cpark2005 reviewed HE WHO FIGHTS by Mike Morris
Review of 'HE WHO FIGHTS' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Mike Morris has given us a highlander-esque story with some interesting twists in He Who Fights, the first of his Nathaniel Rane novels. This is a novel filled with intense fight sequences, and a main character who essentially struggles with madness and the possibility of losing himself to the thirst for blood.
As you might expect from a book titled He Who Fights there are a lot of fight scenes in this book. Each of these scenes are well written and contain a sense of excitement. On occasion they can become a little repetitive, but I didn’t notice this too much. The main character is also well fleshed out and feels believable given the world he lives in and his personal backstory. The world is more than a little grim, but in a way that feels very natural and believable given events of the recent past in the world. …
Mike Morris has given us a highlander-esque story with some interesting twists in He Who Fights, the first of his Nathaniel Rane novels. This is a novel filled with intense fight sequences, and a main character who essentially struggles with madness and the possibility of losing himself to the thirst for blood.
As you might expect from a book titled He Who Fights there are a lot of fight scenes in this book. Each of these scenes are well written and contain a sense of excitement. On occasion they can become a little repetitive, but I didn’t notice this too much. The main character is also well fleshed out and feels believable given the world he lives in and his personal backstory. The world is more than a little grim, but in a way that feels very natural and believable given events of the recent past in the world. There is a fair bit more to explore in this world as well.
As I was reading, I found that while I didn’t have huge criticisms, there also wasn’t much that really grabbed me. The MC ensured that I finished the book, but I never felt truly engaged with the book. The pacing does lag towards the middle and I felt like things could have been tightened up quite a bit. For me the largest issue was that there were a number of inconsistencies in the book that frustrated me. [Mild spoilers follow] For example, early on Nathaniel Rane thinks about how out of shape he is. A chapter later he’s thinking about how he’s in great shape. Less than a week has passed. The implication may be that his sword has helped him stay in shape, but it isn’t like he has recently acquired the sword. He always had it. Later in the book Rane is traveling toward a destination and the destination is said to be five days away. Two chapters later they’ve been traveling for a week and still haven’t reached their destination, with no explanation for why it has taken longer than expected. [Mild spoilers end] These aren’t huge complaints, but when the rest of the book doesn’t grab you…
At the end of the day, I wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually enjoyed it. That’s disappointing to me, but I feel like it might very much be a preference thing and a high annoyance level with inconsistencies. Depending on your own preferences you might find a higher level of enjoyment. 3/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – I liked it, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing