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ofearna's review against another edition
4.0
I just finished this ARC last night. There's only one instance where the editor REALLY needs to catch an error--it brought me to a screeching halt.
The book kinda ends up in the air and other than Opal we see only Uncle Tobias (and talk to M&F and Flint on the phone), so this doesn't have the "feel" of the LaZelle novels. Plus I don't like Opal as much as Gypsum.
It's an excellent book, though!
The book kinda ends up in the air and other than Opal we see only Uncle Tobias (and talk to M&F and Flint on the phone), so this doesn't have the "feel" of the LaZelle novels. Plus I don't like Opal as much as Gypsum.
It's an excellent book, though!
glitterbomb47's review against another edition
1.0
I gave this book a shot, but it was too hokey. I have a high tolerance for hokey, so that's saying something. The line that finally put me over the edge: "You know you're possessed, right?"
shinychick's review against another edition
2.0
As I said, I've been obsessed with Hoffman's novels this year. I did figure out what bugs me about them, though (the recent ones; this wasn't really an issue with "The Thread That Binds the Bones") - magic is supposed to be kept secret, and in all of them so far, outsiders find out within the first 75 pages. I get that sometimes secrets need to come out, but this is a pattern... I still love the world that Hoffman has created with her gypsy-like magicians, though, and will continue to pick them up as much as I can.
crowyhead's review against another edition
3.0
My initial impression of this book turned out to be accurate. It just didn't grab me at all. I didn't feel like I had a good sense of the characters, and by and large the book felt weirdly incomplete, almost as though it was missing a few introductory chapters and a chapter or two of conclusion. It almost felt like a massively expanded short story.
This is disappointing, because I normally really enjoy Hoffman's novels, even the ones that don't seem entirely promising at first blush. This was sort of like Hoffman-lite. I didn't hate it, but I was totally fine with only reading it during my lunch hour, as opposed to the way I usually devour Hoffman's books like they're going to disappear if I don't read them fast enough.
This is disappointing, because I normally really enjoy Hoffman's novels, even the ones that don't seem entirely promising at first blush. This was sort of like Hoffman-lite. I didn't hate it, but I was totally fine with only reading it during my lunch hour, as opposed to the way I usually devour Hoffman's books like they're going to disappear if I don't read them fast enough.
stephgraves's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this, up until the ending. And then I thought, I can haz ending? Because the one here... let's just say I was confused, and looking for more pages to clear up the confusion, but alas, I had come to the end of the pages.
What is they say about not with a bang, but with a whimper? Yeah, that.
What is they say about not with a bang, but with a whimper? Yeah, that.
arrkon's review against another edition
interesting, but I feel like I need to read another book to answer all my questions! The ending was very "ending" like. Still a book I enjoyed, and I will definitely read more books by this author.
jungle_catfish's review against another edition
1.0
I gave this book a shot, but it was too hokey. I have a high tolerance for hokey, so that's saying something. The line that finally put me over the edge: "You know you're possessed, right?"
classicista's review
2.0
This was not a complete book. It didn't leave me wanting more it just made me Angry!
wealhtheow's review
2.0
Opal is the oldest sibling in a family filled with Talents. Every one (excepting her father) has a magical gift; Opal's is to do with light and illusion. She broke free of her controlling mother and created a new identity for herself, as a movie make-up artist. Unfortunately, years of repressing her true feelings and abilities leave her vulnerable to the powerful forces haunting her latest movie set.
This book should have been fascinating and creepy--instead it was frustrating and boring. Opal notices immediately that the leading man is being possessed and that the set itself has some sort of magic thrumming through it, but does nothing about it for fear of getting a bad reputation in the movie business. One by one, everybody else figures out that something is horribly wrong--the leading man literally stabs someone ON FILM and drinks their blood--and each of them say, "eh, let's just see what happens next." The leading man himself is aware that through the set, he's being possessed by an unknown deity who wants to drink people's life force, but decides to stay because abandoning the project would be bad for his career. Um, wouldn't charges based upon the physical and sexual assault be worse? The deity eventually makes everyone on set have an orgy, again ON FILM, and everyone wakes up, figures out what happened, and then goes back to work. WHAT? No one freaks about, no one goes to the cops, no one even demands answers. There is no emotional tension at all, even after events that should cause serious consequences--like, say, getting stabbed, or getting possessed, or getting raped.
And then, randomly, the book ends. No resolution at all. Just--no more writing on the pages. Very weird, and very unsatisfying.
This book should have been fascinating and creepy--instead it was frustrating and boring. Opal notices immediately that the leading man is being possessed and that the set itself has some sort of magic thrumming through it, but does nothing about it for fear of getting a bad reputation in the movie business. One by one, everybody else figures out that something is horribly wrong--the leading man literally stabs someone ON FILM and drinks their blood--and each of them say, "eh, let's just see what happens next." The leading man himself is aware that through the set, he's being possessed by an unknown deity who wants to drink people's life force, but decides to stay because abandoning the project would be bad for his career. Um, wouldn't charges based upon the physical and sexual assault be worse? The deity eventually makes everyone on set have an orgy, again ON FILM, and everyone wakes up, figures out what happened, and then goes back to work. WHAT? No one freaks about, no one goes to the cops, no one even demands answers. There is no emotional tension at all, even after events that should cause serious consequences--like, say, getting stabbed, or getting possessed, or getting raped.
And then, randomly, the book ends. No resolution at all. Just--no more writing on the pages. Very weird, and very unsatisfying.
ksparks's review
3.0
Ok, this is weird, sexy, fantasy erotica. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but damn is it sexy. And like everything she writes, very very imaginative.
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