Geekess reviewed Deathless by Peter Newman
Review of 'Deathless' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
4.5 stars out of 5
This is one of the first books I've read that riff of one of Brandon Sanderson's magic systems. It's not a copy, mind you, but like everyone else seems to do with Tolkien-style high-fantasy, or superhero-style urban fantasy magics, here Peter Newman takes the concept of magic-infused crystal armor and mixes it with a dollop of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle, and Naomi Novik's Uprooted.
And I love it.
What's not to love? Main characters are strong and develop/change over the course of the book. Women are diverse in styles but all strong, and so are the men, in their way. There is no black and white, even though at the beginning it looks like it. Everything, even the horrible monsters in the Wild, is gray. No cardboard villains, but all living creatures just trying to stay alive and protect those who are dear to …
4.5 stars out of 5
This is one of the first books I've read that riff of one of Brandon Sanderson's magic systems. It's not a copy, mind you, but like everyone else seems to do with Tolkien-style high-fantasy, or superhero-style urban fantasy magics, here Peter Newman takes the concept of magic-infused crystal armor and mixes it with a dollop of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle, and Naomi Novik's Uprooted.
And I love it.
What's not to love? Main characters are strong and develop/change over the course of the book. Women are diverse in styles but all strong, and so are the men, in their way. There is no black and white, even though at the beginning it looks like it. Everything, even the horrible monsters in the Wild, is gray. No cardboard villains, but all living creatures just trying to stay alive and protect those who are dear to them, no matter the costs.
I've heard the monster in the Wild described as gruesome and horror-like, but I disagree. It's still no Bridget Wood ;-) But the monsters are very original. I love them to bits. They are well-developed as well, with likes and dislikes, and agenda's of their own. No mindless monsters (alright, some), no violences and shock for the sake of violence and shock.
This is a world I adore, and I want to read a lot more about it.
In the beginning I had some difficulty with the narrator. Going by the name, it looks like it's a relation or something. She narrates wonderfully, but it felt off, sometimes. In the end (on about a third in) I sped up the narration just a fraction, and that made it a lot better, way more smooth.
Narration-spoiler for the third book: That one has a different narrator, and I hate how she does it. I want the previous one back! She grew on me and I started to really like her (on 1.1x speed) for the books. The other sounds as if she chews on the words, yuk.
So, narration is fine.
Go and read this book (and the series). It's amazing!