Scan barcode
A review by twicomb
The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston
2.0
The description of this book checked a lot of boxes for what I enjoy reading. I was let down. It’s a somewhat average book that felt as if it was written with the hopes it would be adapted into a Netflix “atmospheric horror with romance elements” movie. The story was plotted out so mechanically that reading it felt like watching someone go through a checklist of how to plot a book. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No, but made reading it feel like a bit of a chore. It also meant that I struggled to get swept up in the story, or care much about the characters.
The descriptions of nature are beautiful, and the parallel story set in 910 AD (or so) was clearly well-researched and interested me much more than the main story. The author is clearly talented. Unfortunately it felt as if she cranked out this book. (I was reminded of how some of Stephen King’s books in the Misery years started to feel mechanical and cranked out.I would be interested to revisit her work if someone could recommend another title of hers that feels more filled with passion for the craft of writing, and less like a book from a plot assembly line.
How I rate books:
1: awful, terribly written, and/or inexcusable story issues
2: dull, unenjoyable, and/or poorly written
3: decent, possibly a good “airplane read” but I won’t be recommending it, an average book experience
4: quite good, engaging, and/or well-written
5: top-notch, fascinating story/content, wonderful writing
The descriptions of nature are beautiful, and the parallel story set in 910 AD (or so) was clearly well-researched and interested me much more than the main story. The author is clearly talented. Unfortunately it felt as if she cranked out this book. (I was reminded of how some of Stephen King’s books in the Misery years started to feel mechanical and cranked out.I would be interested to revisit her work if someone could recommend another title of hers that feels more filled with passion for the craft of writing, and less like a book from a plot assembly line.
How I rate books:
1: awful, terribly written, and/or inexcusable story issues
2: dull, unenjoyable, and/or poorly written
3: decent, possibly a good “airplane read” but I won’t be recommending it, an average book experience
4: quite good, engaging, and/or well-written
5: top-notch, fascinating story/content, wonderful writing