Book Review: The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski (Jonathan Payne & David Jones #4)

I am fond of treasure hunt stories.

Indiana Jones movies and The Sigma Force novels are among my favorite films and books. I like treasure hunt stories based on speculations of historical facts, where the heroes travel around the world to exotic locations, encounter esoteric societies harboring centuries old conspiracies, then decipher forgotten tomes and explore dark, ancient ruins to recover lost histories and artifacts.

For me, curling up on a couch with a treasure hunt thriller novel and a cup of tea, helps me to unwind and relax after a day's work. I am always on the lookout for a good treasure hunt thriller. The Lost Throne attracted my attention, because this book embodies everything that makes a treasure hunt story fun and exiting. When it became available at my local library, I loaned it as soon as I could.

The Lost Throne is a treasure hunt thriller written by best-selling author Chris Kuzneski. It is also the fourth book in a series featuring two characters, Jonathan Payne and David Jones. Although The Lost Throne is the fourth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous novels, because each book in this series is a stand-alone novel. This book counts to 600 pages, and I had a great time reading it during the weekend. Today, I would like to review this book.

Synopsis:

Former MANIAC operatives Jonathan Payne and David Jones were enjoying the sunshine-bathed beach in Florida, when they received a mysterious phone call. Distress and panic flooded the voice of the caller, warning Payne that this is a “life or death” situation. The cryptic phone call drew Payne and Jones into a series of investigations, spanning across continental Europe.

Meanwhile, a group of men, armed with ancient Spartan weapons and armors, broke into the monastery of Meteora in Greece and brutally executed 8 monks. Nick Dial, an investigator from Interpol, arrived on the crime scene to resolve this puzzling case. Is there a connection between Payne's mystery phone call and the murder case at Meterora?

My thoughts on this book:

In the past, I have read two other books in Jonathan Payne and David Jones series, namely Sword of God and The Prophecy. I enjoyed them despite some flaws in the structuring of those two books. In comparison to those two books, The Lost Throne didn't bring any ground-breaking improvements over those two books. This book follows a formulaic storytelling method found in other Kuzneski's books, where the main plot is divided into two parallel storylines that only converged at the end.

I don't mind reading a book with parallel storylines, as long as the author can converge them at the end convincingly. However, in The Lost Throne (and other books written by Kuzneski), I found the ending of this book unbelievable, where the parallel storylines converged in a rough, forcible manner. This is the main flaw of The Lost Throne.

Having said this, I still had a great time reading this book. Firstly, the story in this book moves at a very fast pace. Like most best-selling thriller novels, The Lost Throne is a page-turning adventure romp filled with octane driven actions and puzzling mysteries. The kind of stuff that will keep you at the edge of your seat, paging through the book and wanting more. Secondly, while the writings in this book are sometimes cheesy, but it is clear, concise, and helps the story to flow smoothly.

Like most thriller novels, The Lost Throne does not excel in the department of characterization. The characters are mostly two dimensional, lacking real character developments. However, as protagonists, Jonathan Payne and David Jones are likeable characters. Their dialogues are humorous, bringing comedic effects into the book. In my view, it would have been good if the author can embed some sort of character development into the story, to show how the events from the book influenced or changed the characters.

In summary, while The Lost Throne has its share of flaws, but this book tells an entertaining, thrilling adventure story. If you are looking to read a thoughtful, well written book, then I would NOT recommend this book to you. However, if you looking to read a fun and exciting book that will help you unwind during the weekend (something like Matthew Reilly's books), then look no further, The Lost Throne will provide you with great entertainment for a few hours.

Book Review: The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #4)

“We say that flowers return every spring, but that is a lie. It is true that the world is renewed. It is also true that that renewal comes at a price, for even if the flower grows from an ancient vine, the flowers of spring are themselves new to the world, untried and untested.

The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid.And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.”

                                        -Daniel Abraham, The Price of Spring

Finally! I finished reading Long Price Quartet!

A great sense of satisfaction flooded my mind, as I turned to the last page in The Price of Spring, the 4^th and the final installment in Long Price Quartet series. Yet, at the same time, I was sorry to see the series end. Long Price Quartet is an epic fantasy series of its kind. Its story is unique, meaningful and bold. Its characterizations are dynamic and vividly portrayed. When this story concluded in The Price of Spring, it concluded in the most elegant manner.

That's right! If I was to use one word to describe The Price of Spring, I would use the word “elegant”. Today, I would like to share my thoughts about this book in a review, to help you decide if you would like to make a commitment to read this series. Let me begin this review, by providing a synopsis.

Synopsis:

Every decision has a consequence and a price to be paid.

Fifteen years ago, the Galt empire invaded the cities of the Khaiem. The Galts seek to destroy the Khaiem poets and their Andats, magical entities capable of unimaginable powers. The people of these two great nations fought a bitter, devastating war. In the end, Andats were destroyed, and the poets were no more. But both Galts and Khaiem paid a heavy price for this war; every Galt man became infertile, while every Khaiem woman lose the ability to bear children.

Otah Machi, now the emperor of the Khaiem, sits on his throne and watches in despair, as his people wither and fade like the falling autumn leaves. Because for 15 years, Khaiem people have had no new born babies. Otah himself is in his twilight years. With his remaining strength, Otah wishes to secure a hope for his people. So he made a plan, to forge an alliance with Khaiem's bitter enemy, the Galts. Where the Khaiem men would intermarry with Galt women, to produce a new generation of children, and a peaceful future.

But Oath's old friend, the poet Maati, harbors great guilt over his contribution to the disastrous ending of the war. Maati thought it was his fault that the world is broken. Against the will of Otah, Maati began to train female poets in secret. Hoping to produce a new generation of female poets capable of binding new andats. He hopes to use the power of andat to restore the world, back to the way it was before the war.

Thus begins the final chapter in Long Price Quartet. Otah and Maati, an emperor and a poet, two life time friends, are now enemies working against each other. Each man believes he has the better solution. Meanwhile, the future of the Khaiem empire and the Galts rest on a threshold, as a rocking boat on the stormy sea....

What I think about this book:

The Price of Spring brought the story of Long Price Quartet to a bitter sweet, but satisfying conclusion. This story spans over a period of 70 years. Readers follow the lives of two characters, Otah Machi and his friend Maati, from the time when they were young, until they were old. This allowed the author to highlight the character development, where readers can closely observe how events in each novel shaped the lives of the characters in a deep, and profound way. The Price of Spring moves at a slower pace, when compared to the previous installment, An Autumn War. Yet, this book will still charm its reader with top notch storytelling, packed with torrents of suspense, building up to an unexpected, and elegant ending.

Long Price Quartet explores a variety of interesting themes. The previous novel, An Autumn War, explored the theme for The Weapon of Mass Destruction. While this theme is still present in The Price of Spring, but this book distinguishes itself from the previous novel, diving deeply into the theme of female oppression and gender inequality. Personally, I absolutely adore the idea of using fantasy novels as thought experiments and social commentaries to explore the injustices in our social arena. Because I believe made-up stories can really mean something, if it can make us think.

Two nights ago, I closed The Price of Spring and put the book back on my shelf. I felt sad waving goodbye to the characters in this book. I must confess, when I began reading this series, I wasn't expecting to be moved this deeply by it. But after 3 weeks, and 4 novels later, I found Long Price Quartet to be a truly moving tale. So at the end of this review, I would recommend this series to fans of the fantasy genre, especially if you are looking for fantasy novels with thoughtful themes.

Book Review: An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #3)

An Autumn War is the third book in Daniel Abraham's epic fantasy series, Long Price Quartet. I have read the first 2 books in this series and really liked them. Long Price Quartet is one of the most unique and interesting fantasy series I've read. Most book reviews hailed An Autumn War as the best book in the series. So a week ago, when I turned to the first page in An Autumn War, I could hardly contain my excitement.

This book is a medium sized novel counting to 340 pages, and I read it in 4 sittings. What do I think of it? In short, this book is brilliant!

Today, I would like to share some of my thoughts about this book.

Synopsis:

The story in An Autumn War takes place 14 years after the events in the previous book, A Betrayal in Winter.

The plot follows the life of Otah Machi, now ruling supreme as Khai in the northern city of Machi. He tries to steer his people to a futuristic vision, where the city's commerce and defense would no longer rely on magical entities known as andat.

However, his efforts are to late.

An empire known as Galt, has long harbored ambitions to annex her neighbor. You see, for ten generations, andats stood as the only line of defense for Otah's people, warding off invasions from the Galts. But recently, a brilliant Galt general discovered a way to neutralize the andats.

Without the andats, the world is left at the mercy of the Galts. As the army of the Galts marches to the city of Machi, Otah and his old friend, the Poet Maati, must find a way to avert the fate of their nation from the brink of destruction.

What I think about this book:

Most book reviews praised An Autumn War as the best book in Long Price Quartet series. My opinion is slightly different. I think An Autumn War is just as good as the other books in this series, and each novel has its own individual strengths and features. Having said this, I found the pace in An Autumn War is faster than the previous 2 installments.

Until now, every novel in Long Price Quartet series were structured around political intrigues. In previous 2 novels, readers witnessed the build-up of tensions between two nations of different cultures. In this book, the tension finally erupted into the flames of war, consuming the people of both nations.

This war, is based on an interesting premise: 

One nation has the weapon of mass destruction but doesn't use it, and how it increases the tension and mistrust between two nations already in conflict. 

Daniel Abraham wrote about this war beautifully and tragically. The central plot is layered upon intricate characterizations. In this book, no character is depicted as obvious “good” or “evil”. Every character, from protagonists to antagonists, do what they have to do with the circumstances they are given, to help their own people. In other words, this book explores the stories on both sides of two warring nations, where the characters in this book are depicted realistically, and readers can easily connect with these characters.

For me, every novel in this series is a rewarding read, more so in An Autumn War. In the previous 2 installments, readers have seen how the characters erred in their decisions. There are consequences and prices to be paid for their errors. At the end of this book, the price finally rose from the culmination of their past errors, and struck them in the most unexpected and tragic way. 

Indeed, the ending of this book was a stunningly brilliant piece of writing. After I finished reading this book, I finally understood why this series is called “Long Price Quartet”. Yet, the story is not finished. I feel both eager and anxious about reading the next, and the final installment to Long Price Quartet, titled “The Price of Spring”. After the unexpected, but brilliant ending in An Autumn War, I feel anxious about what the future has in store for these characters, what other price will they pay? But at the same time, I simply cannot wait to find out how this series will conclude.

If you like epic fantasy, then I highly recommend Long Price Quartet to you. In the meantime, off I go to read The Price of Spring. Until the next time, happy reading!

Book Review: A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #2)

Long Price Quartet is a series of epic fantasy novels written by Daniel Abraham. This series distinguished itself from the mass of fantasy novels in the genre, breaking the mould of fantasy archetypes and tropes. 

A Betrayal in Winter is the second book in Long Price Quartet. The story in this sequel takes place 13 years after the events in its predecessor, A Shadow in Summer. I read A Shadow of Summer last week and really liked it. This week, I read A Betrayal in Winter.

In my opinion, I think A Betrayal in Winter is a better book than its predecessor in every aspect. Let me start this review, by providing a synopsis.

Synopsis:

Machi stands proud as the most powerful city in the northern lands. The city is ruled by Khai, who is slowly dying of old age. Traditions dictate the sons of Khai must kill each other, until only one remains to succeed as the new Khai.

Yet, the tradition of fratricide is not the only problem facing Machi. An empire called Galt, harbors an ambition to aggressively expand its influences. This time, Galt is plotting a scheme with someone from inside Machi, to eliminate Khai's entire family. The conspiracy began, when Khai's eldest son was murdered.

Otah Machi, the 6^th son of Khai, was exiled as a boy. With his father dying, and his brother murdered, Otah became the number one suspect for the murder of his brother. Under these circumstances, against his will, Otah found himself drawn into the centre of conflicts at Machi.

What I think about this book:

I think A Betrayal in Winter is a better book than A Shadow in Summer. Daniel Abraham went up a notch in his skills as a novelist, and this installment is more compact than the previous book . This also means, in A Betrayal in Winter, the storytelling is more coherent and engaging than in A Shadow in Summer.

Like its predecessor, the story in A Betrayal in Winter moves at a slow pace. However, the slow paced story acts in favor for this book. This is a character driven story, the plot is driven by intrigues. Naturally, the slow pace allows readers to explore the characters in depth, and become immersed in the world of Long Price Quartet. Personally, I really like this book (and this series). But in my opinion, if you are looking to read a fast-paced, hack & slash styled fantasy novel, then you probably won't like A Betrayal in Winter.

The characterization is probably the strongest aspect in this book. This book is cast with memorable dramatis personae. Every character, from the protagonists, supporting characters, to the antagonists, are portrayed vividly. Furthermore, I think the characterization in Abraham's books is superior than most novels in the fantasy genre. Let me explain:

These days, fantasy authors try to steer away from the traditional “good guys” versus “bad buys” storyline. Because in the real life, conflicts aren't always about “good guys” versus “bad guys”. Instead, in reality, “being human” means we all try to do our best, based on the circumstances we are given. This means, if fantasy novels can begin to accurately depict the complexities of “being human”, then dressed it up with fantastic, exciting stories set in worlds where imagination is the limit, then fantasy fictions will become a marvelous literary genre to behold.

However, very few fantasy novels have fully achieved this goal yet. In fact, most fantasy novels, not matter how “grim-dark” they are, still base their stories on conflicts about “some sort” of good guys versus “some sort” of bad guys.

This is where this book (and this series) truly distinguished itself from other books in the genre, and shines brightly as one the most unique stories I've read. You see, in A Betrayal in Winter, it is really hard for a reader to point the finger at the antagonists and judge them. Don't get me wrong, this book is NOT blurring the line between right and wrong. Instead, what I am saying is, in this book, the author gave his readers an omniscient view, showing the circumstances surrounding every character and their thoughts. Then the book turns around and ask its reader; if you were put in a character's circumstances and become that person, can you really say you can do better?

At 300 pages, A Betrayal in Winter is not a long book. Yet, I spent 4 days to read this book. The pace of the story is slow, but when I turned to the last page of the book, I realized how rewarding and memorable this book is. I was still thinking about this book for days after I finished reading it. At the end of this review, I would recommend this book (and the series) to fans of epic fantasy novels looking for something different to read. If you don't mind reading a relatively slow paced book, and a lack of hack & slash action don't bother you, then you would probably find a lot to like about this book.