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popthebutterfly 's review for:
City of Shards
by Raoul Vitale, Steve Rodgers, Chersti Nieveen
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: March 30, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, some mature themes)
Pages: 268
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In the gang-ridden Wormpile District, 16-year-old Larin shouts nonsense words into the decaying alleyways, a magical tourette’s syndrome that has brought him grief from every neighborhood thug. Protected from the worst beatings by his drug-addicted warrior-uncle, Larin’s life is one of loneliness, trapped in his uncle’s four block safe zone where no gang member dares tread. But when he learns his words have marked him as servant to Lord of Demons, things go from bad to worse. For that phrase has shoved him into the middle of an ancient war between his Master and the Six-Legged gods, both of whom regard humanity as mere playthings.
With his home facing threats from every direction, Larin will have to tread the narrow path between two evils, his only allies his drug-addicted uncle, a permanently drunk priestess, and a high-born wizardress who must hold her nose and work with the street rabble she despises. For as bad as Larin's Master is, refusing to follow him will only plunge his empire into a greater darkness—an abyss so deep, it will turn mankind’s soul to ash.
I felt that this book had some really good writing and the characters are really really really well developed. The plot is also interesting and overall it’s a good book. I felt like it could be an awesome epic fantasy for a lot of people like LOTR is.
However, for me it just wasn’t something I felt drawn to. The backstory is so daunting. The book spans several thousand years and honestly it made me a tiny bit anxious reading it because that’s a lot of information to retain for one book. The book is heavily character driven and it’s really slow in parts. The time jumps are discomforting and when the plot picks up, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The pacing, in my opinion, is too slow.
Verdict: An epic high fantasy novel that would be perfect for LOTR fans!
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: March 30, 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, some mature themes)
Pages: 268
Author Website
Amazon Link
Synopsis: In the gang-ridden Wormpile District, 16-year-old Larin shouts nonsense words into the decaying alleyways, a magical tourette’s syndrome that has brought him grief from every neighborhood thug. Protected from the worst beatings by his drug-addicted warrior-uncle, Larin’s life is one of loneliness, trapped in his uncle’s four block safe zone where no gang member dares tread. But when he learns his words have marked him as servant to Lord of Demons, things go from bad to worse. For that phrase has shoved him into the middle of an ancient war between his Master and the Six-Legged gods, both of whom regard humanity as mere playthings.
With his home facing threats from every direction, Larin will have to tread the narrow path between two evils, his only allies his drug-addicted uncle, a permanently drunk priestess, and a high-born wizardress who must hold her nose and work with the street rabble she despises. For as bad as Larin's Master is, refusing to follow him will only plunge his empire into a greater darkness—an abyss so deep, it will turn mankind’s soul to ash.
I felt that this book had some really good writing and the characters are really really really well developed. The plot is also interesting and overall it’s a good book. I felt like it could be an awesome epic fantasy for a lot of people like LOTR is.
However, for me it just wasn’t something I felt drawn to. The backstory is so daunting. The book spans several thousand years and honestly it made me a tiny bit anxious reading it because that’s a lot of information to retain for one book. The book is heavily character driven and it’s really slow in parts. The time jumps are discomforting and when the plot picks up, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The pacing, in my opinion, is too slow.
Verdict: An epic high fantasy novel that would be perfect for LOTR fans!