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Shadow Saga #3
Shadow's Master
A land of death and shadow where only the strongest survive. Yet that is where Caim must go to follow the mystery at the heart of his life. Armed only with his knives and his companions, he plunges into a world of eternal night where the sun is never seen and every hand is turned against him. Caim has buried his father’s sword and found some measure of peace, but deep in the north an unfathomable power lies waiting. To succeed on this mission, Caim will have to do more than just survive. He must face the Shadow’s Master. With this novel, Jon Sprunk brings his action-packed trilogy to an epic conclusion.
390 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2012
26 people are currently reading
1272 people want to read
About the author
Jon Sprunk
30 books364 followersFantasy author living in central Pennsylvania. I love to travel (especially places with old ruins), watch football (American NFL, not that soccer stuff), drink (rum and coke, preferred), and enjoy life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
March 5, 2018
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Jon Sprunk has taken the readers of Shadow Saga on a wild ride. First, in Shadow’s Son, there was the action-filled, pulse-pounding introduction of Caim the assassin, as he fought his way through the ancient city of Othir with a young woman named Josey in tow. In Shadow’s Lure, the story morphed into an epic fantasy; Caim journeying north through war torn lands to undercover his past, while Empress Josephine (Josey) of the Nimean Empire fights to maintain her newly won crown. And in Shadow’s Master, the tale of these two star crossed lovers and their individual quests comes to a final conclusion.
As the finale begins, the war weary and emotional drained Caim is about to enter the far north (Arctic Circle-like setting), where the sun never shines, winter never ends, and the war-like clans bend their knees to the mysterious power of the Shadow realm. His confrontation with his Aunt Sybelle in the previous book has also opened his eyes to exactly who and what he is: the half-breed spawn of a human father and a Shadow mother, but the truth did not liberate him as he anticipated, because now he also knows his mother was not killed when he was a child, but has languished as a prisoner of her own father all these years. And so Caim squares his shoulders, sharpens his blades, and trudges ever onward, determined to confront the Shadow powers and rescue his mother, or die trying!
Fluttering along behind Caim is Kit the disembodied spirit who has watched over him since childhood. While their relationship was strictly platonic in Shadow’s Son, it rather quickly transformed into a steamy affair in book two, as Kit made known her desire to have a romantic relationship, demanding that Caim forget Josey and help her find a way to be together. But while she is absolutely sure of her feelings for him, the young assassin is not; his feelings for her and for Josey pulling him in opposite directions, and so Kit begins a desperately search for a way to be with her beloved in the flesh at last – no matter the cost!
Far to the south, Caim’s one time lover Empress Josephine has found her campaign into the northern marches of Nimean beset by immediate trouble. Brigands rape and pillage at will; her own nobles ignore these incursions in favor of waging personal crusades against rivals; and all her attempts to discover news of Caim continues to meet failure. With her former lover’s child growing in her womb and enemies circling around her, Josey attempts to set aside her fears and measure up to her illustrious ancestors, but even with old allies and new protectors aiding her, things look bleak, as an army of Shadow spawn begin their invasion of the Empire!
Make no mistake, Shadow’s Master is a classic quest novel. Caim’s quest is obviously one to rescue his mother and confront his mixed heritage. Josey’s begins as a mission to fight her way to the father of her unborn child, but soon turns into a personal mission to prove to herself that she is truly worthy of being Empress of the Nimean Empire. And Kit’s quest is simply to find a way to become real for Caim and make him love her as she loves him. Intermingled into all of this is Sprunk’s trademark sword and sorcery action with dazzling sword fighting and buckets of blood and gore; loads of back story about the Shadows: where they come from and why they are attempting to conquer the world; and a final conclusion to the trilogy, which might not tie up all the loose ends, but tries to satisfactorily brings everything to an ending.
There were a few elements of the story that didn’t measure up for me however, and I’d feel remiss if I didn’t at least touch upon them for prospective readers of the series.
First, Caim’s interaction with other characters is almost non-existent in this one. Yeah, he does have three traveling companions: Aemon, Dray and Malig, but there really isn’t any camaraderie between them, nor do Aemon, Dray, and Malig grow into anything more than standard “red shirts.” Obviously, Caim’s constant guardian angel Kit is still floating around, but she deserves her own paragraph.
Kit. Oh, Kit. Where do I begin? I could mention how increasingly annoying she has become. The fact that she is so obsessed about having her feelings reciprocated – no matter the costs – has grown into stalker-like behavior. And the way she disappears for extended periods of time, leaving Caim in dangerous situations while she is off looking for a way to make him love her, didn’t put her in a good light. Honestly, I just could have done with less Bella Swan-like “We can’t be apart. You can’t leave me. Ever!” nonsense.
Third, Caim’s powers continue to grow. They even morph into vampire-like monstrosities where he begins to lose strength unless the shadows feed off death. While in past books Sprunk did mention Caim’s shadows descending into feeding frenzies, this whole vampire thing was so unexpected, so jarring, and so head-scratching that it distracted from th story more than added to it.
Fourth, the resolution of Caim’s quest to save his mother falls flat. There is all this build up to his arrival at Erebus, his confrontation with his grandfather, his reunion with his mother, and the final revelation of what the Shadow denizens are really after, but when each one materializes, they fizzle rather than sizzle, in my opinion anyway.
Lastly, the way the Caim-Josey-Kit love triangle ends is rather disappointing. Not how they pair off necessarily, because I felt that was inevitable, but the way it is done. Just left a lot to be desired.
The Shadow Saga has been quite the adventure. From Assassin’s Creed-like beginning to epic fantasy ending, Jon Sprunk steadily flexes his storytelling skills, crafting an action packed trilogy that will remind sword and sorcery lovers why they first fell in love with the genre.
Jon Sprunk has taken the readers of Shadow Saga on a wild ride. First, in Shadow’s Son, there was the action-filled, pulse-pounding introduction of Caim the assassin, as he fought his way through the ancient city of Othir with a young woman named Josey in tow. In Shadow’s Lure, the story morphed into an epic fantasy; Caim journeying north through war torn lands to undercover his past, while Empress Josephine (Josey) of the Nimean Empire fights to maintain her newly won crown. And in Shadow’s Master, the tale of these two star crossed lovers and their individual quests comes to a final conclusion.
As the finale begins, the war weary and emotional drained Caim is about to enter the far north (Arctic Circle-like setting), where the sun never shines, winter never ends, and the war-like clans bend their knees to the mysterious power of the Shadow realm. His confrontation with his Aunt Sybelle in the previous book has also opened his eyes to exactly who and what he is: the half-breed spawn of a human father and a Shadow mother, but the truth did not liberate him as he anticipated, because now he also knows his mother was not killed when he was a child, but has languished as a prisoner of her own father all these years. And so Caim squares his shoulders, sharpens his blades, and trudges ever onward, determined to confront the Shadow powers and rescue his mother, or die trying!
Fluttering along behind Caim is Kit the disembodied spirit who has watched over him since childhood. While their relationship was strictly platonic in Shadow’s Son, it rather quickly transformed into a steamy affair in book two, as Kit made known her desire to have a romantic relationship, demanding that Caim forget Josey and help her find a way to be together. But while she is absolutely sure of her feelings for him, the young assassin is not; his feelings for her and for Josey pulling him in opposite directions, and so Kit begins a desperately search for a way to be with her beloved in the flesh at last – no matter the cost!
Far to the south, Caim’s one time lover Empress Josephine has found her campaign into the northern marches of Nimean beset by immediate trouble. Brigands rape and pillage at will; her own nobles ignore these incursions in favor of waging personal crusades against rivals; and all her attempts to discover news of Caim continues to meet failure. With her former lover’s child growing in her womb and enemies circling around her, Josey attempts to set aside her fears and measure up to her illustrious ancestors, but even with old allies and new protectors aiding her, things look bleak, as an army of Shadow spawn begin their invasion of the Empire!
Make no mistake, Shadow’s Master is a classic quest novel. Caim’s quest is obviously one to rescue his mother and confront his mixed heritage. Josey’s begins as a mission to fight her way to the father of her unborn child, but soon turns into a personal mission to prove to herself that she is truly worthy of being Empress of the Nimean Empire. And Kit’s quest is simply to find a way to become real for Caim and make him love her as she loves him. Intermingled into all of this is Sprunk’s trademark sword and sorcery action with dazzling sword fighting and buckets of blood and gore; loads of back story about the Shadows: where they come from and why they are attempting to conquer the world; and a final conclusion to the trilogy, which might not tie up all the loose ends, but tries to satisfactorily brings everything to an ending.
There were a few elements of the story that didn’t measure up for me however, and I’d feel remiss if I didn’t at least touch upon them for prospective readers of the series.
First, Caim’s interaction with other characters is almost non-existent in this one. Yeah, he does have three traveling companions: Aemon, Dray and Malig, but there really isn’t any camaraderie between them, nor do Aemon, Dray, and Malig grow into anything more than standard “red shirts.” Obviously, Caim’s constant guardian angel Kit is still floating around, but she deserves her own paragraph.
Kit. Oh, Kit. Where do I begin? I could mention how increasingly annoying she has become. The fact that she is so obsessed about having her feelings reciprocated – no matter the costs – has grown into stalker-like behavior. And the way she disappears for extended periods of time, leaving Caim in dangerous situations while she is off looking for a way to make him love her, didn’t put her in a good light. Honestly, I just could have done with less Bella Swan-like “We can’t be apart. You can’t leave me. Ever!” nonsense.
Third, Caim’s powers continue to grow. They even morph into vampire-like monstrosities where he begins to lose strength unless the shadows feed off death. While in past books Sprunk did mention Caim’s shadows descending into feeding frenzies, this whole vampire thing was so unexpected, so jarring, and so head-scratching that it distracted from th story more than added to it.
Fourth, the resolution of Caim’s quest to save his mother falls flat. There is all this build up to his arrival at Erebus, his confrontation with his grandfather, his reunion with his mother, and the final revelation of what the Shadow denizens are really after, but when each one materializes, they fizzle rather than sizzle, in my opinion anyway.
Lastly, the way the Caim-Josey-Kit love triangle ends is rather disappointing. Not how they pair off necessarily, because I felt that was inevitable, but the way it is done. Just left a lot to be desired.
The Shadow Saga has been quite the adventure. From Assassin’s Creed-like beginning to epic fantasy ending, Jon Sprunk steadily flexes his storytelling skills, crafting an action packed trilogy that will remind sword and sorcery lovers why they first fell in love with the genre.
