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Empire of Storms #1
Hope & Red
Dans un empire fragmenté qui s’étend au-delà des Mers sauvages, deux êtres rebelles se découvrent une cause commune...
Hope est l’unique survivante du massacre de son village par les Biomanciens, les serviteurs mystiques de l’empereur. Recueillie par un soldat vinchen, elle a suivi un entraînement secret, faisant d’elle une guerrière qui ne vit que pour la vengeance.
Red est un orphelin adopté par une ancienne mercenaire issue de la pègre. Il est devenu un voleur et un escroc au talent inégalé.
Quand un chef de bande sanguinaire passe un marché avec les Biomanciens pour contrôler les bas-fonds de la cité de Laven, les destins de Hope et de Red se croisent. Et leur alliance improbable va les conduire bien plus loin qu’ils l’auraient imaginé...
553 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2016
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7033 people want to read
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December 9, 2025Everyone's got their own reading tastes. I'm used to seeing people hate books I loved, and to me bouncing off books that some folk adore with religious zeal.
This book treads the line between something I'd really like and something I'm a bit meh on, and it keeps putting a foot to either side. I know some readers that have been very enthusiastic about my work are big fans of this one. And when my wife saw me reading it she was reminded that she'd liked it a lot, and asked me to buy the next two volumes.
The book has some elements that are often associated with grimdark - there's a lot of muck and dirt, a lot of crudity, swearing (examples: ) and harsh lives lived in fairly hopeless squalor on show. One of the main characters is quite happy to murder people during the course of enriching himself. But for all that it's probably a lot closer to traditional heroic fantasy than it is to grimdark.
It's urban fantasy in as much as most of it happens within a city, specifically the slums of a city. I guess there are shades of Priest of Bones and Low Town to be seen. The characters also have their own slang which, while realistic and adding local colour, also tends to irritate me whenever I encounter it in a book.
One of the characters is (a bit like one of mine) a sword-wielding martial arts expert trained by a holy order. Some will say I dragged my heels when stretching the training out over three books. Here the whole thing takes a couple of chapters and for me that was a bit summary.
Suffice it to say that I took a while to warm to the book. However, it did grow on me and by midway I was having a good time, even starting to have some attachment to the characters. The writing began to feel well done, and quite sharp.
This is primarily a rollicking adventure movie of a book, there are plenty of fights, plenty of running away, vaulting from rooftop to rooftop, hurling daggers, dodging bullets etc. Our two main characters have a supporting cast - a found family - who bring various skills to the table. The bad guys - biomancers - have endlessly varied and quite stomach churning magics. There's a lot of fun to be had between the covers. And it's not all on one level either, there are back stories, intrigues, morally grey decisions. The crudeness doesn't go away but it ceased to irk me.
I wasn't an enormous fan of the ending as it featured a third PoV character whose arc I felt was too swift and far from convincing. Also the magic & sword vs rifles fights failed to convince me that the soldiers wouldn't just fill our team full of unwanted holes.
HOWEVER - despite my whining and moaning - I had fun with the book, and can easily see how someone whose enjoyment boundaries were drawn only a little differently to mine could either adore or reject the tale depending on the direction those boundaries moved in.
Here's a review from a friend of mine who absolutely loved it: http://booknest.eu/index.php/componen...
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
This book treads the line between something I'd really like and something I'm a bit meh on, and it keeps putting a foot to either side. I know some readers that have been very enthusiastic about my work are big fans of this one. And when my wife saw me reading it she was reminded that she'd liked it a lot, and asked me to buy the next two volumes.
The book has some elements that are often associated with grimdark - there's a lot of muck and dirt, a lot of crudity, swearing (examples: ) and harsh lives lived in fairly hopeless squalor on show. One of the main characters is quite happy to murder people during the course of enriching himself. But for all that it's probably a lot closer to traditional heroic fantasy than it is to grimdark.
It's urban fantasy in as much as most of it happens within a city, specifically the slums of a city. I guess there are shades of Priest of Bones and Low Town to be seen. The characters also have their own slang which, while realistic and adding local colour, also tends to irritate me whenever I encounter it in a book.
One of the characters is (a bit like one of mine) a sword-wielding martial arts expert trained by a holy order. Some will say I dragged my heels when stretching the training out over three books. Here the whole thing takes a couple of chapters and for me that was a bit summary.
Suffice it to say that I took a while to warm to the book. However, it did grow on me and by midway I was having a good time, even starting to have some attachment to the characters. The writing began to feel well done, and quite sharp.
This is primarily a rollicking adventure movie of a book, there are plenty of fights, plenty of running away, vaulting from rooftop to rooftop, hurling daggers, dodging bullets etc. Our two main characters have a supporting cast - a found family - who bring various skills to the table. The bad guys - biomancers - have endlessly varied and quite stomach churning magics. There's a lot of fun to be had between the covers. And it's not all on one level either, there are back stories, intrigues, morally grey decisions. The crudeness doesn't go away but it ceased to irk me.
I wasn't an enormous fan of the ending as it featured a third PoV character whose arc I felt was too swift and far from convincing. Also the magic & sword vs rifles fights failed to convince me that the soldiers wouldn't just fill our team full of unwanted holes.
HOWEVER - despite my whining and moaning - I had fun with the book, and can easily see how someone whose enjoyment boundaries were drawn only a little differently to mine could either adore or reject the tale depending on the direction those boundaries moved in.
Here's a review from a friend of mine who absolutely loved it: http://booknest.eu/index.php/componen...
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
February 21, 2023
I finished this on the train. I almost missed my stop because I was on the last two pages and wouldn't -couldn't!- stop reading.
Reluctantly, I had to run and I tripped over someone's feet getting yelled over, but it was totally worth it. Oh, was it worth it.
WHAT...WHAT AN EPIC BOOK!
Give me Bane and Shadow. NOW!
Reluctantly, I had to run and I tripped over someone's feet getting yelled over, but it was totally worth it. Oh, was it worth it.
WHAT...WHAT AN EPIC BOOK!
Give me Bane and Shadow. NOW!
February 28, 2017
As much as it pains me to say this, being such a huge fan of The Wheel of Osheim (Mark Lawrence) and Red Tide (Marc Turner), I have to admit that Hope and Red is the greatest read of 2016, and one of the best books I have read in my life.
The story, told from two different points of view, takes place in a dark and gritty Empire where the strong are ruthless and vicious and the weak don't survive. The story is about two children orphaned at the age of eight, and follows their path through adulthood. The boy, Red, intends to be the greatest thief the Empire has ever known. The girl, Hope, is trained from a group of elite warriors with the sole purpose of avenging her parents' deaths. But when fate brings them together, all hell breaks loose.
"As youth and innocence give way to experience, doubt clouds the mind. Those who find renewed purpose in the complexity will thrive instead of falter."
Jon Skovron's debut in adult fantasy is something to praise. The prose is smooth as silk and the story is flowing at its own pace without Skovron trying to rush or control it. The world building is constantly expanding and developing, the magic system is simply structured but intriguing and captivating, and the characters are sharp and refined.
Hope and Red is, simply told, a compelling story that explores issues of life and death, revenge and forgiveness, friendship and love. Self-loathing and inner-peace.
You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/
The story, told from two different points of view, takes place in a dark and gritty Empire where the strong are ruthless and vicious and the weak don't survive. The story is about two children orphaned at the age of eight, and follows their path through adulthood. The boy, Red, intends to be the greatest thief the Empire has ever known. The girl, Hope, is trained from a group of elite warriors with the sole purpose of avenging her parents' deaths. But when fate brings them together, all hell breaks loose.
"As youth and innocence give way to experience, doubt clouds the mind. Those who find renewed purpose in the complexity will thrive instead of falter."
Jon Skovron's debut in adult fantasy is something to praise. The prose is smooth as silk and the story is flowing at its own pace without Skovron trying to rush or control it. The world building is constantly expanding and developing, the magic system is simply structured but intriguing and captivating, and the characters are sharp and refined.
Hope and Red is, simply told, a compelling story that explores issues of life and death, revenge and forgiveness, friendship and love. Self-loathing and inner-peace.
You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/
August 24, 2016
DNF - too cliché and the word "piss" was used literally 100 times. I counted.
There are two main characters:
HOPE: her small remote village is decimated by an imperial force specializing in biological warfare. She vows revenge and joins the elite all-male "Vinchen" warrior order. She emerges as the only female Vinchen warrior of all time, and of course the best in the order. This is less a feminist statement and more a turn into Mary Sue country. Hope goes out into the world and procedes to do stuff like this:
RED: A Kaz Brekker style street thief and part-time Robin Hood. His parents came from the rich quarter of the city, so Red spends a lot of time convincing his fellow low-lifes that he's really one of them and not privileged. His biggest hobby is falling in love on sight.
According to the blurb, Hope and Red are supposed to take down an empire together, but I was already 60% in when they'd barely even met. All those pages were taken up by backstory and relationship establishment and sailing.
(I will admit I enjoyed the sailing part because of the sailor songs! Here's one:
Overall a disappointment, I had high hopes for Hope and Red but it turned out to be boring and unoriginal for me.
There are two main characters:
HOPE: her small remote village is decimated by an imperial force specializing in biological warfare. She vows revenge and joins the elite all-male "Vinchen" warrior order. She emerges as the only female Vinchen warrior of all time, and of course the best in the order. This is less a feminist statement and more a turn into Mary Sue country. Hope goes out into the world and procedes to do stuff like this:
She spun, bringing her sword around as the shot was fired, and slapped the bullet from the air.
RED: A Kaz Brekker style street thief and part-time Robin Hood. His parents came from the rich quarter of the city, so Red spends a lot of time convincing his fellow low-lifes that he's really one of them and not privileged. His biggest hobby is falling in love on sight.
According to the blurb, Hope and Red are supposed to take down an empire together, but I was already 60% in when they'd barely even met. All those pages were taken up by backstory and relationship establishment and sailing.
(I will admit I enjoyed the sailing part because of the sailor songs! Here's one:
No matter which way the wind goes,Even a non-sailor can understand that sentiment.)
It never blows for me.
A sailor's life is never fair,
But for the beauty of the sea.
No matter who I love or hate,
Or if I married be.
None of it can hold my heart,
Like the freedom of the sea.
Overall a disappointment, I had high hopes for Hope and Red but it turned out to be boring and unoriginal for me.
May 30, 2016
Try to imagine the most fabulous combination of the following movies: Gangs of New York, Kill Bill and Pirates of the Caribbean. Did your mind explode yet? If yes, well, join the club. If not, just give it another second or two. Hope and Red is, according to its author, the first book in his swashbuckling kung fu gangster pirate romance trilogy. Yes, you read that right and no, I didn’t mistype. At this point, I believe none of you need any further convincing, but bear with me for just a moment longer. After all, gushing is what I do best.
Hope and Red is a bloody, filthy mess of sheer pirate awesomeness. The narration jumps back and forth between its two protagonists: a girl called Bleak Hope and a young highborn thief named Red. As the only survivor of a massacre committed by biomancers, Hope has known very little affection in her young life. She was trained against all rules to become a Vinchen warrior with her heart and mind set on honorable revenge. Red was also orphaned when his mother died from a horrible disease and his father succumbed to hard life and grief. Having nowhere to turn on the harsh streets, he was semi-adopted by Sally the Goat, a legend on the streets of New Laven. With her, Red embarked on many adventures, including piracy and theft.
Skovron’s characters are crude and unpolished, each of them a reflection of their surroundings. His is a violent world, the law of the slum being that the most dangerous criminal rules. I loved the grimy feel of his prose, all the filth and the dialect his characters spoke. Hope and Red don’t even meet until well into the book, but there are plenty other characters to discover until then. The book is fairly long, even for fantasy, but with so many tightly packed adventures and a wicked, dirty sense of humor, Skovron leaves us little time to breathe.
Skovron carefully threads messages about gender equality into his story. Women’s rights have clearly been at the forefront of his mind while he was writing it. Hope and Red is a subtle and entertaining feminist manifesto with a diverse cast of characters and the first (I think) kickass transgender character in fantasy. Although the values were expressed clearly and were essential to this story, they were woven so skillfully and cleverly that they never took over or overshadowed the plot.
