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You can always count on Berg for a great fantasy tale, and this one is a top-notch entry into her bibliography.
I thought this would be a direct sequel to the 'Lighthouse Duet': 'Flesh and Spirit' and 'Breath and Bone' - but instead, it's a separate story that takes place in the same world.
The 'Lighthouse Duet' gives us an initially unlikable protagonist named Valen, an attractive young man who becomes contracted to a doubtful master, has to learn about his magical heritage, and who goes through ...more
I thought this would be a direct sequel to the 'Lighthouse Duet': 'Flesh and Spirit' and 'Breath and Bone' - but instead, it's a separate story that takes place in the same world.
The 'Lighthouse Duet' gives us an initially unlikable protagonist named Valen, an attractive young man who becomes contracted to a doubtful master, has to learn about his magical heritage, and who goes through ...more
This book has two major plot lines, one a conspiracy and one a murder mystery, and I think it would have been far better served if it has just focused one. As it is both story lines, which were barely connected, had the potential to be excellent but ultimately were underdone. It was still an entertaining read, and I very much enjoyed the friendship that grew between Lucian and Bastion, which is hardly a shock because male friendships have always been one of Berg's strongest points.
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I loved this book. Carol Berg’s writing is just wonderful and would certainly work well for those who typically enjoy literary fiction. It’s definitely an under appreciated fantasy novel!
Fantastic. Love Carol Berg.
That beginning.
It's almost Dickensian in its grinding hopelessness and unfairness. It was, in fact, almost more than I could enjoy reading. I got bogged down several times...
After about the quarter mark, the book opens up, and you start to see the political intrigue and world-spanning stuff that makes Carol Berg books so fun. But it was a small skirmish getting to that point.
Well written, good characters, lovely twisty plot...but that beginning.
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It's almost Dickensian in its grinding hopelessness and unfairness. It was, in fact, almost more than I could enjoy reading. I got bogged down several times...
After about the quarter mark, the book opens up, and you start to see the political intrigue and world-spanning stuff that makes Carol Berg books so fun. But it was a small skirmish getting to that point.
Well written, good characters, lovely twisty plot...but that beginning.
...more
What joy! A wonderfully complex novel from Berg, which is set in the same world as the Mythopoeic Award winners Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone. This is not a sequel or a "prequel," but a parallel story that explores the world and cultures from a different perspective. This book contains no spoilers, but readers of those two marvelous books will find characters and occurrences they know. The myriad wonders of this book include the magic -- Berg's magic is always astonishing and beautiful --
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Jul 29, 2014
Amanda
marked it as not-now
Aug 18, 2014
Maria
marked it as to-read
Mar 12, 2015
Delitealex
marked it as to-read
Nov 24, 2015
Robin
marked it as to-read
Dec 01, 2015
Sam
marked it as to-read
Dec 09, 2015
Bogdan
marked it as to-read
Jan 13, 2016
Vinay Badri
marked it as to-read
Feb 11, 2016
Rita
marked it as wishlist
Aug 19, 2016
T. Frohock
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2017
Jill
marked it as to-read
Jun 19, 2018
Eric Gaston
marked it as to-read
Dec 09, 2018
John Mendiola
marked it as to-read
May 26, 2020
Navi
marked it as to-read
