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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Life is too short to waste on shitty books. This is a shitty book. Skip it.
Lots of issues with the writing, including the author's inability to use correct verb tenses, his erratic rebellion against commas for direct address, scenes in which new characters randomly join the action mid-way through as if they'd been there all along... Honestly, I thought this was self-published--was shocked to see it had apparently been vetted by a real publishing house!
The moral of the story: don't put too much stock in GoodReads ratings. Lesson learned... again.
Lots of issues with the writing, including the author's inability to use correct verb tenses, his erratic rebellion against commas for direct address, scenes in which new characters randomly join the action mid-way through as if they'd been there all along... Honestly, I thought this was self-published--was shocked to see it had apparently been vetted by a real publishing house!
The moral of the story: don't put too much stock in GoodReads ratings. Lesson learned... again.
Wow. wow wow wow!! This dark retelling of Peter Pan is a must read. words can't even express.. just read it. read it right now!!!
This book was amazing! Very dark...not a cute retelling of Peter Pan...twisted...sinister. Wonderful detail, characters....this book has it all. Highly recommend!
This is a great re-invention of Peter Pan. He's a bit mad, so very bad and very dangerous to know! This contemporary goth version of Peter incorporates elements of Arturian and Celtic mythology. Lots of salty language and mature themes but I just could not put it down.. definitely fantasy for adults.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a fascinating twist on a classic story. I absolutely love Peter's character and getting to know his origin story. Nick was also a awesome character, and I loved his perspectives. I think the thing this book did the best was showing. How perspective is everything in each character? Having their own perspective really gave the story depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, War
Interesting ideas and a darker spin on the Peter Pan tale. I feel like execution of the story and the handling of the characters were somewhat clunky. Unnecessary flashbacks were used develop one of the main characters, Peter. In hindsight I wish that the flashbacks were woven in to introduce the individuals currently in the Devils group, versus throwaway characters(or homages to the classic tale) that we never see again.
Nick is easily the character most readers can sympathize and relate to, as he is thrown into this hodgepodge of chaos and realizes that it's more than just Us (the Devils) vs Them (the Flesheaters). I wish the Captain was introduced far, far earlier in the book as his complicated relationship with his community was one of the more interesting aspects of the book. I disliked the flat, fanatical religious evil villain take that the rest of the crew has--maybe some sort of conflict with how best to get off the island?
A pet peeve of mine is flat female characters. There's a Madonna, there's a whore, and then there's Peter's friend Sekeu whom we know is supposed to be a very close friend of his, but we're never shown at any point how or why they became so close. Cricket, a minor character, is the best example of a somewhat formed female character.
Descriptions become repetitive at times. I get it, elves have slanty eyes and that the kids like to howl. Overall I'd rate it 3.5. Ending was a bit chaotic and too over-the-top, as well as a few loose ends I would've liked to see concluded (versus Daniel just being whisked away by the Captain). Ulfger felt like another unnecessary conflict. I'm glad I read the book, however I wish the material was executed with a more deft hand.
p.s. Isn't Peter supposed to have shoulder length hair? If so, why didn't the artist (who is also the author) paint it that way? ;)
Nick is easily the character most readers can sympathize and relate to, as he is thrown into this hodgepodge of chaos and realizes that it's more than just Us (the Devils) vs Them (the Flesheaters). I wish the Captain was introduced far, far earlier in the book as his complicated relationship with his community was one of the more interesting aspects of the book. I disliked the flat, fanatical religious evil villain take that the rest of the crew has--maybe some sort of conflict with how best to get off the island?
A pet peeve of mine is flat female characters. There's a Madonna, there's a whore, and then there's Peter's friend Sekeu whom we know is supposed to be a very close friend of his, but we're never shown at any point how or why they became so close. Cricket, a minor character, is the best example of a somewhat formed female character.
Descriptions become repetitive at times. I get it, elves have slanty eyes and that the kids like to howl. Overall I'd rate it 3.5. Ending was a bit chaotic and too over-the-top, as well as a few loose ends I would've liked to see concluded (versus Daniel just being whisked away by the Captain). Ulfger felt like another unnecessary conflict. I'm glad I read the book, however I wish the material was executed with a more deft hand.
p.s. Isn't Peter supposed to have shoulder length hair? If so, why didn't the artist (who is also the author) paint it that way? ;)
A gory and fairly terrifying story, but well-written and skillfully presented. I definitely grimaced more than once reading the rather graphic descriptions of violent encounters among the characters. An intense read, for sure. A clever premise is always welcome, but those ideas are often poorly executed--yet Brom is able to avoid this pitfall. He creates complex characters with fairly unpredictable plotlines (though of course a few "reveals" are telegraphed).
My main concern with this book was the portrayal of Christianity. I have no problem with the portrayal of individual purported "Christians" being the crazed villain of the piece--after all, history provides ample evidence that this is sometimes the case. But Brom actually pits the world of faerie against Christianity (the cross itself, for example, has a hurtful effect on faerie magic), and specifically ties this supernatural world to the pagan religion in a way that many fantasy authors do not.
Nonetheless, it is definitely worth reading . . . if you have the stomach for the more gruesome scenes along the way.
My main concern with this book was the portrayal of Christianity. I have no problem with the portrayal of individual purported "Christians" being the crazed villain of the piece--after all, history provides ample evidence that this is sometimes the case. But Brom actually pits the world of faerie against Christianity (the cross itself, for example, has a hurtful effect on faerie magic), and specifically ties this supernatural world to the pagan religion in a way that many fantasy authors do not.
Nonetheless, it is definitely worth reading . . . if you have the stomach for the more gruesome scenes along the way.
I loved Slewfoot, but The Child Thief doesn't reach Slewfoot levels of magic or character development. Which is fine! It was still an entertaining read with a strong start and beautiful portraits of the main characters to admire in the center of the novel.
It lost me about halfway through, I started to realize I wasn't going to get what I was craving out of this book. I would have loved to explore the magic of Avalon, meet magical characters, fall in love with "The Devils," get to know everyone better...but the story plops protagonist Nick right at the end of Avalon's very existence, and centers a conflict with the "Flesheaters" that is unsatisfying, especially when you find out that the bad blood between the Flesheaters and The Devils is based in a lack of communication and they both essentially want the same thing.
I wished that the Flesheaters had been more rounded beyond just The Captain. I understand that they've been in Avalon for 300 years, yet they have not evolved beyond superstitious religious nutjobs in that entire time? They all still wear their pilgrim garb? They all still worship the cross? Even with pixies and eternal children roaming around? The group was flat, I wanted them to die, which made them feel like minions instead of the interesting foils they could have been.
Ulfger is the worst character of all. Totally pointless except to deliver Peter his destiny at the last minute. He is too unreasonable. Every page of Ulfger felt like 10 pages. It's hard to accept a character who is over 1000 years old but has zero wisdom about their own land and their own history.
There's a ton of potential for a more interesting story here. I would love a "tales from Avalon" sequel that indulges me on that.
It lost me about halfway through, I started to realize I wasn't going to get what I was craving out of this book. I would have loved to explore the magic of Avalon, meet magical characters, fall in love with "The Devils," get to know everyone better...but the story plops protagonist Nick right at the end of Avalon's very existence, and centers a conflict with the "Flesheaters" that is unsatisfying, especially when you find out that the bad blood between the Flesheaters and The Devils is based in a lack of communication and they both essentially want the same thing.
I wished that the Flesheaters had been more rounded beyond just The Captain. I understand that they've been in Avalon for 300 years, yet they have not evolved beyond superstitious religious nutjobs in that entire time? They all still wear their pilgrim garb? They all still worship the cross? Even with pixies and eternal children roaming around? The group was flat, I wanted them to die, which made them feel like minions instead of the interesting foils they could have been.
Ulfger is the worst character of all. Totally pointless except to deliver Peter his destiny at the last minute. He is too unreasonable. Every page of Ulfger felt like 10 pages. It's hard to accept a character who is over 1000 years old but has zero wisdom about their own land and their own history.
There's a ton of potential for a more interesting story here. I would love a "tales from Avalon" sequel that indulges me on that.
After reading the books I'd brought with me, I went to the bookstore. This book was highly, highly recommended by the lady I talked to, so I got it. She described it as a retelling of Peter Pan, beautifully illustrated. I would describe it as grim, grim, grim, with a side of depressing. Seriously.
It's bleak, violent, and once again it was hard to root for the unlikable main characters. It's also one of those books where they never explain certain things, the resolution sucks (imho) and I found the entire experience unsatisfactory. Bah.
It's bleak, violent, and once again it was hard to root for the unlikable main characters. It's also one of those books where they never explain certain things, the resolution sucks (imho) and I found the entire experience unsatisfactory. Bah.