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A review by ladyethyme
The Orphans of Raspay by Lois McMaster Bujold
1.0
Unfortunately it reads more like fanfic than anything else, although there are a few humorous points of narration, there is again seems to be absolutely no character growth for Penric.
I find most unfortunate is that the author created this very interesting world, and a character with so much potential, and then simply refuses to explore it at any depth.
He has supernatural powers but somehow doesn't use them for 3/4 of the book, because "reasons".
They mentioned again how a way to kill a sorcerer is to drop him off of a ship and sail away… But that does not make any sense to me at all. Why doesn't he just destroy the ship? It would give him plenty of debris to cling to if nothing else.
Then, at the point of complete dismay and utter hopelessness, he is saved by deus ex machina intervention, which is absolutely ridiculous.
There is a reason that authors do not use this type of plot device much anymore, at least those with a mediocre understanding of plot construction and story development. It leaves the readers disappointed and lacking any real fulfillment of plot.
It also seems she has no problem at all the slavery, as she basically gives the slavers get off free, only having to agree to some nebulous 'deal' or whatever. I'd have burned them all to ash.
And frankly at the end it sounds like she's making more arguments for slavery than against.
I find most unfortunate is that the author created this very interesting world, and a character with so much potential, and then simply refuses to explore it at any depth.
He has supernatural powers but somehow doesn't use them for 3/4 of the book, because "reasons".
They mentioned again how a way to kill a sorcerer is to drop him off of a ship and sail away… But that does not make any sense to me at all. Why doesn't he just destroy the ship? It would give him plenty of debris to cling to if nothing else.
Then, at the point of complete dismay and utter hopelessness, he is saved by deus ex machina intervention, which is absolutely ridiculous.
There is a reason that authors do not use this type of plot device much anymore, at least those with a mediocre understanding of plot construction and story development. It leaves the readers disappointed and lacking any real fulfillment of plot.
It also seems she has no problem at all the slavery, as she basically gives the slavers get off free, only having to agree to some nebulous 'deal' or whatever. I'd have burned them all to ash.
And frankly at the end it sounds like she's making more arguments for slavery than against.