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elenavillan 's review for:
A Drop of Corruption
by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I think I liked this sequel even more than The Tainted Cup. The character interactions are just as good, especially the dynamic between Din and Ana, and I really enjoyed learning more about the politics of the Empire and its neighbors. It is the mystery plot itself, however, that I found most improved; it was simultaneously easier to follow and more satisfyingly solved. The main villain of the story was much more intriguing and interesting than any of the corrupt officials of the first book, too.
A small thing that bothered me about the dialogue, though: the overuse of “for” as a synonym of “because”. It makes the characters sound strangely old-fashioned and solemn even though the rest of their speech is actually quite modern and informal. It feels as if the author wanted to write dialogue in an approachable way for the average reader (which is perfectly understandable) but still felt pressured to give it a traditional fantasy flourish, and I don’t think the combination works very well, unfortunately. I would’ve preferred it if he’d just stuck with a modern style throughout.
Other than that, I had a great time with the characters and the story, and I’ll be impatiently waiting for the third installment in the series (let us hope that Kepheus will be back for it!).
A small thing that bothered me about the dialogue, though: the overuse of “for” as a synonym of “because”. It makes the characters sound strangely old-fashioned and solemn even though the rest of their speech is actually quite modern and informal. It feels as if the author wanted to write dialogue in an approachable way for the average reader (which is perfectly understandable) but still felt pressured to give it a traditional fantasy flourish, and I don’t think the combination works very well, unfortunately. I would’ve preferred it if he’d just stuck with a modern style throughout.
Other than that, I had a great time with the characters and the story, and I’ll be impatiently waiting for the third installment in the series (let us hope that Kepheus will be back for it!).