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Chronicles of the Black Gate #4
The Iron Circlet
The war for the soul of the Ascendant Empire is coming to a head. Factions with fell intent move to undermine or destroy that which has stood for centuries, while armies muster promising slaughter.
In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs. Monsters from myth and legend emerge onto the world stage, while blood drowns the ceremonies of the faithful.
In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs. Monsters from myth and legend emerge onto the world stage, while blood drowns the ceremonies of the faithful.
422 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2017
460 people are currently reading
560 people want to read
About the author
Phil Tucker
49 books1,288 followersThanks for visiting my page! I'm Phil Tucker, a Brazilian/Brit who currently resides in Asheville, NC, where I resist the siren call of the forests and mountains to sit inside and hammer away on my laptop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 30, 2017
So back in February I discovered this gem of a series, binge-read the three books that were out, and "gently" prodded my friends to read it.
After reading The Iron Circlet, I realized I changed my mind.. I'm just going to shove this series at everyone's face and scream: READ THIS!!
' "Are we ready?"
They gave out nervous cries in response. [He] rose in the stirrups and raised his sword. "I asked, are you ready to ride down into hell's chasm on the backs of some fucking goats?" '
Seriously, my heart is filled with love for this series that it probably now right up there on my favorite adult fantasy series of all time right under Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere.
I'll be brief because I don't want to spoil anything, suffice it to say that my favorite characters became even more badass, and those I liked moderately got such amazing development that now I freaking love everyone and everything!
It has come so far from where we first began, and at the same time I can't claim that the previous books are of any lesser quality than this one... There's the nostalgia and relative "safety" of Book 1, the awe that comes with discovering more of the world and the magic in Book 2, the neck-breaking pace and those punches in the gut of book 3, and finally this one.. an example of what a perfect penultimate novel should be, new alliances and friendships, important reveals, epic battles, loyalties and betrayals and everything that you crave when reading a high fantasy.
"We cannot celebrate yet! There are still humans to be torn apart, knights to be slain, castles to be toppled. Blue skies yearning for smoke, rivers aching to bleed blood-red, fields longing for the touch of flame."
The writing was excellent, I forgot how inspirational Phil Tucker's battle speeches are! and the editing was top notch, remember me complaining about tiny discrepancies throughout the beginning of the series? Well they are practically non-existent in the one. And finally that EVIL FRIGGIN' ENDING WHY OH WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT I SWEAR TO GOD IF MY BABIES ARE HURT... *hyperventilates* They've come so far, and I just want to hug them all :')
"Or, if you must, accept my own apologies in turn. I've also been overwhelmed, felt completely out of my depth, and have been told to shut up by men who claimed to know more than I ever possibly could. I failed you by not standing up for what I believed to be true."
I could stay here all day throwing other awesome quotes at you and squealing in delights at all those awesome parts that struck me right in the feels or scream at all the injustices that happened, but I'll just control myself and suffer in silence...or at least until Book 5 comes out!
The Path of Flames review. (5 stars)
The Black Shriving review. (5 stars)
The Siege of Abythos review. (5 stars)
After reading The Iron Circlet, I realized I changed my mind.. I'm just going to shove this series at everyone's face and scream: READ THIS!!
' "Are we ready?"
They gave out nervous cries in response. [He] rose in the stirrups and raised his sword. "I asked, are you ready to ride down into hell's chasm on the backs of some fucking goats?" '
Seriously, my heart is filled with love for this series that it probably now right up there on my favorite adult fantasy series of all time right under Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere.
I'll be brief because I don't want to spoil anything, suffice it to say that my favorite characters became even more badass, and those I liked moderately got such amazing development that now I freaking love everyone and everything!
It has come so far from where we first began, and at the same time I can't claim that the previous books are of any lesser quality than this one... There's the nostalgia and relative "safety" of Book 1, the awe that comes with discovering more of the world and the magic in Book 2, the neck-breaking pace and those punches in the gut of book 3, and finally this one.. an example of what a perfect penultimate novel should be, new alliances and friendships, important reveals, epic battles, loyalties and betrayals and everything that you crave when reading a high fantasy.
"We cannot celebrate yet! There are still humans to be torn apart, knights to be slain, castles to be toppled. Blue skies yearning for smoke, rivers aching to bleed blood-red, fields longing for the touch of flame."
The writing was excellent, I forgot how inspirational Phil Tucker's battle speeches are! and the editing was top notch, remember me complaining about tiny discrepancies throughout the beginning of the series? Well they are practically non-existent in the one. And finally that EVIL FRIGGIN' ENDING WHY OH WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT I SWEAR TO GOD IF MY BABIES ARE HURT... *hyperventilates* They've come so far, and I just want to hug them all :')
"Or, if you must, accept my own apologies in turn. I've also been overwhelmed, felt completely out of my depth, and have been told to shut up by men who claimed to know more than I ever possibly could. I failed you by not standing up for what I believed to be true."
I could stay here all day throwing other awesome quotes at you and squealing in delights at all those awesome parts that struck me right in the feels or scream at all the injustices that happened, but I'll just control myself and suffer in silence...or at least until Book 5 comes out!
The Path of Flames review. (5 stars)
The Black Shriving review. (5 stars)
The Siege of Abythos review. (5 stars)
November 15, 2018
Thoughts: Just when I thought this series couldn't get any better. Along comes book 4, The Iron Circlet, and I am again dumbfounded by just how amazing this series is. I explained it yesterday to someone that the theme it portrays isn't exactly knew, but it is the way Mr. Tucker executes it with precision and the unexpected that really blew me away. At this point you would think I have come to expect being surprised, but it still seems to get me almost every time.
The story does start off a little slow for about the first 20 to 25 percent of the book. That didn't really surprise me considering the ending of book 3. I knew these characters would have to pick themselves up and nurse their wounds for what was to come next. Alas, they were not properly prepared for the events about to take place, and to be honest, neither was I. From pitched battles, blackmail, ancient creatures, new enemies, unsuspected allies, and ancient secrets unveiled; The Chronicles of the Black Gate really has it all if you love fantasy. I am being vague on purpose, because I'm afraid of giving something away. This is a story you just have to experience yourself.
The Iron Circlet will be added to my favorite books list right away. I have gushed about this series for 4 books now. I'm not sure what else I can say to convince my fellow readers to go and give this series a try. Just go read the free chapters on Amazon for book 1. That is all it took for me to get hooked.
Characters: 5/5 stars
Plot/Storyline: 5/5 stars
World Building: 4.5/5 stars
Magic System: 5/5 stars
Wow-Factor: 5/5 stars
Total: 4.9/5 stars
Favorite Quote:
Book 1: The Path of Flames - 4.5 stars
Book 2: The Black Shriving - 4 stars
Book 3: The Siege of Abythos - 5 stars
Book 4: The Iron Circlet - 5 stars
The story does start off a little slow for about the first 20 to 25 percent of the book. That didn't really surprise me considering the ending of book 3. I knew these characters would have to pick themselves up and nurse their wounds for what was to come next. Alas, they were not properly prepared for the events about to take place, and to be honest, neither was I. From pitched battles, blackmail, ancient creatures, new enemies, unsuspected allies, and ancient secrets unveiled; The Chronicles of the Black Gate really has it all if you love fantasy. I am being vague on purpose, because I'm afraid of giving something away. This is a story you just have to experience yourself.
The Iron Circlet will be added to my favorite books list right away. I have gushed about this series for 4 books now. I'm not sure what else I can say to convince my fellow readers to go and give this series a try. Just go read the free chapters on Amazon for book 1. That is all it took for me to get hooked.
Characters: 5/5 stars
Plot/Storyline: 5/5 stars
World Building: 4.5/5 stars
Magic System: 5/5 stars
Wow-Factor: 5/5 stars
Total: 4.9/5 stars
Favorite Quote:
"I know what you're feeling," Tiron said softly to him. "I use to feel it myself after a bad fight, one in which, by all rights, I should have died along with the rest. Many a time, I've stood after the battle was won and gazed out over the dead and dying, numb and sick, thinking: It's not bloody fair. By what right do I stand while better men were cut down?"
Book 1: The Path of Flames - 4.5 stars
Book 2: The Black Shriving - 4 stars
Book 3: The Siege of Abythos - 5 stars
Book 4: The Iron Circlet - 5 stars
March 14, 2019
Can’t decide if I love or hate Tharok… He proves to be the most interesting of them all. Audsley? I want to smack him so hard! And the Ascendant is full of surprises lately. Not to mention the unexpected allies summoned by Maur and the last of the untainted shamans – stunning! As well as the unforeseen alliance between… oh! I’ll stop here, too much info.
The full potential of the Iron Circle is revealed at last, however, I fail to see the reason behind Little Zephyr as to why she did what she did…
Anyway, jumping up to the last part; let’s see what Phil Tucker has in his sleeve for the big finale.
The full potential of the Iron Circle is revealed at last, however, I fail to see the reason behind Little Zephyr as to why she did what she did…
Anyway, jumping up to the last part; let’s see what Phil Tucker has in his sleeve for the big finale.
April 20, 2017
Full review here, on my blog.
Secrets are being revealed! The story and all its extra bits are really starting to come together now, so it’s a quarter past time to start finding out how things are going to end up for our enigmatic group of protagonists! The empire is pretty fucked, and everyone pretty much knows it at this point. There’s Audsley, who is starting to find out all kinds of crazy things about the top people in the empire, and you start to really wonder what he and his new batshit crazy-ass friend are going to do. Iskra is running on empty, just trying to survive and keep her people alive. Tiron is on the other side of the world kicking ass, and meets a couple new friends that converges some storylines. Kethe is still kicking asses and taking names. Asho is being a fucking badass, and loudly and vehemently giving orders to people that are, according to the doctrine of this whole world, several levels above his station (and it is amazeballs! Give them hell you glorious albino bastard. Give. Them. Hell!).
Then, there’s Tharok, who is, in everyone’s POV but his own, the antagonist. Tharok’s POV has always been an entirely different view of the world, in another place and with other people- other creatures entirely. Now it’s beginning to converge with the rest of the world. That, and the story from that side is starting to get really interesting, as we are starting to figure out just how much events have been influenced up to this point by a certain circlet made of iron. I’ve never really liked Tharok’s POV in other volumes of the series, but in this one, I found it really compelling.
This volume was quite well written and moved at a really brisk pace. It was really hard to put it down. It has a pretty awesome vocabulary in it, too, which I thought was pretty sweet. Any time that I have to have my kindle look up a word that I’m not 100% sure of the meaning of, it makes me acutely aware of the vocab, which makes me learn new words to spell wrong. In this particular case, I’m looking at a pretty well thought out vocab that actually works. It doesn’t seem odd or forced, like some books do. Sometimes when you see words you rarely see in real life you start to wonder if there was a thesaurus present for the entire writing of it, but this one doesn’t give me that impression. It feels normal, and you can tell that Phil’s writing is becoming stronger as he goes. Practice makes perfect, right? Path of Flames was fantastic, but I thought this one was more well written.
More pls. More more more!
Secrets are being revealed! The story and all its extra bits are really starting to come together now, so it’s a quarter past time to start finding out how things are going to end up for our enigmatic group of protagonists! The empire is pretty fucked, and everyone pretty much knows it at this point. There’s Audsley, who is starting to find out all kinds of crazy things about the top people in the empire, and you start to really wonder what he and his new batshit crazy-ass friend are going to do. Iskra is running on empty, just trying to survive and keep her people alive. Tiron is on the other side of the world kicking ass, and meets a couple new friends that converges some storylines. Kethe is still kicking asses and taking names. Asho is being a fucking badass, and loudly and vehemently giving orders to people that are, according to the doctrine of this whole world, several levels above his station (and it is amazeballs! Give them hell you glorious albino bastard. Give. Them. Hell!).
Then, there’s Tharok, who is, in everyone’s POV but his own, the antagonist. Tharok’s POV has always been an entirely different view of the world, in another place and with other people- other creatures entirely. Now it’s beginning to converge with the rest of the world. That, and the story from that side is starting to get really interesting, as we are starting to figure out just how much events have been influenced up to this point by a certain circlet made of iron. I’ve never really liked Tharok’s POV in other volumes of the series, but in this one, I found it really compelling.
This volume was quite well written and moved at a really brisk pace. It was really hard to put it down. It has a pretty awesome vocabulary in it, too, which I thought was pretty sweet. Any time that I have to have my kindle look up a word that I’m not 100% sure of the meaning of, it makes me acutely aware of the vocab, which makes me learn new words to spell wrong. In this particular case, I’m looking at a pretty well thought out vocab that actually works. It doesn’t seem odd or forced, like some books do. Sometimes when you see words you rarely see in real life you start to wonder if there was a thesaurus present for the entire writing of it, but this one doesn’t give me that impression. It feels normal, and you can tell that Phil’s writing is becoming stronger as he goes. Practice makes perfect, right? Path of Flames was fantastic, but I thought this one was more well written.
More pls. More more more!
September 9, 2017
Finished this Gem of a book since yesterday and I still can't assemble the shatter pieces of my mind together. This series is freaking life, my only regret is that I have to wait like everyone else for October 7th to come to get the final book. By the White Gate, I don't think I can last that long.
October 21, 2017
AMAZING STUFF!!!!
The characters are top notch!
The action is mes-me-ri-zing!
Phil Tucker it`s a brilliant writer!
Forget Game of Thrones! This is the new and real deal!
Engaging & vivid story! That evolves end goes further and further in unknown and unexpected directions.
Until the end some puzzles come in to place, also other new threads open up.
The next book is also a must!
Recommended!
The characters are top notch!
The action is mes-me-ri-zing!
Phil Tucker it`s a brilliant writer!
Forget Game of Thrones! This is the new and real deal!
Engaging & vivid story! That evolves end goes further and further in unknown and unexpected directions.
Until the end some puzzles come in to place, also other new threads open up.
The next book is also a must!
Recommended!
June 14, 2017
Shit, son! This installment blew my socks right the fuck off! The action and mystery of the second book resurfaces in THE IRON CIRCLET. Honestly, after the highly politicized SEIGE OF ABYTHOS I was worried I would be in for another boring ride.
The greatest thing about this series is the paths the character arches take. These characters don't just grow and change, they do so radically and with great interest and pleasure. It is so enjoyable to follow these characters as they grow and each book is very rewarding.
I urge any who read this review, please put down whatever stinky book you're reading and pick up this series.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The greatest thing about this series is the paths the character arches take. These characters don't just grow and change, they do so radically and with great interest and pleasure. It is so enjoyable to follow these characters as they grow and each book is very rewarding.
I urge any who read this review, please put down whatever stinky book you're reading and pick up this series.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
April 16, 2017
I reviewed an ARC, provided by the author.
I don’t want to give away spoilers. So this review will be light on details and more on the general impressions.
‘The Iron Circlet’ is the fourth book in the phenomenal ‘Chronicles of Black Gate‘ series, by Phil Tucker. It continues the story from ‘The Siege of Abythos’. Tharok has run over all the defenses that the humans had. Asho and Kethe are still coming to terms with their power and their feelings for each other. Audsley is deep within the Fujiwara clan. Iskra has come to terms with the Ascendant.
This book overturns everything you have learnt so far and takes the plot to places for which I can’t wait to see the resolution. The pacing is excellent, and I had to finish the book in one sitting. The World Building continues to intrigue us. There is plenty of soul-searching on what faith actually is or is not. This is by no means ponderous or pontificating. The action, as always, is brutal and there is a substantial amount of it. And the climax, OMG, the climax, will leave you speechless.
Overall, ‘The Last Circlet’ is a book I enjoyed thoroughly. I recommend this as a must read for any fantasy fan.
This review was written for my blog https://blog.digitalamrit.com
I don’t want to give away spoilers. So this review will be light on details and more on the general impressions.
