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A review by manxomemia
Into the Dark Lands by Michelle Sagara West
3.0
I read this book on a recommendation and I have mixed feelings about it. Pacing was very hard to follow and the author tends to swap POV constantly, which is quite disconcerting to read. There were parts that were just so confusing I kind of skimmed over them which mean I lost important details that were hidden in there.
The intro added a few years ago by the author makes sense after reading the book. She says that the start of the book was originally told through flashbacks later, but she revised it at the recommendation of her editor (I think). It reads that way. The first third of the book feels completely different to the rest, and while both styles are good, I felt they didn't quite match up right. The ending also seemed kind of rushed and a little forced, plus quite confusing. I had to look it up online to make sure I understood what happened correctly (and I read the whole book over a few days so it shouldn't have been too difficult to keep up).
All that being said, I still enjoyed it. The relationship between the two main characters is really great and the story world would be perfect to play it out in. It was very much beauty and the beast, which is my favourite fairy tale.
The author mentions in her intro that she can now see all the faults in the book and she had wished she could revise it, but didn't because it is the book most of her fans fell in love with. I understand that and I agree with her logic, but part of me would love to read what she could have made it into so many years later. The story itself is intriguing and enjoyable, it's just that the execution left a little to be desired.
The intro added a few years ago by the author makes sense after reading the book. She says that the start of the book was originally told through flashbacks later, but she revised it at the recommendation of her editor (I think). It reads that way. The first third of the book feels completely different to the rest, and while both styles are good, I felt they didn't quite match up right. The ending also seemed kind of rushed and a little forced, plus quite confusing. I had to look it up online to make sure I understood what happened correctly (and I read the whole book over a few days so it shouldn't have been too difficult to keep up).
All that being said, I still enjoyed it. The relationship between the two main characters is really great and the story world would be perfect to play it out in. It was very much beauty and the beast, which is my favourite fairy tale.
The author mentions in her intro that she can now see all the faults in the book and she had wished she could revise it, but didn't because it is the book most of her fans fell in love with. I understand that and I agree with her logic, but part of me would love to read what she could have made it into so many years later. The story itself is intriguing and enjoyable, it's just that the execution left a little to be desired.