There is nothing I would change in this book, not a single detail I wish had been done differently. Hope and Red is complex, funny and flawlessly written. The only downside is that I'd pretty much sell my soul for the next one.
Hope and Red is a bloody, filthy mess of sheer pirate awesomeness. The narration jumps back and forth between its two protagonists: a girl called Bleak Hope and a young highborn thief named Red. As the only survivor of a massacre committed by biomancers, Hope has known very little affection in her young life. She was trained against all rules to become a Vinchen warrior with her heart and mind set on honorable revenge. Red was also orphaned when his mother died from a horrible disease and his father succumbed to hard life and grief. Having nowhere to turn on the harsh streets, he was semi-adopted by Sally the Goat, a legend on the streets of New Laven. With her, Red embarked on many adventures, including piracy and theft.
Skovron’s characters are crude and unpolished, each of them a reflection of their surroundings. His is a violent world, the law of the slum being that the most dangerous criminal rules. I loved the grimy feel of his prose, all the filth and the dialect his characters spoke. Hope and Red don’t even meet until well into the book, but there are plenty other characters to discover until then. The book is fairly long, even for fantasy, but with so many tightly packed adventures and a wicked, dirty sense of humor, Skovron leaves us little time to breathe.
Skovron carefully threads messages about gender equality into his story. Women’s rights have clearly been at the forefront of his mind while he was writing it. Hope and Red is a subtle and entertaining feminist manifesto with a diverse cast of characters and the first (I think) kickass transgender character in fantasy. Although the values were expressed clearly and were essential to this story, they were woven so skillfully and cleverly that they never took over or overshadowed the plot.
There is nothing I would change in this book, not a single detail I wish had been done differently. Hope and Red is complex, funny and flawlessly written. The only downside is that I'd pretty much sell my soul for the next one.
July 7, 2016
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/07/07/...
Meet Hope. At the tender age of eight, she became the lone survivor of a massacre on her small southern fishing village after watching everyone she has ever known and loved die horribly in an experiment by the emperor’s biomancers. Rescued by a merchant ship, she was then taken in by the ancient order of Vinchen warriors and taught their ways by Hurlo, their grand master who went against his order’s rules and trained the girl in secret.
Meet Red. Not long after being orphaned and left alone in the slums of New Laven, he woke up one fateful day to find himself held captive aboard a ship alongside the infamous Sadie the Goat. Together, the two of them made their daring escape, and Sadie was so impressed by the boy’s talents that afterwards she named him her sidekick and protégé and the spot.
Under the tutelage of the female pirate/con-woman, Red grows up to become one of the greatest, most quick-fingered thieves in the criminal underworld. Hope, on the other hand, has dedicated her life to becoming an honorable and disciplined Vinchen warrior, dreaming of one day avenging her murdered village. Aside from losing their families at a young age, the two of them have very little in common. However, it appears that their separate paths have ultimately led them to a shared purpose and enemy, and it’s not long before we see Hope and Red joining forces for the biggest fight of their lives.
From the very start, I was completely taken by both Hope and Red. While the two of them don’t even meet until nearly halfway through the novel (and that’s when the fun really takes off) I nonetheless had a great time getting to know each of them on their own. The beginning of the book is mainly focused on their early lives, detailing the children’s experiences growing up with the respective mentors. To me, this section almost reads like an in-depth character study for both Hope and Red, delineating their qualities and showing how their personalities were shaped by the different ways they were raised. Characters are one the most important aspects of a story for me, so I was beyond pleased at such an intimate portrayal of our two protagonists.
Jon Skovron has also created a massive, fully-realized world filled with countless nations and cultures. We get to set sail with Hope to visit a great number of these locales after she departs from the Vinchen order and takes a bodyguard position on a ship’s crew. In the north is a different dynamic, where society may be more built up and urbanized, but it is not without its problems like abject poverty and the disparity in living conditions between the rich and the poor. Red has always found himself caught between two worlds, disowned by the upper class but also not fully accepted by his fellow street gangsters and wags. Despite introducing his readers to a large number of sights and sounds, people and places, maritime slangs and street lingo, I thought the author did a marvelous job uniting Hope and Red’s individual storylines into a tightly woven plot.
Speaking of which, there was never a dull moment. Mixing grit with light humor, the writing style was incredibly easy to get into, helped by the story’s smooth flow and quick pacing. As well, Skovron’s experience with writing in the Young Adult genre can be seen in some of the character actions and plot elements, giving Hope and Red some crossover appeal (albeit reader discretion is advised given the strong language and graphic violence).
Truly, the only criticism I have is the pacing in the last one hundred pages or so, where I felt the solution to Hope and Red’s dilemma was presented too neatly, and the book was also wrapped up too quickly. Compared to the intro, where our protagonists’ lives were so lovingly and painstakingly described in all their particulars, the ending felt somewhat scant and haphazard, almost like Skovron was in a rush to finish. Beyond this one gripe though, I can really find no other major faults.
If you prefer character-driven tales and world-building that gives you the full picture, then you should definitely check this out. Hope and Red is the perfect escape for fantasy fans looking for a fun, entertaining and action-packed adventure. I can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy.
Meet Hope. At the tender age of eight, she became the lone survivor of a massacre on her small southern fishing village after watching everyone she has ever known and loved die horribly in an experiment by the emperor’s biomancers. Rescued by a merchant ship, she was then taken in by the ancient order of Vinchen warriors and taught their ways by Hurlo, their grand master who went against his order’s rules and trained the girl in secret.
Meet Red. Not long after being orphaned and left alone in the slums of New Laven, he woke up one fateful day to find himself held captive aboard a ship alongside the infamous Sadie the Goat. Together, the two of them made their daring escape, and Sadie was so impressed by the boy’s talents that afterwards she named him her sidekick and protégé and the spot.
Under the tutelage of the female pirate/con-woman, Red grows up to become one of the greatest, most quick-fingered thieves in the criminal underworld. Hope, on the other hand, has dedicated her life to becoming an honorable and disciplined Vinchen warrior, dreaming of one day avenging her murdered village. Aside from losing their families at a young age, the two of them have very little in common. However, it appears that their separate paths have ultimately led them to a shared purpose and enemy, and it’s not long before we see Hope and Red joining forces for the biggest fight of their lives.
From the very start, I was completely taken by both Hope and Red. While the two of them don’t even meet until nearly halfway through the novel (and that’s when the fun really takes off) I nonetheless had a great time getting to know each of them on their own. The beginning of the book is mainly focused on their early lives, detailing the children’s experiences growing up with the respective mentors. To me, this section almost reads like an in-depth character study for both Hope and Red, delineating their qualities and showing how their personalities were shaped by the different ways they were raised. Characters are one the most important aspects of a story for me, so I was beyond pleased at such an intimate portrayal of our two protagonists.
Jon Skovron has also created a massive, fully-realized world filled with countless nations and cultures. We get to set sail with Hope to visit a great number of these locales after she departs from the Vinchen order and takes a bodyguard position on a ship’s crew. In the north is a different dynamic, where society may be more built up and urbanized, but it is not without its problems like abject poverty and the disparity in living conditions between the rich and the poor. Red has always found himself caught between two worlds, disowned by the upper class but also not fully accepted by his fellow street gangsters and wags. Despite introducing his readers to a large number of sights and sounds, people and places, maritime slangs and street lingo, I thought the author did a marvelous job uniting Hope and Red’s individual storylines into a tightly woven plot.
Speaking of which, there was never a dull moment. Mixing grit with light humor, the writing style was incredibly easy to get into, helped by the story’s smooth flow and quick pacing. As well, Skovron’s experience with writing in the Young Adult genre can be seen in some of the character actions and plot elements, giving Hope and Red some crossover appeal (albeit reader discretion is advised given the strong language and graphic violence).
Truly, the only criticism I have is the pacing in the last one hundred pages or so, where I felt the solution to Hope and Red’s dilemma was presented too neatly, and the book was also wrapped up too quickly. Compared to the intro, where our protagonists’ lives were so lovingly and painstakingly described in all their particulars, the ending felt somewhat scant and haphazard, almost like Skovron was in a rush to finish. Beyond this one gripe though, I can really find no other major faults.
If you prefer character-driven tales and world-building that gives you the full picture, then you should definitely check this out. Hope and Red is the perfect escape for fantasy fans looking for a fun, entertaining and action-packed adventure. I can’t wait to read the next book in the trilogy.
July 3, 2018
Ponen PRETTY WOMAN en la tele y, lo sabéis, os vais a quedar pegados a la pantalla como mínimo un ratito. Fijo, no mintáis.
En una peli si las (y los) protagonistas son guapas, bien vestidas, encantadoras, buenas y con diálogos ingeniosos lo vemos con más agrado (la mayoría) que si las escenas son duras, con gente desagradable o vulgar, con desgracias y desamor.
Lo mismo vale para los héroes/espadachines/mutantes de Marvel : son más atractivos si lo pueden todo o casi todo.
¿Qué es hacer trampas si metes todo lo positivo?¿Que el viaje iniciático del héroe está muy visto?¿Que los protas siempre tienen un pasado -o futuro- oculto de grandes poderes?¿Que los buenos son nobles y guapos, con principios y honor? Pues podemos decir que sí, que es hacer “trampas”…pero suele funcionar.
Y eso pasa en esta novela, Y funciona. Y te engancha y lees página tras página. Y te intriga qué pasará (aunque intuyes que PRETTY WOMAN ronda en el futuro).
En resumen, que si nos ponemos estupendos no aporta nada al género de la Fantasía…pero se lee de maravilla. Comienza el verano, hay que leer en la playa y con esta novelita de Fantasía aciertas casi fijo (si te va el género, claro)
En una peli si las (y los) protagonistas son guapas, bien vestidas, encantadoras, buenas y con diálogos ingeniosos lo vemos con más agrado (la mayoría) que si las escenas son duras, con gente desagradable o vulgar, con desgracias y desamor.
Lo mismo vale para los héroes/espadachines/mutantes de Marvel : son más atractivos si lo pueden todo o casi todo.
¿Qué es hacer trampas si metes todo lo positivo?¿Que el viaje iniciático del héroe está muy visto?¿Que los protas siempre tienen un pasado -o futuro- oculto de grandes poderes?¿Que los buenos son nobles y guapos, con principios y honor? Pues podemos decir que sí, que es hacer “trampas”…pero suele funcionar.
Y eso pasa en esta novela, Y funciona. Y te engancha y lees página tras página. Y te intriga qué pasará (aunque intuyes que PRETTY WOMAN ronda en el futuro).
En resumen, que si nos ponemos estupendos no aporta nada al género de la Fantasía…pero se lee de maravilla. Comienza el verano, hay que leer en la playa y con esta novelita de Fantasía aciertas casi fijo (si te va el género, claro)
April 13, 2017
Really enjoyed this. It starts out as a fairly familiar story of 2 orphans raised in very different circumstances and destined to meet eventually. I enjoyed the salty language of the coastal regions and some of the vocabulary used: Lacies, imps, angel slice, wags. It's these kind of details that bring a world to life.
Relationships between the characters are well developed and the story is character-led which is always my preference. But what makes this world and story stand out are the biomancers and their dark powers, some of which are pretty gruesome. The story is well set up for the next instalment which I will definitely be reading. Recommended.
Relationships between the characters are well developed and the story is character-led which is always my preference. But what makes this world and story stand out are the biomancers and their dark powers, some of which are pretty gruesome. The story is well set up for the next instalment which I will definitely be reading. Recommended.
October 25, 2023
Mi reseña podría ser perfectamente que os leáis la de Xabi y su "comparación" con Pretty Woman. Acertada todo sea dicho.
Una chica sin nombre es la única superviviente después de que su aldea fuera destruida por los biomantes, los sirvientes místicos del emperador. Bautizada con el nombre de la aldea desaparecida, Hope será entrenada en secreto por un maestro guerrero Vinchen para buscar venganza.
En las sórdidas calles de Nueva Laven, un chico queda huérfano después de que las drogas y la enfermedad se lleven la vida de sus padres. Una de las mujeres con peor fama del mundo criminal lo adoptará. Ella le pondrá el nombre de Red y le enseñará a ser un ladrón y un estafador.
Trama normal que todavía empieza a florecer en este libro, sencilla pero buenos personajes y sobretodo muy fácil y ágil de leer. Engancha.
Las vidas de Hope y Red se cruzarán en esta historia de aventuras y venganza, y su increíble alianza los llevará más allá de lo que hubieran podido imaginar.
Desde el principio tanto Hope como Red me gustaron por completo. Quise seguirlos.
Los personajes de Skovron son toscos y pulidos a su manera, cada uno de ellos un reflejo de su forma de ser pero sobretodo de todo lo que les rodea.
Es un mundo violento donde la ley la escriben los más peligrosos y cabrones.
Me gustó la sensación cruda y dura de su prosa, toda la suciedad y el estilo de sus personajes. Esperaba algo más suave y no, no..
El libro es largo pero con tantas aventuras y cosas que suceden con un sentido del humor perverso y sucio. Inicio de una prometedora saga.
Las relaciones entre los personajes están bien desarrolladas y la historia está basada en los personajes. Estos la mueven.
Lo que hace que este mundo cruel con un worldbuilding muy trabajado y esta historia destaquen son los biomantes, fue lo que me trajo a esta saga además de nuestro estimado Xabi. Gracias maestro..🍺
El camino se vuelve aún más intenso para la próxima entrega que definitivamente leeré.
Aunque tengo la "manía" de que pasen meses. Tengo 3 sagas abiertas desde hace meses, se me cuelan las prioridades que da gusto y pena.
Bien escrito, engancha y atrapa a buen ritmo que sólo pierde de cara al final en el que pierde algo de fuelle pero deja con ganas de más.
Historia con grandes ideas y bien llevadas en un inicio de saga de lo más prometedor..✍️🎩
Una chica sin nombre es la única superviviente después de que su aldea fuera destruida por los biomantes, los sirvientes místicos del emperador. Bautizada con el nombre de la aldea desaparecida, Hope será entrenada en secreto por un maestro guerrero Vinchen para buscar venganza.
En las sórdidas calles de Nueva Laven, un chico queda huérfano después de que las drogas y la enfermedad se lleven la vida de sus padres. Una de las mujeres con peor fama del mundo criminal lo adoptará. Ella le pondrá el nombre de Red y le enseñará a ser un ladrón y un estafador.
Trama normal que todavía empieza a florecer en este libro, sencilla pero buenos personajes y sobretodo muy fácil y ágil de leer. Engancha.
Las vidas de Hope y Red se cruzarán en esta historia de aventuras y venganza, y su increíble alianza los llevará más allá de lo que hubieran podido imaginar.
Desde el principio tanto Hope como Red me gustaron por completo. Quise seguirlos.
Los personajes de Skovron son toscos y pulidos a su manera, cada uno de ellos un reflejo de su forma de ser pero sobretodo de todo lo que les rodea.
Es un mundo violento donde la ley la escriben los más peligrosos y cabrones.
Me gustó la sensación cruda y dura de su prosa, toda la suciedad y el estilo de sus personajes. Esperaba algo más suave y no, no..
El libro es largo pero con tantas aventuras y cosas que suceden con un sentido del humor perverso y sucio. Inicio de una prometedora saga.
Las relaciones entre los personajes están bien desarrolladas y la historia está basada en los personajes. Estos la mueven.
Lo que hace que este mundo cruel con un worldbuilding muy trabajado y esta historia destaquen son los biomantes, fue lo que me trajo a esta saga además de nuestro estimado Xabi. Gracias maestro..🍺
El camino se vuelve aún más intenso para la próxima entrega que definitivamente leeré.
Aunque tengo la "manía" de que pasen meses. Tengo 3 sagas abiertas desde hace meses, se me cuelan las prioridades que da gusto y pena.
Bien escrito, engancha y atrapa a buen ritmo que sólo pierde de cara al final en el que pierde algo de fuelle pero deja con ganas de más.
Historia con grandes ideas y bien llevadas en un inicio de saga de lo más prometedor..✍️🎩
September 13, 2016
The short version: Hope And Red is the most fun book I’ve read in 2016 and one of the first I will recommend to people, from now on, who ask for a book similar to that of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series or Brent Weeks’s Night Angel trilogy.
Are you missing the world of Brent Weeks’s Night Angel Trilogy? Were you distraught upon hearing that Scott Lynch wouldn’t be releasing his forth Gentleman Bastards novel this year? Well, worry not because I have just the book for you, my friends!
An 8 year old girl has no choice but to watch her entire village get massacred by biomancers – dark, mysterious mages who can alter the biology of a living being. Peeping from the shadows, the girl sees the only people she has ever known forced to endure a fate worse that death. We can only guess whether this experience birthed something into the girl or whether it was already there, but when a ship comes across her alone on the island a few weeks later, the captain can’t help but notice an eery darkness to her. Because a ship is no place for a young girl, the captain drops her at a monastery. That monastery turns out to belong to the Vinchen warriors, an order of elite male fighters whose skills are worth at least 10 of any other soldier. The problem is, they’ve grown up valuing only strength and masculinity and the girl ends up treated as a servant and someone to bully. Taking pity on her or perhaps sensing what lies beneath the surface, a renowned Master takes it upon himself to train the girl, now named Bleak Hope (or Hope, for short), in secret. Hope quickly takes to everything that is taught to her, spurred on by the desire to enact revenge on the mystical biomancers who killed everyone she ever loved…
In a different corner of the world, Red – a nickname given to him due to his Red Eyes, the result of his mother’s drug addiction during pregnancy – is enjoying life as one of the middle-ranking men in the criminal underworld: Paradise Circle. Very much like Locke Lamora, Red has made himself relatively wealthy by his natural ability to charm, con or thieve whatever it is he needs from someone. The problem Red has is that he is incredibly ambitious and has promised himself that one day he will become the Circle’s finest thief. To do that, however, he needs to steal from those who have the most money and, therefore, the highest status and security in the area; something that’s very difficult to do without attracting attention. Things get easier, but more complicated, for Red when a beautiful, incredibly combat-abled woman named Nettles arrives (yep: another one!). With her chained weapon, she is able to protect Red and help him force his way past any kind of guard. The complicated bit? Well, naturally, Red quickly falls for her and she’s not the kind of girl who wants anything more than a ‘toss’ from time to time.
The worldbuilding really is brilliant throughout. Although we don’t spend a great deal of time at the Vinchen monastery, the time we do spend there feels very claustrophobic and dangerous. We worry for Hope and what could happen to her, but enjoy every moment of her strengthening. What Skovron really needs to be applauded for though is the creation of Paradise Circle, where we spend most of our time. Whether we’re visiting a rundown bar with a terrifying bouncer who takes the ears of any who misbehave, trekking through secret tunnels to escape a gang, or experiencing the amusing (often vulgar) language, this really does that Oliver Twist kind of setting that is just fun to hang around in. Something else I found very interesting about Paradise Circle was the contrast between its treatment of women compared to that of the outside world. Women enjoy equal or even elevated status in Paradise Circle, whether pirate captains, mystics, warriors, bouncers, etc – you’d not mess with them. Outside of the Circle, women are suppressed and kept from wielding any kind of power.
Although the blurb does it, I don’t want to go too deep into how Red and Hope’s paths collide. It doesn’t happen until a significant way through the book and I’m somewhat surprised that the Goodreads / Amazon descriptions tell you what it is that brings them together and how – I thought the build up and eventual reveal was very well executed by the author and it seems a shame to give away such a huge part of the story. Certainly, I’d advise you to just pick up the book and start reading (after finishing this review, of course!).
Where I’d say this book stands out above The Lies of Locke Lamora is with its supporting cast. Whereas TLoLL was very much about Locke and Jean, especially from book 2 onwards, Hope And Red has an array of characters you will enjoy getting to know. Perhaps my favourite is Sadie The Goat (who is not a goat, btw). She is probably the most foul mouthed character I have ever met in a Fantasy novel (and I’ve met some vile characters!), but despite her liberal use of the C word (yes – that one!) and willingness to go through anyone who gets in her way, she has a real love for Red and a sense of honour for anyone who stands by her. This code of ‘honour’ is a really strong theme within the book and brings me nicely onto my next point….
Whilst Hope And Red is not a Young Adult novel, the fact that Jon Skovron has written in this genre adds a number of important strengths to the book. Sadly, a lot of people see Young Adult as a lesser genre, but as Sebastien De Castell recently said on a Nine Worlds panel, Young Adult novels contain some of our genre’s very best works. What tends to be very strong in Young Adult novels are the relationships between friends. They are pure, strong and typically the most important things in our characters’ worlds. Yes, the characters of Abercrombie’s First Law world have a relationship, yes Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle characters fall in and out of love with each other, but it doesn’t match-up to the almost magical bond between children and young adults. The love, care, respect and awe that all of Jon Skovron’s characters have for one another is truly beautiful and it is what takes this novel from being flat out fun to something deeper and more meaningful. As much as I will remember the characters: Red, Hope, Nettles, Filler, Alash, Missing Finn and Sadie, it is the interaction and growth of their relationships that will stick in my mind.
I’m going on a bit of a tangent here, so feel free to skip this paragraph, but what I feel makes this novel ‘not a YA’ is that the characters don’t experience much ‘for the first time’. The majority of YA novels tend to deal with emotions and experiences that are occurring within the individual for the first time and they are having to come up with ways to deal with them. The first time a character gets into a big fight, a character going from being a student to a special agent who investigates the supernatural, falling in love or being besotted for the very first time. Although Hope And Red does deal with love and sex in that kind of manner, the book’s focus is on the characters using their already perfected skills of thievery (Red) and violence (Hope and Nettles) to accomplish their individual goals. Oh… and whereas I don’t feel YA has to limit sex, swearing or violence necessarily, even I have to admit there’s probably too much of it for Hope And Red to find its way onto a YA shelf.
Finally, I’d like to comment on the action. I’m often asked to recommend a book full of fight scenes and it’s hard to name many that feature the kind of comic book / computer game action scenes that I think some people are looking for. Sure, I can point to realistic battles and good depictions of medieval style duels, but if you’re looking for KickAss style violence with people really going at each other with throwing knifes, chain blades and Samurai swords then it’s difficult to find in modern novels, where realism is generally praised and seen as the way to go. Hope And Red is full of the aforementioned though. Hope is a master with a Samurai Blade – literally the most deadly person you could ever meet; Red is handy with a throwing blade; and Nettles is happy to go hand to hand or sling a chain blade into your gut.
Hope And Red is the most fun I’ve had with a novel this year and it could very well end up being the best book I read in 2016 – period. So few books are able to balance the gritty and the deep, and even those that do don’t do it in the same way that Skovron does. Action, Violence, Vulgar Language and yet moving relationships and a captivating world that you won’t want to leave. If book 2 was out, I’d read it right now (heck, if book 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 were out I’d read them now too!).
Are you missing the world of Brent Weeks’s Night Angel Trilogy? Were you distraught upon hearing that Scott Lynch wouldn’t be releasing his forth Gentleman Bastards novel this year? Well, worry not because I have just the book for you, my friends!
An 8 year old girl has no choice but to watch her entire village get massacred by biomancers – dark, mysterious mages who can alter the biology of a living being. Peeping from the shadows, the girl sees the only people she has ever known forced to endure a fate worse that death. We can only guess whether this experience birthed something into the girl or whether it was already there, but when a ship comes across her alone on the island a few weeks later, the captain can’t help but notice an eery darkness to her. Because a ship is no place for a young girl, the captain drops her at a monastery. That monastery turns out to belong to the Vinchen warriors, an order of elite male fighters whose skills are worth at least 10 of any other soldier. The problem is, they’ve grown up valuing only strength and masculinity and the girl ends up treated as a servant and someone to bully. Taking pity on her or perhaps sensing what lies beneath the surface, a renowned Master takes it upon himself to train the girl, now named Bleak Hope (or Hope, for short), in secret. Hope quickly takes to everything that is taught to her, spurred on by the desire to enact revenge on the mystical biomancers who killed everyone she ever loved…
In a different corner of the world, Red – a nickname given to him due to his Red Eyes, the result of his mother’s drug addiction during pregnancy – is enjoying life as one of the middle-ranking men in the criminal underworld: Paradise Circle. Very much like Locke Lamora, Red has made himself relatively wealthy by his natural ability to charm, con or thieve whatever it is he needs from someone. The problem Red has is that he is incredibly ambitious and has promised himself that one day he will become the Circle’s finest thief. To do that, however, he needs to steal from those who have the most money and, therefore, the highest status and security in the area; something that’s very difficult to do without attracting attention. Things get easier, but more complicated, for Red when a beautiful, incredibly combat-abled woman named Nettles arrives (yep: another one!). With her chained weapon, she is able to protect Red and help him force his way past any kind of guard. The complicated bit? Well, naturally, Red quickly falls for her and she’s not the kind of girl who wants anything more than a ‘toss’ from time to time.
The worldbuilding really is brilliant throughout. Although we don’t spend a great deal of time at the Vinchen monastery, the time we do spend there feels very claustrophobic and dangerous. We worry for Hope and what could happen to her, but enjoy every moment of her strengthening. What Skovron really needs to be applauded for though is the creation of Paradise Circle, where we spend most of our time. Whether we’re visiting a rundown bar with a terrifying bouncer who takes the ears of any who misbehave, trekking through secret tunnels to escape a gang, or experiencing the amusing (often vulgar) language, this really does that Oliver Twist kind of setting that is just fun to hang around in. Something else I found very interesting about Paradise Circle was the contrast between its treatment of women compared to that of the outside world. Women enjoy equal or even elevated status in Paradise Circle, whether pirate captains, mystics, warriors, bouncers, etc – you’d not mess with them. Outside of the Circle, women are suppressed and kept from wielding any kind of power.
Although the blurb does it, I don’t want to go too deep into how Red and Hope’s paths collide. It doesn’t happen until a significant way through the book and I’m somewhat surprised that the Goodreads / Amazon descriptions tell you what it is that brings them together and how – I thought the build up and eventual reveal was very well executed by the author and it seems a shame to give away such a huge part of the story. Certainly, I’d advise you to just pick up the book and start reading (after finishing this review, of course!).
Where I’d say this book stands out above The Lies of Locke Lamora is with its supporting cast. Whereas TLoLL was very much about Locke and Jean, especially from book 2 onwards, Hope And Red has an array of characters you will enjoy getting to know. Perhaps my favourite is Sadie The Goat (who is not a goat, btw). She is probably the most foul mouthed character I have ever met in a Fantasy novel (and I’ve met some vile characters!), but despite her liberal use of the C word (yes – that one!) and willingness to go through anyone who gets in her way, she has a real love for Red and a sense of honour for anyone who stands by her. This code of ‘honour’ is a really strong theme within the book and brings me nicely onto my next point….
Whilst Hope And Red is not a Young Adult novel, the fact that Jon Skovron has written in this genre adds a number of important strengths to the book. Sadly, a lot of people see Young Adult as a lesser genre, but as Sebastien De Castell recently said on a Nine Worlds panel, Young Adult novels contain some of our genre’s very best works. What tends to be very strong in Young Adult novels are the relationships between friends. They are pure, strong and typically the most important things in our characters’ worlds. Yes, the characters of Abercrombie’s First Law world have a relationship, yes Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle characters fall in and out of love with each other, but it doesn’t match-up to the almost magical bond between children and young adults. The love, care, respect and awe that all of Jon Skovron’s characters have for one another is truly beautiful and it is what takes this novel from being flat out fun to something deeper and more meaningful. As much as I will remember the characters: Red, Hope, Nettles, Filler, Alash, Missing Finn and Sadie, it is the interaction and growth of their relationships that will stick in my mind.
I’m going on a bit of a tangent here, so feel free to skip this paragraph, but what I feel makes this novel ‘not a YA’ is that the characters don’t experience much ‘for the first time’. The majority of YA novels tend to deal with emotions and experiences that are occurring within the individual for the first time and they are having to come up with ways to deal with them. The first time a character gets into a big fight, a character going from being a student to a special agent who investigates the supernatural, falling in love or being besotted for the very first time. Although Hope And Red does deal with love and sex in that kind of manner, the book’s focus is on the characters using their already perfected skills of thievery (Red) and violence (Hope and Nettles) to accomplish their individual goals. Oh… and whereas I don’t feel YA has to limit sex, swearing or violence necessarily, even I have to admit there’s probably too much of it for Hope And Red to find its way onto a YA shelf.
Finally, I’d like to comment on the action. I’m often asked to recommend a book full of fight scenes and it’s hard to name many that feature the kind of comic book / computer game action scenes that I think some people are looking for. Sure, I can point to realistic battles and good depictions of medieval style duels, but if you’re looking for KickAss style violence with people really going at each other with throwing knifes, chain blades and Samurai swords then it’s difficult to find in modern novels, where realism is generally praised and seen as the way to go. Hope And Red is full of the aforementioned though. Hope is a master with a Samurai Blade – literally the most deadly person you could ever meet; Red is handy with a throwing blade; and Nettles is happy to go hand to hand or sling a chain blade into your gut.
Hope And Red is the most fun I’ve had with a novel this year and it could very well end up being the best book I read in 2016 – period. So few books are able to balance the gritty and the deep, and even those that do don’t do it in the same way that Skovron does. Action, Violence, Vulgar Language and yet moving relationships and a captivating world that you won’t want to leave. If book 2 was out, I’d read it right now (heck, if book 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 were out I’d read them now too!).
July 9, 2016
I'm SO GLAD I have finally found a book I really liked this month! This is a new release and I have to say I am so happy I picked this up, becuase it has ended the spree of not-so-great books I've recently been reading.
This book is by an author I'd not yet read, although it's not a debut. I believe Skovron has written some YA books before, but this was his first foray into adult Fantasy, and I think it worked out (although you can certainly see that there are some YA troupes here)! This is kind of a cross between Pirates and Sword & Sorcery. It's definitely a book which I found super quick to get through, super easy to read, and one which kept me engaged throughout.
In the story we follow two main characters (later three) called Hope and Red. Hope is a young orphan we meet at the start just after her whole island and family have been slaughtered and she's left by pure chance, alone but alive. Hope joins a crew and sails to a monastery where she learns a lot more than just housework.
Red is another orphan child who is raised in a well off part of town, but when his family falls apart and gets sick and he's left alone he moves to the less desirable sections of town and sets up his new life there.
The third character we meet later on is called Brigga Linn and this character is definitely one of the more interesting ones in terms of magic. Brigga Linn is a Biomancer and has extraordinary powers, but when Brigga Linn decides to share the knowledge with the council the results are not what Brigga Linn wanted!
The story worked so well for me here becuase it's fun. There are some truly brutal moments, but there are also some really amusing moments and many of these are combined to make it an easy, bloody read. The pacing is fast and we do see the main two characters as young children and then young adults with some shifts in time happening so we skip over the stereotypical 'training' sequences. I really appreciated these shifts in time as it meant that the action got going a lot quicker and it was easy to enjoy.
One other element which I liked is that the book uses a lot of slang words and many of them were old english phrases which I just enjoyed a lot. There's a lot of crude language within this one, becuase many of the characters grew up in the slums, but that just added to the feisty charm for me and I liked that. 4*s from me, and I will for sure continue this series when book #2 is out! Recommended :)
This book is by an author I'd not yet read, although it's not a debut. I believe Skovron has written some YA books before, but this was his first foray into adult Fantasy, and I think it worked out (although you can certainly see that there are some YA troupes here)! This is kind of a cross between Pirates and Sword & Sorcery. It's definitely a book which I found super quick to get through, super easy to read, and one which kept me engaged throughout.
In the story we follow two main characters (later three) called Hope and Red. Hope is a young orphan we meet at the start just after her whole island and family have been slaughtered and she's left by pure chance, alone but alive. Hope joins a crew and sails to a monastery where she learns a lot more than just housework.
Red is another orphan child who is raised in a well off part of town, but when his family falls apart and gets sick and he's left alone he moves to the less desirable sections of town and sets up his new life there.
The third character we meet later on is called Brigga Linn and this character is definitely one of the more interesting ones in terms of magic. Brigga Linn is a Biomancer and has extraordinary powers, but when Brigga Linn decides to share the knowledge with the council the results are not what Brigga Linn wanted!
The story worked so well for me here becuase it's fun. There are some truly brutal moments, but there are also some really amusing moments and many of these are combined to make it an easy, bloody read. The pacing is fast and we do see the main two characters as young children and then young adults with some shifts in time happening so we skip over the stereotypical 'training' sequences. I really appreciated these shifts in time as it meant that the action got going a lot quicker and it was easy to enjoy.
One other element which I liked is that the book uses a lot of slang words and many of them were old english phrases which I just enjoyed a lot. There's a lot of crude language within this one, becuase many of the characters grew up in the slums, but that just added to the feisty charm for me and I liked that. 4*s from me, and I will for sure continue this series when book #2 is out! Recommended :)
April 2, 2017
A steampunk setting on the wrong side of the tracks combining social elements of both England and the Far East along with a little D&D thrown in for good measure. I think you could consider this book dark but I'd consider it more gritty. I loved the circle and all it's toughs, the evil biomancers, Hope the blond clandestinely trained ninja and Red the uptown born thief of the circle. In some ways Hope and Red reminded me of Apsalar and Krokus.
I love it and will definitely be continuing the series.
I love it and will definitely be continuing the series.
April 19, 2017
I had so much fun with this book - simple yet rich of details and feelings. Hope and Red are awesome characters to fall in love with.
The setting is interesting, I love the extensive use of necromancers (biomancers) which felt extremely refreshing (possibly because I have not been reading of necromancers in quite some time).
There is a ton of mystery still around the world itself and how the characters are going to develop and work with each other.
Also, I love the fact that the audiobook is read by the author himself. It is just priceless!
The setting is interesting, I love the extensive use of necromancers (biomancers) which felt extremely refreshing (possibly because I have not been reading of necromancers in quite some time).
There is a ton of mystery still around the world itself and how the characters are going to develop and work with each other.
Also, I love the fact that the audiobook is read by the author himself. It is just priceless!
June 17, 2016
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2016/0...
Hope and Red could be the fun read you are looking for, especially if you love stories about thieves and vengeance, and warrior women. The two main characters are in quite different settings, each with intriguing elements. The story follows these two characters whose lives are both shattered from what they knew when they were young. Their paths after their tragedies are very different, yet similar in some ways. Here is the thing about this book. It is full of familiarity and predictability. These are not necessarily bad, depending on what you are looking for. I mean, there is a reason certain elements become familiar and predictable. It’s because generally, people enjoy them! If you are craving an easy, fun read with adventure and ups and downs, this could be good.
I am always a sucker for stories of women who break the normal gender barriers. So, for this, I love that Hope is being trained to be a Vinchen warrior. This training is not easy, and she is certainly not accepted among the men of the order. But she powers through with dedication and becomes a fierce warrior. She becomes proof that, given the chance, there are some women who can accomplish the same levels (or greater) as men. Hope faces some interesting dilemmas as she is so driven by vengeance, she has to at some point evaluate that. At what point does vengeance cost you more than it will gain?
Now, another thing that I noticed was Hope’s inconsistent adherence to a code of honor that she followed as part of her warrior training. This is a hard one to explain without an example, but I usually try to not go into too many concrete details in my reviews. So, while I don’t really think this is a major spoiler, I will put it in spoiler tags just in case. View Spoiler » Maybe there are just some nuances to the warrior code that differentiates these scenarios and I just missed it.
Honestly, while the books characters go by “Hope” and “Red” they are really “Mary Sue” and “Gary Stu”. These two characters accomplish amazing things through the greatest odds. Really, its kind of unbelievable what they can do, but I think that is also the point. This is a fantastical tale of two characters that are in many ways larger than life. This is one of those things that can come down to reader preference, because sometimes it is just plain fun reading about a character doing the impossible and somehow always managing to come out on top. There’s a reason why you see that in books, it can be very fun! I think it is just better to know upfront, because I know that I, personally, have to be in the mood for that when I pick up a book.
I found Red to be a very likable character. He did not grow up in the rough part of town he lives in now, and had a softer, kinder life for his first few years. This seemed to give him a little bit different perspective. But life can be unexpected, and he found himself a very unlikely mother figure. It was interesting seeing his determination to make a name for himself, and see his skill make it seem feasible. Like I said earlier, he is definitely a bit of a Gary Stu, but he is at least a fun Gary Stu. The kind I don’t mind inviting into my books.
And lastly, I don’t really want to make this a major point, but decided to bring it up. I am usually quite accepting of whatever lingo an author wants to use. I am far from easily offended or put off. But I have to be honest. The term “cunt-droppings” (which refers to foolish people) really started to annoy me. The first time, I confess, I actually chuckled a little. The second time I was ambivalent. But the third time I decided it irked me. And every instance of it after that bothered me more. I think part of it was I never liked the term “slice” that is used for women in this book. Its usually a derogatory term (depending on who is using it). That in and of itself is not the issue for me. I just didn’t like it because it felt a little too visually representative of the female genitalia. Maybe that is a short coming on part, but it is my honest reaction. So, pair that with referring to people as “cunt-droppings” (also a little too visual) and I just about had it. Maybe others won’t have these hang ups. I usually don’t, so I was surprised to struggle with these terms in this book.
Overall, this can be a fun read for the right reader. There is plenty of action and fun. I may have had a few issues, but I don’t think they will be universal problems for all readers. If it sounds interesting, I think it is worth giving a read.
Hope and Red could be the fun read you are looking for, especially if you love stories about thieves and vengeance, and warrior women. The two main characters are in quite different settings, each with intriguing elements. The story follows these two characters whose lives are both shattered from what they knew when they were young. Their paths after their tragedies are very different, yet similar in some ways. Here is the thing about this book. It is full of familiarity and predictability. These are not necessarily bad, depending on what you are looking for. I mean, there is a reason certain elements become familiar and predictable. It’s because generally, people enjoy them! If you are craving an easy, fun read with adventure and ups and downs, this could be good.
I am always a sucker for stories of women who break the normal gender barriers. So, for this, I love that Hope is being trained to be a Vinchen warrior. This training is not easy, and she is certainly not accepted among the men of the order. But she powers through with dedication and becomes a fierce warrior. She becomes proof that, given the chance, there are some women who can accomplish the same levels (or greater) as men. Hope faces some interesting dilemmas as she is so driven by vengeance, she has to at some point evaluate that. At what point does vengeance cost you more than it will gain?
Now, another thing that I noticed was Hope’s inconsistent adherence to a code of honor that she followed as part of her warrior training. This is a hard one to explain without an example, but I usually try to not go into too many concrete details in my reviews. So, while I don’t really think this is a major spoiler, I will put it in spoiler tags just in case. View Spoiler » Maybe there are just some nuances to the warrior code that differentiates these scenarios and I just missed it.
Honestly, while the books characters go by “Hope” and “Red” they are really “Mary Sue” and “Gary Stu”. These two characters accomplish amazing things through the greatest odds. Really, its kind of unbelievable what they can do, but I think that is also the point. This is a fantastical tale of two characters that are in many ways larger than life. This is one of those things that can come down to reader preference, because sometimes it is just plain fun reading about a character doing the impossible and somehow always managing to come out on top. There’s a reason why you see that in books, it can be very fun! I think it is just better to know upfront, because I know that I, personally, have to be in the mood for that when I pick up a book.
I found Red to be a very likable character. He did not grow up in the rough part of town he lives in now, and had a softer, kinder life for his first few years. This seemed to give him a little bit different perspective. But life can be unexpected, and he found himself a very unlikely mother figure. It was interesting seeing his determination to make a name for himself, and see his skill make it seem feasible. Like I said earlier, he is definitely a bit of a Gary Stu, but he is at least a fun Gary Stu. The kind I don’t mind inviting into my books.
And lastly, I don’t really want to make this a major point, but decided to bring it up. I am usually quite accepting of whatever lingo an author wants to use. I am far from easily offended or put off. But I have to be honest. The term “cunt-droppings” (which refers to foolish people) really started to annoy me. The first time, I confess, I actually chuckled a little. The second time I was ambivalent. But the third time I decided it irked me. And every instance of it after that bothered me more. I think part of it was I never liked the term “slice” that is used for women in this book. Its usually a derogatory term (depending on who is using it). That in and of itself is not the issue for me. I just didn’t like it because it felt a little too visually representative of the female genitalia. Maybe that is a short coming on part, but it is my honest reaction. So, pair that with referring to people as “cunt-droppings” (also a little too visual) and I just about had it. Maybe others won’t have these hang ups. I usually don’t, so I was surprised to struggle with these terms in this book.
Overall, this can be a fun read for the right reader. There is plenty of action and fun. I may have had a few issues, but I don’t think they will be universal problems for all readers. If it sounds interesting, I think it is worth giving a read.
December 2, 2017
4.5 stars, loved it. It was funny, great premise and storyline and really enjoyed the characters
November 18, 2019
yeah pretty good, i liked the characters, i liked the storyline, i liked the language and the setting. key word: liked. i didn't love anything, but i definitely liked the story and thought that it accurately depicted the struggles of that annoying area between right and wrong. good, entertaining material!
February 7, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyable fantasy with a woman trained by a master warrior and seeking vengeance for the horrible deaths of her family and a gifted rogue destined for much more than his humble surroundings.
The village of Bleak Hope is destroyed in a horrible experiment by biomancers leaving only an eight year old girl as a survivor. Traumatized by the experience she can't even remember her name so that the sailors who find her call her by the name of her village. By chance she is raised by the Vinchen Order, a monastery of warrior monks, one of whom takes it upon himself to break the law of his order and train her.
At the same age the son of an drug-addicted artist and a prostitute becomes an orphan and is left to fend for himself in the Paradise Circle, a slum ruled by criminals where life is cheap and short. Fortunately he's taken under the wing of a gifted criminal who gives him the name Red because of the color of his eyes (due to the drug his mother was using). Red becomes a master thief with a network of friends that he comes to depend on.
When these two meet, it's explosive. Hope's drive and blunt force with Red's cunning and skill mean that there's very little that can stand against them, and neither have much love for the Empire of Storms or the biomancers that serve it.
While I really enjoyed this and will go on to the sequel, there are some issues here with tone. The ridiculous things Hope pulls off, and the clever and often dismissive banter throughout, inspire a feeling of light adventure that's completely at odds with the creeping horror of the antagonists and the overall darkness of life in the Empire of Storms. In that sense it really put me in mind of Nevernight, another book with young people in dire situations with horror and some truly impressive levels of swearing. The other book this put me in mind of was Six of Crows for many of the same reasons. This book probably wasn't quite as good as those two, but the fact I can draw reasonable comparisons to two of the best books I read last year probably says something.
The village of Bleak Hope is destroyed in a horrible experiment by biomancers leaving only an eight year old girl as a survivor. Traumatized by the experience she can't even remember her name so that the sailors who find her call her by the name of her village. By chance she is raised by the Vinchen Order, a monastery of warrior monks, one of whom takes it upon himself to break the law of his order and train her.
At the same age the son of an drug-addicted artist and a prostitute becomes an orphan and is left to fend for himself in the Paradise Circle, a slum ruled by criminals where life is cheap and short. Fortunately he's taken under the wing of a gifted criminal who gives him the name Red because of the color of his eyes (due to the drug his mother was using). Red becomes a master thief with a network of friends that he comes to depend on.
When these two meet, it's explosive. Hope's drive and blunt force with Red's cunning and skill mean that there's very little that can stand against them, and neither have much love for the Empire of Storms or the biomancers that serve it.
While I really enjoyed this and will go on to the sequel, there are some issues here with tone. The ridiculous things Hope pulls off, and the clever and often dismissive banter throughout, inspire a feeling of light adventure that's completely at odds with the creeping horror of the antagonists and the overall darkness of life in the Empire of Storms. In that sense it really put me in mind of Nevernight, another book with young people in dire situations with horror and some truly impressive levels of swearing. The other book this put me in mind of was Six of Crows for many of the same reasons. This book probably wasn't quite as good as those two, but the fact I can draw reasonable comparisons to two of the best books I read last year probably says something.
July 4, 2016
Bleak Hope is named after her village that was annihilated because of the Empire's biomancers. A legendary Vinchen warrior trains Hope in the Vinchen ways despite it being illegal to do so because she is a female. Rixdenteron is the son of a painter from a rich family and a male whore. He finds himself homeless when his parents die. He's taken in by a dangerous woman and renamed Red. Hope and Red come together to get vengeance on a ganglord and biomancers, but most specifically the biomancer who slaughtered Hope's village.
First I want to say I love warrior women. Perhaps it was because I watched a lot of Xena Warrior Princess as a child and she was the embodiment of a warrior. She battled gods and men alike and beat them down. That was absolutely what drew me to this book because who doesn't love a good warrior woman.
Hope and Red feels very much like a young adult novel. All the standard tropes apply. Special orphans and chance meetings with great people who almost inexplicably care for and train these youths. The YA fantasy mold is not broken or even bent here. So imagine the standard YA fantasy heroes and you have Hope and Red.
The chapters with Red were challenging for me from the beginning because of the massive amounts of slang used. Leaky, tom, mollie, slice, old pot, leeward, wag, and many other slang terms are squished into the lines in Red's chapters. There is a glossary, but after a little while it's unnecessary. That being said I wasn't overly fond of their slang.
The biomancers did present themselves as something unique from the rest of the story. These people use a mixture of magic and science to create living things from living things. Unfortunately rather than using criminals to further their research they use towns and villages for their experiments which is the crux of Hope's revenge tale. The biomancers are basically mad scientists that feel as if nothing is more important than their research. They seem to have the Emperor's permission to use seemingly whoever they wish to make new weapons to protect the Empire.
All in all Hope and Red was just an average YA fantasy book.
3 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First I want to say I love warrior women. Perhaps it was because I watched a lot of Xena Warrior Princess as a child and she was the embodiment of a warrior. She battled gods and men alike and beat them down. That was absolutely what drew me to this book because who doesn't love a good warrior woman.
Hope and Red feels very much like a young adult novel. All the standard tropes apply. Special orphans and chance meetings with great people who almost inexplicably care for and train these youths. The YA fantasy mold is not broken or even bent here. So imagine the standard YA fantasy heroes and you have Hope and Red.
The chapters with Red were challenging for me from the beginning because of the massive amounts of slang used. Leaky, tom, mollie, slice, old pot, leeward, wag, and many other slang terms are squished into the lines in Red's chapters. There is a glossary, but after a little while it's unnecessary. That being said I wasn't overly fond of their slang.
The biomancers did present themselves as something unique from the rest of the story. These people use a mixture of magic and science to create living things from living things. Unfortunately rather than using criminals to further their research they use towns and villages for their experiments which is the crux of Hope's revenge tale. The biomancers are basically mad scientists that feel as if nothing is more important than their research. They seem to have the Emperor's permission to use seemingly whoever they wish to make new weapons to protect the Empire.
All in all Hope and Red was just an average YA fantasy book.
3 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2016
(Actual rating: 3.6 stars)
NO SPOILER CAN BE FOUND IN THIS REVIEW BECAUSE I'M A CONSIDERATE BASTARD.
When it comes to Hope and Red I don't know what to say in this review. Before I read this book,I expected an awesome duo as protagonists. I expected to be blown away by this new fantasy book the same way that I was dumbfounded by Graceling and other YA fantasy books. I expected no romance between the MCs (okay, a little romance wouldn't hurt but not to the point that it would be the focal point of the story). I expected to have my heart get pumped by the adrenaline with this action packed book.
I expected a lot of things in life and I just realized sometimes, expectations would be fulfilled, sometimes they would fall short.
I like Hope and Red. I finished it without even a single thought of DNFing it crossing my mind and I have here the reasons why I think you should read this book.
1. Badass female who bent on vengeance is my weakness. (Guuurl, she slayed them all. The bloodier it gets in the story, the happier I get while reading it.)
2. The world building is pretty decent. I got the gist within the first two chapters and there's no info dump that usually makes me bored.
3. This book is so damn easy to read. There are some slang that the author uses but it's not something that confused me.
4. LOYALTY AWARD goes to some secondary characters that I won't name to avoid spoilers. Seriously, I love you dude.
5. No girl hate. Thank you Jon Skovron for avoiding that annoying cliche in your story.
But despite being entertained by the book, I still can't help but feel that it was lacking. This is the part where you have to forgive me for not being a decent reviewer because my English vocabulary sucks.
Take it this way. Other Young Adult fantasy book who is really good is like a giant 4 layered cake. You can easily take the splendor of it. It's big, the presentation is good and you can easily scrutinise every layer and every design.
The Hope and Red on the other hand is like having 4 one-layer cakes. It's good that you've got a lot of cakes but you can't appreciate the beauty of it the same way that you can appreciate a towering 4 layer cake.
The reason why I described this book like that is because there are some scenes in this book that has so much potential that wasn't expounded and instead was cut too short to give other scenes (that in my opinion could just be omitted) some space.
I noticed that in some YA fantasy books, there's either 2-3 highlights that the MC is preparing for. Either they're going to a battle, they're going to find a cure for someone who is sick or they're going to save some friend, that's going to be one of the highlights in the story and most of the time, the fewer the highlights, the better they can focus on it, the more we can learn about their character and all that shit.
But for book that has 400 pages, Hope and Red has so many things happening at once that I feel like this book alone could be turned into a series. At first I thought it's because this is a standalone (I found out it's going to be a trilogy) that's why I feel like a series has been crammed into one book and some things were cut too short for my liking.
Another thing that kinda bothers me, though not as much as the first one that I mentioned, is how convenient is everything for our MCs. Need a boat? Don't worry, here it is. Need someone that could save you from being outnumbered by some thugs?Yep, here's that person. Need a new set of clothes that can help you disguise? Here's a person that can help you.
I find it amusing that when it times to great need, the characters would just have to walk a few miles, talk to some people and voila! Here's the solution to your problem. It's funny. Really funny.
The last thing that kinda irks me is the way that the hero and the heroine is "sotted" with each other. It's really not a problem to some people but I was expecting a very platonic relationship that can still be badass and hilarious. I don't need every hero and heroine of the story to have a crush on each other.I want them to be friends and buddies!
Anyway, Hope and Red is still a decent read and I do hope you'll give this one a try. I want to know what you think. :)
August 17, 2019
2.5
Le tenía muchas ganas a esta lectura, tantas que cuando compré el libro lo dejé más de dos años y medio cogiendo polvo en la estantería. De verdad que me encantan los libros con asesinos, ladrones o pillos como protagonistas, pero con este libro no sé qué me ha pasado.
Una niña pequeña de las islas del sur ve como todo su pueblo es asesinado de forma brutal por un biomante siendo parte de un experimento. Ha sido la única superviviente y ha conseguido salir de su pueblo al meterse en un barco que atracó cerca de la costa. Otro niño, en Nueva Laven, se ha quedado huérfano y deberá sobrevivir en las calles y aprender a robar y mantenerse con vida. Mientras Hope crece dentro de una antigua orden de guerreros, los conocidos como Vinchen, Red tendrá la suerte de ser acogido por una de las mujeres más conocidas del mundo criminal: Sadie la cabra. Piratas, experimentos humanos, ladrones y asesinos de mezclan en esta historia de venganza.
Este libro prometía mucho. Me encantan los piratas, los asesinos, los ladrones y cualquier personaje bien creado de los bajos fondos. Sin embargo mi problema ha sido la narración de esta novela. El principio empieza genial, te deja con mucha intriga mientras te presenta el mundo y a los dos protagonistas, pero después lo único que me interesaba era ver el progreso de Hope. Hacia la mitad de la novela me desenganchó y tuve muchos muchos problemas para seguir con la lectura de la novela. Creo que lo más interesante fue el inicio y el final de la misma y el resto se me quedó un poco flojo y fui perdiendo el interés hasta que me forcé a mí misma a seguir con la lectura.
Los personajes me han gustado bastante, me gustó mucho encontrar tantas mujeres tan importantes y con tanta fuerza. Hope es mi personaje favorito de la novela con diferencia. Honorable, leal y siendo una gran guerrera demostrará su potencial día tras día a pesar de que en la orden de Vinchen no aceptan mujeres. Red me ha gustado a ratos. Me causa curiosidad sobre todo ahora después del final con todo lo que se podrá conocer de él. Y el resto de personajes me gustaron bastante. Ortigas fue maravillosa, al igual que Sadie a la que al final no puedes evitar cogerle cariño y al resto de pillos.
La historia está bien, lo que no he disfrutado es de gran parte de la novela por ser tremendamente aburrida o quizá también es porque yo esperaba algo completamente diferente y mi bloqueo lector tampoco ayuda. El final me deja con curiosidad, pero no sé si lanzarme a por el siguiente si será mi experiencia igual que con este primer libro.
Le tenía muchas ganas a esta lectura, tantas que cuando compré el libro lo dejé más de dos años y medio cogiendo polvo en la estantería. De verdad que me encantan los libros con asesinos, ladrones o pillos como protagonistas, pero con este libro no sé qué me ha pasado.
Una niña pequeña de las islas del sur ve como todo su pueblo es asesinado de forma brutal por un biomante siendo parte de un experimento. Ha sido la única superviviente y ha conseguido salir de su pueblo al meterse en un barco que atracó cerca de la costa. Otro niño, en Nueva Laven, se ha quedado huérfano y deberá sobrevivir en las calles y aprender a robar y mantenerse con vida. Mientras Hope crece dentro de una antigua orden de guerreros, los conocidos como Vinchen, Red tendrá la suerte de ser acogido por una de las mujeres más conocidas del mundo criminal: Sadie la cabra. Piratas, experimentos humanos, ladrones y asesinos de mezclan en esta historia de venganza.
Este libro prometía mucho. Me encantan los piratas, los asesinos, los ladrones y cualquier personaje bien creado de los bajos fondos. Sin embargo mi problema ha sido la narración de esta novela. El principio empieza genial, te deja con mucha intriga mientras te presenta el mundo y a los dos protagonistas, pero después lo único que me interesaba era ver el progreso de Hope. Hacia la mitad de la novela me desenganchó y tuve muchos muchos problemas para seguir con la lectura de la novela. Creo que lo más interesante fue el inicio y el final de la misma y el resto se me quedó un poco flojo y fui perdiendo el interés hasta que me forcé a mí misma a seguir con la lectura.
Los personajes me han gustado bastante, me gustó mucho encontrar tantas mujeres tan importantes y con tanta fuerza. Hope es mi personaje favorito de la novela con diferencia. Honorable, leal y siendo una gran guerrera demostrará su potencial día tras día a pesar de que en la orden de Vinchen no aceptan mujeres. Red me ha gustado a ratos. Me causa curiosidad sobre todo ahora después del final con todo lo que se podrá conocer de él. Y el resto de personajes me gustaron bastante. Ortigas fue maravillosa, al igual que Sadie a la que al final no puedes evitar cogerle cariño y al resto de pillos.
La historia está bien, lo que no he disfrutado es de gran parte de la novela por ser tremendamente aburrida o quizá también es porque yo esperaba algo completamente diferente y mi bloqueo lector tampoco ayuda. El final me deja con curiosidad, pero no sé si lanzarme a por el siguiente si será mi experiencia igual que con este primer libro.
January 5, 2017
3.5 stars. A page turner, but ultimately one that left me a bit unsure about what I had just read. There's something about the tone (the cursing, the slang) that doesn't quite match the story. I will more than likely read the next one as I am curious about where the story is going.
September 17, 2017
Definitiv eines meiner Jahreshighlights, wenn nicht gar ein neues Lieblingsbuch! 😍
Also, ich würde vorschlagen ihr bestellt das Buch nun bei Amazon und lasst es euch mit Prime liefern. Dann könnt ihr am nächsten Tag beginnen zu lesen. Nehmt euch den Tag am besten frei! 🤓
Es hat mich zerstört.
Und wieder zusammen gesetzt.
Ich habe gelacht.
Ich habe geweint.
Ich habe geliebt.
Ich habe die Geschichte von Red und Hope miterlebt und kann sie euch einfach nur ans Herz legen.
(Hab gleich erstmal den Autor angeschrieben und ihm gedankt für sein Werk 😂💙)
Also, ich würde vorschlagen ihr bestellt das Buch nun bei Amazon und lasst es euch mit Prime liefern. Dann könnt ihr am nächsten Tag beginnen zu lesen. Nehmt euch den Tag am besten frei! 🤓
Es hat mich zerstört.
Und wieder zusammen gesetzt.
Ich habe gelacht.
Ich habe geweint.
Ich habe geliebt.
Ich habe die Geschichte von Red und Hope miterlebt und kann sie euch einfach nur ans Herz legen.
(Hab gleich erstmal den Autor angeschrieben und ihm gedankt für sein Werk 😂💙)
January 17, 2019
Tatsächlich bin ich an dieses Buch mit einer gewissen Neugierde herangegangen. Der Untertitel klang vielversprechend, das Cover sah wahnsinnig gut aus und der Klappentext hat mich dann letzten Endes wirklich davon überzeugt, zu diesem Buch zu greifen.
Der Einstieg viel mir wahnsinnig leicht. Ich glaube, dass das meine größte Angst war, nachdem ich einige Bücher zuvor gelesen hatte, deren World Building ähnlich komplex und viel schwieriger zu verstehen war. Genau dies scheint der Autor hier vorbeugen zu wollen. Mit einer Raffinesse, die nur Skovron haben kann, führt er die beiden Protagonisten ein, ohne das der Leser den Eindruck hat, hier völlig Fremde vor sich zu haben. Er erschafft das Gefühl von alten Bekannten, ein Gefühl, dass man sich selbst in jedem Charakter irgendwie selbst von außen Betrachten kann und das fand ich wahnsinnig faszinierend. Ich meine gar nicht direkt: Identifikation, sondern es sind eher Wesenszüge, Gedanken, Taten, die einen an sich selbst erinnern. Es hat mich so manches mal wirklich nachdenklich gestimmt.
Was ruhig beginnt, entpuppt sich schnell als Einführung in die ganz gewaltigen Elemente, denn der Autor versteht es Fantasy mit Humor aber auch horrormäßigen Elementen ähnlich Jay Kristoff in Nevernight zu verknüpfen. Wenn ich eines schätze, dann diese ultra unpassenden Vergleiche an so manchen Stellen oder die Beschreibungen, bei denen man nicht weiß, ob man hingucken oder wegschauen will.
Auch diese Gradwanderung beherrscht der Autor wahnsinnig gut, was mich neben der Figurenausarbeitung echt überzeugen konnte und mich wirklich positiv überrascht hat. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass jemand auch nur ansatzweise ähnliche Gedanken mit Jay Kristoff teilen könnte. In Skovron habe ich wohl jemanden gefunden, den ich auf jeden Fall weiterhin verfolgen werde.
Als Leser tauchen wir immer tiefer in eine Welt voller Piraterie, Korruption und einem Imperium ein, das das Wort Macht groß zu schreiben scheint. Interessant finde ich hier, dass er dieser mittelalterlichen Welt einen Hauch vom 21. Jahrhundert gibt, indem gängige Klischees und ab und an auch simple Logiken verbastelt wurden, was der Geschichte aber wirklich keinen Abbruch getan hat, ganz im Gegenteil. Es sorgte mehr dafür, dass man sich als Leser in einer fremden Welt fast ein wenig wie zu Hause fühlte. Was ebenfalls dafür sorgte, dass gewisse Puzzleteile an die richtige Stelle rutschten und sich so immer mehr ein Bild der Symphonie zusammensetzte. Es löste eher dieses Gefühl von Vertrautheit aus, was ich in Büchern immer total toll finde, wenn man gängige Dinge einfach ein Mal komplett neu verknüpft erlebt.
Allerdings hatte ich trotz allem das Gefühl, gerade zu Beginn erst mal viel mehr wissen zu müssen, um wirklich vollends in die Geschichte einsteigen zu können. Gewisse Dinge erschlossen sich mir nicht direkt und manche Zusammenhänge wurden auch erst im Verlauf der Handlung wirklich erklärt, was meinen Lesefluss ein wenig gestört hat, jedem anderen aber direkt wieder gefallen kann, wenn der-/diejenige gerne miträstelt.
Fazit: Für mich war dies ein bildgewaltiges Abenteuer voller Spannung, Aktion und der richtigen Prise Tod.
Trotz des kleinen Mankos, dass ich nicht direkt warm mit der Geschichte geworden bin, weil mir einfach die Details in der Tiefe gefehlt haben (gar nicht mal aufgrund der Beschreibung, sondern eher aufgrund von Zusammenhängen und wieso gewisse Dinge jetzt passieren), hat mich die Story letzten Endes wirklich überzeugen können.
Der Einstieg viel mir wahnsinnig leicht. Ich glaube, dass das meine größte Angst war, nachdem ich einige Bücher zuvor gelesen hatte, deren World Building ähnlich komplex und viel schwieriger zu verstehen war. Genau dies scheint der Autor hier vorbeugen zu wollen. Mit einer Raffinesse, die nur Skovron haben kann, führt er die beiden Protagonisten ein, ohne das der Leser den Eindruck hat, hier völlig Fremde vor sich zu haben. Er erschafft das Gefühl von alten Bekannten, ein Gefühl, dass man sich selbst in jedem Charakter irgendwie selbst von außen Betrachten kann und das fand ich wahnsinnig faszinierend. Ich meine gar nicht direkt: Identifikation, sondern es sind eher Wesenszüge, Gedanken, Taten, die einen an sich selbst erinnern. Es hat mich so manches mal wirklich nachdenklich gestimmt.
Was ruhig beginnt, entpuppt sich schnell als Einführung in die ganz gewaltigen Elemente, denn der Autor versteht es Fantasy mit Humor aber auch horrormäßigen Elementen ähnlich Jay Kristoff in Nevernight zu verknüpfen. Wenn ich eines schätze, dann diese ultra unpassenden Vergleiche an so manchen Stellen oder die Beschreibungen, bei denen man nicht weiß, ob man hingucken oder wegschauen will.
Auch diese Gradwanderung beherrscht der Autor wahnsinnig gut, was mich neben der Figurenausarbeitung echt überzeugen konnte und mich wirklich positiv überrascht hat. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass jemand auch nur ansatzweise ähnliche Gedanken mit Jay Kristoff teilen könnte. In Skovron habe ich wohl jemanden gefunden, den ich auf jeden Fall weiterhin verfolgen werde.
Als Leser tauchen wir immer tiefer in eine Welt voller Piraterie, Korruption und einem Imperium ein, das das Wort Macht groß zu schreiben scheint. Interessant finde ich hier, dass er dieser mittelalterlichen Welt einen Hauch vom 21. Jahrhundert gibt, indem gängige Klischees und ab und an auch simple Logiken verbastelt wurden, was der Geschichte aber wirklich keinen Abbruch getan hat, ganz im Gegenteil. Es sorgte mehr dafür, dass man sich als Leser in einer fremden Welt fast ein wenig wie zu Hause fühlte. Was ebenfalls dafür sorgte, dass gewisse Puzzleteile an die richtige Stelle rutschten und sich so immer mehr ein Bild der Symphonie zusammensetzte. Es löste eher dieses Gefühl von Vertrautheit aus, was ich in Büchern immer total toll finde, wenn man gängige Dinge einfach ein Mal komplett neu verknüpft erlebt.
Allerdings hatte ich trotz allem das Gefühl, gerade zu Beginn erst mal viel mehr wissen zu müssen, um wirklich vollends in die Geschichte einsteigen zu können. Gewisse Dinge erschlossen sich mir nicht direkt und manche Zusammenhänge wurden auch erst im Verlauf der Handlung wirklich erklärt, was meinen Lesefluss ein wenig gestört hat, jedem anderen aber direkt wieder gefallen kann, wenn der-/diejenige gerne miträstelt.
Fazit: Für mich war dies ein bildgewaltiges Abenteuer voller Spannung, Aktion und der richtigen Prise Tod.
Trotz des kleinen Mankos, dass ich nicht direkt warm mit der Geschichte geworden bin, weil mir einfach die Details in der Tiefe gefehlt haben (gar nicht mal aufgrund der Beschreibung, sondern eher aufgrund von Zusammenhängen und wieso gewisse Dinge jetzt passieren), hat mich die Story letzten Endes wirklich überzeugen können.
February 12, 2022
This was a real fun, adventurous ride. Yes, Skovron used a fair amount of fantasy tropes and yes, there were definitely some aspects to this story that made it feel like I was reading a YA fantasy at certain times, but all these things never bugged me quite so much that it kept me from thoroughly enjoying this book.
I guess it helped that I was looking for a light read and it certainly pleased me that this story is predominantly character driven - too many times in fantasy stories we are served with cardboard characters that are clearly only put in place to serve a particular purpose or play a certain role (often for another character) and as a result fail to come across as real characters. I guess this was true for one or two of the characters in this book but overall, I had no trouble seeing this motley crew in my mind’s eye and I liked most of them plenty.
Another great thing about this book is that never at any one point did the plot drag or did I get bored. There simply isn't a dull moment on any given page. And I very much liked what Skovron did there at the end – causing me to want to read the next instalment in the series. No, I cannot be any less vague about it. Not unless you want to be spoiled. Suffice it to say that this book is a light but fun, adventurous read. Oh wait, I said that already.
I guess it helped that I was looking for a light read and it certainly pleased me that this story is predominantly character driven - too many times in fantasy stories we are served with cardboard characters that are clearly only put in place to serve a particular purpose or play a certain role (often for another character) and as a result fail to come across as real characters. I guess this was true for one or two of the characters in this book but overall, I had no trouble seeing this motley crew in my mind’s eye and I liked most of them plenty.
Another great thing about this book is that never at any one point did the plot drag or did I get bored. There simply isn't a dull moment on any given page. And I very much liked what Skovron did there at the end – causing me to want to read the next instalment in the series. No, I cannot be any less vague about it. Not unless you want to be spoiled. Suffice it to say that this book is a light but fun, adventurous read. Oh wait, I said that already.
June 13, 2023
Wow, that was really good - lightweight and fun. Why had I never heard of this book/series before?
This first entry in the trilogy follows the youth of our two MCs. Red's parents died when he was very young (single digits young), and had no other family willing to take him in. He winds up with the unfortunately named Sadie the Goat, who becomes a mother figure and teaches him to be a con artist. When Sadie wears out her welcome at the Paradise Circle thieves' guild, she takes up pirating. So begins Red's life on the water.
Far to the south, a ship of traders has finally arrived at Bleak Hope, the southernmost inhabited point on the continent. The ship only travels there twice a year, so it's been months since the crew was last there. After rowing ashore, they find the village destroyed and all the citizens burned. The crew rows back to the ship as fast as they can and discovers a little stowaway long after they've set sail. It's a little girl, starving and too traumatized to speak. The captain decides to call her Bleak Hope after her fishing village, so she will never forget. But having a female aboard is bad luck, so he takes the first opportunity to set her back on land: a monastery. Although the order is a men's only club, one elder takes pity on her and trains her as a warrior scholar.
Strangely, Red and Hope don't actually meet until the 40% mark, and in a book 544 pages long, that's a long wait. In spite of this strange choice by the author, the beginning of the story wasn't boring or wasted; we see each child growing up and learning their unique abilities. I particularly grew to love Red - his funny, open-hearted character shines through every page, even as he was executing a heist, charming a girl or trying out his new throwing knives on imperial thugs. Hope's character is more stiff and distant, and she didn't grow on me until she'd been around Red's scallywags a while. Even then, she never really loosens up all the way.
I look forward to reading Bane and Shadow soon. "Soon" is an optimistic term.
This first entry in the trilogy follows the youth of our two MCs. Red's parents died when he was very young (single digits young), and had no other family willing to take him in. He winds up with the unfortunately named Sadie the Goat, who becomes a mother figure and teaches him to be a con artist. When Sadie wears out her welcome at the Paradise Circle thieves' guild, she takes up pirating. So begins Red's life on the water.
Far to the south, a ship of traders has finally arrived at Bleak Hope, the southernmost inhabited point on the continent. The ship only travels there twice a year, so it's been months since the crew was last there. After rowing ashore, they find the village destroyed and all the citizens burned. The crew rows back to the ship as fast as they can and discovers a little stowaway long after they've set sail. It's a little girl, starving and too traumatized to speak. The captain decides to call her Bleak Hope after her fishing village, so she will never forget. But having a female aboard is bad luck, so he takes the first opportunity to set her back on land: a monastery. Although the order is a men's only club, one elder takes pity on her and trains her as a warrior scholar.
Strangely, Red and Hope don't actually meet until the 40% mark, and in a book 544 pages long, that's a long wait. In spite of this strange choice by the author, the beginning of the story wasn't boring or wasted; we see each child growing up and learning their unique abilities. I particularly grew to love Red - his funny, open-hearted character shines through every page, even as he was executing a heist, charming a girl or trying out his new throwing knives on imperial thugs. Hope's character is more stiff and distant, and she didn't grow on me until she'd been around Red's scallywags a while. Even then, she never really loosens up all the way.
I look forward to reading Bane and Shadow soon. "Soon" is an optimistic term.
May 17, 2019
I don't think I ever read a book like this before. I don't mean that in a good way nor in a bad way, it's just what it is.
I say that because this was one of the most adult books I read in terms of writing and world building yet the characters feel so YA!! I don't mean that they were immature, actually, sometimes they were even too mature if I can say that, what I mean is that things go easily and too conveniently their own ways without them even trying. For example, this what Hope goes thru in the beginning, her village is attacked she survives, she's lost in the sea and a captain rescues her, he takes her to a monastery where they teach the best warriors on the land were she's the student of the best teacher there who breaks ever rule bc the order is for men only.
Red goes thru something like that except that he's alone on the street at the age of 8 and some boys find him and help him, when he's older he teams up with a girl and out of nothing they become the best pirates on the sea.
So that's what I meant by them being YA, I loved the first chapters when we know how rough of a childhood they both had but after that too many "lucky" things happen for them. For every unfortunate situation they go thru there are 5 more so fortunate accidents that happen to them.
Halfway thru this I was about to give 4 stars and maybe more, but I said to myself the ending could ruin this so I'll wait and see. Tho I wouldn't say it ruined it, I absolutely wasn't satisfied with it and I can't spoil it but I'll say it was a very YA ending.
I have no problem with this book if it was completely YA, I would've loved it, but it was so weird to read one of the most disturbing scenes I ever read on one chapter and then the story goes on protecting and sheltering the two protagonists, it felt like wasted potential.
Other than that I have to say this has a good world building and a magic system so dark and twisted it will give me nightmares for days to come. The writing was really good and I really loved the relationship between these characters. The female characters in this book are one of the toughest ones I read about and in a world that gives them no chance they climbed all the way to the top. So if strong female characters is what you're looking for this book is for you.
I say that because this was one of the most adult books I read in terms of writing and world building yet the characters feel so YA!! I don't mean that they were immature, actually, sometimes they were even too mature if I can say that, what I mean is that things go easily and too conveniently their own ways without them even trying. For example, this what Hope goes thru in the beginning, her village is attacked she survives, she's lost in the sea and a captain rescues her, he takes her to a monastery where they teach the best warriors on the land were she's the student of the best teacher there who breaks ever rule bc the order is for men only.
Red goes thru something like that except that he's alone on the street at the age of 8 and some boys find him and help him, when he's older he teams up with a girl and out of nothing they become the best pirates on the sea.
So that's what I meant by them being YA, I loved the first chapters when we know how rough of a childhood they both had but after that too many "lucky" things happen for them. For every unfortunate situation they go thru there are 5 more so fortunate accidents that happen to them.
Halfway thru this I was about to give 4 stars and maybe more, but I said to myself the ending could ruin this so I'll wait and see. Tho I wouldn't say it ruined it, I absolutely wasn't satisfied with it and I can't spoil it but I'll say it was a very YA ending.
I have no problem with this book if it was completely YA, I would've loved it, but it was so weird to read one of the most disturbing scenes I ever read on one chapter and then the story goes on protecting and sheltering the two protagonists, it felt like wasted potential.
Other than that I have to say this has a good world building and a magic system so dark and twisted it will give me nightmares for days to come. The writing was really good and I really loved the relationship between these characters. The female characters in this book are one of the toughest ones I read about and in a world that gives them no chance they climbed all the way to the top. So if strong female characters is what you're looking for this book is for you.
July 23, 2018
Nada, el resumen es que no me llamó la atención y es una pena porque prometía.
Estamos ante una novela prototípica de fantasía épica con tintes oscuros. Podéis leer tranquilos, no la destriparé.
Una chica ve destrozada su vida, emprende un camino de superación y aprendizaje hasta convertirse en una heroína.
Un grupo de ladrones crea una hermandad para poder lucrarse y hacer frente a las injusticias que comete un estado opresor.
Ambos caminos se encuentran y…
La historia es por todos conocida y en cierto modo engancha, sobre todo la parte de la chica. Pero… lo siento, no me llegó. Salvo unos fragmentos concretos del entrenamiento de la protagonista, el inicio y el final, me aburrí leyéndola.
Quizás sea que ya me he leído muchas novelas con este estilo, quizás que no me sorprendió en ningún momento o quizás porque no llegué a conectar con buena parte de la trama; lo cierto es que no conseguí disfrutarla. Día a día cuando me tenía que poner a leerla acababa dejándola de lado hasta que me obligaba a hacerlo.
¿A caso entonces no la recomendaría?
Ni mucho menos. A quienes disfruten del género fantástico, con el camino del héroe, sin duda le gustará. Los personajes molan mucho, en especial la protagonista,, y el grupo de ladrones está muy currado. Además como ya he dicho el inicio y la parte final enganchan.
He visto que hay una segunda parte y creo que será una trilogía. Quizás en un futuro le dé una oportunidad porque el final sí que me dejó con ganas de continuarla. Quizás el desencanto solo sea porque es el comienzo de la aventura y a futuro mejore la cosa. En fin, ya veremos.
Valoración personal: 2/5.
Estamos ante una novela prototípica de fantasía épica con tintes oscuros. Podéis leer tranquilos, no la destriparé.
Una chica ve destrozada su vida, emprende un camino de superación y aprendizaje hasta convertirse en una heroína.
Un grupo de ladrones crea una hermandad para poder lucrarse y hacer frente a las injusticias que comete un estado opresor.
Ambos caminos se encuentran y…
La historia es por todos conocida y en cierto modo engancha, sobre todo la parte de la chica. Pero… lo siento, no me llegó. Salvo unos fragmentos concretos del entrenamiento de la protagonista, el inicio y el final, me aburrí leyéndola.
Quizás sea que ya me he leído muchas novelas con este estilo, quizás que no me sorprendió en ningún momento o quizás porque no llegué a conectar con buena parte de la trama; lo cierto es que no conseguí disfrutarla. Día a día cuando me tenía que poner a leerla acababa dejándola de lado hasta que me obligaba a hacerlo.
¿A caso entonces no la recomendaría?
Ni mucho menos. A quienes disfruten del género fantástico, con el camino del héroe, sin duda le gustará. Los personajes molan mucho, en especial la protagonista,, y el grupo de ladrones está muy currado. Además como ya he dicho el inicio y la parte final enganchan.
He visto que hay una segunda parte y creo que será una trilogía. Quizás en un futuro le dé una oportunidad porque el final sí que me dejó con ganas de continuarla. Quizás el desencanto solo sea porque es el comienzo de la aventura y a futuro mejore la cosa. En fin, ya veremos.
Valoración personal: 2/5.
May 1, 2019
This book is really good and different than what I'm used to.
The main differences are in the written. The book is really well written but you will find some idioms that the author created and that will seem strange the first time you read it but then you get used to and it's even fun read these idioms. In this book you will also find a lot of swearing and words as piss and references to sex appears a lot of time. I didn't mind to read it because the story happens in an area where live pirates, thieves, assassins and similares so the use of these words just make the book more real. But of course I understand why some persons don't like it. You can also find a lot of nicknames - I mean EVERYONE in Paradise Circle has one! - and that makes a book a little more funny while you are trying to discover where it come from (despite there are some pretty obvious).
The world is amazing. Well, we start with the typical Empire of the YA fantasy. An Empire with riches and poor and where the poor don't matter. Among the poor you can find assassins, thieves, pirates... As I said the typical in a YA fantasy. And why not an elite of warriors? Okay so we can also find it! Let me introduce the Vinchens. We are still in the typical, right? Let's change it! Let me introduce the Biomancers. And what are they? An elite of men who can control and change the living creatures. WHAAT? An elite of men who can control and change the living creatures, like creating a monster from an innocent person or destroy one person just touching him. Now it's not the typical anymore. But it's clearly a fantastic world!
The plot is incredible. The most part of the book is focused in the backstory of the two main characters. This is also different of what I'm used to find in the books. Usually you received informations about the past while the characters live the present. In this book they are in the past and just when you know everything they start living the present. The past is not a mystery. The present you are living. The future is a complete, unpredictable and surprising mystery.
~ The Biomancers destroyed her village when she was a child.
~ A captain saved her and give her a name because she didn't remember her. Bleak Hope.
~ She grew up as a Vinchen maid in the middle of this warrior elite. But she wanted more. She wanted revenge.
~ She convinced the Vinchen leader to train her. She is trained as a Vinchen. She becomes a Vinchen.
~ One day she needs to run away. She goes determined to keep her promise, to get her revenge.
~ The drugs killed his mother and made him recognized. Made him born with red eyes.
~ The drugs killed his mother and let him with nothing. Let him poor. Obliged him to move out to Paradise Circle, an home for thieves, pirates, assassins and similares.
~ He could have been an incredible painter. But not in Paradise Circle. Here he needs to be something really different. Here he needs to be a thief. Ambitious, charming, discreet, intelligent and with a natural talent with knives; Red has everything to be what he is: one of the best and most known thieves of Paradise Circle.
~ Hope ran away and ends up in Paradise Circle. Here she will know Red and give him a new reason to live. Here Red will know Hope and give her a new reason to get her revenge. Now their fates are intertwined. Now they have the same objective: make the Biomancers stop.
The characters are incredible. Full of life and credible. With qualities and defaults. Real.
~ Hope. A women. And also a Vinchen. She shouldn't be one. But she is. And will use her talents to get her revenge.
~ Red. My favourite character. He could have been anything. But not when he was obliged to grew up in Paradise Circle. Here his only option is be a thief. So he is one. And undoubtedly a good one.
~ Filler. Red's best friend. He does anything to help his friends, specially Red. An honest person in a world of cruel and dangerous people.
~ Nettles. She is also part of Red's group. Cold, beautiful and dangerous, Nettles is definitely a person of Paradise Circle.
~ And many more extraordinary characters, some with really interesting names (like Saddie, the Goat).
So... I recommend this book!
The main differences are in the written. The book is really well written but you will find some idioms that the author created and that will seem strange the first time you read it but then you get used to and it's even fun read these idioms. In this book you will also find a lot of swearing and words as piss and references to sex appears a lot of time. I didn't mind to read it because the story happens in an area where live pirates, thieves, assassins and similares so the use of these words just make the book more real. But of course I understand why some persons don't like it. You can also find a lot of nicknames - I mean EVERYONE in Paradise Circle has one! - and that makes a book a little more funny while you are trying to discover where it come from (despite there are some pretty obvious).
The world is amazing. Well, we start with the typical Empire of the YA fantasy. An Empire with riches and poor and where the poor don't matter. Among the poor you can find assassins, thieves, pirates... As I said the typical in a YA fantasy. And why not an elite of warriors? Okay so we can also find it! Let me introduce the Vinchens. We are still in the typical, right? Let's change it! Let me introduce the Biomancers. And what are they? An elite of men who can control and change the living creatures. WHAAT? An elite of men who can control and change the living creatures, like creating a monster from an innocent person or destroy one person just touching him. Now it's not the typical anymore. But it's clearly a fantastic world!
The plot is incredible. The most part of the book is focused in the backstory of the two main characters. This is also different of what I'm used to find in the books. Usually you received informations about the past while the characters live the present. In this book they are in the past and just when you know everything they start living the present. The past is not a mystery. The present you are living. The future is a complete, unpredictable and surprising mystery.
~ The Biomancers destroyed her village when she was a child.
~ A captain saved her and give her a name because she didn't remember her. Bleak Hope.
~ She grew up as a Vinchen maid in the middle of this warrior elite. But she wanted more. She wanted revenge.
~ She convinced the Vinchen leader to train her. She is trained as a Vinchen. She becomes a Vinchen.
~ One day she needs to run away. She goes determined to keep her promise, to get her revenge.
~ The drugs killed his mother and made him recognized. Made him born with red eyes.
~ The drugs killed his mother and let him with nothing. Let him poor. Obliged him to move out to Paradise Circle, an home for thieves, pirates, assassins and similares.
~ He could have been an incredible painter. But not in Paradise Circle. Here he needs to be something really different. Here he needs to be a thief. Ambitious, charming, discreet, intelligent and with a natural talent with knives; Red has everything to be what he is: one of the best and most known thieves of Paradise Circle.
~ Hope ran away and ends up in Paradise Circle. Here she will know Red and give him a new reason to live. Here Red will know Hope and give her a new reason to get her revenge. Now their fates are intertwined. Now they have the same objective: make the Biomancers stop.
The characters are incredible. Full of life and credible. With qualities and defaults. Real.
~ Hope. A women. And also a Vinchen. She shouldn't be one. But she is. And will use her talents to get her revenge.
~ Red. My favourite character. He could have been anything. But not when he was obliged to grew up in Paradise Circle. Here his only option is be a thief. So he is one. And undoubtedly a good one.
~ Filler. Red's best friend. He does anything to help his friends, specially Red. An honest person in a world of cruel and dangerous people.
~ Nettles. She is also part of Red's group. Cold, beautiful and dangerous, Nettles is definitely a person of Paradise Circle.
~ And many more extraordinary characters, some with really interesting names (like Saddie, the Goat).
So... I recommend this book!
May 10, 2019
I loved this book. It was a rough and tumble story with a bunch of loveable rogues. Sure they were trouble they stole, they killed and their language was quite crude at times but I found that to be funny because I have a rude sense of humour so that didn't bother me but it may bother some people.
Hope as a young girl watches her whole village murdered by biomancers - evil magic villains.
So Hope ends up being brought up by some monks most were not happy she was there but their was a couple of very cruel ones. That is when Grand teacher steps in to teach her how to be a Vichen Warriors.
Red is from a well off family and his mum was an artist at 8 he is left an orphan and he ends up under the wing of Sadie who teaches him about steeling and other fun stuff to keep him a live. He grows up in a very run down, smelly city where you do what you have to do to survive.
When Hope and Red's paths cross then the fun really begins and when they find out more about the biomancers plans they get the surrounding people into an army of sorts and that is where the real fun begins.
This story was so good, it's got action, its got sadness and being part of a 'family' and that means maybe getting hurt to save someone else. Its got the dirty run down streets to the clean fresh streets of the rich. It's not all set on land so at time you are out at sea with pirates and storms and one very scary big fish. A lot of the side characters are also full of surprises some good some bad.
I have tabbed quite a few places because I liked what the characters had to say.
So yes this was my sort of book, all that I love and more. I have started the second book, but I have a lot on my mind so I am just reading a few pages at night.
Hope as a young girl watches her whole village murdered by biomancers - evil magic villains.
So Hope ends up being brought up by some monks most were not happy she was there but their was a couple of very cruel ones. That is when Grand teacher steps in to teach her how to be a Vichen Warriors.
Red is from a well off family and his mum was an artist at 8 he is left an orphan and he ends up under the wing of Sadie who teaches him about steeling and other fun stuff to keep him a live. He grows up in a very run down, smelly city where you do what you have to do to survive.
When Hope and Red's paths cross then the fun really begins and when they find out more about the biomancers plans they get the surrounding people into an army of sorts and that is where the real fun begins.
This story was so good, it's got action, its got sadness and being part of a 'family' and that means maybe getting hurt to save someone else. Its got the dirty run down streets to the clean fresh streets of the rich. It's not all set on land so at time you are out at sea with pirates and storms and one very scary big fish. A lot of the side characters are also full of surprises some good some bad.
I have tabbed quite a few places because I liked what the characters had to say.
So yes this was my sort of book, all that I love and more. I have started the second book, but I have a lot on my mind so I am just reading a few pages at night.
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