‘The Iron Circlet’ is the fourth book in the phenomenal ‘Chronicles of Black Gate‘ series, by Phil Tucker. It continues the story from ‘The Siege of Abythos’. Tharok has run over all the defenses that the humans had. Asho and Kethe are still coming to terms with their power and their feelings for each other. Audsley is deep within the Fujiwara clan. Iskra has come to terms with the Ascendant.
This book overturns everything you have learnt so far and takes the plot to places for which I can’t wait to see the resolution. The pacing is excellent, and I had to finish the book in one sitting. The World Building continues to intrigue us. There is plenty of soul-searching on what faith actually is or is not. This is by no means ponderous or pontificating. The action, as always, is brutal and there is a substantial amount of it. And the climax, OMG, the climax, will leave you speechless.
Overall, ‘The Last Circlet’ is a book I enjoyed thoroughly. I recommend this as a must read for any fantasy fan.
This review was written for my blog https://blog.digitalamrit.com
July 4, 2017
At this point, I don't know what else there is to say about this series. This is what epic fantasy should be. Great characters. World-shattering stakes. Action so epic you can't even describe what it's like to read it. Phil Tucker is a genius.
With this book, this series has moved to the top of my list of favorites. Can't wait for the next book.
Rating: 10/10
With this book, this series has moved to the top of my list of favorites. Can't wait for the next book.
Rating: 10/10
July 6, 2020
Very good fantasy story with some interesting plot lines and ideas. very entertaining read Very recommended
November 19, 2017
A great improvement upon the last volume with a very good pace, but that still let me down on some things, specially how it over-simplified a lot of situations.
There is a lot of action here and it was really entertaining to see each side of it but also in most of those situations and events I felt like it was missing substance.
And this lack of substance is what really makes the books misses the mark to go from "good" to "amazing" or "fantastic". Almost everything done only scratches the surface, very rarely going deeper, satisfied with that small glimpse of potential.
Let's first start with what's really good and probably where we should've stayed and what should've been the focus all along: Starkadr, the history of Ascension, the White and Black Gates' history and function, their true power, how a lot of things were done and really work, and etc.
Whenever the story focused on any of those, the story soared. Whenever it didn't, we were back to the ground.
In the last book I complained about the introduction of a lot of unimportant secondary characters, and here I wasn't surprised in the slightest that around 90-95% of them were there just to die to create the illusion of danger, others of course simply disappeared (Iarenna, Ilina), one somewhat became relevant though still unimpressive (Romswald) and only one really seems that will have a big impact (Zephyr).
I somewhat thought that if we hadn't left the main theme in book 3 for various tangential plotlines to focus on Starkadr, Ascension, the siege and circlet, bookS 3 and 4 could possibly have been combined into one fantastical single volume.
Let's proceed to the characters:
Audsley: Seriously this guy is being the saving grace of the series. Possibly because it's in his POV that we see someone trying to uncover relevant things for the current crisis, learn about the great history of the world, have some amusing insights and also a character who passes through a lot of change, doubts and growth.
He also made a great pair with Zephyr:
"Don't you worry, Audsley. The smell of burning flesh and the sound of splintering bones will be the hallmarks of our freedom."
Chapter 29 is a rare one where the author seemed to be really inspired instead of just putting things and feelings in a matter-of-fact way:
What compelled a man to goodness if there was no reward or punishment awaiting him, just death?
What an ugly world. What a raw, terrible world, where grace and hate were equally countenanced. Where the greatest acts of charity were equal to the depredations of war. Audsley saw a great river, a torrent of life, rushing ever forward into the future, carrying with it the heroes and villains, the common people and the great, the wise and the foolish, the rich and poor, the perverted and saintly, all of them striving for wealth, for bread, for sex, for love and friendship. For power. Rising, falling, succeeding, then... dying, only to have history erase the marks of the even the most accomplished.
Spite, perhaps. Yes, spite stayed my hand. I had within me a desire to impose myself upon it all. The world. Its peoples. Upon this life that had stolen my life and left me defenseless. What is the opposite of oblivion? Eternity. I decided not to die with a whimper but to persist with a snarl .
I did not have the humility to die, so my power made me immortal.
The inner truth to no one being special is that we are all truly equal in our unimportance.
The Aletheian demon also makes Audsley's POV great. I guess it says something that a lot of times he's even more interesting than some of the other main POVs.
This is from another exchange between Audsley and the demon(s):
There is a method to this madness, an order to our revelations. Think of yourself as a shy, virginal, blushing young maiden. Would it be right, would it be courteous for me to bend you over a rough wall on our first outing? Oh, no. First comes the poetry, the roses, the promises of eternal devotion. That, we have done. Then, the first, chaste kiss. That was your acceptance of us into your soul. Next come the steps of more carnal seduction. A hand placed lightly upon your breast. A tongue flicking the lobe of your ear. Breath hot and warm against your neck, till you are veritably painting, squirming, begging for more, and then - oh, and then shall we bend you over, then shall we kick your legs apart, and the three of us shall have our way with you.
This was pretty great to show the demons' cunning and manipulation of Audsley, then feel the danger he's in and fear for him.
Most of the time, and specially for most of the other characters, this would've been written in a matter-of-fact way like: "Audsley shivered, thinking how the demon might be manipulating him until one day he would no longer be able to resist them. Tears brimmed in his eyes."
But there is a complaint again of a scene where something simply happens without any kind of prior buildup and even looks completely contradictory:
Tharok: If Audsley moves the story by discovering things about the past that might influence the future, Tharok is the guy doing this in the present. Directly or indirectly, there wouldn't be much story without him.
And now that the focus is on his mysterious circlet, along with his conquest, makes him even more important.
Iskra: She didn't appear that much this time. But her chapters are totally worth to see the Ascendant.
The only downside of her chapters is the oversimplification I mentioned earlier. You have the Ascendant Empire and Agerastos, two nations at religious war for centuries, with various factions, simply sit down and work together without any kind of problems (if any were really presented, they were shrugged off just as quickly) against the kragh. Yes, they are a threat, but the total lack of conflict between them, or even distrust or resentment was quite baffling.
Kethe: Last time I complained she felt too powerful and special. This time is kinda of the other way around.
One time she's fighting kragh and killing by the dozens. In another she's helpless against far fewer than what she faced previously or at the siege of Abythos. Then in the next she kills half a dozen cavekillers by herself.
Here there was a total lack of consistency regarding her power. I couldn't understand why one time she could fight a really large number of enemies in a more gruesome battle and in the other she couldn't in a much simpler situation. It felt like the author was trying to put some tension but it felt way too artificial.
Asho: I kinda of liked his anger and resentment regarding his people and Ascension, but the same problem of power consistency with Kethe happened here, but far worse. He exhausts himself with his magic and is resting (without any Virtues this time to heal him) then gets something that kinda of heals him and makes him use even more power shortly after.
But the real killer was again the oversimplification of situations and the author shrugging off previously established conditions.
Bythians are the lowest on the Ascension scale. So Asho goes to Ennoia, the military "caste". Despite a brief conflict with their lords, it doesn't take long for Asho to actually be the one organizing the final defense of the Empire, even giving orders to the Ennoian warlords on how it should be done, and them happily obeying.
The fact that nobody protests, that Asho, a teenager that never had this kind of training or experience is leading the defense, that Ennoians and Bythians were fighting each other in Bythos just a few days ago, simply made me wonder what was the point of the worldbuilding if not even in a few chapters, but in a few paragraphs pretty much everything previously established is simply shrugged off and/or easily ignored and overcome...
Tiron: I kinda of see the point of why he had to go for this path in the previous book, but still didn't make his story much interesting. It was previous obvious what was gonna happen to the various unimportant characters he met.
And worse, he apparently found the solution to everything pretty easily: Dragons. While dragons are always amazing, it was pretty eye-rolling that each dragon was kinda of a reflection of each person there, Tiron specially. And how easily and willingly they simply accept saving everything..
A little rant about the magic: The author created a religious system with "castes" and reincarnation cycles akin to hinduism or buddhism, have magic portals, floating cities/continents, hidden stoneclouds like Starkadr, demon-powered floating cities and objects, terrifying demons and the whole White and Black gate thing still unsolved.
