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The Moontide Quartet #3
Unholy War
In war, nothing is holy. The third in David Hair's epic Moontide Quartet, perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan.
Emperor Constant's crusade is teetering on the edge of disaster. In the wake of a devastating battle, everything has changed: the East is rising, bringing equal measures of hope and despair to Urte.
For Elena and Kazim, the victory is a call to arms against the renegade spymaster Gurvon Gyle. For the Queen of Javon, it is a beacon as she seeks new ways to overthrow her usurper husband and reclaim the country for her brother. For Ramon, trapped behind enemy lines, it is one more obstacle in his desperate attempt to get his men safely home.
And while the armies of East and West clash in ever-more-bloody conflict, emperors, inquisitors and assassins hunt the Scytale of Corineus, the key to ultimate power, which is in the hands of the most unlikely guardians: failed mage Alaron and market-girl Ramita, pregnant widow of the world's greatest mage.
What they choose to do with the Scytale could change Urte forever.
'Filled with action, adventure, magic, love, danger and hope. This is a series I cannot recommend enough' - C.E. Tracy
771 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2014
77 people are currently reading
1785 people want to read
About the author
David Hair
47 books535 followersDavid Hair is the author of The Bone Tiki, winner of Best First Novel (Young Adult Fiction section) at the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards. The Bone Tiki and its sequel The Taniwha's Tear are fantasy novels set in New Zealand. David is a New Zealander, who has worked primarily in financial services. He has a degree in History and Classical Studies. He has lived from 2007 to 2010 in New Delhi, India, but usually resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Apart from writing, he is interested in folklore, history, and has a passion for football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 21, 2022
Unholy War should’ve been titled I’mhorny War. By far, the most pointlessly lusty fantasy book I’ve ever read, and no, not in a good way.
What the hell happened here? I enjoyed the previous two books very much, but this book—other than the final 100 pages—was incredibly torturous and pointless to read. Not gonna lie, this series could’ve worked so much better as a trilogy rather than a quartet, and I’m actually surprised that this novel has such a highly positive average rating.
Before you read further, please do note that my opinion falls on a VERY unpopular side. By the time of posting this review, there are 1.9k ratings, and only 14 of them are 1-star rating; this will be the 15th. You might want to ignore this review, there’s a good chance that you’re going to love this book as well if you’ve read and enjoyed the previous books. It did make me wonder whether I’m reading the same book as everyone? I guess I’m just not a fan of reading romance or detailed sexual scenes in heavy doses; it’s not that I’m utterly anti of reading them, but I get bored extremely quickly. Unfortunately, tons of pointless and detailed sex scenes revolving around rape, sexual abuses, pedophilia, and stupid decisions made based on lust covered roughly half of the content of this 800-pages tome. This isn’t epic fantasy, this is large-scale erotica.
The previous installment, Scarlet Tides, almost made it to my favorites shelf; I totally didn’t expect that this penultimate installment would become one of the worst sequels I’ve ever read. For a book this huge, it’s quite unbelievable how small the main story progression was. Instead of focusing on valuable story progression or character development, Hair focuses on sex, romance, pedophilia, lust, and uncanny genitalia description.
Nipples the size of a flower... Really?
REALLY!?
Enough with your obsession regarding flowers-like nipples. Get a sprinkler and spray it on your own nipples and see whether it blooms or not. To be fair, this shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, especially because in Scarlet Tides one of the characters was bizarrely breastfeed to recovery by a Lamia/Naga already, but Hair took it even further by having the female character’s vagina constantly wet that even when they were raped, their body enjoy the process. This particular character has everyday of her daily lives raped by the prince and her UNCLE, apparently this is her thought:
C’mon… Being raped is enjoyable now? And to make things extensively worse, one of the female characters, after vowing for vengeance at the end of Scarlet Tides, fell in love with a killer of someone precious to her in the span of a few chapters. Why? Because of involuntary sex, the horniness that came from doing it, the menstrual cycle that makes her hornier, and because the dude has a body of a demi-god that makes him irresistible.
Every man has a body of a demi-god that will make the ladies fall in love regardless of whatever sins they’ve done. Their cocks are massive, all of them are extraordinarily talented at penetration, and the female will always have their “liquid” leaking begging to be satisfied. I’ve read many fantasy books, and this is the first time I read one that uses the magic system for superb cock-hardening to achieve repeated sex and orgasm. That’s also the issue with the magic system of Gnosis; there are too many unexplained and abstract mechanisms about it that allows Hair to give immense plot armor to the main characters and kill the tension of the story. I’ve mentioned in my review of Scarlet Tides that Hair has the tendency to kill off his characters like Martin did in A Song of Ice and Fire; I spoke too soon, and I take that back. The plot-armor of the main characters have become thick as Wolverine’s claws, there’s no need to worry because no matter what happened, sheer luck will never stop saving them. The author’s characterizations and development in this book rely on pretty much this: “I don’t know how to develop these characters further. I’ll make them all lusty, give all the female characters sexual abuse and make their body enjoy being abused, minimum sexual abuse for the male characters though! After all, all of them have a body and cock of a demi-god. They’re redeemable. Wow. I’m smart.”
As to what’s good about this book, I’ll say it’s owed to Hair’s compelling writing style. Despite tons of annoyances I had with this book, I actually read every page; no skimming or skipping. Alaron’s and Ramita’s story was consistently good and their character development remained on-point and believable. Plus, the final 100 pages in this book were gripping and well-written; it’s a return to the good displayed in the previous two books. But it’s too bad that I had to drag myself through a tsunami of filth to reach. That’s it. The 1-star rating goes to them.
Last week, I thought of The Moontide Quartet as an underrated series, but now I’m not sure anymore. The thing is, I don’t hand out 1-star rating easily, last year, I gave a 1-star rating only once to one book, The Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan. Unholy War is a titanic downgrade for the series, even giving it a 2-stars rating would be an act too generous of me. I’ve never read a series that declined this fast for me within one installment. Weirdly and masochistic enough, I’m still curious to find out how the series will conclude in the fourth and final book of the series; I sincerely hope it will return to the quality of Scarlet Tides and redeem itself with a 5-stars material. Otherwise, Ascendant’s Rite will truly be the last book I read by David Hair.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
What the hell happened here? I enjoyed the previous two books very much, but this book—other than the final 100 pages—was incredibly torturous and pointless to read. Not gonna lie, this series could’ve worked so much better as a trilogy rather than a quartet, and I’m actually surprised that this novel has such a highly positive average rating.
Before you read further, please do note that my opinion falls on a VERY unpopular side. By the time of posting this review, there are 1.9k ratings, and only 14 of them are 1-star rating; this will be the 15th. You might want to ignore this review, there’s a good chance that you’re going to love this book as well if you’ve read and enjoyed the previous books. It did make me wonder whether I’m reading the same book as everyone? I guess I’m just not a fan of reading romance or detailed sexual scenes in heavy doses; it’s not that I’m utterly anti of reading them, but I get bored extremely quickly. Unfortunately, tons of pointless and detailed sex scenes revolving around rape, sexual abuses, pedophilia, and stupid decisions made based on lust covered roughly half of the content of this 800-pages tome. This isn’t epic fantasy, this is large-scale erotica.
