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Title: Prince of Dogs (Crown of Stars | Vol 2) |
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Review of Prince of Dogs (Crown of Stars, Vol 2)
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Comments for Prince of Dogs (Crown of Stars | Vol 2)
- Posted on 2008-05-09
Good sequel
The second book was better than the first. Less talk, more action. Although some things were annoying. "As Da used to say" every time the story returns to Liath...a boring storyline of a brother and sister who escaped from Gent....
Otherwise a good sequel to King's Dragon. 4 out of 5.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2008-01-12
Good book, but series gets bogged down later!
The Crown of Stars series is well-thought out and obviously well-planned. It's epic in scope and it's got a lot of texture. There are many complex characters who we follow in parallel, as in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Some of them are very likable, and there are some really excellent villains (e.g., Hugh). Ms. Elliott's creatures are imaginative and enjoyable, and I especially liked the way they interact with the humans. Ms. Elliott uses a lot of description and therefore her plot moves very slowly (again, similar to WOT).
The writing was inconsistent throughout the series. Sometimes it seems brilliant, but at other times I'd think "why did she tell me that?" or "this could be moving a little faster." It's often wordy. Her editor could have almost arbitrarily taken out a third of the sentences with no ill effect. Sometimes she over-explains what a character is feeling or his/her motivation when it would have been better to let the dialog or action speak for the character. Sometimes she tells me something too many times (e.g., "but his voice always sounds like that"). I wonder if the inconsistency is due to different editing processes, because it's not like that in all the books, and even some individual books are internally inconsistent. I thought the fourth book, especially, was not well edited.
The pace of these novels is so slow that I found my self bogged down in the middle of book 5 with not much desire to go on, so I decided to quit. I struggled with that decision because I really did want to find out what happened to the characters, but it was taking me too long to get there and the writing style wasn't good enough to make up for the crawling pace (unlike Wheel of Time).
Overall, these books entertained me for a while, especially the first couple of novels. The plot was interesting and the characterization was particularly notable, but it eventually got too slow.
--FanLit.net
Score: 4 - Posted on 2006-11-02
Twisting away
epic fantasy is a very dangerous market, and Kate Elliott is navigating a very different road. Taking the similar paths to other authors (Martin, Jordan), she begins to layer on the multiple character viewpoints as her story gets more complicated. Unlike the first novel, this one begs you to go on with the series and hopes that the author has an arc which can be completed (unlike a certain other author).
This novel begins to knit characters closer together (Liath & Alain, Liath & Sanglant) while pulling others apart (Liath & Hanna, Hanna & Ivan). The king appears to be the capable leader in one moment, while showing weakness and uncertainty the next. The few problems I had are the events that seem to have no importance at this time (the Seven Sleepers) while being given enough weight that you know it will be important later. You just can't tell how.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2006-03-25
Captured by the Crown
I have two rules I try to follow in huge fantasy series.
1. When reading the first volume, don't put the book down in absolute bored disgust `til page 200.
2. Don't decide you're a fan of a series `til you've read the first two volumes.
I finished Prince of Dogs in 1.5 days. I can now say that I am a Kate Elliott fan because, as most of you know, Prince of Dogs is the second book in the Crown of Stars series, and I loved it.
Prince Sanglant is once again the influence for the book's title, though, some can argue that Alaine can also be a sort of "Prince of Dogs" as well. At any rate, Sanglant has been captured by the Eika king Bloodheart. Bloodheart keeps Sanglant chained with a pack of fearsome dogs to an altar close to his throne. Everyone thinks Sanglant is dead. No one save Sanglant seems to remember the magical aegis his mother set upon him. The Dogs torment and protect Sanglant, and, ultimately, change Sanglant forever.
Most of the kingdom morns Sanglant's loss, but none more despairingly than King Henry and Liath. Liath's sorrow makes her vulnerable, and, if it can be possible, more fearful than in King's Dragon. I do admit to getting a little frustrated with Liath, but, at the same time, I appreciated what the author did with her. Fear is a part of Liath's character, and, as much as we want our fantasy characters to grow, there are just some things people can't get passed. I've grown a lot in my life, but I'm still afraid of large crowds.
Hugh returns in this book. Both he and Liath spend most of their time in the King's progress. Liath's interactions with Hugh, while frustrating, have a ring of realism to them. I like how Kate Elliott obviously is all for women empowerment, but also isn't afraid to sometimes portray her female characters in a negative, and occasionally sexist, light.
And as for Hugh, Hugh is a wonderfully complicated and complex villain. In most fantasy books, the evil characters are irredeemably evil, crewel, and simple. Hugh is certainly irredeemably evil and crewel, but he definitely isn't simple. I think some authors forget that the devil has a honey tongue and a beautiful face; Kate Elliott makes no such mistake.
Alaine is tested by the Lady of Battles in this book. What exactly Alaine's purpose is and why he has strange visions remains a mystery, but we get more insight into why and how he can change the world around him. Alaine is an excellent character. He sees the harsh world around him and reacts to it in such an innocent way. I wouldn't call Alaine ignorant, though. He has an interesting strength and wisdom about him. Kate Elliott knows how to make faceted fascinating characters.
The number of characters and PoVs doesn't bother me. I'm a veteran of several huge and complicated series. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin has over 1,000 characters in four books, and The Wheel of Time has over 1,700 over eleven. And that's just to name the two most popular series out there. Crown of Stars probably has over 1,000 characters, but it also has an incredibly intricate story. I do think some of the threads are difficult to keep track of, but this is my first read through. I don't expect to pick up everything the first time around.
The religious aspect of Crown of Stars is unforgivingly relentless. I like how Kate Elliott's world mirrors our middle ages in nearly every way. Our own past was directed by religion and blind faith, Crown of Stars is no different. In our day, people don't like reading, learning, understanding, respecting religion, but it's a necessity if you ever want to understand literature and our past. Most readers put down this series because it, quite frankly, is about religion, but I think setting aside a good story because it goes against a modern paradigm is a serious mistake.
The prose can be repetitive and choppy, but it's worth ignoring for the story.
I give this book 4 out of five.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2006-03-24
So So Sequel
Typical of all series, I hesitate to start one because quite often they fail to deliver the pizaz of the first.
This one did not disappoint. The characters that mesmerized us in the first book were overshadowed with new characters leaving unresolved scenarios unresolved.
For the life of me I do not understand a female writer continuing to cast a female lead in such a subserviant role. For goodness sakes, everyone in touch with Liath is impressed with her as a stand-up for yourself person, yet whenever she gets near Hugh she becomes a doormat. I know it's all in the hands of the writer but please continue to give Liath the tools she uses in her relationship with the rest of her life and allow her to nueter Hugh with a very dull blade soon. If not, I don,t know if I can wade my way through the remainder of this series.
The new characters of Anna and Mathiue are intriguing as long as Ms. Elliot allows Anna to remain and grow from there and not become the milqtoast she allowed Liath to become.
Score: 3