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Tower and Knife Trilogy #3
The Tower Broken
The world is at breaking point. The nothing, a terrible darkness caused by the festering wounds of a god, bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk - and souls. Emperor Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading towards his city, Cerana - and he is powerless to halt the destruction. Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive with conquest in mind, but they offer to spare Sarmin's people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith. Time is running out for Sarmin and his wife, Mesema: the Mage's Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother Daveed still has a part to play. The walls are crumbling around them . . .
408 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Mazarkis Williams
15 books185 followersMazarkis Williams is a writer with roots in both the US and the UK, having worked in and been educated in both countries. Each year is divided between Boston and Bristol and a teleport booth is always top of the Christmas wish-list.
Mazarkis has degrees in history and physics, and a diverse set of interests accumulated while mispending a hectic youth. Cooking has always been a passion, and in addition to feeding six children and a sizeable herd of cats, Mazarkis regularly caters for crowds of permanently hungry friends.
The Emperor's Knife is Mazarkis' first novel.
Mazarkis has degrees in history and physics, and a diverse set of interests accumulated while mispending a hectic youth. Cooking has always been a passion, and in addition to feeding six children and a sizeable herd of cats, Mazarkis regularly caters for crowds of permanently hungry friends.
The Emperor's Knife is Mazarkis' first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 3, 2015
My interest in this trilogy kind of fizzled out during its final installment. I spent over 2 weeks reading this - nearly unheard of for me. I just kept putting it down and not picking it up again. Now, it's been nearly two weeks since I finally finished it - and I'm still not quite sure why it didn't really do it for me.
I mean, it was OK. I didn't hate it. (I just LOVED the first two in the series...) And it had all the requisite elements... the world itself is in peril from a magical plague, there are murders, scheming, religious and political conflict, and even a big, blow-out battle of sorcerers. But I just wasn't feeling the emotional investment that I wanted to, or the tension.
Honestly, it might just've been me. I'm not at all sorry I read it; after all, I needed to know how any number of things worked out in the story - and I'd still read anything else from this mysterious author.
I mean, it was OK. I didn't hate it. (I just LOVED the first two in the series...) And it had all the requisite elements... the world itself is in peril from a magical plague, there are murders, scheming, religious and political conflict, and even a big, blow-out battle of sorcerers. But I just wasn't feeling the emotional investment that I wanted to, or the tension.
Honestly, it might just've been me. I'm not at all sorry I read it; after all, I needed to know how any number of things worked out in the story - and I'd still read anything else from this mysterious author.
March 29, 2018
8.5/10
The Tower Broken, the third installment of the Tower & Knife trilogy, travels us for one last time in the Middle-Eastern inspired world of the Cerani Empire, with Mazarkis Williams - immersing us into a story of political games, of power and of supremacy - to takes us deep into a wonderful adventure of love and heroism, but also into a great war, bringing a powerful enemy and an ancient god, and closing this series with a finale that can be described nothing more than simply epic.
It has been months since the corruption in Beyon’s Tomb, a corruption that, in their endeavor to fight it, took back more than they’d imagined, leaving Sarmin more powerless than ever - yet now, with the awakening of Mogyrk, these actions opened a wound at the heart of the Cerani Empire that ever festers, devouring everything in its path.
Deprived, thought, of the only power that could fight and stop this wound from spreading - leaving his people vulnerable against its endless hunger - when new rumors begin to appear of an imminent war from their ancient enemies, the Yrkmir, and with General Arigu’s actions far in the land of the Fryth having caused unwanted enemies, an unease will arise amid the Cerani Empire, putting Sarmin in the most difficult position; a difficult position that will bring him deep into the intrigues and plots of the palace, as some will want to help him crush their gods’ unbelievers, and others desiring to sit on the throne, and this time not only his own life will be at stake, but also those of his people.
Meanwhile, Mesema - now the wife of the most powerful man across the Cerani Empire - will find herself in her own adventures, searching for the lost people of her tribe who where captured under General Arigu’s seemingly just causes in his desire to deliver the justice as he believed fit - something that, if she’s not careful, may very easily bring her against great dangers.
But, when an old love from her tribe comes back to the palace, bringing an unexpected alliance that may well prove crucial for their salvation, and the dreams of an unfulfilled life - of a different life - emerge again, it will cause rumors that will endanger her position and her reputation, putting Mesema against a situation that, as it will divide her husband’s loyal followers, any mistakes of her could cost her and Sarmin all of what they’d achieved so far.
While Farid - a young fruit-seller - finding himself before an unusual event at the marketplace will fall onto the hands of a mysterious man, putting him into an adventure for his survival but also into a new, magical life that will soon show him abilities he would never had believe he’d possess, friends who would never had imagine to have, but also enemies he would never wanted to have to face.
However, when Yrkmir’s army reaches the walls of the Cerani Empire, bringing along a unseen, powerful enemy, and their meager magic skills in creating pattern-shapes prove to be unable to contain the wound of Mogyrk from devouring them once and for all, these heroes will find themselves against a great war, and if they do not find a way to stop it, it will bring them and all those they love to their destruction.
With the previous two having set the road for the last installment of the Tower & Knife trilogy, Mazarkis Williams comes to The Broken Tower with a story that shows not only of how much his/her writing has improved, that nevertheless is in a higher level than before, making it much more enjoyable, but also of how wonderful a storyteller he/she can become over time.
And indeed, having showed us the level of his/her ideas and imagination in an attempt to bring something different among the more traditional fantasy genre, combining ideologies and beliefs of a harder society, Williams manages throughout the series to build a wonderful world and to give to his/her characters their own voice through his/her writing - something that, however easy it may seem, is harder at achieving.
Beyond that, however, The Tower Broken also delivers and an epic, final adventure that closes the series as it deserves, giving a high note for its finale, with Williams - taking all the plots and the characters that he/she built from the first book, The Emperor's Knife - to travels us again to the world of the Cerani Empire, making here a wonderful adventure of love and heroism that takes you deep into the palace’s political games, but also without lacking even to fascinate and to enchant you through the mysteries of the world-building, expanding its limits far more than before, and to show us a multi-verse both vast and unlimitedly magical.
All in all, The Tower Broken closes the series in a strong note, with Mazarkis Williams - taking all the elements that previous books set - to travels us for one last time into the Cerani Empire, bringing us amidst a great war that, through his/her writing and imagination, manages to make a wonderful adventure and to give and epically grand finale.
Ελληνική κριτική:
The Tower Broken, the third installment of the Tower & Knife trilogy, travels us for one last time in the Middle-Eastern inspired world of the Cerani Empire, with Mazarkis Williams - immersing us into a story of political games, of power and of supremacy - to takes us deep into a wonderful adventure of love and heroism, but also into a great war, bringing a powerful enemy and an ancient god, and closing this series with a finale that can be described nothing more than simply epic.
It has been months since the corruption in Beyon’s Tomb, a corruption that, in their endeavor to fight it, took back more than they’d imagined, leaving Sarmin more powerless than ever - yet now, with the awakening of Mogyrk, these actions opened a wound at the heart of the Cerani Empire that ever festers, devouring everything in its path.
Deprived, thought, of the only power that could fight and stop this wound from spreading - leaving his people vulnerable against its endless hunger - when new rumors begin to appear of an imminent war from their ancient enemies, the Yrkmir, and with General Arigu’s actions far in the land of the Fryth having caused unwanted enemies, an unease will arise amid the Cerani Empire, putting Sarmin in the most difficult position; a difficult position that will bring him deep into the intrigues and plots of the palace, as some will want to help him crush their gods’ unbelievers, and others desiring to sit on the throne, and this time not only his own life will be at stake, but also those of his people.
Meanwhile, Mesema - now the wife of the most powerful man across the Cerani Empire - will find herself in her own adventures, searching for the lost people of her tribe who where captured under General Arigu’s seemingly just causes in his desire to deliver the justice as he believed fit - something that, if she’s not careful, may very easily bring her against great dangers.
But, when an old love from her tribe comes back to the palace, bringing an unexpected alliance that may well prove crucial for their salvation, and the dreams of an unfulfilled life - of a different life - emerge again, it will cause rumors that will endanger her position and her reputation, putting Mesema against a situation that, as it will divide her husband’s loyal followers, any mistakes of her could cost her and Sarmin all of what they’d achieved so far.
While Farid - a young fruit-seller - finding himself before an unusual event at the marketplace will fall onto the hands of a mysterious man, putting him into an adventure for his survival but also into a new, magical life that will soon show him abilities he would never had believe he’d possess, friends who would never had imagine to have, but also enemies he would never wanted to have to face.
However, when Yrkmir’s army reaches the walls of the Cerani Empire, bringing along a unseen, powerful enemy, and their meager magic skills in creating pattern-shapes prove to be unable to contain the wound of Mogyrk from devouring them once and for all, these heroes will find themselves against a great war, and if they do not find a way to stop it, it will bring them and all those they love to their destruction.
With the previous two having set the road for the last installment of the Tower & Knife trilogy, Mazarkis Williams comes to The Broken Tower with a story that shows not only of how much his/her writing has improved, that nevertheless is in a higher level than before, making it much more enjoyable, but also of how wonderful a storyteller he/she can become over time.
And indeed, having showed us the level of his/her ideas and imagination in an attempt to bring something different among the more traditional fantasy genre, combining ideologies and beliefs of a harder society, Williams manages throughout the series to build a wonderful world and to give to his/her characters their own voice through his/her writing - something that, however easy it may seem, is harder at achieving.
Beyond that, however, The Tower Broken also delivers and an epic, final adventure that closes the series as it deserves, giving a high note for its finale, with Williams - taking all the plots and the characters that he/she built from the first book, The Emperor's Knife - to travels us again to the world of the Cerani Empire, making here a wonderful adventure of love and heroism that takes you deep into the palace’s political games, but also without lacking even to fascinate and to enchant you through the mysteries of the world-building, expanding its limits far more than before, and to show us a multi-verse both vast and unlimitedly magical.
All in all, The Tower Broken closes the series in a strong note, with Mazarkis Williams - taking all the elements that previous books set - to travels us for one last time into the Cerani Empire, bringing us amidst a great war that, through his/her writing and imagination, manages to make a wonderful adventure and to give and epically grand finale.
Ελληνική κριτική:
March 15, 2014
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
Finishing a series is always a little bittersweet, isn't it? I find this is absolutely the case with Mazarkis Williams' Tower and Knife trilogy. Of course, I'm thrilled to have finally reached the stunning conclusion to find out how it all ends, but I also know I'm going to miss this world and its characters.
It is also a wonderful thing to see an author's skills grow and evolve as time goes on. Though I think I'll always be a little in love with Williams' beautiful writing, I was admittedly much more taken with these last two books in the trilogy than I was with The Emperor's Knife. All three novels had their own individual strengths, but in general I found Knife Sworn and The Tower Broken to have much better flow and greater complexity than the first book.
In fact, I now find myself at a dilemma. The last two books have both been very strong, and I really can't decide which one I liked better. The Tower Broken, having a much darker plot and effectively raising the stakes, obviously appealed to me a lot. After the events of Knife Sworn, the fate of the world is teetering on the edge, threatened by a malignant force moving itself across the land and devouring everything it touches. The storm moves ever closer to the city of Cerana, and Emperor Sarmin finds he is powerless to do anything to stop its path of destruction. Things are definitely heating up in this one.
On the other hand, I LOVED the chapters about Grada, Nessaket, and Rushes from the last novel. Having the narratives of these three female characters was one of the best things about that book, but in this one they have once again faded back into the background, giving other characters the chance to step into the spotlight. Mesema and of course Sarmin both have their own chapters, but this time we also meet the fruit-seller-turned-mage Farid as well as Duke Didryk, whose point of view adds even more mystery to the already shadowy plot line.
While these new perspectives brought a heightened sense of intrigue and tension to the table, I still missed Grada, who has become the Emperor's royal assassin, and even found myself wondering after Nessaket, Sarmin's mercurial mother. But most of all, I missed following Rushes, the poor slave girl who has gone through such an ordeal in the course of these two books. I won't deny I was a little disappointed to see so little of the three of them in this novel, but fortunately I was able to get over it quickly, because Williams does such a good job making all her characters interesting. Much like the series, I felt that many of the protagonists especially Sarmin and Mesema have finally come into their own. The transformation of their relationship was the highlight for me in this one; by the end I could see where the author had wanted to go with the two of them all along.
I also think I would be remiss if I ended this review without making mention of the magic in the Tower and Knife world. The first book introduced us to the complex dynamic between mages and spirits, with the former harnessing their abilities by imprisoning the latter into their bodies, then sucking them dry of the energy required to power magic spells. We get to see a lot more of that here, as well as insight into the concept of "pattern magic" which is central to this entire trilogy. I think it's great how the last book ends with a much more detailed look into the mechanics of this system, because I'd always felt the story needed it.
So the the trilogy may be over, but I would read any future books by Mazarkis Williams in a heartbeat! Pulling off the final installment of a series is always a doozy, but it was done well here, even if everything wrapped up a little too neatly. I would still take a "complete" and satisfying ending like this over an open-ended one any day. Ultimately I think Williams made all the right calls, and at the end of the day served up an impressive conclusion.
Finishing a series is always a little bittersweet, isn't it? I find this is absolutely the case with Mazarkis Williams' Tower and Knife trilogy. Of course, I'm thrilled to have finally reached the stunning conclusion to find out how it all ends, but I also know I'm going to miss this world and its characters.
It is also a wonderful thing to see an author's skills grow and evolve as time goes on. Though I think I'll always be a little in love with Williams' beautiful writing, I was admittedly much more taken with these last two books in the trilogy than I was with The Emperor's Knife. All three novels had their own individual strengths, but in general I found Knife Sworn and The Tower Broken to have much better flow and greater complexity than the first book.
In fact, I now find myself at a dilemma. The last two books have both been very strong, and I really can't decide which one I liked better. The Tower Broken, having a much darker plot and effectively raising the stakes, obviously appealed to me a lot. After the events of Knife Sworn, the fate of the world is teetering on the edge, threatened by a malignant force moving itself across the land and devouring everything it touches. The storm moves ever closer to the city of Cerana, and Emperor Sarmin finds he is powerless to do anything to stop its path of destruction. Things are definitely heating up in this one.
On the other hand, I LOVED the chapters about Grada, Nessaket, and Rushes from the last novel. Having the narratives of these three female characters was one of the best things about that book, but in this one they have once again faded back into the background, giving other characters the chance to step into the spotlight. Mesema and of course Sarmin both have their own chapters, but this time we also meet the fruit-seller-turned-mage Farid as well as Duke Didryk, whose point of view adds even more mystery to the already shadowy plot line.
While these new perspectives brought a heightened sense of intrigue and tension to the table, I still missed Grada, who has become the Emperor's royal assassin, and even found myself wondering after Nessaket, Sarmin's mercurial mother. But most of all, I missed following Rushes, the poor slave girl who has gone through such an ordeal in the course of these two books. I won't deny I was a little disappointed to see so little of the three of them in this novel, but fortunately I was able to get over it quickly, because Williams does such a good job making all her characters interesting. Much like the series, I felt that many of the protagonists especially Sarmin and Mesema have finally come into their own. The transformation of their relationship was the highlight for me in this one; by the end I could see where the author had wanted to go with the two of them all along.
I also think I would be remiss if I ended this review without making mention of the magic in the Tower and Knife world. The first book introduced us to the complex dynamic between mages and spirits, with the former harnessing their abilities by imprisoning the latter into their bodies, then sucking them dry of the energy required to power magic spells. We get to see a lot more of that here, as well as insight into the concept of "pattern magic" which is central to this entire trilogy. I think it's great how the last book ends with a much more detailed look into the mechanics of this system, because I'd always felt the story needed it.
