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King's Dark Tidings #1
Free the Darkness
Raised and trained in complete seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows. With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bequeathed to him by a dead king, the young warrior relentlessly pursues his only lead. A single elite warrior escaped during the battle and may have knowledge of who Rezkin is and who is responsible for the slaughter at the young man’s home.
Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence. His last orders, spoken on the lips of his dying Master, were to "Kill with conscience" and "Protect and honor your friends." Living in isolation from the outworld under a strict regimen of training and education, the young warrior has no understanding of a conscience or friends. Determined to adhere to his last orders, Rezkin extends his protection to an unlikely assortment of individuals he meets along the way, often leading to humorous and poignant incidents.
As if pursuing an elite warrior across a kingdom, figuring out who he is and why everyone he knows is dead, and attempting to find these so-called friends and protect them is not enough, strange things are happening in the kingdom. New dangers begin to arise that threaten not only Rezkin and his friends, but possibly everyone in Ashai.
Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence. His last orders, spoken on the lips of his dying Master, were to "Kill with conscience" and "Protect and honor your friends." Living in isolation from the outworld under a strict regimen of training and education, the young warrior has no understanding of a conscience or friends. Determined to adhere to his last orders, Rezkin extends his protection to an unlikely assortment of individuals he meets along the way, often leading to humorous and poignant incidents.
As if pursuing an elite warrior across a kingdom, figuring out who he is and why everyone he knows is dead, and attempting to find these so-called friends and protect them is not enough, strange things are happening in the kingdom. New dangers begin to arise that threaten not only Rezkin and his friends, but possibly everyone in Ashai.
483 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2015
5624 people are currently reading
27726 people want to read
About the author
Kel Kade
14 books3,482 followersKel Kade lives in Texas and occasionally serves as an adjunct college faculty member, inspiring young minds and introducing them to the fascinating and very real world of geosciences. Thanks to Kade’s enthusiastic readers and the success of the King’s Dark Tidings series, Kade is now able to create universes spanning space and time, develop criminal empires, plot the downfall of tyrannous rulers, and dive into fantastical mysteries full time.
Growing up, Kade lived a military lifestyle of traveling to and living in new places. These experiences with distinctive cultures and geography instilled in Kade a sense of wanderlust and opened a young mind to the knowledge that the Earth is expansive and wild. A deep interest in science, ancient history, cultural anthropology, art, music, languages, and spirituality is evidenced by the diversity and richness of the places and cultures depicted in Kade’s writing.
Growing up, Kade lived a military lifestyle of traveling to and living in new places. These experiences with distinctive cultures and geography instilled in Kade a sense of wanderlust and opened a young mind to the knowledge that the Earth is expansive and wild. A deep interest in science, ancient history, cultural anthropology, art, music, languages, and spirituality is evidenced by the diversity and richness of the places and cultures depicted in Kade’s writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,593 reviews
December 18, 2024
This was the most enjoyable new-to-me fantasy book I've read all year. It was a super fun fantasy adventure story packed with likeable characters, plenty of action, humour, and even a few touching moments.
The story followed the exploits of 19 year old Rezkin. Rezkin was raised since birth in a secluded fortress to be the greatest weapon the Kingdom of Ashai has ever seen. He learned everything from weaponry to the healing arts and economics and is a master of them all. What he is not a master of is other people. He was raised in relative isolation and follows a set of rules given to him by his mysterious masters. When battle breaks out at his home and only him and one other warrior survive Rezkin is forced from the fortress to discover who gave the orders that killed everyone he knew and what his purpose in life is. He has only one lead, the warrior who escaped, and Rezkin sets about tracking him. Unfortunately for him he is ill prepared for the realities of the Outworld, where no one seems to follow the rules, and soon finds himself in all sorts of hilarious mishaps.
Rezkin managed a few final words with one of his dying masters. With his last breath the master tried to pass on the final, and most important two rules of all, Rule 1: protect and honour the king, and Rule 2: kill without conscience. Unfortunately the master chocked on his own blood so rule Rule 2 came out as: kill with conscience, and he slipped into total delirium moments before death so Rule 1 came out as: protect and honour your friends. Rezkin is puzzled by these rules as he has no idea what a conscience is and has no friends. Still, rules are rules and Rezkin determines to find these friends while tracking the escaped warrior.
The whole story was fun and hilarious. I loved Rezkin's encounters with the "Outlanders". Most of them were absolutely hilarious and a few were quite touching. It really helped the Rezkin and a lot of the other characters we met were very easy to like. I enjoyed following Rezkin as he learned to adapt to dealing with real people and loved how that affected his outlook on life.
This is not a story without flaws. It was basically an adventure story and while the world building was OK it did feel like we had only scrapped the surface of the goings on in Ashai and the rest of the world. I'm sure that will change in future instalments as this one was basically Rezkin's origin story. Speaking of origin stories I should mention that Rezkin was basically a superman! His skills were so beyond those of normal people that he was practically a superhero. I was more of afraid of who he would hurt or kill than that anyone could manage to be a threat to him. As a lover of superhero books and movies I did not really find that aspect of the story to be an issue. Not that Rez is actually a superhero, he just feels like one!
All in all this was a super enjoyable read and the best new fantasy book I've read in a few years. Roll on book 2!
Rating: 5 stars.
Reread Note: Just as fun the third time around!
Audio Note: This was narrated by Nick Podehl. His performance was absolutely fantastic and he really captured the spirit of the story. He was so good that he is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much.
The story followed the exploits of 19 year old Rezkin. Rezkin was raised since birth in a secluded fortress to be the greatest weapon the Kingdom of Ashai has ever seen. He learned everything from weaponry to the healing arts and economics and is a master of them all. What he is not a master of is other people. He was raised in relative isolation and follows a set of rules given to him by his mysterious masters. When battle breaks out at his home and only him and one other warrior survive Rezkin is forced from the fortress to discover who gave the orders that killed everyone he knew and what his purpose in life is. He has only one lead, the warrior who escaped, and Rezkin sets about tracking him. Unfortunately for him he is ill prepared for the realities of the Outworld, where no one seems to follow the rules, and soon finds himself in all sorts of hilarious mishaps.
Rezkin managed a few final words with one of his dying masters. With his last breath the master tried to pass on the final, and most important two rules of all, Rule 1: protect and honour the king, and Rule 2: kill without conscience. Unfortunately the master chocked on his own blood so rule Rule 2 came out as: kill with conscience, and he slipped into total delirium moments before death so Rule 1 came out as: protect and honour your friends. Rezkin is puzzled by these rules as he has no idea what a conscience is and has no friends. Still, rules are rules and Rezkin determines to find these friends while tracking the escaped warrior.
The whole story was fun and hilarious. I loved Rezkin's encounters with the "Outlanders". Most of them were absolutely hilarious and a few were quite touching. It really helped the Rezkin and a lot of the other characters we met were very easy to like. I enjoyed following Rezkin as he learned to adapt to dealing with real people and loved how that affected his outlook on life.
This is not a story without flaws. It was basically an adventure story and while the world building was OK it did feel like we had only scrapped the surface of the goings on in Ashai and the rest of the world. I'm sure that will change in future instalments as this one was basically Rezkin's origin story. Speaking of origin stories I should mention that Rezkin was basically a superman! His skills were so beyond those of normal people that he was practically a superhero. I was more of afraid of who he would hurt or kill than that anyone could manage to be a threat to him. As a lover of superhero books and movies I did not really find that aspect of the story to be an issue. Not that Rez is actually a superhero, he just feels like one!
All in all this was a super enjoyable read and the best new fantasy book I've read in a few years. Roll on book 2!
Rating: 5 stars.
Reread Note: Just as fun the third time around!
Audio Note: This was narrated by Nick Podehl. His performance was absolutely fantastic and he really captured the spirit of the story. He was so good that he is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much.
June 12, 2024
To find good fantasy seems to be getting ever harder. We've read all the plots, have seen all the figures so often that they turned into clichés. Even the parodies have become repetitive. This book however invites with a seemingly new premise; given its exuberant reviews, I could not but accept and buy a copy.
The Premise
We start the journey with Rezkin, a mysterious boy, who is raised within a remote fortress and trained into a killer. At the age of nineteen, he is released into the outside world, all the witnesses of his upbringing having been killed - save one.
The Characters
... are portrayed one-dimensionally, without depth. This is particularly and sadly true of the protagonist, who comes a across as an infallible nigh-demigod. All men admire him, all women - and some men - lust for him. Indeed, all other characters seem to exist and in fact in some cases even are just introduced to impress upon the reader the awe that Rezkin inspires. Unfortunately, this lets the protagonist become rather uninteresting: I could not make myself care for someone into whose lap the author put everything that he needed, when he needed it.
Nor do the characters develop. Rezkin remains his flawless self, his companions hardly rise above their roles as Rezkin's admirers. Even though right from the start there would have been enough chances for conflicts, Kade, the author, uses none of these opportunities to have them change and either fall or rise.
The Storytelling
... relies on the protagonist's improbable fighting, stealth, healing, bargaining and etiquette skills. Where that isn't enough, Rezkin can rely on Kade to send chance to his aid. Worse, the author cluttered the narration with unnecessary details: It does not to help the story along to learn, for example, that during one journey, the hero provided the party with "a brace of hairs and two pheasants"; or that the female lead kept some plumage thinking she could find use for the pretty feathers; nor that she had to relieve herself in the woods.
Then there's logical gaps, not the smallest of which IMHO gapes at the reader in the fact that from a secluded life of training to become an unhesitating assassin, Rezkin emerges with a superior sense of ethics and decency.
The style
...soon gets boring. Kade overly resorts to passive description and repetitive phrases ("the young warrior...").
What really put me off was the fact that the author completely skimped on proofreading - despite his obvious need for help in spelling, grammar and word usage. Maybe you spotted one example of this negligence in the quote above (extra points for the first reader who spots the second blunder in that phrase). Unfortunately, Kade frequently sends the reader tumbling over such roadblocks. Take the following example: "Perhaps they had some hypnotic affect. He had learned in survival training that one could use shiny object to lure fish, so he decided it was possible this necklace had the same affect on people."
