141 réponses à ce sujet

[X Equestris]

*9:41

Only part of it is in 9:41. At least the last chapter is 9:42.

[Amaror]

Overall i would rate the book at between the first two DA books and Masked Empire in quality.

Asunder was the best until now. A shame, really. The quality of the writing was better than in the previous books, but the characters really pull the book down a lot. 

Also why did the author think he covered all his bases by mentioning qunari in a single line?

That line of dialogue was pretty awkward in the context even without the inconsistency issue and mentioning qunari in the form of a joke implies that they are a lot better known then "The people i flew over with my griffin a few times.".

[X Equestris]

Overall i would rate the book at between the first two DA books and Masked Empire in quality.
Asunder was the best until now. A shame, really. The quality of the writing was better than in the previous books, but the characters really pull the book down a lot. 
Also why did the author think he covered all his bases by mentioning qunari in a single line?
That line of dialogue was pretty awkward in the context even without the inconsistency issue and mentioning qunari in the form of a joke implies that they are a lot better known then "The people i flew over with my griffin a few times.".

Well, 1) the author is a she, and 2) she didn't know about the Kossith colony in the south and was trying to provide a reason for ogres to exist.

[Bekkael]

I thought the book was really great. It was interesting having insight into a Blight that lasted longer than the one we dealt with as Warden, and all the information about Griffons was fantastic! I would say this is a must-read for any DA fan.

 

Spoiler

Also, I really enjoyed the leader of the Ruby Drakes and getting a look at one of (I assume) Sebastian's ancestors. The blood magic information was also fascinating and made the use of it seem much more ominous and risky.

[skulldogx]

I just place a order at my local book store today but I will not be getting it until November the 1st

[Morroian]

I will describe another scene to you, which irked me especially. Little Spoilers ahead. The character of the past lives during the 4th blight. There she encounters another character, who writes all sort of letters to use the connections of that person to assemble troops and supplies for the fight against the darkspawn. The past main character then gets upset about that being "politics". This irks me, because people generally don't decry something as "politics" just because it is political, but because something bad is being done and politics get used as a excuse to do it.

This isn't the case here. The other person isn't conscripting peasents or something, she just writes letters to assemble allready existing military. 

 

As it happens I've just read this passage and I reckon you're blowing it up into something more than it is, its an aside that mentions that the character doesn't like politics thats all. Once can dislike politics and still see the necessity for it.

[TheJediSaint]

As it happens I've just read this passage and I reckon you're blowing it up into something more than it is, its an aside that mentions that the character doesn't like politics thats all. Once can dislike politics and still see the necessity for it.

Isseya (the viewpoint character from the Exalted Age) is shown not to be much of a people person, especially compared to her brother.

[Darth Krytie]

I really enjoyed it. I'm going to being reading it again this week. I thought all the characters were really interesting and I loved the ending. Learning about the fourth blight was especially interesting, as we all know that the fifth blight was nothing like what most blights were like.

[Kantr]

I'd rate it as good (or perhaps even better than) masked Empire.

 

I couldnt read the very first Dragon Age book, it was just not easy to get into reading and didnt feel enjoyable (which was a shame)

[Amaror]

Well, 1) the author is a she, and 2) she didn't know about the Kossith colony in the south and was trying to provide a reason for ogres to exist.

 

Again, i didn't really notice the inconsistency, but in my mind the scene was awkward in it's own right. 

Maybe i am too harsh with the book. I read a lot of books and i just recently read a lot of books of fantastic authors. Maybe it's unfair to compare the book to these much better books, but the fact of the matter is that i am not having a lot of fun reading the book.

 

The characters are just too uninteresting and the chapters feel too much like being written purely to check a box on a checklist of the story. It just doesn't draw me in.

[Big I]

I read the book, and I really liked it. I felt it really captured the mindset of the Wardens, as well as how necesarry they are to combat the darkspawn. However, a few small problems:

 

1) Qunari are mentioned in the parts dealing with the beginning of the Fourth Blight, when qunari aren't supposed to have reached Thedas until after it (I assume this is the inconsistency problem others have mentioned).

