Review: First 2/3 (5) Final 1/3 (2)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2013
Edited Review:  I've read the book again and considered my original response.  Upon reflection, I believe my original review was overly critical of the overall work based on a few issues and did not reflect the overall excellence of the book.  While I still believe a specific antagonist martial ability was elevated to near deity,somewhat heavy handed especially during the "cattle slaughter" and just didn't fit with the "cattle" previous deeds of lore (battles/mountans/ect..).  That said, the shortcoming did not warrant a 3 rating of this fine work.  As a result, I've modified my rating to 4, with the first 2/3 of the book being a 5 and the last 1/3 being a 2.Where to start?If I had written this review before the final 1/3 of the book it would have been a solid 4.  As the book progressed into the final 1/3 I found myself assuming anyone coming in contact with a specific heart eating character was facing a demigod and going to die.  The martial prowess of the character in question took all intrigue out of the battle scenes they became rather boring forgone conclusions. Recommendation: Next time a character faces his arch nemesis a supposed near equal in battle AND the legendary battle queen who's wars tore the world asunder, he might want to take a scratch or two.  When facing a mythical almost epic race of power and history, you might not want to dispatch them like cattle, it's quite a let down from the build up of their prowess, it felt rushed and overdone, and nothing was gained in the graphic description of their post death evisceration.  I realize the "epic" in this type of book comes from facing seemingly insurmountable odds but the prowess of the character in question honestly ruined the last 1/3 of the book.  Every time he guessed, he guessed right, every time.  There are so many things to love in this book it may seem harsh to complain about this issue but since I assume many more "sub bosses" will come before the final book, I needed to be honest.  Let the antagonist suffer a set back or two, face some adversity...not much but enough that there is some sense of suspense before the final chapter.  After the build up and subsequent treatment as cattle of the epic beast who tore down mountains, I honestly don't know how you rehabilitate their status.  I think a farmers son with a axe might have fared better than 3 great beings of lore.