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Empire of Salt #1
Darien
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B071W17HD6
If you're missing Game of Thrones, discover your new favourite fantasy series in The Empire of Salt . . .
The city of Darien lies at the heart of a dying empire.
Twelve families race for a throne soon to be made vacant - by murder or civil war. Into this fevered, hungry city come six strangers:
An orphan and an old swordsman.
A hunter and a pitiless killer.
A young thief and a cynical chancer.
As the sun sinks the city will know no slumber. For long dormant passions have awoken. Fortunes will be won and lost. Lives will be staked and claimed.
And a story long waiting to be told will catch fire in the telling . . .
Darien is the first book in the Empire of Salt, THE epic fantasy series of spellbinding imagination.
If you're missing Game of Thrones, discover your new favourite fantasy series in The Empire of Salt . . .
The city of Darien lies at the heart of a dying empire.
Twelve families race for a throne soon to be made vacant - by murder or civil war. Into this fevered, hungry city come six strangers:
An orphan and an old swordsman.
A hunter and a pitiless killer.
A young thief and a cynical chancer.
As the sun sinks the city will know no slumber. For long dormant passions have awoken. Fortunes will be won and lost. Lives will be staked and claimed.
And a story long waiting to be told will catch fire in the telling . . .
Darien is the first book in the Empire of Salt, THE epic fantasy series of spellbinding imagination.
339 pages, ebook
First published July 13, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 466 reviews
May 30, 2017
I received an advanced copy of Darien: Empire of Salt via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank C.F. Iggulden, Michael Joseph, and Penguin Random House UK.
C.F. Iggulden is an alias of Conn Iggulden. The master of historical fiction who has released the critically acclaimed Emperor series and Conqueror series. The slight change of pen name is due to Darien being his first foray into creating a fantasy tale. Darien is the name of a huge city in this fantasy world that houses over a quarter of a million citizens and the majority of the narrative is set within the city walls. There are twelve ruling family's in this complex political set-up. Each has great influence and almost act as puppeteers controlling the weak figurehead monarch. Unlike a lot of recent fantasy that has staggeringly grandiose fantasy worlds featuring a score of cities and hundreds of characters, Darien focuses more on the individuals, their actions and relationships in a more enclosed environment. There are about 10 main characters that we get to know relatively well in these 350 or so pages. The first half of the book follows about five points of view perspectives and the action sometimes switches mid-chapter to another players antics elsewhere. This switching of perspectives is administered well and it never becomes confusing or disorientating. Towards the end of the book a couple of extra POV's are added but they are usually in the presence of a person we are familiar with so this is also a seamless transition. There seem to be two types of characters presented here. Individuals that have stunning, special and perhaps even magical abilities and others that seem more normal and human, but this isn't to say that they lack unique talents. All in all, I think that the characters presented are expertly sculptured. The youth, Arthur Quick, and the hunter, Elias were my personal favourites.
The world does feature magic including rumours of sorcerers or witches, certain individuals knacks, and magic devices. I won't say too much about this aspect. It isn't earth-shatteringly original but it is well crafted and creates a real sense of intrigue. There is one scene which bizarrely reminded me of Disney's Aladdin that is excellent and magic focused.
This story is of quite an adult nature featuring destruction, murder, battles, kidnapping, and blackmail. The narrative is brimming with astonishing set-pieces. A segment at 60% through the book was as gripping and exciting as the finales of many great stories. Perhaps because I was treated with this gem of a sequence, the ending, although very good, fulfilling and expertly composed seemed a bit flatter in comparison. Although the majority of threads are tied up nicely there were a couple of loose ends and questions are presented as to what will come next. For example, will we follow the same characters? Will it be set a different city entirely somewhere else in the empire? Whatever comes next, I do not doubt Iggulden knows his craft and what follows Darien will be just as good, if not better. To conclude, this is an impressive, action-packed, character focused take on fantasy by the excellent Iggulden. I am looking forward to what the author has in store for us next on his fantasy venture.
James x
C.F. Iggulden is an alias of Conn Iggulden. The master of historical fiction who has released the critically acclaimed Emperor series and Conqueror series. The slight change of pen name is due to Darien being his first foray into creating a fantasy tale. Darien is the name of a huge city in this fantasy world that houses over a quarter of a million citizens and the majority of the narrative is set within the city walls. There are twelve ruling family's in this complex political set-up. Each has great influence and almost act as puppeteers controlling the weak figurehead monarch. Unlike a lot of recent fantasy that has staggeringly grandiose fantasy worlds featuring a score of cities and hundreds of characters, Darien focuses more on the individuals, their actions and relationships in a more enclosed environment. There are about 10 main characters that we get to know relatively well in these 350 or so pages. The first half of the book follows about five points of view perspectives and the action sometimes switches mid-chapter to another players antics elsewhere. This switching of perspectives is administered well and it never becomes confusing or disorientating. Towards the end of the book a couple of extra POV's are added but they are usually in the presence of a person we are familiar with so this is also a seamless transition. There seem to be two types of characters presented here. Individuals that have stunning, special and perhaps even magical abilities and others that seem more normal and human, but this isn't to say that they lack unique talents. All in all, I think that the characters presented are expertly sculptured. The youth, Arthur Quick, and the hunter, Elias were my personal favourites.
The world does feature magic including rumours of sorcerers or witches, certain individuals knacks, and magic devices. I won't say too much about this aspect. It isn't earth-shatteringly original but it is well crafted and creates a real sense of intrigue. There is one scene which bizarrely reminded me of Disney's Aladdin that is excellent and magic focused.
This story is of quite an adult nature featuring destruction, murder, battles, kidnapping, and blackmail. The narrative is brimming with astonishing set-pieces. A segment at 60% through the book was as gripping and exciting as the finales of many great stories. Perhaps because I was treated with this gem of a sequence, the ending, although very good, fulfilling and expertly composed seemed a bit flatter in comparison. Although the majority of threads are tied up nicely there were a couple of loose ends and questions are presented as to what will come next. For example, will we follow the same characters? Will it be set a different city entirely somewhere else in the empire? Whatever comes next, I do not doubt Iggulden knows his craft and what follows Darien will be just as good, if not better. To conclude, this is an impressive, action-packed, character focused take on fantasy by the excellent Iggulden. I am looking forward to what the author has in store for us next on his fantasy venture.
James x
July 18, 2017
Conn Iggulden is one of the greatest Historical Fiction authors of our times. Apparently he's damn good at Fantasy as well.
Darien, a city that is home to over a quarter of a million citizens, is the result of the fall of the mighty Empire of Salt, one of the greatest empires this world has ever seen. It is ruled by a puppet monarch whose strings are pulled by twelve aristocratic families; families that keep the order and preserve the peace. But when a bunch of mercenaries are hired to murder the King, everything will go to hell... or even further.
"Deeds sighed suddenly, so tired then that he could barely stand. Perhaps it was time to stop struggling. He recalled there had been some ancient fellow forced to carry his own cross to where they crucified him. The thought was in his mind from before, when he'd felt like an apostle. Deeds though he might resemble the man with the cross then."
Iggulden has done a great job on his first fantasy novel. He established a wonderful world with its own history and mythos, giving you glimpses of the past, expanding and exploring it with a steady pace. His magic system was well-thought-out and balanced, playing a significant role in the story but leaving enough space for other aspects to work.
The story itself was intriguing from the beginning, and it was told from 5 different points of view. There were a lot of important sub-plots that played a vital role in the main story-line, and all of them were masterfully intertwined. All of the aforementioned aspects were fundamental attributes to Darien, but the most crucial one was the characters. Iggulden purred all of his talent into creating a bunch of well-sculptured and memorable characters that fell and felt for.
All in all, Darien is a well-written and intriguing novel, with enough machinations, conspiracies and controversies to rival A Game of Thrones.
Darien, a city that is home to over a quarter of a million citizens, is the result of the fall of the mighty Empire of Salt, one of the greatest empires this world has ever seen. It is ruled by a puppet monarch whose strings are pulled by twelve aristocratic families; families that keep the order and preserve the peace. But when a bunch of mercenaries are hired to murder the King, everything will go to hell... or even further.
"Deeds sighed suddenly, so tired then that he could barely stand. Perhaps it was time to stop struggling. He recalled there had been some ancient fellow forced to carry his own cross to where they crucified him. The thought was in his mind from before, when he'd felt like an apostle. Deeds though he might resemble the man with the cross then."
Iggulden has done a great job on his first fantasy novel. He established a wonderful world with its own history and mythos, giving you glimpses of the past, expanding and exploring it with a steady pace. His magic system was well-thought-out and balanced, playing a significant role in the story but leaving enough space for other aspects to work.
The story itself was intriguing from the beginning, and it was told from 5 different points of view. There were a lot of important sub-plots that played a vital role in the main story-line, and all of them were masterfully intertwined. All of the aforementioned aspects were fundamental attributes to Darien, but the most crucial one was the characters. Iggulden purred all of his talent into creating a bunch of well-sculptured and memorable characters that fell and felt for.
All in all, Darien is a well-written and intriguing novel, with enough machinations, conspiracies and controversies to rival A Game of Thrones.
June 25, 2017
Fantasy is my favourite genre and so when I was given this ARC by Netgalley I was thrilled to bits. I've never read any of Conn Igulden's historical fiction and so this was a completely new author for me.
The magic in this world was done with a light touch- my favourite was the boy Arthur. The strongest magical elements seem to have been remnants from a time long past, but here and there people had 'knacks' for certain magical skills. The story is told from multiple points of view, not all with a clear distinct voice.
I generally prefer more character development and for me, there was a disconnect between me as reader and the characters, for which I knocked off a star. The most interesting development for me was between Tellius and Lady Sallet.
There was plenty of action to keep the most blood thirsty fantasist happy and I am interested to see how the story continues in the next instalment.
The magic in this world was done with a light touch- my favourite was the boy Arthur. The strongest magical elements seem to have been remnants from a time long past, but here and there people had 'knacks' for certain magical skills. The story is told from multiple points of view, not all with a clear distinct voice.
I generally prefer more character development and for me, there was a disconnect between me as reader and the characters, for which I knocked off a star. The most interesting development for me was between Tellius and Lady Sallet.
