Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
It can be hit or miss launching straight into an incredibly detailed fantasy world with a tonne of names, background information and magical rule structure to remember straight off the bat, and I'm still not sure which side of the fence this book really fell into.
Firstly astrology really isn't of much interest to me, so I found myself skimming over a lot of the nativity talk. Secondly for all the urgency to find the missing children from the very beginning, not much actually happens for most of the book. The climax of the novel is quite action-packed, but the majority of the plot is filled with everyone pacing back and forth scratching their heads and pointing fingers at each other. Also inserting 'gay romance' into the blurb is a bit of a misnomer, as there is no romance at all for the entire duration (only a very quick blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash of jealousy towards the end).
There were also typos and missing punctuation EVERYWHERE in the edition I read, which was incredibly distracting.
Yet despite all these things, I never once thought about stopping or putting it aside. This story is the very definition of a slow build, and I find myself thinking of it like an extended pilot episode to a quite intriguing television series.
I'm not going to hurtle towards the closest bookstore to purchase the next in this series immediately, but I certainly plan on reading it at some stage.
Firstly astrology really isn't of much interest to me, so I found myself skimming over a lot of the nativity talk. Secondly for all the urgency to find the missing children from the very beginning, not much actually happens for most of the book. The climax of the novel is quite action-packed, but the majority of the plot is filled with everyone pacing back and forth scratching their heads and pointing fingers at each other. Also inserting 'gay romance' into the blurb is a bit of a misnomer, as there is no romance at all for the entire duration (only a very quick blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash of jealousy towards the end).
There were also typos and missing punctuation EVERYWHERE in the edition I read, which was incredibly distracting.
Yet despite all these things, I never once thought about stopping or putting it aside. This story is the very definition of a slow build, and I find myself thinking of it like an extended pilot episode to a quite intriguing television series.
I'm not going to hurtle towards the closest bookstore to purchase the next in this series immediately, but I certainly plan on reading it at some stage.
adventurous
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting world, okay characters, far less interesting plot. More mystery than fantasy. Not as much lgbt content as I was expecting. Full review at http://www.flaminggeeks.com/tripletake
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A kind of fantasy crime novel, set in a matrilinear world with apparent gender equality and totally accepted same-sex relationships. Despite this, the two (male) protagonists of the book do NOT get it together. Their growing relationship might be interpreted as attraction, but it's basically just friendship, which disappointed me. And the story was strangely lacking in major female protagonists, considering the apparent equality. Also, I'm not generally a fan of mysteries or police procedurals, which this was, despite being set in a world with magic and working astrology and two suns. So while this was well-written, and the world-building truly extraordinary, it felt just a bit too long for me, being not exactly my cup of tea. If fantasy and mysteries are your thing, it might be yours.
Also, I got my book from Smashwords, and the ebook formatting sucked, not to the point of being unreadable, but far from perfect. The editing left something to be desired, too.
Also, I got my book from Smashwords, and the ebook formatting sucked, not to the point of being unreadable, but far from perfect. The editing left something to be desired, too.
Points of Hopes is a fantasy mystery with a historical feel, although it’s set in a different world. In the city of Astreiant, children are disappearing. Rafe is one of the watchmen investigating the case, but there are few clues as to who is taking the children. And in the mean time, the city simmers on the edge of its boiling point.
This book was not suited to me, especially during final exam season. The prose is dense, and my mind kept drifting off as I tried to read. It was also really slow going. I did want to learn what was happening to the children, but so very little happened in the first two hundred pages. I also think that the authors needed to drop more clues as to the solution of the mystery earlier on, since the necessary information came almost out of the blue. Or maybe they did drop a clue and I missed it because I wasn’t paying close enough attention?
Astreiant wasn’t my favorite fantasy setting ever, but I do think it was well developed. The people of Astreiant have an obsession with the stars, which predict everything from your death to which careers would best suit you. It’s also a world that has no trouble with same-sex relationships, which are considered a normal part of society. Both the main characters are bisexual, and while there was no romance in this book, I’m told they get together in the sequel.
It’s hard for me to evaluate how well the protagonists were characterized. I never felt connected to them or had much of a sense of them, but someone who was more engaged in the book might feel differently.
I can see other people liking Point of Hopes, but it didn’t work for me. Something about the writing style didn’t jive, although it’s hard for me to describe it beyond “dense.” I’m not likely to be recommending it, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it either.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
This book was not suited to me, especially during final exam season. The prose is dense, and my mind kept drifting off as I tried to read. It was also really slow going. I did want to learn what was happening to the children, but so very little happened in the first two hundred pages. I also think that the authors needed to drop more clues as to the solution of the mystery earlier on, since the necessary information came almost out of the blue. Or maybe they did drop a clue and I missed it because I wasn’t paying close enough attention?
Astreiant wasn’t my favorite fantasy setting ever, but I do think it was well developed. The people of Astreiant have an obsession with the stars, which predict everything from your death to which careers would best suit you. It’s also a world that has no trouble with same-sex relationships, which are considered a normal part of society. Both the main characters are bisexual, and while there was no romance in this book, I’m told they get together in the sequel.
It’s hard for me to evaluate how well the protagonists were characterized. I never felt connected to them or had much of a sense of them, but someone who was more engaged in the book might feel differently.
I can see other people liking Point of Hopes, but it didn’t work for me. Something about the writing style didn’t jive, although it’s hard for me to describe it beyond “dense.” I’m not likely to be recommending it, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it either.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Set in a fictional fantasy world similar to seventeenth century England. The main difference is that astrology is real--and not only can it be used to accurately predict the future, it can be used to change it as well. The premise and plot are pretty good, but it gets bogged down in minutia. I know what the two main characters had for literally every meal of the week the story covers. I know how they hang their jackets, I know where they buy their ale--every single conversation, meal, and clothing-buying expedition is documented in detail. Very boring. The most disappointing aspect was, however, the relationship between the main characters. One a mercenary, the other a police officer (or "pointsman"), they're supposedly highly attracted to each other. They even move in together and declare lemanry (a fictional version of a civil union). And yet, not a single kiss between them. No moments of passion, no thoughts on how sexy the other looks--nothing.
Teenage favorite, still enjoy re-reading. Great world building and queer love simply baked in.
Only now, reading Melissa Scott's bio on here did I learn that Lisa A. Barnett was her partner.
Only now, reading Melissa Scott's bio on here did I learn that Lisa A. Barnett was her partner.
This book takes place in a city called Astreint, in a vaguely defined fantasy world. The city has numerous neighborhoods referred to as Points, and each Point has its own watch station. Rathe is second-in-command at the Point of Hopes watch station and investigating the disappearance of the city's children. The other main character is a recently released mercenary who is searching for employment. The two characters' actions eventually come together to resolve the question of the children's disappearances.
One thing I liked about this book was the absence of didacticism. Nowhere do the authors go into a lengthy explanation of the city's religion (based on the Gods, in which knowing your stars goes a long way towards determining which career you might best be suited for, broadsheets based on astrological pronouncements are very popular reading material, and mothers endeavor to ascertain the moment of their children's birth down to the quarter hour in order to allow them to get the most accurate astrological readings) or government -- a monarchy with a queen at its head in a matriarachal society. The reader picks up bits and pieces here and there, gleaned from characters discussing or mentioning things in the normal course, and is left with the feeling that these are all drawn from a larger body of knowledge. I liked very much the way the authors handled their world building.
One thing I didn't understand was why two female authors would write a book about two male main characters, when there are a plethora of fantasy novels with men as the lead characters, and rather less with women (imho, of course).
One thing I liked about this book was the absence of didacticism. Nowhere do the authors go into a lengthy explanation of the city's religion (based on the Gods, in which knowing your stars goes a long way towards determining which career you might best be suited for, broadsheets based on astrological pronouncements are very popular reading material, and mothers endeavor to ascertain the moment of their children's birth down to the quarter hour in order to allow them to get the most accurate astrological readings) or government -- a monarchy with a queen at its head in a matriarachal society. The reader picks up bits and pieces here and there, gleaned from characters discussing or mentioning things in the normal course, and is left with the feeling that these are all drawn from a larger body of knowledge. I liked very much the way the authors handled their world building.
One thing I didn't understand was why two female authors would write a book about two male main characters, when there are a plethora of fantasy novels with men as the lead characters, and rather less with women (imho, of course).