A Slow Start That Somehow Hooks You
A Slow Start That Somehow Hooks You
Beginning of the book is slow. Really slow. At least, for the first 20% or so, it was. Honestly, not much is happening to start off with. What happens instead is that you are hit with facts after facts after facts. Yeah, hit. It feels like the author is trying to cram the crash course about the entire world and its history and its characters into you in about five minutes or so. Some action does happen, sure, but it's usually flashback or something inserted between other facts. The beginning chapters read more like a complex guide on how this entire thing functions instead of something happening right before you.
Now, here's the strange thing: I expected to find myself bored out of my skull, but instead, I was hooked. I don't know why, maybe it has something to do with how well you get drawn into the words, but for sure, I read on. Despite its horrible pace and how it felt at points as though I was reading a textbook on science or something, I remained curious. I wanted to understand why everyone was so into this book, and hence, I was unable to give up on it. To me, this was strange, seeing how for most other books that had started out so badly, I’d already given up on them within the first 50 pages or so.
However, I do want to say that the prose in this one is very good. It's one of those stories where even though it does tend to slow up every now and then, you can still find yourself interested in it. One thing about this author is that no matter how much information they try to cram into you, you can read it and find yourself genuinely interested. Although, warning warning: this isn't something that I would recommend for someone new to fantasy. This info dumping is is something that I could handle for myself, but for anyone new to fantasy, no.
Another thing I noticed is that the slow start actually set the stage for the darker elements later. By giving us this huge amount of context, the book probably tried to make the darker, more intense moments hit harder.
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Darkness and Difficult Themes
Darkness and Difficult Themes
This book is marketed as extremely dark, and it doesn’t lie. It's filled with many trigger warnings, it combines many dark elements, such as those present in 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Now, I am just going to go ahead and say that Handmaid's Tale has always been something that I've just flat out not been able to read or see for that matter. Seeing as how I can handle blood, death, and many other forms of actual violent acts, just one thing that I refrain from reading about in books is sexual assault or anything relating to it.
I knew that I was going to find this to be a difficult read when I started it. But for about the first 25% or so, it wasn't too bad. It seemed as though the dark elements had not begun to appear in the story, and that was fine with me. As it progressed, it did get very dark, to the point where sometimes I had no idea how to handle it. I wanted to walk away from it on occasion, but something inside of me took it up as a challenge, to see how well I could handle this as a read. I've learned though, that I can take more than I once did.
The grim moments are present, yes, but they are not so explicitly described that I find myself lying awake at night from nightmares about them.
It's also quite interesting because this novel is not afraid to explore the consequences of its dark story. I don't really think that anybody would enjoy every single moment of darkness, but the added depth to the story was hard to ignore. This book will definitely appeal to readers who appreciate heavy, uncomfortable themes set in a fantasy world. For others, it might prove to be a challenge.
Slowburn, Length, and the Story’s Core
Slowburn, Length, and the Story’s Core
This book is a textbook example of a slowburn. The pacing drags for what feels like forever, and at points, it’s repetitive. Honestly, it could have ended around 600–700 pages instead of stretching over a thousand. Sometimes, it felt like reading a soap opera where the author just kept writing whatever came to mind.
Despite that, the prose is excellent. The writing itself is engaging enough to keep you reading, even if the story feels bleak. There are pages after pages wriiten on Helena’s thoughts, Ferron’s reactions, or world-building details that could have been condensed. While the book holds attention, the relentless focus on certain elements makes the story feel heavier than necessary.
The biggest disappointment is the so-called romance. Helena and Ferron’s relationship is shallow and unconvincing. It starts with Stockholm Syndrome and end with no meaningful romance. The book focuses way too much on their interactions making everything else feel secondary. And yet, I never felt anything for Ferron. I didn’t like him, hate him, or care about him. I was completely indifferent. A thousand pages focused on a relationship that fails to evoke any real emotion is pathetic.
The supporting elements of the story aren't all that great either. I kept wondering about the war going on in the background, the politics, and the other interesting characters mentioned briefly, but almost nothing was fully explored. That left the story feeling incomplete despite its massive length.
Characters: Helena, Ferron, and Everyone Else
Characters: Helena, Ferron, and Everyone Else
Helena is a conflicted character for me. I wanted to root for her, and she has rare talents, but she never uses them for herself. She doesn’t stand up for her beliefs or take control of her life. After 1,000 pages, she is essentially the same as when the story started, just more damaged. Her compliance overshadows even her heroic moments, like saving lives with her healing skills.
Other characters aren’t much better. Helena’s loyalty to Luc is hard to justify, as they spend maybe two pages together. We’re told he’s a savior, but nothing in the story supports it. Ferron, too, is shallow. Neither likeable nor hateable, he just exists, with all storylines revolving around him without adding substance. Their scenes are repetitive, and the tension between them feels exaggerated, leaving the “relationship” meaningless.
The lack of depth extends beyond Helena and Ferron. Other relationships are shallow, connections are superficial, and secondary storylines are neglected. Even when characters act heroically or intriguingly, the narrative fails to give them room to develop.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
This book has its pros: strong writing and impressive world-building. But it’s ruined by glacially slow pacing, shallow character interactions, and overemphasis on Helena and Ferron’s unconvincing relationship. The dark sexual content adds discomfort rather than depth, making it a difficult read for many.
For fantasy fans who enjoy extreme slowburns and dark themes, parts of this book may appeal. For others, it’s a test of patience. I read it out of curiosity rather than enjoyment, and while some moments stood out, they were overshadowed by repetition and weak character development. Ultimately, the book feels long for the sake of length, with little payoff for the reader’s time and attention.
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