Then when some of the protagonists become magic users, one with "white magic" being a Virtue (a really cool concept but not well executed) and the other fears for himself when he discovers he's a Sin Caster ("black magic" user), the other has a circlet of super intelligence and a magical sword, what are the powers they really gain?
Well, for some reason, the most boring and generic possible ones: super strength, super speed, super jump, super resilience, super regeneration...
The exception would be the mind control one (learned from some random shopkeeper who is never seen again).
Throughout all the books I can't remember the amount of times I've seen characters against impossible odds proceed to run, jump and slash at blurring speed and I wonder where the inspiration for such fights were from, Japanese animation or a hack'n'slash game.
Then at some point I saw this: She has entered her deep sleep form, rendering herself nigh invulnerable to damage.
Does someone really says to another person that someone is "invulnerable to damage"? I guess this shed some light on the issue.
Towards the end things become really chaotic, so there's some hope for something really fantastic in the final installment.
Discounting another possible shrugging off and simplification of situation (), there's still the full mystery of the Gates and circlet to be fully revealed and I wonder if things will really end as predictably and painless as they seem to.
Maybe I can still be surprised...
There is a lot of action here and it was really entertaining to see each side of it but also in most of those situations and events I felt like it was missing substance.
And this lack of substance is what really makes the books misses the mark to go from "good" to "amazing" or "fantastic". Almost everything done only scratches the surface, very rarely going deeper, satisfied with that small glimpse of potential.
Let's first start with what's really good and probably where we should've stayed and what should've been the focus all along: Starkadr, the history of Ascension, the White and Black Gates' history and function, their true power, how a lot of things were done and really work, and etc.
Whenever the story focused on any of those, the story soared. Whenever it didn't, we were back to the ground.
In the last book I complained about the introduction of a lot of unimportant secondary characters, and here I wasn't surprised in the slightest that around 90-95% of them were there just to die to create the illusion of danger, others of course simply disappeared (Iarenna, Ilina), one somewhat became relevant though still unimpressive (Romswald) and only one really seems that will have a big impact (Zephyr).
I somewhat thought that if we hadn't left the main theme in book 3 for various tangential plotlines to focus on Starkadr, Ascension, the siege and circlet, bookS 3 and 4 could possibly have been combined into one fantastical single volume.
Let's proceed to the characters:
Audsley: Seriously this guy is being the saving grace of the series. Possibly because it's in his POV that we see someone trying to uncover relevant things for the current crisis, learn about the great history of the world, have some amusing insights and also a character who passes through a lot of change, doubts and growth.
He also made a great pair with Zephyr:
"Don't you worry, Audsley. The smell of burning flesh and the sound of splintering bones will be the hallmarks of our freedom."
Chapter 29 is a rare one where the author seemed to be really inspired instead of just putting things and feelings in a matter-of-fact way:
What compelled a man to goodness if there was no reward or punishment awaiting him, just death?
What an ugly world. What a raw, terrible world, where grace and hate were equally countenanced. Where the greatest acts of charity were equal to the depredations of war. Audsley saw a great river, a torrent of life, rushing ever forward into the future, carrying with it the heroes and villains, the common people and the great, the wise and the foolish, the rich and poor, the perverted and saintly, all of them striving for wealth, for bread, for sex, for love and friendship. For power. Rising, falling, succeeding, then... dying, only to have history erase the marks of the even the most accomplished.
Spite, perhaps. Yes, spite stayed my hand. I had within me a desire to impose myself upon it all. The world. Its peoples. Upon this life that had stolen my life and left me defenseless. What is the opposite of oblivion? Eternity. I decided not to die with a whimper but to persist with a snarl .
I did not have the humility to die, so my power made me immortal.
The inner truth to no one being special is that we are all truly equal in our unimportance.
The Aletheian demon also makes Audsley's POV great. I guess it says something that a lot of times he's even more interesting than some of the other main POVs.
This is from another exchange between Audsley and the demon(s):
There is a method to this madness, an order to our revelations. Think of yourself as a shy, virginal, blushing young maiden. Would it be right, would it be courteous for me to bend you over a rough wall on our first outing? Oh, no. First comes the poetry, the roses, the promises of eternal devotion. That, we have done. Then, the first, chaste kiss. That was your acceptance of us into your soul. Next come the steps of more carnal seduction. A hand placed lightly upon your breast. A tongue flicking the lobe of your ear. Breath hot and warm against your neck, till you are veritably painting, squirming, begging for more, and then - oh, and then shall we bend you over, then shall we kick your legs apart, and the three of us shall have our way with you.
This was pretty great to show the demons' cunning and manipulation of Audsley, then feel the danger he's in and fear for him.
Most of the time, and specially for most of the other characters, this would've been written in a matter-of-fact way like: "Audsley shivered, thinking how the demon might be manipulating him until one day he would no longer be able to resist them. Tears brimmed in his eyes."
But there is a complaint again of a scene where something simply happens without any kind of prior buildup and even looks completely contradictory:
Tharok: If Audsley moves the story by discovering things about the past that might influence the future, Tharok is the guy doing this in the present. Directly or indirectly, there wouldn't be much story without him.
And now that the focus is on his mysterious circlet, along with his conquest, makes him even more important.
Iskra: She didn't appear that much this time. But her chapters are totally worth to see the Ascendant.
The only downside of her chapters is the oversimplification I mentioned earlier. You have the Ascendant Empire and Agerastos, two nations at religious war for centuries, with various factions, simply sit down and work together without any kind of problems (if any were really presented, they were shrugged off just as quickly) against the kragh. Yes, they are a threat, but the total lack of conflict between them, or even distrust or resentment was quite baffling.
Kethe: Last time I complained she felt too powerful and special. This time is kinda of the other way around.
One time she's fighting kragh and killing by the dozens. In another she's helpless against far fewer than what she faced previously or at the siege of Abythos. Then in the next she kills half a dozen cavekillers by herself.
Here there was a total lack of consistency regarding her power. I couldn't understand why one time she could fight a really large number of enemies in a more gruesome battle and in the other she couldn't in a much simpler situation. It felt like the author was trying to put some tension but it felt way too artificial.
Asho: I kinda of liked his anger and resentment regarding his people and Ascension, but the same problem of power consistency with Kethe happened here, but far worse. He exhausts himself with his magic and is resting (without any Virtues this time to heal him) then gets something that kinda of heals him and makes him use even more power shortly after.
But the real killer was again the oversimplification of situations and the author shrugging off previously established conditions.
Bythians are the lowest on the Ascension scale. So Asho goes to Ennoia, the military "caste". Despite a brief conflict with their lords, it doesn't take long for Asho to actually be the one organizing the final defense of the Empire, even giving orders to the Ennoian warlords on how it should be done, and them happily obeying.
The fact that nobody protests, that Asho, a teenager that never had this kind of training or experience is leading the defense, that Ennoians and Bythians were fighting each other in Bythos just a few days ago, simply made me wonder what was the point of the worldbuilding if not even in a few chapters, but in a few paragraphs pretty much everything previously established is simply shrugged off and/or easily ignored and overcome...
Tiron: I kinda of see the point of why he had to go for this path in the previous book, but still didn't make his story much interesting. It was previous obvious what was gonna happen to the various unimportant characters he met.
And worse, he apparently found the solution to everything pretty easily: Dragons. While dragons are always amazing, it was pretty eye-rolling that each dragon was kinda of a reflection of each person there, Tiron specially. And how easily and willingly they simply accept saving everything..
A little rant about the magic: The author created a religious system with "castes" and reincarnation cycles akin to hinduism or buddhism, have magic portals, floating cities/continents, hidden stoneclouds like Starkadr, demon-powered floating cities and objects, terrifying demons and the whole White and Black gate thing still unsolved.
Then when some of the protagonists become magic users, one with "white magic" being a Virtue (a really cool concept but not well executed) and the other fears for himself when he discovers he's a Sin Caster ("black magic" user), the other has a circlet of super intelligence and a magical sword, what are the powers they really gain?
Well, for some reason, the most boring and generic possible ones: super strength, super speed, super jump, super resilience, super regeneration...
The exception would be the mind control one (learned from some random shopkeeper who is never seen again).
Throughout all the books I can't remember the amount of times I've seen characters against impossible odds proceed to run, jump and slash at blurring speed and I wonder where the inspiration for such fights were from, Japanese animation or a hack'n'slash game.
Then at some point I saw this: She has entered her deep sleep form, rendering herself nigh invulnerable to damage.
Does someone really says to another person that someone is "invulnerable to damage"? I guess this shed some light on the issue.
Towards the end things become really chaotic, so there's some hope for something really fantastic in the final installment.
Discounting another possible shrugging off and simplification of situation (), there's still the full mystery of the Gates and circlet to be fully revealed and I wonder if things will really end as predictably and painless as they seem to.
Maybe I can still be surprised...
September 9, 2022
I really enjoyed reading the first three in this series and decided to give the fourth a listen. For whatever reason and despite trying, I struggle with audiobooks, and this probably impacted my enjoyment of this particular book.
This series really hits the epic fantasy itch – lots of characters to follow and places to visit, the worldbuilding is impressive. This book steps it up further, though, in bringing religion, belief and social organisation into the mix, so the author doesn’t avoid big ideas. The basic plot is a Craw (read orc) warlord invading the Ascendant Empire. But by book 4 we learn the empire itself is fatally flawed.
It may have been the audio, but I felt the plot dragged a little in this one where it didn’t in previous volumes. Audsley’s story, though central, didn’t really keep my interest. The twists at the end made up for this a little in turning the series on its head and setting up the finale in book 5. Tharok’s story remained the most interesting to me. Some characters seemed to have little to do. Always a danger when you have so many separate storylines. The action/battles are exciting but tend to fall into that fantasy category where the heroes are superpowered/invincible, ordinary warriors are just fodder waiting to be killed, and that’s not really my jam.
All in all, this is a series that gets everything right you look for in epic fantasy – interesting world and magic, complex plot, definitely some darkness, strong and convincing characters. I may read book 5 rather than listen to it.
This series really hits the epic fantasy itch – lots of characters to follow and places to visit, the worldbuilding is impressive. This book steps it up further, though, in bringing religion, belief and social organisation into the mix, so the author doesn’t avoid big ideas. The basic plot is a Craw (read orc) warlord invading the Ascendant Empire. But by book 4 we learn the empire itself is fatally flawed.
It may have been the audio, but I felt the plot dragged a little in this one where it didn’t in previous volumes. Audsley’s story, though central, didn’t really keep my interest. The twists at the end made up for this a little in turning the series on its head and setting up the finale in book 5. Tharok’s story remained the most interesting to me. Some characters seemed to have little to do. Always a danger when you have so many separate storylines. The action/battles are exciting but tend to fall into that fantasy category where the heroes are superpowered/invincible, ordinary warriors are just fodder waiting to be killed, and that’s not really my jam.
All in all, this is a series that gets everything right you look for in epic fantasy – interesting world and magic, complex plot, definitely some darkness, strong and convincing characters. I may read book 5 rather than listen to it.
June 28, 2019
The Iron Circlet is the fourth book in Phil Tucker’s Chronicles of the Black Gate series. It picks up exactly where the third book, The Siege of Abythos, leaves off. It’s another great entry in a series that is proving to be a mix of classic fantasy and modern elements. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with engaging characters this is one you should absolutely be reading.
There is plenty to enjoy in Tucker’s fourth entry in his epic fantasy series. The action picks up immediately and doesn’t let up. Plot threads are coming together and spawning new threads at an incredible rate. The plot is fast-paced from the very first pages of the novel until the very last page. Downtime is not something that exists in this novel, and that helps it to shine. Going along with this, Tucker writes tight, pulse pounding action sequences that are second to none. Some of the battles in this novel are cinematic and epic in a way you’d expect to find in a summer blockbuster movie. Tucker excels and describing the action vividly, allowing you to see perfectly what’s taking place. The pacing is excellent, and the fight scenes are wonderful, but the best part of this novel continues to be the characters. At this point in the series we’ve come to know and love all the main viewpoint characters. Tucker has a penchant for writing characters that you want to read more about, even when they’re making decisions you dislike or that you know aren’t going to turn out well for them. He also crams an astounding amount of character development between the action sequences. The characters have come a long way over the three previous books and The Iron Circlet continues that development. There are questions of faith and religion, questions of identity and purpose, grief, pain, and moments of joy that the characters all must deal with throughout the novel. Each of these moments changes them. During a few of these I pumped my fists for joy, and during a couple I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration. It’s extremely well done, and these are some of my favorite characters in all epic fantasy. Asho, in particular, has grown by leaps and bounds as a character and it’s very satisfying to see him begin to come into his own.
My criticisms come mainly in terms of a couple sections of the plot where I felt like the characters didn’t particularly react in ways that coincided with who they were. For much of the novel, Kethe continues to have this struggle of faith that has just never seemed to make sense to me. Iskra, at one point in this novel, seems to just do as she’s told which—frankly—flies completely in the face of her character. There was also a sequence toward the beginning of the novel when everyone is making incredibly stupid tactical and strategic decisions and I’m not clear on why people suddenly seemed incapable of coming up with a sound battle plan. Each of these, in their own way, are really about how you connect with and understand the characters. Other readers may come away with a significantly different impression.
Another strong entry in what is proving to be an excellent epic fantasy series. If you haven’t already begun reading The Chronicles of the Black Gate, you need to do so. Tucker doesn’t disappoint with this one!
8.5/10
4.25/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
There is plenty to enjoy in Tucker’s fourth entry in his epic fantasy series. The action picks up immediately and doesn’t let up. Plot threads are coming together and spawning new threads at an incredible rate. The plot is fast-paced from the very first pages of the novel until the very last page. Downtime is not something that exists in this novel, and that helps it to shine. Going along with this, Tucker writes tight, pulse pounding action sequences that are second to none. Some of the battles in this novel are cinematic and epic in a way you’d expect to find in a summer blockbuster movie. Tucker excels and describing the action vividly, allowing you to see perfectly what’s taking place. The pacing is excellent, and the fight scenes are wonderful, but the best part of this novel continues to be the characters. At this point in the series we’ve come to know and love all the main viewpoint characters. Tucker has a penchant for writing characters that you want to read more about, even when they’re making decisions you dislike or that you know aren’t going to turn out well for them. He also crams an astounding amount of character development between the action sequences. The characters have come a long way over the three previous books and The Iron Circlet continues that development. There are questions of faith and religion, questions of identity and purpose, grief, pain, and moments of joy that the characters all must deal with throughout the novel. Each of these moments changes them. During a few of these I pumped my fists for joy, and during a couple I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration. It’s extremely well done, and these are some of my favorite characters in all epic fantasy. Asho, in particular, has grown by leaps and bounds as a character and it’s very satisfying to see him begin to come into his own.
My criticisms come mainly in terms of a couple sections of the plot where I felt like the characters didn’t particularly react in ways that coincided with who they were. For much of the novel, Kethe continues to have this struggle of faith that has just never seemed to make sense to me. Iskra, at one point in this novel, seems to just do as she’s told which—frankly—flies completely in the face of her character. There was also a sequence toward the beginning of the novel when everyone is making incredibly stupid tactical and strategic decisions and I’m not clear on why people suddenly seemed incapable of coming up with a sound battle plan. Each of these, in their own way, are really about how you connect with and understand the characters. Other readers may come away with a significantly different impression.
Another strong entry in what is proving to be an excellent epic fantasy series. If you haven’t already begun reading The Chronicles of the Black Gate, you need to do so. Tucker doesn’t disappoint with this one!
8.5/10
4.25/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
August 18, 2018
Love the minor spoiler on the cover. ;)
May 21, 2017
Another Captivating Installment of The Chronicles of the Black Gate Book 4
The Iron Circlet is the driving force behind the desires for power and dominion in Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate. Can Tharok trust and keep hold of this catalyst of dark and evil power? Tucker has again sank his style of pure creativity into this 4th installment. Except for the graphic violence, this is a story for all ages of fantasy lovers. It's fast paced, otherworldly, intriguing, and succeeds at blurring the lines of good and evil. I highly recommend The Iron Circlet for the fantasy lovers' summer reading list. I also recommend reading from the beginning of the series. The only negative comment I have is that I get the feeling that The Chronicles' magic system is a work in progress. I suspect this might be deliberate. Otherwise, I am quite pleased with the characters, storyline and Tuckers' world building. The author is a budding talent. So, don't wait! Pick-up your copy of The Iron Circlet today.
The Iron Circlet is the driving force behind the desires for power and dominion in Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate. Can Tharok trust and keep hold of this catalyst of dark and evil power? Tucker has again sank his style of pure creativity into this 4th installment. Except for the graphic violence, this is a story for all ages of fantasy lovers. It's fast paced, otherworldly, intriguing, and succeeds at blurring the lines of good and evil. I highly recommend The Iron Circlet for the fantasy lovers' summer reading list. I also recommend reading from the beginning of the series. The only negative comment I have is that I get the feeling that The Chronicles' magic system is a work in progress. I suspect this might be deliberate. Otherwise, I am quite pleased with the characters, storyline and Tuckers' world building. The author is a budding talent. So, don't wait! Pick-up your copy of The Iron Circlet today.
September 8, 2022
Even though this installment is almost half the size of book three, I still enjoyed it very much. It felt like flying through the pages, I just enjoy this series so damn much. I still loved Kethe, Aska, Iskra and Tiron and their struggles and their journey. But... I had my problems with my child Audsley. Can't say more than that but I even think his story arc I enjoyed less than Tharoks. Tharok surprised me this time because I began to like his chapters at the end! I predicted the outcome of this book since I started the series and I'm so glad it finally happened. Now I've got only one single book left in this amazing series with even lesser pages than this one. I'm sure I will be amazed again!
May 24, 2017
This Book Blazes!
Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate has always given me everything I could want in an epic saga and The Iron Circlet is no exception. This book set a rapid pace, as all the disparate struggles and characters coalesce into one overarching tapestry, and the ultimate enemy is revealed. A continuing adventure that I can' get enough of. Can't wait till book 5.
Phil Tucker's Chronicles of the Black Gate has always given me everything I could want in an epic saga and The Iron Circlet is no exception. This book set a rapid pace, as all the disparate struggles and characters coalesce into one overarching tapestry, and the ultimate enemy is revealed. A continuing adventure that I can' get enough of. Can't wait till book 5.
April 18, 2017
Again?!
He did it again! Such a great read. Couldn't put it down, dishes piling up, clothes to wash. Just kidding. Seriously, it was so good, I finished it in one day. Now I have to wait for book 5 of the black gate series. Or book two of the Godsblood trilogy. The action was incredible, moving through all the characters seamlessly. Read it!
He did it again! Such a great read. Couldn't put it down, dishes piling up, clothes to wash. Just kidding. Seriously, it was so good, I finished it in one day. Now I have to wait for book 5 of the black gate series. Or book two of the Godsblood trilogy. The action was incredible, moving through all the characters seamlessly. Read it!
October 15, 2017
An engaging continuation and a return to tight storytelling after the slightly bloated Book 3. One of my favourite characters story arcs took a slightly "boring" turn in Book 3 which was a bit frustrating but their story has turned around and is once again captivating.
I burned through the final 20% and almost jumped straight into the series finale. Maybe before the year is out.
I burned through the final 20% and almost jumped straight into the series finale. Maybe before the year is out.
January 29, 2021
This series is relentless. Once the action starts, there's barely a moment of respite. Somehow it keeps getting better with each installment and the characters' badassery keeps increasing. The story keeps getting better and more complicated with unexpected twists and turns abound.
Incredible. Must read.
Incredible. Must read.
February 16, 2020
Action packed fun ride. Some new characters and some of the history explained. Very enjoyable read. I will only say as a very minor spoiler that Audsley is an idiot.
March 1, 2018
In the words of Jack T. Colton, “Whoo-hoo-hoo! @#$%&*! What a ride . . .”
October 19, 2020
I loved book three of this series so much that I was kind of expecting a bit of let down in book four. However, The Iron Circlet did not disappoint. This book was equally impressive and I flew through it. Tucker was absolutely spot on with this penultimate installment. He continued the great momentum of the first three books with furious battle scenes, the forging of new alliances, and unimaginable betrayals. It was capped off with an ending that provides so much anticipation for the finale. And while I feel that the writing has been superb throughout the series, this was the best written book yet.
I know I am being repetitive but I just can’t help it – Tucker knows how to write battle scenes! The fight sequences are so vivid and action packed that they played out in my mind like an epic film at the theatre. The swordsmanship slashes off the pages and the sounds of battle ring out as if I was at a live rock concert. The author painted crystal clear action scenes. It included great pump-up speeches, gory combat and dire consequences. There is an awesome combination of swords, axes, arrows, ballistae, magic and more.
The best part of the series continues to be the characters. It is remarkable how much development has occurred in each of the main POVs from the previous three books. The characters are so easy to connect with and I found myself shouting out in both excitement and anguish as things happened throughout the book. Here is what stuck out the most to me in book four:
Asho: Such an awesome, underdog character who continues to grow in each installment and really has come into his own. He shows great conviction and is so very stubborn. Nothing will get in the way of doing what he thinks is the right thing to do. He will not bow down to anyone and is not afraid to speak his mind. I often found myself cheering vigorously for him. He doesn’t feel overly bad for himself, even though life has dealt him a difficult hand. His passion is second to none and he will risk it all for that special someone in his life.
Audsley: Ever curious and always trying to uncover ways to save the empire. I love how he uses his knowledge of history to try to predict what to do next. He has a real drive to figure out who is really at the top of the empire and what their motives are. I liked his link up with Zephyr, an unlikely but intriguing pair. Plus, the interactions between himself and his demons are fascinating.
Tiron: One of my favorite characters, even though he has gone a bit off the beaten path. It was fun seeing him meet new folks and become an advisor like he has been to so many in his past. His new journey converges with the main plot in this installment. His internal struggle is so relatable and his character feels the most real to me. He has been through so much and has decided only to act on things that he truly believes in.
“‘You’re a good man Ramswold.’ It took real effort to drag the words out. ‘You see good in others, and inspire them to goodness in turn. I lost that somewhere along the way. Perhaps it was beaten out of me during my stay with the Black Wolves. But your ideals carried you and your men onward when others would have failed. The Order of the Star is a brave order, a noble one, and we cannot allow it to fade from this world. If you would have me, I would join it, though I once foreswore ever doing such thing again.’”
Iskra: One of my only criticisms of the book is the confusion I felt about Iskra’s role in this installment. She has taken charge in nearly every situation previously, but there were moments where she just seemed to fade into the background – it just felt too out of character for me. To be fair, she is running on fumes. Maybe she is just catching her breath and gearing up for an epic ending. I have enjoyed her story arc and I look forward to seeing her in the final installment.
This series is a great combination of classic and modern fantasy. Tucker admirably weaves in religion, politics, friendship, love, and betrayal, with the destiny of an empire at stake. If you are interested in epic fantasy, I highly recommend you pick up the Chronicles of the Black Gate. Hopping right into book five, The White Song.
I know I am being repetitive but I just can’t help it – Tucker knows how to write battle scenes! The fight sequences are so vivid and action packed that they played out in my mind like an epic film at the theatre. The swordsmanship slashes off the pages and the sounds of battle ring out as if I was at a live rock concert. The author painted crystal clear action scenes. It included great pump-up speeches, gory combat and dire consequences. There is an awesome combination of swords, axes, arrows, ballistae, magic and more.
The best part of the series continues to be the characters. It is remarkable how much development has occurred in each of the main POVs from the previous three books. The characters are so easy to connect with and I found myself shouting out in both excitement and anguish as things happened throughout the book. Here is what stuck out the most to me in book four:
Asho: Such an awesome, underdog character who continues to grow in each installment and really has come into his own. He shows great conviction and is so very stubborn. Nothing will get in the way of doing what he thinks is the right thing to do. He will not bow down to anyone and is not afraid to speak his mind. I often found myself cheering vigorously for him. He doesn’t feel overly bad for himself, even though life has dealt him a difficult hand. His passion is second to none and he will risk it all for that special someone in his life.
