Eleventh Cycle (1) (Mistland)

£11.495
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Eleventh Cycle (1) (Mistland)

Eleventh Cycle (1) (Mistland)

RRP: £22.99
Price: £11.495
£11.495 FREE Shipping

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Description

There is no hesitation at all, before we are plunged into the origin of the world, the strangeness of the Elders and the birth of the Seed – and I adored the prologue because of this approach. Although this year has only just begun, I am thrilled and confident saying this is an early contender for my favorite book of the year; I am sure it will, at least, be in my top 10 spots by the end of 2023. Through the online content we publish, we share our opinions and thoughts on the various problems that the world is facing right now. Despite the page length and high stakes of the book, Ardalan keeps the actual story relatively small.

Then it came as a scream, a scream which worked its way through my belly and burst from my lips like a shredding storm evoked by the caustic mists. Nora and Dalila stood out, as no matter how many truly terrible events transpired in their lives, they always managed to pick themselves up and maintain some basic, relatable human decencies. With the existence of Elder Kings, Elder Guards (the one in the cover art), and the unstoppable rot, it is understandable why readers/gamers might think that. Ardalan builds deep connections to each of the four protagonists through their first-person narration.Ardalan shares Sanderson’s talent at creating empathetic, broken characters, bringing a deeply personal focus to a vast, complex world. Give me all the poetic writing, the descriptions that can be more ethereal than anything else, that is trying to touch on something that isn’t necessarily intended to be contained by words. She could have still had that need for revenge, that desire to reclaim her old ability to move and fight – there was plenty for her to rage against. Rather, the violence and brutality is portrayed as a way of reinforcing just how much these characters are put through while still persevering and clinging onto hope for a better outcome. At first glance, I would have thought this being was a product of nature, a serendipitous result of rock formations and volcanic discharge that just so happened to form some likeness to man.

The length of the book betrays it just a little bit, as the middle of the book starts to drag while Ardalan moves all of the characters into position. I think most of that stems from events later in the book, that were some of the elements that really didn’t work for me. This book got put onto my radar when I was told that it was a grimdark in the vein of Dark Souls - I've never read a book with that connection before which intrigued me.Ardalan was born in Germany, Dusseldorf to Persian parents and has since travelled between so many places that he sees himself as a person of the world; well, with one exception. A dark cosmic horror novel that also explores the good in humanity, this book is perfect for fans of grimdark and epic fantasy. If you are looking for a dark story with an impressive world, and characters that will let you marked, this is your book. I know I have mentioned in my review this is a grimdark fantasy novel, and as far as graphic content and brutal themes go, it truly belongs in the subgenre.

So there’s a lot of work that has gone into building this world, and it works very well, with everything coming together to give us a vast landscape to explore. The death was harsh, and I can absolutely see the impact that it would have on anyone witnessing, let alone someone with that level of closeness – but aside from a few brief moments, we didn’t see that closeness. Perhaps, this was a personal thing, and I just didn’t connect enough with them, but I feel like, particularly with what these characters were enduring, there needed to be more reflection and internal experience.Eleventh Cycle is a book that has received a lot of attention and hype, and it was a highly anticipated book for me, especially with the fact that it was described as being a love letter to Beserk and Dark Souls – I am more familiar with the former than the latter, but one of my favourite reads in the last couple of years was another Dark Souls inspired book, and I was excited to see how Ardalan had combined those elements and what individual flavour it had brought to it.

The worldbuilding certainly took centre stage for me and is the one aspect that I loved about this book, particularly when it was paired with the vivid imagery that Ardalan was able to conjure. There is also a list of characters and glossary of terms at the beginning of the book, which is a useful resource, although the fact that I found myself needing to pay so much attention to what was on the page, meant that I was using context more than the glossary itself to attach meanings to the different names.However, right at the very start of the review, I’m going to say that my first half will be about the story and worldbuilding and prose. Epic grimdark fantasy, Berserk, and Soulsborne fans, the breathtaking Dark Souls inspired fantasy novel we have been waiting for is finally here. Fortunately, despite my high expectations, Eleventh Cycle is undoubtedly an excellent character-driven grimdark fantasy novel.



  • Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
  • EAN: 764486781913
  • Sold by: Fruugo

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