Scan barcode
A review by krisrid
The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle
1.0
This book had things I would normally like: an alternate England, political drama including Queen Elizabeth and Sir Francis Walsingham, a down-and-out hero, a girl pretending to be a boy, and magic. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.
There was a feeling of disjointedness in the various aspects of the plot, it was ll over the place and seemed to jump from one thing to another with no rhyme or reason.
I also didn't connect to the characters. I didn't dislike them, I just didn't really find myself engaged with them and their stories. What happened to them just wasn't interesting enough to me to make me keep reading, especially when this paperback had over 500 pages.
The author's apparent fascination of gay male sex seemed incongruous to the rest of the story for me and unnecessary. In fairness, I didn't finish the book, so it's possible this has a reason and it becomes clear if you do, but it was just another small thing that didn't connect for me and added up all of the small things I didn't love just meant it didn't seem worth it to keep reading.
There was a feeling of disjointedness in the various aspects of the plot, it was ll over the place and seemed to jump from one thing to another with no rhyme or reason.
I also didn't connect to the characters. I didn't dislike them, I just didn't really find myself engaged with them and their stories. What happened to them just wasn't interesting enough to me to make me keep reading, especially when this paperback had over 500 pages.
The author's apparent fascination of gay male sex seemed incongruous to the rest of the story for me and unnecessary. In fairness, I didn't finish the book, so it's possible this has a reason and it becomes clear if you do, but it was just another small thing that didn't connect for me and added up all of the small things I didn't love just meant it didn't seem worth it to keep reading.