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mariahistryingtoread 's review for:
Ghoulish Song
by William Alexander
Ghoulish Song is a companion novel that exceeds the quality of its predecessor though admittedly that’s not too difficult considering the middling quality of Goblin Secrets. I liked it more solely because of Kaile being a superior protagonist to Rownie, but make no mistake the issues I had with the first book are present here as well.
This book takes a look at what a girl who is a less than minor character in Goblin Secrets is doing on the day of the great flood Rownie and the goblins are seeking to prevent. Unbeknownst to them she has her own part to play in the events of the day. Due to her shadow being removed Kaile is pronounced dead - that is, everyone around her is going to ignore her as if she is as a means of protecting themselves from vengeful spirits. Through her attempt to join her shadow back to her she becomes wrapped up in the flood plotline.
However, interestingly enough the two do not converge in the way you’d expect. In fact, the two stories do not make direct contact at all outside of a small interaction somewhere in the middle. It’s very much two completely independent sides of the same story about one big event. I found this kind of fun because it provided further insight into the world which I believe is the strongest part of this entire series.
I liked learning more about the traditions, superstitions and overall culture of Zombay. Admittedly, I did not remember a lot of details about Goblin Secrets, but Alexander makes it easy to slide right in. He excels at creating a diverting, immersive atmosphere. I was a little confused yet entertained; kind of like Kaile, herself.
In contrast to Rownie, Kaile is a much more supportable character. She knows what she wants, and she is the one to strike out to make her own way. She relies on her own intrepid spirit to keep her going. I also think the ‘chosen one’ trope not being projected onto her helped immensely.
Her secondary cast, consisting of a secret musicians guild her late grandfather belonged to, is unfortunately as similarly underdeveloped as the goblin theatre troupe - I’d almost go so far as to call them knockoffs - but thankfully, she’s a strong enough character to combat that.
Most books can fit into a three act construct and I have no problem with it because it’s not even noticeable unless you’re looking for it or particularly attuned to it. I definitely could feel the transition in this case. The trek to unite her and her shadow is milquetoast. It involves a murky magical system that doesn’t get explained too well. This causes the ending to be underwhelming as it relies heavily on the aforementioned magical system. The mystery regarding the flute is not well interwoven into the rest of the story as the puzzle of it doesn’t require much effort to figure out. It’s basically known from the beginning so most of the book is simply biding time until it’s confirmed later.
Also there’s the question of how much Kaile really is impacting given what we know of Rownie’s influence. Conversely, there’s the same question of Rownie’s impact in relation to what Kaile does.
All in all, an average read, though slightly more enjoyable than the previous installment.
Goblin Secrets Review
This book takes a look at what a girl who is a less than minor character in Goblin Secrets is doing on the day of the great flood Rownie and the goblins are seeking to prevent. Unbeknownst to them she has her own part to play in the events of the day. Due to her shadow being removed Kaile is pronounced dead - that is, everyone around her is going to ignore her as if she is as a means of protecting themselves from vengeful spirits. Through her attempt to join her shadow back to her she becomes wrapped up in the flood plotline.
However, interestingly enough the two do not converge in the way you’d expect. In fact, the two stories do not make direct contact at all outside of a small interaction somewhere in the middle. It’s very much two completely independent sides of the same story about one big event. I found this kind of fun because it provided further insight into the world which I believe is the strongest part of this entire series.
I liked learning more about the traditions, superstitions and overall culture of Zombay. Admittedly, I did not remember a lot of details about Goblin Secrets, but Alexander makes it easy to slide right in. He excels at creating a diverting, immersive atmosphere. I was a little confused yet entertained; kind of like Kaile, herself.
In contrast to Rownie, Kaile is a much more supportable character. She knows what she wants, and she is the one to strike out to make her own way. She relies on her own intrepid spirit to keep her going. I also think the ‘chosen one’ trope not being projected onto her helped immensely.
Her secondary cast, consisting of a secret musicians guild her late grandfather belonged to, is unfortunately as similarly underdeveloped as the goblin theatre troupe - I’d almost go so far as to call them knockoffs - but thankfully, she’s a strong enough character to combat that.
Most books can fit into a three act construct and I have no problem with it because it’s not even noticeable unless you’re looking for it or particularly attuned to it. I definitely could feel the transition in this case. The trek to unite her and her shadow is milquetoast. It involves a murky magical system that doesn’t get explained too well. This causes the ending to be underwhelming as it relies heavily on the aforementioned magical system. The mystery regarding the flute is not well interwoven into the rest of the story as the puzzle of it doesn’t require much effort to figure out. It’s basically known from the beginning so most of the book is simply biding time until it’s confirmed later.
Also there’s the question of how much Kaile really is impacting given what we know of Rownie’s influence. Conversely, there’s the same question of Rownie’s impact in relation to what Kaile does.
All in all, an average read, though slightly more enjoyable than the previous installment.
Goblin Secrets Review