Summary
The book's premise could have been used for a captivating story. However, the author proves unable to do so. Add to this a frustrating carelessness in storytelling, grammar and spelling and one arrives at the conclusion that professional publishers, even for 'pulp' literature, exist for reason. Granted, self-published works such as this one are cheaper. However, you get what you pay for.
The Premise
We start the journey with Rezkin, a mysterious boy, who is raised within a remote fortress and trained into a killer. At the age of nineteen, he is released into the outside world, all the witnesses of his upbringing having been killed - save one.
The Characters
... are portrayed one-dimensionally, without depth. This is particularly and sadly true of the protagonist, who comes a across as an infallible nigh-demigod. All men admire him, all women - and some men - lust for him. Indeed, all other characters seem to exist and in fact in some cases even are just introduced to impress upon the reader the awe that Rezkin inspires. Unfortunately, this lets the protagonist become rather uninteresting: I could not make myself care for someone into whose lap the author put everything that he needed, when he needed it.
Nor do the characters develop. Rezkin remains his flawless self, his companions hardly rise above their roles as Rezkin's admirers. Even though right from the start there would have been enough chances for conflicts, Kade, the author, uses none of these opportunities to have them change and either fall or rise.
The Storytelling
... relies on the protagonist's improbable fighting, stealth, healing, bargaining and etiquette skills. Where that isn't enough, Rezkin can rely on Kade to send chance to his aid. Worse, the author cluttered the narration with unnecessary details: It does not to help the story along to learn, for example, that during one journey, the hero provided the party with "a brace of hairs and two pheasants"; or that the female lead kept some plumage thinking she could find use for the pretty feathers; nor that she had to relieve herself in the woods.
Then there's logical gaps, not the smallest of which IMHO gapes at the reader in the fact that from a secluded life of training to become an unhesitating assassin, Rezkin emerges with a superior sense of ethics and decency.
The style
...soon gets boring. Kade overly resorts to passive description and repetitive phrases ("the young warrior...").
What really put me off was the fact that the author completely skimped on proofreading - despite his obvious need for help in spelling, grammar and word usage. Maybe you spotted one example of this negligence in the quote above (extra points for the first reader who spots the second blunder in that phrase). Unfortunately, Kade frequently sends the reader tumbling over such roadblocks. Take the following example: "Perhaps they had some hypnotic affect. He had learned in survival training that one could use shiny object to lure fish, so he decided it was possible this necklace had the same affect on people."
Summary
The book's premise could have been used for a captivating story. However, the author proves unable to do so. Add to this a frustrating carelessness in storytelling, grammar and spelling and one arrives at the conclusion that professional publishers, even for 'pulp' literature, exist for reason. Granted, self-published works such as this one are cheaper. However, you get what you pay for.
November 18, 2018
I read several reviews of this book before I bought it. The interesting thing is that most reviews were strongly positive, some all the way to 5 stars. On the other hand there were a goodly number" of very bad (read 1 star) ratings... There weren't many in the middle. Upon reflection I've decided to go 4 stars on it as I enjoyed the book. I plan to give a nod to what annoyed some readers (as there are some, false notes here). But as noted "on the whole" I enjoyed it.
You will have seen versions of this protagonist before. He's raised from his first memories in a fortress by elite fighters, weapons masters and men he knows as the master teachers. He is (of course) trained up onto the "perfect weapon". That gives rise to one of the complaints about the book. The hero "can" come across as almost a super-man at times. No one can come close (well one person gives him a mild work-out) to his skill, speed or ability.
Still that part of the book isn't too bad if you buy into the premise. I mean that he is this one of a kind warrior is part of the story so you need to buy into it to follow the author's story...plot.
Far more problematic (for me) was the effect the protagonist has on females....they generally swoon and lose themselves to helpless lust (or something). This really annoyed some readers as the book went on and on (in some few scenes) about the guy's sculpted muscles, startling face and so on.
Mostly I just found it laughable. Instead of bothering me it just caused me a few minutes of "oh good grief how silly is this" reaction. I'd say just see if it bothers you.
Now as I said, I like the book. Once you get passed the things mentioned above (and if you don't find them deal breakers the book is a fun fast-moving story, brain candy. That's what I've been needing as I have been pretty burned out.
I can recommend this one with "see what you think" note.
Enjoy.
You will have seen versions of this protagonist before. He's raised from his first memories in a fortress by elite fighters, weapons masters and men he knows as the master teachers. He is (of course) trained up onto the "perfect weapon". That gives rise to one of the complaints about the book. The hero "can" come across as almost a super-man at times. No one can come close (well one person gives him a mild work-out) to his skill, speed or ability.
Still that part of the book isn't too bad if you buy into the premise. I mean that he is this one of a kind warrior is part of the story so you need to buy into it to follow the author's story...plot.
Far more problematic (for me) was the effect the protagonist has on females....they generally swoon and lose themselves to helpless lust (or something). This really annoyed some readers as the book went on and on (in some few scenes) about the guy's sculpted muscles, startling face and so on.
Mostly I just found it laughable. Instead of bothering me it just caused me a few minutes of "oh good grief how silly is this" reaction. I'd say just see if it bothers you.
Now as I said, I like the book. Once you get passed the things mentioned above (and if you don't find them deal breakers the book is a fun fast-moving story, brain candy. That's what I've been needing as I have been pretty burned out.
I can recommend this one with "see what you think" note.
Enjoy.
June 29, 2022
There are some books you find bad but understand why some might like them.
There are some bad books you can accept that some people like them.
Then there’s Free the Darkness.
I have been looking forward to reading this book if you can believe it. If you've been following my reviews for a while now, you know I used to be a lot more active than I am now. I was AWOL for a while and now I no longer have the time/resources to be active like I used to (especially the latter since I moved to another place). Anyhow, it's been a while since I was able to read anything "high fantasy" albeit being my favorite genre. I was always curious about this book, which I expected to be 3 stars at least, but now I'm just thankful it was never picked as the book of the month in the book club I'm in although I suggested it myself.
There are some bad books you can accept that some people like them.
Then there’s Free the Darkness.
I have been looking forward to reading this book if you can believe it. If you've been following my reviews for a while now, you know I used to be a lot more active than I am now. I was AWOL for a while and now I no longer have the time/resources to be active like I used to (especially the latter since I moved to another place). Anyhow, it's been a while since I was able to read anything "high fantasy" albeit being my favorite genre. I was always curious about this book, which I expected to be 3 stars at least, but now I'm just thankful it was never picked as the book of the month in the book club I'm in although I suggested it myself.
The blurb sounds promising. This child who has been specially trained all his life, becoming very tough, goes on some journey + lots of secrets about his heritage/upbringing. I already knew the MC is overpowered and I was okay with it. But this didn't account for the book's other faults.
In my defense, the rating is high especially for this genre. The cover looks cool and well, there was no warning for the content except for a few low ratings in the top reviews -but these are everywhere.
And so I started this book with bright hopes and excitement. I managed to keep positive until chapter 5 where I shed all pretentiousness and admitted to myself that so far, the book ain't good. By chapter 10, it was confirmed that the book sucked.
It all started well enough. Typical mysterious upbringing, seclusion, and some super strong abilities made Rezkin a serious person with a set of rules he follows all teh time. I was curious to see where the book is going until certain things started getting on my nerves. So I shall discuss each element separately. To be clear, this book had many issues and no redeambable qualities so other than the promising premise, there no single praise I can say about the content itself. The book would make an excellent anime because some tropes are
The characters:
The characters got on my nerves. Repeatedly. I disliked them immensely. First, the main character Rezkin is way overpowered. There's nothing he can't do. Very smart, strong, makes a great actor, knows nobles secrets, has an amazing memory, and of course, most importantly, to quote the author, "STUNNING".
All of the girls are fawning over him. They think he's gorgeous and they can barely handle themselves around him. He's the most handsome and well, they all want to sleep with him. It's not like women are sexually described but it's as if I'm reading some historical romance with this "dark" sexy love interest. That's not half of it. We weren't sure if the author is a man or woman but after reading a few chapters, and because of all those signs, it was pretty obvious. It's as if she combined everything she finds attractive and weaved Rezkin.
You see, having grown up with a bunch of men training him, there are many words he doesn't know like friend *eyeroll*. He has an impeccable vocab but doesn't know the meaning of the word friend (or girlfriend), ok yes sure. What bullshit. Anyhow, he's very innocent about the way of the world since he assumes everyone follows the same rules and well, doesn't have the right knowledge about the basic stuff. So he's unaware of those women's attraction to him.
It was so tiring. Also, it was uncreative and boring.
Frisha, the woman who is throwing herself over him, is unaware of this innocence even if his behavior shows it. I also disliked her immensely because she literally fought (physically) with another because of him. She was one dimensional and had no substance to her character.
All of the secondary characters were either awed by him or well, fear him. They also lacked personality.
the writing
I am not picky when it comes to writing. It's one of the things i care for the least. I can still enjoy a book even if it had bad writing if the story was engaging enough.
In this case, the writing slowly suffocated me. Why?
- It was all over the place. The Kade just writes what anyone is thinking without having chapters told from a certain perspective. It's a jam of opinions. I mean switching to another's pov to express how they fear Rezkin is very important, you know?
- It was mechanical. Given the way Rezkin thinks about the world, writing from his perspective was like writing from an aliens, in other words, lots of useless detail, long descriptions, never ending trying to understand why this personal doesn't respect the rules, repetitions (especially of the rules related matters).
- using words like "small men" "small women" for children was also tiring (lots of things tired me reading this book).
- if you skim, which yes I did or else I would've DNF, don't worry, since there's lots of useless words, you can still understand everything!!
world-building:
The world building was unimpressive to say the least. Not much was said about the outside kingdoms and there was nothing special about it. It didn't manage to hold my attention since there was nothing imaginative about it.
The plot:
i totally forgot this point before I finished the review and that can only say one thing about it. It's barely there. Not much happens beside the journeying. The book gives the appearance that it's incomplete because it sets up the stage for certain event that never happen. There was no climax even. It's mostly Rezkin defeating people since he's super tough. The only thing that kept me reading at one point was certain event (which I was curious about) but imagine my annoyance when I learned that it was pushed back to book 2.
