What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tarnished Crown Quintet #1
The Falcon Throne
In the distant past, the Kingdom of Harcia was torn apart by royal brothers who could not accept a lesser inheritance. Now, the consequences of their actions are coming to light.
Balfre, son of Aimery, Duke of Harcia, is his father's heir. But he has dreams of a crown, not a coronet. He dreams himself the king of a Harcia re-united, but his brother Grefin, their father's favorite, stands in his way.
Harald, debauched Duke of neighboring Clemen, is feared and despised by his nobles. He thinks he can trust his bastard-born cousin Ederic ... but Ederic fears for the duchy and will do what he must to save it.
And caught between dangers is Harald's infant son, Liam. Stolen by his nurse, vanished into the lawless Marches, he is the spark that will grow to set the world on fire.
Balfre, son of Aimery, Duke of Harcia, is his father's heir. But he has dreams of a crown, not a coronet. He dreams himself the king of a Harcia re-united, but his brother Grefin, their father's favorite, stands in his way.
Harald, debauched Duke of neighboring Clemen, is feared and despised by his nobles. He thinks he can trust his bastard-born cousin Ederic ... but Ederic fears for the duchy and will do what he must to save it.
And caught between dangers is Harald's infant son, Liam. Stolen by his nurse, vanished into the lawless Marches, he is the spark that will grow to set the world on fire.
676 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
About the author
Karen Miller
129 books1,123 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this thread for more details.
Also writes as "K.E. Mills"
Lord, do you really want to know?
Oh, all right.
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
Also writes as "K.E. Mills"
Lord, do you really want to know?
Oh, all right.
I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and came to Australia with my parents when I was 2. I think. Dad’s an Aussie, Mum’s English, go figure. Talk about Fate and Destiny. But three passports come in handy.
I’ve always lived in Sydney, except when I didn’t. After graduating with a BA Communications from the then Institute of Technology (now University) a few years ahead of Hugh Jackman, dammit, talk about rotten timing, I headed off to England and lived there for 3 years. It was interesting. I worked for a bunch of nutters in a community health centre and got the sack because I refused to go do EST with them (you stand in the middle of a circle and thank people for hurling verbal abuse at you for your own good, they said, and then were surprised when I said no), was a customer services officer for DHL London (would you believe at one time I knew every single airport code for every single airport in the world, off by heart?!?), got roped into an extremely dubious life insurance selling scheme (I was young and broke, need I say more?) and ended up realizing a life-long dream of working professionally with horses. After 18 grueling months I woke up, and came home.
Since then I’ve done customer service in the insurance and telecommunications industries, been a training officer, PR Officer in local government, production assistant in educational publishing, taught English and Business Communication at TAFE, been a supervisor and run my own sf/fantasy/mystery bookshop. Money for jam, there! I also managed to squeeze in a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University.
I used to have horses of my own, and spent lots of time and money showing, breeding, training and judging, but then I came off one time too many and so a large part of my life ended.
When I’m not writing I’m heavily involved in the Castle Hill Players, my local community theatre group, as an actor, director, prompt, stage manager (but not all at once!) and publicity officer.
I’m a story junkie. Books, film, tv ... you name it. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (the new series), Stargate, Firefly, X-Men, Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, The Professionals, Forever Knight, Due South, The West Wing, The Shield, Sandbaggers, Homicide, Wiseguy, The Shield, The Closer ... and the list goes on. And that’s just the media stuff!
I love music. While writing I listen primarily to film soundtracks, because they’ve been written primarily to evoke emotional responses in the listener. This helps access emotion during tough scenes. Plus, the music is pretty. At least the stuff I listen to is. Favourite film composers include Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, James Horner and John Williams. Vocalists I enjoy are Josh Groban, Russell Watson, Sarah McLachlan, Simon and Garfunkel , Queen, The Moody Blues, Steeleye Span, Meatloaf, Mike Oldfield ... anyone who can carry a tune, basically.
In short, I’m an only child with an overactive imagination, 3 dogs, 2 cats and not enough hours in the day. I don’t drink, smoke, or do enough exercise. I make periodic stabs at eating properly. Chocolate is my besetting downfall.
So that’s me. You can wake up now ...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
October 20, 2014
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/10/20/b...
The Falcon Throne introduces readers to a kingdom torn apart by a centuries-long feud between two neighboring duchies, Harcia and Clemen – all because of a conflict that happened long ago. In the distant past, two stubborn and power-hungry royal brothers fought for rule, and the resulting rift caused the land to split into the two dukedoms. Now Harcia and Clemen are on the brink of war again with the tensions threatening to boil over, fueled by the lofty ambitions of men on both sides.
Okay, so follow along with me here: in Clemen, the tyrant Duke Harald is feared and hated by his nobles, and inevitably a rebellion led by his bastard-born cousin Ederic and backed by Ederic’s foster lord Humbert swiftly puts an end to Harald’s reign of terror. Believed to be among the casualties is Harald’s infant son and heir Liam, but in fact the child was whisked away to safety by his nursemaid, who intends to raise the boy until he is old enough to take back his stolen throne. Meanwhile over in Harcia, Duke Aimery has two living sons, his hot-tempered heir Balfre as well as the younger and more level-headed Grefin. Balfre has dreams of being the supreme ruler of a reunited kingdom, which would require bringing Clemen back into Harcia’s fold by brute force if necessary. Aimery, recognizing his heir’s dangerous ambitions, would like nothing more than to have his favorite son Grefin succeed him, but you can also be sure Balfre isn’t going to let anything – not even his own father and brother – stand in his way.
First I just want to put it out there that The Falcon Throne is my first book by Karen Miller, but from what I’ve heard about her previous work, I can’t say this is what I expected. I’ve seen reviews of her other books, especially her Godspeaker Trilogy, that have intrigued me with their discussion of controversial characters and bold subject matters. Readers seemed to either love or hate those books, but at least they sounded very different and intriguing. I think I’d expected The Falcon Throne to go in a similar direction, but that didn’t quite happen. Despite the twisty plotlines involving court intrigue, lordly politics, and the unpredictable consequence of shenanigans by pathological schemers, the story and themes aren’t really groundbreaking or anything to write home about.
And yet, I really enjoyed this book in spite of myself. Looking at the fantasy genre, I’ve noticed that in recent years the classic elves and dwarves seem to have been largely replaced by squabbling noble houses and psychopathic royalty. With Game of Thrones fever taking the world by storm, I suppose it’s really not that surprising to see writers hoping to ride on the coattails of its success by emulating its style or concepts. I don’t know if this was Miller’s intent, but I definitely sensed some of those vibes while reading this. Nothing wrong with that, though! Not especially with her obvious talent for writing fully-realized characters and intense sequences.
However, as much enjoyment as I got out of this book, Miller doesn’t quite push things over to mind-blowing territory. Don’t get me wrong, the story was certainly addictive – enough to make getting through 670-ish pages of this ARC not feel like a chore at all. I am still surprised at the speed I gobbled up this book. But like any lengthy epic, it has its ups and downs. The characters are great, but I was largely unaffected by any significant events that happened to them, and even unexpected character deaths didn’t always have the desired impact. Here and there were also several patches with borderline information overload that I was tempted to skim, but I have to make it clear that for the most part, these rare hiccups in the story were made up for by the wonderfully executed dialogue between characters and action-filled fight scenes.
In case you’re still wondering about the validity of the comparisons of this book to Game of Thrones, I would say those descriptions are pretty apt. It’s certainly in the same vein. Still, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I always hesitate to compare anything to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire…simply because nothing out there is like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Certain series like that or Harry Potter are just so big they defy comparison. But quite honestly, it wouldn’t be fair to The Falcon Throne to make that comparison either. Without a doubt, this book can stand on its own. Some of its themes might ring familiar to avid readers of epic fantasy, but I’ll be the first in line to admit I can’t resist these kinds of stories, and Karen Miller brings her own unique and elegant touch to The Falcon Throne.
The Falcon Throne introduces readers to a kingdom torn apart by a centuries-long feud between two neighboring duchies, Harcia and Clemen – all because of a conflict that happened long ago. In the distant past, two stubborn and power-hungry royal brothers fought for rule, and the resulting rift caused the land to split into the two dukedoms. Now Harcia and Clemen are on the brink of war again with the tensions threatening to boil over, fueled by the lofty ambitions of men on both sides.
