The Ancient Blades: Honor Among Thieves
Another book read, perhaps the last of the year as my pile seems empty and the one novel I have in mind to read isn't at the local bookstore for immediate availability. It finishes up the trilogy previously connected on here and here. I find the ending less than satisfying.
There are some good and neat world details. I like how the usual archtypes are pieced in, with the bronze-using native elves are supplanted by iron-wielding humans and the secrets of steel are held by dwarves. I like the magic blades being forged to fight against sorcerer-summoned demons, though the powers of the Ancient Blades seem unusually varied. The religions are interesting, though there's a hint of a thread in the second book that never was elaborated on.
On the down side, I found some of the character development to be very uneven. That's especially true of Sir Croy in the second two books - if he's going to be a naive and idealistic knight, I'm okay with that, but he takes some turns that strike me as irredeemably against that while still being pulled back into that mold by the story. And the end of the trilogy really doesn't resolve a few points and Cutbill is still too mastermind-foreseeing-everything-ish (especially when so many part of his plans seem dependent on sheer luck on Malden's part).
So... okay series, though I liked the first one better than anything that came after.
There are some good and neat world details. I like how the usual archtypes are pieced in, with the bronze-using native elves are supplanted by iron-wielding humans and the secrets of steel are held by dwarves. I like the magic blades being forged to fight against sorcerer-summoned demons, though the powers of the Ancient Blades seem unusually varied. The religions are interesting, though there's a hint of a thread in the second book that never was elaborated on.
On the down side, I found some of the character development to be very uneven. That's especially true of Sir Croy in the second two books - if he's going to be a naive and idealistic knight, I'm okay with that, but he takes some turns that strike me as irredeemably against that while still being pulled back into that mold by the story. And the end of the trilogy really doesn't resolve a few points and Cutbill is still too mastermind-foreseeing-everything-ish (especially when so many part of his plans seem dependent on sheer luck on Malden's part).
So... okay series, though I liked the first one better than anything that came after.
Comments
Post a Comment