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maggie_rau's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I'm not sure how to rate this book.
On the one hand, worldbuilding is impressive, the (not as fully developed as I wished) intrigues and plots quite compelling, the idea of justice as magic very cool. Also, Vonvalt is the type of character I usually like very much in fantasy stories.
On the other hand, the choice of narrator is atrocious. Helena is so badly written it makes me wonder if the author ever encountered any FMC written by women. She's illogical, whiny, moody. A supposed clever orphan who grew up on the streets, but acts like a spoiled princess. An innocent orphan, beggar and cutpurse, who falls for the first boy who smiles at her but also has these entirely incestuous, unprovoked thoughts about Vonvalt Come on.
So, 5 stars for the story, 1 star for Helena, rounded up to 3 because I feel generous.
On the one hand, worldbuilding is impressive, the (not as fully developed as I wished) intrigues and plots quite compelling, the idea of justice as magic very cool. Also, Vonvalt is the type of character I usually like very much in fantasy stories.
On the other hand, the choice of narrator is atrocious. Helena is so badly written it makes me wonder if the author ever encountered any FMC written by women. She's illogical, whiny, moody. A supposed clever orphan who grew up on the streets, but acts like a spoiled princess. An innocent orphan, beggar and cutpurse, who falls for the first boy who smiles at her but also has these entirely incestuous, unprovoked thoughts about Vonvalt Come on.
So, 5 stars for the story, 1 star for Helena, rounded up to 3 because I feel generous.
sea_uh_dahmay's review against another edition
4.0
the way this was actually so good like between this and brandon sanderson what if i have to start giving m*le fantasy authors a chance
blackclaws_reads's review against another edition
4.25
The justice of Kings is a captivating story of politic, justice, war and rebellion, mixing magical abilities and laws to the perfection.
One of the strongest feature of this book, in my humble opinion, is how flawlessly the author blend the magical abilities to the legal system. Not everyone can use magic, but the representatives of the law, and only the highest rank. Strong powers, such as necromancy and others abilities, are at their disposal to keep this vast empire stable, but only their moral code keeps them from abusing their power. This aspect, in addition to the plot, that started as an ordinary murder mystery, but revealed itself as something a lot more layers, gave a really interesting twist to the story.
The world building was also something I appreciated a lot. This is not a fantastic world where magic is abundant, there are no monsters or creatures, in fact, this world is very close to ours if you removed the magical abilities. But I loved the medieval Germany inspiration, all the landscapes and places were richly described, and perfectly fit the story.
I really liked the first book, and will be reading the second soon to know where the story will leads our characters.
I really liked the first book, and will be reading the second soon to know where the story will leads our characters.
gbuechner's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
pragmatic_chaos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rozarrians's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Pictured the corrupt priest as Paul Dano from There Will Be Blood, turns out the author fancasted the same guy so that was very validating
Pictured the corrupt priest as Paul Dano from There Will Be Blood, turns out the author fancasted the same guy so that was very validating
hawkeyegough's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I'm definitely going to see where this series goes. This feels a little bit like a series about Geralt of Rivia if he were a lawyer / judge / private eye. This book was a lot of fun, and it added a little depth to a really interesting world and cyclonic pace by introducing questions about the nature of law & order, the responsibility of authority, and the importance of due practice. Richard Swan's unique voice adds a lot of enjoyment to an occasionally deep and always entertaining book.
lazylys's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25