April 4, 2012
In my first review for this series (for Shadow's Son), I made a big deal about assassins. The main character is Caim, an assassin above and beyond the rest. He's not only able to use the shadows around him to his advantage, but he also has an invisible friend (I said invisible not imaginary), Kit, who helps him out and warns him of hidden dangers.
By book three (that's this one), Caim and the story itself have evolved into much more than an "assassin" tale. Yes, his assassin skills continually come in handy and yes, this takes the action scenes to the next level of awesome, but Caim is a different man who's conflicted with more problems than finding his next target.
At this point in the tale, Caim is driven north by an unknown prompting, but the problem is, the north is filled with northmen. Unruly tribes battle each other for territory while all the while the shadow is slowly taking over - so much so that the sun can no longer be seen.
Caim also struggles as he loses more and more friends to his possibly meaningless quest north. Even Kit acts odd as she struggles with her love of Caim and impossible situation of being intangible. Sprunk even adds a catch-22 reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.
As Caim heads north, Josey, the empress of Nimea and mother of Caim's unborn child, decides to head north herself under the guise of ... well ... she just wants to find Caim okay. Is that so bad? As she tours the northern ends of her empire, she runs into troubles of her own with feuding nobles being the least of her problems.
Keeping up the same action-packed pace as the rest of the trilogy, Shadow's Master is an excellent conclusion to a great series. While things wrap up nicely (for the most part), it didn't feel like such a perfect wrap-up, more like a transition to the next stage and I really liked that.
The Shadow Saga is light on description and world-building, but heavy on characters and combat. No word is minced and everything moves to the action-packed climax. A series not to be missed.
4 out of 5 Stars
Book 1, Shadow's Son
Book 2, Shadow's Lure
I interviewed the author, Jon Sprunk, here.
By book three (that's this one), Caim and the story itself have evolved into much more than an "assassin" tale. Yes, his assassin skills continually come in handy and yes, this takes the action scenes to the next level of awesome, but Caim is a different man who's conflicted with more problems than finding his next target.
At this point in the tale, Caim is driven north by an unknown prompting, but the problem is, the north is filled with northmen. Unruly tribes battle each other for territory while all the while the shadow is slowly taking over - so much so that the sun can no longer be seen.
Caim also struggles as he loses more and more friends to his possibly meaningless quest north. Even Kit acts odd as she struggles with her love of Caim and impossible situation of being intangible. Sprunk even adds a catch-22 reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.
As Caim heads north, Josey, the empress of Nimea and mother of Caim's unborn child, decides to head north herself under the guise of ... well ... she just wants to find Caim okay. Is that so bad? As she tours the northern ends of her empire, she runs into troubles of her own with feuding nobles being the least of her problems.
Keeping up the same action-packed pace as the rest of the trilogy, Shadow's Master is an excellent conclusion to a great series. While things wrap up nicely (for the most part), it didn't feel like such a perfect wrap-up, more like a transition to the next stage and I really liked that.
The Shadow Saga is light on description and world-building, but heavy on characters and combat. No word is minced and everything moves to the action-packed climax. A series not to be missed.
4 out of 5 Stars
Book 1, Shadow's Son
Book 2, Shadow's Lure
I interviewed the author, Jon Sprunk, here.
March 25, 2015
I didn't start out hating this book. I can't say I loved this series, but it had some interesting elements and it kept me reading despite the cliche characters.
However this book took a turn for the worst.
Shadow's Master is split into two story lines. It follows Caim as he journeys to the North in search of his mother, who disappeared when he was really young and he assumed was dead. It also follows Josey as she rules over her new kingdom that is already being threatened by war as the people adjust to their new empress.
My main issues were with the main characters. Caim and Josey have a history, and while Caim is journeying he can't help but think of Josey at home, even showing up to threaten people that if Josey comes to harm he will hold them responsible. Even though he left her to trek North. (Way to pass the blame)
Then Josey decides to follow him North - to save her kingdom and possibly run back into Caim. In fact the majority of the book is about how heartbroken these two love birds are that they are separated. I quickly became bored.
ThenJosey meets a young hot soldier, and Caim starts to "notice" Kit, his shadow who basically forces her feelings on him. And then its Caim who? Josey who? For fucks sake I thought I was reading a book about shadows and assassins, not angsty teenagers that change the object of their affection more than they change their underwear.
I used to like Kit as she seemed strong, and sarcastic but in this book she comes off as dramatic and spoiled, hiding when she doesn't get her way, thinking nothing of consequences, and returning at the most inopportune times endangering people's lives with no thought to anything but herself. The relationship between her and Caim left a bad taste in my mouth.
At the point where he started leaving his friends to die because Kit thought it was a good time to show her idiot face, I was hoping that this would be one of those rare books that finished with the main character being killed off.
Then there is the "relationship" between Josey and her soldier. Who she meets and of course finds so dreamy, yet she can't forget about Caim. Until There was no chemistry, and their only interactions were discussing the war, him saving her (and thus touching her) and her dreaming about kissing him. He was flat and uninteresting, but at least he had a hot bod and that's all an Empress needs right?
Not to mention all the loose ends at the end that are left hanging. My first thought when finishing this book was thank God that was over. And then I realized he left a lot of things unknown, but the fact that I didn't even care is just testament to how much I disliked this book.
However this book took a turn for the worst.
Shadow's Master is split into two story lines. It follows Caim as he journeys to the North in search of his mother, who disappeared when he was really young and he assumed was dead. It also follows Josey as she rules over her new kingdom that is already being threatened by war as the people adjust to their new empress.
My main issues were with the main characters. Caim and Josey have a history, and while Caim is journeying he can't help but think of Josey at home, even showing up to threaten people that if Josey comes to harm he will hold them responsible. Even though he left her to trek North. (Way to pass the blame)
Then Josey decides to follow him North - to save her kingdom and possibly run back into Caim. In fact the majority of the book is about how heartbroken these two love birds are that they are separated. I quickly became bored.
ThenJosey meets a young hot soldier, and Caim starts to "notice" Kit, his shadow who basically forces her feelings on him. And then its Caim who? Josey who? For fucks sake I thought I was reading a book about shadows and assassins, not angsty teenagers that change the object of their affection more than they change their underwear.
I used to like Kit as she seemed strong, and sarcastic but in this book she comes off as dramatic and spoiled, hiding when she doesn't get her way, thinking nothing of consequences, and returning at the most inopportune times endangering people's lives with no thought to anything but herself. The relationship between her and Caim left a bad taste in my mouth.
At the point where he started leaving his friends to die because Kit thought it was a good time to show her idiot face, I was hoping that this would be one of those rare books that finished with the main character being killed off.
Then there is the "relationship" between Josey and her soldier. Who she meets and of course finds so dreamy, yet she can't forget about Caim. Until There was no chemistry, and their only interactions were discussing the war, him saving her (and thus touching her) and her dreaming about kissing him. He was flat and uninteresting, but at least he had a hot bod and that's all an Empress needs right?
Not to mention all the loose ends at the end that are left hanging. My first thought when finishing this book was thank God that was over. And then I realized he left a lot of things unknown, but the fact that I didn't even care is just testament to how much I disliked this book.
August 28, 2010
Oh bugger, I've just lost the review I'd almost finished writing of this book thanks to bad mouse control and unnecessary panic. Ho hum.
Anyway, yes, another Gollancz debut. Once I had realised that my holiday was going to be fairly genre heavy, I decided on an SF/Fantasy pattern. I also fancied a light/heavy pattern - I generally like my books to involve some thought on the part of the reader, but on the other hand, what is a holiday for if not to read something a bit more trashy than usual while sitting in the sunshine? Not that I'm saying some of these books were trash, just that perhaps some appeared to be a bit more straightforward than others. Also, Shadow's Son had a blurb which seemed quite entertaining - the main character is an assassin, so it probably wasn't going to be all heroism and goodness - although the fact that the back cover of the proof suggested that it was perfect for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson and Assasin's Creed perhaps should have been a bit of a warning. Not that I have anything against any of those people, it's just that I haven't read them, and have never really felt the desire to, so possibly I wasn't the target audience for this book.
Still, it was generally a fun read, and I blasted through it, which was sort-of the point. The prose may not be exactly sparkling, but it is efficient and certainly not terrible, which is a win to begin with. Although the main male character was enjoyable to read about and entertainingly cutting/selfish, depressingly, he turned out to discover a sense of moral propriety, which was a bit of a shame. I think it's also fair to say that sometimes the most interesting thing about him was his invisible friend, who came and went depending on her mood. We do get a real explanation for who she is later on, although I'm sure there's more yet to be revealed, but the interplay between our assassin and his invisible helper was enjoyable. The author doesn't try any fancy 'does she really exist, or is she only in his mind' shenanigans (or if he did, I can't remember them), but then, we're not here for ambiguity - we're here for assassination, magic, conspiracy and possibly, if we meet the right person, romance.
The plot, actually, is quite entertaining, in a mildly generic way. There are some nice twists, but in the end we're in 'betrayal, clear your name, get revenge' territory. Again, nothing wrong with that, and the book barrels along quite happily. There are a few things that are left unsorted, leaving us to wait for book two (oh, what a surprise, there's going to be a book two), but the main plot is despatched with a win for the good(ish) team, and a pleasing willingness to not marry off the two main characters, but to let them go their own ways. I may have some minor issues with the political set-up of the world - everything seems to get sorted out a little too easily at the end to be realistic - but things are pretty good on this front.
The other lead character, incidentally, is also quite well portrayed. Starting off as a spoiled brat who gets caught up in more than she can handle, the author does quite a good job of writing a convincing pattern of growth. Maybe she takes the murder and violence a little too calmly, but it isn't bad at all. Until we come to the point, about three-quarters of the way through the book, that really ruined it all for me. One of the bad guys, a rich nobleman who our heroine used to trust, captures Josey and kills her guardian. Then we get a rape scene which, although (mercifully for the reader) brief, is so misjudged as to be offensive. I don't really know where to begin, to be honest, but after my issues with Veteran (http://marcusgipps.livejournal.com/69...), I was surprised to find a book that I thought was even more dubious in its presentation of teenage girls. I mean Josey's seventeen, but it's fiction, OK, maybe. And generally she's been fairly well portrayed - quite tough, bright, all that, so that's good. Then she gets raped, and I'm going to quote this, but bear in mind that I'm quoting from the proof, so if this has changed in the published edition, I apologise:
"Josey screamed as a lance of red-hot pain penetrated between her thighs. Golden starbursts filled the black space behind her clenched eyelids. So lovely, they carried her away from the horrors of the waking world."
