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A review by danaslitlist
The House of Drought by Dennis Mombauer
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.0
I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for an honest review, it was a pleasure!
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading "The House of Drought" and I think that was a beautiful way to dive in. I was instantly pulled into the story and placed into the colonial mansion with the dark and tempting forest just outside the gate. Mr. Mombauer does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in with his descriptions as well as with the characters. I was also very appreciative that he jumped right into the story and used a shifting time frame method in his writing. This enables the story to remain exciting and keeps you reading while also making sure to provide all the necessary and wanted information. The book is also not a long one which, mixed with the fast paced plot, makes for a delightful quick read.
I do however, have two critiques. The first being the multiple points of views that are giving throughout the story. Multiple POV can be hit or miss for me and I found that in this case the story didn't need as many side stories and points of view. There were a few times I was taken aback by the character switch as there is no indication beforehand of the change and as The House of Drought is not a particularly long story there was not much time to get to know the characters whose points of view we were reading from.
My second critique goes in hand with the first and is that there are so many characters introduced in such quick succession that it takes away from the ability to truly bond with the characters of importance such as Jasmit, Narun, Baduka,and Kavith. Just as I would become invested in one's individual story it would be over and focused on another's. While we get to learn about the legends surrounding The Sap Mother, I was expecting more interaction with her which we don't get in the way I had been hoping for. I don't think this would've been as much as a hinderance to the overall story if the book was longer and allowed for more exploration of the characters.
Even with these critiques, though, I truly did enjoy The House of Drought! As I mentioned previously I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Mr. Mombauer or this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story he had to tell. I think he mastered the art of showing the reader and not telling. He allows the reader (at least in my case) to learn about another culture without holding their hand and guiding them through. Instead he provides the information they'll need and puts the rest on them to do the work if they have questions. I appreciated that greatly.
I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy short stories based on legends and mysteries.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading "The House of Drought" and I think that was a beautiful way to dive in. I was instantly pulled into the story and placed into the colonial mansion with the dark and tempting forest just outside the gate. Mr. Mombauer does a wonderful job of drawing the reader in with his descriptions as well as with the characters. I was also very appreciative that he jumped right into the story and used a shifting time frame method in his writing. This enables the story to remain exciting and keeps you reading while also making sure to provide all the necessary and wanted information. The book is also not a long one which, mixed with the fast paced plot, makes for a delightful quick read.
I do however, have two critiques. The first being the multiple points of views that are giving throughout the story. Multiple POV can be hit or miss for me and I found that in this case the story didn't need as many side stories and points of view. There were a few times I was taken aback by the character switch as there is no indication beforehand of the change and as The House of Drought is not a particularly long story there was not much time to get to know the characters whose points of view we were reading from.
My second critique goes in hand with the first and is that there are so many characters introduced in such quick succession that it takes away from the ability to truly bond with the characters of importance such as Jasmit, Narun, Baduka,and Kavith. Just as I would become invested in one's individual story it would be over and focused on another's. While we get to learn about the legends surrounding The Sap Mother, I was expecting more interaction with her which we don't get in the way I had been hoping for. I don't think this would've been as much as a hinderance to the overall story if the book was longer and allowed for more exploration of the characters.
Even with these critiques, though, I truly did enjoy The House of Drought! As I mentioned previously I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Mr. Mombauer or this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story he had to tell. I think he mastered the art of showing the reader and not telling. He allows the reader (at least in my case) to learn about another culture without holding their hand and guiding them through. Instead he provides the information they'll need and puts the rest on them to do the work if they have questions. I appreciated that greatly.
I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy short stories based on legends and mysteries.