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anasilva12 's review for:
Master of Crows
by Grace Draven
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I confess, I have mixed feelings about this book.
It's a story that seems, at times, to drag on. But when I look back, I can see that the entire narrative was necessary to cement the characters, making them credible and complete in their motivations and actions. I'm not a fan of the idea of a servant-master relationship, and it was perhaps one of my least favorite parts of the relationship between Silhara and Martise, but I liked the way it was handled, in a well-crafted, realistic, and even sometimes raw way.
Martise isn't exactly submissive, but servitude is ingrained in her like a second skin. It's inevitable that her instinct is to annul herself, to become invisible. But this hides a sharp, intelligent mind and a deep search for self-knowledge and freedom. Silhara, isolated, temperamental, and surrounded by secrecy, doesn't know at all how to deal with a stranger in his domain populated only by three male identities. And yet she wins him over with her spirit and mystery. He knows she's in Neith to betray him, and this part was refreshing to read—there's no subterfuge here that could lead to a feeling of betrayal when her circumstances as a spy are revealed. It makes the feelings he begins to develop more real, no matter how much he tries to repress and suppress them! And oh! how good the longing and desire are!! Draven is a master at writing sexual and sensual tension, about desire and longing. And she also writes the most sensual and steamy scenes!!
And yet I felt something was missing, some warmth. I never really got hooked on the story or the characters, though I really enjoyed the world the writer created, the society, the idea of there being Gifted and non-Gifted, and how this places them in a diverse society with distinct cultures. The worldbuilding is very good, the story nuanced with bits of information that enriched and shaped it. I especially enjoyed Silhara's character, his cruel and dark past, his motivations and hatreds, his cruelty and outward coldness, which despite everything couldn't corrupt an honorable, loyally fierce, and just character. And his struggle not to succumb to the temptation of an entity that offers him everything his being has ever desired!
Just a note, perhaps just a pet peeve of mine: I'm starting to get a little tired of this need writers seem to have to emphasize that their protagonists aren't beautiful or desirable! I understand they wanted to move away from the stereotype of romance novels in which the protagonists are the most beautiful, the most charismatic, the most talented, or the most seductive. But there's no need to go to the opposite extreme either! It's fine if the protagonist has a discreet beauty or a unique characteristic, and I was annoyed by the constant "beating of the dead horse" throughout the book about how plain and unattractive Martise was.
In short, an excellent fantasy world, well explored in a story that presents it progressively and lets us discover it throughout the narrative. The conflict/problem felt underexplored and didn't create any real tension or sense of urgency. The romance isn't perfect, and it's not my favorite trope, but the tension and chemistry between the two made up for it, and when the tension finally reached a peak between Martise and Silhara, it was simply magical and explosive!
It's a story that seems, at times, to drag on. But when I look back, I can see that the entire narrative was necessary to cement the characters, making them credible and complete in their motivations and actions. I'm not a fan of the idea of a servant-master relationship, and it was perhaps one of my least favorite parts of the relationship between Silhara and Martise, but I liked the way it was handled, in a well-crafted, realistic, and even sometimes raw way.
Martise isn't exactly submissive, but servitude is ingrained in her like a second skin. It's inevitable that her instinct is to annul herself, to become invisible. But this hides a sharp, intelligent mind and a deep search for self-knowledge and freedom. Silhara, isolated, temperamental, and surrounded by secrecy, doesn't know at all how to deal with a stranger in his domain populated only by three male identities. And yet she wins him over with her spirit and mystery. He knows she's in Neith to betray him, and this part was refreshing to read—there's no subterfuge here that could lead to a feeling of betrayal when her circumstances as a spy are revealed. It makes the feelings he begins to develop more real, no matter how much he tries to repress and suppress them! And oh! how good the longing and desire are!! Draven is a master at writing sexual and sensual tension, about desire and longing. And she also writes the most sensual and steamy scenes!!
And yet I felt something was missing, some warmth. I never really got hooked on the story or the characters, though I really enjoyed the world the writer created, the society, the idea of there being Gifted and non-Gifted, and how this places them in a diverse society with distinct cultures. The worldbuilding is very good, the story nuanced with bits of information that enriched and shaped it. I especially enjoyed Silhara's character, his cruel and dark past, his motivations and hatreds, his cruelty and outward coldness, which despite everything couldn't corrupt an honorable, loyally fierce, and just character. And his struggle not to succumb to the temptation of an entity that offers him everything his being has ever desired!
Just a note, perhaps just a pet peeve of mine: I'm starting to get a little tired of this need writers seem to have to emphasize that their protagonists aren't beautiful or desirable! I understand they wanted to move away from the stereotype of romance novels in which the protagonists are the most beautiful, the most charismatic, the most talented, or the most seductive. But there's no need to go to the opposite extreme either! It's fine if the protagonist has a discreet beauty or a unique characteristic, and I was annoyed by the constant "beating of the dead horse" throughout the book about how plain and unattractive Martise was.
In short, an excellent fantasy world, well explored in a story that presents it progressively and lets us discover it throughout the narrative. The conflict/problem felt underexplored and didn't create any real tension or sense of urgency. The romance isn't perfect, and it's not my favorite trope, but the tension and chemistry between the two made up for it, and when the tension finally reached a peak between Martise and Silhara, it was simply magical and explosive!