There was plenty of action to keep the most blood thirsty fantasist happy and I am interested to see how the story continues in the next instalment.
May 14, 2017
First Read: May 2017, Rating: 4 Stars
Second Read: September 2018, Rating: 4 Stars
When I saw that this was the newest release by renowned historical author, Conn Igguldon, I jumped at the chance to read it. I imagined his skill at recreating past societies with a wicked vividity would denote great things for his first foray into the fantasy genre. And I was almost immediately proven correct in that assumption.
This fantastical empire felt like an amalgamation of past culture with something undeniably innovative and exciting, plucked straight from the author's imagination. The city of Darien was its crowing glory.
This multiple perspective narrative initially overwhelmed me, a little, due to the disparate nature of the stories divulged. About the midway point of the novel each of the threads of narrative started to overlap. And all lead back to Darien.
Here the seemingly discordant stories all were combined as one, under their shared geographical location. The thrilling elements of each story were also heightened and it made for frantic reading to see how one act could impact each of the other characters' stories, despite their initial seeming incompatibility at combining as one cohesive whole.
The resulting chaos made the last portion one heavily dominated by action. Battle scenes often drown me in information, in literature, but here I felt I had a good understanding of each character and was able to easily discern what was occurring.
With just under two months until the official release date of this book, the means I have over a year to wait until the next instalment. 2018 can not come quick enough!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, C. F. Igguldon, and the publisher, Michael Joseph, for this opportunity.
Second Read: September 2018, Rating: 4 Stars
When I saw that this was the newest release by renowned historical author, Conn Igguldon, I jumped at the chance to read it. I imagined his skill at recreating past societies with a wicked vividity would denote great things for his first foray into the fantasy genre. And I was almost immediately proven correct in that assumption.
This fantastical empire felt like an amalgamation of past culture with something undeniably innovative and exciting, plucked straight from the author's imagination. The city of Darien was its crowing glory.
This multiple perspective narrative initially overwhelmed me, a little, due to the disparate nature of the stories divulged. About the midway point of the novel each of the threads of narrative started to overlap. And all lead back to Darien.
Here the seemingly discordant stories all were combined as one, under their shared geographical location. The thrilling elements of each story were also heightened and it made for frantic reading to see how one act could impact each of the other characters' stories, despite their initial seeming incompatibility at combining as one cohesive whole.
The resulting chaos made the last portion one heavily dominated by action. Battle scenes often drown me in information, in literature, but here I felt I had a good understanding of each character and was able to easily discern what was occurring.
With just under two months until the official release date of this book, the means I have over a year to wait until the next instalment. 2018 can not come quick enough!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, C. F. Igguldon, and the publisher, Michael Joseph, for this opportunity.
October 12, 2017
When I first saw that Conn Iggulden – an author famed for his historical fiction – had written a fantasy novel, I was immediately curious. Would the world-building feel credible? Would it be unreadably detailed and dense? Or would he go magic-and-dragon crazy and lose all sense of realism? The good news is that, as it turns out, great writers can work inside many genres and when they do, they bring their unique sensibilities with them.
Darien is fantasy novel very much in the spirit of sword-and-intrigue series like Game of Thrones. The setting is richly conceived without being oppressively detailed, the characters are engaging and nuanced, and the plot unfolds in a way that's both unexpected and yet inevitable. Iggulden's prose has both the consistency and stylistic variations needed to support the multiple viewpoint characters, giving them their own voices while keeping them grounded in the same book.
What surprised me most about Darien is that it's also something of a superhero origin story. Each of the three characters we follow most closely have a talent – a magical ability (though to them it's more of a knack) – that changes their lives and both puts them in difficult situations while forcing them to reconsider their own morals. The secondary characters are equally appealing, each displaying both self-interest and the hints of those troublesome qualities that force us to – every once in a while – do the right thing.
Although Darien is part of a series, the novel itself is complete in every way. A full tale is told, leaving the reader both satisfied and yet excited to see what the next book will be. If you've got friends suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawal, Darien is the cure.
Darien is fantasy novel very much in the spirit of sword-and-intrigue series like Game of Thrones. The setting is richly conceived without being oppressively detailed, the characters are engaging and nuanced, and the plot unfolds in a way that's both unexpected and yet inevitable. Iggulden's prose has both the consistency and stylistic variations needed to support the multiple viewpoint characters, giving them their own voices while keeping them grounded in the same book.
What surprised me most about Darien is that it's also something of a superhero origin story. Each of the three characters we follow most closely have a talent – a magical ability (though to them it's more of a knack) – that changes their lives and both puts them in difficult situations while forcing them to reconsider their own morals. The secondary characters are equally appealing, each displaying both self-interest and the hints of those troublesome qualities that force us to – every once in a while – do the right thing.
Although Darien is part of a series, the novel itself is complete in every way. A full tale is told, leaving the reader both satisfied and yet excited to see what the next book will be. If you've got friends suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawal, Darien is the cure.
June 18, 2017
3.5 stars
A solid first outing in the fantasy genre from this well known historical fiction author. Set for the most part in the city of Darien, the plot switches between several characters with their own strange and rare powers. Everything is formed by a world building that is both sketchy and specific, it flows in and out according to the needs of the scene rather than compiling a larger representation. The reader learns somewhat about the 12 Families that form the ruling classes of the city, but only details needed for the plot of this book, or even the current mess in which they find themselves, rather than the wider history and culture of the land. As with the entirety of the book, wherever the reader's gaze falls, the picture is sharp and focused, but anything outside that narrow gaze is fuzzy or missing altogether. The magic is localised in the same way, there is no system in place and each person has the skills needed for the plot. Obviously that's how books work to some extent, but the only people with magic use it to advance the story in specific ways. In fact, anyone who has a skill, magical or otherwise, is utilised in the same way... Each time you meet someone you are on guard for their talent to come in handy.
In any case, Iggulden has created some memorable and individual characters which are strong enough to make me want to see what the future holds for them, but i'd like the narrative to feel more comprehensive and less like i'm stepping in and out of snapshots.
ARC via Netgalley
A solid first outing in the fantasy genre from this well known historical fiction author. Set for the most part in the city of Darien, the plot switches between several characters with their own strange and rare powers. Everything is formed by a world building that is both sketchy and specific, it flows in and out according to the needs of the scene rather than compiling a larger representation. The reader learns somewhat about the 12 Families that form the ruling classes of the city, but only details needed for the plot of this book, or even the current mess in which they find themselves, rather than the wider history and culture of the land. As with the entirety of the book, wherever the reader's gaze falls, the picture is sharp and focused, but anything outside that narrow gaze is fuzzy or missing altogether. The magic is localised in the same way, there is no system in place and each person has the skills needed for the plot. Obviously that's how books work to some extent, but the only people with magic use it to advance the story in specific ways. In fact, anyone who has a skill, magical or otherwise, is utilised in the same way... Each time you meet someone you are on guard for their talent to come in handy.
In any case, Iggulden has created some memorable and individual characters which are strong enough to make me want to see what the future holds for them, but i'd like the narrative to feel more comprehensive and less like i'm stepping in and out of snapshots.
ARC via Netgalley
December 24, 2017
Been a fan of the authors historical fiction so thought I'd give this a read. Good solid fantasy without blowing me away. The plotting was solid, the magic system simple but nicely executed and the world/setting standard fantasy but couldve been developed a little more. The biggest downfall for me was the characterisation, as I felt there were too many characters/povs over a short period of time ( book is 330 pages or so) but with more than 5/6 main characters. I never really felt any connection with them, and didnt seem to feel like any had a big influence on anything major. They just all played a small role. Will see how the 2nd book gets reviewed before I pick it up.
June 20, 2017
Darien is a city in the new fantasy series by Conn Iggulden. He is more known for his historical fiction books. This is his first journey into fantasy and is aimed at Teen and YA readers, but also works very well for adult audiences as well.
Darien is ruled over by Twelve families, with overall control lying with the King. He is only a weak figurehead, with all the decisions being made behind the scenes by the Families. The main characters are Elias Post from the village of Wyburn, he is the main food hunter of the village. When the plague arrives he decides that he needs medicine for his family, along with Vic Deeds they make their way to the city. Vic Deeds has his own reasons for accompanying Elias. Daw and Nancy are associates of sorts, their own paths meet and events occur that require a special kind of partnership. Tellius and his group of ragged boys, who work their own trade for the benefit of Tellius and their group, he is a very likeable Fagin type character. Then there is Arthur, a boy who does not speak. They all have their own reason for being in the city. There are a couple of the characters who have an ability, or a knack. This becomes more apparent as the story unfolds.
The author has created some great characters, as well as the ones previously mentioned, there are also ones who I feel will make themselves known more in future books. The emphasis for this book seems to be more on the characters than on the setting. With this being the first in a series, the foundations have been set, I would like to think more detail about the history of this world will be explored in future books. The writing is a bit disjointed at times with character changes mid chapter, but not so much as to lose track of the story. Once the stories of the individuals start to merge, towards the latter half of the book, it really does becomes a brilliant, imaginative and action packed read.
I will be keeping my eye out for further books in this series and will definitely be reading more.
I would recommend this book to more mature YA readers as well as Adult fantasy readers.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and also C.F.Iggulden for my ARC of this book, for my honest and unbiased opinion
Darien is ruled over by Twelve families, with overall control lying with the King. He is only a weak figurehead, with all the decisions being made behind the scenes by the Families. The main characters are Elias Post from the village of Wyburn, he is the main food hunter of the village. When the plague arrives he decides that he needs medicine for his family, along with Vic Deeds they make their way to the city. Vic Deeds has his own reasons for accompanying Elias. Daw and Nancy are associates of sorts, their own paths meet and events occur that require a special kind of partnership. Tellius and his group of ragged boys, who work their own trade for the benefit of Tellius and their group, he is a very likeable Fagin type character. Then there is Arthur, a boy who does not speak. They all have their own reason for being in the city. There are a couple of the characters who have an ability, or a knack. This becomes more apparent as the story unfolds.
The author has created some great characters, as well as the ones previously mentioned, there are also ones who I feel will make themselves known more in future books. The emphasis for this book seems to be more on the characters than on the setting. With this being the first in a series, the foundations have been set, I would like to think more detail about the history of this world will be explored in future books. The writing is a bit disjointed at times with character changes mid chapter, but not so much as to lose track of the story. Once the stories of the individuals start to merge, towards the latter half of the book, it really does becomes a brilliant, imaginative and action packed read.
