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A review by kir3n
The Erstwhile by Brian Catling
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Coming from the intensity and psycho-sexuality of the first book, this book is very tame and much more plot-based. The focus on plot and world is the reason I continued through the book regardless of the disgusting nature of the first and its lingering aftertaste throughout the second. The characters are still mostly self-absorbed white men, but the new additions do help in breaking that annoying monotony up.
One thing to note is that the prose is TERRIBLE compared to the first book. There were several times I felt I was reading a YA written by a YA - unnecessary alliteration, dissatisfying use of adjectives, redundant and simplistic imagery, etc.. This was disappointing because the first book was so strong in the writing, making so much of it worth-while and magical. Thankfully, the content and plot-lines were more coherent, intriguing, and graspable, making up for this jarring change in flow.
One thing to note is that the prose is TERRIBLE compared to the first book. There were several times I felt I was reading a YA written by a YA - unnecessary alliteration, dissatisfying use of adjectives, redundant and simplistic imagery, etc.. This was disappointing because the first book was so strong in the writing, making so much of it worth-while and magical. Thankfully, the content and plot-lines were more coherent, intriguing, and graspable, making up for this jarring change in flow.