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Le Livre et l'Épée #1
The Path of Anger
There will be blood. There will be death. This is the path of anger.
Dun-Cadal has been drinking his life away for years. Betrayed by his friends - who turned their back on their ideals in favour of a new republic - and grief-stricken at the loss of his apprentice, who saved his life on the battlefield and whom he trained as a knight in exchange, he's done with politics, with adventure, and with people.
But people aren't finished with him - not yet. Viola is a young historian looking for the last Emperor's sword, and her search not only brings her to Dun-Cadal, it's also going to embroil them both in a series of assassinations. Because Dun-Cadal's turncoat friends are being murdered, one by one... By someone who kills in the unmistakable style of an Imperial assassin...
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First published October 1, 2013
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About the author
Antoine Rouaud
7 books52 followersAntoine Rouaud is a major new player in the fantasy genre. Already a bestseller in France, he is published in fifteen languages around the world and has been shortlisted for two major prizes in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 21, 2013
The Path of Anger is Antoine Rouaud's much hyped world debut in various languages, including the original French (La Voie de la Colere - Le Livre et l'Epee: I) and English with a literal translation of the title and it has been a highly expected novel of mine for a long time, so I got a copy the moment it was out and I read it fast as it was quite a page turner.
Story-wise, it is hard to talk about the book without major spoilers which while I suspected some on general principles, the author's able misdirection made them a surprise as execution went. As structure, the book alternates the present - starting as the blurb indicates with the famous general and knight Dun-Cadal with power to command the "animus" - you know what that is from Star Wars and the like - now wasting his final years away in drink, while everything he believed in crumbled around him, and the past where it is recounted the story of his protegee "Frog" who had saved his life in a rebellion and whom Dun Cadal took to court as a squire and helped him realize his dream of becoming a knight too.
As opposed to the usual fantasy genre structure of alternating chapters, the book uses the literary fiction technique of switching in mid-paragraph between the times and as that is done outstandingly, The Path of Anger stands out from the usual genre offering.
While I had some quibbles about the plot especially about the wedding at the end which really didn't make sense at least as our current understanding of the position of the respective characters in the world of the series, the main drawback is the almost complete lack of world building which leads to the novel reading as characters acting in theater with props, very well done for what is, but in contemporary top tier secondary world fantasy, we need more, namely a sense of the world beyond a few cliches.
The ending is at a good stopping point, wrapping up the main plot driver of the novel and preparing for what comes next when the "book" and "the sword" of the title series should start revealing their significance - their identities are pretty obvious from the start as the blurb talks about the sword, while the book in cause is mentioned every few pages...
Overall, The Path of Anger has outstanding writing style - I would say arguably better than anything in contemporary secondary world fantasy genre - superbly drawn characters and narrative momentum and it is a novel that if it were about college students/professors, historical personages in a context and maybe even sf in a logical future of our world, it would have been awesome but as fantasy it falls short due to minimal world building which modern "serious" fantasy of the secondary world kind requires to be in the top tier.
While not yet a top 25 of mine - though it may grow more on me with time and/or new installments - I highly recommend The Path of Anger for its major positives and I am definitely interested in the sequel as I want to see both what happens to the main characters and where the storyline of the book and the sword goes...
July 26, 2021
This book has several problems. I'm not sure how many have to do with it being a translation (there are some truly atrocious [American] English grammar errors), however that's a minor problem. There are 3 thinks that brought the book all the way down to 2 stars for me and put my following the series pretty much in the "no" category.
First one that will apply only to some readers (of whom I'm one). The book is primarily one of political intrigue. The fall of an empire, the rise of a republic, the perverting of a republic, crooked politicians bringing all this about (some of whom make the jump from empire to republic only to start twisting said republic. Those of you who like the backstabbing, icestuous, debauched crew of The Game of Thrones may like this. I didn't care for that and while this isn't quite as involved or deep, it's still there. Just me, it may not put others off.
Now for 2 rather major problems. First the time slip, flashback, when are we now approach to storytelling. The book is structured (and I use the term loosely) as one where we get filled in on "what went before" to give us a full picture. the problem is that's done so haphazardly. We'll be in the middle of a thought, a conversation, a monologue or possibly just some thoughts and a phrase, a word or whatever will suddenly slide us into the past. Then in the middle of the background story we suddenly jump forward. Be sure to keep you mind on the story to be sure of "when" you are. The chronology of the story sometimes seems to get completely lost.
Then worst of all we get what I have come to think of as Wheel of Time Syndrome. As noted we get many, many flashbacks. This happens from the point of view of primarily 2 characters...but not only those 2. there are shorter ones from others. The problem is that before we get to each individual story we also get the same events we've ALREADY READ ABOUT from the point of view of other characters. Sometimes we even get the same conversation.
I suspect the book could have been a third shorter had the repetition been edited out.
The ending is okay. It gets to the expected climax though is very much a "get read for many sequels" ending. The Book and Sword of the title are pretty much buried in the convoluted plot for most of the book though we do finally get some...well basic hints
All in all I don't think I'll follow this one up, maybe see what you think, not for me.
First one that will apply only to some readers (of whom I'm one). The book is primarily one of political intrigue. The fall of an empire, the rise of a republic, the perverting of a republic, crooked politicians bringing all this about (some of whom make the jump from empire to republic only to start twisting said republic. Those of you who like the backstabbing, icestuous, debauched crew of The Game of Thrones may like this. I didn't care for that and while this isn't quite as involved or deep, it's still there. Just me, it may not put others off.
Now for 2 rather major problems. First the time slip, flashback, when are we now approach to storytelling. The book is structured (and I use the term loosely) as one where we get filled in on "what went before" to give us a full picture. the problem is that's done so haphazardly. We'll be in the middle of a thought, a conversation, a monologue or possibly just some thoughts and a phrase, a word or whatever will suddenly slide us into the past. Then in the middle of the background story we suddenly jump forward. Be sure to keep you mind on the story to be sure of "when" you are. The chronology of the story sometimes seems to get completely lost.
Then worst of all we get what I have come to think of as Wheel of Time Syndrome. As noted we get many, many flashbacks. This happens from the point of view of primarily 2 characters...but not only those 2. there are shorter ones from others. The problem is that before we get to each individual story we also get the same events we've ALREADY READ ABOUT from the point of view of other characters. Sometimes we even get the same conversation.
I suspect the book could have been a third shorter had the repetition been edited out.
The ending is okay. It gets to the expected climax though is very much a "get read for many sequels" ending. The Book and Sword of the title are pretty much buried in the convoluted plot for most of the book though we do finally get some...well basic hints
All in all I don't think I'll follow this one up, maybe see what you think, not for me.
December 7, 2015
Wonderful read. Started off a little rickety, but I was very quickly ensnared by this character driven story. It was a joy to read, the characters easy to love, loathe and admire. Often simultaneously.
May 29, 2015
Interesting fantasy by a non-English speaking author. Not the best I've read, but certainly not the worst. The author's "world" is somewhat strange--a mixture of medieval France [primarily Provence] and that of the French Revolution. The story describes the fall of the Empire [ancien regime?] and the rise of the Republic [French Revolution?]. It's mainly a revenge story of a young knight, Frog, seeking to avenge his father's death and with an old has-been alcoholic general of the Empire, Dun-Cadal, trying to stop Etienne Azdeki, a Robespierre figure who wishes to overthrow the Republic and to vest all power in himself. The story involves a sword--a symbol of the Empire, and an indestructible scripture in which is written the destiny of mankind. As a fighting tool there was the animus, which I took as a kind of mind control of movement of objects, on its simplest level, to death, on its deepest.
Some of the juxtapositions of time periods were strange: e.g., councilors and statesmen wearing togas. The choices of names of characters made me smile and were jarring until I got used to them; many were close to Shakespearean names: Laerte, Oratio, Iago, Viola or to those of legend: Esyld [Isolde?]. The author did a masterful job of switching from the novel's present to its past--not blatant flashbacks but italicized sentences from the past bleeding into prior action or, a more usual literary device: section breaks. It took me awhile to figure this out. At first the story's told from Dun-Cadal's viewpoint as a defender of the Empire, then the same story from Frog's. The novel stressed the themes of loyalty, friendship, love and loss, deceit, revenge. Some things were not as they appeared on the surface. I felt nothing for any of the characters until the last couple of chapters. For much of the novel they seemed one-dimensional. Although not the most gripping I've read, this novel is still worthwhile.