I will be keeping my eye out for further books in this series and will definitely be reading more.
I would recommend this book to more mature YA readers as well as Adult fantasy readers.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and also C.F.Iggulden for my ARC of this book, for my honest and unbiased opinion
February 27, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up for a thoroughly engaging, inventive, fast-paced start to a fantasy trilogy by an author in Conn Iggulden much more known for writing historical fiction but who has a real knack for this stuff. The feeling I've had reading this creatively fresh fantasy story is of an author who felt freed from having to stick to historical realism for the previous 20 years, and maybe viewed this as his one chance to let his imagination out of the shackles that have kept it locked down. The pages are crackling with interesting magical abilities and magical items that routinely shake up the plot and provide some truly electric and high-stakes scenes.
It's a slim 340-pager that moves along at a blistering pace due to the nonstop flow of important events and action, fairly short chapters, and very frequent POV changes among the main cast and even side characters who get brief POVs in critical moments. The book is dripping with voice, as each POV feels quirky and quite distinct on the page, making it seem not too dissimilar from what it's like reading Joe Abercrombie. It also never gets bogged down with exposition, and there's not much worldbuilding to get a handle on (it seems like some kind of alternate version of Earth) nor many new fantasy terms to have to navigate, making it quite an accessible fantasy series to sink into quickly.
The story is centered around the large city of Darien, which feels like a fantasy version of Early-Modern London that's controlled by 12 wealthy families. We also spend some time in the city's outskirts, which are parts of the book that give it a strong fantasy-Western vibe. The main cast are all misfits or outcasts who get embroiled in the larger political game of the city mostly by accident for one interesting reason or another. Unpredictable at every turn, the story kept me on my toes and culminated in a gripping climactic sequence that brought a real sense of closure for this volume. I'm hooked and can't wait to see where all this goes in the last 2 books, but as a book 1 it does a great job of telling a satisfying self-contained story that never lost my interest.
It's a slim 340-pager that moves along at a blistering pace due to the nonstop flow of important events and action, fairly short chapters, and very frequent POV changes among the main cast and even side characters who get brief POVs in critical moments. The book is dripping with voice, as each POV feels quirky and quite distinct on the page, making it seem not too dissimilar from what it's like reading Joe Abercrombie. It also never gets bogged down with exposition, and there's not much worldbuilding to get a handle on (it seems like some kind of alternate version of Earth) nor many new fantasy terms to have to navigate, making it quite an accessible fantasy series to sink into quickly.
The story is centered around the large city of Darien, which feels like a fantasy version of Early-Modern London that's controlled by 12 wealthy families. We also spend some time in the city's outskirts, which are parts of the book that give it a strong fantasy-Western vibe. The main cast are all misfits or outcasts who get embroiled in the larger political game of the city mostly by accident for one interesting reason or another. Unpredictable at every turn, the story kept me on my toes and culminated in a gripping climactic sequence that brought a real sense of closure for this volume. I'm hooked and can't wait to see where all this goes in the last 2 books, but as a book 1 it does a great job of telling a satisfying self-contained story that never lost my interest.
August 21, 2022
DNF 41%
Decidí abandonar esta lectura. No me estaba gustando la historia, me forzaba a leerla y ya me sentía estresada.
La verdad es que me tardé en dejarlo, quería darle una oportunidad a este libro pero resultó no ser para mí. Lo sentí aburrido y confuso.
February 25, 2020
Finally after suffering reader's block for weeks, I finished this one just before the month ended!!!
Conn Iggulden or C.F. Iggulden, one of the better historical writers, finally has his own fantasy world.........
Maybe because of the block I mentioned or something else, when I read the first few lines of his opening paragraph, I was looking for something captivating, and there it was, a telling of Elias story, no frills, no long winding description of the trail, how the leaves on the surrounding trees were of this colored, while walking some of those would fall lightly........and so forth and so on, I like the way he describes things, to the point with some embellishments, but that dreaded block came about, and much as I tried to read it, it just clutched at my head.......that was why it took me a long time to finish this one......and the story seemed to drag along........
Character wise Mr. Iggulden writes believable protagonists and antagonists, when a new character is introduced, everything is revealed(or almost everything), then you start to like the said characters, only to find that, they were just part of the embellishment (Daw, I really liked him........dang........😵😵😵😵), I was really into his heroes(????) and villains (????......as I have said, you never know who is who and what is what).......
Magic, ability, knack, power, well first time I heard of Nancy's ability, I thought ohhhhhh.......Spellfire.......and when I was almost at the end.......I kept thinking there must be more to that.........
Mr. Iggulden, you truly have a fine story here, for me a story is truly riveting when you start to care, all that characters actions, consequences, I believe these are just mere tip of a humongous iceberg, as soon as I am able, I am going back to this wonderful Universe (Arthur, Nancy, Elias, Lady Sallet, Tellius and so much more).......
Romans lend me your ears........or something like that!!!!
Conn Iggulden or C.F. Iggulden, one of the better historical writers, finally has his own fantasy world.........
Maybe because of the block I mentioned or something else, when I read the first few lines of his opening paragraph, I was looking for something captivating, and there it was, a telling of Elias story, no frills, no long winding description of the trail, how the leaves on the surrounding trees were of this colored, while walking some of those would fall lightly........and so forth and so on, I like the way he describes things, to the point with some embellishments, but that dreaded block came about, and much as I tried to read it, it just clutched at my head.......that was why it took me a long time to finish this one......and the story seemed to drag along........
Character wise Mr. Iggulden writes believable protagonists and antagonists, when a new character is introduced, everything is revealed(or almost everything), then you start to like the said characters, only to find that, they were just part of the embellishment (Daw, I really liked him........dang........😵😵😵😵), I was really into his heroes(????) and villains (????......as I have said, you never know who is who and what is what).......
Magic, ability, knack, power, well first time I heard of Nancy's ability, I thought ohhhhhh.......Spellfire.......and when I was almost at the end.......I kept thinking there must be more to that.........
Mr. Iggulden, you truly have a fine story here, for me a story is truly riveting when you start to care, all that characters actions, consequences, I believe these are just mere tip of a humongous iceberg, as soon as I am able, I am going back to this wonderful Universe (Arthur, Nancy, Elias, Lady Sallet, Tellius and so much more).......
Romans lend me your ears........or something like that!!!!
July 19, 2019
Conn Iggulden est bien connu chez les anglo-ricains pour ses romans historiques mais leurs traductions chez nous ont un peu pédalé dans la semoule (L’épopée de Gengis Khan n’a eu que 3 tomes traduits sur les 5 malgré ses immenses qualités, Imperator 2 sur 5 non réédités, et le reste rien du tout). Avec Darien, le premier tome des Prodiges de l’empire qu’il signera d’ailleurs C.F. Iggulden, il s’essaye à la fantasy et vu le background du bonhomme j’étais très curieux de découvrir ce qu’il allait apporter. Remercions déjà Bragelonne de publier ça en France, et plongeons dans l’aventure.
Darien est une immense cité gérée par douze grandes familles et un roi qui sert un peu à rien. Et pourtant, il semblerait que quelqu’un essaye de tuer ce roi. Dans les rues de cette cité nous allons suivre les aventures de plusieurs protagonistes avec chacun leurs préoccupations mais dont les histoires vont toutes converger vers un évènement majeur pour la ville, presque malgré eux. Elias Post est un chasseur hors du commun grâce à un pouvoir très particulier, mais son village est durement touché par une épidémie. Le soldat Vic Deeds va le contraindre à agir contre ses principes pour sauver sa famille. Tellius est un vieux bretteur étranger qui règne maintenant sur une bande de gamins des rues, c’est sa rencontre avec le prodigieux petit Arthur qui va peut-être lui donner une occasion de régler ses comptes. Daw Threefold est un amateur d’objets magiques, mais une aventure avec la belle Nancy pourrait lui donner une solution pour enfin accéder à ce tombeau légendaire rendu impénétrable par des défenses magiques.
Tous ces héros ont des préoccupations éloignées des enjeux politiques de Darien mais, tels de petits rouages d’une énorme machine, leurs trajectoires vont les propulser au cœur des jeux de pouvoir de la grande cité. C.F. Iggulden utilise extrêmement bien le principe des petits pions qui vont précipiter la marche de l’Histoire, poussés par leurs seules motivations extrêmement humaines. La vengeance, la volonté de protéger ses enfants, l’appât du gain, la soif de pouvoir, ils sont les petits moteurs qui vont pousser nos héros vers cette nuit fatidique de la fête des moissons. Ainsi, on suit trois « petites » histoires pendant une bonne moitié du roman, en se demandant comment tout ça va bien pouvoir se goupiller… Et après la moitié du livre, tout s’accélère et converge vers un gros évènement central. Les prodiges de l’empire devient une succession de moments prenants, d’affrontements, une tension constante tient le lecteur en haleine sans aucun temps mort jusqu’à un final qui est, lui, un tout petit peu décevant, je dois l’avouer.
La construction générale de l’intrigue est solide et limpide, l’auteur met en place ses éléments avec talent tout en nous offrant des personnages soignés. Chacun a des motivations crédibles et un cheminement clair pour le lecteur, et ce grand tableau se met en place tout seul sous nos yeux, presque sans qu’on se rende compte. J’ai particulièrement aimé le personnages d’Elias qui est surpuissant tout en ayant du cœur, il s’accroche à ce qui lui reste pour garder la tête hors de l’eau mais faut pas trop l’embêter le monsieur. Il y a quelques ficelles un peu grosses, comme des personnages qui se croisent comme par hasard de manière fort pratique, mais franchement le talent de l’auteur pour dérouler tout ça fait vite oublier les quelques coïncidences faciles.
J’ai également beaucoup apprécié la magie de cet univers qui s’apparente à un art perdu que personne ne maitrise plus. Il ne reste que quelques artefacts enchantés qui circulent chez les apothicaires ou sont jalousement gardés par les douze grandes familles. Pourtant, certains évènements vont amener nos personnages à bousculer un peu leur compréhension de cette magie, et remettre en cause l’équilibre des forces. On en sait encore très peu sur tout ça, nous verrons si la suite de la saga va éclaircir un peu le lecteur.
Quand un grand nom du roman historique comme Conn Iggulden se lance dans la fantasy, il amène à la fois une rigueur de construction et un talent pour créer des personnages crédibles, humains et accrocheurs. Ça donne un roman excellent, d’une fluidité déconcertante, qu’on termine presque trop vite. Fort heureusement, la suite semble arriver rapidement puisque les libraires du mal annoncent une sortie en Novembre pour Shiang. Au passage, si Bragelonne a envie de publier Wars of the roses dans leur nouvelle collection historique, je leur en voudrais certainement pas…
https://ours-inculte.fr/darien/
Darien est une immense cité gérée par douze grandes familles et un roi qui sert un peu à rien. Et pourtant, il semblerait que quelqu’un essaye de tuer ce roi. Dans les rues de cette cité nous allons suivre les aventures de plusieurs protagonistes avec chacun leurs préoccupations mais dont les histoires vont toutes converger vers un évènement majeur pour la ville, presque malgré eux. Elias Post est un chasseur hors du commun grâce à un pouvoir très particulier, mais son village est durement touché par une épidémie. Le soldat Vic Deeds va le contraindre à agir contre ses principes pour sauver sa famille. Tellius est un vieux bretteur étranger qui règne maintenant sur une bande de gamins des rues, c’est sa rencontre avec le prodigieux petit Arthur qui va peut-être lui donner une occasion de régler ses comptes. Daw Threefold est un amateur d’objets magiques, mais une aventure avec la belle Nancy pourrait lui donner une solution pour enfin accéder à ce tombeau légendaire rendu impénétrable par des défenses magiques.
Tous ces héros ont des préoccupations éloignées des enjeux politiques de Darien mais, tels de petits rouages d’une énorme machine, leurs trajectoires vont les propulser au cœur des jeux de pouvoir de la grande cité. C.F. Iggulden utilise extrêmement bien le principe des petits pions qui vont précipiter la marche de l’Histoire, poussés par leurs seules motivations extrêmement humaines. La vengeance, la volonté de protéger ses enfants, l’appât du gain, la soif de pouvoir, ils sont les petits moteurs qui vont pousser nos héros vers cette nuit fatidique de la fête des moissons. Ainsi, on suit trois « petites » histoires pendant une bonne moitié du roman, en se demandant comment tout ça va bien pouvoir se goupiller… Et après la moitié du livre, tout s’accélère et converge vers un gros évènement central. Les prodiges de l’empire devient une succession de moments prenants, d’affrontements, une tension constante tient le lecteur en haleine sans aucun temps mort jusqu’à un final qui est, lui, un tout petit peu décevant, je dois l’avouer.
La construction générale de l’intrigue est solide et limpide, l’auteur met en place ses éléments avec talent tout en nous offrant des personnages soignés. Chacun a des motivations crédibles et un cheminement clair pour le lecteur, et ce grand tableau se met en place tout seul sous nos yeux, presque sans qu’on se rende compte. J’ai particulièrement aimé le personnages d’Elias qui est surpuissant tout en ayant du cœur, il s’accroche à ce qui lui reste pour garder la tête hors de l’eau mais faut pas trop l’embêter le monsieur. Il y a quelques ficelles un peu grosses, comme des personnages qui se croisent comme par hasard de manière fort pratique, mais franchement le talent de l’auteur pour dérouler tout ça fait vite oublier les quelques coïncidences faciles.
J’ai également beaucoup apprécié la magie de cet univers qui s’apparente à un art perdu que personne ne maitrise plus. Il ne reste que quelques artefacts enchantés qui circulent chez les apothicaires ou sont jalousement gardés par les douze grandes familles. Pourtant, certains évènements vont amener nos personnages à bousculer un peu leur compréhension de cette magie, et remettre en cause l’équilibre des forces. On en sait encore très peu sur tout ça, nous verrons si la suite de la saga va éclaircir un peu le lecteur.
Quand un grand nom du roman historique comme Conn Iggulden se lance dans la fantasy, il amène à la fois une rigueur de construction et un talent pour créer des personnages crédibles, humains et accrocheurs. Ça donne un roman excellent, d’une fluidité déconcertante, qu’on termine presque trop vite. Fort heureusement, la suite semble arriver rapidement puisque les libraires du mal annoncent une sortie en Novembre pour Shiang. Au passage, si Bragelonne a envie de publier Wars of the roses dans leur nouvelle collection historique, je leur en voudrais certainement pas…
https://ours-inculte.fr/darien/
June 16, 2017
In brief - Not flawless but enjoyable.
In full
I was aware of this author's reputation as a writer of historical fiction and the idea of reading the first part of a fantasy series was very appealing. The story effectively has three threads running through it. Firstly there is Elias, a remarkable hunter who is spotted by Deeds a gunman. Next there is Tellius, a Bill Sykes character, and a youngster who joins his group who Tellius names Arthur. The final strand is about Daw who uses magical devices to line his pockets in the main and Nancy who insists that magic doesn't exist.
The other part of the overall scene is the city of Darien where much of the book is set. I guess Darien is a fairly stereotypical city state with rulers who are seen as abusing power and authority. Those who are in authority are doing all they can to retain that authority.
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and found it easy to get into. Mostly the characters worked well enough for me. In particular Elias and Tellius were excellent in my opinion. Elias's skill was interesting and well used. Similarly Tellius's use of the Mazer steps struck me as very good. I did find Daw and particularly Nancy rather less convincing. Parts of Nancy's story line did not really work for me.
In general the action and pace were fine particularly as the book went on; I was happily caught up in the story. This was not a book I would have put down and I enjoyed reading it. My reservation is that the plot lines seem quite well telegraphed. It was apparent to me quite early on the general direction of the story. As I got further into the book I did work out a number of the general storylines. I'd go for 3.5/5 on this one though others will enjoy it even more than me.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
http://viewson.org.uk/fantasy/darien-...
In full
I was aware of this author's reputation as a writer of historical fiction and the idea of reading the first part of a fantasy series was very appealing. The story effectively has three threads running through it. Firstly there is Elias, a remarkable hunter who is spotted by Deeds a gunman. Next there is Tellius, a Bill Sykes character, and a youngster who joins his group who Tellius names Arthur. The final strand is about Daw who uses magical devices to line his pockets in the main and Nancy who insists that magic doesn't exist.
The other part of the overall scene is the city of Darien where much of the book is set. I guess Darien is a fairly stereotypical city state with rulers who are seen as abusing power and authority. Those who are in authority are doing all they can to retain that authority.
I certainly enjoyed reading this book and found it easy to get into. Mostly the characters worked well enough for me. In particular Elias and Tellius were excellent in my opinion. Elias's skill was interesting and well used. Similarly Tellius's use of the Mazer steps struck me as very good. I did find Daw and particularly Nancy rather less convincing. Parts of Nancy's story line did not really work for me.
In general the action and pace were fine particularly as the book went on; I was happily caught up in the story. This was not a book I would have put down and I enjoyed reading it. My reservation is that the plot lines seem quite well telegraphed. It was apparent to me quite early on the general direction of the story. As I got further into the book I did work out a number of the general storylines. I'd go for 3.5/5 on this one though others will enjoy it even more than me.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
http://viewson.org.uk/fantasy/darien-...
July 4, 2017
7/10
I saw this on NetGalley and having read and enjoyed the author’s series on Julius Caesar I requested this instantly. This is his first foray into Fantasy but it is set in a world where his historical background will have aided him in shaping the world. It felt like a Game of Thrones lite in that there were a number of viewpoints and nobody to really root for but it didn’t have the impact or the punch as that (earlier) series.
The magic in this world was quite an interesting aspect and allowed for a couple of interesting characters. The problem is that these interesting characters were cast aside near the end for an epic battle which fell flat and didn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. I’d have rather have it been smaller in scope and concentrated on the interesting characters and their interactions like in the earlier part of the novel.
The writing is easy flowing and allows for a quick read. It’s a style I like and isn’t bogged down in overly descriptive passages but still enough description to flesh out the world to make it feel lived in. The ending was a little bit flat for me which is why I rated it lower. I would have liked a stronger ending but then again this will be made into a series no doubt (it’s already listed as a series on GoodReads) and it’s not so much as closure as a way to tie off a section of the story.
I’d be happy to read more in the series as there were some interesting ideas and characters but I’d be hoping for something a bit more character focused in the next one.
I received a free copy from NetGalley
I saw this on NetGalley and having read and enjoyed the author’s series on Julius Caesar I requested this instantly. This is his first foray into Fantasy but it is set in a world where his historical background will have aided him in shaping the world. It felt like a Game of Thrones lite in that there were a number of viewpoints and nobody to really root for but it didn’t have the impact or the punch as that (earlier) series.
The magic in this world was quite an interesting aspect and allowed for a couple of interesting characters. The problem is that these interesting characters were cast aside near the end for an epic battle which fell flat and didn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. I’d have rather have it been smaller in scope and concentrated on the interesting characters and their interactions like in the earlier part of the novel.
The writing is easy flowing and allows for a quick read. It’s a style I like and isn’t bogged down in overly descriptive passages but still enough description to flesh out the world to make it feel lived in. The ending was a little bit flat for me which is why I rated it lower. I would have liked a stronger ending but then again this will be made into a series no doubt (it’s already listed as a series on GoodReads) and it’s not so much as closure as a way to tie off a section of the story.
I’d be happy to read more in the series as there were some interesting ideas and characters but I’d be hoping for something a bit more character focused in the next one.
I received a free copy from NetGalley
September 2, 2019
6/10
Cuando leí la sinopsis y vi que Iggulden había escrito fantasía, me llamó bastante la atención y le di una oportunidad. No diré que esta lectura haya sido una perdida de tiempo, porque no lo ha sido, pero tampoco puedo decir que me haya sorprendido en ningún momento.
Es de esas novelas que se deja leer, pero que en 2 meses ni vas a recordar que has leído, o al menos ese creo que será mi caso. ¿El motivo? Pues para ser una novela de fantasía no aporta nada al género, es más de lo mismo que hemos leído en cientos de ocasiones, pero además el autor tampoco es que haya intentado con su narración darle un poco de picante.
