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The Destroyer #2
The Destroyer Book 2
Length: 17 hrs and 40 mins
The country of Nia has fallen to the Ancients and circumstances are grim for the humans. Kaiyer must return to the broken castle to save his friends, reconcile his past, and find a way to break the hold that the enemy agents have over the country.
The country of Nia has fallen to the Ancients and circumstances are grim for the humans. Kaiyer must return to the broken castle to save his friends, reconcile his past, and find a way to break the hold that the enemy agents have over the country.
Audiobook
Published January 1, 2018
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About the author
Michael-Scott Earle
76 books1,586 followersNYT and USA Today bestseller of fiction. Top 100 Amazon best selling author.
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You can buy my novels on my website. www.michaelscottearle.com
I DON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS ON GOODREADS ANYMORE. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP OR MAILING LIST.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 15, 2018
A decent follow up to the original THE DESTROYER novel which follows Kaiyer's attempts to rescue Nadea from the hands of the Ancients while Nadea finds herself already rescued and about to be executed by her own men for the fact she's not actually human but something else
This novel is entertaining throughout but depends on a massive contrivance that our heroes would miss each other by a literal day then continue to remain unaware of each other's presence for the duration of the novel.
I'm also not a big fan of the fact Kaiyer is forced to serve his elvish guards sexually and while it's played for fanservice, the Ancients have been portrayed as so monstrous that I didn't enjoy any of the graphic sex scenes.
Nevertheless, the novel provides a good number of new factoids about Kaiyer's past. I will admit, the whole central conflict being a love triangle where his chief general won't take a hint he's not interested in her and his 3rd general is angry because he wants the chief general is a bit of a petty reason for it to all breakdown.
Still, I immediately bought the sequels when done. There's a number of rousing moments and watching Nadea take charge of her own destiny was great.
8/10
This novel is entertaining throughout but depends on a massive contrivance that our heroes would miss each other by a literal day then continue to remain unaware of each other's presence for the duration of the novel.
I'm also not a big fan of the fact Kaiyer is forced to serve his elvish guards sexually and while it's played for fanservice, the Ancients have been portrayed as so monstrous that I didn't enjoy any of the graphic sex scenes.
Nevertheless, the novel provides a good number of new factoids about Kaiyer's past. I will admit, the whole central conflict being a love triangle where his chief general won't take a hint he's not interested in her and his 3rd general is angry because he wants the chief general is a bit of a petty reason for it to all breakdown.
Still, I immediately bought the sequels when done. There's a number of rousing moments and watching Nadea take charge of her own destiny was great.
8/10
February 16, 2017
So typically I stay away from writing reviews but this one just got to me. If you loved the first book because of Kaiyer's ferocity and aggressiveness towards his enemies then you will be somewhat disappointed in this book. The first book was entirely about Kaiyer and his hatred for the Elven but this one....he just flips and spends weeks with them having sex. Come on!!! From pure hatred and nauseousness at the mere thought of touching them to full blown weeks of sex with them and it being no longer a problem. Really disappointing.
Also, some people may enjoy the continuous jumps in time but to me they were extremely frustrating. I don't need an entire chapter on his past. Quick inserts during a chapter were enough to give us an insight into his past.
Lastly, I enjoy reading about the sex but this is just non-stop. I feel like I'm reading a porn novel instead of book. Page after page, chapter after chapter describing nothing but sex just gets old. It was great at first, but after-awhile I felt the author just enjoyed writing out his sexual desires.
Compared to the first book, which I absolutely loved, this was a disappointment. I'm hoping the 3rd is an improvement.
Also, some people may enjoy the continuous jumps in time but to me they were extremely frustrating. I don't need an entire chapter on his past. Quick inserts during a chapter were enough to give us an insight into his past.
Lastly, I enjoy reading about the sex but this is just non-stop. I feel like I'm reading a porn novel instead of book. Page after page, chapter after chapter describing nothing but sex just gets old. It was great at first, but after-awhile I felt the author just enjoyed writing out his sexual desires.
Compared to the first book, which I absolutely loved, this was a disappointment. I'm hoping the 3rd is an improvement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2017
Great read, excellent story, intense, gritty, real!
This series continues to exceed my expectations. It is suspenseful, gritty, action driven with purpose! Full of surprises, plot twists, scenes build with incredible climaxes, well done! Will begin the next book in this series, immediately.
This series continues to exceed my expectations. It is suspenseful, gritty, action driven with purpose! Full of surprises, plot twists, scenes build with incredible climaxes, well done! Will begin the next book in this series, immediately.
March 7, 2018
Too much sex and uninteresting flashbacks.
I ended up skipping pages nearing the end as it got repetitive and way too much info about the characters thoughts regarding the situation at hand. I also think the sex parts are spent too much time on. Things are falling apart and people are dying, I want to know what happens to them, not read about yet another everlasting marathon sex act.
I ended up skipping pages nearing the end as it got repetitive and way too much info about the characters thoughts regarding the situation at hand. I also think the sex parts are spent too much time on. Things are falling apart and people are dying, I want to know what happens to them, not read about yet another everlasting marathon sex act.
October 11, 2016
The surprise twists blew my socks off! I love these characters. But be forewarned, there is graphic sex. I just flip through it, missing out on the sex does not effect the story. The action is amazing!
March 12, 2017
After reading the first in the series, I could not wait to get into Michael-Scott Earle’s The Destroyer Book 2, especially with it’s completely unique title. Still told in first person from the perspective of two different characters, this time its from Kaiyer and Nadea’s points of view. As with the first book, Kaiyer’s story jumps from ancient past to the present every few chapters as well. While this POV shift, bothered me at first with book one, I had no issues this time. It continues to work well, and I would have been disappointed if the author had changed the format.
The armies of the Ancients have conquered the country of Nia, and the King is dead, replaced on the throne by an Elven puppet ruler, his own son. Kaiyer returns to the city and, with the help of Greykin, breaks in to the castle to save his friends. Unknown to him, Nadea has taken on the mantle of leadership over the exiled forces of Nia and plans a return as well. Kaiyer continues to struggle to remember his past, despite the pain that comes with his returning memories.
“What do you think about just going down there, killing as many as we can, and then calling it a day? I’m sick of running Brother. Let’s be done with this. It is a good day to die. We gave it our all.”
In this book we learn a lot more about Kaiyer’s early life, and Earle answered almost all of the questions I had after reading the first book. I really liked the chapters on Kaiyer’s past, especially toward the end of the book when he makes a quite shocking revelation. As with the first book, friendship is a strong theme throughout this one. However, the friendships of Kaiyer’s past, while enjoyable to read about, are rather somber and convey a growing feeling that not all is going to end well.
“I needed to help them with the rescue attempt. Then I needed to get back to Jessmei. Then I needed to figure out a way to kill all these fucking Elven assholes.”
Another aspect that I enjoyed, was finding out more about the Elven woman, Iolarathe. As memories of her continue to haunt Kaiyer, both in the past and present timelines, we learn more about her feelings for him and her desire to make amends. By the end of the book, I found myself sympathizing with her at least a little bit.
To my dismay, the one thing I didn’t like from book one got turned up a notch. There was even more graphic sex this time around. It’s not that I don’t like sex. I’m a big fan of both sex and naked ladies, but with the amount of graphic description that the author uses, the sex scenes were way out of proportion for a book of this type. They were much too long and pulled the focus of the book from the main plot. They just seemed out of place, and I found myself skipping ahead to get on with the story. Maybe I’m just old and crusty. I’m sure with the 50 shades of something craze, there are readers that all the graphic sex would resonate with.
“I preferred violently ending my enemies. It was less maintenance, and you didn’t have to worry about them seeking revenge.”
I rate The Destroyer Book 2 four out of five stars. It’s a good action packed sequel to the first book, and it continues with awesome fights and battles. Earle has created great characters, and he continues to evolve and develop them over the course of both books. Other than killing off poor Paug in the first book, the only significant detractor for me was, as I’ve already said, the graphic sex. It’s still a good book, and I already have the third on my to-read list.
The armies of the Ancients have conquered the country of Nia, and the King is dead, replaced on the throne by an Elven puppet ruler, his own son. Kaiyer returns to the city and, with the help of Greykin, breaks in to the castle to save his friends. Unknown to him, Nadea has taken on the mantle of leadership over the exiled forces of Nia and plans a return as well. Kaiyer continues to struggle to remember his past, despite the pain that comes with his returning memories.
“What do you think about just going down there, killing as many as we can, and then calling it a day? I’m sick of running Brother. Let’s be done with this. It is a good day to die. We gave it our all.”
In this book we learn a lot more about Kaiyer’s early life, and Earle answered almost all of the questions I had after reading the first book. I really liked the chapters on Kaiyer’s past, especially toward the end of the book when he makes a quite shocking revelation. As with the first book, friendship is a strong theme throughout this one. However, the friendships of Kaiyer’s past, while enjoyable to read about, are rather somber and convey a growing feeling that not all is going to end well.
“I needed to help them with the rescue attempt. Then I needed to get back to Jessmei. Then I needed to figure out a way to kill all these fucking Elven assholes.”
Another aspect that I enjoyed, was finding out more about the Elven woman, Iolarathe. As memories of her continue to haunt Kaiyer, both in the past and present timelines, we learn more about her feelings for him and her desire to make amends. By the end of the book, I found myself sympathizing with her at least a little bit.
To my dismay, the one thing I didn’t like from book one got turned up a notch. There was even more graphic sex this time around. It’s not that I don’t like sex. I’m a big fan of both sex and naked ladies, but with the amount of graphic description that the author uses, the sex scenes were way out of proportion for a book of this type. They were much too long and pulled the focus of the book from the main plot. They just seemed out of place, and I found myself skipping ahead to get on with the story. Maybe I’m just old and crusty. I’m sure with the 50 shades of something craze, there are readers that all the graphic sex would resonate with.
“I preferred violently ending my enemies. It was less maintenance, and you didn’t have to worry about them seeking revenge.”
I rate The Destroyer Book 2 four out of five stars. It’s a good action packed sequel to the first book, and it continues with awesome fights and battles. Earle has created great characters, and he continues to evolve and develop them over the course of both books. Other than killing off poor Paug in the first book, the only significant detractor for me was, as I’ve already said, the graphic sex. It’s still a good book, and I already have the third on my to-read list.
January 27, 2018
I loved the first book because of the unique characterization, but this one was a piece of shit to be frank, because for one, nothing happens in it and it is contrivance after contrivance, like the fact that mc and mc 2 just happened to escape/enter the keep the exact same day. with a margin of error that is a few months long, I could not suspend my disbelief to such a degree.
it is from that contrivance that this whole book was predicated on, and I could not give 2 shits because I could not get into it because of how contrived it seemed.
the mc is supposed to be smart, yet you are telling me that he could not deduce that the elfs do not have mc 2, I am not that smart, yet I could easily come up with a plan that would verify that mc2 was not in the keep, like for example asking the elfs to bring a letter from mc 2 or some such shit.
or questioning the elf chief and using his enhanced senses in order to detect nervousness. I could have believed that the elf was uniquely stoic, but then he got all bristled up when the mc insulted the emperor.
I lost interest early on and just started skimming through the audio book. I would normally drop a book at that point, but I was interested in what the elf emperor wanted(I was expecting her to show up in the middle of the book, given that there was no conceivable way the plot could advance without her showing up), but she did not even show up in this book.
this whole book is just about the mc fucking shit and nothing more, I do not mind the fucking, but there should at least be some plot.
I do not normally write reviews, but this piece of shit was a such a waist of time(even skimming through most of it) that I am mad/disappointed that I sat through it.
also I am not really a fan of flashbacks in general which made me grind my teeth for a 3rd of the book as is. for me making the inference to what happened is enough and I honestly could have just gotten by with a few sentences alluding to his past.
this whole book could be summarized in a paragraph, which would probably be in the next book, so even if someone likes this series, I would still not recommend this book.
if the 3rd audiobook was out, I could have given this series one more chance(I really love the mc's characterization of both loving and hating the redhead), but given that it is not I am dropping the series.
contrivances the book was a piece of shit.
it is from that contrivance that this whole book was predicated on, and I could not give 2 shits because I could not get into it because of how contrived it seemed.
the mc is supposed to be smart, yet you are telling me that he could not deduce that the elfs do not have mc 2, I am not that smart, yet I could easily come up with a plan that would verify that mc2 was not in the keep, like for example asking the elfs to bring a letter from mc 2 or some such shit.
or questioning the elf chief and using his enhanced senses in order to detect nervousness. I could have believed that the elf was uniquely stoic, but then he got all bristled up when the mc insulted the emperor.
I lost interest early on and just started skimming through the audio book. I would normally drop a book at that point, but I was interested in what the elf emperor wanted(I was expecting her to show up in the middle of the book, given that there was no conceivable way the plot could advance without her showing up), but she did not even show up in this book.
this whole book is just about the mc fucking shit and nothing more, I do not mind the fucking, but there should at least be some plot.
I do not normally write reviews, but this piece of shit was a such a waist of time(even skimming through most of it) that I am mad/disappointed that I sat through it.
also I am not really a fan of flashbacks in general which made me grind my teeth for a 3rd of the book as is. for me making the inference to what happened is enough and I honestly could have just gotten by with a few sentences alluding to his past.
this whole book could be summarized in a paragraph, which would probably be in the next book, so even if someone likes this series, I would still not recommend this book.
if the 3rd audiobook was out, I could have given this series one more chance(I really love the mc's characterization of both loving and hating the redhead), but given that it is not I am dropping the series.
contrivances the book was a piece of shit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2016
Much better than first book! I really enjoy all the different stories and different perspectives and slowly the story comes together bit by bit. Each time something is revealed its very refreshing. Some authors throw a random thing in the story that changes the outcome or plot because they have run out of ideas. This author has thought the story through and sometimes you ask yourself "why was that there or he didnt explain this"? Then it comes and the reveal is always satisfying. Some reviewers have complained about the graphic scenes involving Kayier and women but, A. They not overly graphic and we are adults after all) B. The guy has been asleep for who knows how long and all he wants are 3 basic things in life (food, water and ...). Its actually fairly simple. But look at it this way, in his old life he couldnt have cared less about being with a woman and only cares about war and killing. When he wakes its the opposite so he is actually 2 different people in the same book. So in order to compliment his lack of desire in the old story he has nothing but desire in the new story. This is a comlicated tale that is very interesting and you wont regret continuing the story after the first book. I wont lie, this does not give a conclusion and you must move on with the story to keep finding out what happens. This is a great book with multiple plots going on at the same time all interweaving and coming together. Sometimes it can get confusing because you know where a character is and what they are doing, and then in the next chapter everyone is doing things based on that person bieng dead or captured. The dream sequences in most books can be boring and not add anything to the story, this story cant be told without them and i commend the author on a job well done there.
May 15, 2016
Great new author! I couldn't put it down. Adventure, fantasy, thrilling action and passion galore!
