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koalathebear's review
5.0
I previously read The Singer of All Songs, The Waterless Sea and the Tenth Power by Kate Constable and enjoyed them. I thought that Taste of Lightning was outstanding, though.
First of all, I really liked the characters of Tansy (laundry maid) and Perrin (soldier) a LOT. I totally ship them. Skir was what you would expect from your slightly whingey heir-apparent, but he's not too unbearable. I liked the world that Constable has created, I like the folklore, the ethnicities, the culture and the stories. I liked the magic and the history - I loved the suspense and dread she manages to describe while at the same time writing a delightful 'road trip' story with three young protagonists.
Kate Constable is really a very talented writer. She doesn't over-use words and I was completely absorbed by the story she was telling. I was reading this book during my lunch break today and almost burst into tears about a horse!!!! Given that the book was written in 2007, my expectations for any further books is very low but I am hopeful that this is not the last that we see of Tansy, Perrin and Skir.
First of all, I really liked the characters of Tansy (laundry maid) and Perrin (soldier) a LOT. I totally ship them. Skir was what you would expect from your slightly whingey heir-apparent, but he's not too unbearable. I liked the world that Constable has created, I like the folklore, the ethnicities, the culture and the stories. I liked the magic and the history - I loved the suspense and dread she manages to describe while at the same time writing a delightful 'road trip' story with three young protagonists.
Kate Constable is really a very talented writer. She doesn't over-use words and I was completely absorbed by the story she was telling. I was reading this book during my lunch break today and almost burst into tears about a horse!!!! Given that the book was written in 2007, my expectations for any further books is very low but I am hopeful that this is not the last that we see of Tansy, Perrin and Skir.
tryme's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jennybeastie's review
3.0
I really enjoy Kate Constable's writing, but this book relies a little too heavily on the reader having read her earlier series. I found the characters to be a little less well-developed, believable or compelling than in the earlier series... which is too bad, because that series is terrific, and on a level with Tamora Pierce for story.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fantastic book, and that it takes place with the Tremaris world? Love it, and about 17 or so years at least after The Tenth Power, and this characters were new, though Tansy reminded me a bit of Mica and Calwyin, a mix of them, and yeah, this was a fantastic book, and now there's a possibility for a sequel, which I'd love!!!
meeners's review
4.0
"old-fashioned" is the word that came to mind as i read this, but i don't mean that in a pejorative sense - though in fact i find it difficult to pin down what it is i mean exactly. maybe it's simply relief at reading a young adult fantasy that isn't written in puerile first-person prose (the kind that magnifies every besotted flutter or agonized decision to intolerable proportions). or maybe it's because i first discovered kate constable years and years ago, and feel a nostalgic pleasure in encountering her again.
or maybe it's because i grew up on this kind of storytelling mode. in some ways, the taste of lightning is just like any other conventional fantasy on the surface - cluttered with improbable coincidences, awkward made-up fantasy names, western-medieval-ish settings, and idealized romance. but through sturdy, simple storytelling and a consistent acknowledgement of what's at stake for the characters (within the narrative, and as narrative), kate constable manages to make the reader (or this particular reader, anyhow) care about it all, with affection, and in earnest. more please!
or maybe it's because i grew up on this kind of storytelling mode. in some ways, the taste of lightning is just like any other conventional fantasy on the surface - cluttered with improbable coincidences, awkward made-up fantasy names, western-medieval-ish settings, and idealized romance. but through sturdy, simple storytelling and a consistent acknowledgement of what's at stake for the characters (within the narrative, and as narrative), kate constable manages to make the reader (or this particular reader, anyhow) care about it all, with affection, and in earnest. more please!
melodypowers65's review
2.0
I found this book to be a disappointing sequel to Constable's Chanter of Tremaris series. The characters and plots were not well developed, although the world building was passable. The main characters and their relationships all seemed promising, so it was especially disappointing when I didn't think they were fleshed out as well as they could have been.
I was disappointed to not see more characters from the original series, though that is personal preference and not necessarily a justified criticism of the book. And there was one interesting connection I hadn't predicted.
I was very annoyed by the constant use of the swearword 'frug', particularly in the scenes with the Army near the beginning, where it used in almost every bit of dialogue.
It seems like the book was leaving open the possibilty for futher books set in Tremaris, but I don't know if I would bother with them if they were to eventuate, as I found this book a bit boring overall and lacking in a satisfying ending
I was disappointed to not see more characters from the original series, though that is personal preference and not necessarily a justified criticism of the book. And there was one interesting connection I hadn't predicted.
I was very annoyed by the constant use of the swearword 'frug', particularly in the scenes with the Army near the beginning, where it used in almost every bit of dialogue.
It seems like the book was leaving open the possibilty for futher books set in Tremaris, but I don't know if I would bother with them if they were to eventuate, as I found this book a bit boring overall and lacking in a satisfying ending
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