Too many POVs, and they are too varied. From all powerful wizard / god / assassin level to regular (ish) guy and back, too often. The reader knows too much or too little in each role and it invalidates the perspective. The author acknowledges the inspiration of The Black Company, but uses the facsimile as a side-show in the interplay of world changing powers. ( )

splendido ( )

I don't think I have ever suffered through my reading like with this book. It's not like I wasn't warned. I went in fully invested and finally gave in to my FOMO of not reading Erikson before.

Some moments were great, some insane imagery, and unforgettable scenes that only great fantasy can achieve. There is a larger-than-life story here, many interesting characters, and an incredible, detailed world full of magic.

But, for a reader to enjoy these elements they need to be measured, introduced at the right time and be meaningful to the plot. This novel goes heavily in medias res, as the reader is observing whats going on through the eyes of the characters. This is not a problem in itself, but there is so much redundancy in this novel. I'd even call it bad editing.

I am very well aware that many fantasy readers love this approach, the same way many people like their food with "everything on it". I just don't.

I came across a sort of companion/guide somewhere on forums that had some maps and chapter summaries. It was incredibly helpful because many things you really don't get merely by reading the text. At least not chronologically on your first read. This is a red flag for me. You shouldn't need to have a companion or even take extensive notes in order to understand what is going on. But, in a weird way, it felt satisfying, just very exhausting.

I've been told that this book is the worst in the series and that I shouldn't give up just yet. I may read the second one when I feel patient enough. It better be good! ( )

Two years, and a lot of falling asleep, I'm finally done this book. I only finished it so I could say I'd done it. Happy now, Dan? ( )

I had high hopes and really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it did nothing for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, I didn't care about what happened to any of them, and I just couldn't get into the plot at all. I thought the author introduced too many characters at once, and I had a very difficult time keeping them - or the complex and intricate world-building - straight.

A friend keeps raving about this series, so I tried it again a third time (after DNF'ing it the first two times, in 2017 and 2018). This time I managed to get through the entire book, but in the end, I wished I'd spent my time reading something else. Sadly, I will not be continuing with this series. ( )