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Kristin Cashore, Graceling
WHOOSH! (That's the book galloping by).
I don't know why it took me over a week to finish: possibly because much of last week I spent in a bit of a funk being tired and depressed and preoccupied and consequently was falling asleep over my book at night and not getting much reading done. But that's by the by.
It was thoroughly enjoyable. Likeable (why is LJ spellcheck balking on that word?) characters, a very intriguing system of magic/special powers, a believable romance. I was mildly underimpressed, based on the advance buzz on it. Much of the YA sf community seemed to be gushing about it, but it left me with a feeling that I wanted more, which is what I mean when I say it galloped by. The action felt rushed. The main climax (overcoming the Big Bad) was just "zap" and it was done. I'm usually grateful when a fantasy is a stand-alone and the first book in a series isn't all about establishing the characters and setting and creating a lot of suspense for the next two, but with this book I would have maybe liked a little more of that and less breathless action that once or twice left me flipping back through going "what just happened?" I liked it enough that I think I'll read the next one, except that I think I've read people saying that the next one isn't as good... Anyway. It was fun. I definitely liked it a lot; I just didn't love it.
WHOOSH! (That's the book galloping by).
I don't know why it took me over a week to finish: possibly because much of last week I spent in a bit of a funk being tired and depressed and preoccupied and consequently was falling asleep over my book at night and not getting much reading done. But that's by the by.
It was thoroughly enjoyable. Likeable (why is LJ spellcheck balking on that word?) characters, a very intriguing system of magic/special powers, a believable romance. I was mildly underimpressed, based on the advance buzz on it. Much of the YA sf community seemed to be gushing about it, but it left me with a feeling that I wanted more, which is what I mean when I say it galloped by. The action felt rushed. The main climax (overcoming the Big Bad) was just "zap" and it was done. I'm usually grateful when a fantasy is a stand-alone and the first book in a series isn't all about establishing the characters and setting and creating a lot of suspense for the next two, but with this book I would have maybe liked a little more of that and less breathless action that once or twice left me flipping back through going "what just happened?" I liked it enough that I think I'll read the next one, except that I think I've read people saying that the next one isn't as good... Anyway. It was fun. I definitely liked it a lot; I just didn't love it.