emvdw's Reviews (341)

I really loved the first two thirds of the book, but the final third was a bit disappointing and quite confusing. Also not sure how I feel about the romantic relationship in this one...

Not my cup of tea, though there'd some good lines and nice moments. 

The story is very good, has you at the edge of your seat. The mystery introduced at the beginning is revealed very slowly throughout in an excellent way. The main storyline (the building of the cathedral) is also very good, and you're really rooting for Kingsbridge.
 
Some nitpicks: 
- the novel is very long, and there's some things I feel were superfluous, that didn't further the plot, nor added to the theme 
- the characters are not very nuanced, they're either Good Guys with no flaws or Bad Guys with no redeeming characteristics
- when it comes to the portrayal of women, you can really feel it's been written in 1989 - I felt is was quite male gaze-y despite the strong women characters (who are merchants, self sufficient forrest dwellers, craftsmen, ...)
- there's a liberal usage of the "Good Guys are Beautiful, Bad Guys are Ugly" trope, particularly in the women characters

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read. I found it pretty mediocre. The two main characters betrayed everything they stand for because they are irretrievably in love with one another, but the build-up was not selling me on their bond. Even if I was suspending disbelief in that front, there was something off with the tone. The plot is pretty over-the-top ridiculous (which is not necessarily a bad thing, it reminded me a bit of Hot Fuzz which is great) but it takes itself too seriously to work for me. 

My previous read was very heavy, so this story was good to follow that up.