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Pact and Pattern #3
The Pattern of the World
THE PACTS HAVE BEEN BROKEN. THE REBELLION HAS FAILED.
Foolish Cur has fallen into a trap. By resorting to forbidden magic when he failed to overthrow the Emperor, he has done exactly as the gods wanted. Now they are free to wage their war, twisting the world into new forms, as strange and terrible beasts walk the earth.
To fix what he has caused will take every ounce of Foolish Cur's cunning. But mending the pattern of the world is too large a task for one man alone. As the Empire, rebellion and the landscape itself crumble, he and those still fighting for freedom will be drawn together to end the struggle against Emperor Tenet and the gods for good.
But Foolish Cur does not know what such a task will ask of him. And, powerful though he may be, the costs may be more than he is willing to pay . . .
Foolish Cur has fallen into a trap. By resorting to forbidden magic when he failed to overthrow the Emperor, he has done exactly as the gods wanted. Now they are free to wage their war, twisting the world into new forms, as strange and terrible beasts walk the earth.
To fix what he has caused will take every ounce of Foolish Cur's cunning. But mending the pattern of the world is too large a task for one man alone. As the Empire, rebellion and the landscape itself crumble, he and those still fighting for freedom will be drawn together to end the struggle against Emperor Tenet and the gods for good.
But Foolish Cur does not know what such a task will ask of him. And, powerful though he may be, the costs may be more than he is willing to pay . . .
469 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2023
20 people are currently reading
743 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Greathouse
6 books184 followersJ.T. Greathouse is the BFA-nominated author of the Pact & Pattern trilogy. His short fiction has appeared, often as Jeremy A. TeGrotenhuis, in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Writers of the Future 34, Deep Magic, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, he has worked as an ESL teacher in Taipei, as a bookseller, and as a high school teacher. He currently lives in Spokane, Washington with his wife Hannah, two cats, and several overflowing bookshelves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 12, 2023
Following the pact-shattering ending of The Garden of Empire, the gods are now able to pursue their war, unwoven monsters stalk the land, time has been distorted, and reality could be coming undone at the seams. Foolish Cur/ Wen Alder has had a habit of making the wrong decisions throughout Pact and Pattern, with his efforts to use unregulated magic to kill the Emperor being his biggest mistake so far, falling into a trap set by the gods.
In The Pattern of the World, we join the same point of view characters featured in the previous book, as they try to salvage the current situation and put the pieces back together. Again, we are witness to Foolish Cur's first-person point-of-view perspective as he relays events. Other viewpoints include Cur's former tutor and the final stonespeaker Kora Ha, the Skyfather's spear and witch of the old sort Ral Ans Urrera, and the Emperor's Hand Pinion, an able magic-wielder who wants revenge over Alder for causing the death of his brother. When reading I noted that Cur's presentation was first-person, Ha's and Pinion's being third-person past tense and that Ral's was delivered as third-person present tense. I did not find these shifts disorientating or problematic at all and by the time we reach The Pattern of the World's conclusion, we are given the reasoning behind why and, to be honest, it is neat and makes perfect sense in hindsight.
"I felt the spark of an old fire in me, the light of curiosity that had first kindled in childhood and had been fed steadily throughout my life, until mistake after world-shattering mistake had thrown soil and water on the flame, dousing it."
Part 1 of the novel "City" starts at a steady pace, showcasing the altered world that the characters find themselves in, whilst also setting the players' journies or agendas to the reader, hinting at what is likely to follow. Although these segments are important stages of the overall narrative, I was not excited to pick up the book during these parts, and unfortunately, it was a bit of a slog. If I had not already put 800+ pages of reading into Pact and Pattern, I would have DNF'd The Pattern of the World then. I persisted after a couple of days of putting my reading on hold and what followed, from the amazing conclusion of Part 1 "City" to the rest of the novel's events, was a competent and enjoyable 4-star read, that featured a few moments that were pure brilliance.
The Pattern of the World is a character-focused, magic-potential-showcasing, cinematic and tragic well-written fantasy drama. It features bad decisions and mistakes and the consequences that come with them. Wen Alder has had rotten luck in this tale putting him close to Fitz (Realm of the Elderlings) for seemingly good intentions and the misery that is bestowed on them anyway by the author. That being said, Pinion has a few moments here that rival Alder for heartache. Furthermore, as commented on in previous reviews for this series, the magic system is well-realised, with clear rules without being overly extravagant.
An aspect Greathouse needs credit for, too, is that he presents the perfect amount of page time for all of the characters, main and minor. By the novel's neat, fitting, and rewarding conclusion, I truly felt like I had been through the wringer alongside them. This series could have ended predictably with a gargantuan battle but the author kept it exciting, tight, and the tone felt right in the final stages, doing justice to what had been built up until that point.
"It is vital that any record of war captures the horror that twists the hearts of all who fight, and the naivete, arrogance, and foolishness that breeds those horrors. I can only hope I have honoured the truth in crafting my own account, with all its foolishness and fumbling."
For my overall reading experience of The Pattern of the World, I am awarding a 7/10. Even though many of the main characters are young adults, this series is undeniably adult dark fantasy. Greathouse has a great amount of talent, I will follow his career and likely read what he releases next. That being said, Pact and Pattern peaked early with the impressive The Hand of the Sun King.
In The Pattern of the World, we join the same point of view characters featured in the previous book, as they try to salvage the current situation and put the pieces back together. Again, we are witness to Foolish Cur's first-person point-of-view perspective as he relays events. Other viewpoints include Cur's former tutor and the final stonespeaker Kora Ha, the Skyfather's spear and witch of the old sort Ral Ans Urrera, and the Emperor's Hand Pinion, an able magic-wielder who wants revenge over Alder for causing the death of his brother. When reading I noted that Cur's presentation was first-person, Ha's and Pinion's being third-person past tense and that Ral's was delivered as third-person present tense. I did not find these shifts disorientating or problematic at all and by the time we reach The Pattern of the World's conclusion, we are given the reasoning behind why and, to be honest, it is neat and makes perfect sense in hindsight.
"I felt the spark of an old fire in me, the light of curiosity that had first kindled in childhood and had been fed steadily throughout my life, until mistake after world-shattering mistake had thrown soil and water on the flame, dousing it."
Part 1 of the novel "City" starts at a steady pace, showcasing the altered world that the characters find themselves in, whilst also setting the players' journies or agendas to the reader, hinting at what is likely to follow. Although these segments are important stages of the overall narrative, I was not excited to pick up the book during these parts, and unfortunately, it was a bit of a slog. If I had not already put 800+ pages of reading into Pact and Pattern, I would have DNF'd The Pattern of the World then. I persisted after a couple of days of putting my reading on hold and what followed, from the amazing conclusion of Part 1 "City" to the rest of the novel's events, was a competent and enjoyable 4-star read, that featured a few moments that were pure brilliance.
The Pattern of the World is a character-focused, magic-potential-showcasing, cinematic and tragic well-written fantasy drama. It features bad decisions and mistakes and the consequences that come with them. Wen Alder has had rotten luck in this tale putting him close to Fitz (Realm of the Elderlings) for seemingly good intentions and the misery that is bestowed on them anyway by the author. That being said, Pinion has a few moments here that rival Alder for heartache. Furthermore, as commented on in previous reviews for this series, the magic system is well-realised, with clear rules without being overly extravagant.
An aspect Greathouse needs credit for, too, is that he presents the perfect amount of page time for all of the characters, main and minor. By the novel's neat, fitting, and rewarding conclusion, I truly felt like I had been through the wringer alongside them. This series could have ended predictably with a gargantuan battle but the author kept it exciting, tight, and the tone felt right in the final stages, doing justice to what had been built up until that point.
"It is vital that any record of war captures the horror that twists the hearts of all who fight, and the naivete, arrogance, and foolishness that breeds those horrors. I can only hope I have honoured the truth in crafting my own account, with all its foolishness and fumbling."
For my overall reading experience of The Pattern of the World, I am awarding a 7/10. Even though many of the main characters are young adults, this series is undeniably adult dark fantasy. Greathouse has a great amount of talent, I will follow his career and likely read what he releases next. That being said, Pact and Pattern peaked early with the impressive The Hand of the Sun King.
June 17, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5-75
”I don't hope simply for a better world,” he said softly. “I hope for a good one.”
Thank you to JAB books for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.
After ripping the pattern by wielding forbidden magic against the emperor, Foolish Cur gave the gods access to the world. Now the unwoven, monsters set on ravaging the people, stalk the earth, accompanied by by uncertain weather, time, and magic.
To save the world, our characters must grapple with what they are willing to do, what they are willing to give up to rectify their mistakes, to remember the past, in order to fix the future.
Always I had longed for some third path through the world, neither the empire's grasping cruelty nor my uncle's fatalistic resistance. I had long hoped that magic would provide such a path, but of course magic was only a tool, not an end in itself.
