Solid fantasy novella with characters you quickly get the gist of and a cool setting. Davriel Cane is a great character that I wouldn't mind reading more about in case there would be a continuation. His philosophy, behaviour, magical abilities, and hints of a cool backstory are all intriguing. The book is set in the Magic: The Gathering universe, but stands alone without much tying into the greater story, so no familiarity with that franchise is necessary. ( )

Tacenda e Davriel são personagens divertidos, uma criança paladina da justiça que não entende a natureza de seu poder nem sabe viabilizá-lo e um andarilho de planos cômico-playboy canastrão das trevas, com direito a bigodinho família adams e serviçais demônicos. A história é divertida e possui o tom trágico que as coisas ligadas a Magic the Gathering costumam ter, embora ela seja um pouco rasa (o que também é típico). Pena que não está ligado a nenhuma coleção em específico e os dois novos blocos em Innistrad não mencionam as cartas. Que eu saiba só Davriel teve carta, no jump-start historic horizons, aliás, bem representada. (a mecânica que faz você escolher uma vantagem e uma desvantagem, a partir de algo razoavelmente aleatório é uma boa adaptação do caráter despreparado e despreocupado com que o demonologista executa seus contratos). ( )

DNF @ 7%

So tedious.
Having read a thing or two by this author, I expected better.
Very disappointed.

VERDICT : WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ( )

A great little short story. Took me four or so chapters to get hooked but then I couldn't put it down. Luckily you don't need any M:tG knowledge to appreciate it, but I'm certain I missed some subtle hints and references. ( )

Hey, it's Sanderson. I'll give it a chance.

Taking place in the greater Magic the Gathering universe, there's a feel for a huge world we're only seeing a corner of. Names That Matter left and right and nowhere near enough time to learn what they all mean... but if you just go with it, you'll figure out enough for this particular story.

On a smaller level, the point of view characters being a set of twins with magical powers but a shared drawback--each is blind for half the day while the other can see--is a common enough trope but done well. It's actually interesting to (for the most part) only see the world from one twin's point of view. Sanderson does unreliable narrators well.

Davriel (the other main character) is also wonderful. A neat power set--the summoning of demons bound to serve under contract has always appealed to me; plus temporarily stealing powers leads to nice variety--and a greatly amusing outlook on life. He doesn't want to be a hero. He doesn't particularly even want to work hard. But he's got power and he doesn't seem like a strictly bad person, just not a paragon of virtue.

Overall, I wish we'd had a bit more time in the world, but not enough to take away from all of Sanderson's other projects. I may just have to check out some other Magic the Gathering fiction though. A shared multiverse with many worlds and authors mixed and matched? Could be cool. ( )