Commentaires client les plus utiles
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2.0étoiles sur 5
I give it points for the gay sex..., Juil 15 2004
This book was...interesting...Certainly it kept me reasonably entertained, if only because there was so much in the 500+ pages of history and characterization to choke down and digest. While the characters were likeable and kept me reading, the plot was often obscure (at times overly so), and at times dragged along the borderline of tediousness. It was Theron & Basil that intrigued me, and pulled me through the seemingly hundreds of pages of rather bland history lessons - the ancient world of wizards & kings was regurgitated throughout the chapters, and at excessive length - and in the end I was disappointed as the authors veered from their focus on the characters to the convoluted "plot" that never seemed to reach its climax.
I ended the book feeling cheated, having spent so much time reading over facts and details and history lessons I was led to believe would all play some integral part in the book's ending, only to have the rug pulled out from under me in a pathetic 10-page wrap-up. Nothing was solved, and as it turns out all of those facts and details and history lessons were read for nothing. Useless information, and a useless finish to a somewhat promising book.
All I can attribute this to is that the authors dropped the ball on the characters. Shame shame, seeing as I enjoyed them so much... In the end, I would recommend this book and I wouldn't recommend this book. I originally bought it because of the gay-friendly subject matter, but really - while the book certainly alludes to several ellicit liasons between Theron & Basil, and briefly describes them on occasion - nothing physical is delved into deeply, and it is the emotional development of these two characters that had me turning pages while the overall plot lagged. If you are a fan of pretty boys getting physical, and fantasy and a dose of fictional history is your bag, by all means go for it. But if you prefer a more light-hearted romp with a more satisfying crunch to it's ending, I'd suggest turning your sights elsewhere.
For me, this book shall retreat to the back of my bookshelf.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Uneven but Worthy of Attention, Jui 12 2004
Complicated. Thats how I would describe the book, The Fall of Kings. Most times I really go in for a complicated, rich tapestry of a fantasy world, and gladly dove into this one based on the many glowing recommendations around Amazon for it. However, half way through the book, I realized also why some had described it as overly complicated and pathless. There is a definite path through this book. One can almost immediately see where it is headed, and if you're like me, you can become disappointed on the destination. The destination itself was not the problem, but the journey was. Sure many of the characters are vivid, but not the necessary ones. The story was a good one, but its evolution was...I searched for a word and the only one I could come up with is stupid. While some areas of the world were described overmuch, the main characters (except for some sexual detail) were described too little, I found myself having forgotten what one of the main characters looked like within pages of opening the book. Too little was reinforced, and certain aspects of novel writing were too obvious. Ok, it seems I am only downing the book but there are positive parts to it. If you are a fan of Robert Jordan, I would say you would like this book. I read a number of his, but the over complication without the strong return for what you've read put me off him and I never finished his series. I struggled through this book. Half way through I was completely exasperated at the uneven characterization. I left it for a number of weeks, until in a fit of determination came back to it, but even then skimming through overwritten passages. The ending is unsatisfying even in its basic premise. Without trying to give a spoiler, it ends as one expects it might but without the emotion that would have made it at least acceptable. Yes, a difficult review, as uneven as the book itself. Struggle through it yourself and you'll see what I mean. All the above glowing reviews...I dont really understand them. As a writer myself I suppose I can see more of the faults, weaknesses, and problems with the book, but at the same time it does create a sense of tension and inevitability very well. For those looking for gay sex and relationships, this one has it in abundance, but again it was irritating and one-dimensional somehow. I'm sorry, many people like this book, and it has its good points and its a worthy read, but over all I feel it could have been better written and realized. Perhaps two writers working on it overcomplicated what could have been a truly lyrical and strong novel.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Better than Swordspoint, but.., Avril 14 2004
The reviews for Swordspoint and The Fall of the Kings glow, but give the wrong idea. This is a very rich world, with a good plot and lots of tantalisingly familiar legends, academic argument, sensuality and magic, but the authors mentioned in the reviews: Georgette Heyer, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Dickens.. probably wouldn't have come close to this. They would have set their work in a similar society; but that would have been all, and anyone hoping to see echoes of their work would have come away disappointed.
The academic arguments were a bit too erudite for me, and I'd've enjoyed the story more if there had been less of that and more about Basil and his students, or the Tremontaines, or even about Arlen and Galing. My favourite character was Jessica, and she turned up only towards the end of the book. Hopefully she gets her own story later.
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