What do you think?
Rate this book
The Duelists Trilogy #1
Schwerter und Schwindler : Sterben ist für Anfänger
Schwertduelle, Wortgefechte und eine Prise Romantik - Julia Knight stürzt ihre Helden in atemberaubendem Tempo in immer neue, verwegene Abenteuer.
Der erste Roman der Fantasy-Trilogie "Die Gilde der Duellanten" spielt in einer Welt, die an die der drei Musketiere erinnert. Doch statt für Ehre und Gerechtigkeit zu kämpfen, müssen Kacha und ihr jüngerer Bruder Vocho sich seit kurzem als Wegelagerer durchschlagen. Obwohl sie als die Besten ihres Faches gelten, wurden sie aus der Gilde ausgestoßen – durch Vochos Schuld.
Als sich die Geschwister beim nächtlichen Überfall auf eine Kutsche einem Magier und einer Truhe mit geheimen Dokumenten gegenübersehen, geraten sie mitten hinein in eine tödliche Intrige. Hilfe naht ausgerechnet in Form von Dom, dem aufgeblasenen Sohn eines Grundbesitzers, der ein Auge auf Kacha geworfen hat …
398 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2015
62 people are currently reading
1436 people want to read
About the author
Julia Knight
42 books85 followersOooh let's see. Um, loved fantasy since that first King Arthur book when I was about 8. I love all fantasy but particularly Epic, and I like a strong romance element too ( which is probably why that's what I write!)
I love Pratchett, Cherryh, Gaimen to name but a few, but heck I'll give anyone a go.
I love Pratchett, Cherryh, Gaimen to name but a few, but heck I'll give anyone a go.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 26, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/10/02/b...
Julia Knight is also Francis Knight, an author whose name has been on my radar since her Rojan Dizon trilogy, though this is the first time I’ve read her work. As soon as I found out about Swords and Scoundrels I knew it was going to be just right for me. As it happens, I’m a super mega fan of anything to do with swashbuckling duelists, and I could always use more scoundrels in my life. That and the cover is stunning too, not to mention the tagline made me chuckle.
Plus, a brother-sister team? Count me in. Older sister Kacha has devoted a lifetime to the training and mastery of sword fighting while growing up in the Duelist’s Guild, but she’s not content with being just good – she wants to be the best. Problem is, so does Vocho, whose whole life spent in his big sister’s shadow grates on him something fierce. Neither skill nor reputation would come to much use though, when both of them get thrown out of the guild for an infraction, and the siblings are forced to turn to banditry in order to make a living.
One day, a routine stick-up of a carriage goes wrong when their target turns out to be protected by a group of heavily armed men, including a powerful magician as well as Petri Egimont, Kacha’s former lover. The siblings manage to escape the scene with their lives and a mysterious locked chest. What it ends up containing though, is something much more valuable and dangerous than mere treasure, and Kacha and Vocho are about to discover just how far their enemies will go to get it back.
For readers who are looking for a fast and fun read, Swords and Scoundrels is perfect. There are a lot of things I liked about it: the smooth flow of the writing, the quick pacing, the witty dialogue, and plenty of adventurous action. But by far the novel’s greatest strength is its characters, and the complex sibling relationship between Kacha and Vocho, which Knight deftly conveys.
The focus on the brother and sister team was what immediately stood out for me when I read the description for this book, so it was no surprise when I also felt that was one of the most developed aspects of the story. As anyone with a sibling can attest, sometimes getting along with your brother or sister can be hard. Growing up, I probably spent as much time fighting with my own little brother as we did doing fun stuff together. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was also definitely the overachiever and the more responsible one, so for many reasons Kacha and Vocho’s rivalry struck me on a personal level. After all, siblings can drive you crazy sometimes, but they’re still family. Despite their differences, Kacha and Vocho stick together. They look out for one another. Arsehole or not, no one better lay a finger on Vocho, because if anyone’s going to kick his ass, it’s going to be Kacha herself. No one kills my brother but ME, damn it. Yep, I can sympathize with that sentiment.
We also find out more about the characters through a series of interlude chapters woven through the narrative. These begin in the past, chronicling the siblings’ admission into the Duelist’s Guild and their subsequent rise in their ranks, before gradually moving forward to present day where we find out why the two of them were kicked out. Sure, there were a few times where the placing of these interludes confused me and also disrupted the flow of the story, but generally these flashbacks helped by adding depth to character development and plot.
Like many first books of a series though, Swords and Scoundrels also had its weaknesses, mainly when it comes to the world-building and secondary characters. For the first half of the book, whenever the focus wasn’t on the protagonists, my attention would flag. I understood why Petri Egimont’s perspective needed to be there in order to show the other side of the situation, but understandably his sections simply lacked the draw and energy compared to Kacha’s or Vocho’s. Fortunately, towards the end of the book Egimont’s role became bigger so this became less of an issue, and I can see this improving in the sequel as well. The next book will probably also expand on the world-building, hopefully filling some holes left by this one. There’s magic in this world, but most of what we know about it is that magic and those who use it are bad and dangerous. Plus there’s also an insanely cool society and religion revolving around clockwork that I would really like to know more about.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that Swords and Scoundrels is great entertainment, and there’s more where that came from, too. All three books in this trilogy will be released in relatively quick succession, with book one releasing on October 6, 2015, book two Legends and Liars due on November 10, 2015, and book three Warlords and Wastrels on December 15, 2015. That’s great news for me, because I’m definitely on board for another duelist adventure.
Julia Knight is also Francis Knight, an author whose name has been on my radar since her Rojan Dizon trilogy, though this is the first time I’ve read her work. As soon as I found out about Swords and Scoundrels I knew it was going to be just right for me. As it happens, I’m a super mega fan of anything to do with swashbuckling duelists, and I could always use more scoundrels in my life. That and the cover is stunning too, not to mention the tagline made me chuckle.
Plus, a brother-sister team? Count me in. Older sister Kacha has devoted a lifetime to the training and mastery of sword fighting while growing up in the Duelist’s Guild, but she’s not content with being just good – she wants to be the best. Problem is, so does Vocho, whose whole life spent in his big sister’s shadow grates on him something fierce. Neither skill nor reputation would come to much use though, when both of them get thrown out of the guild for an infraction, and the siblings are forced to turn to banditry in order to make a living.
One day, a routine stick-up of a carriage goes wrong when their target turns out to be protected by a group of heavily armed men, including a powerful magician as well as Petri Egimont, Kacha’s former lover. The siblings manage to escape the scene with their lives and a mysterious locked chest. What it ends up containing though, is something much more valuable and dangerous than mere treasure, and Kacha and Vocho are about to discover just how far their enemies will go to get it back.
For readers who are looking for a fast and fun read, Swords and Scoundrels is perfect. There are a lot of things I liked about it: the smooth flow of the writing, the quick pacing, the witty dialogue, and plenty of adventurous action. But by far the novel’s greatest strength is its characters, and the complex sibling relationship between Kacha and Vocho, which Knight deftly conveys.
The focus on the brother and sister team was what immediately stood out for me when I read the description for this book, so it was no surprise when I also felt that was one of the most developed aspects of the story. As anyone with a sibling can attest, sometimes getting along with your brother or sister can be hard. Growing up, I probably spent as much time fighting with my own little brother as we did doing fun stuff together. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was also definitely the overachiever and the more responsible one, so for many reasons Kacha and Vocho’s rivalry struck me on a personal level. After all, siblings can drive you crazy sometimes, but they’re still family. Despite their differences, Kacha and Vocho stick together. They look out for one another. Arsehole or not, no one better lay a finger on Vocho, because if anyone’s going to kick his ass, it’s going to be Kacha herself. No one kills my brother but ME, damn it. Yep, I can sympathize with that sentiment.
We also find out more about the characters through a series of interlude chapters woven through the narrative. These begin in the past, chronicling the siblings’ admission into the Duelist’s Guild and their subsequent rise in their ranks, before gradually moving forward to present day where we find out why the two of them were kicked out. Sure, there were a few times where the placing of these interludes confused me and also disrupted the flow of the story, but generally these flashbacks helped by adding depth to character development and plot.
Like many first books of a series though, Swords and Scoundrels also had its weaknesses, mainly when it comes to the world-building and secondary characters. For the first half of the book, whenever the focus wasn’t on the protagonists, my attention would flag. I understood why Petri Egimont’s perspective needed to be there in order to show the other side of the situation, but understandably his sections simply lacked the draw and energy compared to Kacha’s or Vocho’s. Fortunately, towards the end of the book Egimont’s role became bigger so this became less of an issue, and I can see this improving in the sequel as well. The next book will probably also expand on the world-building, hopefully filling some holes left by this one. There’s magic in this world, but most of what we know about it is that magic and those who use it are bad and dangerous. Plus there’s also an insanely cool society and religion revolving around clockwork that I would really like to know more about.
Ultimately, the most important thing is that Swords and Scoundrels is great entertainment, and there’s more where that came from, too. All three books in this trilogy will be released in relatively quick succession, with book one releasing on October 6, 2015, book two Legends and Liars due on November 10, 2015, and book three Warlords and Wastrels on December 15, 2015. That’s great news for me, because I’m definitely on board for another duelist adventure.
March 20, 2018
5 Words: Family, honor, intrigue, power, deception.
Why yes, I did pick this up based on the cover.
I wanted kick-ass action and danger and intrigue, but ultimately I was a little disappointed. It sounded so good but didn't live up to the cover. Or blurb.
The story dragged just a little bit too much, the pace was just a little bit too slow, and it took away from the enjoyment. I found it far too easy to fall into skim reading the story, and far too easy to just not get invested in the characters.
The world was a little sketchy and vague, and I found it very difficult to even visualise it.
Between the two siblings, it was Kacha who I liked the most, she was the strongest character overall with the best development and story arc. Vocha just came over as rather immature. I know he's the youngest sibling but it felt like too much, and he, along with the rest of the male characters, was quite one dimensional and cliche in his aims and motivations. I think perhaps an unintended side effect of this was that it was a good exploration of toxic masculinity.
So yeah, it was OK. I wouldn't not recommend it, but it just wasn't enough for me to properly enjoy. 2.5 out of 5, but rounded down to 2 stars because it just wasn't 3 star material for me.
Why yes, I did pick this up based on the cover.
I wanted kick-ass action and danger and intrigue, but ultimately I was a little disappointed. It sounded so good but didn't live up to the cover. Or blurb.
The story dragged just a little bit too much, the pace was just a little bit too slow, and it took away from the enjoyment. I found it far too easy to fall into skim reading the story, and far too easy to just not get invested in the characters.
The world was a little sketchy and vague, and I found it very difficult to even visualise it.
Between the two siblings, it was Kacha who I liked the most, she was the strongest character overall with the best development and story arc. Vocha just came over as rather immature. I know he's the youngest sibling but it felt like too much, and he, along with the rest of the male characters, was quite one dimensional and cliche in his aims and motivations. I think perhaps an unintended side effect of this was that it was a good exploration of toxic masculinity.
So yeah, it was OK. I wouldn't not recommend it, but it just wasn't enough for me to properly enjoy. 2.5 out of 5, but rounded down to 2 stars because it just wasn't 3 star material for me.
October 14, 2015
Vocha was kicked out of the Duelist guild when he’s suspected of murder. Kacha, his sister decides to leave the guild when he is kicked out. The two become highwaymen to survive when they run into Kacha’s former lover, Petri. Petri was once a noble, before the King was put to death and the clockwork god rose to power. He was also in the guild until the uprising. His noble family was stripped of titles. Petri is traveling with important goods for the king when Kacha and Vocha hold up his carriage. Inside is a chest that will force all three characters into the city where plots conspire to overthrow the man in charge.
Swords and Scoundrels is the first book in the Duelist’s Trilogy. It is also the first book I’ve read by Julia Knight. The story starts when Kacha and Vocha holding Petri up. The chapters are mixed with flashback chapters to give readers a full view of the back story. The chapters hop between Kacha, Vocha, and Petri, keeping mainly with Vocha.
The first half of Swords and Scoundrels was slow. There is a disproportion between plot and characters that left me without much emotion. The readers don’t yet know enough about the relationship for a hook. It isn’t until many flashback scenes where emotions for the characters grew and the story started to move.
The city of Reyes is a cool piece of clockwork with and within itself. I think more of it would have been helpful and cool. The description skims the surface leaving an unclear picture.
What the novel does have going for it is Kacha. She set out in life to be perfect, the very best, and does just that. She is strong, witty, and still learning, which makes her an interesting character. While the narrative lost its build up as it unraveled, Kacha stayed interesting. The other characters fall a little flat and are explained through the flashbacks. This is a method that told the reader what it wanted and reminded me that I was reading a novel instead of experiencing a story.
Swords and Scoundrels is not a strong opening for a trilogy. Everything about it sounded amazing, but after reading it I feel let down. The truth is that I almost put it down. I only picked it back up again and again because the story was something I should be into: Intrigue, duels, brother-sister teams, and more intrigue!
- Elizabeth
Swords and Scoundrels is the first book in the Duelist’s Trilogy. It is also the first book I’ve read by Julia Knight. The story starts when Kacha and Vocha holding Petri up. The chapters are mixed with flashback chapters to give readers a full view of the back story. The chapters hop between Kacha, Vocha, and Petri, keeping mainly with Vocha.
The first half of Swords and Scoundrels was slow. There is a disproportion between plot and characters that left me without much emotion. The readers don’t yet know enough about the relationship for a hook. It isn’t until many flashback scenes where emotions for the characters grew and the story started to move.
The city of Reyes is a cool piece of clockwork with and within itself. I think more of it would have been helpful and cool. The description skims the surface leaving an unclear picture.
What the novel does have going for it is Kacha. She set out in life to be perfect, the very best, and does just that. She is strong, witty, and still learning, which makes her an interesting character. While the narrative lost its build up as it unraveled, Kacha stayed interesting. The other characters fall a little flat and are explained through the flashbacks. This is a method that told the reader what it wanted and reminded me that I was reading a novel instead of experiencing a story.
Swords and Scoundrels is not a strong opening for a trilogy. Everything about it sounded amazing, but after reading it I feel let down. The truth is that I almost put it down. I only picked it back up again and again because the story was something I should be into: Intrigue, duels, brother-sister teams, and more intrigue!
- Elizabeth
February 11, 2016
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
In all honesty I picked up Swords and Scoundrels because of the cover; seriously it looks badass. When I read the description I was even more intrigued. Here we have two siblings, Kacha and Vocho who are disgraced duelists, exiled from the guild for Vocho’s apparent murder of a priest, whom they were supposed to be guarding. Now having taken to a life of crime, Kacha and Vocho find themselves embroiled in a larger conspiracy when they rob the wrong carriage and come to the attention of dangerous men.
What I loved about Swords and Scoundrels was the dynamic between Kacha and Vocho. Their relationship is your typical responsible older sister to the irreverent and frequently annoying younger brother. There was a lot of resentment between these two. Kacha has always envied her brother’s freedom, feeling trapped in her own need to be perfect for the master of the guild. Vocho has always hated how his sister was the favourite of their father and then the master of the guild, questioning why he is always second best to Kacha. These resentments come to head in Swords and Scoundrels when larger forces at work start to manipulate Kacha and Vocho. The dynamic between these two was fantastic, and I personally would have liked a little bit more development in Kacha and Vocho’s relationship. But, since these two are on the run, there wasn’t a heck of a lot of time for heart-to-heart sibling chats.
The author also uses a number of “Interludes” that flashes the reader back to Kacha and Vocho’s childhood and their years in the guild. I really liked how these technique was used. Not only did it give the readers a sense of how Kacha and Vocho’s rilvary developed, it also showed how these two were manipulated by outside forces without their knowledge. I always love it when a book puts the reader “in the know” and the characters “in the dark”. These interludes also offered new perspectives, including that of Petri Egimont, one of the men after Kacha and Vocho, who also happens to be Kacha’s former lover. The inclusion of Egimont’s perspective went a long way to making him a more complex character and less of a black and white villain. While I didn't think all of these characters were fully developed using this technique, I think that each of these narratives will be expanded upon in subsequent books.
So why didn’t I give this one more suitcases? Well, I have to be honest, all that action and sword fighting doesn’t always appeal to me. For me, I would have liked a character balance between the sword fighting and the character development (like Django Wexler's The Thousand Names). Reading about what’s happening in a fight scene is never going to be my preference and since there is quite a bit of that in Swords and Scoundrels, I didn’t completely love the book. That's not to say I'm not reading the next two books in the trilogy, just that I didn't love the story as much as someone who likes a lot of detail in the actions of their characters.
So, if you like your fantasy fill with action and adventure, Swords and Scoundrels is sure to appeal. Those that are more inclined to character rich fantasy should proceed with caution.
November 18, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Brother and sister trapped in a dangerous plot with betrayal at every turn, will they ever find the truth?
Opening Sentence: “They say an ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.”
The Review:
Vocho and Kacha are disgraced duelists because Vocho is wanted for the murder of a priest he was hired to protect. While in hiding they turn into highwaymen to make a living. Passing themselves off as farmers where they live until one night they rob the wrong carriage. Kacha ends up dueling a former lover, Petri, and Vocho has a disturbing encounter with a magician. They come out of the encounter successful with a chest.
It’s not until later that they realize they have stumbled upon something bigger than they know. Together with their neighbor, and maybe not such a good friend, Dom, they set up to figure out what the paper inside the chest means for their country. Along the way they discover betrayals from everyone around them. Will they survive until they can figure out what is really going on?
To make matters worse, Vocho has vague memories of doing things he wouldn’t normally do, including murdering that priest. What will this mean for his sister in the end?
This is the first book in the Duelist Trilogy, and it so good. Vocho and Kacha are great swordsmen until Vocho murders the priest. Kacha, his sister, believes him when he tells her he didn’t do it, but Vocho suffers from a bad case of lying to himself or is he…
This is a great fantasy with bad magician’s, revolutions and people being controlled and betrayed at every turn. I really couldn’t stop reading this and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out, which luckily is just a few weeks away!
Notable Scenes:
“A projectile weapon is only for those with no class or no balls.”
“A duelist might have to kill, to protect whoever he was guarding, to finis the job, though they were expected to refrain whenever possible.”
“She was the heart of the guild, that nameless duelist.”
“The priest was the catalyst, the starting point.”
“Dated the day after that bloody priest had died.”
FTC Advisory: Orbit provided me with a copy of Swords and Scoundrels. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Brother and sister trapped in a dangerous plot with betrayal at every turn, will they ever find the truth?
Opening Sentence: “They say an ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.”
The Review:
Vocho and Kacha are disgraced duelists because Vocho is wanted for the murder of a priest he was hired to protect. While in hiding they turn into highwaymen to make a living. Passing themselves off as farmers where they live until one night they rob the wrong carriage. Kacha ends up dueling a former lover, Petri, and Vocho has a disturbing encounter with a magician. They come out of the encounter successful with a chest.
It’s not until later that they realize they have stumbled upon something bigger than they know. Together with their neighbor, and maybe not such a good friend, Dom, they set up to figure out what the paper inside the chest means for their country. Along the way they discover betrayals from everyone around them. Will they survive until they can figure out what is really going on?
To make matters worse, Vocho has vague memories of doing things he wouldn’t normally do, including murdering that priest. What will this mean for his sister in the end?
This is the first book in the Duelist Trilogy, and it so good. Vocho and Kacha are great swordsmen until Vocho murders the priest. Kacha, his sister, believes him when he tells her he didn’t do it, but Vocho suffers from a bad case of lying to himself or is he…
This is a great fantasy with bad magician’s, revolutions and people being controlled and betrayed at every turn. I really couldn’t stop reading this and I can’t wait for book 2 to come out, which luckily is just a few weeks away!
Notable Scenes:
“A projectile weapon is only for those with no class or no balls.”
“A duelist might have to kill, to protect whoever he was guarding, to finis the job, though they were expected to refrain whenever possible.”
“She was the heart of the guild, that nameless duelist.”
“The priest was the catalyst, the starting point.”
“Dated the day after that bloody priest had died.”
FTC Advisory: Orbit provided me with a copy of Swords and Scoundrels. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
March 4, 2018
4 stars
I had major trouble getting Into this book to start with. It just wasn't holding my interest. Then suddenly it did and then some.
I loved the world building. Sort of a transition type period between what I would call medieval and renaissance. Then throw in some steampunk for good measure. It was a complex world but well created and very vivid. It really was a sumptuous, intricate world that drew you into the story.
The characters were good and interesting after the first 50 pages or so. Before then they just seemed to all grate on me. They just seemed to be all over the place and trying too hard.
Then after the first flashback scene the book settled into a better realisation of the characters and it no longer seemed forced. Vocho in particular really annoyed me for a while but it all started to flow better after the first 50 pages or so. Also a huge shout out to what I think is the most cantankerous and obstinate horse in the history of literature.
There was intrigue, twists and turns and certainly betrayal was the central theme. These were well portrayed and the pacing was good. Early on the humour was way over the top but after a while it was used better and then worked really well. It was a bit like a comedy show where the jokes are falling flat and everything's going wrong. Then one joke works brilliantly and everything works smoothly from there. This book was like that. Once the first scene great scene landed it settled into an excellent tale.
This is a rollicking, swashbuckling tale that relies on wit, humour and strong family based characters. It's not perfect and I really had to fight through the start to keep going but it was totally worth it.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
I had major trouble getting Into this book to start with. It just wasn't holding my interest. Then suddenly it did and then some.
I loved the world building. Sort of a transition type period between what I would call medieval and renaissance. Then throw in some steampunk for good measure. It was a complex world but well created and very vivid. It really was a sumptuous, intricate world that drew you into the story.
The characters were good and interesting after the first 50 pages or so. Before then they just seemed to all grate on me. They just seemed to be all over the place and trying too hard.
Then after the first flashback scene the book settled into a better realisation of the characters and it no longer seemed forced. Vocho in particular really annoyed me for a while but it all started to flow better after the first 50 pages or so. Also a huge shout out to what I think is the most cantankerous and obstinate horse in the history of literature.
There was intrigue, twists and turns and certainly betrayal was the central theme. These were well portrayed and the pacing was good. Early on the humour was way over the top but after a while it was used better and then worked really well. It was a bit like a comedy show where the jokes are falling flat and everything's going wrong. Then one joke works brilliantly and everything works smoothly from there. This book was like that. Once the first scene great scene landed it settled into an excellent tale.
This is a rollicking, swashbuckling tale that relies on wit, humour and strong family based characters. It's not perfect and I really had to fight through the start to keep going but it was totally worth it.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
dnf
November 6, 2015Amount read: 5% ish?
Nope, I can already tell this isn't going to work for me. Swords and Scoundrels focuses on two siblings, Vocho and Kacha, who have turned to a life of highwaymen. Based on the cover, I expected they would be badass. Not so much. Instead I find them profoundly unlikable, as the book tries to be funny, but fails. The two are incredibly inept and the constant gag about how Kacha accidentally shot the ear off a horse enrages me. That's not funny ha ha isn't it so cute character building; it's horrible. I like my fictional highwaymen clever and endearing and roguish, not like this.
Nope, I can already tell this isn't going to work for me. Swords and Scoundrels focuses on two siblings, Vocho and Kacha, who have turned to a life of highwaymen. Based on the cover, I expected they would be badass. Not so much. Instead I find them profoundly unlikable, as the book tries to be funny, but fails. The two are incredibly inept and the constant gag about how Kacha accidentally shot the ear off a horse enrages me. That's not funny ha ha isn't it so cute character building; it's horrible. I like my fictional highwaymen clever and endearing and roguish, not like this.
March 15, 2018
French revolution meets fantasy novel meets Musketeers meets steampunk. The lack of women made me sad.
I picked up Swords and Scoundrels because of the main characters: a brother and sister, both trained duelists. Siblings? Sword-fighting? Count me in! I was disappointed, however, to find out that the vast majority of the novel is told from the brother's - Vocho - point of view. It took up to fifty pages for Kacha's point of view to appear. It was such a disappointment to me that the first paragraph of her chapter, written in her voice, recounts her feelings for relatable antagonist Egimont.
Can we please, please, pretty please with a fucking cherry on top, stop making female characters that are defined in relation to men? Can we stop making them the object of desire, controlled by their feelings, giving them only page time when we need some romantic subplot? It feels slightly unfair to go on this rant, because Kacha does get better as the book progresses, but truly, I feel let down. I was looking for a fantasy book in which men and women are given equal standing - if not in the world of the book itself, then at least in the narrative. Instead, I got yet another fantasy book where all key characters and the vast majority of the supporting cast is comprised of men. The king, the prelate, the guild master; all three key political players are men. The only slightly relevant woman besides Kacha is a female magician, who predictably, is sexually dominant and seduces any man she comes across. It saddens me that fantasy as a genre is still stuck in this narrow paradigm of what a story should be like.
The characterization itself was rather flat as well, most characters only having one clearly-defined motivation or issue. The world on the other hand, felt fresh and interesting. Swords and Scoundrels largely avoids long info-dumps, and I enjoyed discovering more about the clockwork-meets-fantasy world that Ms Knight has created. There is enough background information to give rise to interesting political and cultural struggles, and these bits in the story I very much enjoyed.
It is a shame, really, that Swords and Scoundrels wasn't what I expected it would be. I do think the book is fun; there is plenty of action, an interesting debate on democracy in the background, the power imbalance of swords versus guns, and the world does need more stories about siblings.
---
Trigger warnings:
I picked up Swords and Scoundrels because of the main characters: a brother and sister, both trained duelists. Siblings? Sword-fighting? Count me in! I was disappointed, however, to find out that the vast majority of the novel is told from the brother's - Vocho - point of view. It took up to fifty pages for Kacha's point of view to appear. It was such a disappointment to me that the first paragraph of her chapter, written in her voice, recounts her feelings for relatable antagonist Egimont.
Can we please, please, pretty please with a fucking cherry on top, stop making female characters that are defined in relation to men? Can we stop making them the object of desire, controlled by their feelings, giving them only page time when we need some romantic subplot? It feels slightly unfair to go on this rant, because Kacha does get better as the book progresses, but truly, I feel let down. I was looking for a fantasy book in which men and women are given equal standing - if not in the world of the book itself, then at least in the narrative. Instead, I got yet another fantasy book where all key characters and the vast majority of the supporting cast is comprised of men. The king, the prelate, the guild master; all three key political players are men. The only slightly relevant woman besides Kacha is a female magician, who predictably, is sexually dominant and seduces any man she comes across. It saddens me that fantasy as a genre is still stuck in this narrow paradigm of what a story should be like.
The characterization itself was rather flat as well, most characters only having one clearly-defined motivation or issue. The world on the other hand, felt fresh and interesting. Swords and Scoundrels largely avoids long info-dumps, and I enjoyed discovering more about the clockwork-meets-fantasy world that Ms Knight has created. There is enough background information to give rise to interesting political and cultural struggles, and these bits in the story I very much enjoyed.
It is a shame, really, that Swords and Scoundrels wasn't what I expected it would be. I do think the book is fun; there is plenty of action, an interesting debate on democracy in the background, the power imbalance of swords versus guns, and the world does need more stories about siblings.
---
Trigger warnings:
February 25, 2020
3.5 stars
I had a couple of false starts with this one, because in part this is no masterpiece, and in part, it wasn't the right period for it, or I wasn't in the right mood. So I started and stopped a few times, before really committing to it.
But it was a good book. Yes, I was expecting a masterpiece, or something really near it, and that I didn't get. But we have good characters, Kacha and Vocho are quite the pair, and their relationship is one of the best in the siblings' department. I don't remember a lot of books about brothers (brothers/ brother and sister/ sisters) in which the relationship is so real, hard and sweet at the same time.
And then we have the secondary characters, that aren't so secondary, like Dom and Petri. I loved them both and I really hope to see more of them around in the next book, because I would continue this series, that's for sure!
I had a couple of false starts with this one, because in part this is no masterpiece, and in part, it wasn't the right period for it, or I wasn't in the right mood. So I started and stopped a few times, before really committing to it.
But it was a good book. Yes, I was expecting a masterpiece, or something really near it, and that I didn't get. But we have good characters, Kacha and Vocho are quite the pair, and their relationship is one of the best in the siblings' department. I don't remember a lot of books about brothers (brothers/ brother and sister/ sisters) in which the relationship is so real, hard and sweet at the same time.
And then we have the secondary characters, that aren't so secondary, like Dom and Petri. I loved them both and I really hope to see more of them around in the next book, because I would continue this series, that's for sure!
October 24, 2023
I wanted to really like this, but it kind of dragged for a lot of it.
I actually fell asleep listening to it a few times, but don't feel like I really missed anything because it's very repetitive. I got really sick of hearing how perfect Kasha is.
I didn't really have strong feelings for any of the characters, other than Dom. I liked him. He actually amused me a lot.
I actually fell asleep listening to it a few times, but don't feel like I really missed anything because it's very repetitive. I got really sick of hearing how perfect Kasha is.
I didn't really have strong feelings for any of the characters, other than Dom. I liked him. He actually amused me a lot.
started_finish_later
August 24, 2015this is the light and banter type and sometimes it works for me, but not this one
May 11, 2025
Really wanted to like this - the concept was great and I loved the clockwork thing - but it turned out to be a bit of a struggle. Did have some good moments, but wordy, windy, and honestly a bit laborious, which is a shame.
January 2, 2025
3.5 Sterne
November 4, 2015
DNF, but it was more like C(ould)NF. The prose is terrible; too much description and enough exposition in monster-length paragraphs to make Robert Jordan blush.
I'm not convinced Julia Knight has taken onboard the vital "show, don't tell" thing that helps other novels be engaging. Apparently it's not enough for our brother-sister protagonists to speak and act in certain ways, but they've got to be described laboriously in introspective text that is as boring to read as it was for me to just describe. Yes, Vocho, we get it, you're the scamp and your sister's the responsible one. STOP REPEATING YOURSELF OVER IT. ONE OVER-DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTER IS ENOUGH.
Setting had some interesting bits, but the book over-explains things so tediously that it's nigh-impossible to notice. Reckon I'll give Trudi Canavan a go instead.
I'm not convinced Julia Knight has taken onboard the vital "show, don't tell" thing that helps other novels be engaging. Apparently it's not enough for our brother-sister protagonists to speak and act in certain ways, but they've got to be described laboriously in introspective text that is as boring to read as it was for me to just describe. Yes, Vocho, we get it, you're the scamp and your sister's the responsible one. STOP REPEATING YOURSELF OVER IT. ONE OVER-DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTER IS ENOUGH.
Setting had some interesting bits, but the book over-explains things so tediously that it's nigh-impossible to notice. Reckon I'll give Trudi Canavan a go instead.
May 28, 2016
3,5 stars. Not the book that I expected. Which is not a bad thing.
When I bought this book I was expecting a traditional adventurous sword and sorcery novel.
Big surprise when I found out the story was set in a clockwork society, with clockwork being a very important factor in the story. And rather than an adventurous novel, the story is more about the history of and the relationships between the main characters.
The story could have done with a bit more worldbuilding and a bit more development of the secondary characters. Perhaps something for the sequel, which I will definitely be checking out.
When I bought this book I was expecting a traditional adventurous sword and sorcery novel.
Big surprise when I found out the story was set in a clockwork society, with clockwork being a very important factor in the story. And rather than an adventurous novel, the story is more about the history of and the relationships between the main characters.
The story could have done with a bit more worldbuilding and a bit more development of the secondary characters. Perhaps something for the sequel, which I will definitely be checking out.
December 16, 2015
Extremely "meh." Nothing really wrong with this story of two sword-wielding siblings dealing with political intrigue and upheaval, but Knight's tone is very light and laidback, with no tension—regardless of what's at stake, it never feels like anything is really at risk.
March 13, 2016
Loved it! Refreshing to read and although there was a love interest the main characters were brother & sister with a suitably prickly relationship. Plenty of swords and lots of scoundrels, sadly my library don't have book 2 so will need to wait to read it :(
July 23, 2017
Mit diesem Roman hatte ich so meine Startschwierigkeiten. Nicht nur, weil er aus dem Bereich Fantasy kommt, sondern vorallem durch den etwas verwirrenden Einstieg. Ich brauchte doch einige Zeit um mich in der Geschichte zurechtzufinden.
Eigentlich ist Fantasy ja nicht so mein Ding und trotzdem hat mir hier der Klappentext wirklich gefallen und mich neugierig gemacht. Das Setting klang eher nach einem historischen Roman und die schon im Titel angeführten Schwertkünstler nach einem Abenteuerroman - zwei Fakten, die ich mochte. Und eigentlich bekommt man auch von Beiden etwas...
Trotzdem wird man zu Beginn in eine völlig fremde Welt geschmissen, die den Uhrwerkgott als einzigen Gott anerkennt und der die alten Götter abgelöst hat. Der König wurde entthront und stattdessen regiert der Prälat Bakar, der in lezter Zeit eher Unmut bei seinen Untergebenen hervorgerufen hat. Zu ihm und der Stadt Reyes, die sich mit Hilfe eines Uhrwerkmechanismus ständig neu formt, sind Kacha und Vocho, unsere beiden Hauptprotagonisten, unterwegs. Das Geschwisterpaar gehörte der Gilde an, aus der sie ausgestoßen wurden. Seidem müssen sich als Wegelagerer über Wasser halten. Als sie bei einem Raubüberfall einer Kutsche an einem Magier und eine geheimnisvolle Truhe gelangen, sind sie einem Geheimnis auf der Spur, das auch ihre Zukunft beeinflusst....
Die Geschichte ist sehr komplex und wie ich bereits erwähnte dauerte es einige Zeit, bis ich mich zurechtfand. Es gibt zwar immer wieder einige Kapitel, die in die Zeit zurückspringen und erklären wie Kacha und Vocho zur Gilde gelangten und eine der besten Schwertkämpfer wurden, doch diese sind relativ spät in die Geschichte eingebaut. ...meiner Meinung zu spät.
Wenn man sich einmal zurechtgefunden hat und dranbleibt ist die Handlung herrlich anders und es macht Spaß sie zu lesen. Allerdings legte ich den Roman zu Beginn zu oft wieder aus der Hand und las in einem anderen Buch weiter, da ich mich, wie schon erwähnt, anfangs etwas schwer tat mit all den Personen und der unbekannten Welt. Die erhofften Schwertkämpfe fanden meiner Meinung auch zu wenig statt. Noch verwirrender war für mich wer den Part der Guten und den der Bösen übernahm, denn vorallem Petri Egimont, Kachas ehemaliger Geliebter, verstand es vorzüglich immer wieder die Seiten zu wechseln. Dies gab der Story wiederum mehr Schwung, weil man erst nach und nach an die Hintergründe herangeführt wird und so einige Überraschungen erlebt. Durch viele Verschwörungen und Intrigen werden Kacha und Vocho in Dinge verwickelt, die ihr Leben stark beeinflussen....
Kacha und Vocho sind Geschwister, die sich lieben und hassen. Sie sind in einer ärmlichen Gegend aufgewachsen und haben die Chance erhalten in der berühmten Gilde den Schwertkampf zu erlernen. Kacha ist der Liebling ihres Vaters und nimmt diese Position später auch beim Gildenmeisters Eneko ein. Sie wird eine Meisterin im Schwertkampf.
Vocho fühlte sich gegenüber der perfekten Kacha schon seit seiner Kindheit benachteiligt und neigt öfters zu unüberlegten Handlungen. Er ist ein Hitzkopf und seine Schwester hat laufend zu tun, um ihn zu beschützen oder aus brenzligen Situationen zu retten. So ist auch Vocho der Grund, dass sie aus der Gilde verstoßen wurden, denn Vocho hat einen Priester getötet, dessen Leben er eigentlich beschützen hätte sollen. Er kann sich allerdings nicht an dieses Ereignis erinnern...
Weder zu den beiden Hauptprotagonisten, noch zu den weiteren handelnden Personen konnte ich eine richtige Beziehung aufbauen. Sie blieben mir leider alle noch viel zu fremd. Vielleicht ändert sich das in den Folgeteilen der Reihe, was man nur hoffen kann. Den sarkastischer Ton von Vocho mochte ich allerdings sehr.
Da dies der erste Teil einer Trilogie ist, bleiben noch einige Dinge ungeklärt. Ein fieser Cliffhanger ist mir aber erspart geblieben, denn die Handlung des ersten Bandes ist weitgehend abgeschlossen. Über den Weltenaufbau, die Gilde und die Magier hoffe ich in den weiteren Teilen noch mehr zu erfahren.
Schreibstil:
Der Schreibstil lässt sich gut lesen und ist flüssig. Den Aufbau der Geschichte fand ich noch ein bisschen holprig bzw. werden die Ereignisse aus der Vergangenheit zu spät eingebaut. Der bildhafte Schreibstil der Autorin machte jedoch einiges wett.
Die Handlung wird von einem Erzähler in der dritten Person erzählt. Durch Perspektivenwechsel erhält man auch manchmal Einblicke in die Gedankenwelt von Kacha oder Vocho.
Fazit:
Ein etwas schwerer Einstieg in den ersten Band der Trilogie, der mich leider immer wieder vom Weiterlesen abhielt. Doch hat man einmal den Überblick über den Weltenaufbau und lernt mehr über die Vergangenheit der Protagonisten kennen, wird die Geschichte interessant und ereignisreich. Ich bin schon gespannt wie es weitergehen wird....
Eigentlich ist Fantasy ja nicht so mein Ding und trotzdem hat mir hier der Klappentext wirklich gefallen und mich neugierig gemacht. Das Setting klang eher nach einem historischen Roman und die schon im Titel angeführten Schwertkünstler nach einem Abenteuerroman - zwei Fakten, die ich mochte. Und eigentlich bekommt man auch von Beiden etwas...
Trotzdem wird man zu Beginn in eine völlig fremde Welt geschmissen, die den Uhrwerkgott als einzigen Gott anerkennt und der die alten Götter abgelöst hat. Der König wurde entthront und stattdessen regiert der Prälat Bakar, der in lezter Zeit eher Unmut bei seinen Untergebenen hervorgerufen hat. Zu ihm und der Stadt Reyes, die sich mit Hilfe eines Uhrwerkmechanismus ständig neu formt, sind Kacha und Vocho, unsere beiden Hauptprotagonisten, unterwegs. Das Geschwisterpaar gehörte der Gilde an, aus der sie ausgestoßen wurden. Seidem müssen sich als Wegelagerer über Wasser halten. Als sie bei einem Raubüberfall einer Kutsche an einem Magier und eine geheimnisvolle Truhe gelangen, sind sie einem Geheimnis auf der Spur, das auch ihre Zukunft beeinflusst....
Die Geschichte ist sehr komplex und wie ich bereits erwähnte dauerte es einige Zeit, bis ich mich zurechtfand. Es gibt zwar immer wieder einige Kapitel, die in die Zeit zurückspringen und erklären wie Kacha und Vocho zur Gilde gelangten und eine der besten Schwertkämpfer wurden, doch diese sind relativ spät in die Geschichte eingebaut. ...meiner Meinung zu spät.
Wenn man sich einmal zurechtgefunden hat und dranbleibt ist die Handlung herrlich anders und es macht Spaß sie zu lesen. Allerdings legte ich den Roman zu Beginn zu oft wieder aus der Hand und las in einem anderen Buch weiter, da ich mich, wie schon erwähnt, anfangs etwas schwer tat mit all den Personen und der unbekannten Welt. Die erhofften Schwertkämpfe fanden meiner Meinung auch zu wenig statt. Noch verwirrender war für mich wer den Part der Guten und den der Bösen übernahm, denn vorallem Petri Egimont, Kachas ehemaliger Geliebter, verstand es vorzüglich immer wieder die Seiten zu wechseln. Dies gab der Story wiederum mehr Schwung, weil man erst nach und nach an die Hintergründe herangeführt wird und so einige Überraschungen erlebt. Durch viele Verschwörungen und Intrigen werden Kacha und Vocho in Dinge verwickelt, die ihr Leben stark beeinflussen....
Kacha und Vocho sind Geschwister, die sich lieben und hassen. Sie sind in einer ärmlichen Gegend aufgewachsen und haben die Chance erhalten in der berühmten Gilde den Schwertkampf zu erlernen. Kacha ist der Liebling ihres Vaters und nimmt diese Position später auch beim Gildenmeisters Eneko ein. Sie wird eine Meisterin im Schwertkampf.
Vocho fühlte sich gegenüber der perfekten Kacha schon seit seiner Kindheit benachteiligt und neigt öfters zu unüberlegten Handlungen. Er ist ein Hitzkopf und seine Schwester hat laufend zu tun, um ihn zu beschützen oder aus brenzligen Situationen zu retten. So ist auch Vocho der Grund, dass sie aus der Gilde verstoßen wurden, denn Vocho hat einen Priester getötet, dessen Leben er eigentlich beschützen hätte sollen. Er kann sich allerdings nicht an dieses Ereignis erinnern...
Weder zu den beiden Hauptprotagonisten, noch zu den weiteren handelnden Personen konnte ich eine richtige Beziehung aufbauen. Sie blieben mir leider alle noch viel zu fremd. Vielleicht ändert sich das in den Folgeteilen der Reihe, was man nur hoffen kann. Den sarkastischer Ton von Vocho mochte ich allerdings sehr.
Da dies der erste Teil einer Trilogie ist, bleiben noch einige Dinge ungeklärt. Ein fieser Cliffhanger ist mir aber erspart geblieben, denn die Handlung des ersten Bandes ist weitgehend abgeschlossen. Über den Weltenaufbau, die Gilde und die Magier hoffe ich in den weiteren Teilen noch mehr zu erfahren.
Schreibstil:
Der Schreibstil lässt sich gut lesen und ist flüssig. Den Aufbau der Geschichte fand ich noch ein bisschen holprig bzw. werden die Ereignisse aus der Vergangenheit zu spät eingebaut. Der bildhafte Schreibstil der Autorin machte jedoch einiges wett.
Die Handlung wird von einem Erzähler in der dritten Person erzählt. Durch Perspektivenwechsel erhält man auch manchmal Einblicke in die Gedankenwelt von Kacha oder Vocho.
Fazit:
Ein etwas schwerer Einstieg in den ersten Band der Trilogie, der mich leider immer wieder vom Weiterlesen abhielt. Doch hat man einmal den Überblick über den Weltenaufbau und lernt mehr über die Vergangenheit der Protagonisten kennen, wird die Geschichte interessant und ereignisreich. Ich bin schon gespannt wie es weitergehen wird....
March 27, 2017
"Eine Unze Blut, so heißt es, ist mehr wert als ein Pfund Freundschaft. Vocho war sich da nicht so sicher. Vermutlich kam es drauf an, um wessen Blut es ging, denn er selbst schien durch Blut in letzter Zeit andauernd in Schwierigkeiten zu geraten." - S. 5
Der erste Band der Reihe "Die Gilde der Duellanten" startet anders, als ich es erwartet habe, denn wir befinden uns hier in einer Welt, die zunächst schwer zu beschreiben ist und kompliziert erscheint. Außerdem besitzt das Setting einen Hauch Steampunk! Sehr zu meiner Freude.
Die Stadt in der wir uns lange befinden liegt auf unergründbaren Schienen, wodurch sich die Standorte von Gebäuden nach bestimmten Uhrzeiten immer wieder ändern. Außerdem wird hier ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott angebetet, der als stiller, metallener und unbeweglicher Beobachter in der Stadt steht. Ob er echt ist?
Die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind Kacha und Vocho, ein Geschwisternpaar, welches zusammen in der Gilde die Schwertkunst erlernt hat und durch Vocho sind sie nicht nur rausgeflogen, man sucht auch noch nach ihnen! Nicht gerade ein leichtes Leben und es wird viel schwieriger für unsere Helden, als auch noch eine magisch verschlossene Kiste und ein Magier, vor denen man sich hier wirklich hüten sollte, in ihr Leben geraten.
Erstmal zu Vocho, er ist impulsiv und gerät dadurch eher in miese Situationen, wobei seine Schwester Kacha von allen angehimmelt wird. Sie kann es nicht nur mit jedem im Schwertkampf aufnehmen, dazu ist sie noch talentiert und eher besonnen. Über die Jahre hinweg haben sich die Geschwister etwas voneinander entfernt und sowohl Vocho, als auch Kacha haben Geheimnisse angesammelt, die sie jetzt verfolgen.
"Es gab Geschichten über dunkle Magie und heißes, kupfernes Blut, das in den Kellern des Palasts vergossen wurde, über Leichen, die man einfach auf die Straße warf, wenn man mit ihnen fertig war." - S. 197
Besonders interessant sind hier die Rückblenden, welche bei den Kindertagen starten und bis zu dem einschneidenden Ereignis gehen, sie tauchen immer wieder im Laufe der Geschichte auf.
So lesen wir einmal die Hauptgeschichte und die Hintergrundgeschichte mehr oder weniger im Wechsel, wodurch man langsam und mit einem Knall zum Ende gelangt.
Intrigen, Action und noch mehr Action halten den Leser auf Trab und auch ein paar überraschende Wendungen haben sich eingeschlichen. Auch Politik und Religion sind ein Thema, da nicht nur das Herrschaftssystem geändert wurde, sondern auch der Gott gewechselt wurde und beide Parteien, die Alte und die Neue verfolgen ihre eigenen Pläne.
Die Autorin schreibt bildhaft, flüssig und angenehm ausführlich beschreibt sie das Geschehen, wobei sie die actionreiche Szenen mit Tempo erzählt. Wie versprochen haben wir hier Wortgefechte und auch noch mit einer guten Portion Sarkasmus, ein Kampf nach dem anderem und etwas Romantik, aber keine kitschige oder anhimmelnde, hat seinen Weg in den ersten Teil der Trilogie gefunden!
"Zum ersten Mal seit Monaten erwachte in ihm wieder etwas zum Leben, und er grinste auf diese Weise, die für andere bedeutete, dass sie eine Menge Probleme zu erwarten hatten." -S. 106
Es erwartet dich in diesem Buch Spannung. Intrigen. Action. Eine unheimliche Blutmagie. Ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott und seine Uhrwerkstadt, die ein komplexes und schwer durchschaubares Instrukt ist. Schwertkampf. Knappe Situationen. Noch mehr Schwertkampf!
Und die Ehre eines Schwertmeisters.
Der erste Band der Reihe "Die Gilde der Duellanten" startet anders, als ich es erwartet habe, denn wir befinden uns hier in einer Welt, die zunächst schwer zu beschreiben ist und kompliziert erscheint. Außerdem besitzt das Setting einen Hauch Steampunk! Sehr zu meiner Freude.
Die Stadt in der wir uns lange befinden liegt auf unergründbaren Schienen, wodurch sich die Standorte von Gebäuden nach bestimmten Uhrzeiten immer wieder ändern. Außerdem wird hier ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott angebetet, der als stiller, metallener und unbeweglicher Beobachter in der Stadt steht. Ob er echt ist?
Die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind Kacha und Vocho, ein Geschwisternpaar, welches zusammen in der Gilde die Schwertkunst erlernt hat und durch Vocho sind sie nicht nur rausgeflogen, man sucht auch noch nach ihnen! Nicht gerade ein leichtes Leben und es wird viel schwieriger für unsere Helden, als auch noch eine magisch verschlossene Kiste und ein Magier, vor denen man sich hier wirklich hüten sollte, in ihr Leben geraten.
Erstmal zu Vocho, er ist impulsiv und gerät dadurch eher in miese Situationen, wobei seine Schwester Kacha von allen angehimmelt wird. Sie kann es nicht nur mit jedem im Schwertkampf aufnehmen, dazu ist sie noch talentiert und eher besonnen. Über die Jahre hinweg haben sich die Geschwister etwas voneinander entfernt und sowohl Vocho, als auch Kacha haben Geheimnisse angesammelt, die sie jetzt verfolgen.
"Es gab Geschichten über dunkle Magie und heißes, kupfernes Blut, das in den Kellern des Palasts vergossen wurde, über Leichen, die man einfach auf die Straße warf, wenn man mit ihnen fertig war." - S. 197
Besonders interessant sind hier die Rückblenden, welche bei den Kindertagen starten und bis zu dem einschneidenden Ereignis gehen, sie tauchen immer wieder im Laufe der Geschichte auf.
So lesen wir einmal die Hauptgeschichte und die Hintergrundgeschichte mehr oder weniger im Wechsel, wodurch man langsam und mit einem Knall zum Ende gelangt.
Intrigen, Action und noch mehr Action halten den Leser auf Trab und auch ein paar überraschende Wendungen haben sich eingeschlichen. Auch Politik und Religion sind ein Thema, da nicht nur das Herrschaftssystem geändert wurde, sondern auch der Gott gewechselt wurde und beide Parteien, die Alte und die Neue verfolgen ihre eigenen Pläne.
Die Autorin schreibt bildhaft, flüssig und angenehm ausführlich beschreibt sie das Geschehen, wobei sie die actionreiche Szenen mit Tempo erzählt. Wie versprochen haben wir hier Wortgefechte und auch noch mit einer guten Portion Sarkasmus, ein Kampf nach dem anderem und etwas Romantik, aber keine kitschige oder anhimmelnde, hat seinen Weg in den ersten Teil der Trilogie gefunden!
"Zum ersten Mal seit Monaten erwachte in ihm wieder etwas zum Leben, und er grinste auf diese Weise, die für andere bedeutete, dass sie eine Menge Probleme zu erwarten hatten." -S. 106
Es erwartet dich in diesem Buch Spannung. Intrigen. Action. Eine unheimliche Blutmagie. Ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott und seine Uhrwerkstadt, die ein komplexes und schwer durchschaubares Instrukt ist. Schwertkampf. Knappe Situationen. Noch mehr Schwertkampf!
Und die Ehre eines Schwertmeisters.
April 13, 2017
"Eine Unze Blut, so heißt es, ist mehr wert als ein Pfund Freundschaft. Vocho war sich da nicht so sicher. Vermutlich kam es drauf an, um wessen Blut es ging, denn er selbst schien durch Blut in letzter Zeit andauernd in Schwierigkeiten zu geraten." - S. 5
Der erste Band der Reihe "Die Gilde der Duellanten" startet anders, als ich es erwartet habe, denn wir befinden uns hier in einer Welt, die zunächst schwer zu beschreiben ist und kompliziert erscheint. Außerdem besitzt das Setting einen Hauch Steampunk! Sehr zu meiner Freude.
Die Stadt in der wir uns lange befinden liegt auf unergründbaren Schienen, wodurch sich die Standorte von Gebäuden nach bestimmten Uhrzeiten immer wieder ändern. Außerdem wird hier ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott angebetet, der als stiller, metallener und unbeweglicher Beobachter in der Stadt steht. Ob er echt ist?
