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La Conspiración De Melengar (2008)

by Michael J. Sullivan(Favorite Author)

4.07 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Timun Mas

series

The Riyria Revelations

review 1: This series starts out so well. A pair of anti heroes that don't care about being the "hero" part terribly much? Well that at least is something I've always enjoyed. A character that's a real character, that does "something good" because it happens to be to his own ends.That's our two main protagonists. They're mercenaries and unrepentant about it. Caught up in a large conspiracy they do what they're there to do, which is get paid if possible, and save their own skins at least if they're not.And it's these two stars and a solid writing core that bring this novel to some amount of life despite the medieval "Oh hello Mr. Tolkien and your good personal friend C.S. Lewis. How do you feel about people just copying you and that American fellow Robert E. Howard endlessly for the ... morerest of all time." Setting. But it's the characters themselves that drive things forward.***SPOILERS***So if that appeals to you, then don't get your hopes up for ever continuing the series. Both go straight to "good and evil" white knight hell at the very beginning of the second book. Why authors feel the need to make their characters generically likable is beyond me. Except for maybe chopping their damned heads off like Ned Stark in the first GOT.
review 2: Vol 1 – The Crown Conspiracy 3-StarsA very close friend recommended this to me, so naturally when he tells me something is enjoyable, I feel like I am in for a treat. However, this friend is also an author and for me personally is one of the best writers I have encountered. When I read his work, it’s like walking into a hologram of his world. I think that aspect has spoiled me to some degree. Looking back at that, I have to consider who the man was and how he saw people and stories to realize what he appreciated. For one, he never spoke ill of anyone’s writing, not that I ever heard him say at least, still he would not have recommended The Riyria Revelation series or any other book if he didn’t feel it would deliver.So, I am finally getting around to chipping away at the list of books he had shared with me. Starting with this one. Even before finishing it I realized I was fixatedly on the fence of what my rating for it would be. It’s is still a dead on unwavering 3.At the very start I almost put it down. Down time for me is a rare commodity, so I hate to waste it on a bad read, but then the MCs Hadrian and Royce stepped in and saved the scene. Now I see at least one part of what my friend saw. A couple of characters with flavorful wit that a male reader can relate to and admittedly it is Hadrian and his banter/pal-ing around with his travel companion and best friend Royce that saves the book over and over again. So I will get to the point of why it seemed to need saving. It’s the lack of detail or fluidity of those that are present. Too many scenes are read off like check lists that even seem to skip a step or two at times just so the author could fast forward to get to his next catchy plot idea. And before you ask, I will explain what I mean by check list, as it’s a phrase I have picked up from others. What I find is action sequences just mentioned like labels rather than detailed movement within a built scene scenario. ***EX: Gets dressed – check. Got keys in my pocket – check.Walk out the door – check.Drove down the road – check.“Hey Bob, what’s on the work schedule?” – huh?Did we go to work? Because I seemed to have missed that part, and that’s what I mean. And don’t ask my husband what is missing, he will drive you insane wanting to know what time of day it was, was it sunny, what car you drove, and what you had for breakfast. He is not allowed to read over my shoulder on this one. I have made that very clear to him.***While the world building of details I was hoping to be surrounded in wasn’t there, it wasn’t entirely generically absent either. Just enough to trudge through until the next Hadrian/Royce banter or the next Oh Shit plot twist, which while sometimes too brief before speeding thru to get to the next, were at least frequent enough to keep me engaged, and not close the book down entirely.Once at the end, it does however leave the reader with the nagging question of what is to happen next, that yes, I will have to read the other books in the series just to find out. And I saw an interesting passage left on GR by author Michael Sullivan himself to let readers know of the overall plot arc, a saga should have, on top of the smaller resolutions per book. So again, yes, I will have to read the others as well. Mostly, while this is still a meh it’s an okay/good read, I may actually have to fast forward myself to see what else he has written/released just recently to see what his written worlds have developed into. As there is enough to Mr. Sullivan’s writing that says: “If you liked me then, wait until you see what I can do now.” Erring on hope I give this a: ‘Recommended read’.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AFTER NOTE: While Vol 1 did not thrill me the remainder of the series churned out repeated 5 stars. So keep reading this series. its worth getting past this first volume less

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