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The Wings of War #3
Winter's King
The Monster of Karth has risen once more. Quin Tern has met his fate, and his council has born the price of crossing Raz i'Syul Arro. Now, as the cruel walls of Azbar fade into the winter storms at his back, Raz rides north, seeking to take the High Priest Talo Brahnt up on an offer he never should have refused. The path Raz has chosen, though, is a bloody one, and before long he and his new companions find themselves pitted against hardships they can neither anticipate nor ignore. As man and snow and beast alike rise up to block their path, it seems almost as though the North itself has woken to wage war against the Monster.
And yet, Raz's greatest challenge still looms ahead. Far to the north, like a plague beneath the trees, Gûlraht Baoill, Kayle of the savage mountain tribes, leads his armies further east with each passing day. He has set his hungry gaze upon the reaches of Cyurgi' Di, the High Citadel, and desires nothing more that to see it razed from the face of the world, offering it and its blasphemous "false-prophets" up as sacrifice to his Stone Gods. Syrah Brahnt, the High Priest's adopted daughter and protégé, has found him out, discovering his plan to lay siege to her home, cutting her and the rest of the Laorin off from the world. As it is, though, there is little and less that she can do, and when the first of the Kayle's generals reaches the base of the mountain pass, Syrah is left with only one option. In the end, she will have to face the wrath of the tribes herself...
Little does she know that the Monster is coming, riding hard to lend her his blades.
And yet, Raz's greatest challenge still looms ahead. Far to the north, like a plague beneath the trees, Gûlraht Baoill, Kayle of the savage mountain tribes, leads his armies further east with each passing day. He has set his hungry gaze upon the reaches of Cyurgi' Di, the High Citadel, and desires nothing more that to see it razed from the face of the world, offering it and its blasphemous "false-prophets" up as sacrifice to his Stone Gods. Syrah Brahnt, the High Priest's adopted daughter and protégé, has found him out, discovering his plan to lay siege to her home, cutting her and the rest of the Laorin off from the world. As it is, though, there is little and less that she can do, and when the first of the Kayle's generals reaches the base of the mountain pass, Syrah is left with only one option. In the end, she will have to face the wrath of the tribes herself...
Little does she know that the Monster is coming, riding hard to lend her his blades.
454 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2017
814 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
About the author
Bryce O'Connor
18 books2,009 followers
PURCHASE BOOKS:
Bryce writes high fantasy stories with special twists on character and plot. Child of the Daystar, the first installment in his series, The Wings of War, released in December, 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
January 9, 2019
Winter's King
By: Bryce O'Connor
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
Series: The Wings of War, Book 3
It had been awhile since I had read the first two books and I was wondering if I would need to read them again to get back into the story but I didn't. Once I started it, everything came flooding back! The characters are so memorable! There is nothing out there like these books! Do start with book one so you know Raz from the beginning. All the things he has been through, achieved, lost, and he continues on. This ends so great! One of the main female characters is sexual assaulted but it doesn't go into it, you know it happens but it doesn't talk about it...just a FYI. This is a very action packed war book so there is lots of violence and the fight scenes are excellent! Yes, I am an old woman but I enjoy exciting adventure and action too!
There is a touch of romance in here also! Our Raz is growing up! Lol!
I love the narration! Perfect for this book! I felt like I was there helping kick some goatmen butt!
Love the plot, creativity, characters, and emotions it made me go through. This book was a clever, witty, sad, happy, and suspense-filled ride. Love this series!
By: Bryce O'Connor
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
Series: The Wings of War, Book 3
It had been awhile since I had read the first two books and I was wondering if I would need to read them again to get back into the story but I didn't. Once I started it, everything came flooding back! The characters are so memorable! There is nothing out there like these books! Do start with book one so you know Raz from the beginning. All the things he has been through, achieved, lost, and he continues on. This ends so great! One of the main female characters is sexual assaulted but it doesn't go into it, you know it happens but it doesn't talk about it...just a FYI. This is a very action packed war book so there is lots of violence and the fight scenes are excellent! Yes, I am an old woman but I enjoy exciting adventure and action too!
There is a touch of romance in here also! Our Raz is growing up! Lol!
I love the narration! Perfect for this book! I felt like I was there helping kick some goatmen butt!
Love the plot, creativity, characters, and emotions it made me go through. This book was a clever, witty, sad, happy, and suspense-filled ride. Love this series!
June 9, 2017
Buddy read with Shari Kay.
I love this series! Thank you Shari for introducing me to this series and for buddy reading the last two books with me. I hope Maks joins us on book 4.
This authors writing is incredible. I have no complaints. The only thing I found a little weird (as Shari pointed out n her review) was the slight use of modern dialogue. I felt it was minimal and didn't take away or distract very much. I think the modern cursing is what did it, but like I said, it didn't bother me much.
In this book we have Raz who meets up with Talo and Carro and has agreed to accompany them North to the Citadel. Much happens on their journey. Be prepared for lots of action, blood gore and violence. Also be prepared for lots of unexpected things..some very sad.
As Raz was the brunt in the last two books, of much abuse, here we find it is now Syrah's turn. I agree with Shari in that Syrah's once slightly arrogant personality is quite humbled, but through it all she remains strong.
There is clearly another book to come, as noticed in the epilogue, and I am excited to see what happens next in the story.
I won't give away any spoilers.
Watch out for this author..I feel certain he is going to make quite a name for himself.
Concerns: Lots of details on torture, rape violence. Also, no character is safe. There is much sadness and death to be had. Raz is a perfect hero..love him!
I love this series! Thank you Shari for introducing me to this series and for buddy reading the last two books with me. I hope Maks joins us on book 4.
This authors writing is incredible. I have no complaints. The only thing I found a little weird (as Shari pointed out n her review) was the slight use of modern dialogue. I felt it was minimal and didn't take away or distract very much. I think the modern cursing is what did it, but like I said, it didn't bother me much.
In this book we have Raz who meets up with Talo and Carro and has agreed to accompany them North to the Citadel. Much happens on their journey. Be prepared for lots of action, blood gore and violence. Also be prepared for lots of unexpected things..some very sad.
As Raz was the brunt in the last two books, of much abuse, here we find it is now Syrah's turn. I agree with Shari in that Syrah's once slightly arrogant personality is quite humbled, but through it all she remains strong.
There is clearly another book to come, as noticed in the epilogue, and I am excited to see what happens next in the story.
I won't give away any spoilers.
Watch out for this author..I feel certain he is going to make quite a name for himself.
Concerns: Lots of details on torture, rape violence. Also, no character is safe. There is much sadness and death to be had. Raz is a perfect hero..love him!
April 26, 2018
I think I'm done with this series at book 3.
This is mainly due the lack of empathy I feel for most of the characters, in fact I think that there were only 5-6 people I actually liked over the 3 books and they ALL died.
The main character himself is a lizard who only seems to have 2 emotions grumpy or angry, he was far more enjoyable as a kid.
The citadel of 'nice' monks/monkesses are almost to a person irritating sanctimonious arseholes who deserve whats coming to them.
On to something better
This is mainly due the lack of empathy I feel for most of the characters, in fact I think that there were only 5-6 people I actually liked over the 3 books and they ALL died.
The main character himself is a lizard who only seems to have 2 emotions grumpy or angry, he was far more enjoyable as a kid.
The citadel of 'nice' monks/monkesses are almost to a person irritating sanctimonious arseholes who deserve whats coming to them.
On to something better
April 20, 2020
Wow. Whereas the last book had been an improvement from the first, right between a three and a four for me, this one came down as a solid two. There were so many problems with it that just made it a struggle to get through. I had a really difficult time finishing it.
The most glaring issue was the one that held down both books before this. Bryce's scenes rarely ever do more than one thing at a time between advancing plot, establishing character, or developing the setting. And whereas previous books mixed these unfocused chapters decently well, the plot barely advanced at all throughout the entire first half of this book. Almost none of Raz's traveling up to the fortress had any stakes or relevance to the main plot of the story. None of the chapters focused on the Sigurth mattered. None of the chapters from Talo's PoV in this book OR the last mattered. Syrah could have gotten 2 chapters in this book rather than like a dozen between this book and the last because she never actually did anything on screen that mattered to the plot other than getting captured.
Because my god, do we need a full chapter after any given plot point for every single moderately important character to react individually to that plot point and say what they think about it? That gets so damn boring. I don't need to read the dozen chapters about the Kayle or any of his relatives sitting in their tents, being tough, and saying how they feel about plot events. Nor do I need the same from Talo, from Carro, from Syrah, from Joffrey, or literally anyone else who isn't actually doing something immediately integral to the plot!
