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Darshian Tales #3
Staying Power
Karik always wanted to travel and see more of the world. Now he’s on his first major expedition to explore the mysterious land of Andon. But he’ll learn working in a team and managing diverse talents and personalities isn’t easy. It’s even harder when your leader is a prickly, handsome lieutenant and your colleague only opens his mouth to insert the other foot. Contains "Freely Given".
620 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Ann Somerville
52 books280 followersAnn Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees (this time in science and IT), an English husband and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 31, 2017
Gripping as usual, but can be frustrating and boring at times. It's not as satisfying as its predecessors, especially book one which is reread material and my most favorite of this series so far.
While I love road trip and the survival test part, I don't like :
1. The painful part (although it's paramount for the plot)
2. The romance part (no chemistry, no UST, more telling than showing)
3. The characters (Romi and Soza, they're enemies though. I dislike Romi and hate Soza)
4. The misunderstanding part (I'm just tired with this plot device)
Frustrating part : the misunderstanding and the painful part. All of the misunderstandings and the disasters followed after that could have been avoided if Romi had ASKED, not being judgmental prick.
Painful part is painful to read and imagine, not gonna reread this book anymore because of this part.
Boring part : after they came home, after Romi and Karik became lovers, exclude Kei's part because I love him and Arman (main couple in book 1).
I guess I love Arman and Kei too damn much that I can't get enough of them, they're truly one of a kind, their characters and their situations made Romi and Karik's pale in comparison, so maybe that's why I was not that invested in Romi and Karik, even from the start. I couldn't help but compared them.
Romi and Karik's stupid clashes for the first 35% has completely ruined it for me, however much I love enemies-to-lovers trope, theirs is just...plain stupid, I think? It's different from the misunderstanding between Arman and Karik in book 2 (dad and son), yes the misunderstanding in book 2 was even more frustrating but it's not stupid, it's understandable, just like I said in my review for book 2.
Despite my complaints, I think it's worth 4 stars. Yes, I don't like the main characters here (Romi, Soza), the bland romance and some parts, but I truly enjoyed the adventure and the survival. I think I need a break before I pick the last book in this series, because I don't really care about Wepizi's love story in book 4...well, Wepizi is just a minor character in book 3. But I'm willing to give it a go just because there's another spin-off of Arman and Kei in it and of course, it's the last book of the series, I have to finish it.
While I love road trip and the survival test part, I don't like :
1. The painful part (although it's paramount for the plot)
2. The romance part (no chemistry, no UST, more telling than showing)
3. The characters (Romi and Soza, they're enemies though. I dislike Romi and hate Soza)
4. The misunderstanding part (I'm just tired with this plot device)
Frustrating part : the misunderstanding and the painful part. All of the misunderstandings and the disasters followed after that could have been avoided if Romi had ASKED, not being judgmental prick.
Painful part is painful to read and imagine, not gonna reread this book anymore because of this part.
Boring part : after they came home, after Romi and Karik became lovers, exclude Kei's part because I love him and Arman (main couple in book 1).
I guess I love Arman and Kei too damn much that I can't get enough of them, they're truly one of a kind, their characters and their situations made Romi and Karik's pale in comparison, so maybe that's why I was not that invested in Romi and Karik, even from the start. I couldn't help but compared them.
Romi and Karik's stupid clashes for the first 35% has completely ruined it for me, however much I love enemies-to-lovers trope, theirs is just...plain stupid, I think? It's different from the misunderstanding between Arman and Karik in book 2 (dad and son), yes the misunderstanding in book 2 was even more frustrating but it's not stupid, it's understandable, just like I said in my review for book 2.
Despite my complaints, I think it's worth 4 stars. Yes, I don't like the main characters here (Romi, Soza), the bland romance and some parts, but I truly enjoyed the adventure and the survival. I think I need a break before I pick the last book in this series, because I don't really care about Wepizi's love story in book 4...well, Wepizi is just a minor character in book 3. But I'm willing to give it a go just because there's another spin-off of Arman and Kei in it and of course, it's the last book of the series, I have to finish it.
October 22, 2010
This is a third book in the Darshian tales and it mainly focuses on Karik's adventures as part of the expedition to Adon. It is just as delightfully written as first two books in these series, and it explores complex social issues and has lovely romance in it.
Having said all this, I have to admit that this is my least favorite book in these series and it just may be my least favorite book of all books ever written by this writer. I have not read all she wrote yet, but I am getting close. What can I say, I am a fan of her writing :)
So why is this book my least favorite? It is one of the most subjective complaints of course, but I extremely dislike when the *big misunderstanding* is used to create the conflict between the protagonists. I just do not like it, what can I say?
