The writing in these novels is bad in many ways, but I can't help but be drawn in to the story and the characters' lives, all the same. I just laugh when parts are poorly written or redundant, and carry on listening. The audiobooks are pretty good, as long as they're sped up; the reading pace is way too slow at 100%. I find that 120% is just right. The narrator does a good job of various voices and accents.

I'm trying to separate the quality of writing from the story being told, but sometimes the poor writing strains the story. One such example is how Thor constantly finds himself in situations where a little magic would help tremendously, yet the author creates a physical fight scene in which Thor should ultimately lose, until finally the magic wells up and spills out of him. Why does he not ever instantly think of magic, and try to call it up? It's incredibly unbelievable that he would be caught off guard and surprised by it appearing, after the first or second time that it happened. It's hard to get through those scenes.

I like what's happening with some of the characters, especially Godfrey and Gwen, as related to their father's death and their subsequent character growth. Kendrick and Reece are excellent people from the start, noble and compassionate, and they continue being enjoyable and likable. Gareth is a despicable person, of course, as is McCloud, and they're prime examples of how interesting it can be to read stories from the perspective of the bad guy. I love seeing inside their heads and following their perspectives in some of their scenes. I'm so glad their POVs are included.

These books are really hard to rate and review, because I honestly think of so many aspects to pick apart and scorn while I also am fully invested in the characters' stories and the world they're in. The overall story is quite compelling, but could be much more so if edited a lot better and rewritten a bit. My opinion teeters in the middle of good and bad, and I've settled on 3 stars.