The most frustrating thing is how Talo seemed to get all this build up and so many perspective chapters only for him to not actually do anything. Ever. He could have been cut from both this book and the last with almost nothing lost. instead, I guess he got all of his irrelevant chapters in order to hopefully make us care about him enough so he could be slaughtered on the pile of sacrifices to motivate Raz.
Yup, not only did this book bury its gays. It also, in the space of a few chapters from that, decided to rape and torture Syrah. Because she exists to be a facade of a powerful woman who can't actually do anything, can't save herself, and has to be weak and broken in Raz's arms to motivate him.
God. This book could have been so good too. Syrah didn't need to be raped. She didn't need gratuitous torture. She could have actually done something at any point in this story. Talo didn't need to exist (or at least have such a spotlight). Carro could have gone through his arc without the sacrifice of his love (gay characters are not allowed to have a relationship without one of them dying).
Most of all. This book could have condensed the entire first 60% of itself into like 2 damn chapters. The last few chapters were enjoyable. But I wanted to go do literally anything else other than read the characters continuing to sit around and do nothing without any stakes because Raz hadn't shown up at the citadel to actually join the plot and be a protagonist yet.
GAH. Please be better, buff lizard daddy. I really want you to be good.
The most glaring issue was the one that held down both books before this. Bryce's scenes rarely ever do more than one thing at a time between advancing plot, establishing character, or developing the setting. And whereas previous books mixed these unfocused chapters decently well, the plot barely advanced at all throughout the entire first half of this book. Almost none of Raz's traveling up to the fortress had any stakes or relevance to the main plot of the story. None of the chapters focused on the Sigurth mattered. None of the chapters from Talo's PoV in this book OR the last mattered. Syrah could have gotten 2 chapters in this book rather than like a dozen between this book and the last because she never actually did anything on screen that mattered to the plot other than getting captured.
Because my god, do we need a full chapter after any given plot point for every single moderately important character to react individually to that plot point and say what they think about it? That gets so damn boring. I don't need to read the dozen chapters about the Kayle or any of his relatives sitting in their tents, being tough, and saying how they feel about plot events. Nor do I need the same from Talo, from Carro, from Syrah, from Joffrey, or literally anyone else who isn't actually doing something immediately integral to the plot!
The most frustrating thing is how Talo seemed to get all this build up and so many perspective chapters only for him to not actually do anything. Ever. He could have been cut from both this book and the last with almost nothing lost. instead, I guess he got all of his irrelevant chapters in order to hopefully make us care about him enough so he could be slaughtered on the pile of sacrifices to motivate Raz.
Yup, not only did this book bury its gays. It also, in the space of a few chapters from that, decided to rape and torture Syrah. Because she exists to be a facade of a powerful woman who can't actually do anything, can't save herself, and has to be weak and broken in Raz's arms to motivate him.
God. This book could have been so good too. Syrah didn't need to be raped. She didn't need gratuitous torture. She could have actually done something at any point in this story. Talo didn't need to exist (or at least have such a spotlight). Carro could have gone through his arc without the sacrifice of his love (gay characters are not allowed to have a relationship without one of them dying).
Most of all. This book could have condensed the entire first 60% of itself into like 2 damn chapters. The last few chapters were enjoyable. But I wanted to go do literally anything else other than read the characters continuing to sit around and do nothing without any stakes because Raz hadn't shown up at the citadel to actually join the plot and be a protagonist yet.
GAH. Please be better, buff lizard daddy. I really want you to be good.
November 24, 2018
I've been avoiding this review for some time because my feelings on the novel are very conflicted. In a sense it's rather like an extremely well baked, moist, delicious chocolate cake. Which is to say it's exceedingly enjoyable… as long as you're not bothered by the few bits of broken glass in the cake.
Setting:
The setting here is not overly important. It's mostly a rather standard fantasy world, though the only intelligent non-human race that seems to be present are a species scaly, tailed, and rarely winged lizard-people.
There only other need to know thing is the presence of a religion which is close to Christianity, but not entirely the same. They do believe in a single nice guy God, the Lifegiver, and the priests and priestesses can be seen going around giving food to the poor and what not. The single most important aspect of the religion is absolutely no killing ever for any reason. The followers believe life is the greatest gift of the Lifegiver and to kill, or to allow killing to occur which you could prevent, is to squander that gift. However, “no killing” isn't exactly the same as “no violence”. The followers are all trained fighters, able to use their iron staves and their magic offensively if the situation should call for it.
Characters:
Raz: Our main hero is once again the gigantic lizard man. Raz is the sort of standard tough guy with a heart of gold, only he's been dialed up to 11. He stands nearly seven feet tall and carries with him an impressive array of weapons all of which he is exceedingly well trained with. Raz has had a series of significant traumas regarding those he cares for and as such has developed a fierce protective attitude and gotten very good at exacting revenge.
*Fair warning I may be mixing up Talo and Carro. The pair are pretty much always together and I can't be entirely certain which was which*
Talo: Talo is a priest of the Lifegiver and, rather unusual for his current position, a former gladiator. Talo has long since abandoned the sword and had truly devoted his life to doing as much good as possible.
Carro: Nearly always by Talo's side one can find his lover Carro. Much like his husband, Carro has come from violence into the priesthood and now is genuinely trying to do as much as he can for everyone he can help.
Syrah: And here we find our broken glass. Syrah is supposed to be many things. What we see is mostly a pile of mistakes. Syrah was taken in as the adoptive daughter of Talo when she was young and had been brought up, theoretically, quiet successfully within the faith. We're told she brokered a deal between the barbaric tribes of the North and the towns there, bring about an unheard of peace. We don't get to see that were just told it. We're also told she's one of the most skilled fighters amongst all the priests and priestesses. We don't see this either. In fact her losing a fight, basically instantly, is her first major plot point. We're told a lot of things about Syrah. But what do we actually see in the page? An exceedingly ineffective character who never seems to do anything useful or interesting when we actually see her. It was, essentially, her fault that Raz's family was killed in the first book and again in this novel she's doing pretty much nothing to actually help anyone.
Plot:
The last novel ended with Raz severely wounded and bleeding out as he set off after Talo and Carro deciding he would take them up on their request now that his business in the city has come to its grim conclusion. That's right where this one picks up. Raz is soon united with the priests and the trio sets of to the citadel the priests call home.
All is not well at the citadel. The peace with the barbarians has apparently fallen apart and instead of attacking the towns near them, the violent tribes have instead decided to march to the citadel and destroy what they see as a false god. Can Raz, Talo, and Carro get there in time? And even if they do can they do anything to stop it?
My Thoughts:
It really all gets down to Syrah. Everything about this novel is wonderful except her.
The barbarians make for a cool enemy as these aggressive viking-esq raiders. The fight scenes are all written extremely well. I particularly enjoyed one involving Raz and a very angry bear. The big throwdown at the end is satisfying both as a fight and as a conclusion.
The characters of Raz, Talo, and Carro Aaron all wonderful in their own rights and they play of each other really well. The journey that the trip have as they move toward the citadel is quite enjoyable.
The romance subplot, yes of course there is one, is actually done well. Talo and Carro have such a wholesome relationship. They genuinely love and support each other fully.
And then we have Syrah. As I was pointing out earlier, there's a lot of telling not showing with her character. She also never seems to do anything helpful. The only useful thing she did do happened without us seeing it and promptly feel apart anyway. She is the ever maligned woman in a fridge, promptly getting captured so that a big strong man can come and save her. Again. Let's not forget Raz already played hero for her in the first book.
On the whole, I did still quite enjoy this book. There's a lot of good stuff in here but I cannot deny that Syrah's character is just mishandled from the start to the end and that will ruin this book for some people.
I listened to this one on audiobook as narrated by Mikael Naramore. I've actually listened to him narrate the whole series thus far and he's done a fantastic job every time.
Setting:
The setting here is not overly important. It's mostly a rather standard fantasy world, though the only intelligent non-human race that seems to be present are a species scaly, tailed, and rarely winged lizard-people.