 

2) The author lowballs the population of the Free Marches (e.g. implying that in evactuating thousands of refugees to the Retreat the Wardens are saving the majority of the population of two major cities). In a real world context, medieval European population is estimated to have bottomed out at about 25-30 million. A city in which thousands of people represent the bulk of it's populace is barely worth the name.

 

3) If the author was making an attempt to portray the Wardens as morally unjustified in their actions, she failed to convince me. Using blood magic, experimenting on griffons, all of that (while horrible and distasteful) was perfectly justified in their efforts to combat the Blight and save lives.

[Darth Krytie]

The only inconsistency that really pinged with me was about how it seemed as if the nature of the Joining was commonplace knowledge.

[PhroXenGold]

The only inconsistency that really pinged with me was about how it seemed as if the nature of the Joining was commonplace knowledge.

 

I wouldn't even really say that was neccesarily inconsistent. The examples we've seen in game are from Ferelden. Maybe in the Anderfels, where the wardens are more visible, then things like that are more widely known. To say nothing about the past.

[Darth Krytie]

I wouldn't even really say that was neccesarily inconsistent. The examples we've seen in game are from Ferelden. Maybe in the Anderfels, where the wardens are more visible, then things like that are more widely known. To say nothing about the past.

 

I wondered the same thing, actually. But it was something that stood out to me, as I read it.

[Kantr]

The only inconsistency that really pinged with me was about how it seemed as if the nature of the Joining was commonplace knowledge.

She talked about that and said that it was common knowledge but the PC didnt know this (or something to that effect)

 

 

I read the book, and I really liked it. I felt it really captured the mindset of the Wardens, as well as how necesarry they are to combat the darkspawn. However, a few small problems:

 

 

 

2) The author lowballs the population of the Free Marches (e.g. implying that in evactuating thousands of refugees to the Retreat the Wardens are saving the majority of the population of two major cities). In a real world context, medieval European population is estimated to have bottomed out at about 25-30 million. A city in which thousands of people represent the bulk of it's populace is barely worth the name.

Well. Assuming hat there are always casualties from the blights (plus plagues) I think the figure is right. London lost a third of its population (of 100k) in the black death. Other cities had their population growth slowed after loosing similar amounts of people.

[Darth Krytie]

She talked about that and said that it was common knowledge but the PC didnt know this (or something to that effect)

 

I'm not following the reasoning...I mean, I'd get if it's because it's a different place/age, but Duncan and Anders pretty much state outright that the Joining is a secret for a reason.

[Fearsome1]

I didn't quite finish Last Flight in one sitting, however I did enjoy the book so much that I sped through over parts of two days. I'm sure that there are spoilers aplenty, but I'm not going to add to that carnage.

 

If you're a Grey Warden fan, this book is really a gift. It is also a lean read and with little chaff to get in the way of the action. Great characters that are bound to become favorites, plus an intriguing ending that will leave you pondering the ramifications.

[Amaror]

Well. Assuming hat there are always casualties from the blights (plus plagues) I think the figure is right. London lost a third of its population (of 100k) in the black death. Other cities had their population growth slowed after loosing similar amounts of people.

Well what i take from you comment is that London hat 100k people. 

The warden's are supposed to rescue the majority of TWO major city by saving thousands. That's thousands, not tens or thousands, not hundreds of thousands, just thousands. 

So the majority of population from TWO major cities equals somewhere between 1000 and 9999, while London alone had 100k inhabitants.

If that's not lowballing, then i don't know what is.

[Fearsome1]

Overall i would rate the book at between the first two DA books and Masked Empire in quality.

Asunder was the best until now. A shame, really. The quality of the writing was better than in the previous books, but the characters really pull the book down a lot. 

Also why did the author think he covered all his bases by mentioning qunari in a single line?

That line of dialogue was pretty awkward in the context even without the inconsistency issue and mentioning qunari in the form of a joke implies that they are a lot better known then "The people i flew over with my griffin a few times.".

I have to completely disagree with your assessment. That mention of qunari that you refer to amounts to next to nothing, and is hardly worthy of attention. The kossith played no part in this novel, which given the general setting of events in both eras depicted is quite understandable. 

[Kantr]

I'm not following the reasoning...I mean, I'd get if it's because it's a different place/age, but Duncan and Anders pretty much state outright that the Joining is a secret for a reason.

 Yeah I dont know *shrugs*
 

Well what i take from you comment is that London hat 100k people. 
The warden's are supposed to rescue the majority of TWO major city by saving thousands. That's thousands, not tens or thousands, not hundreds of thousands, just thousands. 
So the majority of population from TWO major cities equals somewhere between 1000 and 9999, while London alone had 100k inhabitants.
If that's not lowballing, then i don't know what is.

I was just trying to provide some reasoning. I would probably say that population might be more near 10,000 people (a prosperus port city like Bristol) than a cpitol like London.

But I dont know, Go. and. ask. the. Author. the thread is there and waiting.

[Jaulen]

Read the book in about 3 hours.

 

Thought the retelling of the 4th blight could have been done better.....it was supposed to be a diary that was found and being read (found too easily IMHO...like on day 1????). Thught it could have been done better in a diary format or go all out in a 'in the moment retelling'. Needed a little more character development, (but I understand Isseya.....a non-people person who's overshadowed by the better looking more charismatic sibling....and how a person like that can seem one dimensional) But it was interesting reading about the 4th blight and the Wardens 'at all costs' mindset and the unintended consequences of actions....and that there are costs to be paid, especially when tossing blood magic into the mix.

 

Replaying DA:O, makes the Wardens much more grey now to me....now I'm even more interested in DA:I and the lore and info we'll find out.

 

Also makes me realize with all the threads.....there are SO many story possibilities in the DA Universe.

[Amaror]

I have to completely disagree with your assessment. That mention of qunari that you refer to amounts to next to nothing, and is hardly worthy of attention. The kossith played no part in this novel, which given the general setting of events in both eras depicted is quite understandable. 

That inconsistency was never the main part of my issues with the book. My main issues are weak characters and that the story seems to be written after a checklist.

I said that the book was worse then masked empire, so let's compare both of them:

Let's take the 2 major female characters of both books and compare them. After each of their first chapters, what do i know about these characters:

Briala (Masked Empire):

She's the handmaiden of the Empress and works for her as a spy too. She's cunning and knows how to manipulate people. She's very knowledgable in the Orlais social customs and knows how to use her low standing to her advantage.

Celene (Masked Empire):

She's the Empress of Orlais. She is very supportive or the pursuit of knowledge and art. Unlike her fellow nobles she's not racist and tries to get the Orlesian Society to become more tollerant. She is very cunning, good with words and knows how to deal with politics.

Valya (First Flight):

She's a Mage from Hossberg. She doesn't like templars.

Issaya (First Flight):

She's a grey Warden mage. She has a brother. She likes Griffons.

 

The Characters in First flight get barely introduced and characterised. I am about halfway through the book and everything i learned about Issaya makes me like her even less than i did before. I don't know or like these characters and if i don't like them, i don't care what happens to them and i don't care about the story.

 

 

But I dont know, Go. and. ask. the. Author. the thread is there and waiting.

 

Yes i could do that but i have no reason to do so. Even if there's a valid reason the author did this, it is not properly conveyed in the book, which is why it doesn't matter. But i don't really care for these inconsistencies. People make mistakes and even the greatest authors have inconsistencies in their books. I have enough other qualms with the book. I was merely arguing against your explanation.

[Jaulen]

That inconsistency was never the main part of my issues with the book. My main issues are weak characters and that the story seems to be written after a checklist.

 

Valya (First Flight):

She's a Mage from Hossberg. She doesn't like templars.

Issaya (First Flight):

She's a grey Warden mage. She has a brother. She likes Griffons.

 

The Characters in First flight get barely introduced and characterised. I am about halfway through the book and everything i learned about Issaya makes me like her even less than i did before. I don't know or like these characters and if i don't like them, i don't care what happens to them and i don't care about the story.

 

Agreed about Valya....she's like a paper doll.....why does she have such a fear about the Temlars compared to the others? She kind of seemed unreasonable to me. With her, she could have been better characterized by expanding on the solving of the mystery of her finding the diary, and the last thing to be found. Also, talking about the diary and implications with the others she took into her circle. She was totally forgettable.

 

Issaya, this is what I got from her character, a person who didn't really like people or get close to them, was totally okay with working behind the scene and letting her more people-oriented, charismatic and good-looking brother be in the forefront and possibly take credit for her actions (as she noted it was to her benefit to be less good looking and try to 'hide/blend/be unnoticed' as a female elf as to not attract certain attentions from the Templars), wanted concrete actions instead of the back-room politics and letter writing, was conflicted about the Grey Wardens 'at all cost' mentality but didn't really fight against it but in certain cases embraced it (her internal conflict with certain actions could have been better illustrated), was closer to her griffon than many people. There was nothing she really took a stand about.

 

I will say about Issaya it was nice to see a female character that wasn't motivated by romance or her feelings of wanting to save someone she was interested in. I personally think that with how Issaya was 'thinly' characterized, a romance for her would have been out of place.

[Fearsome1]

The Characters in First flight get barely introduced and characterised. I am about halfway through the book and everything i learned about Issaya makes me like her even less than i did before. I don't know or like these characters and if i don't like them, i don't care what happens to them and i don't care about the story.

 

Based upon your comparison, I mostly get that you really liked The Masked Empire [I did too], and had less regard for Last Flight [not 'First Flight']. There are differences in tempo between the books for sure, and I said in my own comments that this book was a much more spartan read, with little filler. It is hardly fair to boil the content down to "She's a Mage from Hossberg. She doesn't like templars. She's a grey Warden mage. She has a brother. She likes Griffons." If nothing else, seeing relevant lore events depicted was worth the price of admission. If I chose to single out a criticism, I would say that the reasons for Isseya's name being lost to history was not clearly spelled out at the conclusion.

 

Personally, after reading Last Flight, I wondered if there wasn't specific "intention" behind this books existence from Bioware in regards to the franchise? I almost chose to start an entirely new thread simply to make a prediction, BUT then opted not too. Sorry to be coy, but I'm going to keep my suspicion to myself and just wait and see.

[Amaror]

Based upon your comparison, I mostly get that you really liked The Masked Empire [I did too], and had less regard for Last Flight [not 'First Flight']. There are differences in tempo between the books for sure, and I said in my own comments that this book was a much more spartan read, with little filler. It is hardly fair to boil the content down to "She's a Mage from Hossberg. She doesn't like templars. She's a grey Warden mage. She has a brother. She likes Griffons." If nothing else, seeing relevant lore events depicted was worth the price of admission. If I chose to single out a criticism, I would say that the reasons for Isseya's name being lost to history was not clearly spelled out at the conclusion.

 

Personally, after reading Last Flight, I wondered if there wasn't specific "intention" behind this books existence from Bioware in regards to the franchise? I almost chose to start an entirely new thread simply to make a prediction, BUT then opted not too. Sorry to be coy, but I'm going to keep my suspicion to myself and just wait and see.

 

Actually i didn't like The Masked Empire that much. The book was written a bit too gamey, by which i mean the constant battles that are thrown into the book at every possible opportunity. They break the flow of reading quite a bit. 

But it has way better written characters and characterisation in general than last flight. I understand if people like the story and lore-specific descriptions of last flight. But the poor quality of the characters is pretty much a deal breaker for me. I have to care about the characters in a story in order to be invested in the story and that's just not happening in Last Flight. They don't have to be good characters, but they at least have to be interresting. Valya is pretty much a blank slate and Issaya is just not very interesting.