Some of the juxtapositions of time periods were strange: e.g., councilors and statesmen wearing togas. The choices of names of characters made me smile and were jarring until I got used to them; many were close to Shakespearean names: Laerte, Oratio, Iago, Viola or to those of legend: Esyld [Isolde?]. The author did a masterful job of switching from the novel's present to its past--not blatant flashbacks but italicized sentences from the past bleeding into prior action or, a more usual literary device: section breaks. It took me awhile to figure this out. At first the story's told from Dun-Cadal's viewpoint as a defender of the Empire, then the same story from Frog's. The novel stressed the themes of loyalty, friendship, love and loss, deceit, revenge. Some things were not as they appeared on the surface. I felt nothing for any of the characters until the last couple of chapters. For much of the novel they seemed one-dimensional. Although not the most gripping I've read, this novel is still worthwhile.
May 22, 2017
Indeed this books was quite a page turner. Until the last two chapters where I felt that the story has gone a little downway. And in spite of some flaws in the story and some boring repetitions about the sword and a magic book, in the end the whole situation works quite well.
The structure was a little surprising but still it wasn`t something new. Like the way that Peter V. Brett made his books until now.
There are a lot of surprises and the story turns right and left in a way that you couldn`t predicted until that very moment.
This is a very intense book that reminded me of The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko in wich the charachers lived trough really big dramas. The same way here. And sometimes the fantasy setting doesn`t matter at all!
I highly recommend it!
More in romanian on : http://www.cititorsf.ro/2015/09/20/th...
The structure was a little surprising but still it wasn`t something new. Like the way that Peter V. Brett made his books until now.
There are a lot of surprises and the story turns right and left in a way that you couldn`t predicted until that very moment.
This is a very intense book that reminded me of The Scar by Sergey Dyachenko in wich the charachers lived trough really big dramas. The same way here. And sometimes the fantasy setting doesn`t matter at all!
I highly recommend it!
More in romanian on : http://www.cititorsf.ro/2015/09/20/th...
October 24, 2013
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/10/the-p...
‘Attack someone from behind?
There’s no honor in fighting like that!’
‘There’s no honor at all in killing someone, lad.
No matter how you strike.
There’s no glory to be had in taking a life.’
General Dun-Cadal Daermon was one of the most famous generals of the Empire. In the years since the Empire’s fall, the general has been drinking his life away, waiting for death to come and attempting to remove the betrayals of his friends from his mind. First and foremost in Dun-Cadal’s mind is the loss of his apprentice, Frog, whom he trained into knighthood. Viola, a historian from the Great College of Emeris, and she is on a quest to find the Emperor’s legendary sword, Eraëd. Rumor has it that Dun-Cadal escaped the Empire’s fall with the Eraëd in hand, and Viola wants to know where he hid it. When Dun-Cadal’s once-friends are assassinated one at a time, the two are caught up in a massive plot in which not much can be said without revealing a significant part of the plot.
Knights in The Path of Anger use magic called the animus, very similar in use to the Force. I’ve always thought that pure air, pure force, if you will, provides the best basis for a magic system. It’s simple, isn’t exactly the standard muttering of a spell to cast a fireball, and it’s fun. Where the Force appears to be able to be cast without consequences, the animus has distinct detrimental effects on the body and soul. There’s something awesome about slamming the ground and having the enemies surrounding you be launched backwards.
It seems to be a trend in recent fantasy novels for authors to use flashbacks in one way or another. Personally I think that, however interesting the flashback may be, it almost always detracts from the pacing of the present story. While most, if not all of the novels that utilize flashbacks separate them by chapter, Antoine Rouaud weaves the flashbacks into the story mid-paragraph. Whether they’re dreams or stories being told, they’re masterfully woven into the story in a way that does not detract from the pacing of the present story at all; the narrative flow is likely better than anything I’ve read this year. While most of the credit goes to Rouaud in writing the story, credit must be given to Tom Clegg, the translator. Many translated novels suffer from bumps in the translation that hinder the narrative in some way – Clegg’s translation is superb.
The Path of Anger is full of compelling characters. Dun-Cadal, Frog, and Viola are all well-sculpted and the minor characters are fleshed out in comparison to the many novels that simply sideline their non-essential characters. Dun-Cadal may have been an impressive figure years ago, before the Empire’s fall, but he’s spent the last several years drinking his life away and the alcohol’s effects are apparent – he’s no longer a great swordsman. Viola’s a young bookworm with no experience in politicking and warfare outside of what she’s read in her books.
There was one issue that seems to have nagged at everyone who’s read the book – the world-building. There isn’t any. The Path of Anger is definitely a character and plot-driven story, but may cities and events are simply named and dropped. I don’t know if a map is included in the press release of the novel, but I’m of the feeling that maps are essential in most science fiction and fantasy novels that take place or at least mention several different locations. The world isn’t described and it takes a certain something out of the story to prevent it from being a full one, though in the end the lack of world-building was a fairly minor issue in comparison to the beauty of the narrative and the characters.
The Path of Anger‘s ending was somewhat jumbled, though it did end in a solid stopping point, though I am very eagerly awaiting the sequel. Despite the distinct lack of world-building, Antoine Rouaud’s The Path of Anger is absolutely worth the read, if only for the superb narrative. Rouaud, with the help of his translator Clegg, has a way with words that simply works.
‘Attack someone from behind?
There’s no honor in fighting like that!’
‘There’s no honor at all in killing someone, lad.
No matter how you strike.
There’s no glory to be had in taking a life.’
General Dun-Cadal Daermon was one of the most famous generals of the Empire. In the years since the Empire’s fall, the general has been drinking his life away, waiting for death to come and attempting to remove the betrayals of his friends from his mind. First and foremost in Dun-Cadal’s mind is the loss of his apprentice, Frog, whom he trained into knighthood. Viola, a historian from the Great College of Emeris, and she is on a quest to find the Emperor’s legendary sword, Eraëd. Rumor has it that Dun-Cadal escaped the Empire’s fall with the Eraëd in hand, and Viola wants to know where he hid it. When Dun-Cadal’s once-friends are assassinated one at a time, the two are caught up in a massive plot in which not much can be said without revealing a significant part of the plot.
Knights in The Path of Anger use magic called the animus, very similar in use to the Force. I’ve always thought that pure air, pure force, if you will, provides the best basis for a magic system. It’s simple, isn’t exactly the standard muttering of a spell to cast a fireball, and it’s fun. Where the Force appears to be able to be cast without consequences, the animus has distinct detrimental effects on the body and soul. There’s something awesome about slamming the ground and having the enemies surrounding you be launched backwards.
It seems to be a trend in recent fantasy novels for authors to use flashbacks in one way or another. Personally I think that, however interesting the flashback may be, it almost always detracts from the pacing of the present story. While most, if not all of the novels that utilize flashbacks separate them by chapter, Antoine Rouaud weaves the flashbacks into the story mid-paragraph. Whether they’re dreams or stories being told, they’re masterfully woven into the story in a way that does not detract from the pacing of the present story at all; the narrative flow is likely better than anything I’ve read this year. While most of the credit goes to Rouaud in writing the story, credit must be given to Tom Clegg, the translator. Many translated novels suffer from bumps in the translation that hinder the narrative in some way – Clegg’s translation is superb.
The Path of Anger is full of compelling characters. Dun-Cadal, Frog, and Viola are all well-sculpted and the minor characters are fleshed out in comparison to the many novels that simply sideline their non-essential characters. Dun-Cadal may have been an impressive figure years ago, before the Empire’s fall, but he’s spent the last several years drinking his life away and the alcohol’s effects are apparent – he’s no longer a great swordsman. Viola’s a young bookworm with no experience in politicking and warfare outside of what she’s read in her books.
There was one issue that seems to have nagged at everyone who’s read the book – the world-building. There isn’t any. The Path of Anger is definitely a character and plot-driven story, but may cities and events are simply named and dropped. I don’t know if a map is included in the press release of the novel, but I’m of the feeling that maps are essential in most science fiction and fantasy novels that take place or at least mention several different locations. The world isn’t described and it takes a certain something out of the story to prevent it from being a full one, though in the end the lack of world-building was a fairly minor issue in comparison to the beauty of the narrative and the characters.
The Path of Anger‘s ending was somewhat jumbled, though it did end in a solid stopping point, though I am very eagerly awaiting the sequel. Despite the distinct lack of world-building, Antoine Rouaud’s The Path of Anger is absolutely worth the read, if only for the superb narrative. Rouaud, with the help of his translator Clegg, has a way with words that simply works.
December 4, 2020
Excellent read that has the taste of a historical fiction with some magic and lore that gives it an aura of mystery, and a certain amount of grimdark flavour. I enjoyed it very much. It reminded me of a mix between the Knights Templar narrative and the French Revolution with a gritty realism.