This is told from the perspectives of Foolish Cur, Hand Pinion, the old tutor Koro Hu, and a new main addition of Ral the stormbringer.
Through them, we are shown how the end of the world is felt to those with different pasts, cultures, motivations, and ideas of the future. What the empire has meant to them, done to them, drives the way they want to shape the new world.
As an infected body burns with fever, so a suffering people burns with rage, which builds and builds until it can be contained no longer and must burn out the oppressors like the sickness they are a terrible thing to witness, a painful thing to do, but necessary if the body is to survive.
Sadly, I think this is my least favourite of the series. It was a lot more moralisingly pressurised and felt almost indoctrinating in its own means at times.
Also the end… I had to reread it a few times thinking I didn’t have the full copy until the next page titled epilogue. Whilst it felt like a just ending and an epic wrap up to Cur’s character growth, it also felt quite predictable and rushed compared to the languid slowness of the other arcs.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Hands of the Emperor and the Dandelion Dynasty.
Bookstagram
”I don't hope simply for a better world,” he said softly. “I hope for a good one.”
Thank you to JAB books for providing me with an arc in exchange for a review.
After ripping the pattern by wielding forbidden magic against the emperor, Foolish Cur gave the gods access to the world. Now the unwoven, monsters set on ravaging the people, stalk the earth, accompanied by by uncertain weather, time, and magic.
To save the world, our characters must grapple with what they are willing to do, what they are willing to give up to rectify their mistakes, to remember the past, in order to fix the future.
Always I had longed for some third path through the world, neither the empire's grasping cruelty nor my uncle's fatalistic resistance. I had long hoped that magic would provide such a path, but of course magic was only a tool, not an end in itself.
This is told from the perspectives of Foolish Cur, Hand Pinion, the old tutor Koro Hu, and a new main addition of Ral the stormbringer.
Through them, we are shown how the end of the world is felt to those with different pasts, cultures, motivations, and ideas of the future. What the empire has meant to them, done to them, drives the way they want to shape the new world.
As an infected body burns with fever, so a suffering people burns with rage, which builds and builds until it can be contained no longer and must burn out the oppressors like the sickness they are a terrible thing to witness, a painful thing to do, but necessary if the body is to survive.
Sadly, I think this is my least favourite of the series. It was a lot more moralisingly pressurised and felt almost indoctrinating in its own means at times.
Also the end… I had to reread it a few times thinking I didn’t have the full copy until the next page titled epilogue. Whilst it felt like a just ending and an epic wrap up to Cur’s character growth, it also felt quite predictable and rushed compared to the languid slowness of the other arcs.
If you enjoyed this, I would recommend The Hands of the Emperor and the Dandelion Dynasty.
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September 3, 2024
This is the third and final instalment in the Pact and Pattern series.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
September 10, 2023
I so wished I would love this book but sadly I didn't.
I did struggle with Sun King when I first read that one. But it eventually was able to convince me to love it. Sadly neither Empire nor this one was able to do it. I still found it difficult to enjoy Pinion's and Koro Ha's chapters which made me lose the motivation to read whenever their chapters showed up. I just don't find them interesting enough. So I read only little a day, which also meant I kinda lost my flow with Foolish Cur/Alder's chapters.
Also, I must say, PsOV and tenses are a bit all over the place? Cur/Alder is first person past tense. Pinion and Koro Ha is third person past tense and Ral is third person present tense. While using both first and third POV made sense in Empire and this book, and having Ral present tense in Empire also made sense (due to it being "interludes"), it doesn't really make sense to have her POV in present tense in this book.
I did struggle with Sun King when I first read that one. But it eventually was able to convince me to love it. Sadly neither Empire nor this one was able to do it. I still found it difficult to enjoy Pinion's and Koro Ha's chapters which made me lose the motivation to read whenever their chapters showed up. I just don't find them interesting enough. So I read only little a day, which also meant I kinda lost my flow with Foolish Cur/Alder's chapters.
Also, I must say, PsOV and tenses are a bit all over the place? Cur/Alder is first person past tense. Pinion and Koro Ha is third person past tense and Ral is third person present tense. While using both first and third POV made sense in Empire and this book, and having Ral present tense in Empire also made sense (due to it being "interludes"), it doesn't really make sense to have her POV in present tense in this book.
January 31, 2025
Mamy finałowy tom serii. Po ogromnych dwóch rozczarowaniach, bez większych nadziei na coś lepszego, zamykam tę przygodę. Ciężko jest opisywać na tym etapie fabułę, bo dosyć dużo zdradzę z tego co działo się w "Ogrodzie imperium", więc odpuszczę sobie opisy i przejdę do meritum. Mówiąc prosto z mostu - ja jestem na duże nie. Kocham fantastykę całym sercem i potrafię wieloma książkami cieszyć się z samego faktu poznawania nowego świata oraz prawideł, które nim rządzą. Natomiast jakbym miała czytać tę książkę to ja bym nie przebrnęła już przez pierwszy tom, nie mówiąc o całej trylogii. Jedynie audiobook ratował całą sprawę i pozwolił przebijać się w tych odmętach do samego końca. Po raz trzeci zostały mi tutaj zaproponowane emocje jak na grzybobraniu, a moje zaangażowanie co do losów bohaterów równe zeru. Wolne tempo, mnóstwo powtórzeń, ogromna ilość niepotrzebnych zapychaczy. Słuchając audiobooka miałam wrażenie, że zajmuje mi on wieki i wcale nie przesuwam się do przodu.
Miałam ogromne nadzieje co do tej serii i podchodziłam do niej z dużym entuzjazmem. Pamiętam, że czekałam na premierę trzeciego tomu, żeby już mieć cały komplet i nie zatrzymać się w połowie tylko od razu dojechać do samego końca. A tu proszę, największe, bo aż potrójne rozczarowanie. Tu muszę na samym końcu zaznaczyć, że to nie jest tak, że ta seria nie nadaje się do niczego i najlepiej po nią nie sięgać. Ona po prostu kompletnie rozminęła się z moimi preferencjami, bo ja potrzebuję coś dynamicznego, z intrygą oraz angażującą fabułą. Jedyne co mi się w tej trylogii podobało to wygląd każdej z tych książek. Tutaj gratulacje, bo te okładki, barwione brzegi wyglądają przepięknie. Jednak oprawa graficzna to nie wszystko. Także po raz trzeci zostawiam 1 gwiazdkę i idę dalej.
Miałam ogromne nadzieje co do tej serii i podchodziłam do niej z dużym entuzjazmem. Pamiętam, że czekałam na premierę trzeciego tomu, żeby już mieć cały komplet i nie zatrzymać się w połowie tylko od razu dojechać do samego końca. A tu proszę, największe, bo aż potrójne rozczarowanie. Tu muszę na samym końcu zaznaczyć, że to nie jest tak, że ta seria nie nadaje się do niczego i najlepiej po nią nie sięgać. Ona po prostu kompletnie rozminęła się z moimi preferencjami, bo ja potrzebuję coś dynamicznego, z intrygą oraz angażującą fabułą. Jedyne co mi się w tej trylogii podobało to wygląd każdej z tych książek. Tutaj gratulacje, bo te okładki, barwione brzegi wyglądają przepięknie. Jednak oprawa graficzna to nie wszystko. Także po raz trzeci zostawiam 1 gwiazdkę i idę dalej.
September 18, 2023
Epic end to this trilogy. I didn't want to put it down.
Hissing Cat is my favourite sassy angry lady.
Hissing Cat is my favourite sassy angry lady.
October 27, 2024
Czas na zakończenie rewelacyjnego cyklu „Kronik Olchy”. Nie ukrywam, że trochę mi przykro bo bardzo polubiłam ten cykl, a emocje jakie odczuwałam przy pierwszym spotkaniu z „Dłonią króla słońca” dwa lata temu wciąż są żywe.
Jednak wszystko co dobre kiedyś się kończy i tym oto sposobem poprzez „Dłoń króla słońca” i „Ogród imperium” docieramy do „Struktur świata” oraz finałowej rozgrywki.
Czas wyłożyć ostatnie karty i zdecydować o losie świata. I czas na ostatnie spotkanie z Głupim Kundlem, przed którym wiele trudnych decyzji. Tak wiele trupów i chaosu zostawił już za sobą w poszukiwaniu dobrej przyszłości dla świata. Jak wiele jeszcze tej krwi trzeba będzie przelać dla tego wyższego dobra? I czy to wszystko będzie tego warte?
Magia, genialni bohaterowie, mnóstwo akcji i wrażeń. Po prostu genialna historia, o której długo nie będziecie mogli zapomnieć.
