The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, 1)

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If he was going to survive, if he was to take his father’s place on the Unhewn Throne, he needed to know about swords and fighting, politics and people, about all the things the Shin had neglected in their single-minded effort to train him in the empty trance that was the vaniate. Valyn has betrayed the Kettral by going AWOL and hunting down the renegade wing that was to be involved in the assassination of his brother. Yurl has been killed and Valyn and Kalen are planning for the impending arrival of The Flea whilst trying to figure out their next move, who they can trust and where they can go. I have to say that I NEED to get my hands on the next, and I believe final installment of the series ASAP!!!! I hate that I have to wait 2 whole more weeks!!! But, I also think that those 2_weeks would be good to settle down my nerves so I can be able to handle whatever this wonderful author has to throw our way! Bring it on, mister!!! Stavely makes sure each sibling travels a very different path and has a distinct voice that has been cultured through the experiences we follow them on and this is part of what made reading this book so easy and enjoyable. The consistency of their actions and thoughts shows well written and truly fleshed out characters but in no way makes anticipating their actions a foregone conclusion. A number of times I found myself frustrated by their choices but the ‘blades’ themselves shared this frustration, and were justified in doing so, as they have very little information to go off and everything they do has to be in a ‘best guess’ sort of manner. This was very realistic, a bit Tolkien esq, and served to highlight the often impossibly convenient access to information that seems to pervade a lot of fantasy books. Even George R.R. Martin says that he keeps some characters alive as they are the only POV he has in that camp or that occasionally he’ll have a raven fly in just at the right time to get things moving with some information he had no other way to impart.

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hella anachronisms. like "concrete" used as So why did I give this 4 stars? Well two reasons mainly. One the story is interesting. The world building Mr. Stavely does in this book is especially intriguing. The pieces he put in place in this novel look to make for a really interesting third (and final?) book in this series. We went on to have a lovely vacation. And enjoyed a lot of quality family time. Because they hid the book from me... Right now, I hate all three main characters. But at the same time, I can’t wait to start reading sequel, for everything else, except for them.Like most people with a brain I find house chores unbearably boring, as a stay-at-home mom I find myself spending a significant portion of my waking life doing them. To stay sane I listen to audiobooks. So when I tell you that while listening to your book I scrubbed my whole house top to bottom and then, not wanting to stop listening, I cleaned out all my kitchen cupboards and then moved on to the closets, that is high praise indeed. I am looking forward to book 2, and have already made a little list of exceedingly dull, mind-numbing tasks about the house to facilitate my binge-listening. Kaden's storyline continues to be interesting. His ability to step away from emotions, to achieve emptiness, is an interesting ability. I kept expected him to somehow become an amazing warrior, and he doesn't (which was refreshing). Instead, after some adventures of his own, he mistakenly dabbles in politics. With new enemies, new histories, new theologies there is more to this world than ever before. A little bit of something for everyone. Executive Summary: I liked it, but didn't love it. The supporting characters really shone, while the "Emperor's Blades" seemed dull.

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The other gripe I had about the first book was that for an epic fantasy, the story just didn’t feel quite big enough. Kaden’s everyday life seemed to revolve being beaten silly by the monks, and for Valyn it was being beaten silly by his trainers and other rival wings. Adare hardly appeared at all. Well, no problems with any of that here. Whereas in The Emperor’s Blades our settings were mostly restricted to the mountain monastery for Kaden, the Kettral training island for Valyn, and the Dawn Palace for Adare, The Providence of Fire opens the world right up as all three royal siblings travel far and wide on their quests. And rather than dealing with their immediate personal problems, the conflicts they face in this novel are far more urgent and significant as well, with far-reaching consequences for the whole empire and not just our three main protagonists. Do you remember infamous Red Wedding scene from a G. R.R. Martin’s book or a Game of Thrones TV show? Do you remember that feeling you had while reading or watching it? Yes, traumas, I know.Liptak, Andrew (1 January 2014). "The Emperor's Blades may be the year's breakout epic war fantasy". io9 . Retrieved 25 June 2017.

The Emperor’s Blades | Brian Staveley The Emperor’s Blades | Brian Staveley

If these first two books are any indication of what The Last Mortal Bond is going to be like, then I know I won't be able to put it down! I can't wait to start and devour it as soon as possible!I’ve almost finished your awesome book! I love the way you’ve built your world but still maintained high quality characters. The best book I’ve read since The Name of the Wind. They will not be ready to rule it,” he said, his eyes silent as the stars, “until they are willing to see it burn.” As for the main characters, Kaden is really starting to show his amazing skills. Valyn gets from the frying pan into the fire and makes it out with a new version of himself. Adare was the character mostly used as a vehicle to introduce others really. She is possibly the weakest character of all. Thanks for getting in touch. Actually, I don’t know Jason at all, except through the internet. I’m not involved with his pricing, and I don’t make any money off the books. I don’t follow the signed book market at all, and have no idea if he’ll manage to sell them at this price.

The Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley | Goodreads The Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley | Goodreads

Twists and turns are good in a fantasy book but not at the cost of character development. I could not believe that this book was written by the same author who wrote The Emperor’s Blades. The plot of a story is not impressive at all if it so heavily relies on stupid decisions made by the protagonists. And it would have been excusable if those stupid decisions were the ONLY choice in front of them, but that was rarely the case, in this book. The rest of the review is for those who have read the book. Rating: 4 stars. I'll rate it the same as the first book. I thought it was a far more exciting and engaging read, but it was definitely hurt by the fact that I was beginning to lose faith in all three members of the Imperial family by the end.Valyn is in a whole heap of trouble. Branded a traitor he is not only running from the all the forces of Annur but also from Flea the greatest wing commander in the history of the Kettral. Nothing seems to ever go right for him and I swear they get found or captured more than the Dwarves’ in The Hobit. But he is ever tough and his crew + Pyrre is amazing. Vayln made some really tough calls as Wing commander and although they seem right at the time there is no denying that every choice has a consequence, some he can live with and others just might change him forever. Brian Staveley weaves beauty with his words, ensnaring the senses and filling the surrounding air with the world he's created. I'm in awe of his ability and I look forward to everything to come in his career. Most especially, right now, the third book in the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne series. deadhedge on The Secret of the Sul’Dam: Subtle Changes to the Way the One Power Works in The Wheel of Time TV Series 4 hours ago