Okay, so follow along with me here: in Clemen, the tyrant Duke Harald is feared and hated by his nobles, and inevitably a rebellion led by his bastard-born cousin Ederic and backed by Ederic’s foster lord Humbert swiftly puts an end to Harald’s reign of terror. Believed to be among the casualties is Harald’s infant son and heir Liam, but in fact the child was whisked away to safety by his nursemaid, who intends to raise the boy until he is old enough to take back his stolen throne. Meanwhile over in Harcia, Duke Aimery has two living sons, his hot-tempered heir Balfre as well as the younger and more level-headed Grefin. Balfre has dreams of being the supreme ruler of a reunited kingdom, which would require bringing Clemen back into Harcia’s fold by brute force if necessary. Aimery, recognizing his heir’s dangerous ambitions, would like nothing more than to have his favorite son Grefin succeed him, but you can also be sure Balfre isn’t going to let anything – not even his own father and brother – stand in his way.
First I just want to put it out there that The Falcon Throne is my first book by Karen Miller, but from what I’ve heard about her previous work, I can’t say this is what I expected. I’ve seen reviews of her other books, especially her Godspeaker Trilogy, that have intrigued me with their discussion of controversial characters and bold subject matters. Readers seemed to either love or hate those books, but at least they sounded very different and intriguing. I think I’d expected The Falcon Throne to go in a similar direction, but that didn’t quite happen. Despite the twisty plotlines involving court intrigue, lordly politics, and the unpredictable consequence of shenanigans by pathological schemers, the story and themes aren’t really groundbreaking or anything to write home about.
And yet, I really enjoyed this book in spite of myself. Looking at the fantasy genre, I’ve noticed that in recent years the classic elves and dwarves seem to have been largely replaced by squabbling noble houses and psychopathic royalty. With Game of Thrones fever taking the world by storm, I suppose it’s really not that surprising to see writers hoping to ride on the coattails of its success by emulating its style or concepts. I don’t know if this was Miller’s intent, but I definitely sensed some of those vibes while reading this. Nothing wrong with that, though! Not especially with her obvious talent for writing fully-realized characters and intense sequences.
However, as much enjoyment as I got out of this book, Miller doesn’t quite push things over to mind-blowing territory. Don’t get me wrong, the story was certainly addictive – enough to make getting through 670-ish pages of this ARC not feel like a chore at all. I am still surprised at the speed I gobbled up this book. But like any lengthy epic, it has its ups and downs. The characters are great, but I was largely unaffected by any significant events that happened to them, and even unexpected character deaths didn’t always have the desired impact. Here and there were also several patches with borderline information overload that I was tempted to skim, but I have to make it clear that for the most part, these rare hiccups in the story were made up for by the wonderfully executed dialogue between characters and action-filled fight scenes.
In case you’re still wondering about the validity of the comparisons of this book to Game of Thrones, I would say those descriptions are pretty apt. It’s certainly in the same vein. Still, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I always hesitate to compare anything to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire…simply because nothing out there is like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Certain series like that or Harry Potter are just so big they defy comparison. But quite honestly, it wouldn’t be fair to The Falcon Throne to make that comparison either. Without a doubt, this book can stand on its own. Some of its themes might ring familiar to avid readers of epic fantasy, but I’ll be the first in line to admit I can’t resist these kinds of stories, and Karen Miller brings her own unique and elegant touch to The Falcon Throne.
Want to read
February 20, 2015This was recommended to me by a fan of my Riyria books. I always take such recommendations seriously so I'll move this up on my TBR list.
September 27, 2014
Despite enjoying myself while reading this, I got about 3/4 through and simply had no desire to pick it back up. As others have said, it's the same stuff we've seen over and over again (don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the tropey tales), but seriously: a coup resulting in the murder of a ruler, said ruler's son being spirited away to be raised by a maid, an ambitious asshole heir, war brewing, you get the picture. I guess if you're in the mood for something like it, you'll probably enjoy this, but I was not.
I will say this, however: Miller writes jousting and various action scenes very well.
I will say this, however: Miller writes jousting and various action scenes very well.
October 12, 2021
4.5 rounded up. This book had a lot going on and a lot of characters with connections. It has a very similar feel to Game of Thrones. Though I see this was published back in 2013 and book 2 comes out next year, I hope that for the rest of this series the author is a little faster than Martin. We'll see. I listened to most of it and only read the last 10% or so on my kindle. Like GoT, don't get attached to anyone. Multiple characters I liked died and others I'm worried for.
September 3, 2015
Setting aside at page 102, because I'm just not having any fun or feeling any burning need to know more of the story. There are a few ways in which this just isn't working at all for me.
One is the world, which I started out in the prologue thinking might be sort of Egyptian-ish possibly, but quickly and obviously settled into standard western-Euro, complete with Germanic-esque names, jousting, castles and ale and buxom wenches. Duchies, councils, the old superstitions denounced by the new severe religion... yawn.
Secondly, and relatedly, the language usage just wasn't working at all for me. There's a very staged and almost Shakespearean feel to it. (In one exchange, says character a: "Oh ho, so I'm a squire, am I? Come to bend my knee with querulous demand?" to which character b replies: "No, my lord. If there's knee-bending wanted it will be me in the mud, not you." I can just about see the actors delivering it on stage, doublet and hose and all. But it's not really working for me on the page.) There's some interesting slang and other usage, but even then it tends to be overused - the fifth time I've seen one slang term in two pages I'm bored with it already.
It's also just plain long, in ways it really didn't need to be. Characters wrangle over decisions and discussions for whole pages when it could have been made briefer and pithier, and scenes meander, full of colour and detail and character elements that seem of tertiary importance at best. Part of what I enjoy about fantasy is the richness and size of its stories, but there's a difference between an epic story and fantasy flab, and my feeling is that this tends to the latter.
Third, the characters and their stories were none of them interesting to me. Old, steady men and their young hotheaded heirs, selfish dukes and their wracked-by-honour detractors. Selfish, pompous, straightforward, boring men, in conflict with other men, over the fates and honours and whatnot of men. The few women in the first chapters were witches, bitches, ninnies or mentioned but not seen. I don't care about any of the people we've met, I don't care about what they're doing, and I don't care about the repercussions, because this is, or seems most strongly to be, another Game-of-Thrones struggles-of-men-in-the-mud fantasy.
For all of these reasons, I will not be slogging through the remaining 570-odd pages of this.
One is the world, which I started out in the prologue thinking might be sort of Egyptian-ish possibly, but quickly and obviously settled into standard western-Euro, complete with Germanic-esque names, jousting, castles and ale and buxom wenches. Duchies, councils, the old superstitions denounced by the new severe religion... yawn.
Secondly, and relatedly, the language usage just wasn't working at all for me. There's a very staged and almost Shakespearean feel to it. (In one exchange, says character a: "Oh ho, so I'm a squire, am I? Come to bend my knee with querulous demand?" to which character b replies: "No, my lord. If there's knee-bending wanted it will be me in the mud, not you." I can just about see the actors delivering it on stage, doublet and hose and all. But it's not really working for me on the page.) There's some interesting slang and other usage, but even then it tends to be overused - the fifth time I've seen one slang term in two pages I'm bored with it already.
It's also just plain long, in ways it really didn't need to be. Characters wrangle over decisions and discussions for whole pages when it could have been made briefer and pithier, and scenes meander, full of colour and detail and character elements that seem of tertiary importance at best. Part of what I enjoy about fantasy is the richness and size of its stories, but there's a difference between an epic story and fantasy flab, and my feeling is that this tends to the latter.
Third, the characters and their stories were none of them interesting to me. Old, steady men and their young hotheaded heirs, selfish dukes and their wracked-by-honour detractors. Selfish, pompous, straightforward, boring men, in conflict with other men, over the fates and honours and whatnot of men. The few women in the first chapters were witches, bitches, ninnies or mentioned but not seen. I don't care about any of the people we've met, I don't care about what they're doing, and I don't care about the repercussions, because this is, or seems most strongly to be, another Game-of-Thrones struggles-of-men-in-the-mud fantasy.
For all of these reasons, I will not be slogging through the remaining 570-odd pages of this.
October 28, 2015
Well that was epic!