Cuando leí la sinopsis y vi que Iggulden había escrito fantasía, me llamó bastante la atención y le di una oportunidad. No diré que esta lectura haya sido una perdida de tiempo, porque no lo ha sido, pero tampoco puedo decir que me haya sorprendido en ningún momento.
Es de esas novelas que se deja leer, pero que en 2 meses ni vas a recordar que has leído, o al menos ese creo que será mi caso. ¿El motivo? Pues para ser una novela de fantasía no aporta nada al género, es más de lo mismo que hemos leído en cientos de ocasiones, pero además el autor tampoco es que haya intentado con su narración darle un poco de picante.
February 17, 2018
** Apologies for this incredibly short/crappy review. I’m not feeling up to writing properly at the moment**
This was my first book by this author. I’ve got my eye on a couple of his historical fiction books but I decided to start with his fantasy novel to start things off.
For me it started off really strongly but seemed to dip off towards the end as it took some turns that I didn’t quite like. There were plenty of really interesting characters to enjoy and learn more about. Some of whom have some very interesting abilities.
It does have some faults but was still enjoyable and I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
This was my first book by this author. I’ve got my eye on a couple of his historical fiction books but I decided to start with his fantasy novel to start things off.
For me it started off really strongly but seemed to dip off towards the end as it took some turns that I didn’t quite like. There were plenty of really interesting characters to enjoy and learn more about. Some of whom have some very interesting abilities.
It does have some faults but was still enjoyable and I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
May 13, 2026
(A) what an unexpectedly awesome, different one-two punch of a story
I have read Iggulden's historical fiction Emperor quartet and while I enjoyed it for the most part, found the historical aspects to be great and hindering the story/characters in equal parts. Having found this under-the-rug fantasy trilogy awhile back, I wanted to check it out given how effective he was at writing fantastical history.
Oh man, this is great! Having heard from several booktubers that this was quite the impactful book for being so short, I have to agree and say that it is as unexpectedly great as it is a bit different. But I really would say that it's important to know what you're getting if you're interested in reading it. Darien is really less of a complete story of different plots and payoffs so much as little vignettes of character-focused goals, tension and release. But it works really well!
Let me explain further; this is not an epic fantasy tale that you expect where everything is explained in detail and where you follow each character on deep or long quests. This is a tightly cut and condensed thriller similar to grimdark books where characters try to make the best out of unideal situations. The first half introduces 3 plots and 6 characters all centered around an unfamiliar magic that they then use to accomplish a goal. Personally, I found each to be distinctly unique, well-realized, and exactly what they needed to be. As the "mystery" of each is unveiled along with some truly FUN magic, the story merges at a midpoint that becomes straight chaos until the end. It feels really sloppy whilst reading it but also the way that Iggulden writes it also feels incredibly fitting and organic.
But that's not to say that everything is perfect. My 4.5 star rating primarily comes from the sheer joy and situational-intrigue I had with everything going on. It never drags but only during the middle do the pages truly fly with tension or gripping investment. The dialogue specifically is a bit off at times. I'd say it's serviceable most of the time, but 25-40% of the time it just simply doesn't work or doesn't make sense. This also is the case for the plots introduced. Not everything do you get answers or information on which can be problematic. For how efficient this book is, I really don't mind this much but I think more critical readers would find this frustrating. Also, like I said earlier, this book doesn't really have an introduction and ending so much as a fitting in media res where you get what you need at the beginning, but the ending is more of an endpoint and not the end of the story. The ending is not fully satisfying either, but is a fitting wrapping up of things at least.
While these bad things may feel significant enough to warrant a lower rating, I truly can't give it lower. The book was too much fun, the concepts were so well-executed, the story had drive, and certain character moments really stood out in the best way. This in many ways is exactly the kind of story I look for on a regular basis and I'm so excited for Shiang.
I have read Iggulden's historical fiction Emperor quartet and while I enjoyed it for the most part, found the historical aspects to be great and hindering the story/characters in equal parts. Having found this under-the-rug fantasy trilogy awhile back, I wanted to check it out given how effective he was at writing fantastical history.
Oh man, this is great! Having heard from several booktubers that this was quite the impactful book for being so short, I have to agree and say that it is as unexpectedly great as it is a bit different. But I really would say that it's important to know what you're getting if you're interested in reading it. Darien is really less of a complete story of different plots and payoffs so much as little vignettes of character-focused goals, tension and release. But it works really well!
Let me explain further; this is not an epic fantasy tale that you expect where everything is explained in detail and where you follow each character on deep or long quests. This is a tightly cut and condensed thriller similar to grimdark books where characters try to make the best out of unideal situations. The first half introduces 3 plots and 6 characters all centered around an unfamiliar magic that they then use to accomplish a goal. Personally, I found each to be distinctly unique, well-realized, and exactly what they needed to be. As the "mystery" of each is unveiled along with some truly FUN magic, the story merges at a midpoint that becomes straight chaos until the end. It feels really sloppy whilst reading it but also the way that Iggulden writes it also feels incredibly fitting and organic.
But that's not to say that everything is perfect. My 4.5 star rating primarily comes from the sheer joy and situational-intrigue I had with everything going on. It never drags but only during the middle do the pages truly fly with tension or gripping investment. The dialogue specifically is a bit off at times. I'd say it's serviceable most of the time, but 25-40% of the time it just simply doesn't work or doesn't make sense. This also is the case for the plots introduced. Not everything do you get answers or information on which can be problematic. For how efficient this book is, I really don't mind this much but I think more critical readers would find this frustrating. Also, like I said earlier, this book doesn't really have an introduction and ending so much as a fitting in media res where you get what you need at the beginning, but the ending is more of an endpoint and not the end of the story. The ending is not fully satisfying either, but is a fitting wrapping up of things at least.
While these bad things may feel significant enough to warrant a lower rating, I truly can't give it lower. The book was too much fun, the concepts were so well-executed, the story had drive, and certain character moments really stood out in the best way. This in many ways is exactly the kind of story I look for on a regular basis and I'm so excited for Shiang.
August 12, 2018
Marvellous story. Six superb characters - a strange orphan who can master anything he sees once, a veteran Fagin-like sword master looking for vengeance, a plague ridden hunter who can literally dodge bullets, a ruthless gunslinger, a young thief keen to raid an unbreakable tomb and a tavern girl with a strange power. All come together in the town of Darien where twelve families rule under a puppet king and one family plans a coup to rule them all. Amazing story, totally compelling, a nod to 'Game of Thrones' but just a great read. As a fantasy fan this was a real joy.
July 3, 2017
This review originally appeared on Pop Verse.
C. F. Iggulden is the pseudonym of successful historical fiction writer Conn Iggulden. Darien is the author’s first attempt at a fantasy series, and a YA series at that. Having never read any of his previous work, I went into Darien knowing nothing other than this was a novel from a well-established writer. It was a shame, then, that it read like a first draft.
The characters in Darien exist entirely in service of the plot, without any inner lives of their own. Knowing Iggulden comes from the world of historical fiction actually makes some sense when reading his fantasy novel attempt – he clearly planned an event to happen at the end of the book and made it happen, at the expense of developing interesting characters with even a hint of agency. Instead, everything happens by chance and there is little in the way of overall motivation driving any of the characters.
‘If an outcome cannot be controlled, you are left only with style.’
The novel follows a disparate cast of characters around the city of Darien. Elias is a desperate father trying to save his family from the plague; Tellius a kind-hearted Fagin type figure looking after lost boys from the city’s streets; con artist Daw Threefold finds his livelihood threatened by a pretty face who has the power to suck magic into herself. None of these characters have any particularly world-changing plans, and those that do only develop them after accidents of circumstance. All of them eventually find themselves in the centre of the city and critical players in a political coup.
‘Worst of all was the thought that the world might be so badly organised that a cure could exist and still not reach those who needed it.’
The opening of this YA novel is a strange one. It is written in a style that brings to mind folklore. There is no immediate hook that jumps out and has only the barest hint of something ‘other’ to appeal to speculative fiction readers. It was not a chapter that particularly hooked me in as an adult reader and it would have left me cold as a teenager as well. It made me wonder whether such a novel would have found publication if it had been written by an unknown, debut author. I do hate that debut authors are required to so completely conform to the splashy requirements publishers set, but at the same time, are those same publishers being too lenient with established voices? Why not push them to do better? I like that they are willing to take risks on other kinds of storytelling, but it is frustrating that these risks only appear to happen with well-known names.
Iggulden’s fantasy style borrows a lot from George R. R. Martin and, to a lesser extent, Robin Hobb. It reads like a medieval history novel with a splash of magic thrown in to appeal to the fantasy audience rather than being firmly in the fantasy realm (at least for the first half of the novel). The novel also called to mind fantasy novels like The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora. All in all, it lacked its own distinctive personality, as though I’d seen it all before. Yet another medieval fantasy involving political power dynamics. As a basis for a fantasy series, that wouldn’t necessarily bother me, but it has to say something different to hook me in or have really strong, interesting characters. Darien has neither.
I struggled with the narrative style employed in this novel. Like its setting and magic elements that riff off A Song of Ice and Fire, so does the narrative style. While Darien isn’t as strictly structured as Martin’s epic, with chapters clearly delineated as being from a specific character’s point of view, the revolving third person narration is still there. Unfortunately, Iggulden doesn’t manage to pull it off. For the most part, it reads like third person limited, but it constantly switches whose head the reader is in. It is confusing and incoherent to the point where I wondered what the author was actually going for – were they trying to do omniscient that just felt limited/focused or were they trying to do limited pov but failing?
‘It doesn’t hurt to show the world a nice smile, especially before you kick its teeth in.’
Characters need agency. They need motivations that drive their actions towards a relevant end-point in the narrative. The characters in Darien that fulfil this requirement are either introduced very late in the game or only find their motivation after a series of coincidental circumstances. Otherwise, the General of the Immortals could be said to have a clear motivation from beginning to end, but he is a minor side-character at best. The two characters who arguably are the most pivotal of all – Nancy and Arthur – are perfect examples of characters who do not have sufficient motivation and are purely props of the plot. Arthur is a golem, a magical creation without desires, or at least none that are articulated. His story arc is a series of accidents and things happening to him. Nancy’s path is also an accident. In trying to steal from Daw, she discovers that she has the power to steal magic from artefacts and use them. Once she discovers this knack, she decides to seek revenge for the death of her father which just happens to throw her into the path of other, bigger events that are playing out in the city.
