Happy book birthday to the Seventh Decimate! I had such high hopes for this book. I really did. When I read the blurb for this book I knew I had to get it. But now, I just feel like that excitement wasn’t needed. I tried so hard to get through this book, but I honestly couldn’t get through it. So please keep in mind this is my view on this book and no one else’s.
I received this arc edition at the beginning of September from Orion Publishing House in exchange for a review so here it is. I started to read this book at the start of November, because I had so many other books to read before this one and because I was so scared to read it. Sadly I couldn’t finish this one. I stopped at 42% through this book. I wanted to get close enough to 50% but I couldn’t get through any more of it.
“Fire. Wind. Pestilence. Earthquake. Drought. Lightning. These are the six Decimates, wielded by sorcerers for both good and evil.
But a seventh Decimate exists–the most devastating one of all…
For centuries, the realms of Belleger and Amika have been at war, with sorcerers from both sides brandishing the Decimates to rain blood and pain upon their enemy. But somehow, in some way, the Amikans have discovered and invoked a seventh Decimate, one that strips all lesser sorcery of its power. And now the Bellegerins stand defenseless.
Prince Bifalt, eldest son of the Bellegerin King, would like to see the world wiped free of sorcerers. But it is he who is charged with finding the repository of all of their knowledge, to find the book of the seventh Decimate–and reverse the fate of his land.
All hope rests with Bifalt. But the legendary library, which may or may not exist, lies beyond an unforgiving desert and treacherous mountains–and beyond the borders of his own experience. Wracked by hunger and fatigue, sacrificing loyal men along the way, Bifalt will discover that there is a game being played by those far more powerful than he could ever imagine. And that he is nothing but a pawn…”
I love fantasy, and this sounds exactly how a fantasy should be. A group of people going on a quest to stop things from happening. This is exactly it. But honestly I was just confused and bored at the same time.
The prologue and the first part of this books were both gripping and interesting. I love the world Donaldson’s has created where magicians can be seen as the key to winning this ongoing war yet still some people are scared of what they can do. Obviously everyone would be scared of the things they don’t understand so its understandable how people are scared of what the sorcerers can do. Especially with the powers they can have.
Decimate is quite a strange word for the type of magic they can do yet it fits it perfectly. I love how the magic system with how each of them have their own limits, amount of destruction they can do. I love it how the author used a word that sounds so devastating and destructive to describe something other authors call gifts or powers.
I loved the history of the world. The world building and world history didn’t disappointment me at all. I loved the tale that was linked with why the two countries were at war with one another. I don’t think I have read a book with that little extra bit on top of their world. I wish I stayed longer just for the world building and seeing how it expands but honestly I just couldn’t get through part 3.
There were a lot of things that I just couldn’t get into while reading this book. I have no idea why but just many things stuck out to me and it stopped me from carrying on. The main that really annoyed me was how the story went flat after the first few parts. I was very intrigued in the beginning but then it just went downhill.
Another thing was how little I cared about the Prince. I know he was given a really important quest to save everyone but I just couldn’t care about his character and anyone else’s character. I may try and read this book again to see if I care about what happens to these characters.
I have no idea what I’ll do with this book now. I think if I were to reread this book then I would do another review for this book. Maybe if I finish book I might make more of an judgement on this book. Have you read a book you just couldn’t connect with the characters? Comment below and let me know.Â
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Till then readers!
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