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The Scribe Cycle #1
Scribes
Pawns in an endless war, scribes are feared and worshipped, valued and exploited, prized and hunted. But there is only one whose powers can determine the fate of the world . . .
Born into the ruins of Rzolka’s brutal civil unrest, Anna has never known peace. Here, in her remote village—a wasteland smoldering in the shadows of outlying foreign armies—being imbued with the magic of the scribes has made her future all the more uncertain.
Through intricate carvings of the flesh, scribes can grant temporary invulnerability against enemies to those seeking protection. In an embattled world where child scribes are sold and traded to corrupt leaders, Anna is invaluable. Her scars never fade. The immunity she grants lasts forever.
Taken to a desert metropolis, Anna is promised a life of reverence, wealth, and fame—in exchange for her gifts. She believes she is helping to restore her homeland, creating gods and kings for an immortal army—until she witnesses the hordes slaughtering without reproach, sacking cities, and threatening everything she holds dear. Now, with the help of an enigmatic assassin, Anna must reclaim the power of her scars—before she becomes the unwitting architect of an apocalyptic war.
Born into the ruins of Rzolka’s brutal civil unrest, Anna has never known peace. Here, in her remote village—a wasteland smoldering in the shadows of outlying foreign armies—being imbued with the magic of the scribes has made her future all the more uncertain.
Through intricate carvings of the flesh, scribes can grant temporary invulnerability against enemies to those seeking protection. In an embattled world where child scribes are sold and traded to corrupt leaders, Anna is invaluable. Her scars never fade. The immunity she grants lasts forever.
Taken to a desert metropolis, Anna is promised a life of reverence, wealth, and fame—in exchange for her gifts. She believes she is helping to restore her homeland, creating gods and kings for an immortal army—until she witnesses the hordes slaughtering without reproach, sacking cities, and threatening everything she holds dear. Now, with the help of an enigmatic assassin, Anna must reclaim the power of her scars—before she becomes the unwitting architect of an apocalyptic war.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2018
32 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
James Wolanyk
11 books147 followersJames Wolanyk is a fiction writer, teacher, and mindfulness coach from Boston, MA. He holds a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts and has been featured in a variety of magazines, quarterlies, and other publications. He currently lives in Riga, Latvia and is hastily preparing his next science-fiction releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 16, 2018
Scribes by James Wolanyk is the first book of the new fantasy Scribe Cycle series. The series introduces Anna who had been hiding her ability of being a Scribe and being able to carve runes into others flesh to grant temporary invulnerability against enemies.
When Anna was forced to run she finds herself trapped by a tracker and as negotiations begin to decline Anna uses her ability to bargain. This puts Anna at the trackers mercy at which time Anna vows to use her ability to help fight to restore her homeland.
I have to first admit the idea of carving runes into someone immediately had me thinking of the Shadowhunter series by Cassandra Clare in which they tattoo protection upon each other. This story however is pretty far away from that book in the type of fantasy that is contained within. The opening chapter quickly showed the reader just how dark and disturbing Anna’s world could be.
Now while I did find this book to be an entertaining fantasy for the most part there were a couple of things that I noticed while reading that lowered my rating a bit. First, the style of the writing in the book is one that can be a bit on the overly descriptive/wordy side for my taste which does make parts drag to me. But I also thought to myself a few times that the story seemed a little jumpy getting from one scene to the next. Overall though it was a pretty intense darker fantasy for the adult readers.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
When Anna was forced to run she finds herself trapped by a tracker and as negotiations begin to decline Anna uses her ability to bargain. This puts Anna at the trackers mercy at which time Anna vows to use her ability to help fight to restore her homeland.
I have to first admit the idea of carving runes into someone immediately had me thinking of the Shadowhunter series by Cassandra Clare in which they tattoo protection upon each other. This story however is pretty far away from that book in the type of fantasy that is contained within. The opening chapter quickly showed the reader just how dark and disturbing Anna’s world could be.
Now while I did find this book to be an entertaining fantasy for the most part there were a couple of things that I noticed while reading that lowered my rating a bit. First, the style of the writing in the book is one that can be a bit on the overly descriptive/wordy side for my taste which does make parts drag to me. But I also thought to myself a few times that the story seemed a little jumpy getting from one scene to the next. Overall though it was a pretty intense darker fantasy for the adult readers.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
dnf
January 13, 2018I received this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own.
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I appreciate winning the book but just couldn't get into it :(
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I appreciate winning the book but just couldn't get into it :(
February 16, 2019
Fantasy as a genre is polarizing among true literature connoisseurs. Despite many novels and series spanning lengthy epic sized tomes, authors are often criticized for being trite , or too detached or disengaged from the real world. I happen to love the genre, although I have agreed with the critics on many occasions as well. I have read some excellent series especially over the last couple of years. Those by RJ Barker and Josiah Bancroft come to mind.
James Wolanyk's Scribes, the first in a 3 book series entitled "The Scribe Cycle" is a worthy addition to a small list of titles that I can refer to as highly literary fantasy. This novel about a young girl with the gift of granting invulnerability by carving runes on those around her, and her struggles to find light after tragedy, and accept the darkness that comes along with being a commodity is a tragic, and beautiful debut that promises even higher stakes as subsequent novels progress.
Unlike many novels that bombard us with exposition, Wolanyk prefers to challenge us by dropping us in to a tense situation for Anna, the book's main protagonist from the get go. Much like Steven Erikson's Malazan novels (although far more focused) we are introduced to different races, and species from far off lands, and we are forced to imagine them in our own way. He does an excellent job of keeping characters gray and there are twists and turns around each corner as motives change, friends become enemies, and Anna's gift brings her a powerful new existence.
James Wolanyk writes lyrical abstract prose. He tells a linear story , but much like David Mitchell, Salman Rushdie, and even James Joyce, he chooses to tell it with an almost poetic grace. Because of this, it can at times feel complex, and even strange. The claustrophobic feeling of a nightmare can all at once become a beautifully depicted dream and you will find yourself wanting to read individual passages over again to recapture the wonderful prose.