Die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind Kacha und Vocho, ein Geschwisternpaar, welches zusammen in der Gilde die Schwertkunst erlernt hat und durch Vocho sind sie nicht nur rausgeflogen, man sucht auch noch nach ihnen! Nicht gerade ein leichtes Leben und es wird viel schwieriger für unsere Helden, als auch noch eine magisch verschlossene Kiste und ein Magier, vor denen man sich hier wirklich hüten sollte, in ihr Leben geraten.
Erstmal zu Vocho, er ist impulsiv und gerät dadurch eher in miese Situationen, wobei seine Schwester Kacha von allen angehimmelt wird. Sie kann es nicht nur mit jedem im Schwertkampf aufnehmen, dazu ist sie noch talentiert und eher besonnen. Über die Jahre hinweg haben sich die Geschwister etwas voneinander entfernt und sowohl Vocho, als auch Kacha haben Geheimnisse angesammelt, die sie jetzt verfolgen.
"Es gab Geschichten über dunkle Magie und heißes, kupfernes Blut, das in den Kellern des Palasts vergossen wurde, über Leichen, die man einfach auf die Straße warf, wenn man mit ihnen fertig war." - S. 197
Besonders interessant sind hier die Rückblenden, welche bei den Kindertagen starten und bis zu dem einschneidenden Ereignis gehen, sie tauchen immer wieder im Laufe der Geschichte auf.
So lesen wir einmal die Hauptgeschichte und die Hintergrundgeschichte mehr oder weniger im Wechsel, wodurch man langsam und mit einem Knall zum Ende gelangt.
Intrigen, Action und noch mehr Action halten den Leser auf Trab und auch ein paar überraschende Wendungen haben sich eingeschlichen. Auch Politik und Religion sind ein Thema, da nicht nur das Herrschaftssystem geändert wurde, sondern auch der Gott gewechselt wurde und beide Parteien, die Alte und die Neue verfolgen ihre eigenen Pläne.
Die Autorin schreibt bildhaft, flüssig und angenehm ausführlich beschreibt sie das Geschehen, wobei sie die actionreiche Szenen mit Tempo erzählt. Wie versprochen haben wir hier Wortgefechte und auch noch mit einer guten Portion Sarkasmus, ein Kampf nach dem anderem und etwas Romantik, aber keine kitschige oder anhimmelnde, hat seinen Weg in den ersten Teil der Trilogie gefunden!
"Zum ersten Mal seit Monaten erwachte in ihm wieder etwas zum Leben, und er grinste auf diese Weise, die für andere bedeutete, dass sie eine Menge Probleme zu erwarten hatten." -S. 106
Es erwartet dich in diesem Buch Spannung. Intrigen. Action. Eine unheimliche Blutmagie. Ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott und seine Uhrwerkstadt, die ein komplexes und schwer durchschaubares Instrukt ist. Schwertkampf. Knappe Situationen. Noch mehr Schwertkampf!
Und die Ehre eines Schwertmeisters.
Der erste Band der Reihe "Die Gilde der Duellanten" startet anders, als ich es erwartet habe, denn wir befinden uns hier in einer Welt, die zunächst schwer zu beschreiben ist und kompliziert erscheint. Außerdem besitzt das Setting einen Hauch Steampunk! Sehr zu meiner Freude.
Die Stadt in der wir uns lange befinden liegt auf unergründbaren Schienen, wodurch sich die Standorte von Gebäuden nach bestimmten Uhrzeiten immer wieder ändern. Außerdem wird hier ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott angebetet, der als stiller, metallener und unbeweglicher Beobachter in der Stadt steht. Ob er echt ist?
Die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind Kacha und Vocho, ein Geschwisternpaar, welches zusammen in der Gilde die Schwertkunst erlernt hat und durch Vocho sind sie nicht nur rausgeflogen, man sucht auch noch nach ihnen! Nicht gerade ein leichtes Leben und es wird viel schwieriger für unsere Helden, als auch noch eine magisch verschlossene Kiste und ein Magier, vor denen man sich hier wirklich hüten sollte, in ihr Leben geraten.
Erstmal zu Vocho, er ist impulsiv und gerät dadurch eher in miese Situationen, wobei seine Schwester Kacha von allen angehimmelt wird. Sie kann es nicht nur mit jedem im Schwertkampf aufnehmen, dazu ist sie noch talentiert und eher besonnen. Über die Jahre hinweg haben sich die Geschwister etwas voneinander entfernt und sowohl Vocho, als auch Kacha haben Geheimnisse angesammelt, die sie jetzt verfolgen.
"Es gab Geschichten über dunkle Magie und heißes, kupfernes Blut, das in den Kellern des Palasts vergossen wurde, über Leichen, die man einfach auf die Straße warf, wenn man mit ihnen fertig war." - S. 197
Besonders interessant sind hier die Rückblenden, welche bei den Kindertagen starten und bis zu dem einschneidenden Ereignis gehen, sie tauchen immer wieder im Laufe der Geschichte auf.
So lesen wir einmal die Hauptgeschichte und die Hintergrundgeschichte mehr oder weniger im Wechsel, wodurch man langsam und mit einem Knall zum Ende gelangt.
Intrigen, Action und noch mehr Action halten den Leser auf Trab und auch ein paar überraschende Wendungen haben sich eingeschlichen. Auch Politik und Religion sind ein Thema, da nicht nur das Herrschaftssystem geändert wurde, sondern auch der Gott gewechselt wurde und beide Parteien, die Alte und die Neue verfolgen ihre eigenen Pläne.
Die Autorin schreibt bildhaft, flüssig und angenehm ausführlich beschreibt sie das Geschehen, wobei sie die actionreiche Szenen mit Tempo erzählt. Wie versprochen haben wir hier Wortgefechte und auch noch mit einer guten Portion Sarkasmus, ein Kampf nach dem anderem und etwas Romantik, aber keine kitschige oder anhimmelnde, hat seinen Weg in den ersten Teil der Trilogie gefunden!
"Zum ersten Mal seit Monaten erwachte in ihm wieder etwas zum Leben, und er grinste auf diese Weise, die für andere bedeutete, dass sie eine Menge Probleme zu erwarten hatten." -S. 106
Es erwartet dich in diesem Buch Spannung. Intrigen. Action. Eine unheimliche Blutmagie. Ein merkwürdiger Uhrwerkgott und seine Uhrwerkstadt, die ein komplexes und schwer durchschaubares Instrukt ist. Schwertkampf. Knappe Situationen. Noch mehr Schwertkampf!
Und die Ehre eines Schwertmeisters.
March 23, 2018
3.5 (Sorry, I'm not rounding up.)
Honestly I think this book would have been better if the first half had been able to get me attached to the characters the way the second half did. I also feel like I had a bigger build up to what might happen brewing in my head and it stayed more on the political side of things. Which is fine, but I feel like there was an opportunity missed to utilize a very interesting magic system and that opportunity was missed. It's also got some "steampunk" elements that I wasn't expecting, which neither made me like it anymore or less, it is just part of the world that I feel people might want to know existed.
This is a series I will probably read the second book at some point to see if that magic gets brought to the forefront and if the story gets better as it goes. I would love to love this one.
Honestly I think this book would have been better if the first half had been able to get me attached to the characters the way the second half did. I also feel like I had a bigger build up to what might happen brewing in my head and it stayed more on the political side of things. Which is fine, but I feel like there was an opportunity missed to utilize a very interesting magic system and that opportunity was missed. It's also got some "steampunk" elements that I wasn't expecting, which neither made me like it anymore or less, it is just part of the world that I feel people might want to know existed.
This is a series I will probably read the second book at some point to see if that magic gets brought to the forefront and if the story gets better as it goes. I would love to love this one.
October 19, 2016
Very fun and interesting but leaves me wanting here and there. I don't like any of the characters, but they're more real than most fantasy characters.. and to know someone is to hate someone, yes? Also have a hard time picturing a lot of the stuff. Things are gear driven, on cogs, wheels, etc. but never have a real description so I have any idea what the hell. The city and the guns are particularly egregious.
A fun musketeer style adventure if you just let your eyes glaze and roll with it.
A fun musketeer style adventure if you just let your eyes glaze and roll with it.
August 6, 2019
The story was slower than expected, a great premise, strong potential, the book just did not turn out as I expected. Too descriptive and wandering in places that I felt should have been more straight forward and to the point, however, it did have some redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the relationship dynamics between characters, it just did not develop as I thought. I may get back to this trilogy, just not at the moment.
March 14, 2020
I struggled a bit getting into this one, but I think that was more about me than anything about the book. Needless to say, once I got going I thoroughly enjoyed myself in this well-realised, colourful world, in the company of complex and engaging characters. Nicely creepy take on blood magic, too!
November 10, 2015
Originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...
There are a lot of book with which you will make me happy. Books themed with roguish characters are one of them. So when I came across Swords and Scoundrels, well my choice was easy. Julia Knight is best know for her romantic inspired books, of which she has written quite a few already as well as the Urban Fantasy series Rojan Dizon which she wrote under the pseudonym if Frances Knight. With the Duellist Trilogy and Swords and Scoundrel Julia Knight returns to the element of when she fell in love with fantasy, the medieval King Arthur setting.
As the titles already says, Swords and Scoundrels, the book is full of it. The story picks up with just two of those types of people with that weapon of choice. Meet Vocho and Kacha, brother and sister , who once were the best duelists in town. Well they once were the official bests duelists but they got thrown out of the Duelist Guild and are technically not duelists anymore. But they still will whoop you in any duel. Not having the steady income and other perks of the Duelist Guild they had to resort to other means of income. Vocho and Kacha have turned highwaymen. Robbing from the wealthy to sustain themselves and find a way back into the guild and civilization as they knew it. So one evening when Vocho and Kacha are robbing an carriage it all goes south. They often get tipped on what kind of wealth is in the carriage, but this time there is something extra. A magician. Powerful men and women who control arts that you don't want to mess with. The magician in question is guarding a box and this is what draws Vocho's attention. In the end Kacha and Vocho do get away with their lives, but just barely... Now the question remains of why there was an magician in the first place and why he was guarding that particular box. Now they await the hardest task, opening the box and making sense of it. Petri, a noble who was on the carriages and tasked with defending it, has to retrieve what Vocho and Kacha stole. They are old rivals and lovers so you can imagine that there is quite a pressure on both sides. Because what they all don't know is that the box contains a lot of power, not like a bomb but in a different way. So much that it could topple the current regime and bring other people to power...
