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Wolf's-own #2
Weregild
Wolf’s-own: Book Two
The amorality of gods makes it hard to tell bad from good and right from wrong. Fen Jacin-rei doesn’t care. All Fen cares about is saving his family, and he’ll sacrifice anything that gets in his way. Including his own soul.
No longer willing to wait for the machinations of the gods’ minions, Fen accepts the trade Kamen Malick offers. Together they set out to rescue Fen’s family and kill the man who betrayed them. But Fen is an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the spirits of long-dead magicians, and with Voices of the Ancestors screaming in his head, Fen finds it harder and harder to stave off madness.
Malick has his own reasons to hand over everything Fen wants and equally compelling reasons to withhold everything Fen needs. In over his head with his timing as bad as ever, Malick must devise a way to do his god’s bidding without breaking his god’s laws—and keep Fen sane and on Malick’s side in the bargain.
The amorality of gods makes it hard to tell bad from good and right from wrong. Fen Jacin-rei doesn’t care. All Fen cares about is saving his family, and he’ll sacrifice anything that gets in his way. Including his own soul.
No longer willing to wait for the machinations of the gods’ minions, Fen accepts the trade Kamen Malick offers. Together they set out to rescue Fen’s family and kill the man who betrayed them. But Fen is an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the spirits of long-dead magicians, and with Voices of the Ancestors screaming in his head, Fen finds it harder and harder to stave off madness.
Malick has his own reasons to hand over everything Fen wants and equally compelling reasons to withhold everything Fen needs. In over his head with his timing as bad as ever, Malick must devise a way to do his god’s bidding without breaking his god’s laws—and keep Fen sane and on Malick’s side in the bargain.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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August 4, 2013
3 Stars For The Blog of Sid Love.
Beginning exactly where Wolf’s Own left off. Malick and his merry mercenaries are in a race to save fen’s family before Asia and his hirelings can steal them away to be used as leverage for Asai’s great plan. Fen, already sick and injured leads the fight, placing him in the front line without conscious thought for self-preservation – or is he suicidal, resolute, guilt ridden or just plain crazy? It’s an examination that continues to dominate.
Once again Cummings commands with her poetic writing and cryptic lyricisms. It’s easier this time around as we know these characters and much of their world and their Gods already. The manipulations and machinations are trebled or even quadrupled when fates hand is revealed within new cryptic ramblings. Present reality becomes a precarious place to make a stand when everyone involved has an agenda of their own. Fen and Malick are forced to make impossible choices while skirting the laws of the Gods and thus, dodging the harshest punishment. Those we trust fall prey to fear and self-preservation and a bitter betrayal with shattering consequences ensues. Cummings does not hold back in this, she is as ruthless as the Gods in dealing with her darlings. You have been warned.
The plot is forever evolving and surprising and yet I find myself smothered by the machinations that are too wide and far reaching. My head hurt trying to keep up with it all, there is no reprieve and I was exhausted by the end. It’s the same thing over and over again, from everyone’s perspective; and just about everyone’s guilt or oath turns them into a wanna be martyr - it’s a macabre and trying place for me to be. I missed the sexy Malick’s quick wit and charm; I missed the strong willed and determined young Fen. This book was too long-winded, too wordy and the constant damned if you do, damned if you don’t theme was too wearing.
There are some good highs and some clever plotting but in the end I was relieved it was over. Samin and Shig where my heroes in this book; bringing it back to basics in their own unique approach - Samin in his simplicity and Shig with her all-knowing smirk and cryptic clues. I DO look forward to more adventures from all of these characters; but I do it in the hope that things will turn back to something lighter, wittier, and sexier.
Beginning exactly where Wolf’s Own left off. Malick and his merry mercenaries are in a race to save fen’s family before Asia and his hirelings can steal them away to be used as leverage for Asai’s great plan. Fen, already sick and injured leads the fight, placing him in the front line without conscious thought for self-preservation – or is he suicidal, resolute, guilt ridden or just plain crazy? It’s an examination that continues to dominate.
Once again Cummings commands with her poetic writing and cryptic lyricisms. It’s easier this time around as we know these characters and much of their world and their Gods already. The manipulations and machinations are trebled or even quadrupled when fates hand is revealed within new cryptic ramblings. Present reality becomes a precarious place to make a stand when everyone involved has an agenda of their own. Fen and Malick are forced to make impossible choices while skirting the laws of the Gods and thus, dodging the harshest punishment. Those we trust fall prey to fear and self-preservation and a bitter betrayal with shattering consequences ensues. Cummings does not hold back in this, she is as ruthless as the Gods in dealing with her darlings. You have been warned.
The plot is forever evolving and surprising and yet I find myself smothered by the machinations that are too wide and far reaching. My head hurt trying to keep up with it all, there is no reprieve and I was exhausted by the end. It’s the same thing over and over again, from everyone’s perspective; and just about everyone’s guilt or oath turns them into a wanna be martyr - it’s a macabre and trying place for me to be. I missed the sexy Malick’s quick wit and charm; I missed the strong willed and determined young Fen. This book was too long-winded, too wordy and the constant damned if you do, damned if you don’t theme was too wearing.
There are some good highs and some clever plotting but in the end I was relieved it was over. Samin and Shig where my heroes in this book; bringing it back to basics in their own unique approach - Samin in his simplicity and Shig with her all-knowing smirk and cryptic clues. I DO look forward to more adventures from all of these characters; but I do it in the hope that things will turn back to something lighter, wittier, and sexier.
June 8, 2012
4.5 stars. Another excellent installment in the fantasy series. Together with the first book, these two form a fairly complete story arc with a satisfying conclusion. Clearly there is more story that could be told, but this second book has some closure and not a cliffhanger ending. Reading these first two together is important, but then you can stop and take a breath.
The characters are varied and appealing, the action complex and spectacular. There is no author who can make you feel a character's pain as well as Carole Cummings does. When things go bad for Jacin, his anguish will make your chest ache and your throat hurt. Seeing Malick realize that despite all his power he can fail, and that it will hurt with an intensity one of his kind should not feel, acts more subtly to break your heart.
This is a different book from the first, far more focused on action in a more linear timeline and in the second half vastly more fast-paced. The characters go through growth and loss and changes until most of them are very different at book's end than they were when the story began, (except perhaps for steadfast Samin.)
Numerous viewpoints come together to tell this story, some more engaging than others. It is to the author's credit that the voices are distinct and appropriate to the characters, adding depth to our understanding of each of them. Jacin, Malick, Samin, Shig and perhaps Joori pull the reader in deep to their particular understanding of motivations, emotions and events in this complex world.
I look forward to the next two installments of this series.
The characters are varied and appealing, the action complex and spectacular. There is no author who can make you feel a character's pain as well as Carole Cummings does. When things go bad for Jacin, his anguish will make your chest ache and your throat hurt. Seeing Malick realize that despite all his power he can fail, and that it will hurt with an intensity one of his kind should not feel, acts more subtly to break your heart.
This is a different book from the first, far more focused on action in a more linear timeline and in the second half vastly more fast-paced. The characters go through growth and loss and changes until most of them are very different at book's end than they were when the story began, (except perhaps for steadfast Samin.)
Numerous viewpoints come together to tell this story, some more engaging than others. It is to the author's credit that the voices are distinct and appropriate to the characters, adding depth to our understanding of each of them. Jacin, Malick, Samin, Shig and perhaps Joori pull the reader in deep to their particular understanding of motivations, emotions and events in this complex world.
I look forward to the next two installments of this series.
June 14, 2012
Review for Ghost and Weregild together posted at The Armchair Reader.
This review is for the complete first part of the Wolf's-own story, books 1 and 2, and contains spoilers for the first book, Ghost.
******************
Oh Carole! What are you doing to me!?
I remember when I read Aisling, Carole's first published series, how amazing she was at characterization, especially in creating a tragic hero. Here, with Fen Jacin-Rei she created an even more tragic one, with deeper motivations and a fuzzier moral compass. Even though I love the true works of art she creates, I still felt blown away finishing the first two books of this series, which are really one complete story (just as 3 and 4 are the same). And the most amazing thing about it is how humble Carole is, like I wasn't reading this book with a sense of awe at the worlds and characters she creates, that just seem so… fluid, so thoroughly settled in their world. All of the books she writes are about characters that bring the world to life around them, instead of a unique world that tells us about the people in it. That direction toward characters and allowing them their room to grow, to fall in love (or not) make this not a romance, but a study of characters that happen to be in a fantasy world and happen to fall in love, in their own way. That truly baffles me, how she's able to do that and it all comes across the page so easily. I swear, I'll never get tired of reading her work.
Okay, now that my gushing is over I'll try to get on to a bit about the story (I could talk all day -- in fact I could analyze the shit out of this like I really want to but I know you all don't want to sit here and end up reading a dissertation, nor should you, that would take away the mystery).
Ghost and Weregild are set in the land of Ada, whose native residents, the Adan, have subjugated the race of the Jin for fear of their magic and annexed the country of Jejin into their own. Now the Jin are a dwindling race living in internment camps and periodically raided for those hiding magic. Those with magic are Disappeared. The Jin before the war that brought them down were ruled by their Ancestors -- spirits of those that came before them who were themselves descended from gods. When the magic of the Jin and land of the Jejin was breached, the Ancestors went mad, and the once revered Jin who could hear their voices -- the "Untouchables" -- went mad with them from having the raving collected voices in their minds. Tradition among the Jin, and the Adan who before the war had intermarried with them and their customs, held that the Untouchables still couldn't be touched, for who could say they knew the wisdom of the ancestors and by touching one might alter the path that was already set in motion? So over a hundred years after the war, no one may alter the course of an Untouchable, even if that raving Untouchable were beating you in the street, you would not lift a finger to defend yourself.
