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A review by kapellosaur
Tides of the Dark Crystal #3 by J. M. Lee
2.0
Unfortunately this installation in the series was ultimately uninteresting to me, but for a few snippets here and there that could have been reduced down to a short series of vignettes. I found the POV character in this book to be pretty bland (and not just because he wasn't Deet from the TV series! Though at this point the TV series certainly demonstrates how it improved on this book series) and what looked to be his character arc (making a name for himself) never actually came to any kind of conclusion by the end.
The plot itself was very repetitive, visiting the various clans to sow the seeds of rebellion, and the author lacks the narrative flair to make the reading enjoyable in its own right. Indeed, I generally found the descriptions of the various locations lacking, and would be hard pressed to imagine any of it if it weren't for the TV series. This is something where I think the choice of artwork for the illustrator was poor too; focusing instead on characters than the world itself. While it's nice to see the characters drawn out, I felt they were adequately described already.
There was also barely any denouement, a mere chapter at best; this instead presumably being reserved for the final book of the series, but the narrative stopped suddenly enough that I wondered if the book had some pages missing.
In terms of redeeming features, I certainly enjoyed the diversity of Skeksis introduced here, though I thought the Mystics were a little overused (perhaps only because the TV series keeps them hidden). It was a lovely surprise to have a character in a same-sex relationship.
The plot itself was very repetitive, visiting the various clans to sow the seeds of rebellion, and the author lacks the narrative flair to make the reading enjoyable in its own right. Indeed, I generally found the descriptions of the various locations lacking, and would be hard pressed to imagine any of it if it weren't for the TV series. This is something where I think the choice of artwork for the illustrator was poor too; focusing instead on characters than the world itself. While it's nice to see the characters drawn out, I felt they were adequately described already.
There was also barely any denouement, a mere chapter at best; this instead presumably being reserved for the final book of the series, but the narrative stopped suddenly enough that I wondered if the book had some pages missing.
In terms of redeeming features, I certainly enjoyed the diversity of Skeksis introduced here, though I thought the Mystics were a little overused (perhaps only because the TV series keeps them hidden). It was a lovely surprise to have a character in a same-sex relationship