Scribes just might be the most Grimdark Novel I’ve ever read, and I like to think I’ve read a lot of Grimdark. In its most brutal sections It is unrelenting in it’s shocking and powerful use of graphic cinematic violence. I’d go so far as to confidently state that a few scenes in this book make “The Red Wedding” seem like a child’s birthday party by comparison. It is also often a truly sad novel, it’s tone rarely shifting from the morose, but it does offer an underlying theme of personal growth, perseverance, and finding inner power. Bora, Anna’s spiritual master in an Obi Wan sense is a wonderful character, and Anna truly changes by the end of the book in to a powerful, almost Godlike being.
James Wolanyk's work should find its place among not only lovers of dark Fantasy, but also those that love challenging and beautiful prose and are looking for something that digs deeper in to the wonder of the human spirit.
James Wolanyk's Scribes, the first in a 3 book series entitled "The Scribe Cycle" is a worthy addition to a small list of titles that I can refer to as highly literary fantasy. This novel about a young girl with the gift of granting invulnerability by carving runes on those around her, and her struggles to find light after tragedy, and accept the darkness that comes along with being a commodity is a tragic, and beautiful debut that promises even higher stakes as subsequent novels progress.
Unlike many novels that bombard us with exposition, Wolanyk prefers to challenge us by dropping us in to a tense situation for Anna, the book's main protagonist from the get go. Much like Steven Erikson's Malazan novels (although far more focused) we are introduced to different races, and species from far off lands, and we are forced to imagine them in our own way. He does an excellent job of keeping characters gray and there are twists and turns around each corner as motives change, friends become enemies, and Anna's gift brings her a powerful new existence.
James Wolanyk writes lyrical abstract prose. He tells a linear story , but much like David Mitchell, Salman Rushdie, and even James Joyce, he chooses to tell it with an almost poetic grace. Because of this, it can at times feel complex, and even strange. The claustrophobic feeling of a nightmare can all at once become a beautifully depicted dream and you will find yourself wanting to read individual passages over again to recapture the wonderful prose.
Scribes just might be the most Grimdark Novel I’ve ever read, and I like to think I’ve read a lot of Grimdark. In its most brutal sections It is unrelenting in it’s shocking and powerful use of graphic cinematic violence. I’d go so far as to confidently state that a few scenes in this book make “The Red Wedding” seem like a child’s birthday party by comparison. It is also often a truly sad novel, it’s tone rarely shifting from the morose, but it does offer an underlying theme of personal growth, perseverance, and finding inner power. Bora, Anna’s spiritual master in an Obi Wan sense is a wonderful character, and Anna truly changes by the end of the book in to a powerful, almost Godlike being.
James Wolanyk's work should find its place among not only lovers of dark Fantasy, but also those that love challenging and beautiful prose and are looking for something that digs deeper in to the wonder of the human spirit.
September 30, 2024
This was not a bad book, it was simply not a me book. It wasn't borING, but I was borED. I liked the world that was created here and how well things were described. I just didn't get into it all that much. It did bug me that that there were so many made up words for the languages here that were not always explained. Or things in general that were not explained. I also did not like the main character, Anna. I'm not sure of her exact age, but I know she is young. Maybe just barely a teenager or almost a teenager. And it shows. She was so immature and naive that it drove me absolutely insane sometimes. I didn't agree with most of her decisions and I really disliked how she was so selfish so often.
Anna had lived a simple life with her family, hiding the fact that she was a scribe. That is until her parents sell her younger brother, and in an attempt to save him, she takes him and flees. She's found by a guy that we only ever know as the Tracker (though I do have an idea of what he might have once been) and when she reveals to him that she is a scribe, her life will never be the same. Scribes have the power to cut runes into the flesh of people for protection/healing/or such, but they always fade. But Anna's are special as they apparently do not. So the Tracker convinces her to go with him back to his group and use her skills to further their cause. Throwing Anna into a world that she never thought to find herself and doesn't know how to navigate. And more often than not, her decisions can and do lead to the deaths or suffering of others. No matter what she does.
There is a lot of fighting, a lot of politics, some good people, some bad people, and whole lot of "who do you trust?" going on here. It was an interesting story, but like I said, just not one I particularly got into so I won't be continuing it.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Anna had lived a simple life with her family, hiding the fact that she was a scribe. That is until her parents sell her younger brother, and in an attempt to save him, she takes him and flees. She's found by a guy that we only ever know as the Tracker (though I do have an idea of what he might have once been) and when she reveals to him that she is a scribe, her life will never be the same. Scribes have the power to cut runes into the flesh of people for protection/healing/or such, but they always fade. But Anna's are special as they apparently do not. So the Tracker convinces her to go with him back to his group and use her skills to further their cause. Throwing Anna into a world that she never thought to find herself and doesn't know how to navigate. And more often than not, her decisions can and do lead to the deaths or suffering of others. No matter what she does.
There is a lot of fighting, a lot of politics, some good people, some bad people, and whole lot of "who do you trust?" going on here. It was an interesting story, but like I said, just not one I particularly got into so I won't be continuing it.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
January 15, 2018
I received a free advance copy of this book for a fair review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Scribes and couldn't put it down. This is more than just a story of Anna, an innocent young girl who has the power of life and death, it is a story of lost innocence, of morality and of how good and evil are merely perceptions based on the vantage point you are looking at things from.
Anna's simple, fairly safe, life in a war ravaged remote village, is blown apart when her father's betrayal forces her to run away with her little disabled brother and things go downhill from there. We are plunged from the start into a dark realm where dangers lurk everywhere, the worth of a life can be measured in grains of salt and reality can be harsh and cruel. She is thrust into the midst of grief, pain, deception, confusion, and the harshness of a world where she is unprotected, vulnerable and alone, not knowing who, if anyone she can trust. We follow her as she endures hardships, learns and acquires knowledge and finds inner strength.
The action is fast paced in a world in turmoil as the fight for power rages on and brutality is the norm - Scribes are sought after because only they can grant temporary invulnerability, they are therefore captured and used by leaders of armies. Until now, the fact that Anna is a scribe has been kept hidden for her protection but once her secret is uncovered, there is no going back. She is torn from all that she knows and forced to question what if anything she has been told is true. Anna has the most powerful abilities of her kind and as such is sought after by ruthless leaders who will stop at nothing to use her powers to create legions of immortal soldiers. In such a dark world there are thankfully pockets of humanity to be found but the lines between enemies and friends can be hard to determine.
Though the story is of a battle ravaged land, I enjoyed the descriptive settings and the imagination of the writer who blended the ancient, the modern, and the mythical, to draw me into a unique world. The descriptive writing style made me feel like I was in the story - I heard the sounds, saw the sights, inhaled the rancid smells, felt the weariness, knew the pain and disillusionment , torment and anxiety of the characters. The story line and writing style is refreshingly different from other stories I've read and I can't wait to read the next story in the series.
Anna's simple, fairly safe, life in a war ravaged remote village, is blown apart when her father's betrayal forces her to run away with her little disabled brother and things go downhill from there. We are plunged from the start into a dark realm where dangers lurk everywhere, the worth of a life can be measured in grains of salt and reality can be harsh and cruel. She is thrust into the midst of grief, pain, deception, confusion, and the harshness of a world where she is unprotected, vulnerable and alone, not knowing who, if anyone she can trust. We follow her as she endures hardships, learns and acquires knowledge and finds inner strength.
The action is fast paced in a world in turmoil as the fight for power rages on and brutality is the norm - Scribes are sought after because only they can grant temporary invulnerability, they are therefore captured and used by leaders of armies. Until now, the fact that Anna is a scribe has been kept hidden for her protection but once her secret is uncovered, there is no going back. She is torn from all that she knows and forced to question what if anything she has been told is true. Anna has the most powerful abilities of her kind and as such is sought after by ruthless leaders who will stop at nothing to use her powers to create legions of immortal soldiers. In such a dark world there are thankfully pockets of humanity to be found but the lines between enemies and friends can be hard to determine.
Though the story is of a battle ravaged land, I enjoyed the descriptive settings and the imagination of the writer who blended the ancient, the modern, and the mythical, to draw me into a unique world. The descriptive writing style made me feel like I was in the story - I heard the sounds, saw the sights, inhaled the rancid smells, felt the weariness, knew the pain and disillusionment , torment and anxiety of the characters. The story line and writing style is refreshingly different from other stories I've read and I can't wait to read the next story in the series.
December 25, 2019
I can't say that it was a bad book, because honestly it is not.
It is well written, even if style may not be appreciated by everybody, the setting is original and the story is very interesting, once you understand what is going on.
However that was also the main problem for me.
It's too complicated and the large use of terms without explanation doesn't help at all, so it was very difficult to understand what was happening, who was doing that, and why.
Besides, even in a grimdark book, I need at least a little humour, but here I couldn't find any.
It's a good book, but just not the book for me.
Sometimes it happens.
It is well written, even if style may not be appreciated by everybody, the setting is original and the story is very interesting, once you understand what is going on.
However that was also the main problem for me.
It's too complicated and the large use of terms without explanation doesn't help at all, so it was very difficult to understand what was happening, who was doing that, and why.
Besides, even in a grimdark book, I need at least a little humour, but here I couldn't find any.
It's a good book, but just not the book for me.
Sometimes it happens.
January 30, 2019
Outstanding!!
I have never read this author books before. And when I started this book, I could not put it down. The way this book starts and progresses is awesome. I know with this genre that it's the authors perception. But the way this book is , I wonder how much research he had to do. It's just unbelievable how much is written in this book. It's a story about Anna. It's about her being young and innocent. But she ends up with so much on her shoulders. With war and her father's betrayal she is forced to run away. Danger is everywhere. I'm not going to say anymore. But if you are looking at these reviews trying to decide on a book. Please give this book a chance. This author is so talented, he hooks you right off the bat. And once you read it you will be hooked too. Just an amazing must read I highly recommend!!
I have never read this author books before. And when I started this book, I could not put it down. The way this book starts and progresses is awesome. I know with this genre that it's the authors perception. But the way this book is , I wonder how much research he had to do. It's just unbelievable how much is written in this book. It's a story about Anna. It's about her being young and innocent. But she ends up with so much on her shoulders. With war and her father's betrayal she is forced to run away. Danger is everywhere. I'm not going to say anymore. But if you are looking at these reviews trying to decide on a book. Please give this book a chance. This author is so talented, he hooks you right off the bat. And once you read it you will be hooked too. Just an amazing must read I highly recommend!!
January 3, 2018
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to rate the book with precise markings, it would probably be somewhere between 4 and 5, but I'm not sure where. I will say that it was a refreshing read, if nothing else. Scribes is the story of Anna, a young girl who can create life-saving magic using scars on her "victims'" bodies. The premise is fairly average for fantasy, but the real heart of the story was the emotional component of things. Over the years I've lost most of my appetite for fantasy, since much of it is recycled themes, wars, and so forth, but I was intrigued by the author's description on his blog, which pointed to another type of fantasy that I, perhaps, hadn't encountered yet.
The prose is fairly neat and I enjoyed it. At some points I felt that the characters were a bit outlandish, but it IS fantasy, so I can't be bothered with that too much. Additionally, the storytelling itself drags in a few places, but not enough to weigh down my enjoyment. Overall I found it to be compelling, only because the story didn't seem to pull any punches. The ending was satisfying, given the majority of the book, but I did find myself a bit troubled by some of the more graphic scenes later on.
That being said, it was a fun, engaging read.
If I had to rate the book with precise markings, it would probably be somewhere between 4 and 5, but I'm not sure where. I will say that it was a refreshing read, if nothing else. Scribes is the story of Anna, a young girl who can create life-saving magic using scars on her "victims'" bodies. The premise is fairly average for fantasy, but the real heart of the story was the emotional component of things. Over the years I've lost most of my appetite for fantasy, since much of it is recycled themes, wars, and so forth, but I was intrigued by the author's description on his blog, which pointed to another type of fantasy that I, perhaps, hadn't encountered yet.
The prose is fairly neat and I enjoyed it. At some points I felt that the characters were a bit outlandish, but it IS fantasy, so I can't be bothered with that too much. Additionally, the storytelling itself drags in a few places, but not enough to weigh down my enjoyment. Overall I found it to be compelling, only because the story didn't seem to pull any punches. The ending was satisfying, given the majority of the book, but I did find myself a bit troubled by some of the more graphic scenes later on.
That being said, it was a fun, engaging read.
March 24, 2018
This is one of those reads in which you must go in with an open mind, especially the build-up. Our main character is Anna who starts off the story running away from home with her handicapped little brother in order to save him, but when in-between a rock and a hard place drops him like a bad habit and essentially writes him off. Her world is full of different cultures within different lands all vying to over take each other through the use of scribes.
Scribes are those with magic carvings in ones flesh and Anna had been hiding the fact that she was a very powerful one that ultimately gets manipulated for her magic. A dark, descriptive read that shows both sides of humanity, mostly the evil side. However, this IS the first book in the series (Cycle #1) which sets the stage for the rest of the waging wars of the world.
Not for the faint of heart, but for those who are ready to have their eyes opened to a world in which a naive girl starts to learn about herself and has to choose between what is right and wrong to restore her homeland. Happy I received this to read as part of a book tour, looking forward to more from the author, James Wolanyk.
Scribes are those with magic carvings in ones flesh and Anna had been hiding the fact that she was a very powerful one that ultimately gets manipulated for her magic. A dark, descriptive read that shows both sides of humanity, mostly the evil side. However, this IS the first book in the series (Cycle #1) which sets the stage for the rest of the waging wars of the world.
Not for the faint of heart, but for those who are ready to have their eyes opened to a world in which a naive girl starts to learn about herself and has to choose between what is right and wrong to restore her homeland. Happy I received this to read as part of a book tour, looking forward to more from the author, James Wolanyk.
dnf
July 11, 2021I ended up DNFing this around 4 hours in - around page 120.
Nothing had really happened, and the characters were as interesting as wet cardboard, so I had no reason or wish to continue listening, I'm sorry to say. Pity, though, as I really liked the premise.
Nothing had really happened, and the characters were as interesting as wet cardboard, so I had no reason or wish to continue listening, I'm sorry to say. Pity, though, as I really liked the premise.
August 25, 2018
Actual Rating: 2.5🌟
I actually started reading Schisms first because I requested for an arc ebook from Netgalley. After about 3 chapters into it, I realised Dang! this is the second book of an ongoing series. So I just had to buy this ebook Scribes which is the 1st book of the series which I found is on Google Play Books. So okay, fine.. I went and bought it.
I totally have mixed feelings about this book though truth be told, I didn’t regret buying this just to understand the 2nd book Schisms better.
Going into this first book Scribes by James Wolanyk, I realised that
1. I still don’t know where’s the head or tail of this story is sometimes, meaning; it’s very fast-paced and action-oriented, it feels like I was reading an action movie in book form. Sometimes I can’t figure out how I happened to be at that point in the book because it was too fast-paced maybe or shall I say, the plot or scenes are jumping or are being transitioned too abruptly?
2. This book is too wordy at times, there’s a need for a glossary because there are too many new words not explained in this book although I know, this is a science-fiction book so there’s definitely new words for world building and describing some stuffs. Anyhow, I still don’t know what are kales, and nope those are not vegetables.
Anyhow still, this book has a good enough plot and interesting premise and I still enjoyed it somewhat due to some conclusions or events that really ties up the story neatly. But truth be told, this was the most unfriendliest book that I have ever encountered hence the quite poor rating. Unfriendly because the author doesn’t care to explain some things, places or people in simple layman terms (just my opinion).
I do agree though that the author has a way with words, but the way he structures his sentences made it too compact, too much info and images in a sentence it gave me a massive headache just by reading this book.
I guess this book is a few levels up from what I normally read, so it’s not the author’s fault why I didn’t like this book. The way the sentences are structured and the words, some that totally have no explanations whatsoever really alienate me to this work that I otherwise could call brilliant and outstanding just because of the interesting premise, the journey the protagonist goes through and the satisfying ending for Book 1 that satiates my curiousity enough for Book number 2.
This book is so hard for me to read. I had a massive reading slump when I was reading this book. I didn’t know that reading could be so hard. I hated reading just because of this book.
I’m sorry. This book has so much going for it but I was plodding too deeply, struggling with whatever strength I had left, I just couldn’t understand why I picked this up (and the second book too, especially – maybe because of the nice cover, LOL). I totally guess this just isn’t my cup of tea (or coffee). And lest you think that science fiction is not right up my alley, I totally dig Dune by Frank Herbert and books by John Scalzi.
I’m not sure whether I’d go buy the 3rd book when the author finally writes it (since the 2nd book Schisms recently came out), I’ll just see when the time comes.
It’s just so amazing that I didn’t dnf this book, I think I’m great because I had so much patience in reading this book.
On second thoughts, to be fair maybe you guys should give this book a chance (only if you’re crazy about stuffs like different worlds and civilizations, science fiction, fantasy and stuffs like that, or if you like the sound of the synopsis from Goodreads, like I did). Who knows, you might like (or even love) this book, but a heartfelt warning, it’s not for those who are of the faint-hearted whose books they usually read are not as wordy as this one.
I mean, another man’s (woman’s) poison might be someone’s treasure, right? (Something like that, haha!)
Anyhow, I had a great reading experience reading this. It wasn’t necessarily a good experience(since I was struggling and all) but I didn’t regret it one bit.
I actually started reading Schisms first because I requested for an arc ebook from Netgalley. After about 3 chapters into it, I realised Dang! this is the second book of an ongoing series. So I just had to buy this ebook Scribes which is the 1st book of the series which I found is on Google Play Books. So okay, fine.. I went and bought it.
I totally have mixed feelings about this book though truth be told, I didn’t regret buying this just to understand the 2nd book Schisms better.
Going into this first book Scribes by James Wolanyk, I realised that
1. I still don’t know where’s the head or tail of this story is sometimes, meaning; it’s very fast-paced and action-oriented, it feels like I was reading an action movie in book form. Sometimes I can’t figure out how I happened to be at that point in the book because it was too fast-paced maybe or shall I say, the plot or scenes are jumping or are being transitioned too abruptly?
2. This book is too wordy at times, there’s a need for a glossary because there are too many new words not explained in this book although I know, this is a science-fiction book so there’s definitely new words for world building and describing some stuffs. Anyhow, I still don’t know what are kales, and nope those are not vegetables.
Anyhow still, this book has a good enough plot and interesting premise and I still enjoyed it somewhat due to some conclusions or events that really ties up the story neatly. But truth be told, this was the most unfriendliest book that I have ever encountered hence the quite poor rating. Unfriendly because the author doesn’t care to explain some things, places or people in simple layman terms (just my opinion).
I do agree though that the author has a way with words, but the way he structures his sentences made it too compact, too much info and images in a sentence it gave me a massive headache just by reading this book.
I guess this book is a few levels up from what I normally read, so it’s not the author’s fault why I didn’t like this book. The way the sentences are structured and the words, some that totally have no explanations whatsoever really alienate me to this work that I otherwise could call brilliant and outstanding just because of the interesting premise, the journey the protagonist goes through and the satisfying ending for Book 1 that satiates my curiousity enough for Book number 2.
This book is so hard for me to read. I had a massive reading slump when I was reading this book. I didn’t know that reading could be so hard. I hated reading just because of this book.
I’m sorry. This book has so much going for it but I was plodding too deeply, struggling with whatever strength I had left, I just couldn’t understand why I picked this up (and the second book too, especially – maybe because of the nice cover, LOL). I totally guess this just isn’t my cup of tea (or coffee). And lest you think that science fiction is not right up my alley, I totally dig Dune by Frank Herbert and books by John Scalzi.
I’m not sure whether I’d go buy the 3rd book when the author finally writes it (since the 2nd book Schisms recently came out), I’ll just see when the time comes.
It’s just so amazing that I didn’t dnf this book, I think I’m great because I had so much patience in reading this book.
On second thoughts, to be fair maybe you guys should give this book a chance (only if you’re crazy about stuffs like different worlds and civilizations, science fiction, fantasy and stuffs like that, or if you like the sound of the synopsis from Goodreads, like I did). Who knows, you might like (or even love) this book, but a heartfelt warning, it’s not for those who are of the faint-hearted whose books they usually read are not as wordy as this one.
I mean, another man’s (woman’s) poison might be someone’s treasure, right? (Something like that, haha!)
Anyhow, I had a great reading experience reading this. It wasn’t necessarily a good experience(since I was struggling and all) but I didn’t regret it one bit.
January 2, 2018
Humph, not sure why I could not really get my teeth into this book. There are some good qualities to the novel by author James Wolanyk that include the overall story of a young girl who has the gift of using magical cuts upon the skin that bring health and healing upon the person. This was the first in the Scribe series so hopefully, in the next one, the action can be ramped up a few notches. At every turn, Anna is subjected to violence and cruelty but she finds real peace when she helps the foundling children that have lost everything. Can she break away from the individuals that want to use her power to back their side of the war? I was given a chance to read this book through the Goodreads giveaways for my honest opinion in a book review. Thank you, James Wolanyk, Goodreads and publisher Rebel Base Books.
January 18, 2019
Scribes is the first book in the Scribes Cycle from author James Wolanyk. Anna is a young girl, perhaps in her early teens, although we never find out for sure. The book opens with her running away from home with her younger brother who has been sold by her parents for reasons that are never really made clear. When they are trapped by a tracker, Anna reveals that she is a scribe – a person with the power to cut runes into another’s skin, conferring temporary immunity from harm. Anna agrees to go with the tracker if he will leave her brother alone. Things don’t go to plan but from here, Anna’s life just gets worse and worse.
This is an unrelentingly dark book. The world it is set in has faced war and civil unrest for all of the recent past and people kill without regret. Anna is convinced that by helping the tracker, she will be helping to restore her homeland and remove all of the ‘wicked’ men. Of course, Anna is barely more than a child and she has a child’s simplistic view of wickedness. There is only one character in the book who can really be described as kind; the herbman who takes care of Anna when she is injured and close to death. In the end, Anna repays his kindness by stealing away his adopted son, breaking his heart in the process.
I have some really mixed feelings about this book. First the bad.
The reader is thrown into the world with little explanation of how anything works or how things stand. While I’m not afraid to learn as I go, the problem was that some things are just never really explained. Like the conflict that drives the story – what are they fighting over? Who are they really fighting? Why does Anna have to save her home land? The author uses a lot of made-up words and at times it is not clear from the context just what they mean and this works against the author. For example, the soglav that the tracker has with him is presumably a terrifying beast, however it’s not really described so the reader doesn’t get any real sense of what it is. That means that the reader can’t be horrified by it, can’t connect with Anna’s fear of it and understand the threat it poses. This is just one example of a problem that continues through the book.
It’s clear that the author has put a lot of work into the construction of this world – I just wish he’s shared a bit more of that work with the reader.
The characters are hard to connect with. Most of them are unpleasant. Anna herself is in a horrible situation and attempting to come to grips with her powers but she is also selfish and weak. The tracker is awful but mostly disappears in the second half of the book. Bora is interesting but too enigmatic and abrupt to really form an emotional bond with.
Now the good.
The author has a beautiful way with words. Although some of the text is quite dense and tales a little effort to read, it’s well worth it for his use of language. Some really lovely turns of phrase and descriptions.
The book deals with some really big concepts: what it means to be evil and how that can change depending on where you’re standing, what it means to have power over life and death and the responsibility that comes with that, the damage that war does to everyone who has to live through it.
I’m glad that I had the chance to read Scribes and I’m sure that there are elements of the story that will linger in my mind for a long time.
This is an unrelentingly dark book. The world it is set in has faced war and civil unrest for all of the recent past and people kill without regret. Anna is convinced that by helping the tracker, she will be helping to restore her homeland and remove all of the ‘wicked’ men. Of course, Anna is barely more than a child and she has a child’s simplistic view of wickedness. There is only one character in the book who can really be described as kind; the herbman who takes care of Anna when she is injured and close to death. In the end, Anna repays his kindness by stealing away his adopted son, breaking his heart in the process.
I have some really mixed feelings about this book. First the bad.
The reader is thrown into the world with little explanation of how anything works or how things stand. While I’m not afraid to learn as I go, the problem was that some things are just never really explained. Like the conflict that drives the story – what are they fighting over? Who are they really fighting? Why does Anna have to save her home land? The author uses a lot of made-up words and at times it is not clear from the context just what they mean and this works against the author. For example, the soglav that the tracker has with him is presumably a terrifying beast, however it’s not really described so the reader doesn’t get any real sense of what it is. That means that the reader can’t be horrified by it, can’t connect with Anna’s fear of it and understand the threat it poses. This is just one example of a problem that continues through the book.
It’s clear that the author has put a lot of work into the construction of this world – I just wish he’s shared a bit more of that work with the reader.
The characters are hard to connect with. Most of them are unpleasant. Anna herself is in a horrible situation and attempting to come to grips with her powers but she is also selfish and weak. The tracker is awful but mostly disappears in the second half of the book. Bora is interesting but too enigmatic and abrupt to really form an emotional bond with.
Now the good.
The author has a beautiful way with words. Although some of the text is quite dense and tales a little effort to read, it’s well worth it for his use of language. Some really lovely turns of phrase and descriptions.
The book deals with some really big concepts: what it means to be evil and how that can change depending on where you’re standing, what it means to have power over life and death and the responsibility that comes with that, the damage that war does to everyone who has to live through it.
I’m glad that I had the chance to read Scribes and I’m sure that there are elements of the story that will linger in my mind for a long time.
July 15, 2018
I had ordered a copy of Scribes a while ago, but only now ended up reading it. The book is written very poetically, every little detail is mentioned, so you feel like you are there with Anna, overlooking every event and imagining how differently you would make all the decisions that Anna is faced with. Anna is a fourteen year old girl, who is angry with the world because of her father and then because of the Tracker, yet she’s trying to make her home a better place. It’s surprising that the main character Anna is written appropriately for her age and gender- a bit annoying, eager to learn and imagining that she knows what good and bad looks like. Along the way we meet such interesting characters as Tracker, Shem and Bora. They most certainly are not one dimensional characters. Tracker and Bora were easily my favorite characters, as they have some mystery about them and you ache to see them more in the story. The book itself is very dark and definitely not meant for the faint of heart. It’s like a cross between Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. The main characters is young and incredibly powerful, while the world created in the book is dark and gloomy. And from the moment Anna arrived in Malchym I couldn’t put the book down, I just had to read it till the end. And I’m ordering the second book ASAP, because I need to know what happens next.
The book had a few beautiful and thoughtful lessons. And here are a few of my favorite quotes:
“Men with sweet tongues are the root of suffering, because they weave traps so cruel that they are beyond the thinking mind’s comprehension.”
“You are not a victim. You create victims. This is the truth of the world.”
“If you think that you’re finished, then you haven’t taken a single step.”
“How do you expect to see the truth of this world if you are unaware of the harm that you cause?”
“Truth is a murderous thing.”
“We are all indebted to death.”
“Hold onto that fire, goddess, but don’t let it burn you.”
“You exist. Anything beyond that is an illusion.”
And there are even better lines in the book, which I don’t want to spoil here for you.
So if you are a fan of fantasy, and you like thought provoking books, then this is the book for you. Definitely recommending it to everyone I know.
Thanks to the author for creating something so beautiful, I’ll be waiting for the next installments of the series.
The book had a few beautiful and thoughtful lessons. And here are a few of my favorite quotes:
“Men with sweet tongues are the root of suffering, because they weave traps so cruel that they are beyond the thinking mind’s comprehension.”
“You are not a victim. You create victims. This is the truth of the world.”
“If you think that you’re finished, then you haven’t taken a single step.”
“How do you expect to see the truth of this world if you are unaware of the harm that you cause?”
“Truth is a murderous thing.”
“We are all indebted to death.”
“Hold onto that fire, goddess, but don’t let it burn you.”
“You exist. Anything beyond that is an illusion.”
And there are even better lines in the book, which I don’t want to spoil here for you.
So if you are a fan of fantasy, and you like thought provoking books, then this is the book for you. Definitely recommending it to everyone I know.
Thanks to the author for creating something so beautiful, I’ll be waiting for the next installments of the series.
March 12, 2019
I started this with few expectations, just something to read, to pass the time. By page 50 or so, I knew I'd struck gold. This is easily the best book I've read this year and with the prose that reminds me so much of Bakker, close to becoming a favourite, depending on how the next books work out. The character development is top-notch, Anna feels very real, progressing through the book, clearly growing in many ways.
The single POV is new, at least for me, but I think it helped the story a lot. It is common to have multiple POVs, sometimes in different locations, but it often feels disjointed, breaking pace and coherence. Sticking with Anna the whole way, felt right to me, though one problem with this approach is if a reader doesn't like the character, they're basically stuck with them the whole way.
The magic system also intrigued me, I'm always a sucker for these. The system felt reasonably balanced, offering great power but also something of a drawback as Scribes can't mark themselves. I don't think I've read anything quite like this yet.
In any case, if I have any complaints, its that there's too many new words even for me, not just names but common nouns and adjectives, and not nearly enough context to deduce what they mean. At least Bakker with his mad world-building provides a glossary, and even then most of his new words are names, still uses English for descriptions and regular language. It doesn't help that the "pronoun game" is often played out in these parts, and metaphors (indigenous to this world, no less) freely mix with literal meanings. So it was occasionally frustrating, knowing that there's some amazing tale being told here but I just can't understand the whole thing, forced to make guesses.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope the author fixed these issues in his next book.
The single POV is new, at least for me, but I think it helped the story a lot. It is common to have multiple POVs, sometimes in different locations, but it often feels disjointed, breaking pace and coherence. Sticking with Anna the whole way, felt right to me, though one problem with this approach is if a reader doesn't like the character, they're basically stuck with them the whole way.
The magic system also intrigued me, I'm always a sucker for these. The system felt reasonably balanced, offering great power but also something of a drawback as Scribes can't mark themselves. I don't think I've read anything quite like this yet.
In any case, if I have any complaints, its that there's too many new words even for me, not just names but common nouns and adjectives, and not nearly enough context to deduce what they mean. At least Bakker with his mad world-building provides a glossary, and even then most of his new words are names, still uses English for descriptions and regular language. It doesn't help that the "pronoun game" is often played out in these parts, and metaphors (indigenous to this world, no less) freely mix with literal meanings. So it was occasionally frustrating, knowing that there's some amazing tale being told here but I just can't understand the whole thing, forced to make guesses.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope the author fixed these issues in his next book.