I liked the narrative style, switching constantly between the past and the present without losing a sense of perspective. Dun Cadal is an unreliable narrator, a former Knight who tells the story of the end of an empire and his own downfall from the days of glory. There's a lot of Machiavellian political intrigue which definitely keeps the tension high, and also gives a push to the narrative.
As characters go, Dun Cadal and Frog are grey personalities, and what makes them interesting is the complex relationship they share. A sort of love/hate, and admiration. However, I didn't see the twist coming at all at the end of the first part. I detested the conniving Azdeki and his cronies, who I place as the antagonists of the story. Frog, who's supposed to be the victim at times acts like an asshole bent on revenge, and is naive in some aspects. He does show some maturity towards the end though.
The vague but intriguing part of the lore that forms the novel is the indestructible ancient prophetic book which supposedly is a record of the vision of the gods, and a magical rapier whose origins are unknown. These two things acts as the McGuffin of the motives that forms the core of the story. I hope that the author would elaborate more on this in the later novels.
This was quite an engaging read for me. The story and plot was compelling. The translation was a little uneven in places, but it was nicely done, and carried the story in a smooth manner. The ending was self-contained for this novel, but, it is also quite open as there are a few loose ends which are yet to be tied-up with the larger narrative. I hope that the second book "The Ember in the Ashes" gets published soon. I'm eagerly waiting for it.
I liked the narrative style, switching constantly between the past and the present without losing a sense of perspective. Dun Cadal is an unreliable narrator, a former Knight who tells the story of the end of an empire and his own downfall from the days of glory. There's a lot of Machiavellian political intrigue which definitely keeps the tension high, and also gives a push to the narrative.
As characters go, Dun Cadal and Frog are grey personalities, and what makes them interesting is the complex relationship they share. A sort of love/hate, and admiration. However, I didn't see the twist coming at all at the end of the first part. I detested the conniving Azdeki and his cronies, who I place as the antagonists of the story. Frog, who's supposed to be the victim at times acts like an asshole bent on revenge, and is naive in some aspects. He does show some maturity towards the end though.
The vague but intriguing part of the lore that forms the novel is the indestructible ancient prophetic book which supposedly is a record of the vision of the gods, and a magical rapier whose origins are unknown. These two things acts as the McGuffin of the motives that forms the core of the story. I hope that the author would elaborate more on this in the later novels.
This was quite an engaging read for me. The story and plot was compelling. The translation was a little uneven in places, but it was nicely done, and carried the story in a smooth manner. The ending was self-contained for this novel, but, it is also quite open as there are a few loose ends which are yet to be tied-up with the larger narrative. I hope that the second book "The Ember in the Ashes" gets published soon. I'm eagerly waiting for it.
September 7, 2013
La fantasy est clairement mon genre littéraire de prédilection, alors comment passer à côté de ce que les éditions Bragelonne annoncent comme un phénomène ? La voie de la colère est le premier roman d’un auteur francophone, Antoine Rouaud, par ailleurs concepteur-rédacteur chez NRJ, et Stéphane Marsan l’a présenté comme le meilleur roman de fantasy français qu’il ait lu depuis 10 ans ! C’est donc avec un réel enthousiasme que j’ai accepté la proposition de Babelio de le recevoir en avant-première pour le chroniquer.
C’est de la fantasy somme toute assez classique qu’on nous propose là. Une histoire de chevaliers et d’honneur, une histoire de pouvoir et de trahison, de vengeance aussi bien sûr. Mais une histoire qui diffère un peu des autres par la forme, sinon par le fond. En effet, le roman s’articule en deux parties respectivement dédiées au point de vue du chevalier Dun-Cadal et à celui de son apprenti, le jeune Grenouille. De plus, dans chacune de ces deux parties, la narration oscille entre passé et présent. Cela donne un drôle de mélange auquel j’ai eu un peu de mal à m’habituer, il faut bien le reconnaître.
A naviguer ainsi perpétuellement entre souvenirs et réalité présente, j’avais parfois l’impression assez frustrante que l’intrigue n’avançait pas d’un poil, et pour ce qui est du retournement de situation qui préside à la seconde partie, il est un peu tombé à plat pour moi puisque j’avais deviné l’identité de la main de l’empereur depuis un bon moment déjà. Aïe ! Je ne parle même pas du « on adopte un nouveau point de vue et on recommence » de la seconde partie qui a bien failli m’achever complètement ! Mais cela eut été un peu dommage de m’arrêter en si bon chemin, alors ma foi...
La seconde partie a été plus conforme à mes espérances. Les relations entre Dun-Cadal et Grenouille sonnent parfaitement juste. Ils évoluent énormément au fil du livre, gagnent en profondeur et en crédibilité. La chute de l’Empire et les balbutiements de la République, avec tout ce que cela peut comporter d’intrigues et d’incertitudes, la destinée en guise de religion, la magie du Souffle… sont autant d’éléments intéressants qui se révèlent à nous petit à petit, comme ceux d’un univers en construction. La plume de l’auteur est fluide, plaisante et relativement efficace. Bon, il faudra quand même veiller à mettre moins de « regards torves » dans la suite, ça finit par devenir un peu crispant à force !
Finalement, est-ce que je lirai la suite ? Oui, je suppose. Pour l’auteur, pour ses personnages et son univers, en espérant quelque chose de plus « direct » dans les volumes à venir, et aussi une intrigue à même de surprendre les habitués de la fantasy, dont je suis, parce que là pour le coup, c'est un roman très prévisible. Peut mieux faire, j'en suis persuadée !
C’est de la fantasy somme toute assez classique qu’on nous propose là. Une histoire de chevaliers et d’honneur, une histoire de pouvoir et de trahison, de vengeance aussi bien sûr. Mais une histoire qui diffère un peu des autres par la forme, sinon par le fond. En effet, le roman s’articule en deux parties respectivement dédiées au point de vue du chevalier Dun-Cadal et à celui de son apprenti, le jeune Grenouille. De plus, dans chacune de ces deux parties, la narration oscille entre passé et présent. Cela donne un drôle de mélange auquel j’ai eu un peu de mal à m’habituer, il faut bien le reconnaître.
A naviguer ainsi perpétuellement entre souvenirs et réalité présente, j’avais parfois l’impression assez frustrante que l’intrigue n’avançait pas d’un poil, et pour ce qui est du retournement de situation qui préside à la seconde partie, il est un peu tombé à plat pour moi puisque j’avais deviné l’identité de la main de l’empereur depuis un bon moment déjà. Aïe ! Je ne parle même pas du « on adopte un nouveau point de vue et on recommence » de la seconde partie qui a bien failli m’achever complètement ! Mais cela eut été un peu dommage de m’arrêter en si bon chemin, alors ma foi...
La seconde partie a été plus conforme à mes espérances. Les relations entre Dun-Cadal et Grenouille sonnent parfaitement juste. Ils évoluent énormément au fil du livre, gagnent en profondeur et en crédibilité. La chute de l’Empire et les balbutiements de la République, avec tout ce que cela peut comporter d’intrigues et d’incertitudes, la destinée en guise de religion, la magie du Souffle… sont autant d’éléments intéressants qui se révèlent à nous petit à petit, comme ceux d’un univers en construction. La plume de l’auteur est fluide, plaisante et relativement efficace. Bon, il faudra quand même veiller à mettre moins de « regards torves » dans la suite, ça finit par devenir un peu crispant à force !
Finalement, est-ce que je lirai la suite ? Oui, je suppose. Pour l’auteur, pour ses personnages et son univers, en espérant quelque chose de plus « direct » dans les volumes à venir, et aussi une intrigue à même de surprendre les habitués de la fantasy, dont je suis, parce que là pour le coup, c'est un roman très prévisible. Peut mieux faire, j'en suis persuadée !
December 31, 2021
2.5
TW:
The idea is good enough. The way it was handled wasn't to my liking, however. I found myself bored at best and annoyed at worst. I can't remember a single scene that I really enjoyed. Maybe it just hit me at the wrong time, I don't know.
A major issue I have with the writing are the constant time jumps. In the middle of chapters. A chapter can start off in the present, but after two pages or so it jumps to a flashback; for the rest of the chapter. And not just a chapter every now and then, nearly every single one. And sometimes, when it starts with a flashback, it jumps even further back.
So, you get three storylines at three times, but none of them is really handled seperately. The story just jumps around. It all connects, sure, but it is very confusing.
Sure, it can work, but please, at least do it chapter by chapter!
Also, what are female characters? There sure as hell aren't any in this book. Viola, Esyld and Mildrel are little more than love interests, with little character of their own, or really any motivation. Esyld takes up a lot of page time, but then again, only because Laerte loves her.
My other major issue is with the publisher, more specifically the translator and editor(s):
This book is full of odd phrases (the near constant black look), missing words, or extra words that suggest the sentence was rephrased. That can happen a couple times, everyone misses things. But three times over two pages? And all in all roughly every chapter?
And the worst: On page 257, there is what I can only assume a placeholder. Instead of "Duke de Page" (I guess) it says "Duke 0", with no explanation if that's some sort of nickname or whatever. It has to be a placeholder. That sort of thing absolutely mustn't happen in a traditionally published book, by a big publishing house no less!
That is by no meanse a critique on the book itself or the author. They have no influence on that. But from a publisher like Gollancz I expected better work. It really disrupts the flow of reading.
TW:
The idea is good enough. The way it was handled wasn't to my liking, however. I found myself bored at best and annoyed at worst. I can't remember a single scene that I really enjoyed. Maybe it just hit me at the wrong time, I don't know.
A major issue I have with the writing are the constant time jumps. In the middle of chapters. A chapter can start off in the present, but after two pages or so it jumps to a flashback; for the rest of the chapter. And not just a chapter every now and then, nearly every single one. And sometimes, when it starts with a flashback, it jumps even further back.
So, you get three storylines at three times, but none of them is really handled seperately. The story just jumps around. It all connects, sure, but it is very confusing.
Sure, it can work, but please, at least do it chapter by chapter!
Also, what are female characters? There sure as hell aren't any in this book. Viola, Esyld and Mildrel are little more than love interests, with little character of their own, or really any motivation. Esyld takes up a lot of page time, but then again, only because Laerte loves her.
My other major issue is with the publisher, more specifically the translator and editor(s):
This book is full of odd phrases (the near constant black look), missing words, or extra words that suggest the sentence was rephrased. That can happen a couple times, everyone misses things. But three times over two pages? And all in all roughly every chapter?
And the worst: On page 257, there is what I can only assume a placeholder. Instead of "Duke de Page" (I guess) it says "Duke 0", with no explanation if that's some sort of nickname or whatever. It has to be a placeholder. That sort of thing absolutely mustn't happen in a traditionally published book, by a big publishing house no less!
That is by no meanse a critique on the book itself or the author. They have no influence on that. But from a publisher like Gollancz I expected better work. It really disrupts the flow of reading.
June 29, 2018
Excelente livro de capa e espada com um pouco de magia.
A primeira parte conta a reminiscências sob o ponto de vista do General Dun-Cadal, idoso, esquecido, ex-herói do Império.
A segunda parte reconta sob o ponto de vista de Rã, o garoto que o General treinou para se tornar um Cavaleiro do Império, como se fosse um filho.
Vale a pena ler, em que pese o título, não tão chamativo, mas que sintetiza a busca do destino.
A primeira parte conta a reminiscências sob o ponto de vista do General Dun-Cadal, idoso, esquecido, ex-herói do Império.
A segunda parte reconta sob o ponto de vista de Rã, o garoto que o General treinou para se tornar um Cavaleiro do Império, como se fosse um filho.
Vale a pena ler, em que pese o título, não tão chamativo, mas que sintetiza a busca do destino.
February 25, 2020
Took me a bit to get into the story, but once I got used to the way it's structured and got a grasp on the characters, I was quickly sucked in. An intriguing tale filled with twists and betrayals - just what I like. Now, how about that second book...?
April 19, 2021
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
Are you watching closely? For those of you unfamiliarly with this quote, it is from one of my favorite movies The Prestige and I couldn’t think of a better Segway for introducing this novel. The Prestige is about two magicians trying to out perform each other and trying to push the envelope, but what makes a magic trick work so well is misdirection. Although the characters, plot, and worldbuilding have nothing to do with magicians, you will feel at several points throughout this novel that the author is tricking you. The author will lead you down a path and open a trap door to send you in another direction. I have never read a novel with this type of plot element as it is one of a kind.
Antoine Rouaud is a French author and his debut novel was translated into English in 2013. The story revolves a around an old, disheveled knight named Dun-Cadel and how he has been drinking his life away for years. His friends have all betrayed him to embrace the new republic on the ruins of an empire and Dun-Cadel has nothing left to live for. He is also crestfallen with the loss of his apprentice Frog, yes you heard that right, in battle. At the same time a young historian named Viola is on a mission to discover the last Emperors sword and her search leads her to Dun-Cadel. It is from here that the story begins and the journey that will trick you at every turn. They will have to work fast as murders are happening across the capital and they all seem to be done by an imperial assassin.
The chapters are written in a very unique way by splitting the narrative between the present and the past within each chapter. One moment we will hear from Dun-Cadel talking about the old emperor and the duties he had as a knight, the next we will see Dun-Cadel much younger and training his apprentice to become a knight himself. The world has a feel of a medieval France but sprinkled in are the whispers and uprising of the French Revolution. The pacing can be slow but the translation from French to English is done exceptionally well and you can definitely see the authors vision shine through to the page. The deeds of the past will come back to surface and you will not know which way to turn.
Apart from the chapter structure being different, the entire book itself is split into two parts. I will not go into detail about this as it will be getting into huge spoilers, but just know that this story has two climaxes. At the halfway point, Antoine Rouaud will completely shock you and the second half of the book will be read in a completely different light. I have yet to see this technique done by any other author and believe me when I say that I have tried to find one. Now, there is a negative with this series in that the sequel novel has yet to be released and their has been little to no indication that it will ever come out. This saddens me based on how much I enjoyed this debut.
With all that being said, the story ends on a good ending point and it is definitely worthy of your time. It may not satisfy everyone with the approach and style of the story, but it will not be the same old novel. You are not looking for the answer as you want to be fooled!
Cheers!
Are you watching closely? For those of you unfamiliarly with this quote, it is from one of my favorite movies The Prestige and I couldn’t think of a better Segway for introducing this novel. The Prestige is about two magicians trying to out perform each other and trying to push the envelope, but what makes a magic trick work so well is misdirection. Although the characters, plot, and worldbuilding have nothing to do with magicians, you will feel at several points throughout this novel that the author is tricking you. The author will lead you down a path and open a trap door to send you in another direction. I have never read a novel with this type of plot element as it is one of a kind.
Antoine Rouaud is a French author and his debut novel was translated into English in 2013. The story revolves a around an old, disheveled knight named Dun-Cadel and how he has been drinking his life away for years. His friends have all betrayed him to embrace the new republic on the ruins of an empire and Dun-Cadel has nothing left to live for. He is also crestfallen with the loss of his apprentice Frog, yes you heard that right, in battle. At the same time a young historian named Viola is on a mission to discover the last Emperors sword and her search leads her to Dun-Cadel. It is from here that the story begins and the journey that will trick you at every turn. They will have to work fast as murders are happening across the capital and they all seem to be done by an imperial assassin.
The chapters are written in a very unique way by splitting the narrative between the present and the past within each chapter. One moment we will hear from Dun-Cadel talking about the old emperor and the duties he had as a knight, the next we will see Dun-Cadel much younger and training his apprentice to become a knight himself. The world has a feel of a medieval France but sprinkled in are the whispers and uprising of the French Revolution. The pacing can be slow but the translation from French to English is done exceptionally well and you can definitely see the authors vision shine through to the page. The deeds of the past will come back to surface and you will not know which way to turn.
Apart from the chapter structure being different, the entire book itself is split into two parts. I will not go into detail about this as it will be getting into huge spoilers, but just know that this story has two climaxes. At the halfway point, Antoine Rouaud will completely shock you and the second half of the book will be read in a completely different light. I have yet to see this technique done by any other author and believe me when I say that I have tried to find one. Now, there is a negative with this series in that the sequel novel has yet to be released and their has been little to no indication that it will ever come out. This saddens me based on how much I enjoyed this debut.
With all that being said, the story ends on a good ending point and it is definitely worthy of your time. It may not satisfy everyone with the approach and style of the story, but it will not be the same old novel. You are not looking for the answer as you want to be fooled!
Cheers!
January 5, 2014
I must admit my first impression was that this debut Fantasy novel was a book catering to the ‘I know-what-I-like’ reader. Admittedly the cover is very cool, but as we’re looking at a world of knights, Emperors and assassins, I was rather concerned that I’d think I’d read it all before.
How wrong I was.
General Dun-Cadal Daermon is a broken man, spending his days hidden away in a corner of the world drinking his life away. Whilst there he is found by Viola, a young historian from the new Empire who has found Dun-Cadal in the hope that she can discover what it was like at the time of the fall of the Emperor , from someone who was there.
More importantly, she hopes to persuade him to tell her what others have tried to discover, and failed to do. The main plot is about an attempt to recover Eraed, the Emperor’s sword, reputed to be magic, which was once allegedly hidden by Dun-Cadal when the Empire fell.
At the same time old friends of Cadal’s, who unlike him abandoned their imperialistic ideals and embraced the Republic, are being assassinated. The truth, when it is discovered, is a revelation.
The world is deliberately medieval-esque. It’s rather like the French Revolution of the 1790’s transposed to a more traditional medieval fantasy world. There is magic here, known as the animus, which people can tap into, although at a physical cost.
The world of Masalia is a world in transition: a place where we look at the formation of a Republic and the collapse of an Empire. It raises interesting questions, in the same way that the Star Wars trilogy does: when the Empire’s ended, the bad guys have been beaten: what happens next? The reader, and the people within this world, may not like all that they see.
In the end, The Path of Anger is a much richer, darker and subtler story than a mere quest novel. It is not just about the quest but also about betrayal, about friendship and about loyalty, all of which are tested along the way. It��s even about redemption, of a sort.
Interestingly, we see the main events twice – once focused around General Dun-Cadal and historian Viola, and then, in the second part, around Dun-Cadal’s apprentice, Frog. Some writers would have intertwined these two viewpoints throughout. I’m pleased to say that Antoine has taken the less exhausting route of dividing the book into two parts. Cleverly, and with the vantage of hindsight, the reader can see the same events but from different perspectives and with a different understanding as they read them again. In each part we are reminded of events in the past as well as in the present, as memories flash back to and from the present point in the plot.
I enjoyed this very much. The language, the style, the subtle characterisation that develops as you read, made this a pleasure.
Indeed, a pleasant surprise, and one which takes those usual tropes to create something that is clearly its own story. Recommended.
How wrong I was.
General Dun-Cadal Daermon is a broken man, spending his days hidden away in a corner of the world drinking his life away. Whilst there he is found by Viola, a young historian from the new Empire who has found Dun-Cadal in the hope that she can discover what it was like at the time of the fall of the Emperor , from someone who was there.
More importantly, she hopes to persuade him to tell her what others have tried to discover, and failed to do. The main plot is about an attempt to recover Eraed, the Emperor’s sword, reputed to be magic, which was once allegedly hidden by Dun-Cadal when the Empire fell.
At the same time old friends of Cadal’s, who unlike him abandoned their imperialistic ideals and embraced the Republic, are being assassinated. The truth, when it is discovered, is a revelation.
The world is deliberately medieval-esque. It’s rather like the French Revolution of the 1790’s transposed to a more traditional medieval fantasy world. There is magic here, known as the animus, which people can tap into, although at a physical cost.
The world of Masalia is a world in transition: a place where we look at the formation of a Republic and the collapse of an Empire. It raises interesting questions, in the same way that the Star Wars trilogy does: when the Empire’s ended, the bad guys have been beaten: what happens next? The reader, and the people within this world, may not like all that they see.
In the end, The Path of Anger is a much richer, darker and subtler story than a mere quest novel. It is not just about the quest but also about betrayal, about friendship and about loyalty, all of which are tested along the way. It��s even about redemption, of a sort.
Interestingly, we see the main events twice – once focused around General Dun-Cadal and historian Viola, and then, in the second part, around Dun-Cadal’s apprentice, Frog. Some writers would have intertwined these two viewpoints throughout. I’m pleased to say that Antoine has taken the less exhausting route of dividing the book into two parts. Cleverly, and with the vantage of hindsight, the reader can see the same events but from different perspectives and with a different understanding as they read them again. In each part we are reminded of events in the past as well as in the present, as memories flash back to and from the present point in the plot.
I enjoyed this very much. The language, the style, the subtle characterisation that develops as you read, made this a pleasure.
Indeed, a pleasant surprise, and one which takes those usual tropes to create something that is clearly its own story. Recommended.
September 19, 2015
Waw....
That was a pleasant surprise.
There where 2 things that made me read it: The beautiful cover and the narrator of the audio book, which is Michael Kramer, one of my favorites.
The book actually was great up to the last 10% or so, after that it became a little confusing and rushed. That's ruined it for me a little, but it still 4.5 stars read.
I won't describe the synopsis, which can be found pretty much in every review, but I will mention the things I liked.
Cons:
As I said before: it's the end, which felt rushed.
Pros:
1. It has a good pace. I wasn't bored for a moment. I was intrigued by the story, especially when it reached the middle of the book, when I received another surprise.
2. In the middle of the book the POV changed. It the first time that I met this style of writing, and it actually it was very refreshing to see the story from the second POV after I saw the story from the previous one.
3. The story reminded me of one of favorite books of all time: The count of Monte Cristo, although the similarities are pretty distant when you think about it, but still, it did.
4. The great narrator made the book even better.
As a conclusion, I think that the book is a great book, and I honestly don't understand the bad reviews. The bad point that I saw a few reviewers mentioned is the lack of world building. I didn't feel it, and I'm a big Sanderson fan (I think it says a lot).
I will recommend the book to all Sanderson's fans ( and Dumas's of course too), and not only.
I just hope that the next book will be translated, and not passed by because of the bad rating and lack of popularity.
The most underrated book I read ever.
That was a pleasant surprise.
There where 2 things that made me read it: The beautiful cover and the narrator of the audio book, which is Michael Kramer, one of my favorites.
The book actually was great up to the last 10% or so, after that it became a little confusing and rushed. That's ruined it for me a little, but it still 4.5 stars read.
I won't describe the synopsis, which can be found pretty much in every review, but I will mention the things I liked.
Cons:
As I said before: it's the end, which felt rushed.
Pros:
1. It has a good pace. I wasn't bored for a moment. I was intrigued by the story, especially when it reached the middle of the book, when I received another surprise.
2. In the middle of the book the POV changed. It the first time that I met this style of writing, and it actually it was very refreshing to see the story from the second POV after I saw the story from the previous one.
3. The story reminded me of one of favorite books of all time: The count of Monte Cristo, although the similarities are pretty distant when you think about it, but still, it did.
4. The great narrator made the book even better.
As a conclusion, I think that the book is a great book, and I honestly don't understand the bad reviews. The bad point that I saw a few reviewers mentioned is the lack of world building. I didn't feel it, and I'm a big Sanderson fan (I think it says a lot).
I will recommend the book to all Sanderson's fans ( and Dumas's of course too), and not only.
I just hope that the next book will be translated, and not passed by because of the bad rating and lack of popularity.
The most underrated book I read ever.
September 20, 2015
Interestingly structured book though the interesting structure is only explainable in a way that's a bit spoilery so I won't elaborate on that. The bulk of the story takes place in Flashback as a seemingly pathetic old man gives an account of his part in the events leading up to the fall of an Empire while becoming involved in a conspiracy at the heart of the new Republic. As I stated the structure is the story's unique selling point though the writing is solid if a little bit unwieldy at times (though it is translated so that's forgivable). Though marketed as fantasy with plot centring around mystical objects it's not overloaded with supernatural elements, with the plot being more concerned with political scheming & conspiracy. There's a suitable level of moral greyness that underpins this material that I think is always necessary to keep this kind of plot interesting. Conclusive enough in it's own right, though there's definite potential for future development of a series, which I'd almost definitely keep following.
December 4, 2013
Unsatisfying. That would be my one word description: unsatisfying.
The heroes were quite unlikable - they were either blind fools, people ruled entirely by their emotions or vicious schemers - but most disappointing was how it all turned out. I expected some kind of catharsis, at least someone getting what they wanted. But there wasn't any satisfying revenge, no comeuppance... And I could've accepted that if their plans imploded because of an outside force they had no way of influencing, but no, they disintegrated because of their own stupidity, incompetence, recklessness and blindness. Especially Laerte annoyed the heck out of me, he went from a spoiled, hormonal brat to an angry, hormonal murderer with no regards for other people, their lives, safety and plans. What a selfish dick. The only characters I rooted for were Aladzio and De Page.
Disappointing...