By the time I’d reached the halfway point, I still had no idea where it was all headed – and not in an interesting or intriguing way. None of the factions of characters were linked in an obvious sense. Combine that with none of them having ultimate goals that might come together, it all felt too reliant on circumstance. At any moment, a new character could be introduced, a new path given for a character, and the story would move on to an entirely different route. SO what was the point of it? I couldn’t root for any of them as they had no particular goals in mind for themselves – even Elias, who at least has something very specific keep him on track – was forced into his actions, rather than choosing them to further his own goals in some way.
‘You lived or died. There was no point worrying about it.’
Ultimately, the lack of character agency and depth meant I had no interest in what was happening. The plot of the story felt irrelevant to the characters that inhabited it. The worldbuilding was limited and the magic ‘system’ (if you can call it that) was extremely undercooked. Everything about Darien felt like a first draft – one that you would polish before even sending it to beta readers. How it ever got past agents and editors is baffling.
Verdict: Only for those who place no importance on characters being active in their own stories.
C. F. Iggulden is the pseudonym of successful historical fiction writer Conn Iggulden. Darien is the author’s first attempt at a fantasy series, and a YA series at that. Having never read any of his previous work, I went into Darien knowing nothing other than this was a novel from a well-established writer. It was a shame, then, that it read like a first draft.
The characters in Darien exist entirely in service of the plot, without any inner lives of their own. Knowing Iggulden comes from the world of historical fiction actually makes some sense when reading his fantasy novel attempt – he clearly planned an event to happen at the end of the book and made it happen, at the expense of developing interesting characters with even a hint of agency. Instead, everything happens by chance and there is little in the way of overall motivation driving any of the characters.
‘If an outcome cannot be controlled, you are left only with style.’
The novel follows a disparate cast of characters around the city of Darien. Elias is a desperate father trying to save his family from the plague; Tellius a kind-hearted Fagin type figure looking after lost boys from the city’s streets; con artist Daw Threefold finds his livelihood threatened by a pretty face who has the power to suck magic into herself. None of these characters have any particularly world-changing plans, and those that do only develop them after accidents of circumstance. All of them eventually find themselves in the centre of the city and critical players in a political coup.
‘Worst of all was the thought that the world might be so badly organised that a cure could exist and still not reach those who needed it.’
The opening of this YA novel is a strange one. It is written in a style that brings to mind folklore. There is no immediate hook that jumps out and has only the barest hint of something ‘other’ to appeal to speculative fiction readers. It was not a chapter that particularly hooked me in as an adult reader and it would have left me cold as a teenager as well. It made me wonder whether such a novel would have found publication if it had been written by an unknown, debut author. I do hate that debut authors are required to so completely conform to the splashy requirements publishers set, but at the same time, are those same publishers being too lenient with established voices? Why not push them to do better? I like that they are willing to take risks on other kinds of storytelling, but it is frustrating that these risks only appear to happen with well-known names.
Iggulden’s fantasy style borrows a lot from George R. R. Martin and, to a lesser extent, Robin Hobb. It reads like a medieval history novel with a splash of magic thrown in to appeal to the fantasy audience rather than being firmly in the fantasy realm (at least for the first half of the novel). The novel also called to mind fantasy novels like The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora. All in all, it lacked its own distinctive personality, as though I’d seen it all before. Yet another medieval fantasy involving political power dynamics. As a basis for a fantasy series, that wouldn’t necessarily bother me, but it has to say something different to hook me in or have really strong, interesting characters. Darien has neither.
I struggled with the narrative style employed in this novel. Like its setting and magic elements that riff off A Song of Ice and Fire, so does the narrative style. While Darien isn’t as strictly structured as Martin’s epic, with chapters clearly delineated as being from a specific character’s point of view, the revolving third person narration is still there. Unfortunately, Iggulden doesn’t manage to pull it off. For the most part, it reads like third person limited, but it constantly switches whose head the reader is in. It is confusing and incoherent to the point where I wondered what the author was actually going for – were they trying to do omniscient that just felt limited/focused or were they trying to do limited pov but failing?
‘It doesn’t hurt to show the world a nice smile, especially before you kick its teeth in.’
Characters need agency. They need motivations that drive their actions towards a relevant end-point in the narrative. The characters in Darien that fulfil this requirement are either introduced very late in the game or only find their motivation after a series of coincidental circumstances. Otherwise, the General of the Immortals could be said to have a clear motivation from beginning to end, but he is a minor side-character at best. The two characters who arguably are the most pivotal of all – Nancy and Arthur – are perfect examples of characters who do not have sufficient motivation and are purely props of the plot. Arthur is a golem, a magical creation without desires, or at least none that are articulated. His story arc is a series of accidents and things happening to him. Nancy’s path is also an accident. In trying to steal from Daw, she discovers that she has the power to steal magic from artefacts and use them. Once she discovers this knack, she decides to seek revenge for the death of her father which just happens to throw her into the path of other, bigger events that are playing out in the city.
By the time I’d reached the halfway point, I still had no idea where it was all headed – and not in an interesting or intriguing way. None of the factions of characters were linked in an obvious sense. Combine that with none of them having ultimate goals that might come together, it all felt too reliant on circumstance. At any moment, a new character could be introduced, a new path given for a character, and the story would move on to an entirely different route. SO what was the point of it? I couldn’t root for any of them as they had no particular goals in mind for themselves – even Elias, who at least has something very specific keep him on track – was forced into his actions, rather than choosing them to further his own goals in some way.
‘You lived or died. There was no point worrying about it.’
Ultimately, the lack of character agency and depth meant I had no interest in what was happening. The plot of the story felt irrelevant to the characters that inhabited it. The worldbuilding was limited and the magic ‘system’ (if you can call it that) was extremely undercooked. Everything about Darien felt like a first draft – one that you would polish before even sending it to beta readers. How it ever got past agents and editors is baffling.
Verdict: Only for those who place no importance on characters being active in their own stories.
July 15, 2018
This and other reviews can be found on my blog
2.5/5 stars
In Darien we follow multiple characters. We have the hunter Elias who lives with his family in a small town that is haunted by a devastating disease. He is forced to take action when they begin to fall ill and only his mysterious talent to see glimpses of the future can save them. Little does he know that this very talent will make him a pawn in a plan to overthrow the king himself.
Then we follow Tellius, a former warrior from another country who is reminiscent of Fagin from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens in that he is head of a group of boy thieves. But aside from this he also teaches the boys the traditional way of fighting from his homeland.
While meeting Tellius for the first time, we are also introduced to a little boy that is later named Arthur Quick by Tellius. He doesn't seem to know where he comes from and doesn't have any kind of own drive for action. However, he has the unique ability to memorize and reproduce any kind of performance.
Then we have Nancy, a young thief who doesn't believe in magic and wants revenge for her dead father. She meets Daw Threefold who is always in search of a new opportunity to make money. They discover that Nancy has a powerful ability that might decide the future of Darien itself.
Referring back to the fact that the book was translated into German, I can't say much about the original writing style. I can only state that I've read other books in German recently as well (something I have been doing seldomly since I started reading in English) and liked their writing style significantly better. The story begins very sluggish and the first chapter didn't leave me intruiged and interested for more. There are so many characters with their own storyline that it's very hard to connect to any of them. For me, the dialogue felt often immensely repetitive and very stilted.
To have only one city as the central point of the story is not uncommon in fantasy. We learn that Darien is a city ruled by a young king who is essentially only the pawn of the twelve powerful families. The city seems to have belonged to a huge empire in the past which gave the book series its title (Empire of Salt), but we sadly don't learn anything more than that. Equally unsatisfying for me was the fact that we don't get to know the twelve families in more detail since they seem to be of much importance for Darien and later on in the story. This was even more frustrating since the German book does feature the subtitle "rule of the twelve" which let me to believe we would learn a lot about politics and power dynamics in Darien.
On thing that bothered me a lot and pulled me directly out of the fantasy world was the author's choice to insert two references to our world into the story. I imagine this could happen to an author who writes mainly historical fiction and is used to implement references. This would explain the first reference to the Siege of Carthage. However, there is another reference to Mike Tyson that's admittedly not that obvious, but bothered me nonetheless.
Overall, there wasn't enough world-building, character development and compelling writing (which may be the translation's fault) for me to give this book a better rating. That being said, if you like very character-driven stories, you might enjoy Darien. Compared to the reviews I've seen, I'm definitely in the minority here.
2.5/5 stars
In Darien we follow multiple characters. We have the hunter Elias who lives with his family in a small town that is haunted by a devastating disease. He is forced to take action when they begin to fall ill and only his mysterious talent to see glimpses of the future can save them. Little does he know that this very talent will make him a pawn in a plan to overthrow the king himself.
Then we follow Tellius, a former warrior from another country who is reminiscent of Fagin from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens in that he is head of a group of boy thieves. But aside from this he also teaches the boys the traditional way of fighting from his homeland.
While meeting Tellius for the first time, we are also introduced to a little boy that is later named Arthur Quick by Tellius. He doesn't seem to know where he comes from and doesn't have any kind of own drive for action. However, he has the unique ability to memorize and reproduce any kind of performance.
Then we have Nancy, a young thief who doesn't believe in magic and wants revenge for her dead father. She meets Daw Threefold who is always in search of a new opportunity to make money. They discover that Nancy has a powerful ability that might decide the future of Darien itself.
Referring back to the fact that the book was translated into German, I can't say much about the original writing style. I can only state that I've read other books in German recently as well (something I have been doing seldomly since I started reading in English) and liked their writing style significantly better. The story begins very sluggish and the first chapter didn't leave me intruiged and interested for more. There are so many characters with their own storyline that it's very hard to connect to any of them. For me, the dialogue felt often immensely repetitive and very stilted.
