Take a photo of a barcode or cover
maxines_obsessions's Reviews (701)
This was insanely good.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The Lessons Never Learned picks up immediately after Along The Razorѓ??s Edge. We are very quickly thrown right back into the middle of Eskaѓ??s chaotic world and we witness the fallout from Eskaѓ??s actions. She often made rash choices and now her friends have to deal with the emotional turmoil left behind. She also has some physical changes that she needs to come to terms with, but in typical Eska fashion she compartmentalises and ploughs forward. Once again violence and mayhem follow. She is being hunted by multiple parties, she is still learning to deal with the darkness that has found a home inside of her and in looking for a safe place, she puts herself in sight of the gods.
I absolutely loved the world building. Along The Razorѓ??s Edge was a story confined to a dark pit, we heard about the outside world but didnѓ??t get to see it. Here we are back in the outside world. The sky is bright but the darkness that follows Eska is still lurking. A darkness pulsates from within her, so that even when all things are going well and she begins to feel happiness, she canѓ??t let it linger. We explore amazing new cities and get into the history of the world. We watch as Eska and her friends discover the carnage left behind by the war. Entire cities are destroyed, all thatѓ??s left is rubble and ghosts. We slowly get the truth about magic and monsters and not all is as it seems.
Eskaѓ??s growth throughout is phenomenal. She is a very different person, although as ruthless as ever. She still has a cockroaches ability to survive anything. I loved that Eska became a physical threat. She trained and worked hard. She pushed even when her friends told her not to. Eska became many versions of herself in this story, but she never lost her thirst for vengeance. It is at the core of who she is. We are slowly getting a picture of how she becomes the narrator. Her battles and triumphs that forge the Eska we only hear about. Iѓ??m very interested to see if she actually does all of the things she talks about. Once again Eskaѓ??s ability to secure friendships from those who deserve better is beyond me, but the loyalty they show her is returned.
The story was nicely paced, it never lulled. In the slow moments Rob still manages to have you on the edge of your seats and I will admit he had me in tears. Actually I was a bloody mess for a while. He broke my heart. It was a book I took my time with because I didnѓ??t want to miss a thing. I had to reread the endingѓ?Э
Once again Rob Hayes has you cheering for the bastard. Eska isnѓ??t nice, tell her to smile and she would probably feed you your own intestines. She is flawed, she is vicious and she makes no apologies. Iѓ??m a big fan. Also if Rob felt the need to write more in this world I would be stoked.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The Lessons Never Learned picks up immediately after Along The Razorѓ??s Edge. We are very quickly thrown right back into the middle of Eskaѓ??s chaotic world and we witness the fallout from Eskaѓ??s actions. She often made rash choices and now her friends have to deal with the emotional turmoil left behind. She also has some physical changes that she needs to come to terms with, but in typical Eska fashion she compartmentalises and ploughs forward. Once again violence and mayhem follow. She is being hunted by multiple parties, she is still learning to deal with the darkness that has found a home inside of her and in looking for a safe place, she puts herself in sight of the gods.
I absolutely loved the world building. Along The Razorѓ??s Edge was a story confined to a dark pit, we heard about the outside world but didnѓ??t get to see it. Here we are back in the outside world. The sky is bright but the darkness that follows Eska is still lurking. A darkness pulsates from within her, so that even when all things are going well and she begins to feel happiness, she canѓ??t let it linger. We explore amazing new cities and get into the history of the world. We watch as Eska and her friends discover the carnage left behind by the war. Entire cities are destroyed, all thatѓ??s left is rubble and ghosts. We slowly get the truth about magic and monsters and not all is as it seems.
Eskaѓ??s growth throughout is phenomenal. She is a very different person, although as ruthless as ever. She still has a cockroaches ability to survive anything. I loved that Eska became a physical threat. She trained and worked hard. She pushed even when her friends told her not to. Eska became many versions of herself in this story, but she never lost her thirst for vengeance. It is at the core of who she is. We are slowly getting a picture of how she becomes the narrator. Her battles and triumphs that forge the Eska we only hear about. Iѓ??m very interested to see if she actually does all of the things she talks about. Once again Eskaѓ??s ability to secure friendships from those who deserve better is beyond me, but the loyalty they show her is returned.