Let me start by saying I had no idea what to expect with this. Having never read anything by this author and not even bothering with the blurb, I dived in head first. I was pleasantly surprised, it's a great read, maybe a little slow at times, but it is set over the course of 16 or so years!
My first impression: Ah! Shakespeare! His influence is everywhere. Being indifferent to his work, I'm not quite sure how I felt about that, at first. As I slowly ploughed my way through I discovered that it works really well, especially in the dialogue. I do love a ridiculous old-english-sounding insult, especially in an accent! There is of course much more to The Falcon Throne than silly insults, there's tyranny and betrayal and lies and magic and murder. Politics.
Fans of ASoIaF will lap it up.
I'm torn as to what rating to give, for now I shall have to settle for 4 stars.
Let me start by saying I had no idea what to expect with this. Having never read anything by this author and not even bothering with the blurb, I dived in head first. I was pleasantly surprised, it's a great read, maybe a little slow at times, but it is set over the course of 16 or so years!
My first impression: Ah! Shakespeare! His influence is everywhere. Being indifferent to his work, I'm not quite sure how I felt about that, at first. As I slowly ploughed my way through I discovered that it works really well, especially in the dialogue. I do love a ridiculous old-english-sounding insult, especially in an accent! There is of course much more to The Falcon Throne than silly insults, there's tyranny and betrayal and lies and magic and murder. Politics.
Fans of ASoIaF will lap it up.
I'm torn as to what rating to give, for now I shall have to settle for 4 stars.
July 22, 2014
DNFed at around 45%
This book just wasn't going anywhere. It's a Game of Thrones wannabe, yet it lacks Martin's ability to weave countless characters seamlessly together, each one with their own distinct flavour. The characters in Falcon Throne are just tossed in there, pilling on top of each other in a totally awful way.
I was completely bored, unfortunately.
This book just wasn't going anywhere. It's a Game of Thrones wannabe, yet it lacks Martin's ability to weave countless characters seamlessly together, each one with their own distinct flavour. The characters in Falcon Throne are just tossed in there, pilling on top of each other in a totally awful way.
I was completely bored, unfortunately.
January 7, 2016
I am still on a high from this book. I'm actually avoiding reading anything else so that I can prolong the feeling The Falcon Throne has left me with.
Reading epic fantasy can get a little repetitive, especially since these things have trends. Not too many people are writing Shannara and Sword of Truth like epic fantasies with magic and swords and wizards and elves. The genre is moving towards courtly politics, the fates of bastards and kings and princesses, with magic subtly woven into it. These kinds of works tend to read more like novelisations of our own histories than the kinds of make-believe of Tolkien and Sanderson.
Where am I going with this?
I was absolutely thrilled when an unexpected ARC of The Falcon Throne landed in my mailbox. Like, I danced at the post-office. Karen Miller's books have always captured my imagination, but the sheer scope and genius of this series dazzles me.
There's so much more going on in this world than a displaced prince and his lost kingdom, than a tyrant duke and his oppressed people. This is a story about a varied group of people, all nobility, trying to navigate the treacherous political waters of their three countries. Not only is there all this history between their nations, there are personal ambitions, secrets, and of course politics.
Since I read the ARC, I didn't have the luxury of a map! I think I would have benefited from one, but I didn't miss it like I may have with other works. Miller makes it really easy to visualise where countries are in relation to each other and how their politics work. I don't remember missing the map - the only reason I noticed it wasn't there was because the first few pages have MAP TO BE INSERTED HERE written on them.
Another thing I love about this book is the variety of the characters. I loved them all! There isn't a protagonist or antagonist in the story - another reason I dislike the blurb. There just people, with hopes and dreams, who sometimes did things I liked, and more often did things that I didn't agree with. But every character is well realised and amazingly crafted. Like I said before, it's like reading novelised version of a particularly turbulent time in our history - it's totally believable!
I loved the way this book is executed - I think it's stylistically brilliant :) But I think others may might not like it. It begins in one time period, and then about half way through skips ahead six years. A few hundred pages later it skips ahead another five years, and then near the end skips forward three years. So it spans around fifteen years, and we see our characters grow and mature in ways rarely seen in epic fantasy. Toddlers morph into teens, brash teenagers stumble their way into family life, and middle-aged men hurtle towards old age and death. My only complaint isn't really a complaint: my ARC didn't split up the story into sections and I think the time-jumps would have been less jarring if there had been pages that said "Part 1", "Part 2" etc. I'll be surprised if the final version doesn't have this though, so it's not a huge deal.
I want to focus on a small thing in this review - the inevitable comparisons to A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. One of the interesting things is that the almost viral popularity of the franchise makes stories like The Falcom Throne come across as rip-offs, in the same way that any dystopian story with a teen girl is seen as rip off The Hunger Games. I think readers should be wary of this kind of categorisation: while The Falcon Throne will no doubt be enjoyed by readers who like A Game of Thrones, in its incarnation as a book or a TV series, there will inevitably be differences in the way these authors choose to write their stories.
I've loved The Falcon Throne! I've been in a haze since I finished it, and I just want to buy lots of copies of it and make others read it. However, at over 500 pages, there's no doubt that it's going to challenge some readers! I think fans of the genre will fall in love with this world and its characters and, like me, will be begging to get their hands on the next instalment.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
Reading epic fantasy can get a little repetitive, especially since these things have trends. Not too many people are writing Shannara and Sword of Truth like epic fantasies with magic and swords and wizards and elves. The genre is moving towards courtly politics, the fates of bastards and kings and princesses, with magic subtly woven into it. These kinds of works tend to read more like novelisations of our own histories than the kinds of make-believe of Tolkien and Sanderson.
Where am I going with this?
I was absolutely thrilled when an unexpected ARC of The Falcon Throne landed in my mailbox. Like, I danced at the post-office. Karen Miller's books have always captured my imagination, but the sheer scope and genius of this series dazzles me.
There's so much more going on in this world than a displaced prince and his lost kingdom, than a tyrant duke and his oppressed people. This is a story about a varied group of people, all nobility, trying to navigate the treacherous political waters of their three countries. Not only is there all this history between their nations, there are personal ambitions, secrets, and of course politics.
Since I read the ARC, I didn't have the luxury of a map! I think I would have benefited from one, but I didn't miss it like I may have with other works. Miller makes it really easy to visualise where countries are in relation to each other and how their politics work. I don't remember missing the map - the only reason I noticed it wasn't there was because the first few pages have MAP TO BE INSERTED HERE written on them.
Another thing I love about this book is the variety of the characters. I loved them all! There isn't a protagonist or antagonist in the story - another reason I dislike the blurb. There just people, with hopes and dreams, who sometimes did things I liked, and more often did things that I didn't agree with. But every character is well realised and amazingly crafted. Like I said before, it's like reading novelised version of a particularly turbulent time in our history - it's totally believable!
I loved the way this book is executed - I think it's stylistically brilliant :) But I think others may might not like it. It begins in one time period, and then about half way through skips ahead six years. A few hundred pages later it skips ahead another five years, and then near the end skips forward three years. So it spans around fifteen years, and we see our characters grow and mature in ways rarely seen in epic fantasy. Toddlers morph into teens, brash teenagers stumble their way into family life, and middle-aged men hurtle towards old age and death. My only complaint isn't really a complaint: my ARC didn't split up the story into sections and I think the time-jumps would have been less jarring if there had been pages that said "Part 1", "Part 2" etc. I'll be surprised if the final version doesn't have this though, so it's not a huge deal.
I want to focus on a small thing in this review - the inevitable comparisons to A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. One of the interesting things is that the almost viral popularity of the franchise makes stories like The Falcom Throne come across as rip-offs, in the same way that any dystopian story with a teen girl is seen as rip off The Hunger Games. I think readers should be wary of this kind of categorisation: while The Falcon Throne will no doubt be enjoyed by readers who like A Game of Thrones, in its incarnation as a book or a TV series, there will inevitably be differences in the way these authors choose to write their stories.
I've loved The Falcon Throne! I've been in a haze since I finished it, and I just want to buy lots of copies of it and make others read it. However, at over 500 pages, there's no doubt that it's going to challenge some readers! I think fans of the genre will fall in love with this world and its characters and, like me, will be begging to get their hands on the next instalment.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
September 28, 2014
Most readers are likely to compare this book to Game of Thrones, but for me it's rather like King Lear: excellent writing, amazing characters, intricate woven plotlines, and lots and lots of blood, most of that unfortunately spurting from the wrong people. No elves or dragons, but some of the most in-depth world-building I've ever read, and the heroes (and anti-heroes) could shake themselves off the page. This book drew me in with the opening sentence and held me until the end, with 650+ pages read in about three days.
So why not five stars? Three reasons. a) The plotline includes an unseen power, manipulating everybody from behind the scenes and from a distance. It's not my favorite trope and in some ways it cheapened the heartbreak of the main story. (This is not a spoiler; the storyline is introduced in the prologue.) b) There's a lot of profanity, most of it funny but unnecessary. And c) There's a lot of blood. No, really. A lot. We'll call this one four stars, and I remain breathless from the read.
This reviewer received a free copy of the book from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. Please note that the price of the book has no bearing upon the review received.
So why not five stars? Three reasons. a) The plotline includes an unseen power, manipulating everybody from behind the scenes and from a distance. It's not my favorite trope and in some ways it cheapened the heartbreak of the main story. (This is not a spoiler; the storyline is introduced in the prologue.) b) There's a lot of profanity, most of it funny but unnecessary. And c) There's a lot of blood. No, really. A lot. We'll call this one four stars, and I remain breathless from the read.
This reviewer received a free copy of the book from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. Please note that the price of the book has no bearing upon the review received.
October 15, 2014
I was really looking forward to this book, since I had read several of the authors other books, both under her own name and her pen name, K. E. Mills. She always struck me as an author who had a great grasp of making vivid, realistic characters you could sympathize with, even the villains. In fact, I think she writes some of the best villains in fantasy today. Anyway, I went in with high expectations. Not only were they met, they were shattered. This is an incredibly well written book, and is one of the best books I have ever read, of any genre, period. The story is expansive, set in a well developed world. The characters jump off the page, dragging you in with them. The villains are some of the best I've ever seen on the page, but they are doing the things they do for what seem legitimate reasons, and it's hard not to sympathize just a little. The protagonists are flawed, realistic characters, with realistic motivations. This is a gritty, hard hitting book, with well done action and battle scenes, political intrigue and family backstabbing. Any fans of Mark Lawrence, Jeff Salyards and Anthony Ryan will like this book. I recommend this book to all my friends and I recommend you try it too.
December 17, 2018
This will probably be quite a short review for a very long book, which unfortunately started off VERY strongly but then tapered off after about two thirds of the way through.
.
But for the first half of this book I was LOVING it, I was on a high fantasy kick - there’s nothing like the feeling of being completely immersed in a new world with a new set of characters, kingdoms and magic. We had prophecies, oracles, witches, a freaking spirit that spoke through corpses... it was wild and it was great... but... there is a but.
.
About 400 pages into this 700 page beast, it feels like Miller lost her way. Almost as if she had set herself a page quota she wanted to reach, and dammit she’d get there even if it meant basically repeating storylines, dragging them out, killing people off seemingly at random to create more drama, bringing them back to life... And don’t get me wrong, these last two have their place in high fantasy - who doesn’t love a surprise resurrection - but I just felt like it was getting too unravelled.
.
Character-wise, she does a good job for the most part. There are vile, detestable lords, cunning witches and high ladies doing their best to stay alive and in control in what is clearly a man’s world... but not enough of the latter for me, and too many whiny, arrogant lordlings parading about.
.
All in all, a bit below the standards I expect from a book this size, and I’m not sure I’ll bother continuing the series, although I am intrigued by some of the hanging storylines...
.
But for the first half of this book I was LOVING it, I was on a high fantasy kick - there’s nothing like the feeling of being completely immersed in a new world with a new set of characters, kingdoms and magic. We had prophecies, oracles, witches, a freaking spirit that spoke through corpses... it was wild and it was great... but... there is a but.
.
About 400 pages into this 700 page beast, it feels like Miller lost her way. Almost as if she had set herself a page quota she wanted to reach, and dammit she’d get there even if it meant basically repeating storylines, dragging them out, killing people off seemingly at random to create more drama, bringing them back to life... And don’t get me wrong, these last two have their place in high fantasy - who doesn’t love a surprise resurrection - but I just felt like it was getting too unravelled.
.
Character-wise, she does a good job for the most part. There are vile, detestable lords, cunning witches and high ladies doing their best to stay alive and in control in what is clearly a man’s world... but not enough of the latter for me, and too many whiny, arrogant lordlings parading about.
.
All in all, a bit below the standards I expect from a book this size, and I’m not sure I’ll bother continuing the series, although I am intrigued by some of the hanging storylines...
September 16, 2014
At over 600 pages this was a largish read but didn’t really feel like it. It was easy to get into and keep reading. There is plenty of intrigue and action. It is also a good portrait of how the path to hell can be paved with good intentions. But beyond the immediate plot there is another presence whose evil intentions appear to be gradually approaching fruition.
What I particularly enjoyed was the characterisation by dialogue. All sorts of unusual words creep in, helping create a stronger image of characters and a sense of place – a sense of the medieval easily creeps in as well as highlighting how people from different areas and social strata can have quite different aspects of language, dialect and speaking. Intrigued, I emailed Karen asking her where she sourced all these words and expressions. “…some of it’s from my fevered imagination and some of it’s sourced from various research books. It all just gets sloshed into the big cauldron that’s my brain and, like gumbo, things pop to the surface.”
What I particularly enjoyed was the characterisation by dialogue. All sorts of unusual words creep in, helping create a stronger image of characters and a sense of place – a sense of the medieval easily creeps in as well as highlighting how people from different areas and social strata can have quite different aspects of language, dialect and speaking. Intrigued, I emailed Karen asking her where she sourced all these words and expressions. “…some of it’s from my fevered imagination and some of it’s sourced from various research books. It all just gets sloshed into the big cauldron that’s my brain and, like gumbo, things pop to the surface.”
February 3, 2018
In case there was any doubt, the cover of my ARC of this book spells it out for you:
When kingdoms clash, every crown will be tarnished by the bloody price of ambition.
This book is solidly set in the same space as Game of Thrones, and if that’s what you’re looking for, it delivers: many characters in intersecting plot-lines, evil schemers, court intrigue, bloody tyranny gone mad. I’ve been following Karen Miller’s works for some time, and she also delivers on the necessities for this kind of plot — strong characterization, plenty of dramatic tension, unexpected twists and interactions between the plot-lines.
And yet I’m dissatisfied.
To save space, I'll stop here, since if you like what it promises, you won't be interested in what I don't like. If you do, check out the review on my blog
When kingdoms clash, every crown will be tarnished by the bloody price of ambition.
This book is solidly set in the same space as Game of Thrones, and if that’s what you’re looking for, it delivers: many characters in intersecting plot-lines, evil schemers, court intrigue, bloody tyranny gone mad. I’ve been following Karen Miller’s works for some time, and she also delivers on the necessities for this kind of plot — strong characterization, plenty of dramatic tension, unexpected twists and interactions between the plot-lines.
And yet I’m dissatisfied.
To save space, I'll stop here, since if you like what it promises, you won't be interested in what I don't like. If you do, check out the review on my blog
July 7, 2015
I have loved all of Karen Miller's fantasy books before this. I expected to have the same fun and entertainment I'd come to expect when I pre-ordered The Falcon Throne.
Fast forward a year to when I finally crack the cover aaaaaand.... I am bored within three chapters. It's too much, too try-hard, too scattered, too obviously an appeal to fans of Game of Thrones or Joe Abercrombie's style. It's not that I don't like Miller experimenting with style, tone, subgenre -- I love her imagination! -- but it's served better when it's more unique.
Not continuing this series. Going to go reread the Godspeaker books again instead.
Fast forward a year to when I finally crack the cover aaaaaand.... I am bored within three chapters. It's too much, too try-hard, too scattered, too obviously an appeal to fans of Game of Thrones or Joe Abercrombie's style. It's not that I don't like Miller experimenting with style, tone, subgenre -- I love her imagination! -- but it's served better when it's more unique.
Not continuing this series. Going to go reread the Godspeaker books again instead.
