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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book was not for me at all. I did not understand half of what was happening and needed the wrap ups that the characters so helpfully provided, because I didn't understand I didn't end up caring around these people or this book. It's not bad and I am sure there are people who will really love the mystery that is this book but it wasn't my bag.
Had the wrong vim. Couldn't get attached to the characters or setting enough. Kind of male gaze-y. Stopped at about 40 pages.
Oh boy. I tried really hard with this because I'd never DNFed a blog tour book before and the idea made me feel incredibly guilty. So I pushed myself to the halfway mark before throwing in the towel. Here's the way I'm trying to look at it. The book clearly isn't for me, and an extra 200+ pages probably isn't going to change that. And if I keep reading, it'll forever be embedded in my brain as not only "that book I disliked," but also, "that book I disliked and was forced to finish." And that's a badge of resentment I don't think the book deserves.
Well, enough assuaging my conscience. Let's get to why Rotherweird didn't work.
I think you'll have to enjoy a particular writing style to get into the story--scholarly, with dense descriptions that are far too dry for my tastes. There are definitely sections where the story benefits from the prose, adding to the richness of Rotherweird and its inhabitants, but for the most part they pile up into a thick wall of Too Much, and I found myself glazing over a lot of it.
As for the characters, they're varied and quirky but in a very distant, sterile kind of way. There are also far too many of them, and none are distinct enough for me to become invested.
The plot has to be my biggest gripe, though. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm just an idiot. But when it comes to books that have complex, criss-crossing plotlines, I prefer the ones that are more...accessible. The ones that cordially invite you to partake in their mystery. Because that's what stories are--a conversation between the reader and the writer. But when a plot becomes too convoluted, too inaccessible, and you lose the readers in the process, the story starts morphing into a monologue, and no one wants that. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens here.
Overall, the premise of the book is fantastic and it's got individual elements here and there that I liked, but none of that gelled into a story that I could enjoy.
~
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Well, enough assuaging my conscience. Let's get to why Rotherweird didn't work.
I think you'll have to enjoy a particular writing style to get into the story--scholarly, with dense descriptions that are far too dry for my tastes. There are definitely sections where the story benefits from the prose, adding to the richness of Rotherweird and its inhabitants, but for the most part they pile up into a thick wall of Too Much, and I found myself glazing over a lot of it.
As for the characters, they're varied and quirky but in a very distant, sterile kind of way. There are also far too many of them, and none are distinct enough for me to become invested.
The plot has to be my biggest gripe, though. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm just an idiot. But when it comes to books that have complex, criss-crossing plotlines, I prefer the ones that are more...accessible. The ones that cordially invite you to partake in their mystery. Because that's what stories are--a conversation between the reader and the writer. But when a plot becomes too convoluted, too inaccessible, and you lose the readers in the process, the story starts morphing into a monologue, and no one wants that. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens here.
Overall, the premise of the book is fantastic and it's got individual elements here and there that I liked, but none of that gelled into a story that I could enjoy.
~
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A bit overlong and meandering, but enjoyable enough.
3.5 stars. a very slow beginning, later on, it turns into a fast pace and full of events. I ended up enjoying the book.
3.5 stars
This is great book to escape into & the twists & turns keep coming until the end.
It seemed slow going in places (maybe because it’s the first in a trilogy) so at times I found my interest waning a bit but then it soon picked up again.
This is great book to escape into & the twists & turns keep coming until the end.
It seemed slow going in places (maybe because it’s the first in a trilogy) so at times I found my interest waning a bit but then it soon picked up again.
Fun modern fantasy, lots of interesting characters... and I can actually imagine the city of Rotherweird in the English countryside. There are weirder places there.
I was drawn in by the painted edges, & the weird illustrations. The blurb is mysterious, with historical roots. Brilliant, I thought.... Alas this book is the first one I have not been able to finish in a few years. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, & therefore didn't care what happened to them. It was very jumpy, leaping from one character view to the next. Now normally this doesn't bother me, but you're not given enough time with anyone. It's almost like the author doesn't want to give anything away, and so jumps from pillar to post. I found myself referring to the cast of characters list too, and I've never done that! Not even with ASOIAF! I'll end with, over-elaborate, but not well thought out, nor structured. It could end amazingly, but at pg 238 I just didn't care enough.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wow what a quirky and strange book. I had high hopes for it from the write up and blurbs on the cover. Truthfully I can’t say it lived up to my expectations buuuut I did enjoy reading it. It’s mostly plot plot plot and even though I found some of the characters quite endearing we just don’t get much out of them. I’m not sure if I’ll continue on in the series.