I can keep going but thinking about this book again gives me a headache. I hated it a lot and it was a while since I felt such negative emotions towards a book. I was promised something better. It's not like it has a low or even AVERAGE rating but, c'mon 4.24 for a high fantasy?! The majority likes it while I found it bad on so many levels without any redeamable qualities. I really don't understand the fuss. I was so bored reading it. I do not recommend it.
November 10, 2016
4.3 stars? Why? How? This book is terrible.
Do you like Mary Sue characters? The main character is the mother of all Mary Sues. I must have rolled my eyes 100 times. He is the best in the world (by far) at everything. Knows how to assume any role in society flawlessly (despite zero prior experience in the real world). Master of EVERY weapon. Knows the exact blueprints by memory of every important building in the known world....the list goes on and on. He fights 15 elite master warriors simultaneously and wins. Now anyone who knows anything about fighting knows that no matter how much training or "skills" you possess you will not survive being so outnumbered. Takes over the entire criminal underworld of the known world in a sum total of a few hours. Etc...etc....
All other characters are complete incompetent ninnies, especially all of the female characters whose only purpose seems to be to drool and cat fight over Mr. Mary Sue.
The writing is awful. The characters shallow. The story non-existent. And the book just ends. Poof. Nothing resolved or explained. No mysteries solved. NOTHING.
How does this get such high ratings? I cannot comprehend.
Do you like Mary Sue characters? The main character is the mother of all Mary Sues. I must have rolled my eyes 100 times. He is the best in the world (by far) at everything. Knows how to assume any role in society flawlessly (despite zero prior experience in the real world). Master of EVERY weapon. Knows the exact blueprints by memory of every important building in the known world....the list goes on and on. He fights 15 elite master warriors simultaneously and wins. Now anyone who knows anything about fighting knows that no matter how much training or "skills" you possess you will not survive being so outnumbered. Takes over the entire criminal underworld of the known world in a sum total of a few hours. Etc...etc....
All other characters are complete incompetent ninnies, especially all of the female characters whose only purpose seems to be to drool and cat fight over Mr. Mary Sue.
The writing is awful. The characters shallow. The story non-existent. And the book just ends. Poof. Nothing resolved or explained. No mysteries solved. NOTHING.
How does this get such high ratings? I cannot comprehend.
July 10, 2023
Fajny pomysł ale momentami zbyt nudna. Liczę, że kolejne tomy będą lepsze
Read
May 29, 2021dnf 95/269
June 3, 2019
Long time ago, in a far away galaxy, ahem, -about a year ago, in the next room probably- I've read Gavin's review , and all I could remember from it was that the hero reminded me of Son Goku from Dragon Balls. I had listened to the audible and realised I was not that far away from the mark. This book is a lovely mix of Son Goku and Assassin's Creed. Ezio...
*dreamy sigh*
I've reread the written version this time, to remember what had happened, before continuing on with the series. And Rezkin is as delightfully confused as I remember. I just love his process of thought and reasoning!
I won't talk about the plot or characters, because everything would be a spoiler. This is a light and fun fantasy book. As such, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Oh, and audible version was great. I loved the narrator. He did an amazing job, giving life to the story. And almost all of his character voices were spot on. -except Frisha. that one was just annoying beyond words. come to think of it, she is just plain annoying anyways.
Audio note; narrator did a great job. especially with frisha. she is plain annoying, and narrator carries her annoying bratness to the next level.
*dreamy sigh*
I've reread the written version this time, to remember what had happened, before continuing on with the series. And Rezkin is as delightfully confused as I remember. I just love his process of thought and reasoning!
I won't talk about the plot or characters, because everything would be a spoiler. This is a light and fun fantasy book. As such, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Oh, and audible version was great. I loved the narrator. He did an amazing job, giving life to the story. And almost all of his character voices were spot on. -except Frisha. that one was just annoying beyond words. come to think of it, she is just plain annoying anyways.
Audio note; narrator did a great job. especially with frisha. she is plain annoying, and narrator carries her annoying bratness to the next level.
October 1, 2018
Plot ~ Concept: ★★★☆☆
~ Execution: ★☆☆☆☆½
Pacing: ★★☆☆☆½
Writing style: ★★☆☆☆½
Characters: ★☆☆☆☆½
World: ★★★☆☆
Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆
Cover: ★★★★☆
Pros:
○ “Bone snapped and flesh parted as hot blood spewed out from a jagged wound.” THAT, friends, is the first sentence. And it successfully it got me excited.
○ It had an intriguing beginning.
○ The fact that it was meant to be epic fantasy (??) got me excited.
○ I’m struggling to think of the pros, here, honestly.
○ Uhhhh it has a high average rating so maybe I’m missing something?
Cons:
I present to you the reasons why the book took me almost 6 months to complete.
○ While the book started out strongly, it went downhill really quickly.
○ Rezkin’s personality lacked depth. Yes, I understand that that was the intention towards the beginning, but his character did not progress with this (LONG) book.
○ I didn’t particularly care for any of the secondary characters either. They all felt like generic, cookie cutter characters.
○ It felt to me like Rezkin’s borderline inhuman abilities were given to him simply for the sake of convenience. At one point, he has blueprints memorised. WHICH CRAZY SCHOOLS MAKE YOU MEMORISE THE MOST FREAKING RANDOM BLUEPRINTS?
○ He also singlehandedly takes on 15 well-trained warriors and is barely breaks a sweat. I could go on with these examples all day, but you get the idea.
○ The female characters had no substance whatsoever. No, I do not expect them to be powerful warriors, but I do think they should have more depth to their personalities and NOT ONLY EXIST SOLELY TO SWOON AND HAVE PETTY FIGHTS OVER THE (conveniently very good-looking) MAIN CHARACTER.deep breath, Zara.
○ Having finished the book, I still don’t know what the plot is supposed to be. Hence why I was bored and didn’t retain any information from large chunks of the book while reading.
○ ...those are all of my words.
Overall rating: ★☆☆☆☆½
~ Execution: ★☆☆☆☆½
Pacing: ★★☆☆☆½
Writing style: ★★☆☆☆½
Characters: ★☆☆☆☆½
World: ★★★☆☆
Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆
Cover: ★★★★☆
Pros:
○ “Bone snapped and flesh parted as hot blood spewed out from a jagged wound.” THAT, friends, is the first sentence. And it successfully it got me excited.
○ It had an intriguing beginning.
○ The fact that it was meant to be epic fantasy (??) got me excited.
○ I’m struggling to think of the pros, here, honestly.
○ Uhhhh it has a high average rating so maybe I’m missing something?
Cons:
I present to you the reasons why the book took me almost 6 months to complete.
○ While the book started out strongly, it went downhill really quickly.
○ Rezkin’s personality lacked depth. Yes, I understand that that was the intention towards the beginning, but his character did not progress with this (LONG) book.
○ I didn’t particularly care for any of the secondary characters either. They all felt like generic, cookie cutter characters.
○ It felt to me like Rezkin’s borderline inhuman abilities were given to him simply for the sake of convenience. At one point, he has blueprints memorised. WHICH CRAZY SCHOOLS MAKE YOU MEMORISE THE MOST FREAKING RANDOM BLUEPRINTS?
○ He also singlehandedly takes on 15 well-trained warriors and is barely breaks a sweat. I could go on with these examples all day, but you get the idea.
○ The female characters had no substance whatsoever. No, I do not expect them to be powerful warriors, but I do think they should have more depth to their personalities and NOT ONLY EXIST SOLELY TO SWOON AND HAVE PETTY FIGHTS OVER THE (conveniently very good-looking) MAIN CHARACTER.
○ Having finished the book, I still don’t know what the plot is supposed to be. Hence why I was bored and didn’t retain any information from large chunks of the book while reading.
○ ...those are all of my words.
Overall rating: ★☆☆☆☆½
July 15, 2016
I thought laughably over-powered and flawless protagonists, who are phenomenally handsome to boot, and are fawned over by everyone they meet, were the sole-domain of mediocre-to-bad anime and fan-fiction. Seems I was mistaken.
Why the 2 stars then?
Because even though the book is filled with dialogue that sounds just a bit too silly (like 'you are a master businessman and swordsman at only 19?..' etc.) making the story-line look even more ridiculous, and has multiple absurd plot points ('the protagonist has memorized the blue prints of all the cities and important buildings in the cities throughout the kingdom...' (What??!) ), the book has enough fun with its ridiculous premise and the author seems to be in on the joke . Also the MCs powers seem to be so over the top (think saitama -level) adding to my feeling that the book is winking at its readers.
Why the 2 stars then?
Because even though the book is filled with dialogue that sounds just a bit too silly (like 'you are a master businessman and swordsman at only 19?..' etc.) making the story-line look even more ridiculous, and has multiple absurd plot points ('the protagonist has memorized the blue prints of all the cities and important buildings in the cities throughout the kingdom...' (What??!) ), the book has enough fun with its ridiculous premise and the author seems to be in on the joke . Also the MCs powers seem to be so over the top (think saitama -level) adding to my feeling that the book is winking at its readers.
August 25, 2017
I was a bit skeptical going into this book after reading a friends review saying that this book was not nearly as good as the premise sounded. But I am happy to say that after going in with tempered expectations and knowing that character comes across as overpowered, I found a very enjoyable read here.
Rezkin is a very fun character to follow. He is a trained warrior in the highest degree. After the masters are slayed he goes into the "outworld" and has to find his place. He meets friends and makes it his mission to keep them safe.
Most of the characters in this book are well written ams fleshed out. The only character that drives me nuts is Frisha. Who can't talk about anything about how Mich she LOVES Rezkin. Its an insta love that I just can't get behind and was bothersome.
Rezkin himself is a fantastic character. I think the only complaint one could say about him is that is is overpowered, and while there is an argument there for that, I found that it didn't bother me much at all. I just want to see characters kick tail and take names sometimes, and I got that in spades here. His naïveté of the "real world" makes for some good humor in the book and put a few smiles on my face.
The author did a great job of switching POV seamlessly. He goes from seeing things from Rrzkin's POV to some other character in very smooth transitions that if not done well could be confusing, but I'm happy to say Kel Made pulls this off very well.
