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Midwinter #1
Midwinter
Winter comes to the land only once in a hundred years. But the snow covers ancient secrets that could topple a kingdom. Mauritaine was a war hero, a captain in the Seelie Army. Then he was accused of treason and sentenced to life without parole at Crere Sulace, a dark and ancient prison in the mountains, far from the City Emerald. But now the Seelie Queen – Regina Titania herself – has offered him one last chance to redeem himself, an opportunity to regain his freedom and his honor. Unfortunately, it's a suicide mission, which is why only Mauritaine and the few prisoners he trusts enough to accompany him, would even dare attempt Raieve, beautiful and harsh, an emissary from a foreign land caught in the wrong place at the wrong time; Perrin Alt, Lord Silverdun, a nobleman imprisoned as a result of political intrigues so Byzantine that not even he understands them; and Brian Satterly, a human physicist, apprehended searching for the human victims of the faery changeling trade. Meanwhile, dark forces are at work at home and abroad. In the Seelie kingdom, the reluctant soldier Purane-Es burns with hatred for Mauritaine, and plots to steal the one thing that remains to his wife. Across the border, the black artist Hy Pezho courts the whim of Mab, offering a deadly weapon that could allow the Unseelie in their flying cities to crush Titania and her army once and for all. With time running out, Mauritaine and his companions must cross the deadly Contested Lands filled with dire magical fallout from wars past. They will confront mounted patrols, brigands, and a traitor in their midst. And before they reach their destination, as the Unseelie Armies led by Queen Mab approach the border, Mauritaine must decide between his own freedom and the fate of the very land that has forsaken him.
344 pages, Paperback
First published March 24, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 28, 2011
I cannot for the life of me remember the last time I read a book this aggressively mediocre. Midwinter has all the tropes: sword battles, wondrous flying cities, magical talents, forbidden trysts, even a dude from the reader's own Earth transplanted into the fantasy world. But every fun or clever element is watered down to the point of becoming utterly generic. The magical talents come from a finite list of "Gifts" that read like power choices from a tabletop role-playing game. Ordinary tasks like warming a blanket have the word "spell" tacked on to them, presumably to make the setting feel more magical, but it just makes the magic as mundane as electricity or water. The principal characters, supposedly the Fae of frightening stories and old legends, are pretty much ordinary people with pointy ears who eat flowers.
Don't get me wrong, the book does have some imagination. The aforementioned flying cities turn out to be a worthy addition, and there are a few double-crosses and plot twists that will surprise you, with allies and villains coming from unexpected corners. But if you want something wondrous and otherworldly, you'll get a bigger departure from your everyday experience by reading nonfiction about the next state over.
Don't get me wrong, the book does have some imagination. The aforementioned flying cities turn out to be a worthy addition, and there are a few double-crosses and plot twists that will surprise you, with allies and villains coming from unexpected corners. But if you want something wondrous and otherworldly, you'll get a bigger departure from your everyday experience by reading nonfiction about the next state over.
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
I was attracted to Midwinter because of the beautiful cover art (by Chris McGrath) and the publisher's blurb. This sounds like my kind of story. Unfortunately, this novel didn't deliver what I was looking for, but it had so much potential that I hold out hope for future efforts from Matthew Sturges.
Midwinter starts out well. The prose is pleasant -- perfectly readable and without any pretensions. Usually this is the first place an author will lose me, but Mr Sturgis didn't.
The main characters, especially Mauritane, Silverdun, Satterly, and Raieve, are intriguing and I was fully expecting to be drawn into their lives. However, I never was. Part of the problem was the third-person point of view that shifted unexpectedly. It never settled down long enough to examine the hearts of the key players. Some of the secondary characters such as Lady Anne, Queen Mab, Hy Pezho, and Purane-Es were given excellent characterization, so I know that Mr Sturgis is capable. But, the main characters never opened up for me, so I felt like an outsider during their quest.
I also never quite felt the setting. It's midwinter and our heroes are traveling, eating, sleeping, and fighting outdoors in the snow, but I never felt cold. Most of the characters are fae and we are several times told how different they are from humans, but we are never shown how they are different (except that toward the end of the book we're told that they are drained by cold iron, and they have funny ears).
There are some flashes of imaginative brilliance (I loved the shifting areas in the Contested Lands, and the messages sprites were hilarious), but there are also a lot of elements that just seem weirdly cobbled together (e.g., the philosophy discussions, the humans stuck in faery, the changeling trade, Avalon, Sylvan, the Arcadian religion, the Thule Man, cars and rebar, Mab's flying city, the prophecy). I may be completely wrong about this, but I have noticed in other new novelists a tendency to throw in a bunch of disparate ideas -- as if the author had been collecting these fancies for years and then assembled them all in their first novel. Or, sometimes perhaps they do this because these elements came up during their research and they feel the need to include them. I am not accusing Mr Sturgis of either of these motivations, but that's just what it feels like. I found myself often saying "huh? Where did that come from? ... Where's the kitchen sink?" I am certainly not asking for my fantasy to be straight-up medieval-style epic, but this was just confusing.
So, basically it was the lack of characterization of the heroes and the strange hodgepodge that kept me from enjoying Midwinter as much as I thought I would. I do, however, have high hopes for Matthew Sturges and I would not refuse to read a different story in another setting. Read more Matthew Sturges book reviews at Fantasy literature.
I was attracted to Midwinter because of the beautiful cover art (by Chris McGrath) and the publisher's blurb. This sounds like my kind of story. Unfortunately, this novel didn't deliver what I was looking for, but it had so much potential that I hold out hope for future efforts from Matthew Sturges.
Midwinter starts out well. The prose is pleasant -- perfectly readable and without any pretensions. Usually this is the first place an author will lose me, but Mr Sturgis didn't.
The main characters, especially Mauritane, Silverdun, Satterly, and Raieve, are intriguing and I was fully expecting to be drawn into their lives. However, I never was. Part of the problem was the third-person point of view that shifted unexpectedly. It never settled down long enough to examine the hearts of the key players. Some of the secondary characters such as Lady Anne, Queen Mab, Hy Pezho, and Purane-Es were given excellent characterization, so I know that Mr Sturgis is capable. But, the main characters never opened up for me, so I felt like an outsider during their quest.
I also never quite felt the setting. It's midwinter and our heroes are traveling, eating, sleeping, and fighting outdoors in the snow, but I never felt cold. Most of the characters are fae and we are several times told how different they are from humans, but we are never shown how they are different (except that toward the end of the book we're told that they are drained by cold iron, and they have funny ears).
There are some flashes of imaginative brilliance (I loved the shifting areas in the Contested Lands, and the messages sprites were hilarious), but there are also a lot of elements that just seem weirdly cobbled together (e.g., the philosophy discussions, the humans stuck in faery, the changeling trade, Avalon, Sylvan, the Arcadian religion, the Thule Man, cars and rebar, Mab's flying city, the prophecy). I may be completely wrong about this, but I have noticed in other new novelists a tendency to throw in a bunch of disparate ideas -- as if the author had been collecting these fancies for years and then assembled them all in their first novel. Or, sometimes perhaps they do this because these elements came up during their research and they feel the need to include them. I am not accusing Mr Sturgis of either of these motivations, but that's just what it feels like. I found myself often saying "huh? Where did that come from? ... Where's the kitchen sink?" I am certainly not asking for my fantasy to be straight-up medieval-style epic, but this was just confusing.
So, basically it was the lack of characterization of the heroes and the strange hodgepodge that kept me from enjoying Midwinter as much as I thought I would. I do, however, have high hopes for Matthew Sturges and I would not refuse to read a different story in another setting. Read more Matthew Sturges book reviews at Fantasy literature.
May 7, 2009
Once a war hero, Mauritaine is now a prisoner in Crere Sulace prison serving a life term for treason. But the Queen of the Seelie Fae, Regina Titiana, has offered Mauritaine a second chance at freedom if he will undertake a mysterious and deadly mission. Facing limited options, Mauritaine must choose the companions for his quest from a group of prisoners, one of whom might be a spy for Mab, the Unseelie Queen. Midwinter is set in a land that brushes up against other dimensions, including the modern human world, pulling fae and humans alike into its mysterious path. Mauritaine and his band follow a convoluted route through the story as they encounter refugees from the human world and those who would thwart their mission.
Midwinter was a very strange book for me because it has so much going on, so many good ideas, but it never fully takes off. Midwinter is the debut novel of Matthew Sturges, a comic book writer, and I can't help but wonder if his writing style is reflective of his background since comic books (or graphic novels depending on your preferred term *Sturges' bio says comic book writer*) rely on imagery to tell the story as much as the writing and Midwinter is sparse on details. The book starts off great. The set up is everything you could want from a fantasy novel. The characters seem really interesting, the setting intriguing and the magic system shows promise. But once you get about one third of the way through the book you realize that what you're reading is a fairly well developed outline, but not a fully fleshed-out story. And that's such a shame because the story has so much going for it-- it just begs for further exploration.
There are a lot of layers to Midwinter and a lot of good characters that are never fully given the opportunity to shine. Mauritane is, on the surface, a charismatic leading character, but he remains somewhat two-dimensional. We get a decent amount of history on his character but not a lot of personality is demonstrated. Other characters, like Satterly, who comes from our world through a dimensional portal, are given personality but very little background. Characters that are introduced as villains are very interesting to begin with but come to abrupt ends that make their story lines seem superfluous. Additionally, the magic system is never explained and it's frustrating beyond belief. Characters are said to have gifts, such as Leadership or Elements, but the details of how the gifts work are not developed.
In the end Midwinter is kind of maddening because so much of the book is really good. As I started reading the book I thought, this book reminds me why I like fantasy in the first place, and if the book had kept the excellence it displayed in the first third, I would say it was the best book I've read this year. As it is, I have to say it's the book with the most unrealized potential I have ever read. Yet, I am still totally willing to give the sequel Sturges is currently writing to Midwinter a chance because, given the right kind of attention, the series could be really great. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Midwinter was a very strange book for me because it has so much going on, so many good ideas, but it never fully takes off. Midwinter is the debut novel of Matthew Sturges, a comic book writer, and I can't help but wonder if his writing style is reflective of his background since comic books (or graphic novels depending on your preferred term *Sturges' bio says comic book writer*) rely on imagery to tell the story as much as the writing and Midwinter is sparse on details. The book starts off great. The set up is everything you could want from a fantasy novel. The characters seem really interesting, the setting intriguing and the magic system shows promise. But once you get about one third of the way through the book you realize that what you're reading is a fairly well developed outline, but not a fully fleshed-out story. And that's such a shame because the story has so much going for it-- it just begs for further exploration.
There are a lot of layers to Midwinter and a lot of good characters that are never fully given the opportunity to shine. Mauritane is, on the surface, a charismatic leading character, but he remains somewhat two-dimensional. We get a decent amount of history on his character but not a lot of personality is demonstrated. Other characters, like Satterly, who comes from our world through a dimensional portal, are given personality but very little background. Characters that are introduced as villains are very interesting to begin with but come to abrupt ends that make their story lines seem superfluous. Additionally, the magic system is never explained and it's frustrating beyond belief. Characters are said to have gifts, such as Leadership or Elements, but the details of how the gifts work are not developed.
In the end Midwinter is kind of maddening because so much of the book is really good. As I started reading the book I thought, this book reminds me why I like fantasy in the first place, and if the book had kept the excellence it displayed in the first third, I would say it was the best book I've read this year. As it is, I have to say it's the book with the most unrealized potential I have ever read. Yet, I am still totally willing to give the sequel Sturges is currently writing to Midwinter a chance because, given the right kind of attention, the series could be really great. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
July 23, 2014
Excellent debut though not your usual epic fantasy since it features, magic, floating cities, long-lived elves, secondary-world as well as modern cars, shotguns, 21st century humans, and it's not of the the sick/nerd/outcast human magically transported to be "Sir Hero and save the world" variety either.
The one human major character is still secondary to the main heroes and more of an accidental observer than anything else.
Midwinter has also quite a sf-nal feel, its Seelie and Unseelie countries feeling more like typical humanoid alien places from a sf Planetary Adventure, than a fantasy realm accessed by inter-dimensional rifts as is the case.
There are lots of subtle clues scattered through the novel and it's easy to miss them and be confused by the familiar seeming, but always confounding expectations setting of the novel, though the action and main characters are straightforward.
Mauritane is the commoner hero, married into but never fully accepted by the nobility, loyal, courageous, raising on military merit to important positions and brought down by dastardly noble subordinates on faked evidence, now offered a chance to redeem himself by undertaking an "against all odds" mission, Raieve the tough warrior girl, unjustly imprisoned because she killed the noble who tried to rape her and having a crush on the married Mauritane, Silverdun the noble born hedonist, imprisoned for his fortune by cunning relatives who discovers there is more to life than immediate sensual pleasure, and the 21st century human physicist Slattery on a rescue mission in the Seelie lands gone wrong.
All are imprisoned for life in an impregnable fortress when they are offered a seemingly impossible task in exchange for pardon and on their journey we encounter peril, heart-break, sense of wonder, superb action and derring-do.
Midwinter is a page turner and a very exciting novel which managed to surprise me with unexpected twists and turns despite its seemingly straightforward plot.
Sometimes the unexpected elements thrown into the mix - and there are quite a few, but I do not want to spoil some big surprises - do not seem to quite fit with the world-building that has gone before, but that's just our expectations of a traditional epic fantasy confounded once more, and the novel hangs together very well in my opinion.
As some minor niggles, the main villain is a comic-opera one to a large extent, while the name of our hero Mauritane is sounding like a Countess' name at the Sun King's Versailles Court than a tough, hardened warrior, and that incongruity stayed with me to the end of the novel detracting from its enjoyment. I liked though some of the other names, the two immortal Queens, Titania of the Seelie lands, Mab of the Unseelie ones, the Arcadian religions, names of places. Overall the mixture of strange and familiar in the naming conventions works well with the notable exception above.
Overall though Midwinter is the best pure genre debut of 09 so far for me and highly recommended.
The one human major character is still secondary to the main heroes and more of an accidental observer than anything else.
Midwinter has also quite a sf-nal feel, its Seelie and Unseelie countries feeling more like typical humanoid alien places from a sf Planetary Adventure, than a fantasy realm accessed by inter-dimensional rifts as is the case.
There are lots of subtle clues scattered through the novel and it's easy to miss them and be confused by the familiar seeming, but always confounding expectations setting of the novel, though the action and main characters are straightforward.
Mauritane is the commoner hero, married into but never fully accepted by the nobility, loyal, courageous, raising on military merit to important positions and brought down by dastardly noble subordinates on faked evidence, now offered a chance to redeem himself by undertaking an "against all odds" mission, Raieve the tough warrior girl, unjustly imprisoned because she killed the noble who tried to rape her and having a crush on the married Mauritane, Silverdun the noble born hedonist, imprisoned for his fortune by cunning relatives who discovers there is more to life than immediate sensual pleasure, and the 21st century human physicist Slattery on a rescue mission in the Seelie lands gone wrong.
All are imprisoned for life in an impregnable fortress when they are offered a seemingly impossible task in exchange for pardon and on their journey we encounter peril, heart-break, sense of wonder, superb action and derring-do.
Midwinter is a page turner and a very exciting novel which managed to surprise me with unexpected twists and turns despite its seemingly straightforward plot.
Sometimes the unexpected elements thrown into the mix - and there are quite a few, but I do not want to spoil some big surprises - do not seem to quite fit with the world-building that has gone before, but that's just our expectations of a traditional epic fantasy confounded once more, and the novel hangs together very well in my opinion.
As some minor niggles, the main villain is a comic-opera one to a large extent, while the name of our hero Mauritane is sounding like a Countess' name at the Sun King's Versailles Court than a tough, hardened warrior, and that incongruity stayed with me to the end of the novel detracting from its enjoyment. I liked though some of the other names, the two immortal Queens, Titania of the Seelie lands, Mab of the Unseelie ones, the Arcadian religions, names of places. Overall the mixture of strange and familiar in the naming conventions works well with the notable exception above.
Overall though Midwinter is the best pure genre debut of 09 so far for me and highly recommended.
May 6, 2009
Better known as co-author of the first volumes of the Fables comic series, Matthew Sturges has turned his talents to novel writing.
Like his fellow Clockwork Storybook writer Chris Roberson, Sturges has produced a variation on the "Dirty Dozen" concept--prisoners given a chance at redemption by taking a one-way near-suicidal mission. Roberson set a Dirty Dozen in his "Chinese and Aztec" universe in The Dragon's Nine Sons.
Midwinter, Sturges effort, is similarly located in a place very different than our Earth--in Faerieland.
Midwinter is the story of Mauritaine. War hero, former Captain of the Royal Guard, he is in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He gets the chance at redemption at the low part of a 100 year cycle in the seasons--Midwinter. It seems that this occasion has cause for the Queen of the Seelie, Regina Titania, to offer a secret mission to him, and a few of his fellow prisoners. Survive, and their sentences will be commuted.
Not everyone is happy about this mission of course, especially Queen Titania's rival, Queen Mab of the Unseelie. As well as rivals to Mauritaine within the realm of the Seelie, and possibly within his own party...
The novel is both familiar and new in its treatment of Faerie and its inhabitants. The team has a variety of tropes, including a displaced human whose knowledge of technology and science seems useless in Faerie. At first.
We also have a couple of POVs from outside of the team, in both the Courts of Titania as well as Mab. Some of these POVs and characters are more compelling and well drawn than others.
I enjoyed the inventiveness of the premise (of winter coming to the land every century). I guessed the secret of the mission before it was revealed, but only just. And there are other delights in the world, like the strange Contested Lands, and the floating city that Mab calls her capital.
Overall, while I enjoyed the novel and was entertained, I do not think the novel quite hits on all cylinders. I do want to see how Sturges grows as a writer in subsequent novels. There is clear potential here that I would love to see in full bloom. So, if you can forgive a few faults in the novel, then you, too, just might enjoy Midwinter.
Like his fellow Clockwork Storybook writer Chris Roberson, Sturges has produced a variation on the "Dirty Dozen" concept--prisoners given a chance at redemption by taking a one-way near-suicidal mission. Roberson set a Dirty Dozen in his "Chinese and Aztec" universe in The Dragon's Nine Sons.
Midwinter, Sturges effort, is similarly located in a place very different than our Earth--in Faerieland.
Midwinter is the story of Mauritaine. War hero, former Captain of the Royal Guard, he is in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He gets the chance at redemption at the low part of a 100 year cycle in the seasons--Midwinter. It seems that this occasion has cause for the Queen of the Seelie, Regina Titania, to offer a secret mission to him, and a few of his fellow prisoners. Survive, and their sentences will be commuted.
Not everyone is happy about this mission of course, especially Queen Titania's rival, Queen Mab of the Unseelie. As well as rivals to Mauritaine within the realm of the Seelie, and possibly within his own party...
The novel is both familiar and new in its treatment of Faerie and its inhabitants. The team has a variety of tropes, including a displaced human whose knowledge of technology and science seems useless in Faerie. At first.
We also have a couple of POVs from outside of the team, in both the Courts of Titania as well as Mab. Some of these POVs and characters are more compelling and well drawn than others.
I enjoyed the inventiveness of the premise (of winter coming to the land every century). I guessed the secret of the mission before it was revealed, but only just. And there are other delights in the world, like the strange Contested Lands, and the floating city that Mab calls her capital.
Overall, while I enjoyed the novel and was entertained, I do not think the novel quite hits on all cylinders. I do want to see how Sturges grows as a writer in subsequent novels. There is clear potential here that I would love to see in full bloom. So, if you can forgive a few faults in the novel, then you, too, just might enjoy Midwinter.
August 26, 2009
Pretty cover photography (though cover design is bleh) prompted me to pick this book up. After 24 pages, though, I'm not too sure. Hard to say exactly what's bothering me, but everytime I read his descriptions of setting or his rather unconvincing dialogue, I think that it sounds like something I would write. *laugh*
Yeah...not sure I can buy the conflict, the tension, the characters....but mmm, nice cover. What a shame it was wasted.
Yeah...not sure I can buy the conflict, the tension, the characters....but mmm, nice cover. What a shame it was wasted.
August 2, 2018
Due to the ratings of this book I wasn't sure what to expect. Now ratings aren't the end all be all of book reading, but I try to keep in mind what the masses have to say about a story before jumping into it. And like many have said before me, this book is a mediocre adventure.
It's basically like one of those made for t.v. fantasy movies that are a little bit amusing but don't really have anything that makes it stand out. It's great for background noise and glancing at and that's pretty much it.
Midwinter has everything that a classic adventure book has. Action, mystery, good vs. evil, some drama, and of course some forbidden love! All of these components should make for a great reading experience but the way everything plays out keeps it from becoming a fantastic read.
The reason for that is because this author glazes over things. Mr. Sturges informs the reader of certain happening but doesn't really delve into the thick of it, which leaves a lot of things feeling unfinished. Not to mention the relationship building and character developement is lacking.
After 344 pages I still feel like I only have a shallow understanding of all the characters. They weren't very dimensional. Granted there is some drama that pushes the plot forward but there was not depth to it. At least none that I felt!
Anyways, the actual story is decent. It begins at a prison with our hero, an ex-captain of the royal guard named Mauritaine. One cold winter night he suddenly gets hit with an unexpected proposition. He is to go on a secret mission for Regina Titania, Queen of the Seelie Court. The venture is risky and the chance of success is pretty low. Not having much of a choice in the matter because it's unwise to deny the Queen, the ever loyal Mauritaine takes up the job.
Gathering up other decent inmates to come along on his quest, the MC and his party take off. They are on a time limit so they must hurry! All the missions details are pretty much kept a secret and the only thing that spurs the Captain and his party on is that if they should succeed in their duty, then they all go free. If they fail, death will be swift.
The stakes are high and since this is a secret mission things have to be done the hard way. The group needs to be stealthy! Civilians and Guards are unaware of the bands important task and if the group should be captured, then the mission is forfeit. The few higher ups that know what is going on will feign ignorance of the situation and the 'prison escapees' will hang. Talk about a tall order! No pressure or anything.
There are a lot of slimy backstabbers working the strings on one side of the story and then on the other, Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court has decided to come out and play. She and her magical flying city want the Seelie Court to fall, which now puts Mauritaine and has companions in a whole new world of trouble as both he and the Unseelie Queen are headed in the same direction. What once seemed like a semi-dangerous retrieval mission has now turned into a nigh impossible feat.
There's intrigue and mystery aplenty in these pages! There are lots of fighting and action packed scenes, suspenseful moments, and of course the occasional naughty tryst. Mauritaine and his band of misfits definitely have their work cut out for them. Speaking of said misfits, there are sadly only two people the Captain can really seem to trust. They are Silverdun, a noblemen and rake that appears to have some semblance of decency. And Raieve, a fierce and beautiful Avalona woman who just wants to go home and find peace.
There is also a human among the group named Satterly, who is pretty much just a fella that got gypped badly and is now stuck in the Fae world. Initially there is some mistrust between the elves and Satterly due to foreignness and customs but things turn out alright in the end. The wee human becomes super useful!
Mauritaine and his group go through many trials, both physical and political. It's very taxing and hard on everyone. Upon reaching their quests destination, the party learns that not all is well in the Sylvan city. Not only is it verging on the brink of civil war but the evil Queen Mab is nearby, gearing for an attack. Despite all odds, the ragtag team gathers up some soldiers and members of the resistance in an attempt to defeat the nasty fae. But will they succeed?
Can the group save Sylvan City and complete their mission on time? It'll be a close call! All they can do is depend on each other and hope for the best! Since I have finished this book I can tell you that things do turn out okay and much better than I anticipated, actually.
There are some big secrets revealed at the end of this book. Some of them I didn't see coming! My major beef with this book is the actual task Mauritaine and company go on. It's too shrouded in mystery and there's not enough details given to draw in the reader.
Now don't get me wrong, I do like a good mystery, but the group going on a suicide mission with no real understanding of what is is they need to retrieve is kind of a bummer. Not having any idea of what's going to happen doesn't build up a readers excitement. I like a little more direction laid out in my stories! I need the hype!
And then when the time comes, Mauritaine just 'knew' what the object was that he needed to get. How does he know what the Queen needs? I was very confused! I suppose the author is trying hard to link everything together but it feels like a lame attempt at plot thickening. If there was some subtle PoV hopping in this book that pertained to the object that was needed then I think the novel would have felt more interesting and whole. Unfortunately that doesn't happen.
This book definitely has it's flaws. It had potential to be awesome, and yet I felt that it didn't live up to all it could be. There needed to me more depth and proper detail timing to build up a readers anticipation. In essence, it's a lukewarm adventure book with some romance. Yay Mauritaine and Raieve! Overall though I would say that I liked it. The folks between the pages might not be deeply written but they are diverse and have unique personalities.
After all the chaos that ensues in this book I am glad to report that there is a happy ending. The last couple pages made me grin! This novel didn't particularly pull at my emotions too much but I enjoyed what happens. It warmed the cockles of my cold heart! Mauritaine and Raieve deserve a well earned slice of life together.
And it looks like there is a second book that will be told from the perspective of Silverdun. This may not be the most amazing series I have ever read but it has piqued my interest. Since the next installment seems to be the last, then I think I will read it. I want to know what happens and how everything gets tied up. Mab's going down! For The Seelie Heart!
It's basically like one of those made for t.v. fantasy movies that are a little bit amusing but don't really have anything that makes it stand out. It's great for background noise and glancing at and that's pretty much it.
Midwinter has everything that a classic adventure book has. Action, mystery, good vs. evil, some drama, and of course some forbidden love! All of these components should make for a great reading experience but the way everything plays out keeps it from becoming a fantastic read.
The reason for that is because this author glazes over things. Mr. Sturges informs the reader of certain happening but doesn't really delve into the thick of it, which leaves a lot of things feeling unfinished. Not to mention the relationship building and character developement is lacking.
After 344 pages I still feel like I only have a shallow understanding of all the characters. They weren't very dimensional. Granted there is some drama that pushes the plot forward but there was not depth to it. At least none that I felt!
Anyways, the actual story is decent. It begins at a prison with our hero, an ex-captain of the royal guard named Mauritaine. One cold winter night he suddenly gets hit with an unexpected proposition. He is to go on a secret mission for Regina Titania, Queen of the Seelie Court. The venture is risky and the chance of success is pretty low. Not having much of a choice in the matter because it's unwise to deny the Queen, the ever loyal Mauritaine takes up the job.
Gathering up other decent inmates to come along on his quest, the MC and his party take off. They are on a time limit so they must hurry! All the missions details are pretty much kept a secret and the only thing that spurs the Captain and his party on is that if they should succeed in their duty, then they all go free. If they fail, death will be swift.
The stakes are high and since this is a secret mission things have to be done the hard way. The group needs to be stealthy! Civilians and Guards are unaware of the bands important task and if the group should be captured, then the mission is forfeit. The few higher ups that know what is going on will feign ignorance of the situation and the 'prison escapees' will hang. Talk about a tall order! No pressure or anything.
There are a lot of slimy backstabbers working the strings on one side of the story and then on the other, Queen Mab of the Unseelie Court has decided to come out and play. She and her magical flying city want the Seelie Court to fall, which now puts Mauritaine and has companions in a whole new world of trouble as both he and the Unseelie Queen are headed in the same direction. What once seemed like a semi-dangerous retrieval mission has now turned into a nigh impossible feat.
There's intrigue and mystery aplenty in these pages! There are lots of fighting and action packed scenes, suspenseful moments, and of course the occasional naughty tryst. Mauritaine and his band of misfits definitely have their work cut out for them. Speaking of said misfits, there are sadly only two people the Captain can really seem to trust. They are Silverdun, a noblemen and rake that appears to have some semblance of decency. And Raieve, a fierce and beautiful Avalona woman who just wants to go home and find peace.
There is also a human among the group named Satterly, who is pretty much just a fella that got gypped badly and is now stuck in the Fae world. Initially there is some mistrust between the elves and Satterly due to foreignness and customs but things turn out alright in the end. The wee human becomes super useful!
Mauritaine and his group go through many trials, both physical and political. It's very taxing and hard on everyone. Upon reaching their quests destination, the party learns that not all is well in the Sylvan city. Not only is it verging on the brink of civil war but the evil Queen Mab is nearby, gearing for an attack. Despite all odds, the ragtag team gathers up some soldiers and members of the resistance in an attempt to defeat the nasty fae. But will they succeed?
Can the group save Sylvan City and complete their mission on time? It'll be a close call! All they can do is depend on each other and hope for the best! Since I have finished this book I can tell you that things do turn out okay and much better than I anticipated, actually.
There are some big secrets revealed at the end of this book. Some of them I didn't see coming! My major beef with this book is the actual task Mauritaine and company go on. It's too shrouded in mystery and there's not enough details given to draw in the reader.
Now don't get me wrong, I do like a good mystery, but the group going on a suicide mission with no real understanding of what is is they need to retrieve is kind of a bummer. Not having any idea of what's going to happen doesn't build up a readers excitement. I like a little more direction laid out in my stories! I need the hype!
And then when the time comes, Mauritaine just 'knew' what the object was that he needed to get. How does he know what the Queen needs? I was very confused! I suppose the author is trying hard to link everything together but it feels like a lame attempt at plot thickening. If there was some subtle PoV hopping in this book that pertained to the object that was needed then I think the novel would have felt more interesting and whole. Unfortunately that doesn't happen.
This book definitely has it's flaws. It had potential to be awesome, and yet I felt that it didn't live up to all it could be. There needed to me more depth and proper detail timing to build up a readers anticipation. In essence, it's a lukewarm adventure book with some romance. Yay Mauritaine and Raieve! Overall though I would say that I liked it. The folks between the pages might not be deeply written but they are diverse and have unique personalities.
After all the chaos that ensues in this book I am glad to report that there is a happy ending. The last couple pages made me grin! This novel didn't particularly pull at my emotions too much but I enjoyed what happens. It warmed the cockles of my cold heart! Mauritaine and Raieve deserve a well earned slice of life together.
And it looks like there is a second book that will be told from the perspective of Silverdun. This may not be the most amazing series I have ever read but it has piqued my interest. Since the next installment seems to be the last, then I think I will read it. I want to know what happens and how everything gets tied up. Mab's going down! For The Seelie Heart!
May 30, 2009
My impressions.
For me Matthew Sturges delivered much more than I expected. I read several reviews before with different opinions.
Some reviewers couldn't identify with the main characters because they are so foreign. Of course only one of them is a human being from earth.
Mauritane, the most important character followed his way with the same strength and consistency as Rorschach in WATCHMEN.
There is magic, there are portals to other worlds, there is a story with twists and turns, there is love, there are battles and there is friendship.
Anyway I would like to read more about this world and their inhabitants.
For me Matthew Sturges delivered much more than I expected. I read several reviews before with different opinions.
Some reviewers couldn't identify with the main characters because they are so foreign. Of course only one of them is a human being from earth.
Mauritane, the most important character followed his way with the same strength and consistency as Rorschach in WATCHMEN.
There is magic, there are portals to other worlds, there is a story with twists and turns, there is love, there are battles and there is friendship.
Anyway I would like to read more about this world and their inhabitants.
April 30, 2009
2 1/2
Pretty standard quest fare. Some of the characters seemed cool, but they were mostly sketches. None of them were really developed, so it was hard to really connect or care all that much.
Pacing was odd. Large sections were slow, and then sections that could be more interesting - like the rising action and climax - all just sort of happened. Actions sequences weren't written very well...
Not terrible... but could've been better.
Pretty standard quest fare. Some of the characters seemed cool, but they were mostly sketches. None of them were really developed, so it was hard to really connect or care all that much.
Pacing was odd. Large sections were slow, and then sections that could be more interesting - like the rising action and climax - all just sort of happened. Actions sequences weren't written very well...
Not terrible... but could've been better.
July 3, 2017
Once, Mauritane was a war hero and captain in the Seelie army, until he was accused of an act of treason he didn't commit and was sentenced to life in Crere Sulace prison. Now he's offered a reprieve: Queen Titania has a mission for him and a group of companions he is to choose from among his fellow prisoners. If they succeed, they will be pardoned. The catch, of course, is that it is almost certainly a suicide mission... but any chance at freedom is better than remaining stuck behind bars for the rest of their lives.
While both the quest story (which did occasionally feel like the author was just checking typical plot elements for the genre off a list) and the cast of characters were a little formulaic, I did enjoy this rather a lot. The story kept me engaged and came with a couple of good twists, although I really could have done without the inevitable romance between Mauritane and Raieve which one could see coming from a mile away. 3.5/5
While both the quest story (which did occasionally feel like the author was just checking typical plot elements for the genre off a list) and the cast of characters were a little formulaic, I did enjoy this rather a lot. The story kept me engaged and came with a couple of good twists, although I really could have done without the inevitable romance between Mauritane and Raieve which one could see coming from a mile away. 3.5/5
December 6, 2018
This was a nice surprise.
I picked this up on the strength of a recommendation, although I honestly can't remember who recommended it to me. Someone at the 4th Street Fantasy convention, maybe? I'm glad I did.
This is a character-driven "low fantasy" that echoes several popular series -- LOTR, GAME OF THRONES, etc. -- but takes some of the established tropes and twists them in unexpected ways. I was impressed by the worldbuilding, and found myself engaged in the characters and their quest/plight/struggles.
It's a bit of a "Dirty Dozen" book, too, with the protagonist, Mauritane, and his colleagues all plucked from a prison and offered parole if they undertake an assignment for the queen. But the author plays with that idea as well, taking the traditional storyline and subverting it in clever ways.
I will definitely read the sequel, and look for other books by the author, who now writes primarily in the comic book/graphic novel format under the name Lilah Sturges.
I picked this up on the strength of a recommendation, although I honestly can't remember who recommended it to me. Someone at the 4th Street Fantasy convention, maybe? I'm glad I did.
This is a character-driven "low fantasy" that echoes several popular series -- LOTR, GAME OF THRONES, etc. -- but takes some of the established tropes and twists them in unexpected ways. I was impressed by the worldbuilding, and found myself engaged in the characters and their quest/plight/struggles.
It's a bit of a "Dirty Dozen" book, too, with the protagonist, Mauritane, and his colleagues all plucked from a prison and offered parole if they undertake an assignment for the queen. But the author plays with that idea as well, taking the traditional storyline and subverting it in clever ways.
I will definitely read the sequel, and look for other books by the author, who now writes primarily in the comic book/graphic novel format under the name Lilah Sturges.
January 16, 2023
For a book that I bought for it to be cheap pulp... It was actually pretty good! The romance really didn't do it for me, but I loved how respectful it was to it's women. The world is interesting and surprising, even when the characters sometimes are not. A fun read, making me doubt if I even was going to give it four starts.
August 30, 2023
This is the worst ducking book I ever ducking read.It took me MONTHS to find the motivation to finish the last 30 pages.I have never read something so pointless and boring and stupid it makes me R.A.G.I.N.G.
April 20, 2020
It wasn't awful, but it was lacking. If it had been longer it would have been better.
October 14, 2012
Matt Sturges has written some of my favorite comics. I absolutely loved Jack of Fables and I was quite the fan of his Blue Beetle run. For a while I had hoped that he and cohort Chris Roberson would end up being the saving grace of DC comics but it would appear that was not ever in the cards. Both have parted ways with DC and are pursuing projects in other arenas, with Roberson launching his own company and putting out some amazing work.
But before all of that went down Matt Sturges wrote a fantasy novel set in the land of the faerie that seems to have flown under most people's radar. I personally only got a copy as a trade for my own fantasy novel when I met Matt at a convention in 2011. In case you are wondering, Mr. Sturges is an amazingly nice fella and a heap of fun to talk to. After a few minutes it is easy to see he has a working knowledge of literature that breeds a certain caliber of writer.
His novel Midwinter is essentially a "man on a mission" story told through the lens of a magical fantasy setting. Imagine "Inglorious Bastards" with magic. The characters and the narrative flow seem plucked from that wheelhouse and the action works within the confines of the concept. The novel veers ever so slightly into that Stephen King-esque "Dark Tower" tone with the crossover between worlds, especially when we start talking about the arrival of a Pontiac LeMans later in the book, but I don't consider that a negative. I think the tone and style of the book lends itself to a sort of inherit readability. If nothing else, Midwinter is a very entertaining book, by virtue of narrative or character work, at any given moment.
I will say that some plot points do seem rushed, and certain narrative climaxes feel abrupt at times. Resolutions do not have the same measure of weight that their buildups had and the result can be a feeling of anticlimax, but as a whole the book stands its ground as an interesting genre play.
But before all of that went down Matt Sturges wrote a fantasy novel set in the land of the faerie that seems to have flown under most people's radar. I personally only got a copy as a trade for my own fantasy novel when I met Matt at a convention in 2011. In case you are wondering, Mr. Sturges is an amazingly nice fella and a heap of fun to talk to. After a few minutes it is easy to see he has a working knowledge of literature that breeds a certain caliber of writer.
His novel Midwinter is essentially a "man on a mission" story told through the lens of a magical fantasy setting. Imagine "Inglorious Bastards" with magic. The characters and the narrative flow seem plucked from that wheelhouse and the action works within the confines of the concept. The novel veers ever so slightly into that Stephen King-esque "Dark Tower" tone with the crossover between worlds, especially when we start talking about the arrival of a Pontiac LeMans later in the book, but I don't consider that a negative. I think the tone and style of the book lends itself to a sort of inherit readability. If nothing else, Midwinter is a very entertaining book, by virtue of narrative or character work, at any given moment.
I will say that some plot points do seem rushed, and certain narrative climaxes feel abrupt at times. Resolutions do not have the same measure of weight that their buildups had and the result can be a feeling of anticlimax, but as a whole the book stands its ground as an interesting genre play.
May 18, 2013
“Midwinter” by, Matthew Sturges
In the land of Faerie a war is brewing between the Seelie and the Unseelie courts. Queen Regina Titania of the Seelie court has sent orders to the Crere Sulace prison for the release of Mauritane (a Fae soldier who was once a captain in the Seelie Army). The Queen offers Mauritane and a few other prisoners a full pardon if they complete a dangerous task for her. As this small but brave group journeys through a treacherous land to gain their freedom, dark forces are conspiring to end their lives and destroy Faerie itself.
Midwinter is a great book to read if you are just getting into fantasy stories. I say this because Midwinter doesn’t have a million characters to keep track of (like so many other fantasy stories do) and the magic used by the characters isn’t hard to understand. In this story you will find a handful of very complex and likable characters and an interesting but simple world.
I think that Raieve was my favorite character in this book. I found her to be strong, smart, and willing to fight for what she wanted. She had a rough life but she didn’t let it destroy her. She learned to protect herself and used her strength to help protect others.
Midwinter also has a “touched” Arion stallion named Streak. His being “touched” means that he is able to talk to his master/rider. I thought Streak was a delightful addition.
The only problem that I had with this book was that I felt like some things were out of place and maybe not needed at all. It isn’t necessary to go into detail about them because overall I enjoyed this story and I plan on reading the second book in the series.
In the land of Faerie a war is brewing between the Seelie and the Unseelie courts. Queen Regina Titania of the Seelie court has sent orders to the Crere Sulace prison for the release of Mauritane (a Fae soldier who was once a captain in the Seelie Army). The Queen offers Mauritane and a few other prisoners a full pardon if they complete a dangerous task for her. As this small but brave group journeys through a treacherous land to gain their freedom, dark forces are conspiring to end their lives and destroy Faerie itself.
Midwinter is a great book to read if you are just getting into fantasy stories. I say this because Midwinter doesn’t have a million characters to keep track of (like so many other fantasy stories do) and the magic used by the characters isn’t hard to understand. In this story you will find a handful of very complex and likable characters and an interesting but simple world.
I think that Raieve was my favorite character in this book. I found her to be strong, smart, and willing to fight for what she wanted. She had a rough life but she didn’t let it destroy her. She learned to protect herself and used her strength to help protect others.
Midwinter also has a “touched” Arion stallion named Streak. His being “touched” means that he is able to talk to his master/rider. I thought Streak was a delightful addition.
The only problem that I had with this book was that I felt like some things were out of place and maybe not needed at all. It isn’t necessary to go into detail about them because overall I enjoyed this story and I plan on reading the second book in the series.
September 11, 2009
Midwinter is set in a fantasy world that borders other realms including "ours". The main character of Mauritaine (love the name) has been sent to prison for treason against the Queen. Queen Titania that is. Now two years later, her emissary has arrived to have Mauritaine released so that he can go on a mission with a known destination, but with no known goal. He is to choose, from the prisoners, a band to accompany him on this mysterious quest.
As with any good quest, there are obstacles to overcome - physical and personal. Quite a few people want Mauritaine dead. Others want to ruin whatever plan Queen Titania has in mind for the group. Chief among them, Queen Mab. Throw in a possible traitor among them, brigands, "shifting places" that can toss you into another world if you are not watching and gun-toting humans who REALLY want to go home and a reader begins to wonder if Mauritaine's quest will end well or not.
For a debut novel, Sturges does keep you reading. The novel has decent pacing, the battle scenes may be short but that makes a kind of sense within the context presented to the reader, and the world Sturges builds is very interesting.
(I also loved the cover. The only thing I did not like about it was that the woman is holding her sword like it was a wooden spoon or an umbrella handle).
Anyway. Recommended.
As with any good quest, there are obstacles to overcome - physical and personal. Quite a few people want Mauritaine dead. Others want to ruin whatever plan Queen Titania has in mind for the group. Chief among them, Queen Mab. Throw in a possible traitor among them, brigands, "shifting places" that can toss you into another world if you are not watching and gun-toting humans who REALLY want to go home and a reader begins to wonder if Mauritaine's quest will end well or not.
For a debut novel, Sturges does keep you reading. The novel has decent pacing, the battle scenes may be short but that makes a kind of sense within the context presented to the reader, and the world Sturges builds is very interesting.
(I also loved the cover. The only thing I did not like about it was that the woman is holding her sword like it was a wooden spoon or an umbrella handle).
Anyway. Recommended.
Read
July 30, 2011Political intrigue and a mystery mission set in the land of the Fae. It was a decent book,but could have been better It had the potential to be a REALLY GOOD book, but didn't seem to be fleshed out quite enough. It almost read like a 300 page outline for a 700 page book. Nothing that really made me feel for or get hooked in by the characters. We finally learn Tatiana's secret at the end, but that would have been better to have glimpses through the whole book. There is absolutely no background on Mab, although anyone with a little Fae knowledge should be ok. Our main band of travelers, needed to be more three dimensional as well. Toward the beginning of the last third of the book, there's a "surprise" thrown in, but it only seems to be there to make the story work out nicely in the end, it's like the author figured he needed to find a way to bring the story to a conclusion. The writing is a little odd at times, as well. The focus will be on once character and the next paragraph switches to another character in another place without even a space break on the page, he just starts a new paragraph right after the other. I will read the sequel, because I checked it out from the library. It's a decent book, but the potential is greater than the reality.
February 8, 2012
I didn't plan to rate this one at all. In my opinion, I have given enough one stars to hold me over for rest of the year. But that wouldn't have been honest of me and where I am going with my reading tastes to exclude it. So, add it to the pile.
Read Midwinter about two weeks. Very little happened: not until page was the crew gathered up by the protagonist to begin the quest proper. Its purpose was vague too, other than the Queen had something important needing done, and he, a solider wrongly accused of treason against the empire, was relieved of his sentence because he was the only one who could be trusted to take on this crucial quest. Oh the twists of fate.
As a writer, Sturges is a craftsman. If he were a carpenter, he would have set out to widdle the most no-frills, utilitarian table anybody had ever set their eyes on. It's almost as if an objective of his was to remove all the joy possible from language. I just can't read it. It's like reading air.
Read Midwinter about two weeks. Very little happened: not until page was the crew gathered up by the protagonist to begin the quest proper. Its purpose was vague too, other than the Queen had something important needing done, and he, a solider wrongly accused of treason against the empire, was relieved of his sentence because he was the only one who could be trusted to take on this crucial quest. Oh the twists of fate.
As a writer, Sturges is a craftsman. If he were a carpenter, he would have set out to widdle the most no-frills, utilitarian table anybody had ever set their eyes on. It's almost as if an objective of his was to remove all the joy possible from language. I just can't read it. It's like reading air.
February 14, 2011
Disappointing! Loved the setting - a richly imagined Fae world, with the Seelie and Unseelie courts on the edges of the intriguing Contested Lands - and the plot was solid enough, described by Publisher's Weekly as 'The Dirty Dozen in Elfland'. Some of the locations involved were tantalizing in concept - Mab's flying city, the mountain temple hiding in the mist - but they barely got more than a mention, before the action moved onwards.
Unfortunately, I found the characters wooden and one-dimensional, from the tediously stoic and noble hero to the wish-fulfilment feisty rebel love interest. The clunky dialogue didn't help, with characters dropping into exposition-mode at any given opportunity, even in the height of battle. This was a book that could have been so much better. Something kept me reading it to the very end, despite the irritation with the characters, though.
Unfortunately, I found the characters wooden and one-dimensional, from the tediously stoic and noble hero to the wish-fulfilment feisty rebel love interest. The clunky dialogue didn't help, with characters dropping into exposition-mode at any given opportunity, even in the height of battle. This was a book that could have been so much better. Something kept me reading it to the very end, despite the irritation with the characters, though.
October 12, 2011
Midwinter by Matthew Sturges was a good read. This is the first book in the Fae series. The plot didn't strike me as groundbreaking, though it is well written. Mauritane is a prisoner and former captain of the Seelie Army. He's recruited by Queen Titania on a secret mission to save the empire from destruction. After picking his band of travelers from the prison, a beautiful emissary from a foreign land, a nobleman, and a human physicist who is looking for a stolen human child, they set off across the dangerous Contested Lands with Queen Mab's Unseelie Army approaching the border. The characters are quite lovable, but I've seen them all before. I was expecting a little more from this one than I got. Still, I have the second book waiting to be read on my desk. I'm not willing to give up on the series, just yet.
December 9, 2009
Sturges' logline for the book is essentially that it is 'The Dirty Dozen with Elves' which is a little misleading. Midwinter is an action and adventure story in the time of war placed in a fantasy setting. The story follows the former occupants of a prison across the world as it enters a once-every-hundred-years winter to complete a suicide mission. The characters are sharp and the story really moves. Okay, maybe the logline works.
It unfairly suffers by comparison with its sequel The Office of Shadow which I read in the manuscript stage. While Office of Shadow is great, Midwinter is a good first novel and an interesting window into an alien culture. These books made me rethink what I was writing at the time. For the moment, I can't think of better praise.
It unfairly suffers by comparison with its sequel The Office of Shadow which I read in the manuscript stage. While Office of Shadow is great, Midwinter is a good first novel and an interesting window into an alien culture. These books made me rethink what I was writing at the time. For the moment, I can't think of better praise.
September 8, 2011
This book was fun. Never been into the fantasy genre, but this was very entertaining. My only huge issue with this book was that the story changed between paragraphs. And if you weren't really paying attention, you would miss the fact that the story had changed to a different story and different characters. I think this is more of an editting issue than a story issue.
The human character was fun to read. His perspectives of this fantasy world were fun to experience. Mostly because I was having the same issues. This definitely feels like Book 1 of a series, but I don't believe a series has been announced.
The human character was fun to read. His perspectives of this fantasy world were fun to experience. Mostly because I was having the same issues. This definitely feels like Book 1 of a series, but I don't believe a series has been announced.
November 16, 2012
Midwinter was a quick and engaging read, but it felt too much like the peephole to a new series, that ended before it could deliver. The first problem I had was a couple of moments where we played that frustrating game that so many fantasy/sci-fi writers seem to love so much, where the everyday is described as alien. My second gripe was the pacing; it clipped along to create this frantic sense of pending doom, I guess, but blew off some opportunities to really drool over the action, particularly a final battle that should have reached epic proportions. Those complaints aside, I loved this, and am excited to read the next in the series.
April 15, 2009
Midwinter by Matthew Sturges is one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. The story is fast paced, provides enough background and detail to be interesting, and is a more or less fairly original plot.
The obligatory battle scenes at the end good use some amount of help, but they are little more then a stepping block to conclusion. Never the less I think they could have been drawn out better with more details and given more life. Despite that I still believe the book is well done over all.
The obligatory battle scenes at the end good use some amount of help, but they are little more then a stepping block to conclusion. Never the less I think they could have been drawn out better with more details and given more life. Despite that I still believe the book is well done over all.
September 23, 2009
Matthew Sturges’ run on Blue Beetle, right up to the title’s unfortunate cancelation, were some of the most entertaining and heartwarming examples of teeanage superheroics that I have ever read. So, when I learned Sturges would be publishing his debut novel via the fine folks at Pyr I was already onboard. And man, am I glad I was! If one were to invision a fairy tale as a high octane action movie you might get something close to Sturges debut novel, Midwinter.
Full review here
Full review here
April 14, 2010
This is a fantastic fantasy novel! I must have seen a review of this book somewhere and put it on my library hold list. I didn't really expect a whole lot, but it drew me in almost instantly. Sturges is a fantastic writer, his characters were great, and the storyline and plot were very interesting and entertaining. Perhaps the best thing to say about it is, it left me wanting more (but not in an unsatisfied way). I don't know if he plans on continuing the story, but I sure hope he does. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to all fans of epic fantasy and of great stories in general.
November 29, 2010
I'll give Matthew Sturges's Midwinter two stars for some interesting ideas (namely the "dirty dozen with elves") but this is bog-standard fantasy with really boring two-dimensional characters (all of whom have super-fancy fantasy names) engaged on a quest about which I utterly fail to care. Thankfully I didn't actually pay any money for this book and I checked out the sequel from the library (to which I will be returning it shortly.) Joe Abercrombie did this trope (mifits on a quest) similarly and better, even though I didn't particularly like The Blade Itself.
August 7, 2009
It started out strong, but about 2/3 of the way through it devolved into standard fantasy tropes: the tough girl who falls for the commander, the commander who was exiled but is still loyal, the outsider who has one piece of knowledge that the mission's entire success hinges on, the mage who makes a bad decision and then lives with the consequences, and the bad guy who delights in doing evil for its own sake.
Interesting world, but got old quickly.
Interesting world, but got old quickly.
March 12, 2010
Disgraced war hero Mauritaine collects several fellow prisoners to be his companions on a suicide mission for the Queen of the Seelie Court. Sadly, both the characters and their quest are bland and over-worn. Sturges relies upon basic fantasy tropes to tell a story with no meaning or message to it. The characters are cardboard, the world poorly thought out, the quest unenticing. Give this one, and its many cliches, a miss.
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