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A review by paradoxically
Frost Moon by Anthony Francis
4.0
This book is... interesting.
The main character, Dakota, is tall, has a mohawk, and inks magical tattoos. Sounds interesting, yes? Well, it is, for the most part. Several stereotypes just leap out at me (I was a bit 'meh' about Dakota's characterization when I started reading, but I liked it much more as I went on), while other things in the book are wholly surprising and kind of ridiculous, like the author attempted to break the stereotypes the genre has, but did it in such a manner that made me laugh and go, "Really now?" The first vampire scene is a prime example of this. It was surprising, but more than that, it was absolutely ridiculous. I'm still wavering between "that is hilarious" and "that is kind of stupid".
But that was my initial impression (I like starting reviews when I first think of something to say because first impressions are important). However, once the book starts moving, once the plot starts to really heat up, everything becomes very good. The author just seems to mellow out just the slightest bit and the plot races along, the pace is fast, and everything is very nicely done. The book is engaging and there are actually consequences to Dakota's actions--she doesn't just magically bounce back from whatever spot of trouble she gets herself into; she is affected by things, she gets traumatized by events, and she just seemed so much more real to me as I read further along.
The other characters are varied and are more or less fleshed out. Some of them were one dimensional, but a few others were fascinating in their own right (I do wish that they were more fleshed out overall, though). I like the fact that the main character has friends (more than one, even!) and is a nice person all around. She's not super competent, she can't really fight, but she's tough in her own way that was a joy to see.
The book is not perfect (the beginning for example) and a few things had me rolling my eyes (mainly scenes involving the vampires, then the meeting with a bunch of werewolves). They were fairly typical or over the top in a bad way. And of course there is this waifish orphan that hangs around the main character--but, well, I warmed up to the girl fairly quickly, so I suppose that's a vote in her favor.
A rocky beginning, but if you stick it out, you'll probably find yourself enjoying this book. I'd give it 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. I look forward to reading the next one.
The main character, Dakota, is tall, has a mohawk, and inks magical tattoos. Sounds interesting, yes? Well, it is, for the most part. Several stereotypes just leap out at me (I was a bit 'meh' about Dakota's characterization when I started reading, but I liked it much more as I went on), while other things in the book are wholly surprising and kind of ridiculous, like the author attempted to break the stereotypes the genre has, but did it in such a manner that made me laugh and go, "Really now?" The first vampire scene is a prime example of this. It was surprising, but more than that, it was absolutely ridiculous. I'm still wavering between "that is hilarious" and "that is kind of stupid".
But that was my initial impression (I like starting reviews when I first think of something to say because first impressions are important). However, once the book starts moving, once the plot starts to really heat up, everything becomes very good. The author just seems to mellow out just the slightest bit and the plot races along, the pace is fast, and everything is very nicely done. The book is engaging and there are actually consequences to Dakota's actions--she doesn't just magically bounce back from whatever spot of trouble she gets herself into; she is affected by things, she gets traumatized by events, and she just seemed so much more real to me as I read further along.
The other characters are varied and are more or less fleshed out. Some of them were one dimensional, but a few others were fascinating in their own right (I do wish that they were more fleshed out overall, though). I like the fact that the main character has friends (more than one, even!) and is a nice person all around. She's not super competent, she can't really fight, but she's tough in her own way that was a joy to see.
The book is not perfect (the beginning for example) and a few things had me rolling my eyes (mainly scenes involving the vampires, then the meeting with a bunch of werewolves). They were fairly typical or over the top in a bad way. And of course there is this waifish orphan that hangs around the main character--but, well, I warmed up to the girl fairly quickly, so I suppose that's a vote in her favor.
A rocky beginning, but if you stick it out, you'll probably find yourself enjoying this book. I'd give it 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. I look forward to reading the next one.