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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
This book shows the life of Elizabeth Hawksmith, a witch who is doomed to live forever. She spends her life hiding from the evil man who gave her immortality. An enjoyable read.
I never really felt like I got into this one. The story was interesting enough, I suppose, if not terribly original. It just felt like the characters never really came alive -- they all seemed really, I dunno... cold and sterile? None of the characters grew on me, not even Elizabeth or Tegan, and Gideon was one of the more unrealistic and uninspiring foes I've encountered recently. Sure, he was bad, but we never really learned anything about him -- what made him tick, what made him bad. He was just bad. That's all we got.
I think Tegan was supposed to grow on us, too, but she never really did. We didn't really get to know her well enough for her to accomplish that. She was just this character that Elizabeth told her story to.
Oh well... They can't all be winners.
I think Tegan was supposed to grow on us, too, but she never really did. We didn't really get to know her well enough for her to accomplish that. She was just this character that Elizabeth told her story to.
Oh well... They can't all be winners.
This is one of the few books I abandoned before finishing. The plot lines seem interesting but they move too slowly for me. It could be that this isn’t the “right “ book for me at this particular time and I will probably come back and give it another shot one day (I have tried Anna Karinina 11 times so far).
I normally like books of this genre, but this one just didn't seem to resonate with me.
The plot was fine, the writing was fine, the characters were fine...but it was just that...fine.
It is never a good sign when I sigh as I pick up a book. It is never a good sign when I force myself to read it so that I can get it back to the library by the due date.
Honestly, I finally gave up a couple chapters from the end. And what does that say? I couldn't even bother to finish it. I didn't care enough to read to the resolution. (I am still counting it though since I slogged through 300 pages still.)
Meh.
I am not NOT recommending it. Just saying it didn't do it for me.
The plot was fine, the writing was fine, the characters were fine...but it was just that...fine.
It is never a good sign when I sigh as I pick up a book. It is never a good sign when I force myself to read it so that I can get it back to the library by the due date.
Honestly, I finally gave up a couple chapters from the end. And what does that say? I couldn't even bother to finish it. I didn't care enough to read to the resolution. (I am still counting it though since I slogged through 300 pages still.)
Meh.
I am not NOT recommending it. Just saying it didn't do it for me.
It was just ok. Not really feeling compelled to read the sequel.
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A faster read than I was anticipating. The story telling was interesting and well done. You get a good sense of the main character and her problem. You don't get a terribly good sense of the girl she befriends in the "now" part of the book, other than she's young and a girl. But since it's not integral to the story that she be a strong character, it's probably fine that she wasn't.
The time period illustration was done quite well, but some of the foreshadowing, and what I think the author thought would be plot twists, were easy to spot and track. None the less the writing was good and the story moved at a good pace.
The general vagueness about her being a witch is interesting. The author did her homework, but then declined to delve heavily into what made Bess and witch. She did "magic", and that was about all. There are one or two instances of Bess showing off her stuff, but this isn't Harry Potter and Hogwarts and magic for everything. For the most part it was a story about a woman facing her demons and her past. That there was magic in the mix just sort of gave it a good flavor.
The time period illustration was done quite well, but some of the foreshadowing, and what I think the author thought would be plot twists, were easy to spot and track. None the less the writing was good and the story moved at a good pace.
The general vagueness about her being a witch is interesting. The author did her homework, but then declined to delve heavily into what made Bess and witch. She did "magic", and that was about all. There are one or two instances of Bess showing off her stuff, but this isn't Harry Potter and Hogwarts and magic for everything. For the most part it was a story about a woman facing her demons and her past. That there was magic in the mix just sort of gave it a good flavor.
3.5 stars
I actually really enjoyed this. It's a quiet read but kept my interest, especially the parts set in the past. The ending was very rushed but I'm hoping the sequel will expand on it some.
I actually really enjoyed this. It's a quiet read but kept my interest, especially the parts set in the past. The ending was very rushed but I'm hoping the sequel will expand on it some.
What a book, people. If there had been no rape scenes in it, it would have been a 5 stars review.
Paula Brackston has a good, intricate style I really enjoyed. English being my second language I had to be focused when reading Bess's part, but overall I liked her style.
I loved her characters, and I loved that we got 4 stories in one. Revisiting the historical period of the Witches' hunt, Jack the ripper murders and the First World War made for gripping tales that had me hooked immediately.
It's not the book of the year, for sure, but it's one I couldn't put down and read with pleasure.
Paula Brackston has a good, intricate style I really enjoyed. English being my second language I had to be focused when reading Bess's part, but overall I liked her style.
I loved her characters, and I loved that we got 4 stories in one. Revisiting the historical period of the Witches' hunt, Jack the ripper murders and the First World War made for gripping tales that had me hooked immediately.
It's not the book of the year, for sure, but it's one I couldn't put down and read with pleasure.