In the frigid wasteland of the north, Raif Sevrance, Watcher of the Dead, has endured many trials to lay claim to the renowned sword known as Loss....
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Oct 14, 2011
Kiel
rated it: 
Overview
It definitely annoys me that J.V. Jones doesn't have a larger catalogue of books to read. She's superb. I think her writing ability and storytelling style compare to that of George R. R. Martin; she's that good. It's also sad that her output seems to be slowing down with these last few books. I'm always extremely impressed with the amount of research that goes into her books. She doesn't do the obnoxious Crichton breakdown of sources, but I wouldn't be surprised if hers would compar More...
It definitely annoys me that J.V. Jones doesn't have a larger catalogue of books to read. She's superb. I think her writing ability and storytelling style compare to that of George R. R. Martin; she's that good. It's also sad that her output seems to be slowing down with these last few books. I'm always extremely impressed with the amount of research that goes into her books. She doesn't do the obnoxious Crichton breakdown of sources, but I wouldn't be surprised if hers would compar More...
Aug 20, 2010
T.
rated it: 
The highly anticipated first book in this series in which the title does not contain the word ice, follows the events of Sword from Red Ice in much the same manner.
I love this series but I’m afraid that it has fallen into the trap so many other ‘epic’ fantasy authors have in thinking that introducing us to a myriad of characters, a vast amount of landscape and injecting a heavy dose of politics is the way to go.
Watcher of the Dead is better than Sword from Red Ice, but is More...
I love this series but I’m afraid that it has fallen into the trap so many other ‘epic’ fantasy authors have in thinking that introducing us to a myriad of characters, a vast amount of landscape and injecting a heavy dose of politics is the way to go.
Watcher of the Dead is better than Sword from Red Ice, but is More...
Jul 04, 2010
William
rated it: 
So far this has been a reasonably good series, with an interesting world and plot and some good characterisation. I had felt that the third book in the series was a bit slow-paced, with not a huge amount of importance happening in its 700+ pages. Book 4 does improve the pacing, although it can still be criticised a bit for lack of plot progression - most characters in the book have their story arc advance another step and there are some reasonable interim conclusions to their storylines in this
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Aug 29, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
JV Jones is one of those writers who gets better with every book. Her earlier series were good but didn’t leave a lasting impression. The Sword of Shadows series is different, and Watcher of the Dead, the fourth book, particularly so. From the moment I picked it up, I struggled to put it down. And it’s all because of the awesome characters. Within the series there is an overarching plot about the Endlords escaping their prison in the Blind and destroying the world. But within this, each of the d
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Apr 28, 2010
Paparas
rated it:
J.V. is getting better and better with every book. Her command of the written word is still evolving: she has clearly progressed beyond the mainstream fantasy crowd, however one can feel her over-reaching in a couple of instances. This volume had a simpler, cleaner storyline than the previous installments. A bit on the short side, given the 2,5 year wait and the current standards of epic fantasy book lengths. Still, it is a masterful piece of storytelling. The now familiar characters remain comp
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Jan 14, 2011
Adam
rated it:
3.5 stars
I'm a big fan of J.V. Jones, and I've enjoyed this series thus far, but the pacing is agonizing. At some point the trilogy stretched to five books, and I think that was a mistake. There's more plot development in Watcher than Red Ice, but I think there's probably one great book of material between the two.
That said, Jones is a much better writer than the average purveyor of Extruded Fantasy Product. The tone is appropriately somber, the action is pretty great, and he More...
I'm a big fan of J.V. Jones, and I've enjoyed this series thus far, but the pacing is agonizing. At some point the trilogy stretched to five books, and I think that was a mistake. There's more plot development in Watcher than Red Ice, but I think there's probably one great book of material between the two.
That said, Jones is a much better writer than the average purveyor of Extruded Fantasy Product. The tone is appropriately somber, the action is pretty great, and he More...
Jul 08, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I told myself, "Self, don't pick this one up yet. She's going to yank you around some more and not tie a damn thing up again. So wait until the next book comes out so you're not left pissed and antsy again." And I was right. Enough already. Move Raif and Ash's plot forward. I get that he had to utterly break and become Watcher of the Dead, but that could have been done a couple hundred pages ago. Too many characters. I can't stop reading because I want to know what happens to Raif and
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Feb 06, 2012
Julie
rated it:
This is book four in a well-written epic fantasy series. The world is detailed and interesting, but there is almost a bit much going on. Each book has 6 or more different points of view and as some characters are inevitably more interesting than others I found myself rushing some sections to get back the characters I enjoyed most. Also the actions of some characters didn't ring true for me, particularly Angus Lok choosing not to look for his daughter. I am glad that the female characters are fin
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Dec 22, 2011
Angus
rated it:
A dirty and then a fifth book in what I'd hoped to be a trilogy, but the story telling remains thoroughly enjoyable with little (some but not much) which is not, as far as I can tell, significant. The genuine difficulty I had, and yes I could have chased this one down sooner after publication, was forgetting the detail from previous books, reducing the depth of the characters and making some of the plot intricacies confusing. I continue to be compelled to read these books, although the character
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Jul 29, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
2010: Man oh man, I enjoyed this book. It may have been because the last couple of books I have read have been dire. Welcome back to Raif, Effie, Ash and a whole host of other characters. I loved the way that Raina develops in this book. And some of the Sull are great. "The wind died and the hawk sailed west. Time did not reverse itself. Raina waited, but it didn't." Can't wait for Book 5 to see what happens to all the characters that I have grown really fond of. Poor Chedd!!! **sob"
Jun 04, 2011
Steven
rated it:
A big improvement over "A Sword from Red Ice". Jones is finally moving things into place to finish out this excellent series. Unfortunately, she's fallen into the traditional trap of the epic fantasy author: there are simply too many characters, too many storylines, and far too much meandering to keep the series as engaging as it was back in Books 1 and (especially) 2.
I'd almost recommend reading just those chapters pertaining to the once main character, Raif Severance, as More...
I'd almost recommend reading just those chapters pertaining to the once main character, Raif Severance, as More...
Apr 12, 2011
Brett
rated it:
Series continues strongly. Plotting has a few weak points and I'm concerned the author is struggling how to conclude the series, but this series is close to the top of my list.
This series has one of the most vividly realized settings I've ever encountered. The frozen world and culture of the clans is so real you can feel it. Other areas of the world are much less developed.
This series has one of the most vividly realized settings I've ever encountered. The frozen world and culture of the clans is so real you can feel it. Other areas of the world are much less developed.
Jun 21, 2010
Todd
rated it:
J.V. Jones is a brilliant author and masterful storyteller. This fourth volume in the Sword of Shadows series continues a story arc that, originally, I thought was going to be contained in 3 books. This continues to be the only mild complaint I have, and it's not even really a complaint -- I want more of the story, but I also want to read the climax of the series.
My favorite parts of this installment were the chapters with Raina Blackhail, my favorite character in the series by far, More...
My favorite parts of this installment were the chapters with Raina Blackhail, my favorite character in the series by far, More...
Jun 30, 2010
Nate
rated it:
Could have been a great book... If anything happened in it. Let's see... Raif gets tortured some more, continuing his general slide into a depressingly black state, Ash gets mentioned twice in the whole book... Annnnnd a whole lot of nothing happens.
This series is starting to drag.
This series is starting to drag.
Apr 23, 2010
Allison
rated it:
Probably my least favorite of this series, although I did like it. Parts of it were plodding for me, and again, there were some inconsistencies. But it does set things up for the final book or two!
Jul 11, 2011
John
rated it:
Another good one in the series. A lot of the story line threads where advanced a ton. I can't wait until the next one in this series!!!
Feb 04, 2012
Joshua
rated it:
I'm itching to read the last one in the series now. Too bad it's not done yet!
May 13, 2010
Diana
rated it:
This book is really good. It has opened up a lot of directions the characters can move toward. Can't wait for the story to continue to unfold.
Sep 14, 2010
Christian
rated it:
Fun! Excited to read the next... I rolled my eyes a few times at some of the romance language: "He entered her", "It was his misfortune to love her", etc. It also takes me a bit to separate the George RR Martin characters from this series, each time I return.
Feb 03, 2011
Eric
rated it:
Excellent book again. I can't wait to read the next one and see the consequences of many threads left open, expecially how Mace Blackhail will react to what happened in this book :)
Jun 25, 2011
Arwen
rated it: 
I skimmed this one to discover more torture of the main characters, especially Raif, and not much progression in terms of the overall plot. I won't be reading the next book in the series.
Oct 20, 2011
Justin
rated it:
I basically skipped the characters whose story lines bored me brainless and have just about nothing to do with the main story line. And suddenly, this book was great.
Jan 21, 2011
Marit
rated it:
Another good installment in this series! The main characters are being twisted, pushed, uplifted, broken into greatness. Can't wait for the fifth to come out.
Feb 12, 2012
