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Shadow Saga #1
Shadow's Son
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and a few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last target, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. In this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...
278 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Jon Sprunk
32 books358 followersFantasy author living in central Pennsylvania. I love to travel (especially places with old ruins), watch football (American NFL, not that soccer stuff), drink (rum and coke, preferred), and enjoy life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
April 2, 2012
I admit, I have a penchant for assassins. Am I the only one? Looking at the amount of fantasy and science fiction novels revolving around assassins, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say, nope.
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot.
Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last target, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. In this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...
Shadow's Son (2010) was a quick read about one of my favorite topics, assassins. I don't know what it is, do I really wish I were an assassin? Admittedly, probably part of me, and I'm guess others as well, but shouldn't we be a little worried that it's so popular? Should we really wonder why there are so many terrible things happening in the world, I mean, we all want to be assassins!
Okay, I don't actually think things are that bad, andassassins are just cool I guess. The solitary life, the late nights, the creeping around in other people's houses. Some of us already pretty much live the life anyway right? Hehe, yes, that was a joke.
Back on topic. Shadow's Son, like I said before, is a quick read, but with the added bonus of being one of those stories that reveals all the pertinent information as the plot unfolds and at a quick pace. I kept comparing this toThe Crown Conspiracy (review) as I read because of these similar elements. Thus preserving the mysteries that slowly come to light about Caim's past and about his companion Kit, the spirit who only Caim can see and who flitters in and out of his life throughout the book.
Add to this some great main protagonists in Caim and Josephine and you have one heck of a ride. Caim is the assassin with the heard of gold, which, however unbelievable that may be that a hardened individual could kill with hardly a thought and then show compassion, it works yet again in Shadow's Son.
Josephine is thrown into the mess after her father is killed and I couldn't help but be drawn to her. She's shown as a somewhat impetuous and rebellious teen, and again, Sprunk pulls you into her character as she experiences not only some hardships, but atrocities as well.
Why Should You Read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk?
Shadow's Son is a well-written book with some great characters and set in medieval territory with dark magic. What's not to love? The only real complaint I have is that it was only 278 pages...I really didn't want to stop reading. Luckily, this is the first in a trilogy and Melissa of My World has found out that Jon is hard at work on the sequel due out next year.
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot.
Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last target, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. In this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...
Shadow's Son (2010) was a quick read about one of my favorite topics, assassins. I don't know what it is, do I really wish I were an assassin? Admittedly, probably part of me, and I'm guess others as well, but shouldn't we be a little worried that it's so popular? Should we really wonder why there are so many terrible things happening in the world, I mean, we all want to be assassins!
Okay, I don't actually think things are that bad, andassassins are just cool I guess. The solitary life, the late nights, the creeping around in other people's houses. Some of us already pretty much live the life anyway right? Hehe, yes, that was a joke.
Back on topic. Shadow's Son, like I said before, is a quick read, but with the added bonus of being one of those stories that reveals all the pertinent information as the plot unfolds and at a quick pace. I kept comparing this toThe Crown Conspiracy (review) as I read because of these similar elements. Thus preserving the mysteries that slowly come to light about Caim's past and about his companion Kit, the spirit who only Caim can see and who flitters in and out of his life throughout the book.
Add to this some great main protagonists in Caim and Josephine and you have one heck of a ride. Caim is the assassin with the heard of gold, which, however unbelievable that may be that a hardened individual could kill with hardly a thought and then show compassion, it works yet again in Shadow's Son.
Josephine is thrown into the mess after her father is killed and I couldn't help but be drawn to her. She's shown as a somewhat impetuous and rebellious teen, and again, Sprunk pulls you into her character as she experiences not only some hardships, but atrocities as well.
Why Should You Read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk?
Shadow's Son is a well-written book with some great characters and set in medieval territory with dark magic. What's not to love? The only real complaint I have is that it was only 278 pages...I really didn't want to stop reading. Luckily, this is the first in a trilogy and Melissa of My World has found out that Jon is hard at work on the sequel due out next year.
May 13, 2012
I wanted to like this book. Really, I did. I read it for a fantasy book-of-the-month group, and Jon Sprunk seems like a nice guy, and I've got nothing against fantasy-assassin lit, but…Shadow's Son is just badly written. Really badly written. Bad.
I'm not going to post any big spoilers here without spoiler tags, so don't be nervous. But, in order to demonstrate the pervasive badness of this book, I will be posting some short quotes and such. Don't worry, I won't ruin any important surprises.
Now, you ask, in what ways was this book bad? Well, if I went into detail about each and every instance of badness in the book, I'd be here for a long while. So I'm going to narrow it down quite a bit and just present you with a few examples. Please don't get the idea that what you'll see here is the sum total of the badness, 'cause it ain't.
1. tired and trite prose. AKA "how many cliches can we fit in one book"?
Throughout the text, readers are constantly forced to read old, used up, unimaginative expressions, again and again. We have such moldy gems as "moth to a flame", "bone dry", "thin veneer of civilization", "safe from harm", "beat him bloody", "cut and run", "didn't sit right with him", "couldn't make hide nor hair of it", "tender mercies", "you've got enough on your plate", "too good to be true", and even the classic "it is what it is". And many many others. In fact, we have entire paragraphs similar to this:
"He could always cut and run . Kit would be thrilled . But it didn't sit right with him. This had gone far beyond a botched hit. Somewhere along the line it had become personal for him."
Arg.
2. logic failure. AKA "where was the editor when Sprunk needed him"?
Several spots in this story either produced head scratches or even outright guffaws. SOMEBODY should have caught these gaffes.
A. Willful ignorance --
Our hero, Caim, supposedly has "shambled memories" and isn't really sure which "border state" he comes from -- even though he knows the name of the city he escaped to when his family was killed, he was already 8 when they were killed and should know where he lives by that age, he has a spirit friend who has known him since early childhood, AND one of his father's own soldiers fostered him until he was 13. What -- do these people never talk at all?
In another section of the book, two important things about Caim's heritage are revealed -- . It's quite obvious that Caim should know at least one of these facts, given the factors mentioned above; the spirit and the father's soldier would both certainly have known them.
B. Physics 101 --
At one point, Caim has been shot with a crossbow bolt in the chest. He's fully dressed at the time, so presumably the bolt punctures through his clothing. Nonetheless, he is able to "peel off his tunic, careful to not jar the shaft of the bolt". You wanna try peeling anything away from around a bolt without cutting it, especially given that it's gonna have fletching on the end?
In another scene, Caim is crawling through horizontal chimney ducts -- which are constricting enough that he must travel on his hands and knees. At one point, a vertical drop to a fireplace opens up before him. There is a fire in the fireplace, sending blazing hot air up to the duct. This fireplace flue is described as being 5 paces across. Caim LEAPS ACROSS THE FLUE -- FROM HIS HANDS AND KNEES. Now, in case you aren't aware of this, a single "pace" is roughly 3-5 feet long, depending on whose definition you are following. So 5 paces equals 15-25 feet. And Caim leaps across it -- over a blazing fire -- from his hands and knees. Um. Yeah.
And then we have the infamous sword-on-the-back trick. Near the end of the book, Caim is carrying a longsword in a sheath on his back. And he draws it. In the middle of battle. Without taking the sheath off his back first. Just how long are his arms? I've seen calculations about how long a man's arm would have to be in order to accomplish such a feat, and they are pretty impressive.
C. Instant healing --
The crossbow bolt mentioned above nearly kills Caim. In fact, he strongly believes he is dying at the time. Nonetheless, only 1-2 days after being shot, he is up and scrambling around rooftops and hoisting our heroine (Josey) over walls. Oh, and fighting six swordsmen. All without the benefit of any sort of magical healing.
In another section of the book, one of the bad guys is badly burned in a fire. But about two days later, the burns are described as "waxy scars dimpled his face". After two days??
Oh yeah, and another instance -- and this one I do have to spoiler -- our heroine Josey Nuff said on that one.
3. General silliness. AKA "Really??".
A. One of the bad guys, Levictus, is depicted in one scene as standing on a rooftop. After he vanishes into the shadows (his favorite means of travel), he leaves the carcasses of a dozen headless pigeons behind. Really? What is this, Jack of Shadows does Ozzy Ozbourne?
B. In one scene, Caim and Josey leap into the ocean, with their arms wrapped around each other. DURING the leap, Josey takes the time to feel Caim up. "She clutched Caim about the shoulders, and let her fingers roam over the play of powerful muscles beneath his black shirt." Really?? In mid-leap??
C. Caim is a professional assassin, and certainly should know how to kill a person quickly and silently -- for instance, slitting throats works quite well most of the time. And he routinely carries two long knives, amongst other weaponry. Nonetheless, in one scene he chooses to strangle a sentry with a leather cord, requiring several minutes and a big struggle to kill the guy.
"Caim slipped the cord around the guard's neck and pulled tight. His arms were nearly wrenched from their sockets as the man lurched forward. The guard kicked and grunted like a wild animal. Caim slammed a knee into his back and hung on. If not for the key, which Caim gripped like a garrote handle, the cord would have been ripped from him. As it was, the loops of leather sawed into his left hand until he started to fear he might lose the fingers. The sentry stumbled to the wet grass and Caim kept up his hold, and it was a lucky thing because his victim fought for a good long time. Minutes passed before the guard was still. Caim stood up, a little shaky. His hands and wrists ached like he'd been wrestling a bear."
Really?? He is sneaking into a castle, and this is how he chooses to kill a guy??
So, in sum, in case you couldn't tell by now -- I just couldn't get past the writing in order to appreciate what story there was. So far as I can tell, the plot was also pretty silly, but I won't take up any more space to deal with its particulars.