My one complaint about the book is that it feels like a small portion of a bigger whole. I know there are more books in the series, but I prefer books that still have a contained story in it with a satisfying ending rather than leaving you hanging in a part that truly made me feel like I was mid book still.
But with that being said, I'm still excited to jump into book 2 and find out where these characters stories end up leading them.
Rezkin is a very fun character to follow. He is a trained warrior in the highest degree. After the masters are slayed he goes into the "outworld" and has to find his place. He meets friends and makes it his mission to keep them safe.
Most of the characters in this book are well written ams fleshed out. The only character that drives me nuts is Frisha. Who can't talk about anything about how Mich she LOVES Rezkin. Its an insta love that I just can't get behind and was bothersome.
Rezkin himself is a fantastic character. I think the only complaint one could say about him is that is is overpowered, and while there is an argument there for that, I found that it didn't bother me much at all. I just want to see characters kick tail and take names sometimes, and I got that in spades here. His naïveté of the "real world" makes for some good humor in the book and put a few smiles on my face.
The author did a great job of switching POV seamlessly. He goes from seeing things from Rrzkin's POV to some other character in very smooth transitions that if not done well could be confusing, but I'm happy to say Kel Made pulls this off very well.
My one complaint about the book is that it feels like a small portion of a bigger whole. I know there are more books in the series, but I prefer books that still have a contained story in it with a satisfying ending rather than leaving you hanging in a part that truly made me feel like I was mid book still.
But with that being said, I'm still excited to jump into book 2 and find out where these characters stories end up leading them.
February 9, 2017
going to sit on this review for a while.. mixed feelings
Right so when i read the blurb of this book, i expected blood, gore more blood gore and you know just you know bad assery all through the book. i mean first sentence from the book 'Bone Snapped and flesh parted as hot blood spewed out from a jagged wound
What i got: blood gore and a bad ass hero (i'm thinking cross between James Bond and the Terminator)
What i did not expect: a bad ass hero that made all the women in the book want to drop their pants and go take me i'm yours. It was quite frankly beyond annoying. i mean i know the book hints at sexual innuendo but my lord how is it that the women in this book have no freaking control???
What i did not get: Even a hint of Rezkin's purpose in the book. Look there's 483 pages, 22 chapters in this book and at the end you still have absolutely no clue like zilch, nada, zero, nothing of who on God's green earth Rezkin really is, (this is from the blurb) what strange things are happening in the kingdom, and the new dangers that arise which threathen not only Rezkin and his friends'. far as i could tell Rezkin was ontop of everything.
Totally enjoyable book though but hopefully get not so much of the women with no self control and just plain Rezkin kicking ass.
January 30, 2022
“Good men want only the power to make things right. Great men seek to make things right and gather the power to do so. Great leaders find those who are worthy of wielding power and set them to the task of making things right.”
Rezkin grew up in extremely brutal conditions, being trained at a very young age to withstand all forms of physical pressure. His trainers were ruthless, putting him through various trials that tested and surpassed his limits. He grew up being part of an organization that enforces the king's will upon the realm. The members of this organization, due to the vigorous training they receive, are extremely powerful. Rezkin was the product of this environment, so he's obviously not someone to be trifled with. In fact, due to some bizarre reason, Rezkin is the strongest man out of all of these people, and once he gets the "chance" to leave this fort and go out into the real world, he has to discover what his purpose in life is, since he's pretty clueless when it comes to knowing why he even exists.
When I read the blurb of this book, I was left pretty intrigued with the story. A man who is a sturdy, disciplined fighter, being thrust into the world after years of living in a secluded environment, having to discover his purpose while facing danger and conspiracies that threaten the stability of the entire realm, all story aspects that quickly drew me into this book. However, a few chapters in, and I was already rolling my eyes. Characterization wise, Rezkin is extremely one-dimensional, with pretty much 0 vulnerabilities. He is the definition of an "OP" character. You can throw Rezkin into an army of 100 fully armed men, and all it takes is a page or two for him to kill them all while remaining unscathed. There are no consequences or high stakes in this story, because even if all hell is breaking loose, Rezkin can pretty much annihilate all danger while probably eating a sandwich at the same time. This leaves 0 room for suspense, because we aren't truly afraid of anything, since we can pretty much guess where the story will go.
Rezkin is pretty much some sort of high functioning sociopath, or maybe close to one, since he has no true ability to feel any emotion. His entire moral compass revolves around following the set of rules he had hammered into his brain while growing up. For example, one of his golden rules is to always protect and honour his friends. That sounds nice on paper, but he has no emotional capacity to even understand what a friend even means, so if you somehow end up coming across Rezkin in your daily forest stroll, and declare yourself as his friend, he will quickly assume he must honour and protect you, which is how he met his "friends" in this story to begin with. He has no emotional awareness whatsoever, so when one of his friends ends up falling in love with him, and once it is brought to his attention that she is now his girl friend, he quickly assumes that is some subdivision of the category of friend as designated by the rules he has to follow.
All this is honestly quite funny to read, which is probably the only strong aspect of this book for me. Writing wise, this book was another pile of frustrations. It was overly heavy with descriptions, going into endless details about every step Rezkin takes and every tree branch he moves in the process of annihilating his enemies. I assure you, dear reader, you can pretty much skim about 60-75% of each chapter and still understand everything that's happening, since the writing is full of so much detail, without actually having much story in the detail. The constant shifting of perspectives from one sentence to another without prior warning got pretty confusing as well.
My final gripe with this story is the female representation. Every single girl in this story somehow fawns over Rezkin, and his beautifully muscular body and his calm demeanor. Girls even get into brutal physical fights over this man, which again, is quite hilarious to read but also quite ridiculous. This is how I imagined every female character in this book:
And of course, this is how I imagined them every time they warred over Rezkin's affections:
I have to admit, this book would make an excellent anime, and I would hope to see it adapted as one in the future. As an adult fantasy novel though, this was not what I was looking for. The writing was very frustrating to get through, the pacing was uneven and the story was very repetitive. It followed the very strict formula of:
1) Rezkin goes out into the world.
2) Rezkin conquers people he deems to be enemies.
3) Rezkin protects his friends and his girl friend.
4) Girls fight over Rezkin.
5) Repeat all this throughout 483 pages.
I only give this 2 stars for the comedic aspects of the story which had me chuckling. Read this fantasy novel at your own risk.
Thank you to Nicole and Milica for the buddy read.
“As in the wild there were predators and prey, so, too, did they exist among men in towns and cities. The hardworking peasants were the grazers, and the thieves were the starving coyotes.”
Rezkin grew up in extremely brutal conditions, being trained at a very young age to withstand all forms of physical pressure. His trainers were ruthless, putting him through various trials that tested and surpassed his limits. He grew up being part of an organization that enforces the king's will upon the realm. The members of this organization, due to the vigorous training they receive, are extremely powerful. Rezkin was the product of this environment, so he's obviously not someone to be trifled with. In fact, due to some bizarre reason, Rezkin is the strongest man out of all of these people, and once he gets the "chance" to leave this fort and go out into the real world, he has to discover what his purpose in life is, since he's pretty clueless when it comes to knowing why he even exists.
When I read the blurb of this book, I was left pretty intrigued with the story. A man who is a sturdy, disciplined fighter, being thrust into the world after years of living in a secluded environment, having to discover his purpose while facing danger and conspiracies that threaten the stability of the entire realm, all story aspects that quickly drew me into this book. However, a few chapters in, and I was already rolling my eyes. Characterization wise, Rezkin is extremely one-dimensional, with pretty much 0 vulnerabilities. He is the definition of an "OP" character. You can throw Rezkin into an army of 100 fully armed men, and all it takes is a page or two for him to kill them all while remaining unscathed. There are no consequences or high stakes in this story, because even if all hell is breaking loose, Rezkin can pretty much annihilate all danger while probably eating a sandwich at the same time. This leaves 0 room for suspense, because we aren't truly afraid of anything, since we can pretty much guess where the story will go.
Rezkin is pretty much some sort of high functioning sociopath, or maybe close to one, since he has no true ability to feel any emotion. His entire moral compass revolves around following the set of rules he had hammered into his brain while growing up. For example, one of his golden rules is to always protect and honour his friends. That sounds nice on paper, but he has no emotional capacity to even understand what a friend even means, so if you somehow end up coming across Rezkin in your daily forest stroll, and declare yourself as his friend, he will quickly assume he must honour and protect you, which is how he met his "friends" in this story to begin with. He has no emotional awareness whatsoever, so when one of his friends ends up falling in love with him, and once it is brought to his attention that she is now his girl friend, he quickly assumes that is some subdivision of the category of friend as designated by the rules he has to follow.
All this is honestly quite funny to read, which is probably the only strong aspect of this book for me. Writing wise, this book was another pile of frustrations. It was overly heavy with descriptions, going into endless details about every step Rezkin takes and every tree branch he moves in the process of annihilating his enemies. I assure you, dear reader, you can pretty much skim about 60-75% of each chapter and still understand everything that's happening, since the writing is full of so much detail, without actually having much story in the detail. The constant shifting of perspectives from one sentence to another without prior warning got pretty confusing as well.
My final gripe with this story is the female representation. Every single girl in this story somehow fawns over Rezkin, and his beautifully muscular body and his calm demeanor. Girls even get into brutal physical fights over this man, which again, is quite hilarious to read but also quite ridiculous. This is how I imagined every female character in this book:
And of course, this is how I imagined them every time they warred over Rezkin's affections:
I have to admit, this book would make an excellent anime, and I would hope to see it adapted as one in the future. As an adult fantasy novel though, this was not what I was looking for. The writing was very frustrating to get through, the pacing was uneven and the story was very repetitive. It followed the very strict formula of:
1) Rezkin goes out into the world.
2) Rezkin conquers people he deems to be enemies.
3) Rezkin protects his friends and his girl friend.
4) Girls fight over Rezkin.
5) Repeat all this throughout 483 pages.
I only give this 2 stars for the comedic aspects of the story which had me chuckling. Read this fantasy novel at your own risk.
Thank you to Nicole and Milica for the buddy read.
“As in the wild there were predators and prey, so, too, did they exist among men in towns and cities. The hardworking peasants were the grazers, and the thieves were the starving coyotes.”
March 26, 2017
I hate seeing so much potential in a good story, reduced to something completely anti-premise.
This story is just one of those books. I loved the premise of a kid training to be very OP(Overpowered) assassin-warrior-fighter-ish kind of person, and the premise of Rezkin's conspiracy/purpose and all. This doesn't deliver it. The whole stage of the training is one chapter, which the skills are based on the time skips themselves and not really making them legit.
Other than that, the force of coincidence is heavy with this one. Like very heavy. I thought the book will be about a badass doing badassery, and it does, but most of it(and really most of it) is about Rezkin doesn't know how people act, and really perplexed with what happening making things funny(Which I liked, but it was too overused) and his relationship and drama with the female(s) lead(and I am not getting into the fact that every female falls for him). It got adventure things in it(A few "fighting bandits" scenes, traveling) but not enough to make the main plot look like it was just Rezkin\Frisha weird as hell.
I liked the other plot with Rezkin(Won't go into details because of spoilers). Though, it still feeling real not in his character to started it.
The ending was really disappointing, it doesn't end. The book just cuts out in a scene. There is no climax(unless you count the last thing that Rezkin did, which I don't feel deserve counting). No answers and not anything, really.
All of the characters(I'm not sure if Rezkin included) were 1-dimensionalf flat characters for me.
Rezkin is just helluva OP with no real flaws. Like, really, none. And then he does another OP thing in another field which his skills never got establish(Again, the author based Rezkin's skills in the time skips of the first chapters). With how Rezkin goes around with no social knowledge like he broke like Kvothe, it doesn't really does something to the story, except making me smile when it isn't overused.
That being said, Nick Phodel is the best narrator I have heard. Sometimes, it seems(or hears, actually =p) that someone else acted a character.
Sorry for not able to review this right and only(again) posting my thoughts on the book.
This story is just one of those books. I loved the premise of a kid training to be very OP(Overpowered) assassin-warrior-fighter-ish kind of person, and the premise of Rezkin's conspiracy/purpose and all. This doesn't deliver it. The whole stage of the training is one chapter, which the skills are based on the time skips themselves and not really making them legit.
Other than that, the force of coincidence is heavy with this one. Like very heavy. I thought the book will be about a badass doing badassery, and it does, but most of it(and really most of it) is about Rezkin doesn't know how people act, and really perplexed with what happening making things funny(Which I liked, but it was too overused) and his relationship and drama with the female(s) lead(and I am not getting into the fact that every female falls for him). It got adventure things in it(A few "fighting bandits" scenes, traveling) but not enough to make the main plot look like it was just Rezkin\Frisha weird as hell.
I liked the other plot with Rezkin(Won't go into details because of spoilers). Though, it still feeling real not in his character to started it.
The ending was really disappointing, it doesn't end. The book just cuts out in a scene. There is no climax(unless you count the last thing that Rezkin did, which I don't feel deserve counting). No answers and not anything, really.
All of the characters(I'm not sure if Rezkin included) were 1-dimensionalf flat characters for me.
Rezkin is just helluva OP with no real flaws. Like, really, none. And then he does another OP thing in another field which his skills never got establish(Again, the author based Rezkin's skills in the time skips of the first chapters). With how Rezkin goes around with no social knowledge like he broke like Kvothe, it doesn't really does something to the story, except making me smile when it isn't overused.
That being said, Nick Phodel is the best narrator I have heard. Sometimes, it seems(or hears, actually =p) that someone else acted a character.
Sorry for not able to review this right and only(again) posting my thoughts on the book.
December 3, 2023
Do not let the A must read for fantasy lovers thing at the cover fool you. You can easily skip this one and have no regrets. If I knew what kind of story I will read, I would skip this one as well. With absolutely no regrets.
THE PLOT
Free the Darkness is the first book in the King's Dark Tidings series by Kel Kade. The story follows Rezkin, who got taken as a baby and trained for an assassin. When one of his masters gives him an order to kill everyone in the building, he does so, but one of the masters runs away. Rezkin feels like his duty is not over yet and set out to find the runaway. But what's more important to him is to find information about who he is and what is his goal.
THE MC
Rezkin is a mysterious character. He's no idea where he came from and what his purpose is - and the readers doesn't know that either. We don't know where he came from and who are his parents. What we know is that he was treated as a weapon since he was a baby. He spend his childhood and his teenage years training to follow certain Rules and get certain Abilities that will help him with his goal. But what was that goal, no one told him and we don't know it either. What is also mysterious is the fact that Rezkin was the only one trained. Fifteen masters were hired to train him and ONLY HIM in a place NO ONE KNEW ABOUT. And before any mystery could be revealed, all people who had any knowledge got murdered by Rezkin.
But what really irritated me in the MC was the fact that he's portrayed as basically invincible and has the best traits that a human can have. He's the most loyal. He's the most noble. He's the most honorable and most righteous. He knows what's best for you and it doesn't matter if you know it or not. He's decisions are the best possible decisions and there is no reason to question them. You either stand on his side and do what he wants or you die. Simple as that. But there is also a comfort in your situation: he will not take any pleasure in killing you. He just does what he must do. Oh, and he's like super duper handsome, so there is another comfort. You will die looking at a incredibly pretty face, but with cold eyes (but who cares, he's handsome!).
But hey, there is a way for you to survive! Just say that you are his friend! I guarantee, that you will survive no matter what!
Because, you see, with all the knowledge Rezkin got from his masters, he did not got any info about the way friendship works and how love works. What he knows is the existence of his Rules - and what is the Rule no. 1? Take care of your friends. So you can name yourself your friend and you're safe. Simple as that!
Anyways, after Rezkin killed all his masters, he felt like he need to go after the one who got away, correct? Okay. Let's just leave alone the fact that he could just ignore him and go on with his life now that all the people who raised him were dead. You would think that he will go on a pursue right away, but nah. We got all the time in the world to do so. We had time to go on a journey with people we barely knew to a place we did not plan to go and do things we did not think about before (they don't matter for the story, but can come in handy later on!). *SIGH*
THE FEMALE CHARACTERS
I had to double check who the author of the book is, because the whole time I read the book I was convinced that it's a man. But no. It's a woman. A woman had written another women (the main ones, at least) as one dimensional characters who's only purpose is to love, cherish and care for Rezkin.
The moment Frisha and Raeylin met him, whatever they wanted to do before had vanished in an instant. It was Rezkin they cared for and Rezkin was their future. Only Rezkin, Rezkin forever. It was especially bad, when it comes to Frisha. The only reason she got into her journey in the first place was because she needed to find a husband and wow, how convenient for her that the first man she had met was a perfect husband material (or so she had thought)! She did not need to seek anyone anymore, Rezkin was the guy for her and she was willing to let go of her heritage as long as she could have Rezkin. Rezkin, A GUY SHE BARELY KNEW.
And Reaylin shown up in the story as a girl trying to become a true warrior. She wanted to participate in a upcoming tournament and prove herself there. At first I thought that she had joined Rezkin and his "friends" because they wanted to participate in the tournament as well. But then I realize that was not her goal. She joined because she found Rezkin attractive. She didn't even trained or anything before the tournament (if she did, she did so because Rezkin was the trainer). And I was supposed to take it seriously?
THE MAGIC WORLD
I am not sure how the magic works in this world. Most of the world looked to me as a normal world. Magic was only mentioned and only used when it was needed. There are mages, but you will not meet any of them. Rezkin can use some magic, but only a little. What exactly can he do and how? Not sure. It was only mentioned that he learned how to use it, despite not having any power. Does this mean that anyone can learn magic? How exactly can you learn it? Nothing is explained, because none of it is important to the plot (not to the book one, at least).
THE SPECIAL SWORDS AND THEIR MEANING
I had to mention this, because it bothers me. You find out in the book that there are special swords that everyone wants, but not everyone have the pleasure to hold. The only way to get one is through the king. You have to get a special permission and have a document signed by the king that will let everyone know how important you are. Rezkin got those swords (not only one, but two of them) and got the document signed by the king. Which means that in the social hierarchy he is close to the position of the king. Which means that HE CAN DO WHAT THE HELL HE WANTED TO AND NO ONE CAN STOP HIM. He is already invincible because of his abilities (there is truly no one who can beat him) and, because of his swords, he's even more invincible. Which means that there are no stakes in the story. The MC can do whatever and you will not care, because he will not get killed or hurt no matter what. He had fought so many times and killed so many times and didn't even break a sweat. How can you care about a character like that?
Seriously, dear readers, do not pick this book up. I rarely say this, but this time is really not worth it. I don't care if the series gets better, there are absolutely no one and nothing that I could care for. And I truly don't get why was this book even written for.
THE PLOT
Free the Darkness is the first book in the King's Dark Tidings series by Kel Kade. The story follows Rezkin, who got taken as a baby and trained for an assassin. When one of his masters gives him an order to kill everyone in the building, he does so, but one of the masters runs away. Rezkin feels like his duty is not over yet and set out to find the runaway. But what's more important to him is to find information about who he is and what is his goal.
THE MC
Rezkin is a mysterious character. He's no idea where he came from and what his purpose is - and the readers doesn't know that either. We don't know where he came from and who are his parents. What we know is that he was treated as a weapon since he was a baby. He spend his childhood and his teenage years training to follow certain Rules and get certain Abilities that will help him with his goal. But what was that goal, no one told him and we don't know it either. What is also mysterious is the fact that Rezkin was the only one trained. Fifteen masters were hired to train him and ONLY HIM in a place NO ONE KNEW ABOUT. And before any mystery could be revealed, all people who had any knowledge got murdered by Rezkin.
But what really irritated me in the MC was the fact that he's portrayed as basically invincible and has the best traits that a human can have. He's the most loyal. He's the most noble. He's the most honorable and most righteous. He knows what's best for you and it doesn't matter if you know it or not. He's decisions are the best possible decisions and there is no reason to question them. You either stand on his side and do what he wants or you die. Simple as that. But there is also a comfort in your situation: he will not take any pleasure in killing you. He just does what he must do. Oh, and he's like super duper handsome, so there is another comfort. You will die looking at a incredibly pretty face, but with cold eyes (but who cares, he's handsome!).