When you look at the story, in many ways it is classic Epic Fantasy. Julia Knight addresses each of the elements in precisely the right way. Swordfights, kings, magic, rogueish characters, a hint of a love story and courtly intrigue. you can check all of those elements. When I started with Swords and Scoundrels the first thing that fell to note was the ease of the writing. That doesn't mean that it is a plain story though. The writing style has a nice flow to it and I found myself reading along it easily. World building wise there is a lot of exposition in the current time line. Yes the chapters somewhat alternate between the current line in which Vocho and Kacha are figuring out what is in the box with that of a past time line where you all that went wrong. This gave a grande worldbuilding feeling about not only the characters but also the city of Reyes. I really liked the alternation of the time lines, it gave so much more grip on the whole story.
As for the characters of Vocho and Kacha, they really are a pair to be honest. They are brother and sister, Vocho being the younger brother and Kacha the older sister. For me Julia Knight has described the perfect love-hate relationship that you have as brother and sister. They are rivals and Vocho due to his male hormones a bit more than Kacha will ever be. Theyboth go pretty far to show who is best in fighting, but they will always remember just what the other is capable off and perhaps do fear the other for the strengths that they have and they self lack. They have a lot of funny and humorous moments but also those of danger more than a few times. At the end of the day it becomes clear that no matter their rivalry they can fully and blindly rely on each other and this is what makes bond strong. Next to Vocho and Kacha there is another character that is placed in the middle. Petri, the noble, as I said he is charged with bringing the box back. His relation was very close to Vocho and Kacha, with Kacha a bit more than with Vocho. Every action he does he does in name of the king but with both parties drawing closer. It becomes hard to stay through to you allegiance...
Swords and Scoundrels is a fast paced and very adventurous book. And this is what I look for in Epic Fantasy, fast moving plot and a lot of fun to read. From the start I was taken into the world of Swords and Scoundrels the premise with a brother/sister duo who see eye to eye most of the times and can be very rivalry the other times works just perfectly. For me it was a great start, looking forward to the sequel!
There are a lot of book with which you will make me happy. Books themed with roguish characters are one of them. So when I came across Swords and Scoundrels, well my choice was easy. Julia Knight is best know for her romantic inspired books, of which she has written quite a few already as well as the Urban Fantasy series Rojan Dizon which she wrote under the pseudonym if Frances Knight. With the Duellist Trilogy and Swords and Scoundrel Julia Knight returns to the element of when she fell in love with fantasy, the medieval King Arthur setting.
As the titles already says, Swords and Scoundrels, the book is full of it. The story picks up with just two of those types of people with that weapon of choice. Meet Vocho and Kacha, brother and sister , who once were the best duelists in town. Well they once were the official bests duelists but they got thrown out of the Duelist Guild and are technically not duelists anymore. But they still will whoop you in any duel. Not having the steady income and other perks of the Duelist Guild they had to resort to other means of income. Vocho and Kacha have turned highwaymen. Robbing from the wealthy to sustain themselves and find a way back into the guild and civilization as they knew it. So one evening when Vocho and Kacha are robbing an carriage it all goes south. They often get tipped on what kind of wealth is in the carriage, but this time there is something extra. A magician. Powerful men and women who control arts that you don't want to mess with. The magician in question is guarding a box and this is what draws Vocho's attention. In the end Kacha and Vocho do get away with their lives, but just barely... Now the question remains of why there was an magician in the first place and why he was guarding that particular box. Now they await the hardest task, opening the box and making sense of it. Petri, a noble who was on the carriages and tasked with defending it, has to retrieve what Vocho and Kacha stole. They are old rivals and lovers so you can imagine that there is quite a pressure on both sides. Because what they all don't know is that the box contains a lot of power, not like a bomb but in a different way. So much that it could topple the current regime and bring other people to power...
When you look at the story, in many ways it is classic Epic Fantasy. Julia Knight addresses each of the elements in precisely the right way. Swordfights, kings, magic, rogueish characters, a hint of a love story and courtly intrigue. you can check all of those elements. When I started with Swords and Scoundrels the first thing that fell to note was the ease of the writing. That doesn't mean that it is a plain story though. The writing style has a nice flow to it and I found myself reading along it easily. World building wise there is a lot of exposition in the current time line. Yes the chapters somewhat alternate between the current line in which Vocho and Kacha are figuring out what is in the box with that of a past time line where you all that went wrong. This gave a grande worldbuilding feeling about not only the characters but also the city of Reyes. I really liked the alternation of the time lines, it gave so much more grip on the whole story.
As for the characters of Vocho and Kacha, they really are a pair to be honest. They are brother and sister, Vocho being the younger brother and Kacha the older sister. For me Julia Knight has described the perfect love-hate relationship that you have as brother and sister. They are rivals and Vocho due to his male hormones a bit more than Kacha will ever be. Theyboth go pretty far to show who is best in fighting, but they will always remember just what the other is capable off and perhaps do fear the other for the strengths that they have and they self lack. They have a lot of funny and humorous moments but also those of danger more than a few times. At the end of the day it becomes clear that no matter their rivalry they can fully and blindly rely on each other and this is what makes bond strong. Next to Vocho and Kacha there is another character that is placed in the middle. Petri, the noble, as I said he is charged with bringing the box back. His relation was very close to Vocho and Kacha, with Kacha a bit more than with Vocho. Every action he does he does in name of the king but with both parties drawing closer. It becomes hard to stay through to you allegiance...
Swords and Scoundrels is a fast paced and very adventurous book. And this is what I look for in Epic Fantasy, fast moving plot and a lot of fun to read. From the start I was taken into the world of Swords and Scoundrels the premise with a brother/sister duo who see eye to eye most of the times and can be very rivalry the other times works just perfectly. For me it was a great start, looking forward to the sequel!
December 4, 2017
Zwei Geschwister – eine Verschwörung
Die Geschwister Kacha und Vocho gehören der Gilde der Duellanten an und gelten als die besten Schwertfechter von Reyes – eigentlich. Denn sie wurden wegen Vochos Taten ausgestoßen. Seine Schwester ist darüber nicht gerade erfreut, vor allem nicht, da sie sich jetzt als Wegelagerer durchschlagen müssen. Aber eines Tages überfallen sie die falsche Kutsche und statt Wertsachen finden sie geheimnisvolle Dokumente, die sie mitten in eine Verschwörung hineinziehen. Schon bald wissen die Geschwister nicht mehr, wem sie trauen können, vielleicht nicht einmal ihnen selbst.
Der nachfolgende Text kann Spoiler enthalten.
Der Auftakt der Trilogie war wunderbar kurzweilig und amüsant zu lesen. Mir gefällt der Schreibstil der Autorin bzw. der Zynismus ihrer Charaktere einfach zu sehr. Schon gleich am Anfang hat diese Stelle meine ungeteilte Aufmerksamkeit auf sich gezogen:
„Kacha hatte ihr Pferd neben die Kutsche gelenkt, und das bösartige Tier wusste genau, was von ihm erwartet wurde. Es riss dem blonden Mann den Hut vom Kopf, bleckte die Zähne und trat auf ein Zeichen von Kacha so kräftig gegen die Kutsche, dass sein Huf ein Loch riss. Das Pferd war ein besserer Wegelagerer als Vocho […].“
Auch die Geschichte selbst ist durchaus interessant, auch wenn sie keine großen Überraschungen bereit hält und an manchen Stellen doch etwas vorhersehbar wird. Ich freue mich auf den Tag an dem ein Buch mich wieder völlig überraschen kann, aber einstweilen ist das noch nicht passiert. Trotzdem fühlt man sich am Ende des Buches sehr gut unterhalten.
Noch ein Wort zum Titel: Ich liebe ihn. „Sterben ist für Anfänger“ - genau deswegen wurde ich ja auf das Buch aufmerksam. Ausnahmsweise hat man hier auch mal wortgetreu aus dem Englischen übersetzt, wofür ich dankbar bin. Bei den Titeln der Trilogie muss ich schon lachen, bevor ich überhaupt mit den Büchern angefangen habe.
Da ich mir direkt alle drei Bücher geleistet habe, ist meine Wartezeit glücklicherweise auf ein Minimum geschrumpft. Tatsächlich stand nur der Umzug zwischen mir und dem Beginn des zweiten Bandes.
„Schwerter und Schwindler“ ist eine klare Leseempfehlung für alle, die Schurken mit Herz mögen und sich gerne von einem witzigen Schreibstil unterhalten lassen.
Die Geschwister Kacha und Vocho gehören der Gilde der Duellanten an und gelten als die besten Schwertfechter von Reyes – eigentlich. Denn sie wurden wegen Vochos Taten ausgestoßen. Seine Schwester ist darüber nicht gerade erfreut, vor allem nicht, da sie sich jetzt als Wegelagerer durchschlagen müssen. Aber eines Tages überfallen sie die falsche Kutsche und statt Wertsachen finden sie geheimnisvolle Dokumente, die sie mitten in eine Verschwörung hineinziehen. Schon bald wissen die Geschwister nicht mehr, wem sie trauen können, vielleicht nicht einmal ihnen selbst.
Der nachfolgende Text kann Spoiler enthalten.
Der Auftakt der Trilogie war wunderbar kurzweilig und amüsant zu lesen. Mir gefällt der Schreibstil der Autorin bzw. der Zynismus ihrer Charaktere einfach zu sehr. Schon gleich am Anfang hat diese Stelle meine ungeteilte Aufmerksamkeit auf sich gezogen:
„Kacha hatte ihr Pferd neben die Kutsche gelenkt, und das bösartige Tier wusste genau, was von ihm erwartet wurde. Es riss dem blonden Mann den Hut vom Kopf, bleckte die Zähne und trat auf ein Zeichen von Kacha so kräftig gegen die Kutsche, dass sein Huf ein Loch riss. Das Pferd war ein besserer Wegelagerer als Vocho […].“
Auch die Geschichte selbst ist durchaus interessant, auch wenn sie keine großen Überraschungen bereit hält und an manchen Stellen doch etwas vorhersehbar wird. Ich freue mich auf den Tag an dem ein Buch mich wieder völlig überraschen kann, aber einstweilen ist das noch nicht passiert. Trotzdem fühlt man sich am Ende des Buches sehr gut unterhalten.