However, there are those that would alter the fate of an Untouchable, so cruelly nicknamed Ghosts. A family who would shelter one, or someone who might harness the power of one. Because the war between the Jin and Adan upset the balance of the gods, and the agents who work for them, the Temshiel and the Maijin, serve to reset that balance, and curry favor for themselves in the balancing, even though the gods themselves are fickle, sometimes quiet, and seemingly always at war among each other. Like pieces on a chessboard, the Temshiel and the Maijin can only move in the way their gods command them, and they each serve different ones. For a Ghost placed among such mass manipulation, can there even be free will, even for one supposed to heed the wisdom of now raving spirits?
Well, you can see from that long, yet still very superficial setup that this story contains circles within circles. The characters all have to make difficult choices because there are no good ones. There are so many hands fighting for control of Fen, the Ghost at the fulcrum of the near future machinations of the gods, and even the ones that would seem good and caring have their own agenda. It is a harsh, cruel world, where punishment against ones gods means going to the suns and never being reborn. It is a world where there is no "fair", no matter how much Fen might dream of it, because the gods themselves are not fair, and they as agents are consequences of the gods.
I want to talk a bit about the characters, while I'm talking about how sad their prospects are ;) We have Fen Jacin-Rei of course, known by different names by different people. Fen is the product of his making and of subtle and deliberate manipulation from the Ultimate Aantagonist (because he is). The outside stoicism and underlying barely-held strength Fen has in the face of so much impossibility he's expected to make possible is heartbreaking, especially in the light of everything we slowly learn he's been through. Every revelation nearly broke my heart, and even though it has forged him into a weapon which could easily be just as soul-damningly terrifying as stunningly heroic, that fine edge of uncertainty allows his fortitude to shine through. Then there is Malick -- of questionable background and leader of a rag-tag group of assassins (Samin, who I LOVE, Shig and Yori). It takes the better part of both books to understand his true purpose, as it does for him to understand it as well. Yet, for someone who perhaps shows the world a person of questionable morality and often ruthlessness, is quite piercingly idealistic himself. The natures Fen and Malick show the world around them are startlingly different, and their façades immediately repel the other. It makes for a delicious friction between the two, both professionally and romantically. The rest of the group are all so much more than secondary characters, many full characters with offered POV themselves. I have so little time to talk about them, but in particular I loved Samin, as well as Joori, though I really did love them all in their own way. I don't see how you couldn't.
I see so much growth in Carole's writing from Aisling to Wolf's-own. There is a noticeable shift into a more adult mindset from that series to this one. I see how, when I didn't understand before, just why Aisling was a YA series, if only in the room that shift allowed her characters to grow -- a subtle shift from innocence against the world to a jaded kind of innocence still fighting for survival. It has little to do with sex, or romance of any kind, but more I think with a different minset from the characters (not maturity, per se, but maybe life experience). That shift really allows the story to follow it's natural progression, a story which from the outset dealt with a somewhat harsher slice of life, just like as with age and wisdom choices become muddled without the stark black and white surety we have with youth. These characters look upon their situation with adult eyes, which makes their choices much more difficult. I don't think that this story would have been successful if Carole hadn't been able to make that shift, which for me, was one of the biggest growths I saw in the writing.
The first book, Ghost, is told in a very specific format of flashbacks. I normally abhor flashbacks. My little brain just can't take all the back and forth sometimes. But I think I realized reading Ghost, that that wasn't the case at all. What I can't take are flashbacks that don't serve a larger purpose, because I had no problem with these. They allow Carole to play with the delivery of information. To all of you who have ever read these books or the Aisling books, you know that this author isn't one to give information to the reader idly -- we have to work for it. The addition of flashbacks in a book that deals the most setup of the story means that we, the reader, are privy to certain bits of information before the characters. Most, of course, is still in Carole's hands to be doled to us in precise fashion, but I liked the back and forth play that made me as a reader take a more active role in the story. I think that you might need to finish the first two books (to get a complete story) before you realize that, which is why I don't necessarily blame anyone who bemoans the use of flashbacks, but I could see that they are there for a very specific reason and that they serve their purposes.
Lastly, I think there is something that needs to be said about the direction we approach this series as readers. They might be released from Dreamspinner Press, a publisher that we all know for publishing m/m romance. But, I think it is a fault of our own if we don't approach this story with an open mind, and since that's hardly the fault of readers, since most of us come from that community who read these books, I really think that everyone should know they're in for an epic fantasy with some romance underneath, instead of a romance that deals in fantasy. There is a huge difference, and I'm not sure that if I didn't understand that distinction if I would really appreciate these books the way they should be.
I really think that Carole has one-upped herself when I didn't know if she could. I think everyone should read these, but then again, no story is for everyone. You really have to think with Carole's writing -- you cannot be an idle reader. And you have to have some patience. The story unfolds in it's own way, and at an unhurried pace.
PS. I cried. No… I CRIED. But it was so worth it!
This review is for the complete first part of the Wolf's-own story, books 1 and 2, and contains spoilers for the first book, Ghost.
******************
Oh Carole! What are you doing to me!?
I remember when I read Aisling, Carole's first published series, how amazing she was at characterization, especially in creating a tragic hero. Here, with Fen Jacin-Rei she created an even more tragic one, with deeper motivations and a fuzzier moral compass. Even though I love the true works of art she creates, I still felt blown away finishing the first two books of this series, which are really one complete story (just as 3 and 4 are the same). And the most amazing thing about it is how humble Carole is, like I wasn't reading this book with a sense of awe at the worlds and characters she creates, that just seem so… fluid, so thoroughly settled in their world. All of the books she writes are about characters that bring the world to life around them, instead of a unique world that tells us about the people in it. That direction toward characters and allowing them their room to grow, to fall in love (or not) make this not a romance, but a study of characters that happen to be in a fantasy world and happen to fall in love, in their own way. That truly baffles me, how she's able to do that and it all comes across the page so easily. I swear, I'll never get tired of reading her work.
Okay, now that my gushing is over I'll try to get on to a bit about the story (I could talk all day -- in fact I could analyze the shit out of this like I really want to but I know you all don't want to sit here and end up reading a dissertation, nor should you, that would take away the mystery).
Ghost and Weregild are set in the land of Ada, whose native residents, the Adan, have subjugated the race of the Jin for fear of their magic and annexed the country of Jejin into their own. Now the Jin are a dwindling race living in internment camps and periodically raided for those hiding magic. Those with magic are Disappeared. The Jin before the war that brought them down were ruled by their Ancestors -- spirits of those that came before them who were themselves descended from gods. When the magic of the Jin and land of the Jejin was breached, the Ancestors went mad, and the once revered Jin who could hear their voices -- the "Untouchables" -- went mad with them from having the raving collected voices in their minds. Tradition among the Jin, and the Adan who before the war had intermarried with them and their customs, held that the Untouchables still couldn't be touched, for who could say they knew the wisdom of the ancestors and by touching one might alter the path that was already set in motion? So over a hundred years after the war, no one may alter the course of an Untouchable, even if that raving Untouchable were beating you in the street, you would not lift a finger to defend yourself.
However, there are those that would alter the fate of an Untouchable, so cruelly nicknamed Ghosts. A family who would shelter one, or someone who might harness the power of one. Because the war between the Jin and Adan upset the balance of the gods, and the agents who work for them, the Temshiel and the Maijin, serve to reset that balance, and curry favor for themselves in the balancing, even though the gods themselves are fickle, sometimes quiet, and seemingly always at war among each other. Like pieces on a chessboard, the Temshiel and the Maijin can only move in the way their gods command them, and they each serve different ones. For a Ghost placed among such mass manipulation, can there even be free will, even for one supposed to heed the wisdom of now raving spirits?
Well, you can see from that long, yet still very superficial setup that this story contains circles within circles. The characters all have to make difficult choices because there are no good ones. There are so many hands fighting for control of Fen, the Ghost at the fulcrum of the near future machinations of the gods, and even the ones that would seem good and caring have their own agenda. It is a harsh, cruel world, where punishment against ones gods means going to the suns and never being reborn. It is a world where there is no "fair", no matter how much Fen might dream of it, because the gods themselves are not fair, and they as agents are consequences of the gods.
I want to talk a bit about the characters, while I'm talking about how sad their prospects are ;) We have Fen Jacin-Rei of course, known by different names by different people. Fen is the product of his making and of subtle and deliberate manipulation from the Ultimate Aantagonist (because he is). The outside stoicism and underlying barely-held strength Fen has in the face of so much impossibility he's expected to make possible is heartbreaking, especially in the light of everything we slowly learn he's been through. Every revelation nearly broke my heart, and even though it has forged him into a weapon which could easily be just as soul-damningly terrifying as stunningly heroic, that fine edge of uncertainty allows his fortitude to shine through. Then there is Malick -- of questionable background and leader of a rag-tag group of assassins (Samin, who I LOVE, Shig and Yori). It takes the better part of both books to understand his true purpose, as it does for him to understand it as well. Yet, for someone who perhaps shows the world a person of questionable morality and often ruthlessness, is quite piercingly idealistic himself. The natures Fen and Malick show the world around them are startlingly different, and their façades immediately repel the other. It makes for a delicious friction between the two, both professionally and romantically. The rest of the group are all so much more than secondary characters, many full characters with offered POV themselves. I have so little time to talk about them, but in particular I loved Samin, as well as Joori, though I really did love them all in their own way. I don't see how you couldn't.
I see so much growth in Carole's writing from Aisling to Wolf's-own. There is a noticeable shift into a more adult mindset from that series to this one. I see how, when I didn't understand before, just why Aisling was a YA series, if only in the room that shift allowed her characters to grow -- a subtle shift from innocence against the world to a jaded kind of innocence still fighting for survival. It has little to do with sex, or romance of any kind, but more I think with a different minset from the characters (not maturity, per se, but maybe life experience). That shift really allows the story to follow it's natural progression, a story which from the outset dealt with a somewhat harsher slice of life, just like as with age and wisdom choices become muddled without the stark black and white surety we have with youth. These characters look upon their situation with adult eyes, which makes their choices much more difficult. I don't think that this story would have been successful if Carole hadn't been able to make that shift, which for me, was one of the biggest growths I saw in the writing.
The first book, Ghost, is told in a very specific format of flashbacks. I normally abhor flashbacks. My little brain just can't take all the back and forth sometimes. But I think I realized reading Ghost, that that wasn't the case at all. What I can't take are flashbacks that don't serve a larger purpose, because I had no problem with these. They allow Carole to play with the delivery of information. To all of you who have ever read these books or the Aisling books, you know that this author isn't one to give information to the reader idly -- we have to work for it. The addition of flashbacks in a book that deals the most setup of the story means that we, the reader, are privy to certain bits of information before the characters. Most, of course, is still in Carole's hands to be doled to us in precise fashion, but I liked the back and forth play that made me as a reader take a more active role in the story. I think that you might need to finish the first two books (to get a complete story) before you realize that, which is why I don't necessarily blame anyone who bemoans the use of flashbacks, but I could see that they are there for a very specific reason and that they serve their purposes.
Lastly, I think there is something that needs to be said about the direction we approach this series as readers. They might be released from Dreamspinner Press, a publisher that we all know for publishing m/m romance. But, I think it is a fault of our own if we don't approach this story with an open mind, and since that's hardly the fault of readers, since most of us come from that community who read these books, I really think that everyone should know they're in for an epic fantasy with some romance underneath, instead of a romance that deals in fantasy. There is a huge difference, and I'm not sure that if I didn't understand that distinction if I would really appreciate these books the way they should be.
I really think that Carole has one-upped herself when I didn't know if she could. I think everyone should read these, but then again, no story is for everyone. You really have to think with Carole's writing -- you cannot be an idle reader. And you have to have some patience. The story unfolds in it's own way, and at an unhurried pace.
PS. I cried. No… I CRIED. But it was so worth it!
April 6, 2012
4.5 stars
While I thought Ghost was a great book, this one turned out to be even better!
This story picks up where Ghost ends, although a few hours after it, with us trying to figure out what Fen's answer to Malick's question was. There is so much more suspense in this story than in the previous one and we see the emotions flow more freely between all the characters. So many dangerous things happen within this story from injuries to sickness to ambushes to losses, it truly left me on the edge of my seat. Fen and Malick do things that I never thought they'd have the heart to do which made the story even more interesting.
While Fen isn't as cold and standoffish as he was before, he is still filled with hatred and anger. He needs to be in control and curses at everything that takes that control away from him. He still stands on that edge of insanity but multiple factors cause him to almost lose his mind completely. Malick is still arrogant and carefree but I believe he does show his emotions towards Fen more freely now. While we don't necessarily meet new people in this one, we do get to know Fen's family more as well as more of Malick's 'family'.
In all honesty, I loved this book so much. I couldn't put it down once I started and devoured it just like I did the previous book. It's all just so detailed. It allows you to actually delve into the characters minds so deeply I thought I was truly connected to each character. I understood them. Most of the time. I ached for them. I mourned for their losses and their grief because I felt that close of a connection to all of them. I was able to understand and evaluate the chaos of all their thoughts but more specifically I was able to do that with Fen which I found truly awesome because of the edge of insanity he stands precariously on. The way his mind was told was strange and fascinating and I couldn't help but be intrigued.
I will say I was shocked by some of the things that happened within the story but mostly by the ending and what happened. I'm so curious whether these turn of events will truly help Fen and allow him to live a normal life or if it'll just make matters worse and finally push him off that ledge he stands on.
I still had a few problems with the book like I did with the first in the series. The various POV shifts between a lot of the characters, both main and secondary, grew a little tiresome because I always wanted more of Fen or Malick or a certain scene from their POV instead of someone else's. Also, there was still a slight problem with the run-on monologues which I tended to notice happened a lot with secondary characters.
All in all, definitely a great addition to this series. This is one of my favorite series now because the world and the characters are truly fascinating but more than that, the way Ms. Cummings writing captures and holds my attention so well is truly amazing. I can't wait to read more about Fen and Malick and see where the events that happened in this book take them. Definitely recommended!
While I thought Ghost was a great book, this one turned out to be even better!
This story picks up where Ghost ends, although a few hours after it, with us trying to figure out what Fen's answer to Malick's question was. There is so much more suspense in this story than in the previous one and we see the emotions flow more freely between all the characters. So many dangerous things happen within this story from injuries to sickness to ambushes to losses, it truly left me on the edge of my seat. Fen and Malick do things that I never thought they'd have the heart to do which made the story even more interesting.
While Fen isn't as cold and standoffish as he was before, he is still filled with hatred and anger. He needs to be in control and curses at everything that takes that control away from him. He still stands on that edge of insanity but multiple factors cause him to almost lose his mind completely. Malick is still arrogant and carefree but I believe he does show his emotions towards Fen more freely now. While we don't necessarily meet new people in this one, we do get to know Fen's family more as well as more of Malick's 'family'.
In all honesty, I loved this book so much. I couldn't put it down once I started and devoured it just like I did the previous book. It's all just so detailed. It allows you to actually delve into the characters minds so deeply I thought I was truly connected to each character. I understood them. Most of the time. I ached for them. I mourned for their losses and their grief because I felt that close of a connection to all of them. I was able to understand and evaluate the chaos of all their thoughts but more specifically I was able to do that with Fen which I found truly awesome because of the edge of insanity he stands precariously on. The way his mind was told was strange and fascinating and I couldn't help but be intrigued.
I will say I was shocked by some of the things that happened within the story but mostly by the ending and what happened. I'm so curious whether these turn of events will truly help Fen and allow him to live a normal life or if it'll just make matters worse and finally push him off that ledge he stands on.
I still had a few problems with the book like I did with the first in the series. The various POV shifts between a lot of the characters, both main and secondary, grew a little tiresome because I always wanted more of Fen or Malick or a certain scene from their POV instead of someone else's. Also, there was still a slight problem with the run-on monologues which I tended to notice happened a lot with secondary characters.
All in all, definitely a great addition to this series. This is one of my favorite series now because the world and the characters are truly fascinating but more than that, the way Ms. Cummings writing captures and holds my attention so well is truly amazing. I can't wait to read more about Fen and Malick and see where the events that happened in this book take them. Definitely recommended!
April 9, 2012
Carole Cummings writes one hell of a story. Faster paced and more action filled than the first installment, now that introductions are out of the way and the reader is familiar with the world Fen Jacin and Malick live in, the story really takes off.
Weregild is part of a grand, sweeping epic, the kind I fell in love with in my teens, filled with wonderfully nuanced characters, who aren't perfect, have moments when they're more likeable that others, but in the end, they steal your heart. All are very well fleshed out and three dimensional. Because we get to see inside the bad guys' heads, from their point of view, there's so much to think about. Who is right, who is wrong? How many times has someone fully believed their course of action best, only to have history prove them wrong? Those are the kind of cataclysmic situations our guys find themselves in, and I loved how well the author drew me completely into their world.
I simply could not put the book down, yet it took me a very long time to read it. Why? Because of the gorgeous language with which it is written. I'd read a lovely passage and then read it again, roll the words around my brain until they truly sank in. I not so much read as absorbed this novel, start to finish.
The changes Fen goes through in this story felt so totally believeable to me. The voices in his head reduced him to an automaton, existing to do his beishin's bidding. Losing those voices leaves him vulnerable, and he has to learn to live again, how to live again, why to live again, since his entire existence was a buildup to a great event.
The story is first and foremost here, with the relationship between Fen and Malick nuanced and woven through. But as beautifully written as this book is, the passage that stands out most in my mind, the words that I'll mull over days from now, the few sentences that sum up what they are to each other, are these:
Malick’s relentless presence was a persistent, bizarre comfort, and Jacin had allowed it to prod him into staying here when he really didn’t want to. Last night, Shig’s voice haunting him, the taste of cherry smoke burning his tongue, he’d allowed it to prod him into turning to Malick when he’d finally entered the cabin quietly, climbed in, and wrapped himself around Jacin. Allowed it to guide his hands, watched Malick’s expressions change as Jacin allowed his fingers to roam and explore. Allowed himself to feel every detail beneath his fingertips—time the pulse, map the dips between muscles, trace bone and sinew, stalk the thump of blood through vein—until Malick met his
eyes, asking.
Jacin answered. Slowly and with all his attention.
No bargains this time, nothing to trade but mutual want.
Malick had made it all go away for him before. Maybe he could make it come back.
What you just read is Jacin, free of influence, free of bargaining, free of pain, betrayal, and coercion, taking the metaphorical leap into Malick's arms. And while the scene isn't graphic, it's one of the most deeply moving shows of intimacy I've ever read.
I simply cannot recommend this novel, this entire series, highly enough.
Weregild is part of a grand, sweeping epic, the kind I fell in love with in my teens, filled with wonderfully nuanced characters, who aren't perfect, have moments when they're more likeable that others, but in the end, they steal your heart. All are very well fleshed out and three dimensional. Because we get to see inside the bad guys' heads, from their point of view, there's so much to think about. Who is right, who is wrong? How many times has someone fully believed their course of action best, only to have history prove them wrong? Those are the kind of cataclysmic situations our guys find themselves in, and I loved how well the author drew me completely into their world.
I simply could not put the book down, yet it took me a very long time to read it. Why? Because of the gorgeous language with which it is written. I'd read a lovely passage and then read it again, roll the words around my brain until they truly sank in. I not so much read as absorbed this novel, start to finish.
The changes Fen goes through in this story felt so totally believeable to me. The voices in his head reduced him to an automaton, existing to do his beishin's bidding. Losing those voices leaves him vulnerable, and he has to learn to live again, how to live again, why to live again, since his entire existence was a buildup to a great event.
The story is first and foremost here, with the relationship between Fen and Malick nuanced and woven through. But as beautifully written as this book is, the passage that stands out most in my mind, the words that I'll mull over days from now, the few sentences that sum up what they are to each other, are these:
Malick’s relentless presence was a persistent, bizarre comfort, and Jacin had allowed it to prod him into staying here when he really didn’t want to. Last night, Shig’s voice haunting him, the taste of cherry smoke burning his tongue, he’d allowed it to prod him into turning to Malick when he’d finally entered the cabin quietly, climbed in, and wrapped himself around Jacin. Allowed it to guide his hands, watched Malick’s expressions change as Jacin allowed his fingers to roam and explore. Allowed himself to feel every detail beneath his fingertips—time the pulse, map the dips between muscles, trace bone and sinew, stalk the thump of blood through vein—until Malick met his
eyes, asking.
Jacin answered. Slowly and with all his attention.
No bargains this time, nothing to trade but mutual want.
Malick had made it all go away for him before. Maybe he could make it come back.
What you just read is Jacin, free of influence, free of bargaining, free of pain, betrayal, and coercion, taking the metaphorical leap into Malick's arms. And while the scene isn't graphic, it's one of the most deeply moving shows of intimacy I've ever read.
I simply cannot recommend this novel, this entire series, highly enough.
November 7, 2013
What can I say...I gave up. And I can tell you exactly why and exactly why I don't feel bad about it at all. And why I feel like my $6.99 should even be returned to me.
Book One, Wolf's Own ended in the middle of the story - and no I don't mean it ended with a cliffhanger. It ended in the middle of a scene with no resolution. So of course the author left me with no choice whatsoever but to immediate buy and start reading this book so that I could read the end of that scene, that problem, and find out the outcome only to be completely let down by it because it didn't even advance the plot that much.
Carry on with the fact that I am now reading book 2 which to me feels like I am still reading book 1. So it is totally understandable that these 2 books actually feel like the world's longest, most drawn out single book of all time to me, right?? So now I am bored. I couldn't care less about the characters any more. They are making the same decisions, the same mistakes, despite supposed growth, and the plot just isn't advancing. The characters are all running around in the same circles over and over - or at least it feels that way since I am reading the longest, and most drawn out book of all time.
I can't seem to say this enough, but an author has approximately 300 pages to prove to you the reader that they are deserving of your, time, money, and interest. If they cannot do that without providing the reader a complete story, beginning, middle, and end then they don't deserve you as a reader. Now that doesn't mean you can't write series. There are obviously numerous series out there that do an excellent job of providing a complete story to the reader, while also holding enough back to also provide a complete series arc that keeps the reader interested from book to book to book. So frankly, after reading book 1, and then being forced to purchase book 2 in order to actually finish reading book I I feel like I am owed a refund because I was swindled into it. Even though I know that I shouldn't have gotten sucked in because a book with no ending is never a good sign, but I was and I am mad at myself for falling for it.
I just cannot support series whose authors cannot provide a complete story to readers, and instead of writing a compelling and satisfying ending that also leaves a reader wanting more goes for the old cliche "cliffhanger" that is actually just purposely leaving off the ending.
Book One, Wolf's Own ended in the middle of the story - and no I don't mean it ended with a cliffhanger. It ended in the middle of a scene with no resolution. So of course the author left me with no choice whatsoever but to immediate buy and start reading this book so that I could read the end of that scene, that problem, and find out the outcome only to be completely let down by it because it didn't even advance the plot that much.
Carry on with the fact that I am now reading book 2 which to me feels like I am still reading book 1. So it is totally understandable that these 2 books actually feel like the world's longest, most drawn out single book of all time to me, right?? So now I am bored. I couldn't care less about the characters any more. They are making the same decisions, the same mistakes, despite supposed growth, and the plot just isn't advancing. The characters are all running around in the same circles over and over - or at least it feels that way since I am reading the longest, and most drawn out book of all time.
I can't seem to say this enough, but an author has approximately 300 pages to prove to you the reader that they are deserving of your, time, money, and interest. If they cannot do that without providing the reader a complete story, beginning, middle, and end then they don't deserve you as a reader. Now that doesn't mean you can't write series. There are obviously numerous series out there that do an excellent job of providing a complete story to the reader, while also holding enough back to also provide a complete series arc that keeps the reader interested from book to book to book. So frankly, after reading book 1, and then being forced to purchase book 2 in order to actually finish reading book I I feel like I am owed a refund because I was swindled into it. Even though I know that I shouldn't have gotten sucked in because a book with no ending is never a good sign, but I was and I am mad at myself for falling for it.
I just cannot support series whose authors cannot provide a complete story to readers, and instead of writing a compelling and satisfying ending that also leaves a reader wanting more goes for the old cliche "cliffhanger" that is actually just purposely leaving off the ending.
August 14, 2014
This review can also be found on my blog: A Match Made in Heaven
I enjoyed this one a bit more than book 1, but its still too confusing to get 5-stars from me. The story developed a bit more and the more I understand the more invested I get. More happened in this one than in the first at least.
"Chaste. Intimate. Meaningful, somehow, but Malick couldn't guess at the meaning inside it all. Didn't' want to."
I enjoyed the addition of Fen's siblings as characters. Morin turned out to be way cooler than I would have imagined possible. Joori and Yori were cute. But then again, so were Joori and Madi. ;)
I am still totally in awe of Fen. Gosh, he is amazing. By far the main thing that brings me back to this series, despite not knowing what the hell is going on half the time. He is so broken but strong at the same time, and the best big brother in the world. Ok, maybe he is a little too distant, but the things he goes through for them! They all know he loves them.
"Malick reached up and gently fingered strands of matted chestnut out of Fen's eyes. Almost enspelled."
I liked the ending to this one. It actually felt like it had a beginning, middle and end, unlike book 1. A climax and resolution. They accomplished a clear goal. I was also really glad that Fen decided to accept his relationship with Malick. He still seems a little uncertain about what he wants, but at least now he can admit that he doesn't want to be alone.
I also enjoyed Malick a little more in this one. I had no complaints about him in book one, but in this one I really appreciated how he treated Fen. He understands him better now and knows what he needs. I really look forward to where their relationship will go from here.
"[Malick] didn't move when Fen leaned in again, slowly closed his eyes, slid his hand up to cup Malick's cheek and replaced his fingertips with his lips again--light and sweet and warm, and so...private. Profound, maybe."
I enjoyed this one a bit more than book 1, but its still too confusing to get 5-stars from me. The story developed a bit more and the more I understand the more invested I get. More happened in this one than in the first at least.
"Chaste. Intimate. Meaningful, somehow, but Malick couldn't guess at the meaning inside it all. Didn't' want to."
I enjoyed the addition of Fen's siblings as characters. Morin turned out to be way cooler than I would have imagined possible. Joori and Yori were cute. But then again, so were Joori and Madi. ;)
I am still totally in awe of Fen. Gosh, he is amazing. By far the main thing that brings me back to this series, despite not knowing what the hell is going on half the time. He is so broken but strong at the same time, and the best big brother in the world. Ok, maybe he is a little too distant, but the things he goes through for them! They all know he loves them.
"Malick reached up and gently fingered strands of matted chestnut out of Fen's eyes. Almost enspelled."
I liked the ending to this one. It actually felt like it had a beginning, middle and end, unlike book 1. A climax and resolution. They accomplished a clear goal. I was also really glad that Fen decided to accept his relationship with Malick. He still seems a little uncertain about what he wants, but at least now he can admit that he doesn't want to be alone.
I also enjoyed Malick a little more in this one. I had no complaints about him in book one, but in this one I really appreciated how he treated Fen. He understands him better now and knows what he needs. I really look forward to where their relationship will go from here.
