Range of Ghosts
Ratings13
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings13
Average rating3.8
A powerful new fantasy from Hugo award–winning author Elizabeth Bear, Range of Ghosts creates a world both deep and broad, where a sorcerer-prince seeks world domination for the glory of his God. Temur, grandson of the Great Khan, is walking from a battlefield where he was left for dead. All around lie the fallen armies of his cousin and his brother who made war to rule the Khaganate. Temur is now the legitimate heir by blood to his grandfather's throne, but he is not the strongest. Going into exile is the only way to survive his ruthless cousin. Once-Princess Samarkar is climbing the thousand steps of the Citadel of the Wizards of Tsarepheth. She was heir to the Rasan Empire until her father got a son on a new wife. Then she was sent to be the wife of a Prince in Song, but that marriage ended in battle and blood. Now she has renounced her worldly power to seek the magical power of the wizards. These two will come together to stand against the hidden cult that has so carefully brought all the empires of the Celadon Highway to strife and civil war through guile and deceit and sorcerous power. The Eternal Sky Trilogy #1 Range of Ghosts #2 Shattered Pillars #3 Steles of the Sky At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Executive Summary: I enjoyed the last 25% or so, but that's just not enough for me to continue on in the series. 2.5 stars rounded up for a strong finish.
Audio book: I wasn't terribly impressed by Celeste Ciulla. I have a hard time deciding if some of the dialogue was bad, or if it was simply the inflections with with Ms. Ciulla read it. Overall she wasn't bad, but there were parts that made me cringe a bit/pulled me out of the story.
Full Review
I had been wanting to try Ms. Bear for about a year or so. Someone must have recommended this book/series to me at some point because it was already on my list when it was brought up to be read by my side reads group.
Then just before the read a few people either disappeared or backed out of the read, including the guy who suggested we read it. Maybe I should have taken that as a sign.
I think if I had read this book a few years ago I might have liked it more. As it was, I've read just too much fantasy that I like better.
The characters were interesting enough, but there just didn't feel like there was much plot. I was intrigued by how a person could be converted into a wizard, but very little was explained. Maybe both of these things won't be an issue in the later books. It's hard to say at this point.
The writing was decent, but not great. As I mentioned above, I'm not sure if some of the dialogue made me cringe, or if it was simply the inflection it was read. I'd say the best thing about this book was the protagonist's horse.
Overall I'd be willing to give Ms. Bear another chance, but not with the next book in this series.
Series
3 primary books9 released booksEternal Sky is a 5-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2008 with contributions by Garth Nix, George R.R. Martin, and 34 others.