Pierwszy tom był rewelacyjny od pierwszej strony, aż do samego końca. Drugi był trochę słabszy i mocno się ciągnął, choć rozumiem, że to było konieczne żeby poruszyć pewne kwestie. Trzeci natomiast to ponownie petarda, po brzegi wypełniona wszystkim najlepszym co ten cykl ma do zaoferowania. Myśle, że lepszego i bardziej zaskakującego zakończenia tego cyklu wymarzyć sobie nie mogłam.
W ogóle bardzo fascynującą przygodą było obserwowanie jak bohaterowie zmieniają się na przestrzeni całej historii. Jak zmieniają się ich piorytety, podejścia do pewnych spraw, jak oswajają się z magią i magia sama w sobie się stają. Bo tutaj nie tylko Olcha, którego później możecie już znać jakiego Głupiego Kundla przechodzi ogromną przemianę, choć w jego przypadku jest ona największa i w wielu momentach chyba najbardziej smutna.
Dodatkowo „Struktury świata” mają w sobie trochę taką filozoficzną warstwę - wiele rozważań nad dobrem i złem, nad wyższym dobrem w drodze ku celu. Bardzo mocno w niektórych momentach skłania do refleksji.
To była świetna przygoda, szkoda że to już koniec, choć wiadomo - czasem lepiej mniej niż za dużo i na siłę. ❤️
Jednak wszystko co dobre kiedyś się kończy i tym oto sposobem poprzez „Dłoń króla słońca” i „Ogród imperium” docieramy do „Struktur świata” oraz finałowej rozgrywki.
Czas wyłożyć ostatnie karty i zdecydować o losie świata. I czas na ostatnie spotkanie z Głupim Kundlem, przed którym wiele trudnych decyzji. Tak wiele trupów i chaosu zostawił już za sobą w poszukiwaniu dobrej przyszłości dla świata. Jak wiele jeszcze tej krwi trzeba będzie przelać dla tego wyższego dobra? I czy to wszystko będzie tego warte?
Magia, genialni bohaterowie, mnóstwo akcji i wrażeń. Po prostu genialna historia, o której długo nie będziecie mogli zapomnieć.
Pierwszy tom był rewelacyjny od pierwszej strony, aż do samego końca. Drugi był trochę słabszy i mocno się ciągnął, choć rozumiem, że to było konieczne żeby poruszyć pewne kwestie. Trzeci natomiast to ponownie petarda, po brzegi wypełniona wszystkim najlepszym co ten cykl ma do zaoferowania. Myśle, że lepszego i bardziej zaskakującego zakończenia tego cyklu wymarzyć sobie nie mogłam.
W ogóle bardzo fascynującą przygodą było obserwowanie jak bohaterowie zmieniają się na przestrzeni całej historii. Jak zmieniają się ich piorytety, podejścia do pewnych spraw, jak oswajają się z magią i magia sama w sobie się stają. Bo tutaj nie tylko Olcha, którego później możecie już znać jakiego Głupiego Kundla przechodzi ogromną przemianę, choć w jego przypadku jest ona największa i w wielu momentach chyba najbardziej smutna.
Dodatkowo „Struktury świata” mają w sobie trochę taką filozoficzną warstwę - wiele rozważań nad dobrem i złem, nad wyższym dobrem w drodze ku celu. Bardzo mocno w niektórych momentach skłania do refleksji.
To była świetna przygoda, szkoda że to już koniec, choć wiadomo - czasem lepiej mniej niż za dużo i na siłę. ❤️
January 31, 2025
2.5⭐️
every character was unlikable and not fleshed out very well (especially ral, i have absolutely no clue whatsoever why she was even in this story) and somehow i feel like the resolution was rather anticlimactic and the different directions the story resolved from kinda didn't fit very well together.
nevertheless, i liked the overall complexity and inner and political conflicts of the story and their characters. it shows how war never has a winning side and how hard it can be to fight someone without becoming them in the process. foolish cur stayed true to his name until the end but i really had a hard time connecting with any of the characters on an emotional level and skimmed over the last quarter of the stoey (i really missed atar tbh).
every character was unlikable and not fleshed out very well (especially ral, i have absolutely no clue whatsoever why she was even in this story) and somehow i feel like the resolution was rather anticlimactic and the different directions the story resolved from kinda didn't fit very well together.
nevertheless, i liked the overall complexity and inner and political conflicts of the story and their characters. it shows how war never has a winning side and how hard it can be to fight someone without becoming them in the process. foolish cur stayed true to his name until the end but i really had a hard time connecting with any of the characters on an emotional level and skimmed over the last quarter of the stoey (i really missed atar tbh).
February 9, 2025
I've really enjoyed the Pact and Pattern trilogy. The first book blew me away with its characters and magic system. I would rec it to most people, I think. The final book is... slow at times. In a lack of better words; too thoughtful. I also feel like I didn't need the pov of Koro Ha. Or Ral, for that matter. For some reason I stopped caring about how it ended... I can't put a finger on why, though.
I enjoy Greathouse's writing, and it's not the last book of his I've read.
I enjoy Greathouse's writing, and it's not the last book of his I've read.
September 9, 2023
"The Pattern of the World" is the third and final instalment of the Pact and Pattern series. It follows Foolish Cur (or Wen Alder as his Sienese father named him) at the last part of his quest to fix the world. Like the previous book, the story is told from Cur's first person account and also third person accounts of other characters, this way still making the reader feel that Cur is the primary voice to follow.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the book (and the trilogy as a whole), and I would argue this book was my favourite of the three. Not only for the added action and higher stakes but also because this book pushed the imperial doctrine philosophies which have been explored since book one to their extreme and I got to see their failures and successes. The element of the philosophies always was my favourite part of this story.
Another thing that really captivated my imagination was how everyone in the story, every side of the war, was focused on saving the world. Each side put their own interpretation on what salvation meant, but all sides thought they were fighting for a sense of greater good. This greater good was, up to the last minute, intermingled with desire and personal ambition, but it was there nonetheless. This made the story have one of my absolute favourite things in books, which is that everyone was undeniably a hero of one story. There was no true villain in the same way that there was no true hero.
The ending for me had the bittersweet feeling of being just right, and like Cur, I felt the cost of victory as the Pact and Pattern series came to its end. I have no doubt though that the thoughts and ideas of these books will stay in my thoughts for a long time.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the book (and the trilogy as a whole), and I would argue this book was my favourite of the three. Not only for the added action and higher stakes but also because this book pushed the imperial doctrine philosophies which have been explored since book one to their extreme and I got to see their failures and successes. The element of the philosophies always was my favourite part of this story.
Another thing that really captivated my imagination was how everyone in the story, every side of the war, was focused on saving the world. Each side put their own interpretation on what salvation meant, but all sides thought they were fighting for a sense of greater good. This greater good was, up to the last minute, intermingled with desire and personal ambition, but it was there nonetheless. This made the story have one of my absolute favourite things in books, which is that everyone was undeniably a hero of one story. There was no true villain in the same way that there was no true hero.
The ending for me had the bittersweet feeling of being just right, and like Cur, I felt the cost of victory as the Pact and Pattern series came to its end. I have no doubt though that the thoughts and ideas of these books will stay in my thoughts for a long time.
October 26, 2024
„Struktura świata” to dosyć satysfakcjonujące zakończenie trylogii „Kroniki Olchy”, ale nie jest to niestety historia bez wad.
Historia Głupiego Kundla jest pełna trudnych wyborów i wyzwań moralnych. Główny bohater musi wreszcie zmierzyć się ze skutkami swoich wcześniejszych działań. Głupi Kundel to postać nie do końca jednoznaczna. Z jednej strony młody chłopak pragnie zmian w otaczającym go świecie, jednak jego pragnienie władzy i magicznej potęgi powoduje, że sam staje się tyranem. Ciężko było mi polubić tę postać na przestrzeni tych trzech tomów, jednak myślę, że był to specjalny zabieg autora, by stworzyć taką postać.
Greathouse, tak jak w poprzednich tomach, świetnie ukazuje mitologię oraz konflikty polityczne i społeczne świata, a także złożone relacje władzy i rozterki bohaterów, których wybory mają dalekosiężne konsekwencje. Powieść jest jednak momentami rozwlekła – liczne introspekcje bohaterów spowalniają tempo fabuły, co może zniechęcać czytelników oczekujących szybkiej akcji i napięcia. Choć Greathouse dostarcza czytelnikom wielowarstwowej opowieści, wyraźnie stara się zakończyć historię w refleksyjnym tonie. Przyznaję, że miałam nadzieję na trochę mocniejsze zakończenie, bardziej brutalne, niż to co zaserwował nam autor.
„Struktura świata” to lektura, która może zachwycić fanów bardziej introspektywnej fantasy i tych, którzy doceniają filozoficzne pytania o przeznaczenie i odpowiedzialność. Jednak dla osób szukających wartkiej akcji i zaskakujących zwrotów, książka może okazać się mniej angażująca. Osobiście będę wspominać tę trylogię dobrze.
