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A review by amberlinn
The School of Mirrors by Eva Stachniak
3.0
Won an ARC of this book and am so grateful for the opportunity!
2.5 stars rounded to 3. A heavy historical fiction that felt lengthier than necessary.
As in most historical fiction, the beginning of the story was spent introducing various characters and story lines and I had the expectation that, as with all historical fiction, the storylines would weave together. I found that they overwhelming just continued to run parallel.
There was no magical moment where I felt “aha! That’s what all this buildup was for!” except, perhaps, the last paragraph of the book.
My biggest challenge in reading this book was stylistically. The writing itself felt very clinical and sections of chapters felt abrupt. I prefer more prose that flows more naturally, however I can see how this would appeal stylistically to other types of readers.
Overall, I was underwhelmed when I wanted so badly to be swept away, though the historical elements of the book were very enlightening to me and I am certain I have learned much about the French Revolution just from reading it.
2.5 stars rounded to 3. A heavy historical fiction that felt lengthier than necessary.
As in most historical fiction, the beginning of the story was spent introducing various characters and story lines and I had the expectation that, as with all historical fiction, the storylines would weave together. I found that they overwhelming just continued to run parallel.
There was no magical moment where I felt “aha! That’s what all this buildup was for!” except, perhaps, the last paragraph of the book.
My biggest challenge in reading this book was stylistically. The writing itself felt very clinical and sections of chapters felt abrupt. I prefer more prose that flows more naturally, however I can see how this would appeal stylistically to other types of readers.
Overall, I was underwhelmed when I wanted so badly to be swept away, though the historical elements of the book were very enlightening to me and I am certain I have learned much about the French Revolution just from reading it.