But hey, there is a way for you to survive! Just say that you are his friend! I guarantee, that you will survive no matter what!
Because, you see, with all the knowledge Rezkin got from his masters, he did not got any info about the way friendship works and how love works. What he knows is the existence of his Rules - and what is the Rule no. 1? Take care of your friends. So you can name yourself your friend and you're safe. Simple as that!
Anyways, after Rezkin killed all his masters, he felt like he need to go after the one who got away, correct? Okay. Let's just leave alone the fact that he could just ignore him and go on with his life now that all the people who raised him were dead. You would think that he will go on a pursue right away, but nah. We got all the time in the world to do so. We had time to go on a journey with people we barely knew to a place we did not plan to go and do things we did not think about before (they don't matter for the story, but can come in handy later on!). *SIGH*
THE FEMALE CHARACTERS
I had to double check who the author of the book is, because the whole time I read the book I was convinced that it's a man. But no. It's a woman. A woman had written another women (the main ones, at least) as one dimensional characters who's only purpose is to love, cherish and care for Rezkin.
The moment Frisha and Raeylin met him, whatever they wanted to do before had vanished in an instant. It was Rezkin they cared for and Rezkin was their future. Only Rezkin, Rezkin forever. It was especially bad, when it comes to Frisha. The only reason she got into her journey in the first place was because she needed to find a husband and wow, how convenient for her that the first man she had met was a perfect husband material (or so she had thought)! She did not need to seek anyone anymore, Rezkin was the guy for her and she was willing to let go of her heritage as long as she could have Rezkin. Rezkin, A GUY SHE BARELY KNEW.
And Reaylin shown up in the story as a girl trying to become a true warrior. She wanted to participate in a upcoming tournament and prove herself there. At first I thought that she had joined Rezkin and his "friends" because they wanted to participate in the tournament as well. But then I realize that was not her goal. She joined because she found Rezkin attractive. She didn't even trained or anything before the tournament (if she did, she did so because Rezkin was the trainer). And I was supposed to take it seriously?
THE MAGIC WORLD
I am not sure how the magic works in this world. Most of the world looked to me as a normal world. Magic was only mentioned and only used when it was needed. There are mages, but you will not meet any of them. Rezkin can use some magic, but only a little. What exactly can he do and how? Not sure. It was only mentioned that he learned how to use it, despite not having any power. Does this mean that anyone can learn magic? How exactly can you learn it? Nothing is explained, because none of it is important to the plot (not to the book one, at least).
THE SPECIAL SWORDS AND THEIR MEANING
I had to mention this, because it bothers me. You find out in the book that there are special swords that everyone wants, but not everyone have the pleasure to hold. The only way to get one is through the king. You have to get a special permission and have a document signed by the king that will let everyone know how important you are. Rezkin got those swords (not only one, but two of them) and got the document signed by the king. Which means that in the social hierarchy he is close to the position of the king. Which means that HE CAN DO WHAT THE HELL HE WANTED TO AND NO ONE CAN STOP HIM. He is already invincible because of his abilities (there is truly no one who can beat him) and, because of his swords, he's even more invincible. Which means that there are no stakes in the story. The MC can do whatever and you will not care, because he will not get killed or hurt no matter what. He had fought so many times and killed so many times and didn't even break a sweat. How can you care about a character like that?
Seriously, dear readers, do not pick this book up. I rarely say this, but this time is really not worth it. I don't care if the series gets better, there are absolutely no one and nothing that I could care for. And I truly don't get why was this book even written for.
January 20, 2022
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU'RE EXPECTING A RESOLUTION AT THE END - BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET IT.
Now that that's out of the way, what the hell was this book? I wasn't expecting something amazing, but this was underwhelming.
Rezkin starts off as a robotic person and never evolves. He stays the same, and so does everyone else.
He's described as not only super duper badass, but also smart. And yet he can't grasp the simplest things that are happening around him (but he has to always be aware of his surroundings?).
Our main character is also handsome, and in case you forget it, don't worry, because the author will remind you of it again. And again. And again.
That wouldn't be a huge deal, if the perspective didn't constantly switch to whoever Rezkin was meeting so we'd be aware of just how glorious and gorgeous he is in their eyes.
And of course, all the women will attempt to throw themselves at him, which, luckily for the main love interest, he doesn't even notice.
I don't have issues with the romance specifically because there really wasn't any, but the way the female characters were represented instead. Starting with dear ol' Frisha who makes googly eyes at Rezkin from their first meeting and continues to get insanely jealous and judgey of every other woman that's in his vicinity.
But it's not just that. All the women are incapable of doing anything that doesn't revolve around Rezkin. He is the centre of their world, and without him there is no world.
There's also this thieves guild subplot that I'm not sure how I feel about. I have no idea what the author was trying to do there or how it'll go from here, but it just proved how insanely OP Rezkin is compared to everyone else.
This man (no no, weapon) can take out people like nobody's business, and barely ever has a scratch on him. There's literally nothing else he can do to better himself (except learn to interact with people), he's got it all down.
While we're at interacting, Rezkin spent 19 years training in a fort with various masters. He has never been outside of it, until his final mission when he was forced to leave. And he has no social anxiety, no problem talking to people and knows exactly how to do it every time, be they common or noble.
And like I mentioned at the start of my review, nothing was resolved. NOT ONE THING. The book ends on a cliffhanger that doesn't feel satisfying.
I think that we, as readers, deserve to have at least some decent information about Rezkin's background after reading 400/500+ pages of his story. Hopefully it won't take another 500 pages to get breadcrumbs.
When I was in the middle of this book I didn't think I'd have to read book two. I wasn't fond of the writing style which was both heavy and juvenile at times (odd combo) and I wrongly assumed things would be wrapped up. And now? Now I feel like I have to continue just to see if my suspicions about Rezkin's origins are correct.
But I did manage to finish it without too much struggle, and I didn't hate it, so two stars it gets.
Now that that's out of the way, what the hell was this book? I wasn't expecting something amazing, but this was underwhelming.
Rezkin starts off as a robotic person and never evolves. He stays the same, and so does everyone else.
He's described as not only super duper badass, but also smart. And yet he can't grasp the simplest things that are happening around him (but he has to always be aware of his surroundings?).
Our main character is also handsome, and in case you forget it, don't worry, because the author will remind you of it again. And again. And again.
That wouldn't be a huge deal, if the perspective didn't constantly switch to whoever Rezkin was meeting so we'd be aware of just how glorious and gorgeous he is in their eyes.
And of course, all the women will attempt to throw themselves at him, which, luckily for the main love interest, he doesn't even notice.
I don't have issues with the romance specifically because there really wasn't any, but the way the female characters were represented instead. Starting with dear ol' Frisha who makes googly eyes at Rezkin from their first meeting and continues to get insanely jealous and judgey of every other woman that's in his vicinity.
But it's not just that. All the women are incapable of doing anything that doesn't revolve around Rezkin. He is the centre of their world, and without him there is no world.
There's also this thieves guild subplot that I'm not sure how I feel about. I have no idea what the author was trying to do there or how it'll go from here, but it just proved how insanely OP Rezkin is compared to everyone else.
This man (no no, weapon) can take out people like nobody's business, and barely ever has a scratch on him. There's literally nothing else he can do to better himself (except learn to interact with people), he's got it all down.
While we're at interacting, Rezkin spent 19 years training in a fort with various masters. He has never been outside of it, until his final mission when he was forced to leave. And he has no social anxiety, no problem talking to people and knows exactly how to do it every time, be they common or noble.
And like I mentioned at the start of my review, nothing was resolved. NOT ONE THING. The book ends on a cliffhanger that doesn't feel satisfying.
I think that we, as readers, deserve to have at least some decent information about Rezkin's background after reading 400/500+ pages of his story. Hopefully it won't take another 500 pages to get breadcrumbs.
When I was in the middle of this book I didn't think I'd have to read book two. I wasn't fond of the writing style which was both heavy and juvenile at times (odd combo) and I wrongly assumed things would be wrapped up. And now? Now I feel like I have to continue just to see if my suspicions about Rezkin's origins are correct.
But I did manage to finish it without too much struggle, and I didn't hate it, so two stars it gets.
January 14, 2016
Wow. So there I was, work about finished, end of the day browsing Amazon New Releases...waiting to get home to I can finish How to Make a Murderer and Mr. Robot as I'm on the last episodes of both. And then I come across this...I've always said, I love me a duel-wielding protagonist. So I see the cover, basic enough but the guys holding two weapons so I click, read the synopsis, not bad. Let's check it out....
I never got to watch the ending of either show, as this book basically took up my night. Read, went to hockey, had some beer, read some more.
God damn, what a book. Reminded me a bit of Weapon of Flesh series by Chris A. Jackson mixed with a little Swords Of The Phoenix Queen by A.J. Strickler (if you liked either of those, read this, if you liked this, I'd say check those out).
But yes, I love how it began. I loved how it ended. Basically everything about this book give me the feels, we have Rez, our MC, who's known nothing else in life but the "Rules" he must follow and training his "skills" since birth. When he's given an order at the start and follows through with it, he's suddenly left alone and with no purpose other then the last 2 Rules his dying master bestowed upon him (which is a twist in itself).
So he's thrust into the world, a weapon forged from birth, without any inkling on how the outside world works. Oh he knows stuff, he was trained so well he could pretend to be anything, soldier, merchant, trader etc. but he decides to just be himself. There were so many scenes that were outright hilarious, one that comes to mind is when he's sitting in an Inn and observes a couple having lunch. They are holding hands and looking into each others eyes, he's confused as to why the woman is laughing during this interrogation and comes to the conclusion that the man is holding her hand and looking into her eyes to make sure she's not lying...a good practice he thinks.
So here is our MC, the epitome of a warrior, but he's unable to understand simple concepts like "friend". He just knows he's supposed to protect and honor friends, so that's what he does. And this starts his adventure into the wide world, or outworld as he calls it.