The previous installment, Scarlet Tides, almost made it to my favorites shelf; I totally didn’t expect that this penultimate installment would become one of the worst sequels I’ve ever read. For a book this huge, it’s quite unbelievable how small the main story progression was. Instead of focusing on valuable story progression or character development, Hair focuses on sex, romance, pedophilia, lust, and uncanny genitalia description.
“I have been offered one of the daughters of the Sultan of Gatioch. She is said to be almost six foot tall, with fair skin and nipples the size of a flower.”
Nipples the size of a flower... Really?
“Tariq sighed heavily, no doubt thinking regretfully of virginal beauties with flower-like nipples.”
REALLY!?
“Tradition says one per year, Exalted One. The Gatioch girl will still have nipples like flowers next year.”
Enough with your obsession regarding flowers-like nipples. Get a sprinkler and spray it on your own nipples and see whether it blooms or not. To be fair, this shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, especially because in Scarlet Tides one of the characters was bizarrely breastfeed to recovery by a Lamia/Naga already, but Hair took it even further by having the female character’s vagina constantly wet that even when they were raped, their body enjoy the process. This particular character has everyday of her daily lives raped by the prince and her UNCLE, apparently this is her thought:
"She hated the way that her body could betray her and take pleasure in the filth."
C’mon… Being raped is enjoyable now? And to make things extensively worse, one of the female characters, after vowing for vengeance at the end of Scarlet Tides, fell in love with a killer of someone precious to her in the span of a few chapters. Why? Because of involuntary sex, the horniness that came from doing it, the menstrual cycle that makes her hornier, and because the dude has a body of a demi-god that makes him irresistible.
“He lifted himself on his arms, though he stayed inside her, and stared down at her face. He looked like a demi-god. His heat and thickness inside her was filling her with a spreading warmth. Her hands involuntarily stroked his sides.”
Every man has a body of a demi-god that will make the ladies fall in love regardless of whatever sins they’ve done. Their cocks are massive, all of them are extraordinarily talented at penetration, and the female will always have their “liquid” leaking begging to be satisfied. I’ve read many fantasy books, and this is the first time I read one that uses the magic system for superb cock-hardening to achieve repeated sex and orgasm. That’s also the issue with the magic system of Gnosis; there are too many unexplained and abstract mechanisms about it that allows Hair to give immense plot armor to the main characters and kill the tension of the story. I’ve mentioned in my review of Scarlet Tides that Hair has the tendency to kill off his characters like Martin did in A Song of Ice and Fire; I spoke too soon, and I take that back. The plot-armor of the main characters have become thick as Wolverine’s claws, there’s no need to worry because no matter what happened, sheer luck will never stop saving them. The author’s characterizations and development in this book rely on pretty much this: “I don’t know how to develop these characters further. I’ll make them all lusty, give all the female characters sexual abuse and make their body enjoy being abused, minimum sexual abuse for the male characters though! After all, all of them have a body and cock of a demi-god. They’re redeemable. Wow. I’m smart.”
As to what’s good about this book, I’ll say it’s owed to Hair’s compelling writing style. Despite tons of annoyances I had with this book, I actually read every page; no skimming or skipping. Alaron’s and Ramita’s story was consistently good and their character development remained on-point and believable. Plus, the final 100 pages in this book were gripping and well-written; it’s a return to the good displayed in the previous two books. But it’s too bad that I had to drag myself through a tsunami of filth to reach. That’s it. The 1-star rating goes to them.
Last week, I thought of The Moontide Quartet as an underrated series, but now I’m not sure anymore. The thing is, I don’t hand out 1-star rating easily, last year, I gave a 1-star rating only once to one book, The Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan. Unholy War is a titanic downgrade for the series, even giving it a 2-stars rating would be an act too generous of me. I’ve never read a series that declined this fast for me within one installment. Weirdly and masochistic enough, I’m still curious to find out how the series will conclude in the fourth and final book of the series; I sincerely hope it will return to the quality of Scarlet Tides and redeem itself with a 5-stars material. Otherwise, Ascendant’s Rite will truly be the last book I read by David Hair.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
June 14, 2020
“Death achieved nothing. Survivors won. Winners survived.”
I am nothing if not a survivor but this book was nearly a death of me. If there ever was a series-breaker, this is one. A book that turned an excellent story into a caricature of itself.
If you remember my gushing praises of the previous books, I was captivated by how delightfully deceitful the opening of the first one was, and how the second flipped all my pre-conceptions upside down, while not adding any new facts to what has already transpired. It merely infused the tale with new meanings and it was masterfully done.
Here comes this unholywart exercise in writing and instead of continuing the tradition, it simply turns the story inside out. Imagine an embroidered shirt, what is below, is this snarled jumble of chaotic, dangling threads, with no apparent design, colouristic or otherwise, to it and with no visible evidence of handcraft whatsoever. This is what we get.
All the cardinal sins of a badly written novel are present in an abundance: The previous books already showed some problems with the pacing, here these are basically dictating the terms of the storytelling, which becomes stunted and imbalanced. The lack of proportions is staggering: elements that were contextual background, like the souldrinkers, suddenly become the main pivot. Motifs that were merely embellishments of main plots, grow bloated to this extent that they dwarf the story proper.
The plot meanders, but not in a good way showing intricacy, but rather like a bored but penniless teenager who wanders window-shopping around the mall. It serves no purpose and is frustrating. Characters are spared death in most dubious ways only to be found redundant, and so their deaths are being plotted anew (and by individuals who are anything but whimsical!). But then, character development comes in bursts and fits and backtracks more often than not as if the Author is not sure what to do with the merry crowd he created: one person starts on the road to redemption only to be judged unfitting (Gyle) and so the journey is resumed by another (Malveron) but not really because he remains vile, self-centred bully so Coin is suddenly given a conscience and it turns out that she is a sensitive creature unable to kill with cold blood (quiet sobbing). Why tripling the act, when one transformation done properly would suffice?
Side flings become major romances on their own, become game-changers, become dead bodies on the main plot. What happened in Cera’s line deserves a separate rant. Forget the third crusade: the girl has her own struggle against all things male that is no less destructive than the Moontide campaigns. . In general, huge chunks of this bulky novel have more to do with peddling certain repetitive ideas than feed into the story. There scenes upon scenes that seem to devised only so that one of the protagonists can lecture and enlighten another and correct their erroneous ways and backwards beliefs. Story-wise they are redundant and so impede rather than help the main arc.
The neat division between the clean storylines that were delineated in the opening volume with surgical precision has been abandoned without one backward glance. I would not complain if this would be a result of organic growth and blending of the separate arcs into one coherent frame. But this is not the case here. Instead, the original ideas are abandoned in favour of new protagonists and problems, accents not so much shift as morph into altogether new tales. Imagine we start with a right-handed warrior, only to learn that he is ambidextrous in the second instalment, only to discover that he is in fact (and has always been, mwahahaha!) a three-handed chap. This is precisely what happens here: we thought the main thing is a mundane clash of civilisations kind of story, only to understand that the true issue lies with a powerful magical artefact only to be told that all is well but this is actually a redemption journey so kindly forget your expectations and from now on let us focus on this new thing.
A constant, needless bringing of new ideas, themes, and motifs to the story renders it unreadable. And the only thing that glues these disjointed pieces together is fucking around. No, literally. The amount of sex and its nature puts this book on par with the finale of Alanna’s adventures (and I promise you, there are only a couple of books reaching this level of ludicrousness in my career). The sex is not only pointless to a large extent being a substitute for plot advancement and character development but also is monstrous (in fact, I could qualify this book as a fine specimen of monster porn).
There are other monstrosities too. Gory events, provided in full detail just because. The one that was the tipping point for me featured a bloody description of DIY abortion that served no other rationale than to shock the reader: I nearly vomited and I cannot even find a suitable metaphor to tell you how sick the whole concept is.
What cannot be dealt with by sexualising the content is glossed over with a sprinkle of good luck (how lucky that Alaron and Ramita in this mammoth of a land find the one monastery that not only has a library with all they need but also a guru who can give them proper magic training surpassing all the magic academies in the world - their life would be very difficult otherwise!). The saving grace is that Ramita’s and Alaron’s thread had the semblance of old quality. Ramita has been my favourite for a long time so nothing changed much in this regard, but the way Alaron grows, without bells and whistles, is just heartwarming. Mind you, I do not entirely understand the need to introduce the star-crossed lovers trope here. It strikes me as entirely forced and not at all necessary unless one wants the drama-o-meter to move from the mind-blowing into the kitsch category. But if the Author wants that, who am I to judge? Oh, right, a reader.
I know that 1-star reviews are something of a speciality of mine but it has been a month and I still hate this book. And every time I remember how good the first two instalments were, I hate it even more. My only hope is that the series will return to being fantastic in the finale.
Also in the series:
1. Mage’s Blood ★★★★☆
2. The Scarlet Tides ★★★★☆
4. Ascendant’s Rite ★☆☆☆☆
I am nothing if not a survivor but this book was nearly a death of me. If there ever was a series-breaker, this is one. A book that turned an excellent story into a caricature of itself.
If you remember my gushing praises of the previous books, I was captivated by how delightfully deceitful the opening of the first one was, and how the second flipped all my pre-conceptions upside down, while not adding any new facts to what has already transpired. It merely infused the tale with new meanings and it was masterfully done.
Here comes this unholy
All the cardinal sins of a badly written novel are present in an abundance: The previous books already showed some problems with the pacing, here these are basically dictating the terms of the storytelling, which becomes stunted and imbalanced. The lack of proportions is staggering: elements that were contextual background, like the souldrinkers, suddenly become the main pivot. Motifs that were merely embellishments of main plots, grow bloated to this extent that they dwarf the story proper.
The plot meanders, but not in a good way showing intricacy, but rather like a bored but penniless teenager who wanders window-shopping around the mall. It serves no purpose and is frustrating. Characters are spared death in most dubious ways only to be found redundant, and so their deaths are being plotted anew (and by individuals who are anything but whimsical!). But then, character development comes in bursts and fits and backtracks more often than not as if the Author is not sure what to do with the merry crowd he created: one person starts on the road to redemption only to be judged unfitting (Gyle) and so the journey is resumed by another (Malveron) but not really because he remains vile, self-centred bully so Coin is suddenly given a conscience and it turns out that she is a sensitive creature unable to kill with cold blood (quiet sobbing). Why tripling the act, when one transformation done properly would suffice?
Side flings become major romances on their own, become game-changers, become dead bodies on the main plot. What happened in Cera’s line deserves a separate rant. Forget the third crusade: the girl has her own struggle against all things male that is no less destructive than the Moontide campaigns. . In general, huge chunks of this bulky novel have more to do with peddling certain repetitive ideas than feed into the story. There scenes upon scenes that seem to devised only so that one of the protagonists can lecture and enlighten another and correct their erroneous ways and backwards beliefs. Story-wise they are redundant and so impede rather than help the main arc.
The neat division between the clean storylines that were delineated in the opening volume with surgical precision has been abandoned without one backward glance. I would not complain if this would be a result of organic growth and blending of the separate arcs into one coherent frame. But this is not the case here. Instead, the original ideas are abandoned in favour of new protagonists and problems, accents not so much shift as morph into altogether new tales. Imagine we start with a right-handed warrior, only to learn that he is ambidextrous in the second instalment, only to discover that he is in fact (and has always been, mwahahaha!) a three-handed chap. This is precisely what happens here: we thought the main thing is a mundane clash of civilisations kind of story, only to understand that the true issue lies with a powerful magical artefact only to be told that all is well but this is actually a redemption journey so kindly forget your expectations and from now on let us focus on this new thing.
A constant, needless bringing of new ideas, themes, and motifs to the story renders it unreadable. And the only thing that glues these disjointed pieces together is fucking around. No, literally. The amount of sex and its nature puts this book on par with the finale of Alanna’s adventures (and I promise you, there are only a couple of books reaching this level of ludicrousness in my career). The sex is not only pointless to a large extent being a substitute for plot advancement and character development but also is monstrous (in fact, I could qualify this book as a fine specimen of monster porn).
There are other monstrosities too. Gory events, provided in full detail just because. The one that was the tipping point for me featured a bloody description of DIY abortion that served no other rationale than to shock the reader: I nearly vomited and I cannot even find a suitable metaphor to tell you how sick the whole concept is.
What cannot be dealt with by sexualising the content is glossed over with a sprinkle of good luck (how lucky that Alaron and Ramita in this mammoth of a land find the one monastery that not only has a library with all they need but also a guru who can give them proper magic training surpassing all the magic academies in the world - their life would be very difficult otherwise!). The saving grace is that Ramita’s and Alaron’s thread had the semblance of old quality. Ramita has been my favourite for a long time so nothing changed much in this regard, but the way Alaron grows, without bells and whistles, is just heartwarming. Mind you, I do not entirely understand the need to introduce the star-crossed lovers trope here. It strikes me as entirely forced and not at all necessary unless one wants the drama-o-meter to move from the mind-blowing into the kitsch category. But if the Author wants that, who am I to judge? Oh, right, a reader.
I know that 1-star reviews are something of a speciality of mine but it has been a month and I still hate this book. And every time I remember how good the first two instalments were, I hate it even more. My only hope is that the series will return to being fantastic in the finale.
Also in the series:
1. Mage’s Blood ★★★★☆
2. The Scarlet Tides ★★★★☆
4. Ascendant’s Rite ★☆☆☆☆
May 18, 2017
3.75*.
Another good edition of this series. I would put it on par with book one but not as good as book two. A lot of good twists and blurred lines of loyalty did keep it interesting. The historical fiction aspects drawn from the crusades continues to have me googling things I've half forgotten as a history buff. Personal avarice hidden behind religious overtones and duty with a multi-continent backdrop coupled with political maneuvering.