I'm giving this book 2 stars, mostly because I try to reserve 1 star reviews for books that really offend me in some manner. And although this was silly and in some cases painful, the story itself didn't really offend me much, aside from offending my suspension of disbelief. Let's call it 1 1/2 stars.
Oh, also -- I have heard from a few people that the second and third installments of this series are substantially better than the first. But they'd have to be a LOT better for me to get seriously interested in spending more time with them after this one. For my money, people who are interested in reading about fantasy assassins or related characters would be much better off with something like the Vlad Taltos series, or Among Thieves, or perhaps the Farseer books.
I'm not going to post any big spoilers here without spoiler tags, so don't be nervous. But, in order to demonstrate the pervasive badness of this book, I will be posting some short quotes and such. Don't worry, I won't ruin any important surprises.
Now, you ask, in what ways was this book bad? Well, if I went into detail about each and every instance of badness in the book, I'd be here for a long while. So I'm going to narrow it down quite a bit and just present you with a few examples. Please don't get the idea that what you'll see here is the sum total of the badness, 'cause it ain't.
1. tired and trite prose. AKA "how many cliches can we fit in one book"?
Throughout the text, readers are constantly forced to read old, used up, unimaginative expressions, again and again. We have such moldy gems as "moth to a flame", "bone dry", "thin veneer of civilization", "safe from harm", "beat him bloody", "cut and run", "didn't sit right with him", "couldn't make hide nor hair of it", "tender mercies", "you've got enough on your plate", "too good to be true", and even the classic "it is what it is". And many many others. In fact, we have entire paragraphs similar to this:
"He could always cut and run . Kit would be thrilled . But it didn't sit right with him. This had gone far beyond a botched hit. Somewhere along the line it had become personal for him."
Arg.
2. logic failure. AKA "where was the editor when Sprunk needed him"?
Several spots in this story either produced head scratches or even outright guffaws. SOMEBODY should have caught these gaffes.
A. Willful ignorance --
Our hero, Caim, supposedly has "shambled memories" and isn't really sure which "border state" he comes from -- even though he knows the name of the city he escaped to when his family was killed, he was already 8 when they were killed and should know where he lives by that age, he has a spirit friend who has known him since early childhood, AND one of his father's own soldiers fostered him until he was 13. What -- do these people never talk at all?
In another section of the book, two important things about Caim's heritage are revealed -- . It's quite obvious that Caim should know at least one of these facts, given the factors mentioned above; the spirit and the father's soldier would both certainly have known them.
B. Physics 101 --
At one point, Caim has been shot with a crossbow bolt in the chest. He's fully dressed at the time, so presumably the bolt punctures through his clothing. Nonetheless, he is able to "peel off his tunic, careful to not jar the shaft of the bolt". You wanna try peeling anything away from around a bolt without cutting it, especially given that it's gonna have fletching on the end?
In another scene, Caim is crawling through horizontal chimney ducts -- which are constricting enough that he must travel on his hands and knees. At one point, a vertical drop to a fireplace opens up before him. There is a fire in the fireplace, sending blazing hot air up to the duct. This fireplace flue is described as being 5 paces across. Caim LEAPS ACROSS THE FLUE -- FROM HIS HANDS AND KNEES. Now, in case you aren't aware of this, a single "pace" is roughly 3-5 feet long, depending on whose definition you are following. So 5 paces equals 15-25 feet. And Caim leaps across it -- over a blazing fire -- from his hands and knees. Um. Yeah.
And then we have the infamous sword-on-the-back trick. Near the end of the book, Caim is carrying a longsword in a sheath on his back. And he draws it. In the middle of battle. Without taking the sheath off his back first. Just how long are his arms? I've seen calculations about how long a man's arm would have to be in order to accomplish such a feat, and they are pretty impressive.
C. Instant healing --
The crossbow bolt mentioned above nearly kills Caim. In fact, he strongly believes he is dying at the time. Nonetheless, only 1-2 days after being shot, he is up and scrambling around rooftops and hoisting our heroine (Josey) over walls. Oh, and fighting six swordsmen. All without the benefit of any sort of magical healing.
In another section of the book, one of the bad guys is badly burned in a fire. But about two days later, the burns are described as "waxy scars dimpled his face". After two days??
Oh yeah, and another instance -- and this one I do have to spoiler -- our heroine Josey Nuff said on that one.
3. General silliness. AKA "Really??".
A. One of the bad guys, Levictus, is depicted in one scene as standing on a rooftop. After he vanishes into the shadows (his favorite means of travel), he leaves the carcasses of a dozen headless pigeons behind. Really? What is this, Jack of Shadows does Ozzy Ozbourne?
B. In one scene, Caim and Josey leap into the ocean, with their arms wrapped around each other. DURING the leap, Josey takes the time to feel Caim up. "She clutched Caim about the shoulders, and let her fingers roam over the play of powerful muscles beneath his black shirt." Really?? In mid-leap??
C. Caim is a professional assassin, and certainly should know how to kill a person quickly and silently -- for instance, slitting throats works quite well most of the time. And he routinely carries two long knives, amongst other weaponry. Nonetheless, in one scene he chooses to strangle a sentry with a leather cord, requiring several minutes and a big struggle to kill the guy.
"Caim slipped the cord around the guard's neck and pulled tight. His arms were nearly wrenched from their sockets as the man lurched forward. The guard kicked and grunted like a wild animal. Caim slammed a knee into his back and hung on. If not for the key, which Caim gripped like a garrote handle, the cord would have been ripped from him. As it was, the loops of leather sawed into his left hand until he started to fear he might lose the fingers. The sentry stumbled to the wet grass and Caim kept up his hold, and it was a lucky thing because his victim fought for a good long time. Minutes passed before the guard was still. Caim stood up, a little shaky. His hands and wrists ached like he'd been wrestling a bear."
Really?? He is sneaking into a castle, and this is how he chooses to kill a guy??
So, in sum, in case you couldn't tell by now -- I just couldn't get past the writing in order to appreciate what story there was. So far as I can tell, the plot was also pretty silly, but I won't take up any more space to deal with its particulars.
I'm giving this book 2 stars, mostly because I try to reserve 1 star reviews for books that really offend me in some manner. And although this was silly and in some cases painful, the story itself didn't really offend me much, aside from offending my suspension of disbelief. Let's call it 1 1/2 stars.
Oh, also -- I have heard from a few people that the second and third installments of this series are substantially better than the first. But they'd have to be a LOT better for me to get seriously interested in spending more time with them after this one. For my money, people who are interested in reading about fantasy assassins or related characters would be much better off with something like the Vlad Taltos series, or Among Thieves, or perhaps the Farseer books.
March 5, 2018
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
After reading and enjoying the first two novels of Jon Sprunk’s Book of the Black Earth, I discovered that he had already completed a previous series: the Shadow Saga trilogy. Naturally, I had to give this assassin tale a try.
What I found in Shadow’s Son was a well-written tale, which masterfully interweaves intrigue, action, magic, and interesting characters as it propels itself forward through a fully realized sword-and-sorcery world at a breakneck pace.
The tale itself is set in the ancient city of Othir (think Rome); the Holy Church ruling all, dominating all aspects of life in this center of an ancient, world spanning empire. But within the shadows of this City of Light, an assassin with no loyalties and no conscious can make a fortune killing those the clergy and the remaining nobility deem unworthy to continue living. And Caim is just such a man.
At least, he was until his latest contract killing takes him into the home of a noble where – instead of a quick, clean assassination – Caim finds himself immersed in a web of lies; conspiracies of the powerful entangling him and turning him from the hunter into the prey. And, as he flounders in these unfamiliar waters, Caim discovers that his conscious might not be as dead as he thought, that his tragic past might hold the key to his continued survival, and that he must finally face what he truly is!
What I really loved about this book was the streamlined nature of the narrative. Jon Sprunk does an excellent job of getting to the point without unnecessary wordiness. No needless info dumps. No never-ending dialogue. No endless foreshadowing of future events. Nope, this story of Caim the assassin is in perpetual motion; Sprunk providing all pertinent information for the ongoing action in carefully measured doses before quickly immersing his readers back in the sword-and-sorcery narrative. A writing style that reminded me of several of my all-time favorite fantasy authors, such as Michael Moorcock and Glen Cook, as well as newer ones, such as Brandon Sanderson and Brent Weeks.
Now, was Shadow’s Son ultra-realistic? No, which could turn some readers off. Did it show signs of being the authors first novel? Well, naturally. Was there more than a few familiar assassin tropes included in the narrative? Absolutely. Did the characters sometimes make head-scratching decisions? I guess you could say that. Was the novel a fun, addictive read anyway? For me, at least, it definitely was.
My final opinion on this novel is simple: if – like me – you’re looking for a fun read, then you should definitely pick up Shadow’s Son. While the plot and characters don’t reinvent the fantasy assassin genre, I don’t believe Jon Sprunk was really aiming for that type of story. Instead, he seemed to be providing his readers with a sword-and-sorcery vehicle where they can forget about reality for a few hours and live the life of a fearless assassin slinking through the darkness in a magical, medieval-like city filled with known and unknown enemies. And in this, he is wildly successful. I personally found Shadow’s Son difficult to put down, devouring it as quickly as I could find time to read it, and I’d encourage others to pick this one up and try it as well. I really think you will be happy that you did.
After reading and enjoying the first two novels of Jon Sprunk’s Book of the Black Earth, I discovered that he had already completed a previous series: the Shadow Saga trilogy. Naturally, I had to give this assassin tale a try.
What I found in Shadow’s Son was a well-written tale, which masterfully interweaves intrigue, action, magic, and interesting characters as it propels itself forward through a fully realized sword-and-sorcery world at a breakneck pace.
The tale itself is set in the ancient city of Othir (think Rome); the Holy Church ruling all, dominating all aspects of life in this center of an ancient, world spanning empire. But within the shadows of this City of Light, an assassin with no loyalties and no conscious can make a fortune killing those the clergy and the remaining nobility deem unworthy to continue living. And Caim is just such a man.