April 9, 2015
As others have said this book is pretty obviously aiming to be game of thrones like and it would have worked had the characters been less one dimensional- mild spoilers ahead
So I don't mind reading about bad characters, good characters, or characters that are any shade of grey but I hate reading about characters who act stupidly and are one dimensional. Sadly most of the characters in this book are so predictable I was never surprised with where the story went. IT was obvious from the very begining that the main bad guy would try to start a war but his motivations are pretty weak, he basically is an arrogant brat who is a Joffrey (game of thrones) wannabe. The main good guy is pretty useless, the hidden heir to the throne is predictably 'special' (destined to rule and all that rubbish), the main female character is stupidly petty which really annoyed me. Especially in the way she acted towards the main good guy I just wanted to slap her, a guy who she describes as basically a brother to her but who after SPOILER her dad forces her to marry him she goes into full on engance mode. This is despite him being totally unaware she is even upset because she TELLS HIM she wants to marry him. I mean she called it rape which is definitely not something to talk about lightly and I found myself thinking that it was a pretty outrageous accusation to throw around. I mean before the marriage he asked her in private to honestly tell him if she wanted to marry him. That would be like if I brought a girl home and had consensual sex with her but the next morning she called the cops and started screaming about how she had really wanted to bang my mate and she only slept with me because her mate dared her to. I mean i feel sympathy for women forced into marriage but what grinds my gears is that she clearly had the option of telling him how she felt but waited seven years of 'rape' to say anything. All the while cuckholding him and more importantly poisoning him. Rape is a serious issue and i felt it was poorly dealt with in this book.
Besides that the world that the characters live in actually seems quite interesting and i find myself wanting to know how it ends which is why I've given the book three stars. I can't go higher than that though because the characters in the book are entirely lackluster, in this game of thrones wannabe the author has missed the point of the SOIAF books, that all characters should be some shade of moral grey. What we have instead is one dimensional villains, useless good guys and remarkably weak female characters.
So I don't mind reading about bad characters, good characters, or characters that are any shade of grey but I hate reading about characters who act stupidly and are one dimensional. Sadly most of the characters in this book are so predictable I was never surprised with where the story went. IT was obvious from the very begining that the main bad guy would try to start a war but his motivations are pretty weak, he basically is an arrogant brat who is a Joffrey (game of thrones) wannabe. The main good guy is pretty useless, the hidden heir to the throne is predictably 'special' (destined to rule and all that rubbish), the main female character is stupidly petty which really annoyed me. Especially in the way she acted towards the main good guy I just wanted to slap her, a guy who she describes as basically a brother to her but who after SPOILER her dad forces her to marry him she goes into full on engance mode. This is despite him being totally unaware she is even upset because she TELLS HIM she wants to marry him. I mean she called it rape which is definitely not something to talk about lightly and I found myself thinking that it was a pretty outrageous accusation to throw around. I mean before the marriage he asked her in private to honestly tell him if she wanted to marry him. That would be like if I brought a girl home and had consensual sex with her but the next morning she called the cops and started screaming about how she had really wanted to bang my mate and she only slept with me because her mate dared her to. I mean i feel sympathy for women forced into marriage but what grinds my gears is that she clearly had the option of telling him how she felt but waited seven years of 'rape' to say anything. All the while cuckholding him and more importantly poisoning him. Rape is a serious issue and i felt it was poorly dealt with in this book.
Besides that the world that the characters live in actually seems quite interesting and i find myself wanting to know how it ends which is why I've given the book three stars. I can't go higher than that though because the characters in the book are entirely lackluster, in this game of thrones wannabe the author has missed the point of the SOIAF books, that all characters should be some shade of moral grey. What we have instead is one dimensional villains, useless good guys and remarkably weak female characters.
July 3, 2016
For such a huge book, The Falcon Throne tells quite a tight story. There are the rulers of Clemen and the rulers of Harcia, pitted against each other as tradition dictates, and the people of the Marches caught in the middle. In Clemen, Roric is the new duke navigating his way through power. In Harcia, the longtime duke Aimery struggles with loving his heir, Balfre, and frequently puts his son, Grefin, in a dilemma between obeying his lord and father and being loyal to his older brother. Even the other dramas are quite personal and intense ones--lovers torn apart by others' political ambition, a young woman trapped in the gilded cage of her rank, an innkeeper protecting her children even from their own pasts.
It sprawls more across time than place. Yes, we ping pong between a few locations, but we stick close to home with main characters--all the better to watch them grow over the passing years. Some characters go from infancy to manhood, others navigate adulthood and power, and both are equally dynamic. It gives everyone a chance to fall and rise in their turn and foil each other even when they rarely, if ever, share a scene.
The Falcon Throne follows the grimdark tradition of very grey characters. Still, you find yourself becoming fond of characters despite their transgressions. Balfre is violent and cruel and despotic, but he has a charisma, and I felt for the long years that he suffered without his father's approval. Roric does his best to be just and kind, but what else is a man to do but harden when he is caught in the traps of powerful men who seek to control him? I don't know that I can blame Miller over my own scruples for not being able to find a female character I could really root for. Perhaps there are many readers who took to the witch Izusa, the innkeeper Molly, or the reluctant duchess Lindara more than I did.
For all the 660 pages that came before it, the ending unfolds in a way I certainly would not have guessed. There is certainly still a lot of potential for these characters to possibly wisen and change, or stay the courses these long years have wrought for them. I can absolutely say that what compelled me most was the fascinating cast of characters living and breathing and growing in The Falcon Throne.
And now I shall go forth drunk on character-driven-epic-fantasy power!
Read more book reviews on my blog!
It sprawls more across time than place. Yes, we ping pong between a few locations, but we stick close to home with main characters--all the better to watch them grow over the passing years. Some characters go from infancy to manhood, others navigate adulthood and power, and both are equally dynamic. It gives everyone a chance to fall and rise in their turn and foil each other even when they rarely, if ever, share a scene.
The Falcon Throne follows the grimdark tradition of very grey characters. Still, you find yourself becoming fond of characters despite their transgressions. Balfre is violent and cruel and despotic, but he has a charisma, and I felt for the long years that he suffered without his father's approval. Roric does his best to be just and kind, but what else is a man to do but harden when he is caught in the traps of powerful men who seek to control him? I don't know that I can blame Miller over my own scruples for not being able to find a female character I could really root for. Perhaps there are many readers who took to the witch Izusa, the innkeeper Molly, or the reluctant duchess Lindara more than I did.
For all the 660 pages that came before it, the ending unfolds in a way I certainly would not have guessed. There is certainly still a lot of potential for these characters to possibly wisen and change, or stay the courses these long years have wrought for them. I can absolutely say that what compelled me most was the fascinating cast of characters living and breathing and growing in The Falcon Throne.
And now I shall go forth drunk on character-driven-epic-fantasy power!
Read more book reviews on my blog!
September 27, 2019
Het boek blijft boeien en ondanks de vele personages, blijft het mogelijk om de verschillende verhaallijnen te volgen. Ik ben heel erg benieuwd naar het volgende deel
September 9, 2014
Wow...... I mean..... WOW!
I know some people have had problems with Karen Miller's books in the past and I'm sure there will be people who won't like The Falcon Throne either but fortunately I don't fall into either of those camps as I love Karen's books and this one is no exception to the rule. It has a much darker feel than her books have had for me before and I must say like I REALLY like it!
Here we have a book with multiple threads running simultaneously and they are all linked together in one way or another and make for a wonderfully rich and intense book from the Prologue through to the end and with plenty left for future books too, it's that great. Here are some of the characters we get to meet in this book:
Balfre - Son of the Duke of Harcia and heir to the dukedom, unfortunately just being heir isn't enough for Balfre, he wants more and is highly ambitious without a thought for those who he treads upon on the way to his ultimate goal. He feels entitled.... to everything, and is extremely jealous of his younger brother Grefin and his relationship with their father. Balfre often acts like a petulant, jealous little boy but instead of this being a grating attribute on a reader is actually an important factor in his twisted character.
Grefin - Balfre's brother and the son their father Aimery trusts the most, the son his father wishes were his heir. Grefin doesn't want to be heir, he truly believes it's Balfre right and desting to inherit heHarcia and can't understand why his father is so against Balfre, of course we know why though. Grefin is more reserved a character than his brother, more steadfast and sensible. He has a wife and children meaning he is more centred and down to earth than Balfre and despite being the younger brother and heir to nothing he holds no ill feeling towards his brother, no speck of jealously.
Liam - Liam's first appearance is as a baby, son of the Duke of Clemen, Harald. Heir to the dukedom until his father is deposed, baby Liam is believed to have been killed.... but has he? Rescued from the massacre that slaughtered his family by his nursemaid, Liam grows into a young man under the guise of Willem in the depth of the Marches, his true name only known by a select few but will he survive long enough to regain his father's stolen duchy?
Roric - The bastard cousin of Duke Harald of Clemen takes it unto himself to remove Harald as Duke of Clemen before the Duke completely destroys the duchy, and to take over rule of Clemen. He believes he is the right man for the job but only time will tell if that's true as he is haunted by the events leading to his taking over control of Clemen, the death of the former duke and his family, especially over the death of baby Liam. Little does he know that Liam not only survived the massacre but is growing rapidly into a young man who knows exactly who he really is and what has been stolen from him.
Izusa - A witch woman with much more to her than meets the eye, who's side is she really on and what does her master really want from her?
Molly - Innkeeper at The Pig Whistle in the Clemen/Harcia Marshes, the hub of gossip and stop-over for travellers from both countries. How are the Marshes going to be affected by the political unrest in both Harcia and Clemen and how does Molly fit into the story?
And these are just a few of the many and fascinating people you will meet during the course of this book, watching their individual story unfold and examining how these story all fit together into a much larger and complicated scene is a real pleasure! It a tale of family conflict, political intrigue, in-fighting and underhand moves all set off with a pinch of magic to give it additional shine!
What is there to love about this book?
In this case it would be easier to ask what's not to like as the book is really well done in my humble opinion and I can honestly say that I seriously enjoyed every single moment I spent in this world that Karen Miller has created. It's such an interesting and exciting book to read that it was tremendously hard to put it down every night to the point where I was actually falling asleep reading it as I just couldn't put it down of my own accord. It's gripping, really gripping and heart-felt honest stuff.
Was there anything not so good?
There wasn't really anything worth mentioning that was really terrible about it. I want to say that from maybe there were times where it felt like maybe there was too much information to take in all at once, too many character to get a real feel for them as individual characters, too much going on at once but to tell you the truth I quite like books that that so for me it wasn't a negative but I have the feeling that for others it may be too much being thrown at the reader.
I did have a little niggle and that was where the author is trying to make this feel a bit more other-worldly by giving the people in this world there own language base, taking everyday phrases we use and changing them into something else.... you get a lot of 'rumtiony shig-shag' and strange phrases like that which was a little distracting to begin with as was the way the common folk speaking the book, like they say 'Iss' instead of 'Yes' and the way their speech is portrayed in this book takes a little getting used to, by the end of the book you have kind of forgotten how annoying it was at the beginning.
Was it an interesting read?
It's a very intriguing book, full of action throughout that never really slows down at all. There is a lot going on throughout and it's a lot of information to sort through and keep straight while you read, as I said before I like it that way but I know other won't and may get a bit confused by the multiple threads of story as there are 6 or 7 running simultaneously during the whole book. Each thread carries one, maybe two, character's story and they all run side by side during the space of the years covered in this first book, nearly two decades worth up until the books rather climatic and completely heart-wrenching conclusion which made me both incredibly wrought with sadness but also shaking with complete anger too, for me it those evocative emotions brought on by the written word that make a book special and memorable for me.
Was it enjoyable to read?
I found it to be totally enjoyable, very intricate and often complicated but well balanced. It's a ballsy book, quite graphic in places and be very prepared for the death main of characters as Miller isn't afraid to kill off main characters, my favourite character in the book sadly didn't make it until the end of the book, almost but not quite and it was a shame to see them fall. It's the characters that make this book for me, they are the backbone of the story and each character is as different from the next as can be. You have quieter, more reserved characters and you also have in your face, devil-may-care characters too, the balance between each of them is brilliant and each of them are fascinating in their own way, making the book very special. I didn't find myself let down by any of them in the slightest, each had their place in the storyline and each were important to said story in one way or another they are easy characters to either root for or totally despise and I must say that even the despicable characters (yes Balfre I do mean you!) have times where you can empathise with them.
Was it a well written book?
I believe so although there is a lot of swearing throughout as this book has a darker undertone than I'm used to with this author, but it's all good with me. It has a very rough-house feel to it and has none of the flounce that people often attribute to female written fantasy (so not true these days!). The character work, as I said in the previous paragraph, makes the story fly but you also get a good feel for the world and the characters surrounding too, it's not in your face though and the descriptive work on the surroundings is more reserved but still leaving you feeling like you know where you are in the world.
The balance of the book is impeccable and the pacing is just perfect for a book of this kind. The story grabs you by the throat and keeps a firm hold until the last page of the book. I finished the book with the feeling that things literally are only just beginning as the book ends and I am so excited to see what is going to occur in the next book in the series. Despite being a fantasy book the plotline is completely believable and apart from the magical elements it's the kind of storyline you'd expect to find in a historical English novel, it feels very 'War of the Roses' with the two duchys (Clemen and Harcia) filling the roles of the two Houses in the War of the Rose (York and Lancaster), maybe it was that that made this book so good for me as it felt very familiar in many ways.
From the writing point of view I think that Miller has done a spot on job. Yes, maybe it's a little over-complicated at times but I found it easy enough to follow, the language used was generally good (apart from what I've already mentioned above). I said the storyline felt a bit familiar but it was by no means predictable in any way, things happen that I found completely unexpected and often a bit random. I found that the book also ramped up the emotional impact throughout too, I experienced almost every emotion imaginable while reading The Falcon Throne from anger to grief, sheer hatred and loathing to pure joy.
Would you recommend it to others?
If you are a die-hard fantasy fan like me then it's a must read, Miller really grabbed me with this book, it's engrossing and captivating full of every feel imaginable. Written to keep readers on their toes it's well handled and quite eye-opening. It's epic, es it's a big book but it needs to be to fit in all the action-packed, emotionally charged plot-lines. In my opinion it's a must read and a must continue reading too, I will be buying a physical copy for my collection and I will most definitely be reading the other books in The Tarnished Crown series.
I know some people have had problems with Karen Miller's books in the past and I'm sure there will be people who won't like The Falcon Throne either but fortunately I don't fall into either of those camps as I love Karen's books and this one is no exception to the rule. It has a much darker feel than her books have had for me before and I must say like I REALLY like it!
Here we have a book with multiple threads running simultaneously and they are all linked together in one way or another and make for a wonderfully rich and intense book from the Prologue through to the end and with plenty left for future books too, it's that great. Here are some of the characters we get to meet in this book:
Balfre - Son of the Duke of Harcia and heir to the dukedom, unfortunately just being heir isn't enough for Balfre, he wants more and is highly ambitious without a thought for those who he treads upon on the way to his ultimate goal. He feels entitled.... to everything, and is extremely jealous of his younger brother Grefin and his relationship with their father. Balfre often acts like a petulant, jealous little boy but instead of this being a grating attribute on a reader is actually an important factor in his twisted character.
Grefin - Balfre's brother and the son their father Aimery trusts the most, the son his father wishes were his heir. Grefin doesn't want to be heir, he truly believes it's Balfre right and desting to inherit heHarcia and can't understand why his father is so against Balfre, of course we know why though. Grefin is more reserved a character than his brother, more steadfast and sensible. He has a wife and children meaning he is more centred and down to earth than Balfre and despite being the younger brother and heir to nothing he holds no ill feeling towards his brother, no speck of jealously.
Liam - Liam's first appearance is as a baby, son of the Duke of Clemen, Harald. Heir to the dukedom until his father is deposed, baby Liam is believed to have been killed.... but has he? Rescued from the massacre that slaughtered his family by his nursemaid, Liam grows into a young man under the guise of Willem in the depth of the Marches, his true name only known by a select few but will he survive long enough to regain his father's stolen duchy?
Roric - The bastard cousin of Duke Harald of Clemen takes it unto himself to remove Harald as Duke of Clemen before the Duke completely destroys the duchy, and to take over rule of Clemen. He believes he is the right man for the job but only time will tell if that's true as he is haunted by the events leading to his taking over control of Clemen, the death of the former duke and his family, especially over the death of baby Liam. Little does he know that Liam not only survived the massacre but is growing rapidly into a young man who knows exactly who he really is and what has been stolen from him.
Izusa - A witch woman with much more to her than meets the eye, who's side is she really on and what does her master really want from her?
Molly - Innkeeper at The Pig Whistle in the Clemen/Harcia Marshes, the hub of gossip and stop-over for travellers from both countries. How are the Marshes going to be affected by the political unrest in both Harcia and Clemen and how does Molly fit into the story?
And these are just a few of the many and fascinating people you will meet during the course of this book, watching their individual story unfold and examining how these story all fit together into a much larger and complicated scene is a real pleasure! It a tale of family conflict, political intrigue, in-fighting and underhand moves all set off with a pinch of magic to give it additional shine!
What is there to love about this book?
In this case it would be easier to ask what's not to like as the book is really well done in my humble opinion and I can honestly say that I seriously enjoyed every single moment I spent in this world that Karen Miller has created. It's such an interesting and exciting book to read that it was tremendously hard to put it down every night to the point where I was actually falling asleep reading it as I just couldn't put it down of my own accord. It's gripping, really gripping and heart-felt honest stuff.
Was there anything not so good?
There wasn't really anything worth mentioning that was really terrible about it. I want to say that from maybe there were times where it felt like maybe there was too much information to take in all at once, too many character to get a real feel for them as individual characters, too much going on at once but to tell you the truth I quite like books that that so for me it wasn't a negative but I have the feeling that for others it may be too much being thrown at the reader.
I did have a little niggle and that was where the author is trying to make this feel a bit more other-worldly by giving the people in this world there own language base, taking everyday phrases we use and changing them into something else.... you get a lot of 'rumtiony shig-shag' and strange phrases like that which was a little distracting to begin with as was the way the common folk speaking the book, like they say 'Iss' instead of 'Yes' and the way their speech is portrayed in this book takes a little getting used to, by the end of the book you have kind of forgotten how annoying it was at the beginning.
Was it an interesting read?
It's a very intriguing book, full of action throughout that never really slows down at all. There is a lot going on throughout and it's a lot of information to sort through and keep straight while you read, as I said before I like it that way but I know other won't and may get a bit confused by the multiple threads of story as there are 6 or 7 running simultaneously during the whole book. Each thread carries one, maybe two, character's story and they all run side by side during the space of the years covered in this first book, nearly two decades worth up until the books rather climatic and completely heart-wrenching conclusion which made me both incredibly wrought with sadness but also shaking with complete anger too, for me it those evocative emotions brought on by the written word that make a book special and memorable for me.
Was it enjoyable to read?
I found it to be totally enjoyable, very intricate and often complicated but well balanced. It's a ballsy book, quite graphic in places and be very prepared for the death main of characters as Miller isn't afraid to kill off main characters, my favourite character in the book sadly didn't make it until the end of the book, almost but not quite and it was a shame to see them fall. It's the characters that make this book for me, they are the backbone of the story and each character is as different from the next as can be. You have quieter, more reserved characters and you also have in your face, devil-may-care characters too, the balance between each of them is brilliant and each of them are fascinating in their own way, making the book very special. I didn't find myself let down by any of them in the slightest, each had their place in the storyline and each were important to said story in one way or another they are easy characters to either root for or totally despise and I must say that even the despicable characters (yes Balfre I do mean you!) have times where you can empathise with them.
Was it a well written book?
I believe so although there is a lot of swearing throughout as this book has a darker undertone than I'm used to with this author, but it's all good with me. It has a very rough-house feel to it and has none of the flounce that people often attribute to female written fantasy (so not true these days!). The character work, as I said in the previous paragraph, makes the story fly but you also get a good feel for the world and the characters surrounding too, it's not in your face though and the descriptive work on the surroundings is more reserved but still leaving you feeling like you know where you are in the world.
The balance of the book is impeccable and the pacing is just perfect for a book of this kind. The story grabs you by the throat and keeps a firm hold until the last page of the book. I finished the book with the feeling that things literally are only just beginning as the book ends and I am so excited to see what is going to occur in the next book in the series. Despite being a fantasy book the plotline is completely believable and apart from the magical elements it's the kind of storyline you'd expect to find in a historical English novel, it feels very 'War of the Roses' with the two duchys (Clemen and Harcia) filling the roles of the two Houses in the War of the Rose (York and Lancaster), maybe it was that that made this book so good for me as it felt very familiar in many ways.
From the writing point of view I think that Miller has done a spot on job. Yes, maybe it's a little over-complicated at times but I found it easy enough to follow, the language used was generally good (apart from what I've already mentioned above). I said the storyline felt a bit familiar but it was by no means predictable in any way, things happen that I found completely unexpected and often a bit random. I found that the book also ramped up the emotional impact throughout too, I experienced almost every emotion imaginable while reading The Falcon Throne from anger to grief, sheer hatred and loathing to pure joy.
Would you recommend it to others?
If you are a die-hard fantasy fan like me then it's a must read, Miller really grabbed me with this book, it's engrossing and captivating full of every feel imaginable. Written to keep readers on their toes it's well handled and quite eye-opening. It's epic, es it's a big book but it needs to be to fit in all the action-packed, emotionally charged plot-lines. In my opinion it's a must read and a must continue reading too, I will be buying a physical copy for my collection and I will most definitely be reading the other books in The Tarnished Crown series.
October 13, 2019
This was such a weird read. I had high hopes for this book because I liked some of Miller’s other writing but honestly this book was a disappointment.
By the time I realized it was truly going nowhere I was already so many pages in and so I felt invested. I was hoping maybe I was wrong and the ending would be really good. But I just didn’t care about the characters or the story, it was long and dragged out.
ALSO. The baby heads. Too weird. I really wasn’t into that, I have no idea why there had to be severed baby heads for two characters to communicate. Gross.
By the time I realized it was truly going nowhere I was already so many pages in and so I felt invested. I was hoping maybe I was wrong and the ending would be really good. But I just didn’t care about the characters or the story, it was long and dragged out.
ALSO. The baby heads. Too weird. I really wasn’t into that, I have no idea why there had to be severed baby heads for two characters to communicate. Gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 20, 2019DNF at 37 pages. Pretty much everything I hate in fantasy novels.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 7, 2019DNF’d at 14%. The prologue was absolutely amazing! I was totally zoned in but then chapter one started with a completely different tone and group of characters so it took me time to get into that. Then, the same thing again, in chapter 2 a completely different tone shift and different characters. So I found myself just not wanting to pick it back up after a short time away from it.
April 7, 2016
I was immensely disappointed by this book. I've liked almost everything Miller has written a great deal, and she's one of the authors I will always read if I see a new book. But this... the writing is good, as one expects from Miller. It's the story itself. This is a Game of Thrones clone.
I've always enjoyed the character development and the emotional evolution of Miller's characters. I never read the Game of Thrones, because I saw the first TV series and didn't enjoy it at all. I tend to avoid "boy fantasy", war and battle and ego with little emotional content. That's what I felt Game of Thrones was.
The book started with a prlogue chapter that has nothing to do with the remaining book, until the final afterward chapter. Those two presumably hold the plot. In between, we go from character to character, like game of thrones, looking at different characters in different countries. Yet there is no real empathy with any character. They are all concerned with personal issues, all seem caught up in vengence, jealousy, or other issues.
<
I've always enjoyed the character development and the emotional evolution of Miller's characters. I never read the Game of Thrones, because I saw the first TV series and didn't enjoy it at all. I tend to avoid "boy fantasy", war and battle and ego with little emotional content. That's what I felt Game of Thrones was.
The book started with a prlogue chapter that has nothing to do with the remaining book, until the final afterward chapter. Those two presumably hold the plot. In between, we go from character to character, like game of thrones, looking at different characters in different countries. Yet there is no real empathy with any character. They are all concerned with personal issues, all seem caught up in vengence, jealousy, or other issues.
<
May 13, 2023
Lekker dik boek in een ouderwetse fantasy setting. Familievetes, gevechten rondom grondgebieden, jaloezie en moord, liefde en onbereikbare liefdes.
Roric is een van de hoofdpersonen, hij is een bastaardzoon en kan dus geen aanspraak maker op wat dan ook. Door een gewapende troonafzetting van Harold, de regerend hertog wordt hij de Hertog van Clemen.
Clemen is een deel van een eiland dat door een moerasachtig gebied gescheiden wordt van Harcia waar zijn neef Balfre de scepter zwaait. Balfre is een manipulator en een man van intriges en doodslag.
In het Moeras is Herberg het Vrolijke Varken een vrijplaats waar Harcianen en Clemense mensen elkaar ontmoeten en waar Marie en Edo zorgen voor eten en drinken. Benedikt is Marie's zoon en zij hebben zich ook ontfermd over Willem, die eigenlijk Liam is, zoon van Harold, maar die door Ellie zijn voedster uit het bloedbad rondom de afzetting van Harold is gered. Allemaal onderdelen van een zeer goed te lezen boek. Dat smaakt naar meer, maar het tweede deel heb ik tot nu toe niet kunnen vinden.
Roric is een van de hoofdpersonen, hij is een bastaardzoon en kan dus geen aanspraak maker op wat dan ook. Door een gewapende troonafzetting van Harold, de regerend hertog wordt hij de Hertog van Clemen.
Clemen is een deel van een eiland dat door een moerasachtig gebied gescheiden wordt van Harcia waar zijn neef Balfre de scepter zwaait. Balfre is een manipulator en een man van intriges en doodslag.
In het Moeras is Herberg het Vrolijke Varken een vrijplaats waar Harcianen en Clemense mensen elkaar ontmoeten en waar Marie en Edo zorgen voor eten en drinken. Benedikt is Marie's zoon en zij hebben zich ook ontfermd over Willem, die eigenlijk Liam is, zoon van Harold, maar die door Ellie zijn voedster uit het bloedbad rondom de afzetting van Harold is gered. Allemaal onderdelen van een zeer goed te lezen boek. Dat smaakt naar meer, maar het tweede deel heb ik tot nu toe niet kunnen vinden.
October 14, 2014
I had high hopes for this book, it's in my wheel-house you might say. Unfortunately it felt very much same, same and not at all different from what has come before. Lordly rebellion, bastard takes the throne, heir thought dead but isn't. Big bad shadowy guy in the background pulling strings but not a lot in the way of explanation.
It is a largish book that doesn't really go anywhere. From when we start to when we finish is merely a matter of years and a lot of characters dying, but since I didn't really get attached to them in the beginning it didn't bother me at all. A lot of the time I found the interesting characters didn't have enough to do or say whilst others had whole chapters of nothing interesting, just a lot of talk and what felt like background colour that we didn't really need.
The language interested me for a while, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest. I ended up skimming through the last half, hoping against hope for some big twist. I am not a fan of books that don't give you some kind of pay off for your time, especially when they are this long. Instead we have a world getting darker, our main character is a wet blanket, the women are not given enough to do (which considering this is written by a woman just pisses me off) and the bad guy getting away with everything, cause, you know, magic.
Some characters just did not seem at all real, even fantasy real. Seriously, you aren't sure that your brother is a good guy or a bad guy but you're going to bring your whole family into his court? I know it's fantasy but I find it hard to believe in the 'good' characters complete lack of understanding about the real world they live in. You know you are surrounded by a nest of vipers but hey, you trust them anyway? Grrrrrrrrrrr. Doubt I will read anything more in this series, may give a different series a go but we'll see.
It is a largish book that doesn't really go anywhere. From when we start to when we finish is merely a matter of years and a lot of characters dying, but since I didn't really get attached to them in the beginning it didn't bother me at all. A lot of the time I found the interesting characters didn't have enough to do or say whilst others had whole chapters of nothing interesting, just a lot of talk and what felt like background colour that we didn't really need.
The language interested me for a while, but it wasn't enough to hold my interest. I ended up skimming through the last half, hoping against hope for some big twist. I am not a fan of books that don't give you some kind of pay off for your time, especially when they are this long. Instead we have a world getting darker, our main character is a wet blanket, the women are not given enough to do (which considering this is written by a woman just pisses me off) and the bad guy getting away with everything, cause, you know, magic.
Some characters just did not seem at all real, even fantasy real. Seriously, you aren't sure that your brother is a good guy or a bad guy but you're going to bring your whole family into his court? I know it's fantasy but I find it hard to believe in the 'good' characters complete lack of understanding about the real world they live in. You know you are surrounded by a nest of vipers but hey, you trust them anyway? Grrrrrrrrrrr. Doubt I will read anything more in this series, may give a different series a go but we'll see.
December 4, 2014
The good: This book dies not mess around. No "the wind was sighing in the grass as Balfre picked his slow way up the hill, his sword jangling...it was the day of the county fair!" And then three chapters later, the plot starts. No. It gets right to the point. Right into the action, and it doesn't let up. This is refreshing. There are no long, unnecessary world-building scenes, the focus is on characters and story.
However...
The characters end up sliding into the one-dimensional. Especially the women, which is surprising considering a woman wrote this book. Balfre, an interesting, entitled and jealous child, turns into a straight-up monster with exactly one redeeming quality and never looks back. Much less interesting. Many of the best characters die off. And I never felt as I got as attached to any of them as I did in, say, Game of Thrones, before they went. Maybe the book is too fast-paced. It covers 20 years and has the scale of a Shakesperean tragedy, which is hard to pull off in a single novel. It felt a little rushed, with the characters never having time to really develop, or us to really get inside their heads.
My last criticism is the character of Salimbene. The master manipulator thing rarely works well, and in this case, the character's prescience is a plot contrivance. Things happen he could never have predicted, even with magic, and we are supposed to assume it's all part of the plan? Give me a break. This guy is too perfectly perfect when it comes to scheming, and I am not okay with that, especially because every other character in the book is more fleshed-out than him. Why did he need to be there at all?
However...
The characters end up sliding into the one-dimensional. Especially the women, which is surprising considering a woman wrote this book. Balfre, an interesting, entitled and jealous child, turns into a straight-up monster with exactly one redeeming quality and never looks back. Much less interesting. Many of the best characters die off. And I never felt as I got as attached to any of them as I did in, say, Game of Thrones, before they went. Maybe the book is too fast-paced. It covers 20 years and has the scale of a Shakesperean tragedy, which is hard to pull off in a single novel. It felt a little rushed, with the characters never having time to really develop, or us to really get inside their heads.
My last criticism is the character of Salimbene. The master manipulator thing rarely works well, and in this case, the character's prescience is a plot contrivance. Things happen he could never have predicted, even with magic, and we are supposed to assume it's all part of the plan? Give me a break. This guy is too perfectly perfect when it comes to scheming, and I am not okay with that, especially because every other character in the book is more fleshed-out than him. Why did he need to be there at all?
July 18, 2016
It was undeniably banal. All those who compare it to Game of Thrones are giving George R.R. Martin a huge insult. He writes his books with characters that are interesting. The Falcon throne was full of self interested idiots who couldn't look past their massive egos to think that their plans may go wrong. Also, the main character behind the plot is an absolute mistake. The author is undermining her own book by making it so that all the action in the book goes to waste. The few characters she does create are wasted because she doesn't mention them at all, or she uses others to bully them into being idiots. Not only does she fail to make a plot, but she also fails to deliver on intrigue. In a world of overbearing people, apparently not one has the sense to spy on each other. Not even the enemies. The only reason I gave this a two star is the potential for improvement and the setting. Her world is beautiful. Which also adds to the general disappointment in this book.
Read
March 14, 2024I wrote a longer review, but unlike Miller I won't puff up my thoughts with a million unnecessary words. This book is boring, badly paced, soulless, unoriginal, and just dull.
While all the characters are flat, one dimensional cardboard pieces, the female characters are especially bad and are all standard sexist fantasy archetypes (scheming betrayer, precocious girl child, abused wife, sex-witch, etc).
While all the characters are flat, one dimensional cardboard pieces, the female characters are especially bad and are all standard sexist fantasy archetypes (scheming betrayer, precocious girl child, abused wife, sex-witch, etc).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2020
It`s strange to read all of these negative reviews about this book. For me it`s an excellently written epic fantasy where the `fantasy` part is in the background and the majority of the story is a medieval tale full with politics and intrigue. My only criticism would be that the book is a bit overwritten but if we want to be honest the Game of Thrones (the book was advertised as a GoT-killer) is suffering from the same.
October 24, 2015
I read half of it. It's a well-written book and the premise is engaging. But I couldn't continue with it because of the misogyny. It's not just that there are few female characters; it was the aggressively shaming language used about and to the female characters.
September 22, 2014
Good book, but one I've read many times before it feels like.
http://www.staffersbookreview.com/201...
http://www.staffersbookreview.com/201...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews