I can't believe I'm finally done. 
 Nah, to be honest, I just stopped at 94%. I don't believe anything significant will happen in the next few paragraphs, and I do not intend to continue with this series. 
 Why? 
 This book is currently being lauded in all my circles as the bomb that fell in holy water. 
 I beg to strongly disagree. 
 I stuck with it. I really did. But it got me end the end. 
 I don't generally like going on about what makes a book bad in my eyes. I generally want to quickly move on to the next and let the bad vibes dissipate as dew in the summer sun. 
 But I'm making an exception here. In everything, balance is required. Feel free to check the positive reviews as well, and by all means, make up your own mind. 
 There are a few things that did piss me off about this book, the first, of many, being uncountable instances of: 
 "kill, kill, kill" 
 "death, death, death" 
 repeat. 
 AAARGGHHH!!! 
 The first chapter is a bewildering fight scene, with no sense at all of who is fighting whom and where the lines lay. 
 Don't get me wrong. I like a bloody battle as much as the next guy. 
 But this isn't written like a battle, with friends and foes. It's more like a battle royale as seen from the eyes of a fish swimming in guts. Like a madman's vision as seen through a haze of opium, or some other such hallucinogen. Like a (insert more allegoric similes here). 
 See what I'm doing here? Lots and lots of it in this book. So much of it you just want to... 
 And that's only Chapter ONE. 
 Let's get dirty. 
 Characters: 
 We're generally following (and I use the term loosely, as the author also inserts several POVs that bring absolutely nothing to the story in my opinion) two characters: 
 Marith, The fallen prince. 
 I'll put it simply: an annoying, obnoxious, self-centered prick. His backstory, agonizingly revealed as we progress through the book, is one of the most underwhelming and fake-sounding I've ever read. Ever. His interaction with the people around him (his best friend, his best friend's family, his own family, his band-mates) are a cringe-fest. The changes he goes through towards the middle of the book are just ludicrous. (view spoiler)[ Face down a dragon?? Come on, man, how far does your hubris go?! (hide spoiler)]. His motivations are full of ominous innuendoes, that fall flat on their faces when finally revealed. (view spoiler)[He's just a psychopath. Move along, nothing to see here. (hide spoiler)] 
 You can tell I'm pissed off, right? 
 Let's move on. 
 Emmereth: the revolutionary. 
 Only the MC from The Vagrant has managed to inspire the same amount of disinterest from me. Nothing stands out in him. He's flat, featureless, shapeless. We only care to read his story for the potential repercussions it may have in his world; which also ends up to be a dud. 
 There's no tension, no impetus. just events rolling on the dunes like so much tumbleweed. 
 (view spoiler)[His failed-regicide-turned-change-of-cabinet is just the most tension-less coup I've ever read. (hide spoiler)]. 
 Look, a camel ruminating! See the camel? Look at the camel, dear... 
 Oh, and there's also the Virgin Priestess that's never set a foot outside her temple since the age of who gives a shit. Gets almost killed for one of the most contrived reasons I've ever read, and forced to hike it out into the real world. 
 You tell yourselves: "aHA! Potential!" right? 
 WRONG! 
 (view spoiler)[ 
 Fucks above-mentioned Marith at the first inn they can find, transforming (back?) a broken-down murderous bum into a dashing arrogant prince in the process (Sex does wonders for one's self-esteem, it seems). Spends the rest of the story as luggage. 
 Ah yes, she's some form of sorcerer. The most useless kind, except when she can suddenly order people to kill themselves! (hide spoiler)] 
 She shines, you see? She shines... 
 Oh and there's Tobias, the mercenary sergeant. 
 (view spoiler)[Fucks his mates over, then fucks his boss over, gets paid a hefty sum of money for selling our fallen prince to his enemies... then inexplicably follows them... What the hell for?!!! Ends up enrolled into Father King's forces to go lay siege to said enemies now turned allies. 
 I can see your eyes glazing over. 
 I had to read the damn thing, so I don't pity you. 
 (hide spoiler)] 
 The fight scenes are an absolute mess. 
 No, writing that a sword "flashes" is not enough to wow us. 
 We spend more time inside the head of people, being fed their feelings about the fight, than seeing the actually fights. 
 And before you know it: poof! MC's the last standing in a pool of foes in different stages of dismemberment. 
 Kill me now. 
 The writing: 
 I think I'll call it post-modern and leave it at that. 
 The plot twists: 
 Ah.. I'm tired. Too many instances of WTF moments surfacing to deal with them all. 
 I'll just call it a day.