At least, he was until his latest contract killing takes him into the home of a noble where – instead of a quick, clean assassination – Caim finds himself immersed in a web of lies; conspiracies of the powerful entangling him and turning him from the hunter into the prey. And, as he flounders in these unfamiliar waters, Caim discovers that his conscious might not be as dead as he thought, that his tragic past might hold the key to his continued survival, and that he must finally face what he truly is!
What I really loved about this book was the streamlined nature of the narrative. Jon Sprunk does an excellent job of getting to the point without unnecessary wordiness. No needless info dumps. No never-ending dialogue. No endless foreshadowing of future events. Nope, this story of Caim the assassin is in perpetual motion; Sprunk providing all pertinent information for the ongoing action in carefully measured doses before quickly immersing his readers back in the sword-and-sorcery narrative. A writing style that reminded me of several of my all-time favorite fantasy authors, such as Michael Moorcock and Glen Cook, as well as newer ones, such as Brandon Sanderson and Brent Weeks.
Now, was Shadow’s Son ultra-realistic? No, which could turn some readers off. Did it show signs of being the authors first novel? Well, naturally. Was there more than a few familiar assassin tropes included in the narrative? Absolutely. Did the characters sometimes make head-scratching decisions? I guess you could say that. Was the novel a fun, addictive read anyway? For me, at least, it definitely was.
My final opinion on this novel is simple: if – like me – you’re looking for a fun read, then you should definitely pick up Shadow’s Son. While the plot and characters don’t reinvent the fantasy assassin genre, I don’t believe Jon Sprunk was really aiming for that type of story. Instead, he seemed to be providing his readers with a sword-and-sorcery vehicle where they can forget about reality for a few hours and live the life of a fearless assassin slinking through the darkness in a magical, medieval-like city filled with known and unknown enemies. And in this, he is wildly successful. I personally found Shadow’s Son difficult to put down, devouring it as quickly as I could find time to read it, and I’d encourage others to pick this one up and try it as well. I really think you will be happy that you did.
March 11, 2014
Such good fun! I really enjoyed this fantasy adventure. It's not the best thing I've ever read but it was fantastic for what it was. It had a nice dark streak that I always appreciate in fantasy and although there were some fairly bleak images and ideas it came across as a fairly hopeful book in the end.
The obvious plot points weren't all taken. It wasn't exactly what you expected at every turn, but wasn't exactly the opposite either. Both can get predictable and boring which this wasn't. I'll pick up the next in the series when I finish my challenge for 2014. If you're in the mood for a fun assassin fantasy, this is for you!
The obvious plot points weren't all taken. It wasn't exactly what you expected at every turn, but wasn't exactly the opposite either. Both can get predictable and boring which this wasn't. I'll pick up the next in the series when I finish my challenge for 2014. If you're in the mood for a fun assassin fantasy, this is for you!
October 2, 2014
Shadow's Son reminds me of Night Angel.
Caim is an assassin, taking lives for coin in the city of Othir. But when he is recruited on short notice to take over a job left by a rival assassin, he shows up to find that he has been set up and it will take all his power and skill to discover who is behind it all.
I was honestly surprised in reading this that it was listed as a Young Adult novel. It does have some darker themes, including rape and murder, but is a fast paced fantasy novel that is great for those who can't get enough of assassins.
The writing was okay, but there were some things that prevented me from completely loving this book.
There was a lot of repetition. Some scenes were started from one character's point of view, and completed from another's with some overlap. This can be done well if something is added to the scene, but in this case nothing was.
The words, "Trust me" were used quite often as well throughout the book. I lost count of how many times he asked Josey to trust him or told her to trust no one.
A blossom of heat spread through her chest as she realized she trusted him.
"Trust me." He picked her up. Her arms encircled her neck.
"This is our way out. Trust me?"
"Whom shall I trust?" "Trust no one."
It started to become a bit cheesy. But if you love assassins you may not mind it as much. For me, I wish I had connected a little more, or there was a little more originality, but the action did hold my attention until the end.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
Caim is an assassin, taking lives for coin in the city of Othir. But when he is recruited on short notice to take over a job left by a rival assassin, he shows up to find that he has been set up and it will take all his power and skill to discover who is behind it all.
I was honestly surprised in reading this that it was listed as a Young Adult novel. It does have some darker themes, including rape and murder, but is a fast paced fantasy novel that is great for those who can't get enough of assassins.
The writing was okay, but there were some things that prevented me from completely loving this book.
There was a lot of repetition. Some scenes were started from one character's point of view, and completed from another's with some overlap. This can be done well if something is added to the scene, but in this case nothing was.
The words, "Trust me" were used quite often as well throughout the book. I lost count of how many times he asked Josey to trust him or told her to trust no one.
A blossom of heat spread through her chest as she realized she trusted him.
"Trust me." He picked her up. Her arms encircled her neck.
"This is our way out. Trust me?"
"Whom shall I trust?" "Trust no one."
It started to become a bit cheesy. But if you love assassins you may not mind it as much. For me, I wish I had connected a little more, or there was a little more originality, but the action did hold my attention until the end.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
November 25, 2016
DNF 37 %
You'd think that adult fantasy writers would actually give more thought to their strories and actually manage to write something the least bit interesting. It turns out the idea of assassins is far too awesomesauce to be reworked into something more interesting beyond itself.
May contain spoilers! Read at your own risk!
What I mean by this is the fact that the author, Jon Sprunk may have been infatuated with the idea of assassins and shadow magic and whatnot, but didn't seem to hold the writing talent to render it in a believable or compelling manner.
I have tons of ideas in my head too, but I don't fancy myself a writer and regardless of whatever better judgement I have, write it then go publish it immediately after that :/
I have this belief that however interesting a premise might be, if the execution is awful, the book will be awful. The reverse can be true as well. Boring/ oversused premise can be a breath of fresh air if done right. This book falls heavily into the former category, i.e. interesting premise, shitty execution.
Let me just enumerate what I found lacking in the execution:
- Caim is in his mid twenties
- Caim is a lone gruff hired assassin who suddenly has the hots for a girl he captures for her own safety
- Kit
- Caim's ability to wield magic
- the idea of magic in this world
- Josephine
When it comes to the setting part of this novel. It feels really standard and vague. It's your run of the mill fantasy setting with a few hints of explanation here and there, but really it can happen anywhere and by any means :/
Plot-wise the idea of framing an assassin for someone else's dirty work is interesting but I have never read anything by an author who has so little ability in writing it on paper. Instead of being engaging it's a snorefest.
The characters are flat, plainly speaking. Caim is gruff and business-like, but other than that we know almost nothing about him. In my opinion the story could have benefited if the protagonist was younger... now he seems more like a creep more than anything else. Kit has been with him since he was a baby, but other than that we don't know what is she, why is she with him and what are her motives. Josephine is sooooooo typically feminine (as a man may perceive her) it's cringingly painful to read!
When it comes to the writing, Sprunk has this unbelievably annoying habit of intersecting PoVs without adding anything. This technique is annoying because it destroys the tension the author was building up at the end of the chapter! The point of tension is to grip your reader, make them excited to read further! That's not how you grip your readers, man!
*massages forehead* This is one of the most disappointing reads in the last 6 months and that's saying something at how bad it is. It doesn't even have a nice cover, goddammit :(
Let's Rate This - 3.8/ 10
Setting and Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 4
Main Characters - 3
Secondary Characters - 4
Antagonists - 5
Writing - 3
Enjoyability - 4
Oh yey... back to ACOTAR >.>
My other reviews :D | Wordpress Page | Twitter
You'd think that adult fantasy writers would actually give more thought to their strories and actually manage to write something the least bit interesting. It turns out the idea of assassins is far too awesomesauce to be reworked into something more interesting beyond itself.
May contain spoilers! Read at your own risk!
What I mean by this is the fact that the author, Jon Sprunk may have been infatuated with the idea of assassins and shadow magic and whatnot, but didn't seem to hold the writing talent to render it in a believable or compelling manner.
I have tons of ideas in my head too, but I don't fancy myself a writer and regardless of whatever better judgement I have, write it then go publish it immediately after that :/
I have this belief that however interesting a premise might be, if the execution is awful, the book will be awful. The reverse can be true as well. Boring/ oversused premise can be a breath of fresh air if done right. This book falls heavily into the former category, i.e. interesting premise, shitty execution.
Let me just enumerate what I found lacking in the execution:
- Caim is in his mid twenties
- Caim is a lone gruff hired assassin who suddenly has the hots for a girl he captures for her own safety
- Kit
- Caim's ability to wield magic
- the idea of magic in this world
- Josephine
When it comes to the setting part of this novel. It feels really standard and vague. It's your run of the mill fantasy setting with a few hints of explanation here and there, but really it can happen anywhere and by any means :/
Plot-wise the idea of framing an assassin for someone else's dirty work is interesting but I have never read anything by an author who has so little ability in writing it on paper. Instead of being engaging it's a snorefest.
The characters are flat, plainly speaking. Caim is gruff and business-like, but other than that we know almost nothing about him. In my opinion the story could have benefited if the protagonist was younger... now he seems more like a creep more than anything else. Kit has been with him since he was a baby, but other than that we don't know what is she, why is she with him and what are her motives. Josephine is sooooooo typically feminine (as a man may perceive her) it's cringingly painful to read!
When it comes to the writing, Sprunk has this unbelievably annoying habit of intersecting PoVs without adding anything. This technique is annoying because it destroys the tension the author was building up at the end of the chapter! The point of tension is to grip your reader, make them excited to read further! That's not how you grip your readers, man!
