Glen Cook puts a good deal of effort into submerging the reader into the world of Darkwar. Consequently, Cook spends a lot of time describing everything from the social structure of the tribes and their customs, to the beasts native to the area. There isn’t much for the reader to naturally relate to as everything presented is relatively foreign, so I would imagine there was really no way to write this without the excessive world building, details and explanations. This does make the book refreshingly unique, but also makes the first few chapters a struggle to trudge through. While the writing was good, there wasn’t really enough going on to keep me turning pages, so after I put the book down, the only thing that reminded me to pick it back up again was keeping it out where I would see it.
If you want to find a book that will completely submerge you in another world and occupy your attention for a decent amount of time, I would recommend Darkwar. If you prefer books with a fast pace and little less detail, then this might not be the best pick for you.
