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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love all of Natasha's book because she is able to really build atmosphere without dragging the descriptions out to much or sound to pretentious.
This was a cozy read and a great holiday book.
This was a cozy read and a great holiday book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thoughts immediately upon finishing:
Well... I'll write out a review soon but I must say, regrettably, that I'm not buying into the hype. This is an enjoyable read, don't get me wrong, with a very strong premise, but based on RAVE reviews by reviewers with whom I tend to agree, I expected quite a bit more.
Well... I'll write out a review soon but I must say, regrettably, that I'm not buying into the hype. This is an enjoyable read, don't get me wrong, with a very strong premise, but based on RAVE reviews by reviewers with whom I tend to agree, I expected quite a bit more.
THE REVIEW
Right, so I've found time to collect my thoughts. In the end, they are pretty simple:
The premise was outstanding and the first PART I: LONDRES was very good, intriguing world-building, high stakes, interesting main character.
PART II: THE LIGHTHOUSE was short and a bit slow, a transitory few chapters in which our main character finally encounters our deuteragonist. Then, on to PART III: AGAMEMNON, in which the pace really picks up, new characters are introduced, and we go from spec-fic to one of those naval adventures that I used to devour as a child. Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from there.
The plot loses track of itself, trying to pack too many elements, characters, and even subgenres.
The timelines and POVs go back and forth, not always with a, in my opinion, logical transition. We get perspectives from characters we barely get to know, and - though perhaps this was my fault for reading so late after a very trying work day - I've occasionally had to go back and forth to piece together the timeline of the Lawrence/Kite/Milano/Castlereagh family.
Which brings me to the characters; I did not feel like I got a legitimate chance to know and care about them the way I was meant to. Many of them died suddenly and often a bit gratuitously, but their death did little to affect me as a reader or give me a sense of gravity. A particularly egregious example wasthe death of Fred Hathaway, which I really fail to see as essential, and is particularly heinous in that he's very clearly hinted at having some disability . The deuteragonist, Missouri Kite (which is a cool name if you're an 80s-90s action here, or possibly a sex worker, but kind of incongruous in this setting) is...I don't know what he's supposed to be. He's not likeable, he does gratuoitously murder a disabled child , but his motives are too...weak...for him to feel like an anti-hero or a villain. And I do believe an anti-hero is what he is meant to be, judging by his brooding and troubled childhood. Except, well, we only get quick glimpses of said childhood, and only after the book textually tells us that he's Like That because of his Troubled Childhood. As for the brooding, it doesn't feel like brooding when we never get to see what's in his head, so he comes across as flat. There was the potential for a nuanced, truly unlikeable character, but I feel like I got the SparksNotes version of the concept of the Byronic hero. And again, this is mostly frustrating because the idea of him was good. I mean what about "redheaded Spanish pirate captain" doesn't scream "hot"???
Agatha is meant to be understood as a strong woman protecting her brother. Which is about all there is to say about her. Then she dies. On her way to kill her brother which is apparently a conclusion one comes to very easily and carries out with the sort of resignation one uses to file one's taxes???.
And the romance...What romance? I failed to see any chemistry between the two love interests. I mean,Jem sort-of kissed Missouri once and...that's it? There was no tension, no courtship, but, at the end he is happy to start a life and raise children with him. Because, er, time travel makes the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes.
Which brings me, finally, to the mystery. While it was well maintained and introduced in the first parts of the book, it eventually starts to drag on artificially. I thought the use of the letter was particularly egregious. In the end, the big reveal wasn't a huge surprise -which I don't think is a problem - but by the time it came, the stop-and-go had made me stop caring. The revelation also partially failed to land its punch because the romance to which it is central did not appeal to me.
All in all, great potential, but unfortunate execution somewhere along the way
The premise was outstanding and the first PART I: LONDRES was very good, intriguing world-building, high stakes, interesting main character.
PART II: THE LIGHTHOUSE was short and a bit slow, a transitory few chapters in which our main character finally encounters our deuteragonist. Then, on to PART III: AGAMEMNON, in which the pace really picks up, new characters are introduced, and we go from spec-fic to one of those naval adventures that I used to devour as a child. Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from there.
The plot loses track of itself, trying to pack too many elements, characters, and even subgenres.
The timelines and POVs go back and forth, not always with a, in my opinion, logical transition. We get perspectives from characters we barely get to know, and - though perhaps this was my fault for reading so late after a very trying work day - I've occasionally had to go back and forth to piece together the timeline of the Lawrence/Kite/Milano/Castlereagh family.
Which brings me to the characters; I did not feel like I got a legitimate chance to know and care about them the way I was meant to. Many of them died suddenly and often a bit gratuitously, but their death did little to affect me as a reader or give me a sense of gravity. A particularly egregious example was
Agatha is meant to be understood as a strong woman protecting her brother. Which is about all there is to say about her. Then
And the romance...What romance? I failed to see any chemistry between the two love interests. I mean,
Which brings me, finally, to the mystery. While it was well maintained and introduced in the first parts of the book, it eventually starts to drag on artificially. I thought the use of the letter was particularly egregious. In the end, the big reveal wasn't a huge surprise -which I don't think is a problem - but by the time it came, the stop-and-go had made me stop caring. The revelation also partially failed to land its punch because the romance to which it is central did not appeal to me.
All in all, great potential, but unfortunate execution somewhere along the way
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
I really wanted to like this but I found myself skimming though the second half
I had to think about this review for a day before writing it. This book is one of the most unique time travel romance that I have ever read. The romance is subtle and sort of in the background. Certainly not as epic as the Outlander series, but an interesting cast of characters and a sweet ending.