"[Malick] didn't move when Fen leaned in again, slowly closed his eyes, slid his hand up to cup Malick's cheek and replaced his fingertips with his lips again--light and sweet and warm, and so...private. Profound, maybe."
July 15, 2019
This book is determined to rip your heart out and put Jacin through as much pain as possible it seems like. He's such a tortured soul. This first half of this book was a little slow and then the second half was non-stop action through to the end. It's a devastating catalyst to send of fate final action in this story. I enjoyed the read, but I definitely see where reading books 1 & 2 in quick succession is necessary.
January 5, 2014
Synopsis:
The amorality of gods makes it hard to tell bad from good and right from wrong. Fen Jacin-rei doesn’t care. All Fen cares about is saving his family, and he’ll sacrifice anything that gets in his way. Including his own soul.
No longer willing to wait for the machinations of the gods’ minions, Fen accepts the trade Kamen Malick offers. Together they set out to rescue Fen’s family and kill the man who betrayed them. But Fen is an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the spirits of long-dead magicians, and with Voices of the Ancestors screaming in his head, Fen finds it harder and harder to stave off madness.
Malick has his own reasons to hand over everything Fen wants and equally compelling reasons to withhold everything Fen needs. In over his head with his timing as bad as ever, Malick must devise a way to do his god’s bidding without breaking his god’s laws—and keep Fen sane and on Malick’s side in the bargain.
My Thoughts:
I felt this sequel was quite strong. I couldn't put it down. I just seriously, seriously love these characters.
I wasn't sure how long it would take for Asai to get what was coming to him and I certainly did not see it going down how it did. From the description of book 3 (spoilery blurb!), I knew about one character death, but the other two were a shock. Well, one of them wasn't so much of a shock except for what lead to that death. I get why she did it, but if only she'd listened to Malick, maybe so many of them wouldn't have had to die that day.
The book actually starts off with plenty of action. They go to get Fen's brothers and sisters and Joori takes an instant dislike to Malick. He assumes Fen is paying for Malick's help with his body. They're attacked my maijin as they're leaving and so Asai learns that it's Malick he's dealing with. Things just keep kind of going wrong from there. There are some good moments, but Fen is continuing to struggle with the Ancestors' voices and Malick is trying to do the right thing without getting himself sent to the suns.
It seemed on multiple occasions where everyone was blaming him for something just because of what he is. They all kept treating him like he didn't give a damn about Fen at all. After all he'd done or tried to do, it just kept pissing me off. The man couldn't get a damn break. If that wasn't bad enough, someone he never thought would betray him tried to go behind his back and when he found out about it, they made things even worse.
It was a miracle Fen got through all of that, but he barely did. Then they were off to Yakuli's where Fen thought he'd finally get what it was that he really wanted only to have it taken away. Now he's something even more than he was, but he's struggling with life. He has no purpose anymore (as far as he knows) and he can't deal. It was frustrating everyone, but he started showing signs of life again. I don't know if he can hold on to it, though. Somehow, I doubt it. He's not ready. Sometimes, I wonder if he ever will be.
The amorality of gods makes it hard to tell bad from good and right from wrong. Fen Jacin-rei doesn’t care. All Fen cares about is saving his family, and he’ll sacrifice anything that gets in his way. Including his own soul.
No longer willing to wait for the machinations of the gods’ minions, Fen accepts the trade Kamen Malick offers. Together they set out to rescue Fen’s family and kill the man who betrayed them. But Fen is an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the spirits of long-dead magicians, and with Voices of the Ancestors screaming in his head, Fen finds it harder and harder to stave off madness.
Malick has his own reasons to hand over everything Fen wants and equally compelling reasons to withhold everything Fen needs. In over his head with his timing as bad as ever, Malick must devise a way to do his god’s bidding without breaking his god’s laws—and keep Fen sane and on Malick’s side in the bargain.
My Thoughts:
I felt this sequel was quite strong. I couldn't put it down. I just seriously, seriously love these characters.
I wasn't sure how long it would take for Asai to get what was coming to him and I certainly did not see it going down how it did. From the description of book 3 (spoilery blurb!), I knew about one character death, but the other two were a shock. Well, one of them wasn't so much of a shock except for what lead to that death. I get why she did it, but if only she'd listened to Malick, maybe so many of them wouldn't have had to die that day.
The book actually starts off with plenty of action. They go to get Fen's brothers and sisters and Joori takes an instant dislike to Malick. He assumes Fen is paying for Malick's help with his body. They're attacked my maijin as they're leaving and so Asai learns that it's Malick he's dealing with. Things just keep kind of going wrong from there. There are some good moments, but Fen is continuing to struggle with the Ancestors' voices and Malick is trying to do the right thing without getting himself sent to the suns.
It seemed on multiple occasions where everyone was blaming him for something just because of what he is. They all kept treating him like he didn't give a damn about Fen at all. After all he'd done or tried to do, it just kept pissing me off. The man couldn't get a damn break. If that wasn't bad enough, someone he never thought would betray him tried to go behind his back and when he found out about it, they made things even worse.
It was a miracle Fen got through all of that, but he barely did. Then they were off to Yakuli's where Fen thought he'd finally get what it was that he really wanted only to have it taken away. Now he's something even more than he was, but he's struggling with life. He has no purpose anymore (as far as he knows) and he can't deal. It was frustrating everyone, but he started showing signs of life again. I don't know if he can hold on to it, though. Somehow, I doubt it. He's not ready. Sometimes, I wonder if he ever will be.
January 26, 2014
3.25 stars
But....the series - so far - is exhausting and too lengthy. The writing is incredible and the editing good but the minute-by-minute story advancement and detailed emotional upheaval descriptions are a bit much. For me at least, I got it and didn't need to keep reading how ....editing could have tightened those up and shortened the internal monologues by pages.
It sounds like I didn't really like the book, when I did. I just found a lot of it to be unnecessary info dump that was repeated ad nauseum, .
On to Book #3!
But....the series - so far - is exhausting and too lengthy. The writing is incredible and the editing good but the minute-by-minute story advancement and detailed emotional upheaval descriptions are a bit much. For me at least, I got it and didn't need to keep reading how ....editing could have tightened those up and shortened the internal monologues by pages.
It sounds like I didn't really like the book, when I did. I just found a lot of it to be unnecessary info dump that was repeated ad nauseum, .
On to Book #3!
September 9, 2016
Yep, one day I'll write a bunch of glorious death and misery like Carole! One day!!
April 1, 2012
Where book 1 feels slow and has much talking and introspection, book 2 is quite a different species. After an initial scuffle there is a bit of a lull, but around 40-something percent the pace picks up and doesn't let up again. The last part of the book actually feels more like a Terminator movie or something with Will Smith and a bunch of explosions. Kablooie!
So, expecting the standard book 2 out of 4 of your regular fantasy series, I was not prepared for the rapid pace, the and the grand finale. I was pretty much reeling from the time of until the end. Among the victims, btw, were a good number of my assumptions of how this story would go, not to mention a bunch of fantasy stereotypes that have taken up permanent residence in my head. This, of course, pleased me. I am not often surprised by twists in fantasy story lines.
As for the characters: these books have a great cast. Malick was my favorite in this one, and Shig. Oh, and Husao. Fen spent most of his time in this book either physically hurt, grieving, teetering on the brink of sanity or in shock (and usually most of these at the same time), so unless you're into Amy-Lane-level angst (seriously, it wasn't THAT bad, I didn't roll my eyes once), his chapters aren't the most riveting.
Now, these books are published by Dreamspinner. If you are a regular reader of their books, you are not going to find here what you expect. I would not call this romance at all. There is a tiny bit of sex, pretty much non-explicit, but especially that emotional connection you're looking for between the MCs? Not there. Al least, not yet. (On the upside, the editing is good! Barely a typo in sight) So now that you've been warned, I don't want to see no bitching about how this book sucks because the MCs aren't fucking like rabbits. This book is more Stalking Darkness than Crescendo.
And for those of you waiting for all 4 books to be out before you start: These two books have a complete story arc and everything (everything?) gets resolved. No cliffies and you could stop reading the series after this book, no problem. Not that you'd want to. At least, not me. I'll be moping in my corner, all forlorn, until book 3 comes out.
So, expecting the standard book 2 out of 4 of your regular fantasy series, I was not prepared for the rapid pace, the and the grand finale. I was pretty much reeling from the time of until the end. Among the victims, btw, were a good number of my assumptions of how this story would go, not to mention a bunch of fantasy stereotypes that have taken up permanent residence in my head. This, of course, pleased me. I am not often surprised by twists in fantasy story lines.
As for the characters: these books have a great cast. Malick was my favorite in this one, and Shig. Oh, and Husao. Fen spent most of his time in this book either physically hurt, grieving, teetering on the brink of sanity or in shock (and usually most of these at the same time), so unless you're into Amy-Lane-level angst (seriously, it wasn't THAT bad, I didn't roll my eyes once), his chapters aren't the most riveting.
Now, these books are published by Dreamspinner. If you are a regular reader of their books, you are not going to find here what you expect. I would not call this romance at all. There is a tiny bit of sex, pretty much non-explicit, but especially that emotional connection you're looking for between the MCs? Not there. Al least, not yet. (On the upside, the editing is good! Barely a typo in sight) So now that you've been warned, I don't want to see no bitching about how this book sucks because the MCs aren't fucking like rabbits. This book is more Stalking Darkness than Crescendo.
And for those of you waiting for all 4 books to be out before you start: These two books have a complete story arc and everything (everything?) gets resolved. No cliffies and you could stop reading the series after this book, no problem. Not that you'd want to. At least, not me. I'll be moping in my corner, all forlorn, until book 3 comes out.
July 11, 2015
So I would give this 3.5 stars. I liked it but there was sooo much talk and discussing emotions... and not enough action.
And yet, despite all the negativity in the lines above, I kept reading. I did want some kind of happy ending for Jacin and Malick. For all of the cast really but some apparently had another fate decided by the author. Hope volume 3 turns out better than this, though.
And yet, despite all the negativity in the lines above, I kept reading. I did want some kind of happy ending for Jacin and Malick. For all of the cast really but some apparently had another fate decided by the author. Hope volume 3 turns out better than this, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2012
This second book is very much like the first in tone and feel, making for good series cohesion. The epic fantasy continues: we find out more details about this world and its rules, the various gods who seem to fight over what goes on and the ancestral spirits who were just as annoying (to me) as in the first volume. The language is sweeping, and things happen slightly more quickly, but, to my dismay, much of what goes on is still internal with lots of confusing flashbacks.
I had less trouble with the characters this time around, increasing familiarity helped me understand them better. Fen/Jacin finally begins to try to be his own person, but, on the whole, is still very clearly a pawn. The underlying concept and the developments are interesting enough for me to keep reading though.
Recommended for people who like epic fantasy, enjoy being swept away by lyrical, almost poetic language, and those who prefer to read about battles of good versus evil where the main characters don't really seem to have any fee will at all.
I had less trouble with the characters this time around, increasing familiarity helped me understand them better. Fen/Jacin finally begins to try to be his own person, but, on the whole, is still very clearly a pawn. The underlying concept and the developments are interesting enough for me to keep reading though.
Recommended for people who like epic fantasy, enjoy being swept away by lyrical, almost poetic language, and those who prefer to read about battles of good versus evil where the main characters don't really seem to have any fee will at all.
July 27, 2012
I liked Weregild, but didn't enjoy reading this as much as I did Carole Cummings's other books. I've noticed there's a lot of internal musings and conflicts in her books, and usually was fine with that. But in this book, all the internal happenings actually bored me a bit.
November 15, 2014
WOW! Thank you Carole Cummings! I loved this book. The magic system is still complex, but it's well worth the work for Malick and Fen's intense relationship. I could not put this down and am straight on to the next in the series.
Want to read
January 1, 2015Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
April 14, 2016
2.5 stars
November 3, 2022
This is still not much of a romance. And it shouldn't have got that fourth start because there were no laugh out laud moments. But there is just so much heartbreak, and I want to hug all of them better. This one made me feel so many feelings.
The writing style didn't change; if you didn't like it in the first book, don't even start reading the second one. While the character's basic personality didn't change, we see some of them grow even in the short amount of time the first two books takes place. I think it's no more than two or three weeks. I've got to like some of the characters I didn't really like at first.
The second book is more about Jacin and his struggle than everything else. There is the fate of a race in the balance, there are opposing interest and a lot of the heavy hitters come out to play, but none of that is as central to this story as Jacin himself.
If you don't want to go on, this book actually ends in a way that I would have been satisfied even if there were no other books in the series.
The writing style didn't change; if you didn't like it in the first book, don't even start reading the second one. While the character's basic personality didn't change, we see some of them grow even in the short amount of time the first two books takes place. I think it's no more than two or three weeks. I've got to like some of the characters I didn't really like at first.
The second book is more about Jacin and his struggle than everything else. There is the fate of a race in the balance, there are opposing interest and a lot of the heavy hitters come out to play, but none of that is as central to this story as Jacin himself.
If you don't want to go on, this book actually ends in a way that I would have been satisfied even if there were no other books in the series.
March 5, 2017
Never have I liked the second book in a series more than the first. Never have I liked a second book even equal to the first. As much as I loved the first book in this series, the second one blew it out of the water.
Other than when I'm waiting for an appointment, I never read during the daytime. My life is sadly too busy. I read before bed and that's about it. With this book though, twice today I took breaks to read it. My first waking thought in the morning was about the story. I've lost way too much sleeping time because I stayed up late reading.
The story continued from the first book's plot. On one level, it tells the story of Malick (a not-quite-human agent of a god) and Fen (an "Untouchable" -- someone a bunch of dead gods speaks through... many gods, all at the same time, nonstop, unending. Those gods always drive their Untouchables insane because they never shut up). While the relationship of those two men was a part of the plot, in this book the whole story was so much bigger.
The fantasy world this story is set in has multiple gods, one for each of the world's moons. Each of those gods has inhuman followers, has traits/personalities of their own, etc. And the gods also plotted and schemed against each other, all while not overstepping their own laws. Mortals? Mortals were mostly just underfoot. Except when they weren't.
In addition to those two layers of plot, there were those pesky mortals, who plotted and schemed and power-grabbed for themselves. Magic exists in this world, but was supposed to be restricted to just the gods, but those dead gods that speak through Untouchables gave magic to one small race of humans, which made the larger race oppress them and use them.
But really, with all those plots going on, it was the relationships and the characters that were my favorite parts of this book. There is no rush to love in this series -- at the end of book two, and one of the two characters was just starting to be willing to accept it. That makes their relationship seem so realistic and wonderful.
And speaking of wonderful, why is it so satisfying to have a character you love being in pain? If you're a fan of hurt/comfort, you'll really enjoy this series.
The one small-ish complaint I had was my same one I had with the first book: I wish the POV would stick with one or both of the main characters. Instead it jumped from character to the next (even minor characters) as needed by the story, sometimes changing even from one paragraph to the next (though that only happened a couple times, mostly it was consistent within a chapter). For me, that really made me feel briefly less connected with the story. I'd go "Who's head are we in this time?" and only after that get lost in the story again.
Other than when I'm waiting for an appointment, I never read during the daytime. My life is sadly too busy. I read before bed and that's about it. With this book though, twice today I took breaks to read it. My first waking thought in the morning was about the story. I've lost way too much sleeping time because I stayed up late reading.
The story continued from the first book's plot. On one level, it tells the story of Malick (a not-quite-human agent of a god) and Fen (an "Untouchable" -- someone a bunch of dead gods speaks through... many gods, all at the same time, nonstop, unending. Those gods always drive their Untouchables insane because they never shut up). While the relationship of those two men was a part of the plot, in this book the whole story was so much bigger.
The fantasy world this story is set in has multiple gods, one for each of the world's moons. Each of those gods has inhuman followers, has traits/personalities of their own, etc. And the gods also plotted and schemed against each other, all while not overstepping their own laws. Mortals? Mortals were mostly just underfoot. Except when they weren't.
In addition to those two layers of plot, there were those pesky mortals, who plotted and schemed and power-grabbed for themselves. Magic exists in this world, but was supposed to be restricted to just the gods, but those dead gods that speak through Untouchables gave magic to one small race of humans, which made the larger race oppress them and use them.
But really, with all those plots going on, it was the relationships and the characters that were my favorite parts of this book. There is no rush to love in this series -- at the end of book two, and one of the two characters was just starting to be willing to accept it. That makes their relationship seem so realistic and wonderful.
And speaking of wonderful, why is it so satisfying to have a character you love being in pain? If you're a fan of hurt/comfort, you'll really enjoy this series.
The one small-ish complaint I had was my same one I had with the first book: I wish the POV would stick with one or both of the main characters. Instead it jumped from character to the next (even minor characters) as needed by the story, sometimes changing even from one paragraph to the next (though that only happened a couple times, mostly it was consistent within a chapter). For me, that really made me feel briefly less connected with the story. I'd go "Who's head are we in this time?" and only after that get lost in the story again.
August 1, 2017
WOW. This book was even better than the first! I was constantly on the edge of my seat just waiting for horrible things to happen to these amazing characters. This author is incredibly talented at insinuating high stakes into a novel and at the same time giving you hope that things will turn out "happy for now" in some small way. As well, she does the best job of "descent into madness" that I have ever seen in a story.
Though I do think there is underlying romance in this story, it is slow-burn and very complicated. I marked it romance in my shelves just to classify that there is in fact romance there, but do not go into this expecting lots of lovey dovey time with Malick and Fen. The overall plot remains focused on Fen's journey to protect his siblings and find his mother.
I immediately purchased book 3 after finishing this one and will be starting it today. I can't wait!
Though I do think there is underlying romance in this story, it is slow-burn and very complicated. I marked it romance in my shelves just to classify that there is in fact romance there, but do not go into this expecting lots of lovey dovey time with Malick and Fen. The overall plot remains focused on Fen's journey to protect his siblings and find his mother.
I immediately purchased book 3 after finishing this one and will be starting it today. I can't wait!
May 1, 2019
I believe that Weregild was a good conclusion to the arc that was Asai and Yakuli. I think it finally gave Fen the ability to see more for his life than just being a Ghost. I loved Malick his growth as a character was beautiful. He really loves Fen and in the end you really see how the rest of Fens family grows on him. I'm not going to give spoilers but I'm so happy with the way things ended...minus two things. Which are actually the deaths of two characters I really liked, but besides that and all the terrible things that Fen has gone through I really am happy to see that there is a chance at an actually life for him.
December 17, 2018
I loved this a lot.
February 18, 2023
Caraca... isso aqui foi intenso.
April 4, 2012
4 - 4.5 stars
Somewhat haphazard review. I'll try to do better in the future. :)
When I started the first book, I didn't know that Ghost and Weregild made one story arc. In retrospect, I would have probably waited to read both books, but it wasn't really necessary: the characters and events were memorable enough. I would, however, need to reread the story at some point, because I burned through the pages in order to see what happens next that, I'm sure, I missed many finer points of the story.
When it comes to sequels, we all have some expectations. Some of mine were met, some weren't and some were exceeded.
Let's start with the good points. One thing that seems to shine through every author's book so far is her writing. Her language and her imagery are so powerful they literally burn into your mind. That moth thumping itself against the glass of the lamp or those cherry blossom petals will certainly haunt my thoughts for a while.
And, then, there are characters - another thing Ms. Cummings does very, very well. Fen's family - Joori, Morin and Caidi - joined the motley crew from the first book and showed unexpected depth (Morin in particular known to me as "the little shit" in Ghost). Malick's extended "family" gets new layers and new opportunities for reader's heartbreak, through their losses and, unexpectedly, through betrayal. Malick demonstrates what it is to be a servant of god, something it's easy to forget through all his charm. He can't help being the player even when he thinks he is refusing to play, though his actions are tempered with uncharacteristic care for what is right. When he decided to risk everything, gods be damned, I wanted to give him a standing ovation. Only this Malick could hope to save Fen. Personally, I also have a soft spot for Samin who, sort of, adopted Fen's siblings.
I admit it, I expected Fen to be freed from the clutches of destiny, to stop being pawn to the gods and Fate and all the big and small bidders for power before the end of the book. I wanted him to come into his own, become his own person, though I get that it wasn't possible before . We were given the glimpses into what he could become, what he would hopefully become in the future books, though now, after reading the blurbs, I suspect that won't happen completely before the last book. Needless to say, my heart broke for him more than once during the book and there were moments when I just couldn't see how he could be saved. I'm looking forward to seeing how Fen's and Malick's relationship will develop from now on. I am cheering for them all the way!
Additionally, I thought Asai was disposed of in a way that was rather anticlimactic, considering the severe consequences of this conflict.
I found the role of Fate in the book rather interesting. It reminded me of Greek mythology in which even the gods can't escape the power of Moirai, the Fates.
It was easier to get into this book, because characters and the world were familiar and, while I expected some action, the pace was very quick and simply drove me on and on and on, until... I returned to Zero. ^^ And now I'm ready for book three. Is it out yet? Is it? When?
XD
And, will you look at that cover?! Maaan...
Somewhat haphazard review. I'll try to do better in the future. :)
When I started the first book, I didn't know that Ghost and Weregild made one story arc. In retrospect, I would have probably waited to read both books, but it wasn't really necessary: the characters and events were memorable enough. I would, however, need to reread the story at some point, because I burned through the pages in order to see what happens next that, I'm sure, I missed many finer points of the story.
When it comes to sequels, we all have some expectations. Some of mine were met, some weren't and some were exceeded.
Let's start with the good points. One thing that seems to shine through every author's book so far is her writing. Her language and her imagery are so powerful they literally burn into your mind. That moth thumping itself against the glass of the lamp or those cherry blossom petals will certainly haunt my thoughts for a while.
And, then, there are characters - another thing Ms. Cummings does very, very well. Fen's family - Joori, Morin and Caidi - joined the motley crew from the first book and showed unexpected depth (Morin in particular known to me as "the little shit" in Ghost). Malick's extended "family" gets new layers and new opportunities for reader's heartbreak, through their losses and, unexpectedly, through betrayal. Malick demonstrates what it is to be a servant of god, something it's easy to forget through all his charm. He can't help being the player even when he thinks he is refusing to play, though his actions are tempered with uncharacteristic care for what is right. When he decided to risk everything, gods be damned, I wanted to give him a standing ovation. Only this Malick could hope to save Fen. Personally, I also have a soft spot for Samin who, sort of, adopted Fen's siblings.
I admit it, I expected Fen to be freed from the clutches of destiny, to stop being pawn to the gods and Fate and all the big and small bidders for power before the end of the book. I wanted him to come into his own, become his own person, though I get that it wasn't possible before . We were given the glimpses into what he could become, what he would hopefully become in the future books, though now, after reading the blurbs, I suspect that won't happen completely before the last book. Needless to say, my heart broke for him more than once during the book and there were moments when I just couldn't see how he could be saved. I'm looking forward to seeing how Fen's and Malick's relationship will develop from now on. I am cheering for them all the way!
Additionally, I thought Asai was disposed of in a way that was rather anticlimactic, considering the severe consequences of this conflict.
I found the role of Fate in the book rather interesting. It reminded me of Greek mythology in which even the gods can't escape the power of Moirai, the Fates.
It was easier to get into this book, because characters and the world were familiar and, while I expected some action, the pace was very quick and simply drove me on and on and on, until... I returned to Zero. ^^ And now I'm ready for book three. Is it out yet? Is it? When?
XDAnd, will you look at that cover?! Maaan...
July 12, 2012
5 Hearts
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
God damn. But this cover suits the book to a tee. Fen/Jacin doesn’t give a damn what the Gods’ want, he wants his family safe and Malick to keep his promises and that’s all he wants. Well, that and silence. Malick has made promises that he always seems seconds away from keeping, he can’t break his gods’ law, but he needs his vengeance and Fen is the only way to safely get it. But, now his promises are falling apart, he’s being betrayed and he finds he still has a heart.
Carole Cummings, I bow down before your greatness. This story/series is what High Fantasy is all about and damn if you haven’t made me one happy Pixie. Fen/Jacin struggles to find balance within himself and without. He finds himself having to depend on other people for the first time, he expects betrayal and manipulation, he expects to be used for others needs, but what he never really expects is for someone to see him, to love him and to truly want him. Malick is bound by the laws of the gods, but he has his own instructions from Wolf and his own plans to fulfill, all the while keeping everyone safe and facing betrayal from one who is close to him.
There is no way that I could explain everything that goes on in this book, as it really is just too epic and I really wouldn’t want to give anything away, but this I will tell you… there is betrayal from unexpected quarters, there is love, hope, dreams, tragedy, deaths, devastation, grief of epic proportions, bloodshed, gruesome bloodshed, grave injuries, smug maijin and Temshiel and above all else we have a troubled Untouchable and a perplexed Temshiel.
This is not a story for those who don’t want something to chew on or those who want a light read or instant romance and love and lots of sex. This is a story that is complex in its diversity, because just as you think you have a good grasp on what is going on and what is being said, something else is thrown into the mix to change it all. Malick accepts that he has a more mortal heart than he remembered and how that has affected the outcome. Fen sees more than he thinks he does and the Ancestors voices make more sense than anyone thought. We get caught up in Fen’s insane rambling mind a few times and we can begin to truly feel what he goes through constantly, but Malick giving Fen silence only makes it worse when he has to listen to the voices again.
There is only one sex scene in this book and it is more out of desperation for Fen than true want… Fen really has no true clue about sex and love and the meaning of both of them. There are moments for both Fen and Malick of just snuggling, but it throws Fen as to why he’d want it. The writing in this book is smooth and flows well and sometimes it’s like watching poetry in motion with its whimsical feel. The characters are all incredible well written and you will all end up with your favorites (mines Fen/Jacin .)
Well, anyway, I have to recommend this to those who love high fantasy, betrayal, bloodshed, plots, manipulation, twists, devastation, an epic brutal final battle, a promise of two more books and a happy as it’s going to be ending.
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
God damn. But this cover suits the book to a tee. Fen/Jacin doesn’t give a damn what the Gods’ want, he wants his family safe and Malick to keep his promises and that’s all he wants. Well, that and silence. Malick has made promises that he always seems seconds away from keeping, he can’t break his gods’ law, but he needs his vengeance and Fen is the only way to safely get it. But, now his promises are falling apart, he’s being betrayed and he finds he still has a heart.
Carole Cummings, I bow down before your greatness. This story/series is what High Fantasy is all about and damn if you haven’t made me one happy Pixie. Fen/Jacin struggles to find balance within himself and without. He finds himself having to depend on other people for the first time, he expects betrayal and manipulation, he expects to be used for others needs, but what he never really expects is for someone to see him, to love him and to truly want him. Malick is bound by the laws of the gods, but he has his own instructions from Wolf and his own plans to fulfill, all the while keeping everyone safe and facing betrayal from one who is close to him.
There is no way that I could explain everything that goes on in this book, as it really is just too epic and I really wouldn’t want to give anything away, but this I will tell you… there is betrayal from unexpected quarters, there is love, hope, dreams, tragedy, deaths, devastation, grief of epic proportions, bloodshed, gruesome bloodshed, grave injuries, smug maijin and Temshiel and above all else we have a troubled Untouchable and a perplexed Temshiel.
This is not a story for those who don’t want something to chew on or those who want a light read or instant romance and love and lots of sex. This is a story that is complex in its diversity, because just as you think you have a good grasp on what is going on and what is being said, something else is thrown into the mix to change it all. Malick accepts that he has a more mortal heart than he remembered and how that has affected the outcome. Fen sees more than he thinks he does and the Ancestors voices make more sense than anyone thought. We get caught up in Fen’s insane rambling mind a few times and we can begin to truly feel what he goes through constantly, but Malick giving Fen silence only makes it worse when he has to listen to the voices again.
There is only one sex scene in this book and it is more out of desperation for Fen than true want… Fen really has no true clue about sex and love and the meaning of both of them. There are moments for both Fen and Malick of just snuggling, but it throws Fen as to why he’d want it. The writing in this book is smooth and flows well and sometimes it’s like watching poetry in motion with its whimsical feel. The characters are all incredible well written and you will all end up with your favorites (mines Fen/Jacin .)
Well, anyway, I have to recommend this to those who love high fantasy, betrayal, bloodshed, plots, manipulation, twists, devastation, an epic brutal final battle, a promise of two more books and a happy as it’s going to be ending.
June 23, 2012
Ms. Cummings can write--there's no doubt about it. Her stuff is well-proofed and well-edited. Her characters are interesting and her worlds are, too. For me, I've kind of a love/not-quite-love relationship with her stuff, though. Her series always start out engrossing. But then they morph from fantasy action and suspense to mass-confusion and emotional masturbation. And once the love between the characters is finally established (never hurried, that,) one of the characters seems to lose his maleness. I mean, none of her men are that manly, (though some are very large), but they're manly enough for me--except for one of them in each book. In this one, it was Fen, like in Aisling it was the Aisling.
Anyway, I think that lovers of standard m/m romance who enjoy a strong plot and a bit of the whump will dig this. I found that I had to read another book simultaneously to break up the depression, but it was good. The pacing was pretty good, too--better than the first book (which was really just an intro to this book)--the two put together make a single story arc, and you can't really stop reading after book one (unless you hate it) but you can easily stop after book 2.
Which I will. Certainly for now. Why?
Well, I don't like Fen. I'd feel kind of bad about it, but he's not a real person, so I don't. I don't like his attitude. I tend to prefer people who overcome their terrible lives in a way that has people saying, "Wow! He went through all that s**t and he can still have a heart!" as opposed to people like Fen, whose terrible behavior is perfectly understandable and reasonable given the s**t they've been through. An example of the former would be the inner-city kid crack baby who grew up to be a youth minister and helped other kids get out of the 'hood. An example of the latter, would be the inner-city crack baby who grew up bitter and angry, became a criminal, and spent the rest of his life in and out of the prison system. Sure the latter is expected and understandable, but it's not exactly admirable. And while Fen isn't that bad, he's not nice at all, to anyone, ever, and it's perfectly understandable and excusable and I don't really understand why Malick is so completely in love with him. Maybe it's that Fen is so proficient in fighting, and that he's good-looking. That's all I got. Oh, and the need to fix Fen. None of which work for me to the level that is required for the story. So...that's why I won't read the next book right now, even though this is all really well-written and the world-building is really good (explains a lot from book one that was ambiguous).
Also, I have a pet-peeve against gratuitous smoking. I usually don't read books with main characters who smoke and, surprisingly enough, it very rarely comes up. There's very little of it in this book, but just enough to tip me away from the series when I was already kind of tired of it. This will obviously be a non-issue for nearly all of you :)
Anyway, I think that lovers of standard m/m romance who enjoy a strong plot and a bit of the whump will dig this. I found that I had to read another book simultaneously to break up the depression, but it was good. The pacing was pretty good, too--better than the first book (which was really just an intro to this book)--the two put together make a single story arc, and you can't really stop reading after book one (unless you hate it) but you can easily stop after book 2.
Which I will. Certainly for now. Why?
Well, I don't like Fen. I'd feel kind of bad about it, but he's not a real person, so I don't. I don't like his attitude. I tend to prefer people who overcome their terrible lives in a way that has people saying, "Wow! He went through all that s**t and he can still have a heart!" as opposed to people like Fen, whose terrible behavior is perfectly understandable and reasonable given the s**t they've been through. An example of the former would be the inner-city kid crack baby who grew up to be a youth minister and helped other kids get out of the 'hood. An example of the latter, would be the inner-city crack baby who grew up bitter and angry, became a criminal, and spent the rest of his life in and out of the prison system. Sure the latter is expected and understandable, but it's not exactly admirable. And while Fen isn't that bad, he's not nice at all, to anyone, ever, and it's perfectly understandable and excusable and I don't really understand why Malick is so completely in love with him. Maybe it's that Fen is so proficient in fighting, and that he's good-looking. That's all I got. Oh, and the need to fix Fen. None of which work for me to the level that is required for the story. So...that's why I won't read the next book right now, even though this is all really well-written and the world-building is really good (explains a lot from book one that was ambiguous).
Also, I have a pet-peeve against gratuitous smoking. I usually don't read books with main characters who smoke and, surprisingly enough, it very rarely comes up. There's very little of it in this book, but just enough to tip me away from the series when I was already kind of tired of it. This will obviously be a non-issue for nearly all of you :)
June 1, 2016
I'm not sure how I feel about this book - I go off and on it, and it took me a while to pin down what really made me feel a bit uncertain about it. The plot was just so convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, that when a big dramatic scene happened (like that one between Malick and Umeia) I wasn't invested in it; I felt no emotional twist, because I didn't really understand what was going on and how they'd made these jumps. And I love twists and turns I don't see coming, but a lot of these ones just came out of nowhere with no backing up, and seemed to be pulled out of nothing just because the plot needed it to go on? And there was so much exposition at times, but it was all so conflicting and drawn out. Like, this book was very long and it all happens in a handful of days. I get that the author was using unreliable narrators, but it came across as messy rather than anything else?
I also found myself not particularly liking Fen, and only realising that towards the very end of the story. There wasn't much to his character, and I do understand why he is the way he is, but there was not really progression seen in him. I didn't feel it, and I didn't believe it. His character became stagnant to me.
The world-building was really cool and I would've liked to have seen Cummings take a little more care in building it all. As it was, she kinda just flew right in and then spent massive chunks later on explaining why things happened, after they've happened, so there was no way for the reader to guess or really understand what was going on.
Anyway, it was a hard pick between 3 or 4, because despite everything I'm uncertain about, it IS a good book. But be warned - don't think you're gonna get a satisfying romance out of this.
I also found myself not particularly liking Fen, and only realising that towards the very end of the story. There wasn't much to his character, and I do understand why he is the way he is, but there was not really progression seen in him. I didn't feel it, and I didn't believe it. His character became stagnant to me.
The world-building was really cool and I would've liked to have seen Cummings take a little more care in building it all. As it was, she kinda just flew right in and then spent massive chunks later on explaining why things happened, after they've happened, so there was no way for the reader to guess or really understand what was going on.
Anyway, it was a hard pick between 3 or 4, because despite everything I'm uncertain about, it IS a good book. But be warned - don't think you're gonna get a satisfying romance out of this.
August 14, 2016
Since I consider ‘Wolf’s Own – Ghost’ and ‘Wolf’s Own – Weregild’ to be one book, this review applies to both.
First, Carole’s writing style is gorgeous – nearly edible. It is her greatest strength as an author. I love to read her stuff just for the luscious and descriptive language.
Second, her characterization is amazing. Like her writing style, she excels at building and examining complex characters in detail – getting inside their heads and taking the reader with her. Jacin, the tragic hero, is nearly insane, fragile yet, at the same time, amazingly strong and talented. Malick, the cocky hero, is complex, hard-to-read, flawed, tough, but with a (somewhat tarnished) heart of gold. And both Jacin’s real family and Malick’s adopted family, are full of equally complex, three-dimensional characters with their own stories to tell.
Carole’s world-building is extremely detailed, almost overwhelming at times in its complexity because it is so thoroughly developed. A lot of the reviews here mention the multiple POVs and flashbacks. Personally, I find the multiple POVs and flashbacks a bit confusing, but I am very left-brained and I tend to be rather linear when I read. It is a matter of preference, in my opinion, and doesn’t detract from the story if you are willing to, as a more linear reader, knuckle down and spend some effort to keep up.
There is humor and passion, adventure and intrigue, and most of all, a complex, exciting story. It is darker than my usual read, but Carole’s writing skill and characterization kept me intrigued.
Oh, and the art on the covers is yummy too!
First, Carole’s writing style is gorgeous – nearly edible. It is her greatest strength as an author. I love to read her stuff just for the luscious and descriptive language.
Second, her characterization is amazing. Like her writing style, she excels at building and examining complex characters in detail – getting inside their heads and taking the reader with her. Jacin, the tragic hero, is nearly insane, fragile yet, at the same time, amazingly strong and talented. Malick, the cocky hero, is complex, hard-to-read, flawed, tough, but with a (somewhat tarnished) heart of gold. And both Jacin’s real family and Malick’s adopted family, are full of equally complex, three-dimensional characters with their own stories to tell.
Carole’s world-building is extremely detailed, almost overwhelming at times in its complexity because it is so thoroughly developed. A lot of the reviews here mention the multiple POVs and flashbacks. Personally, I find the multiple POVs and flashbacks a bit confusing, but I am very left-brained and I tend to be rather linear when I read. It is a matter of preference, in my opinion, and doesn’t detract from the story if you are willing to, as a more linear reader, knuckle down and spend some effort to keep up.
There is humor and passion, adventure and intrigue, and most of all, a complex, exciting story. It is darker than my usual read, but Carole’s writing skill and characterization kept me intrigued.
Oh, and the art on the covers is yummy too!
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