Oh, good. I'm sure the author has no intention to be offensive, and I can sort of see what he's aiming at with "horrors", but it can't just be me that thinks "so lovely" is probably not the right way to go here. I could just about cope with that if there was a real reason for the rape, but quite frankly, it barely seems to be mentioned again, beyond some low-level villain-hero taunting. It isn't entirely forgotten about, but it certainly isn't focused on, and I have real trouble thinking that our seventeen year old character is quite that plucky. It's insensitive, badly written, borderline offensive and, quite frankly, should have been edited out. It left such an nasty taste in my mouth that the rest of the book, really, didn't matter. I only finished it because I believe in giving books a chance to explain themselves - maybe there'd be a last minute scene where everything gets discussed! - but there wasn't. A shame, as up to this point I was OK with the book. Perhaps I'm being naive and oversensitive, and if anyone's out there please do try and explain it to me, if you want, but good god it was bad. Bad writing, bad editing, bad characterisation. Shame.
I read a proof on holiday in June, but I wouldn't bother if I were you. Probably out now, ISBN: 9780575096004.
Anyway, yes, another Gollancz debut. Once I had realised that my holiday was going to be fairly genre heavy, I decided on an SF/Fantasy pattern. I also fancied a light/heavy pattern - I generally like my books to involve some thought on the part of the reader, but on the other hand, what is a holiday for if not to read something a bit more trashy than usual while sitting in the sunshine? Not that I'm saying some of these books were trash, just that perhaps some appeared to be a bit more straightforward than others. Also, Shadow's Son had a blurb which seemed quite entertaining - the main character is an assassin, so it probably wasn't going to be all heroism and goodness - although the fact that the back cover of the proof suggested that it was perfect for readers of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson and Assasin's Creed perhaps should have been a bit of a warning. Not that I have anything against any of those people, it's just that I haven't read them, and have never really felt the desire to, so possibly I wasn't the target audience for this book.
Still, it was generally a fun read, and I blasted through it, which was sort-of the point. The prose may not be exactly sparkling, but it is efficient and certainly not terrible, which is a win to begin with. Although the main male character was enjoyable to read about and entertainingly cutting/selfish, depressingly, he turned out to discover a sense of moral propriety, which was a bit of a shame. I think it's also fair to say that sometimes the most interesting thing about him was his invisible friend, who came and went depending on her mood. We do get a real explanation for who she is later on, although I'm sure there's more yet to be revealed, but the interplay between our assassin and his invisible helper was enjoyable. The author doesn't try any fancy 'does she really exist, or is she only in his mind' shenanigans (or if he did, I can't remember them), but then, we're not here for ambiguity - we're here for assassination, magic, conspiracy and possibly, if we meet the right person, romance.
The plot, actually, is quite entertaining, in a mildly generic way. There are some nice twists, but in the end we're in 'betrayal, clear your name, get revenge' territory. Again, nothing wrong with that, and the book barrels along quite happily. There are a few things that are left unsorted, leaving us to wait for book two (oh, what a surprise, there's going to be a book two), but the main plot is despatched with a win for the good(ish) team, and a pleasing willingness to not marry off the two main characters, but to let them go their own ways. I may have some minor issues with the political set-up of the world - everything seems to get sorted out a little too easily at the end to be realistic - but things are pretty good on this front.
The other lead character, incidentally, is also quite well portrayed. Starting off as a spoiled brat who gets caught up in more than she can handle, the author does quite a good job of writing a convincing pattern of growth. Maybe she takes the murder and violence a little too calmly, but it isn't bad at all. Until we come to the point, about three-quarters of the way through the book, that really ruined it all for me. One of the bad guys, a rich nobleman who our heroine used to trust, captures Josey and kills her guardian. Then we get a rape scene which, although (mercifully for the reader) brief, is so misjudged as to be offensive. I don't really know where to begin, to be honest, but after my issues with Veteran (http://marcusgipps.livejournal.com/69...), I was surprised to find a book that I thought was even more dubious in its presentation of teenage girls. I mean Josey's seventeen, but it's fiction, OK, maybe. And generally she's been fairly well portrayed - quite tough, bright, all that, so that's good. Then she gets raped, and I'm going to quote this, but bear in mind that I'm quoting from the proof, so if this has changed in the published edition, I apologise:
"Josey screamed as a lance of red-hot pain penetrated between her thighs. Golden starbursts filled the black space behind her clenched eyelids. So lovely, they carried her away from the horrors of the waking world."
Oh, good. I'm sure the author has no intention to be offensive, and I can sort of see what he's aiming at with "horrors", but it can't just be me that thinks "so lovely" is probably not the right way to go here. I could just about cope with that if there was a real reason for the rape, but quite frankly, it barely seems to be mentioned again, beyond some low-level villain-hero taunting. It isn't entirely forgotten about, but it certainly isn't focused on, and I have real trouble thinking that our seventeen year old character is quite that plucky. It's insensitive, badly written, borderline offensive and, quite frankly, should have been edited out. It left such an nasty taste in my mouth that the rest of the book, really, didn't matter. I only finished it because I believe in giving books a chance to explain themselves - maybe there'd be a last minute scene where everything gets discussed! - but there wasn't. A shame, as up to this point I was OK with the book. Perhaps I'm being naive and oversensitive, and if anyone's out there please do try and explain it to me, if you want, but good god it was bad. Bad writing, bad editing, bad characterisation. Shame.
I read a proof on holiday in June, but I wouldn't bother if I were you. Probably out now, ISBN: 9780575096004.
Want to read
January 26, 2012The cover is out! For those out of the loop this is the old and new one for comparison, respectively:
Can't say I'm too upset about the final version. Even though it looks like Caim's makeup artist slathered a generous amount of mascara upon him (seriously. What is up with that villainous stare? He's an assassin, not the devil), I much prefer the new version to the old. His pose in the old version is too awkward and icky, Kit looks lost and copypasted on and the stars behind them give off a starry starry night vibe... or maybe that's just me.
Cover cries aside, this book is definitely one of my most anticipated releases for 2012. I can't wait to see what's in store for Caim!
Can't say I'm too upset about the final version. Even though it looks like Caim's makeup artist slathered a generous amount of mascara upon him (seriously. What is up with that villainous stare? He's an assassin, not the devil), I much prefer the new version to the old. His pose in the old version is too awkward and icky, Kit looks lost and copypasted on and the stars behind them give off a starry starry night vibe... or maybe that's just me.
Cover cries aside, this book is definitely one of my most anticipated releases for 2012. I can't wait to see what's in store for Caim!
June 9, 2012
The final installment in the story of the scion of darkness - Caim Du'Vartha - and I'm struggling a little to find positive things to say about it. I'm mostly glad I got to the finish line. It's not a bad epic, but I get the feeling it will be appreciated more inside the genre than by readers unfamiliar with fantasy tropes, especially with this recent popular direction towards bad-ass protagonists that are very very good at killing people. I don't like to get nasty about a new author, but I got to admit this third book didn't work as well as the first two for me.
The plot provides a lot of cannon fodder for the epic onslaught that takes Caim further north than the events of Shadow's Lure where he has to use his knives almost every step of the way. Jon Sprunk has already demonstrated that he can tell a well paced action-adventure, but I felt that if you take away the fighting sequences, there's not much left. I don't call the revelations at the end plot twists: they are soo predictable, both on the part of the adversaries and on the part of the romantic angles, I could smell them from the previous volume. Maybe I've been reading too much fantasy, and I'm getting jaded about hidden heirs to kingdoms that wield magic swords and deploy uberpowerful magical abilities. I would like to see the next book by the author dealing more adventurously in terms of plot instead of focusing almost exclusively on combat. The characters and the dialogue could also benefit from a bit of polishing - I would call the novel Y.A. in treatment if it weren't for the sheer amount of gory details.
The supporting cast had a bit less to do here than in previous volumes, Kim and Josey are OK, but - again - extremely predictable and unsubtle in their emotional struggles.
I finally decided to rate this 3 stars instead of 2, for the overall impression of the Shadow series, and because I think other readers might appreciate it more than me.
May 10, 2012
I thought this book was pretty good, but it fell apart for me at the end, mostly due to how the love triangle was handled. I admit I was more pro Caim/Josey than Caim/Kit, in part because the Kit relationship felt very forced to me. I was really looking forward to Caim and Josey's reunion, and when it happens, it's like two strangers are having a quick sip of tea and that's it. Josey's pregnancy, a major plot catalyst and catalyst for Caim's character, is merely stashed under the rug--Caim never learns of it, and even Josey's new love interest is kept in the dark. It felt like a broken promise to me.
The ending battle isn't nearly as big as the first two books made me think it would be, and there weren't many secrets to unveil. The way Caim defeats the last "boss" didn't quite make sense to me, either. His powers lie with the shadows, but he certainly didn't use the power of shadows in that last battle. I wanted more of that, and I needed the book to be a few pages longer if only to figure out where this ex-assassin would end up next. And while I'm not a huge Kit fan, some of her POV felt a little rushed.
Regardless, I plan to read Sprunk's next book.
The ending battle isn't nearly as big as the first two books made me think it would be, and there weren't many secrets to unveil. The way Caim defeats the last "boss" didn't quite make sense to me, either. His powers lie with the shadows, but he certainly didn't use the power of shadows in that last battle. I wanted more of that, and I needed the book to be a few pages longer if only to figure out where this ex-assassin would end up next. And while I'm not a huge Kit fan, some of her POV felt a little rushed.
Regardless, I plan to read Sprunk's next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2012
The third book in Mr. Sprunk’s Shadow Saga, Shadow’s Master delivers a satisfactory conclusion to the series. Thank goodness. Not that I didn’t like the Caim’s story and world, but damn the man took a beating and kept on ticking. He needs a break!
The book opens with shadows. Of course. And picks up pretty much right after the events in the second book, Shadow’s Lure. Caim has just killed is aunt (think: evil witch of the far north) and is heading north to find some answers about his origins and his mother; the realm of Nimea is at the brink of falling apart and Josey, the new Empress, is struggling to keep it all together; and Kit, the ethereal ditz, is pretty much doing the same thing as always – loving Caim in all the wrong ways.