The heroes were quite unlikable - they were either blind fools, people ruled entirely by their emotions or vicious schemers - but most disappointing was how it all turned out. I expected some kind of catharsis, at least someone getting what they wanted. But there wasn't any satisfying revenge, no comeuppance... And I could've accepted that if their plans imploded because of an outside force they had no way of influencing, but no, they disintegrated because of their own stupidity, incompetence, recklessness and blindness. Especially Laerte annoyed the heck out of me, he went from a spoiled, hormonal brat to an angry, hormonal murderer with no regards for other people, their lives, safety and plans. What a selfish dick. The only characters I rooted for were Aladzio and De Page.
Disappointing...
January 10, 2014
Didn't really do it for me. Not liking either Dun-Cadel or Frog didn't help, but the world building didn't thrill, the plot I was a bit meh on, and I don't remember anything at all about the prose so while it clearly wasn't bad, it wasn't a selling point either.
February 26, 2022
Tout commence comme une classique histoire de Fantasy et la relation entre un maître et son jeune élève. Ici le maître est le général Dun-Cadal, un des héros d'un empire qui semble se désagréger. L'élève, un jeune garçon qui se fait appeler Grenouille et qui a sauvé le général lors d'une mauvaise rencontre. On va donc suivre les années de formation du jeune Grenouille qui rêve de devenir le plus grand des chevaliers, mais nos deux héros vont s'apercevoir que leur puissance et leur gloire n'auront que peu de poids face au faisceau d'intrigue qui agite la capitale Éméris et tout l'empire.
Largement recommandé par son éditeur qui nous l'a vendu comme un des grands romans de ces dix dernières années, autant dire que ce premier roman d'un jeune auteur Français était très (trop ?) attendu. Je me suis donc précipité sur mon magasin numérique préféré le jour de sa sortie (merci Bragelonne pour la sortie numérique simultanée et le tarif raisonnable) pour me plonger sur ce livre (et pas sur l'épée, ça aurait fait trop mal). Une fois terminé, je dois d'abord reconnaître que ce n'est pas pour moi un des meilleurs romans Fantasy de ces 10 dernières année. Ceci évacué j'ai quand même largement apprécié ma lecture. A commencer par les personnages, qui sous une facture classique dans le genre, se révèlent quand même suffisamment complexes et crédibles pour être intéressants. L'univers n'est pas très original mais ne constitue finalement pas un élément très important dans ce roman. Enfin l'intrigue elle non plus ne nous réserve pas d'énorme surprise mais se révèle suffisamment élaborée pour retenir notre attention tout du long. Pour finir je reviendrais sur la construction qui nous propose de revivre deux fois une bonne partie de l'histoire mais du point de vue de deux personnages différents. Si l'idée est intéressante et nous apporte la première vrai révélation, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait ici un peu trop de redondances pour la rendre aussi indispensable que dans les Lames du Roi de Dave Duncan pour reprendre le premier exemple qui me vienne à l'esprit, et qui fait que j'ai trouvé la partie sur Grenouille moins intéressante que le reste car j'en avais deviné les grandes lignes.
Pour conclure, je vais féliciter Antoine Rouaud pour ce premier roman pour lequel il est assez compréhensible que l'auteur soit resté dans le canon, et dont j'ai quand même avalé les 576 pages en 5 jours avec plaisir. J'attend maintenant la suite avec impatience en espérant qu'après cette première expérience il arrive cette fois à vraiment nous surprendre avec des éléments plus personnels et plus originaux.
Largement recommandé par son éditeur qui nous l'a vendu comme un des grands romans de ces dix dernières années, autant dire que ce premier roman d'un jeune auteur Français était très (trop ?) attendu. Je me suis donc précipité sur mon magasin numérique préféré le jour de sa sortie (merci Bragelonne pour la sortie numérique simultanée et le tarif raisonnable) pour me plonger sur ce livre (et pas sur l'épée, ça aurait fait trop mal). Une fois terminé, je dois d'abord reconnaître que ce n'est pas pour moi un des meilleurs romans Fantasy de ces 10 dernières année. Ceci évacué j'ai quand même largement apprécié ma lecture. A commencer par les personnages, qui sous une facture classique dans le genre, se révèlent quand même suffisamment complexes et crédibles pour être intéressants. L'univers n'est pas très original mais ne constitue finalement pas un élément très important dans ce roman. Enfin l'intrigue elle non plus ne nous réserve pas d'énorme surprise mais se révèle suffisamment élaborée pour retenir notre attention tout du long. Pour finir je reviendrais sur la construction qui nous propose de revivre deux fois une bonne partie de l'histoire mais du point de vue de deux personnages différents. Si l'idée est intéressante et nous apporte la première vrai révélation, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait ici un peu trop de redondances pour la rendre aussi indispensable que dans les Lames du Roi de Dave Duncan pour reprendre le premier exemple qui me vienne à l'esprit, et qui fait que j'ai trouvé la partie sur Grenouille moins intéressante que le reste car j'en avais deviné les grandes lignes.
Pour conclure, je vais féliciter Antoine Rouaud pour ce premier roman pour lequel il est assez compréhensible que l'auteur soit resté dans le canon, et dont j'ai quand même avalé les 576 pages en 5 jours avec plaisir. J'attend maintenant la suite avec impatience en espérant qu'après cette première expérience il arrive cette fois à vraiment nous surprendre avec des éléments plus personnels et plus originaux.
September 24, 2020
Oi, gente!
Hoje temos resenha de O Livro e a Espada, Antoine Rouaud, editora Arqueiro.
!!!Há um pouco de violência.
É uma fantasia e se passa entre memórias e o presente das personagens, Dun-Cadal foi um grande general e tinha como missão de vida proteger com sua honra e habilidade o imperador, mas atualmente é apenas um homem que se afoga em virar o caneco e que tenta esquecer o que foi e viveu na época do Império.
Nas tabernas, Dun encontra alívio em vinho após vinho e somente espera a morte, traído pelos seus, perder aquilo do qual sempre lutara e seu pupilo, Rã, a quem considerava quase como um filho, seu orgulho e destino de suas orações aos deuses, embora não manifestasse a ninguém e muito menos ao jovem, foi a sua derrocada.
E nessa vida sem propósito, ele é encontrado por uma moça historiadora que procura pela lendária espada do imperador que apenas o ex-general pode saber de seu paradeiro.
*******
Dividido em duas partes, no livro encontramos uma força que se chama Sopro, onde apenas os mais habilidosos podem usar e sobreviver, capaz de até derrotar um dragão vermelho.
E, mesmo com esse poder, Dun foi incapaz de manter o Império firme diante da revolução começada pelo povo das Salinas.
O hoje é uma República e beber é o que ele pode fazer, pois Rã estava morto, não havia mais motivo para continuar sua vida.
Porém outra revolução está prestes a acontecer, o Livro do Destino ainda guarda um propósito para seus homens.
A derrota do Império, a proclamação da República, o Sopro, traições, animais fantásticos e um homem com infinita fúria e desejo de vingança permeiam O Livro e a Espada, livro um de uma trilogia.
Gostei bastante, mas senti falta de algumas coisas, talvez nos próximos livros respondam minhas dúvidas.
Confesso que soltei umas lágrimas bem perto do final e quero que um dia a Arqueiro traga o desfecho de O Livro e A Espada.
Fiz um videozinho mostrando um pouco dele no meu Instagram, espero gostem.
@sussu.adora.livros
January 4, 2023
Um ótimo livro cuja capa foi um desserviço.
O Livro e a Espada traz uma versão francesa do caminho do cavaleiro, aqui divido nos caminhos da fúria e da contenção. Um leva à indignidade, ao assassinato, outro leva a honradez, a justiça. Essa dicotomia é uma representação do dilema: Quando a violência é necessária?
A história em si é extremamente rica. Seguimos primeiramente como Dun-Cadal, um velho decadente que relembra seus tempos como um bem-sucedido general do extinto Império. Ele também é o responsável pela criação do assassino do Imperador: Loghrid - que decide seguir o caminho da fúria. Seu segundo pupilo, Rã, é um jovem fruto da perfídia e da traição, que deve decidir se seguirá seu destino de vingança - potencialmente, também tomando o mesmo caminho do primeiro.
A discussão sobre Destino é representada pelo Liber que seria um livro contendo toda a história do mundo escrita pelos próprios deuses. Outro ponto que permeia a narrativa: somos joguetes ou não?
É impossível não relacionar esses e outros pontos da trama com a Revolução Francesa, por exemplo, o Império decadente (a Monarquia Francesa), os conselheiros (a Burguesia), povo das Salinas (os Sans-cullottes). A disputa entre pontos teo e antropocêntricos é um ponto mais que vidente.
Todas essas propostas literárias ainda deixam espaço para elementos típicos do capa-e-espada, como amores inatingíveis e lutas violentas. Como uma obra de fantasia medieval, põe no chinelo muitas outras mais populares por aí.
Virou um preferido e já aguardo ansiosamente a continuação.
O Livro e a Espada traz uma versão francesa do caminho do cavaleiro, aqui divido nos caminhos da fúria e da contenção. Um leva à indignidade, ao assassinato, outro leva a honradez, a justiça. Essa dicotomia é uma representação do dilema: Quando a violência é necessária?
A história em si é extremamente rica. Seguimos primeiramente como Dun-Cadal, um velho decadente que relembra seus tempos como um bem-sucedido general do extinto Império. Ele também é o responsável pela criação do assassino do Imperador: Loghrid - que decide seguir o caminho da fúria. Seu segundo pupilo, Rã, é um jovem fruto da perfídia e da traição, que deve decidir se seguirá seu destino de vingança - potencialmente, também tomando o mesmo caminho do primeiro.
A discussão sobre Destino é representada pelo Liber que seria um livro contendo toda a história do mundo escrita pelos próprios deuses. Outro ponto que permeia a narrativa: somos joguetes ou não?
É impossível não relacionar esses e outros pontos da trama com a Revolução Francesa, por exemplo, o Império decadente (a Monarquia Francesa), os conselheiros (a Burguesia), povo das Salinas (os Sans-cullottes). A disputa entre pontos teo e antropocêntricos é um ponto mais que vidente.
Todas essas propostas literárias ainda deixam espaço para elementos típicos do capa-e-espada, como amores inatingíveis e lutas violentas. Como uma obra de fantasia medieval, põe no chinelo muitas outras mais populares por aí.
Virou um preferido e já aguardo ansiosamente a continuação.
September 14, 2014
This is a review I wrote for Gollanz publishers as part of their 'Gollanz Geek' group:
The Road Goes Ever On and On: ‘The Path of Anger’ by Antoine Rouard
Immediately, ‘The Path of Anger’ tells you what it is on the cover. The story is one of vengeance. Seemingly inspired by the plays of Shakespeare (indeed, many characters have names similar to Shakespearean tragic figures: Laerte = Laertes, Oratio = Horatio, there’s a character called Iago, etc.) or other Jacobean plays, it revolves around the resolution of old disputes, and the culmination of a desire for revenge that has lasted a lifetime. A path that never stops but is extended and exacerbated by a string of events that go from bad to worse. It truly is a lifetime as the course of this novel takes place over a couple of decades. Therein, lies one of its strengths.
The most interesting aspect of this novel was its use of flashbacks and how it effortlessly weaves the past and present in place. Following the lives of Dun-Cadal Daermon and his pupil Frog, we see how these characters meet, how they grow together and how the actions of the past have repercussions in the present day. Some scenes are seen from two perspectives, adding more depth to the setting and to the understanding between these two figures. It works well. The common use of italics to echo the scene that the characters are remembering works extraordinarily well in fading the narrative from one timeline to another. It is never jarring; instead it helps the reader to understand where characters are at given times, both emotionally and psychologically, without taking the reader out of the story in confusion over the juggling of its narrative chronology.
The novel was originally written in French, and French political overtones were evident in its setting. The main set-up, of an old empire overthrown and replaced by a Republic, sings echoes of Bastille day and the usurpation of the French monarchy. Knowing that history, and knowing how it might have influenced the history of the novel’s world really adds to the feeling of world-building in the novel, and the scenes depicting justification for both the Empire and the Republic’s existence are some of the novel’s finer moments, Rouard refraining from painting his world in black and white.
Sadly, the positives of the novel do end there. Some of the writing may have been affected in translation. There is some repetition of language, with many characters ‘almost’ doing a lot of things. I just wanted them to hurry up and do them! Subtlety is absent from the novel, with characters constantly asking themselves obvious character-defining questions in their head, with a lot of telling rather than showing. The author also seemed to feel the need to extensively explain each characters emotions in detail, when an implication may have sufficed, or worked better. A lot of the dialogue is awkward, and there are a few noticeable spelling and grammatical errors that could have been helped by stronger revision in the editing process.
Most, if not all, of the characters are stock. None of them stand out particularly well, besides the novel’s two leads, and they are defined mostly by one value. Dun-Cadal by his loyalty to the Empire, and Frog by his desire for vengeance. Besides this, there really doesn’t seem to be much to them. The character dynamic between the two of them is written well, particularly in the later, tenser, interactions, with Dun-Cadal’s fatherly feelings particularly standing out. But apart from that, neither of them are particularly engrossing, and a lot of the other characters struggle to be memorable. Most acting very much the same as each other. The women in particular are slighted too much. There are three named females and they are all wrapped up in loving men. That’s all they do. None of them add anything more to the novel. The only one who adds somewhat to the plot, only does so due to an abrupt love triangle that doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
In regards to elements that don’t make sense. The magic system (for some reason named the ‘animus’) is never explained. People just seem to be able to do it, and the full extent of its power is never explored. The sword that’s supposed to be legendary seems to be nothing more than a shiny heirloom, and the plotline around the book that is supposed to have the power to control the world ultimately fades into anti-climax. It’s never really explained why it has this power, or how anyone is supposed to use it, leaving the final confrontation pretty devoid of any stakes whatsoever.
The story itself was enjoyable, and Frog’s progression through the novel is worthy of note. But the novel feels small. I had the same problem with it than I did with Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Elysium’. With a whole nation in the balance (or in ‘Elysium’s’ case, the planet) there should be a lot more characters involved than there are. It just didn’t feel big enough to be realistic. There are only around five named councillors of the Republic that were all subjects of the Emperor beforehand anyway, and no one else gets a mention. The fact that they, of all people, took over the Republic instead of the people who actually led the rebellion was also somewhat unbelievable. It just seems very small in scale, which doesn’t make me feel a lot for the situation of the innocent nameless bystanders in this world. The lack of a map also detracts from the setting, making the reader struggle to grasp the geography of the world and ultimately the extent of the Empire’s/Republic’s reach. The political upheaval of the Empire should have been more evident as well. Such an event would have an enormous impact on a land and its inhabitants, but these results are never truly shown. Instead the world, feels very much the same. It also feels somewhat forced that Dun-Cadal, having been wandering alone for fifteen years, would suddenly start bumping into everyone from his past in the span of a couple of days.
Ultimately I struggle to truly come up with my true feelings of the novel. I could probably write on and on about more, but I’ve probably taken enough time as it is. In context with other modern fantasies, I truly believe it is a stronger effort than Mark Lawrence’s ‘Prince of Thorns’, but comparing the book to the works of authors such as Sanderson, Rothfuss, or Abercrombie, it doesn’t come near in terms of quality. A decent effort with quite a bit lacking.
The Road Goes Ever On and On: ‘The Path of Anger’ by Antoine Rouard
Immediately, ‘The Path of Anger’ tells you what it is on the cover. The story is one of vengeance. Seemingly inspired by the plays of Shakespeare (indeed, many characters have names similar to Shakespearean tragic figures: Laerte = Laertes, Oratio = Horatio, there’s a character called Iago, etc.) or other Jacobean plays, it revolves around the resolution of old disputes, and the culmination of a desire for revenge that has lasted a lifetime. A path that never stops but is extended and exacerbated by a string of events that go from bad to worse. It truly is a lifetime as the course of this novel takes place over a couple of decades. Therein, lies one of its strengths.
The most interesting aspect of this novel was its use of flashbacks and how it effortlessly weaves the past and present in place. Following the lives of Dun-Cadal Daermon and his pupil Frog, we see how these characters meet, how they grow together and how the actions of the past have repercussions in the present day. Some scenes are seen from two perspectives, adding more depth to the setting and to the understanding between these two figures. It works well. The common use of italics to echo the scene that the characters are remembering works extraordinarily well in fading the narrative from one timeline to another. It is never jarring; instead it helps the reader to understand where characters are at given times, both emotionally and psychologically, without taking the reader out of the story in confusion over the juggling of its narrative chronology.
The novel was originally written in French, and French political overtones were evident in its setting. The main set-up, of an old empire overthrown and replaced by a Republic, sings echoes of Bastille day and the usurpation of the French monarchy. Knowing that history, and knowing how it might have influenced the history of the novel’s world really adds to the feeling of world-building in the novel, and the scenes depicting justification for both the Empire and the Republic’s existence are some of the novel’s finer moments, Rouard refraining from painting his world in black and white.