Historia Głupiego Kundla jest pełna trudnych wyborów i wyzwań moralnych. Główny bohater musi wreszcie zmierzyć się ze skutkami swoich wcześniejszych działań. Głupi Kundel to postać nie do końca jednoznaczna. Z jednej strony młody chłopak pragnie zmian w otaczającym go świecie, jednak jego pragnienie władzy i magicznej potęgi powoduje, że sam staje się tyranem. Ciężko było mi polubić tę postać na przestrzeni tych trzech tomów, jednak myślę, że był to specjalny zabieg autora, by stworzyć taką postać.
Greathouse, tak jak w poprzednich tomach, świetnie ukazuje mitologię oraz konflikty polityczne i społeczne świata, a także złożone relacje władzy i rozterki bohaterów, których wybory mają dalekosiężne konsekwencje. Powieść jest jednak momentami rozwlekła – liczne introspekcje bohaterów spowalniają tempo fabuły, co może zniechęcać czytelników oczekujących szybkiej akcji i napięcia. Choć Greathouse dostarcza czytelnikom wielowarstwowej opowieści, wyraźnie stara się zakończyć historię w refleksyjnym tonie. Przyznaję, że miałam nadzieję na trochę mocniejsze zakończenie, bardziej brutalne, niż to co zaserwował nam autor.
„Struktura świata” to lektura, która może zachwycić fanów bardziej introspektywnej fantasy i tych, którzy doceniają filozoficzne pytania o przeznaczenie i odpowiedzialność. Jednak dla osób szukających wartkiej akcji i zaskakujących zwrotów, książka może okazać się mniej angażująca. Osobiście będę wspominać tę trylogię dobrze.
October 9, 2023
the Pact and Pattern series is one of my favorite fantasy series I read in the last years. There's power plays, there different magical system and a strong character like the Foolish Cur.
This is not the best book in this series but it's also the one that bring to the conclusione and there's not mush left without an answer.
As usual I found hard to say goodbye to characters. It's a good series that I will surely re-read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is not the best book in this series but it's also the one that bring to the conclusione and there's not mush left without an answer.
As usual I found hard to say goodbye to characters. It's a good series that I will surely re-read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
September 24, 2024
Porażający tom w swoim wydźwięku. Chyba jedno z najlepszych zwieńczeń trylogii/serii, jakie przyszło mi czytać w ostatnim czasie💙
Wszystko jest na swoim miejscu!
Wszystko jest na swoim miejscu!
September 26, 2024
Bardzo dobre zakończenie serii, przy której świetnie się bawiłam.
May 21, 2025
Dnf. Too many pov's. And the switching of the tenses is too annoying.
August 3, 2025
Bardzo podobała mi się ta trylogia, zakończenie było satysfakcjonujące aczkolwiek mam wrażenie że trochę pospieszone
February 11, 2025
Zdecydowanie chciałbym coś dobrego napisać ale nie potrafię. Dużo nudy, dużo niczego...
October 31, 2024
"Struktura świata" to finałowy tom trylogii "Kroniki Olchy", serii głęboko inspirowanej filozofią azjatycką - przede wszystkim tradycją konfucjańską. W finałowym tomie autor zręcznie splata wątki buntu, przeznaczenia i osobistego rozwoju opowiadając historię Wena Olchy/Głupiego Kundla oraz innych postaci. To specyficzna fantastyka, mająca w sobie powagę klasyki: nie ma tutaj humoru czy dynamicznej akcji, jest za to pochylenie się nad kreacją świata i konsekwencjami działań bohatera. Pierwszy tom, "Dłoń Króla Słońca" jest najbardziej dynamiczny - a tym samym najłatwiejszy w lekturze. Skupia się wokół motywu od zera do bohatera - przy czym nasz bohater kieruje się niespotykaną ambicją. Nie chodzi mu wyłącznie o ratowanie świata, ale zdobycie mocy - co ma swoje konsekwencje w kolejnych tomach. Drugi to rebelia, prowadząca do zniszczenia świata. Już ten tom staje się dużo bardziej filozoficzny niż współczesna fantastyka przygodowa. "Struktura świata" to z kolei opowieść o odbudowie świata - i tu jest najwięcej miejsca poświęcone rozważaniom na temat starej i nowej struktury: co należy zmienić w świecie, by wyeliminować zło, z którym wcześniej walczono? Nie jest to lektura łatwa, wymaga skupienia i pochylenia się nad treścią. Autor skupia się na postaciach i na zachodzących w nich zmianach, przez co ma się wrażenie, że niewiele się dzieje, a lektura się ciągnie. To książka wymagająca cierpliwości, której oryginalność polega na tym, że odbiega od naszych oczekiwań: zamiast spektakularnej bitwy, skupiamy się na wnętrzach postaci, które muszą podjąć kluczowe decyzje na temat kształtu struktury świata. Jeśli jednak nie odstraszy nas tempo i filozoficzny ton, to ten tom wynagradza wspomnianą cierpliwość, dostarczając nam niezwykłej opowieści o końcu i odrodzeniu świata.
"Struktura świata", jak i cała trylogia nie wpisują się w obowiązujące trendy popularnej fantastyki: zamiast romansu, dostajemy tutaj typowe elementy epickiej fantastyki (szkolenie bohatera, rebelia) połączone z filozoficznymi pytaniami, zaczerpniętymi z konfucjańskich inspiracji. Dotyczą one obowiązku, hierarchii, miejsca jednostki w większym porządku: w rodzinie, plemieniu, imperium. Azjatyckie inspiracje dodają także motywy kolonializmu i rebelii wobec imperium - podobne odnajdziemy w twórczości Tashy Suri (trylogia Płonące Królestwa czy dylogia Kroniki Ambhy, które w odróżnieniu od omawianej tutaj książki dodają jeszcze do tego wątki feministyczne). To rodzaj fantastyki w dużej mierze opartej na klimacie związanym z oryginalną kreacją świata, jak i na wewnętrznych konfliktach postaci. Choć od drugiego tomu dostajemy kilka punktów widzenia, to kluczową postacią pozostaje Głupi Kundel. Na kartach trylogii przechodzi on przemianę od ambitnego młodzieńca, rozdartego między możliwościami oferowanymi przez cesarza a rodzimą kulturą, niszczoną przez imperium. Wen Olcha/Głupi Kundel to postać wewnętrznie skonfliktowana, co oddaje jego podwójne imię; rozdarty między tradycją a rewolucją. W "Strukturze świata" przychodzi czas na rozliczenie się z decyzjami podjętymi przez głównego bohatera. Ze względu na to, że jest to fantastyka skierowana do wewnątrz postaci, to właśnie tam rozgrywa się największy dramat, co znajduje swoje odzwierciedlanie w finale. Można zarzucić autorowi, że nie do końca miał pomysł na pozostałe postacie, jednak losy głównego bohatera, jego rozterki i przemiana są konsekwentnie prowadzone od pierwszego tomu i znajdują satysfakcjonujące zakończenie w finale.
Dla mnie wyróżnikiem serii jest możliwe metaforyczne odczytanie: to opowieść o walce między osobistymi pragnieniami, ambicjami a oczekiwaniami społecznymi, co silnie zaznacza się w azjatyckiej filozofii. W myśli konfucjańskiej odnajdziemy rozważania na temat władzy, lojalności i obowiązku moralnego, co przez autora zostało przełożone na fantastyczny świat, pełen magii. Konfucjańskie ideały podkreślają znaczenie społecznej hierarchii, która tworzy harmonię; harmonia ta nie oznacza jednak równości, a ustrukturyzowane społeczeństwo z Królem Słońcem na czele. Nasz bohater jest konfrontowany z poczuciem lojalności wobec imperium, wobec rodziny, a własnym poczuciem dobra i zła, co oddaje obecne w konfucjańskiej filozofii napięcie między koniecznością wypełniania swojej roli a kwestionowaniem niesprawiedliwej władzy. Do tego dodany zostaje motyw związany z obecnym a azjatyckiej tradycji kultem przodków - ciężarem oczekiwań przodków, szacunkiem wobec tradycji. Nie zabrakło także taoistycznych inspiracji, związanych z równowagą i cyklicznością (wyrażone w rozważaniach bohaterów na temat końca i odradzania świata). Taoizm może stanowić ucieczkę od konfucjanizmu, od sztywnych reguł i struktur. Ta filozoficzna otoczka dodaje głębi opisywanym w powieści intrygom politycznym i osobistemu konfliktowi głównego bohatera.
"Struktura świata", i szerzej cała trylogia, to intrygująca powieść łącząca motyw rebelii z filozoficznymi rozważaniami. Autor skupia się na eskpozycji świata i konfliktach wewnętrznych, przez co niektóre fragmenty powieści potrafią się dłużyć. To nie jest książka typu "fast food", która szybko nas pochłonie. Wymaga zaangażowania się i skupienia na tym, co ma do przekazania: bogate rozważania na temat władzy, tożsamości i moralności w scenerii inspirowanej Azją Wschodnią. Jeśli lubicie fantastykę w stylu Robin Hobb, podobały wam się książki R.F. Kuang, Tashy Suri czy Shelley Parker-Chan - to zdecydowanie polecam tę serię!
"Struktura świata", jak i cała trylogia nie wpisują się w obowiązujące trendy popularnej fantastyki: zamiast romansu, dostajemy tutaj typowe elementy epickiej fantastyki (szkolenie bohatera, rebelia) połączone z filozoficznymi pytaniami, zaczerpniętymi z konfucjańskich inspiracji. Dotyczą one obowiązku, hierarchii, miejsca jednostki w większym porządku: w rodzinie, plemieniu, imperium. Azjatyckie inspiracje dodają także motywy kolonializmu i rebelii wobec imperium - podobne odnajdziemy w twórczości Tashy Suri (trylogia Płonące Królestwa czy dylogia Kroniki Ambhy, które w odróżnieniu od omawianej tutaj książki dodają jeszcze do tego wątki feministyczne). To rodzaj fantastyki w dużej mierze opartej na klimacie związanym z oryginalną kreacją świata, jak i na wewnętrznych konfliktach postaci. Choć od drugiego tomu dostajemy kilka punktów widzenia, to kluczową postacią pozostaje Głupi Kundel. Na kartach trylogii przechodzi on przemianę od ambitnego młodzieńca, rozdartego między możliwościami oferowanymi przez cesarza a rodzimą kulturą, niszczoną przez imperium. Wen Olcha/Głupi Kundel to postać wewnętrznie skonfliktowana, co oddaje jego podwójne imię; rozdarty między tradycją a rewolucją. W "Strukturze świata" przychodzi czas na rozliczenie się z decyzjami podjętymi przez głównego bohatera. Ze względu na to, że jest to fantastyka skierowana do wewnątrz postaci, to właśnie tam rozgrywa się największy dramat, co znajduje swoje odzwierciedlanie w finale. Można zarzucić autorowi, że nie do końca miał pomysł na pozostałe postacie, jednak losy głównego bohatera, jego rozterki i przemiana są konsekwentnie prowadzone od pierwszego tomu i znajdują satysfakcjonujące zakończenie w finale.
Dla mnie wyróżnikiem serii jest możliwe metaforyczne odczytanie: to opowieść o walce między osobistymi pragnieniami, ambicjami a oczekiwaniami społecznymi, co silnie zaznacza się w azjatyckiej filozofii. W myśli konfucjańskiej odnajdziemy rozważania na temat władzy, lojalności i obowiązku moralnego, co przez autora zostało przełożone na fantastyczny świat, pełen magii. Konfucjańskie ideały podkreślają znaczenie społecznej hierarchii, która tworzy harmonię; harmonia ta nie oznacza jednak równości, a ustrukturyzowane społeczeństwo z Królem Słońcem na czele. Nasz bohater jest konfrontowany z poczuciem lojalności wobec imperium, wobec rodziny, a własnym poczuciem dobra i zła, co oddaje obecne w konfucjańskiej filozofii napięcie między koniecznością wypełniania swojej roli a kwestionowaniem niesprawiedliwej władzy. Do tego dodany zostaje motyw związany z obecnym a azjatyckiej tradycji kultem przodków - ciężarem oczekiwań przodków, szacunkiem wobec tradycji. Nie zabrakło także taoistycznych inspiracji, związanych z równowagą i cyklicznością (wyrażone w rozważaniach bohaterów na temat końca i odradzania świata). Taoizm może stanowić ucieczkę od konfucjanizmu, od sztywnych reguł i struktur. Ta filozoficzna otoczka dodaje głębi opisywanym w powieści intrygom politycznym i osobistemu konfliktowi głównego bohatera.
"Struktura świata", i szerzej cała trylogia, to intrygująca powieść łącząca motyw rebelii z filozoficznymi rozważaniami. Autor skupia się na eskpozycji świata i konfliktach wewnętrznych, przez co niektóre fragmenty powieści potrafią się dłużyć. To nie jest książka typu "fast food", która szybko nas pochłonie. Wymaga zaangażowania się i skupienia na tym, co ma do przekazania: bogate rozważania na temat władzy, tożsamości i moralności w scenerii inspirowanej Azją Wschodnią. Jeśli lubicie fantastykę w stylu Robin Hobb, podobały wam się książki R.F. Kuang, Tashy Suri czy Shelley Parker-Chan - to zdecydowanie polecam tę serię!
June 27, 2023
Pact and Pattern closes out a solid 4-star series with another strong entry. Thanks to JABberwocky for the ARC. I had some issues with the book that I'll discuss here, but it is a very good series, and I do recommend it highly.
Now, I was not a huge fan of one aspect of how the series ends, but this is a matter of personal preference. I thought that the plot point was well-executed--I just wish it had gone a different way. I don't think that's a real criticism. Some people are going like the way it goes, and telling you that it wasn't my favorite thing to have happen--well, that doesn't really tell you much. The ending is certainly appropriate to the series.
That aside, I think The Pattern of the World's biggest weakness is how it functions as a single volume. The first book is all Wen Alder/Foolish Cur, and then book 2 opens up the narrative with more POVs. That didn't work for every reader (though it did for me), but regardless, there is no comparable evolution, moving into book 3.
We have the same POVs as in book 2, and The Pattern of the World is mostly about cleaning up the mess they made there. As a result, while The Garden of Empire works very well as a single volume--reading it on its own and not in close proximity to other volumes in the series--book 3 works best as part of the whole. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, in the context of a trilogy, but it does make The Pattern of the World a slight disappointment, as compared to how book 2 lands.
That's really not a very strong criticism. I think that, if I had read all three books in a row instead of reading each volume as it came out, I would not have had any such issues. Book 3 is a great second half to book 2, in a sense. Reading it this way was a bit like waiting a year between reading the first and second halves of The Once and Future King (well, if the Sword in the Stone part was also depressing lol).
Greathouse's writing still meets the fine standard he set for himself at the start. I find that it works best in Foolish Cur's first-person retrospective chapters and Ral Ans Urrera's often dream-like present-tense chapters. But Pinion and Koro Ha's more standard 3rd person limited chapters are good, too. As in book 2, I like the effect of the varying POVs on how the narrative comes together.
I'm not entirely certain how I feel about the handling of theme in the series. I'll have to think about it more. For example, colonialism is a major theme, but in this world, it exists as a direct response to a very real magical threat. To some extent, those kind of plot elements muddle up the messaging. And that's fine--you don't want it to be too on the nose, after all--but I am still on the fence about what it seems like Greathouse is saying, here. But even if I end up deciding that I don't like it, the fact that it has me thinking is enough to count the themes as a positive.
Overall, Pact and Pattern is very good contemplative fantasy series that clips along at a faster pace than some other famous examples of the same. If you like Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, or even Steven Erikson, I'd recommend giving it a try. It's short enough to not be a huge commitment, after all. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy in August so I can give the complete trilogy a home on my shelves.
Now, I was not a huge fan of one aspect of how the series ends, but this is a matter of personal preference. I thought that the plot point was well-executed--I just wish it had gone a different way. I don't think that's a real criticism. Some people are going like the way it goes, and telling you that it wasn't my favorite thing to have happen--well, that doesn't really tell you much. The ending is certainly appropriate to the series.
That aside, I think The Pattern of the World's biggest weakness is how it functions as a single volume. The first book is all Wen Alder/Foolish Cur, and then book 2 opens up the narrative with more POVs. That didn't work for every reader (though it did for me), but regardless, there is no comparable evolution, moving into book 3.
We have the same POVs as in book 2, and The Pattern of the World is mostly about cleaning up the mess they made there. As a result, while The Garden of Empire works very well as a single volume--reading it on its own and not in close proximity to other volumes in the series--book 3 works best as part of the whole. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, in the context of a trilogy, but it does make The Pattern of the World a slight disappointment, as compared to how book 2 lands.
That's really not a very strong criticism. I think that, if I had read all three books in a row instead of reading each volume as it came out, I would not have had any such issues. Book 3 is a great second half to book 2, in a sense. Reading it this way was a bit like waiting a year between reading the first and second halves of The Once and Future King (well, if the Sword in the Stone part was also depressing lol).
Greathouse's writing still meets the fine standard he set for himself at the start. I find that it works best in Foolish Cur's first-person retrospective chapters and Ral Ans Urrera's often dream-like present-tense chapters. But Pinion and Koro Ha's more standard 3rd person limited chapters are good, too. As in book 2, I like the effect of the varying POVs on how the narrative comes together.