The reader follows Caim into a northern wasteland populated by Northmen struggling to survive in a world darkened by shadow people – people like Caim. But seeing as Caim is half human, he can’t quite shake the feeling that he’s the only one that can do something about it. And he does. Along the way, he loses a few men who follow him and a nation, but he gains the love of his life: Kit.
Mr. Sprunk doesn’t disappoint those of his fans that read to get their action-packed fix. Caim battles it out with enough Shadow warriors, Northmen, and sorceresses to make your head spin. Believe me, if you want blood and gore, you’ll get it. I do enjoy that part of Caim’s story, however, for me, this last installment, while satisfactory, didn’t quite end on the right note for me. I felt there were too many questions lift hanging. Or, more importantly, aspects of the story that didn’t quite ring true. For example, I never could figure out why Aemon, Dray and Malig kept following him further and further north. There was nothing in it for them and they just seemed to be “cannon fodder” and unneeded (and unwanted) complications for Caim.
I did very much enjoy Josey’s story. The farther Caim traveled north, the more I wanted to remain with Josey and join her battle to keep the realm from tearing itself apart. Josey’s character grew in this installment. She became a leader for her people and marshaled disparate forces to work together. Of course, that was a bit easy for her as they had an opposing outside force threatening them all. Still, it was nice to see her make decisions and become a bit independent. I do have a bone to pick with her story as well. I don’t think Brian was necessary. Couldn’t she have stopped pining for Caim on her own without dangling a big, strong man under her nose? In a story world where nothing seemed to go right, it reeked a bit too much of convenience.
Though some parts of the world building could have been fleshed out (a few interesting new characters didn’t get enough paper time), Shadow’s Master is still a good read. If you’ve read along and enjoyed the first two books, you’ll find a lot to like in the last installment. Recommended.
The book opens with shadows. Of course. And picks up pretty much right after the events in the second book, Shadow’s Lure. Caim has just killed is aunt (think: evil witch of the far north) and is heading north to find some answers about his origins and his mother; the realm of Nimea is at the brink of falling apart and Josey, the new Empress, is struggling to keep it all together; and Kit, the ethereal ditz, is pretty much doing the same thing as always – loving Caim in all the wrong ways.
The reader follows Caim into a northern wasteland populated by Northmen struggling to survive in a world darkened by shadow people – people like Caim. But seeing as Caim is half human, he can’t quite shake the feeling that he’s the only one that can do something about it. And he does. Along the way, he loses a few men who follow him and a nation, but he gains the love of his life: Kit.
Mr. Sprunk doesn’t disappoint those of his fans that read to get their action-packed fix. Caim battles it out with enough Shadow warriors, Northmen, and sorceresses to make your head spin. Believe me, if you want blood and gore, you’ll get it. I do enjoy that part of Caim’s story, however, for me, this last installment, while satisfactory, didn’t quite end on the right note for me. I felt there were too many questions lift hanging. Or, more importantly, aspects of the story that didn’t quite ring true. For example, I never could figure out why Aemon, Dray and Malig kept following him further and further north. There was nothing in it for them and they just seemed to be “cannon fodder” and unneeded (and unwanted) complications for Caim.
I did very much enjoy Josey’s story. The farther Caim traveled north, the more I wanted to remain with Josey and join her battle to keep the realm from tearing itself apart. Josey’s character grew in this installment. She became a leader for her people and marshaled disparate forces to work together. Of course, that was a bit easy for her as they had an opposing outside force threatening them all. Still, it was nice to see her make decisions and become a bit independent. I do have a bone to pick with her story as well. I don’t think Brian was necessary. Couldn’t she have stopped pining for Caim on her own without dangling a big, strong man under her nose? In a story world where nothing seemed to go right, it reeked a bit too much of convenience.
Though some parts of the world building could have been fleshed out (a few interesting new characters didn’t get enough paper time), Shadow’s Master is still a good read. If you’ve read along and enjoyed the first two books, you’ll find a lot to like in the last installment. Recommended.
March 31, 2012
A rather weak ending. The pacing was good up until about 80% through the book, at which point everything felt rushed to give some form of closure.
As with the previous book, the Josephine chapters still served no purpose. Unfortunately, as this is the last book in the series, they now feel like nothing more than filler and as a way to justify the last few pages of the book.
As with the previous book, the Josephine chapters still served no purpose. Unfortunately, as this is the last book in the series, they now feel like nothing more than filler and as a way to justify the last few pages of the book.
December 30, 2014
Jon doesn't hold back here in this third book. He starts with a fight scene 13 pages in and a death less than that. Awesome. We find ourselves on a journey with three different POV's; Caim, Josey, and Balaam. Caim and Josey are both familiar to use and we have followed them for a time now. Balaam is new and follows suit with a shadow character's POV we get. Last book was Sybelle, this time with Balaam. All three go looking for one thing, and seem to find what they need instead.
****FULL REVIEW****
Caim is in the north, and moving further, drawn by a pull and nagging in his chest. Also, he's hoping to find answers to his past. The shadows are growing hungrier and stronger. Caim's control over them is becoming difficult, in calling and pushing them away. Josey has learned news she feels she must share with Caim, and heads on the road north to tell him but along the way she is diverted by her duties as Empress and ruler of the land. She must bring a feuding land together while defend against a new, magically strong enemy.
Jon doesn't hold back here in this third book. He starts with a fight scene 13 pages in and a death less than that. Awesome. We find ourselves on a journey with three different POV's; Caim, Josey, and Balaam. Caim and Josey are both familiar to use and we have followed them for a time now. Balaam is new and follows suit with a shadow character's POV we get. Last book was Sybelle, this time with Balaam. All three go looking for one thing, and seem to find what they need instead.
The book doesn't waste time rehashing what was told in previous books. Jon uses his word count wisely here and starts where Shadow's Lure ends. This series is one to read in order. This story started strong, then Caim's journey slowed a bit for me as he ventures the northern territory to find the city he's looking for. There is danger along the way with fights and action, but I was anxious to get to Erebus and learn all about the Shadow people and Caim's past. I didn't want to wait. And when we got to Erebus I got the answers I was looking for, and more.
Josey has been a pleasant surprise in these books, this book. She has grown into a wonderful Empress and worthy of her peoples love. She is strong and willing to stand on her own. I really enjoyed reading her sections in this story.
This is the last book of the trilogy. In the end, Caim gets his answers and more. Each of the characters finds an internal peace, of sorts. The ending is satisfactory for the way of each of the characters and the person they've grown into. However, I have a feel Jon left a few seeds here to return to the world, should he wish, in the future. With the seeds left, I kind of hope so.
I'm sorry to see this series end, but all great things do. I hope Jon ventures into the future with the seeds he's set here, but I will be following his future stories to come. Thank you Jon for this wonderful adventure.
****FULL REVIEW****
Caim is in the north, and moving further, drawn by a pull and nagging in his chest. Also, he's hoping to find answers to his past. The shadows are growing hungrier and stronger. Caim's control over them is becoming difficult, in calling and pushing them away. Josey has learned news she feels she must share with Caim, and heads on the road north to tell him but along the way she is diverted by her duties as Empress and ruler of the land. She must bring a feuding land together while defend against a new, magically strong enemy.
Jon doesn't hold back here in this third book. He starts with a fight scene 13 pages in and a death less than that. Awesome. We find ourselves on a journey with three different POV's; Caim, Josey, and Balaam. Caim and Josey are both familiar to use and we have followed them for a time now. Balaam is new and follows suit with a shadow character's POV we get. Last book was Sybelle, this time with Balaam. All three go looking for one thing, and seem to find what they need instead.
The book doesn't waste time rehashing what was told in previous books. Jon uses his word count wisely here and starts where Shadow's Lure ends. This series is one to read in order. This story started strong, then Caim's journey slowed a bit for me as he ventures the northern territory to find the city he's looking for. There is danger along the way with fights and action, but I was anxious to get to Erebus and learn all about the Shadow people and Caim's past. I didn't want to wait. And when we got to Erebus I got the answers I was looking for, and more.
Josey has been a pleasant surprise in these books, this book. She has grown into a wonderful Empress and worthy of her peoples love. She is strong and willing to stand on her own. I really enjoyed reading her sections in this story.
This is the last book of the trilogy. In the end, Caim gets his answers and more. Each of the characters finds an internal peace, of sorts. The ending is satisfactory for the way of each of the characters and the person they've grown into. However, I have a feel Jon left a few seeds here to return to the world, should he wish, in the future. With the seeds left, I kind of hope so.
I'm sorry to see this series end, but all great things do. I hope Jon ventures into the future with the seeds he's set here, but I will be following his future stories to come. Thank you Jon for this wonderful adventure.
July 6, 2020
I’m finally free of it. This wasn’t that great of a series, the magic system was completely without any kind of explanation. Caim wasn’t all that interesting of a character & I would barely ever call him an assassin. Kip started off mildly interesting, but spent too much of the book whining over Caim. Josie was by far the best part of the book. The ending was a bit anticlimactic. GraphicAudio did their best with the source material, but you really can’t clean a turd.
April 22, 2016
Chronique tirée de mon blog :
Caim continue son chemin vers le nord, un pays sans pitié, sans lumière.
Dans ce tome on s'éloigne des débuts de la série et du coté assassin et intrigue de cour, on est plongé dans la toundra et les barbares, bon certes les talents de Caim vont lui être sacrement utile mais plus du tout dans le même sens qu'avant. Plus ils avancent plus les pertes parmi ses amis sont importantes, et plus on se demande si finalement ils vont survivre suffisamment longtemps pour arriver au bout. Les personnes qui ont accompagné Caim commence aussi à perdre leur confiance et à se demander si ce lieu perdu dans les ténèbres sera leur tome à tous.
Je pense que Caim prend vraiment conscience qu'il est humain et de ses limites. Jusqu'ici il a toujours eu de la chance mais la, cette pleine interminable, cette nuit permanente... il y a de quoi sacrement déprimer n'importe qui.
Du coté de Josie j'ai trouvé que malgré les événements assez sombre, la guerre, elle était toujours représentée comme une gamine trop gâtée et naïve qui veut toujours faire les choses à sa façon ... qui n'est jamais la bonne. Bon certes elle apprend de ses erreurs et le but est justement de faire évoluer le personnage, mais a quel prix? Elle sors de sa coquille de surprotection et prend conscience de la réalité mais l'ensemble me donnait l'impression de rester sur le coté un peu trop facile et sans profondeur, comme si elle était incapable de se représenter elle même ce qu'il faut faire, et donc cela la rend vraiment aussi un peu écervelée, chose que je n'avais pas du tout remarqué sur les précédent tomes.
J'ai bien aimé l'évolution du personnages, bien que certains des compagnons de Caim m'aient vraiment mis les nerfs certaines fois, j'avais envie de les frapper tellement ils me semblaient écervelés.
En parlant d'écervelés, c'est Kit qui m'a bien déçue sur ce tome, elle n'a aucun sens du timing ! Elle est tellement obsédée par son lien avec Caim, on dirait qu'elle ne comprend pas la situation et résultat d'atout de Caim dans les tomes précédents elle devient un vrai poids sur une bonne partie du livre, sérieusement, quand tout semble perdu elle exige que Caim lui dise "je t'aime" sinon elle n'aide pas ... mais quel genre d'amour est-ce la?? Bref, j'ai un peu halluciné sur le coup, entre son évolution et celle de Josie, je n'ai pas vraiment aimé la façon dont l'auteur traitait ses personnages féminins, comme si elles n'étais aucune cervelle et aucun sens de la priorité et des dangers ... Pour moi il s'agit la du point noir de ce livre.
Ce tonne nous renseigne de façon beaucoup plus importante sur les ombres, ce qu'elles sont, ce qu'elles peuvent faire et surtout d’où elle viennent et leur lien avec Caim. J'ai vraiment aimé le fait que le "grand méchant" soit en fait si nuancé, ce n'est pas simplement une personne qui aime faire le mal ou qui a été élevé pour cela, non. Et c'est vrai que ça faisait de bien d'avoir un méchant qui tiens la route. Bon j'avais vu venir le retournement de situation qui fait suite, c'était un peu trop évident, même si je n'avais aucune idée de commence ça se goupillerais. Il n'en reste pas moins que cette partie la était bien faite.
Comme je l'imaginais les passages avec Josie sont à part dans l'histoire. En fait le livre à deux fins, d'un coté l'histoire de Caim, celle qu'on suivait depuis le début et d'un autre coté l'auteur a décidé de nous donner des nouvelles de Josie, qu'on suis donc pendant tout le volume sur un autre front, pour qu'elle ai sa fin aussi, qui est totalement indépendante de la première. Je trouve que finalement ça donne une certaine profondeur a l'univers, ce n'est pas simplement la quête du personnage principal, on voit aussi ce qui se passe ailleurs et on ne perd pas de vue les personnages une fois que Caim n'est plus à coté d'eux.
Dans l'ensemble j'ai bien aimé ce tome, je ne me suis pas du tout ennuyée, tout est passé très vite, je regrette simplement de ne pas me souvenir des détails des précédents, vu que Bragelonne à attendu 4 ans avant de nous sortir ce tome, ce qui fait que quand ils citaient une ville ou une personne des tomes précédents j'avais des fois du mal à me souvenir (voir à ne pas me souvenir du tout) de l'information, mais bon, peut être que je me referais une relecture groupées des trois tomes dans un futur lointain pour cela.
15/20
Caim continue son chemin vers le nord, un pays sans pitié, sans lumière.
Dans ce tome on s'éloigne des débuts de la série et du coté assassin et intrigue de cour, on est plongé dans la toundra et les barbares, bon certes les talents de Caim vont lui être sacrement utile mais plus du tout dans le même sens qu'avant. Plus ils avancent plus les pertes parmi ses amis sont importantes, et plus on se demande si finalement ils vont survivre suffisamment longtemps pour arriver au bout. Les personnes qui ont accompagné Caim commence aussi à perdre leur confiance et à se demander si ce lieu perdu dans les ténèbres sera leur tome à tous.
Je pense que Caim prend vraiment conscience qu'il est humain et de ses limites. Jusqu'ici il a toujours eu de la chance mais la, cette pleine interminable, cette nuit permanente... il y a de quoi sacrement déprimer n'importe qui.
Du coté de Josie j'ai trouvé que malgré les événements assez sombre, la guerre, elle était toujours représentée comme une gamine trop gâtée et naïve qui veut toujours faire les choses à sa façon ... qui n'est jamais la bonne. Bon certes elle apprend de ses erreurs et le but est justement de faire évoluer le personnage, mais a quel prix? Elle sors de sa coquille de surprotection et prend conscience de la réalité mais l'ensemble me donnait l'impression de rester sur le coté un peu trop facile et sans profondeur, comme si elle était incapable de se représenter elle même ce qu'il faut faire, et donc cela la rend vraiment aussi un peu écervelée, chose que je n'avais pas du tout remarqué sur les précédent tomes.
J'ai bien aimé l'évolution du personnages, bien que certains des compagnons de Caim m'aient vraiment mis les nerfs certaines fois, j'avais envie de les frapper tellement ils me semblaient écervelés.
En parlant d'écervelés, c'est Kit qui m'a bien déçue sur ce tome, elle n'a aucun sens du timing ! Elle est tellement obsédée par son lien avec Caim, on dirait qu'elle ne comprend pas la situation et résultat d'atout de Caim dans les tomes précédents elle devient un vrai poids sur une bonne partie du livre, sérieusement, quand tout semble perdu elle exige que Caim lui dise "je t'aime" sinon elle n'aide pas ... mais quel genre d'amour est-ce la?? Bref, j'ai un peu halluciné sur le coup, entre son évolution et celle de Josie, je n'ai pas vraiment aimé la façon dont l'auteur traitait ses personnages féminins, comme si elles n'étais aucune cervelle et aucun sens de la priorité et des dangers ... Pour moi il s'agit la du point noir de ce livre.
Ce tonne nous renseigne de façon beaucoup plus importante sur les ombres, ce qu'elles sont, ce qu'elles peuvent faire et surtout d’où elle viennent et leur lien avec Caim. J'ai vraiment aimé le fait que le "grand méchant" soit en fait si nuancé, ce n'est pas simplement une personne qui aime faire le mal ou qui a été élevé pour cela, non. Et c'est vrai que ça faisait de bien d'avoir un méchant qui tiens la route. Bon j'avais vu venir le retournement de situation qui fait suite, c'était un peu trop évident, même si je n'avais aucune idée de commence ça se goupillerais. Il n'en reste pas moins que cette partie la était bien faite.
Comme je l'imaginais les passages avec Josie sont à part dans l'histoire. En fait le livre à deux fins, d'un coté l'histoire de Caim, celle qu'on suivait depuis le début et d'un autre coté l'auteur a décidé de nous donner des nouvelles de Josie, qu'on suis donc pendant tout le volume sur un autre front, pour qu'elle ai sa fin aussi, qui est totalement indépendante de la première. Je trouve que finalement ça donne une certaine profondeur a l'univers, ce n'est pas simplement la quête du personnage principal, on voit aussi ce qui se passe ailleurs et on ne perd pas de vue les personnages une fois que Caim n'est plus à coté d'eux.
Dans l'ensemble j'ai bien aimé ce tome, je ne me suis pas du tout ennuyée, tout est passé très vite, je regrette simplement de ne pas me souvenir des détails des précédents, vu que Bragelonne à attendu 4 ans avant de nous sortir ce tome, ce qui fait que quand ils citaient une ville ou une personne des tomes précédents j'avais des fois du mal à me souvenir (voir à ne pas me souvenir du tout) de l'information, mais bon, peut être que je me referais une relecture groupées des trois tomes dans un futur lointain pour cela.
15/20
January 26, 2022
Well, I am NOT happy - oh you have NO idea just how UNHAPPY I am right now. I think disgusted & pissed off would be some words to describe my sudden pivot from the previous two comments for the first 2 books of this trilogy.
That is what I just don’t understand. How could a trilogy go SO well, be SO well told , characters interact great, the world building is amazing to only have the writer make such a bad decision. The characters whom have been groomed, made to be important to the story, who have had nothing but love for each other once they survive some horrible things, to then have the one character who made the other character feel that love is shared by them both only to end the way it did!!!! Not only that, but Caim can be so good at surviving against secret plans, death of many friends, become a feeling, caring human being after having had to close himself off because of his life up to that point only - while on a quest JUST DAYS/WEEKS after such great “love story” happenings only to just SUDDENLY give up that love - even up to that point thinking constantly about his love, that he missed her, that he needed to get back to her (after all isn’t that one of the MAIN events in this trilogy? For the Newly Discovered Empress to find out she loves the man who saved her? And that love was reciprocated!? That almost died to saved her??! But not just that, but he gave it up for a STUPID, CHILDISH & IRRITATING “Fae” person who admittedly has been part of his life in such a way that she’s more like a sister/relative - NOT in ANY way a LOVER! That is awful. WHY would u have the Empress fall in love with the Main Protagonist who is also of some royal blood due to his father having been a Duke or some such thing when he died (or whatever the hell he was called!) which makes it all work out for their legal marriage. Forget the fact that they have a CHILD; oh, I don’t know having been made from the ACTUAL ACT from being in LOVE - it clearly wasn’t “JUST SEX”! To have that DUMB, RIDICULOUS, PSYCHOTIC, POSSESSIVE & CONTROLLING - oh and don’t forget how SELFISH she is because she constantly thwarted Caim from actually being in love with another person & when she had the chance put down the “mud woman” so that he would be with her - even going so far as to become human without him even proving what kind of “love” he has. (NOT the passion/lust which will result to ANYONE who has a naked person taunting, teasing, touching, kissing and rubbing themselves all over them.) You know what? I have NEVER been this ANGRY or gotten so shocked & upset by a direction of a story as I am with THIS trilogy’s ending.
Of course my feelings do not matter in the least & it’s my own fault for allowing myself to become as involved as I have been in this trilogy. So, if I had known the ending would be this way, I’d NEVER have read it. Because I don’t read books to get pissed or despise but to escape. So, all the excitement & enjoyment I had up to this has been shattered. NO ONE likes an ending that pivots like this. There are a NUMBER of great surprise pivots that fit very well. Not this one.
