About two years ago I received a piece by a Krakow writer Paweł Majka entitled Berserk . It was an introduction to post-apo for me and quite successful. This is evidenced by my review of this title. Imagine my surprise when I recently received a package with the second volume of this book. Without thinking for long, I was immersed in reading. So did Berserk: Confessor turn out to be as good as his predecessor? You will learn about it in this review.
Because you have to know the story
Comparing the first and second volumes of Berserk in the story lines , I have the impression that the writer lacked inspiration. The book does not contain as many parallel threads as the one set in Krakow. Actually, we are dealing with a kind of road novel with only one plot line. Sometimes, of course, we are given the opportunity to observe events from a different perspective, but this is only, or perhaps as many as three chapters. The reason for this is the introduction of only one protagonist, not four as in the previous volume. But let’s get down to business.
The action of this novel is set properly on the way. It begins in a prison where we meet our main character, Mark. Convicted of beating up his wife’s lover, he leaves after nine years and that’s when he gets what he calls Flash. He wakes up somewhere in Poland, he doesn’t understand what happened and why. Therefore, he sets off first to Piotrków Trybunalski to find out what happened to his family. There it turns out that practically all of them are dead. All he has to do is try to find the son he didn’t know about before. The trail leads him to Częstochowa, and there to Jasna Góra, where he meets a mysterious Father and a no less mysterious Order. Having become associated with them, he sets out on a pilgrimage, not forgetting his main motives. What will come of this? You will learn about it from reading.
Majka efficiently painted the heroes of the novel, making them truly expressive people with their own motives and goals. Even the episodic characters have their own depth and character. This is appreciated because it is mainly the heroes who keep us reading. It also proves the artistry of the author. Unfortunately, the plot, as I mentioned, is lame. There are no such twists as in the first volume, nor does he answer the previously asked questions. We get new puzzles and new secrets, but no hints on how to unravel them. In the workshop, we received a book equal to its predecessor. Majka still kept his light pen and the ability to make extremely suggestive descriptions, and this allows him to finish the book despite the shortcomings of the plot.
A few words about the release
The edition of this book is very similar to the previous volume. Similarly, on the cover we have a figure in a mask, and the whole thing is kept in a dark tone. There weren’t many typos or typos inside, though one was particularly nasty. The name of one of the protagonists was changed and I couldn’t quite figure out what it was about. Nevertheless, the edition is good with a plus.
In summary, Berserk: Confessor is a relatively successful continuation of the cycle. It has basically everything in its place, but a slightly weak plot spoils the overall tone. You can read, but you don’t have to.