Fantastic read. I see a new story teller emerging the likes of Edgar Rice Boroughs with passion galore added for spice. If you love fantasy and adventure and a mystery that unfolds and illuminates the broader picture in tasty bite sized pieces you will love this. Fantastic read!
Fantastic read. I see a new story teller emerging the likes of Edgar Rice Boroughs with passion galore added for spice. If you love fantasy and adventure and a mystery that unfolds and illuminates the broader picture in tasty bite sized pieces you will love this. Fantastic read!
August 20, 2016
3.5. not nearly as good as the first book but truly digging this series. this book did a little too much jumping around for me; not to mention the love scenes. I get it, man has been unconscious for a long time, he has needs and he and elves get it on!!! those scenes got old imo. still a solid read but Iike the first one better.
October 30, 2017
Too much talk
The author is great at swashbuckling action adventure, but in this book it’s like he’s trying to position too many pieces on the board, and forgetting to move them forward.
If you’re not Asimov or Peter F. Hamilton don’t try to be. He’s gotten a lot better at playing to his strengths in his other books.
The author is great at swashbuckling action adventure, but in this book it’s like he’s trying to position too many pieces on the board, and forgetting to move them forward.
If you’re not Asimov or Peter F. Hamilton don’t try to be. He’s gotten a lot better at playing to his strengths in his other books.
May 3, 2016
Awesome. Kaiser kicks ass.
September 6, 2018
Good series.
March 25, 2018
Did not like it as much as the 1st, even though it did stick with its formula, we get more surprising and not so surprising answers to the mystery. Its a bit spoiler but that final battle that they teased in flashback, well they won it, that a good kind of twist, the readers expects there to be a massive setback and that's what leads to current events, but nope its something else. I also like that enough is being told that I feel I can figure the mystery out.
The problem is I have to suspend my disbelief a bit too much. The Duchess after being rescued takes back control of the army over her family friend and General? She does this by giving a rousing speech, finding loyal guards, replacing his, and positioning them in and around command tent to threaten the other generals in case they don't go along with this. She does this soon after she is rescued from the dungeons. Its too much. The problem with the 'royalty that does not want to rule' thing is that it makes such actions unbelievable, She spend much time training in personal combat and research into the Ancients; maybe some subterfuge but not fooling the entire damn army.
Its played to tug at your feeling and make her look tough because she told guards to kill the General if he caused trouble and the son, her best friend, if he does too; as if that would be good for the country. Thankfully they seem to get past it.
Now I have reviewing rule that goes something like "if follows the rules of the world then its OK, but don't mean I like it". This rule applies, it how people are in this world, and we see more stuff like this throughout the book. Like Kayier sleeping with more elven, The sex scenes were raunchy and I love them, but after reading a 2 books of Elven hate I find it quite astonishing; Kayiers sex drive does explain some of his bad choices though... He has a problem and I don't think its just too much libido, its supernatural.
Overall truths are revealed, plans are being made, sex is being had, and this book is just them figuring things out.
The problem is I have to suspend my disbelief a bit too much. The Duchess after being rescued takes back control of the army over her family friend and General? She does this by giving a rousing speech, finding loyal guards, replacing his, and positioning them in and around command tent to threaten the other generals in case they don't go along with this. She does this soon after she is rescued from the dungeons. Its too much. The problem with the 'royalty that does not want to rule' thing is that it makes such actions unbelievable, She spend much time training in personal combat and research into the Ancients; maybe some subterfuge but not fooling the entire damn army.
Its played to tug at your feeling and make her look tough because she told guards to kill the General if he caused trouble and the son, her best friend, if he does too; as if that would be good for the country. Thankfully they seem to get past it.
Now I have reviewing rule that goes something like "if follows the rules of the world then its OK, but don't mean I like it". This rule applies, it how people are in this world, and we see more stuff like this throughout the book. Like Kayier sleeping with more elven, The sex scenes were raunchy and I love them, but after reading a 2 books of Elven hate I find it quite astonishing; Kayiers sex drive does explain some of his bad choices though... He has a problem and I don't think its just too much libido, its supernatural.
Overall truths are revealed, plans are being made, sex is being had, and this book is just them figuring things out.
July 6, 2017
If you haven't read book one, avoid this review. I can't really talk about this without at least some minor and possibly major spoilers.
So book one leaves off with the city under attack, Kaiyer taking off to make a rescue, and some very important folk being betrayed and murdered. Book two is another mesh of forgotten memories coming back slowly to Kaiyer, as he continues to try to remember why he is called both the Destroyer and the Betrayer. It follows between Kaiyer in present time, his memories, and Nadea as they are on two different roads towards the same destination.
I wasn't as big a fan of this one as I was the first. It had somewhat the same feel, but some of what I loved about book one just wasn't going on in this. For instance, part of what I loved was how (as far as I've read) this is probably the only book where the main protagonist is the one who is striking fear into his enemies and taking them down with ease and with pleasure. A lot of what I loved was that it wasn't the typical story where the hero (if that's indeed what he is) is fighting this epic struggle against the odds and will (as it happens every time) somehow beat the odds and save the day. Book two however is back to much of that.
