Book review: The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers
Just finished The Horns of Ruin by Tim Akers. Took WAY too long for me to finish this book, considering what a quick read it should have been.
I really enjoyed this book. The main character is not likable, but I found myself enjoying the ride she was taking me on, wincing as she made bad decisions due to stubbornness, mentally cheering as she somehow shouldered through magics and overwhelming odds with just her sword and her will to just keep going. Conan-esque, in a way, but with much better prose.
The main thing that made this book for me was the setting, as is often the case. The City of Ash, built on ruins sunk into a black lake, filled with crazy technology, some familiar, others seemingly so until you see that they arrived at the final result using a completely different method. The book confines itself strictly to this city, which I love. Even with the entire book prodding into the many recesses of the city, there is so much more I'd love to know.
Magics all seem to be divine, gathered through remembrance of events passed for the deity in question, reciting bits from holy books and performing motions. You then gain some of the power associated with that event. There are three major deities worshipped, the three brothers-turned-gods. Our protagonist is Eva Forge, the last Paladin of the House of Morgan, the Slain Warrior. The book drops us on a simple pick-up mission, starts ramping up the action, and basically never stops.
The dialogue was decent and natural. The fights are described perfectly, giving me just enough detail to picture in my head what's going on without giving me a turn-by-turn combat lifted straight from the square or hex grid of a game. Fluid, I would say.
Clocking in at 268 pages, this is by no means a gigantic book, and is a VERY fast read, having taken me so long only due to the lack of spare moments I have had and lack of concentration I can sometimes display. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone who reads sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, or enjoys a strong female protagonist. I would also recommend Tim Akers' other book, Heart of Veridon, which has some similar steampunk sensibilities and the same hints of a much, much larger world that is just waiting to be filled up with our imaginations, sequels, or both.
The quick and dirty: Fast read, lots of brilliant fight-scenes, strong female protagonist, the tip of the iceberg of a fantastic setting, steampunk and fantasy twisted just enough to keep it fresh. Definitely recommended.
I really enjoyed this book. The main character is not likable, but I found myself enjoying the ride she was taking me on, wincing as she made bad decisions due to stubbornness, mentally cheering as she somehow shouldered through magics and overwhelming odds with just her sword and her will to just keep going. Conan-esque, in a way, but with much better prose.
The main thing that made this book for me was the setting, as is often the case. The City of Ash, built on ruins sunk into a black lake, filled with crazy technology, some familiar, others seemingly so until you see that they arrived at the final result using a completely different method. The book confines itself strictly to this city, which I love. Even with the entire book prodding into the many recesses of the city, there is so much more I'd love to know.
Magics all seem to be divine, gathered through remembrance of events passed for the deity in question, reciting bits from holy books and performing motions. You then gain some of the power associated with that event. There are three major deities worshipped, the three brothers-turned-gods. Our protagonist is Eva Forge, the last Paladin of the House of Morgan, the Slain Warrior. The book drops us on a simple pick-up mission, starts ramping up the action, and basically never stops.
The dialogue was decent and natural. The fights are described perfectly, giving me just enough detail to picture in my head what's going on without giving me a turn-by-turn combat lifted straight from the square or hex grid of a game. Fluid, I would say.
Clocking in at 268 pages, this is by no means a gigantic book, and is a VERY fast read, having taken me so long only due to the lack of spare moments I have had and lack of concentration I can sometimes display. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone who reads sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk, or enjoys a strong female protagonist. I would also recommend Tim Akers' other book, Heart of Veridon, which has some similar steampunk sensibilities and the same hints of a much, much larger world that is just waiting to be filled up with our imaginations, sequels, or both.
The quick and dirty: Fast read, lots of brilliant fight-scenes, strong female protagonist, the tip of the iceberg of a fantastic setting, steampunk and fantasy twisted just enough to keep it fresh. Definitely recommended.