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If I could change one thing about this book, I would have chosen to give the reader a bit more information about Meldorath and perhaps some form of backstory for this character. Though the mystic surrounding this character is essential, I would have loved to know more about him.

Nicholus Schroeder wrote: ↑07 Mar 2021, 06:20 If I could change one thing about this book, I would have chosen to give the reader a bit more information about Meldorath and perhaps some form of backstory for this character. Though the mystic surrounding this character is essential, I would have loved to know more about him.

I didn't really feel like that at the first book, but that was the exact thing I highlighted in my review for the second book of the series. I had a double feeling about him, just as you've explained is. On one side all the mysteriosness that comes with a villain like him, on the other side the urge to get to really understand the character.

If given one thing to change, I think I would have spared Lord Eldus's daughter Isla. I think she has potential to be a great character. I get why Lord Eldus died. I understand why the poor people of Hillport were slaughtered. However, it seemed like such a waste for his daughter to die. She was kind to people. She wanted things for the people of Hillport so they could succeed. I just saw great potential there. I do think her death is going to fuel Marshus.

I do think we will see more development of Galen later so I'll leave him be for now.

Well, the character development for this first book was quite low and could have been more. It left a lot of loose ends and made the book a bit difficult to follow at some point.
I'd also not have killed Lord Eldus. But hopefully, his son didn't die.

Erandi Ekanayake wrote: ↑01 Oct 2020, 08:37 Imagine you were given a chance to change one thing about the book. It could be a person, an event, a decision, a course of action, or anything else.

How would you use this opportunity? Or do you think the book is perfect as it is?

I would like to add more details in the first chapter. Galen never thought of a family member in the Lands of the Princes when he received the papers, and very abruptly went to the docks. But he mentioned a grandma later after his arrival. I would like to add enlightenment to the readers if he doesn't have any family left.

I wish the author had given us more information on the Lands of the Princes. That would have made Galen's character more fascinating. It's probably going to be there in the next books. But I wish that something about Galen's homeland was discussed. I expected Rowan or Demetrius to ask him about it.

I would've liked to know more about that biomage. He seems kinda mysterious and despite being powerful didn't break out of jail until the end. It seems like he was doing all of this purposefully. Secondly, I would like to know what happened to the land of princes after Galen left that place.

I respect the author in how he writes the characters or plots in his books, so I won't change anything.
I have to read the sequels to finally say which turns of events are justified.
Many mysterious characters will be revealed in the next books, so I hope we will be given more background of these people.
Also, I agree that chapter numbers should be included.

I would get rid of the prologue, the part of the book in which the author describes how Meldorath murders Orlin and how Meldorath gets arrested three months later. After reading the prologue, I was so confused about the significance of these events on the plot, especially since chapter 1 jumps straight to another important character and event (the king and his Golden Age celebration). I would have been a lot less confused if the events and characters of the prologue would have been introduced later in the story.

There were quite a few things I'd want to change about the book. But the main thing would be the info-dump, there were parts where the descriptions went on and on with too many names, and I couldn't keep up with any of it. Some parts also got a little boring because of it. I understand the author was trying to build a detailed world, but the information could have been spread around throughout the book. Also, the similar sounding names were a problem for me.

Keep Isla and Charlotte Alderman alive! I've not read past the first book yet so if there's a bit of a bait-and-switch where they're somehow alive, then I stand corrected, but as it is, it seems like they simply died offscreen. Given that there are so few female characters and so many male ones, it feels a bit depressing that these two women spent the whole book being pretty underutilised, only to just be dismissed offscreen

I would've without a doubt not killed Lord Eldus. He was too good a character too have succumbed to such a fate.

I'm a happily-ever-after kind of person, so I'd have kept Lord Eldus alive and let the town of Hillport prosper under his influence. And if I couldn't do that, I'd have at least minimised the amount of death that happens.

If I could change one thing, I would prevent Lord Eldus from dying in this first installment. I got so attached to his character and I was really upset and disappointed to see him go so quickly. He was everything you could ever want in a politician - he was kind, considerate, and fair. He really tried to make a difference in Hillport.

Krista Ash wrote: ↑03 Oct 2020, 20:12 Galen appears to be the main character of the series, so if I were allowed to change something, I would give a bit more attention on Galen and his character development. He's too perfect as is. He's generous and grateful to everyone. I wish he was a more interesting character. Other characters are a bit better: Rowan has some spunk, Meldorath is a good guy gone bad... I just find pretty much every other character more interesting than Galen.

I absolutely agree with this. Tysz did a great job creating interesting and unique characters, but seemed to fall short with Galen. Protagonists who have a flaw are more relatable and also make for better storytelling.