A slow start, but fun read for fans
919539
Lord of Souls starts slowly.  Much like initially "walking" around in the world of Elder Scrolls, there are many minor characters with odd names that are hard to track, but a complex plot develops as the story proceeds.  Once you get about 1/4 of the way into the book, the story gets much more compelling.

The writing is solid, but if the reader were unfamiliar with Elder Scrolls IV, the concepts would be obscure (and aren't explained), such as what daedra are, what Oblivion is, etc.  There's a great deal of mayhem, as in the games, leaving the reader wondering how there could be any population left in the fictional world.

Lord of Souls is lightweight (which is hardly unexpected for a story based on a game), but it's an entertaining read for fans of Elder Scrolls.  Recommended if you're familiar with the Oblivion world, and it will leave fans hungry for the upcoming game, Elder Scrolls V.
2189794
I see why it had to be that way, but the first half of the book is very slow and you only get a good picture of the world she lives in past the 50% mark. So at first the main character seems decontextualized and it was hard for me to get into. But persisting past the beginning, the conflict, her relationships, and her world as a whole become quite interesting. I'm now well into Magic Study and I'm hooked. I really enjoy the author's writing style and her character development. She allows her characters to learn from their mistakes at a normal pace; I haven't noticed any complete out-of-character actions made, nor have the characters obstinately made the same mistakes over and over. Really love it all. Only giving it 4 stars because of how I was continuing to say "still not quite hooked yet" in the first 50% of the book.
4314100
I need to preface this review by saying I really enjoyed the first  books in this series. The characters were developed and the story line well set up in those books. This book however I had a tough time getting into. The beginning was rather slow but as it picked up I enjoyed it more.  The humor in this book was a little too forced for me and I found myself rolling my eyes a bit as it was so heavy handed. I did enjoy seeing it tie up some loose ends story wise. It's a fun beach read or for  the days when you want really light hearted, easy reading.  It makes more sense character wise if you've read the other books first. I don't think the characters are developed enough in this story to make them interesting enough as a stand alone book.
1856544
This is a well written and enjoyable book, and Nguyan's art is amazing

The story moves a little slowly at times, and none of the characters struck me as particularly interesting, however I think that the this book, being the first volume, had to set up a lot of the world, so we'll get more story and character development later on.

That said, there are a lot of interesting scenes and ideas, and definitely kept me entertained. I will be getting the second volume.
3711737
The book started pretty slow, but picked up some after a while.  The writing was good, I just didn't "love" the female character and therefore had a hard time getting into the book.  That said, it's worth checking out if your looking for a lite read.
1668632
I've been a fan of this series for a long time, so when I saw this new title available I jumped at it without even reading the description.

It came the day before a 6 hour flight, so I figured it would be the perfect way to pass the time. As it turns out, that was a good decision. The first few chapters didn't grab me; had this been my first exposure to the series, it would also have been my last. If I had another book with me, I would have abandoned this one. However, with nothing else to do for several hours, I decided to keep reading.

The story did get more interesting. In addition, there was a good deal of character development. Some new characters to like and one (recurring, but in a much more prominent role) to especially dislike.

The plot had an early ethical question that I thought might be the centerpiece of the story, but it turned out differently. That's OK,but I would have liked to see that explored a bit more.

If you're a long time fan, you'll enjoy reading about Banks and Annie, Banks' now grown kids and the station house intrigues. If you're not already familiar with this then don't start here.  As with many series, the author has to assume readers have some knowledge of the history and relationships. To do otherwise would bloat the book with hundreds of pages of explanations that would be necessarily incomplete while spoiling other stories.
2657308
starts slow, i didn't like the characters at first but turn out to be a good read
41532
It may have taken a while to get here, and even though I cannot read a majority of this book, I can say that it is a great art book to possess for fans of the series.
155012
This book took a while to get into... the art is okay, but sometimes confusing trying to figure out who's who and what was going on. The story has hilarious moments, and I hope there may be more stories to follow!
217970
This book starts out very slowly, mainly because the author is very detailed about the setting and characters. Also, the author skips around so that you can tell what other characters are doing and thinking. The plot has a few times where it stales, but picks up nearing the end. I have started  reading the next book in the series and am enjoying it.
4914402
I like the series, but find that it drags a little. But, all in all, it is a fun read.
2535062
a good read but somewhat slow compared to earlier efforts.
4913572
In the end, I really liked this book, but it took a lot of work to get there. The regular back & forth in the first half made reading difficult -- certainly it's not a book to read in 30 minute chunks. Over time, the storyline begins to catch on, and the connections between the characters become more visible though, and then it really becomes a joy to read. It was a fun story, with a few unexpected twists (and I feared more surprises in the end -- I'm relieved that they didn't happen).

One thing which nagged at me towards the end though were some of the unrealistic plot aspects. I had to push those out of my head while reading, telling myself that a good book doesn't have to be plausible, but it would have been nice to be closer to what would make sense given science & physics. For example, generating electricity doesn't take rocket science, and text-books with information about various aspects of modern life should last quite some time, and help get things off the ground faster.

All-in-all, I *wish* the book were a little different, that the story-line were more coherent in the beginning, and that the author had pulled in help to improve the accuracy of the plot elements, but it was a fun & interesting read (albeit on a dark topic) that kept me on my toes, always expecting a turn into an unknown direction. Will definitely read again.
3749916
I thought it started pretty slow, in fact the first 50-70% was slow going and a juvenile writing style. However, as the boom winds up you're hooked on the series and the writing style noticeably improves. I have finished all available books available at this point in the series and anxiously await the next installment.
1939257
An enjoyable read for fans who want more of this famous story.
1613185
The beginning of this book was a bit slow, but it sure picked up! This was a very quick read. I enjoyed reading this book, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to any of my friends. However, I did like the storyline enough to become interested in reading some more books in the series.
195032
I began this series years ago. If you're already a fan of the series and the world of Princess Meredith, then you're like me and have been craving to hear more about them. The book as a whole was enjoyable. The descriptions did seem a bit long winded as was warned in some of the other reviews. I'll take it for what it is, a continuation of a story I've been waiting to hear. If you haven't read any of the books in the series don't bother. I felt like you already had to have an interest in the characters to want to get through this book. Take that however you will.