There only other need to know thing is the presence of a religion which is close to Christianity, but not entirely the same. They do believe in a single nice guy God, the Lifegiver, and the priests and priestesses can be seen going around giving food to the poor and what not. The single most important aspect of the religion is absolutely no killing ever for any reason. The followers believe life is the greatest gift of the Lifegiver and to kill, or to allow killing to occur which you could prevent, is to squander that gift. However, “no killing” isn't exactly the same as “no violence”. The followers are all trained fighters, able to use their iron staves and their magic offensively if the situation should call for it.
Characters:
Raz: Our main hero is once again the gigantic lizard man. Raz is the sort of standard tough guy with a heart of gold, only he's been dialed up to 11. He stands nearly seven feet tall and carries with him an impressive array of weapons all of which he is exceedingly well trained with. Raz has had a series of significant traumas regarding those he cares for and as such has developed a fierce protective attitude and gotten very good at exacting revenge.
*Fair warning I may be mixing up Talo and Carro. The pair are pretty much always together and I can't be entirely certain which was which*
Talo: Talo is a priest of the Lifegiver and, rather unusual for his current position, a former gladiator. Talo has long since abandoned the sword and had truly devoted his life to doing as much good as possible.
Carro: Nearly always by Talo's side one can find his lover Carro. Much like his husband, Carro has come from violence into the priesthood and now is genuinely trying to do as much as he can for everyone he can help.
Syrah: And here we find our broken glass. Syrah is supposed to be many things. What we see is mostly a pile of mistakes. Syrah was taken in as the adoptive daughter of Talo when she was young and had been brought up, theoretically, quiet successfully within the faith. We're told she brokered a deal between the barbaric tribes of the North and the towns there, bring about an unheard of peace. We don't get to see that were just told it. We're also told she's one of the most skilled fighters amongst all the priests and priestesses. We don't see this either. In fact her losing a fight, basically instantly, is her first major plot point. We're told a lot of things about Syrah. But what do we actually see in the page? An exceedingly ineffective character who never seems to do anything useful or interesting when we actually see her. It was, essentially, her fault that Raz's family was killed in the first book and again in this novel she's doing pretty much nothing to actually help anyone.
Plot:
The last novel ended with Raz severely wounded and bleeding out as he set off after Talo and Carro deciding he would take them up on their request now that his business in the city has come to its grim conclusion. That's right where this one picks up. Raz is soon united with the priests and the trio sets of to the citadel the priests call home.
All is not well at the citadel. The peace with the barbarians has apparently fallen apart and instead of attacking the towns near them, the violent tribes have instead decided to march to the citadel and destroy what they see as a false god. Can Raz, Talo, and Carro get there in time? And even if they do can they do anything to stop it?
My Thoughts:
It really all gets down to Syrah. Everything about this novel is wonderful except her.
The barbarians make for a cool enemy as these aggressive viking-esq raiders. The fight scenes are all written extremely well. I particularly enjoyed one involving Raz and a very angry bear. The big throwdown at the end is satisfying both as a fight and as a conclusion.
The characters of Raz, Talo, and Carro Aaron all wonderful in their own rights and they play of each other really well. The journey that the trip have as they move toward the citadel is quite enjoyable.
The romance subplot, yes of course there is one, is actually done well. Talo and Carro have such a wholesome relationship. They genuinely love and support each other fully.
And then we have Syrah. As I was pointing out earlier, there's a lot of telling not showing with her character. She also never seems to do anything helpful. The only useful thing she did do happened without us seeing it and promptly feel apart anyway. She is the ever maligned woman in a fridge, promptly getting captured so that a big strong man can come and save her. Again. Let's not forget Raz already played hero for her in the first book.
On the whole, I did still quite enjoy this book. There's a lot of good stuff in here but I cannot deny that Syrah's character is just mishandled from the start to the end and that will ruin this book for some people.
I listened to this one on audiobook as narrated by Mikael Naramore. I've actually listened to him narrate the whole series thus far and he's done a fantastic job every time.
October 16, 2017
Winter's King picks right up where The Warring Son left off, and sees Raz go through a range of situations from completely helpless to a people's only hope. With the now-expanded cast from The Warring Son in full play, we see so much growth among so many characters, the way their lives, hopes, dreams, and decisions all integrate to bring Raz to where he needs to be to continue chasing destiny. Raz's battle prowess can only take him so far, and we now see the importance of these many other people the Sun, Moon, and Her Stars bring into his path.
Where would Raz be today if not for that fateful encounter with Syrah? Probably dead, or maybe still carving a bloody swath through the southern cities. Either way, not where he needed to be. And where he needed to be forms the backbone of Winter's King, and causes a tsunami of emotions and repercussions that will carry him into future volumes in splendid fashion.
And that ending? Oh wow, sign me up for #4 please...
Where would Raz be today if not for that fateful encounter with Syrah? Probably dead, or maybe still carving a bloody swath through the southern cities. Either way, not where he needed to be. And where he needed to be forms the backbone of Winter's King, and causes a tsunami of emotions and repercussions that will carry him into future volumes in splendid fashion.
And that ending? Oh wow, sign me up for #4 please...
June 6, 2017
Enslaved as a young boy, Raz i'Syul Arro is now in the distant north, far from the desert he'd once called home. On the run for the Azbar Arena and badly injured, Raz has to catch up with two Priests or perish in the frozen wastes. But the Priests need to return to their Citadel home, and Raz goes with them. Not only to try and help thwart the threat that is bearing down on the peaceful religion, but to meet up again with Syrah Brahnt. The ghostly white woman who has unknowingly slipped into the Monster's heart.
Once again Bryce O'Connor delivers a unique, character-driven tale. One I highly recommend. The descriptions are well interspersed with action. At no point does the story drag.
He carries you into a story in the frigid winter, making you feel the crunch of ice, hear the howling of the winds, and feel the bite of the cold on your skin. Artfully told in enrapturing detail, the scenery itself is easily imagined. The characters pull at you with their every trial and triumph. The fights happen around you, choreographed with precision so that you can see every strike and hear every grunt. You'll know the toll of pain and death. It's easy to get lost within Raz's world and his story.
If you really want a hero you can root for, go with Raz.
Once again Bryce O'Connor delivers a unique, character-driven tale. One I highly recommend. The descriptions are well interspersed with action. At no point does the story drag.
He carries you into a story in the frigid winter, making you feel the crunch of ice, hear the howling of the winds, and feel the bite of the cold on your skin. Artfully told in enrapturing detail, the scenery itself is easily imagined. The characters pull at you with their every trial and triumph. The fights happen around you, choreographed with precision so that you can see every strike and hear every grunt. You'll know the toll of pain and death. It's easy to get lost within Raz's world and his story.
If you really want a hero you can root for, go with Raz.
December 27, 2018
Loved this one as much as the others in the series
June 14, 2017
The Third Book Is Out - And It Is Great Just Like The Previous Two
Winter's King is the third chapter in the now-running Wings of War fantasy series. And it's got everything that's already becoming a signature elements of author Bryce O'Connor - strong, brilliantly defined characters, dark, yet meaningful story, breathtaking vistas, superb dialogue, and, of course, Raz i'Syul Arro - one of the coolest protagonists ever I've had the pleasure to read about.
As it is usual by now for me to do, I shall delve into the meat of this novel a bit deeper, before shouting (via capslock) my recommendations to READ IT!
FAIR WARNING: Again, this review will assume that the reader has already at least a passing familiarity with the previous installments of the series - if not, I heartily recommend to head to their respective product pages and see my other reviews about them; they will give a fuller picture of the series as a whole.
Setting
The action of the third book again takes place in the bitter-cold North. The narrative leaves the city of Azbar behind to focus instead on the various landscapes that were only hinted about in the second book. We get to see vast frozen plains, winter snow-storms, the vast expanses of the Arocklen forest and its giant trees, and the titanic landmass that are the Saragrias ranges. O'Connor demonstrates he's adept at depicting the wilderness just as well and detailed as the cityscapes he did in his previous books. Any panoramic aficionado will find many pleasant views to enjoy during their reading.
Lastly, one of the central locations which is brought again into the narrative, is the citadel of Cyurgi'Di, the towering ancient fortress which is the heart of the Laorin faith. The citadel plays a central role in the story, and as such has benefited from much more expanded descriptions, which complement and enhance its already respecting image.
Characters
Character-driven plot -- check. Characters' actions who have significant impact on the story -- check. Complex, conflicted main characters, well-defined secondary characters, abhorrent and deranged villains -- double check. If the reader is familiar with the series by now, they know what to expect from Mr. O'Connor. And he again delivers. Raz again is the star here, though this time he fights less and finally begins to slowly rebuild his shredded sanity - and this time it sticks. We again get to see the familiar faces of Talo, Syrah, and Carro, and now they share the spotlight in full equality with Raz, but the price they pay and the ordeals they go through for that are truly horrifying and will torment weaker readers if they can't cope with what's happening on page. Prepare for some heavy drama.
We also get to meet some minor characters from the Citadel, which get more page time as their roles have become greater in the context of the story that unfolds. Their interactions and agendas serve well to point out the inner conflicts that plague Cyurgi'Di, showing how even the most sacred of places can harbor spots of darkness when the human condition is involved.
Lastly, Gulraht Baoill, the newest main villain, is a truly epic monster -- both in the literal and figurative sense.
Story
The plot in Winter's King unfolds at the pace of the previous book, The Warring Son; the events again play out in the span of a couple months (or even less if we discount the meta-plot advancement). This time, however, instead of the vague and omnipresent dark side of human nature, presented via sociopathic antagonists in positions of power, the threat is very concrete in the form of an invading army; which is being led by... a sociopathic murderer in a position of power. It is admittedly the same setup as the Mahsaden inner circle or the Chairman of Azbar, but with one important twist: this time Raz can't simply power through the opposition as he'll have thousands of men set against him.
This changes the direction of the story considerably, as the focus now is less on the bloodshed and more on what drives the narrative; it is a nice counterpoint to the previous books. This conflict is further enhanced by the increased presence and role of the Laorin, whose rule "Thou shall not kill another" is part of their central doctrine. They are especially upset by Raz and his prime method of dealing with problems, but some (particularly Carro) come to understand him and his reasoning and even accept his logic, even if they don't support it personally.
However, while these leitmotifs of conflicting worldviews were refreshing to read, their often violent collisions did add some level of frustration. I was dissatisfied with the way the Laorin, even their elders, held stubbornly and unreasonably to their precepts, and were unwilling to bend the "no-killing" rule even when faced with certain death. While this behavior added drama to the story, and made some plot developments possible, in my opinion it was quite unjustified and in some instances downright irrational. But that is my personal take on things; other readers may draw their own conclusions.
Another minor thing is that there are no large-scale battles, even though such certainly look possible at the start of the book; but given the plot's direction, it became apparent halfway through that no such occurrence will happen. There is one pitched battle by the end, but its scale wasn't large enough to count. The finale though, which I won't spoil, was totally worth it.
Lastly, the book regretfully didn't include another chapter about queen Shas-hana Rhan and the secret atherian realm. I enjoyed that plot thread greatly, and not seeing the next bit of the story is somewhat of a letdown.
Overall, the novel is great to read. There are some problems with the story which I have outlined above, and while they weren't big enough to diminish my love for the series, they certainly made their presence felt, so I'm giving Winter's King a final rating of 4,5 stars. That said, the epic vistas, the dramatic storyline, and the amazing character growth that all happened alongside the novel pages completely made up for anything that made my face scrunch up in criticism. Winter's King is that good.
Conclusion
Author Bryce O'Connor writes with style, dark panache, and brilliant strokes of genius; he is born for the craft and one day will be among the greats. The Wings of War series are evidence for that. If you want, nay, *crave* for a dark and gritty fantasy with a host of great characters, inspiring prose, and epic scope, then vote with Winter's King - as well the previous books, if you still haven't. You'll experience a legend in the making.
Dragon of the North FTW!
Winter's King is the third chapter in the now-running Wings of War fantasy series. And it's got everything that's already becoming a signature elements of author Bryce O'Connor - strong, brilliantly defined characters, dark, yet meaningful story, breathtaking vistas, superb dialogue, and, of course, Raz i'Syul Arro - one of the coolest protagonists ever I've had the pleasure to read about.
As it is usual by now for me to do, I shall delve into the meat of this novel a bit deeper, before shouting (via capslock) my recommendations to READ IT!
FAIR WARNING: Again, this review will assume that the reader has already at least a passing familiarity with the previous installments of the series - if not, I heartily recommend to head to their respective product pages and see my other reviews about them; they will give a fuller picture of the series as a whole.
Setting
The action of the third book again takes place in the bitter-cold North. The narrative leaves the city of Azbar behind to focus instead on the various landscapes that were only hinted about in the second book. We get to see vast frozen plains, winter snow-storms, the vast expanses of the Arocklen forest and its giant trees, and the titanic landmass that are the Saragrias ranges. O'Connor demonstrates he's adept at depicting the wilderness just as well and detailed as the cityscapes he did in his previous books. Any panoramic aficionado will find many pleasant views to enjoy during their reading.
Lastly, one of the central locations which is brought again into the narrative, is the citadel of Cyurgi'Di, the towering ancient fortress which is the heart of the Laorin faith. The citadel plays a central role in the story, and as such has benefited from much more expanded descriptions, which complement and enhance its already respecting image.
Characters
Character-driven plot -- check. Characters' actions who have significant impact on the story -- check. Complex, conflicted main characters, well-defined secondary characters, abhorrent and deranged villains -- double check. If the reader is familiar with the series by now, they know what to expect from Mr. O'Connor. And he again delivers. Raz again is the star here, though this time he fights less and finally begins to slowly rebuild his shredded sanity - and this time it sticks. We again get to see the familiar faces of Talo, Syrah, and Carro, and now they share the spotlight in full equality with Raz, but the price they pay and the ordeals they go through for that are truly horrifying and will torment weaker readers if they can't cope with what's happening on page. Prepare for some heavy drama.
We also get to meet some minor characters from the Citadel, which get more page time as their roles have become greater in the context of the story that unfolds. Their interactions and agendas serve well to point out the inner conflicts that plague Cyurgi'Di, showing how even the most sacred of places can harbor spots of darkness when the human condition is involved.
Lastly, Gulraht Baoill, the newest main villain, is a truly epic monster -- both in the literal and figurative sense.
Story
The plot in Winter's King unfolds at the pace of the previous book, The Warring Son; the events again play out in the span of a couple months (or even less if we discount the meta-plot advancement). This time, however, instead of the vague and omnipresent dark side of human nature, presented via sociopathic antagonists in positions of power, the threat is very concrete in the form of an invading army; which is being led by... a sociopathic murderer in a position of power. It is admittedly the same setup as the Mahsaden inner circle or the Chairman of Azbar, but with one important twist: this time Raz can't simply power through the opposition as he'll have thousands of men set against him.
This changes the direction of the story considerably, as the focus now is less on the bloodshed and more on what drives the narrative; it is a nice counterpoint to the previous books. This conflict is further enhanced by the increased presence and role of the Laorin, whose rule "Thou shall not kill another" is part of their central doctrine. They are especially upset by Raz and his prime method of dealing with problems, but some (particularly Carro) come to understand him and his reasoning and even accept his logic, even if they don't support it personally.
However, while these leitmotifs of conflicting worldviews were refreshing to read, their often violent collisions did add some level of frustration. I was dissatisfied with the way the Laorin, even their elders, held stubbornly and unreasonably to their precepts, and were unwilling to bend the "no-killing" rule even when faced with certain death. While this behavior added drama to the story, and made some plot developments possible, in my opinion it was quite unjustified and in some instances downright irrational. But that is my personal take on things; other readers may draw their own conclusions.
Another minor thing is that there are no large-scale battles, even though such certainly look possible at the start of the book; but given the plot's direction, it became apparent halfway through that no such occurrence will happen. There is one pitched battle by the end, but its scale wasn't large enough to count. The finale though, which I won't spoil, was totally worth it.
Lastly, the book regretfully didn't include another chapter about queen Shas-hana Rhan and the secret atherian realm. I enjoyed that plot thread greatly, and not seeing the next bit of the story is somewhat of a letdown.
Overall, the novel is great to read. There are some problems with the story which I have outlined above, and while they weren't big enough to diminish my love for the series, they certainly made their presence felt, so I'm giving Winter's King a final rating of 4,5 stars. That said, the epic vistas, the dramatic storyline, and the amazing character growth that all happened alongside the novel pages completely made up for anything that made my face scrunch up in criticism. Winter's King is that good.
Conclusion
Author Bryce O'Connor writes with style, dark panache, and brilliant strokes of genius; he is born for the craft and one day will be among the greats. The Wings of War series are evidence for that. If you want, nay, *crave* for a dark and gritty fantasy with a host of great characters, inspiring prose, and epic scope, then vote with Winter's King - as well the previous books, if you still haven't. You'll experience a legend in the making.
Dragon of the North FTW!
February 19, 2019
A good story but too long.
Way, way too long.
Before I beat on the book a bit, let me say at first that Bryce is an awesome author, I seriously enjoyed the 1st two books and will eagerly read the 4th. Seriously, he is good!
There wasn't enough plot detail to warrant a book of this size. Far too much time obsessing over this or that detail or the It's very rare that I will skip whole paragraphs after reading the 1st sentence but in this case I found myself skimming more often than not. I'm a fast reader but didn't want to grind through several paragraphs of repeat information.
The book tries to go along the lines of dark fantasy but it simply doesn't do a good job with it. There's more to dark fantasy than out and out violence or abuse. There's reason for some of the events, but even that doesn't warrant the amount of time dwelling on it. It was a failed attempt.
I enjoyed the 1st two books, the 2nd gets a bit dark and is done well but I think he's simply trying way too hard to fit into the niche.
Otherwise, the story was enjoyable if predictable and I do look forward to reading the next book in the series, just hoping that it doesn't drag on.
Pun may or may not have been intended.
Way, way too long.
Before I beat on the book a bit, let me say at first that Bryce is an awesome author, I seriously enjoyed the 1st two books and will eagerly read the 4th. Seriously, he is good!
There wasn't enough plot detail to warrant a book of this size. Far too much time obsessing over this or that detail or the It's very rare that I will skip whole paragraphs after reading the 1st sentence but in this case I found myself skimming more often than not. I'm a fast reader but didn't want to grind through several paragraphs of repeat information.
The book tries to go along the lines of dark fantasy but it simply doesn't do a good job with it. There's more to dark fantasy than out and out violence or abuse. There's reason for some of the events, but even that doesn't warrant the amount of time dwelling on it. It was a failed attempt.
I enjoyed the 1st two books, the 2nd gets a bit dark and is done well but I think he's simply trying way too hard to fit into the niche.
Otherwise, the story was enjoyable if predictable and I do look forward to reading the next book in the series, just hoping that it doesn't drag on.
Pun may or may not have been intended.
March 29, 2020
Solid Third Entry
There's so much that I absolutely enjoyed about this novel. However, as I'm not one to give spoilers, I'll stick to the crafting.
The character arc for Raz is still evolving due to his newly formed relationships and intimate losses in book two. Here we see him deal with profound guilt, understanding of the Laorin's Way and, the furtherance of a bond which began eight years ago.
Foreshadowing was, for me, a bit too obvious in certain cases. However, this didn't lessen the impact of those situations at all.
I did feel that some of the characters were cardboard cutouts created to add to the conflict and tension, such as Valaria Petrük and her lapdog Behn Argo. To me, they seemed bitter and nasty just to prove that not all people of a peaceful religion truly are peaceful. However, without any actual context to their motivation for such behavior, they, and others, fell flat for me.
Gûlraht Baoill was a better fleshed out antagonist than Quin Tern. Unfortunately, his was just another version of Tern's story regarding a son differing from his father's forward thinking. I do hope this trope isn't in the fourth novel.
That said, I'm looking forward to starting book four.
There's so much that I absolutely enjoyed about this novel. However, as I'm not one to give spoilers, I'll stick to the crafting.
The character arc for Raz is still evolving due to his newly formed relationships and intimate losses in book two. Here we see him deal with profound guilt, understanding of the Laorin's Way and, the furtherance of a bond which began eight years ago.
Foreshadowing was, for me, a bit too obvious in certain cases. However, this didn't lessen the impact of those situations at all.
I did feel that some of the characters were cardboard cutouts created to add to the conflict and tension, such as Valaria Petrük and her lapdog Behn Argo. To me, they seemed bitter and nasty just to prove that not all people of a peaceful religion truly are peaceful. However, without any actual context to their motivation for such behavior, they, and others, fell flat for me.
Gûlraht Baoill was a better fleshed out antagonist than Quin Tern. Unfortunately, his was just another version of Tern's story regarding a son differing from his father's forward thinking. I do hope this trope isn't in the fourth novel.
That said, I'm looking forward to starting book four.
December 2, 2020
I liked most of this book; it constantly keeps you on your toes and invested and caring about the characters involved.
However, I do have a bit of a sticking point. There are clear ways of marking a person or faction as good or evil, and Bryce O'Connor usually does a pretty good job of approaching this with nuance. His use of rape in this book, however, is about as blunt as it gets. The one nearly-explicit description we get with is sickening as it should be. I felt physically ill, and the couple of other times that it was abbreviated certainly didn't help.
It is also, however, a lazy way of showing how evil a group is. All of the subtle shades of grey that O'Connor approaches with the Laori philosophy in such a dark setting is noticably absent here. Reducing something like rape to a plot point does not sit well with me. I am continuing with the series, but if the ham-handed handling of the topic continues I will certainly be mentioning it here.
However, I do have a bit of a sticking point. There are clear ways of marking a person or faction as good or evil, and Bryce O'Connor usually does a pretty good job of approaching this with nuance. His use of rape in this book, however, is about as blunt as it gets. The one nearly-explicit description we get with is sickening as it should be. I felt physically ill, and the couple of other times that it was abbreviated certainly didn't help.
It is also, however, a lazy way of showing how evil a group is. All of the subtle shades of grey that O'Connor approaches with the Laori philosophy in such a dark setting is noticably absent here. Reducing something like rape to a plot point does not sit well with me. I am continuing with the series, but if the ham-handed handling of the topic continues I will certainly be mentioning it here.
November 22, 2019
The major character getting raped comes across as a gimmick, just to show how evil the bad guys are. They cut out her eye, too, could've left it at that and basically nothing would've needed to be changed for the story.
The rest of my points off is that some of the description ended up repetitive and the plot was a bit slow in the middle for my taste. Also, the fated main character can't lose, which does undercut a bit of the tension (and his wings saving him is approaching being a cliche).
Still overall alright though.
The rest of my points off is that some of the description ended up repetitive and the plot was a bit slow in the middle for my taste. Also, the fated main character can't lose, which does undercut a bit of the tension (and his wings saving him is approaching being a cliche).
Still overall alright though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2017
BEWARE! TRIGGERS abound. Brrrrutal, very brutal. Rape. Physical abuse. Murder. Violent. Some parts of this book may be upsetting to some. Scenes are detailed. Did not like the ending.
May 3, 2021
I don’t know… I like the first one because of the non-human protagonist, but much of everything else just hasn't worked that well for me. This is the longest in the series (so far) and really doesn’t have anything that intriguing about it. It is slow, and follows a very predictable path, at least past the first 100 pages. My biggest problem with the previous book is how, on the whole, meaningless all of the events felt; nothing in book two really furthers any ‘goal’ of the story, and any character development that should have been given to Raz should have already been given in book one (which I felt it already did).
Excluding our drakeling, the one character who gets some interesting development in previous books is the ex-gladiator come pacifist priest, but .
And while I just read it, I am honestly at a loss for what narrative reason anything in the book actually happens? Aside from the very flimsiest of justification, these cartoon villains have a whole lot of disproportionate hate for a bunch of pacifist priests. It seems to basically boil down to “We hate them because they are an insult to our culture!”. But what culture are they insulting exactly? One where you go around and kill everything on-site? Who the f- knows, cause the book certainly won’t tell you. A balanced, and a lot more engaging conflict could be if we actually understand (aside from ‘yey killing’) why the antagonists and those who follow them actually have this hatred, by, for instance, explore the intrigues that make up their culture more than*they are just evil and likes killing*.
The pacifist nature of the priesthood also just ended up feeling a bit absurd at the end. They be like: “Let's reach a peaceful agreement with men who sent the dismembered bodies of our followers back from peace talk!”. Just a bit too much of preaching the idea that pacifism = stupid, and I have already seen one too many books doing that.
At times, I have felt that all three books are trying a bit too hard to be dark and grim, but never quite putting the effort into making the scenes feel emotionally engaging in any real, meaningful way. Seems there for shock value, and I felt a lot more cringe at how clunky the abuse scenes read (especially near the end, which were just painful).
Was also disappointed that there are dozens of interspersed, meandering, fairly meaningless chapters from Sierra in book one and two, and this is the ‘role’ that she ends up having in the story. Why didn’t you just do it in the first book if this was all it was leading up to?
There was also that one scene, which I probably interpreted ‘incorrectly’, but was kinda funny when they are more or less begging that it is just a random I think part of the problem here is that our dragon friend has had a single encounter with Sierra, and while this seemed to have cemented her in his mind, I as a reader felt that the author was trying to say that they had this deep connection, without actually showing it.
It also doesn't work that she is the "only" good thing that has ever come from his actions because he saved a bunch of slaves in the first one. Should not Raz have a lot stronger connection with that doctor girl, which he interacts with a whole lot more? Nah, she is only mentioned when Raz needs a convenient doctor to help him out of a sticky situation.
Excluding our drakeling, the one character who gets some interesting development in previous books is the ex-gladiator come pacifist priest, but .
And while I just read it, I am honestly at a loss for what narrative reason anything in the book actually happens? Aside from the very flimsiest of justification, these cartoon villains have a whole lot of disproportionate hate for a bunch of pacifist priests. It seems to basically boil down to “We hate them because they are an insult to our culture!”. But what culture are they insulting exactly? One where you go around and kill everything on-site? Who the f- knows, cause the book certainly won’t tell you. A balanced, and a lot more engaging conflict could be if we actually understand (aside from ‘yey killing’) why the antagonists and those who follow them actually have this hatred, by, for instance, explore the intrigues that make up their culture more than*they are just evil and likes killing*.
The pacifist nature of the priesthood also just ended up feeling a bit absurd at the end. They be like: “Let's reach a peaceful agreement with men who sent the dismembered bodies of our followers back from peace talk!”. Just a bit too much of preaching the idea that pacifism = stupid, and I have already seen one too many books doing that.
At times, I have felt that all three books are trying a bit too hard to be dark and grim, but never quite putting the effort into making the scenes feel emotionally engaging in any real, meaningful way. Seems there for shock value, and I felt a lot more cringe at how clunky the abuse scenes read (especially near the end, which were just painful).
Was also disappointed that there are dozens of interspersed, meandering, fairly meaningless chapters from Sierra in book one and two, and this is the ‘role’ that she ends up having in the story. Why didn’t you just do it in the first book if this was all it was leading up to?
There was also that one scene, which I probably interpreted ‘incorrectly’, but was kinda funny when they are more or less begging that it is just a random I think part of the problem here is that our dragon friend has had a single encounter with Sierra, and while this seemed to have cemented her in his mind, I as a reader felt that the author was trying to say that they had this deep connection, without actually showing it.
It also doesn't work that she is the "only" good thing that has ever come from his actions because he saved a bunch of slaves in the first one. Should not Raz have a lot stronger connection with that doctor girl, which he interacts with a whole lot more? Nah, she is only mentioned when Raz needs a convenient doctor to help him out of a sticky situation.
January 30, 2021
This series is a strange one. It is walking along a knife-edge in a number of ways and I feel like it's a coin toss at the moment to see whether it's going to end up being something great, or something distasteful.
At the core of these stories is the strongest element for this series by a long way, the characters. They are well-written and are easy to grow attached to, and therefore they add a lot to the story and keep you reading even when the pace slips and distasteful things happen to them.
However, the flip side of that is that if those characters go through hardships then you feel for them greatly, so if an author is going to do something like that then it better be for a good reason. I felt that the author crossed this line in the last book with the death of the children, and here again, I feel that he crosses the line with the treatment of Syrah. On the one hand, I am glad that the author is not willing to pull his punches with his characters, on the other, I sometimes feel like he is prone to going overboard in a way that does not benefit the story.
I have read and can appreciate 'grimdark' fantasies like A Song of Ice and Fire or Joe Abercrombie's books, but whilst I recognise how well written those books are, I am never eager to return to them. Whilst I don't need constant positivity in the books I read, the pessimism in those novels have a tendency to depress me and I stay clear of them. This series is not grimdark, but every now and again it comes perilously close. As a result, it's all the more shocking and distasteful when something does happen as you're not necessarily prepared for it.
Overall though I am enjoying this series. I like all the characters and I am invested in their story. Other than what's outlined above, my only real complaint is just that the pacing at times becomes awfully slow. However, it's not enough to get in the way of the story too much yet, so overall it's 4-stars for this book.
At the core of these stories is the strongest element for this series by a long way, the characters. They are well-written and are easy to grow attached to, and therefore they add a lot to the story and keep you reading even when the pace slips and distasteful things happen to them.
However, the flip side of that is that if those characters go through hardships then you feel for them greatly, so if an author is going to do something like that then it better be for a good reason. I felt that the author crossed this line in the last book with the death of the children, and here again, I feel that he crosses the line with the treatment of Syrah. On the one hand, I am glad that the author is not willing to pull his punches with his characters, on the other, I sometimes feel like he is prone to going overboard in a way that does not benefit the story.
I have read and can appreciate 'grimdark' fantasies like A Song of Ice and Fire or Joe Abercrombie's books, but whilst I recognise how well written those books are, I am never eager to return to them. Whilst I don't need constant positivity in the books I read, the pessimism in those novels have a tendency to depress me and I stay clear of them. This series is not grimdark, but every now and again it comes perilously close. As a result, it's all the more shocking and distasteful when something does happen as you're not necessarily prepared for it.
Overall though I am enjoying this series. I like all the characters and I am invested in their story. Other than what's outlined above, my only real complaint is just that the pacing at times becomes awfully slow. However, it's not enough to get in the way of the story too much yet, so overall it's 4-stars for this book.
August 11, 2017
A Dark Story Filled with Hope
I know not if this series has ran its course or not, but what I do know is that Bryce deserves much praise for the work he's done.
The characters are well developed and each seems to come off the page well. Raz is our story's hero. He has definitely been shaped by a life of loss and of one lived by the blade. He's a brooding sort who's plagued by the images of those he's lost and sometimes those he's killed. Syrah is a willful young woman who's a strong character and doesn't shy from a situation. Talo and Carro are both filled with fatherly affection and the series makes their relationship is but an afterthought. In so doing their relationship is strengthened for it. I always hate books who have a gay couple whose only distinguishing feature is that they are a gay couple. This series doesn't do that. Talo and Carro are equally well developed fatherly priests with storied pasts, a genuinely unique personality and their relationship is there only to deepen their understanding of one another. They often make comments that those in a long-term committed relationship make to one another. The villain is no less detailed and instead of just being some faceless evil, he has an equally storied past and his reasons and motivations for pursuing the path he pursues. All characters felt real and thought out.
The story itself is also well developed and doesn't shy from the gory details of the scenes where gore is necessary and yet doesn't go overboard either. It's well balanced and paced well enough to be entertaining and exciting. It's dark and much of the story is often beleaguered by the hopelessness the characters feel, yet there is hope, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it's Raz, the Dragon of the North, the Monster of Karth, the demon of snow and shadow.
I know not if this series has ran its course or not, but what I do know is that Bryce deserves much praise for the work he's done.
The characters are well developed and each seems to come off the page well. Raz is our story's hero. He has definitely been shaped by a life of loss and of one lived by the blade. He's a brooding sort who's plagued by the images of those he's lost and sometimes those he's killed. Syrah is a willful young woman who's a strong character and doesn't shy from a situation. Talo and Carro are both filled with fatherly affection and the series makes their relationship is but an afterthought. In so doing their relationship is strengthened for it. I always hate books who have a gay couple whose only distinguishing feature is that they are a gay couple. This series doesn't do that. Talo and Carro are equally well developed fatherly priests with storied pasts, a genuinely unique personality and their relationship is there only to deepen their understanding of one another. They often make comments that those in a long-term committed relationship make to one another. The villain is no less detailed and instead of just being some faceless evil, he has an equally storied past and his reasons and motivations for pursuing the path he pursues. All characters felt real and thought out.
The story itself is also well developed and doesn't shy from the gory details of the scenes where gore is necessary and yet doesn't go overboard either. It's well balanced and paced well enough to be entertaining and exciting. It's dark and much of the story is often beleaguered by the hopelessness the characters feel, yet there is hope, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. And it's Raz, the Dragon of the North, the Monster of Karth, the demon of snow and shadow.
July 19, 2019
I cannot praise this series highly enough, it has gripped my imagination and the main characters have captivated me so that I keep wanting to read on, and this 4 book box set is not a joke as each book is longer than the previous one and this is book 3. Raz the monster of Karth carries within him so much sorrow for the loss of all he had loved in his life, the many betrayals he had experienced and the regret he felt for all the brutalities he had been forced to commit. Can anyone know so much pain and loss and still retain their humanity? Seems like Raz was born under an unlucky star which was going to doom his whole life, however one face keeps appearing to him and he cannot forget the woman with skin and hair as white as snow. For her he would kill more than he ever envisaged, he would be tested beyond his limits nearly to his death, facing his biggest challenger yet as he becomes the Dragun. I love the poetically beautiful descriptions of the Dehn and the mountains as Raz encounters these for the first time. These are portrayed in all their grandeur down to the finest details, as previously the Southern desert and its arid sands had been in book 1, the detail is incredible and brings the scenery to life for us the readers. The battle scenes are brutal and harsh and the cruelty unbearable and my heart went out for Raz when once again he experiences his greatest loss which nearly sends him into a pit of darkness. This series is dark epic fantasy at its very best and not to be missed.
March 27, 2018
I read all three of these in one weekend and loved all three of them. While I think using violence against women to get the plot moving is a lazy plot device, there is violence against everyone in this book, so be prepared.
In the first book, we Raz grows up with people who love him and teach him to be his best self. Raz struggles to understand how best he can use his strengths to help people he loves. In the second book, when bad things happen, and you know they do, he tries to make change from within the criminal organization but is reminded by circumstances who he really is. In the third book, he meets some people who help him understand himself better and how he can help others. The end was resolved well, but lots of things were left hanging and I hope there are more in the series. the author does call it a series and not a trilogy, so we can hope.
So of course there is much more to these books than just that. The author does a great job of making Raz feel human, react human and yet still use his alien-ness as both a strength and a weakness: the wings, the claws, the size. Raz's choices are familiar to anyone who has had to make the best of a bad situation or had to choose the lesser of two evils.
I would have liked to see more Atherians and to resolve what they meant when they said there was a prophecy that they thought was about Raz, because that was just touched upon in the first three books.
In the first book, we Raz grows up with people who love him and teach him to be his best self. Raz struggles to understand how best he can use his strengths to help people he loves. In the second book, when bad things happen, and you know they do, he tries to make change from within the criminal organization but is reminded by circumstances who he really is. In the third book, he meets some people who help him understand himself better and how he can help others. The end was resolved well, but lots of things were left hanging and I hope there are more in the series. the author does call it a series and not a trilogy, so we can hope.
So of course there is much more to these books than just that. The author does a great job of making Raz feel human, react human and yet still use his alien-ness as both a strength and a weakness: the wings, the claws, the size. Raz's choices are familiar to anyone who has had to make the best of a bad situation or had to choose the lesser of two evils.
I would have liked to see more Atherians and to resolve what they meant when they said there was a prophecy that they thought was about Raz, because that was just touched upon in the first three books.
January 15, 2019
At first, I thought this book had a different narrator, as the quality of voices improved dramatically.
Now, the first thing you need to realize is this book is approximately twice the length of the previous two. And I'm pleased to say a good portion of that extra length went into fleshing out several of the side characters.
While I would have liked to have seen more from the villain, the characters are much more developed here, enough that I really have begun to care about all of them. There are several occurrences that brought on genuine twinges of emotion. I almost cried once.
The plot is all quite linear and logical, though not quite to the point of predictability.
And finally, we actually met someone who can challenge Raz in combat!
I have just a single quip, which is the question the author chose to leave as a cliffhanger at the end. I mean, I'm willing to consider that maybe the intention was that the answer is implied, especially since there's no doubt as to what the answer will be, but Raz gave an answer and it was simply withheld from the reader. That's not an implied answer, that's a gimmick to keep a reader in artificial suspense.
In spite of that, I'm definitely going to continue the series. I think I can see where this is ultimately going to go and I can't wait to see it get there.
Now, the first thing you need to realize is this book is approximately twice the length of the previous two. And I'm pleased to say a good portion of that extra length went into fleshing out several of the side characters.
While I would have liked to have seen more from the villain, the characters are much more developed here, enough that I really have begun to care about all of them. There are several occurrences that brought on genuine twinges of emotion. I almost cried once.
The plot is all quite linear and logical, though not quite to the point of predictability.
And finally, we actually met someone who can challenge Raz in combat!
I have just a single quip, which is the question the author chose to leave as a cliffhanger at the end. I mean, I'm willing to consider that maybe the intention was that the answer is implied, especially since there's no doubt as to what the answer will be, but Raz gave an answer and it was simply withheld from the reader. That's not an implied answer, that's a gimmick to keep a reader in artificial suspense.
In spite of that, I'm definitely going to continue the series. I think I can see where this is ultimately going to go and I can't wait to see it get there.
June 5, 2017
(
I received this book in exchange for my honest review
)
Pure epicness.
There are few books I can say that about, but this whole series has been one continued epic adventure from the start. My heart was racing as I watched Raz go north. I could feel the cold as he struggled. I'm from northern Newfoundland, I know what blistering winters are like. The description was just absolutely photographic. Detail is important to me as the plot, and like the other to books I was not disappointed.
Nothing in this book disappointed me.. Battle scenes can make or brake a story, this was not the case for Winters King. The action, marvellous and just awesome, I got excited because it was just so realistic and out of this world. In truth Raz has never disappointed me on that front, or any really.
I can ramble on all day about the epicness of this book, this series, but I will leave you will my high recommendation, that you need to read this series. You need to read the others so you can get to this one moment, this one epic scene that will change the way you read. Raz will burrow into your heart, he will make you root for him, cry for him and love him. He is the hero that will brake you.
Happy Reading
E.A Walsh.
Pure epicness.
There are few books I can say that about, but this whole series has been one continued epic adventure from the start. My heart was racing as I watched Raz go north. I could feel the cold as he struggled. I'm from northern Newfoundland, I know what blistering winters are like. The description was just absolutely photographic. Detail is important to me as the plot, and like the other to books I was not disappointed.
Nothing in this book disappointed me.. Battle scenes can make or brake a story, this was not the case for Winters King. The action, marvellous and just awesome, I got excited because it was just so realistic and out of this world. In truth Raz has never disappointed me on that front, or any really.
I can ramble on all day about the epicness of this book, this series, but I will leave you will my high recommendation, that you need to read this series. You need to read the others so you can get to this one moment, this one epic scene that will change the way you read. Raz will burrow into your heart, he will make you root for him, cry for him and love him. He is the hero that will brake you.
Happy Reading
E.A Walsh.
September 1, 2020
Fascinating Well Crafted Series
I would never have believed how enthralling the tales about the dragon-like humanoid Raz I'Ysul Arro could be. However, the 7 foot tall winged hero is as compelling as any man, beautifully brought to life by Bryce O'Connor. An exceptional fighter, loyal, protective and loving to his family and friends, and a fierce opponent to the wicked. He was enslaved at 2 years old, but rescued by upright, wise traders who raised him as one of their own. When they are slaughtered due to his actions saving a young woman from slavers, he almost loses himself to vengeance. Still, he never strays far from that goodness instilled in him until age 15.
I recommend that readers start with the first book in the series, Son of the Daystar, and progress on to The Warring Son, before reading the subject of this review, Winter's King. In this story, Raz must escape to the North with bounty hunters soon hot on his trail. From the spectacular fights to the intimate scenes of the new little family he rescues, the whole novel keeps you reading ready to experience an amazing life.
I would never have believed how enthralling the tales about the dragon-like humanoid Raz I'Ysul Arro could be. However, the 7 foot tall winged hero is as compelling as any man, beautifully brought to life by Bryce O'Connor. An exceptional fighter, loyal, protective and loving to his family and friends, and a fierce opponent to the wicked. He was enslaved at 2 years old, but rescued by upright, wise traders who raised him as one of their own. When they are slaughtered due to his actions saving a young woman from slavers, he almost loses himself to vengeance. Still, he never strays far from that goodness instilled in him until age 15.
I recommend that readers start with the first book in the series, Son of the Daystar, and progress on to The Warring Son, before reading the subject of this review, Winter's King. In this story, Raz must escape to the North with bounty hunters soon hot on his trail. From the spectacular fights to the intimate scenes of the new little family he rescues, the whole novel keeps you reading ready to experience an amazing life.
August 8, 2017
Among the best.
The ideas expressed in this book ring, with echoes like the glad shout from the peak of the hard won top of a mountain. Reality meets head on with the well meaning rules created by people. Bigotry, fanatical intolerance, and just plain old human foolishness come away a very poor second best.
It's a joy.