*massages forehead* This is one of the most disappointing reads in the last 6 months and that's saying something at how bad it is. It doesn't even have a nice cover, goddammit :(
Let's Rate This - 3.8/ 10
Setting and Atmosphere - 4
Plot - 4
Main Characters - 3
Secondary Characters - 4
Antagonists - 5
Writing - 3
Enjoyability - 4
Oh yey... back to ACOTAR >.>
My other reviews :D | Wordpress Page | Twitter
July 19, 2018
OK, this is going to be a bit tricky.
Caim is the best(?) professional assassin in the city of Othir (which seems at times compounded of equal parts imperial Rome and Victorian London, as is entirely appropriate for the story). He gets sent on what he thinks is a bog-standard assassination of a corrupt noble and, of course, things become much more complicated -- he wasn't told the whole truth about his target, he's seen by the target's attractive, young daughter Josephine (a.k.a. Josey), and he's being used as a catspaw in a complicated struggle between various political & religious factions, at least some of which seem to be allied with Mysterious, Dark Forces. (Of which, truth be told, Caim might have a smattering himself, although he tries to fight it.)
And naturally he & Josey find themselves unwillingly allied and on the run from pretty much everybody.
And I did enjoy the book -- it's fast-paced and twisty and has some great characters, heroes and villains alike, and an interesting world -- but near the end there's one scene of sexual assault that I actually found kind of jarring; not because it was excessively graphic, necessarily, but just because it didn't seem to fit the tone of the rest of the book (a generally fun fantasy adventure). And it wasn't enough to throw me out of the book entirely, and I'll be reading the rest of the series, but I wanted to give fair warning.
Caim is the best(?) professional assassin in the city of Othir (which seems at times compounded of equal parts imperial Rome and Victorian London, as is entirely appropriate for the story). He gets sent on what he thinks is a bog-standard assassination of a corrupt noble and, of course, things become much more complicated -- he wasn't told the whole truth about his target, he's seen by the target's attractive, young daughter Josephine (a.k.a. Josey), and he's being used as a catspaw in a complicated struggle between various political & religious factions, at least some of which seem to be allied with Mysterious, Dark Forces. (Of which, truth be told, Caim might have a smattering himself, although he tries to fight it.)
And naturally he & Josey find themselves unwillingly allied and on the run from pretty much everybody.
And I did enjoy the book -- it's fast-paced and twisty and has some great characters, heroes and villains alike, and an interesting world -- but near the end there's one scene of sexual assault that I actually found kind of jarring; not because it was excessively graphic, necessarily, but just because it didn't seem to fit the tone of the rest of the book (a generally fun fantasy adventure). And it wasn't enough to throw me out of the book entirely, and I'll be reading the rest of the series, but I wanted to give fair warning.
December 22, 2020
As trope-laden as this book is -- there are, after all, the Kind-Hearted Assassin, the Princess in Distress, the Evil Sorcerer, the Dark Elves, two Forbidden Loves and TWO Chosen Ones -- this book was kind of fun.
September 5, 2010
SHADOW'S SON by new author Jon Sprunk is written in a fast-paced, take-no-prisoners style that, at least to me, evokes a feeling that reminds me of the popular video game, "Assassin's Creed." Not a bad thing! Like the game, SHADOW'S SON is a thrill ride from page one and doesn't let up.
The tale centers around Caim, an angst-ridden, dual knife-wielding contract killer, and Josephine, a pampered nobleman's daughter who shows more fire and mettle than expected. There's also Kit, a third protagonist of sorts, in the form of a mysterious fey spirit who only Caim can see and talk to. Sprunk does a dynamic job with developing the first two mentioned, while holding back in development of Kit; though I'm certain we'll find out more about her in the next book.
The villains in SHADOW'S SON are fairly typical bad guys who pretty much lack all scruples from the onset, and deliver no real surprises. Levictus is the most interesting of the villainous trio (Ral and Markus being the other two), as he's some sort of shadowmancer/assassin type and very creepy.
The storyline is fairly straightforward. This is a roving, romping adventure tale rather than a meandering, convoluted plot line. So, no huge surprises here, either. Sprunk's descriptors and dialogue are excellent, and he can definitely turn a phrase and give just the right amount of explanation to make the reader "see" just what he wants them to. In this way, I'd also compare SHADOW'S SON to a Jerry Bruckheimer type "Pirates of the Carribbean" style of movie-turned-novel.
Sprunk paints a vivid picture of his world in what I'd call a "primer" format, as the book clocks in at 278 pages, rather than in the epic novel format so popular these days of 500+ pages. And, unlike the immersive cosmographic efforts of talespinners like Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, or Patrick Rothfuss, Sprunk hands over to his readers a sample spoon of his worldbuilding to tantalize the appetite rather than whet it completely. SHADOW'S SON is more like the works of, say, David Gemmell or Joe Abercrombie. Not to say fans of the aforementioned authors wouldn't like this book, as all the authors I've mentioned are my favorites, so I'm giving Sprunk a big ol' compliment and an "atta boy!" I look forward to more, as Sprunk shows us a lot of promise in this debut novel of his. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a long and impressive career.
A high three stars (3.75) has me rounding up to FOUR. Definitely recommended.
--
The tale centers around Caim, an angst-ridden, dual knife-wielding contract killer, and Josephine, a pampered nobleman's daughter who shows more fire and mettle than expected. There's also Kit, a third protagonist of sorts, in the form of a mysterious fey spirit who only Caim can see and talk to. Sprunk does a dynamic job with developing the first two mentioned, while holding back in development of Kit; though I'm certain we'll find out more about her in the next book.
The villains in SHADOW'S SON are fairly typical bad guys who pretty much lack all scruples from the onset, and deliver no real surprises. Levictus is the most interesting of the villainous trio (Ral and Markus being the other two), as he's some sort of shadowmancer/assassin type and very creepy.
The storyline is fairly straightforward. This is a roving, romping adventure tale rather than a meandering, convoluted plot line. So, no huge surprises here, either. Sprunk's descriptors and dialogue are excellent, and he can definitely turn a phrase and give just the right amount of explanation to make the reader "see" just what he wants them to. In this way, I'd also compare SHADOW'S SON to a Jerry Bruckheimer type "Pirates of the Carribbean" style of movie-turned-novel.
Sprunk paints a vivid picture of his world in what I'd call a "primer" format, as the book clocks in at 278 pages, rather than in the epic novel format so popular these days of 500+ pages. And, unlike the immersive cosmographic efforts of talespinners like Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, or Patrick Rothfuss, Sprunk hands over to his readers a sample spoon of his worldbuilding to tantalize the appetite rather than whet it completely. SHADOW'S SON is more like the works of, say, David Gemmell or Joe Abercrombie. Not to say fans of the aforementioned authors wouldn't like this book, as all the authors I've mentioned are my favorites, so I'm giving Sprunk a big ol' compliment and an "atta boy!" I look forward to more, as Sprunk shows us a lot of promise in this debut novel of his. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a long and impressive career.
A high three stars (3.75) has me rounding up to FOUR. Definitely recommended.
--
January 9, 2022
Man merkt ihm das Debüt an, finde ich.
Es gibt jede Menge Action, und das schöne, beinahe poetische Ende hat es für mich gerettet.
Es gibt jede Menge Action, und das schöne, beinahe poetische Ende hat es für mich gerettet.
December 11, 2021
Audibook Dec 2021
I won an audiobook aaaages ago when I had just read this series. And now I finally found time to listen, and good so, cos so much time had gone by that I had forgotten what would happen.
The audio was really good. It was my first time listening to a full cast book with sounds and music. It really was a movie in your head.
And now I kind of want to listen to more but alas I only have the print books.
Great story and narration
First time
This was the start to a new fantasy series and I was soon caught up in the intrigues. I even wanted to look at the end, but I managed to keep myself in check.
Caim is an assassin. Yes he kills for money and he does not have a problem with it. Up until he saves a young woman who thinks he killed her father. Poor Caim is in the middle of a big plot and everyone is gunning for him. What can I say, I have a weak spot for thieves and assassins in fantasy books. And Caim is a good man when it comes down to it. He is driven by revenge and a harsh life. Of course I liked him at once.
Other characters are Josey, the daughter of a murdered nobleman and Caim's friend Kit who no one else can see and who hovers around like a ghost. She was a bit of a comedic relief in a way as they bickered. Then we have the bad guys and I will not say more other than the bad guys are really evil. And I want to go and kick some ass. *gives the bad guys the evil eye*
Intrigues, I liked that. What was going on? Who wanted who dead? And then when I knew the plot, could Josey and Caim get out of it alive? It came to the point where I no longer could put the book down.
It did not end with a cliffhanger but with a nice enough ending and yes with questions. Like the shadows he can command.
A good solid start to this series. I will read book 2 and I am very glad that I have book 2 since I want more.
Recommended
I won an audiobook aaaages ago when I had just read this series. And now I finally found time to listen, and good so, cos so much time had gone by that I had forgotten what would happen.
The audio was really good. It was my first time listening to a full cast book with sounds and music. It really was a movie in your head.
And now I kind of want to listen to more but alas I only have the print books.
Great story and narration
First time
This was the start to a new fantasy series and I was soon caught up in the intrigues. I even wanted to look at the end, but I managed to keep myself in check.
Caim is an assassin. Yes he kills for money and he does not have a problem with it. Up until he saves a young woman who thinks he killed her father. Poor Caim is in the middle of a big plot and everyone is gunning for him. What can I say, I have a weak spot for thieves and assassins in fantasy books. And Caim is a good man when it comes down to it. He is driven by revenge and a harsh life. Of course I liked him at once.
Other characters are Josey, the daughter of a murdered nobleman and Caim's friend Kit who no one else can see and who hovers around like a ghost. She was a bit of a comedic relief in a way as they bickered. Then we have the bad guys and I will not say more other than the bad guys are really evil. And I want to go and kick some ass. *gives the bad guys the evil eye*
Intrigues, I liked that. What was going on? Who wanted who dead? And then when I knew the plot, could Josey and Caim get out of it alive? It came to the point where I no longer could put the book down.
It did not end with a cliffhanger but with a nice enough ending and yes with questions. Like the shadows he can command.
A good solid start to this series. I will read book 2 and I am very glad that I have book 2 since I want more.
Recommended
October 11, 2009
A really good book, fast paced, full of intrigue and action, no long descriptions or brooding. Caim and Kit were likable from the very beginning. Josey behaved like a spoiled brat at first but she matured quickly and she turned out to be a strong-willed, courageous woman. I'm curious about Caim's powers and I would love to read more about his quest to the North.
May 22, 2012
Looking for a quick and exciting read a while back I cast my eyes over my ever growing list of books I should read some time (better known as my Goodreads to-read shelf) and settled on Jon Sprunk’s Shadow’s Son. Given my penchant for character-based fantasy I thought it might be a good fit. As it turns out I was right and Shadow’s Sonmakes for an energetic albeit somewhat dark read. Caim is a haunted young man; both literally and figuratively. He is plagued by the memory of his famiy’s death while being constantly followed by a protective spirit named Kit that only he can see. Caim’s tortured past has cast him on a path of violence and darkness and he now works as an assassin. Things get dicey when someone attempts to set Caim up as a fall guy leaving him in possession of the deceased mark’s daughter Josephine. Suddenly, Caim is on a desperate quest to unravel the web of conspiracy in the city of Othir.
Shadow’s Son isn’t a long novel and is made quicker thanks to its rapid fire pacing. Sprunk eschews the doling out of lengthy exposition instead focusing on conveying information as part and parcel with the action. Over the course of the novel Sprunk doles out enough bits to get a handle on the political situation in the holy city of Othir while dropping vague hints about the world beyond the city and historical empire that once existed in the path. However, Shadow’s Son isn’t the type of novel that looks to tug on its reader’s sense of grandeur and epic but rather places the majority of its efforts on ingratiating reader’s with its central protagonist and the people important to him. In this instance the details laid out by Sprunk about Caim’s world are just enough to provide a vivid context in which to place the young assassin through the ringer.
Over the course of the novel Caim is beaten, stabbed, threatened by the mysterious and the magical, as well as forced to come face-to-face with the truth of his own past. Of course Caim does his own fair share of of beating and stabbing as well. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the novel is Caim’s relationship with his spectral companion Kit. In an interesting turn Sprunk actually steers clear of examining what Kit is at the outset instead focusing on what she means to Caim. Being an assassin is a lonely trade and the constant companionship of the spectral Kit has humanizing effect on a man whose profession forces him to keep humanity at arms length. Later Sprunk deftly uses the sudden presence of Josephine to examine some of the hidden and unspoken depth of Caim and Kit’s relationship. Given that Caim is the only person that can see Kit their relationship and sometimes bickering was also a welcome source of comic relief.
Shadow’s Son is a novel that doesn’t detail a super complicated magic system or an intricately detailed world. What it Shadow’s Son does do is introduce and complex and engaging character whose trials and successes provoke a response from the response; oftentimes that response is “that was awesome.” The fluid prose and action heavy plot call to mind the swords and sorcery tales of old. While at its heart Shadow’s Son is an adventure story it is also a classic tale of revenge and definitely borrows from familiar fantasy tropes with Sprunk hinting at a greater destiny for Caim. With its vivid action and deft characterization Shadow’s Son is novel I highly recommend to anyone lucking for quick and entertaining read. Shadow’s Son is followed by Shadow’s Lure (2011) and concludes with Shadow’s Master (2012).
Shadow’s Son isn’t a long novel and is made quicker thanks to its rapid fire pacing. Sprunk eschews the doling out of lengthy exposition instead focusing on conveying information as part and parcel with the action. Over the course of the novel Sprunk doles out enough bits to get a handle on the political situation in the holy city of Othir while dropping vague hints about the world beyond the city and historical empire that once existed in the path. However, Shadow’s Son isn’t the type of novel that looks to tug on its reader’s sense of grandeur and epic but rather places the majority of its efforts on ingratiating reader’s with its central protagonist and the people important to him. In this instance the details laid out by Sprunk about Caim’s world are just enough to provide a vivid context in which to place the young assassin through the ringer.
Over the course of the novel Caim is beaten, stabbed, threatened by the mysterious and the magical, as well as forced to come face-to-face with the truth of his own past. Of course Caim does his own fair share of of beating and stabbing as well. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the novel is Caim’s relationship with his spectral companion Kit. In an interesting turn Sprunk actually steers clear of examining what Kit is at the outset instead focusing on what she means to Caim. Being an assassin is a lonely trade and the constant companionship of the spectral Kit has humanizing effect on a man whose profession forces him to keep humanity at arms length. Later Sprunk deftly uses the sudden presence of Josephine to examine some of the hidden and unspoken depth of Caim and Kit’s relationship. Given that Caim is the only person that can see Kit their relationship and sometimes bickering was also a welcome source of comic relief.
Shadow’s Son is a novel that doesn’t detail a super complicated magic system or an intricately detailed world. What it Shadow’s Son does do is introduce and complex and engaging character whose trials and successes provoke a response from the response; oftentimes that response is “that was awesome.” The fluid prose and action heavy plot call to mind the swords and sorcery tales of old. While at its heart Shadow’s Son is an adventure story it is also a classic tale of revenge and definitely borrows from familiar fantasy tropes with Sprunk hinting at a greater destiny for Caim. With its vivid action and deft characterization Shadow’s Son is novel I highly recommend to anyone lucking for quick and entertaining read. Shadow’s Son is followed by Shadow’s Lure (2011) and concludes with Shadow’s Master (2012).
June 4, 2011
http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2...
I shouldn't like this book as much as I do. I should be writing about how many fantasy cliches it has and how unimaginative the narrative is, but I'm not. Instead I'm going to write a review about how damn fun Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son was to read.
Caim is a knife for hire and he's got the reputation as one of the best. Orphaned at a young age his only companion is a woman named Kit. Unfortunately, he's the only one who can see her. As an assassin, there's few who can match his skill. Along with Kit's extra set of eyes and a strange ability to cloak himself in shadows he has never failed an assignment.
Caim lives in Othir, the heart of what was once known as the Nimean Empire. Twenty years previously (or so) the Church ousted the empire and waged a pogrom against the nobility. When a rush job comes to Caim's attention he is plunged into a conspiracy that will shake the prelacy to its core.
Shadow's Son moves at a breakneck pace. Sprunk tells a straight forward story in less than 300 pages making it a very tight novel. The entire narrative takes place entirely within the span a few days save for a few brief flashbacks from Caim. Succinctness, an underused style in the fantasy genre, affords little time for waxing poetic or excessive world building. Still Sprunk finds plenty of time to hit just the right note in a series of action sequences that include superlative swordplay and Prince of Persia like break ins. These moments are written beautifully reminiscent of James Barclay - another member of Pyr's excellent stable of writers.
When I say the novel lacks excessive world building, I don't mean there isn't any. Quite the opposite. Avoiding information dumps Shadow's Son brings the reader along throughout the story dropping tidbits about the world Caim inhabits when the time is right. By the novels conclusion Sprunk's world building leaves quite bit still in the shadows (pardon the pun). Had an additional hundred pages of character development and setting made its way into the book it would have better for it. Characters died without the emotion that should have been present and the scope of the setting seemed smaller in my mind than Sprunk intended, I'm sure.
Furthermore, Caim as a protagonist felt very static. I imagine that he was intended to become less hard and more do-gooder as the novel wore on, but to me felt that way from the get go. Caim convinced himself that all his victims were bad men who deserved it. He never sees himself as a bad guy, nor does anyone else really. Hello?!?! He's an assassin! I think Sprunk has/had the makings of a much deeper character that he gave up on by making him sympathetic from the first minutes.
All told Shadow's Son is an excellent debut novel that avoids many of the debut pitfalls. It is not ambitious by any means, instead providing a great base for Sprunk to grow. I hope other first time authors can look to this as an example in not only how to get published, but how to ensure it happens again.
Jon Sprunks second novel, Shadow's Lure, is due out Tuesday, June 7.
I shouldn't like this book as much as I do. I should be writing about how many fantasy cliches it has and how unimaginative the narrative is, but I'm not. Instead I'm going to write a review about how damn fun Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son was to read.
Caim is a knife for hire and he's got the reputation as one of the best. Orphaned at a young age his only companion is a woman named Kit. Unfortunately, he's the only one who can see her. As an assassin, there's few who can match his skill. Along with Kit's extra set of eyes and a strange ability to cloak himself in shadows he has never failed an assignment.
Caim lives in Othir, the heart of what was once known as the Nimean Empire. Twenty years previously (or so) the Church ousted the empire and waged a pogrom against the nobility. When a rush job comes to Caim's attention he is plunged into a conspiracy that will shake the prelacy to its core.
Shadow's Son moves at a breakneck pace. Sprunk tells a straight forward story in less than 300 pages making it a very tight novel. The entire narrative takes place entirely within the span a few days save for a few brief flashbacks from Caim. Succinctness, an underused style in the fantasy genre, affords little time for waxing poetic or excessive world building. Still Sprunk finds plenty of time to hit just the right note in a series of action sequences that include superlative swordplay and Prince of Persia like break ins. These moments are written beautifully reminiscent of James Barclay - another member of Pyr's excellent stable of writers.
When I say the novel lacks excessive world building, I don't mean there isn't any. Quite the opposite. Avoiding information dumps Shadow's Son brings the reader along throughout the story dropping tidbits about the world Caim inhabits when the time is right. By the novels conclusion Sprunk's world building leaves quite bit still in the shadows (pardon the pun). Had an additional hundred pages of character development and setting made its way into the book it would have better for it. Characters died without the emotion that should have been present and the scope of the setting seemed smaller in my mind than Sprunk intended, I'm sure.
Furthermore, Caim as a protagonist felt very static. I imagine that he was intended to become less hard and more do-gooder as the novel wore on, but to me felt that way from the get go. Caim convinced himself that all his victims were bad men who deserved it. He never sees himself as a bad guy, nor does anyone else really. Hello?!?! He's an assassin! I think Sprunk has/had the makings of a much deeper character that he gave up on by making him sympathetic from the first minutes.
All told Shadow's Son is an excellent debut novel that avoids many of the debut pitfalls. It is not ambitious by any means, instead providing a great base for Sprunk to grow. I hope other first time authors can look to this as an example in not only how to get published, but how to ensure it happens again.
Jon Sprunks second novel, Shadow's Lure, is due out Tuesday, June 7.
May 4, 2012
[7/10] A really fast and entertaining debut.
I didn't care much for the opening chapters. The story is rather standard: an assassin with a mysterious past, some fishy political maneuvers, a perky damzel, a generic city with dark alleyways on one side and sumptuous mansions on the other. The prose is functional, but not the kind that wins Pullitzer prizes.
Regarding the cover : I think the cowled figure with weapon in hand has been overused in the past 5 years or so, and I wish publishers would come with some fresh ideas.
Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself caught in the fate of Caim, Kit and Josey. Their story reminded me of some of the classic swashbuckling adventures I've read in my teens. There may be room for improvement in presentation (prose, dialogue, characterization) but the pacing and the plot twists are compensation enough for making me interested in the next two volumes. The fact that the book is quite short and focused on a couple of characters is a bonus for me.
Compared to similar assassin books that I've read recently, I would rate Jon Sprunk a bit above Brent Weeks and Mark Lawrence, similar to Courtney Schafer, and a bit bellow Scott Lynch or Peter V Brett.
I didn't care much for the opening chapters. The story is rather standard: an assassin with a mysterious past, some fishy political maneuvers, a perky damzel, a generic city with dark alleyways on one side and sumptuous mansions on the other. The prose is functional, but not the kind that wins Pullitzer prizes.
Regarding the cover : I think the cowled figure with weapon in hand has been overused in the past 5 years or so, and I wish publishers would come with some fresh ideas.
Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself caught in the fate of Caim, Kit and Josey. Their story reminded me of some of the classic swashbuckling adventures I've read in my teens. There may be room for improvement in presentation (prose, dialogue, characterization) but the pacing and the plot twists are compensation enough for making me interested in the next two volumes. The fact that the book is quite short and focused on a couple of characters is a bonus for me.
Compared to similar assassin books that I've read recently, I would rate Jon Sprunk a bit above Brent Weeks and Mark Lawrence, similar to Courtney Schafer, and a bit bellow Scott Lynch or Peter V Brett.
December 21, 2010
http://www.rantingdragon.com/shadows-...
This is Jon Sprunk’s debut novel, and it’s a dark read. This book may look small, but once you begin, it is apparent that this is an intelligent read. I should note right away that if you aren’t a blood-splatter and guts type of person, you might want either to brace yourself or skip it. Sprunk truly does give a blow-by-blow, or should I say a blade-by-blade, account. There are a few twists in this story I wasn’t expecting, but I got caught up in this assassin’s tale.
Vibrant Action
I’ll admit it now: I love a good action sequence. Sprunk delivers that in spades throughout this tale. What makes this an intelligent read is the action is not only there because Caim, our unsung-not-by-choice hero, is an assassin by trade and it is expected, but also because it propels the story; it serves as a complement, not a hindrance. There is a seamless transition between the action scenes and the story, and the level of detail puts any diehard action lover in the middle of the fight sequences. You’ll flinch and hold your breath wanting Caim to survive. They say detail is everything, and Sprunk delivers just that; although action is often difficult to translate to paper, Sprunk’s action scenes are alive.
The Women
Caim has two women and yes, they are a handful. Kit: loyal, beautiful, and insightful… and a guardian spirit. Yes, a spirit. She is the comic relief and the practical character of this dynamic duo. She’s an intriguing character you’ll come to appreciate, and you’ll want to know more about her, as well. Kit is as loyal to Caim as need be, but when she is annoyed, she will disappear until she has calmed down enough to return. This is both a blessing and curse in Caim’s mind.
Josephine: this is no wallflower high brow lady, she’s tough. You’ll love how she is portrayed in this story. You get to see how her mind works as you follow her on a treacherous journey with Caim. While that is happening, you become invested in her story line, and with her, the stakes become very high. You’ll love the relationship that develops between her and her would-be hero.
Symbolism and Meaning
As the title implies, shadows are a part of this story, and there is a lot of meaning in them. What is beyond the shadow? Is there anything beyond the darkness? This and other questions are raised. It isn’t forced upon you, but Sprunk inspires you to think about the underbelly of things in this world where politics and religion collide. There is more to what you see with the naked eye. Caim is your guide into this world and he is the light, but you’ll have to read the book to discover what he sees within the shadows.
The Wait
This is a good book, and if you read it you’ll not be disappointed. However, even though the chapters are short, it takes a while to get to the meat of the story. The intricate weaving of the tale of how Caim and Josephine were brought together and put on their path makes getting to the heart of the story difficult. I say it’s worth the wait because once you get there, you are there with Caim, Kit, and Josephine to the end.
Why should you read this book?
As a debut novel, it’s really good. Caim and his partners, Kit and Josephine, are the best. It’s a dark fantasy with a great story, and it’s full of action. The twists and the action will keep you glued to the story, and you will become invested with this rich group of characters. And like most good dark stories, the villain isn’t always whom you expect… or maybe it is?
This is Jon Sprunk’s debut novel, and it’s a dark read. This book may look small, but once you begin, it is apparent that this is an intelligent read. I should note right away that if you aren’t a blood-splatter and guts type of person, you might want either to brace yourself or skip it. Sprunk truly does give a blow-by-blow, or should I say a blade-by-blade, account. There are a few twists in this story I wasn’t expecting, but I got caught up in this assassin’s tale.
Vibrant Action
I’ll admit it now: I love a good action sequence. Sprunk delivers that in spades throughout this tale. What makes this an intelligent read is the action is not only there because Caim, our unsung-not-by-choice hero, is an assassin by trade and it is expected, but also because it propels the story; it serves as a complement, not a hindrance. There is a seamless transition between the action scenes and the story, and the level of detail puts any diehard action lover in the middle of the fight sequences. You’ll flinch and hold your breath wanting Caim to survive. They say detail is everything, and Sprunk delivers just that; although action is often difficult to translate to paper, Sprunk’s action scenes are alive.
The Women
Caim has two women and yes, they are a handful. Kit: loyal, beautiful, and insightful… and a guardian spirit. Yes, a spirit. She is the comic relief and the practical character of this dynamic duo. She’s an intriguing character you’ll come to appreciate, and you’ll want to know more about her, as well. Kit is as loyal to Caim as need be, but when she is annoyed, she will disappear until she has calmed down enough to return. This is both a blessing and curse in Caim’s mind.
Josephine: this is no wallflower high brow lady, she’s tough. You’ll love how she is portrayed in this story. You get to see how her mind works as you follow her on a treacherous journey with Caim. While that is happening, you become invested in her story line, and with her, the stakes become very high. You’ll love the relationship that develops between her and her would-be hero.
Symbolism and Meaning
As the title implies, shadows are a part of this story, and there is a lot of meaning in them. What is beyond the shadow? Is there anything beyond the darkness? This and other questions are raised. It isn’t forced upon you, but Sprunk inspires you to think about the underbelly of things in this world where politics and religion collide. There is more to what you see with the naked eye. Caim is your guide into this world and he is the light, but you’ll have to read the book to discover what he sees within the shadows.
The Wait
This is a good book, and if you read it you’ll not be disappointed. However, even though the chapters are short, it takes a while to get to the meat of the story. The intricate weaving of the tale of how Caim and Josephine were brought together and put on their path makes getting to the heart of the story difficult. I say it’s worth the wait because once you get there, you are there with Caim, Kit, and Josephine to the end.
Why should you read this book?
As a debut novel, it’s really good. Caim and his partners, Kit and Josephine, are the best. It’s a dark fantasy with a great story, and it’s full of action. The twists and the action will keep you glued to the story, and you will become invested with this rich group of characters. And like most good dark stories, the villain isn’t always whom you expect… or maybe it is?
October 2, 2017
Rating
Review
*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews. ***
Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk is both the author's debut novel and the beginning of a new trilogy about the principal character, Caim, an assassin with a noble heart. The character is unique in a couple of ways: he has a ghostly familiar in the form of Kit who only he can see and he possesses a mysterious power that manifests itself in the form of shadows.
Told in the vein of Paul S. Kemp's Erevis Cale or R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden, Caim is a man who has taken up the knives of an assassin because it's what he's good at. He has rules: he doesn't kill women or children, and only takes contracts on those deserving. How the latter is determined is a bit subjective; this sort of vigilante justice inevitably bags the wrong man every once in a while.
Shadow's Son gets off to a rousing start. Caim is in the middle of a job that quickly degenerates into a chase and kill escapade as he refuses to allow his target to get away. From there we begin to learn more about our main character: why he's chosen this life, who his friends are (he doesn't have many), and what aspirations he harbors, especially of leaving the assassination business behind one day.
There is an ensemble of other characters: the beforementioned Kit who shadows Caim's every move, Jospehine, whose father is assassinated under suspicious circumstances and who is forced into an alliance with Caim, Ral, a rival assassin, and three principal villains who I unfortunately found to be caricatures of each other, with the only one displaying any sort of uniqueness being Leviticus because he shares some of the same shadow powers that Caim possesses.
I thought Shadow's Son started out great. But it quickly degenerates into a very predictable, cliché-ridden story. Bad boy hero is really a good guy deep down who develops an impossible relationship with the rich girl whose father he's accused of murdering. Also, he has a dark past tied up with a heritage he insists on denying even though it's pretty obvious there's some truth to it. In the end, he must embrace this heritage and save the city.
As for the characters, Caim often comes across as too noble to have ever gotten mixed up in such a sordid career. Josephine is your typical rich girl who is tougher than she looks; she has some character development, but I wasn't convinced. Kit, who might have been the most interesting of all, has potential that is never fully explored as she conveniently disappears so that Caim and Josephine can get to know each other a little better. The three villains… they're mean, greedy, and power-hungry in equal amounts, but fairly shallow from a motivation perspective.
Shadow's Son is akin to a blockbuster summer movie that almost works: good entertainment but not something that's going to make you think or feel hungry for the next installment. I'll see what Sprunk has in the works for the next book in the series and if it sounds intriguing enough I might pick it up. He at least leaves Caim's future adventures wide-open with the ending of this one.
Review
*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews. ***
Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk is both the author's debut novel and the beginning of a new trilogy about the principal character, Caim, an assassin with a noble heart. The character is unique in a couple of ways: he has a ghostly familiar in the form of Kit who only he can see and he possesses a mysterious power that manifests itself in the form of shadows.
Told in the vein of Paul S. Kemp's Erevis Cale or R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden, Caim is a man who has taken up the knives of an assassin because it's what he's good at. He has rules: he doesn't kill women or children, and only takes contracts on those deserving. How the latter is determined is a bit subjective; this sort of vigilante justice inevitably bags the wrong man every once in a while.
Shadow's Son gets off to a rousing start. Caim is in the middle of a job that quickly degenerates into a chase and kill escapade as he refuses to allow his target to get away. From there we begin to learn more about our main character: why he's chosen this life, who his friends are (he doesn't have many), and what aspirations he harbors, especially of leaving the assassination business behind one day.
There is an ensemble of other characters: the beforementioned Kit who shadows Caim's every move, Jospehine, whose father is assassinated under suspicious circumstances and who is forced into an alliance with Caim, Ral, a rival assassin, and three principal villains who I unfortunately found to be caricatures of each other, with the only one displaying any sort of uniqueness being Leviticus because he shares some of the same shadow powers that Caim possesses.
I thought Shadow's Son started out great. But it quickly degenerates into a very predictable, cliché-ridden story. Bad boy hero is really a good guy deep down who develops an impossible relationship with the rich girl whose father he's accused of murdering. Also, he has a dark past tied up with a heritage he insists on denying even though it's pretty obvious there's some truth to it. In the end, he must embrace this heritage and save the city.
As for the characters, Caim often comes across as too noble to have ever gotten mixed up in such a sordid career. Josephine is your typical rich girl who is tougher than she looks; she has some character development, but I wasn't convinced. Kit, who might have been the most interesting of all, has potential that is never fully explored as she conveniently disappears so that Caim and Josephine can get to know each other a little better. The three villains… they're mean, greedy, and power-hungry in equal amounts, but fairly shallow from a motivation perspective.
Shadow's Son is akin to a blockbuster summer movie that almost works: good entertainment but not something that's going to make you think or feel hungry for the next installment. I'll see what Sprunk has in the works for the next book in the series and if it sounds intriguing enough I might pick it up. He at least leaves Caim's future adventures wide-open with the ending of this one.
May 10, 2013
I received a copy of this book as part of the Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
I have always enjoyed fantasy novels. This novel is more than just a fantasy novel. It is also a political thriller. There was no quest. There was double dealings, killings and a hidden conspiracy. This brought the fantasy novel to different level. There were the shadow creatures and Kit that still made it a fantasy movel.
Caim was a greeat anti-hero. He was a hired killer that cared about no human. He trusted no human. His only friend wat Kit, a being he could only see. Although his job is evil, he is not a evil man. Circumstances changed him. Then, when given the chance, he saves the day and saves Josey.
The plot of the novel is driven more by action. As the story is told, the characters are developed enough to explain some of their actions. Beyond that, there is not much more. There doesn't have to be, as the action is continous.
Josey being the hidden daughter of the dead empereor was a bit a cliche, but does help the story line.
I enjoyed this novel. It was not a complicated fantasy novel but a good political thriller.
I have always enjoyed fantasy novels. This novel is more than just a fantasy novel. It is also a political thriller. There was no quest. There was double dealings, killings and a hidden conspiracy. This brought the fantasy novel to different level. There were the shadow creatures and Kit that still made it a fantasy movel.
Caim was a greeat anti-hero. He was a hired killer that cared about no human. He trusted no human. His only friend wat Kit, a being he could only see. Although his job is evil, he is not a evil man. Circumstances changed him. Then, when given the chance, he saves the day and saves Josey.
The plot of the novel is driven more by action. As the story is told, the characters are developed enough to explain some of their actions. Beyond that, there is not much more. There doesn't have to be, as the action is continous.
Josey being the hidden daughter of the dead empereor was a bit a cliche, but does help the story line.
I enjoyed this novel. It was not a complicated fantasy novel but a good political thriller.
July 23, 2014
Excellent debut from Jon Sprunk grabs you from the first page and never lets go till the end; the subject is very conventional,kind of like the Brent Weeks trilogy but without the panache of that, but the writing is excellent, among the most energetic in fantasy from what I read so far and that elevates an otherwise very good but generic assassin fantasy one level. An A+ for the style and the series became another get/read asap the next installment
June 7, 2010
You could make an argument for establishing a new sub-genre called something like "assassin fantasy," given the amount of novels currently on the shelves with heroes in that grim and surprisingly popular profession. So when the cover of Shadow's Son, Jon Sprunk's debut novel, shows a man wearing a hood and flashing a set of matching knives, it's not hard to predict the main character's occupation before even opening the book.
And yes, right in the opening scene, the novel's protagonist — Caim — is indeed found secretly observing a noble before attempting to assassinate him. After completing the job and escaping by using his mysterious "shadow" powers, Caim picks up another assignment that was recently abandoned by his colleague Ral. However, when Caim arrives at the house of the target — a wealthy man recently retired from the highest circles of power — he finds him already murdered, setting off a plot that will involve the future of the empire...
In the increasingly popular sub-genre of assassin fantasy (yep, I've decided to name it — set aside a shelf, Barnes & Noble), Shadow's Son is a competent, entertaining, but unfortunately predictable new entry. What Jon Sprunk does best is pacing: the story starts off with a bang and never slows down, providing steady doses of action and excitement throughout the novel. Shadow's Son weighs in at just under 300 pages, divided into 32 relatively short chapters, which together with the solid pace makes it a fast, entertaining page-turner of a novel.
Most of the characters, however, are fairly two-dimensional templates, so recognizable that they feel as if they wandered into Shadow's Son from other novels: the spoiled noble girl, the overly ambitious young soldier, the rustic ersatz father figure... and unfortunately our protagonist Caim, the grim but goodhearted assassin whose tortured past is broadly hinted at in a few short flashbacks early on to set the tone. Even his companion, a tiny but shapely female spirit named Kit who is only visible to Caim, provides little more than some tired bickering for most of the novel (although her inclusion on Michael Kormack's lovely cover illustration thankfully lifts it above the now standard "hooded assassin" image).
While the story is expertly paced (what a pleasant surprise in a debut novel!), it unfortunately feels bland and predictable. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a Hollywood movie that had been through a few too many test audiences, resulting in a story that frankly felt a bit cookie-cutter. But, on the plus side again, Jon Sprunk's prose style is as smooth and polished as his pacing, perfectly appropriate for the story and only occasionally going overboard, e.g. when describing someone's tonsure as being "the color of blood from a lung wound."
Still, it speaks to Jon Sprunk's promise as a new author that he put together such a smooth read in his debut, and I for one am very curious to see what he'll come up with in the future. Shadow's Son is a competent but unfortunately predictable fantasy novel that should still please readers who are looking for an entertaining, fast-paced assassin story and who are willing to overlook the familiarity of some of its elements. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in thrills and sheer readability. Ultimately, Shadow's Son is a surprisingly well-crafted piece of fiction for a debut novel, indicating Jon Sprunk is an author to watch in the future.
(This review was also published at the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)
And yes, right in the opening scene, the novel's protagonist — Caim — is indeed found secretly observing a noble before attempting to assassinate him. After completing the job and escaping by using his mysterious "shadow" powers, Caim picks up another assignment that was recently abandoned by his colleague Ral. However, when Caim arrives at the house of the target — a wealthy man recently retired from the highest circles of power — he finds him already murdered, setting off a plot that will involve the future of the empire...
In the increasingly popular sub-genre of assassin fantasy (yep, I've decided to name it — set aside a shelf, Barnes & Noble), Shadow's Son is a competent, entertaining, but unfortunately predictable new entry. What Jon Sprunk does best is pacing: the story starts off with a bang and never slows down, providing steady doses of action and excitement throughout the novel. Shadow's Son weighs in at just under 300 pages, divided into 32 relatively short chapters, which together with the solid pace makes it a fast, entertaining page-turner of a novel.
Most of the characters, however, are fairly two-dimensional templates, so recognizable that they feel as if they wandered into Shadow's Son from other novels: the spoiled noble girl, the overly ambitious young soldier, the rustic ersatz father figure... and unfortunately our protagonist Caim, the grim but goodhearted assassin whose tortured past is broadly hinted at in a few short flashbacks early on to set the tone. Even his companion, a tiny but shapely female spirit named Kit who is only visible to Caim, provides little more than some tired bickering for most of the novel (although her inclusion on Michael Kormack's lovely cover illustration thankfully lifts it above the now standard "hooded assassin" image).
While the story is expertly paced (what a pleasant surprise in a debut novel!), it unfortunately feels bland and predictable. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a Hollywood movie that had been through a few too many test audiences, resulting in a story that frankly felt a bit cookie-cutter. But, on the plus side again, Jon Sprunk's prose style is as smooth and polished as his pacing, perfectly appropriate for the story and only occasionally going overboard, e.g. when describing someone's tonsure as being "the color of blood from a lung wound."
Still, it speaks to Jon Sprunk's promise as a new author that he put together such a smooth read in his debut, and I for one am very curious to see what he'll come up with in the future. Shadow's Son is a competent but unfortunately predictable fantasy novel that should still please readers who are looking for an entertaining, fast-paced assassin story and who are willing to overlook the familiarity of some of its elements. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in thrills and sheer readability. Ultimately, Shadow's Son is a surprisingly well-crafted piece of fiction for a debut novel, indicating Jon Sprunk is an author to watch in the future.
(This review was also published at the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)
January 1, 2021
I hate not having a 1/2* option, but I don't hate it as much as I hate only having a 5* system instead of a 10* one. :-)
3.5*/5* or 6*/10*
+ I'm a sucker for assassin and interesting magic
- a bit predictable with characters needing more development.
Anyways...
I read this book YEARS ago and, though I have book 2 and 3, somewhere I lost #1. Thankfully Jon Sprunk was happy to sign a copy and send it over to me.
Shadow's Son a fun read with a slowly growing and interesting magic. The story is somewhat predictable and the main character, Caim, is "overpowered" in the sense that he seems to work through wounds too easily and be a bit too good with his blades. Main character#2 is a girl/woman who starts off as a vapid little pain but morphs into a tough and smart woman at such speed that it's a bit disconcerting. The time line also could be a bit smoother.
I feel the Jon could have spent about 30-50 pages fleshing out characters and dealing with their development
Overall this is simply a decent read that does bring some things of interest to the table while having some flaws. If you are a reader that can enjoy a book that isn't perfect, then this could work for you.
I look forward to book #2, I really want to see how the magic system and certain things dealing with Caim progress.
3.5*/5* or 6*/10*
+ I'm a sucker for assassin and interesting magic
- a bit predictable with characters needing more development.
Anyways...
I read this book YEARS ago and, though I have book 2 and 3, somewhere I lost #1. Thankfully Jon Sprunk was happy to sign a copy and send it over to me.
Shadow's Son a fun read with a slowly growing and interesting magic. The story is somewhat predictable and the main character, Caim, is "overpowered" in the sense that he seems to work through wounds too easily and be a bit too good with his blades. Main character#2 is a girl/woman who starts off as a vapid little pain but morphs into a tough and smart woman at such speed that it's a bit disconcerting. The time line also could be a bit smoother.
I feel the Jon could have spent about 30-50 pages fleshing out characters and dealing with their development
Overall this is simply a decent read that does bring some things of interest to the table while having some flaws. If you are a reader that can enjoy a book that isn't perfect, then this could work for you.
I look forward to book #2, I really want to see how the magic system and certain things dealing with Caim progress.
March 11, 2011
You know, whenever I pick up a book that's brand-new, I have an unreasonable expectation that it will live up to the standards of the day. Unfortunately, this book barely lives up to the standards of the 70's, when some of the elements found in this mediocre fantasy novel were still a bit fresh.
Not that it wouldn't be possible for me to enjoy a predictable romp about a good-hearted assassin with mysterious magic powers who finds himself rescuing a damsel in distress who is secretly an heiress from an evil sorcerer bent on revenge and a plot against the Rightful Royalty.... but it would have to be better written.
One of the things that really bugs me is when pseudo-historical settings are sprinkled with anachronistic and/or colloquial terms... people in some kind of 16th-century (?) type setting don't talk about "bad vibes" or when they were "just a kid." Add to that some cheezy descriptive passages and generally unconvincing characterization and motivations... blah.
If you are into this sort of book, and are tempted to get it... go read Sarah Monette instead.
Not that it wouldn't be possible for me to enjoy a predictable romp about a good-hearted assassin with mysterious magic powers who finds himself rescuing a damsel in distress who is secretly an heiress from an evil sorcerer bent on revenge and a plot against the Rightful Royalty.... but it would have to be better written.
One of the things that really bugs me is when pseudo-historical settings are sprinkled with anachronistic and/or colloquial terms... people in some kind of 16th-century (?) type setting don't talk about "bad vibes" or when they were "just a kid." Add to that some cheezy descriptive passages and generally unconvincing characterization and motivations... blah.
If you are into this sort of book, and are tempted to get it... go read Sarah Monette instead.
December 21, 2011
I honestly didn't think this sort of fantasy got published any more - the pedestrian, cliche-loaded, mediocre-tolkien/mythology-aspirant sort. At least the plot moves fast, though I suspect it has to or otherwise you'd be able to see daylight through the holes that turn into lace. Characters made of thin cardboard in utterly familiar shapes, a brutal dichotomy of good and evil, and a setting that's both generic and wildly anachronistic in its influences. Sort of like in was written from an unholy melange of the notes from Dan Brown's newest novel, and the notes from a teenage GM's newest campaign. At least I finished it; it's that bearable.
August 10, 2011
This actually got 4.5/5 Quills on my site! Hope you check out the full review below. This is a great start to a trilogy that is full of great characters and espionage. This is definitely one to check out! Don't miss it.
Review of Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk
Review of Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk
October 1, 2011
I always like assassin books and this one hits the mark. A good blend of magic, mystery and killing. I was intrigued by the magic and I hope there is more to it in the sequel. My only gripe is that I wish it was a bit longer and I would have like more to the backstory and history of the world. A solid piece I will be reading the sequel.
January 3, 2015
utólag csillagozom, a következő kötet fényében.
visszaolvasva a posztom, amikor olvastam, eléggé bejött, viszont azóta eltelt két év, és nemcsak megkopott a könyv, de totál elfelejtettem szinte mindent, ami itt történt. egyedül Kit és Caim maradt meg, mindenki másra csak rácsodálkoztam.
http://kemenyfedel.blogspot.hu/2012/0...
visszaolvasva a posztom, amikor olvastam, eléggé bejött, viszont azóta eltelt két év, és nemcsak megkopott a könyv, de totál elfelejtettem szinte mindent, ami itt történt. egyedül Kit és Caim maradt meg, mindenki másra csak rácsodálkoztam.
http://kemenyfedel.blogspot.hu/2012/0...
October 2, 2021
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one. I found Caim and Josey to be characters I really wanted to succeed so I enjoyed reading about them but overall I kind of wished there was just a little bit more. Of what I don’t know. I found the magic system interesting and want to know more about how it works but I kept feeling like the little glimpses we got were just set up and not wholly satisfying.
November 11, 2014
Someone once did a survey of Great Literature and found that men leave their loves behind for the world, while women give up the world for their loves. The former is the classic "male" story, encountered from James Bond onward, and this book is one of its many examples. The plot and characters were pretty much cut from any other Male Adventure Story with a fantasy filter applied. I liked those other male adventure stories much better.
I have been having bad luck with fantasy recently. Of the two I picked off my public library's new books shelf last month, both had excessive or gratuitous rape scenes. Wha? Is mustache twirling overdone, and we only know somebody is really bad if they are violent against a female character? Why not go for an original type of torture like ripping off toenails? At least then I know you put some effort in.
And that's my problem with this whole book. IT IS SUCH A CLICHE. Corrupt church officials use power of darkness to accomplish their goals: check. The only person who can stand against them has the blackest of black souls: check. Assassin character meets good woman and experiences crisis of conscience: check.
There's also a couple of scenes that seem out of order due to the mysterious disappearing and reappearing injuries sustained by the characters.
Apparently someone needs to make me a list. I cannot be trusted to go pick out new books for myself anymore. I prefer my pleasant Sunday read without a PTSD episode, and the covers and descriptions are letting me down. I am looking for fast, pulse-pounding reads or smart, sweeping epics, in any fantasy or sf setting, published in the last two years, without rape scenes. Near-rape is okay, actual rape is not. (Toenail aggravation get extra points for thinking outside the box.) Is there a goodreads list on this? Thank you!
I have been having bad luck with fantasy recently. Of the two I picked off my public library's new books shelf last month, both had excessive or gratuitous rape scenes. Wha? Is mustache twirling overdone, and we only know somebody is really bad if they are violent against a female character? Why not go for an original type of torture like ripping off toenails? At least then I know you put some effort in.
And that's my problem with this whole book. IT IS SUCH A CLICHE. Corrupt church officials use power of darkness to accomplish their goals: check. The only person who can stand against them has the blackest of black souls: check. Assassin character meets good woman and experiences crisis of conscience: check.
There's also a couple of scenes that seem out of order due to the mysterious disappearing and reappearing injuries sustained by the characters.
Apparently someone needs to make me a list. I cannot be trusted to go pick out new books for myself anymore. I prefer my pleasant Sunday read without a PTSD episode, and the covers and descriptions are letting me down. I am looking for fast, pulse-pounding reads or smart, sweeping epics, in any fantasy or sf setting, published in the last two years, without rape scenes. Near-rape is okay, actual rape is not. (Toenail aggravation get extra points for thinking outside the box.) Is there a goodreads list on this? Thank you!
June 29, 2020
Not the greatest assassin’s story I’ve read, but not the worst fantasy story either. A lot of cliches in the writing, but I with the amount of fantasy books out there it’s gotta be difficult to stay away from the classic tropes. GraphicAudio did an amazing job bring this too life. I wouldn’t have finished this book if I’d have tried to read it.
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