That is what I just don’t understand. How could a trilogy go SO well, be SO well told , characters interact great, the world building is amazing to only have the writer make such a bad decision. The characters whom have been groomed, made to be important to the story, who have had nothing but love for each other once they survive some horrible things, to then have the one character who made the other character feel that love is shared by them both only to end the way it did!!!! Not only that, but Caim can be so good at surviving against secret plans, death of many friends, become a feeling, caring human being after having had to close himself off because of his life up to that point only - while on a quest JUST DAYS/WEEKS after such great “love story” happenings only to just SUDDENLY give up that love - even up to that point thinking constantly about his love, that he missed her, that he needed to get back to her (after all isn’t that one of the MAIN events in this trilogy? For the Newly Discovered Empress to find out she loves the man who saved her? And that love was reciprocated!? That almost died to saved her??! But not just that, but he gave it up for a STUPID, CHILDISH & IRRITATING “Fae” person who admittedly has been part of his life in such a way that she’s more like a sister/relative - NOT in ANY way a LOVER! That is awful. WHY would u have the Empress fall in love with the Main Protagonist who is also of some royal blood due to his father having been a Duke or some such thing when he died (or whatever the hell he was called!) which makes it all work out for their legal marriage. Forget the fact that they have a CHILD; oh, I don’t know having been made from the ACTUAL ACT from being in LOVE - it clearly wasn’t “JUST SEX”! To have that DUMB, RIDICULOUS, PSYCHOTIC, POSSESSIVE & CONTROLLING - oh and don’t forget how SELFISH she is because she constantly thwarted Caim from actually being in love with another person & when she had the chance put down the “mud woman” so that he would be with her - even going so far as to become human without him even proving what kind of “love” he has. (NOT the passion/lust which will result to ANYONE who has a naked person taunting, teasing, touching, kissing and rubbing themselves all over them.) You know what? I have NEVER been this ANGRY or gotten so shocked & upset by a direction of a story as I am with THIS trilogy’s ending.
Of course my feelings do not matter in the least & it’s my own fault for allowing myself to become as involved as I have been in this trilogy. So, if I had known the ending would be this way, I’d NEVER have read it. Because I don’t read books to get pissed or despise but to escape. So, all the excitement & enjoyment I had up to this has been shattered. NO ONE likes an ending that pivots like this. There are a NUMBER of great surprise pivots that fit very well. Not this one.
May 20, 2015
So this was a nice conclusion to the series. It moved along rather quickly when we were with Caim, and as expected, rather slowly when we were with Josey.
Honestly, after reading the first book, I think I set in my mind that this was a story about Caim. By no fault of the author, it put me off from Josey’s story. It never felt really connected. Sure the characters had their past and some tiny things that meshed up along the way, but it never felt like they were entwined with each other. That said, I wish I would have gone into this thinking it was the story of Caim and Josey; not just Caim, not just Josey. I kept waiting for that big connect, some reveal that I had set up in my own mind. If you do pick up this series, go into thinking you’ll be hearing two different stories about two different characters.
I admit, my love for this series dwindled with each book. I still liked it, don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a great series for any lover of fantasy and I’m not the least bit upset that I picked it up. I think, for me personally, the magic was so fun to learn about in the first book and Caim was a nicely delivered mystery. But by the second book, you pretty much knew where the entire story was headed. There was no surprise for me at all in the last two books. So for those of you who love to unravel complicated plots, this might not be the best choice.
Gosh, I sound so negative. All in all, this has nicely developed characters, a thought out world, some fun magic, and some great fights. Admittedly, I had a lot going on personally that I have no doubts impacted my level of involvement and concentration while reading. I say this because, looking back, I really can’t say for sure why my interest trailed off toward the end. This book checks off quite a few boxes on my like list, so I can honestly say to the book: it’s me, not you.
Overall, if you love fantasy I’d recommend this series.
Honestly, after reading the first book, I think I set in my mind that this was a story about Caim. By no fault of the author, it put me off from Josey’s story. It never felt really connected. Sure the characters had their past and some tiny things that meshed up along the way, but it never felt like they were entwined with each other. That said, I wish I would have gone into this thinking it was the story of Caim and Josey; not just Caim, not just Josey. I kept waiting for that big connect, some reveal that I had set up in my own mind. If you do pick up this series, go into thinking you’ll be hearing two different stories about two different characters.
I admit, my love for this series dwindled with each book. I still liked it, don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a great series for any lover of fantasy and I’m not the least bit upset that I picked it up. I think, for me personally, the magic was so fun to learn about in the first book and Caim was a nicely delivered mystery. But by the second book, you pretty much knew where the entire story was headed. There was no surprise for me at all in the last two books. So for those of you who love to unravel complicated plots, this might not be the best choice.
Gosh, I sound so negative. All in all, this has nicely developed characters, a thought out world, some fun magic, and some great fights. Admittedly, I had a lot going on personally that I have no doubts impacted my level of involvement and concentration while reading. I say this because, looking back, I really can’t say for sure why my interest trailed off toward the end. This book checks off quite a few boxes on my like list, so I can honestly say to the book: it’s me, not you.
Overall, if you love fantasy I’d recommend this series.
April 2, 2012
The end of this saga, and I do like that fact because a trilogy can be so good. Only 3 books and an ending close by. At the same time it's really sad, because it's only 3 books.
At the beginning of this book Caim is heading north, into unknown territory and everywhere there is danger, eternal darkness and the cold. With him he has 3 men. One who does not talk much, and two who only want wenches. Will he find his mother is the question, the Shadow's Master? And how on earth will he survive? because of these questions I am on the edge of my seat all the way through the book.
Caim is a favorite as always, yes I do have a soft spot for assassins. He does not say much, he has freaky shadows dancing around him and he is so good with weapons. And he comes with a fae woman who dances around him too, jumping in and out of his life. Who could not like Kit? And especially now when she has gone and fallen for him and they do make sense.
But this book is not only about Caim, we also see Empress Josey again who is trying to keep invaders out of her country. And the question here is also, Caim and her, over? Can both move on?
I am stuck again, this always happens when I enjoy a book, and when it's the last book. Because what more can I say? I liked the series, it was surprising at times, it was exciting, it was dark, and it was light. It had good baddies and they sure came from an interesting world. This last part was just as good as the previous books and it's with sadness I say goodbye. But it's also with a smile I end this series because not all managed to go out on top.
Conclusion:
It's a good fantasy series and I recommend it. It also has this easy way over it that makes it fun to read, a fast read and you'll enjoy every bit. With that I can only say, please write more Jon Sprunk :)
At the beginning of this book Caim is heading north, into unknown territory and everywhere there is danger, eternal darkness and the cold. With him he has 3 men. One who does not talk much, and two who only want wenches. Will he find his mother is the question, the Shadow's Master? And how on earth will he survive? because of these questions I am on the edge of my seat all the way through the book.
Caim is a favorite as always, yes I do have a soft spot for assassins. He does not say much, he has freaky shadows dancing around him and he is so good with weapons. And he comes with a fae woman who dances around him too, jumping in and out of his life. Who could not like Kit? And especially now when she has gone and fallen for him and they do make sense.
But this book is not only about Caim, we also see Empress Josey again who is trying to keep invaders out of her country. And the question here is also, Caim and her, over? Can both move on?
I am stuck again, this always happens when I enjoy a book, and when it's the last book. Because what more can I say? I liked the series, it was surprising at times, it was exciting, it was dark, and it was light. It had good baddies and they sure came from an interesting world. This last part was just as good as the previous books and it's with sadness I say goodbye. But it's also with a smile I end this series because not all managed to go out on top.
Conclusion:
It's a good fantasy series and I recommend it. It also has this easy way over it that makes it fun to read, a fast read and you'll enjoy every bit. With that I can only say, please write more Jon Sprunk :)
February 25, 2019
The worst thing in this book is that it's just not that captivating to read. The first hundred or so pages, especially the parts with Zefi was a nightmare for me, so damn boring. But not just that, I remembered the name Keegan back from the 2nd book but somehow I had zero idea who he was. I dunno what rating I gave to the 2nd book but I think this boring stuff started somewhere there because I couldn't remember a thing from it.
But back to this book, I don't really get a bunch of things. First, why does Zefi act like a whore with a brain of a 10-year-old, falling in love with everyone in pants while she's pregnant with Caim's kid? Also why the sudden thing of Kit falling in love with Caim? So far she seemed a wee bit like a mother figure or at least an aunt-figure to him.
Also while I sorta liked the ending, I really missed something grandiose. Like, if Kit stayed fae/ghost/whatever, Caim defeated Abraxus and his court, and got out Caim's mom by them all three going to the shadowrealm and rule there or something. Now, that would've been something for an ending. But maybe it's just me. Yeah I guess that's what the ending is lacking, there's nothing concrete about it: where will Kit and Caim (and Malig) start a new life? Will Zefi marry Brian? How will they deal with Caim's kid's magic? What happened to all the people i Erebus after the darkness was gone?
So in conclusion, this book was alright, there was some action, some darkness, but not the best fantasy I've ever read.
But back to this book, I don't really get a bunch of things. First, why does Zefi act like a whore with a brain of a 10-year-old, falling in love with everyone in pants while she's pregnant with Caim's kid? Also why the sudden thing of Kit falling in love with Caim? So far she seemed a wee bit like a mother figure or at least an aunt-figure to him.
Also while I sorta liked the ending, I really missed something grandiose. Like, if Kit stayed fae/ghost/whatever, Caim defeated Abraxus and his court, and got out Caim's mom by them all three going to the shadowrealm and rule there or something. Now, that would've been something for an ending. But maybe it's just me. Yeah I guess that's what the ending is lacking, there's nothing concrete about it: where will Kit and Caim (and Malig) start a new life? Will Zefi marry Brian? How will they deal with Caim's kid's magic? What happened to all the people i Erebus after the darkness was gone?
So in conclusion, this book was alright, there was some action, some darkness, but not the best fantasy I've ever read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this series and this final book. While the first book was my favorite, Shadow's Master had a lot going for it. Sprunk's action as always is top notch and so are his descriptions and setting. Caim, I got into right away and was totally engrossed, watching as he follows blindly into the teeth of danger.
This time around, I found myself less attached to Josey. Something about her felt lacking. This may have been because I was so into Caim. Then there was the questionable feats she managed considering her state. Despite this flaw, by the time I got to the meat of her situation when her major obstacle arose, her PoV made for better reading that caught me up, although I did find myself wondering "How did she do that and not ..." I'll chalk it up to what Hirsch tells her at the end.
Beyond that, the battles were thrilling and the magic at the climax was something to behold. Some may find a fault with Caim's grasp of being able to do what he did, but the man was special in many ways. This time around there were no great plot twists, but the unfolding events were nicely put together at a pace that should keep any reader going.
I would recommend this series to any of my fantasy friends. Thank you for the good read, Mr. Sprunk. I look forward to what you write next.
