The Blade Itself

A frustrating read. If you can get through the first half, it picks up. 3/4 of this book feels like a prologue. I don't mind a lack of action, but repetitive prose, inorganic exposition, and cardboard characters made it tough to make it to the mid-point. (I understand that they're intentionally unlikeable. They are not, however, interestingly so.) I stuck with it because of the breathless praise of the trilogy. Based on the improvement as the book went along, I'm cautiously optimistic that the sequel will begin at a higher baseline quality. Still, I can't recommend this book on its own merit. If, like me, you're fifty pages in and wondering if it will get better, be aware you've got another few hundred pages of incremental improvements in style and pacing. I can't blame anyone who feels they have better things to do with their reading time.

This book's main purpose appears to be to introduce the characters of the next book. It does this at a good pace and with an interesting story, though the novel itself can't stand on its own. There's something to like and dislike about every main character, which makes things mostly unpredictable and entertaining.

This book is a masterpiece of character reality. I loved how epic struggle changes nothing but one small thing can change a person. There is no happy ever after only more of the same. Before getting this book i read complaints about the lack of action. The heart of the action here is the characters and in the vivid expression of the surroundings.