Why didn’t this one worked? Hair’s narrative relied a lot on info-dump during the first half of the novel, and it honestly hurt the pacing of the book so much informations, to me, are harder to register in my head when they’re told in info-dump way.
Similar to many starter installments to an epic fantasy series, Hair takes his time to introduce the world and many characters of the series first, and I usually love this generally, slow-paced books always worked better for me. I have a mixed feeling-mostly negative-towards the first half of the book I won’t lie, if it weren’t because I own the entire quartet already, I think I would’ve DNFed this book.
I noticed the average ratings of this book-on both Amazon and Goodreads-are relatively much lower compared to its sequels, although there’s always the fact that sequels tend to have higher ratings because those who continued are usually those who have enjoyed the previous installment, there are several valid reasons why Mage’s Blood is the lowest rated book in the quartet. If you haven’t started this series and you look to me to settle your decision to whether give this series a go or not, I strongly advise that you have to be patient with this novel. “People do the worst evil when they do not have to take responsibility themselves but can blame others.” The result? I overall enjoyed this one very much, and with some caveats, I recommend this to patient epic/historical fantasy readers. The Moontide Quartet is an epic fantasy series that’s highly recommended by one of my favorite booktubers-Kitty G-and it has been on my radar for years now, and it is thanks to her that I finally gave this series a go. Fortunately, Mage’s Blood, the first book in The Moontide Quartet by David Hair, seems to be rightfully living up to that claim. How many times have you heard this: “If you love Game of Thrones, you will love this,” and how many times have you actually find the books with that recommendation stamped on the front cover to be accurate? Based on my experience, extremely rare. The next Moontide is coming in a year, and The Rondian Emperor wants to use this time to rule both continents, but this time the people of Athiopia will be prepared. Both continents are separated by impassable seas, but once every twelve years, the Moontide makes the water sink and revealed the gigantic Leviathan Bridge that links both continents for two years long.
Urte is divided into two continents Yuros in the West, and Antiopia in the East. The first half of Mage’s Blood challenged my patience, but the pay-off-and hopefully the rest of the series-in the second half was bloody rewarding. Published: 27th September 2012 by Jo Fletcher New powers must rise to save or damn Urte, and on the mighty Leviathan Bridge itself, all will be decided.Series: The Moontide Quartet (Book #1 of 4) The time has come for the Rite of Ascendancy to be performed. But standing between her and her goal is a band of deadly mercenaries playing a dangerous game of their own.Īnd in the East, Seth Korion's Lost Legions must navigate treacherous roads to gain safety, bearing secrets that could bring down the Emperor. In Javon, Cera Nesti, the imprisoned queen, has been freed, and plots to take on the overwhelming might of the Rondian Empire. They have lost the Scytale of Corineus, the key to the Rite of Ascendancy, as well as one of Ramita's infant sons, to the hands of their deadliest enemies. The last few months of the moontide - when the bridge connecting East and West rises above the sea - has come, and in the West Emperor Constant prepares the final phase of his plan to conquer the East.įor failed mage Alaron and his companion Ramita - widow to the mage who built the Leviathan Bridge - the unthinkable has happened.