Living in the world that we do, it's a great big artesian well to a very thirsty citizen. With way more religious zealots, and just as many political partisans/extremists than we seem to need, these ideas are welcome, welcome, welcome.
These ideas demand resistance, not only to vicious intolerance, but to "laws" that that do as much, or more, damage than good. These ideas are a call for common sense in the face of "good intentions". There's a fairly common statement as to where (unexamined) good intentions lead...
Oh, yeah, and it's a darned good story, too!
The ideas expressed in this book ring, with echoes like the glad shout from the peak of the hard won top of a mountain. Reality meets head on with the well meaning rules created by people. Bigotry, fanatical intolerance, and just plain old human foolishness come away a very poor second best.
It's a joy.
Living in the world that we do, it's a great big artesian well to a very thirsty citizen. With way more religious zealots, and just as many political partisans/extremists than we seem to need, these ideas are welcome, welcome, welcome.
These ideas demand resistance, not only to vicious intolerance, but to "laws" that that do as much, or more, damage than good. These ideas are a call for common sense in the face of "good intentions". There's a fairly common statement as to where (unexamined) good intentions lead...
Oh, yeah, and it's a darned good story, too!
June 6, 2017
I stumbled upon this author by accident whilst browsing and decided to give his books a try on a whim.This book is amazing. In order to get the most from this review, you need a base of what kinds of books I enjoy. I love Brandon Sanderson and Mark Lawrence, but have been pleasantly surprised before when I discovered new authors like Anthony Ryan and Mitchel Hogan.
Well, I have now added Bryce O'Connor to my list of preferred authors. I was captivated from the first chapter. You see Raz fall only to rise again several times. You see him constantly fighting his darker self to regain his humanity. Halfway through, I was bawling my eyes out whilst reading the epic scene between Raz, Carro and Talo.
This author has me hooked and Raz is a character that you can really root for.
Highly recommended.
Well, I have now added Bryce O'Connor to my list of preferred authors. I was captivated from the first chapter. You see Raz fall only to rise again several times. You see him constantly fighting his darker self to regain his humanity. Halfway through, I was bawling my eyes out whilst reading the epic scene between Raz, Carro and Talo.
This author has me hooked and Raz is a character that you can really root for.
Highly recommended.
December 14, 2020
Dnf.
This is how the series went for me. Raz's family abandons him to humans. He finds a new family and is happy for a while. Then Raz does a good deed for which his family is horribly slaughtered. Raz wreaks vengeance and then disappears.
Again, Raz finds a new family. He tries to do a good deed which blows up in his face and his family is horribly slaughtered. Raz wreaks vengeance and then disappears.
Yet again, Raz finds people who accept him. When I got to the part where Talo dies for no apparent reason in the most useless way (to the plot) possible, I just couldn't stand it anymore.
I mean, we get it. Humans are cruel and evil and other beings are better killers and yet more compassionate. But reinforcing the SAME statement in two, going on three books! WE GET IT!
Two and a half books down and I still don't know what the point of this story is. Hence, dnf.
This is how the series went for me. Raz's family abandons him to humans. He finds a new family and is happy for a while. Then Raz does a good deed for which his family is horribly slaughtered. Raz wreaks vengeance and then disappears.
Again, Raz finds a new family. He tries to do a good deed which blows up in his face and his family is horribly slaughtered. Raz wreaks vengeance and then disappears.
Yet again, Raz finds people who accept him. When I got to the part where Talo dies for no apparent reason in the most useless way (to the plot) possible, I just couldn't stand it anymore.
I mean, we get it. Humans are cruel and evil and other beings are better killers and yet more compassionate. But reinforcing the SAME statement in two, going on three books! WE GET IT!
Two and a half books down and I still don't know what the point of this story is. Hence, dnf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
Painful, but good
There are several parts in this book that will make it difficult for you to sleep. I recommend trying to read these parts on a weekend when you have all day to recover or binge the rest of the book. Even though we all sort of know what is going to happen, because of the prophecies, I still had trouble reading parts of this book. It was difficult to get through the painful parts even knowing there was a sort of happy end. I'm still feeling furious and horrified about what happened even a few days later after finishing the book. Even though I gave this book five stars, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed reading it. I can't deny that the book is very well written though, and it was probably worth the experience. I also need to finish the story so I will be reading the next book as well. Hopefully it is a bit more positive.
There are several parts in this book that will make it difficult for you to sleep. I recommend trying to read these parts on a weekend when you have all day to recover or binge the rest of the book. Even though we all sort of know what is going to happen, because of the prophecies, I still had trouble reading parts of this book. It was difficult to get through the painful parts even knowing there was a sort of happy end. I'm still feeling furious and horrified about what happened even a few days later after finishing the book. Even though I gave this book five stars, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed reading it. I can't deny that the book is very well written though, and it was probably worth the experience. I also need to finish the story so I will be reading the next book as well. Hopefully it is a bit more positive.
July 7, 2017
A little bit saddened?
No I am depressed on the one hand knowing I have months of waiting to read more of Raz. On the other hand, I am thrilled beyond words to have found a series that consumes me like this one has. I have read 10's of thousands of books in my long life. I can count on one hand the number the number of authors who have enthralled me and thoroughly entertained me. Tonight, another finger has fallen.
I thought Salvatore would be the last author whose tales would consume me with the fire to turn each page like a child on Christmas Eve. Anticipation so strong , you can literally taste it. Bryce, please hurry my friend. The dragon within me must be fed soon. And often.
No I am depressed on the one hand knowing I have months of waiting to read more of Raz. On the other hand, I am thrilled beyond words to have found a series that consumes me like this one has. I have read 10's of thousands of books in my long life. I can count on one hand the number the number of authors who have enthralled me and thoroughly entertained me. Tonight, another finger has fallen.
I thought Salvatore would be the last author whose tales would consume me with the fire to turn each page like a child on Christmas Eve. Anticipation so strong , you can literally taste it. Bryce, please hurry my friend. The dragon within me must be fed soon. And often.
June 5, 2017
The third book in the series really takes off! Im not one for plot spoilers so Ill simply and honestly say the story and characters continue to grow and evolve and become more exciting. As with the prequels Bryce’s writing will capture you and suck you into the moment. You’ll feel your pulse accelerate as the scenes play out like a movie in your head. No one writes a battle scene like Bryce! As an aside I also feel it worth mentioning that the descriptiveness of the scenery and landscape (usually the part of a book that bores me to death) is nothing short of poetic at points and really brings the setting to life. Another job well done!
January 2, 2019
An awesome continuation of The Series
I just like how Bryce not only continues to create a unique world, but expand on the difference cultures and people that inhabit the world the characters live in. Bryce also knows how to expand upon the characters already introduced in the previous books w me making their characteristics stay consistent, but also making a change in a character's personality believable. Just like in his previous books the action scenes flow, but don't drag on forever, and Raz continues to be the badass predator of evil people that he is, while also continuing to grow in his more compassionate side to the innocents he defends.
I just like how Bryce not only continues to create a unique world, but expand on the difference cultures and people that inhabit the world the characters live in. Bryce also knows how to expand upon the characters already introduced in the previous books w me making their characteristics stay consistent, but also making a change in a character's personality believable. Just like in his previous books the action scenes flow, but don't drag on forever, and Raz continues to be the badass predator of evil people that he is, while also continuing to grow in his more compassionate side to the innocents he defends.
June 7, 2017
Praise
Bryce O'Connor does not disappoint with this one. He spins a great story, with such vivid imagery I felt I was seeing exactly what he imagined. The fights are intense, bloody, desperate... Real. So are the situations. I could practically feel the mountain breeze.. I loved the vocabulary, which shows the thought he obviously puts into every detail. Here's to waiting for the awesomeness that will be the next installment, and to hoping that Raz's journey takes him somewhere great.
I wonder if Brian has taken a note from Skyrim, or The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon)! If so he does them justice. Thanks Brian!! I love your story so much!! Your hard work is cherished. <3
Bryce O'Connor does not disappoint with this one. He spins a great story, with such vivid imagery I felt I was seeing exactly what he imagined. The fights are intense, bloody, desperate... Real. So are the situations. I could practically feel the mountain breeze.. I loved the vocabulary, which shows the thought he obviously puts into every detail. Here's to waiting for the awesomeness that will be the next installment, and to hoping that Raz's journey takes him somewhere great.
I wonder if Brian has taken a note from Skyrim, or The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon)! If so he does them justice. Thanks Brian!! I love your story so much!! Your hard work is cherished. <3
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