The Obsidian Empire by Mark T Barnes and Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in Sept 12 2014

This challenge is organized by Felicia over at the Geeky Blogger's Book Blog

Saturday I can't remember, can have been only 30 min cos I had the flu
Sunday 5 km bike and 30 min walk
Monday 5 km bike and 40 min walk
Tuesday 5 km bike, and 15 min walk (12 hour workday  :( )
Wednesday 5 km bike, and 1 hour zumba class
Thursday 5 km bike, and 30 min walk
Friday 10 km bike and 1 hour yoga class

Should be from Saturday

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Warrior-mage Indris grows weary in his failed attempts to thwart the political machinations of Corajidin, and faces the possibility of imprisonment upon his return to his homeland. Moreover, Indris’s desire for Corajidin’s daughter, Mari, is strong. Can he choose between his duty and his desire…and at what cost?

Left alienated from her House, Mari is torn between the opposing forces of her family and her country—especially now that she’s been offered the position of Knight-Colonel of the Feyassin, the elite royal guards whose legacy reaches back to the days of the Awakened Empire. As the tensions rise, she must decide if her future is with Indris, with her family, or in a direction not yet foreseen.

As he awaits trial for his crimes, Corajidin confronts the good and evil within himself. Does he seek redemption for his cruel deeds, or does he indebt himself further to the enigmatic forces that have promised him success, and granted him a reprieve from death? What is more important: his ambition, regaining the love stolen from him, or his soul?

My thoughts:

I am a bit torn when it comes to this review. I struggled with the book, it did not keep my attention. For that it was only ok. BUT the world building is just so rich. Mythology, politics, culture, fighting, everything is just so interesting. I do love the world. The story stagnated though.

Idris is still being good. Mari is still thinking her dad is bad, but not doing anything about it. Corajidin is still being bad and wanting to take over everything. The leaders are still being idiots and should have Corajidin executed, but money can buy anything and everyone.

Ok lots happened, and nothing happened. People talked, thought about things, went back and forth. Accused each other of things they had not done. Fought. And then witches came. The end.

Something was missing, something that made me enthralled with book 1 (even if if it took two turns to finish it). But here I never became that enthralled, frankly I felt disappointed.

Conclusion:

So the book was ok, the world was good. The world saves the rating, deserving? Maybe not. As it did not make me want to read more. A rating of the heart, not the mind.

Edit:

1 day later. I changed my mind. Yes the world was good, but the mindless reading I did, no. Have to rate it just ok.

Cover

good

Paperback, 438 pages
Published October 15th 2013 by 47North
Echoes of Empire #2
Fantasy
Library

The Garden of Stones - Mark T.Barnes

An uneasy peace has existed since the fall of the Awakened Empire centuries ago. Now the hybrid Avān share the land with the people they once conquered: the star-born humans; the spectral, undead Nomads; and what remains of the Elemental Masters.

With the Empress-in-Shadows an estranged ghost, it is the ancient dynasties of the Great Houses and the Hundred Families that rule. But now civil war threatens to draw all of Shrīan into a vicious struggle sparked by one man’s lust for power, and his drive to cheat death.

Visions have foretold that Corajidin, dying ruler of House Erebus, will not only survive, but rise to rule his people. The wily nobleman seeks to make his destiny certain—by plundering the ruins of his civilization’s past for the arcane science needed to ensure his survival, and by mercilessly eliminating his rivals. But mercenary warrior-mage Indris, scion of the rival House Näsarat, stands most powerfully in the usurper’s bloody path. For it is Indris who reluctantly accepts the task of finding a missing man, the only one able to steer the teetering nation towards peace.

My thoughts:

This book was a good example that you should always give books a second chance. I started it and put it down because it just did not work then (I also blame the late night). A month later I picked it up again and suddenly I was enthralled by it. I think the initial failure was that it is pretty heavy with everything from strange words and more. And even though I kept checking the glossary the second time there were still words that were not mentioned there. But whatever you do, do not give up. This book is is great and with a world you will not forget.

The best thing about this book was the world building. It was exquisite. Rich in detail and totally alien. There are those books that you just do not know where to put, it was his own world, his own creation and unlike anything from our world. It was the kind of world that yes if I went out in space maybe I would find it one day. The book is not purely fantasy either, it's fantasy with traces of sci-fi because of inventions mentioned, and more. Not to mention that the humans in this world are called Starborn because they came from the stars. So we have history, philosophy, everything that makes a good world. And I do love a good world. The kind of world that you feel yes, I believe in this world. He really put some thought into it.

The characters felt rich too. Indris who fight for a lost cause. He did what he had to, not because he wanted to be a hero and he kept fighting his fate. Mari who is torn between her duty and her father. It's not easy when you love your father, but hates the things he do. And then Corajidin who wants to save himself and rule the land. It was not that he was evil, he only wanted to live and he lived in a cruel world. Because the world was cruel in its way. It was a world of warrior-poets, a world where war and fighting was an art. There is beauty in slaughter. This was politics, war and treachery at the highest level.

And then we had the end, he really had me there. What a revelation. One that made me check the next book at once and if I would have had it in my hands I would have started it at once. I would not call it a cliffhanger, just something that makes you want more at once. And not only for the end, but for the whole story as the fight is certainly not over for these people. Much more is to come.

Conclusion;

It was a strong first book, and I would say thanks to that wonderful world building. I hope the next one is equally good.

Cover

awesome, the tiny pic does not do it justice

Paperback, 506 pages
Published May 21st 2013 by 47north (first published April 9th 2013)
Echoes of Empire #1
Fantasy
Own