Cecilia Dart-Thornton

Settled on 4 stars for this book. Gave the first book 3 which I felt was a little harsh and I sort of feel I'm being a bit generous giving this one 4 stars.
I found that early on I had already predicted Thorn's identity and that the death of a character from the first book had been exaggerated.
Also felt that it was really dragging on at the start with a lot of pages (and words) passing without much actually happening.

However, it really picked up the pace at the end and took a twist that I had not seen coming. I found that I was really enjoying it and want to know how it all ends in the last book.
That alone basically earns it 4 stars.
Also think that regardless how tedious I find it to plough through page after page of lavish description and little action, this might be one of those series that sticks in my memory for a long time after I finish.
… (plus d'informations)

Personally I liked the ending.
Up until then it was all getting quite predictable and I was finding myself skim-reading page after page as not much was happening.
Some interesting ideas and loose ends and characters from earlier in the series all resolved.

In the end, just much too long-winded.
Normally it's a little bittersweet saying goodbye to much-loved characters at the end of a long series that you didn't want to end.

For this book, I was skipping paragraphs and pages because I just wanted it to end. Rarely do I find that.… (plus d'informations)

Possibly a bit harsh on this review.
Just finished Jim Butcher's Codex Aleara which was fantastic, so being more critical than usual.

Almost gave up about 100 pages in, just nothing really seeming to happen and it seemed to be wandering a little aimlessly.
However, once the bit on the back blurb (so hopefully not a spoiler) happened and the mute leaves on a windship, it really picked up.

In the end, it is definitely an interesting world, with some interesting characters, and definitely a chance that any one (except the main character?) can expire along the way.… (plus d'informations)

Luscious prose and descriptions, an irresistible plot (disfigured young woman, obviously bespelled, also amnesiac, escapes drudgery and ...) also treasure, a love interest . . and many wonderful ideas (the shang wind, a kind of storm during which you can see ghosts replaying scenes of high emotion; sildron a rare and precious metal which floats which the people use to sail boats in the skies--it has an opposite metal) and wonderful storytelling. Dart-Thornton has collected from far and wide the older stories, poems and tales of the British Isles. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this writer and this series. On to book 2! The prose isn't complicated but there are long long lists of what people are eating, wearing, seeing, doing, everything, in short . . . might be too much for some. Most (not all) are real words from the heights of the romantic period of the middle ages and earlier as are most of the stories. ****… (plus d'informations)