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usandrufus's review
Slow, boring, poor writing. The pacing is bizarre. Characters are one-more stereotypes for chapters, and then change in the course of a paragraph. The Russian fairy-tale elements were the best bit, but they were not tied together well. The overarching fantasy story was generic and boring. Poorly edited, too. Unfortunately confirms my suspicions about self-published fantasy.
not_irish_patrick's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zoeelizabethk's review against another edition
4.0
The Song of the Sirin is a wonderfully epic take on a Russian fairy tale. Nicholas Kotar writes a tale that goes beyond the magical land of Vasyllia and delves into the human heart. It not simply the tale of a quest, but of the struggle between good and evil in the human heart and the search for beauty. I enjoyed the emotional depth of the characters and seeing them make their choices, both good and bad. The novel grew into an intense, epic ending, of the type that I rarely find in books anymore. If you like epic fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, or fairy tales, you will enjoy this book!
I think one of the great strengths of this novel is the variety of viewpoints and the quartet of main characters, as opposed to remaining with Voran the entire time. This allows the readers to understand the world as a whole, and the changing viewpoints were never jarring or out of place. I found myself preferring the other three members of the main quartet to Voran, a testament to how well-rounded his other characters were. I also really enjoyed the Russian folk and fairy tale elements that came up throughout the book. If you know Russian or Russian culture, there will be a number of familiar and amusing elements, but you will not miss much if you don’t. And knowing the fairy tales won’t spoil the ending of the book.
That being said, I did have a couple problems with the book. I found the beginning and set up a bit rushed and the characters’ feelings, especially Voran’s, a bit heavy handed at points. To be fair, I’ve been reading 1000 pages epics recently, so my problems with the pacing may only be reflecting that. At times I found the writing a little patchy, but once he settles into the story properly, Kotar’s writing evens out and I really enjoyed his narration and writing style. Overall I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the sequel.
I think one of the great strengths of this novel is the variety of viewpoints and the quartet of main characters, as opposed to remaining with Voran the entire time. This allows the readers to understand the world as a whole, and the changing viewpoints were never jarring or out of place. I found myself preferring the other three members of the main quartet to Voran, a testament to how well-rounded his other characters were. I also really enjoyed the Russian folk and fairy tale elements that came up throughout the book. If you know Russian or Russian culture, there will be a number of familiar and amusing elements, but you will not miss much if you don’t. And knowing the fairy tales won’t spoil the ending of the book.
That being said, I did have a couple problems with the book. I found the beginning and set up a bit rushed and the characters’ feelings, especially Voran’s, a bit heavy handed at points. To be fair, I’ve been reading 1000 pages epics recently, so my problems with the pacing may only be reflecting that. At times I found the writing a little patchy, but once he settles into the story properly, Kotar’s writing evens out and I really enjoyed his narration and writing style. Overall I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the sequel.
mimima's review against another edition
3.0
This is the Russian Orthodox "Lord of the Rings" - an excellently done fable that weaves in Russian folklore characters and beautiful writing that echoes the hymnography of the church.
However, it's me not the book. My feeling about it is about the same as my feeling about the Catholic original. It's well done and not my favorite.
However, it's me not the book. My feeling about it is about the same as my feeling about the Catholic original. It's well done and not my favorite.
morj's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
puffaluffagus's review
5.0
This book was a recommendation from another author I was following. It was pitched as a rendition of a Russian fairy tale, and as a lover of all things of fairies and tales, I was pretty excited to read it.
It took me an absurdly long time to read, mostly because there was a lot to it. This book switched perspective constantly, and several times I got confused as to who was related to whom or what role they played in the story. This book was pretty dense, and there wasn’t much breather in the story line. I think the book really could have benefited in adding such.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. The worldbuilding was especially fun.
It took me an absurdly long time to read, mostly because there was a lot to it. This book switched perspective constantly, and several times I got confused as to who was related to whom or what role they played in the story. This book was pretty dense, and there wasn’t much breather in the story line. I think the book really could have benefited in adding such.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. The worldbuilding was especially fun.
kjharrowick's review
4.0
Why I picked up this book:
I found this novella-length story buried among a pile of free books in one of my emails. Initially it was the cover that drew me, but after reading the blurb, I couldn’t resist snagging this sucker and adding it to my growing TBR pile.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The writing style is stellar. The prose is so rich and beautiful that I kept wishing this was a full-length, fleshed-out story and not a novella.
There’s a deep, heartbreaking theme in this tale that’s difficult to ignore. It’s pulled off beautifully and with such strength that it got me pondering life as it is today, and whether there was a moment in history where even we as humans took a left turn away from a deeper beauty in this world.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This story didn’t seem to have a consistent arc. A problem opened at the beginning with a bet between two men who didn’t seem to like one another, but this was never touched on again. I would have liked to see this arc closed, even if it didn’t turn out so great for the hero.
Because this was novella length, so many creatures and settings were barely touched on, then forgotten quickly in the journey. In the back of my mind I kept seeing a whole larger adventure happening that could have pushed this into a full-length novel.
Note to readers: The blurb for this book and the story don’t exactly match.
Overall:
I enjoyed this tale immensely. It was a beautiful peek into the world this author created, and a unique way to spin the old Russian fairytale. One thing I really wished though was that more of the world-building elements and the tale itself were fleshed out. I would have loved to feel a full immersion instead of a lighter hint at what’s beyond the borders of Vasyllia. Though, if you’re looking for a quick read that has a wonderful exotic world, this one’s the way to go.
I found this novella-length story buried among a pile of free books in one of my emails. Initially it was the cover that drew me, but after reading the blurb, I couldn’t resist snagging this sucker and adding it to my growing TBR pile.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The writing style is stellar. The prose is so rich and beautiful that I kept wishing this was a full-length, fleshed-out story and not a novella.
There’s a deep, heartbreaking theme in this tale that’s difficult to ignore. It’s pulled off beautifully and with such strength that it got me pondering life as it is today, and whether there was a moment in history where even we as humans took a left turn away from a deeper beauty in this world.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This story didn’t seem to have a consistent arc. A problem opened at the beginning with a bet between two men who didn’t seem to like one another, but this was never touched on again. I would have liked to see this arc closed, even if it didn’t turn out so great for the hero.
Because this was novella length, so many creatures and settings were barely touched on, then forgotten quickly in the journey. In the back of my mind I kept seeing a whole larger adventure happening that could have pushed this into a full-length novel.
Note to readers: The blurb for this book and the story don’t exactly match.
Overall:
I enjoyed this tale immensely. It was a beautiful peek into the world this author created, and a unique way to spin the old Russian fairytale. One thing I really wished though was that more of the world-building elements and the tale itself were fleshed out. I would have loved to feel a full immersion instead of a lighter hint at what’s beyond the borders of Vasyllia. Though, if you’re looking for a quick read that has a wonderful exotic world, this one’s the way to go.