Audsley: Ever curious and always trying to uncover ways to save the empire. I love how he uses his knowledge of history to try to predict what to do next. He has a real drive to figure out who is really at the top of the empire and what their motives are. I liked his link up with Zephyr, an unlikely but intriguing pair. Plus, the interactions between himself and his demons are fascinating.
Tiron: One of my favorite characters, even though he has gone a bit off the beaten path. It was fun seeing him meet new folks and become an advisor like he has been to so many in his past. His new journey converges with the main plot in this installment. His internal struggle is so relatable and his character feels the most real to me. He has been through so much and has decided only to act on things that he truly believes in.
“‘You’re a good man Ramswold.’ It took real effort to drag the words out. ‘You see good in others, and inspire them to goodness in turn. I lost that somewhere along the way. Perhaps it was beaten out of me during my stay with the Black Wolves. But your ideals carried you and your men onward when others would have failed. The Order of the Star is a brave order, a noble one, and we cannot allow it to fade from this world. If you would have me, I would join it, though I once foreswore ever doing such thing again.’”
Iskra: One of my only criticisms of the book is the confusion I felt about Iskra’s role in this installment. She has taken charge in nearly every situation previously, but there were moments where she just seemed to fade into the background – it just felt too out of character for me. To be fair, she is running on fumes. Maybe she is just catching her breath and gearing up for an epic ending. I have enjoyed her story arc and I look forward to seeing her in the final installment.
This series is a great combination of classic and modern fantasy. Tucker admirably weaves in religion, politics, friendship, love, and betrayal, with the destiny of an empire at stake. If you are interested in epic fantasy, I highly recommend you pick up the Chronicles of the Black Gate. Hopping right into book five, The White Song.
April 23, 2019
Lo and behold, another powerful story that completely flips everything we thought we knew on its head!
As always, Noah Michael Levine gave a fantastic performance and only those pesky, odd pronunciations prevents it from being a 5-star performance.
I can honestly say there were so many times in this book that I thought I knew what was going on, and every damn time my expectations ended up getting thrown right out the window!
I love the way some characters are coming together, as well as seeing the promises of others doing so. I love the way the various reveals are timed and how things end up coming together! Just when you think a character has given all they have, a new way is presented for them to give just a bit more and still be the hero of the day.
I still love Ferrick the most, and though he's grown on me quite a lot, I'm a bit annoyed with Audsley just now. He can be so naive sometimes!
Now, as with previous installments, I'm really frustrated that I can't give it the 5 stars the story deserves. It really is an incredible story. I just can't overlook the grammar problems, which really haven't improved since the first book.
I do find myself wishing there'd been a bit more preamble, a bit more lead-in to the ending. While there is plenty of that in regards to the major conflict (humans vs orcs/craw. And no, I'm not oblivious to the many parallels between these books and the back story to the Warcraft video games), the background one that ends up taking center stage could use a bit more.
Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of progression and foreshadowing for what ends up happening, it's just that I would have liked to spend just a little more time leading up to it.
As to the ending itself, as always, I really couldn't ask for much more. There is Tucker's trademark escalation of climaxes as we make our way to the final ending, and it's accompanied by several awesome reveals, some crazy twists, and a number of incredible moments, both in terms of plot and character.
We're once again left with a cliffhanger ending that has me on the edge of my seat and I'm thankful I already have the next (and final) book ready to go so I can dive right in and march my way on inexorably to the conclusion of this epic series.
As always, Noah Michael Levine gave a fantastic performance and only those pesky, odd pronunciations prevents it from being a 5-star performance.
I can honestly say there were so many times in this book that I thought I knew what was going on, and every damn time my expectations ended up getting thrown right out the window!
I love the way some characters are coming together, as well as seeing the promises of others doing so. I love the way the various reveals are timed and how things end up coming together! Just when you think a character has given all they have, a new way is presented for them to give just a bit more and still be the hero of the day.
I still love Ferrick the most, and though he's grown on me quite a lot, I'm a bit annoyed with Audsley just now. He can be so naive sometimes!
Now, as with previous installments, I'm really frustrated that I can't give it the 5 stars the story deserves. It really is an incredible story. I just can't overlook the grammar problems, which really haven't improved since the first book.
I do find myself wishing there'd been a bit more preamble, a bit more lead-in to the ending. While there is plenty of that in regards to the major conflict (humans vs orcs/craw. And no, I'm not oblivious to the many parallels between these books and the back story to the Warcraft video games), the background one that ends up taking center stage could use a bit more.
Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of progression and foreshadowing for what ends up happening, it's just that I would have liked to spend just a little more time leading up to it.
As to the ending itself, as always, I really couldn't ask for much more. There is Tucker's trademark escalation of climaxes as we make our way to the final ending, and it's accompanied by several awesome reveals, some crazy twists, and a number of incredible moments, both in terms of plot and character.
We're once again left with a cliffhanger ending that has me on the edge of my seat and I'm thankful I already have the next (and final) book ready to go so I can dive right in and march my way on inexorably to the conclusion of this epic series.
July 31, 2018
~95%. +5% from the last book. Following the fall of Abythos, the empire is nearing what most believe to be its last stand. Cornered, lacking hop and their best warriors and leaders while the kragh are coming endlessly. And while Asho and Kethe do their best to fight them off, there will be darker things lurking behind and revelations about the system they wanted to overthrow before being forced to fight for their survival.
----
Spoiler-free summaries of the substories:
Tharok: he finally gets a bit of challenge and a bit of trouble following his visit to the White Gate yet not enough to actually slow him. Pity, part of me really wished he'd be finally done with. By the end, he surprisingly shows some character and wisdom even without the circlet
Iskra: she gets much less screen time than before, mostly just trying to help find a way what to do and being disagreed with.
Tiron: despite his beliefs, he ends up fighting with the handful of uncorrupted kragh shaman and will see that sometimes hopes of dreams and heroism might be better than his harsh truth.
Asho and Kethe: after some friction between them, they get back to fighting stuff and kicking asses. Separate at first as they defend different places but they eventually end up fighting together again
Audsley: probably the most interesting part. Delving into the dark secrets of the Fujiwara will lead him to uncover the gruesome secrets of the black potions and the dark and violent background of Ascension, something he'll not take well. There are quite some twists to the end and while he gets rid of his demons eventually, it comes at quite a high cost.
----
By the end, it's obvious that the kragh, numerous and merciless as they are, won't be the biggest trouble and it's not because of the fact that their army finally suffered some well-deserved losses. I'll soon go for the fifth and final book.
Slightly longer review on my blog
----
Spoiler-free summaries of the substories:
Tharok: he finally gets a bit of challenge and a bit of trouble following his visit to the White Gate yet not enough to actually slow him. Pity, part of me really wished he'd be finally done with. By the end, he surprisingly shows some character and wisdom even without the circlet
Iskra: she gets much less screen time than before, mostly just trying to help find a way what to do and being disagreed with.
Tiron: despite his beliefs, he ends up fighting with the handful of uncorrupted kragh shaman and will see that sometimes hopes of dreams and heroism might be better than his harsh truth.
Asho and Kethe: after some friction between them, they get back to fighting stuff and kicking asses. Separate at first as they defend different places but they eventually end up fighting together again
Audsley: probably the most interesting part. Delving into the dark secrets of the Fujiwara will lead him to uncover the gruesome secrets of the black potions and the dark and violent background of Ascension, something he'll not take well. There are quite some twists to the end and while he gets rid of his demons eventually, it comes at quite a high cost.
----
By the end, it's obvious that the kragh, numerous and merciless as they are, won't be the biggest trouble and it's not because of the fact that their army finally suffered some well-deserved losses. I'll soon go for the fifth and final book.
Slightly longer review on my blog
July 31, 2019
This is the the 4th book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series. As in the previous books in the series, the story is told through six POVs. The POVs are Audsley (scholar/sorcerer), Iskra (Empress of Agerastos), Tiron (soldier serving Lord Ramswold), Asho (Bythian knight and Sin Caster or Flame Walker), Tharok (highland kragh warlord), Kethe (Virtue, and Iskra's daughter).
