Customer Reviews

The Belly of the Bow (Fencer, Book 2)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is book #2 of the Fencer Trilogy by K.J. Parker, and where "Colors in the Steel" was - in my opinion - worth 5+ stars, this sequel is hardly worth two. Main problem: The story surrounding Bardas Loredan's family turns very grotesque and bizarre in this one, which pretty-much destroys the great story line, writing, and character continuation from "Colors". Loredan is turned from a heroic-though-tragic commander of the now-lost Great City to a vengeful hermit with regardsa to his family, and in the process of becoming a bowyer, helps to break-up his family with a very tragic and brutally-vengeful Bardas becoming more of a monster than a person who - though had character flaws (as everyone does) - was able to mount an effective defence of Permeida.

K.J. Parker does a good job with the characters from Book #1, and does a great job of showing how Bardas and his family have problems: a typical dysfunctional family - at least in the beginning. However, the instance involving Bardas becoming less-than-human totally destroys what would otherwise have been a truly interesting character in a series which began with a terrible battle in which Bardas becomes at least a sentimental hero. (Anyone who reads this book - and I don't recommend it, will see what I mean) What Bardas could have become in this book is a military-leader-in-hiding who could have "licked his wounds" in this tale and then turned out to be totally heroic elsewhere. however, again, the story takes a sickening twist, one that left me shocked and turned off to the Third Installment of the "Fencer Trilogy".

Parker's technical writing - again - shows an ability that far exceeds most of his peers, with descriptions of the area and islands and the cities, military weapons, formations, strategies and tactics, and battle being easy to understand, helping the reader to see what's going on. His character development of Bardas' brother and his family, sister and her position, and vengeful niece, not to mention the feud between two powerful entities, makes this story very interesting. The Religious figures from Book #1 also are int his one and again are called upon to aid and abet both sides in this confilct, their characteristics again superbly intertwined in the story. However, as mentioned above, this story took a very dark and (in my opinion) unnecessary turn, one that has turned me off from K.J. Parker and Book #3. This is definitely a case of "what could have been". If you have any kind of love for your immediate and extended family, this book will leave you sick at your stomach.

This was not a great book, and I'd rather give it about 3 1/2 stars, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and rounded up. The thing about this book is that it's not like most fantasy novels, where the fate of the world is at stake against unspeakable evil. The best way I can think of describing this book is that it's not too serious. It reads more like the author is just having fun and taking some shots at different types of people, similar to a book like Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. There is a war in the background, but it is really incidental to the story. It's really a book about people and how they relate to each other. But like I said, it's not very serious, so you don't really get caught up in worrying if they're going to win or to survive because it doesn't seem to matter that much. Unfortunately, the lack of seriousness makes it hard to be affected by the tragic moments because you can't just switch moods like that.

I found this one easier to read than the first book in the series, which really seemed to drag. Not a lot happens in either book, and I can't say I highly recommend the series, but if you are sick of the same old thing in fantasy, you might want to try this for a change of pace.

The only way I can describe this book is "pointless". I finished it - which says something about the writer's ability. It was interesting in the characterizations and personality interactions but the story really didn't seem to have a point in any of the aspects explored. Overall I considered it a waste of my time.

All the good ideas and plot lines that you expected.....never quite happen. While interesting at times this is a mostly boring book. Lots of pages of nothing with a little action from time to time. It gets 2 stars only because those moments are pretty good.

I will be short. I actually liked the first book. New author for me, interesting characters, interesting plot. I think the siege part was overly simplistic - how could the clan, that supposedly new nothing more complicated than a wheel, in just a couple of months learn and build fairly advanced seige engines ? and what, only one guard was at city's gate, obviously most vulnarable part of city's defence to allow the bad guy to finish it all in a few minutes ? But anyway - the first book was ok.
And this, second one, was more or less OK too, until that bizzare turn in the end that left me totally disgusted with the only male persona in this book that I could simpatized with. I think the author completely lost it here - it was absolutely out of character of Bardas and totally uncalled for. It's too bad I bought the 3-rd book already. I have now no wish whatsoever to read it, and am very much disappointed with the author.
1 star - for making me puke.