Also, the sex scenes. I've read other reviews of people saying how the good is good, but the bad is terrible, and I can't help but think they have to be talking about the sex. It got to the point where I'd cringe so bad I had to just skim through it. I want to go take a shower even just typing this.
All in all, I'll be reading the next book and finishing the series almost without a doubt.
So book one leaves off with the city under attack, Kaiyer taking off to make a rescue, and some very important folk being betrayed and murdered. Book two is another mesh of forgotten memories coming back slowly to Kaiyer, as he continues to try to remember why he is called both the Destroyer and the Betrayer. It follows between Kaiyer in present time, his memories, and Nadea as they are on two different roads towards the same destination.
I wasn't as big a fan of this one as I was the first. It had somewhat the same feel, but some of what I loved about book one just wasn't going on in this. For instance, part of what I loved was how (as far as I've read) this is probably the only book where the main protagonist is the one who is striking fear into his enemies and taking them down with ease and with pleasure. A lot of what I loved was that it wasn't the typical story where the hero (if that's indeed what he is) is fighting this epic struggle against the odds and will (as it happens every time) somehow beat the odds and save the day. Book two however is back to much of that.
Also, the sex scenes. I've read other reviews of people saying how the good is good, but the bad is terrible, and I can't help but think they have to be talking about the sex. It got to the point where I'd cringe so bad I had to just skim through it. I want to go take a shower even just typing this.
All in all, I'll be reading the next book and finishing the series almost without a doubt.
April 11, 2019
I remember really enjoying the first book, so I'm not sure how much my current disappointment is due to this book not being as good or how maybe I have just been reading less litrpg and more quality prose that makes this less appealing by comparison.
The book started out just really boring. Pointless sex with a chick for about 30 pages before fridging her and not really mentioning her again. Random violence in a flashback for no good reason.
The story slowly rekindled my interest as it went on because I do think there's an enjoyable story in there. It was probably about the 50% mark before I actually cared much about anything going on. My enjoyment of the first book was probably what carried me that far, I don't know if everyone will extend the same line of credit.
I'm not really that enthusiastic to continue this series, but I am still more on the side of wanting to see where the story goes despite the story spending a fair amount of time wasting my time. I will probably read the third book and that one will determine whether I move forward or not.
If you greatly enjoyed the first book, then you have a fair chance of enjoying yourself. If you were lukewarm on the first one, then you probably won't get very far in this one.
The book started out just really boring. Pointless sex with a chick for about 30 pages before fridging her and not really mentioning her again. Random violence in a flashback for no good reason.
The story slowly rekindled my interest as it went on because I do think there's an enjoyable story in there. It was probably about the 50% mark before I actually cared much about anything going on. My enjoyment of the first book was probably what carried me that far, I don't know if everyone will extend the same line of credit.
I'm not really that enthusiastic to continue this series, but I am still more on the side of wanting to see where the story goes despite the story spending a fair amount of time wasting my time. I will probably read the third book and that one will determine whether I move forward or not.
If you greatly enjoyed the first book, then you have a fair chance of enjoying yourself. If you were lukewarm on the first one, then you probably won't get very far in this one.
March 17, 2018
Better than the first book.
A major gripe about this book however is whenever a simple task is asked of our protagonists, like walk from point A - > B, you can be sure that the heavens themselves will open and cast down a mountain of flaming ducks to prevent this from happening and throw whatever plan the characters and the reader had for the future into disarray. This can be a decent story telling metode but not when it is used this often. Also the new path atleast the very last time seems less interesting than what else could have been.
The two narrators was a welcome change to since we flip from a female pov to a male pov. The female narrator was better and conveyed more emotion but strangely I had to concentrate a lot more during her segments to understand what was being said.
A major gripe about this book however is whenever a simple task is asked of our protagonists, like walk from point A - > B, you can be sure that the heavens themselves will open and cast down a mountain of flaming ducks to prevent this from happening and throw whatever plan the characters and the reader had for the future into disarray. This can be a decent story telling metode but not when it is used this often. Also the new path atleast the very last time seems less interesting than what else could have been.
The two narrators was a welcome change to since we flip from a female pov to a male pov. The female narrator was better and conveyed more emotion but strangely I had to concentrate a lot more during her segments to understand what was being said.
July 4, 2017
Exciting read
It has been a while since I read the first book, so before I started on the 2nd book I went back to read the last chapters of book 1. The story is good, I get thrown off when the flashbacks come up when I am into a part I want to carry on and see what happens. I know sometimes they give meaning to a fact you want to know, but I want to have the story flow to the end of the book. It is a good story though.
It has been a while since I read the first book, so before I started on the 2nd book I went back to read the last chapters of book 1. The story is good, I get thrown off when the flashbacks come up when I am into a part I want to carry on and see what happens. I know sometimes they give meaning to a fact you want to know, but I want to have the story flow to the end of the book. It is a good story though.
March 7, 2021
This was a massive drop in quality from the first novel in this series for so many reasons, but here are just a few:
1 - It is painfully slow
Once again here is an example of an author who has filled his book with loads of action that doesn’t actually mean anything to the overall plot, and therefore is becomes tedious. We get one vital bit of plot relevant information once every 3-6 chapters where good stories should be delivering plot relevant information in every chapter, thereby actually progressing the story.