Another good edition of this series. I would put it on par with book one but not as good as book two. A lot of good twists and blurred lines of loyalty did keep it interesting. The historical fiction aspects drawn from the crusades continues to have me googling things I've half forgotten as a history buff. Personal avarice hidden behind religious overtones and duty with a multi-continent backdrop coupled with political maneuvering.
March 19, 2020
*** 4. 75 ***
Ok, I am surprised at my own rating on this one, but hear me out. The whole world seems to be going through some weird surrealistic movie plot, in which everything we are used to doing is on pause and we are asked to separately shelter in our homes, practice social distancing, and pretend we are not worried about what will happen with us and our daily lives once the Play button is pushed back on. I am not the only one who is shocked at the post-apocaliptic feel our regular lives have been soaked in, and I am currently not one of those who are panicked, but I have to admit to some anxiety. Not from the Covid-19 virus, but from the reaction of the people who are panicking and how they affect everything around us.
So, instead of obsessing over the falling market and my investments tanking down the toilet, I started reading obsessively and with only escapism in mind. I was pleased by all my book choices as of late, but then I fell onto this series and I was almost able to forget about all the insanity happening in Real Life, the bitch😃!
The first book was a bit of a rough start, having to deal with the introduction to the world, the magic system and the characters. The heavy reliance on events in our real history from the time of the Crusades, the influence from Hindu myth and Islamic lore, the subtle divisions of the religious powers of the time and the multitude of cultures they unite, is a very cumbersome base for an Epic novel even for a reader well familiar with the subject, but could be overwhelming for a novice. The almost literal transfer of the religions could be seen as lazy or unimaginative. But I would argue that giving us a base of this alternative history, so close to our collective psyche, allows us all to engage much faster with the characters, and gives us an immediate way to put them in a context in our minds. Now add magic! Boom!✨ You are in the world of the Moontide Quartet!
Now, mix in some good guys, who are not at all perfect and have a ton of space to grow, plus some very, very bad guys, who yes, were a bit cartoonish in their evil portrayal, and an displaced artifact which possibly holds the power to make those who possess it almost invincible, and you can't help but get lost in a story of political intrigue, populous unrest, conquest, and heartbreaking losses, love and hate...
I don't think this book or series are perfect. Not at all. But I see growth from one book to the next and I am completely addicted to the action in it, not wanting, but needing to know what happens next! I do wish that some parts were a bit less pathos infused, others a bit deeper, and yet others a touch less heavy handed, but as I said previously, it somehow works for this particular story. Also, I will be remiss not to mention how another very promising Fantasy author proves the unwritten rule that if you are a good example of the genre, you really suck at writing good sex scenes! It is obviously just the way things are and I am yet to find the exceptions to the rule 😉. None of it is comfortable or romantic or sexy in any way, so it's a good thing that it is only a small part of the whole. Action, intrigue, and politics are the strengths of this series and I am grateful to read it now, giving me a perfect way to escape even the weirdest of reality. Thank you, Mr. Hair! 👍
Now I wish you all happy reading and stay safe out there, make sure that all those you care about and that care for you are safe, and be there for each other, even if it has to be six feet away from one another for social distancing sake. A good book will give you the most holistically complete experience while stuck at home and wondering what to do. Read to someone in your home or over the phone, connect even when it is difficult to do so in more physical way. Make the best of the quarantine and we will be better for it once on the other side! ✨✨✨♥️
Ok, I am surprised at my own rating on this one, but hear me out. The whole world seems to be going through some weird surrealistic movie plot, in which everything we are used to doing is on pause and we are asked to separately shelter in our homes, practice social distancing, and pretend we are not worried about what will happen with us and our daily lives once the Play button is pushed back on. I am not the only one who is shocked at the post-apocaliptic feel our regular lives have been soaked in, and I am currently not one of those who are panicked, but I have to admit to some anxiety. Not from the Covid-19 virus, but from the reaction of the people who are panicking and how they affect everything around us.
So, instead of obsessing over the falling market and my investments tanking down the toilet, I started reading obsessively and with only escapism in mind. I was pleased by all my book choices as of late, but then I fell onto this series and I was almost able to forget about all the insanity happening in Real Life, the bitch😃!
The first book was a bit of a rough start, having to deal with the introduction to the world, the magic system and the characters. The heavy reliance on events in our real history from the time of the Crusades, the influence from Hindu myth and Islamic lore, the subtle divisions of the religious powers of the time and the multitude of cultures they unite, is a very cumbersome base for an Epic novel even for a reader well familiar with the subject, but could be overwhelming for a novice. The almost literal transfer of the religions could be seen as lazy or unimaginative. But I would argue that giving us a base of this alternative history, so close to our collective psyche, allows us all to engage much faster with the characters, and gives us an immediate way to put them in a context in our minds. Now add magic! Boom!✨ You are in the world of the Moontide Quartet!
Now, mix in some good guys, who are not at all perfect and have a ton of space to grow, plus some very, very bad guys, who yes, were a bit cartoonish in their evil portrayal, and an displaced artifact which possibly holds the power to make those who possess it almost invincible, and you can't help but get lost in a story of political intrigue, populous unrest, conquest, and heartbreaking losses, love and hate...
I don't think this book or series are perfect. Not at all. But I see growth from one book to the next and I am completely addicted to the action in it, not wanting, but needing to know what happens next! I do wish that some parts were a bit less pathos infused, others a bit deeper, and yet others a touch less heavy handed, but as I said previously, it somehow works for this particular story. Also, I will be remiss not to mention how another very promising Fantasy author proves the unwritten rule that if you are a good example of the genre, you really suck at writing good sex scenes! It is obviously just the way things are and I am yet to find the exceptions to the rule 😉. None of it is comfortable or romantic or sexy in any way, so it's a good thing that it is only a small part of the whole. Action, intrigue, and politics are the strengths of this series and I am grateful to read it now, giving me a perfect way to escape even the weirdest of reality. Thank you, Mr. Hair! 👍
Now I wish you all happy reading and stay safe out there, make sure that all those you care about and that care for you are safe, and be there for each other, even if it has to be six feet away from one another for social distancing sake. A good book will give you the most holistically complete experience while stuck at home and wondering what to do. Read to someone in your home or over the phone, connect even when it is difficult to do so in more physical way. Make the best of the quarantine and we will be better for it once on the other side! ✨✨✨♥️
January 25, 2016
I'm giving this one a 4.5*s which means I absolutely loved this book, but it wasn't quite on par with the previous one in the series (which I adored). We pick up the story of this book just after the ending of the previous (which was a pretty dramatic ending) and we're following a host of wonderful characters once again.
I will not say much about the plot as this is the third book in the series, but I will say that this book is truly the most character-focused of them so far with heavy emphasis on relationships, magic, bonds and the general characters. I found that the plot of this book moved a lot slower than the previous two, but this was largely due to the fact that we're focusing in on some of the slower, more intense moments.
During this book we see the formation of many different romantic and friendship-based relationships. Some of which are healthy and wonderful, some are tragic, some are unhealthy and some unusual. I loved the vast variety of relationship types that David Hair was able to achieve in one story so convincingly because we not only have straight/lesbian/gay relationships, we also get older and younger, loving and hating, and pregnancy and abortion all covered as topics. Some of these are so well discussed that they truly got me thinking about my own feelings on some of these topics, and I loved that.
