly obsessed with this world that Greathouse has created.
The Garden of Empire is a direct continuation of The Hand of the Sun King, following Wen Alder after he has chosen to defy the empire and places himself in the centre of the war between the Sienese and the Nayeni people. The Empire has incited war against the Gods themselves and Alder wishes to use his magic to stop them, but the rebellion’s plans to fight back against the Empire veer close to a dangerous path that raises questions of how different the two sides truly are from one another.
Now, Alder makes it clear that this is no longer just his story but one that encompasses something much greater. As a result, we also see moments of the story told by Hand Pinion, the brother of Alder’s closest friend, and Koro Ha, Alder’s former tutor, as they too navigate their places within the Empire and outside of it.
Like the first instalment in this trilogy, The Garden of Empire is beautifully written, the prose engaging and vivid without losing itself in dramatics. The magic systems and the world lore and economic systems are further elaborated on, but this story remains character driven for the most part. Alder’s inner turmoil surrounding his identity as he comes to understand the grey areas of the two worlds he has been raised between feels incredibly human; he is a deeply flawed character, struggling with feelings that I imagine will resonate with almost anyone who has ever felt like they might not belong. Equally, some of the passages told by Hand Pinion and Koro Ha were some of my favourites for the way that they tackled the Empire v the Rebellion from different angles, each one inciting multiple conflicting emotions. There is also a much stronger focus on the Gods and the pacts they made with the witches, whereas in the first book we were given the interesting, if not somewhat on the nose dichotomy of the elegant but controlling Sienese philosophy versus the wild, uncouth but free-spirited Nayeni people. This focus on wider, ancient powers is elegant and vividly described, the increasing complexity was cleverly integrated and really opens the plot up to something that I think, come the third book, could be utterly shattering.
Although it didn’t bother me enough to knock a star off, I have to say that I did feel that this book was a little more heavy handed than the first when it came to the idea of maintaining tradition. Progress is not always a bad thing, but there are moments when it almost feels like that is the message that we’re supposed to take from Alder’s journey, moments that imply that preserving everything known about the old ways is the ‘right’ path, so to speak. That said, there is a third book to come and that could very well be a point of contention as things come to a close, so I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt because honestly, this series continues to be something unlike anything I have read before, and I am utterly obsessed with this world that Greathouse has created.
June 17, 2023
”I'm composing this bloody mess of a poem one line at a time,” I muttered. “We'll find the verse when we need it.”
After choosing a third path, one where he can explore the wonders of magic unrestrained from either set destiny, Foolish Cur explores the limits of the patterns, re-weaving it as he seeks liberation from the empire, joining the rebellion and forming a tentative alliance with the gods.
The rebellion needed me, true enough, but was a place at my uncle's side worth becoming what I hated, a sorcerer who tore into people's minds, unearthing secrets and old agonies? A tyrant who contorted magic into a tool of war?
This book focuses a lot more on cost v result. Where does one draw the line to see their goals? to secure peace? To prevent cruelty only to witness and impart unmentionable cruelty themselves.
Was there a way, I wondered in despair, to fight back against cruelty without becoming cruel oneself?
Told from three perspectives of Foolish Cur, Hand Pinion, and the old tutor Koro Hu, we see how the empire has each impacted them and shaped their thoughts and beliefs.
Koro Hu was my favourite storyline to follow, reminding me most of the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. He struggles between wanting to educate youngsters in the traditional ‘correct’ ways so they may succeed, but comes to realise that he is giving up on the authenticity, beauty, and love of one’s own values, ethos, and identity.
Blood isn't the question. Prejudice is a matter of perception, not of anything real.
Hand Pinion occasionally grated on my nerves. I had high hopes for him, but he reverted to a whining, self-absorbed character and I felt like there was little development or insight. Except, perhaps, to show how tight the empire’s grip of control and doctrine is.
There was a lot more military strategising and battles than book one, but the ending speaks of a much bigger calamity on an even larger scale than a rebellion against the Emperor.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Hands of the Emperor and the Dandelion Dynasty.