One of the best parts of this book was reading how he's seeing certain scenarios, then seeing it from the characters around him perspective. Loved these moments, he's just following his some few hundred Rules that were ingrained in him since birth and wondering why no one else is, others see him as either being honorable, noble and to some he's just purely murderous. When he meets a thief who failed at his attempt to pick Rez's pocket, well, he's so disgusted with the poor attempt he decides to do something about it (don't mess with the Raven).
There is so much in this book though that we have yet to discover too, why was he sent there as a baby? Why was he ordered to do what he did at the start? Who is he anyways??? The author gives you some hints as to who Rez could be (and that name is important too), but we still don't fully know.
Anyways, loved the action, there's no shying away from combat for Rez, he just does what he has to do as long as its part of his Rules. Liked how Rez learned new terms on his journey, I actually lol'd when he was told he had a girl friend and he likened it to a promotion, from friend to girl friend.
Need book 2 now, can't wait to continue our journey with Rez aka. the Raven.
I never got to watch the ending of either show, as this book basically took up my night. Read, went to hockey, had some beer, read some more.
God damn, what a book. Reminded me a bit of Weapon of Flesh series by Chris A. Jackson mixed with a little Swords Of The Phoenix Queen by A.J. Strickler (if you liked either of those, read this, if you liked this, I'd say check those out).
But yes, I love how it began. I loved how it ended. Basically everything about this book give me the feels, we have Rez, our MC, who's known nothing else in life but the "Rules" he must follow and training his "skills" since birth. When he's given an order at the start and follows through with it, he's suddenly left alone and with no purpose other then the last 2 Rules his dying master bestowed upon him (which is a twist in itself).
So he's thrust into the world, a weapon forged from birth, without any inkling on how the outside world works. Oh he knows stuff, he was trained so well he could pretend to be anything, soldier, merchant, trader etc. but he decides to just be himself. There were so many scenes that were outright hilarious, one that comes to mind is when he's sitting in an Inn and observes a couple having lunch. They are holding hands and looking into each others eyes, he's confused as to why the woman is laughing during this interrogation and comes to the conclusion that the man is holding her hand and looking into her eyes to make sure she's not lying...a good practice he thinks.
So here is our MC, the epitome of a warrior, but he's unable to understand simple concepts like "friend". He just knows he's supposed to protect and honor friends, so that's what he does. And this starts his adventure into the wide world, or outworld as he calls it.
One of the best parts of this book was reading how he's seeing certain scenarios, then seeing it from the characters around him perspective. Loved these moments, he's just following his some few hundred Rules that were ingrained in him since birth and wondering why no one else is, others see him as either being honorable, noble and to some he's just purely murderous. When he meets a thief who failed at his attempt to pick Rez's pocket, well, he's so disgusted with the poor attempt he decides to do something about it (don't mess with the Raven).
There is so much in this book though that we have yet to discover too, why was he sent there as a baby? Why was he ordered to do what he did at the start? Who is he anyways??? The author gives you some hints as to who Rez could be (and that name is important too), but we still don't fully know.
Anyways, loved the action, there's no shying away from combat for Rez, he just does what he has to do as long as its part of his Rules. Liked how Rez learned new terms on his journey, I actually lol'd when he was told he had a girl friend and he likened it to a promotion, from friend to girl friend.
Need book 2 now, can't wait to continue our journey with Rez aka. the Raven.
May 6, 2025
4.25⭐️
This was wildly entertaining and hilarious, I was literally laughing out loud. BUT WHY DID IT FEEL LIKE THERE WAS NO ARC?????
Like I get it’s the first book and it’s setting up stuff for the rest of the series, but it literally felt like we ended in the middle of a book, there wasn’t any resolution or anything.
This was wildly entertaining and hilarious, I was literally laughing out loud. BUT WHY DID IT FEEL LIKE THERE WAS NO ARC?????
Like I get it’s the first book and it’s setting up stuff for the rest of the series, but it literally felt like we ended in the middle of a book, there wasn’t any resolution or anything.
May 4, 2017
I tried, I really did. Initially the book was quite engaging, telling the tale of an unnamed child growing up learning the "rules" and "skills", a constant theme throughout. Unfortunately, it does not continue in that vein.
The protagonist Rezkin (terrible name) is in more danger in the opening paragraphs than at any other time in the book. The author has created a character that is a fantasy superman: all-knowing, utterly unbeatable in combat, indescribably handsome, possessed of a feline grace (but of course), with eyes that radiate icy calm, demonic fury, and all points in between, I could go on but you get the point.
He has been trained to mimic everyone and everything, naturally to utter perfection. Knows all languages, all customs, even all layouts to all buildings that he has never visited.
But bizarrely, in all of this training, he has never had mentioned the concept of friendship, and despite knowing everything also has no concept of relationships with the fairer sex. Both rather odd omissions for the education in everything, ever, that the protagonist has undergone. By the age of 19. Yes, he is this flawless paragon/utterly remorseless killer and all by the age of 19.
Every challenge he faces is nonchalantly brushed aside. Taking over a thieves guild? Takes maybe 2 minutes. Taking over all the thieves guilds in the city, the work of an hour at most. At one point (while taking over....another thieves guild) he is referenced in passing to have killed 22 people in so doing.
It is just garbage. The author's own endless flattery of his protagonist is almost as tedious as the fawning that every character in the book insists upon lavishing upon him.
If the lack of any challenges, twists or cleverness to the story wasn't bad enough, the prose is clumsy and the spelling abysmal. Rezkin at one stage hunts and comes back with "a brace of hairs (sic) and two rabbits" - the author clearly not realising that 'a brace' means two, and lets not mention hares... He performs 'summersaults'. Worse than the spelling is the lurching descriptions in between - the amount of times that a conversation or interaction is heading in one direction and then for no real reason (except maybe to allow Rezkin to be omnipotent) suddenly goes in completely the opposite. It is just so awkward.
And the ending? The first book has no climax, no reveal (who is Rezkin, why do people recognise his name, what actually is his purpose, why did everyone at the fort he grew up in get killed?), instead it dribbles to a halt as if the author has just slapped down a demarcation that says "Right, that's book one done, onto book two" with no rhyme or reason for doing so. Yes I persevered and read the whole thing for you, so you don't have to - I am a nice reviewer right?
I had this marked at two stars just because I was intrigued at the start and I suspect the author is quite young - I was inclined to give him a bit of a break. Having just written this though, I honestly can't score it higher than one. It is just a bad book and one you shouldn't waste your time with. Why it has such high scoring reviews is beyond me.
The protagonist Rezkin (terrible name) is in more danger in the opening paragraphs than at any other time in the book. The author has created a character that is a fantasy superman: all-knowing, utterly unbeatable in combat, indescribably handsome, possessed of a feline grace (but of course), with eyes that radiate icy calm, demonic fury, and all points in between, I could go on but you get the point.
He has been trained to mimic everyone and everything, naturally to utter perfection. Knows all languages, all customs, even all layouts to all buildings that he has never visited.
But bizarrely, in all of this training, he has never had mentioned the concept of friendship, and despite knowing everything also has no concept of relationships with the fairer sex. Both rather odd omissions for the education in everything, ever, that the protagonist has undergone. By the age of 19. Yes, he is this flawless paragon/utterly remorseless killer and all by the age of 19.
Every challenge he faces is nonchalantly brushed aside. Taking over a thieves guild? Takes maybe 2 minutes. Taking over all the thieves guilds in the city, the work of an hour at most. At one point (while taking over....another thieves guild) he is referenced in passing to have killed 22 people in so doing.
It is just garbage. The author's own endless flattery of his protagonist is almost as tedious as the fawning that every character in the book insists upon lavishing upon him.
If the lack of any challenges, twists or cleverness to the story wasn't bad enough, the prose is clumsy and the spelling abysmal. Rezkin at one stage hunts and comes back with "a brace of hairs (sic) and two rabbits" - the author clearly not realising that 'a brace' means two, and lets not mention hares... He performs 'summersaults'. Worse than the spelling is the lurching descriptions in between - the amount of times that a conversation or interaction is heading in one direction and then for no real reason (except maybe to allow Rezkin to be omnipotent) suddenly goes in completely the opposite. It is just so awkward.
And the ending? The first book has no climax, no reveal (who is Rezkin, why do people recognise his name, what actually is his purpose, why did everyone at the fort he grew up in get killed?), instead it dribbles to a halt as if the author has just slapped down a demarcation that says "Right, that's book one done, onto book two" with no rhyme or reason for doing so. Yes I persevered and read the whole thing for you, so you don't have to - I am a nice reviewer right?
I had this marked at two stars just because I was intrigued at the start and I suspect the author is quite young - I was inclined to give him a bit of a break. Having just written this though, I honestly can't score it higher than one. It is just a bad book and one you shouldn't waste your time with. Why it has such high scoring reviews is beyond me.
October 5, 2016
Rez is perfect and has no flaws and insanely gorgeous ... apparently. The female "leads" are all simple women with no depth/character and all they do is fawn over Rez. The females all annoyed me (catty, petty, whiny, fighting over man) ... stereotype much? Reaylin was decent bc she had a little attitude and could fight. But that's it.
It seemed very Tween oriented, but I don't think a tween would enjoy this. I was expecting way more, especially with the 4.5 star ratings. Not sure who was reviewing this and living it.
It seemed very Tween oriented, but I don't think a tween would enjoy this. I was expecting way more, especially with the 4.5 star ratings. Not sure who was reviewing this and living it.
November 9, 2022
I like Fate of the Fallen better but I see in this series the beginnings of Kade's tongue in cheek commentary/satire on fantasy characters. I also think this book can be entertaining or totally horrible depending on your frame of mind going into it. Fortunately my brain was in the right place to appreciate it.
There is a Marty Stu type, completely overpowered character who is coincidentally the main character. The first few pages I was ready to toss the book because it felt like something a teenager would write but the subtle jabs at her own character kept me going. I then found myself appreciating all of the self deprecation in the writing. From the overly competent Rezka who has all this knowledge about manipulating people yet frequently reads the room incorrectly to Frisha who is the so overdone damsel in distress it became funny. All of Kade's characters are at first glimpse the tired old boring fantasy tropes but if you catch the intentional boorishness they all become something more humorous.
