Part of this might have been the result of trying to make sure all four of the main POV character’s storylines lined up so that the big confluence of character meet-ups could happen later in the book. Some of the characters really needed the time to develop (Nora in her character development and Delila in the sheer amount of worldbuilding that had to occur around her), while others like Chroma and Erefial were just along for the ride. This is a common problem with long, multi-POV epics, and if this is something that tires in you books, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Eleventh Cycle - Mistland, Book 1, by Kian N. Ardalan Eleventh Cycle - Mistland, Book 1, by Kian N. Ardalan

One line for one character in particular stood out to me, and is a testament to the level of Kian's writing.Despite the similarities, Ardalan’s world is a lot darker than anything in Sanderson’s universe. This is grimdark fantasy after all, and Eleventh Cycle doesn’t shy away from the dark realities of war, reaching a level of despair and brutality on par with R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War. Each character is very distinctive with their own burdens to carry, and all seemingly running from something in their lives. Getting to experience these characters has been an honour so far, and an incredibly emotional experience. I mean Kian has made me cry about three times already!\ On the other hand, The Fantastically Underwhelming Epic wonders why the hero of the story always has to be some all-powerful child of prophecy? Why can’t it just be about a clueless, young bard who is simply tryin Kian N. 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. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.

Reddit Books with Dark Souls vibe : r/Fantasy - Reddit

Yes I can say that with certainty because We Break Immortals came out last year so I don't have to decide between my love for the two!!! The fun comes from trying to connect all the disparate pieces together because in their totality they will make a cohesive whole, but at first read through they do appear randomly chosen. I am still yet to work out how it all connects! Through these little pieces we learn more about the world, its creatures, the past, lots of different bits and bobs and its all utterly fascinating. Its clearly got a richness to it that in my opinion so far matches an wheel of time sort of scale, but it's never overwhelming or put forward at the sake of story or character. If you want to invest in all the different aspects you can, but first and foremost this is a character driven tale. Ardalan is a master at developing realistic, relatable characters. As I progressed through Eleventh Cycle, each of the four protagonists took turns being my favorite character. Although they inhabit a world so different from our own, their struggles reflect universal themes of identity, acceptance, friendship, and love. This is definitely a character-driven narrative, despite having such a detailed world to learn about. Overall Thoughts You don’t like dark elements in your books (murder, death, sexual assault, etc.) [ Specific trigger warnings listed by the author in the blurb below]The narration is... I'm sorry. The readers worked hard and you can feel it, but not all effort gets you where you want to be sometimes. There are other issues (so much passive voice worsening the word economy, and Nora's entire narrative is too bad YA high school drama for the setting and story it's trying to be) but they all pale in comparison to this one and I suspect it will make or break this book for the audience. Some of you may be aware of this self pub release coming up in February 2023. It's by an author called Kian Ardalan, and it's a Dark Souls inspired book. Now I am here to tell you exactly why you should be really excited for this release! By the end I am sure I will need a mountain of tissues! So far it's been a few tears, which is very hard to get from me in a book, and I have been assured by my friends whom have read it, that it only gets more emotional from here on out! There is a steep learning curve in Eleventh Cycle but it’s well worth the time and effort you put in. You might initially feel a little confused or overwhelmed with the character names, places, lore etc, and I think that’s kind of the point! Disclaimer: I am an ARC reader for Kian, I am doing this of my own volition because I am simply adoring this book near 40% in.

Eleventh Cycle by Kian N Ardalan | Waterstones

Upon the end of a Cycle, the sight of a Seed's ascension is a most wondrous sight. A pillar of light pierces down and pulls the Seed up into the Creator's embrace. It can be seen from the whole of Minethria." Eleventh Cycle achieves Brandon Sanderson-level worldbuilding, but with a murkier tone and a more nuanced execution. Although the name of Ardalan’s series, Mistland, recalls Sanderson’s Mistborn, the world of Eleventh Cycle has more in common with The Stormlight Archive, particularly with how Ardalan introduces multiple races that vilify each other without knowing why they are enemies. A soft and gentle breeze rustled the long field of grass as if grooming it with an invisible tongue. The orange glow of an egg yolk covered it all and the soft touch of grey began to grow like mould over its tapestry.' We also have interludes interspersed with the narrative on occasion, giving us a glimpse into Mount Morniar and the realm of the Elders. Now let me tell you, this is TRIPPY lol. I mean seriously it's incredibly fresh and inventive. I have never quite experienced worldbuilding that's felt this alien. Thats the entire feel to this world, a very alien, in some senses barren and morose world. This is not a light tale, not by any means. But this is not some kind of 'trauma porn', there is still light and hope in these books. These characters are inherently flawed but good people. They are fiercely loyal, compassionate, trying to do the right thing to survive their way in this miserable world.Multiple races are introduced, enemies between them, in wars that only bring destruction and despair to the land; using different 1st person POVs helps transmit how each one of them sees the world. Ardalan uses a really particular style of narration, mixing these 4 main characters narrating from their perspective to a fifth voice written in 3rd when related to the Seed. So yeah. I don't want to call this a bad book because I'm not sure it is. It's not so awful I've stopped but I have this nagging regret all the way through that audiobook just isn't the better version. And now I shall sign off so I can go and read the remaining 42% of the book, but if Dr Mauro's review is anything to go by, this will be an unrelenting emotionally powerful journey all the way through to the gritty end.