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City of Shards (Spellgiver Book 1)
by
Steve Rodgers
336 pages
Published
March 30th 2018
ASIN: B0795YV7FJ
Edition Language: English
BLURB: In the Wormpile district, gangs rule the streets, unwashed urchins assail each other with minor magic, and the people boil under the sway of a monstrous god. Deep within those decaying alleyways, the boy Larin shouts his tourette-like outbursts at random, explosions that have turned him into a pariah throughout the neighborhood. And while he’s protected from the gangs by his drug-addicted uncle Akul—a warrior with a mysterious past and the emotional range of granite—none of that will restore his social life.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Fate and free will are no enemies. They are two halves of the same circle.”
“And if I choose to resist fate?”
“You will choose, of your own free will, to follow your fate. Man’s free will becomes his destiny.”
¿Qué sucede cuando eres el elegido, el que pretende traer el fin del mundo?
Larin es un huérfano que vive con su tío, un viejo guerrero derribado, en una ciudad poblada por bandas de ladrones y matones, y desde que era pequeño ha sido señalado y ridiculizado por sus arrebatos involuntarios durante los cuales grita una frase incomprensible. para la gran mayoría Para él esto es una maldición, pero para aquellos que lo entienden es una advocación o más bien una promesa al Señor de los demonios -Haraf- que fue expulsado de esas tierras y que anhela volver utilizando a su sirviente designado: Larin.
Esta es una fantasía épica sólida, similar a otros en el género. Tuve algunos problemas para entrar en el tema entre tanto Dios y el cambio de nombre, pero mi concentración no ha sido la mejor en estos días.
El poder de la magia proviene de la Luna y los locales lo llaman Spellgiver.
Interesante y diferente es la falta de elfos, enanos, orcos y similares de otros libros de fantasía épicos tipo tolkien, así que tenemos aquí, en cambio, otra especie nativa: una con seis apéndices, garras y vainas como ojos y que indican su forma de sentir segun el color, que los humanos magos (impactantes, lo sé). Los Lidathi, o los Creados , a quienes les fue dado el entendimiento por su dios, pasando de ser animales a constructores y productores.
Por otro lado, Larin es un protagonista irritante, solo se queja y se queja a lo largo de la historia. Pobre de mí, no tengo magia. Pobre de mí, no puedo dejar mi sector protegido. Pobre de mí, no puedo tener amigos. Pobre de mí, mi tío no me entiende. Ug. Y esto se pone peor con los años de la adolescencia, y la ira creciente. Hay demasiado ira en este chico.
La historia nos cuenta sobre una guerra entre deidades, donde los humanos y Lidathi son peones. Estos dioses están en otra dimensión y son traídos a esto por las oraciones-devociones-hechizos de sus sacerdotes mágicos. Parece que cada cierta cantidad de años hay un nuevo ataque con fuertes consecuencias. /SPOILER---->El hecho de que los dioses son seres de luz en otra dimensión que se han vuelto locos por la privación sensorial y anhelan volver a sentirlo, apunta a otras ideas similares que se han visto en otras historias o fandoms. Creo que esto sobre Larin sintiendo algo de empatía por esto, está bien hecho, y que tal vez el final de la prisión es, por lo tanto, algo confuso en cuanto a si es bueno o malo. Claro, eso depende de quién..<----SPOILER
La corte real está corrompida como de costumbre. ja. El rey enredado por pactos, y ... drogas. También tenemos una reina inteligente: ¡fuerza Relena! Y un mago
El mago o lo que sea sospechoso ,multifacético, también es un personaje interesante.
El panteón básico:
Emja, el dios borracho, con templos / tabernas de cerveza. Todavía pienso en un tipo de devotos como el fraile Took aquí.
Morphat el dios sádico, que disfruta de prolongar el dolor de sus sacrificios humanos.
Haraf el Señor de los Demonios.
Sí, me llamó más la atención al final, así que espero leer el próximo libro.
#CityOfShards #NetGalley
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SAME REVIEW, IN ENGLISH:
What happen when you are the chosen one , the one intended to bring the end of the world?
Larin is an orphan who lives with his uncle, an old warrior gone down, in a city populated by gangs of thieves and thugs, and since he was little he has been singled out and ridiculed for his involuntary outbursts during which he shouts a phrase incomprehensible to the great majority For him this is a curse, but for those who understand it is an advocation or rather a promise to the Lord of demons -Haraf- who was expelled from those lands and who longs to return using his designated servant: Larin.
This is a solid epic fantasy, similar to others in the genre. I had some problems in getting into the subject between so much god and name change, but my concentration has not been the best these days.
The power for magic comes from the Moon and it is called Spellgiver by the locals.
Interesting and diferent is the lack of elves, dwarves, orcs and alike from anothers tolkien-ish epic fantasy books, so we have here, instead, another native species: one with six appendices , claws and pods, that were pushed aside by the humans wizards (shocking, I know). The Lidathi, or Created Ones explained by Kemharak:
“So the Day of Rising celebrates—”
“The day the gods brought us into their lairs and gave us speech. Today, the seconds and thirds become like the gods, working the creator’s magic before releasing the Jehibulleth. Just as we were once released to work the metals from the earth and bring them to the gods’ cities.
“The forest was different then, full of singing vines, Henila mounds, and many other plants and creatures which exist no more. You humans have changed everything.” Kemharak didn’t know why he was telling the human this; he felt some unexplainable need for it to understand their past.
Theralle moved its head up and down. “It is what I always thought. The gods created your people for work, not for pain. It means there are some gods who care more about what you can produce than what misery you can cause.”
“Or it means the original gods have become insane over time,” Kemharak said. He was very glad Manek could not understand.
In the other hand, Larin is an irritating protagonist, he only complains and complains throughout the story. Poor me, I do not have magic. Poor me, I can not leave my protected sector. Poor me, I can not have friends. Poor me, my uncle does not understand me. Ug. It get worst with teen years, and the rising anger. So much anger.
The story tells us about a war between deities, where humans and Lidathi are pawns. These gods are in another dimension and are brought to this by the prayers-devotions-spells of their magical priests. It seems that every certain amount of years there is a new attack with strong consequences. /SPOILER--->The fact that the gods are beings of light in another dimension that have gone mad by sensory deprivation and yearns to feel again points to other similar ideas that have been seen in other stories or fandoms. I think this about Larin feeling some empathy for this, it is well done, and that maybe the end of the prison is therefore somewhat confusing in whether it is good or bad. Sure, that depending on who.<---SPOILER/
The royal court is corrupted as usual. heh. The king entangled by pacts, and ... drugs. We have also an intelligent queen - go Relena! And an evil
The multifaced suspicious wizard is also an interesting character.
The basic pantheon:
Emja the drunken god, with temples / beer taverns. I still think of a kind of devotees like the Took friar here.
Morphat the sadistic god, who enjoys prolonging the pain of his human sacrifices.
Haraf the Demon Lord.
Yeah, it got my attention more at the ending, so I hope to read the next book.
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