The plot in this book is still ongoing, despite my saying it is slower. We still have the drama of the moontide to contend with and the atmosphere of the world and politics of the world is all starting to come to the forefront with many shifts in power and a tumultuous society. I love seeing the various ways that characters are manipulated or being manipulative, and I also feel like you get to see inside both the 'good' and 'bad' character's minds so you can understand them all.
We had a few minor characters who certainly shone alongside the major ones for me in this book, particularly the character of Coin, a conflicted, troubled and ultimately damaged child. We also see Malevorn, Hyuria and Seth start to come into their own and become much more major characters with some big events ahead of them.
We also get a lot more development on the magic in this book with new magic ideas being introduced and new phenomenon discovered. I have to say that I really do think David Hair has a marvellous imagination and the way that this world comes together and works is truly astonishing and exciting to me at times!
On the whole I still adored this book and I cannot wait to move onto the final one in the quartet and hopefully adore that one too. A wonderful 4.5*s overall :)
I will not say much about the plot as this is the third book in the series, but I will say that this book is truly the most character-focused of them so far with heavy emphasis on relationships, magic, bonds and the general characters. I found that the plot of this book moved a lot slower than the previous two, but this was largely due to the fact that we're focusing in on some of the slower, more intense moments.
During this book we see the formation of many different romantic and friendship-based relationships. Some of which are healthy and wonderful, some are tragic, some are unhealthy and some unusual. I loved the vast variety of relationship types that David Hair was able to achieve in one story so convincingly because we not only have straight/lesbian/gay relationships, we also get older and younger, loving and hating, and pregnancy and abortion all covered as topics. Some of these are so well discussed that they truly got me thinking about my own feelings on some of these topics, and I loved that.
The plot in this book is still ongoing, despite my saying it is slower. We still have the drama of the moontide to contend with and the atmosphere of the world and politics of the world is all starting to come to the forefront with many shifts in power and a tumultuous society. I love seeing the various ways that characters are manipulated or being manipulative, and I also feel like you get to see inside both the 'good' and 'bad' character's minds so you can understand them all.
We had a few minor characters who certainly shone alongside the major ones for me in this book, particularly the character of Coin, a conflicted, troubled and ultimately damaged child. We also see Malevorn, Hyuria and Seth start to come into their own and become much more major characters with some big events ahead of them.
We also get a lot more development on the magic in this book with new magic ideas being introduced and new phenomenon discovered. I have to say that I really do think David Hair has a marvellous imagination and the way that this world comes together and works is truly astonishing and exciting to me at times!
On the whole I still adored this book and I cannot wait to move onto the final one in the quartet and hopefully adore that one too. A wonderful 4.5*s overall :)
December 1, 2014
Fantasy Review Barn
Three books into a war spanning two continents- where the hell are you?
For reasons I can’t figure out David Hair’s epic series is flying somewhat under the radar. The Moontide Quartet has everything I am looking for when I want a truly epic feel and Unholy War is a very worthy continuation of a good thing. After a strong but uneven opening book the last two books have been very consistent; lots of action, smart political plays, and a few surprises no matter how vigilantly one watches the text.
I continue to be impressed by the way Hair takes some very familiar, almost trite, ideas and spins them in a new way. Not in a trope bending fashion, that doesn’t really explain it. He built a fantasy version of the crusades, hardly an original through in fantasy. But Hair refused to take the easy route and make things as simple as Us vs Them, Black vs White, or dare I say, Christian vs Muslim. No single culture monoliths are present; even within groups are being forced by circumstance to fight alongside each other divisions work deep.
Made even better by scattering the point of view characters all over the map; there is no right side to this conflict for a reader to gradually start rooting for. Perhaps a reader’s cultural biases may have them thinking one side or the other is showing backward thinking but the narration itself is completely neutral. And if one ‘culture’ shows you it’s worse side in one chapter then be assured a chapter soon after will have you realizing they represent only a fraction of that sides actually beliefs.
So if there isn’t a correct side to root for where is the reader’s emotional involvement to come from? The characters of course. Some to root for, some to root against, and some that you just can’t help to follow even if you are not quite sure how you feel about them. Even characters of whose chapters I wanted to skip in earlier books are must read at this point; a major thing in the series favor is there is no POV that is noticeably weaker than the others. Gyle, spy and wannabe puppet master is by far my favorite to read about; not a nice man but always involved.
This is a middle book in a four part series and as such spends a lot of time moving its pieces around. Almost everyone is on the move; some lags occur during the travel times. If there was anything that annoyed me it was the insane rate that our major characters started ‘hooking up.’ Perhaps I am over stating it but three or four of our major characters found another major character to ease the journey a bit (wink, wink, nudge nudge). Basically if you found a male and a female together for more than a chapter expect a sex scene (got tired of winking, subtlety is not really my thing).
Epic fantasy is not dying my friends, it is just moving in new directions. Here is a book (not the only book but a great example) that proves that fantasy can have a basis in medieval ideas and still remember to give a role to women and non-white cultures. And yes it still has cultural oppression, racial biases, and hellish situations for the downtrodden. But it also has signs of growth, diversity, and people of all walks carrying their own agency.
This was a book that needs all eight hundred pages to follow its multiple viewpoints. There is some foreshadowing that is hard to ignore; I would be shocked if a few story lines don’t end up exactly as I envision. But there are so many moving pieces that guessing the whole story is proving to be impossible; and if the final book proves me wrong on the threads I think I have then so much the better.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by Jo Fletcher Books.
Three books into a war spanning two continents- where the hell are you?
For reasons I can’t figure out David Hair’s epic series is flying somewhat under the radar. The Moontide Quartet has everything I am looking for when I want a truly epic feel and Unholy War is a very worthy continuation of a good thing. After a strong but uneven opening book the last two books have been very consistent; lots of action, smart political plays, and a few surprises no matter how vigilantly one watches the text.
I continue to be impressed by the way Hair takes some very familiar, almost trite, ideas and spins them in a new way. Not in a trope bending fashion, that doesn’t really explain it. He built a fantasy version of the crusades, hardly an original through in fantasy. But Hair refused to take the easy route and make things as simple as Us vs Them, Black vs White, or dare I say, Christian vs Muslim. No single culture monoliths are present; even within groups are being forced by circumstance to fight alongside each other divisions work deep.
Made even better by scattering the point of view characters all over the map; there is no right side to this conflict for a reader to gradually start rooting for. Perhaps a reader’s cultural biases may have them thinking one side or the other is showing backward thinking but the narration itself is completely neutral. And if one ‘culture’ shows you it’s worse side in one chapter then be assured a chapter soon after will have you realizing they represent only a fraction of that sides actually beliefs.
So if there isn’t a correct side to root for where is the reader’s emotional involvement to come from? The characters of course. Some to root for, some to root against, and some that you just can’t help to follow even if you are not quite sure how you feel about them. Even characters of whose chapters I wanted to skip in earlier books are must read at this point; a major thing in the series favor is there is no POV that is noticeably weaker than the others. Gyle, spy and wannabe puppet master is by far my favorite to read about; not a nice man but always involved.
This is a middle book in a four part series and as such spends a lot of time moving its pieces around. Almost everyone is on the move; some lags occur during the travel times. If there was anything that annoyed me it was the insane rate that our major characters started ‘hooking up.’ Perhaps I am over stating it but three or four of our major characters found another major character to ease the journey a bit (wink, wink, nudge nudge). Basically if you found a male and a female together for more than a chapter expect a sex scene (got tired of winking, subtlety is not really my thing).
Epic fantasy is not dying my friends, it is just moving in new directions. Here is a book (not the only book but a great example) that proves that fantasy can have a basis in medieval ideas and still remember to give a role to women and non-white cultures. And yes it still has cultural oppression, racial biases, and hellish situations for the downtrodden. But it also has signs of growth, diversity, and people of all walks carrying their own agency.
This was a book that needs all eight hundred pages to follow its multiple viewpoints. There is some foreshadowing that is hard to ignore; I would be shocked if a few story lines don’t end up exactly as I envision. But there are so many moving pieces that guessing the whole story is proving to be impossible; and if the final book proves me wrong on the threads I think I have then so much the better.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by Jo Fletcher Books.
March 25, 2018
Quite impressive continuation of the series. It just lost a bit of momentum (in pretty much all the story lines) in the second half to regain it at the end.
Still interesting characters, good twists and turns. I am hoping that the last book will be impressive!
Still interesting characters, good twists and turns. I am hoping that the last book will be impressive!
March 27, 2015
I don't think the series is going to click for me... I didn't like how many of the women were written in this book (some even felt like a step backwards), and I know that I didn't like how virtually every time a viewpoint character spent an extended amount of time with somebody from the opposite sex, they had sex. With most of those resulting in pregnancy. With most of those resulting in gnostic manifestation. On top of all this, I felt that many of the characters didn't use skills they were verified to have (telepathy is a big one here) when using them would've made their conflict much easier to resolve. Nobody likes stupid and/or incompetent characters.
October 28, 2015
An excellent read! I would say that this one is the best in the series so far.
There are a bunch of things that irk me about this series: unoriginal world building and races, and far, far, far too many POVS (I'm thinking of you Milda) but everything finally comes together in this installment. The POVs (for the most part) pair off, lightening the mental load and plot points start to spark.
This series is a bit of a slow burn but I believe it's worth a read... except for Milda. There are way over ten POVs, my friend. I know your limit is five.
Recommended.
There are a bunch of things that irk me about this series: unoriginal world building and races, and far, far, far too many POVS (I'm thinking of you Milda) but everything finally comes together in this installment. The POVs (for the most part) pair off, lightening the mental load and plot points start to spark.
This series is a bit of a slow burn but I believe it's worth a read... except for Milda. There are way over ten POVs, my friend. I know your limit is five.
Recommended.
August 11, 2024
Wonderful fantasy.
January 16, 2016
Let me begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of this series, and I waited anxiously for this book to come out. However I find myself begging for this novel to come to an end. My suspension of disbelief can only be stretched so far, and this book has far exceeded what even I, an avid fantasy reader, is capable of.
The incomprehensible amount of coincidence and luck that both Elena and Kazim have been gifted throughout this book feels like extremely lazy and lackluster writing to me. From one battle to the next they are portrayed with far more power and skill than either should have, which allows them to escape from more than 3 different scenarios which should have seen them easily dead. I am aware that Kazim has ascendant level power. However to make such a big deal over him having trained for MONTHS with swords, when he is going up against men who have dedicated their LIVES to sword play is just plain silly (especially when during the periods when he has no access to magic). Then to make his raw magical power seem to matter so much against men who have studied their affinities for years, while at the exact same time contradicting that by showing Elena who does not have the raw power, but is capable of taking out those far more powerful because of her dedication to her affinities, is hypocritical and utterly unbelievable in it's entirety.
I find myself sorely disappointed in the decision to put main characters in such peril and then refuse to see it through simply because the writer is too attached to them. If you cannot bear to part with the character stop putting them in those situations. Do not ask us as readers to simply buy into outlandish acts of coincidence and luck that no other character in the series, just ask Cera Nesti or Justina Meiros, finds themselves privy to.
The incomprehensible amount of coincidence and luck that both Elena and Kazim have been gifted throughout this book feels like extremely lazy and lackluster writing to me. From one battle to the next they are portrayed with far more power and skill than either should have, which allows them to escape from more than 3 different scenarios which should have seen them easily dead. I am aware that Kazim has ascendant level power. However to make such a big deal over him having trained for MONTHS with swords, when he is going up against men who have dedicated their LIVES to sword play is just plain silly (especially when during the periods when he has no access to magic). Then to make his raw magical power seem to matter so much against men who have studied their affinities for years, while at the exact same time contradicting that by showing Elena who does not have the raw power, but is capable of taking out those far more powerful because of her dedication to her affinities, is hypocritical and utterly unbelievable in it's entirety.
I find myself sorely disappointed in the decision to put main characters in such peril and then refuse to see it through simply because the writer is too attached to them. If you cannot bear to part with the character stop putting them in those situations. Do not ask us as readers to simply buy into outlandish acts of coincidence and luck that no other character in the series, just ask Cera Nesti or Justina Meiros, finds themselves privy to.
October 15, 2014
I don't really like writing reviews since iam usually very sad when i finish a book but this book was so intense *_* I had to write something about it. In short much better and in some ways also a lot more frustrating then the last 2 books. We see many characters go through a character development phase but at the end of it all i feel that too much relationship angst was present and i mean too much for a fantasy of this caliber.
As for the story it was excellent at-least for me, though knowing that their was gonna be a 4th book after this made reaching the end much more harder. The pacing is almost consistent throughout though things really only pick up near the end with many twisting and gut wrenching moments the last 200 pages were really really well written and the amount of emotion they had in them was just....
As for the characters i will not go into their stories but everyone was well managed some might be put off by cymbealla's story but at the end of it all i thought the author did what was right. Oddly enough Alaron remains almost sidelined from the war throughout the story almost till the very end, i thought he should have had more character development but i guess all is well that ends well.
So in totality i did really enjoy it, their were some pacing problems and a very stockholme syndromish situation which irritated me a lot but author rose to the challenge and finished that arc with flying colors.
Thoroughly recommended, read it as fast as you can.
As for the story it was excellent at-least for me, though knowing that their was gonna be a 4th book after this made reaching the end much more harder. The pacing is almost consistent throughout though things really only pick up near the end with many twisting and gut wrenching moments the last 200 pages were really really well written and the amount of emotion they had in them was just....
As for the characters i will not go into their stories but everyone was well managed some might be put off by cymbealla's story but at the end of it all i thought the author did what was right. Oddly enough Alaron remains almost sidelined from the war throughout the story almost till the very end, i thought he should have had more character development but i guess all is well that ends well.
So in totality i did really enjoy it, their were some pacing problems and a very stockholme syndromish situation which irritated me a lot but author rose to the challenge and finished that arc with flying colors.
Thoroughly recommended, read it as fast as you can.
October 27, 2014
huge expectations as Scarlet Tides was my top sff of last year and Unholy war delivered and more so it will be another top 5 of the year; same structure with multiple pov's, lots of turns and twists, pairings and splits and an ending at a good stopping point though one wants more asap
if time/energy allows a more comprehensive review will follow, though I will note that if you loved Scarlet Tides, you will love this as the action continues directly and with the same pov's/locations to start with, though of course as the story continues things keep changing
until then my review of Scarlet Tides will give you a good idea about what to expect:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
if time/energy allows a more comprehensive review will follow, though I will note that if you loved Scarlet Tides, you will love this as the action continues directly and with the same pov's/locations to start with, though of course as the story continues things keep changing
until then my review of Scarlet Tides will give you a good idea about what to expect:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October 30, 2022
4.5 * I think I enjoyed this one one best out of the series so far, it all ended on such a cliffhanger, hope to start the last in the series soon.
April 21, 2020
3.5 rounded up.
March 22, 2020
The third book of the Moontide Quartet series, and it continues to contain the same strengths and weaknesses from the previous two books.
The complex political intrigues remain twisted and , well, complicated. Events happen that force characters to shift their alliances accordingly. Moreover, the magic system remains interesting as certain characters seem to have developed the system onto a new trajectory.
Furthermore, despite some dull middle section, the third book finally brings the much awaited conflicts that I’ve been waiting since he first book. And there are some heart-wrenching and exhilarating battle scenes.
On the other hand, the continuous exposition and the development of female characters continue to be the weak points. I’ve mentioned the author’s obsession to explain minutiae details of each custom, culture and character that inhibit the flow of the story, so I won’t get into it again. I do, however, want to point out how disappointed I am with the development of female characters especially. It seems that all the female characters care only about physical and sexual relationships. A common scene goes something like : a female character is worried about the difference with her male counterpart, but notices that he possesses Adonis-like physique and is good in bed. I mean, are all the adult relationships suppose to be this shallow in this universe?
3.5 star.
The complex political intrigues remain twisted and , well, complicated. Events happen that force characters to shift their alliances accordingly. Moreover, the magic system remains interesting as certain characters seem to have developed the system onto a new trajectory.
Furthermore, despite some dull middle section, the third book finally brings the much awaited conflicts that I’ve been waiting since he first book. And there are some heart-wrenching and exhilarating battle scenes.
On the other hand, the continuous exposition and the development of female characters continue to be the weak points. I’ve mentioned the author’s obsession to explain minutiae details of each custom, culture and character that inhibit the flow of the story, so I won’t get into it again. I do, however, want to point out how disappointed I am with the development of female characters especially. It seems that all the female characters care only about physical and sexual relationships. A common scene goes something like : a female character is worried about the difference with her male counterpart, but notices that he possesses Adonis-like physique and is good in bed. I mean, are all the adult relationships suppose to be this shallow in this universe?
3.5 star.
October 22, 2022
Had to DNF this one.
Series has been so hit and miss for me but this one feels like the biggest swing and a miss of them all and with limited time and way too many books I gotta cut my losses. I know I'm in the minority here but I started losing my shit with repeated descriptions of all the masculine males around, how LEONINE they are, how their physiques are INCREDIBLE, how two of the main female leads just want to fuck their respective love interests for the first 250 pages.
Not a prude here by any means but this whole thing smacks of fan service.
Book 2 literally ended with Cym's sworn vengeance against the souldrinker who killed her mother and less than a THIRD of the way through book 3, her and the very same souldrinker are getting it on based on some contrived plot points that feel forced into my brain at gunpoint.
This has some truly awful and rushed character development. How you RUSH character development in a series that totals over 2,800 pages I don't know but Hair manages it.
(And to top the whole thing off, the final straw here, the typos are just as bad as they were in Mage's Blood. I've never done this but I actually started keeping a list of where and when they crop up and they aren't minor! Sometimes whole words are missing from sentences, like:
"But it too dry to speak" (missing 'was') - pg 115
"and she far more at ease" (missing 'was') - pg 201
"thin ginger cut close to her scalp" (missing hair)- pg 97
The list continues but I've stopped this ride. I'm glad to be off.)
Series has been so hit and miss for me but this one feels like the biggest swing and a miss of them all and with limited time and way too many books I gotta cut my losses. I know I'm in the minority here but I started losing my shit with repeated descriptions of all the masculine males around, how LEONINE they are, how their physiques are INCREDIBLE, how two of the main female leads just want to fuck their respective love interests for the first 250 pages.
Not a prude here by any means but this whole thing smacks of fan service.
Book 2 literally ended with Cym's sworn vengeance against the souldrinker who killed her mother and less than a THIRD of the way through book 3, her and the very same souldrinker are getting it on based on some contrived plot points that feel forced into my brain at gunpoint.
This has some truly awful and rushed character development. How you RUSH character development in a series that totals over 2,800 pages I don't know but Hair manages it.
(And to top the whole thing off, the final straw here, the typos are just as bad as they were in Mage's Blood. I've never done this but I actually started keeping a list of where and when they crop up and they aren't minor! Sometimes whole words are missing from sentences, like:
"But it too dry to speak" (missing 'was') - pg 115
"and she far more at ease" (missing 'was') - pg 201
"thin ginger cut close to her scalp" (missing hair)- pg 97
The list continues but I've stopped this ride. I'm glad to be off.)
December 6, 2015
Desde hace un mes que estoy leyendo esta asombrosa saga, y desde hace un mes me estoy preguntando lo siguiente:
¿Por qué estos libros no son más populares y por qué no está todo el mundo leyendolos?
Una mezcla perfecta entre Brandon Sanderson y George R. R. Martin. Con un worldbuilding y sistema de magia digno de Brandon y acción, política, sorpresas y múltiples puntos de vista que mucho me hicieron acordar a Martin, The Moontide Quartet es una saga alucinante. Como toda épica hay que invertir unas 100 hojas aproximadamente en conocer a todos los personajes (que no se acercan a ser tantos como en Game of Thrones), pero lo vale. Lo vale absolutamente.
Al TBR no. Directo a la Kindle. Haganme caso!
¿Por qué estos libros no son más populares y por qué no está todo el mundo leyendolos?
Una mezcla perfecta entre Brandon Sanderson y George R. R. Martin. Con un worldbuilding y sistema de magia digno de Brandon y acción, política, sorpresas y múltiples puntos de vista que mucho me hicieron acordar a Martin, The Moontide Quartet es una saga alucinante. Como toda épica hay que invertir unas 100 hojas aproximadamente en conocer a todos los personajes (que no se acercan a ser tantos como en Game of Thrones), pero lo vale. Lo vale absolutamente.
Al TBR no. Directo a la Kindle. Haganme caso!
October 17, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the series. In fact I think its the best book in the series yet. Indeed the ending battle and developments are a roller-coaster of emotion. The political intrigue is well done, the magic system is just plain awesome, and the cliffhangers at the end are just excruciating. Please release the next book tomorrow.
The only gripe I have with this one is that there are so many love scenes/ couple developments. Like another reviewer mentioned it is somewhat unusual for this genre. I do enjoy them to a large extent but my personal preference does lean more towards the politics, character growth and great army and magic battles. My personal favorite Alaron is turning into a real Rockstar.
Thank you Mr. Hair for an excellent series.
The only gripe I have with this one is that there are so many love scenes/ couple developments. Like another reviewer mentioned it is somewhat unusual for this genre. I do enjoy them to a large extent but my personal preference does lean more towards the politics, character growth and great army and magic battles. My personal favorite Alaron is turning into a real Rockstar.
Thank you Mr. Hair for an excellent series.
February 18, 2017
Would give this 2 stars. The series started off very interesting and at a good pace too. The biggest problem with this series is that author "plays God" too many times. Characters get caught in life and death situations but are often rescued, sometimes with flimsiest of reasons. Am reminded of film Lucy in which Scarlett says "Nobody really dies", fits neatly for this series. Safe to say won't be reading the last part of this series..
January 17, 2020
I liked them well enough, but the character of ramita dragged it down. The whole "it is known" ,.... Yeah I know... Its written in GOT. And her faith overrules everything, and if they don't agree they're idiots. Kinda like other fanatics. And in my head she's a bubble head.. Apparently she " waggles" all the time with her head.
I liked the universe and different cultures, but it was a bit to black and white in characters. I tried to reread them but I gave up this time, midway.
I liked the universe and different cultures, but it was a bit to black and white in characters. I tried to reread them but I gave up this time, midway.
February 5, 2022
10/10 would read again. Fantasy warfare might be my new favourite sub-genre. Great storytelling and character development.
March 8, 2021
3.5
never thought I would say this but can everyone just stop fucking and do something else?
never thought I would say this but can everyone just stop fucking and do something else?
January 21, 2018
One of the worst books I have ever read.
The writing is good, the pacing also, but everything else paints this as a poor's man game of thrones.
It is like the author wants to be as gritty as possible, the first book was all about rape and good guys losing and being stupid, the second rape and good guys again being stupid, the third we get a new category - rape, incest and pedophilia at the same time. Nice! every few pages there is another sex scene, it is like I'm reading an erotic novel, not an epic fantasy. The world building is very unimaginative, the author does not have any imagination expect for sex acts, so he copies the real world and just changes a syllable or two. Sad. Also (spoiler alert) Cym is the most disgusting human being ever, and the worst is, the writer seems to potrait her a a good one. Especially considering the good (foolish) guy Alaron is so obsessed with her. Even though she betrayed him and everyone else by stealing the artifact, didnt care what happenes to her friend Ramon as long as she gets it, even though she was the most useless member of the crew, even though both of them taught her everything she knew about magic, even though Alaron saves her from forced marriage. She, of course, friendzones him. For who? For a half lion/man, who looks like a demigod (mentioned at least a dozen times - same for the demigod Kazim), yes he did tore off her mothers head while attacking her mountain base, yes he kills innocent people regularly just so he can stay alive longer every day, yes he is 50 years older than her. But, but he feels sorry for it! Yes, he will continue to kill innocent to feed, but who cares. As he says, what is evil? Certainly killimg innocents to stay alive isn't, yes? No. So she f**ks him and lusts for him all the time, and even feels sorry for the half mutant murderer of her and her mother. (End od spoiler) it seems to me the writer has some personal fetish in "good girls" dating evil murderous guys. I literally have thrown the book in my fireplace, as I do not want any poor soul to read that garbage. Cheers
The writing is good, the pacing also, but everything else paints this as a poor's man game of thrones.
It is like the author wants to be as gritty as possible, the first book was all about rape and good guys losing and being stupid, the second rape and good guys again being stupid, the third we get a new category - rape, incest and pedophilia at the same time. Nice! every few pages there is another sex scene, it is like I'm reading an erotic novel, not an epic fantasy. The world building is very unimaginative, the author does not have any imagination expect for sex acts, so he copies the real world and just changes a syllable or two. Sad. Also (spoiler alert) Cym is the most disgusting human being ever, and the worst is, the writer seems to potrait her a a good one. Especially considering the good (foolish) guy Alaron is so obsessed with her. Even though she betrayed him and everyone else by stealing the artifact, didnt care what happenes to her friend Ramon as long as she gets it, even though she was the most useless member of the crew, even though both of them taught her everything she knew about magic, even though Alaron saves her from forced marriage. She, of course, friendzones him. For who? For a half lion/man, who looks like a demigod (mentioned at least a dozen times - same for the demigod Kazim), yes he did tore off her mothers head while attacking her mountain base, yes he kills innocent people regularly just so he can stay alive longer every day, yes he is 50 years older than her. But, but he feels sorry for it! Yes, he will continue to kill innocent to feed, but who cares. As he says, what is evil? Certainly killimg innocents to stay alive isn't, yes? No. So she f**ks him and lusts for him all the time, and even feels sorry for the half mutant murderer of her and her mother. (End od spoiler) it seems to me the writer has some personal fetish in "good girls" dating evil murderous guys. I literally have thrown the book in my fireplace, as I do not want any poor soul to read that garbage. Cheers
October 19, 2014
5 stars because I simply could not lay this book aside.
Tension is very high, although it is not as action packed as the second book.
The most characters are just amiable, their development is comprehensible (with exemptions - see below).
It were the characters and the well thought-out magical world that kept me addicted to this book.
However there are some things that keep this novel and this series from being really great:
The events and developments, especially political intrigues, are too foreseeable.
The 'evil' POV characters are not well explained or developed.
Kazim's development is a bit too plain
Some characters actions are just nonsense.
March 3, 2015
Great book!! I can't wait to read the next!!
January 9, 2016
OMG you just never know what is actually going to happen! What you think will, just doesn't!
Can't wait to read the next one! Waiting for the audio version if I can actually wait!
Can't wait to read the next one! Waiting for the audio version if I can actually wait!
July 31, 2019
A little slow at the 75% mark, but boy does it pick up again.
January 12, 2020
I always appreciate books with good political commentary, and this has a ton of it. Especially when it comes to racism, religious fanatics, prejudice and the like. There are so many quotable quotes, I couldn't possibly list them all. But my favorite involves religion and its interference in our lives. How the holy man can twist our words into reflecting some righteous thing that just happens to propel itself forward by crushing those they feel are inferior. They have the best argument to use against any opponents, that they are somehow the one who speaks for God.
'Books written by poisonous old men who hate women and hate love because they'll never know it and don't want anyone else to put something ahead of their god. Everything pleasurable in life is anathema to them because the only happiness they acknowledge is some paradise you can reach only by dying!'
Daaaaamn.
'Books written by poisonous old men who hate women and hate love because they'll never know it and don't want anyone else to put something ahead of their god. Everything pleasurable in life is anathema to them because the only happiness they acknowledge is some paradise you can reach only by dying!'
Daaaaamn.
April 20, 2025
So much fun, now the agonising wait for the next book to arrive because I waited too long before ordering it!
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