Noch ein Wort zum Titel: Ich liebe ihn. „Sterben ist für Anfänger“ - genau deswegen wurde ich ja auf das Buch aufmerksam. Ausnahmsweise hat man hier auch mal wortgetreu aus dem Englischen übersetzt, wofür ich dankbar bin. Bei den Titeln der Trilogie muss ich schon lachen, bevor ich überhaupt mit den Büchern angefangen habe.
Da ich mir direkt alle drei Bücher geleistet habe, ist meine Wartezeit glücklicherweise auf ein Minimum geschrumpft. Tatsächlich stand nur der Umzug zwischen mir und dem Beginn des zweiten Bandes.
„Schwerter und Schwindler“ ist eine klare Leseempfehlung für alle, die Schurken mit Herz mögen und sich gerne von einem witzigen Schreibstil unterhalten lassen.
December 30, 2015
Me precisely one minute ago: wait...that's the end of the book?
I'm not saying that the book wasn't a bit long at parts and could have possibly been shorter, but by the end I was definitely on board for some more. I am saying that I'm kind of surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I mean, it was by far one of the best I've read this year. Sure, there were some issues (my copy had grammar mistakes) and there were a few instances of questionable wording, but I haven't been so interested in a book in a while. ( The Burned Tower doesn't count, being a novella).
The primary reason I was dedicated by the end was the character development. Seriously, well done. I wasn't too hot on any of the characters in the beginning, although they were passable and amusing enough. But there really is a slow unfolding of who the people are in depth, and I ended up liking characters I did not expect to like. Honestly, other than the quite jerkish villains, I can't think of a character I disliked all of them were complicated, with redeeming characteristics as well as realistic (and sometimes extremely dark) flaws.
The plot overall wasn't the most original, but it was also far from the basic fantasy fare. I mean, yes, the protagonists are farm folk and the best and special and blah blah blah. But, this was definitely a good twist on the usual rags-to-heroism story. Firstly, the rise to prominence was prior to the beginning of the book, and then there's the fact that they're set to rob people on the very first page. There was also a bit of steampunk thrown in, which I didn't quite love nor did I hate it. I might change my mind on this in the future, depending on how well the author handles it.
Right now my biggest fear is that this first book in the series was so good, that the next two are going to just let me down and crush my hopes and dreams. Usually when I find a first book I love, the next book ruins everything. So, that's a compliment. This book was so awesome to read that I'm more than half-scared to read the next one, but must because I seriously can't let everything end like it did.
I'm not saying that the book wasn't a bit long at parts and could have possibly been shorter, but by the end I was definitely on board for some more. I am saying that I'm kind of surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I mean, it was by far one of the best I've read this year. Sure, there were some issues (my copy had grammar mistakes) and there were a few instances of questionable wording, but I haven't been so interested in a book in a while. ( The Burned Tower doesn't count, being a novella).
The primary reason I was dedicated by the end was the character development. Seriously, well done. I wasn't too hot on any of the characters in the beginning, although they were passable and amusing enough. But there really is a slow unfolding of who the people are in depth, and I ended up liking characters I did not expect to like. Honestly, other than the quite jerkish villains, I can't think of a character I disliked all of them were complicated, with redeeming characteristics as well as realistic (and sometimes extremely dark) flaws.
The plot overall wasn't the most original, but it was also far from the basic fantasy fare. I mean, yes, the protagonists are farm folk and the best and special and blah blah blah. But, this was definitely a good twist on the usual rags-to-heroism story. Firstly, the rise to prominence was prior to the beginning of the book, and then there's the fact that they're set to rob people on the very first page. There was also a bit of steampunk thrown in, which I didn't quite love nor did I hate it. I might change my mind on this in the future, depending on how well the author handles it.
Right now my biggest fear is that this first book in the series was so good, that the next two are going to just let me down and crush my hopes and dreams. Usually when I find a first book I love, the next book ruins everything. So, that's a compliment. This book was so awesome to read that I'm more than half-scared to read the next one, but must because I seriously can't let everything end like it did.
January 24, 2016
Thrown out of the Duelist Guild after being accused of murder, brother-sister team Vocho and Kacha turn to highway robbery to survive. When they steal a treasure that is far more valuable than they knew, they are forced to flee back to their home city and secrets they tried to leave behind.
The beautiful thing about being buried under three feet of snow is that no one expects you to go to work or go grocery shopping or do anything, really, that involves interacting with humanity in person. This leaves oodles of beautiful time to read. The downside is that you can't get out of your house to find new books, so you're pretty much stuck with what you stocked up on at the library before the massive storm hit two days ago. (Unless you want to spend a fortune on kindle books, of course.) I don't mean, by that disclaimer, to say that I hated this book. It just isn't necessarily something I would have read all the way through if I wasn't snowed in.
Things I liked: the brother-sister set up. I always like stories based on family relationships, especially sibling relationships. While the conflict between Vocho and Kacha is a bit cliche (talk about sibling rivalry), their day-to-day interaction and witty banter did pull me into the story.
Reyes, the clockwork city Knight sets up as the central setting, is also pretty cool. As a reader I rather resented the fact that the importance of/reason for this clever worldbuilding trick is never explained, which left it feeling a little gimmicky, but an entire city where street and buildings move around like the staircases in Hogwarts on a giant foundation of clockwork is pretty cool.
Things I didn't like: the writing style is not the most fluid. Plot "surprises" were often predictable. And, most of all, I strongly disliked the structure of the story, which periodically dives into whole chapters of each character's past. I wanted a linear storyline. If characters had secrets, I wanted them discovered in the present, not handed to me on a platter in a chapter set seven years before the current action. The backstory slowed the story down.
This could be a fun, easy read if you like swords-and-swashbuckle stories. It made me laugh in places...but overall, not my cup of tea.
The beautiful thing about being buried under three feet of snow is that no one expects you to go to work or go grocery shopping or do anything, really, that involves interacting with humanity in person. This leaves oodles of beautiful time to read. The downside is that you can't get out of your house to find new books, so you're pretty much stuck with what you stocked up on at the library before the massive storm hit two days ago. (Unless you want to spend a fortune on kindle books, of course.) I don't mean, by that disclaimer, to say that I hated this book. It just isn't necessarily something I would have read all the way through if I wasn't snowed in.
Things I liked: the brother-sister set up. I always like stories based on family relationships, especially sibling relationships. While the conflict between Vocho and Kacha is a bit cliche (talk about sibling rivalry), their day-to-day interaction and witty banter did pull me into the story.
Reyes, the clockwork city Knight sets up as the central setting, is also pretty cool. As a reader I rather resented the fact that the importance of/reason for this clever worldbuilding trick is never explained, which left it feeling a little gimmicky, but an entire city where street and buildings move around like the staircases in Hogwarts on a giant foundation of clockwork is pretty cool.
Things I didn't like: the writing style is not the most fluid. Plot "surprises" were often predictable. And, most of all, I strongly disliked the structure of the story, which periodically dives into whole chapters of each character's past. I wanted a linear storyline. If characters had secrets, I wanted them discovered in the present, not handed to me on a platter in a chapter set seven years before the current action. The backstory slowed the story down.
This could be a fun, easy read if you like swords-and-swashbuckle stories. It made me laugh in places...but overall, not my cup of tea.
February 22, 2017
I loved the world building in this book and found the ideas around the clockwork city very intriguing. However, the characters were a little weak and failed to inspire any real attachment to their fate.
February 14, 2016
Basic Plot: Vocho and Kacha are siblings stuck in the middle of the intrigue in the city of Reyes, trying to survive while their loyalties are tested.
This was a darned hard book to sum up in just a single sentence. It had a lot going on in it.
Positives: I liked the characters- everyone was unique and had personality, especially the characters with secrets. The world-building created a place that was new and different, combining elements of fantasy blood magic and steampunk clockwork. The city itself almost became a character and was fascinating.
Negatives: The plot dragged up until the end of the book. I was all set for swashbuckling goodness when I picked this up, and while there were plenty of bits of swordfighting, the pacing just didn't pick up and I had a devil of a time feeling pressed to keep reading at any given moment. The endless flashbacks didn't help with this. I can get behind a few flashbacks for flavor or to explain things, but fully half of this book was flashback, and while it did serve the purpose of explaining the characters' backstories and slowly revealing tidbits of intrigue so there could be a big reveal at the end, I think this is what slowed the whole thing down for me. It was just too much flashback. Also, EVERY F-ing character had some kind of secret. ALL. OF. THEM. With all of the damned flashbacks and all the lies/secrets/manipulations/double-triple agentry going on, it just seemed a bit much. It again bogged down the pacing.
Overall, I'm not sure if I'll read the rest of the trilogy or not. While I'm curious about what happens to the characters, I also have to acknowledge the fact that I essentially had to force myself to finish reading this book. It had potential, and it didn't quite realize it. Perhaps the author makes up for it in the next books, but perhaps not. I'm torn.
This was a darned hard book to sum up in just a single sentence. It had a lot going on in it.
Positives: I liked the characters- everyone was unique and had personality, especially the characters with secrets. The world-building created a place that was new and different, combining elements of fantasy blood magic and steampunk clockwork. The city itself almost became a character and was fascinating.
Negatives: The plot dragged up until the end of the book. I was all set for swashbuckling goodness when I picked this up, and while there were plenty of bits of swordfighting, the pacing just didn't pick up and I had a devil of a time feeling pressed to keep reading at any given moment. The endless flashbacks didn't help with this. I can get behind a few flashbacks for flavor or to explain things, but fully half of this book was flashback, and while it did serve the purpose of explaining the characters' backstories and slowly revealing tidbits of intrigue so there could be a big reveal at the end, I think this is what slowed the whole thing down for me. It was just too much flashback. Also, EVERY F-ing character had some kind of secret. ALL. OF. THEM. With all of the damned flashbacks and all the lies/secrets/manipulations/double-triple agentry going on, it just seemed a bit much. It again bogged down the pacing.
Overall, I'm not sure if I'll read the rest of the trilogy or not. While I'm curious about what happens to the characters, I also have to acknowledge the fact that I essentially had to force myself to finish reading this book. It had potential, and it didn't quite realize it. Perhaps the author makes up for it in the next books, but perhaps not. I'm torn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews