It’s almost maddening how these books could have been amazing. As it is I think 4 stars is pretty generous if you were to be critical of the text. A lot of it is just the fast pacing getting to the very imaginative and interesting moments.

The writing can’t be said to be that great, though the authorial voice is good. The plotting resolved the overarching bits about law and chaos but other things were pushed aside, making those parts feel contrived.

For instance, *spoiler filled rant* when he leaves to go to the his castle without any explanation right after he told his companions that the plan was to literally go there and slay everyone save the people he goes and visits RIGHT THEN. Cymoril is, again, sleeping based on sorcery and he is discovered and has to fuck off. Then he goes back and they attack anyways but she’s awake and it’s a trap and tanglebones is killed despite the fact that we know he is the best swordsman; in fact he trained Elric himself. Then she’s awake long enough to say she’ll die too and then she does. Everything is just so in service to that moment in the book that you question things you otherwise wouldn’t. Like... just don’t fucking go there to alert the bad guy first for literally no reason, right? It’s never explained at all why he does it. And that kind of shit happens a few times per book.
*end spoiler rant*

Anyways, it’s essentially just a lot of cool shit that makes this stuff work and it’s enjoyable for that reason when you accept it for what it is. It just could have been really incredible, is all.