The triennial Chivalry Games have returned! After helping to destroy the Withered King, Alex and the rest of the group find out that saving the world has consequences. While he is secretly battling with depression and with the Alliance on the verge of collapse, a diplomatic summit and the Chivalry Games—to be held in the far off Kuni Empire—may give everyone the opportunity to turn things around. Alex builds a team to represent the Foundation in the Games, facing off against the best fighters in the world. When an ancient being tries to raise legendary nightmares known as Titans using the peace talks as a trap, Alex has to find a way to save everyone before it is too late. Alex must learn that he is not truly alone to save the world from the chaos of the Titans. In a world where magic and science intermingle, anything is possible.
The Cursed Titans is the sequel to Ricardo Victoria's The Withered King. It largely stands alone - but the first book did so well at introducing its large cast of characters that it would be a shame not to start there.
This time around, with all those introductions done, the plot can rattle away at pace - and it certainly does that. This is full-on adventure, full of zip and zest, with witty one-liners being dispensed faster than the energy arrows launched by lead character Alex.
The plot centres around a tournament that doubles up as a way of nations resolving their differences. There is a swirl of politics around the tournament itself - and it provides the perfect opportunity for chaos itself to be unleashed.
I've said before that the Final Fantasy series is a good touchstone for Ricardo's writing, and it holds true here again. It has that anime spirit, that high sci-fi feel. There are new friends to be made, and new enemies.
Adventure? Check. Fun? Check. Freewheeling sci-fi? Check. If you want all of that, it's all here.
But what impressed me is that this time around there's something more. Alex is wrestling with depression, and the story explores that in some depth. I've been lucky in life, I've never really had to deal with depression personally, but the story spoke to me in the way it reflected what friends have gone through. It shows how characters around Alex deal with his depression - or sometimes how they don't deal with it, perhaps even not noticing it until it's pointed out by others. Sometimes I've been that person, who didn't notice or who didn't know how to react, so this story really hits home.
In the end, this is as much about Alex confronting himself as the monsters unleashed in the world, and the most important alliances and friendships are the ones that help him on that personal journey.
This kind of exploration of depression in science fiction and fantasy is not common - so Ricardo adds a welcome voice to the conversation.
This is a good read. A fun read. But it's also perhaps an important one.
Just like The Withered King, the first book in Ricardo Victoria's Tempest Blades series, The Cursed Titans is an entertaining and action-packed blend of science fiction and fantasy, with a great sense of humour, an anime vibe, and filled with a group of great characters. Reading The Cursed Titans, I was struck by how well Victoria handles the large cast of characters: everyone has a backstory and distinct personality of their own, and everyone gets their own moments to shine. It's fun to read a story that features such a terrific group of friends, enemies, and frenemies.
There are a lot of fast-paced action sequences in the book, with the characters finding themselves in tight spots and having to finagle and fight their way out - usually by working together. I especially love how the magical weapons in the story, the various Tempest Blades, have a real mind of their own, and often display strong opinions about who should and should not wield them.
Victoria has created a unique and rich world in his books where science fiction and fantasy mingle beautifully, and there is plenty of action and adventure woven into every part of the story. A solid, entertaining read with a grand cast of characters and a real human touch.
“The tricky thing about living in history is surviving it.” Fionn should know as the legendary Greywolf and his Tempest Blade have lived through a fair chunk of history. Yes, Fionn, Gaby and Alex are back and there are new faces too like Kasumi and Joshua, trying to shape the world for the better despite history, monsters and supernatural incursions. The heroes are preparing for the Triannual Chivalry Games held in the heart of the Kuni Empire – called ‘games’ but these are also an alternative way for nations to settle their differences without resorting to war and there is also a major diplomatic event going on in the background. But things happen at the games that have dramatic consequences and suddenly our heroes are back on track to have to save the world from the eponymous cursed titans. This is science fantasy in the pure sense of the word – a high-tech futuristic setting combined with magical powers – such as the Gift – and magical, sentient weapons such as the Tempest Blades themselves. It is high adrenaline action, manga/anime style and yet it has deeper currents too. There is an exploration of depression as Alex suffers it terribly, showing how it can feel from the inside and how it impacts those around someone they care for suffering with it. It also shows how sometimes what others see as a disability can be an advantage as Kasumi’s profound deafness actually protects her when others fall. I enjoyed this book a lot and thought the characters interesting and diverse, although I will admit I found the writing a little lumpy in places and the ‘cool’ dialogue (and monologues even) for me were sometimes just a little over-contrived rather than cool and witty. There were other aspects I struggled with too – people who are described who were clearly cartoon characters in appearance just shattered my reading immersion. But then this book is aimed at those who love Japanese comic book culture, where such is the norm and the expectation. If you enjoyed Tempest Blades: The Withered King then you will love Tempest Blades: The Cursed Titans. If you love manga and anime and want to read books that encapsulate that in the written word, pick up either of the Tempest Blade books, but I’d suggest starting with The Withered King so you can begin your journey from the beginning…
Voy a redondear a 4 estrellas porque siento que es un sólido 3 3/4 Sufrí un poco el cambio de ritmo en la historia al momento de introducir a los nuevos personajes, pero una vez que retomó el ritmo, no paró. Sin duda la mayor fortaleza de la serie es saber combinar magia, fantasía y acción. Lo que más me gusta de esta serie es que los personajes femeninos son más interesantes que los masculinos. Sin duda la representación de lidiar con una enfermedad mental es uno de los puntos fuertes de la historia. Por último, una de mis quejas con la entrega anterior fue la falta de personajes queer y aquí empieza a asomarse un plot que promete mucho, sin duda continuaré poniéndome al día con el resto de los libros.
I really enjoyed this book. Just like the first one, it gives the vibes of an urban fantasy mixed with rpgs and anime, settled in a world very similar like ours. It's an odd mixture, but refreshing because I haven't read anything similar.
As a second installment, it continues some time after the first book, with enough reference points to help you remember what happened in the first book.
I really enjoyed the new characters and how they integrate with the old ones. The way the characters are flaws is also very natural, and gives credibility to the story.
The story is fast-paced, fun and interesting, but at the same time, it's sobering and very admirable the way it explains how depression works, and how difficult it is to recognize it, even if it's your close friend who's suffering.
I really want to keep reading this saga when the story continues.
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
One thing that I really enjoyed about book one was the subtle themes of redemption, and the ability to have that second chance that was included in an otherwise action-packed story. The Cursed Titans managed to again bring a deeper meaning into an action-packed storyline. In this case, it was mental illness.
It is difficult to find respectful depictions of mental illness in fiction, even more difficult to find it in the fantasy genre. Every time I see an author who uses mental illness as more than a prop in a story, I am incredibly impressed. Author Ricardo Victoria masterfully wove a story of depression, hope, and redemption in with a world filled with villains and magic.
Gaby was my favorite character in The Withered King. She was pretty high on the kick-butt-o'meter. However, it was Alex who stole the show in this book. I could identify a little bit with his battle with depression, although the way it is portrayed in The Cursed Titans is infinitely more creative and interesting than my depression happens to be. He had quite a bit of character growth, which I always appreciate. Of course, this theme of mental illness was set against a unique backdrop, which had a bit of a My Hero Academia feel to it. I don't know why that jumps to mind for me, but it does. I happen to love My Hero Academia, so I was jazzed about that. Combine that with the epic video game vibe that carried over from book one, and The Cursed Titans was a win for me. I was very impressed at the way the author balanced a fast-paced fantasy book with what feels like a deeply personal exploration of depression, its effects, and what it truly means to overcome. The Cursed Titans was very well done.
This sequel will take you deeper into the world of Tempest Blades, I loved how the further the story moves forward, the richer the story becomes, new characters show up yes, and they are very interesting and fresh, but you will get to know the existing ones better and discover the bonds that strenghten their friendship, quite similar as to what you may find in Lord of the Rings. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects is how complete the characters feel, as Ricardo will show you not just what moves them, but also their fears, hopes, tribulations.
Deffinitely a must read for those who enjoy sci-fi & fantasy works, there's some cosmic horror as well that works great within the story
This has been an amazing second novel. We get to know the characters a lot more and they are all great in their own unique ways. The book was a lot of fun to read and I look forward to what comes next.
After the defeat of Byron the Alliance is at risk. Harland and Fionn are representatives and must assemble their own fighters for the talks. While Fionn chose Sam, Gaby, and Sid Harland had Alex and two of Alex's friends. They must face against titanfighters to settle minor disputes during the talks, but more is on the line than they could possibly imagine. The Alliance may dissolve, plunging the different factions back into constant war. Worse still is the God of Chaos who Byron promised would return. Can Harland, Fionn, Gaby, Sid, Sam, and Alex face off yet another threat to their world and come out on top? I received a copy of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I read book one back in January and enjoyed it, so when I was asked to read book two I agreed readily. You can read this book as a standalone, but you would be missing some details. There is enough here where you don't have to read book one, but it is great for things such as knowing who Byron is.
I enjoyed reading this book and am sure that the next book will be just as good. I say the next book because this book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger. All major points in the book are resolved, but there are still minor things such as the gods, Fionn, and the Alliance.
I can't remember if this holds true from last book, but my favorite character was Sam. I'm glad the question that was up in the air in book one was finally resolved in book 2. Eventually. It took most of the book, so if you didn't read book one you will know what question I mean in this book as well. I'm glad that we got to know a bit more about Alex in this book as he is a complicated kid. It's good that he has so many people around him that care about him, no matter how frustrating they might be.
