Read for: Netgalley/ Requested Review
Synopsis: "When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help.
As the pieces on the board maneuver for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs."
My Review: This was a NetGalley request that I found very intriguing. For some reason it really took me a while to really start reading it, I would start and read a few pages only to put it down in preference for another book. Once I finally sat myself down to read it I found that the author used some common themes and ideas (some of them so pronounce you can almost pin point the book the idea came from. Even though these ideas were pulled from other fantasy books, there was still an awful lot of world building, at times the description over took the pacing of the book making it difficult to maintain focus. I did enjoy the demons, they seem to have the most personality of all the characters, they were what kept me reading the book. It had rather slow pacing and you knew where the book was going before it got there. The end was no surprise to me though it was an attempt at a cliffhanger. I guess this might be a fun book for someone new to the fantasy genre but if you have been a fan it might be a little tedious to read.
As the pieces on the board maneuver for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs."
My Review: This was a NetGalley request that I found very intriguing. For some reason it really took me a while to really start reading it, I would start and read a few pages only to put it down in preference for another book. Once I finally sat myself down to read it I found that the author used some common themes and ideas (some of them so pronounce you can almost pin point the book the idea came from. Even though these ideas were pulled from other fantasy books, there was still an awful lot of world building, at times the description over took the pacing of the book making it difficult to maintain focus. I did enjoy the demons, they seem to have the most personality of all the characters, they were what kept me reading the book. It had rather slow pacing and you knew where the book was going before it got there. The end was no surprise to me though it was an attempt at a cliffhanger. I guess this might be a fun book for someone new to the fantasy genre but if you have been a fan it might be a little tedious to read.
My Rating: I guess this was a real up and down book for me. It irritated me when I read familiar things but at times it was interesting. There was a lot of political maneuvering that was exhausting to read too. I have heard both great things and disappointing things mentioned about this book, for me it was a middle of the road book. Definitely not anything new or surprising in the fantasy genre but could be a great read for a newbie. I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.
Well that's disappointing. The cover is great and it sounds good. Too bad it kind of missed the mark.
ReplyDeleteIt was disappointing. It is still good but would be way better if you were new to the genre.
Delete