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A review by missawn
Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox
3.0
There are things that I really liked about this book and others that I found disappointing. What is excellent is without a doubt the writing! It is really beautifully written with some achingly lovely phrases and descriptions that make the time/place come vividly alive. That I loved ... a lot ...
However, the story dragged on a bit for me (middle to end) and would have benefited from tighter pace and a little less melodramatics. Also, much as I came to love the two MCs (Cai and Fen) ... there was something a little one dimensional about them. Cai "the saint" who is "loved by all" (literally!), and Fen his "infallibly adoring warrior". Fen in particular troubled me -- how quickly he was willing to give up his life, family, kingdom ... everything basically ... and only after a few short weeks. The sudden turn from murderous hatred to utter devotion was ... well ... sudden. And not wholly believable ... unless you considered Stockholm syndrome or some similar infatuation which then detracts from the story. Because I did not feel the same powerful connection between the two, I felt the story's tension suffered a bit because of it.
However, at the same time I also felt that the book contains an subtle but important message. I could not help but stand in awe at how masterfully the author handled the complex and imaginative weaving of the early christian church, homosexuality/love, knowledge/power, belonging/place, the concept of "the other", and what it means to be human into one powerfully beautiful book. I just wish the love story at its core was stronger and the pacing tighter ... and it is for this reason its hard to rate the book ... the writing is easily 5+ stars ... but due to the unfortunate shortfalls discussed above, I'd probably rate it a very reluctant 3.5 stars. It is definitely a worthy read just for the language and the lovely messaging that it contains ...
This is my first book by this author and I definitely plan on reading more of her books in the near future ...
However, the story dragged on a bit for me (middle to end) and would have benefited from tighter pace and a little less melodramatics. Also, much as I came to love the two MCs (Cai and Fen) ... there was something a little one dimensional about them. Cai "the saint" who is "loved by all" (literally!), and Fen his "infallibly adoring warrior". Fen in particular troubled me -- how quickly he was willing to give up his life, family, kingdom ... everything basically ... and only after a few short weeks. The sudden turn from murderous hatred to utter devotion was ... well ... sudden. And not wholly believable ... unless you considered Stockholm syndrome or some similar infatuation which then detracts from the story. Because I did not feel the same powerful connection between the two, I felt the story's tension suffered a bit because of it.
However, at the same time I also felt that the book contains an subtle but important message. I could not help but stand in awe at how masterfully the author handled the complex and imaginative weaving of the early christian church, homosexuality/love, knowledge/power, belonging/place, the concept of "the other", and what it means to be human into one powerfully beautiful book. I just wish the love story at its core was stronger and the pacing tighter ... and it is for this reason its hard to rate the book ... the writing is easily 5+ stars ... but due to the unfortunate shortfalls discussed above, I'd probably rate it a very reluctant 3.5 stars. It is definitely a worthy read just for the language and the lovely messaging that it contains ...
This is my first book by this author and I definitely plan on reading more of her books in the near future ...