This time around, I found myself less attached to Josey. Something about her felt lacking. This may have been because I was so into Caim. Then there was the questionable feats she managed considering her state. Despite this flaw, by the time I got to the meat of her situation when her major obstacle arose, her PoV made for better reading that caught me up, although I did find myself wondering "How did she do that and not ..." I'll chalk it up to what Hirsch tells her at the end.
Beyond that, the battles were thrilling and the magic at the climax was something to behold. Some may find a fault with Caim's grasp of being able to do what he did, but the man was special in many ways. This time around there were no great plot twists, but the unfolding events were nicely put together at a pace that should keep any reader going.
I would recommend this series to any of my fantasy friends. Thank you for the good read, Mr. Sprunk. I look forward to what you write next.
August 26, 2015
Can I give less than one star? Is this possible? I enjoyed the action in the first couple of novels in this trilogy, but this one was almost impossible to get through. It seemed like Sprunk was feeling in the dark for a plot line as both Caim and Josey spent most of the novel doing the same thing; Caim travelling more and more north while Josey pined after him and attempted to lead an army with little to no experience.
What was most frustrating was that even though we are three books in to the series, and I've read all the way to the very last page...I still have no idea how Caim's shadow magic works exactly. It's always good to have some mystery surrounding whatever system of magic the author has created, but this system simply went unexplained and without any sort of rules. If you asked me now, I wouldn't even be able to tell you if it was good, bad, or somewhere in between. Caim somehow gains this ability to open portals and transport himself with his powers, but how does this connect to the shadows? Do they give him power or take away his vitality? Do they heal him? Do they need to feed to survive? How exactly? It's unfortunate to read an entire trilogy and still be plagued with so many questions.
Sorry Jon, your Shadow's Master left me completely in the dark.
What was most frustrating was that even though we are three books in to the series, and I've read all the way to the very last page...I still have no idea how Caim's shadow magic works exactly. It's always good to have some mystery surrounding whatever system of magic the author has created, but this system simply went unexplained and without any sort of rules. If you asked me now, I wouldn't even be able to tell you if it was good, bad, or somewhere in between. Caim somehow gains this ability to open portals and transport himself with his powers, but how does this connect to the shadows? Do they give him power or take away his vitality? Do they heal him? Do they need to feed to survive? How exactly? It's unfortunate to read an entire trilogy and still be plagued with so many questions.
Sorry Jon, your Shadow's Master left me completely in the dark.
June 21, 2013
Again, two storylines: Caim's and Josey's. But where Josey kept growing on me more and more with every book, Caim became less and less likable over time.
In book one, I really liked Caim. In book two, he made me frown most of the time. And in book three? He turned into an irresponsible, selfish dick. Just how many time did he ponder abandoning his friends in the wastes? And his relationship with Kit? Cringe-worthy.
Kit was a flighty, spoiled brat who didn't think about anything but her own desires - the fact that she ended up freeing Caim from the citadel prison did not negate all the crap she pulled throughout the three books. Everything about her was actually about him. We learned that she was a Fae but that was pretty much it, all her background. Nothing about her life before, about the society she used to live in. Zip. Nada.
With Josey, it was the other way around. She started as a spoiled brat and turned into a real empresses - though her endless oohing and ahhing about Caim got on my nerves pretty fast too. And we still don't know how she plans to explain her "immaculate conception" to her subjects. That was one thread I would have really loved to see tied up.
Overall, I was disappointed by this book and I'm glad this series is over.
In book one, I really liked Caim. In book two, he made me frown most of the time. And in book three? He turned into an irresponsible, selfish dick. Just how many time did he ponder abandoning his friends in the wastes? And his relationship with Kit? Cringe-worthy.
Kit was a flighty, spoiled brat who didn't think about anything but her own desires - the fact that she ended up freeing Caim from the citadel prison did not negate all the crap she pulled throughout the three books. Everything about her was actually about him. We learned that she was a Fae but that was pretty much it, all her background. Nothing about her life before, about the society she used to live in. Zip. Nada.
With Josey, it was the other way around. She started as a spoiled brat and turned into a real empresses - though her endless oohing and ahhing about Caim got on my nerves pretty fast too. And we still don't know how she plans to explain her "immaculate conception" to her subjects. That was one thread I would have really loved to see tied up.
Overall, I was disappointed by this book and I'm glad this series is over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2012
An excellent end to the trilogy, the protagonist Caim is one of my favourite characters alongside David Dalglish's the Watcher, Isak from the twilight reign, Locke Lamora, the painted man & the bloody nine from the first law trilogy.
Caim and his band set out for the northern wastelands and the shadowlands in search of his mother and an irresistible pull calling him to the shadow citadel. The first two thirds of the book encompass the journey and Josey's own calling North to catch up with Caim.
Caim, Josey, and Kit have grown quite a bit in the series, especially in this book, and they all have to make some hard decisions. The fight scenes are excellent as ever but also we have the development of the relationships between the three, a kind of love triangle if you like. Who will Caim end up riding off into the sunset with?
I plowed through the book in two days wanting the answer to this question as much as I wanted to know what happened to his mother. The final third of the book was fantastic and the shadow battle a fitting conclusion along with Kit's storey arc.
Caim and his band set out for the northern wastelands and the shadowlands in search of his mother and an irresistible pull calling him to the shadow citadel. The first two thirds of the book encompass the journey and Josey's own calling North to catch up with Caim.
Caim, Josey, and Kit have grown quite a bit in the series, especially in this book, and they all have to make some hard decisions. The fight scenes are excellent as ever but also we have the development of the relationships between the three, a kind of love triangle if you like. Who will Caim end up riding off into the sunset with?
I plowed through the book in two days wanting the answer to this question as much as I wanted to know what happened to his mother. The final third of the book was fantastic and the shadow battle a fitting conclusion along with Kit's storey arc.
Read
March 29, 2012I know that Caim and Josey are fictional characters, but I have some steam build up, so here it goes...Sorry guys...-_-
The whole saga is well written but I have some reservations about the plot...
And that is how it ends?! If that is the case, then Caim is one big son of a *peep*...and that Josey- you traveled that far because of Caim, to tell him the news and when you see him, you keep quiet???? You should go and ritually kill yourself...I just wish I knew the ending before I read it all, I never would've read it in the first place. I didn't need some great love and happy end, just wished that he would know about his child and that he would be there for them- the baby and Josey...but noo, he must be a typical male- kiss and run and let's see who could be our next victim- Liana, Kit...bah...
The author satisfied his male fans, but he didn't think about his female fans...that is evident from the second book...And I'm done with this author...
The whole saga is well written but I have some reservations about the plot...
And that is how it ends?! If that is the case, then Caim is one big son of a *peep*...and that Josey- you traveled that far because of Caim, to tell him the news and when you see him, you keep quiet???? You should go and ritually kill yourself...I just wish I knew the ending before I read it all, I never would've read it in the first place. I didn't need some great love and happy end, just wished that he would know about his child and that he would be there for them- the baby and Josey...but noo, he must be a typical male- kiss and run and let's see who could be our next victim- Liana, Kit...bah...
The author satisfied his male fans, but he didn't think about his female fans...that is evident from the second book...And I'm done with this author...
August 11, 2015
Szerettem a könyvet, mert izgalmas, nyomasztó, drámai fordulatokkal teli és a szerelmi szál is kedvemre való. De a vérívással nem tudtam megbarátkozni, túl hosszúnak éreztem az észak felé tartó menetelést és nagyon hiányoltam egy epilógust a történet végén. Olyan jó lett volna egy pár évvel későbbi jelenetet látni, amiben kiderült volna, hogy a könyv szereplői hogyan élik az életüket, mi lett velük.
Szóval nekem az epilógus hiánya miatt picit lezáratlan maradt a sorozat. Ennek ellenére jó könyvről van szó, amit egy fantasy, orgyilkos, anime és RPG rajongónak érdemes megismernie. Nem volt annyira kiemelkedően jó, mint a Vér éneke, a Vérrel írt ígéretek, a Trónok harca, a Scrapped princess és a Suikoden, de mégis nagyon megszerettem ezt a sorozatot. Nálam ott van a legjobbak között, hiányozni fog.
Bővebben:
https://elhaym.wordpress.com/2015/08/...
Szóval nekem az epilógus hiánya miatt picit lezáratlan maradt a sorozat. Ennek ellenére jó könyvről van szó, amit egy fantasy, orgyilkos, anime és RPG rajongónak érdemes megismernie. Nem volt annyira kiemelkedően jó, mint a Vér éneke, a Vérrel írt ígéretek, a Trónok harca, a Scrapped princess és a Suikoden, de mégis nagyon megszerettem ezt a sorozatot. Nálam ott van a legjobbak között, hiányozni fog.
Bővebben:
https://elhaym.wordpress.com/2015/08/...
March 3, 2014
Na knize se mi líbilo, že byl děj psán třemi různými pohledy. Abych řekla pravdu, tak v tomto díle jsem si víc oblíbila pohled Josefíny. Víc se toho u ní událo. Caim jen cestoval, občas někoho zabil, a celkově byl jeho pohled méně záživný. Děj byl předvídatelný, ale o to více mě překvapil návrat postav z minulého dílu, které jsem nečekala. Co bych knize vytkla, tak právě tu Caimovu část, děj jen pomalu plynul a moc zásadních věcí se tam nedělo. Jon Sprunk si u Caima nechal vše opravdu až na konec.
Celou sérii Stín moc doporučuji, je to klasické fantasy, které stojí za to, si přečíst. Mistr stínu mě tolik neohromil, jako předchozí díly, ale zakončení série je to dobré.
Celou sérii Stín moc doporučuji, je to klasické fantasy, které stojí za to, si přečíst. Mistr stínu mě tolik neohromil, jako předchozí díly, ale zakončení série je to dobré.
April 21, 2015
4,5 csillag.
teli van jó ötlettel a sorozat, kár érte, hogy csak úgy lóg a levegőben. olyan, mintha egy más létező, kidolgozott világba próbálta volna meg beilleszteni, viszont így, hogy se előzmény, se kidolgozott világ, ront az élvezhetőségen a félinfók miatt.
viszont elsőrangú harci jelentek vannak benne.
teli van jó ötlettel a sorozat, kár érte, hogy csak úgy lóg a levegőben. olyan, mintha egy más létező, kidolgozott világba próbálta volna meg beilleszteni, viszont így, hogy se előzmény, se kidolgozott világ, ront az élvezhetőségen a félinfók miatt.
viszont elsőrangú harci jelentek vannak benne.
December 8, 2016
What started off as a fairly good series ended with a thud. There was not a single character I cared for, and the story fell flat. Caim forgot that he had feelings except for anger, Josey forgot that she loved Caim even though she was pretty adamant about it at the start, and Kit just became someone completely different. I wouldn't recommend this series.
February 14, 2014
Doesn't really compare to the two before it. There's a palpable lack of tension throughout the book - the protagonists just slide towards the inevitable conclusion without any urgency.
Disappointing.
Disappointing.
September 5, 2024
Od první knihy se příběh obrátil naprosto odlišným směrem. Ještě z počátku jsem čekala, kam to povede, jak se to vyvine, doufajíc v zázrak, ale číst tento závěrečný díl už začalo být nad moje síly.
Veškeré zajímavé momenty, které mohly být zmizely do nenávratna a byly nahrazeny stále se opakujícími prvky. Caim odešel a pátral po rodině. Na cestě se dostával do jedné bitky za druhou (očividně se vyžíval v boji na blízko, místo aby si vzal meč), což začalo neskutečně nudit a ztrácet smysl. Kromě toho jeho věčného máchání noži, se za celou dobu pořádně nic nedovíte.
Na druhé straně je mladá a naivní Josi, které spadla koruna do klína, aniž by pořádně věděla jak vládnout. Sice měla problémy s některými lidmi, aby uznali její postavení, nicméně nikdy neprokázala, že na to opravdu má. Bez jakýchkoli znalostí války, strategie a podobně, se vydá s minimem mužů přes království. Dostane se do několika potíží a postupně ztrácí svoje lidi. A proč? Královská armáda má očividně jen desítky vojáků a přitom na ně táhne několika tisícíhlavé nepřátelské vojsko.
Bohužel se úroveň série snižuje neuvěřitelnou rychlostí. Postavy přestaly být zajímavé a to nemluvím o jejich osudech. Logické jednání aby člověk pohledal (ať už v jednotlivých výpravách postav, v zamotaných vztazích, nebo prostě v tom, jaké to má vlastně poselství) a těch mezer jako v ementálu si všimne každý. Bohužel tohle je slabý odvar fantasy knih, který se tváří, že má na něco víc. Jakoby se v tom autor nějak zamotal a zabředl. Necítíte vývoj, emoce, máte pocit, jakoby království bylo tvořeno pár lidmi. Nevím, jak to popsat, prostě to není dostatečně uvěřitelné.
Veškeré zajímavé momenty, které mohly být zmizely do nenávratna a byly nahrazeny stále se opakujícími prvky. Caim odešel a pátral po rodině. Na cestě se dostával do jedné bitky za druhou (očividně se vyžíval v boji na blízko, místo aby si vzal meč), což začalo neskutečně nudit a ztrácet smysl. Kromě toho jeho věčného máchání noži, se za celou dobu pořádně nic nedovíte.
Na druhé straně je mladá a naivní Josi, které spadla koruna do klína, aniž by pořádně věděla jak vládnout. Sice měla problémy s některými lidmi, aby uznali její postavení, nicméně nikdy neprokázala, že na to opravdu má. Bez jakýchkoli znalostí války, strategie a podobně, se vydá s minimem mužů přes království. Dostane se do několika potíží a postupně ztrácí svoje lidi. A proč? Královská armáda má očividně jen desítky vojáků a přitom na ně táhne několika tisícíhlavé nepřátelské vojsko.
Bohužel se úroveň série snižuje neuvěřitelnou rychlostí. Postavy přestaly být zajímavé a to nemluvím o jejich osudech. Logické jednání aby člověk pohledal (ať už v jednotlivých výpravách postav, v zamotaných vztazích, nebo prostě v tom, jaké to má vlastně poselství) a těch mezer jako v ementálu si všimne každý. Bohužel tohle je slabý odvar fantasy knih, který se tváří, že má na něco víc. Jakoby se v tom autor nějak zamotal a zabředl. Necítíte vývoj, emoce, máte pocit, jakoby království bylo tvořeno pár lidmi. Nevím, jak to popsat, prostě to není dostatečně uvěřitelné.
December 10, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow’s Son; it wasn’t anything crazy, but what I enjoyed nonetheless. It’s sequel, Shadow’s Lure, I thought wasn’t as good. Not bad, but not as fun. I was eager to know the trilogy’s conclusion in Shadow’s Master, only to be disappointed like I had when finishing Mass Effect 3 and Book 4 of the Inheritance Cycle. All that hype and build up, only to fall flat and make me feel like all that time and commitment was for nothing. For me, anyway.
And Kit. I preferred the plutonic relationship. Not the turning into a love-triangle starting in book 2. Hell, I would’ve preferred she’d been omitted entirely from the series. She’d disappear for long periods of time throughout chapters, and when Caim hit rough patches in her absence, he still managed to take care of himself. After all, the guy possesses powerful sorcery. That alone was way, way more interesting than Kit’s purpose throughout the series.
I’ll happily return to the first book; I’m completely content having it as a standalone with its ending left for the imagination. The other two, though? Not interested.
And Kit. I preferred the plutonic relationship. Not the turning into a love-triangle starting in book 2. Hell, I would’ve preferred she’d been omitted entirely from the series. She’d disappear for long periods of time throughout chapters, and when Caim hit rough patches in her absence, he still managed to take care of himself. After all, the guy possesses powerful sorcery. That alone was way, way more interesting than Kit’s purpose throughout the series.
I’ll happily return to the first book; I’m completely content having it as a standalone with its ending left for the imagination. The other two, though? Not interested.
November 8, 2025
Not bad but hoped for more
September 11, 2013
'Shadow's Master' is one hell of an ending to this fantastic trilogy. I absolutely loved every page of this book and as a whole the Shadow Saga has deserved a spot on my top shelf.
Why was this such a great ending, you ask? Because I didn't expect any of what happened. Jon Sprunk managed to surprise me time and time again. Even the very last pages were something I wouldn't have expected, let's say, at the end of the second book. Some people might not like some of the choices the author made, but I was so glad to read something fresh, something that doesn't follow the whole mainstream 'I have been working towards this particular ending, so that's what's going to happen' approach.
Everything came together perfectly, loose ends were connected and every part of the story got a satisfying explanation.
As always the action scenes were sublime. I can't get enough of how the author describes every detail of his fighting scenes so vividly. I said this already in my previous reviews about the Shadow Saga books, but damn, I can't say it enough. If you like amazingly well written fighting scenes, pick this series up, you definitely won't regret it.
Caim continues his journey North, now accompanied by 3 Eregoth's that wanted to join his quest. Caim isn't used to travelling with companions and it shows. It was fantastic to read how Caim grew closer to his travel partners and how much he actually cared. I have to admit I chuckled quite a bit when Dray and Malig started bitching or when they annoyed the hell out of Caim. But as always, he handled these situations ... Caim-like.
I have to say Caim is probably one of the only characters I've read about this year that has really grabbed me and wriggled his way into my heart. I love his character! That connection I value was certainly still present in this last book in the Shadow Saga. Caim pulled me once again into his story and didn't let me go 'till I turned the last page.
Josey on the other hand is also travelling North with a part of her army, in search for Caim. Her journey takes a different turn however when she finds her Empire poor and plagued by disputes, her people living in ruins, starving. Knowing Josey as we do by now, she is determined to do something about this and restore peace to her Empire. But a bigger threat is looming in the North, one that is rapidly approaching.
I mentioned that Josey didn't really succeed in grabbing my attention in the previous book. I have to say I cared a lot more about her in this book, she certainly grew into her Empress statute and displayed a whole lot of strength. I really liked the final battle scenes in her storyline, they are the kind that made me proud of her, which is how I knew I really started caring for her in this book.
Kit also got a shining role in Caim’s story, which I was thrilled about, because I love her character. Feisty, naughty, loyal, loving, she just has so many qualities and such a diverse personality. Jon Sprunk really gave her a great part in this story and I like the way he ‘ended’ her storyline.
What more can I say? I loved it! Every single book, every single page. Highly recommended.
Why was this such a great ending, you ask? Because I didn't expect any of what happened. Jon Sprunk managed to surprise me time and time again. Even the very last pages were something I wouldn't have expected, let's say, at the end of the second book. Some people might not like some of the choices the author made, but I was so glad to read something fresh, something that doesn't follow the whole mainstream 'I have been working towards this particular ending, so that's what's going to happen' approach.
Everything came together perfectly, loose ends were connected and every part of the story got a satisfying explanation.
As always the action scenes were sublime. I can't get enough of how the author describes every detail of his fighting scenes so vividly. I said this already in my previous reviews about the Shadow Saga books, but damn, I can't say it enough. If you like amazingly well written fighting scenes, pick this series up, you definitely won't regret it.
Caim continues his journey North, now accompanied by 3 Eregoth's that wanted to join his quest. Caim isn't used to travelling with companions and it shows. It was fantastic to read how Caim grew closer to his travel partners and how much he actually cared. I have to admit I chuckled quite a bit when Dray and Malig started bitching or when they annoyed the hell out of Caim. But as always, he handled these situations ... Caim-like.
I have to say Caim is probably one of the only characters I've read about this year that has really grabbed me and wriggled his way into my heart. I love his character! That connection I value was certainly still present in this last book in the Shadow Saga. Caim pulled me once again into his story and didn't let me go 'till I turned the last page.
Josey on the other hand is also travelling North with a part of her army, in search for Caim. Her journey takes a different turn however when she finds her Empire poor and plagued by disputes, her people living in ruins, starving. Knowing Josey as we do by now, she is determined to do something about this and restore peace to her Empire. But a bigger threat is looming in the North, one that is rapidly approaching.
I mentioned that Josey didn't really succeed in grabbing my attention in the previous book. I have to say I cared a lot more about her in this book, she certainly grew into her Empress statute and displayed a whole lot of strength. I really liked the final battle scenes in her storyline, they are the kind that made me proud of her, which is how I knew I really started caring for her in this book.
Kit also got a shining role in Caim’s story, which I was thrilled about, because I love her character. Feisty, naughty, loyal, loving, she just has so many qualities and such a diverse personality. Jon Sprunk really gave her a great part in this story and I like the way he ‘ended’ her storyline.
What more can I say? I loved it! Every single book, every single page. Highly recommended.
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