Empire of Chains:Chapter 50-Chapter 62 LAST 20%

[eclipse]

Post your thoughts on this chapters here.

[Bender]

Binge read this late into Friday night.

Author has placed a lot of attention into machinations to detriment of overall plot. I was very disappointed that the white fire spell turned into a damp squib and the emperor was able to escape that easily, which made me question all the events of before.

I had hopes for Warrick since he keeps saying he's doing bad for greater good...and finally when it was revealed that the destruction of Craydon was just an object lesson, he revealed his true evil self. And not sure why Craydon, since the order was HQs in Mountainside and operates in Oasis Outpost amongst other places. And order has been operating uselessly for a long time, so why now.

In other books, moving fate is usually mentioned as a nudge, but here Warrick manipulates it like a chessboard which didn't feel realistic. Have made earlier comments on characterizations and dialogue which holds good all through. Would have preferred more depth. 

Overall a nice adventure read with swamps and monsters and magic users, but a series I don't feel continuing further.

[eclipse]

I had hopes for Warrick since he keeps saying he's doing bad for greater good...and finally when it was revealed that the destruction of Craydon was just an object lesson, he revealed his true evil self. And not sure why Craydon, since the order was HQs in Mountainside and operates in Oasis Outpost amongst other places. And order has been operating uselessly for a long time, so why now

He lied to the populace he really did it to save the rest of the  world. It was the only future in the web of fate that could have saved the world that he saw All other futures Would have failed.

some futures were blocked by a higher power? Maybe by the destroyer. So maybe the world could have been saved another way but he didn’t see it.


I liked the story but I did get a bit bored with monster after monster popping up.

Hands up who know those three  from the outpost wouldn’t make it.

Still don’t trust Cyrus

Thank you  @Ryan Mueller for the read.

[Lu Kudzoza]

My favorite story line was Warrick. His mystery is interesting enough to make me want to read the rest of the books. @Ryan Mueller  deserves serious respect for thinking up a character that keeps us guessing/thinking about good and evil and how much context matters when we judge it.

I'm with @Eclipse on the random action scenes. But, this could be my personal preference too. I like books that rely more on the characters than the action. I'm currently reading book 5 in Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle and he has a lot of gratuitous action too. Again, probably just me, but I think an action scene should move the story forward in some way or show how a character is growing (either in knowledge, personality, or power). Action fans will probably love all of these scenes.

A few of you have mentioned that the writing was utilitarian. To me it was much like Brandon Sanderson's style so I was fine with it.

Overall, I thought it was good solid writing based on a really cool concept for the villain and the world. I give it 4 stars.

[eclipse]

I want to add too that I thought too many characters doubted themselves about the quest there were on ,it seemed to go in roundabouts one doubted then another one.

Yeah Warrick and Berig were my favourites.

I’m interested in where Tylen will go next.

[Ryan Mueller]

Thanks to everyone for reading it. I was a bit nervous about having people discuss it, but it wasn't too bad.

I'd like to think I've improved on a lot of the issues people had with it. If I wrote the book now, I would probably make a lot of different decisions. It's crazy to think that it's been almost six years since I wrote this book.

@Eclipse

Warrick, Berig, and Tylen were all some of my favorite characters to write, and it's not too much of a spoiler to say that I take their stories in some unexpected directions in the next three books.

@Lu Kudzoza

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I do definitely try for more utilitarian prose like Sanderson, and once again, I'd like to think I've gotten better with connecting the action scenes to plot and character development as I've grown as a writer. They are my favorite to write, and sometimes it's all too easy to get carried away.