Nightblade

Bought this one on the back of one of his later ones & all the positive reviews! I just can't get going on this one, so much so I've started a new book! The only issue you have when one of your main characters is a small child, how much excitement can a 5 year old have? Not going to be many sword fights! The next one ends up in a brothel, think geisha, but is only 10 & the madam states that she won't be "working" until she is 15...that's the sort of pace of this! At 26% I don't care or empathise with any of the characters, in fact I've little reason to go any further with them.I might pick this back up but another 10% of this drudgery will kill it stone dead.

Ryan Kirk's Nightblade is an interesting take on fantasy tropes marred by a reliance on characters inner-thoughts and a distinct lack of action. All too often we are told and not shown, which acts to pull the reader from the story at hand and leads to a degree of disconnection from the characters. The book also feels like it is building towards set-pieces and combat, but when they arrive they are handwaved and dismissed within a sentence or two. For a book so clearly focused on the development of the sword skills and disciplines, we get very little in the way of pay-off. Instead, the majority of the book feels like the bridges between exciting scenes, and not the action itself.Whilst Kirk's take on eastern culture is appealing, at time it feels largely Westernised in its vernacular and adherence to very Anglo-American ways of doing things. Whilst I am not one to throw around terms like 'whitewashing' and 'cultural appropriation', there are moments when it reads a little like a pantomime, or a very dated TV show from decades ago.The reliance on stating the obvious (special powers, saviours, etc) could have also been handled better, given what appears to be Kirk's attempts to write something different and challenging in the fantasy genre. In general, a lot of the problems simply come across as laziness on the author's part, or perhaps a lack of challenge from beta readers or editors with regard to content. The writing also swings between quite wonderful and lazy hack-jobbery.All in all I found Nightblade to be enjoyable, but like a lot of self-published and small press books, lacked the chops to truly make it outstanding. I will however be adding book 2 to my TBR list to see whether these issues have been ironed out, although it won't be a priority read.

I have been reading fantasy for many years. So I know what I like. For me this was a decent story, with decent characters and a good but at times predictable plot. There are several high points throughout, but some dull points too. My main issues are; I don't usually like children as the main character- to unbelievable even with enhanced skills;For 3/4 of the story it is delivered step by step and for me this slow development is boring and tedious; there is minimal description of any action it just happens so quickly! Not good enough for a fantasy novel where the description is part of the book. The story gently leads you through the story rather than letting your mind fill in the gaps. Brooks, eddings or feist it isn't but engaging enough.That aside there has been enough interest generated that I will try the 2nd book to see how it develops.

The book came to me at the exact moment it should come. Amazing how it adapts so well into real life ....both ways. I love fantasy books, but these series truly beautiful. I find myself in the stories, experiencing all emotions through all the characters, their pain, their joy, their strength. I feel incredible close to these books. It gave me the strength to keep practicing, to reach to my goals. The minute I start reading, it takes right there... I just sink into the words...It's not just a fantasy book, far from being ordinary!! It's as real as you're breathing right now! It's beautifully written; scenery descriptions, characters, it all works.. You can feel absolutely every word..every line.. every dot.Definitely recommend these series to everyone! TOP! <3 <3

The plot and concept are OK but are seriously - and in my opinion fatally - let down by poor, amateurish writing style. I could barely get past the first chapter or two (but slogged it out to the end); the staccato prose with hardly a comma or semi-colon in sight made for an infuriating reading experience.Also, the inconsistent use of the word "cycle" rather than "year" irritated me, with no real indication for how long this period of time is intended to be. Is it more than a standard year or less? Poor world-building here that prevents the suspension of disbelief that is essential to quality fantasy writing. That plus the use of the word "capitol" rather than "capital" for the principal city in a state. Capitol is where Congress lives, not the location from where a nation state is run!All in all, this has all the hallmarks of a fan-written novel that has been somehow over-promoted into e-reader fodder. Pulp fiction and nothing more.

One of the best books I've read in ages. I love the writing style. which is very matter of fact and conveys everything you need to know. I was happy with the action scenes, they are concise and leave you imagination to do the work. I get confused when most authors try to describe action, it's usually frantic and they over describe every detail. Not so here. The author tells you everything you need to know and lets your mind fill in the rest.The characters and plot kept me turning the pages. I was intrigued by how powerful, yet vulnerable they were. Even though there is a lot of violence and dark themes, such as rape and torture, none of it was gratuitous or uncomfortable to read. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.