Bookstagram
After choosing a third path, one where he can explore the wonders of magic unrestrained from either set destiny, Foolish Cur explores the limits of the patterns, re-weaving it as he seeks liberation from the empire, joining the rebellion and forming a tentative alliance with the gods.
The rebellion needed me, true enough, but was a place at my uncle's side worth becoming what I hated, a sorcerer who tore into people's minds, unearthing secrets and old agonies? A tyrant who contorted magic into a tool of war?
This book focuses a lot more on cost v result. Where does one draw the line to see their goals? to secure peace? To prevent cruelty only to witness and impart unmentionable cruelty themselves.
Was there a way, I wondered in despair, to fight back against cruelty without becoming cruel oneself?
Told from three perspectives of Foolish Cur, Hand Pinion, and the old tutor Koro Hu, we see how the empire has each impacted them and shaped their thoughts and beliefs.
Koro Hu was my favourite storyline to follow, reminding me most of the Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu. He struggles between wanting to educate youngsters in the traditional ‘correct’ ways so they may succeed, but comes to realise that he is giving up on the authenticity, beauty, and love of one’s own values, ethos, and identity.
Blood isn't the question. Prejudice is a matter of perception, not of anything real.
Hand Pinion occasionally grated on my nerves. I had high hopes for him, but he reverted to a whining, self-absorbed character and I felt like there was little development or insight. Except, perhaps, to show how tight the empire’s grip of control and doctrine is.
There was a lot more military strategising and battles than book one, but the ending speaks of a much bigger calamity on an even larger scale than a rebellion against the Emperor.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Hands of the Emperor and the Dandelion Dynasty.
Bookstagram
January 23, 2025
Do kontynuacji "Dłoni króla słońca" podchodziłam z takim - sprawdzam i mam nadzieję, że tutaj znajdę to coś czego zabrakło mi w pierwszym tomie.
Pętla zaciska się coraz bardziej, a powstańcy walczą z władzą Imperium. Nasz główny bohater, Głupi Kundel, ma tylko jeden cel - pokonać Imperatora Teneta. Jednak dotychczasowi sojusznicy nie są już taką gwarancją sukcesu jak wcześniej zakładał i prawdopodobnie Głupi Kundel będzie musiał postawić wszystko na jedną kartę, podjąć największe ryzyko i sięgnąć po najgłębszą magię.
Tutaj wystąpiła sytuacja dokładnie taka sama jak przy pierwszym tomie - zaoferowano mi emocje jak na grzybobraniu. Tym razem dalsze losy krążą wokół trzech postaci - Głupiego Kundla, Dłoni Lotki i Koro Ha. Nie ratuje to w żaden sposób tego co się dzieje w środku. A co mamy w środku? Akcja nadal jest rozwleczona do granic możliwości, kluczymy, zagłębiamy się w te przegadane opisy, a i czasami miałam wrażenie, że zadziałał tutaj ctrl+c, ctrl+v, bo te przemyślenia Kundla są do siebie tak strasznie podobne oraz się zlewają w jedną papkę. Opisy, nieistotne już czy dotyczące walk czy czegoś innego - wyprane z akcji, a o emocjach więcej czytamy niż realnie czujemy. No jak kocham fantasy tak tutaj jest po prostu ciężko i pierwszy raz spotykam się z czymś takim.. a jednak już tych książek mam już trochę za sobą.
Tym razem bez namysłu chwyciłam się za audiobooka i to był zdecydowanie strzał w 10, bo nie wiem czy przeczytałabym tę historię do końca. Jednak nawet audiobook nie sprawił, żebym była choć odrobinę zainteresowana wydarzeniami. Jak uwielbiam fantastykę i w większości przypadków znajduję "to coś" co sprawia, że w ogólnym rozrachunku książka mi się choć trochę podoba to tutaj nic nie znajduję. Przede mną jeszcze "Struktura świata", którą mimo wszystko chciałabym poznać, bo już niewiele dzieli mnie od zakończenia serii. Także zobaczymy co finał mi zaoferuje, ale nie liczę na fajerwerki.
Pętla zaciska się coraz bardziej, a powstańcy walczą z władzą Imperium. Nasz główny bohater, Głupi Kundel, ma tylko jeden cel - pokonać Imperatora Teneta. Jednak dotychczasowi sojusznicy nie są już taką gwarancją sukcesu jak wcześniej zakładał i prawdopodobnie Głupi Kundel będzie musiał postawić wszystko na jedną kartę, podjąć największe ryzyko i sięgnąć po najgłębszą magię.
Tutaj wystąpiła sytuacja dokładnie taka sama jak przy pierwszym tomie - zaoferowano mi emocje jak na grzybobraniu. Tym razem dalsze losy krążą wokół trzech postaci - Głupiego Kundla, Dłoni Lotki i Koro Ha. Nie ratuje to w żaden sposób tego co się dzieje w środku. A co mamy w środku? Akcja nadal jest rozwleczona do granic możliwości, kluczymy, zagłębiamy się w te przegadane opisy, a i czasami miałam wrażenie, że zadziałał tutaj ctrl+c, ctrl+v, bo te przemyślenia Kundla są do siebie tak strasznie podobne oraz się zlewają w jedną papkę. Opisy, nieistotne już czy dotyczące walk czy czegoś innego - wyprane z akcji, a o emocjach więcej czytamy niż realnie czujemy. No jak kocham fantasy tak tutaj jest po prostu ciężko i pierwszy raz spotykam się z czymś takim.. a jednak już tych książek mam już trochę za sobą.
Tym razem bez namysłu chwyciłam się za audiobooka i to był zdecydowanie strzał w 10, bo nie wiem czy przeczytałabym tę historię do końca. Jednak nawet audiobook nie sprawił, żebym była choć odrobinę zainteresowana wydarzeniami. Jak uwielbiam fantastykę i w większości przypadków znajduję "to coś" co sprawia, że w ogólnym rozrachunku książka mi się choć trochę podoba to tutaj nic nie znajduję. Przede mną jeszcze "Struktura świata", którą mimo wszystko chciałabym poznać, bo już niewiele dzieli mnie od zakończenia serii. Także zobaczymy co finał mi zaoferuje, ale nie liczę na fajerwerki.
June 29, 2022
In my review for "The Hand of the Sun King" I said that the following books in this series have a lot to live up to. If anything, "The Garden of Empire" is even better! I love the writing just as much, still think the characters are brilliant, and thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of the story. Here's hoping for much, much more from J.T. Greathouse in the future.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
September 14, 2025
Bardzo mi się podobało! Wszystkie perspektywy były wciągające, może najmniej ta z Dłonią Lotki, ale i tak trzymała poziom. Niesamowite jest to, jak w tej serii opisywana jest magia: z jaką starannością i lekkością, jak naturalnie splata się z krainami i ludźmi Cesarstwa, stając się integralną częścią całego świata. Tworzenie kanonu przez Głupiego Kundla to zdecydowanie jeden z najlepszych elementów książki, tuż obok Interludiów, które były po prostu epickie i niewiarygodne.
Mimo ogromu fantastycznych pomysłów Ogród Imperium bywa chwilami przegadany. Uwielbiam filozoficzne, moralne i naukowe wywody, ale niekiedy zataczają one zbyt powtarzalne koło, a przez to tempo opowieści nie zawsze dowozi. Poza tym? To znakomita kontynuacja rewelacyjnej serii!
Mimo ogromu fantastycznych pomysłów Ogród Imperium bywa chwilami przegadany. Uwielbiam filozoficzne, moralne i naukowe wywody, ale niekiedy zataczają one zbyt powtarzalne koło, a przez to tempo opowieści nie zawsze dowozi. Poza tym? To znakomita kontynuacja rewelacyjnej serii!
February 25, 2025
Nudy niestety
December 30, 2022
The Garden of Empire by JT Greathouse is book two in The Pact and the Pattern and what a way to do a sequel. Foolish Cur, previously Wen Alder, finds that his allies in the rebellion will cross any line if it means freedom from the Empire. But he can't overcome a foe as strong as Emperor Tenet alone. Koro Ha, his former tutor, discovers the Empire is not so forgiving of those who raise a traitor and their suspicion may cost him and his people more than he can imagine. As war against the Empire rages, Foolish Cur knows there is a greater threat. The Emperor plans his own coup against the gods, and they will wreak destruction if he tries. To stop him, Foolish Cur might have to risk everything - and resort to ancient magics that could tear the world apart.
I re-read The Hand of the Sun King before this and it is clearly evident that whilst that was Wen Alder's story, this continuation will have multiple points of view as others play an important role in the events that will unfold. We are treated to different parts of the Sien Empire and lands that were only briefly touched upon before. We see different perspectives of anger and vengeance, lore and betrayal. This story has opened up wider and Greathouse does incredibly well to juggle each perspective and showing different rule. The mystery and intrigue is still intricately plotted throughout and the future of the series seems to be larger than ever before.
The characters were interesting and imaginative. The world-building unique and expressive. There is inner turmoil that deals with coming-of-age and identification as we go through each experience and Greathouse shows the ambition of this novel right from the start. The captivation of Wen's choices and vanity is further explored and we can see the blindness that he leads with in a new light. He is not a perfect character, nor a perfect person, but the devotion and complexity that he offers was one of the more interesting parts of his characters growth. Each new character was also shown to be different and that can be a hard craft to manage with such a vast array of culture.
Greathouse has an elegant way of describing landscapes and beliefs. The thoughtfulness of nature and gods is further explored but the way it was handled was more info-dumping that shown and that can hinder the experience of a beautifully crafted philosophy. There were parts where characters behaved unlike themselves just to create a thrill for the narrative and that fell short when the story needed pushed forward. The ending itself has blew this story wide open and I cannot wait to see what JT Greathouse does with the next novel.
This was a fantastic book, an amazing sequel and one I will definitely see to completion.
I re-read The Hand of the Sun King before this and it is clearly evident that whilst that was Wen Alder's story, this continuation will have multiple points of view as others play an important role in the events that will unfold. We are treated to different parts of the Sien Empire and lands that were only briefly touched upon before. We see different perspectives of anger and vengeance, lore and betrayal. This story has opened up wider and Greathouse does incredibly well to juggle each perspective and showing different rule. The mystery and intrigue is still intricately plotted throughout and the future of the series seems to be larger than ever before.
The characters were interesting and imaginative. The world-building unique and expressive. There is inner turmoil that deals with coming-of-age and identification as we go through each experience and Greathouse shows the ambition of this novel right from the start. The captivation of Wen's choices and vanity is further explored and we can see the blindness that he leads with in a new light. He is not a perfect character, nor a perfect person, but the devotion and complexity that he offers was one of the more interesting parts of his characters growth. Each new character was also shown to be different and that can be a hard craft to manage with such a vast array of culture.
Greathouse has an elegant way of describing landscapes and beliefs. The thoughtfulness of nature and gods is further explored but the way it was handled was more info-dumping that shown and that can hinder the experience of a beautifully crafted philosophy. There were parts where characters behaved unlike themselves just to create a thrill for the narrative and that fell short when the story needed pushed forward. The ending itself has blew this story wide open and I cannot wait to see what JT Greathouse does with the next novel.
This was a fantastic book, an amazing sequel and one I will definitely see to completion.
October 20, 2022
I thought Hand of the sun king was beautifully written but it was written from one perspective the follow up suddenly features three perspective and well for me it was bloody confusing and also a bit of a chore and I struggled too finish this .
But there are also moments when JT writes beautifully which makes me really pained too write this review.
Asian inspires fantasy well I really enjoyed fonda Lees jade City and the is leagues behind that .
But there are also moments when JT writes beautifully which makes me really pained too write this review.
Asian inspires fantasy well I really enjoyed fonda Lees jade City and the is leagues behind that .
March 29, 2024
"The Garden of Empire" - трохи слабша за першу частину, але все одно дуже цікава.
У цій книзі, з одного боку, ми спостерігаємо за повстанням проти Імперії, до якого долучається Вен Ольха - і можемо оцінити чи навчився він чогось, чи знову сліпо та наївно слідує за своєю магією, не аналізуючи ситуацію та обставини, в яких він опинився.