I think it makes characters look absolutely stupid and I thought Romi was acting as an absolute idiot for at least half of the book for no good reason at all, except deciding to take Soza's words on faith. And I am staring at the page and thinking and why the heck, you who are supposedly in charge of this expedition and an officer who supposedly knows and understands how important for their survival for all of them to get along reasonably well will not go and ASK Karik himself whether he did all those supposed sins that Soza accused him of?
I just think that it is not realistic that he would not do so. And even when he realises that Soza may be telling lies he does not do it because??? He does not do it untill truth is staring him in the face. Oy.
I enjoyed Arman and Kei turned from enemies to lovers so much more, because initial conflict between them was who they both were as people and they had to grow and change, to understand each other.
Here, sure, yes both guys are also stubborn, but had they known the truth, there would be for the most part no reason for them to be constantly pissed at each other.
Anyway, if this trope does not bother you, I highly recommend the book, when Romi stopped being an idiot I loved him, but I just did not see there was a reason for him to be in the first place.
Having said all this, I have to admit that this is my least favorite book in these series and it just may be my least favorite book of all books ever written by this writer. I have not read all she wrote yet, but I am getting close. What can I say, I am a fan of her writing :)
So why is this book my least favorite? It is one of the most subjective complaints of course, but I extremely dislike when the *big misunderstanding* is used to create the conflict between the protagonists. I just do not like it, what can I say?
I think it makes characters look absolutely stupid and I thought Romi was acting as an absolute idiot for at least half of the book for no good reason at all, except deciding to take Soza's words on faith. And I am staring at the page and thinking and why the heck, you who are supposedly in charge of this expedition and an officer who supposedly knows and understands how important for their survival for all of them to get along reasonably well will not go and ASK Karik himself whether he did all those supposed sins that Soza accused him of?
I just think that it is not realistic that he would not do so. And even when he realises that Soza may be telling lies he does not do it because??? He does not do it untill truth is staring him in the face. Oy.
I enjoyed Arman and Kei turned from enemies to lovers so much more, because initial conflict between them was who they both were as people and they had to grow and change, to understand each other.
Here, sure, yes both guys are also stubborn, but had they known the truth, there would be for the most part no reason for them to be constantly pissed at each other.
Anyway, if this trope does not bother you, I highly recommend the book, when Romi stopped being an idiot I loved him, but I just did not see there was a reason for him to be in the first place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2015
This has turned out to be an excellent high fantasy series.
March 11, 2019
Could have been more... adventurous and less about that man who shall not be named, for he caused me much, MUCH grief and even MORE rage but it's still obvious this is a well-crafted story with great characters.
November 20, 2014
This is the third book in the Darshian Tales and finally the focus shifts from Arman and Kei to Karik and his background, as well as his personal and professional future.
We get introduced to Andon and its beauties, as well as the protagonist of the fourth Darshian tale. As always there are explorations of self-worth, prejudice, fatherhood, love, knowledge, discipline, war, perseverance in the face of inner and outer catastrophe - there's even enemies-to-lovers and you can follow both protagonists in their changing impressions of one another. The side characters are fully fleshed out. This books is slightly shorter but just as meaty to read.
One warning: for people who are sensitive to rape and its consequences, there is one wholly believable - if short - rape which influences the second half of the story and is necessary to the plot. Excellent fantasy with m/m love story.
We get introduced to Andon and its beauties, as well as the protagonist of the fourth Darshian tale. As always there are explorations of self-worth, prejudice, fatherhood, love, knowledge, discipline, war, perseverance in the face of inner and outer catastrophe - there's even enemies-to-lovers and you can follow both protagonists in their changing impressions of one another. The side characters are fully fleshed out. This books is slightly shorter but just as meaty to read.
One warning: for people who are sensitive to rape and its consequences, there is one wholly believable - if short - rape which influences the second half of the story and is necessary to the plot. Excellent fantasy with m/m love story.
October 4, 2015
Absolute excellence
March 11, 2020
Well, I do not know what actually happened there but.... yep. Two stars.
I guess it was because the author used sexual assault as a tool to draw the main characters together, which she already did with the Darshian short story that preceded this and I disliked using sexual assault merely as a plot tool because I believe that events as devastating as rape should only be used when it actually serves MORE than just making the bad guy look badder.
Maybe it was the sloppy way the author tied the story up, like she threw a lot of things in the novel and failed to juggle everything properly at the final half of the novel.
Maybe it is because, for three consecutive books in this series, the author has so strongly relied on bad communication between the characters and it just felt lazy and repetitive, and just made the characters annoying as fuck.
I don't know. Maybe it's all that. But there's good here, don't get me wrong. But this one does not have that soul of the first book. So yeah. Pretty disappointing and anti-climactic.
I guess it was because the author used sexual assault as a tool to draw the main characters together, which she already did with the Darshian short story that preceded this and I disliked using sexual assault merely as a plot tool because I believe that events as devastating as rape should only be used when it actually serves MORE than just making the bad guy look badder.
