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A review by grumpypeta
Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson
3.0
Not quite sure what to do with this book. I mean obviously I read it, but I came away from it thinking, 'Did I enjoy that?'. I think I did because I kept reading it when I said I'd put it down because I had other stuff to do, but I still persisted in reading it. However, any book that leaves you uncertain of whether you actually enjoyed it or not probably has a few issues. Yes, yes it does.
To begin with, Persephone Alcmedi has an obsession with King Arthur. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that I have (albeit, briefly) studied the shit out of the Arthurian legend, an unwelcome habit of watching BBC Merlin and reading Arthur related historical fiction. I don't profess myself to be any kind of scholarly authority, BUT when her love affair stems from Marion I'M-A-FUCKING-CELTIST-WANNABE Zimmer-Bradley and John William Waterhouse paintings, I WILL TAKE ISSUE. Mainly because the Waterhouse painting is based on the Tennyson poem, which is a watered-down version of the Arthurian legend (and Tennyson is a sissy-girl). Also Marion Zimmber-Bradley is just...blergh there are no words for how much the 'Mists of Avalon' irritates me. More than anything I just want to go and slap Persephone, hand her some Chrétien de Troyes and then have a massive nerd-out. However, this is just me being a wanky-wanky-nerd girl.
The plot jumps around a bit and sometimes I felt like I had missed things and had to go re-read a couple of pages (turns out I hadn't missed anything, the book just makes a couple of leaps here and there). Despite issues, I still actually want to read the next one, so I guess ten points to Linda Robertson?
If you can make it through the first 150 pages without TOO MUCH eye-rolling and thinking you've read this somewhere else before (because I know I have, see any of "The Parasol Protectorate" and the Sabina Kane series) you may find you actually enjoy the experience. Or at least you're still trying to figure out if you did. I'll probably add to this review later when I figure exactly what I liked about it, because I can't for the life of me think of it now.
To begin with, Persephone Alcmedi has an obsession with King Arthur. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that I have (albeit, briefly) studied the shit out of the Arthurian legend, an unwelcome habit of watching BBC Merlin and reading Arthur related historical fiction. I don't profess myself to be any kind of scholarly authority, BUT when her love affair stems from Marion I'M-A-FUCKING-CELTIST-WANNABE Zimmer-Bradley and John William Waterhouse paintings, I WILL TAKE ISSUE. Mainly because the Waterhouse painting is based on the Tennyson poem, which is a watered-down version of the Arthurian legend (and Tennyson is a sissy-girl). Also Marion Zimmber-Bradley is just...blergh there are no words for how much the 'Mists of Avalon' irritates me. More than anything I just want to go and slap Persephone, hand her some Chrétien de Troyes and then have a massive nerd-out. However, this is just me being a wanky-wanky-nerd girl.
The plot jumps around a bit and sometimes I felt like I had missed things and had to go re-read a couple of pages (turns out I hadn't missed anything, the book just makes a couple of leaps here and there). Despite issues, I still actually want to read the next one, so I guess ten points to Linda Robertson?
If you can make it through the first 150 pages without TOO MUCH eye-rolling and thinking you've read this somewhere else before (because I know I have, see any of "The Parasol Protectorate" and the Sabina Kane series) you may find you actually enjoy the experience. Or at least you're still trying to figure out if you did. I'll probably add to this review later when I figure exactly what I liked about it, because I can't for the life of me think of it now.