Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
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 I felt about this book. There were moments I really enjoyed, but others where I had to go back and re-read due to confusion - why do half the characters names have to begin with 'F'? Not terrible, but overall glad to have finished.
Not a bad little read to be honest but I did get lost halfway through (more my fault than the story's) and after that I struggled to catch up.
There are other books in the series (Wyntertide and Lost Acre) and I will more than likely read them in time but it is not one of those that I will read one after the other.
There are other books in the series (Wyntertide and Lost Acre) and I will more than likely read them in time but it is not one of those that I will read one after the other.
The beginning was great but then in the middle the book kinda lost me and I have no interest in reading the following volumes. The voice and language is fantastic though.
I enjoyed spending time in this strange world with its strange cast of characters. I thought the book was longer than it needed to be (too many boat races and school plays etc), and the characterisation was a bit thin. But I loved the humour in the sections with the actress playing Lady of the Manor, and I liked the Narnia-style set up with the parallel world. I will be looking out for Book 2.
“Rotherweird” is, in all honesty, an aside. Something you pick up because the cover is nice and the summary on the dust jacket holds promise. Maybe you enjoy it, maybe not, but it is unlikely that it will be thought of again after you finish the last page.
“Rotherweird”’s biggest problem is probably the fact that it has too much. There are a ton of characters and plot points and developments and gears and mechanisms trying to work into a coherent narrative, and by the time it is getting toward the end it is in a rush to tie up all the loose ends. Sir Veronal’s death and the saving of Lost Acre both happen in quick succession and feel very anticlimactic for all the build up they had. The reveal of who Flask is has an air of “an-ha!” that got lost because my first thought was “who?”.
But there is also this sense of smugness throughout the whole novel, like the author thought what he was writing was this amazing biting epic, when in actuality he was writing a fairly standard fantasy adventure story, thats quirkiness begins and ends at the character names. Nothing of note is really said by the story, and most of the characters end in pretty much the same place that they began.
“Rotherweird”’s biggest problem is probably the fact that it has too much. There are a ton of characters and plot points and developments and gears and mechanisms trying to work into a coherent narrative, and by the time it is getting toward the end it is in a rush to tie up all the loose ends. Sir Veronal’s death and the saving of Lost Acre both happen in quick succession and feel very anticlimactic for all the build up they had. The reveal of who Flask is has an air of “an-ha!” that got lost because my first thought was “who?”.
But there is also this sense of smugness throughout the whole novel, like the author thought what he was writing was this amazing biting epic, when in actuality he was writing a fairly standard fantasy adventure story, thats quirkiness begins and ends at the character names. Nothing of note is really said by the story, and most of the characters end in pretty much the same place that they began.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Murder
Never had I read a book that was such a mess of good ideas, but the execution is as interesting as limp cardboard floating in a pool of disappointment.
The world building was really inventive and well thought through but I don't think the plot really held up. It took me a couple tries to actually complete this book. The plot was well thought out but it just didn't have much impact and the twist at the end seemed really out of the blue. I'm also so tired of seeing the same two women in fantasy written by men (the ditzy, girly one and the stamp on your face but actually just looking for romance one). Of course there was also The Actress who was slightly irrelevant but still interesting. I would've given it a 2.5/5 if possible but had to round. I probably will read the sequel though. But this was a very forgettable book.
I found myself rather befuddled about halfway through this book when I came to the realization that I really, really loved what was going on. Magic and fantasy are not always my favorite literary elements, but this book manages to build a fabulous world around them. This world is populated by myriad quirky characters who are always scheming and politicking, forming alliances and rivalries. They're all in pursuit of answers in this mysterious town, a place where the teaching of history is expressly forbidden... in order for secrets to remain hidden.
It's not the greatest book ever written, but I really, really loved it.
It's not the greatest book ever written, but I really, really loved it.