A Crucible of Souls
(Sorcery Ascendant #1)
by Mitchell Hogan
fantasy
copyright 2015
read in November 2019
rated 7/10: well worth reading
A good, solid fantasy world, sufficient action -- in the sense of, things happening -- and likeable characters. That last is a bit of a problem...
The hero meets the usual range of harsh instructors and self-interested shopkeepers. Yet most of them turn out -- very quickly -- to be stern yet supportive. Okay, I actually like that! I just keep expecting them to have nasty ulterior motives. The girl in the cells, for example, turns out to *not* be a planted spy.
I guess I'm just too used to the full-on conspiracy style of writing. Nice people are just so unexpected. Unexpected yet enjoyable :-)
A few chapters in and I strike something which annoys me: a completely new set of characters. By the end of the book they do fit into the plot -- perhaps with more backstory to be revealed? -- but they are still well separated from the central hero.
It's a problem with book one of a series, there is so much still to be resolved. With such a broad world -- I wonder if all will eventually be resolved... or will the saga continue till the publishers stop publishing.
The ending of this book is quite reasonable. Major characters have escaped one peril, are currently safe, are now ready to set off into further peril. So this book may be read by itself. Very good.
On the other hand... there are many, many loose ends. Okay, there are three books -- so far. Plenty of time to tie up loose ends -- if that is the author's intention.
It's a very enjoyable book. I look forward to reading more, to see where it goes. I'm hoping for a saga... rather than a soap opera.
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19dec20: Read it again. Enjoyed it as much -- if not more. This time I knew that this is book one of at least three, so I was not annoyed when it ended with a number of cliff-hangers. This time, I just hope that I can get -- again -- copies of the follow-up books.
Very enjoyable -- though perhaps I should have gathered all three books before starting to read the first.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"Choice, not chance, determines your destiny" … Aristotle
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