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astraia_sun's review against another edition
1.0
Good lord I hated this book so much.
UPDATE:
So I wrote my one line "review" back in June, and now that it's the end of August I'm prepared to write more about it. I bought this book at least in 2008 (I found a ticket stub for a concert in that year as bookmark). I picked up at least three times and put it down, unwilling to put in the effort of reading it. I remember back when I WAS reading it after buying it initially, a friend of mine was also reading the series. She told me that while this book wasn't very good, the subsequent books got better. However, I really, really hated this book so I won't be reading any more volumes even if they are 500% better.
A lot of my problems with this book are centered on the abysmal prose. It reads like something I might have written in my teens, with perhaps the tiniest bit more polish (not much, some of the descriptions made me cringe hard-core, especially when Alexa was first transported to Lladrana).
It took me several months to slog through this book. It shouldn't have if it was written in a more engaging style, with a better plot. I actually started it at the end of 2012 and finished it in June of 2013. To me, it read more like a detailed, padded outline than a real, rounded work. There is a remarkable amount of telling instead of showing, and considering Alexa doesn't even speak the language for so long, that's pretty cringe-worthy.
I didn't like Alexa, or Bastien or whatever his name was. I don't remember most of the story because it flitted out of my head as soon as it entered. I don't require 100% originality in my stories; that would be impossible. But this is so standard and uninspired that it really didn't click with me. I understand what the author was trying to do with this story, but I don't think she managed to pull it off.
I realize this is a very harsh review, but for something so dull, it managed to inspire a really strong reaction from me. I honestly didn't care at ALL about the fate of Lladrana, or any of the characters themselves (and there was a total contrivance between the love interests that made me want to bang my head against the wall. I LOATHE "Big Misunderstanding" plot devices).
So, to make a long story short (too late!) I refer back to my original review:
Good Lord I hated this book so much.
UPDATE:
So I wrote my one line "review" back in June, and now that it's the end of August I'm prepared to write more about it. I bought this book at least in 2008 (I found a ticket stub for a concert in that year as bookmark). I picked up at least three times and put it down, unwilling to put in the effort of reading it. I remember back when I WAS reading it after buying it initially, a friend of mine was also reading the series. She told me that while this book wasn't very good, the subsequent books got better. However, I really, really hated this book so I won't be reading any more volumes even if they are 500% better.
A lot of my problems with this book are centered on the abysmal prose. It reads like something I might have written in my teens, with perhaps the tiniest bit more polish (not much, some of the descriptions made me cringe hard-core, especially when Alexa was first transported to Lladrana).
It took me several months to slog through this book. It shouldn't have if it was written in a more engaging style, with a better plot. I actually started it at the end of 2012 and finished it in June of 2013. To me, it read more like a detailed, padded outline than a real, rounded work. There is a remarkable amount of telling instead of showing, and considering Alexa doesn't even speak the language for so long, that's pretty cringe-worthy.
I didn't like Alexa, or Bastien or whatever his name was. I don't remember most of the story because it flitted out of my head as soon as it entered. I don't require 100% originality in my stories; that would be impossible. But this is so standard and uninspired that it really didn't click with me. I understand what the author was trying to do with this story, but I don't think she managed to pull it off.
I realize this is a very harsh review, but for something so dull, it managed to inspire a really strong reaction from me. I honestly didn't care at ALL about the fate of Lladrana, or any of the characters themselves (and there was a total contrivance between the love interests that made me want to bang my head against the wall. I LOATHE "Big Misunderstanding" plot devices).
So, to make a long story short (too late!) I refer back to my original review:
Good Lord I hated this book so much.
cranberrytarts's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoy Owens' Celta series, and thought this might grab me the same way. While it was enjoyable, it isn't as compelling as her other series.
The novel started out really slow. 50 pages in I was still having a hard time falling into the story. There were parts that drew me in, but I didn't find myself eager to get back to the book if I set it down.
I may try the second book to see if the world captures me more, but I'm not in a hurry to grab it.
The novel started out really slow. 50 pages in I was still having a hard time falling into the story. There were parts that drew me in, but I didn't find myself eager to get back to the book if I set it down.
I may try the second book to see if the world captures me more, but I'm not in a hurry to grab it.
elsiemookow's review against another edition
4.0
Fun Science Fiction / Fantasy series. The series has been nice to read over the holidays- nothing too deep just magic battles and killing lots of evil creatures.
bookash's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty fantastic start to a series. Alexa is a lawyer in Colorado when she hears a song and steps though a magical doorway. She's been summoned by the Marshalls of Lladrana to help restore the magical fence that keeps the evil horrors at bay. She meets a shape shifting Feycoocu and her eventual Pairling Bastien. There is a lot of honor and fighting and truth involved which is always good in my opinion. A solid story.
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