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Corona #13
Child of a Mad God
From R. A. Salvatore, the legendary creator of Drizzt Do’Urden, comes the start of abrand new epic journey.
When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.
The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.
When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.
The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2018
490 people are currently reading
6214 people want to read
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
606 books11.2k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
February 11, 2018
[4.5/5 stars] I’ve been reading (and enjoying) R.A. Salvatore for almost 20 years, so what struck me as profound during Child of a Mad God was how well-rounded a writer he has evolved into. He was always an accomplished storyteller, but compared to his early works in the world of Corona (published in the late 1990s) it’s immediately clear how next-level his work has become. Child of a Mad God was superbly written and I don’t have a single critical thing to say about any craft-related aspect of this book – it was excellent.
I didn’t realize this book was part of the Corona world until I was about halfway through. Even though I’ve only read two other Corona books (Demon Awakens and Demon Spirit), Child of a Mad God felt self-contained enough to be read on its own. It will transport you to an isolated, indigenous landscape, and set a mood that is almost otherworldly in its delivery. There were a few minor characters (including an unknown (to me) POV in what I call the “Drizzt letter” at the beginning of every part) that felt a little like cameos from previous books and made me feel like I was missing a bit of historical depth. But none of them had any direct impact on the main story. I’m actually looking forward to reading the backlist in this series to find out if we really have seen these characters before.
The main POV characters had so much depth that it sort of took me off guard. I wasn’t expecting to have so much emotion pulled out of me, and that introspection is probably the strongest element of the story. He really digs into the motives and carnal wants of these characters, which slowed the pacing considerably even though it still had a lot of impact. As I touched on already, the world building was fantastic. It was totally immersive into this culture without ever dwelling on the mundane aspects of their daily lives. Instead, it focused 100% on the things that made the plot special. Even though it was slower, not a single page was wasted.
So, while I absolutely loved all of the elements I usually rate books on (writing, characters, world-building, etc.), I need to be honest about my general enjoyment-level of the book. You see, it’s pretty brutal. It often danced on the edge of what I can tolerate (take this with a grain of salt because I’m the first to admit that I’m a wimp), meaning a lot of my reading experience involved an odd juxtaposition of loving it but absolutely hating the awful things that happened within it. Even so, from an analytical standpoint, I can appreciate how those brutal moments helped raise the stakes for the story and really ground the reader in this unforgivable society. By no means is it a happy story, but it’s certainly a compelling one. I usually need a strong ray of hope to keep me engaged in books, which Child of a Mad God was pointedly lacking. I yearned for vindication for these characters and was rewarded with a punch to the gut every time. Even so, the potential for satisfaction in future books is what has me eager to continue the series.
Recommendations: I’d hand this book to fantasy readers who often list “good characters” as their main criteria, but it also fits the bill for excellent world-building and beautiful writing. If you can stomach indigenous brutality and slower pacing, Child of a Mad God is a great pick for you. I felt it stands alone well enough that you don’t have to have read previous Corona books to enjoy it, but that’s speaking from someone who doesn’t yet know quite what she’s missing. :)
I’d like to thank R.A. Salvatore and the publicists at TOR/Forge for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Child of a Mad God! :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
I didn’t realize this book was part of the Corona world until I was about halfway through. Even though I’ve only read two other Corona books (Demon Awakens and Demon Spirit), Child of a Mad God felt self-contained enough to be read on its own. It will transport you to an isolated, indigenous landscape, and set a mood that is almost otherworldly in its delivery. There were a few minor characters (including an unknown (to me) POV in what I call the “Drizzt letter” at the beginning of every part) that felt a little like cameos from previous books and made me feel like I was missing a bit of historical depth. But none of them had any direct impact on the main story. I’m actually looking forward to reading the backlist in this series to find out if we really have seen these characters before.
The main POV characters had so much depth that it sort of took me off guard. I wasn’t expecting to have so much emotion pulled out of me, and that introspection is probably the strongest element of the story. He really digs into the motives and carnal wants of these characters, which slowed the pacing considerably even though it still had a lot of impact. As I touched on already, the world building was fantastic. It was totally immersive into this culture without ever dwelling on the mundane aspects of their daily lives. Instead, it focused 100% on the things that made the plot special. Even though it was slower, not a single page was wasted.
So, while I absolutely loved all of the elements I usually rate books on (writing, characters, world-building, etc.), I need to be honest about my general enjoyment-level of the book. You see, it’s pretty brutal. It often danced on the edge of what I can tolerate (take this with a grain of salt because I’m the first to admit that I’m a wimp), meaning a lot of my reading experience involved an odd juxtaposition of loving it but absolutely hating the awful things that happened within it. Even so, from an analytical standpoint, I can appreciate how those brutal moments helped raise the stakes for the story and really ground the reader in this unforgivable society. By no means is it a happy story, but it’s certainly a compelling one. I usually need a strong ray of hope to keep me engaged in books, which Child of a Mad God was pointedly lacking. I yearned for vindication for these characters and was rewarded with a punch to the gut every time. Even so, the potential for satisfaction in future books is what has me eager to continue the series.
Recommendations: I’d hand this book to fantasy readers who often list “good characters” as their main criteria, but it also fits the bill for excellent world-building and beautiful writing. If you can stomach indigenous brutality and slower pacing, Child of a Mad God is a great pick for you. I felt it stands alone well enough that you don’t have to have read previous Corona books to enjoy it, but that’s speaking from someone who doesn’t yet know quite what she’s missing. :)
I’d like to thank R.A. Salvatore and the publicists at TOR/Forge for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Child of a Mad God! :)
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
May 1, 2018
Freaking loved it!!
Mel 🖤🐾🐺
Mel 🖤🐾🐺
March 30, 2018
If you’ve paid any attention to my reviews at all over the course of time (and, if you have, you are clearly bored and in need of some more diverting entertainment, such as a root canal, or perhaps a colonoscopy), you know I’m a big fan of Bob Salvatore (see, for example, my apparently premature eulogy for Drizzt Do’Urden). So, take that into account when considering my take on Child of a Mad God.
For the first time in several years, Salvatore leaves the shared world of the Forgotten Realms behind and returns to his own land of Corona. Corona is a more hardscrabble world than the Realms, and in Mad God, Salvatore explores a particularly bleak and brutal corner of that world, one populated by demigod monsters and the Usgar tribe, a people whose menfolk routinely brutalize and demean women and whose women treat non-tribe members in the same way. It continues to develop and refine the magic system of Corona in interesting ways and explores new geographic and religious frontiers, but this is not an easy, escapist fantasy read; it is, in many ways, a Hobbesian experience, solitary, nasty, and brutish.
The thing I appreciated most about Mad God, which isn’t my favorite story in Salvatore’s oeuvre, is the style in which it’s written, which is characteristic of Salvatore’s usual approach: a mix old-school fantasy formality, intense fight scenes, and dialogue that mixes high and low humor. After more than 40 books, it’s like hanging out with an old friend, even if the story and characters didn’t keep me quite as enraptured as usual this time around.
Still, there’s plenty of potential for this series to grow, and an intriguing main character in Aoelyn, so I’m in for the long haul.
If you’re new to Salvatore’s work, though, I wouldn’t start here—start with his Drizzt Do’Urden books (specifically, Homeland, though you could also start with The Crystal Shard). If you want to check out Corona, start with The Demon Awakens and work your way up to Mortalis, which, for my money, is the best (albeit most emotionally draining) Corona book before you come back around to Child of a Mad God.
For those of you still reading, I’d be happy to buy you a colonoscopy, because you clearly need something better to do. Do they do gift certificates for those…?
For the first time in several years, Salvatore leaves the shared world of the Forgotten Realms behind and returns to his own land of Corona. Corona is a more hardscrabble world than the Realms, and in Mad God, Salvatore explores a particularly bleak and brutal corner of that world, one populated by demigod monsters and the Usgar tribe, a people whose menfolk routinely brutalize and demean women and whose women treat non-tribe members in the same way. It continues to develop and refine the magic system of Corona in interesting ways and explores new geographic and religious frontiers, but this is not an easy, escapist fantasy read; it is, in many ways, a Hobbesian experience, solitary, nasty, and brutish.
The thing I appreciated most about Mad God, which isn’t my favorite story in Salvatore’s oeuvre, is the style in which it’s written, which is characteristic of Salvatore’s usual approach: a mix old-school fantasy formality, intense fight scenes, and dialogue that mixes high and low humor. After more than 40 books, it’s like hanging out with an old friend, even if the story and characters didn’t keep me quite as enraptured as usual this time around.
Still, there’s plenty of potential for this series to grow, and an intriguing main character in Aoelyn, so I’m in for the long haul.
If you’re new to Salvatore’s work, though, I wouldn’t start here—start with his Drizzt Do’Urden books (specifically, Homeland, though you could also start with The Crystal Shard). If you want to check out Corona, start with The Demon Awakens and work your way up to Mortalis, which, for my money, is the best (albeit most emotionally draining) Corona book before you come back around to Child of a Mad God.
For those of you still reading, I’d be happy to buy you a colonoscopy, because you clearly need something better to do. Do they do gift certificates for those…?
January 15, 2020
Personal rating: 4.5
This was awesome! It’s a slow fantasy that really focuses on the details and ambience of the landscape. Though it is a depressing story, rarely any happy moments, I enjoyed this immensely! Also VERY brutal with several scenes of torture and rape so please keep that in mind.
This was awesome! It’s a slow fantasy that really focuses on the details and ambience of the landscape. Though it is a depressing story, rarely any happy moments, I enjoyed this immensely! Also VERY brutal with several scenes of torture and rape so please keep that in mind.
February 8, 2018
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Child of a Mad God is a return to Corona for R.A. Salvatore, but this time out the familiar lands are far away, as a wilder, dark world far beyond the Wilderlands takes center stage. Here savage tribes reside. Brutal raids see innocents killed. Ritual sacrifices are common. Slaves are taken. Women are raped. Demons hide in the shadows. And covens of witches aid their warriors and pass on their secrets to selected girls. To say this book showcases a grittier, bloodier side of the author’s writing style is fair, but, at heart, it is still the familiar action packed Salvatore tale all his fans will adore.
Far to the west, past even the Wilderlands, is a barbaric region, where people can get lost in the untamed vastness. The young frontiersman Talmadge is one of these people, eager to avoid the crowded chaos of civilization. His time spent traveling from township to township trading with the semi-civilized tribes for precious goods he turns into gold to finance his survival. The years passing by as he slowly finds his way in the world.
Meanwhile, in the Usgar Tribe, Aoleyn is a young orphan being raised by a witch; her life filled with the harsh realities of tribal life in a patriarchal society, where warriors loot, pillage, rape, and enslave anyone they wish – even their fellow tribesmen. Aoleyn herself not immune from casual brutality. And it is only when she has grown into a young woman and finds within herself the sacred magical power that she feels strong enough to fight against the traditions of her people, determined to live a life far different than what she has grown up in.
Eventually, these separate tales of our two protagonists slowly entangle, causing them to come together to deal with tragedy, terror, and make some very important life decisions. No real conclusion is reached in their encounter and its aftermath, but it certainly sets up important things to come in this saga going forward.
