siavahda 's review for:

All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie

3.0

---

I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it either. Although there were some lovely turns of phrase, the style was mostly quite dry; the conceit is that this story is being set down in writing by a Christian monk or priest, and in fairness it very much nails that vibe, the style of a historical chronicle. The problem is that it’s not a style I enjoy; it felt impersonal and distant, and was very… It’s like a bare but elegant wooden carving; I can understand why others like the aesthetic, I can tell that a great deal of thought and skill went into its crafting – but it’s not for me.

It didn’t help that I didn’t especially like or admire or enjoy the main character, and the characters I found most interesting we barely saw at all.

Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!