3.5 stars rounded up, there are several passages that could have been accomplished in about 50 less pages (exagerating, yes). I am already reading the next and find it equally good but am getting a little bit tired of the same mis-communications and tele-novella situations.
There is a Marty Stu type, completely overpowered character who is coincidentally the main character. The first few pages I was ready to toss the book because it felt like something a teenager would write but the subtle jabs at her own character kept me going. I then found myself appreciating all of the self deprecation in the writing. From the overly competent Rezka who has all this knowledge about manipulating people yet frequently reads the room incorrectly to Frisha who is the so overdone damsel in distress it became funny. All of Kade's characters are at first glimpse the tired old boring fantasy tropes but if you catch the intentional boorishness they all become something more humorous.
3.5 stars rounded up, there are several passages that could have been accomplished in about 50 less pages (exagerating, yes). I am already reading the next and find it equally good but am getting a little bit tired of the same mis-communications and tele-novella situations.
April 28, 2017
Hmmmm... Still not sure. On to the next one
October 27, 2018
Catching up on some reviews for books I read last year.
I really liked this book, I honestly thought it would be a pretty juvenile story. In many ways it is, due to the fact that the cast is made of young adults/teenagers mainly. Nevertheless, the tale is rather dark, mysterious and pretty fricking violent, which I would not say is exactly what a young-adult book should be like. Rezkin is a very interesting character and I don't mind that he is simply amazing at almost everything he does, at least in this first book of the series. The fighting scenes are pretty great and Rezkin's mastery is simply impressive.
It's a very interesting read and keeps you immersed in a pretty massive world. The only negative I think is that the protagonist is a little bit too infallible.
Advised to all people that are into assassin/mysterious/adventure fantasy series, and don't mind a rather grimdark feel.
I really liked this book, I honestly thought it would be a pretty juvenile story. In many ways it is, due to the fact that the cast is made of young adults/teenagers mainly. Nevertheless, the tale is rather dark, mysterious and pretty fricking violent, which I would not say is exactly what a young-adult book should be like. Rezkin is a very interesting character and I don't mind that he is simply amazing at almost everything he does, at least in this first book of the series. The fighting scenes are pretty great and Rezkin's mastery is simply impressive.
It's a very interesting read and keeps you immersed in a pretty massive world. The only negative I think is that the protagonist is a little bit too infallible.
Advised to all people that are into assassin/mysterious/adventure fantasy series, and don't mind a rather grimdark feel.
April 12, 2018
Entertaining book. Why only 3 stars?
1. Rezkin is a little too perfect.
2. Rezkin is too naive and too all knowing.
3. Every girl falls head over heels for him.
But still an enjoyable book even with these big negatives.
1. Rezkin is a little too perfect.
2. Rezkin is too naive and too all knowing.
3. Every girl falls head over heels for him.
But still an enjoyable book even with these big negatives.
January 17, 2016
I couldn't put it down
This review may contain spoilers.... imagine if you have a boy and you raise him. You teach him nothing but the basics of the world and how to survive. Then you throw him out into with no real purpose but the rules and skills he has been taught. Then you have this book..... I will be reading the next one.
This review may contain spoilers.... imagine if you have a boy and you raise him. You teach him nothing but the basics of the world and how to survive. Then you throw him out into with no real purpose but the rules and skills he has been taught. Then you have this book..... I will be reading the next one.
May 16, 2020
I picked this up because the narrator, Nick Podehl, is one of my favorite audiobook performers. I had heard about this book a long time ago, it’s a well-recognized title on r/fantasy so I decided to give it a go without looking at a blurb or any friend reviews.
I got a mixed bag. There were aspects I enjoyed and others that eventually turned me off. This was a DNF, unfortunately. I think the main reason would be the overpowered MC who intimidates everyone into submission and/or kills them with such ease it breaks the moment for me. He’s faster than everyone else. He’s better trained. He’s smarter. It doesn’t matter who he’s up against, there’s no struggle. He’s in a different league than anyone else in the world (at least up to the point I read) and I just couldn’t attach myself to the overall story because of it.
Rezkin was raised in solitude away from what he calls “the outworld”, imagine being locked in a sadistic training school for your entire life and then tasting freedom for the first time at nineteen years old. Brainwashing was essential to his training. His character almost reads like an automaton since he wasn’t allowed to develop friendships, display weakness or feelings of any kind during his childhood. He follows directions he’s been given completely literally, even if he doesn’t totally understand the implications or reasonings. One of the hundreds of rules he’s been indoctrinated to follow is: “Honor your friends”. He meets a complete stranger in the Outworld… she happens to call him her friend… and now he must protect her and this other bloke forever because his master told him to ‘ honor his friends’. This is almost as if Quark and Data were combined into one person. He’s naive but smart, he’s not bloodthirsty but he’ll kill people he’s known his entire life without batting an eye if his masters tell him to do it. He was a very different sort of character, I just didn’t connect to it.
The world-building was definitely interesting, there’s a lot left to be revealed when I DNF’d and I was hesitant to put it down because this was one of the things that kept me turning pages for as long as I did. This might be one I circle back around to when I’m in a more motivated mood to read.
I really wanted to enjoy it more than I was – the disconnect and distant feeling I had with Rezkin killed it for me. If you think he sounds interesting I’d definitely pick this up.
I got a mixed bag. There were aspects I enjoyed and others that eventually turned me off. This was a DNF, unfortunately. I think the main reason would be the overpowered MC who intimidates everyone into submission and/or kills them with such ease it breaks the moment for me. He’s faster than everyone else. He’s better trained. He’s smarter. It doesn’t matter who he’s up against, there’s no struggle. He’s in a different league than anyone else in the world (at least up to the point I read) and I just couldn’t attach myself to the overall story because of it.
Rezkin was raised in solitude away from what he calls “the outworld”, imagine being locked in a sadistic training school for your entire life and then tasting freedom for the first time at nineteen years old. Brainwashing was essential to his training. His character almost reads like an automaton since he wasn’t allowed to develop friendships, display weakness or feelings of any kind during his childhood. He follows directions he’s been given completely literally, even if he doesn’t totally understand the implications or reasonings. One of the hundreds of rules he’s been indoctrinated to follow is: “Honor your friends”. He meets a complete stranger in the Outworld… she happens to call him her friend… and now he must protect her and this other bloke forever because his master told him to ‘ honor his friends’. This is almost as if Quark and Data were combined into one person. He’s naive but smart, he’s not bloodthirsty but he’ll kill people he’s known his entire life without batting an eye if his masters tell him to do it. He was a very different sort of character, I just didn’t connect to it.
The world-building was definitely interesting, there’s a lot left to be revealed when I DNF’d and I was hesitant to put it down because this was one of the things that kept me turning pages for as long as I did. This might be one I circle back around to when I’m in a more motivated mood to read.
I really wanted to enjoy it more than I was – the disconnect and distant feeling I had with Rezkin killed it for me. If you think he sounds interesting I’d definitely pick this up.
July 4, 2018
“Would this smooth, devastatingly handsome man push his way into her room and ravish her? The young woman’s cheeks turned deeper red as she realized her thoughts stemmed less from concern than from fantasy.”
How best to describe this urinal cake of a novel?
Picture a slumber party of 13-year-old boys at four in the morning, wired up on a case of Mountain Dew, a pile of skin magazines, six hours of Steven Seagal movies, and a horribly warped idea of the chivalric code.
Give them each a crayon and ask them to spill out their fondest and most violent alpha male hero fantasies, with the only stipulation being no sex.
Now combine all these individual fantasies together into a single uneven, unedited, passive-voiced, misogynistic, inconsistent narrative, and the result would be something like this novel, only better.
How best to describe this urinal cake of a novel?
Picture a slumber party of 13-year-old boys at four in the morning, wired up on a case of Mountain Dew, a pile of skin magazines, six hours of Steven Seagal movies, and a horribly warped idea of the chivalric code.
Give them each a crayon and ask them to spill out their fondest and most violent alpha male hero fantasies, with the only stipulation being no sex.
Now combine all these individual fantasies together into a single uneven, unedited, passive-voiced, misogynistic, inconsistent narrative, and the result would be something like this novel, only better.
September 6, 2022
This was a new fantasy experience for me and I loved it all including the silly tropes and the parts that an overthinker would claim makes no sense.
I was gifted an amazing story and moments that made me giggle and as a result I declare thee a 5 star read!!!!
I was gifted an amazing story and moments that made me giggle and as a result I declare thee a 5 star read!!!!
January 16, 2016
Pleasant find
Stumbled upon this book. Didn't really know what to expect but it hit me straight away and i couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the next one!
Stumbled upon this book. Didn't really know what to expect but it hit me straight away and i couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the next one!
Read
July 19, 2020No rating for this one since I didn’t finish it. I set it aside after about 25%.
The book started off pretty decent. Mysterious delivery of an infant to a feared fortress. Some cool sounding training. Then it got……different. The whole thing started to feel very juvenile. Rezkin, our main character, seems more like a superhero than a real character. Killing multiple sword masters at once and barely taking a scratch? No problem. Killing most of a criminal guild and making it his own? Took about an hour. When I was writing this review I actually saw on Goodreads that this book is number one on a list of overpowered fantasy characters which seems about right.
And then there were the physical descriptions of Rezkin. Less than a quarter into the book and I was already getting weary of the constant references to his icy blue eyes and chiseled physique that almost literally made every female that saw him swoon.
I saw a lot of reviews from people that really enjoyed this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
The book started off pretty decent. Mysterious delivery of an infant to a feared fortress. Some cool sounding training. Then it got……different. The whole thing started to feel very juvenile. Rezkin, our main character, seems more like a superhero than a real character. Killing multiple sword masters at once and barely taking a scratch? No problem. Killing most of a criminal guild and making it his own? Took about an hour. When I was writing this review I actually saw on Goodreads that this book is number one on a list of overpowered fantasy characters which seems about right.
And then there were the physical descriptions of Rezkin. Less than a quarter into the book and I was already getting weary of the constant references to his icy blue eyes and chiseled physique that almost literally made every female that saw him swoon.
I saw a lot of reviews from people that really enjoyed this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
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