February 2, 2018
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway, and so I hate to give a negative review and say that it just wasn't what I was hoping for. I love SciFi/Fantasy and had high hopes for this book, but it just took too many wrong turns for me. It failed to hold my interest and the story line was just not one that appealed to me. The story seemed dark and depressing with no uplifting counter story, or characters, to balance it out. The author used too many made up terms and mixed them with current day curses which made for a confusing read at times. The main character was likable but even she didn't have much depth. I get what the author was trying to do. He wanted to take a girl who had a gift and show that it could be used for evil even though that's not what she intended. But the brutal death of her little brother was never avenged, and who doesn't want to see an unjust death go unpunished? The other characters as well had no depth to them, nothing to make me love them and cry over their death or plight. I guess there just wasn't anything in Scribes to make me bond with it and keep going back whenever I had to put it down. In fact it was just the opposite, I had to force myself to continue to pick it up in order to even finish it.
November 4, 2018
Overall I really enjoyed Scribes. I admit, there were a few moments where I struggled to soak up all the names of cities and the world created! There is quite a rich amount of world building going on which is awesome, but means at times I had to reread sections and focus myself on getting into the story.
Besides that though, there is a good array of characters, all very memorable and different, both in looks and personality. The different terrains they were in kept giving me a fresh perspective on where they were and how their journey moved onwards. Plotwise, it was strong from beginning to end, with Anna growing as a character throughout.
Will definitely be picking up the second one soon!
Besides that though, there is a good array of characters, all very memorable and different, both in looks and personality. The different terrains they were in kept giving me a fresh perspective on where they were and how their journey moved onwards. Plotwise, it was strong from beginning to end, with Anna growing as a character throughout.
Will definitely be picking up the second one soon!
January 15, 2019
Scribes centers around a group of people called Scribes where they have the ability to grant invulnerability to individuals who need protection. Ana is quite different. The scribes don't fade. They last forever! That's right! Forever.
The story keeps you involved and guessing. Ana is a strong character. Her growth during the novel is realistic. Many of the characters are relatable.
The world is built well.
There were a few times when my attention wavered, but the story is very well written. I recommend Scribes to anyone who loves a great fantasy story.
The story keeps you involved and guessing. Ana is a strong character. Her growth during the novel is realistic. Many of the characters are relatable.
The world is built well.
There were a few times when my attention wavered, but the story is very well written. I recommend Scribes to anyone who loves a great fantasy story.
August 27, 2020
Scribes are feared and worshiped, valued and exploited, prized and hunted.
Scribes create intricate carvings of the flesh, that can grant temporary invulnerability against enemies to those seeking protection. Child scribes are sold and traded, Anna is one of those invaluable children and has never known peace. Her scars never fade and the immunity she creates lasts forever.
After being sold to a corrupt leader, Anna is promised a life of reverence, wealth, and fame—in exchange for her "gifts." Believing she is helping to restore the homeland, she provides her services, until she witnesses slaughtering, sacking cities, and threatening everything she holds dear. Anna attempts to reclaim the power of her scars, before she starts an apocalyptic war.
Scribes create intricate carvings of the flesh, that can grant temporary invulnerability against enemies to those seeking protection. Child scribes are sold and traded, Anna is one of those invaluable children and has never known peace. Her scars never fade and the immunity she creates lasts forever.
After being sold to a corrupt leader, Anna is promised a life of reverence, wealth, and fame—in exchange for her "gifts." Believing she is helping to restore the homeland, she provides her services, until she witnesses slaughtering, sacking cities, and threatening everything she holds dear. Anna attempts to reclaim the power of her scars, before she starts an apocalyptic war.
February 22, 2018
Annoying
The only saving grace to this book is the ending and Bora. The MC was extremely weak. I don't mind a book on the darker side of things but there was no reasoning or will behind the MC actions. This book fails were a lot of others do in that the MC is selfish and others pay for that. The scribing system would have been interesting if it was explained more but you really don't get to know much about it other then it makes people immortal. The feelings she has for the tracker are literally the worst thing in the book. She should have zero issue with killing him. First 75% is horrible last 25 isn't that bad but idk if I would read the next book.
The only saving grace to this book is the ending and Bora. The MC was extremely weak. I don't mind a book on the darker side of things but there was no reasoning or will behind the MC actions. This book fails were a lot of others do in that the MC is selfish and others pay for that. The scribing system would have been interesting if it was explained more but you really don't get to know much about it other then it makes people immortal. The feelings she has for the tracker are literally the worst thing in the book. She should have zero issue with killing him. First 75% is horrible last 25 isn't that bad but idk if I would read the next book.
October 20, 2019
Scribes
An interesting story about a young woman who is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She escapes with her younger brother,Julek. She is a Scribe, someone who has the ability to inscribe designs on people's skin which give them certain powers. As such, she is considered valuable and there are many who want her so that they can exploit her power. I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and it was interesting to see how she would use her powers and who it would benefit. I will be picking up the next book in the series!
An interesting story about a young woman who is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She escapes with her younger brother,Julek. She is a Scribe, someone who has the ability to inscribe designs on people's skin which give them certain powers. As such, she is considered valuable and there are many who want her so that they can exploit her power. I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and it was interesting to see how she would use her powers and who it would benefit. I will be picking up the next book in the series!
March 29, 2021
Absolutely wonderful book. Loved every moment. So glad it's not a cookie cutter feel-good "omg I love the characters because they smell like perfume" book that so many of today's readers seem to need. Complexity and nuance and realness are dirty words to today's consumers. Sad, really. The best authors are dumbing down their stuff to earn a living instead of creating true art, like "Scribes."
November 26, 2021
🎧📚
Narrator Natasha Soudek, 1 star.
It was whiny and .. painful to listen to 😖
I don't do whiny american very well 🙈
The story started out pretty good, but then it just went on and on without much movement, and became quite boring.
So lost interest a bit into the story, and it was a bit of a struggle to finish.
Narrator Natasha Soudek, 1 star.
It was whiny and .. painful to listen to 😖
I don't do whiny american very well 🙈
The story started out pretty good, but then it just went on and on without much movement, and became quite boring.
So lost interest a bit into the story, and it was a bit of a struggle to finish.
November 16, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
The book was not for me. The characters did not seem to be very developed, I had no sense of how much time was passing between events, and the story seemed to jump around.
The book was not for me. The characters did not seem to be very developed, I had no sense of how much time was passing between events, and the story seemed to jump around.
October 22, 2021
What is going on, not much idea!
Reader helped in the confusion when mangling some words; IMHO!
At one point thought there was a fiery bra in the chamber!
Free with audible membership, so as maybe 2.3 rounded, not much chance of continuing.
Reader helped in the confusion when mangling some words; IMHO!
At one point thought there was a fiery bra in the chamber!
Free with audible membership, so as maybe 2.3 rounded, not much chance of continuing.
January 20, 2023
16 Unfortunately, this book had two strikes against it. One, I really didn’t like the heroine I thought she was just so self-serving and number two: I read after a brilliant book by Mr Tchaikovsky. I read did try but it just went on and on. Not for me so unable to recommend to the normal crew.
January 21, 2018
It was not a book for me. I was bored and I do not have anything good to say. Thank you for letting me be able to share
February 28, 2018
This book was incredibly hard to finish, and I'm surprised I did. There was so much about it that lost me. Although I did like the premise of the story, just disappointed I didn't enjoy it more.
Read
September 10, 2023Lost interest
December 19, 2017
-I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Scribes, by James Wolanyk, tells the story of a young girl who, through her gift, was able to see the world as how it truly was, both in its beauty and its corruption.
Anna, first of Thomas, was running from trackers alongside her younger brother, Julek. When Julek is killed, she is taken in by a tracker who recognizes her abilities as a scribe. She then goes up North, where she meets a young boy named Shem, as well as a woman named Bora, who shows her the realities of the world. As she continues on her journey, she realizes that sometimes, she has to stand up for herself if she wanted survive. In this fantastical novel, Wolanyk illustrates that not every gift is blessed, and that even power that can heal can lead to the most devastating consequences.
I enjoyed the relationship between Anna and the tracker. While the tracker did seem heartless at first, I did come to admire him. He knew people would do anything for salt, and even called out her parents for it. Not only that, but it’s like he was mentoring her, making sure she knew what to do and how to survive in the world. Bora did the same thing, although even now I still find it hard to trust her. Shem, on the other hand, was completely innocent. He felt like he only had to rely on Anna, that he could protect her and that everything will be fine. He got his first taste when they came to the orza, where she didn’t call him by his name, when he experienced jealously for the first time. All these characters played a role in Anna’s development, forcing her to see what life truly was.
The world Anna grew up in was also astonishing. From being sold out by her parents to being worshiped as as goddess, it was all she could do to not let that perfect life go to her head. On the surface, it seemed like a fairytale come true, but even so, there was still something sinister festering in the darkness. People like the traveler, Bora, and Shem helped her find her way, made sure she wasn’t swept up by the gilded promise the orza promised her. Because in the end, she can’t afford to. She had to grow up quickly, and the only thing she could do was simply live her life, not only as a scribe, but as a human.
I did wish that the relationship between Anna and Konrad were more fleshed out. But more than that, while I did think it cute, I also felt it was a bit out of place in this story. I would’ve preferred more of a transition between scenes; there were times when I had to reread the sentence simply because the locations suddenly jumped from one place to the other.
Nevertheless, I did like the book. While the sudden change in scenes can be dizzying, Anna’s development, as well as her relationships with the other characters, make the book unpredictably wonderful. Wolanyk shows that the world isn’t at all like the fairytale we often dream of, that it comes with its own set of dangers. As such I would give this book a rating of a 3.4 out of 5.0 stars, and recommend it to those who love Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and Updrift by Errin Stevens.
Scribes, by James Wolanyk, tells the story of a young girl who, through her gift, was able to see the world as how it truly was, both in its beauty and its corruption.
Anna, first of Thomas, was running from trackers alongside her younger brother, Julek. When Julek is killed, she is taken in by a tracker who recognizes her abilities as a scribe. She then goes up North, where she meets a young boy named Shem, as well as a woman named Bora, who shows her the realities of the world. As she continues on her journey, she realizes that sometimes, she has to stand up for herself if she wanted survive. In this fantastical novel, Wolanyk illustrates that not every gift is blessed, and that even power that can heal can lead to the most devastating consequences.
I enjoyed the relationship between Anna and the tracker. While the tracker did seem heartless at first, I did come to admire him. He knew people would do anything for salt, and even called out her parents for it. Not only that, but it’s like he was mentoring her, making sure she knew what to do and how to survive in the world. Bora did the same thing, although even now I still find it hard to trust her. Shem, on the other hand, was completely innocent. He felt like he only had to rely on Anna, that he could protect her and that everything will be fine. He got his first taste when they came to the orza, where she didn’t call him by his name, when he experienced jealously for the first time. All these characters played a role in Anna’s development, forcing her to see what life truly was.
The world Anna grew up in was also astonishing. From being sold out by her parents to being worshiped as as goddess, it was all she could do to not let that perfect life go to her head. On the surface, it seemed like a fairytale come true, but even so, there was still something sinister festering in the darkness. People like the traveler, Bora, and Shem helped her find her way, made sure she wasn’t swept up by the gilded promise the orza promised her. Because in the end, she can’t afford to. She had to grow up quickly, and the only thing she could do was simply live her life, not only as a scribe, but as a human.
I did wish that the relationship between Anna and Konrad were more fleshed out. But more than that, while I did think it cute, I also felt it was a bit out of place in this story. I would’ve preferred more of a transition between scenes; there were times when I had to reread the sentence simply because the locations suddenly jumped from one place to the other.
Nevertheless, I did like the book. While the sudden change in scenes can be dizzying, Anna’s development, as well as her relationships with the other characters, make the book unpredictably wonderful. Wolanyk shows that the world isn’t at all like the fairytale we often dream of, that it comes with its own set of dangers. As such I would give this book a rating of a 3.4 out of 5.0 stars, and recommend it to those who love Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and Updrift by Errin Stevens.
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