2 - Flashbacks
With extremely rare exceptions, flashbacks are the single worst way to tell a story. All they actually do is break up the momentum of a present day storyline. It would be much more interesting to find out about the protagonist’s past in a present day scenario rather than through flashback chapters that literally take up a third of the novel.
3 - Over half of the secondary POV chapters are pointless
This book would have been so much more tense without the secondary POV chapters. Her story didn’t really do much and her chapters were really boring. However, imagine if we only saw through Kaiyer’s eyes and we didn’t know the fate of this character, suddenly it would be much more interesting because the stakes would be higher. It would also mean that we don’t have to know that the main characters have ‘missed’ each other at the start of the novel and are just wasting their time, thereby wasting the readers time.
4 - Everything that happens after
The amnesia, the way he talks with the elves, the actions that he takes... it’s all just stupid, not in character, and was just horrendous to read. It’s not at all in keeping with the story told to this point and it just didn’t work.
5 - Romance
As we approach the final reveal, we find that so much of this story hinges on characters’ love for each other. The problem is, none of that love is written very well. We are supposed to believe that these characters love each other so much that they will maintain strong emotions after literally decades pass, but we never see a reason why this should be the case. Considering how much of a motivating factor it is for the whole story, it just doesn’t work for me and it creates a disconnect between me and the main characters.
So overall, this story is just a huge step down in quality. The above 5 issues weren’t even all the issues I have with this book. I’m not sure if I will continue with this series. I loved the first book and it set up a lot of good will for this series, and I also like other series by this author, so I feel like I should give it the benefit of the doubt... but this book... I just don’t know quite yet.
One final thing of note that I want to share even though I didn’t let it affect my rating for this book as it is comment on the audiobook and not the story itself, is the narration of Xe Sands. It is terrible. The woman sounded drunk and slurred almost every word. I am someone who listens to audiobooks sped up and rarely have a problem understanding any narrator, but this woman is unintelligible at quicker speeds as she speaks in bursts and, as previously stated, she slurs her words. Even when you slow things down she isn’t much better, and it made this book even harder to get into.
1 - It is painfully slow
Once again here is an example of an author who has filled his book with loads of action that doesn’t actually mean anything to the overall plot, and therefore is becomes tedious. We get one vital bit of plot relevant information once every 3-6 chapters where good stories should be delivering plot relevant information in every chapter, thereby actually progressing the story.
2 - Flashbacks
With extremely rare exceptions, flashbacks are the single worst way to tell a story. All they actually do is break up the momentum of a present day storyline. It would be much more interesting to find out about the protagonist’s past in a present day scenario rather than through flashback chapters that literally take up a third of the novel.
3 - Over half of the secondary POV chapters are pointless
This book would have been so much more tense without the secondary POV chapters. Her story didn’t really do much and her chapters were really boring. However, imagine if we only saw through Kaiyer’s eyes and we didn’t know the fate of this character, suddenly it would be much more interesting because the stakes would be higher. It would also mean that we don’t have to know that the main characters have ‘missed’ each other at the start of the novel and are just wasting their time, thereby wasting the readers time.
4 - Everything that happens after
The amnesia, the way he talks with the elves, the actions that he takes... it’s all just stupid, not in character, and was just horrendous to read. It’s not at all in keeping with the story told to this point and it just didn’t work.
5 - Romance
As we approach the final reveal, we find that so much of this story hinges on characters’ love for each other. The problem is, none of that love is written very well. We are supposed to believe that these characters love each other so much that they will maintain strong emotions after literally decades pass, but we never see a reason why this should be the case. Considering how much of a motivating factor it is for the whole story, it just doesn’t work for me and it creates a disconnect between me and the main characters.
So overall, this story is just a huge step down in quality. The above 5 issues weren’t even all the issues I have with this book. I’m not sure if I will continue with this series. I loved the first book and it set up a lot of good will for this series, and I also like other series by this author, so I feel like I should give it the benefit of the doubt... but this book... I just don’t know quite yet.
One final thing of note that I want to share even though I didn’t let it affect my rating for this book as it is comment on the audiobook and not the story itself, is the narration of Xe Sands. It is terrible. The woman sounded drunk and slurred almost every word. I am someone who listens to audiobooks sped up and rarely have a problem understanding any narrator, but this woman is unintelligible at quicker speeds as she speaks in bursts and, as previously stated, she slurs her words. Even when you slow things down she isn’t much better, and it made this book even harder to get into.
August 31, 2018
About as good as the first one - which is to say, a good read, clean text, but nothing thats going to blow your mind.
On the minus side is Nadea's point of view - It literally goes no where, I mean, kind of a spoiler but eff it... the book practically ends with her in the same place/situation she was in at the end of the first... it ultimately felt like wasted print. If I was to read into it (I'd hate to do that with a book like this... but... ) I'd almost say she was written up purposefully as feeble woman incapable, even in her successes, of doing anything without her opposite protagonist Kaiyer - as much as I think this book tries to give a decent male-eyed flip to feminism or equality... like, in the attempt it's almost worse in the end. Which goes triple for the two woman in Kaiyer's past life too. Even that aside - I just felt a third of the book could have been written off - which never feels good.
