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clockless's review
I don't feel comfortable rating this book as it is the second in a series and I never read the first (I didn't know it was a sequel when I entered to win it; I usually avoid those for this very reason). I don't mind reviewing it, though.
My first problem with the book was exactly the reason I can't give it a rating -- the author just drops you right into the story, in what I'm guessing is the period right after the last book ended. There is no exposition at all, and that's not something you can live without in a sci/fi-type book. Things might make more sense if you read the first book, I don't know, but I found it very difficult to figure out what was going on. What is a batiluk? I don't think I ever found out. And (not a spoiler, I believe) Ebu is something other than a person -- I didn't know that until I was something like 80% of the way through the book.
Another problem I had was the writing style. The book is loaded with action, which isn't a bad thing at all, but that's not what I look for, personally. Overall, though, the visual descriptions were pretty lacking; there's a particular main alien race, and it felt like the author didn't want to stop for a second and explain what, exactly, they looked like, even though I'm pretty sure that they didn't even appear in the first book. The result is that you are forced to form your own image of them in your head, which wouldn't be bad, except that later on that image is slowly taken from you as the author eventually describes, over the course of the entire book, their actual physical features.
Then there's the plot. The book is just too clean. The result is neither believable nor satisfying.
I can see a lot of promise here, but I guess my ultimate takeaway is that the author simply needs to slow down a little and let the reader know what's going on.
I received this free through Goodreads First Reads (thanks!)
My first problem with the book was exactly the reason I can't give it a rating -- the author just drops you right into the story, in what I'm guessing is the period right after the last book ended. There is no exposition at all, and that's not something you can live without in a sci/fi-type book. Things might make more sense if you read the first book, I don't know, but I found it very difficult to figure out what was going on. What is a batiluk? I don't think I ever found out. And (not a spoiler, I believe) Ebu is something other than a person -- I didn't know that until I was something like 80% of the way through the book.
Another problem I had was the writing style. The book is loaded with action, which isn't a bad thing at all, but that's not what I look for, personally. Overall, though, the visual descriptions were pretty lacking; there's a particular main alien race, and it felt like the author didn't want to stop for a second and explain what, exactly, they looked like, even though I'm pretty sure that they didn't even appear in the first book. The result is that you are forced to form your own image of them in your head, which wouldn't be bad, except that later on that image is slowly taken from you as the author eventually describes, over the course of the entire book, their actual physical features.
Then there's the plot.
Spoiler
The book really isn't that bad, but the author unnecessarily forces a nice, perfect resolution of all of the little plot points.Spoiler
The kids just happen to meet the future leaders of both sides, the current leaders of both sides just happen to die at the same time, etc.I can see a lot of promise here, but I guess my ultimate takeaway is that the author simply needs to slow down a little and let the reader know what's going on.
I received this free through Goodreads First Reads (thanks!)
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