There is a lot of action in this book and I feel the next book is going to focus more on Joshua. Normally, I have this thing against Joshuas, but I'll make an exception for this one. If he can rise above his past I can get over his terrible name to the character itself. Joshua is actually quite great and I can't wait to see how his story plays out. It will be fun to see what happens next.
I liked the idea of the Chivalry games. It's got the spectator sport of gladiators, democratic talks where groups are represented, and a way to get out factions frustrations without bloodshed. Well...minimal bloodshed. Okay, so no one is supposed to die.
We got a few new characters in this book, other than just Joshua. All of which seem to be sticking around for the series to come which is exciting. Then there is the band. I hope for good things for them and that the drummer gets to meet Sid. Not sure why the fan there, but hopefully that little minor tidbit is answered in books to come.
My biggest meh about this book is the titans. They're in the title so we're expecting them throughout the book. When you think of titans you think of these great and powerful beings. Now, I will give it to you that the titans in this book are both 'great, in the large sense, and powerful. Other than that they are kind of a let down. Each titan has one battle that sometimes isn't even a full chapter long. They seemed almost too easy and fell short of the build up. Especially after the battle with Byron in book one. I just expected more, I guess.
One thing that I really enjoyed about book one was the subtle themes of redemption, and the ability to have that second chance that was included in an otherwise action-packed story. The Cursed Titans managed to again bring a deeper meaning into an action-packed storyline. In this case, it was mental illness.
It is difficult to find respectful depictions of mental illness in fiction, even more difficult to find it in the fantasy genre. Every time I see an author who uses mental illness as more than a prop in a story, I am incredibly impressed. Author Ricardo Victoria masterfully wove a story of depression, hope, and redemption in with a world filled with villains and magic.
Gaby was my favorite character in The Withered King. She was pretty high on the kick-butt-o’meter. However, it was Alex who stole the show in this book. I could identify a little bit with his battle with depression, although the way it is portrayed in The Cursed Titans is infinitely more creative and interesting than my depression happens to be. He had quite a bit of character growth, which I always appreciate.
Of course, this theme of mental illness was set against a unique backdrop, which had a bit of a My Hero Academia feel to it. I don’t know why that jumps to mind for me, but it does. I happen to love My Hero Academia, so I was jazzed about that. Combine that with the epic video game vibe that carried over from book one, and The Cursed Titans was a win for me.
I was very impressed at the way the author balanced a fast-paced fantasy book with what feels like a deeply personal exploration of depression, its effects, and what it truly means to overcome. The Cursed Titans was very well done.
A very strong follow up to the first Tempest Blades novel. It introduces new characters that do a good job of rounding out the cast and provide a different perspective on the world. Ricardo Victoria also does a great job of exploring more of the backstory and inner turmoil of the existing characters through a combination of flashbacks and inner monologues. Overall a great sequel and I’m really looking forward to the next one!
First admission, I’m really not the target audience of this book at all, as neither manga nor anime really float my boat. But I’m always game to give anything a go and I did enjoy the first outing of this little gang of superheroes… So. The Cursed Titans? It’s not easy being a superhero, particularly when you are Alex who is both bored and plagued by depression. The chance to compete in a sort of superhero Olympic Games could be his saviour. Or his nemesis? You’ll need to read it to see. Me? I found it mostly very readable, if occasionally a bit clunky grammar and vocabulary wise. The action comes fast and furious and there are plenty of baddies to boo. Overall this is a brave attempt to look at real world issues through the medium of comic-book characters with amazing superpowers. And mostly it does precisely what it sets out to do, hide a message in a strong story. If you love your manga and anime grab this book and dive in. A solid four stars.
This has been an amazing second novel. We get to know the characters a lot more and they are all great in their own unique ways. The book was a lot of fun to read and I look forward to what comes next.
This is the sequel to Victoria’s Withered King and it continues the anime antics of the first novel, but takes it up another notch. The characters have grown in power since the first book putting them near the power of superheroes. The book also changes its focus to Alex, who was a secondary character in the first novel. In between the hectic march of battles and adventures, Victoria takes an introspective turn to explore the psychology of depression and what that means for a person. There is also more time spent developing the characters and less time with world building, relying a lot on the world building in the first novel.
The story starts with Alex overcompensating for his depression, acting as a vigilante and catching thieves robbing his favorite comic book shop. The action intensifies as he is united with his friends for a political tournament that helps different countries and international organizations to make decisions in place of wars. The politics evolve into a greater problem for all the teams.
As I’ve said before, this novel has a foundation in video games, so if you’re a fan of fantasy or Steampunk style video games, this novel could interest you. Also check this novel out if you like action scenes, explorations of depression, and characters that are their own worst enemies.