I am definitely enjoying this series. I am now on the third book and pretty hooked.
First, I will say what I like..
-The background of this story is a fictional world of people that I would say are something of a mix between Vikings and maybe Scotsman? They're war-hardened, living in a rough and harsh reality. So if that is your thing, you will like this book. It is believable, almost feels like an actual time in history of a land we don't know about.
-The dialogue is good, really good. I read some reviews that say the story is too slow-paced, but for me I found it enjoyable because the dialogue is good and real. There is no cringe-worthy conversations (my pet peeve) that you would never hear in real life. Also, I think the pace is definitely suitable because throughout the book (and the series), you're introduced to A LOT of characters and it takes time to get them know, but you are able to get to know them all and it's worth it. So much more to think about rather than just the MCs.
-The POV switches around constantly. But to me it isn't jarring, rather I feel like a fly on the wall who can read everyone's mind. And the stories move in a way that's almost cinematic, switching from "scene" to "scene".
-Lastly, plot is good, story is good, characters are relatable, likable, emotional..
Some other things...
- There is a lot of angst in these books... so once you start it, you really want to get through the book, but it also moves rather slowly
-This book is not stand alone.. the story continues in the sequels, so just be prepared to read more books to get the conclusion of the story.
- ***Note: there is sex and language in these books. I'm a reader that really dislikes unnecessary sex and profanity, but I will say the sex is not graphic or descriptive, and most often is not the focal point, rather is developmental to the story. There is quite a lot of profanity, including the F, S, B, C word, to mention a few, but because the book is mainly about war-hardened soldiers in war.. so it seems rather appropriate to me. There is also crude sexual language. Point being, in my opinion it is appropriate to the story, but probably not suitable for your small kid.
stephanie blue
Daniela Gomez
Dennis Rice