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akublik's review
4.0
Well written, but I feel like part of the story got lost when the narrators shifted from Ramon to Amir and then back again.
kaffebeanz's review
3.0
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
I’m a sucker for a story in verse. There’s something about combining two written art forms into one compelling story that I can’t say no to. The Apprentice’s Masterpiece by Melanie Little is one such masterpiece itself. The verse almost lends itself to the story, all flowing together into one story as a whole but being able to be broken down into individual stories by both section and verses. Because of this it is easy to put down if you have to, but just as easy to read through in one sitting, as I nearly did.
Following the lives of two young men during the Spanish Inquisition, this story was both a high and a low for me. In the first and third parts, which followed Ramon, I was fascinated by his craft as a scribe and the struggles of living in a once Jewish family during the Inquisition. The second part, which follows Amir, had a drastic change in tone from Ramon’s parts, which I appreciated since it is the same author for the whole, but I found it harder to get into. This middle section was almost drier and more straight-forward, like a statement of facts in verse.
Additionally, I would have liked to know more about Ramon’s last masterpiece, which we only get snippets of before it is completely lost, like all of his works. And while I would be able to appreciate the symbolism of the constant loss and various sacrifices, I mostly just wanted to know what all those little stories were. I was also frustrated by the ending, which felt very abrupt and left me very confused and wanting more.
Overall the story was a back and forth of emotions for me, but was an interesting way to tell the story of the people who lived during the Inquisition, and I thought the format lent itself to that well. However, my intrigue only went so far. Basically I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I could see how more avid fans of the historical fiction genre could really enjoy it.
I’m a sucker for a story in verse. There’s something about combining two written art forms into one compelling story that I can’t say no to. The Apprentice’s Masterpiece by Melanie Little is one such masterpiece itself. The verse almost lends itself to the story, all flowing together into one story as a whole but being able to be broken down into individual stories by both section and verses. Because of this it is easy to put down if you have to, but just as easy to read through in one sitting, as I nearly did.
Following the lives of two young men during the Spanish Inquisition, this story was both a high and a low for me. In the first and third parts, which followed Ramon, I was fascinated by his craft as a scribe and the struggles of living in a once Jewish family during the Inquisition. The second part, which follows Amir, had a drastic change in tone from Ramon’s parts, which I appreciated since it is the same author for the whole, but I found it harder to get into. This middle section was almost drier and more straight-forward, like a statement of facts in verse.
Additionally, I would have liked to know more about Ramon’s last masterpiece, which we only get snippets of before it is completely lost, like all of his works. And while I would be able to appreciate the symbolism of the constant loss and various sacrifices, I mostly just wanted to know what all those little stories were. I was also frustrated by the ending, which felt very abrupt and left me very confused and wanting more.
Overall the story was a back and forth of emotions for me, but was an interesting way to tell the story of the people who lived during the Inquisition, and I thought the format lent itself to that well. However, my intrigue only went so far. Basically I liked it, but I didn't love it, and I could see how more avid fans of the historical fiction genre could really enjoy it.
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