I'm not entirely certain how I feel about the handling of theme in the series. I'll have to think about it more. For example, colonialism is a major theme, but in this world, it exists as a direct response to a very real magical threat. To some extent, those kind of plot elements muddle up the messaging. And that's fine--you don't want it to be too on the nose, after all--but I am still on the fence about what it seems like Greathouse is saying, here. But even if I end up deciding that I don't like it, the fact that it has me thinking is enough to count the themes as a positive.
Overall, Pact and Pattern is very good contemplative fantasy series that clips along at a faster pace than some other famous examples of the same. If you like Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, or even Steven Erikson, I'd recommend giving it a try. It's short enough to not be a huge commitment, after all. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy in August so I can give the complete trilogy a home on my shelves.
August 17, 2023
***Thank you to JAB Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
My thoughts about The Pattern of the World are incredibly mixed, and I'm honestly not sure if it is a me thing or an actual deficit in the story. Maybe it's a bit of both. There was plenty to like, especially if you enjoyed the first two books, but I just never wanted to pick the book back up. It took me over a week to finish it, which is a really long time considering how quickly I usually read.
I'll start with some of the things I enjoyed. First, The Pattern of the World added so much to my understanding of the world-building of this series. I now have a much better grasp on how the magic works, and this story provided some fascinating information about the history of the gods, their origin, and the seemingly endless war they've raged. Some of the descriptions did get a bit too cerebral at times, which made it hard for me to picture some of the magic and events, but the writing, in general, was superb, which should come as no surprise.
The Pattern of the World also continued Greathouse's beautiful examination of these characters. Just like the second book, this one follows multiple POVs, and each of them had a significant arc with a great deal of growth. Alder was still my favorite, and I liked that he had learned from his mistakes but also still struggled to go against his nature to implement those lessons. He had to accept the sacrifice of the things he wanted most in the world to fix the horrible consequences of his previous actions. Pinion's journey of dealing with his grief and desire for revenge and Koro Ha's road to accepting his new power and role of hope-bringer to his people were also both compelling.
The place where The Pattern of the World fell short was the story and its pacing. There was so much philosophizing, and it seemed like the entire book was spent on characters talking about deciding what they should do. The world was literally falling apart around them, but we only got a few glimpses of the mayhem because they just sat in a safe city and squabbled. I kept waiting for the characters to come together and DO SOMETHING, which didn't happen until the very end. When it finally came, the end made sense, but it was definitely lackluster. I also wish anyone else had helped Alder because my least favorite character played a larger role than I'd have liked.
Overall, there were things I liked and disliked about The Pattern of the World. It definitely wasn't my favorite book in this series, but it brought the character arcs to a logical and mostly satisfying conclusion. Make sure to read the epilogue. The ending was way too abrupt without it. I just wish there had been a little less talking and a bit more action in this one. Therefore, I rate The Pattern of the World 3.75 out of 5 stars.
See more of my reviews and other bookish content on my blog.
My thoughts about The Pattern of the World are incredibly mixed, and I'm honestly not sure if it is a me thing or an actual deficit in the story. Maybe it's a bit of both. There was plenty to like, especially if you enjoyed the first two books, but I just never wanted to pick the book back up. It took me over a week to finish it, which is a really long time considering how quickly I usually read.
I'll start with some of the things I enjoyed. First, The Pattern of the World added so much to my understanding of the world-building of this series. I now have a much better grasp on how the magic works, and this story provided some fascinating information about the history of the gods, their origin, and the seemingly endless war they've raged. Some of the descriptions did get a bit too cerebral at times, which made it hard for me to picture some of the magic and events, but the writing, in general, was superb, which should come as no surprise.
The Pattern of the World also continued Greathouse's beautiful examination of these characters. Just like the second book, this one follows multiple POVs, and each of them had a significant arc with a great deal of growth. Alder was still my favorite, and I liked that he had learned from his mistakes but also still struggled to go against his nature to implement those lessons. He had to accept the sacrifice of the things he wanted most in the world to fix the horrible consequences of his previous actions. Pinion's journey of dealing with his grief and desire for revenge and Koro Ha's road to accepting his new power and role of hope-bringer to his people were also both compelling.
The place where The Pattern of the World fell short was the story and its pacing. There was so much philosophizing, and it seemed like the entire book was spent on characters talking about deciding what they should do. The world was literally falling apart around them, but we only got a few glimpses of the mayhem because they just sat in a safe city and squabbled. I kept waiting for the characters to come together and DO SOMETHING, which didn't happen until the very end. When it finally came, the end made sense, but it was definitely lackluster. I also wish anyone else had helped Alder because my least favorite character played a larger role than I'd have liked.
Overall, there were things I liked and disliked about The Pattern of the World. It definitely wasn't my favorite book in this series, but it brought the character arcs to a logical and mostly satisfying conclusion. Make sure to read the epilogue. The ending was way too abrupt without it. I just wish there had been a little less talking and a bit more action in this one. Therefore, I rate The Pattern of the World 3.75 out of 5 stars.
See more of my reviews and other bookish content on my blog.
October 11, 2024
Po świetnym początku i średnim drugim tomie przyszedł czas na finał!
Liczyłam na zaskoczenie, ale coś nie do końca zagrało.
Mam wrażenie, że autor bardzo chciał, aby jego książka była głęboka i nasycona filozofią. Bardzo lubię takie wątki, szczególnie w odniesieniu do rozwoju i przemiany bohaterów, ale odnoszę wrażenie, że trochę tu tego było za dużo i nie zawsze pasowało.
Co więcej sprawiło, że książka traciła na dynamice. Coś się działo, ale w ogóle nie czułam napięcia, ani powagi nadchodzących wydarzeń, a przecież miały totalnie zmienić świat. Samo zakończenie zamiast wywołać ciary i zachwyt, przeszło bez większych emocji z mojej strony, chociaż nie powiem, żeby było niepasujące. Było, w porządku.
Ogromnym plusem jest to, że dużo postaci pobocznych postaci dostało swoje "pięć minut", za niektórymi fajnie się podążało. Jedną z moich ulubionych postaci jest np. Sycząca Kocica. :)
Mimo to, nie uważam, żeby była to zła książka. Większość wątków zamknięto w satysfakcjonujący sposób, choć brakowało mi głębszego wglądu w świat po wydarzeniach finałowych. Ponadto, są w książce momenty, które potrafią poruszyć czytelnika i wciągnąć, szkoda, że nie było ich więcej.
Seria "Kroniki Olchy" ma potencjał, widać to szczególnie w pierwszym tomie, który pozostanie moim ulubionym. Ma ciekawy, rozbudowany świat, kóry chce się eksplorować i poznawać, tylko, że w kolejnych tomach nie poszło to w stronę, która by mnie zachwyciła.
Po skończeniu tej trylogii uwierdziłam się w przekonaniu, że serie fantatsyczne najlepiej czytać tak, by między kolejnymi tomami nie robić zbyt długiej przerwy.
Rok to w moim odczuciu zdecydowanie za długo. Nawiązana więź z bohaterami zanika, a szczegóły ze świata i fabuły zacierają się. Chociaż wydawało mi się, ze i tak zadziwiająco dużo pamiętałam to mimo wszystko jakoś tak ciągle czułam, że coś mi umyka i nie do końca książka ze mną grała.
Niemniej polecam i zdecydowanie zachęcam do czytania tomów tej trylogi, w krótkich odstępach czasowych. Jestem pewna, że znajdzie swoich większych zwolenników.
3,75/5
Liczyłam na zaskoczenie, ale coś nie do końca zagrało.
Mam wrażenie, że autor bardzo chciał, aby jego książka była głęboka i nasycona filozofią. Bardzo lubię takie wątki, szczególnie w odniesieniu do rozwoju i przemiany bohaterów, ale odnoszę wrażenie, że trochę tu tego było za dużo i nie zawsze pasowało.
Co więcej sprawiło, że książka traciła na dynamice. Coś się działo, ale w ogóle nie czułam napięcia, ani powagi nadchodzących wydarzeń, a przecież miały totalnie zmienić świat. Samo zakończenie zamiast wywołać ciary i zachwyt, przeszło bez większych emocji z mojej strony, chociaż nie powiem, żeby było niepasujące. Było, w porządku.
Ogromnym plusem jest to, że dużo postaci pobocznych postaci dostało swoje "pięć minut", za niektórymi fajnie się podążało. Jedną z moich ulubionych postaci jest np. Sycząca Kocica. :)
Mimo to, nie uważam, żeby była to zła książka. Większość wątków zamknięto w satysfakcjonujący sposób, choć brakowało mi głębszego wglądu w świat po wydarzeniach finałowych. Ponadto, są w książce momenty, które potrafią poruszyć czytelnika i wciągnąć, szkoda, że nie było ich więcej.
Seria "Kroniki Olchy" ma potencjał, widać to szczególnie w pierwszym tomie, który pozostanie moim ulubionym. Ma ciekawy, rozbudowany świat, kóry chce się eksplorować i poznawać, tylko, że w kolejnych tomach nie poszło to w stronę, która by mnie zachwyciła.
Po skończeniu tej trylogii uwierdziłam się w przekonaniu, że serie fantatsyczne najlepiej czytać tak, by między kolejnymi tomami nie robić zbyt długiej przerwy.
Rok to w moim odczuciu zdecydowanie za długo. Nawiązana więź z bohaterami zanika, a szczegóły ze świata i fabuły zacierają się. Chociaż wydawało mi się, ze i tak zadziwiająco dużo pamiętałam to mimo wszystko jakoś tak ciągle czułam, że coś mi umyka i nie do końca książka ze mną grała.
Niemniej polecam i zdecydowanie zachęcam do czytania tomów tej trylogi, w krótkich odstępach czasowych. Jestem pewna, że znajdzie swoich większych zwolenników.
3,75/5
October 7, 2024
Cykl "Kroniki Olchy" wywołuje u mnie ambiwalentne odczucia. Pierwsza część była naprawdę bardzo dobra i liczyłem na mocną, brutalną serię z ciekawymi systemami magicznymi, jednakże kontynuacja zdecydowanie mnie rozczarowała. Dlatego z dystansem podchodziłem do "Struktury świata", jednocześnie licząc na odkupienie. Częściowo się to udało, ale jednak nie do końca.
Mam wrażenie, że autor na siłę chciał napisać powieść głęboką, przesiąkniętą filozofią, jednak trochę z tym przesadził. Są wątki, które naprawdę dobrze się z tym komponują, pokazując przemianę, na przykład głównego bohatera, jednak w niektórych miejscach mi to nie pasowało. Ponadto, cierpi na tym dynamizm akcji. Niby przez całą fabułę coś się dzieje, ale moim zdaniem nie jest to akcja godna zakończenia cyklu. Do tego sam finisz również nie do końca mnie przekonał, choć po części jest dobrze napisany. Wiąże się to także z postacią Ral Ans Urrei, która kompletnie mnie nie przekonuje i osobiście, dla mnie mogłoby jej nie być.
Nie jest jednak tak, że jest to książka zła. Większość wątków została dobrze domknięta, choć chciałoby się większego spojrzenia na świat po tym chaosie. Do tego więcej miejsca dostali ciekawi bohaterowie poboczni, co również jest na plus. Ponadto, jest kilka momentów, gdzie czytający naprawdę może poczuć ciary, szkoda że nie ma ich więcej.
Uważam, że "Kroniki Olchy" są dobrą serią i na pewno są czytelnicy, którym podpasują w większym stopniu niż mi, ponieważ mają swój urok. Uważam jednak, że po pierwszym tomie miały zdecydowanie większy potencjał.
Więcej moich recenzji znajdziecie na Instagramie @chomiczkowe.recenzje, gdzie serdecznie zapraszam.
Mam wrażenie, że autor na siłę chciał napisać powieść głęboką, przesiąkniętą filozofią, jednak trochę z tym przesadził. Są wątki, które naprawdę dobrze się z tym komponują, pokazując przemianę, na przykład głównego bohatera, jednak w niektórych miejscach mi to nie pasowało. Ponadto, cierpi na tym dynamizm akcji. Niby przez całą fabułę coś się dzieje, ale moim zdaniem nie jest to akcja godna zakończenia cyklu. Do tego sam finisz również nie do końca mnie przekonał, choć po części jest dobrze napisany. Wiąże się to także z postacią Ral Ans Urrei, która kompletnie mnie nie przekonuje i osobiście, dla mnie mogłoby jej nie być.
Nie jest jednak tak, że jest to książka zła. Większość wątków została dobrze domknięta, choć chciałoby się większego spojrzenia na świat po tym chaosie. Do tego więcej miejsca dostali ciekawi bohaterowie poboczni, co również jest na plus. Ponadto, jest kilka momentów, gdzie czytający naprawdę może poczuć ciary, szkoda że nie ma ich więcej.
Uważam, że "Kroniki Olchy" są dobrą serią i na pewno są czytelnicy, którym podpasują w większym stopniu niż mi, ponieważ mają swój urok. Uważam jednak, że po pierwszym tomie miały zdecydowanie większy potencjał.
Więcej moich recenzji znajdziecie na Instagramie @chomiczkowe.recenzje, gdzie serdecznie zapraszam.
May 26, 2024
2*s.
Despite my love for the first instalment of this series, TPotW was sadly a book I couldn't bring myself to finish.
Too much page time was given to Foolish Cur telling us of his regret/shame and/or his resolve to make things better - or rather to Pinion describing the same of Foolish Cur. This aspect, along with a few others, were just handed a little too heavily for my liking, and thus reduced the story into one of near caricatures.
While I respect the decision to do something different and to have different points of views in different grammatical persons and also tenses, ultimately I found that it did not work. While I could mentally tally Foolish Cur's PoV with Koro Ha's and Pinion's (as they were in the same past tense), Ral Ans Urrera PoV, being in present tense, was too jarring - disrupting the flow of the story as it did.
Overall, I found that the third and final instalment in the Pact and Pattern series lost much of its charm and originality and therefore struggled to stay afloat. It's a shame, given my love of the first novel in the series, but it just didn't stay to my preference in this case. Of course, I will definitely pick up any future series from Greathouse, given the originality and achievement of his debit series.
Despite my love for the first instalment of this series, TPotW was sadly a book I couldn't bring myself to finish.
Too much page time was given to Foolish Cur telling us of his regret/shame and/or his resolve to make things better - or rather to Pinion describing the same of Foolish Cur. This aspect, along with a few others, were just handed a little too heavily for my liking, and thus reduced the story into one of near caricatures.
While I respect the decision to do something different and to have different points of views in different grammatical persons and also tenses, ultimately I found that it did not work. While I could mentally tally Foolish Cur's PoV with Koro Ha's and Pinion's (as they were in the same past tense), Ral Ans Urrera PoV, being in present tense, was too jarring - disrupting the flow of the story as it did.
Overall, I found that the third and final instalment in the Pact and Pattern series lost much of its charm and originality and therefore struggled to stay afloat. It's a shame, given my love of the first novel in the series, but it just didn't stay to my preference in this case. Of course, I will definitely pick up any future series from Greathouse, given the originality and achievement of his debit series.
December 21, 2024
I am going to start this review off by saying how much I enjoy J.T. Greathouse's' writing - his plot development, characterisation and prose are *chef kiss* GREAT! And if you haven't previously seen my love and adoration for both books all over my personal review pages - one and two (spoilers alert) got solid 4 stars from me and I devoured them both in days when I got my little paws on them.
That being said, The Pattern of the World, the third and final book in the Pact and Pattern series took me SO LONG to get through!!! I have had the ARC in my hands, ashamedly, since June 2023 and I stopped and started, stopped and RE-STARED over and over again. Now, I think this is fully a me problem as the book itself is great, maybe less gripping than the previous ones, but I think this series benefits from reading them all close together really.
The Pattern of the World see's the aftermath of Books 2 dramatic conclusion and we see our characters band together to try and fix the world. rectifying their mistakes. Although not everyone has the same world views, they ultimately all want to see the world thrive,
I have seen some reviews not being very happy at the books conclusion which wasn't the case for me at all as I felt it very fitting for what the story has been progressing towards.
Overall - I have absolutely loved this series and would fully recommend it to anyone! (and I do often!) Book 3, I may have just went in with my estimations a little too high.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC sorry it took me a year and a half to read lmao.
That being said, The Pattern of the World, the third and final book in the Pact and Pattern series took me SO LONG to get through!!! I have had the ARC in my hands, ashamedly, since June 2023 and I stopped and started, stopped and RE-STARED over and over again. Now, I think this is fully a me problem as the book itself is great, maybe less gripping than the previous ones, but I think this series benefits from reading them all close together really.
The Pattern of the World see's the aftermath of Books 2 dramatic conclusion and we see our characters band together to try and fix the world. rectifying their mistakes. Although not everyone has the same world views, they ultimately all want to see the world thrive,
I have seen some reviews not being very happy at the books conclusion which wasn't the case for me at all as I felt it very fitting for what the story has been progressing towards.
Overall - I have absolutely loved this series and would fully recommend it to anyone! (and I do often!) Book 3, I may have just went in with my estimations a little too high.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC sorry it took me a year and a half to read lmao.
July 3, 2023
Now that I look back at my reviews of the first and second book of the trilogy, my initial enthusiasm with this story has apparently worn off of a bit but not disappeared completely. And this may not be the book's fault.
If Book 2 was slow at some points, Book 3 took me ages to read. I felt that the story has run out of action and adventures, and has become dilemma-heavy by the end - lots of thinking and struggling going on in the characters' heads but only a few real events. Some readers may prefer this but I'm more like the action-lover type.
I have always had difficulty in grasping some of the abstract concepts the plot is built on, and when reading recurring expressions like "separating layers of the pattern", "phantom limb" and "building walls in the labyrinth of the mind" I wanted so badly to visualize and understand what they looked like. And I couldn't.
My favourite chapters were definitely those of Koro Ha, followed by Pinion, however I still prefer the single POV used in the first book to the multi-POV of the other two novels. I was at a loss with Ral: she popped up in Book 2, out of the blue, and to me was an odd one out ever since.
Greathouse's prose is as beautiful as ever and he has created an immensely complex world in this series. For this he deserves all the praise.
Thank you NetGalley and JAB Books for an Advance Review Copy.
If Book 2 was slow at some points, Book 3 took me ages to read. I felt that the story has run out of action and adventures, and has become dilemma-heavy by the end - lots of thinking and struggling going on in the characters' heads but only a few real events. Some readers may prefer this but I'm more like the action-lover type.
I have always had difficulty in grasping some of the abstract concepts the plot is built on, and when reading recurring expressions like "separating layers of the pattern", "phantom limb" and "building walls in the labyrinth of the mind" I wanted so badly to visualize and understand what they looked like. And I couldn't.
My favourite chapters were definitely those of Koro Ha, followed by Pinion, however I still prefer the single POV used in the first book to the multi-POV of the other two novels. I was at a loss with Ral: she popped up in Book 2, out of the blue, and to me was an odd one out ever since.
Greathouse's prose is as beautiful as ever and he has created an immensely complex world in this series. For this he deserves all the praise.
Thank you NetGalley and JAB Books for an Advance Review Copy.
August 4, 2023
I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
DNF at ~20%
I really wanted to read this book - I've enjoyed the previous entries THE HAND OF THE SUN KING and THE GARDEN OF EMPIRE - but I could not sink into this one.
It's only been a year since I read the preceding book but I couldn't remember a thing, and this book does not help fill in those gaps early. There is an introduction, but it's not a two page summary of events (which is what I was hoping). Instead it's honestly two pages of waffle along the lines of "you've read part of my tale, here's the ending" that doesn't set the scene.
This then left me with no real idea of what had happened to the characters to put them in their position (and thus no idea of the stakes.) I didn't even know who most of the four narrators were! This meant I simply didn't care and just felt lost, like stumbling in the dark.
I also found the person and tense switches between narrators (third present, third past, and first past) very jarring, compounding my feeling of not knowing what was going on.
DNF at ~20%
I really wanted to read this book - I've enjoyed the previous entries THE HAND OF THE SUN KING and THE GARDEN OF EMPIRE - but I could not sink into this one.
It's only been a year since I read the preceding book but I couldn't remember a thing, and this book does not help fill in those gaps early. There is an introduction, but it's not a two page summary of events (which is what I was hoping). Instead it's honestly two pages of waffle along the lines of "you've read part of my tale, here's the ending" that doesn't set the scene.
This then left me with no real idea of what had happened to the characters to put them in their position (and thus no idea of the stakes.) I didn't even know who most of the four narrators were! This meant I simply didn't care and just felt lost, like stumbling in the dark.
I also found the person and tense switches between narrators (third present, third past, and first past) very jarring, compounding my feeling of not knowing what was going on.
May 30, 2024
this imo was my favourite book of the pact and pattern trilogy. i see many complaints regarding the amount of time lent to philosophical conundrums and discussing moral problems, but for me that made it all the more interesting to read a character really struggle through coming to certain conclusions and new understandings.
a big example of this is pinion, and foolish cur, both who are very attached to a certain way of thinking even if they are given evidence that shows them their opinions are wrong or morally incorrect. i loved seeing them suffer over it and then eventually reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that they are wrong. i also LOVED the monsters in this book, as well as the action, and the inclusion of more gods and the emperor. it really upped the ante and gore in this book.
the only thing that bothered me is that some POVs were not always the most interesting all the time - for example koro ha and ral ans urrera's pov's sometimes were dull in the first half of the books, but in the second half both povs picked up. also, i know foolish cur's fatal flaw is supposed to be that he is foolish - its literally his name - but sometimes i wanted to shake him and literally scream WHY does he make the wrong choice every god damn time. love him to bits but omg.
love clear-river and doctor sho forever, and the dog rip such an unnecessary death
a big example of this is pinion, and foolish cur, both who are very attached to a certain way of thinking even if they are given evidence that shows them their opinions are wrong or morally incorrect. i loved seeing them suffer over it and then eventually reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that they are wrong. i also LOVED the monsters in this book, as well as the action, and the inclusion of more gods and the emperor. it really upped the ante and gore in this book.
the only thing that bothered me is that some POVs were not always the most interesting all the time - for example koro ha and ral ans urrera's pov's sometimes were dull in the first half of the books, but in the second half both povs picked up. also, i know foolish cur's fatal flaw is supposed to be that he is foolish - its literally his name - but sometimes i wanted to shake him and literally scream WHY does he make the wrong choice every god damn time. love him to bits but omg.
love clear-river and doctor sho forever, and the dog rip such an unnecessary death
September 17, 2023
5 stars as a whole for the trilogy.
- An absolute masterclass in world building. I found the settings, people and magic fascinating.
- This book particularly really made me feel for Foolish Cur. A floored hero, conflicted to the end. But his journey really resonated with me.
- A somewhat slow start, but things really start to ramp up a notch around 1/3 into the book, and it had me captivated from then on in.
- As I passed half way I was hoping that Greathouse was really going to nail that oh so tricky ending. I was sitting on 4 stars, waiting for a brilliant and satisfying conclusion to bump it up to 5, so I was delighted when it came.
- The shifting perspectives didn’t bother me in the slightest. I actually found it quite engaging.
- I would have appreciated a more comprehensive introduction to refresh my memory for this one. It’s been a while since the second book, so when diving straight back in it did take me a while to get back up to speed with certain characters and events. Now the series is complete I think it would be even better read back to back.
- I would say Hand of the Sun King is still my favourite of the series overall, with Pattern of the World coming in second.
- Pact & Pattern as an Anime asap please
- An absolute masterclass in world building. I found the settings, people and magic fascinating.
- This book particularly really made me feel for Foolish Cur. A floored hero, conflicted to the end. But his journey really resonated with me.
- A somewhat slow start, but things really start to ramp up a notch around 1/3 into the book, and it had me captivated from then on in.
- As I passed half way I was hoping that Greathouse was really going to nail that oh so tricky ending. I was sitting on 4 stars, waiting for a brilliant and satisfying conclusion to bump it up to 5, so I was delighted when it came.
- The shifting perspectives didn’t bother me in the slightest. I actually found it quite engaging.
- I would have appreciated a more comprehensive introduction to refresh my memory for this one. It’s been a while since the second book, so when diving straight back in it did take me a while to get back up to speed with certain characters and events. Now the series is complete I think it would be even better read back to back.
- I would say Hand of the Sun King is still my favourite of the series overall, with Pattern of the World coming in second.
- Pact & Pattern as an Anime asap please
October 5, 2023
Full disclosure, I am good friends with the author, so I am biased but I'll try not to be!
Overall, the whole series is a wonderful ride through a multifaceted struggle, both personal with the main character, the side characters all have their own struggles, as well as the world and even the magic system!
If you've read any of Ursula K. Le Guinn, and enjoyed the Wizard of Earth Sea series, you will love this book. It has that form of heroes journey with twists and turns to it that make it new. There are parts that slow the book down though, but they are essential to the plot so I can't see how you avoid them, they need to happen, both for the character arcs and also the plot. I love that all the characters have some sort of arc and that they shift and change as they go. Some characters change over time just as much as the main character, which keeps things interesting and surprising! I also loved how the magic system wasn't this all powerful thing, in a way, it was a character as well, that shifted and changed! It reminded me a lot of Gaiman's magic system in a couple of his books, but on steroids and different in unique ways!
I really enjoyed this book, this series, and I am excited for what my friend has in the works as well!
Overall, the whole series is a wonderful ride through a multifaceted struggle, both personal with the main character, the side characters all have their own struggles, as well as the world and even the magic system!
If you've read any of Ursula K. Le Guinn, and enjoyed the Wizard of Earth Sea series, you will love this book. It has that form of heroes journey with twists and turns to it that make it new. There are parts that slow the book down though, but they are essential to the plot so I can't see how you avoid them, they need to happen, both for the character arcs and also the plot. I love that all the characters have some sort of arc and that they shift and change as they go. Some characters change over time just as much as the main character, which keeps things interesting and surprising! I also loved how the magic system wasn't this all powerful thing, in a way, it was a character as well, that shifted and changed! It reminded me a lot of Gaiman's magic system in a couple of his books, but on steroids and different in unique ways!
I really enjoyed this book, this series, and I am excited for what my friend has in the works as well!
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