OutdoorWNC

Unfortunately Stupid

Revisado: 09-06-24

I really liked the first few novels of the series, the quality of the later ones went way down in my opinion. I thought I would give this book a try to see if the caliber of the story had improved back to the earlier levels. It hasn’t. It feels like the author is bored with his created world and chief character and is just going through the motions. There isn’t really any urgency (or emotional heft) to the story and I’m left mostly not really caring what happens to an over confident Stark or his fatuous new love-interest, Janet, who seems more interested in committing slow-motion suicide through dangerous and idiotic stunts with zero concern for innocent bystanders. Stark, despite this (and Janet’s 2-dimensional personality) is infatuated with her. The story just feels tired, And I imagine that the author feels even more so since he had to write it.

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First book in series is simpleminded fun. 2nd and 3rd are tediously derivative.

Revisado: 09-01-23

I enjoyed the first book of the series for some simple fun. There was nothing original but it was enjoyable. Books two and three are just repetitive, derivative, and feature one dimensional characters that don’t grow. In addition the newer “heroes” are just too powerful. To the point where battles are frequently boring. Finally, Avronial, the fire elf, is obnoxious, a thieving bully, and has the personality of a spoiled and petulant 10 yr old. It seems like the author intends for Avronial to come across as endearingly cranky. Unless you consider juvenile name calling and extreme threat making charming when coming from an over powerful bully, you won’t find her very likable. I did not at all. The baby dragon is cute but that’s the most that can be said for books two and three.

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This is not another Bloodsong or Raven’s Shadow trilogy

Revisado: 07-27-23

The Covenant of Steel trilogy is less high (or epic) fantasy like is Raven’s Shadow, and is more like an extended parable about the problems with both blind love and the dangers in uncritically following someone who claims to embody the will of deities.

This trilogy as a whole is a lot “slower” than other volumes my Anthony Ryan. I would say the last book in the trilogy, The Traitor, verges on tedious. In fact, I think the entire first part of the third book could be skipped without much loss to the story.

I am very disappointed with this last book. It lacks the impact and gravitas of Ryan’s other series enders. The story feels very contrived and somewhat pointless. Unfortunately.

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Awful narration

Revisado: 05-16-23

The narration is more wooden than a new fence post. Has the feel of machine narration.

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Idiot hero on a moronic quest

Revisado: 04-16-23

The hero's motivation is lame as is his ability to make good decisions. But in the hero's defense he has a talent for taking a beating. Very mild spoiler: the hero attaches more value to a cheap mundane necklace than an innocent girl's life. The narrator is great.

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Poirot’s characterization is good but the rest of the novel is let down by flaws.

Revisado: 12-11-22

Sophie Hanna does a good job imagining Poirot but his new sidekick is overly angst ridden and comes across as too sentimental to be a Scotland Yard detective. Some clues are hidden until the final denouement and solution is, well n my opinion, too convoluted to be convincing. One other annoyance is the way the sound volume fluctuates between too soft and too loud. In the quieter moments it can be difficult to distinguish what the narrator is saying without significantly increasing the volume. This in turn makes it too loud when narrator returns to a normal voice.

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Dim headed heroes outmaneuvered by smarter villains.

Revisado: 11-23-22

Only one or two of the heroes seems capable of strategy. While most of villains are irritatingly cunning. It takes frustrating long for the good guys to learn and adapt. The bad guys are much quicker on the uptake. BUT the good guys have some unlikely luck on their side in that often they are miraculously saved at the last minute.

The magic system is somewhat simple minded and grotesque.

All in all a frustrating but exciting read. I just don’t understand why the good guys had to be so stupid.

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Romanticized child abuse and neglect.

Revisado: 06-30-22

If you find it amusing that an adult mentor forces his 13 yr old apprentice into an overnight locked-in physical state with so much concurrent pain that the apprentice starts disassociating than you will enjoy this title. Beyond that the kid is forced to sleep on a hard floor with no bedding or coverings of any kind. The mentor spews constant verbal abuse. Blames his student for lack of knowledge that the old man didn’t bother to teach in the first place. Finally, the student Will is forced into the abused apprentice role through no fault (nor wish) of his own.

I don’t understand how so many folks can rate this book so highly. It’s a story of child abuse wrapped in a thin veneer of supposed humor.

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Why is it necessary for the female characters to spend 30% of their time “sniffing”?

Revisado: 02-02-22

Exhausting sexist portrayals of characters for both sexes continues in book four (or is it five?). Few of the characters manage to move beyond boring stereotypes. And much to many words are spent describing juvenile longing for the opposite sex. Most characters also have the emotional maturity of 15 yr olds. Nynaeve continues to be a pompous and judgmental ass. Mat is as self-centered and biases as ever.

It all just gets boring. I now remember why I gave up on the series years ago. I hear the ending of the series is good, but is it worth wading through all the dross to get there? I’m starting to doubt it.

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Good story marred by annoying sexist archetypes and about a third of the characters are irritating as well.

Revisado: 01-21-22

Way too much time is spent complaining about one sex or another: “if only ‘men’ (or) ‘women’ would do (choose your own phrase) differently, the world would be better….” Interactions between the sexes is determinedly adversarial. The idea of men and women working well together is an utterly alien concept for the characters. Much better to moan endlessly about the opposite sex. The book’s characters are also dense to the point of absurdity when it comes to dating. All the battle of the sexes stuff is pointlessly wearisome. I do a lot of fast-forwarding. There is also some good ‘ole fashioned sexism. For example, women must be naked when visiting a particular ceremonial site but men are allowed clothes when visiting the same site at the same time. The author seems to like idea of harems since there are quite a few examples of one man together with several women but the opposite is not true.

A few of the main characters are hard to like. Matt is self-centered, demanding, obnoxiously judgmental, glorifies in sexually harassing women,and complains constantly. I think the author wants readers to view Matt as an adorable rascal. But he is really just an ass. Nineave is also obnoxious.

It’s a shame because the story itself is very good. Subtract the stuff above and you would have a very good fantasy epic.

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