What most readers will likely adore about this story is the character of Aoleyn, who perfectly represents the new fantasy go to character of smart, strong, and perceptive woman determined to right the wrongs of society. To make our heroine’s rise even more awe-inspiring here is the fact she comes from a horribly misogynistic society, one which glorifies brutality, slavery, rape, and general vileness. Her slow recognition of the injustices of her people and their treatment of everyone around them a true hero’s journey of personal enlightenment, as Aoleyn begins the process of escaping from the bonds of her morally bankrupt society.
On the other hand, what most readers will not enjoy about this novel is the slow pacing of the narrative. Understandably, Salvatore devotes a great deal of time carefully molding and shaping the harsh wilderness of Corona while also lovingly fleshing out Talmadge and Aoleyn, but what is not quite so understandably is the fact that this takes up over half the book with little to no payoff being given readers in the conclusion. Yes, the last hundred or so pages are filled with more action and drama than the preceding three hundred and so, but the ending doesn’t really conclude anything. Rather, it feels more like a long, drawn out set up for book two.
Child of a Mad God is an interesting return to the world of Corona, telling a gritty and brutal tale of a rugged frontier land and its inhabitants. Whether you enjoy world building and lore or strong female leads, this book will have some element to please, especially if you already have a strong affinity for Corona or the author’s writing. Certainly, the slow pacing and general lack of a conclusion might be bothersome, but if you need a fix of R.A. Salvatore fantasy, this book will not disappoint.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Child of a Mad God is a return to Corona for R.A. Salvatore, but this time out the familiar lands are far away, as a wilder, dark world far beyond the Wilderlands takes center stage. Here savage tribes reside. Brutal raids see innocents killed. Ritual sacrifices are common. Slaves are taken. Women are raped. Demons hide in the shadows. And covens of witches aid their warriors and pass on their secrets to selected girls. To say this book showcases a grittier, bloodier side of the author’s writing style is fair, but, at heart, it is still the familiar action packed Salvatore tale all his fans will adore.
Far to the west, past even the Wilderlands, is a barbaric region, where people can get lost in the untamed vastness. The young frontiersman Talmadge is one of these people, eager to avoid the crowded chaos of civilization. His time spent traveling from township to township trading with the semi-civilized tribes for precious goods he turns into gold to finance his survival. The years passing by as he slowly finds his way in the world.
Meanwhile, in the Usgar Tribe, Aoleyn is a young orphan being raised by a witch; her life filled with the harsh realities of tribal life in a patriarchal society, where warriors loot, pillage, rape, and enslave anyone they wish – even their fellow tribesmen. Aoleyn herself not immune from casual brutality. And it is only when she has grown into a young woman and finds within herself the sacred magical power that she feels strong enough to fight against the traditions of her people, determined to live a life far different than what she has grown up in.
Eventually, these separate tales of our two protagonists slowly entangle, causing them to come together to deal with tragedy, terror, and make some very important life decisions. No real conclusion is reached in their encounter and its aftermath, but it certainly sets up important things to come in this saga going forward.
What most readers will likely adore about this story is the character of Aoleyn, who perfectly represents the new fantasy go to character of smart, strong, and perceptive woman determined to right the wrongs of society. To make our heroine’s rise even more awe-inspiring here is the fact she comes from a horribly misogynistic society, one which glorifies brutality, slavery, rape, and general vileness. Her slow recognition of the injustices of her people and their treatment of everyone around them a true hero’s journey of personal enlightenment, as Aoleyn begins the process of escaping from the bonds of her morally bankrupt society.
On the other hand, what most readers will not enjoy about this novel is the slow pacing of the narrative. Understandably, Salvatore devotes a great deal of time carefully molding and shaping the harsh wilderness of Corona while also lovingly fleshing out Talmadge and Aoleyn, but what is not quite so understandably is the fact that this takes up over half the book with little to no payoff being given readers in the conclusion. Yes, the last hundred or so pages are filled with more action and drama than the preceding three hundred and so, but the ending doesn’t really conclude anything. Rather, it feels more like a long, drawn out set up for book two.
Child of a Mad God is an interesting return to the world of Corona, telling a gritty and brutal tale of a rugged frontier land and its inhabitants. Whether you enjoy world building and lore or strong female leads, this book will have some element to please, especially if you already have a strong affinity for Corona or the author’s writing. Certainly, the slow pacing and general lack of a conclusion might be bothersome, but if you need a fix of R.A. Salvatore fantasy, this book will not disappoint.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
May 2, 2020
“We cannot change our past, and denying it serves no good end. For changing how we speak about it might deceive others, but not ourselves. Those chapters are written, the words are clear, the ink dried. But the book is not complete so long as we draw breath.”
R.A. Salvatore is a legendary fantasy writer, one that tends to come highly recommended by his loyal readers. You cannot view a Best Of Fantasy list without seeing his Legend of Drizzt series ranking in one of the top spots. To say that is an intimidating series to jump into with the various branches of the Drizzt tree would be an understatement! There's approximately 23475 titles that belong to the Forgotten Realms setting and that's just from Salvatore's long line of books! Rough estimate, of course.
Although he may be known for creating one of the most beloved characters in fantasy fiction with Drizzt Do'Urden, to me he is known as the writer that killed off one of the greatest characters of all time. A fan favorite in the Star Wars universe, this character's death in Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series, was ridiculously controversial. I remember reading the scene during an in-school detention as a teenager and just sitting there, tears rolling down my face. I tried to keep my cool, but once I got home, I reread the scene again and literally threw the book. I was SHOOK. What the fuck, Mr. Salvatore? YOU GODDAMN MONSTER! Naturally, it caused many fans to freak the fuck out. Although some took it way too far, sending him death threats because they were outraged that he killed off the first major character from the trilogy. Long story short, it turns out it wasn't his decision AND it's no longer canon. It was such a great book though. Oof.
Child of a Mad God is only the second Salvatore novel I've read, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was excited going into it.
Reader, I AM DISAPPOINT.
When there is a large collection of female characters and yet.. the writer still resorts to gratuitous rape to seemingly make a character have agency and become a badass? WHEN SHE WAS ALREADY A BADASS. Hard pass. I'll be donating the next book in this series that's sitting on my shelf. This saddens me, because I was so looking forward to finally starting this series. It seemed completely in my wheelhouse. Instead, it was yet another instance where a book is masquerading as progressive, yet misses the mark so entirely.
There were many elements of this that I loved:
*Warriors, witches and goblins!
*Rad magical structure that hinges on unique spears with crystals at the tip that contain magic and a Coven of powerful witches that are able to command that magic.
*A main character who is different and often misjudged. She's intelligent and wise beyond her years. Often told that she isn't a "proper" woman with regards to her spirited ways (HEAR!HEAR!)
The not-so-good? For a book that spans nearly 20 years, not a lot happens until the last part. Besides rape. So much unnecessary rape.
Rape as a plot device minimizes whatever good there is in this story. I understand where Salvatore was going with this, meaning to address and represent a misogynistic, violent, brutal culture. But come the fuck on, dude. It's hard to justify when you can make that point much more effectively without the constant barrage of violence, both sexual and physical, against female characters.
Luckily, there isn't a shortage of fantasy novels out there that manage to be brilliant without perpetuating extreme violence towards women.
Writers can do better. And so can readers.
R.A. Salvatore is a legendary fantasy writer, one that tends to come highly recommended by his loyal readers. You cannot view a Best Of Fantasy list without seeing his Legend of Drizzt series ranking in one of the top spots. To say that is an intimidating series to jump into with the various branches of the Drizzt tree would be an understatement! There's approximately 23475 titles that belong to the Forgotten Realms setting and that's just from Salvatore's long line of books! Rough estimate, of course.
Although he may be known for creating one of the most beloved characters in fantasy fiction with Drizzt Do'Urden, to me he is known as the writer that killed off one of the greatest characters of all time. A fan favorite in the Star Wars universe, this character's death in Vector Prime, the first novel in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series, was ridiculously controversial. I remember reading the scene during an in-school detention as a teenager and just sitting there, tears rolling down my face. I tried to keep my cool, but once I got home, I reread the scene again and literally threw the book. I was SHOOK. What the fuck, Mr. Salvatore? YOU GODDAMN MONSTER! Naturally, it caused many fans to freak the fuck out. Although some took it way too far, sending him death threats because they were outraged that he killed off the first major character from the trilogy. Long story short, it turns out it wasn't his decision AND it's no longer canon. It was such a great book though. Oof.
Child of a Mad God is only the second Salvatore novel I've read, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was excited going into it.
Reader, I AM DISAPPOINT.
When there is a large collection of female characters and yet.. the writer still resorts to gratuitous rape to seemingly make a character have agency and become a badass? WHEN SHE WAS ALREADY A BADASS. Hard pass. I'll be donating the next book in this series that's sitting on my shelf. This saddens me, because I was so looking forward to finally starting this series. It seemed completely in my wheelhouse. Instead, it was yet another instance where a book is masquerading as progressive, yet misses the mark so entirely.
There were many elements of this that I loved:
*Warriors, witches and goblins!
*Rad magical structure that hinges on unique spears with crystals at the tip that contain magic and a Coven of powerful witches that are able to command that magic.
*A main character who is different and often misjudged. She's intelligent and wise beyond her years. Often told that she isn't a "proper" woman with regards to her spirited ways (HEAR!HEAR!)
The not-so-good? For a book that spans nearly 20 years, not a lot happens until the last part. Besides rape. So much unnecessary rape.
Rape as a plot device minimizes whatever good there is in this story. I understand where Salvatore was going with this, meaning to address and represent a misogynistic, violent, brutal culture. But come the fuck on, dude. It's hard to justify when you can make that point much more effectively without the constant barrage of violence, both sexual and physical, against female characters.
Luckily, there isn't a shortage of fantasy novels out there that manage to be brilliant without perpetuating extreme violence towards women.
Writers can do better. And so can readers.
February 6, 2018
It's clear that Salvatore wants Child of a Mad God to be a progressive, feminist novel, and it's almost there, but several moments sabotage his efforts, and show how far we still have to go before we can break away from the genre's tired tropes. That aside, Child of a Mad God is a welcome return to the world of Corona. As a big DemonWars Saga fan, I was thrilled to return, and fascinated by the way Salvatore revealed new things about the world's magic. It can be difficult to return to a world after several years away, especially when you're trying to craft something new, and not just a rehash of the prior stories, but Salvatore succeeds in this. It's familiar and fresh at the same time. The DemonWars Saga is forever cemented in my reader's soul, and Child of a Mad God reminds me of just why I fell in love with Salvatore's novels in the first place.
Full review: https://www.tor.com/2018/02/06/book-r...
Full review: https://www.tor.com/2018/02/06/book-r...
dnf-try-again-later
July 10, 2018After 2 months of sitting on my "currently reading" shelf, it's definitely time to DNF this. It wasn't bad. I just lost my desire to read it after I couldn't renew it anymore from the library and had to return it. I kept telling myself I was going to check it out again and then I did and STILL didn't read it.
October 22, 2018
DNF @30%
Does this book ever start making sense? There is very little difference between the two groups of humans, and the thoughts of the demon are inane ramblings.
Into the abandoned book pile; there's better stuff out there.
Does this book ever start making sense? There is very little difference between the two groups of humans, and the thoughts of the demon are inane ramblings.
Into the abandoned book pile; there's better stuff out there.
January 9, 2018
NO SPOILER REVIEW:
Child of a Mad God by R.A. Salvatore
On February the 6th, New York Times Bestselling author R.A. Salvatore will launch his newest epic fantasy novel series. Child of a Mad God, a Tale of the Coven is Salvatore's first novel in almost 8 years to be set in the land of Corona. This world, created by Salvatore himself, is also home to his very popular Demonwars and Saga of the First King novels.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of Child of a Mad God from Bob as a gift and wanted to give all the other Salvatore fans in my network a spoiler free review to help create interest in the new book! So without further ado...
Cover:
At first look I was really impressed with the packaging of the new story. There is a lot of significance to the art, and you can learn a lot from the cover without having to read a word of the novel itself. We already know that this new story is set in the world of Corona, and we know that the area in which the story takes place is brand new and previously undescribed. The cover gives us our first glimpse of what this new area looks like. We see a female character standing high on a cliff overlooking a huge lake surrounded by mountains. I think we can assume that the character is Aoleyn from this book cover description listed on TOR Books' Website:
"When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.
The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.”
Aoleyn seems to be dressed in furs, which supports the idea that she is living in a primitive tribal civilization as mentioned in the cover description. Tribal civilizations tend to have rituals that take place due to astronomical events, thus the Blood Moon on the cover seems to have some significance as well.
The text on the cover was done really well also. It clearly presents the important things, title and author, but also includes little hints at what is inside. It says “A Tale of The Coven” which immediately tells us that this is not a stand alone novel, but part of a bigger series. It also says “With change comes blood” accompanied by a blood smear behind the “A Tale of the Coven” text. These little things make the novel feel more primal than novels previously released in Corona.
Part One:
When I started reading the novel I will admit that I was worried. I am a huge fan of the Demonwars and Saga of the First King novels. I was fearful that because Child of a Mad God was set in a new part of Corona that I might feel lost, and thus start the book off on the wrong foot. I was immediately cured of this fear when reading the first two page monologue. The first few chapters introduce what I assumed would become two of the main characters, including Aoelyn. It didn’t take me very long, less than fifty pages, to become invested in both of these people. We are also introduced to the antagonists, one being the, “brutish warlord,” the other being a new kind of demon, both described on the cover description. All I will say is that I despise the warlord to a massive degree and if the new demon was released in my neighborhood, we would all be in serious trouble! The bad guys are really bad. I think back to some of the other villains from the Land of Corona and cannot recall any as insane and evil as these villians, maybe besides the Dactyl itself!
Bob has always been an author who lets the characters tell the story, and l find as a reader that this helps me to become more encompassed by the story itself. Both characters are very different from what you would expect in a Corona novel, and this helps Child of a Mad God to stand on its own, but the differences are not harsh enough to make the novel seem foreign.
The first part of Child of a Mad God also sets up the new part of Corona. There are fantastic descriptions of the landscape that use a ton of imagery to allow you to picture the setting in your mind. Everything from the people who live in this area to the monsters that plague them are shiny, new and different from what we have seen from Salvatore in the past. The nice part is that despite these differences, Bob gives us just enough throwbacks to his previous work to make the new area feel like it fits in the world properly. It was neat to see all the ways Bob made such a diverse setting exist alongside a previously well described world. We also see and hear of some of the more classic DemonWars monsters, magic and themes, but all done in a way that make them fresh and unique.
Part 2:
We are again reminded of the DemonWars novels in the monologue, and then the story begins to ramp up. It is hard to describe properly without spoilers but I can say that both main characters find companions, and these companions make them start to question their places in their respective lives. I will also say that I began to really fear for the characters and found myself unable to predict what was going to happen next. Each time I thought I had a character figured out, something subtle would make me question my assumptions. Approaching the halfway point you really start to feel the tension of the storyline building. The antagonists learn some things they probably shouldn’t, and the protagonists are playing damage control. There are close calls for all of the characters and events seem to be escalating. My emotions were all over the place by the end of this part, everything from really happy moments to gut wrenching twists of despair and anger.
I enjoyed immensely the progression of the storyline paired with the continued description of the new setting. By the end of Part Two I really began to understand what made the natives of the area act and live the way they do. I will say that the people in Child of a Mad God are much more primitive than other people in Corona. This lack of advancement give the people a unique connection the land, and an honest respect for its dangers. Their society is nothing like the Bearmen or Behrenese, and is more akin to the Touel’alfar or To-gai Ru, but less advanced and still very different.
Part 3:
If the text on the cover “With Change Comes Blood” ever applied to this novel, part three is where it does so the most. Both main characters along with their secondary companions begin to write their own stories, and the changes they are forced to make are not so easily done. The severity of the violence practiced by some, and the barbarism practiced by others caused me to be angry, afraid, and just outright sad. At this part in the progression of my reading I am convinced that Child of a Mad God is the edgiest Corona novel to date. I am also happy to see that even though the people of the new area are primitive, the power level of the story is still remarkably high. When I say power level I mean the strength of magic being used, the abilities of the fighters, and the abilities of the characters. I would also say that Child of a Mad God has a higher power level than shown in the Saga of the First King, and at times more so than the Demonwars Saga itself! Magic on Corona has always been tied to, for the majority, the magic imbued gemstones that are produced by Corona’s Halo. This magic structure is the same in Child of a Mad God, but is presented in a different way that I found really creative and innovative. There are also introductions of new uses for the gemstones, and new gemstones altogether, that really put the power level of this new novel through the roof! It was wildly exciting to read some of the scenes where characters are doing crazy stuff with gemstones that I would have never considered, yet that make perfect sense in the structure.
Part 4:
As I neared completing Child of a Mad God I had a hard time putting the book down. Things began to happen very fast and once again all of my assumptions were called into question. The last bit of the the book is very fast paced, and we get to finally learn some truths about the characters and their endgame motivations. I will say that the first chapter in the fourth part had shivers of nostalgia running up and down my spine. As a huge Demonwars fan I was given exactly what I wanted and was able to once and for all say goodbye to viewing Child of a Mad God through a Demonwars lens, and to view the new book as something truly unique and special. The emotions I felt leading up to the climax were no longer focussed on anything but what was happening to the new characters, and what emotions they were! I was still fifty pages from the end when my anticipation for the next book began.I hadn’t even finished and I already wanted more Tales of the Coven! I found myself in love with the new world, the people that lived in it, and the characters that I had gotten to know seemingly so well. I really can see, through Child of a Mad God, the maturing of R.A Salvatore’s writing. Everything that has drawn me to him as an author was magnified in this new book tenfold, and it now holds a special place in my heart.
I also really am looking forward to seeing where the other as yet unmentioned main character will end up, and fear that his past might cause unintentional strife for the peaceful people who live in the new area. I would say he is my favorite character from Child of a Mad God and he really reminds me of Elbryan, who is my all time favorite character from Corona. The differences between him and the Nightbird are pretty stark but both are people who have learned to see the world in a different way, and who will willing give their lives to protect that world. I hope to see a monologue or two from this new character in the future, it would seem fitting.
Conclusion:
I honestly and truly have to give Child of a Mad God five stars and ten out of ten! Every single reservation I had before reading this novel was bolted out of existence by very clever and subtle writing. I am more invested in these new characters than I can ever remember being after only reading one book in a storyline. Hats off to Bob for writing characters who feel like friends, with flaws and triumphs. Thanks for giving us enemies that are easy to hate and difficult to predict. Child of a Mad God, at least in my humble opinion, is a more than worthy continuation of stories from the Land of Corona. It is a novel that anyone can read, even if it is their first Salvatore novel, and not feel lost.. More importantly to me, is that Child of a Mad God will satiate the appetite of even the most devout DemonWars or Saga of the First King fan. This novel is special and is well worth the almost decade wait. I highly suggest pre-ordering a copy now so that you dive into it on February 6th!!! Here is a handy link:
Child of a Mad God by R.A. Salvatore
On February the 6th, New York Times Bestselling author R.A. Salvatore will launch his newest epic fantasy novel series. Child of a Mad God, a Tale of the Coven is Salvatore's first novel in almost 8 years to be set in the land of Corona. This world, created by Salvatore himself, is also home to his very popular Demonwars and Saga of the First King novels.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy of Child of a Mad God from Bob as a gift and wanted to give all the other Salvatore fans in my network a spoiler free review to help create interest in the new book! So without further ado...
Cover:
At first look I was really impressed with the packaging of the new story. There is a lot of significance to the art, and you can learn a lot from the cover without having to read a word of the novel itself. We already know that this new story is set in the world of Corona, and we know that the area in which the story takes place is brand new and previously undescribed. The cover gives us our first glimpse of what this new area looks like. We see a female character standing high on a cliff overlooking a huge lake surrounded by mountains. I think we can assume that the character is Aoleyn from this book cover description listed on TOR Books' Website:
"When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.
The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.”
Aoleyn seems to be dressed in furs, which supports the idea that she is living in a primitive tribal civilization as mentioned in the cover description. Tribal civilizations tend to have rituals that take place due to astronomical events, thus the Blood Moon on the cover seems to have some significance as well.
The text on the cover was done really well also. It clearly presents the important things, title and author, but also includes little hints at what is inside. It says “A Tale of The Coven” which immediately tells us that this is not a stand alone novel, but part of a bigger series. It also says “With change comes blood” accompanied by a blood smear behind the “A Tale of the Coven” text. These little things make the novel feel more primal than novels previously released in Corona.
Part One:
When I started reading the novel I will admit that I was worried. I am a huge fan of the Demonwars and Saga of the First King novels. I was fearful that because Child of a Mad God was set in a new part of Corona that I might feel lost, and thus start the book off on the wrong foot. I was immediately cured of this fear when reading the first two page monologue. The first few chapters introduce what I assumed would become two of the main characters, including Aoelyn. It didn’t take me very long, less than fifty pages, to become invested in both of these people. We are also introduced to the antagonists, one being the, “brutish warlord,” the other being a new kind of demon, both described on the cover description. All I will say is that I despise the warlord to a massive degree and if the new demon was released in my neighborhood, we would all be in serious trouble! The bad guys are really bad. I think back to some of the other villains from the Land of Corona and cannot recall any as insane and evil as these villians, maybe besides the Dactyl itself!
Bob has always been an author who lets the characters tell the story, and l find as a reader that this helps me to become more encompassed by the story itself. Both characters are very different from what you would expect in a Corona novel, and this helps Child of a Mad God to stand on its own, but the differences are not harsh enough to make the novel seem foreign.
The first part of Child of a Mad God also sets up the new part of Corona. There are fantastic descriptions of the landscape that use a ton of imagery to allow you to picture the setting in your mind. Everything from the people who live in this area to the monsters that plague them are shiny, new and different from what we have seen from Salvatore in the past. The nice part is that despite these differences, Bob gives us just enough throwbacks to his previous work to make the new area feel like it fits in the world properly. It was neat to see all the ways Bob made such a diverse setting exist alongside a previously well described world. We also see and hear of some of the more classic DemonWars monsters, magic and themes, but all done in a way that make them fresh and unique.
Part 2:
We are again reminded of the DemonWars novels in the monologue, and then the story begins to ramp up. It is hard to describe properly without spoilers but I can say that both main characters find companions, and these companions make them start to question their places in their respective lives. I will also say that I began to really fear for the characters and found myself unable to predict what was going to happen next. Each time I thought I had a character figured out, something subtle would make me question my assumptions. Approaching the halfway point you really start to feel the tension of the storyline building. The antagonists learn some things they probably shouldn’t, and the protagonists are playing damage control. There are close calls for all of the characters and events seem to be escalating. My emotions were all over the place by the end of this part, everything from really happy moments to gut wrenching twists of despair and anger.
I enjoyed immensely the progression of the storyline paired with the continued description of the new setting. By the end of Part Two I really began to understand what made the natives of the area act and live the way they do. I will say that the people in Child of a Mad God are much more primitive than other people in Corona. This lack of advancement give the people a unique connection the land, and an honest respect for its dangers. Their society is nothing like the Bearmen or Behrenese, and is more akin to the Touel’alfar or To-gai Ru, but less advanced and still very different.
Part 3:
If the text on the cover “With Change Comes Blood” ever applied to this novel, part three is where it does so the most. Both main characters along with their secondary companions begin to write their own stories, and the changes they are forced to make are not so easily done. The severity of the violence practiced by some, and the barbarism practiced by others caused me to be angry, afraid, and just outright sad. At this part in the progression of my reading I am convinced that Child of a Mad God is the edgiest Corona novel to date. I am also happy to see that even though the people of the new area are primitive, the power level of the story is still remarkably high. When I say power level I mean the strength of magic being used, the abilities of the fighters, and the abilities of the characters. I would also say that Child of a Mad God has a higher power level than shown in the Saga of the First King, and at times more so than the Demonwars Saga itself! Magic on Corona has always been tied to, for the majority, the magic imbued gemstones that are produced by Corona’s Halo. This magic structure is the same in Child of a Mad God, but is presented in a different way that I found really creative and innovative. There are also introductions of new uses for the gemstones, and new gemstones altogether, that really put the power level of this new novel through the roof! It was wildly exciting to read some of the scenes where characters are doing crazy stuff with gemstones that I would have never considered, yet that make perfect sense in the structure.
Part 4:
As I neared completing Child of a Mad God I had a hard time putting the book down. Things began to happen very fast and once again all of my assumptions were called into question. The last bit of the the book is very fast paced, and we get to finally learn some truths about the characters and their endgame motivations. I will say that the first chapter in the fourth part had shivers of nostalgia running up and down my spine. As a huge Demonwars fan I was given exactly what I wanted and was able to once and for all say goodbye to viewing Child of a Mad God through a Demonwars lens, and to view the new book as something truly unique and special. The emotions I felt leading up to the climax were no longer focussed on anything but what was happening to the new characters, and what emotions they were! I was still fifty pages from the end when my anticipation for the next book began.I hadn’t even finished and I already wanted more Tales of the Coven! I found myself in love with the new world, the people that lived in it, and the characters that I had gotten to know seemingly so well. I really can see, through Child of a Mad God, the maturing of R.A Salvatore’s writing. Everything that has drawn me to him as an author was magnified in this new book tenfold, and it now holds a special place in my heart.
I also really am looking forward to seeing where the other as yet unmentioned main character will end up, and fear that his past might cause unintentional strife for the peaceful people who live in the new area. I would say he is my favorite character from Child of a Mad God and he really reminds me of Elbryan, who is my all time favorite character from Corona. The differences between him and the Nightbird are pretty stark but both are people who have learned to see the world in a different way, and who will willing give their lives to protect that world. I hope to see a monologue or two from this new character in the future, it would seem fitting.
Conclusion:
I honestly and truly have to give Child of a Mad God five stars and ten out of ten! Every single reservation I had before reading this novel was bolted out of existence by very clever and subtle writing. I am more invested in these new characters than I can ever remember being after only reading one book in a storyline. Hats off to Bob for writing characters who feel like friends, with flaws and triumphs. Thanks for giving us enemies that are easy to hate and difficult to predict. Child of a Mad God, at least in my humble opinion, is a more than worthy continuation of stories from the Land of Corona. It is a novel that anyone can read, even if it is their first Salvatore novel, and not feel lost.. More importantly to me, is that Child of a Mad God will satiate the appetite of even the most devout DemonWars or Saga of the First King fan. This novel is special and is well worth the almost decade wait. I highly suggest pre-ordering a copy now so that you dive into it on February 6th!!! Here is a handy link:
August 17, 2024
This was largely 640 pages of tedium, not reflection in a Modernist manner but world building without much detail or actual scope: a large mountain above a vast lake which is dotted by villages: golden horde apaches live on the mountain and routinely swoop down for pillage, abduction and other recreation. It might sound sociological but it isn’t. There are also monsters in and around the lake but they make very infrequent appearances. There were a handful of scenes which I found compelling but ultimately the weary stereotypes chipped away at my resolve. I bought the other two novels in the trilogy and I am at loss except to swiftly donate the lot.
October 30, 2018
Spoilers ahead...
I had an audible credit and the description-blurb about this one seemed interesting enough, so against my better judgement I picked up an R.A. Salvatore audiobook. It was beautifully read and terribly written and is perhaps one of the worst books I've "read" (listened to?) in quite some time. Almost nothing happens here and the filler nonsense is repetitive and frustrating. I think I finished this one entirely out of spite.
The book seems to want us to think it's very feminist and progressive and it fails miserably in that regard. Our main protagonist Aoleyn grows up as part of a magical rape-and-murder cult. The rape is frequent with the men calling the shots and the women, the sole owners of the tribe's magic and real power, meekly accepting routine abuse. I can understand how we might set this bleak tone at the start, so that things can grow and change and improve throughout the book, but this never changes at all, through the last page. The book tells us how powerful and smart and strong the women in the tribe are but every time one of them is challenged by a man they're spontaneously too weak to fight back and not clever enough to think of a way out. They establish that some of these women are powerful enough, with their magic, to tear these guys in half down the middle, like a sheet of paper, but it never occurs to them to do this. Once the brutality is over with, we get to hear about how strong and amazing everyone is, again.
After Aoleyn is raped for the first time, as part of a ritual, we are treated to an essay by a "wise" character that doesn't appear in the story elsewhere, explaining that some peoples' customs seem brutal and wrong to us, but we just have to accept it and learn to love it, because what do we know, really? When Aoleyn looks back on her first rape, it's with this almost flippant "that sucked, hope that doesn't happen again!" attitude. Shortly afterwards, Aoleyn begins to grow in (magical) strength. What, you may ask, causes her glacial rise to power? A deep, hidden well of inner strength? Mastery over some skill that, once learned, can never be taken away from her? Nope! Accessorizing! She makes magical jewelry in secret and uses that to amp up her magic a bit. Now that she's sufficiently pretty, she's ready to take on the world!
After a lot of nothing happening, again, she sets out to defeat the book's big-bad monster, alone. She manages to do so, though she ultimately requires the help of a man, and makes her blood-soaked way out of it's cave hideout. What next? Should she go and see the world, with the aid of the aforementioned helper-man, who is uniquely situated to make this happen? Go rain magical destruction on the men (and women, really) that have been tormenting her for her entire life? Free the rape-slaves and human sacrifices that her tribe keeps for seemingly no reason and save the life of the slave dude that she seems to have a crush on? Nah, instead she ultimately decides to go back and more formally buy into the magical rape-cult and play by the tribe's rules, hoping that she'll become more powerful and won't that be cool.
I will never read another R.A. Salvatore book for as long as I live.
I had an audible credit and the description-blurb about this one seemed interesting enough, so against my better judgement I picked up an R.A. Salvatore audiobook. It was beautifully read and terribly written and is perhaps one of the worst books I've "read" (listened to?) in quite some time. Almost nothing happens here and the filler nonsense is repetitive and frustrating. I think I finished this one entirely out of spite.
The book seems to want us to think it's very feminist and progressive and it fails miserably in that regard. Our main protagonist Aoleyn grows up as part of a magical rape-and-murder cult. The rape is frequent with the men calling the shots and the women, the sole owners of the tribe's magic and real power, meekly accepting routine abuse. I can understand how we might set this bleak tone at the start, so that things can grow and change and improve throughout the book, but this never changes at all, through the last page. The book tells us how powerful and smart and strong the women in the tribe are but every time one of them is challenged by a man they're spontaneously too weak to fight back and not clever enough to think of a way out. They establish that some of these women are powerful enough, with their magic, to tear these guys in half down the middle, like a sheet of paper, but it never occurs to them to do this. Once the brutality is over with, we get to hear about how strong and amazing everyone is, again.
After Aoleyn is raped for the first time, as part of a ritual, we are treated to an essay by a "wise" character that doesn't appear in the story elsewhere, explaining that some peoples' customs seem brutal and wrong to us, but we just have to accept it and learn to love it, because what do we know, really? When Aoleyn looks back on her first rape, it's with this almost flippant "that sucked, hope that doesn't happen again!" attitude. Shortly afterwards, Aoleyn begins to grow in (magical) strength. What, you may ask, causes her glacial rise to power? A deep, hidden well of inner strength? Mastery over some skill that, once learned, can never be taken away from her? Nope! Accessorizing! She makes magical jewelry in secret and uses that to amp up her magic a bit. Now that she's sufficiently pretty, she's ready to take on the world!
After a lot of nothing happening, again, she sets out to defeat the book's big-bad monster, alone. She manages to do so, though she ultimately requires the help of a man, and makes her blood-soaked way out of it's cave hideout. What next? Should she go and see the world, with the aid of the aforementioned helper-man, who is uniquely situated to make this happen? Go rain magical destruction on the men (and women, really) that have been tormenting her for her entire life? Free the rape-slaves and human sacrifices that her tribe keeps for seemingly no reason and save the life of the slave dude that she seems to have a crush on? Nah, instead she ultimately decides to go back and more formally buy into the magical rape-cult and play by the tribe's rules, hoping that she'll become more powerful and won't that be cool.
I will never read another R.A. Salvatore book for as long as I live.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
This is a dark & gritty tale. Slavery and demon fossa hunting. Covens that teach magic through use of crystals. Warriors selecting females for their potential mates to further strengthen their prowess.
This is the best Salvatore novel in some time. I highly recommend it!
(I won this ARC through Goodreads)
This is the best Salvatore novel in some time. I highly recommend it!
(I won this ARC through Goodreads)
July 25, 2018
Definitely not a favorite... the plot for this one was just so boring and repetitious. I had a hard time getting invested in any of the characters. It wasn't terrible but it definitely wasn't anything special.
February 5, 2018
I received an egally of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Tor Publishing!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Child of a Mad God is a gritty, bloody, fascinating and engrossing epic fantasy novel that I absolutely could not put down.
Set in Corona, in remote mountains, Child of a Mad God is written from two POVs: that of Aoelyn & Talmadge. Aoelyn, a daughter of a witch and a witch herself, is an orphan, raised in a truly hostile and barbaric tribe. Talmadge is the only trader with whom the remote tribes of Corona agree to trade their precious pearls. Throughout the book, their POV shifts and the two main characters do not come together till almost the end of the book.
What made me absolutely love the book is Aoelyn – she is incredibly strong, perceptive, smart and just a character that you cannot help but fall in love with. Salvatore does an incredible job writing Aoelyn’s character and I find the character in this particular setting a masterstroke. Let me explain. Aoelyn lives in the most misogynistic society I have ever read about. Their treatment of women and slaves is truly sickening and it was very tough to read at some points. Rape, beatings and just overall status and treatment of women in the Usgar society is prevalent and I would not recommend it to anyone who cannot stomach it. That being said, the fact that Salvatore writes the story from the female POV, a female that realizes quite young that her society’s views are wrong is a strong statement to the traditional epic fantasy standards. I feel like Salvatore is trying to change the view of women in epic fantasy and he is doing it through Aoelyn. This is the reason why I LOVED the book, stuck with it and cannot wait for the next installment of the series. Not to mention the incredible magic system, the unique monsters and the whole setting of this book is just incredible.
Talmadge’s storyline was enjoyable – however, I did not feel as much connection with him as I did with Aoelyn. That being said, by the end of the novel I saw the two plots converging in an action packed way that really makes me itch for book 2.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves Salvatore’s writing, The Malazan Empire series, A Song of Ice and Fire and who is looking for a strong female character.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Child of a Mad God is a gritty, bloody, fascinating and engrossing epic fantasy novel that I absolutely could not put down.
Set in Corona, in remote mountains, Child of a Mad God is written from two POVs: that of Aoelyn & Talmadge. Aoelyn, a daughter of a witch and a witch herself, is an orphan, raised in a truly hostile and barbaric tribe. Talmadge is the only trader with whom the remote tribes of Corona agree to trade their precious pearls. Throughout the book, their POV shifts and the two main characters do not come together till almost the end of the book.
What made me absolutely love the book is Aoelyn – she is incredibly strong, perceptive, smart and just a character that you cannot help but fall in love with. Salvatore does an incredible job writing Aoelyn’s character and I find the character in this particular setting a masterstroke. Let me explain. Aoelyn lives in the most misogynistic society I have ever read about. Their treatment of women and slaves is truly sickening and it was very tough to read at some points. Rape, beatings and just overall status and treatment of women in the Usgar society is prevalent and I would not recommend it to anyone who cannot stomach it. That being said, the fact that Salvatore writes the story from the female POV, a female that realizes quite young that her society’s views are wrong is a strong statement to the traditional epic fantasy standards. I feel like Salvatore is trying to change the view of women in epic fantasy and he is doing it through Aoelyn. This is the reason why I LOVED the book, stuck with it and cannot wait for the next installment of the series. Not to mention the incredible magic system, the unique monsters and the whole setting of this book is just incredible.
Talmadge’s storyline was enjoyable – however, I did not feel as much connection with him as I did with Aoelyn. That being said, by the end of the novel I saw the two plots converging in an action packed way that really makes me itch for book 2.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves Salvatore’s writing, The Malazan Empire series, A Song of Ice and Fire and who is looking for a strong female character.
July 3, 2018
Probably not my favourite Salvatore book. It combines what I liked about his writing when I was really following his Drizzt books. Great fight scenes, old school fantasy world buidling, funny and witty dialogue and great characters. It just doesnt compare to Drizzt and his companions. Homeland is by far the best of his writing. Ive never read any of the other novels which are set in this world so really cant compare it to them. If youre a fan of Salvatore give this a go, you'll be reminded of all the fun times youve had. If youve never rrad any Salvatore before I'd recommend statrting with a Drizzt novel first.
February 14, 2018
Dark fantasy. Expect murder, kidnapping, rape, violence on every page. Mostly it was long, I was bored, and I'm seriously surprised I made it through.
March 24, 2018
It's been a bit of a while since I've read a fantasy so delightfully gruesome!
This is the first novel I've read by R.A Salvatore, and from reading other reviews, I'm not sure if I would have found it a little more coherent/fully realised had I read some of the author's previous works. However, while I was a bit lost at the start (who are these people? Who's that? When is this? WhAT?), I soon got into it, though I still have a few questions...
Child of a Mad God follows a few different characters. Firstly, there is Talmadge, a good-hearted wilderness frontiersman who became kind of my touchstone for niceness in a book otherwise grim. I liked him well enough, and there was a moment or two where my heart absolutely bled for the poor soul.
Aoleyn is perhaps the most important character - a young woman who has grown up with the Usgar, a mountain tribe that are feared by all who know of them due to their brutality. The Usgar are the perpetrators of some real evil shit, including slavery, kidnap, rape, murder, and some torturous punishments. This book is not for the faint of heart! Much of the plot revolves around Aoleyn's growth as a character both in age and in her own mind, as she comes to learn about magic stemming from precious gems and crystals, as well as the ways of her people, which she struggles to accept.
Tay Aillig was my favourite character, however. I'm on a bit of a villain kick right now, and my goodness, he's a good one. Tay Aillig is a warrior of the Usgar tribe, soon promoted to Warlord, and his viciousness, lack of mercy, and quiet plotting made for a wholly enjoyable read. I came to fear his strength as much as Aoleyn (though I'm pretty certain I liked him a lot more than she did).
The world these characters inhabit is one filled with casual violence and danger. No one comes out of this novel clean, and I certainly recommend that you don't get overly attached to any characters, for Game of Thrones-y reasons. In terms of world building, however, it's clearly very well thought out and I enjoyed learning more about the various distinct peoples and cultures of this universe. Again, some prior knowledge of Salvatore may help, but I did fine after some initial confusion.
I also really enjoyed the magic system, which is based on gemstones. Some women of the Usgar tribe are able to sense power in these gemstones, and utilise this for their tribe. For example, malachite can be used to make the bearer levitate. And while the women of the Usgar are the bearers of these stones, the oppressive patriarchy of their tribe means they do so mostly at the behest of the men. This aspect of the Usgar was something I really enjoyed reading - not because I agree with this, of course, but because it made for some wonderful scenes with Aoleyn thinking this was really not acceptable.
The novel has a fair conclusion, yet has enough open ends to coax me into reading the next in the series. More Tay Aillig being a badass, please!
This is the first novel I've read by R.A Salvatore, and from reading other reviews, I'm not sure if I would have found it a little more coherent/fully realised had I read some of the author's previous works. However, while I was a bit lost at the start (who are these people? Who's that? When is this? WhAT?), I soon got into it, though I still have a few questions...
Child of a Mad God follows a few different characters. Firstly, there is Talmadge, a good-hearted wilderness frontiersman who became kind of my touchstone for niceness in a book otherwise grim. I liked him well enough, and there was a moment or two where my heart absolutely bled for the poor soul.
Aoleyn is perhaps the most important character - a young woman who has grown up with the Usgar, a mountain tribe that are feared by all who know of them due to their brutality. The Usgar are the perpetrators of some real evil shit, including slavery, kidnap, rape, murder, and some torturous punishments. This book is not for the faint of heart! Much of the plot revolves around Aoleyn's growth as a character both in age and in her own mind, as she comes to learn about magic stemming from precious gems and crystals, as well as the ways of her people, which she struggles to accept.
Tay Aillig was my favourite character, however. I'm on a bit of a villain kick right now, and my goodness, he's a good one. Tay Aillig is a warrior of the Usgar tribe, soon promoted to Warlord, and his viciousness, lack of mercy, and quiet plotting made for a wholly enjoyable read. I came to fear his strength as much as Aoleyn (though I'm pretty certain I liked him a lot more than she did).
The world these characters inhabit is one filled with casual violence and danger. No one comes out of this novel clean, and I certainly recommend that you don't get overly attached to any characters, for Game of Thrones-y reasons. In terms of world building, however, it's clearly very well thought out and I enjoyed learning more about the various distinct peoples and cultures of this universe. Again, some prior knowledge of Salvatore may help, but I did fine after some initial confusion.
I also really enjoyed the magic system, which is based on gemstones. Some women of the Usgar tribe are able to sense power in these gemstones, and utilise this for their tribe. For example, malachite can be used to make the bearer levitate. And while the women of the Usgar are the bearers of these stones, the oppressive patriarchy of their tribe means they do so mostly at the behest of the men. This aspect of the Usgar was something I really enjoyed reading - not because I agree with this, of course, but because it made for some wonderful scenes with Aoleyn thinking this was really not acceptable.
The novel has a fair conclusion, yet has enough open ends to coax me into reading the next in the series. More Tay Aillig being a badass, please!
February 28, 2020
I am a huge fan of R.A. Salvatore, so if this book has any flaws don't expect me to find them. It's not that I think he can do no wrong, but after giving me hundreds of hours of adventure he has earned my loyalty.
After reading all of his Drizzt stories (30+ books and going strong), and his The DemonWars Saga (my favorite series of all time), I had little doubt that I would enjoy this Coven series too - and I was right.
I'm glad I read The DemonWars saga first because some of its people and places show up in Child of a Mad God. But I did read an interview with Salvatore recently where he said he would be just as happy for people to read The Coven series first and let that be their introduction to The DemonWars Saga - so I guess there is no way to screw it up...
If you don't already know, the Drizzt stories are set in The Forgotten Realms (from D&D), but The DemonWars Saga, Saga of the First King (which I haven't read yet but will soon), and The Coven series all take place in his own world called Corona.
In this Coven series, the main character is Aoleyn and to quote Salvatore, "Aoleyn is a badass" - I love her and I think you will too. She's very powerful but still learning how to use her magic - mostly self-taught. And she's got some nasty adversaries with which to contend. She doesn't have it easy. There are some other great characters too - like Talmadge and Khotai...
Up next, book 2 - Reckoning of Fallen Gods: A Tale of the Coven
PS - this isn't a young adult story - there are a few sex scenes and things can get rough... so keep that in mind - for what it's worth, this is just how I like it...
After reading all of his Drizzt stories (30+ books and going strong), and his The DemonWars Saga (my favorite series of all time), I had little doubt that I would enjoy this Coven series too - and I was right.
I'm glad I read The DemonWars saga first because some of its people and places show up in Child of a Mad God. But I did read an interview with Salvatore recently where he said he would be just as happy for people to read The Coven series first and let that be their introduction to The DemonWars Saga - so I guess there is no way to screw it up...
If you don't already know, the Drizzt stories are set in The Forgotten Realms (from D&D), but The DemonWars Saga, Saga of the First King (which I haven't read yet but will soon), and The Coven series all take place in his own world called Corona.
In this Coven series, the main character is Aoleyn and to quote Salvatore, "Aoleyn is a badass" - I love her and I think you will too. She's very powerful but still learning how to use her magic - mostly self-taught. And she's got some nasty adversaries with which to contend. She doesn't have it easy. There are some other great characters too - like Talmadge and Khotai...
Up next, book 2 - Reckoning of Fallen Gods: A Tale of the Coven
PS - this isn't a young adult story - there are a few sex scenes and things can get rough... so keep that in mind - for what it's worth, this is just how I like it...
January 20, 2020
3.75 rounded up
February 11, 2018
*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
DNF@15%
I should say up front that I've never read a book by R.A. Salvatore. I've seen the author's name around and have been interested in some of the books, so when I saw this book show up on Netgalley and was interested in the summary, I thought this would be a good chance to try out a new high fantasy author.
Unfortunately, this didn't work out for me.
I understand it is a long book, so 15% is really only about 70 pages, but Aoelyn who is supposedly the main character is still a child--and not on her own. She also doesn't narrate most of the book thus far. So, I didn't feel like I was getting what I signed up for. I decided to think of this as a very slow beginning and was trying to go with it. In fact, I liked Talmadge's chapters.
So, why did I stop?
Totally a personal preference.
This book is a bit too brutal for me.
Sometimes I'm okay with it, but other times... I'm just too sensitive. When one of the tribes attacks another tribe there is a slaughter and so much rape. How some things are handled made me super uncomfortable too. While Aoelyn dos seem to understand that some of what she sees is wrong, I didn't want to wait until she was grown and ready to (hopefully)fully condemn her tribe's practices.
I suppose this is one way of saying the author has a way of pulling you in, making scenes emotional and rough. There is no mistaking this as bad writing. Everything flows well, I think. I'm just too sensitive a soul for all the raping, slaving, and general horribleness.
Honestly, if someone tells me to give this book another try, I probably will. At this point, I just need that reassurance that these poor women will one day be saved.
This is a book I will recommend to people wanting high fantasy with female characters, although I'll warn them about the slow build up (meant to build the world and set the stage for Aoelyn) and be prepared for the horrid side of war.
DNF@15%
I should say up front that I've never read a book by R.A. Salvatore. I've seen the author's name around and have been interested in some of the books, so when I saw this book show up on Netgalley and was interested in the summary, I thought this would be a good chance to try out a new high fantasy author.
Unfortunately, this didn't work out for me.
I understand it is a long book, so 15% is really only about 70 pages, but Aoelyn who is supposedly the main character is still a child--and not on her own. She also doesn't narrate most of the book thus far. So, I didn't feel like I was getting what I signed up for. I decided to think of this as a very slow beginning and was trying to go with it. In fact, I liked Talmadge's chapters.
So, why did I stop?
Totally a personal preference.
This book is a bit too brutal for me.
Sometimes I'm okay with it, but other times... I'm just too sensitive. When one of the tribes attacks another tribe there is a slaughter and so much rape. How some things are handled made me super uncomfortable too. While Aoelyn dos seem to understand that some of what she sees is wrong, I didn't want to wait until she was grown and ready to (hopefully)fully condemn her tribe's practices.
I suppose this is one way of saying the author has a way of pulling you in, making scenes emotional and rough. There is no mistaking this as bad writing. Everything flows well, I think. I'm just too sensitive a soul for all the raping, slaving, and general horribleness.
Honestly, if someone tells me to give this book another try, I probably will. At this point, I just need that reassurance that these poor women will one day be saved.
This is a book I will recommend to people wanting high fantasy with female characters, although I'll warn them about the slow build up (meant to build the world and set the stage for Aoelyn) and be prepared for the horrid side of war.
July 27, 2022
It took me a while to get through this on audible. As a book in its own right it wasn't bad. It had all the right elements to make a great book but something was just off for me. Whether it was my love of Drizzit making this alternate series fall flat or the narrator I dont know but I didn't have the same depth of love for the world or characters that I was expecting. I will likely not carry on this series.
March 19, 2018
Loved the protagonist and the world building but the pacing was too slow for me.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
April 6, 2021
Child of a Mad God is the first book in the Coven series, follows Aoleyn an orphaned girl in a brutal tribe who wants to learn the mysterious power of the crystals to join the ruling coven, in the hopes of breaking free of the rigid traditions of the tribe. But the magic has a price, calling to demons who hunt those that use it.
Child of a Mad God is a story that spans years, from just before Aoleyn is born to her becoming an adult, so it’s fair to say this is a dense start to the series. It spans a long time, giving not only a lot of time to really come to understand the characters and watch them grow, but to see the world. This book does start a little slow because it takes so much time to set everything up, but it’s worth pushing through for what is clearly going to be an exciting series. Knowing everything has been set up in this, and that we’ve had a chance to fully grasp who the main character is allows for so much more to happen as the series continues.
Now, Aoleyn. She is a badass. Starting right from when she was a child in the story, we get to experience her curiosity, her rebelliousness, her intelligence, and we get to see it all grow as the story continues. While her story is bleak, and filled with hardships, she never breaks and in fact, seems mostly unaffected by anything that happens to her as she has her eyes on a goal and she won’t let anything stop her.
The magic system is also pretty fascinating, and as Aoleyn learns to use it, it just made me want to know more. There was such an interesting learning curve to how it worked, and as the magic grew, and demons are introduced further to the story, it was just so neat to watch it all unfold. If you’re a fan of good magic systems, I definitely consider this one of the more unique ones I’ve encountered for a while.
There are some brutal scenes in the book, both torture and rape scenes, so be warned if that is something you can’t handle reading. It wasn’t overly gratuitous in the descriptions, but is definitely present.
If you’ve ever read Salvatore before, this is a darker book than what you might be used to, but it is definitely still worth checking out, but just know it isn’t his usual writing. I also think most fans of fantasy with strong female characters will find something to enjoy in this one.
Child of a Mad God is a story that spans years, from just before Aoleyn is born to her becoming an adult, so it’s fair to say this is a dense start to the series. It spans a long time, giving not only a lot of time to really come to understand the characters and watch them grow, but to see the world. This book does start a little slow because it takes so much time to set everything up, but it’s worth pushing through for what is clearly going to be an exciting series. Knowing everything has been set up in this, and that we’ve had a chance to fully grasp who the main character is allows for so much more to happen as the series continues.
Now, Aoleyn. She is a badass. Starting right from when she was a child in the story, we get to experience her curiosity, her rebelliousness, her intelligence, and we get to see it all grow as the story continues. While her story is bleak, and filled with hardships, she never breaks and in fact, seems mostly unaffected by anything that happens to her as she has her eyes on a goal and she won’t let anything stop her.
The magic system is also pretty fascinating, and as Aoleyn learns to use it, it just made me want to know more. There was such an interesting learning curve to how it worked, and as the magic grew, and demons are introduced further to the story, it was just so neat to watch it all unfold. If you’re a fan of good magic systems, I definitely consider this one of the more unique ones I’ve encountered for a while.
There are some brutal scenes in the book, both torture and rape scenes, so be warned if that is something you can’t handle reading. It wasn’t overly gratuitous in the descriptions, but is definitely present.
If you’ve ever read Salvatore before, this is a darker book than what you might be used to, but it is definitely still worth checking out, but just know it isn’t his usual writing. I also think most fans of fantasy with strong female characters will find something to enjoy in this one.
February 17, 2018
I have been an avid reader of R.A. Salvatore for decades. This new book,Child of a Mad God,doesn't disappoint. Salvatore writes in several Easter Eggs, that reference his past works in Demon Wars,with such precision that they can't be missed. His introduction of a past Demon Wars character is so well written that you will know who he is well before this character speaks.You can feel the cold wind,hear the song of the magic and see the landscape as if you are standing in Corona alongside the characters themselves. What will the strongest witch in the Coven(Aoelyn) journey be as she grows even stronger in the magic of the crystals? Where will the orphan trader(Talmadge) travel next ,with the encounter with the Demon Fossa fresh in his mind? When will the warrior of the Usgar tribe(Tay Aillig) make his next move to obtain the power he so desperately craves? How will the young slave(Bahdlahn) continue to survive or will he? THIS BOOK is Pure Salvatore....Pure Gold. Come join this journey with R.A.Salvatore. Come on book 2 I can't wait.
March 8, 2018
If not for the snow storm that has closed the local library, I’m not sure I would have finished this book. It had, all at once, too much detail and not enough. Maybe in upcoming books, there will be more purpose for Redshanks, or for the strange head shapes of the lake people.
In the meantime, another fantasy book, another headstrong heroine who doesn’t think before she acts. The difference here is that the girl, Aoleyn lives among a tribe of brutal rapist-warriors. No thanks.
The interwoven story of Talmadge had promise... until it didn’t. Too predictable, too many perfect coincidences.
Hopefully the library will be open tomorrow.
In the meantime, another fantasy book, another headstrong heroine who doesn’t think before she acts. The difference here is that the girl, Aoleyn lives among a tribe of brutal rapist-warriors. No thanks.
The interwoven story of Talmadge had promise... until it didn’t. Too predictable, too many perfect coincidences.
Hopefully the library will be open tomorrow.
July 12, 2020
Der bekannte Fantasy- Autor R.A. Salvatore hat mit „Das Lied von Usgar“ den Auftakt zu einer bisher zweibändigen Reihe geschrieben. Dieses Werk kann ohne Vorkenntnisse gelesen werden.
Klappentext:
Nachdem Aoleyn ihre Eltern verloren hat, muss sie sich allein in einem Stamm bösartiger Barbaren behaupten. Sie träumt davon, in die Welt jenseits ihrer Bergheimat zu entkommen. Die einzige Hoffnung, die Freiheit zu erlangen, besteht darin, das Lied von Usgar zu erlernen, die mysteriöse Kraft des magischen Zirkels ihres Stammes. Glücklicherweise scheint Aoleyn die mächtigste Hexe zu sein, die jemals gelebt hat. Doch die Magie hat ihren Preis. Adeys Fähigkeiten wecken nicht nur das Interesse des brutalen Stammesführers, sondern auch das des Dämons der Berge, der all jene jagt, die über die Macht des Zirkels verfügen. Aoleyns Talent macht sie zu einem Signalfeuer in der Nacht.
Schon länger wollte ich etwas aus der Feder von R.A. Salvatore lesen, welcher sich einen bekannten Namen in der Fantasy- Autoren- Welt gemacht hat. Der Klappentext klang vielversprechend – ein Buch über Magie und ein elternloses Kind, welches sich in einer bösartigen Welt zurechtfinden und behaupten muss. Und so habe ich mich voller Vorfreude in dieses magische Abenteuer geworfen. „Das Lied von Usgar“ sollte mein erstes Buch von diesem Autor sein. Ich habe mich auf ein spannendes und packendes Fantasy- Buch gefreut. Doch meine Erwartungen wurden bald enttäuscht.
Den Schreibstil von Salvatore habe ich zu Beginn des Buches als gewöhnungsbedürftig empfunden. Er schafft es zwar gekonnt, eine Atmosphäre aufzubauen oder auch Momente einzufangen, die man sich als Leser plastisch vorstellen kann und diese dann auch mit einem düsteren Touch zu versehen. Dennoch wirkte der Stil auf mich teilweise etwas ungelenk, unfertig. Auch schafft der Autor es, auf vielseitige Art und Weise Spannung zu erzeugen – dennoch konnte mich dies nicht stetig überzeugen. Dieses Buch ist voller Action und Gewalt, es gibt viele blutige Szenen oder auch unerwartete Wendungen und Todesfälle, aber mir hat hier teilweise die tiefere Bedeutung gefehlt. Mir persönlich kam es so vor, dass hier nur übermäßig Gewalt ausgeübt wurde, damit der Autor zeigen konnte, dass er düstere und blutige Szenen schreiben kann.
Dafür konnte mich das Worldbuilding überzeugen. Die gestaltete Welt ist vielseitig und voller Facetten. Gespickt wird diese mit vielen Details, sodass man einen umfangreichen Einblick in die Welt bekommt. Auch werden immer wieder andere Regionen erwähnt und auch ihre Besonderheiten, sodass man Lust bekommt, auch diese kennen zu lernen.
Ebenfalls gefallen hat mir das Magiesystem. In diesem Fantasy- Buch existiert eine Art der Kristallmagie. De Frauen in dem Bergstamm können unter Zuhilfenahme von bestimmten Kristallen Magie bewirken, dadurch werden diverse Fähigkeiten gestärkt oder auch erzeugt. Man erhält über die Einzelheiten von diesem System schon das ein oder andere an Informationen, dennoch gibt es bestimmt noch viel darüber zu entdecken.
Dafür konnten mich die Charaktere nicht ganz überzeugen. Diese wirkten auf mich größtenteils recht eindimensional. Da ist zum einen Aoleyn. Sie ist ein junges Mädchen, welches aus dem Stamm der Usgar wohnt, diese haben teilweise barbarische Ansichten in Bezug auf das Leben. Aber manche Frauen in diesem Stamm beherrschen die Kristallmagie und Aoleyn scheint dafür ein großes Talent zu haben. Man erlebt, wie sie erwachsen wird und damit auch reifer. Viele ihrer Gedanken sind nachvollziehbar und es macht Spaß, sie bei dem Heranwachsen zu verfolgen. Dann ist da noch Talmadge. Ein Händler, der in diese Region reist um seltene Perlen zu ertauschen. Doch leider konnte ich zu keinem von beiden eine wirkliche Bindung aufbauen.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir nicht leicht gefallen. Diese ganzen fremdländischen Stämme mit ihren unterschiedlich verformten Schädel wirkten auf mich grotesk und nicht wirklich greifbar. Ich musste mich am Anfang ganz schön durchbeißen. Teilweise wirkte es recht schleppend auf mich, so richtige Spannung kam nicht auf, obwohl sich der Autor mit diesen kampfreichen Szenen alle Mühe gibt. Dafür mochte ich dann wieder den Showdown. Dieser war spannend und wirkte auf mich durchdacht. Er konnte mich ein bisschen über den zähen Einstieg hinwegtrösten.
Insgesamt konnte mich R.A. Salvatore mit „Das Lied von Usgar“ nicht vollständig überzeugen. Das Worldbuilding und auch das Magiesystem fand ich recht ansprechend und gut umgesetzt. Dafür konnten mich die Handlung und die Charaktere nicht überzeugen. Daher kann ich nur 3 Sterne vergeben.
Klappentext:
Nachdem Aoleyn ihre Eltern verloren hat, muss sie sich allein in einem Stamm bösartiger Barbaren behaupten. Sie träumt davon, in die Welt jenseits ihrer Bergheimat zu entkommen. Die einzige Hoffnung, die Freiheit zu erlangen, besteht darin, das Lied von Usgar zu erlernen, die mysteriöse Kraft des magischen Zirkels ihres Stammes. Glücklicherweise scheint Aoleyn die mächtigste Hexe zu sein, die jemals gelebt hat. Doch die Magie hat ihren Preis. Adeys Fähigkeiten wecken nicht nur das Interesse des brutalen Stammesführers, sondern auch das des Dämons der Berge, der all jene jagt, die über die Macht des Zirkels verfügen. Aoleyns Talent macht sie zu einem Signalfeuer in der Nacht.
Schon länger wollte ich etwas aus der Feder von R.A. Salvatore lesen, welcher sich einen bekannten Namen in der Fantasy- Autoren- Welt gemacht hat. Der Klappentext klang vielversprechend – ein Buch über Magie und ein elternloses Kind, welches sich in einer bösartigen Welt zurechtfinden und behaupten muss. Und so habe ich mich voller Vorfreude in dieses magische Abenteuer geworfen. „Das Lied von Usgar“ sollte mein erstes Buch von diesem Autor sein. Ich habe mich auf ein spannendes und packendes Fantasy- Buch gefreut. Doch meine Erwartungen wurden bald enttäuscht.
Den Schreibstil von Salvatore habe ich zu Beginn des Buches als gewöhnungsbedürftig empfunden. Er schafft es zwar gekonnt, eine Atmosphäre aufzubauen oder auch Momente einzufangen, die man sich als Leser plastisch vorstellen kann und diese dann auch mit einem düsteren Touch zu versehen. Dennoch wirkte der Stil auf mich teilweise etwas ungelenk, unfertig. Auch schafft der Autor es, auf vielseitige Art und Weise Spannung zu erzeugen – dennoch konnte mich dies nicht stetig überzeugen. Dieses Buch ist voller Action und Gewalt, es gibt viele blutige Szenen oder auch unerwartete Wendungen und Todesfälle, aber mir hat hier teilweise die tiefere Bedeutung gefehlt. Mir persönlich kam es so vor, dass hier nur übermäßig Gewalt ausgeübt wurde, damit der Autor zeigen konnte, dass er düstere und blutige Szenen schreiben kann.
Dafür konnte mich das Worldbuilding überzeugen. Die gestaltete Welt ist vielseitig und voller Facetten. Gespickt wird diese mit vielen Details, sodass man einen umfangreichen Einblick in die Welt bekommt. Auch werden immer wieder andere Regionen erwähnt und auch ihre Besonderheiten, sodass man Lust bekommt, auch diese kennen zu lernen.
Ebenfalls gefallen hat mir das Magiesystem. In diesem Fantasy- Buch existiert eine Art der Kristallmagie. De Frauen in dem Bergstamm können unter Zuhilfenahme von bestimmten Kristallen Magie bewirken, dadurch werden diverse Fähigkeiten gestärkt oder auch erzeugt. Man erhält über die Einzelheiten von diesem System schon das ein oder andere an Informationen, dennoch gibt es bestimmt noch viel darüber zu entdecken.
Dafür konnten mich die Charaktere nicht ganz überzeugen. Diese wirkten auf mich größtenteils recht eindimensional. Da ist zum einen Aoleyn. Sie ist ein junges Mädchen, welches aus dem Stamm der Usgar wohnt, diese haben teilweise barbarische Ansichten in Bezug auf das Leben. Aber manche Frauen in diesem Stamm beherrschen die Kristallmagie und Aoleyn scheint dafür ein großes Talent zu haben. Man erlebt, wie sie erwachsen wird und damit auch reifer. Viele ihrer Gedanken sind nachvollziehbar und es macht Spaß, sie bei dem Heranwachsen zu verfolgen. Dann ist da noch Talmadge. Ein Händler, der in diese Region reist um seltene Perlen zu ertauschen. Doch leider konnte ich zu keinem von beiden eine wirkliche Bindung aufbauen.
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir nicht leicht gefallen. Diese ganzen fremdländischen Stämme mit ihren unterschiedlich verformten Schädel wirkten auf mich grotesk und nicht wirklich greifbar. Ich musste mich am Anfang ganz schön durchbeißen. Teilweise wirkte es recht schleppend auf mich, so richtige Spannung kam nicht auf, obwohl sich der Autor mit diesen kampfreichen Szenen alle Mühe gibt. Dafür mochte ich dann wieder den Showdown. Dieser war spannend und wirkte auf mich durchdacht. Er konnte mich ein bisschen über den zähen Einstieg hinwegtrösten.
Insgesamt konnte mich R.A. Salvatore mit „Das Lied von Usgar“ nicht vollständig überzeugen. Das Worldbuilding und auch das Magiesystem fand ich recht ansprechend und gut umgesetzt. Dafür konnten mich die Handlung und die Charaktere nicht überzeugen. Daher kann ich nur 3 Sterne vergeben.
Read
February 6, 2018DNF
Thanks to NetGalley and to the editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this book on NetGalley I was really excited and I was more excited when they approved my request! Some years ago (ok, almost a lifetime ago, since I am speaking of high school) I read some of Salvatore’s books and I loved them! Drizzt was a character that I really, really, really liked so I was really happy to read again something written by him. It was exciting, wasn’t it? I wasn’t expecting a happy and soft book, because I don’t remember a lot (high school was a long time ago!) but I remember that the author didn’t make Drizzt’s life an easy one, so I was prepared… or I think I was.
I didn’t want to write this review, because I received an ARC and I wasn’t feeling so keen to write a review for a book that I didn’t finish and that I received for reviewing, but in the end… well, I think it would not be fair to just ignore all of this. It’s not pleasant to write a bad review, even if this one is not so bad, and to write about a book that you don’t finish is always tricky, but it’s just more honest to simply say the truth and speak about the things that went wrong for me than to pretend that this never happened.
The point here is not the bad review, I may not be so happy about writing them but I think them useful for a ton of reasons, so I would write them anyway, the point here is that I didn’t finish the book, just to be clear.
So… about the book. I would write a review mostly in point, but first a couple of sentences for introduction. I think this book was mostly introductory to the series, I stopped my reading at 60%, so it’s not that I’ve read 10 or 20 pages and give up, I really try with this one, but the things I didn’t like in the first 10% were the same things I didn’t like at 60%, so I’ve simply chosen to give up. This book really wasn’t for me.
And in more than 200 pages (because this is a long book) it doesn’t happen so much, so yes, I think that this book is an introduction for this new series.
But now is time to stop to stall and begin with the serious part.
Things I didn’t like:
The pace. It’s really slow. At first, I was thinking that it was normal because it’s a completely new world, with different cultures, places, characters and so on, so it takes time to set in the world and understand all, but it wasn’t just the beginning. It’s a really slow book, and even if usually I like when an author takes his(or her) time to show us his creations I wasn’t hooked up and I really didn’t care about the story, in the end.
The chapters. A good thing about them it’s that all of them have titles, and this is a thing that I really appreciate, but they were too long. I don’t like long chapters but I can cope with them, usually, but in this case they are too long and wrong. I mean, in the same chapter you have different characters’ POV, but it’s confusing if you are speaking about a girl in the mountain and in the next sentence you are speaking about a man on the lake, miles and miles away from the girl. Or in the same chapter we have different time: one sentence the girl is a little girl, and the next sentence is “Some years have passed and…”
I think they are just too confusing and I really didn’t like them.
The cultures. The world is a big one and in this book (or, at least, in the first 60% of it) we see just a little part of it, but the culture of the people who live there is quite barbaric and this really didn’t sit well with me. I mean, in this case is really a personal thing, more than for the previous points, but I am not happy to read about cultures that think of women as inferior, as things and owned by the men. Yes, it’s not true for all the cultures in this book, but it’s true for one of them, and it’s the culture that is more important for the story, or at least, is one of the most important, and the main character is from this culture. Also, I stopped to read when we reached the socially accepted rape, because for me it’s a big big big no. I know that you can see this coming from far away, and that it’s coherent with the culture that we saw in this pages, but I simply couldn’t stand it, so that was it for me.
The characters. They weren’t so bad but they weren’t so good either and I was expecting sooooo much more from them! Also, I wasn’t hooked up and I wasn’t so interested in the story, too.
In the end, I tried, I really tried because I wanted so much to like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this book on NetGalley I was really excited and I was more excited when they approved my request! Some years ago (ok, almost a lifetime ago, since I am speaking of high school) I read some of Salvatore’s books and I loved them! Drizzt was a character that I really, really, really liked so I was really happy to read again something written by him. It was exciting, wasn’t it? I wasn’t expecting a happy and soft book, because I don’t remember a lot (high school was a long time ago!) but I remember that the author didn’t make Drizzt’s life an easy one, so I was prepared… or I think I was.
I didn’t want to write this review, because I received an ARC and I wasn’t feeling so keen to write a review for a book that I didn’t finish and that I received for reviewing, but in the end… well, I think it would not be fair to just ignore all of this. It’s not pleasant to write a bad review, even if this one is not so bad, and to write about a book that you don’t finish is always tricky, but it’s just more honest to simply say the truth and speak about the things that went wrong for me than to pretend that this never happened.
The point here is not the bad review, I may not be so happy about writing them but I think them useful for a ton of reasons, so I would write them anyway, the point here is that I didn’t finish the book, just to be clear.
So… about the book. I would write a review mostly in point, but first a couple of sentences for introduction. I think this book was mostly introductory to the series, I stopped my reading at 60%, so it’s not that I’ve read 10 or 20 pages and give up, I really try with this one, but the things I didn’t like in the first 10% were the same things I didn’t like at 60%, so I’ve simply chosen to give up. This book really wasn’t for me.
And in more than 200 pages (because this is a long book) it doesn’t happen so much, so yes, I think that this book is an introduction for this new series.
But now is time to stop to stall and begin with the serious part.
Things I didn’t like:
The pace. It’s really slow. At first, I was thinking that it was normal because it’s a completely new world, with different cultures, places, characters and so on, so it takes time to set in the world and understand all, but it wasn’t just the beginning. It’s a really slow book, and even if usually I like when an author takes his(or her) time to show us his creations I wasn’t hooked up and I really didn’t care about the story, in the end.
The chapters. A good thing about them it’s that all of them have titles, and this is a thing that I really appreciate, but they were too long. I don’t like long chapters but I can cope with them, usually, but in this case they are too long and wrong. I mean, in the same chapter you have different characters’ POV, but it’s confusing if you are speaking about a girl in the mountain and in the next sentence you are speaking about a man on the lake, miles and miles away from the girl. Or in the same chapter we have different time: one sentence the girl is a little girl, and the next sentence is “Some years have passed and…”
I think they are just too confusing and I really didn’t like them.
The cultures. The world is a big one and in this book (or, at least, in the first 60% of it) we see just a little part of it, but the culture of the people who live there is quite barbaric and this really didn’t sit well with me. I mean, in this case is really a personal thing, more than for the previous points, but I am not happy to read about cultures that think of women as inferior, as things and owned by the men. Yes, it’s not true for all the cultures in this book, but it’s true for one of them, and it’s the culture that is more important for the story, or at least, is one of the most important, and the main character is from this culture. Also, I stopped to read when we reached the socially accepted rape, because for me it’s a big big big no. I know that you can see this coming from far away, and that it’s coherent with the culture that we saw in this pages, but I simply couldn’t stand it, so that was it for me.
The characters. They weren’t so bad but they weren’t so good either and I was expecting sooooo much more from them! Also, I wasn’t hooked up and I wasn’t so interested in the story, too.
In the end, I tried, I really tried because I wanted so much to like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
November 23, 2021
Book: Child of a Mad God
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
Author: RA Salvatore
This is my first RA Salvatore book. I really had no idea where to start with his works. My library owns this whole series, so I figured that it was a god place to start.
It is my understanding that this is part of one of Salvatore’s other worlds, but it feels like it is self-contained. As someone who has never read any other books but this author, I had no trouble following the story. Everything is laid out and presented in a way that you will have no trouble following what is going on. You will find yourself transported and engaged in the world. The mood and tone of the overall story will just pull you in and leave you wanting more. You will find yourself diving in and having a very hard time to get into. Like with other adult high fantasy books, it may take you a minute to actually get into the world and get used to the magic system. Trust me-it’s worth it. It’s just a lot at the start of the book.
Let’s start there. I really enjoyed the world. Once I got used to all of the parts and was able to keep all of the tribes straight, I was all in. At the start of the book, it seemed like this vast world wasn’t going to come together, but it did. Once you see how all of the parts interact with each other, you can see how the little details all fit together. It’s actually kind of amazing how everything comes together. Now, the world is very dark. We follow different tribes, who are very different from each other. We see the raids, how they view each other, and how they treat those who are defeated. The world isn’t on the grim dark level, but it is pretty dark. The world is cold, dark, and bleak. There isn’t a lot of hope.
The characters are very well done and complex. We follow a pretty large cast, but I had not difficulty in keeping everyone straight. This is the mark of well developed, thought out, and complex characters. Even the minor characters are well done. What I really liked about the characters is it felt like no one was just there. Everyone had a reason for being in the book and everyone added to the plot-no matter how small their part actually was. Again, a lot of it may not be clear until the end, but, again, it all comes together in a way that is just simply amazing.
I really enjoyed the magic system as well. We have a magic based on crystals and witches. It kind of gave me Mistborn magic system vibes-even though they are little bit different. It’s more on the complex side, but, again, once you get used to it, you can see the beauty in it.
I do have to be upfront with you. There are several trigger warnings with this one. There are some pretty graphic torture sequences, scenes of sexual assault, and rape, and brutal killing scenes. This is not a YA fantasy-it is adult.
Anyway, I will be picking up the next book in the series very soon.
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars
Author: RA Salvatore
This is my first RA Salvatore book. I really had no idea where to start with his works. My library owns this whole series, so I figured that it was a god place to start.
It is my understanding that this is part of one of Salvatore’s other worlds, but it feels like it is self-contained. As someone who has never read any other books but this author, I had no trouble following the story. Everything is laid out and presented in a way that you will have no trouble following what is going on. You will find yourself transported and engaged in the world. The mood and tone of the overall story will just pull you in and leave you wanting more. You will find yourself diving in and having a very hard time to get into. Like with other adult high fantasy books, it may take you a minute to actually get into the world and get used to the magic system. Trust me-it’s worth it. It’s just a lot at the start of the book.
Let’s start there. I really enjoyed the world. Once I got used to all of the parts and was able to keep all of the tribes straight, I was all in. At the start of the book, it seemed like this vast world wasn’t going to come together, but it did. Once you see how all of the parts interact with each other, you can see how the little details all fit together. It’s actually kind of amazing how everything comes together. Now, the world is very dark. We follow different tribes, who are very different from each other. We see the raids, how they view each other, and how they treat those who are defeated. The world isn’t on the grim dark level, but it is pretty dark. The world is cold, dark, and bleak. There isn’t a lot of hope.
The characters are very well done and complex. We follow a pretty large cast, but I had not difficulty in keeping everyone straight. This is the mark of well developed, thought out, and complex characters. Even the minor characters are well done. What I really liked about the characters is it felt like no one was just there. Everyone had a reason for being in the book and everyone added to the plot-no matter how small their part actually was. Again, a lot of it may not be clear until the end, but, again, it all comes together in a way that is just simply amazing.
I really enjoyed the magic system as well. We have a magic based on crystals and witches. It kind of gave me Mistborn magic system vibes-even though they are little bit different. It’s more on the complex side, but, again, once you get used to it, you can see the beauty in it.
I do have to be upfront with you. There are several trigger warnings with this one. There are some pretty graphic torture sequences, scenes of sexual assault, and rape, and brutal killing scenes. This is not a YA fantasy-it is adult.
Anyway, I will be picking up the next book in the series very soon.
March 25, 2018
3.5/5
Genre: Fantasy
Overall summary: This was my first Salvatore book and his world building is superb! The story is slow, there is a lot of build up for future books. Our main protagonist Aoleyn is extremely likable and I loved watching her grow up. There are a few issues with this book, but I overall enjoyed it.
Trigger warning: Rape and abuse
Brief Description
The Wilderlands is a dangerous place inhabited by 8 tribes who live in pre-historic societies. The most mysterious and most powerful is the Usgar, a tribe that lives high in the mountain and uses crystal magic. Aoleyn is a young girl who is extremely connected with the song of the crystals that allow women to use their magic. We follow her as she grows up and comes into her power and attempts to smash the patriarchy she was born into.
Plot
The main plot revolved around Aoleyn growing up and learning magic as well as facing both a real monster that lives in the mountains known as the fossa and a figurative monster of the suffocating traditions and patriarchy of her mountain tribe. There was also a secondary plot involving an outsider trader named Talmadge and his trials and tribulations in and out of the mountain tribes. The plot was very slow paced, but it was still able to keep my attention due to the originality of the world and the strong characters Salvatore created. Most of the action of this book occurs in the later half when Aoleyn has come of age. She faces an undesirable arranged marriage, forced gender roles including violence, and hatred from the head of the coven. She also has a loving relationship with a slave boy in her tribe who remains alive only because the tribe thinks he is stupid and not a threat. Aoleyn discovers her love of the crystals and finds she is more powerful than any other woman in her tribe and she spends the second half of the book striving to be the strongest and most powerful so she can defend herself against the role she is placed into as a woman of her tribe. That being said the people of the Usgar are EXTREMELY violent people. They take what they want, keep slaves from the other tribes, and kill outsiders without regard for their lives at all. The other villages call the Usgar daemons, with their magically enhanced crystal spears and violent ways.
Talmadge on the other hand spends most of the book dealing with a life he took early on in the book. It forever marks the way he deals with people. He loves the lake tribes even through he is from the outside world and goes through a lot of love and loss throughout the book. While everything comes full circle for him by the end, not much happens to him throughout the book action wise, but he is built up for the books that come after this for sure. His story was a character study and I found it pretty interesting. I also loved the way his and Aoelyn’s story lines converged in the end, it worked really well.
Characters
By far Aoleyn was the most interesting character to follow. She grew up in this book and we followed her and her rambunctious free spirit as she took on the society and a few monsters along the way both figurative and literal. She has so much more to do now that she has come into her power and she was such a delight to follow. She has a wonderful relationship with the slave boy Thump which I hope will blossom into so much more in future books. He is also an interesting character that we get to see glimpses of his POV throughout the book. We also sometimes get to follow Aoleyn’s mentor/aunt who knows what Aoelyn is doomed to face and is very strict with her in her attempts to tame Aoleyn’s free spirit.
Talmadge was harder to connect with and less interesting, but had his own trauma to unpack and that showed up a lot in his character. He was aloof and spent a lot of time in his own head. We also don’t know too much of his back story before the start of the book, which makes him more mysterious.
World
I haven’t read any of Salvatore’s other books set in other parts of this world, but I must say this book does an amazing job isolating and describing the lake and mountain tribes. He describes their culture and magic, but leaves enough mystery for me to want more. He also is very good at looking at his world through the lenses of his characters and portraying what they know and don’t know to us. I feel like I am a part of that world as I am reading, which takes a true master to accomplish. He is even good at adding little details that truly flesh out the world even for readers who are unfamiliar with his other works.
Conclusion
This was a slow, but interesting read. If you are a fan of high epic fantasy which tends to be slow anyway maybe check this out. The world and Salvatore’s exploration of the world is very interesting. Though, again, if rape and abuse are triggers for you it might be best to sit this one out.
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