Otherwise, by the end of book 2 we finally have a good standing of whats going on, some of the why and more of the how - which is good, the world is fleshed out and there's two more to go. My problem is it took the author like 800 pages to get here. It's pretty sloppy, and the narrative is splashed around the entire book like one of Kaiyer's sultry week long sexcapades.
Speaking of which - I will say the ending has the best (only?) total, full-plate, middle of a battlefield of dead corpses, hate fueled battle-to-sex scenes - complete with full dis-armoring, blood loving, skin tearing total immersion action. It's one of those things where I don't think a movie could ever pull it off but worked perfectly with the written word. Funny enough, I think Earle shows off more of his art in this ongoing love/battle scene then anything else I've read so far.
I was impressed. It was actually pretty edgy, I wouldn't have thought it in him. Hopefully he can pull off some more of that in the rest of his books.
On the minus side is Nadea's point of view - It literally goes no where, I mean, kind of a spoiler but eff it... the book practically ends with her in the same place/situation she was in at the end of the first... it ultimately felt like wasted print. If I was to read into it (I'd hate to do that with a book like this... but... ) I'd almost say she was written up purposefully as feeble woman incapable, even in her successes, of doing anything without her opposite protagonist Kaiyer - as much as I think this book tries to give a decent male-eyed flip to feminism or equality... like, in the attempt it's almost worse in the end. Which goes triple for the two woman in Kaiyer's past life too. Even that aside - I just felt a third of the book could have been written off - which never feels good.
Otherwise, by the end of book 2 we finally have a good standing of whats going on, some of the why and more of the how - which is good, the world is fleshed out and there's two more to go. My problem is it took the author like 800 pages to get here. It's pretty sloppy, and the narrative is splashed around the entire book like one of Kaiyer's sultry week long sexcapades.
Speaking of which - I will say the ending has the best (only?) total, full-plate, middle of a battlefield of dead corpses, hate fueled battle-to-sex scenes - complete with full dis-armoring, blood loving, skin tearing total immersion action. It's one of those things where I don't think a movie could ever pull it off but worked perfectly with the written word. Funny enough, I think Earle shows off more of his art in this ongoing love/battle scene then anything else I've read so far.
I was impressed. It was actually pretty edgy, I wouldn't have thought it in him. Hopefully he can pull off some more of that in the rest of his books.
December 10, 2020
Between 2 and 3 stars. I gave it 2, because the book made me angry, but if you like forced drama and random deus ex bullshit hindering the protagonist, consider this a 4 star rating.
Infuriating.
Unlike other people, I really don't mind the sex. I actually prefer it to the awkward "will they - won't they" idiocy of every anime and sit-com ever.
What I do mind is lack of a believable story and characters.
MC is supposed to be a badass with super senses and instincts, yet he constantly disregards the prince's bullshit. Also, he starts to sleep with elves. With elves!
One time the author couldn't keep the suspense up anymore, so he just decided to make MC forget a whole week for no reason. I mean, come on. When you use flashbacks in every 3rd chapter, and base your whole book around MC slowly getting back his memories, using random unexplained amnesia to increase tension is just awful.
Edit: dnf-ed when the castle basically exploded just so MC would be denied his dinner. The whole "issues almost get solved, but suddenly everything goes wrong" thing got old pretty quickly.
Infuriating.
Unlike other people, I really don't mind the sex. I actually prefer it to the awkward "will they - won't they" idiocy of every anime and sit-com ever.
What I do mind is lack of a believable story and characters.
MC is supposed to be a badass with super senses and instincts, yet he constantly disregards the prince's bullshit. Also, he starts to sleep with elves. With elves!
One time the author couldn't keep the suspense up anymore, so he just decided to make MC forget a whole week for no reason. I mean, come on. When you use flashbacks in every 3rd chapter, and base your whole book around MC slowly getting back his memories, using random unexplained amnesia to increase tension is just awful.
Edit: dnf-ed when the castle basically exploded just so MC would be denied his dinner. The whole "issues almost get solved, but suddenly everything goes wrong" thing got old pretty quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
I rarely bother to write a review. But I cannot remember being this mad at a book before.
I really liked the first one even though it was a little bit longwinded.
We have this elite guy, a weapon by itself. Practically ever 20 pages there is some kind of reminder how his instincts are impeccable and he never ignores them blah blah... Well here he decides that he will no longer listen to them and cook up (really bad) alternate reasons for everything important he notices. He also decides to just ignore his worldviews.
The entire character is just undone. I would like to kick his teeth out for being a malleable, dull-witted and inconsistent character all of a sudden.
The absolute punchline is this though: The author nuked a cool character and didn't even manage to advance the story in any meaningful way at all. It ends the same as it starts - just without a cool mc.
I am really disappointed and will definitely not continue reading the series.
I really liked the first one even though it was a little bit longwinded.
We have this elite guy, a weapon by itself. Practically ever 20 pages there is some kind of reminder how his instincts are impeccable and he never ignores them blah blah... Well here he decides that he will no longer listen to them and cook up (really bad) alternate reasons for everything important he notices. He also decides to just ignore his worldviews.
The entire character is just undone. I would like to kick his teeth out for being a malleable, dull-witted and inconsistent character all of a sudden.
The absolute punchline is this though: The author nuked a cool character and didn't even manage to advance the story in any meaningful way at all. It ends the same as it starts - just without a cool mc.
I am really disappointed and will definitely not continue reading the series.
August 28, 2018
Wtf!! There's one chapter consisting entirely of a 20 minute—I listen to audiobooks primarily—graphically descriptive sex scene. Look, I don't mind sex in books wether it be in the form of innuendo, sexually suggestive, or even (sparing) graphic description—IF AND ONLY IF—it adds something to the story. That 20 minute cringe-fest is only a fraction of obnoxious garbage bout "stiff members" and "moist enterences". Honestly it ruined the book.
To quote Roger Ebert's review if the film Caligula, "
..is not good art, it is not good cinema, and it is not good porn.”
I feel the same way about this title. If I wanted erotia, I'd read erotica. This seems like it was accidentally published with erotic fanfiction spliced in between what is otherwise decent (if not spectacular) story telling.
Stupid.
To quote Roger Ebert's review if the film Caligula, "
..is not good art, it is not good cinema, and it is not good porn.”
I feel the same way about this title. If I wanted erotia, I'd read erotica. This seems like it was accidentally published with erotic fanfiction spliced in between what is otherwise decent (if not spectacular) story telling.
Stupid.
December 12, 2020
Mystery is at the core of this series. Secrets are doled out via memory loss, traditional revelations, and regular flash-backs. If that's not your thing then I hope you like sex and violence.
For me, the tone is off. I feel slightly dirty after reading it. The protagonist is on a revenge kick over the murder of his family and yet still fantasizes about sex with the murderer. It's also implied that he has a physical attraction to his own daughter. Not that she should last long into the next book, since her idea of a revenge plan is to sneak back into a fortress, from which she was just rescued, to murder the king... that's the entire plan.
I'm done with this series.
For me, the tone is off. I feel slightly dirty after reading it. The protagonist is on a revenge kick over the murder of his family and yet still fantasizes about sex with the murderer. It's also implied that he has a physical attraction to his own daughter. Not that she should last long into the next book, since her idea of a revenge plan is to sneak back into a fortress, from which she was just rescued, to murder the king... that's the entire plan.
I'm done with this series.
March 2, 2021
The book had 18+ scenes but not too many. The old thing I didn't like about it that important parts were in those scenes. Other than that it was ok. I didn't like it too much but I also didn't hate it.
November 5, 2017
The struggle continues
Kaiyer has been woken after a long sleep to find that those he knew as the Elven are now known as the Ancients. In actual fact it is the humans who are the Ancients! Slowly Kaiyer is regaining his memories but they are badly fragmented. He is still not as strong as he should be and yet he continues to amaze those around him with his prowess in fighting. This continues to be a good adult Fantasy!
Kaiyer has been woken after a long sleep to find that those he knew as the Elven are now known as the Ancients. In actual fact it is the humans who are the Ancients! Slowly Kaiyer is regaining his memories but they are badly fragmented. He is still not as strong as he should be and yet he continues to amaze those around him with his prowess in fighting. This continues to be a good adult Fantasy!
March 10, 2018
The constant perspective shifts combined with the increasingly complex plot just completely tore me out of the story. It has potential, but the time jumps and perspective shifts every single chapter was just too much. It wasn't that I couldn't follow, it just became too much work. I finally gave up when I realized I was dreading the next Obaarni chapter more than I was looking forward to the next Nadea or Kaiyer chapters. DNF at 35%.
February 15, 2019
Part interesting fantasy premise, part pornogrphic writer fantasy. I thought the story was engaging in the first book and I looked past the pornograpic parts as an aberration, but he doubles-down in this book to an uncomfortable degree. I know way more about the author’s sexual fantasies than I do about the motivations of the protagonist. I feel like I just paid money to read bad erotic Tolkien fan fiction. I need a shower and my money back.
March 5, 2021
"The room stank of sex, sweat, vaginal mucus and my own seed" - Why did the author feel the need to add these details?
The female perspective in this book fills no purpose. They are privileged royalty that manage to be both annoying and inexplicable capable without know anything or have any skills. Also in the audiobook version XE Sands is a horrible narrator, her voice sounds like it trembles on the edge of crying all the time.
The female perspective in this book fills no purpose. They are privileged royalty that manage to be both annoying and inexplicable capable without know anything or have any skills. Also in the audiobook version XE Sands is a horrible narrator, her voice sounds like it trembles on the edge of crying all the time.
April 12, 2023
Yeah this was another fun one. I got frustrated with the lack of progress and of some of the characters and the close shaves they had near each other but not quite connecting. Graphic sex scene again in this which are enjoyable but sometimes a very long. Good story IMO and with the introduction of dragons made it even more fun. I’m hoping Nadea isn’t Kayier’s long lost daughter because as if there is incest in the next one I am out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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