Maybe it was the sloppy way the author tied the story up, like she threw a lot of things in the novel and failed to juggle everything properly at the final half of the novel.
Maybe it is because, for three consecutive books in this series, the author has so strongly relied on bad communication between the characters and it just felt lazy and repetitive, and just made the characters annoying as fuck.
I don't know. Maybe it's all that. But there's good here, don't get me wrong. But this one does not have that soul of the first book. So yeah. Pretty disappointing and anti-climactic.
June 24, 2017
There's a part here that left me cold and triggered... ugly word I know but that part was just too much... I hope this is enough warning to atleast be ready for what you might read.
Also, note that I don't want to stop anyone from reading this because this was really enjoyable, except that certain part.
But if you can get past it, which I did by skipping three chapters and forcing myself to be calm and sleep, the story was as impressive as the first two. Another thing is that, I didn't feel like the story was slow this time, even if I wanted it to end so much when I read that triggering part. I also thought that this had a lot of more things happening than the previous two.
P. S. I swear that my review is not affected by the feelings I had on that one part of the story that's too painful to mention.
Also, note that I don't want to stop anyone from reading this because this was really enjoyable, except that certain part.
But if you can get past it, which I did by skipping three chapters and forcing myself to be calm and sleep, the story was as impressive as the first two. Another thing is that, I didn't feel like the story was slow this time, even if I wanted it to end so much when I read that triggering part. I also thought that this had a lot of more things happening than the previous two.
P. S. I swear that my review is not affected by the feelings I had on that one part of the story that's too painful to mention.
February 18, 2020
The first 35 percent of this book was a bit difficult to get through because the misunderstandings got annoying and at time it was also boring. But it really got a lot better and more enjoyable after, especially the second half of the book. This is a really enjoyable high fantasy series. I love how long each book is.
This book is in the point of view of Karik and Romi. The occurrence of romance happened rather late in the book and there wasn't much of it. For most of the book, it was them going from enemies (due to all the misunderstandings) to a close friendship.
This book is in the point of view of Karik and Romi. The occurrence of romance happened rather late in the book and there wasn't much of it. For most of the book, it was them going from enemies (due to all the misunderstandings) to a close friendship.
July 24, 2018
Staying Power
95%
★★★✩✩
Too many misunderstandings and miscommunication, and the characters are too childish most of the time. It has its good moments though, some parts are pretty interesting.
Freely Given 5%
★★✩✩✩
It's fine I guess, but I feel like it doesn't contribute anything to the story.
★★★✩✩
Too many misunderstandings and miscommunication, and the characters are too childish most of the time. It has its good moments though, some parts are pretty interesting.
Freely Given 5%
★★✩✩✩
It's fine I guess, but I feel like it doesn't contribute anything to the story.
March 24, 2023
3.5 stars
March 16, 2017
Well done
Really falling in love with everyone. The trauma research for the story was on point so glad you took the time to really make those scenarios as real as possible
Really falling in love with everyone. The trauma research for the story was on point so glad you took the time to really make those scenarios as real as possible
January 17, 2012
the evolution of the relationship between Karikband Romi reminds me very much of that between Arman and Kei, without the captor/captive element. I found a few aspects of the story troubling, though not wholly unexpected given the development of the characters involved.
I sometimes find the widening landscape of this series troubling, but i think that's just myself having some issues picturing the map of the world in my head.
I do love that Somerville has kept the original characters in play throughout while developing the next generation. I look forward to reading more.
I sometimes find the widening landscape of this series troubling, but i think that's just myself having some issues picturing the map of the world in my head.
I do love that Somerville has kept the original characters in play throughout while developing the next generation. I look forward to reading more.
January 31, 2011
I loved Karik having his own full story, and this was the perfect way to go with it. Karik definitely needed his own adventure! As I mentioned in my review of book one, the romance is a very tiny portion of the book, so if you're looking for an epic romantic fantasy, this one isn't it. But it is an epic fantasy for sure, and the world building never ceases to amaze me.
August 5, 2012
I loved seeing Karik find his partner after all he went through as a young man, and Romi was a great character as well. Several events made me want to cry and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about familiar characters again.
June 19, 2021
3.5 stars.
First read: December 14 - 17, 2010.
First read: December 14 - 17, 2010.
own-to-read
July 1, 2012I've started this, but then I hit an emotional funk... So I'll come back to this when I'm in a better mood because I want to enjoy this book to the fullest!
September 4, 2016
My favorite of the Darshian Saga so far!
December 11, 2013
The best one in the series so far.
September 4, 2016
Loved this series. Long stories but worth every page.
October 15, 2014
The author seems capable of only writing 2 kinds of characters: the nasty ones (think Umbridge types) and the self-flagellating ones ("if only I had" and "it's all my fault" went on for pages!).
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews