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Heart of the World #2
Stands a Shadow
In Farlander, the first book of the Heart of the World series, readers met Ash, an aging master assassin of the famed order of Roshun, and his apprentice Nico, a boy who always managed to be in the wrong place at the right time. Ash and Nico, one with failing health and the other with little training, were sent on a suicidal mission to fulfill a contract against the favored son of the Holy Matriarch, the ruler of Mann. The assassination of the Matriarch's son maintained the honor and reputation of the Roshun, but further destabilized a nation already beset by strife. For Ash, fulfilling the contract came at an enormous personal cost.Now in Stands a Shadow, driven by grief and anger, Ash embarks on a journey that takes him through the Free Ports and towards the embattled city of Bar-Khos. He arrives at the city as the Holy Matriarch of Mann orders her forces to breach the walls of Bar-Khos and bring it under her control. Renouncing the ways of the Roshun,
432 pages, Hardcover
Published November 8, 2011
21 people are currently reading
610 people want to read
About the author
Col Buchanan
9 books88 followersCol Buchanan is an Irish writer who was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1973. From an early age he turned to reading and writing fantastical works to escape his troubles. In school he was the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the classroom. Later, in his stretches of work as a copywriter, he would be the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the office.
Having strayed from the beaten track for most of his life, at various times Col has found himself in retreat in the mountains of Mourne, homeless in Belfast, lost in a Zen monastery, and scratching graffiti as a guest of the local constabulary … all of which he mentions, (since he's the one writing this), to sound more exciting than he really is.
In recent years he has mostly settled down, and loves nothing more than a late-night gathering around a fire with good friends.
Having strayed from the beaten track for most of his life, at various times Col has found himself in retreat in the mountains of Mourne, homeless in Belfast, lost in a Zen monastery, and scratching graffiti as a guest of the local constabulary … all of which he mentions, (since he's the one writing this), to sound more exciting than he really is.
In recent years he has mostly settled down, and loves nothing more than a late-night gathering around a fire with good friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 4, 2018
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Grittier. More complex. More engaging. Stands a Shadow is a book which does not succumb to the sophomore book slump but rises above its predecessor, making a reader crave more. Col Buchanan crafting a mesmerizing sequel to Farlander, one which grips a reader from the first page and never lets go, as an epic tale of revenge, war, and survival plays out across the pages. Or, to put it simply, this is a damn good book!
Picking up directly after book one, the Roshun assassin Ash is bent on revenge against the Holy Matriarch of the Empire of Mann after her treatment of his apprentice Nico. This overwhelming desire going against all Ash’s beliefs, repudiating everything his order stands for. But Ash is beyond caring, determined to follow after his chosen target as she heads across the sea at the head of a massive invasion fleet, bound for the city of Bar-Khos, which has been besieged by the Mannians for ten long years.
Caught up in the brutal struggle and quiet mission of vengeance are several other characters who find themselves struggling to deal with their own problems and fighting to find a way to survive the traumas of war. Foremost of these is Che, a trained agent of the Mannians (and wayward Roshun assassin), who begins to waver in his loyalty to Mann and watches as his beliefs begin to crumble under self inspection. Opposite Che in Bar-Khos is Bahn, a war-weary soldier, who finds himself loosing his nerve, desperately wishing to flee the looming threat of annihilation with his family. And, lastly, there is a refugee-turned-prostitute named Curl, who joins the Khosian army, filled with the need to stop the Mannians from destroying her new home as they did her former one.
While the action and adventure are front-and-center here and monopolize the pages, this story is truly built upon the struggles of one man: Ash. The world-weary assassin with his mysterious, haunted past looming over everything. His personal quest for vengeance for his apprentice (and a need to redeem himself from past failures) is so real, so compelling that it carries the narrative. Only the struggles of Che coming anywhere close to rising to Ash’s level. All of which means that Stands a Shadow only works if you become deeply engaged in Ash’s journey.
The only criticism I have of this book is the failure of the other supporting, point-of-view characters — outside of Che — to carry their portions of the narrative. Certainly, everyone begins with loads of potential and have brief moments of brilliance, but overall, their story arcs are fairly forgettable. Especially disappointing to me was Bahn and Curl, who start off with a complex, intertwined plot which gradually ends in a proverbial dead-end and is basically dropped by the author all together without any satisfactory resolution.
Well written, tension filled, and driven by a compelling character in Ash, Stands a Shadow raises the Heart of the World series to new heights, ever facet of this epic saga improved immensely over its predecessor, Farlander. Certainly, Ash and Che’s story lines are the highlights of the book, but the world building and tale of a brutal war adds to the richness of the narrative, making this novel and series one of my favorite finds in 2017.
Grittier. More complex. More engaging. Stands a Shadow is a book which does not succumb to the sophomore book slump but rises above its predecessor, making a reader crave more. Col Buchanan crafting a mesmerizing sequel to Farlander, one which grips a reader from the first page and never lets go, as an epic tale of revenge, war, and survival plays out across the pages. Or, to put it simply, this is a damn good book!
Picking up directly after book one, the Roshun assassin Ash is bent on revenge against the Holy Matriarch of the Empire of Mann after her treatment of his apprentice Nico. This overwhelming desire going against all Ash’s beliefs, repudiating everything his order stands for. But Ash is beyond caring, determined to follow after his chosen target as she heads across the sea at the head of a massive invasion fleet, bound for the city of Bar-Khos, which has been besieged by the Mannians for ten long years.
Caught up in the brutal struggle and quiet mission of vengeance are several other characters who find themselves struggling to deal with their own problems and fighting to find a way to survive the traumas of war. Foremost of these is Che, a trained agent of the Mannians (and wayward Roshun assassin), who begins to waver in his loyalty to Mann and watches as his beliefs begin to crumble under self inspection. Opposite Che in Bar-Khos is Bahn, a war-weary soldier, who finds himself loosing his nerve, desperately wishing to flee the looming threat of annihilation with his family. And, lastly, there is a refugee-turned-prostitute named Curl, who joins the Khosian army, filled with the need to stop the Mannians from destroying her new home as they did her former one.
While the action and adventure are front-and-center here and monopolize the pages, this story is truly built upon the struggles of one man: Ash. The world-weary assassin with his mysterious, haunted past looming over everything. His personal quest for vengeance for his apprentice (and a need to redeem himself from past failures) is so real, so compelling that it carries the narrative. Only the struggles of Che coming anywhere close to rising to Ash’s level. All of which means that Stands a Shadow only works if you become deeply engaged in Ash’s journey.
The only criticism I have of this book is the failure of the other supporting, point-of-view characters — outside of Che — to carry their portions of the narrative. Certainly, everyone begins with loads of potential and have brief moments of brilliance, but overall, their story arcs are fairly forgettable. Especially disappointing to me was Bahn and Curl, who start off with a complex, intertwined plot which gradually ends in a proverbial dead-end and is basically dropped by the author all together without any satisfactory resolution.
Well written, tension filled, and driven by a compelling character in Ash, Stands a Shadow raises the Heart of the World series to new heights, ever facet of this epic saga improved immensely over its predecessor, Farlander. Certainly, Ash and Che’s story lines are the highlights of the book, but the world building and tale of a brutal war adds to the richness of the narrative, making this novel and series one of my favorite finds in 2017.
February 24, 2012
I picked up Col Buchanan’s Stands a Shadow, kindly sent to me by Julie Crisp at Macmillan. On the back of the dust jacket is a quote that runs ‘Two pages into Farlander (the previous book) I was hooked ... I’ll certainly be reading the next book, for I have a feeling it’s going to be even better. Nice one Mr Buchanan’ by a guy called Neal Asher. So was this even better? I didn’t find myself being immediately hooked for any of a number of reasons: my hangover was getting in the way, because I couldn’t remember the story of the previous book, or because the prose seemed laboured to begin with. Really I should have read Farlander again before going onto this. Another thing that kept pulling me up was the odd chemistry of the ‘black powder’ here, and in one case a confusion between grape and chain shot (but then would anyone who had not just read four books on the Napoleonic Wars notice?) Anyway, I did get hooked later on and ended up finishing this at about 2.00 in the morning. My overall impression was that this wasn’t as ‘clean’ as Farlander – maybe suffering from a touch of mid-series syndrome – but it was as vivid and believable and a damned sight better than a lot of the lauded fantasy books out there, and I’ll certainly be reading the next one.
May 19, 2012
I finally finished (in the sense that I turned and scanned all pages) this one after more than a year since I started it; standard fantasy that came too late for me as it is nothing special and I feel the genre has mostly exhausted its interest for me; no plans to read more in this series as I simply could not care about anything in this one
April 12, 2022
Een tweede verborgen parel
Na het lezen van deel één had ik voor dit boek niet zo’n hoge verwachtingen. Op Goodreads heeft de hele reeks weinig ratings waardoor het voor mij een “onbekend” boek is.
Wat had ik het mis. Net zoals het eerste deel zit het verhaal goed in elkaar en gaat het vooruit als een sneltrein waar je niet uit wil stappen. Alles aan dit boek spreekt mij aan, de wereld, de setting, de personages. Alles is goed geschreven waardoor je het verhaal goed kan volgen en er in kan blijven.
In dit boek krijgen we een aantal nieuwe personages die net zoals in het eerste boek een meerwaarde bieden aan het boek. Wat ik er wel wat jammer aan vind is er met sommige personages weinig gebeurd. Ze krijgen allemaal een spannend verhaal en deze zijn ook interessant om te volgen, alleen weet je op het einde van het boek niet waar ze zich bevinden. Ik hoop dan ook dat deze verhaallijnen in het volgende boek weer worden opgepikt en mooi samenkomen in het verhaal.
De wereld die Buchanan schetst is fascinerend. Een land in constante oorlog en toch is er zoveel hoop. Het verhaal gaat over verdriet en hoop, en hoe dit een mens kan slopen van binnenuit. Over het belang om steeds moed te vinden om verder te gaan en om hiervoor al dan niet beloond te worden.
Voor mij is de Farlander reeks tot hiertoe enorm ondergewaardeerd. Dit is een fantasy reeks die je meesleept en het enige minpunt is de ambitie van de schrijver die te veel goede verhaallijnen wil uitwerken maar hiervoor te weinig bladzijden heeft. Op naar boek drie !
Na het lezen van deel één had ik voor dit boek niet zo’n hoge verwachtingen. Op Goodreads heeft de hele reeks weinig ratings waardoor het voor mij een “onbekend” boek is.
Wat had ik het mis. Net zoals het eerste deel zit het verhaal goed in elkaar en gaat het vooruit als een sneltrein waar je niet uit wil stappen. Alles aan dit boek spreekt mij aan, de wereld, de setting, de personages. Alles is goed geschreven waardoor je het verhaal goed kan volgen en er in kan blijven.
In dit boek krijgen we een aantal nieuwe personages die net zoals in het eerste boek een meerwaarde bieden aan het boek. Wat ik er wel wat jammer aan vind is er met sommige personages weinig gebeurd. Ze krijgen allemaal een spannend verhaal en deze zijn ook interessant om te volgen, alleen weet je op het einde van het boek niet waar ze zich bevinden. Ik hoop dan ook dat deze verhaallijnen in het volgende boek weer worden opgepikt en mooi samenkomen in het verhaal.
De wereld die Buchanan schetst is fascinerend. Een land in constante oorlog en toch is er zoveel hoop. Het verhaal gaat over verdriet en hoop, en hoe dit een mens kan slopen van binnenuit. Over het belang om steeds moed te vinden om verder te gaan en om hiervoor al dan niet beloond te worden.
Voor mij is de Farlander reeks tot hiertoe enorm ondergewaardeerd. Dit is een fantasy reeks die je meesleept en het enige minpunt is de ambitie van de schrijver die te veel goede verhaallijnen wil uitwerken maar hiervoor te weinig bladzijden heeft. Op naar boek drie !
December 20, 2012
This is the second book in The Heart of the world series. The Empire of man is realling after the attempted assassination of the prince of there kingdom, and the high matriarch herself is out to take over the world. This book follows a young harlot who has decided to stop doing drugs and being...well a harlot and signs up for the army. She helps in the war against the matriarch who is now attacking her city and who's armies years before killed her family and her original town. Also follows who is still trying to kill the matriarch and also the ex Roshun who betrayed the order and is now an assassin for the matriarch.
I found this book to much grittier than the first. Although the first one was very graphic (the religion that that bad guys practice involves a lot of ritualistic sex and rape a murder) this one just felt different. I think its because you get put on the front lines of war so there's more combat and more mass scale death. I still liked this book and would recomend it, but like the last book, only to a more mature audience.
I found this book to much grittier than the first. Although the first one was very graphic (the religion that that bad guys practice involves a lot of ritualistic sex and rape a murder) this one just felt different. I think its because you get put on the front lines of war so there's more combat and more mass scale death. I still liked this book and would recomend it, but like the last book, only to a more mature audience.
December 14, 2015
Evil hedonists take on island democrats
Buchanan’s entertaining Heart of the World series continues with an invasion of Bar-Khos by the Empire of Mann. Meanwhile, super-ninja Ash tracks the wicked Matriarch, and Mannian assassin Ché begins to doubt his loyalties.
Stands a Shadow offers plenty –battles, genocide, shipwreck, intrigue, and compelling new characters. Buchanan’s writing is strong; even if he undermines the effect of his descriptive powers by being equally descriptive of plant pots as he is of sieges, he creates occasional moments of total immersion for the reader.
The shoddy geography and linguistics of his world irritate as much as the first time round, and a worrying promise of things to come threatens to undo the power of the first book’s brave finale.
But although one wishes the author would paper over the joins between the tale’s elements more skilfully, we’re discussing the finish. The underlying construction is sound, the story gripping. With steampunk, magical, and historical influences, this is one of the most refreshing new fantasies out there.
Buchanan’s entertaining Heart of the World series continues with an invasion of Bar-Khos by the Empire of Mann. Meanwhile, super-ninja Ash tracks the wicked Matriarch, and Mannian assassin Ché begins to doubt his loyalties.
Stands a Shadow offers plenty –battles, genocide, shipwreck, intrigue, and compelling new characters. Buchanan’s writing is strong; even if he undermines the effect of his descriptive powers by being equally descriptive of plant pots as he is of sieges, he creates occasional moments of total immersion for the reader.
The shoddy geography and linguistics of his world irritate as much as the first time round, and a worrying promise of things to come threatens to undo the power of the first book’s brave finale.
But although one wishes the author would paper over the joins between the tale’s elements more skilfully, we’re discussing the finish. The underlying construction is sound, the story gripping. With steampunk, magical, and historical influences, this is one of the most refreshing new fantasies out there.
February 14, 2013
Amazing follow up! All the characters from Farlander are back (those that survived!) though some are given larger parts and some have lesser parts in this sequel :D The first third of the book is the preparation for the invasion of Bar-Khos and the majority of the rest of the book is the battles and events that unfurl because of it, a number of which the term epic barely applies! A number of characters fates are unknown at the end of the book so its anyone's guess what will be revealed in the next book.
Amazingly well written the tension throughout the book never lets up for a second. There is also a kind of dark humour that permeates many of the scenes in the book that had me unexpectedly laughing :D The plot takes a number of surprising twists with some of them right at the end of the book with a notable high note especially considering the trials are hero's have been through throughout this and the previous book!
Brilliant stuff roll on the sequel! Highly recommended! :D
Amazingly well written the tension throughout the book never lets up for a second. There is also a kind of dark humour that permeates many of the scenes in the book that had me unexpectedly laughing :D The plot takes a number of surprising twists with some of them right at the end of the book with a notable high note especially considering the trials are hero's have been through throughout this and the previous book!
Brilliant stuff roll on the sequel! Highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2014
So despite my reservations about book #1, I decided to read Stands a Shadow as well. It was readily available at my library, so I picked it up and started reading. If anything, this book was even slower going for me. Maybe I just never fully connected with Master Ash or any of the other characters. To be sure, the dramatic timeline moves much slower than in the previous book. Without the naturally stronger scenes to pull it through, I almost stopped reading. However, I figured you never know what is waiting around the corner and kept reading.
All in all, it is not a book I would revisit. We all have our own opinions, and that is mine. As such, I can't really think of anymore to say about the book.
All in all, it is not a book I would revisit. We all have our own opinions, and that is mine. As such, I can't really think of anymore to say about the book.
March 17, 2012
Lorsque Livraddict a proposé ce partenariat avec les éditions Bragelonne, que j'en profite pour remercier, j’ai sauté sur l’occasion de lire cette saga qui me faisait de l’œil depuis la sortie de Farlander, il y a plusieurs mois. J’ai donc enchaîné la lecture des deux volumes du Cœur du monde, mais ayant été relativement déçue par le premier, c'est un peu avec des pincettes que je me suis lancée dans Entre chien et loup.
Contrairement au premier opus dont j’avais beaucoup apprécié les parties consacrées aux Rõshuns et à leurs vendettas, l’intrigue se concentre ici essentiellement sur l’invasion de l’île de Khos par l’empire de Mann. Entre la soif de pouvoir mâtinée de vengeance de la Sainte Matriarche et de ses généraux, et le vœu de représailles consciemment formulé par Ash à la fin du volume précédent, c’est un tableau bien sombre que nous dresse Col Buchanan.
L’histoire s’attache tour à tour aux tourments de Ash partagé entre ses idéaux et sa détermination à venger Nico, aux doutes de Ché qui s’interroge clairement sur le bien-fondé des doctrines de l’empire mannien, à la dérive de Bahn qui lâche complètement prise. Les personnages ont la part belle dans cette histoire, ils évoluent de manière complètement maîtrisée sur la toile de fond que constitue l’affrontement. L’action est pourtant bien présente, en particulier dans la seconde partie du livre, et l’auteur excelle dans la description de ces scènes de guerre.
Scènes d’actions haletantes donc, psychologie évolutive des personnages… Je devrais être en train de sauter partout d’enthousiasme ! Sauf que… Sauf que j’ai grandement regretté que toute l’intrigue de ce roman se résume en un seul mot : guerre. J’aurais aimé des précisions sur l’anéantissement de l’ordre des Rõshuns, ou encore sur l’empire de Mann lui-même. J’aurais aimé un peu plus de grandeur dans tout ça, une intrigue un peu plus construite et originale.
Encore une fois, j’achève ma lecture sans avoir détesté, mais sans avoir particulièrement aimé non plus, c'est triste. En résumé ? Ouais, bof…
Contrairement au premier opus dont j’avais beaucoup apprécié les parties consacrées aux Rõshuns et à leurs vendettas, l’intrigue se concentre ici essentiellement sur l’invasion de l’île de Khos par l’empire de Mann. Entre la soif de pouvoir mâtinée de vengeance de la Sainte Matriarche et de ses généraux, et le vœu de représailles consciemment formulé par Ash à la fin du volume précédent, c’est un tableau bien sombre que nous dresse Col Buchanan.
L’histoire s’attache tour à tour aux tourments de Ash partagé entre ses idéaux et sa détermination à venger Nico, aux doutes de Ché qui s’interroge clairement sur le bien-fondé des doctrines de l’empire mannien, à la dérive de Bahn qui lâche complètement prise. Les personnages ont la part belle dans cette histoire, ils évoluent de manière complètement maîtrisée sur la toile de fond que constitue l’affrontement. L’action est pourtant bien présente, en particulier dans la seconde partie du livre, et l’auteur excelle dans la description de ces scènes de guerre.
Scènes d’actions haletantes donc, psychologie évolutive des personnages… Je devrais être en train de sauter partout d’enthousiasme ! Sauf que… Sauf que j’ai grandement regretté que toute l’intrigue de ce roman se résume en un seul mot : guerre. J’aurais aimé des précisions sur l’anéantissement de l’ordre des Rõshuns, ou encore sur l’empire de Mann lui-même. J’aurais aimé un peu plus de grandeur dans tout ça, une intrigue un peu plus construite et originale.
Encore une fois, j’achève ma lecture sans avoir détesté, mais sans avoir particulièrement aimé non plus, c'est triste. En résumé ? Ouais, bof…
December 18, 2012
After reading the first book of Col Buchanan's Heart of the World series, Farlander, I was left with mixed feelings. For the most part I had enjoyed the book. If I were to have used one word to describe it however it would have most likely been: Average. I did find it enjoyable enough however to want to see where Mr. Buchanan was going with his story.
Man am I glad I picked up the second book. Stands A Shadow is better in every way compared to the first book. Don't get me wrong, the first book wasn't awful by any means, it just didn't do anything that stood out to me (besides what happened toward the ending). The sequel though has better pacing, the world seems to be coming to life more, and has many exciting action sequences. We learn more about why Ash is so tortured and it really adds to his character. We are also introduced to some new characters and as the cast grew I found myself enjoying the story more. Shades of grey are shown among the villains as well, which I always appreciate. I cannot wait to read the 3rd book and hope that Mr. Buchanan continues to improve and grow as a writer as much as he did between the first and second book.
If you had read the first book but weren't overly impressed I highly recommend that you give the second book a chance.
PjS
Man am I glad I picked up the second book. Stands A Shadow is better in every way compared to the first book. Don't get me wrong, the first book wasn't awful by any means, it just didn't do anything that stood out to me (besides what happened toward the ending). The sequel though has better pacing, the world seems to be coming to life more, and has many exciting action sequences. We learn more about why Ash is so tortured and it really adds to his character. We are also introduced to some new characters and as the cast grew I found myself enjoying the story more. Shades of grey are shown among the villains as well, which I always appreciate. I cannot wait to read the 3rd book and hope that Mr. Buchanan continues to improve and grow as a writer as much as he did between the first and second book.
If you had read the first book but weren't overly impressed I highly recommend that you give the second book a chance.
PjS
August 30, 2013
In De Schim van Roshun barst de strijd echt los nu Sasheen, de Heilige Matriarch van Mann, heeft besloten zelf ten strijde te trekken tegen Bar-Khos, een van de laatste vrije staten die zich teweerstellen tegen de expansiedrift van het rijk van Mann. Ondertussen is de roshun Ash, geheel tegen de principes van zijn orde, op een persoonlijke vendetta om Sasheen om te brengen. Zij wordt echter beschermd door meer mensen dan slechts haar soldaten. Haar persoonlijke ‘Diplomaat’ Ché, een voormalig roshunkrijger, is misschien wel haar trouwste lijfwacht. De beslissingen die hij moet nemen voor Sasheen brengen hem echter steeds meer aan het twijfelen…
Vooruitgang
In de recensie van het vorige deel vertelde ik dat het verhaal maar langzaam vooruitkwam en er feitelijk weinig gebeurde. In dit tweede deel is daar helemaal niks meer over te klagen. Zowel op grote schaal (de oorlog en de politieke beslissingen die daarbij komen kijken), als op kleine schaal (de persoonlijke ontwikkeling en acties van Ash, Ché en enkele andere belangrijke personages) wordt er progressie geboekt. Daarom kon ik bij dit tweede deel het boek nauwelijks meer wegleggen en wilde ik steeds verder lezen om te zien hoe elke beslissing nu weer zou uitpakken.
Wil je de gehele recensie lezen? Klik dan hier:
http://www.fantasywereld.nl/recensies...
Vooruitgang
In de recensie van het vorige deel vertelde ik dat het verhaal maar langzaam vooruitkwam en er feitelijk weinig gebeurde. In dit tweede deel is daar helemaal niks meer over te klagen. Zowel op grote schaal (de oorlog en de politieke beslissingen die daarbij komen kijken), als op kleine schaal (de persoonlijke ontwikkeling en acties van Ash, Ché en enkele andere belangrijke personages) wordt er progressie geboekt. Daarom kon ik bij dit tweede deel het boek nauwelijks meer wegleggen en wilde ik steeds verder lezen om te zien hoe elke beslissing nu weer zou uitpakken.
Wil je de gehele recensie lezen? Klik dan hier:
http://www.fantasywereld.nl/recensies...
July 6, 2020
Po przeczytaniu Wędrowca, od razu zabrałem się za czytanie jego kontynuacji. Tym razem rzuciły mi się w oczy różne babole w polskiej wersji, zwykle to jakieś drobnostki ortograficzne oraz interpunkcyjne, ale było też miejsce, w którym tłumacz pomerdał dwie podobne nazwy i je podmienił. Jeśli idzie o okładkę, moim zdaniem jest gorsza niż ostatnio. W przypadku toru rozwoju fabuły to jest tutaj ogromny zwrot. Poprzednia część była w znacznym stopniu historią o mistrzu i uczniu, o nauce i skrytobójcach, z polityką w tle. Tutaj na pierwszym planie stoją właśnie polityka, zemsta oraz wojna, plus co nieco szukania swojego miejsca na świecie. Może nie od pierwszych stron, ale gdy historia się rozkręciła, bardzo się wciągnąłem. Są tu knowania, poświęcenia, kombinacje jak wybrnąć z trudnych sytuacji, bitwy, a także rozterki i porażki. Oczywiście w dalszym ciągu rozwijany jest świat autora. Tym razem więcej jest mowa o kwestiach militarnych tego miejsca. O tym jaka tu jest broń, jak się walczy, itp. Jak na mój gust to bardzo dobra książka. Ponownie żadne arcydzieło, ale fabuła podobała mi się bardziej niż w poprzedniej części.
Zapraszam do przeczytania pełnej recenzji: https://galliuszowafantastyka.wordpre...
Zapraszam do przeczytania pełnej recenzji: https://galliuszowafantastyka.wordpre...
June 30, 2013
Après un premier ouvrage qui laissait globalement sur sa faim et apportait beaucoup plus de questions que de réponses, Col Buchanan se devait de proposer un livre dans la continuité de l’intrigue global du cœur du monde tout en étant légèrement différent pour ne pas donner l’impression d’une deuxième vendetta copiée-collée. C’est chose faite avec Entre chien et loup, qui se concentre sur l’invasion guerrière de l’île de Khos et les conséquences auprès des divers protagonistes. Intrigue recentrée aussi bien d’un point de vue temporel que géographique (fini les chapitres se déroulant en deux endroits opposés de la carte !), Buchanan conserve néanmoins pour notre plus grand plaisir la multiplication des points de vues (un peu à l’image de GoT), ce qui permet de maintenir un récit cohérent et dynamique. Reste néanmoins quelques longueurs et une traduction qui n’est pas toujours des plus subtiles, mais l’ensemble s’annonce prometteur en vue d’un potentiel tome 3…
March 17, 2013
La verdad es que dado que me gustó bastante en cuanto al estilo el libro anterior, este tenía pinta de que tenía difícil mejorar de una manera realmente visible. Y me ha defraudado y gustado a partes prácticamente iguales. En el sentido literario, tengo que decir que es incluso mejor que la primera parte. En el sentido de acercarse a mis gustos, no tanto. Y sin embargo, desde ya tengo que decir que espero con ansias la tercera parte de esta saga. Probablemente a muchos no os suene, pero la primera parte es
El Extraño
, que también reseñamos y que inauguró de forma oficiosa el subgénero de Dark Fantasy propiamente dicho del blog.
Sigue leyendo
Sigue leyendo
March 2, 2015
Well.. the war continues and all the plot points revolve around it. If you are interested the type of action a war generates and damaged heroes who through their grit survive in the end do pick this book up.
It is very nicely paced novel which hits on major action on the magic system in the next book, something along the lines of necromancy or godly revival, only time will tell. I was expecting few characters to play a major role in this book but that didn't happen. We get to see development of characters introduced to us in the first book.
I however am not super excited to read the next book. The language, plot and flow of Col Buchanan is good but there is some spice missing making it an awesome read but not very different from other books in this genre.
I am an addict so will be reading the next one too ;)
It is very nicely paced novel which hits on major action on the magic system in the next book, something along the lines of necromancy or godly revival, only time will tell. I was expecting few characters to play a major role in this book but that didn't happen. We get to see development of characters introduced to us in the first book.
I however am not super excited to read the next book. The language, plot and flow of Col Buchanan is good but there is some spice missing making it an awesome read but not very different from other books in this genre.
I am an addict so will be reading the next one too ;)
January 8, 2013
I was skeptical, reading this second in the series. For some reason, given how long it had been since reading the first, I had thought Buchanan's work not outstanding.
I was wrong. He actually tells a pretty damn swell story, and I can't help but think there is a scattered smattering of literary themes within his work. Reading 'Stands a Shadow' I was reminded of why I had sunk into the first, but was more glad at that this work seems stronger/more cohesive/more involved in multiple characters than the first. Maybe that was Buchanan's goal.
It's a pretty slick read, but one that is best seated for a good period of time. I chased two hours in the library reading the latter 2/3 of this book.
I was wrong. He actually tells a pretty damn swell story, and I can't help but think there is a scattered smattering of literary themes within his work. Reading 'Stands a Shadow' I was reminded of why I had sunk into the first, but was more glad at that this work seems stronger/more cohesive/more involved in multiple characters than the first. Maybe that was Buchanan's goal.
It's a pretty slick read, but one that is best seated for a good period of time. I chased two hours in the library reading the latter 2/3 of this book.
May 7, 2013
If you like the logistical and tactical sides of your fantasy conflict, then Stands a Shadow is a must read. Buchanan pens the conflict as though he were the war-scribe with open access to the general's table. A brilliant read that is likely only made better by reading through Farlander, which I intend to do very soon.
Read the full review of Stands a Shadow at Mithril Wisdom.
Read the full review of Stands a Shadow at Mithril Wisdom.
August 27, 2017
Most of the book felt strange, main point of view characters were killed at the end of the first book and it just felt difficult to see where the series was headed. I'll probably give the next book a try, the ending definitely gave reason to see where it goes but I feel like I'm going out on a ledge doing so.
February 10, 2016
Eh, pues me ha gustado más que el primero, la verdad. De hecho, le pondría puntuación máxima si no fuera por que el final final es un poco deus ex machina. Pero por lo demás... genial. O al menos en mi opinión. =)
August 28, 2011
Even better than the debut novel.
September 24, 2011
wondering where thwy are going to go with it now
April 5, 2012
Shows a much more deft hand than his strong debut. Still great characters and still a tendency towards slow narrative but still a great read.
Read
September 14, 2012pretty good lil miniverse
October 7, 2012
Not a bad second book
December 22, 2012
Great development of a world. Very well-developed characters that I grew to love and hate. I will definitely look for the next installment of this trilogy.
June 15, 2013
Heerlijk boek waarin we meer te weten komen over Ash en Che en kennis maken met het meisje Curl. Het boek leest erg prettig en ik zie al uit naar deel 3.
June 29, 2013
Brilliant. Can't wait for the next one.
January 13, 2015
It was Good book The second half was a lot more enjoyable and had me hooked
June 7, 2021
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
March 13, 2014
Continues to be an interesting story with a dynamic and fascinating world. This book does not settle much, merely sets the stage for the future.
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