Sadly, the positives of the novel do end there. Some of the writing may have been affected in translation. There is some repetition of language, with many characters ‘almost’ doing a lot of things. I just wanted them to hurry up and do them! Subtlety is absent from the novel, with characters constantly asking themselves obvious character-defining questions in their head, with a lot of telling rather than showing. The author also seemed to feel the need to extensively explain each characters emotions in detail, when an implication may have sufficed, or worked better. A lot of the dialogue is awkward, and there are a few noticeable spelling and grammatical errors that could have been helped by stronger revision in the editing process.
Most, if not all, of the characters are stock. None of them stand out particularly well, besides the novel’s two leads, and they are defined mostly by one value. Dun-Cadal by his loyalty to the Empire, and Frog by his desire for vengeance. Besides this, there really doesn’t seem to be much to them. The character dynamic between the two of them is written well, particularly in the later, tenser, interactions, with Dun-Cadal’s fatherly feelings particularly standing out. But apart from that, neither of them are particularly engrossing, and a lot of the other characters struggle to be memorable. Most acting very much the same as each other. The women in particular are slighted too much. There are three named females and they are all wrapped up in loving men. That’s all they do. None of them add anything more to the novel. The only one who adds somewhat to the plot, only does so due to an abrupt love triangle that doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
In regards to elements that don’t make sense. The magic system (for some reason named the ‘animus’) is never explained. People just seem to be able to do it, and the full extent of its power is never explored. The sword that’s supposed to be legendary seems to be nothing more than a shiny heirloom, and the plotline around the book that is supposed to have the power to control the world ultimately fades into anti-climax. It’s never really explained why it has this power, or how anyone is supposed to use it, leaving the final confrontation pretty devoid of any stakes whatsoever.
The story itself was enjoyable, and Frog’s progression through the novel is worthy of note. But the novel feels small. I had the same problem with it than I did with Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Elysium’. With a whole nation in the balance (or in ‘Elysium’s’ case, the planet) there should be a lot more characters involved than there are. It just didn’t feel big enough to be realistic. There are only around five named councillors of the Republic that were all subjects of the Emperor beforehand anyway, and no one else gets a mention. The fact that they, of all people, took over the Republic instead of the people who actually led the rebellion was also somewhat unbelievable. It just seems very small in scale, which doesn’t make me feel a lot for the situation of the innocent nameless bystanders in this world. The lack of a map also detracts from the setting, making the reader struggle to grasp the geography of the world and ultimately the extent of the Empire’s/Republic’s reach. The political upheaval of the Empire should have been more evident as well. Such an event would have an enormous impact on a land and its inhabitants, but these results are never truly shown. Instead the world, feels very much the same. It also feels somewhat forced that Dun-Cadal, having been wandering alone for fifteen years, would suddenly start bumping into everyone from his past in the span of a couple of days.
Ultimately I struggle to truly come up with my true feelings of the novel. I could probably write on and on about more, but I’ve probably taken enough time as it is. In context with other modern fantasies, I truly believe it is a stronger effort than Mark Lawrence’s ‘Prince of Thorns’, but comparing the book to the works of authors such as Sanderson, Rothfuss, or Abercrombie, it doesn’t come near in terms of quality. A decent effort with quite a bit lacking.
February 19, 2020
This would be more of a 3.5 or a 3.9. Just not a solid 4.
I want to expand on this review later, but I just wanted to hit on the reason why I can't give this a 4 even though I truly enjoyed the world Rouaud built.
I believe that different POV's are fine. They are sometimes necessary in order to explore the inner workings of characters. Sure, go for it. But when there are multiple POV's on the same situations, the very same occurrences, I feel like I'm reading the same thing all over again but with a few tweaks. That's why i don't like reading books that are from another character's POV on the exact same events from the original book. (Quick example off my mind, Edward Cullen's thoughts on the first book. We know what's going to happen. We read it). So, when this book was split in two only to cover the same events all over again, I did get a little bored. I knew what was going to happen through Frog's POV because we read it already. Sure, the tid bits of his past were intriguing, but I would rather him move the plot forward with some brief flashbacks. Again, different POV's are all fine and good for me, but only if they further the plot along.
Anywhoozle, besides that, I enjoyed myself with this story. I just wanted more.
I want to expand on this review later, but I just wanted to hit on the reason why I can't give this a 4 even though I truly enjoyed the world Rouaud built.
I believe that different POV's are fine. They are sometimes necessary in order to explore the inner workings of characters. Sure, go for it. But when there are multiple POV's on the same situations, the very same occurrences, I feel like I'm reading the same thing all over again but with a few tweaks. That's why i don't like reading books that are from another character's POV on the exact same events from the original book. (Quick example off my mind, Edward Cullen's thoughts on the first book. We know what's going to happen. We read it). So, when this book was split in two only to cover the same events all over again, I did get a little bored. I knew what was going to happen through Frog's POV because we read it already. Sure, the tid bits of his past were intriguing, but I would rather him move the plot forward with some brief flashbacks. Again, different POV's are all fine and good for me, but only if they further the plot along.
Anywhoozle, besides that, I enjoyed myself with this story. I just wanted more.
May 7, 2020
What a brilliant story! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the way it's told through a mix of current events for the characters, their own story telling and their memories. The story comes together in unexpected ways and you find yourself seeing various characters as heroes and villain's at different points and as perspectives of the study telling change. It's very well done in my view. I found myself felling genuine emotions at some points. You can feel the anger that the characters build at various points and feel the pain the circumstances inflict on them. It's a hard tale for the central players and you really do want them to prevail at every turn, however there wouldn't be a story if everything worked out as you hope at every turn. I must say that this was an unexpected find as I'd never heard of the author or the tale. But now I find myself wanting to find a copy of the next installment and it doesn't look like there is an English translation in the Kindle store (yet). With this darned pandemic looks like I'll have to wait to find a printed copy here in NZ or get one delivered from overseas. If it's like the first volume here it will be worth the wait!
December 24, 2016
4.5 Holy smokes, this book was dramatic. Like, seriously, this isn't the kind of book you read if you want a happy ending. That said, it's a good book with a lot of surprises and some good twists. I saw the biggest one coming before the second act, but it was still a good surprise. The main characters were interesting and the fantasy was very light. I enjoyed the second half more, and while the story was good, at times I felt like it was too slow. I also wasn't entirely sure how the magic worked, and I could have done with a couple more jokes. The whole story was really bleak, which I know was the point, but a couple more smiles could have been cracked. Still, the writing was pretty solid, the events engaging, and the ending action-packed and intense. I'm happy to have finally read this book!
September 26, 2018
It started off so well but I soon realised there wasn't much plot. The characters were interesting and I was invested for a while but then it felt they were just repeating themselves. With proper editing this could have been a very good book. A third could have been removed and the pacing improved. In the first part of the book I would have given it five stars but the rating kept dropping the further I went. A good premise but wasted.
August 4, 2021
Indonesian Review :
Terstruktur si plotnya, series yang lumayan oke dalam fantasy, ketegangannya dapet cuman isu yang didapetin di adalah awal yang kurang jelas ya dan sempet bingung karakter utamanya siapa…mungkin terjemahan karena org pda bilang ini dri bahasa perancis.
English Review :
Overall not bad, the conflict in the book is well put but the beginning of the the story was a bit confusing, maybe translation issues, would read again to see where this heads next.
Terstruktur si plotnya, series yang lumayan oke dalam fantasy, ketegangannya dapet cuman isu yang didapetin di adalah awal yang kurang jelas ya dan sempet bingung karakter utamanya siapa…mungkin terjemahan karena org pda bilang ini dri bahasa perancis.
English Review :
Overall not bad, the conflict in the book is well put but the beginning of the the story was a bit confusing, maybe translation issues, would read again to see where this heads next.
January 21, 2018
For some reason, I struggled to find a connection with the characters, though I appreciated the French influence Antoine Rouaud brings to the genre. The story is interesting enough that I'll read the next one to find out what happens.
November 3, 2020
It's been some time since I read it, but I remember it as a great story! And also there are some great characters in book! The relationship between the two main characters is really... I don't know how to put it... Interesting!!
January 4, 2024
DNF 50%
The constant movement through time in the narration felt pointless to me and made the book a chore. I would have liked to move forward instead of back. I love a tale of redemption but I'm not even sure this is what the book aimed to deliver.
The constant movement through time in the narration felt pointless to me and made the book a chore. I would have liked to move forward instead of back. I love a tale of redemption but I'm not even sure this is what the book aimed to deliver.
December 2, 2018
First part was quite tough to read, second part started to get better and more interesting. Pieces falling a bit better in place. Ending was however somewhat confusing on my eyes
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