My back started acting up.. so I ended up on semi-bed rest for about a week. Out of boredom I clicked on the first fantasy book I came across on YouTube. I wanted something new. The search returned Michael Diamond – “Nine Lives”, narrated by Golovin. Golovin is a solid narrator, so I decided to give it a listen.
Not a bad book with an original structure. There are quite a few strong moments and some good characters. The downsides:
- At times the plot twists are too obvious
- Some characters make illogical decisions
- Certain events feel forced in for theatrical effect
I especially liked the beginning of the book. The further it goes, the more the author starts cutting corners (as happens in about 90% of fantasy books, really). The opening does a very good job depicting the lower layers of society. The darkness of the fantasy is dense and bitter, just right. Later it shifts more toward epic scale, and the darkness starts coming more from Martin-style guillotines.
Conclusion – it is definitely worth reading. It would be interesting to check out other books by this author as well.