So the the trilogy may be over, but I would read any future books by Mazarkis Williams in a heartbeat! Pulling off the final installment of a series is always a doozy, but it was done well here, even if everything wrapped up a little too neatly. I would still take a "complete" and satisfying ending like this over an open-ended one any day. Ultimately I think Williams made all the right calls, and at the end of the day served up an impressive conclusion.
November 18, 2013
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/11/...
“An excellent final novel in the Tower and Knife Trilogy. Mazarkis Williams delivers a strong satisfactory conclusion and will certainly keep readers who have read Books #1 & #2 entertained right the way through. The Tower Broken is amazing, strong and continues the 100% track record that I have had with the incredible Jo Fletcher Books.”
"The world is at breaking point. The nothing, a terrible darkness caused by the festering wounds of a god, bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk – and souls. Emperor Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading towards his city, Cerana – and he is powerless to halt the destruction. Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive with conquest in mind, but they offer to spare Sarmin’s people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith. Time is running out for Sarmin and his wife, Mesema: the Mage’s Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother Daveed still has a part to play. The walls are crumbling around them . . ."
As of now, there are two publishers that are quickly shaping up to be ones that I will pretty much read anything from. The first is Angry Robot – who are more established and run on for longer so far than the other, but Jo Fletcher books does have one thing going for it so far – its 100% track record. Whilst I’ve not read as many books from Jo Fletcher as I have by Angry Robot, I’ve still enjoyed them all – be they Stephanie Saulter’s Gemsigns or Tom Pollock’s incredible The Skyscraper Throne Trilogy - but my first Strange Chemistry book was The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams and as I’ve reviewed the previous two novels in the series, it seems only fitting that I share my thoughts on the third and final act.
The Tower BrokenThe Tower Broken manages to be an entertaining and captivating read. It’s been labeled on the cover as compelling and I couldn’t agree more – I was really drawn in by the events that unfolded in this last novel and as a result I enjoyed it as much as the middle act and the first outing, with an engaging prose held together with a strong pace to keep the reader interested – at no points did I find myself wanting to put the novel down because it had reached a boring scene, I just wanted to keep reading. The world building has been really fleshed out over the entire trilogy as well – with the Empire of Cerena being developed thoroughly and Williams doesn’t overload the reader with info dumps, mainly because the basic foundations for the world have already been fleshed out in its last two parts.
Writing characters has been one of Williams’ many strengths and whilst the previous two novels may have suffered from inclusions of new characters halfway through the novels with little purpose or direction and expected investment in them – the third book does not suffer as much from this flaw as its predecessors. Sarmin gets a lot more pagetime in this book as he becomes the main focus of the book and whilst others like Mesema and Nessaket are pushed to the side. There isn’t a POV chapter for characters like Rushes, Grada and the aforementioned Nessaket in this book as Williams introduces several newcomers - Duke Didryk and Farid in particular – as well as splitting chapters between old hands Sarmin, Govnan and Mesaema.
Williams doesn’t fall into the trap of wrapping up the third act as quickly as he can and leaving the reader rushed and unsatisfied – instead, the conclusion manages to be engaging and captivating – with the pace remaining even pretty much throughout the entire novel as well as the overall tone. I won’t spoil what happens here for obvious reasons but The Tower Broken is a pretty solid read nonetheless. If you’ve been following the Trilogy since its start then you’ll be fully aware of just how awesome Williams can be as a writer and I’m really looking forward to seeing what fresh and interesting things he can bring to the table now that The Tower and Knife Trilogy has come to a conclusion, with not one single disappointment in its three book run. Highly recommended.
VERDICT: 4/5
“An excellent final novel in the Tower and Knife Trilogy. Mazarkis Williams delivers a strong satisfactory conclusion and will certainly keep readers who have read Books #1 & #2 entertained right the way through. The Tower Broken is amazing, strong and continues the 100% track record that I have had with the incredible Jo Fletcher Books.”
"The world is at breaking point. The nothing, a terrible darkness caused by the festering wounds of a god, bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk – and souls. Emperor Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading towards his city, Cerana – and he is powerless to halt the destruction. Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive with conquest in mind, but they offer to spare Sarmin’s people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith. Time is running out for Sarmin and his wife, Mesema: the Mage’s Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother Daveed still has a part to play. The walls are crumbling around them . . ."
As of now, there are two publishers that are quickly shaping up to be ones that I will pretty much read anything from. The first is Angry Robot – who are more established and run on for longer so far than the other, but Jo Fletcher books does have one thing going for it so far – its 100% track record. Whilst I’ve not read as many books from Jo Fletcher as I have by Angry Robot, I’ve still enjoyed them all – be they Stephanie Saulter’s Gemsigns or Tom Pollock’s incredible The Skyscraper Throne Trilogy - but my first Strange Chemistry book was The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams and as I’ve reviewed the previous two novels in the series, it seems only fitting that I share my thoughts on the third and final act.
The Tower BrokenThe Tower Broken manages to be an entertaining and captivating read. It’s been labeled on the cover as compelling and I couldn’t agree more – I was really drawn in by the events that unfolded in this last novel and as a result I enjoyed it as much as the middle act and the first outing, with an engaging prose held together with a strong pace to keep the reader interested – at no points did I find myself wanting to put the novel down because it had reached a boring scene, I just wanted to keep reading. The world building has been really fleshed out over the entire trilogy as well – with the Empire of Cerena being developed thoroughly and Williams doesn’t overload the reader with info dumps, mainly because the basic foundations for the world have already been fleshed out in its last two parts.
Writing characters has been one of Williams’ many strengths and whilst the previous two novels may have suffered from inclusions of new characters halfway through the novels with little purpose or direction and expected investment in them – the third book does not suffer as much from this flaw as its predecessors. Sarmin gets a lot more pagetime in this book as he becomes the main focus of the book and whilst others like Mesema and Nessaket are pushed to the side. There isn’t a POV chapter for characters like Rushes, Grada and the aforementioned Nessaket in this book as Williams introduces several newcomers - Duke Didryk and Farid in particular – as well as splitting chapters between old hands Sarmin, Govnan and Mesaema.
Williams doesn’t fall into the trap of wrapping up the third act as quickly as he can and leaving the reader rushed and unsatisfied – instead, the conclusion manages to be engaging and captivating – with the pace remaining even pretty much throughout the entire novel as well as the overall tone. I won’t spoil what happens here for obvious reasons but The Tower Broken is a pretty solid read nonetheless. If you’ve been following the Trilogy since its start then you’ll be fully aware of just how awesome Williams can be as a writer and I’m really looking forward to seeing what fresh and interesting things he can bring to the table now that The Tower and Knife Trilogy has come to a conclusion, with not one single disappointment in its three book run. Highly recommended.
VERDICT: 4/5
February 6, 2015
It's hard to give a review when you have a bias. I loved this series, and can't wait to read more from Mazarkis. The ending felt a little rushed, but it was fitting. The story was intriguing though at times the pacing was slow and some scenes seemed longer than they needed to be. However, the world building drew me in; I enjoyed reading something that was not set in the traditional fantasy setting. By the end of the series I found myself liking characters I hated and hating ones I liked.
November 17, 2013
Review from Fixed on Fantasy.
The Tower Broken by Mazarkis Williams is the third and final installment in the Tower & Knife trilogy, following on from The Emperor's Knife (review here - with spoilers!) and Knife Sworn (review here).
For me, each of these books had a markedly different feel, due mostly to the notable changes in nature of the protagonists and their respective relationships.
I still think The Emperor's Knife is the strongest book in this trilogy; the opening chapter is definitely one of the most striking and memorable I have come across. The characters were diverse and interesting and the story was a beautiful mix of melancholia, ferocity and the best political intrigue that fantasy can offer.
Knife Sworn, while still a great read was a little disappointing in comparison. This story, especially when experienced through the view-points of Grada and the visions of the Many, became much more obscure and almost confusing in its politics and magic system. I also felt most of the characters lost a lot of their strength and tended to float through the story.
The Tower Broken is best described as a combination between it's two predecessors; somewhat hazy in parts, but also strong and gripping in others. On the cover, Ben Aaronovitch describes is simply as 'Compelling' and this is certainly the word to describe Williams' latest book. The prose is engaging and seamless and Williams never allows the pace to fall below where it should.
The Tower Broken reminds me a lot of Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Lay's of Anuskaya trilogy and in parts of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy. The former for the incredible complexity of the story line and the fantastical elements therein, to the point where as the reader I question if it has moved past a one-dimensional story into something far more intricate, or whether it's all just getting a bit too messy to follow.
I struggled in the beginning to fully recall elements from the previous novels even though I read them both in the last year, especially given the growing complexity and changing nature of 'The Pattern'. The Tower Broken further complicates this by involving the god Mogyrk and Cerana's enemy, Yrkmir, which has until now only been floating under the surface. However, while I thought I might struggle a little as in Knife Sworn, the elements of story quickly resolve themselves to create a beautifully constructed world.
The empire of Cerana really is spectacular and could easily go unnoted, such is the skill in which Williams has woven it into the story. Most of all I loved the hierarchy and ceremony that has been built around Sarmin and The Petal Throne that wholely supports but does not intrude upon the plot. While I missed the beautiful idea of The Pattern and The Many, Williams does well (by the end) to integrate the Mogyrk religion further into the story and making it the focus of the final book was a great move.
Even though this series has some fantastic characters, characterisation and consistency of has always been a problem for Williams, as well as expecting the reader to invest in a character who plays a major role on the plot, but only pops up randomly out of nowhere part way through. I have to say though that The Tower Broken is a definite improvement in this regard - every character has a much clearer and defined nature and intention, which they stay true to throughout.
Sarmin was a definite highlight in this book and found his balls in spectacular fashion. I do miss the powerful female characters such as Mesema and Nessaket from book one, who, particularly the latter, have been severely diminished through recent events. The choice of perspectives in this book were also interesting, with nothing from Grada, Nessaket or Rushes, but instead focusing primarily on Sarmin, Mesema, Govnan and newcomers Duke Didryk and Farid, none of whom are particularly odd, dangerous or ruthless.
I was getting worried near the end that the conclusion might become rushed but I think it resolves quite satisfactorily in terms of both pace and content. There were some moments where I think it got a bit too ethereal and I wanted something of more definite substance, but I guess it is always best to leave the audience wanting more.
If you've been reading this series then I definitely recommend finishing it with The Tower Broken, which sees some remarkable improvement in Williams' writing and a brilliant conclusion. I would also recommend the series to fantasy fans who want a captivating read, but perhaps not if you're the kind of reader who will be irked by the more sketchier and inconsistent areas of the story.
I'd like to thank Mazarkis Williams and the publisher Jo Fletcher Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also want to mention that while the digital version of the cover features a super strange and creepy man with a goatee, he is much more tastefully shadowed and mysterious in the hard copy.
The Tower Broken by Mazarkis Williams is the third and final installment in the Tower & Knife trilogy, following on from The Emperor's Knife (review here - with spoilers!) and Knife Sworn (review here).
For me, each of these books had a markedly different feel, due mostly to the notable changes in nature of the protagonists and their respective relationships.
I still think The Emperor's Knife is the strongest book in this trilogy; the opening chapter is definitely one of the most striking and memorable I have come across. The characters were diverse and interesting and the story was a beautiful mix of melancholia, ferocity and the best political intrigue that fantasy can offer.
Knife Sworn, while still a great read was a little disappointing in comparison. This story, especially when experienced through the view-points of Grada and the visions of the Many, became much more obscure and almost confusing in its politics and magic system. I also felt most of the characters lost a lot of their strength and tended to float through the story.
The Tower Broken is best described as a combination between it's two predecessors; somewhat hazy in parts, but also strong and gripping in others. On the cover, Ben Aaronovitch describes is simply as 'Compelling' and this is certainly the word to describe Williams' latest book. The prose is engaging and seamless and Williams never allows the pace to fall below where it should.
The Tower Broken reminds me a lot of Bradley P. Beaulieu's The Lay's of Anuskaya trilogy and in parts of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy. The former for the incredible complexity of the story line and the fantastical elements therein, to the point where as the reader I question if it has moved past a one-dimensional story into something far more intricate, or whether it's all just getting a bit too messy to follow.
I struggled in the beginning to fully recall elements from the previous novels even though I read them both in the last year, especially given the growing complexity and changing nature of 'The Pattern'. The Tower Broken further complicates this by involving the god Mogyrk and Cerana's enemy, Yrkmir, which has until now only been floating under the surface. However, while I thought I might struggle a little as in Knife Sworn, the elements of story quickly resolve themselves to create a beautifully constructed world.
The empire of Cerana really is spectacular and could easily go unnoted, such is the skill in which Williams has woven it into the story. Most of all I loved the hierarchy and ceremony that has been built around Sarmin and The Petal Throne that wholely supports but does not intrude upon the plot. While I missed the beautiful idea of The Pattern and The Many, Williams does well (by the end) to integrate the Mogyrk religion further into the story and making it the focus of the final book was a great move.
Even though this series has some fantastic characters, characterisation and consistency of has always been a problem for Williams, as well as expecting the reader to invest in a character who plays a major role on the plot, but only pops up randomly out of nowhere part way through. I have to say though that The Tower Broken is a definite improvement in this regard - every character has a much clearer and defined nature and intention, which they stay true to throughout.
Sarmin was a definite highlight in this book and found his balls in spectacular fashion. I do miss the powerful female characters such as Mesema and Nessaket from book one, who, particularly the latter, have been severely diminished through recent events. The choice of perspectives in this book were also interesting, with nothing from Grada, Nessaket or Rushes, but instead focusing primarily on Sarmin, Mesema, Govnan and newcomers Duke Didryk and Farid, none of whom are particularly odd, dangerous or ruthless.
I was getting worried near the end that the conclusion might become rushed but I think it resolves quite satisfactorily in terms of both pace and content. There were some moments where I think it got a bit too ethereal and I wanted something of more definite substance, but I guess it is always best to leave the audience wanting more.
If you've been reading this series then I definitely recommend finishing it with The Tower Broken, which sees some remarkable improvement in Williams' writing and a brilliant conclusion. I would also recommend the series to fantasy fans who want a captivating read, but perhaps not if you're the kind of reader who will be irked by the more sketchier and inconsistent areas of the story.
I'd like to thank Mazarkis Williams and the publisher Jo Fletcher Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also want to mention that while the digital version of the cover features a super strange and creepy man with a goatee, he is much more tastefully shadowed and mysterious in the hard copy.
July 3, 2014
Pros: lots of intrigue, complex story, satisfying series ending, great characters
Cons: climax felt rushed, Adam’s motivations at the end were puzzling
Picking up a few months after the events of The Knife Sworn, things are not well in the capital of Cerana. With General Arigu missing Sarmin doesn’t have the full confidence of his army; the High Priest of Herzu is pressuring him to make sacrifices to appease the Gods; Sarmin’s brother is still missing; Mogyrk rebels are loose in the city, setting fires and killing guards; and the Storm, a vast emptiness that swallows all in its path, is almost at the city gates.
Sarmin is forced to make difficult choices to maintain his authority while dealing with numerous threats from both within and without his Empire. A surviver of a Mogyrk pattern attack is kidnapped by Austere Adam because he’s able to read the symbols used in pattern magic. The mages find a crack growing on one of the Tower’s walls. And the Yrkmir army marches on Nooria.
As the conclusion to the Tower and Knife trilogy this book has a lot to accomplish. There are so many things going on and numerous view points to see the action from. Mazarkis does a fantastic job of keeping a coherent narrative, focusing on the essentials while ensuring a feeling of the scale of the Empire and the wide ranging consequences of everyone’s decisions. Each of the major players felt like a complete individual with their own motivations for their actions.
There’s a huge amount of building up to the climax, and the climax as a consequence felt rushed. Indeed, I wondered at one point, if maybe there was a 4th book to the series, as it didn’t seem possible to wrap everything up in time. But Mazarkis did manage to deal with all the major plot threads, and in a satisfying way.
Having said that, I found Austere Adam’s motivations in the final few chapters of the book somewhat puzzling.
There were some minor things that irritated me about the book, the occasional unnecessary repetition, characters doing something odd in one scene, but on the whole I loved this series and highly recommend it.
Cons: climax felt rushed, Adam’s motivations at the end were puzzling
Picking up a few months after the events of The Knife Sworn, things are not well in the capital of Cerana. With General Arigu missing Sarmin doesn’t have the full confidence of his army; the High Priest of Herzu is pressuring him to make sacrifices to appease the Gods; Sarmin’s brother is still missing; Mogyrk rebels are loose in the city, setting fires and killing guards; and the Storm, a vast emptiness that swallows all in its path, is almost at the city gates.
Sarmin is forced to make difficult choices to maintain his authority while dealing with numerous threats from both within and without his Empire. A surviver of a Mogyrk pattern attack is kidnapped by Austere Adam because he’s able to read the symbols used in pattern magic. The mages find a crack growing on one of the Tower’s walls. And the Yrkmir army marches on Nooria.
As the conclusion to the Tower and Knife trilogy this book has a lot to accomplish. There are so many things going on and numerous view points to see the action from. Mazarkis does a fantastic job of keeping a coherent narrative, focusing on the essentials while ensuring a feeling of the scale of the Empire and the wide ranging consequences of everyone’s decisions. Each of the major players felt like a complete individual with their own motivations for their actions.
There’s a huge amount of building up to the climax, and the climax as a consequence felt rushed. Indeed, I wondered at one point, if maybe there was a 4th book to the series, as it didn’t seem possible to wrap everything up in time. But Mazarkis did manage to deal with all the major plot threads, and in a satisfying way.
Having said that, I found Austere Adam’s motivations in the final few chapters of the book somewhat puzzling.
There were some minor things that irritated me about the book, the occasional unnecessary repetition, characters doing something odd in one scene, but on the whole I loved this series and highly recommend it.
November 15, 2014
"The Tower Broken" is the third and final installment to Mazarkis Williams' "The Tower and Knife" Trilogy. In short, Williams raps this series up wonderfully. All the intrigue and plotting of the various characters is seamlessly brought full circle to a final confrontation and conclusion that should satisfy anyone that took the time to read her debut series.
Williams has written a fantastic story in a beautifully realized Persian world. She builds the world easily and vividly, making it easy for the reader to submerse themselves in her world and the story she is using it to tell. One will find this fact is true for "The Emperor's Knife" and "Knife Sworn" as well.
Mazarkis Williams has a bright future as a fantasy writer. Whatever is next I'm sure will be an excellent read. There is one fantasy reader that will be picking it up for sure. If one is looking for something to read in the fantasy genre, "The Tower and Knife" Trilogy is not a bad decision, for sure.
Check it out!
Williams has written a fantastic story in a beautifully realized Persian world. She builds the world easily and vividly, making it easy for the reader to submerse themselves in her world and the story she is using it to tell. One will find this fact is true for "The Emperor's Knife" and "Knife Sworn" as well.
Mazarkis Williams has a bright future as a fantasy writer. Whatever is next I'm sure will be an excellent read. There is one fantasy reader that will be picking it up for sure. If one is looking for something to read in the fantasy genre, "The Tower and Knife" Trilogy is not a bad decision, for sure.
Check it out!
July 1, 2014
A fine conclusion to the Tower and Knife trilogy. Sarmin's grip on the throne remains tenuous, a huge army of religious fanatics approaches, a dead god's wounds threaten to unmake the world -- just another day in the life of the empire ... Again, I found the characters (Sarmin and Mesema in particular) well-drawn -- flawed but compelling; entirely capable of making wrong decisions; or right decisions for wrong reasons -- and the world a fascinating place.
January 30, 2014
Best book of the series. But it, like the others, winds up too quickly and neatly at the end by the wave of a magical wand. Feel a bit cheated by the whole experience. Yet, the ride to the ends are quite enjoyable, even with the sagging of the middle book. Makes me wonder why a first time novelist would choose to write a trilogy. This might have made a better single novel or duology.
January 10, 2014
The Tower Broken is the epic conclusion to Mazarkis Williams' debut trilogy Tower & Knife and after reading
The Emperor's Knife
and
Knife Sworn
I was really looking forward how Williams was going to resolve the problem of Mogryk's wounds. The author managed to wrap up the story in a way I hadn't expected, but which was compelling and elegant in one fell swoop.
Williams brought back Mesema as a point of view character and replaced Grada and Nessaket with two new characters, Farid and Didryk, and added a fifth one from High Mage Govnan. I was really glad to regain Mesema as a viewpoint character, as I really liked her and missed her invested outsider's perspective. Mesema's investment in the future of the Cerani Empire has only grown larger over the course of the series as she's come to love not just Sarmin and their son Pelar, but others in the palace as well. Despite this, her Felt origins and upbringing ensure that she's still an outsider as she still thinks as a Felt at heart.
Both Farid and Didryk, one a Cerani fruit seller and the other the Duke of Fryth are outsiders as well, but in completely different ways. While Farid is completely loyal to the Emperor, he is a fish out of water as the newest member of the Tower of Mages. He's discovered an aptitude for Pattern magic and as such is recruited by the Tower, which means he is suddenly part of not just the upper class, but court life and at the heart of the action. He's doubly out of his depth, he isn't sure how to behave and he doesn't really understand how his magic works. Duke Didryk, on the other hand, is perfectly at ease at court, but he is comes to make peace and is a Mogryk and thus anathema for most Cerani and his intentions are uncertain, so he's not trusted by most of those around him and a true outsider.
It is exactly this different perspective, defined by traditional beliefs, societal positions and their backgrounds, that makes Mesema, Farid, Didryk and Grada able to make the difference in the battle against the nothing and against the Yrkmir. Sarmin, the consummate outside-insider from The Emperor's Knife has become a true insider in his time upon the throne, even if his ideas are still less than conventional. His development is very well done, as he not only has to learn to live outside his tower and rule, in The Tower Broken, he also learns how to truly love and trust again. Another insider's perspective is that of Govnan. Together with Mesema's, his arc in The Tower Broken was my favourite. I really loved his dedication and loyalty to his emperor and country, but also his kind and loving way with his acolytes and students and with Sarmin. Plus, together with Farid, he gave us an interesting closer look at the Tower and elemental magics. These five, together with Grada, and two of the Tower mages, Mura and Moreth are the key to saving not just the Empire, but the world, through their different abilities and approaches and I found them wonderful windows onto the narrative.
The Tower Broken is expertly paced. The problems Sarmin and his people have to face are many and have increasingly larger impact on the chances of survival of all of them. Perhaps least threatening in the overall scope is the General Arigu and his conspiring with High Priest Dinar to gain control of Sarmin and the throne. Scaling up there is the nation of Yrkmir that is invading Cerana and taking no prisoners, killing indiscriminately instead. And of course, the largest threat is that of the Storm and the Scar, which is unmaking reality and swallowing everything. Williams manages to make all of these threats interweave and makes their resolution interleaved, so the tension only breaks towards the end of the novel, even if there are smaller victories and breathing spaces throughout the novel. I think this is one of the places where Williams' growth as an author is most marked. In The Emperor's Knife, and to a lesser extent in Knife Sworn, there were points in the narrative where the pace lagged and I got distracted from reading more easily. Not so with The Tower Broken, it kept me glued to the page for one more chapter for more chapters than I'd care to admit.
I really enjoyed this last volume in the Tower & Knife trilogy. It's a series that is truly epic fantasy, in the sense that it deals with potentially world-shattering events, but one that is very much character-driven. The Tower Broken completes Sarmin and Mesema's story in a completely satisfying ending and one that suits the series very much. While the chances of Williams returning to Cerana in the near future are slim, I'm looking forward to reading what they write next. Although, if they change their pen name, we might never know whether we are reading their next book. In any case, if epic fantasy is your thing, Tower & Knife is a series you'll want to read. And the good news? It's complete so you'll be able to read it without having to wait for the next book longer than a trip to the book store or for the post to deliver it!
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
Williams brought back Mesema as a point of view character and replaced Grada and Nessaket with two new characters, Farid and Didryk, and added a fifth one from High Mage Govnan. I was really glad to regain Mesema as a viewpoint character, as I really liked her and missed her invested outsider's perspective. Mesema's investment in the future of the Cerani Empire has only grown larger over the course of the series as she's come to love not just Sarmin and their son Pelar, but others in the palace as well. Despite this, her Felt origins and upbringing ensure that she's still an outsider as she still thinks as a Felt at heart.
Both Farid and Didryk, one a Cerani fruit seller and the other the Duke of Fryth are outsiders as well, but in completely different ways. While Farid is completely loyal to the Emperor, he is a fish out of water as the newest member of the Tower of Mages. He's discovered an aptitude for Pattern magic and as such is recruited by the Tower, which means he is suddenly part of not just the upper class, but court life and at the heart of the action. He's doubly out of his depth, he isn't sure how to behave and he doesn't really understand how his magic works. Duke Didryk, on the other hand, is perfectly at ease at court, but he is comes to make peace and is a Mogryk and thus anathema for most Cerani and his intentions are uncertain, so he's not trusted by most of those around him and a true outsider.
It is exactly this different perspective, defined by traditional beliefs, societal positions and their backgrounds, that makes Mesema, Farid, Didryk and Grada able to make the difference in the battle against the nothing and against the Yrkmir. Sarmin, the consummate outside-insider from The Emperor's Knife has become a true insider in his time upon the throne, even if his ideas are still less than conventional. His development is very well done, as he not only has to learn to live outside his tower and rule, in The Tower Broken, he also learns how to truly love and trust again. Another insider's perspective is that of Govnan. Together with Mesema's, his arc in The Tower Broken was my favourite. I really loved his dedication and loyalty to his emperor and country, but also his kind and loving way with his acolytes and students and with Sarmin. Plus, together with Farid, he gave us an interesting closer look at the Tower and elemental magics. These five, together with Grada, and two of the Tower mages, Mura and Moreth are the key to saving not just the Empire, but the world, through their different abilities and approaches and I found them wonderful windows onto the narrative.
The Tower Broken is expertly paced. The problems Sarmin and his people have to face are many and have increasingly larger impact on the chances of survival of all of them. Perhaps least threatening in the overall scope is the General Arigu and his conspiring with High Priest Dinar to gain control of Sarmin and the throne. Scaling up there is the nation of Yrkmir that is invading Cerana and taking no prisoners, killing indiscriminately instead. And of course, the largest threat is that of the Storm and the Scar, which is unmaking reality and swallowing everything. Williams manages to make all of these threats interweave and makes their resolution interleaved, so the tension only breaks towards the end of the novel, even if there are smaller victories and breathing spaces throughout the novel. I think this is one of the places where Williams' growth as an author is most marked. In The Emperor's Knife, and to a lesser extent in Knife Sworn, there were points in the narrative where the pace lagged and I got distracted from reading more easily. Not so with The Tower Broken, it kept me glued to the page for one more chapter for more chapters than I'd care to admit.
I really enjoyed this last volume in the Tower & Knife trilogy. It's a series that is truly epic fantasy, in the sense that it deals with potentially world-shattering events, but one that is very much character-driven. The Tower Broken completes Sarmin and Mesema's story in a completely satisfying ending and one that suits the series very much. While the chances of Williams returning to Cerana in the near future are slim, I'm looking forward to reading what they write next. Although, if they change their pen name, we might never know whether we are reading their next book. In any case, if epic fantasy is your thing, Tower & Knife is a series you'll want to read. And the good news? It's complete so you'll be able to read it without having to wait for the next book longer than a trip to the book store or for the post to deliver it!
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
February 29, 2016
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‘The Tower Broken’ is the last book in the Tower and Knife trilogy and is hands down the best book of the three. I have to admit that the first book didn’t really resonate with me. The second book was much, much better although the story did get a bit complex now and again. But if you keep a clear head while reading, it is a very enjoyable read. ‘The Tower Broken’ is even better than ‘Knife-Sworn’, it reads fluently and though the story never loses its complexity, I had an easier time following it this time. I think the Tower and Knife trilogy is a wonderful example of how an author can grow, because Mazarkis Williams surely has risen to a much higher level since ‘The Emperor’s Knife’. She keeps writing with beautiful prose and has intriguing ideas, but the way the book comes together has improved every time a new part of the trilogy came out, with ‘The Tower Broken’ hitting all the right spots.
Mazarkis Williams has a real talent for writing characters and in this book she demonstrated that again. I have enjoyed watching Sarmin grow from the boy locked away in his tower to the strong emperor with the golden heart he is today. I think seeing this character flourish is one of the strongest points in this trilogy. Sarmin is a character you can’t help but love. He has faced so much and has gone through the worst ordeals, but he comes out of it so much stronger than before.
Sarmin’s relationship with Mesema is another example of extremely enjoyable character interaction. Their relationship feels very real and is easy to get in to. They complement each other and the bond they formed beating the pattern master in the previous books really shines through.
Grada is another character that contributes a lot to the story. Though she is mostly in the background and doing what she does best without further explanation, as a reader I could really feel the warmth Sarmin feels for her and how he really needs her by his side.
There are also some new characters introduced in this final book of the trilogy. One of them is Farid, a fruitseller who gets kidnapped by the Mogyrk because he could see the pattern that had ravaged the marketplace where he was selling his fruit. And just like that he gets thrown in the middle of the political/religious war that’s been raging between the Cerani and the Mogyrk. It was really great to see the story through his eyes. He is quite new to all this and Williams portrays him with just the right amount of clumsiness and bewilderment when it comes to dealing with the Tower Mages and the people from the palace. He also has a very strong personality and I really enjoyed reading his struggles and the paths he chooses.
The second new character is Duke Didryk, a Mogyrk Duke that remains a bit of mystery for the first part of the book. It takes a long time before you know which side he’s on and what his plans are, which made him a very intriguing character and a solid addition to the set of POV characters William used in this book.
The story itself was full of suspense and mystery. The wounds of the Mogyrk God are spreading their nothingness and it creeping closer to Nooria with the minute. If that isn’t enough to get you on the edge of your seat, Yrkmir has sent their army and Mogyrk Austeres to Nooria to invade them. From within they are also threatened by Austere Adam who wants to convert the whole of Cerani to the Mogyrk faith and has been setting up rebellion’s throughout the city. Needless to say there is enough going on in this book to keep you glued to the pages, the outcome uncertain until the very end.
Writing an end to a trilogy or series is always a bit tricky. You have to find the right way to wrap up the story and leave the readers satisfied. I can honestly say that Williams did a wonderful job. I liked the way Sarmin’s story ended and how everything was resolved in the end. I wasn’t disappointed about any decision Williams made and it left me with a feeling of fulfillment and completeness. I wouldn’t mind another story in Sarmin’s world, but this story is successfully finished in my opinion.
I’m looking forward to what Mazarkis Williams will come up with next, because I’ve now seen her full potential in this book and she’s definitely part of my list of Fantasy authors to look out for.
If you’ve read ‘The Emperor’s Knife’ and ‘Knife-Sworn’ you’ll absolutely love ‘The Tower Broken’, of that I’m fairly sure. If you haven’t read the trilogy yet, you should definitely give it a go, even if the first book didn’t really sit well with you, like it did with me. Williams doesn’t disappoint and gives us a wonderful story throughout her three books. ‘The Tower Broken’ is definitely among the best books I’ve read this year!
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/
‘The Tower Broken’ is the last book in the Tower and Knife trilogy and is hands down the best book of the three. I have to admit that the first book didn’t really resonate with me. The second book was much, much better although the story did get a bit complex now and again. But if you keep a clear head while reading, it is a very enjoyable read. ‘The Tower Broken’ is even better than ‘Knife-Sworn’, it reads fluently and though the story never loses its complexity, I had an easier time following it this time. I think the Tower and Knife trilogy is a wonderful example of how an author can grow, because Mazarkis Williams surely has risen to a much higher level since ‘The Emperor’s Knife’. She keeps writing with beautiful prose and has intriguing ideas, but the way the book comes together has improved every time a new part of the trilogy came out, with ‘The Tower Broken’ hitting all the right spots.
Mazarkis Williams has a real talent for writing characters and in this book she demonstrated that again. I have enjoyed watching Sarmin grow from the boy locked away in his tower to the strong emperor with the golden heart he is today. I think seeing this character flourish is one of the strongest points in this trilogy. Sarmin is a character you can’t help but love. He has faced so much and has gone through the worst ordeals, but he comes out of it so much stronger than before.
Sarmin’s relationship with Mesema is another example of extremely enjoyable character interaction. Their relationship feels very real and is easy to get in to. They complement each other and the bond they formed beating the pattern master in the previous books really shines through.
Grada is another character that contributes a lot to the story. Though she is mostly in the background and doing what she does best without further explanation, as a reader I could really feel the warmth Sarmin feels for her and how he really needs her by his side.
There are also some new characters introduced in this final book of the trilogy. One of them is Farid, a fruitseller who gets kidnapped by the Mogyrk because he could see the pattern that had ravaged the marketplace where he was selling his fruit. And just like that he gets thrown in the middle of the political/religious war that’s been raging between the Cerani and the Mogyrk. It was really great to see the story through his eyes. He is quite new to all this and Williams portrays him with just the right amount of clumsiness and bewilderment when it comes to dealing with the Tower Mages and the people from the palace. He also has a very strong personality and I really enjoyed reading his struggles and the paths he chooses.
The second new character is Duke Didryk, a Mogyrk Duke that remains a bit of mystery for the first part of the book. It takes a long time before you know which side he’s on and what his plans are, which made him a very intriguing character and a solid addition to the set of POV characters William used in this book.
The story itself was full of suspense and mystery. The wounds of the Mogyrk God are spreading their nothingness and it creeping closer to Nooria with the minute. If that isn’t enough to get you on the edge of your seat, Yrkmir has sent their army and Mogyrk Austeres to Nooria to invade them. From within they are also threatened by Austere Adam who wants to convert the whole of Cerani to the Mogyrk faith and has been setting up rebellion’s throughout the city. Needless to say there is enough going on in this book to keep you glued to the pages, the outcome uncertain until the very end.
Writing an end to a trilogy or series is always a bit tricky. You have to find the right way to wrap up the story and leave the readers satisfied. I can honestly say that Williams did a wonderful job. I liked the way Sarmin’s story ended and how everything was resolved in the end. I wasn’t disappointed about any decision Williams made and it left me with a feeling of fulfillment and completeness. I wouldn’t mind another story in Sarmin’s world, but this story is successfully finished in my opinion.
I’m looking forward to what Mazarkis Williams will come up with next, because I’ve now seen her full potential in this book and she’s definitely part of my list of Fantasy authors to look out for.
If you’ve read ‘The Emperor’s Knife’ and ‘Knife-Sworn’ you’ll absolutely love ‘The Tower Broken’, of that I’m fairly sure. If you haven’t read the trilogy yet, you should definitely give it a go, even if the first book didn’t really sit well with you, like it did with me. Williams doesn’t disappoint and gives us a wonderful story throughout her three books. ‘The Tower Broken’ is definitely among the best books I’ve read this year!
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/
January 7, 2016
The Tower Broken is the final book in the Tower and Knife trilogy by Mazarkis Williams, a series I have adored since the first book came out. This book rounds out the story well and answers all the questions and curiosities I'd had, and in general, does a much better job at placing the magic and politics in context than the other books.
As with the previous books, The Tower Broken is told from multiple points of view. While I enjoyed, as ever, seeing from Emperor's Sarmin and his wife Mesema's eyes, I sorely missed the voice of the Empire Mother, Nessaket. She made the last book so much fun with her dreams and plans. To offset the loss, however, Williams introduces Farid, a fruit merchant who becomes embroiled in the schemes of those more powerful than he. Farid lends freshness and realism to the story and I liked how he was just as confused and alienated by palace life as I imagine I would be. I also like the other new character, Duke Didryk, because of the way his conflicting loyalties and goals played out.
This novel is executed with more finesse than its predecessors, and I found that I could keep up with all the developments quite easily. Whereas I'd briefly struggled to re-orient myself into the story in Knife Sworn, I found it much easier to slip into The Tower Broken. Every character, and more importantly, every point-of-view character, is well defined in this novel, and their actions, intent and motivation clearly drawn, contrasting sharply with the difficulty I'd had understanding Grada's role in Knife Sworn.
This is the strongest novel in the series when considering character development as well. Sarmin has come a long way since The Emperor's Knife, and Mesema has similarly gained complexity and purpose. Their slow re-discovery of one another and rebuilding of their bond brings light to an otherwise dark, gruesome story, and their personal struggles struck a chord within me as well. I love that Mesema refused to back down from what she believed right, and continued to challenge the oppression she faced in the palace any way she could.
When Sarmin became Emperor there was so much going on that he didn't get to decide what kind of a leader he wanted to be. In The Tower Broken, he is determined to change the way the Empire is run, but can't see how. Mesema tries to help him, but in the midst of this confusion and floundering come the twin threats of the god's wound and a Yrkmir invasion. Suddenly Sarmin can't tell friend from foe and the offer of an alliance from an unlikely source further muddies the waters. While he had been sympathetic in The Emperor's Knife, I felt alienated from Sarmin in Knife Sworn because of how different he had to be as Emperor. This book sees Sarmin learn to balance the need to be a just, decisive ruler with his curious, open nature.
I enjoyed the pattern-magic that was explored in this book. Having felt before that there is a lot more for us to learn about it, I was gratified to find that The Tower Broken focussed on the understanding of this mysterious but powerful form of magic. The incorporation of the Mogyrk religion into the main plot was also a welcome surprise, and I'm fascinated with the way Williams tied it to the patterns. I also feel that I understand the two types of magic in this world a lot better - I'd been confused about them before, especially as to why the Empire of Cerana saw the patterns as evil.
I loved The Tower Broken, and couldn't imagine a more fitting end to Sarmin and Mesema's journey. Fans of the series shouldn't miss this book, and those new to Williams' books should give them a try if they are looking for a captivating fantasy with a difference.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
As with the previous books, The Tower Broken is told from multiple points of view. While I enjoyed, as ever, seeing from Emperor's Sarmin and his wife Mesema's eyes, I sorely missed the voice of the Empire Mother, Nessaket. She made the last book so much fun with her dreams and plans. To offset the loss, however, Williams introduces Farid, a fruit merchant who becomes embroiled in the schemes of those more powerful than he. Farid lends freshness and realism to the story and I liked how he was just as confused and alienated by palace life as I imagine I would be. I also like the other new character, Duke Didryk, because of the way his conflicting loyalties and goals played out.
This novel is executed with more finesse than its predecessors, and I found that I could keep up with all the developments quite easily. Whereas I'd briefly struggled to re-orient myself into the story in Knife Sworn, I found it much easier to slip into The Tower Broken. Every character, and more importantly, every point-of-view character, is well defined in this novel, and their actions, intent and motivation clearly drawn, contrasting sharply with the difficulty I'd had understanding Grada's role in Knife Sworn.
This is the strongest novel in the series when considering character development as well. Sarmin has come a long way since The Emperor's Knife, and Mesema has similarly gained complexity and purpose. Their slow re-discovery of one another and rebuilding of their bond brings light to an otherwise dark, gruesome story, and their personal struggles struck a chord within me as well. I love that Mesema refused to back down from what she believed right, and continued to challenge the oppression she faced in the palace any way she could.
When Sarmin became Emperor there was so much going on that he didn't get to decide what kind of a leader he wanted to be. In The Tower Broken, he is determined to change the way the Empire is run, but can't see how. Mesema tries to help him, but in the midst of this confusion and floundering come the twin threats of the god's wound and a Yrkmir invasion. Suddenly Sarmin can't tell friend from foe and the offer of an alliance from an unlikely source further muddies the waters. While he had been sympathetic in The Emperor's Knife, I felt alienated from Sarmin in Knife Sworn because of how different he had to be as Emperor. This book sees Sarmin learn to balance the need to be a just, decisive ruler with his curious, open nature.
I enjoyed the pattern-magic that was explored in this book. Having felt before that there is a lot more for us to learn about it, I was gratified to find that The Tower Broken focussed on the understanding of this mysterious but powerful form of magic. The incorporation of the Mogyrk religion into the main plot was also a welcome surprise, and I'm fascinated with the way Williams tied it to the patterns. I also feel that I understand the two types of magic in this world a lot better - I'd been confused about them before, especially as to why the Empire of Cerana saw the patterns as evil.
I loved The Tower Broken, and couldn't imagine a more fitting end to Sarmin and Mesema's journey. Fans of the series shouldn't miss this book, and those new to Williams' books should give them a try if they are looking for a captivating fantasy with a difference.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
April 2, 2014
I loved this book! I loved the character Farid especially. I do like books/series that create a situation and then it gets resolved. I can't decide if I like this or The Emperor's Knife better.
May 12, 2014
The book was one of the good ones u would ever read ,, the characters were well formed and the time line of the story is interesting ,,,
May 27, 2014
So, it is done...
Although i felt that this finishing story is not so well put together compare to the first & second book, it still has it pull.. Good ending
Although i felt that this finishing story is not so well put together compare to the first & second book, it still has it pull.. Good ending
June 17, 2014
A wonderful conclusion to the trilogy.
May 14, 2025
14. Authors (pseudonym notwithstanding) should not be so arrogant to think that readers of their works can remember all that has gone before. I spent so long trying to remember who did what and when that the enjoyment of the book was somewhat diminished. I also thought it was a tad too long and had a bit of the bloat syndrome. I’m glad the series finished here.
September 5, 2021
Intriguing world, but this one did not hold my interest like the previous ones in the series.
January 3, 2022
Decent, not great.
July 25, 2014
Καλέ... Τελείωσε...
Είναι δυνατό βιβλίο. Γενικά είναι δυνατή τριλογία. Δε μένει τίποτε στον αέρα, ακόμη και το πιο μικρό έχει μια εξήγηση, έναν τρόπο. Λυπάμαι τόσο πολύ που αυτό το τρίτο βιβλίο δεν είναι τέλειο, αλλά αυτό δε σημαίνει ότι δεν ήταν ένα καλό, δυνατό βιβλίο. Με τη συγκίνησή του, με τη δράση του και με τα όλα του.
Το μόνο που δε μου άρεσε ήταν το αποδυναμωμένο τέλος. Φτάνει αργά, μόλις 10-15 σελίδες πριν κλείσει η τριλογία και φτάνει ως εκεί, με μερικές βιαστικά γραμμένες γραμμές, ίσα για να σου πει ότι αυτός κι αυτός κι αυτός πήγαν εκεί και τότε κρας-μπουμ-μπανγκ. Αποφεύγει τεχνηέντως να μπει σε λεπτομέρειες που ξέρει ότι δεν θα τις καταφέρει αλλά ξέρει να γυρίσει την οπτική του γωνία εκεί που αξίζει τον κόπο να το δεις.
Ευχαριστήθηκα τρελά
Spoiler
το θάνατο του Ντινάρ, την επίθεση της Νεσσάκετ, την αποκάλυψη του κώδικά της επιστολής, το πώς ο Αζίμ είναι πάντα εκεί, το σταθερό σημείο στην τρέλα. Το πώς τα εφρίτ δένονται στο θέλημα του Γκόβναν. Το πώς ο Μογκύρκ ζει και δε ζει μέσα σε έναν βράχο που περιέχει ένα πετρωμένο δέντρο. Το πώς και το γιατί μπόρεσαν κι έγιναν όσα έγιναν.
Αναρωτιέμαι αν ο συγγραφέας -του οποίου το φύλο και το πραγματικό όνομα δεν κατάφερα να ανακαλύψω, το Μαζάρκις Γουίλλιαμς είναι ψευδώνυμο- θα γράψει κάτι άλλο και τι άλλο μπορώ να περιμένω από αυτόν/αυτήν. Ούτως ή άλλως ήδη μου λείπουν οι ήρωές του. Κι ας ήταν κάποιες στιγμές κάπως φλύαροι ή κάπως αναποφάσιστοι. Άνθρωποι ήταν κι αυτοί, αλήθεια, έχουν δικαίωμα στην ατέλεια.
Είναι δυνατό βιβλίο. Γενικά είναι δυνατή τριλογία. Δε μένει τίποτε στον αέρα, ακόμη και το πιο μικρό έχει μια εξήγηση, έναν τρόπο. Λυπάμαι τόσο πολύ που αυτό το τρίτο βιβλίο δεν είναι τέλειο, αλλά αυτό δε σημαίνει ότι δεν ήταν ένα καλό, δυνατό βιβλίο. Με τη συγκίνησή του, με τη δράση του και με τα όλα του.
Το μόνο που δε μου άρεσε ήταν το αποδυναμωμένο τέλος. Φτάνει αργά, μόλις 10-15 σελίδες πριν κλείσει η τριλογία και φτάνει ως εκεί, με μερικές βιαστικά γραμμένες γραμμές, ίσα για να σου πει ότι αυτός κι αυτός κι αυτός πήγαν εκεί και τότε κρας-μπουμ-μπανγκ. Αποφεύγει τεχνηέντως να μπει σε λεπτομέρειες που ξέρει ότι δεν θα τις καταφέρει αλλά ξέρει να γυρίσει την οπτική του γωνία εκεί που αξίζει τον κόπο να το δεις.
Ευχαριστήθηκα τρελά
Spoiler
το θάνατο του Ντινάρ, την επίθεση της Νεσσάκετ, την αποκάλυψη του κώδικά της επιστολής, το πώς ο Αζίμ είναι πάντα εκεί, το σταθερό σημείο στην τρέλα. Το πώς τα εφρίτ δένονται στο θέλημα του Γκόβναν. Το πώς ο Μογκύρκ ζει και δε ζει μέσα σε έναν βράχο που περιέχει ένα πετρωμένο δέντρο. Το πώς και το γιατί μπόρεσαν κι έγιναν όσα έγιναν.
Αναρωτιέμαι αν ο συγγραφέας -του οποίου το φύλο και το πραγματικό όνομα δεν κατάφερα να ανακαλύψω, το Μαζάρκις Γουίλλιαμς είναι ψευδώνυμο- θα γράψει κάτι άλλο και τι άλλο μπορώ να περιμένω από αυτόν/αυτήν. Ούτως ή άλλως ήδη μου λείπουν οι ήρωές του. Κι ας ήταν κάποιες στιγμές κάπως φλύαροι ή κάπως αναποφάσιστοι. Άνθρωποι ήταν κι αυτοί, αλήθεια, έχουν δικαίωμα στην ατέλεια.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2014
Found it hard to get back into the swing of it, not bad but probably would be better if read closer to the others.
Read
August 30, 2014Good ending...pedestrian but fitting
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