**Warning** This book contains violence and language which may not be suitable for younger audiences.
The city of Camorr is a cesspool of violence and vice. A city where the downtrodden are neglected, and forgotten (if they are lucky...). It is in this city that a heterodox priest takes a group of orphan boys under his tutelage to serve his god, the nameless thirteenth. The creed of this sect is simple; Thieves propser, and the rich remember. Thus begins the story of the Gentlemen Bastards, a group of orphan thieves who work for one goal. To be "richer and cleverer than everyone else"! World Building: Readers quickly discover that this grimy pre-industrialized Gotham-esque world is built upon the remnants left behind by an alien civilization (which the readers learn little of in the first book). Readers get a real feel of the filth, corruption, and vice that powers this landscape. The social hierarchies are well developed, and are rather essential to the plot. However.... I personally found the extra-terrestrial angle to be a little distracting. While I am sure that the author, Scott Lynch, plans to use this information in later books, it is not particularly helpful in progressing the plot or developing the characters in this opening book. Score: 8/10 Characters and Character Development This is a very strong point for the Gentlemen Bastards series. The book revolves around a group of anti-heroes (honestly they are better described as outright villains in my opinion), and their schemes against unsuspecting targets. Each member of the gang is unique and memorable. In fact, the gang really is more than the sum of their parts. It is the combination of characters that makes them so memorable. And, while the gang itself is unique and likable, it is Master Chains, their mentor, who really stands out as a unique addition to the cast. However... The villains could be a little more well developed. I really am nitpicking here, even the villains were great. But I did not leave this book feeling the type of loathing for the villains that, I think, the author intended. Score: 9/10 Plot I have already alluded to the plot at other points in this entry, and with good reason. The story (and backstory) are spectacular. It is safe to say that the book ends very differently than what the reader is expecting after the first 100 pages. It is hard to write a spoiler free review of a books plot, so let me just say this. I devoured this book, and this was only possible because the story kept me engaged. More than that, the story felt unique. And that is tough to do in a genre with so many unique ideas floating around. However... Speaking with some hindsight (having read the sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies) I feel like Lynch could have left himself with a little more to work with at the end of this book. Score: 9/10 Writing And finally, we come to the point where Scott Lynch has almost no equal in the genre (with the exception of, perhaps, Patrick Rothfuss). If you read this book for nothing else, read it for the beautiful prose and carefully crafted sentences that Lynch weaves together. Read it for the beautiful descriptions, read it for the masterful use of the English language. On numerous occasions I found myself reading the same page more than once just to enjoy it again. However... However nothing. There is nothing bad to say here. Scott Lynch truly is an exceptional writer. Score: 10/10 Final Score: 36/40 This is a book is an instant fantasy classic, to be cherished, read and re-read. Feel free to let me know what you think of the book (and this review) by leaving a comment below!
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Tyrion Lannister is one of the most loved characters in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. And many of us see something of ourselves in Tyrion. Tyrion is a classic underdog. He is a dwarf, ‘responsible’ for the death of his mother, hated by his father and sister. A sharp contrast to his brother Jamie, a handsome swordsman. Tyrion’s whole life is shaped by his status as a dwarf. Rather than giving up, however, Tyrion survives and thrives. He is witty, clever, and shrewd. Tyrion is a survivor. And, while we do not know what will become of him next season, it is clear that Tyrion will always be remembered one of the all-time great fictional underdogs. In honour of this great character, I have compiled a list of my top 5 best fictional underdogs in fantasy. These are the hated. The rejected. The weird and the disfigured. The ones you cannot help but cheer for. The ones who, raise their disfigured jowls proudly to the sky, in defiance their unfortunate circumstances. 5) FitzChivalry (Farseer Trilogy) In Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice (Book One of the Farseer Trilogy), FitzChivalry (Fitz for short) is introduced as the illegitimate son of Chivalry, heir to the Farseer Kingdom (full review forthcoming). Like Tyrion, Fitz’s life is shaped by something completely out of his control. Namely, his illegitimate birth. His relationships, and ultimately his life, is shaped by this. Despite this, however, Fitz is a fighter, and easy to cheer for. 4) Kaladin (Stormlight Archive) A healer, forced to fight. A fighter, asked to heal. Brandon Sanderson’s Kaladin in The Way of Kings (Book One of the Stormlight Archives) is plagued by misfortunes and loss. Kaladin is able-bodied and capable (unlike Tyrion or Fitz), but life’s journey consistently puts him in the most unpleasant of circumstances. Kaladin is so much that we admire in a hero – healer, fighter, devoted son and brother. At the same time, Kaladin has to deal with so many of the things we hate from those in power – abuse, betrayal, and incompetence. Watching Kaladin rise to the challenge makes him such a wonderful underdog. 3) Vin (Mistborn) A paranoid little girl from a slave class, forced to live among gangsters and con-artists for survival. Brandon Sanderson’s Vin in The Final Empire (Mistborn Book One) is faced with every hardship imaginable. The reader is introduced to Vin at her most vulnerable state; afraid, abandoned, and abused. Vin lives in a world that sits somewhere between Orwell’s 1984 and pharaoh’s Egypt, and resists! 2) Kvothe (Kingkiller Chronicle) It was hard not to put Kvothe at the very top of my list. Patrick Rothfuss’s red headed wonder boy (Kingkiller Chronicles) is a talented beyond description (or, more accurately, a description that requires two really long books). An actor, musician, sage, and so much more. Kvothe’s is a story of the most remarkable of person, faced against the worst imaginable circumstances. For much of his story, Kvothe has absolutely nothing, and absolutely no one, to rely on. Every moment of Kvothe’s misery is felt by the reader. His arduous journeys, lonely nights, his crushing poverty, his powerlessness in the face of oppression. Kvothe’s suffering is so severe that even his smallest victories – a gift from a friend, a few coins, or the acquisition of an instrument – will put a smile on any reader’s face. 1) Sand Dan Glokta (First Law Trilogy) “I have a conscience, but it's a feeble, withered shred of a thing. ... You could not even guess at the things that I have done” Imagine if Jamie Lannister lost more than his hand. Imagine, say, if Jamie lost everything that made him Jamie. His looks, his status, his ability to walk. Meet Inquisitor Sand Dan Glokta, war hero turned torturer. Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy introduces us to, what I think, is perhaps the best underdog in modern fantasy. From the reader’s first encounter with inquisitor Glokta, we discover how miserable it is to simply be Glokta. He struggles with things that most of us take for granted (like walking up and down stairs). Emotionally, he feels very little. Physically, he feels little more than pain. Abercrombie does a fantastic job of making the reader feel exactly what Glokta is feeling. Glokta’s tragedies – his disfigurement, his fall from grace, his miserable career (which he treats with the utmost indifference) – are staggering. In light of this, it is hard not to enjoy his small victories (like not crumbling from the pain in his legs). Like Tyrion, he wears his disfigurement with pride, and uses his repulsive smile like a weapon! |
AuthorBenny Adams is a fantasy and science fiction blogger, aspiring writer, and mediocre husband and father.
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