Asho and Kethe have barely survived the invasion of the kragh horde through the Abythian Portal. Still, the majority of the horde has been trapped on the other side of the gate and are preparing to invade when the gate opens again at sunrise. Tiron is stuck with Lord Ramswold on the wrong side of the gate with the kragh horde and the medusa. The kragh Tharok is a master strategist thanks to the iron circlet he wears. Empress Iskra is coordinating with the recently liberated Ascendant to make the Empire more fair and just, as well as to repell the kragh invasion. Audsley is on a hidden stonecloud with the devious Fujiwara clan of Aletheia who have just been driven out of power.
I am really enjoying this series - it just keeps getting better. The story is unique and creative. The plot moves at a brisk pace and there are many action sequences. The main characters (and most secondary ones) are wonderful - fully formed with all their strengths and shortcomings, habits, mannerisms, emotions, etc. After 4 books, the characters are like old friends to me now. I find myself sympathizing with their struggles, lamenting their missed opportunities, laughing at their witty dialogue, and wishing I could stop them from making bad decisions (I'm looking at YOU, Audsley!).
The prose is straightforward, clean, and efficient. There doesn't seem to be the editing errors that were noticeable in the previous books. I thought that the descriptive language used had literary heft with many memorable passages. One of my favorite quotes from this book: “I asked, are you ready to ride down into hell’s chasm on the backs of some fucking goats?”
Asho and Kethe have barely survived the invasion of the kragh horde through the Abythian Portal. Still, the majority of the horde has been trapped on the other side of the gate and are preparing to invade when the gate opens again at sunrise. Tiron is stuck with Lord Ramswold on the wrong side of the gate with the kragh horde and the medusa. The kragh Tharok is a master strategist thanks to the iron circlet he wears. Empress Iskra is coordinating with the recently liberated Ascendant to make the Empire more fair and just, as well as to repell the kragh invasion. Audsley is on a hidden stonecloud with the devious Fujiwara clan of Aletheia who have just been driven out of power.
I am really enjoying this series - it just keeps getting better. The story is unique and creative. The plot moves at a brisk pace and there are many action sequences. The main characters (and most secondary ones) are wonderful - fully formed with all their strengths and shortcomings, habits, mannerisms, emotions, etc. After 4 books, the characters are like old friends to me now. I find myself sympathizing with their struggles, lamenting their missed opportunities, laughing at their witty dialogue, and wishing I could stop them from making bad decisions (I'm looking at YOU, Audsley!).
The prose is straightforward, clean, and efficient. There doesn't seem to be the editing errors that were noticeable in the previous books. I thought that the descriptive language used had literary heft with many memorable passages. One of my favorite quotes from this book: “I asked, are you ready to ride down into hell’s chasm on the backs of some fucking goats?”
November 13, 2017
Wowsers. I was a little tentative starting this the fourth book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series, as I found the third book to drag somewhat, though it ended well.
That proved unfounded. This book gets straight back in the swing of things right from the off and the pace just does not let up. Other that a little bit of re-gouping and re-organising at the outset, the plot continues with chapter after chapter offering excitement and plot/character development aplenty.
Tharok is still up to no good, running amok with his massive army of orc-like kragh, backed by trolls and a medusa and looking to capitalise on his victory at the end of book 3.
Tiron finds himself deep behind enemy lines and totally out of his depth but finding ways to adapt.
Asho looks to lead the defence of Ennoia against the kragh invasion, while Kethe tries to do the same in Nous.
And Audsley finds himself in an assassination plot and getting a potted history of the real background of the empire.
This is simply fantasy fiction at its best: an epic world created, full of wonderful creatures and characters with an intricate plot which, while covering numerous threads never becomes untenable, with exciting and surprising battle scenes and twists.
Simply put one of the best fantasy books I have ever read, and I am now greedily wolfing down the final book in the series.
That proved unfounded. This book gets straight back in the swing of things right from the off and the pace just does not let up. Other that a little bit of re-gouping and re-organising at the outset, the plot continues with chapter after chapter offering excitement and plot/character development aplenty.
Tharok is still up to no good, running amok with his massive army of orc-like kragh, backed by trolls and a medusa and looking to capitalise on his victory at the end of book 3.
Tiron finds himself deep behind enemy lines and totally out of his depth but finding ways to adapt.
Asho looks to lead the defence of Ennoia against the kragh invasion, while Kethe tries to do the same in Nous.
And Audsley finds himself in an assassination plot and getting a potted history of the real background of the empire.
This is simply fantasy fiction at its best: an epic world created, full of wonderful creatures and characters with an intricate plot which, while covering numerous threads never becomes untenable, with exciting and surprising battle scenes and twists.
Simply put one of the best fantasy books I have ever read, and I am now greedily wolfing down the final book in the series.
October 3, 2018
Its taken me a while to finish this book / series since I just moved into my new house. And if you've ever sold and bought a new house, you'll know its a lot of work.
This definitely took some turns I wasn't expecting. I can't wait to start book 5 tonight. I'm curious how everything will be resolved in just one more novel. Especially with the high cost of everything that happened during this one. Human and Kragh populations alike have just been decimated, I'm finding it hard to picture how they are going to put up much of a resistance to the oncoming demon hoard.
I would have liked a little more Iskra in this novel, she was barely in it. But we got a lot of great chapters for the rest of the cast.
I highly recommend this series to readers longing for some more classical (90s era) fantasy.
This definitely took some turns I wasn't expecting. I can't wait to start book 5 tonight. I'm curious how everything will be resolved in just one more novel. Especially with the high cost of everything that happened during this one. Human and Kragh populations alike have just been decimated, I'm finding it hard to picture how they are going to put up much of a resistance to the oncoming demon hoard.
I would have liked a little more Iskra in this novel, she was barely in it. But we got a lot of great chapters for the rest of the cast.
I highly recommend this series to readers longing for some more classical (90s era) fantasy.
May 13, 2022
This is just a continuation of the same good story in book three, but with all the same issues. The one change for the worse is the author's addition of a new magic which was not in the previous books. It was clearly done as a result to make the humans not as strong with new allies, but it is jarring and quite frustrating.
I don't have much to say, I lost a lot of my enjoyment for the series in book 3, but it is still a compelling story. There is a lot going on, and though some of the well worked character perspective switches aren't as good, they still balance the characters pretty well. The time doesn't seem to add up perfect between the switches, but it all fits together well enough in the end.
I wish things were different with the series, but I'm still reading it through all that so I suppose it is overall worth reading up to this point.
I don't have much to say, I lost a lot of my enjoyment for the series in book 3, but it is still a compelling story. There is a lot going on, and though some of the well worked character perspective switches aren't as good, they still balance the characters pretty well. The time doesn't seem to add up perfect between the switches, but it all fits together well enough in the end.
I wish things were different with the series, but I'm still reading it through all that so I suppose it is overall worth reading up to this point.
November 19, 2017
Best entry in the series so far
Seriously this series deserves a wider audience. It has a magic system that is unique. Social hierarchy that reminds me of ancient India. Rich history with secrets that unfolds slowly throughout the series.
Characters that you would come to love. (lot of standard tropes. - struggling hero, weary warrior, rebellious teenager.)
For all its faults it has amazing action set pieces and well written sieges.
This one had all one would want in FF series climax-dragons, demons, monsters, magic, deaths
And a cliffhanger finale that poses a grim future for the whole world and some major characters..
More power to you.. PHILL..
Seriously this series deserves a wider audience. It has a magic system that is unique. Social hierarchy that reminds me of ancient India. Rich history with secrets that unfolds slowly throughout the series.
Characters that you would come to love. (lot of standard tropes. - struggling hero, weary warrior, rebellious teenager.)
For all its faults it has amazing action set pieces and well written sieges.
This one had all one would want in FF series climax-dragons, demons, monsters, magic, deaths
And a cliffhanger finale that poses a grim future for the whole world and some major characters..
More power to you.. PHILL..
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