Cypher: Lord of the Fallen

[cheywood]

Finished this up a little while ago. It’s an incredibly short read. Maybe the shortest novel BL’s published? 

 

As a fan of good prose I absolutely adore it. This is French at his best in many ways. The sentences flow beautifully and I would maintain that Cypher’s digressions are amongst the best pieces of writing BL has published. The images of Terra he conveys are gothic and strange in a way that fits Wraight’s gorgeous vision of the homeworld, while adding a layer of madness to it all. It’s like the insanity of the Siege never really left. 
 

On the other hand, as a fan of good stories I’m a little more mixed. I loved the ending and the narrative style, but the journey feels a little empty at times. The first half especially lacks much momentum. I would’ve liked more character development, especially of the Fallen. French’s afterword in the LE makes it clear that he understandably views Cypher as more mystery than character, but that doesn’t apply to Korlael, Bakhariel or Azkhar. 

To taste - 9/10 for me, but I understand why others look on it less favorably