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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
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:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't really know how to review this book!
I must admit, I struggled to get into the story at first. The parallel timelines, the hints at time travel and the "epileptic fits" ailing the main character and causing him to remember things which couldn't have been possible made for a difficult mix to get my head around.
I'm not sure I was entirely successful in the end, but rarely have I had my attention captured so fully by a book that unsettled me so much! The descriptions of war are harsh and brutal, as I suppose befits the theme and the reader does need to concentrate to keep track of events, but there is also a welcome underlying tenderness running though this book, spanning both timelines.
Far removed from my comfort zone though I was, I highly recommend The Kingdoms. Thanks to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this book.
I must admit, I struggled to get into the story at first. The parallel timelines, the hints at time travel and the "epileptic fits" ailing the main character and causing him to remember things which couldn't have been possible made for a difficult mix to get my head around.
I'm not sure I was entirely successful in the end, but rarely have I had my attention captured so fully by a book that unsettled me so much! The descriptions of war are harsh and brutal, as I suppose befits the theme and the reader does need to concentrate to keep track of events, but there is also a welcome underlying tenderness running though this book, spanning both timelines.
Far removed from my comfort zone though I was, I highly recommend The Kingdoms. Thanks to the author and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this book.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
This is a review of an ARC from Edelweiss.
The last thing Joe Tournier remembers is stepping off the train in London. That's actually the first thing he remembers too - everything about his life prior to that is gone. As is the London he came from.
Ok, there's no way to review this without spoilers so ...
The last thing Joe Tournier remembers is stepping off the train in London. That's actually the first thing he remembers too - everything about his life prior to that is gone. As is the London he came from.
Ok, there's no way to review this without spoilers so ...
Spoiler
That was just...odd. The idea is good - a time gate off the coast of Scotland causes havoc when a group of lighthouse engineers accidentally jumps 100 years into the past and are captured by Napoleonic forces. But the execution is a mess. The narrative Jumps about in time and place, and in *times* because all the back and forth is messing with the time stream. The description I wrote above is a spoiler, but its also a hundred times clearer than anything in the book. A character is presented as a truly horrible person - a murderer of children! - except no, it's because he's tortured by love (and that somehow makes murder ok? There's just about 50% too much going on in this book.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes