quippe | Entries tagged with francis knight

The Blurb On The Back:

Two siblings.

Vocho and Kacha may be known for the finest swordplay in the city of Reyes, but they’ve found themselves backed into a corner too often for their liking.

Divided by loyalty.

Finally reinstated into the Duellists guild, they are tasked with bringing a prisoner to justice – Kacha’s old flame Egimont. However the more they discover of Egimont’s dark dealings, the more Kacha’s loyalties are divided. Soon she must choose a side – the prelate or the king, her brother or her ex-lover.

Their fate is balanced on a knife edge.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The last in Julia Knight’s DUELLISTS TRILOGY brings Kacha and Vocho’s story to a close in an emotionally satisfying way that shows how both characters and their relationship have grown over the three books. Although Knight brings back some loved characters and closes out their plotlines, the big weakness of this book is Petri because while his descent into despair and the actions that come from it are broadly believable, I didn’t believe in his emotions towards Kacha, especially given the events in the previous book. Given that this is his central motivation for much of his story, it did stop me from buying into the plotline. To some extent, Kacha help to balance this out – I particularly believed in her guilt and how that comes to paralyse her and I really enjoyed how that forces Vocho to grow up and start behaving more responsibly – but it didn’t totally get me over the issue. That’s a shame because the world building (and especially Knight’s magic system) are great and I would love to see her do a 5 book series so that she got the space and time to bring everything together. Ultimately, this is an okay conclusion to an entertaining trilogy and I will definitely read what Knight does next.

The Blurb On The Back:

Two siblings.

Vocho and Kacha are brother and sister, and between them they’ve got quite a reputation. Once known for the finest swordplay in the city of Reyes, now they’re wanted for murder and it seems everyone wants them dead.

Heroes turned highwaymen.

Not sure whether to trust each other, or anyone else for that matter, Kacha and Vocho form an uneasy truce to fight back. But this time, the flash of steel may not be enough to save them.

And now there’s hell to pay.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Julia Knight’s DUELLISTS TRILOGY is another fast-paced adventure fantasy with plenty of sibling rivalry, dark secrets and darker revenge. By moving the action to Ikaras (a state that allows magicians to study at its famous university) Knight is able to develop the magic system used in her world. I particularly enjoyed how different magicians are drawn to specific uses of magic and I welcomed the introduction of Esti, a magician with an affinity for plants and an agenda of her own. Kacha and Vocho’s sibling rivalry remains well drawn but Knight also moves it along, allowing both characters to grow and Knight does well at showing how Kacha is torn between her love for her brother and her conflicted feelings for Petri (who also comes to realise his own mistakes in the worst way possible). Where the book is less successful is with regard to Alicia’s story – for me the revelations came too late and were too rushed so that it didn’t have the emotional impact it should have done. This is a shame because there was real scope within that storyline and it’s something that would have benefited from being explored given the connections to other characters. In fact, given the depth and range of ideas in this book, it’s a shame the trilogy isn’t expanded to a 5 book series as there’s more than enough scope. There’s a dark ending to the book, which promises much for the final book and I look forward to seeing what happens.

The Blurb On The Back:

Two siblings.

Vocho and Kacha are champion duellists: a brother and sister known for the finest swordplay in the city of Reyes. Or at least they used to be – until they were thrown out of the Duellist’s Guild.

Outcasts for life … together.

As a last resort, they turn reluctant highwaymen. But when they pick the wrong carriage to rob and make off with an immense locked chest, the contents will bring them more than they’ve bargained for. Because they soon find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot to return an angry king to power …

This can only mean trouble.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Julia Knight’s fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) is an entertaining romp set in a post-revolution world that’s failed to achieve the social equality it promised and where there’s a tension between emerging clockwork technology (including clockwork weaponry) and the traditional sword skills used by people like Vocho and Kacha. The emotional heart of the story though lies in the sibling rivalry between Vocho and Kacha and how the envy that Vocho (who has spent his life being compared unfavourably to his sister) feels sometimes overwhelms his loyalty to her. Knight does particularly well at showing how this affects both of them while also using it as a way to drive the plot on and I particularly believed in how this makes them reluctant to confide in each other. Also well handled is Petri (Kacha’s love interest), a revolutionary who has lost faith in his revolution and is desperate for revenge against the Guild’s master but who also loves Kacha for who she is and I loved Knight’s take on blood magic and her sinister and manipulative magicians. Although the plot is largely driven by contrivance (characters being in the right place at the right time) the pacing is so exuberant that you don’t really notice it until you’ve finished it and certainly there’s more than enough here to make me read the second book.

The Blurb On The Back:

A force has awoken in the depths.

The towering vertical city of Mahala is on the brink of war with its neighbouring countries. It might be his worst nightmare, but Rojan and the few remaining pain-mages have been drafted in to help.

The city needs power in whatever form they can get it – and fast. With alchemists readying a prototype electricity generator, and factories producing guns faster than ever, the city’s best advantage is still the mages. Aping their power is a risky plan, but with food in the city running out and a battle brimming which no one is ready for, risky is the best they’ve got …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The conclusion to Francis Knight’s ROJAN DIZON TRILOGY is a mixed affair that offers great ideas and plot twists but doesn’t close off all the strands and is let down by some loose writing and needless repetition. The book’s a fitting finale for Rojan, a reluctant hero haunted by how his actions have harmed the city and teetering on the edge of the black that could destroy him and I enjoyed the resolution of his relationships with Pasha, Jake, Petak and Erlat. I also believed in the splits within the Cardinals and Ministry as they seek to make deals with the Mishans and Storads to save themselves and Perak’s inability to control them. However, I didn’t believe in Mahala’s uncoordinated response to the siege and was frustrated by the fact that the tunnels take so long to come into play and didn’t have a great pay off. There’s also a heavy reliance on characters not sharing their plans in an artificial attempt to maintain tension and a lot of repetition of facts, while Rojan’s narration with its heavy use of tangents can be a little irritating at times. That said, this has been a solid debut trilogy overall and I look forward to seeing what Knight writes next.

The Blurb On The Back:

Mahala is a city of contrasts.
Light and dark. Hope and despair.

Rojan Dizon just wants to keep his head down. But his worst nightmare is around the corner.

With the destruction of their power source, the vertical city of Mahala is in crisis. Riots are breaking out, mages are being murdered and the city is divided. But Rojan’s hunt for the killers will make him responsible for complete anarchy. Either that, or an all-out war. And there’s nothing Rojan hates more than being responsible.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Francis Knight’s fantasy noir sequel to FADE TO BLACK is richly imagined and really explores the consequences and fall-out from the first book. However, for me the plot took too long to get going and although I enjoyed Rojan’s inner battle with the blackness that threatens to drag him into full on mage insanity, his constant protestations as to his amorality wear thin as there is no danger of him not doing the right thing. There are some good twists but the overall feeling is one of filler and as such, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book I will definitely read the conclusion to the trilogy.

The Blurb On The Back:

From the depths of a valley rises the city of Mahala.

It’s a city built upwards, where streets are built upon streets, buildings upon buildings. A city that the Ministry rules from the sunlit summit, and where the forsaken lurk in the darkness of Under.

Rojan Dizon doesn’t mind staying in the shadows because he’s got things to hide. Things like being a pain-mage, with the forbidden power to draw magic from pain. But when the fate of Mahala depends on him using his magic, he can’t hide forever.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Francis Knight’s debut fantasy (the first in a trilogy) is a well-imagined story with a strong first-person voice and an intriguing premise that promises much for the rest of the trilogy. The city itself is the star of the book with some great world-building and a noir-ish feel while the story unfolds at a good pace and has plenty of twists to it. Although the writing’s a little baggy at times and relies heavily on exposition and sudden revelations in the last quarter, it’s nonetheless a solid debut and I shall definitely be reading on.