А з іншого боку світ, який захопила Імперія, перестає показуватися тільки з точки зору Вена Ольхи і читач має змогу познайомитися з новими персонажами - з їхніми думками, їхніми країнами, їхніми бажаннями та прагненнями. Більшість персонажів вже з'являлася в попередньому томі, тож можна було змінити своє враження про них. Найбільше мені сподобалася арка з колишнім вчителем Вена Ольхи - Коро Ха.
Чекаю на третю частину і сподіваюсь я отримаю відповіді на всі питання, які з'явилися в другій книжці.
У цій книзі, з одного боку, ми спостерігаємо за повстанням проти Імперії, до якого долучається Вен Ольха - і можемо оцінити чи навчився він чогось, чи знову сліпо та наївно слідує за своєю магією, не аналізуючи ситуацію та обставини, в яких він опинився.
А з іншого боку світ, який захопила Імперія, перестає показуватися тільки з точки зору Вена Ольхи і читач має змогу познайомитися з новими персонажами - з їхніми думками, їхніми країнами, їхніми бажаннями та прагненнями. Більшість персонажів вже з'являлася в попередньому томі, тож можна було змінити своє враження про них. Найбільше мені сподобалася арка з колишнім вчителем Вена Ольхи - Коро Ха.
Чекаю на третю частину і сподіваюсь я отримаю відповіді на всі питання, які з'явилися в другій книжці.
April 10, 2025
2,5 ⭐️
J.T. Greathouse wykreował naprawdę interesujący, oryginalny świat, pełen fascynujących koncepcji, ale narracja pozostawia wiele do życzenia. Momentami jest naprawdę chaotyczna, a dialogi nie zawsze brzmią naturalnie. Niestety. Wydaje mi się, że autor miał wiele pomysłów, ale nie zawsze udało mu się je skutecznie przekazać.
Myślę, że gdybym wybrała poznawanie tego świata w sposób "tradycyjny" to nie przebrnęłanym przez tę książkę. Słuchanie jej w audiobooku naprawdę mi pomogło.
J.T. Greathouse wykreował naprawdę interesujący, oryginalny świat, pełen fascynujących koncepcji, ale narracja pozostawia wiele do życzenia. Momentami jest naprawdę chaotyczna, a dialogi nie zawsze brzmią naturalnie. Niestety. Wydaje mi się, że autor miał wiele pomysłów, ale nie zawsze udało mu się je skutecznie przekazać.
Myślę, że gdybym wybrała poznawanie tego świata w sposób "tradycyjny" to nie przebrnęłanym przez tę książkę. Słuchanie jej w audiobooku naprawdę mi pomogło.
November 28, 2023
O wiele lepsza od pierwszej części! Bohaterowie są bardziej spójni, fabuła nie skacze od wydarzenia do wydarzenia i jeszcze końcówka to chef's kiss. Nowe narracje zdecydowanie na plus, zaczyna się robić ciekawie 😼
July 28, 2023
Philosophical, violent and epic.
A very serious but very enjoyable read. I enjoyed the new points of view and flew through this. Feeling still, as I have since the start of the first book, very frustrated with Wen Alder. However his heart-torn indecision and ambitions and loyalties make him such a realistic character.
Epic end to the book too. Off to #3 soon!
A very serious but very enjoyable read. I enjoyed the new points of view and flew through this. Feeling still, as I have since the start of the first book, very frustrated with Wen Alder. However his heart-torn indecision and ambitions and loyalties make him such a realistic character.
Epic end to the book too. Off to #3 soon!
February 10, 2024
ta część podobał mi się mniej niż 1 tom, ale to wciąż dobra książka!
September 8, 2024
Cały czas mocna średniówka, jeśli ostatnia część wyjdzie w najbliższym czasie to pewnie przeczytam żeby zamknąć serię, ale jeśli będzie to za rok czy dwa to bez szans, bo nie będę pamiętała pewnie nic z fabuły
October 20, 2024
niestety gorszy niż tom 1.
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