To have only one city as the central point of the story is not uncommon in fantasy. We learn that Darien is a city ruled by a young king who is essentially only the pawn of the twelve powerful families. The city seems to have belonged to a huge empire in the past which gave the book series its title (Empire of Salt), but we sadly don't learn anything more than that. Equally unsatisfying for me was the fact that we don't get to know the twelve families in more detail since they seem to be of much importance for Darien and later on in the story. This was even more frustrating since the German book does feature the subtitle "rule of the twelve" which let me to believe we would learn a lot about politics and power dynamics in Darien.
On thing that bothered me a lot and pulled me directly out of the fantasy world was the author's choice to insert two references to our world into the story. I imagine this could happen to an author who writes mainly historical fiction and is used to implement references. This would explain the first reference to the Siege of Carthage. However, there is another reference to Mike Tyson that's admittedly not that obvious, but bothered me nonetheless.
Overall, there wasn't enough world-building, character development and compelling writing (which may be the translation's fault) for me to give this book a better rating. That being said, if you like very character-driven stories, you might enjoy Darien. Compared to the reviews I've seen, I'm definitely in the minority here.
May 23, 2017
My thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.
Author Conn Iggulden has crafted an epic fantasy tale that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. This is sword and sorcery at its finest, with plenty of background information to keep the reader interested until the final page.
The book information touts this as a series, but you would never know it. Although there are untold stories that could branch off of “Darien,” this particular tale starts and finishes in one book. This is a story of intrigue and hidden desires, and of people caught in a web of someone else’s making.
Many books have individual characters, each moving through a personal adventure that may eventually cross the path or paths of the others. Mr. Iggulden has grouped his cast into pairs, with each having their own story and interaction. Hunter Elias Post travels with gunslinger Vic Deeds (guns being new to this world). An uneasy respect and tension rides along, as Post and Deeds must rely on each other to survive. Tellius ( a teacher, of sorts) and Arthur (an incredibly apt student) find themselves unwillingly pulled into a dangerous situation, and each solution only seems to makes things worse. Daw and Nancy find out more about themselves and each other than they may have originally wished. Each pair follows their chosen paths and eventually end up in Darien, only to find other strings have been pulled and everything is not as it first seemed.
The author provides plenty of glimpses inside many of the characters, providing backstories and motivations. While I might have wished for more of the sights and sounds of the city, Mr. Iggulden more than made up for it with the battle scenes and the interaction between characters.
As stated above, this book can be read and enjoyed by all ages. Although there are large and small battles, it is not described with excessive gore, and Mr. Iggulden has written a book without a hint of adult language or intimate sexual scenes. This is an adventure tale first and foremost. Five stars.
Author Conn Iggulden has crafted an epic fantasy tale that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. This is sword and sorcery at its finest, with plenty of background information to keep the reader interested until the final page.
The book information touts this as a series, but you would never know it. Although there are untold stories that could branch off of “Darien,” this particular tale starts and finishes in one book. This is a story of intrigue and hidden desires, and of people caught in a web of someone else’s making.
Many books have individual characters, each moving through a personal adventure that may eventually cross the path or paths of the others. Mr. Iggulden has grouped his cast into pairs, with each having their own story and interaction. Hunter Elias Post travels with gunslinger Vic Deeds (guns being new to this world). An uneasy respect and tension rides along, as Post and Deeds must rely on each other to survive. Tellius ( a teacher, of sorts) and Arthur (an incredibly apt student) find themselves unwillingly pulled into a dangerous situation, and each solution only seems to makes things worse. Daw and Nancy find out more about themselves and each other than they may have originally wished. Each pair follows their chosen paths and eventually end up in Darien, only to find other strings have been pulled and everything is not as it first seemed.
The author provides plenty of glimpses inside many of the characters, providing backstories and motivations. While I might have wished for more of the sights and sounds of the city, Mr. Iggulden more than made up for it with the battle scenes and the interaction between characters.
As stated above, this book can be read and enjoyed by all ages. Although there are large and small battles, it is not described with excessive gore, and Mr. Iggulden has written a book without a hint of adult language or intimate sexual scenes. This is an adventure tale first and foremost. Five stars.
Read
July 1, 2017DNF
July 24, 2017
https://lynns-books.com/2017/07/13/da...
Darien is an impressive start to a series that looks set to become epic. I had a few niggles but overall I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this world.
Unsurprisingly the majority of the story is set in the city of Darien. Darien is a huge city, it has a monarch but he’s little more than a figurehead, the real rulers of the city being the 12 noble families who keep peace with the threat of their own collection of magical artefacts that are rolled out during troubled times. Not to mention obscene amounts of money that can buy their own personal armies.
As we start the story we are introduced to a number of characters who eventually pair up and follow their own storylines which eventually converge. We have a hunter named Elias, he’s desperately seeking a cure for his wife and and daughters who have fallen victim to the plague, his actions have become desperate and his lack of caution brings him to the notice of an ambitious gunman called Vic Deeds. The two of them make an agreement to travel together, one with the promise of a cure, the other with ulterior motives that make him appear as less than trustworthy. We have a sneaky thief called Nancy and her latest potential victim Daw. Again, the two of them strike a deal that sees them seeking out an ancient monument in search of treasure. Finally we have a character called Tellius who runs a gang of street urchins. Tellius is a very clever individual, not originally from Darien, he teaches his boys to dance, except what they believe to be a form of dance is actually a combination of routines that feel like martial arts. Tellius is about to be introduced to his latest recruit, a young boy called Arthur who hides a huge secret.
There are a number of different motivations at play here. Elias wants little more than a quiet life and to keep his family safe. He has something, referred to in Darien, as the knack. This differs from individual to individual but lends Elias an ability of stealth and foresight that makes him quite lethal. Nancy’s story is all about revenge, she also has a knack that makes her very interesting to certain people. Arthur is really in search of home. He is much more than a little boy though and although he forms strong attachments to those who show him kindness his abilities will also bring him to the attention of those who would use and manipulate him. On top of this we have a huge army situated outside the city, an army run by a ruthless general who has his own ideas of what is best.
Darien is really a character led story and given the size of the book manages to fit a heck of a lot into what is really relatively few pages in terms of epic fantasy. I enjoyed the style of writing. I think the author does an excellent job of keeping the different POVs distinct and I had no trouble keeping track of them. The plot comes together in a very satisfying way. The author manages to converge the storyline in a way that makes us see the plot unfold from different angles which I particularly enjoyed.
In terms of my niggles.
Nothing that spoiled the read for me but random thoughts that popped up as I read. There is very little history about Darien and although there are twelve noble families we don’t meet them all here. Personally, I think Iggulden has the right idea by not introducing everyone at this point. We only meet with those nobles that play a role in the story and this helps to keep the story succinct and prevents the need for history lessons (although I would have liked a little bit more information on, for example the Sallets).
The magic is not really touched upon, more it’s just there unquestioned. There are magical objects and mages and witches, it’s not really made clear why or how the knack manifests in some and not others. To be honest I don’t really mind this but, again, I think a little bit of history would have been useful.
I think my real concern is that I did want to have a stronger attachment to the characters. By the end of the story I definitely had favourites but it felt like it took a little while to get there, just as though they were a little flat or lacked that certain something that immediately draws you to them. Like I said, this changed as I reached the conclusion where I definitely found myself caring about the fate of a few of the characters, particularly Arthur and Tellius.
Overall I think this was a really good read. It reads as a self contained story but with obvious openings left for the next in series to pick up on, I’m really keen to find out more about certain characters and I’m particularly curious about Elias, and his daughters, and wonder whether they might play more of a role in the future. I think the main issue with this book is that the author was obviously trying to prevent the story from becoming bloated with information which can lead to the story becoming lost a little. As it is, I think this could easily have had another 100 or so pages without becoming bogged down. At the end of the day though the beauty of a series is the way that the characters and world are expanded upon with each successive book.
I think this has the promise to become a great series, almost old school in terms of the style of writing, not overly brutal or dark and with some great battle scenes to boot. I look forward to discovering more.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Darien is an impressive start to a series that looks set to become epic. I had a few niggles but overall I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this world.
Unsurprisingly the majority of the story is set in the city of Darien. Darien is a huge city, it has a monarch but he’s little more than a figurehead, the real rulers of the city being the 12 noble families who keep peace with the threat of their own collection of magical artefacts that are rolled out during troubled times. Not to mention obscene amounts of money that can buy their own personal armies.
As we start the story we are introduced to a number of characters who eventually pair up and follow their own storylines which eventually converge. We have a hunter named Elias, he’s desperately seeking a cure for his wife and and daughters who have fallen victim to the plague, his actions have become desperate and his lack of caution brings him to the notice of an ambitious gunman called Vic Deeds. The two of them make an agreement to travel together, one with the promise of a cure, the other with ulterior motives that make him appear as less than trustworthy. We have a sneaky thief called Nancy and her latest potential victim Daw. Again, the two of them strike a deal that sees them seeking out an ancient monument in search of treasure. Finally we have a character called Tellius who runs a gang of street urchins. Tellius is a very clever individual, not originally from Darien, he teaches his boys to dance, except what they believe to be a form of dance is actually a combination of routines that feel like martial arts. Tellius is about to be introduced to his latest recruit, a young boy called Arthur who hides a huge secret.
There are a number of different motivations at play here. Elias wants little more than a quiet life and to keep his family safe. He has something, referred to in Darien, as the knack. This differs from individual to individual but lends Elias an ability of stealth and foresight that makes him quite lethal. Nancy’s story is all about revenge, she also has a knack that makes her very interesting to certain people. Arthur is really in search of home. He is much more than a little boy though and although he forms strong attachments to those who show him kindness his abilities will also bring him to the attention of those who would use and manipulate him. On top of this we have a huge army situated outside the city, an army run by a ruthless general who has his own ideas of what is best.
Darien is really a character led story and given the size of the book manages to fit a heck of a lot into what is really relatively few pages in terms of epic fantasy. I enjoyed the style of writing. I think the author does an excellent job of keeping the different POVs distinct and I had no trouble keeping track of them. The plot comes together in a very satisfying way. The author manages to converge the storyline in a way that makes us see the plot unfold from different angles which I particularly enjoyed.
In terms of my niggles.
Nothing that spoiled the read for me but random thoughts that popped up as I read. There is very little history about Darien and although there are twelve noble families we don’t meet them all here. Personally, I think Iggulden has the right idea by not introducing everyone at this point. We only meet with those nobles that play a role in the story and this helps to keep the story succinct and prevents the need for history lessons (although I would have liked a little bit more information on, for example the Sallets).
The magic is not really touched upon, more it’s just there unquestioned. There are magical objects and mages and witches, it’s not really made clear why or how the knack manifests in some and not others. To be honest I don’t really mind this but, again, I think a little bit of history would have been useful.
I think my real concern is that I did want to have a stronger attachment to the characters. By the end of the story I definitely had favourites but it felt like it took a little while to get there, just as though they were a little flat or lacked that certain something that immediately draws you to them. Like I said, this changed as I reached the conclusion where I definitely found myself caring about the fate of a few of the characters, particularly Arthur and Tellius.
Overall I think this was a really good read. It reads as a self contained story but with obvious openings left for the next in series to pick up on, I’m really keen to find out more about certain characters and I’m particularly curious about Elias, and his daughters, and wonder whether they might play more of a role in the future. I think the main issue with this book is that the author was obviously trying to prevent the story from becoming bloated with information which can lead to the story becoming lost a little. As it is, I think this could easily have had another 100 or so pages without becoming bogged down. At the end of the day though the beauty of a series is the way that the characters and world are expanded upon with each successive book.
I think this has the promise to become a great series, almost old school in terms of the style of writing, not overly brutal or dark and with some great battle scenes to boot. I look forward to discovering more.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
October 15, 2018
This is kind of like an old school heroic fantasy, none of the characters are your 'pure' heroes, there are dark and unpleasant aspects to all of them, but they all are generally trying to do the decent thing. There are quite a few POV characters. We have Tellius, an old man in exile who runs a gang of child thieves, Elias a hunter with a knack of seeings things, and Nancy a young women drawn into major events via a liaison with a young man called Daw. Those three are the main POV's but we also have quite a few from Daw and another young gunslinger called Vic Deeds as well as a few other minor ones. The world of Darien is one where people have knacks, kind of innate magical abilities that allow them to do one or two things. Elias has a knack of seeing somewhat into the immediate future, just a couple of minutes, and when Vic Deeds notices this he realises the potential of it and brings Elias to the general he works for. Objects can also be imbued with magic, allowing them to perform particular functions and there are golems and other magical things. The city of Darien is an old one, remnants of an older empire, and is ruled by twelve families and a king as a figurehead.
The whole time I was reading this I was reminded of David Gemmell. Between the character types, the multiple POV's, magic just being magic without a load of rules, the battles and fights, I just had a very enjoyable time reading (well listening) to this. I really liked how the fighting men saw the potential in Elias' knack. And the more the story progressed the more right they were, it was very cool. I thought for the length of the book (it's fairly short) that each major character was drawn well and I was rooting for them all, even when they strayed into dubious territory. The story was straight-forward enough, and it all happens over only a few days, but it moved along well and there were a few times when the story went places I didn't expect. There are references to Rome, Carthage and the bible throughout the book so I don't know if this is supposed to be some alternative history or not, it's definitely not our world as we know it. All in all a very enjoyable book, nothing profound or genre shaking but a great read nevertheless.
The whole time I was reading this I was reminded of David Gemmell. Between the character types, the multiple POV's, magic just being magic without a load of rules, the battles and fights, I just had a very enjoyable time reading (well listening) to this. I really liked how the fighting men saw the potential in Elias' knack. And the more the story progressed the more right they were, it was very cool. I thought for the length of the book (it's fairly short) that each major character was drawn well and I was rooting for them all, even when they strayed into dubious territory. The story was straight-forward enough, and it all happens over only a few days, but it moved along well and there were a few times when the story went places I didn't expect. There are references to Rome, Carthage and the bible throughout the book so I don't know if this is supposed to be some alternative history or not, it's definitely not our world as we know it. All in all a very enjoyable book, nothing profound or genre shaking but a great read nevertheless.
April 29, 2018
This amazing book by Conn Iggulden is something that's quite a bit different that I was used to from this author.
Although this is a surprisingly entertaining fantasy adventure tale, I had to adjust somewhat to this new style, simply because having read this author's brilliant historical adventure novels.
As usual the storytelling is absolutely wonderful and all the characters come superbly to life within this delightful story, and a nice feature within this story is the use of the word "Meneer", and for me as a Dutchman that makes me glad because that word is a Dutch form of address, meaning Mr or Mister.
This book is set up in a really fantastic fashion and you'll get gripped right from the start until the very end.
The main setting of the book is a place called "Darien" within the "Empire of Salt", and the main characters featuring within this fascinating tale are Elias Post, a hunter, Tellius, an old swordsman banished from home, Arthur, a boy who cannot speak, Daw Treefold, a chancer and gambler, Vic Deeds, someone who feels no guilt, and finally Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all.
The story is also featuring King Johannes de Generes of Darien and his Twelve Families, who rule and dictate all that is going on in this place by suppressing all other inhabitants of Darien with tough decisions and with a very hard hand.
What will follow is an intriguing story in which quite some eventful situations will occur, and where certain people from different factions will try to kill King Johannes, while on the other hand there are some who'll do anything to get rid of General Justan and his Immortals.
Although I personally prefer Conn Iggulden as a historical novelist, because in my opinion that's where his real strength lies, still at the same time I like to say that this fantasy adventure novel certainly has not let me down at all, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Surprising Change & Amazing Begin"!
Although this is a surprisingly entertaining fantasy adventure tale, I had to adjust somewhat to this new style, simply because having read this author's brilliant historical adventure novels.
As usual the storytelling is absolutely wonderful and all the characters come superbly to life within this delightful story, and a nice feature within this story is the use of the word "Meneer", and for me as a Dutchman that makes me glad because that word is a Dutch form of address, meaning Mr or Mister.
This book is set up in a really fantastic fashion and you'll get gripped right from the start until the very end.
The main setting of the book is a place called "Darien" within the "Empire of Salt", and the main characters featuring within this fascinating tale are Elias Post, a hunter, Tellius, an old swordsman banished from home, Arthur, a boy who cannot speak, Daw Treefold, a chancer and gambler, Vic Deeds, someone who feels no guilt, and finally Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all.
The story is also featuring King Johannes de Generes of Darien and his Twelve Families, who rule and dictate all that is going on in this place by suppressing all other inhabitants of Darien with tough decisions and with a very hard hand.
What will follow is an intriguing story in which quite some eventful situations will occur, and where certain people from different factions will try to kill King Johannes, while on the other hand there are some who'll do anything to get rid of General Justan and his Immortals.
Although I personally prefer Conn Iggulden as a historical novelist, because in my opinion that's where his real strength lies, still at the same time I like to say that this fantasy adventure novel certainly has not let me down at all, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Surprising Change & Amazing Begin"!
July 8, 2025
This was decent without being amazing, and four stars is probably a bit generous, but I feel it’s a little bit over a 3.5 though. For a book of this length, I think there were maybe a couple too many POV characters, meaning that most of them didn’t really get enough time to shine. Those that did, I thought were mostly pretty good though, and I would be interested in following the story of one or two of them (and maybe not so interested in following a couple of the others).
The plot was okay – in fact, I realise that my initial assessment applies not just to the book overall, but to the characters, the plot, the worldbuilding: they were all decent but not amazing. The book did everything well, some of it particularly well, but it just didn’t have that little spark that would set it above the crowd for me.
There is some interesting “magic” on display, most notable though what is referred to as a character’s “knack”, and I like how there are limitations where a character might otherwise seem a bit overpowered. I thought one in particular, involving Nancy, was really well worked, and made what should probably have been quite a straightforward event go utterly sideways for the other person involved.
The writing is pretty easy going, making it a relatively quick read overall, and that bodes well for the rest of the series, too.
The plot was okay – in fact, I realise that my initial assessment applies not just to the book overall, but to the characters, the plot, the worldbuilding: they were all decent but not amazing. The book did everything well, some of it particularly well, but it just didn’t have that little spark that would set it above the crowd for me.
There is some interesting “magic” on display, most notable though what is referred to as a character’s “knack”, and I like how there are limitations where a character might otherwise seem a bit overpowered. I thought one in particular, involving Nancy, was really well worked, and made what should probably have been quite a straightforward event go utterly sideways for the other person involved.
The writing is pretty easy going, making it a relatively quick read overall, and that bodes well for the rest of the series, too.
November 6, 2017
Received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Penguin UK for honest read and review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this departure for Conn Iggulden from his Historic books.This was a really interesting and enjoyable read that had me from the First page.
This was a brilliant start to a new series that looks as if it is going to be really good and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
Set in the city of Darien it shows us some of the colourful characters of this city and their Knacks.
A fine start.
I thoroughly enjoyed this departure for Conn Iggulden from his Historic books.This was a really interesting and enjoyable read that had me from the First page.
This was a brilliant start to a new series that looks as if it is going to be really good and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
Set in the city of Darien it shows us some of the colourful characters of this city and their Knacks.
A fine start.
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April 26, 2019This was unfortunately a DNF, I liked the writing style but I just don't feel like it brought anything new to the fantasy genre. Also it just seemed a little sexist to me, there were no female characters until like page 50! Maybe that changes but I just don't have the time or effort to read any more.
August 30, 2017
Iggulden's foray into the fantasy realm takes no prisoners. The grittiness of the tale is told with a razors edge prose. A great read!
May 29, 2025
4.25 ⭐ rounded down
I think this might be one of the most binge-able books ever. The book itself is like 315 pages and it's incredible how much is jam packed in there! I know absolutely nothing about this author except that he typically writes Historical fiction and this is his first crack at a Fantasy series. While I loved many things about this book, one of the issues I had with this book is that things just "happen" and I think that's because of his background in writing History books and I felt like there were times where more explanation or more details could have helped with certain scenes. I still thought this book was great and I am on board to finish the series!
I think this might be one of the most binge-able books ever. The book itself is like 315 pages and it's incredible how much is jam packed in there! I know absolutely nothing about this author except that he typically writes Historical fiction and this is his first crack at a Fantasy series. While I loved many things about this book, one of the issues I had with this book is that things just "happen" and I think that's because of his background in writing History books and I felt like there were times where more explanation or more details could have helped with certain scenes. I still thought this book was great and I am on board to finish the series!
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