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A review by pastathief
Sailor of the Skysea by Andy C.F. Crawford
Did not finish book.
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review, and I was dove into the book happily under those terms. It's languished for a long time on my "reading" list. Because of the arrangement mentioned above, I was unusually determined to make it through the book, and I kept returning it to the fore and working through a few more pages, gradually losing steam, and setting it aside again. I think it's time to admit that I'm just not going to make it.
The book isn't at all terrible. It's essentially a American historical story thinly disguised as a fantasy story. I honestly think it would have worked much better had the disguise been dropped. The historical angle would have leant a lot more interest. (I love fantasy, but it just didn't really work with the way the book is written.) Also, the way the narrative is framed, within the outer narrative of the telling of the tale, drains it of urgency. You never really wonder if Our Every-Man Hero is going to make it, because you know at the outset that he does, and you never really know which time period to invest in. And it's very, very exposition-heavy at times.
That said, there's a lot of detail and world building here. I got mired in the exposition, but if you enjoy that sort of thing, you might like this book. Also, if you think you'll enjoy the allegorical presentation, then again you might like it.
I feel guilty for not finishing, and in fact, only getting maybe 1/3 of the way in, but it turned out to really be a slog for me. It might not be for others.
The book isn't at all terrible. It's essentially a American historical story thinly disguised as a fantasy story. I honestly think it would have worked much better had the disguise been dropped. The historical angle would have leant a lot more interest. (I love fantasy, but it just didn't really work with the way the book is written.) Also, the way the narrative is framed, within the outer narrative of the telling of the tale, drains it of urgency. You never really wonder if Our Every-Man Hero is going to make it, because you know at the outset that he does, and you never really know which time period to invest in. And it's very, very exposition-heavy at times.
That said, there's a lot of detail and world building here. I got mired in the exposition, but if you enjoy that sort of thing, you might like this book. Also, if you think you'll enjoy the allegorical presentation, then again you might like it.
I feel guilty for not finishing, and in fact, only getting maybe 1/3 of the way in, but it turned out to really be a slog for me. It might not be for others.