The story was nicely paced, it never lulled. In the slow moments Rob still manages to have you on the edge of your seats and I will admit he had me in tears. Actually I was a bloody mess for a while. He broke my heart. It was a book I took my time with because I didnѓ??t want to miss a thing. I had to reread the endingѓ?Э
Once again Rob Hayes has you cheering for the bastard. Eska isnѓ??t nice, tell her to smile and she would probably feed you your own intestines. She is flawed, she is vicious and she makes no apologies. Iѓ??m a big fan. Also if Rob felt the need to write more in this world I would be stoked.
Eskara and Josef are sent to the Pit to live out their days, digging rocks, eating gruel and trying to avoid being beaten by their task masters. It's not easy for Eskara who has a naturally prickly demeanour. Actually she is a fire breathing bitch queen and she refuses to be broken. I love her. She keeps to herself, sticking to Josef as much as possible. They were raised together, learning to embrace and control their power. The love they have for each other runs deeper than blood. They are two halves, Eskara is loyal, full of rage and ready to burn the world to the ground for her Emperor. Josef is incredibly talented but isn't interested in the power, he wishes for a comfortable life, but with the war he has never had the chance.
Eskara, Eska to her friends, is our narrator and she may not be the most reliable. She weaves the past with the present and gives us little glimpses of the future, keeping you guessing and wanting to know how the hell she is going to get from her current situation to the next. She is small and can't really fight, so she has to use her brain to out think those around her, she uses her words to lash out and she is so full of rage that they drip venom. Over time those in the pit try and break her and all they manage to do is stoke the rage that keeps her moving forward. She has no problem using people to get what she wants as well. And what she wants is out. Out of the pit and revenge on those who put her there and those who made her feel powerless. Just putting it out there, she sure as hell seems like the kind of girl that will get her vengeance.
Eska is a big bitch, and a terrible communicator. If she put on her big girl pants, maybe she could of got through a little smoother, but she is only fifteen, she has plenty of time to grow, and I do love a good character arc. Speaking of characters, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic cast, each bringing something new to the table, they have rich backstories and I can't wait to find out more about some of them as we go on in the series. Although we might not always as Eska is pretty selfish and wrapped up in her own world and she could kill a man without bothering to find out his name.
The way the story was written, weaving the timelines together, meant the story was always moving, there were never any lulls. Hayes pulls you in with his brilliant first paragraph and he doesn't like to let you go. And when you do get to the end, you want more. I need more, damn it, how long until the next book? Hayes brought the atmosphere of the pit to life, he leaves you with a sense of dread. You are on edge with the characters, wondering just how the next hammer will fall.
It's a violent story with a dark feel. It's not just the pit that's dark, its the different ways he brings each characters own darkness out. We have a character that is essentially a pacifist, he doesn't fight, but you know he is a ticking time bomb. Another who is a racist bigot. Another kills someone every night. And then the obvious guards who like beating on people for fun. You don't always see it straight away, but he delves into these characters and brings it all out.
There is so much to love about Along The Razor's Edge; The magic and monsters are fantastic, the way he has built the world is great. I love that while a larger world exists, they are ignored by the Orrans and Terrelans, but you know that there is so much room for the story to grow. I love that he didn't make Eska unbelievable. She isn't some super human killing machine. She is an angry girl who was torn away from her family, who when all else fails uses rage to keep her going. I love that she uses her emotions to make her stronger.
"I have never seen having emotion as a weakness, nor showing them. My emotions have always made me stronger. My hatred and anger give me strength when it should fail. My love and compassion have made me allies that otherwise might have been enemies. I have known emperors who were trained to wear their face like a mask, fall. Yet I have sat on a throne of corpses, and it was my emotions that helped put me here."
Ok that right there. It gave me goosebumps when I read it and I actually said out loud "Fuck Yes", because she is speaking my language. Ok, not the sitting on a throne of corpses, but I totally feel the having strong emotions thing.
Along The Razor's Edge starts with Eska and then slowly builds, adding more characters, back story, world building and magic until we have this fully fleshed out beast of a story about a girl who refused to be broken, who refused to lose hope of vengeance and those who got swept up into her vortex along the way.
Eskara, Eska to her friends, is our narrator and she may not be the most reliable. She weaves the past with the present and gives us little glimpses of the future, keeping you guessing and wanting to know how the hell she is going to get from her current situation to the next. She is small and can't really fight, so she has to use her brain to out think those around her, she uses her words to lash out and she is so full of rage that they drip venom. Over time those in the pit try and break her and all they manage to do is stoke the rage that keeps her moving forward. She has no problem using people to get what she wants as well. And what she wants is out. Out of the pit and revenge on those who put her there and those who made her feel powerless. Just putting it out there, she sure as hell seems like the kind of girl that will get her vengeance.
Eska is a big bitch, and a terrible communicator. If she put on her big girl pants, maybe she could of got through a little smoother, but she is only fifteen, she has plenty of time to grow, and I do love a good character arc. Speaking of characters, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic cast, each bringing something new to the table, they have rich backstories and I can't wait to find out more about some of them as we go on in the series. Although we might not always as Eska is pretty selfish and wrapped up in her own world and she could kill a man without bothering to find out his name.
The way the story was written, weaving the timelines together, meant the story was always moving, there were never any lulls. Hayes pulls you in with his brilliant first paragraph and he doesn't like to let you go. And when you do get to the end, you want more. I need more, damn it, how long until the next book? Hayes brought the atmosphere of the pit to life, he leaves you with a sense of dread. You are on edge with the characters, wondering just how the next hammer will fall.
It's a violent story with a dark feel. It's not just the pit that's dark, its the different ways he brings each characters own darkness out. We have a character that is essentially a pacifist, he doesn't fight, but you know he is a ticking time bomb. Another who is a racist bigot. Another kills someone every night. And then the obvious guards who like beating on people for fun. You don't always see it straight away, but he delves into these characters and brings it all out.
There is so much to love about Along The Razor's Edge; The magic and monsters are fantastic, the way he has built the world is great. I love that while a larger world exists, they are ignored by the Orrans and Terrelans, but you know that there is so much room for the story to grow. I love that he didn't make Eska unbelievable. She isn't some super human killing machine. She is an angry girl who was torn away from her family, who when all else fails uses rage to keep her going. I love that she uses her emotions to make her stronger.
"I have never seen having emotion as a weakness, nor showing them. My emotions have always made me stronger. My hatred and anger give me strength when it should fail. My love and compassion have made me allies that otherwise might have been enemies. I have known emperors who were trained to wear their face like a mask, fall. Yet I have sat on a throne of corpses, and it was my emotions that helped put me here."
Ok that right there. It gave me goosebumps when I read it and I actually said out loud "Fuck Yes", because she is speaking my language. Ok, not the sitting on a throne of corpses, but I totally feel the having strong emotions thing.
Along The Razor's Edge starts with Eska and then slowly builds, adding more characters, back story, world building and magic until we have this fully fleshed out beast of a story about a girl who refused to be broken, who refused to lose hope of vengeance and those who got swept up into her vortex along the way.
City of Kings was the perfect entry point into Hayesѓ?? First Earth saga. While Iѓ??m guessing that some of the characters are mentioned in an earlier series, and that some of the events discussed actually happened in them as well, I didnѓ??t feel like I was missing out on anything. I didnѓ??t feel like I had to read the other books to enjoy this. Although I would like to read all of his books now.
There was so much to love about this book. Lets start with the most obvious. That coverѓ?Э Holy shit, it is special. I want it on my shelves, so Iѓ??ll be picking up a physical copy down the track.
If you have read the synopsis, you know that the Black Thorn is bringing the Blooded to heel, he is taking back the Wilds for the people. Putting an end to the tyranny that has caused so many to die and suffer. He has gone from outlaw to hero, with a massive army at his back he is going after the impenetrable City of Kings, Crucible.
There is no mention of his wife in the synopsis. So when I dived into this book you can imagine my surprise when I discovered Rose, Black Thornѓ??s wife, was the master player in this. She was a scary fucker who I immediately could relate to. Look, being pregnant is painful, running a campaign while pregnant would be the worst. Dealing with all the fucksticks around you who assume the men are calling the shots and overlook you would be enough to make any woman mad. I could totally empathise with her frustration, bossiness and wanting to stab people.
The book takes place over a couple of days. It is the attempted take down of a city. It is battles, espionage and death. It is the ugly side of war. What in another book might get a chapter or two, here it is given an entire book. Every arrow loosened, every pot of tar thrown from the wall, every person trampled to death. There is no sugar coating it. This is a conclusion to a war that has taken place off page and it is fucking brutal.
By having multiple point of views we are given an insight into every aspect of the battles. We watch how the fighting shapes people. How even those used to killing and fighting, buckle under the pressure of trying to take a city. Each character has their own motivation, whether itѓ??s loyalty, money or vengeance. Each character has their own distinct voice and character arc. Itѓ??s not just the Black Thorn.
When you have a story full of so many truly amazing characters, it makes the book hard to put down. It means you read for longer than you should, you find yourself holding your breath when the tension gets high and even laughing out loud at a certain alcoholic. I enjoyed everything about this book. The writing, the characters, the fact it made me want to order the rest of his work straight away. Iѓ??m excited to dive back into this world. I liked that the author didnѓ??t hold anything back. Honestly I donѓ??t think the term brutal, conveys just how gruesome and fucked up some events that take place in this book are.
This isnѓ??t just a story with swords and fighting. Itѓ??s the story of the people who were willing to do the dirty work and overthrow the blooded. The people who dreamed of a different future and were willing to stab every fucker in their way to try to make it happen.
There was so much to love about this book. Lets start with the most obvious. That coverѓ?Э Holy shit, it is special. I want it on my shelves, so Iѓ??ll be picking up a physical copy down the track.
If you have read the synopsis, you know that the Black Thorn is bringing the Blooded to heel, he is taking back the Wilds for the people. Putting an end to the tyranny that has caused so many to die and suffer. He has gone from outlaw to hero, with a massive army at his back he is going after the impenetrable City of Kings, Crucible.
There is no mention of his wife in the synopsis. So when I dived into this book you can imagine my surprise when I discovered Rose, Black Thornѓ??s wife, was the master player in this. She was a scary fucker who I immediately could relate to. Look, being pregnant is painful, running a campaign while pregnant would be the worst. Dealing with all the fucksticks around you who assume the men are calling the shots and overlook you would be enough to make any woman mad. I could totally empathise with her frustration, bossiness and wanting to stab people.
The book takes place over a couple of days. It is the attempted take down of a city. It is battles, espionage and death. It is the ugly side of war. What in another book might get a chapter or two, here it is given an entire book. Every arrow loosened, every pot of tar thrown from the wall, every person trampled to death. There is no sugar coating it. This is a conclusion to a war that has taken place off page and it is fucking brutal.
By having multiple point of views we are given an insight into every aspect of the battles. We watch how the fighting shapes people. How even those used to killing and fighting, buckle under the pressure of trying to take a city. Each character has their own motivation, whether itѓ??s loyalty, money or vengeance. Each character has their own distinct voice and character arc. Itѓ??s not just the Black Thorn.
When you have a story full of so many truly amazing characters, it makes the book hard to put down. It means you read for longer than you should, you find yourself holding your breath when the tension gets high and even laughing out loud at a certain alcoholic. I enjoyed everything about this book. The writing, the characters, the fact it made me want to order the rest of his work straight away. Iѓ??m excited to dive back into this world. I liked that the author didnѓ??t hold anything back. Honestly I donѓ??t think the term brutal, conveys just how gruesome and fucked up some events that take place in this book are.
This isnѓ??t just a story with swords and fighting. Itѓ??s the story of the people who were willing to do the dirty work and overthrow the blooded. The people who dreamed of a different future and were willing to stab every fucker in their way to try to make it happen.
Dnf..
I just don't give a shit. It's childish wish fulfillment and I'm not interested. Also I made it halfway through and it has every cliche known to ya all rolled into one book.
- potential love triangle
- daggy shy plain girl attracts the super cool popular jock
- girl's best friend is in love with her
- mysterious hot stranger
- super mean girl who hates other girl
- daggy girl has a model scout want to sign her just from a glance
- 15 year olds coming and going as they please
- the mean girl being the only openly sexually active person
It's like gossip girl but shittier, mixed with some vamps.
I just don't give a shit. It's childish wish fulfillment and I'm not interested. Also I made it halfway through and it has every cliche known to ya all rolled into one book.
- potential love triangle
- daggy shy plain girl attracts the super cool popular jock
- girl's best friend is in love with her
- mysterious hot stranger
- super mean girl who hates other girl
- daggy girl has a model scout want to sign her just from a glance
- 15 year olds coming and going as they please
- the mean girl being the only openly sexually active person
It's like gossip girl but shittier, mixed with some vamps.
