I received this book for free as part of goodreads First Reads contest thingie
This is the first book I've read by Susan Hill, though I have 'Woman in I received this book for free as part of goodreads First Reads contest thingie
This is the first book I've read by Susan Hill, though I have 'Woman in Black' on my to-read list (and I enjoyed the movie). Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me.
Part of my issue was the writing. I find that writing which mimics older styles tend to be very hit or miss for me. Sometimes I find the language lush and inviting, and other times I find it to be a barrier to understanding. This book fell into the latter category. I kept finding myself wondering why we needed quite so many words to say so little...
Of course, part of that was the repetition. There's only so many times Monmouth can talk about how some landscape of England impressed him just as much as any of the farflung locations he spent his life visiting, or how he found England different, but comfortably so, from what he was used to, or how he found part of England vaguely familiar... so on and so forth.
He also falls in love with places quickly and easily, and seems to make easy friends, as well, in a weird way. I'm almost envious. Life would be simply marvelous, indeed, if he weren't being haunted.
As to the haunting - meh.
I did like the idea that the man, himself, was haunted more than a specific place. That was an interesting conceit to work with. But while a story like this relies on atmosphere and ambience, I never really felt it. Again, I think part of this is the writing, but more the old 'telling vs. showing' saw. We're told that he's going along, being all pleasantly in awe of his surroundings and the little flowers and whatnot - but then he gets a sense of dread, of being followed/watched, a sudden, dark pressure of terror.
But the problem is we're told. We don't experience it, because, written as a sort of diary, he tells us how he was feeling without giving that level of detail which makes it feel present.
As to the overall story - we, along with the protagonist, are left in the dark as to why things are happening. Unfortunately, we sort of end the story in the same predicament. We find out a bit of what *is* happening, but, alas, the why is left unresolved.
Which reminds me, I was ironically annoyed with our hero both for ignoring warnings and portents, despite his continuing experiences, and yet also annoyed when he finally heeds them. Not only did I not really get a sense of the terror of the story, I didn't get any kind of resolution or closure, either.
My overall impression of the story, really, is one of sleepiness. I couldn't get through more than 5-10 pages at a time without feeling drousy... I am fully willing to admit that this might not be the books fault, though. Perhaps I just wasn't in the right mood for it, though I was looking forward to it when I started.
I do still intend to read 'The Woman in Black'. While this story kind of fizzled for me, I do see some inkling, I think, of why that other story is so lauded... so I guess we'll see....more
Overall I enjoyed this book, and the trilogy as a whole. I like the mix of gothic fantasy and romance - tI won this book through Goodreads First Reads
Overall I enjoyed this book, and the trilogy as a whole. I like the mix of gothic fantasy and romance - though my general preference would have a bit more focus on the plot and a bit less on the romance than this particular story provides.
One good thing about this story is that it ties up the threads of the story quite nicely, while leaving avenus of exploration open should the author ever decide to have further forays into this world. And the climax of the story was pretty well handled, for the most part.
My biggest complaint with the story has been the same for the whole series, and that's pretty much the first person narration and some of the issues that's inherent in that writing style - particularly limited perspective (i.e. not seeing what other people are doing, which could be an interesting component to the story), and train-of-thought style writing.
For me it's the latter that really bogs down the story, in this case. Natalie is embroiled is this story of love and life and death and demonic plots, and while she does think on these things, it's the love aspect of the story which she focuses on the most and, thus, which we focus on the most. While their are demonic plots and clues abound, we get mostly internal monologuing about her insecurities and jealous and how much Jonathon means to her.
At length.
We're also reminded certain things repeatedly, like how her now surpassed Selective Mutism made her keenly aware of bodily and facial expressions, and how she can read people deeper than most may be able to. (Of course, this ability seems rather selective, as she suddenly can't read people when it's better for the plot for her to be unable to.)
This is just one example but, in general, Natalie seems to focus on a handful of things which are important to her, ad nauseum, and other, potentially more interesting parts of the plot are sort of in the periphary. Kind of annoying, that.
As to the limited perspective, this is also why I say the climax was handled well "for the most part". There's something which happens which, while predictable, seems to come out of nowhere. It seems in many ways (view spoiler)[Maggie's journey (hide spoiler)] may have been the more interesting story, but we only get bits of that in a letter after the big "surprise".
Granted, the "shock" might not have worked had we been more privvy to the various ongoings out of Natalie's purview but, then, as I said, it wasn't really all that surprising anyway. (view spoiler)[I knew Maggie would end up involved in the climax, just not to what extent. (hide spoiler)]
Anyway -
As I said, this story does wrap things up nicely and we get our long-fought HEA, and that's nice, but I do think the writing style sort of limited the story in some severe ways.
***
Oh, speaking of writing styles - I'm not sure how I feel about the earnestness. The other of Hieber's series that I've read, Percy Parker, was also a bit over-the-top in its gothicness (though perhaps not as self-aware as this book, which repeatedly calls focus to 'being caught up in a gothic novel'), but the writing style lent it an air of tongue-in-cheekness to it. This book seems more earnest, which is, perhaps, one reason I didn't enjoy it quite as much.
Still enjoyable, though, and perhaps I'd enjoy it more if I could stop comparing the two series but, alas, I don't seem to be able to make my brain do it. ...more
When I first started reading this book I was a bit worried. Firstly because it was an indie book, and I'v3 1/2
I won this book from goodreads giveaway.
When I first started reading this book I was a bit worried. Firstly because it was an indie book, and I've had varying luck with indie books, more bad than good. But mostly because it seemed like the author was trying a little too hard to have an inclusive cast - the happy gay couple, the conflicted bi dude, the Goth boy, the Wiccan girl, so on and so forth. I was concerned that the characters would be nothing more than placecards for moralizing.
I was also worried that it was going to be a preachy book - and agenda book. Now, I know that a lot, if not all, books have messages and whatnot - things that the author believes that will inevitably come through in the work. But there are different ways to get these messages across - and some books become so focused on the message that the story suffers.
But you'll note that I said I was worried.
After the initial set-up and introduction of the characters, however, when the story started to really get going, these concerns generally disappeared. The characters were real - they reminded me of people I know and have known, and the interactions were believable - the discussions, the arguments, the casual name-calling and light-hearted teasing all came together to create true-to-life characters. (I particularly liked Mother Maggie. Her tough-love approach to the counseling was pretty awesome and funny.)
I especially liked the magicians in their run-down house of a lodge, with reprimands of "magical name, please!", and interruptions about doing the grocery shopping. I think a lot of people have such a fantastic idea when you say things like "lodge" or "coven", and they forget how everyday and mundane such things generally actually are - or, at least, the easy mixture of the spiritual and the mundane, all in the same space.
There were a few times where it teetered on the edge of preachiness, but it never went over. I also thought the exposition and info-dump and the laying out of philosophical premises was well done. It gave enough info without going into overload. I read a similar type story sometime last year, and the parts where people sat around and discussed philosophical implications just went on for pages and pages, all while thy were being chased by demons.
But, and this, for me, is the most important part, the best thing is that these things, while present, never overwhelmed the characters or the plot. They were part of the story and woven well into it - even if I idn't agree with all of it, which I could overlook because, afterall, it is just a story. (In that vein, I suppose it could be considered a form of Christian fiction, since the worldview it espouses is Christian in nature; however, it's not as preachy as I've found other Christian fictions to be, and you could certainly read from a more neutral perspective and jsut enjoy it as pure story.)
And as a story, I liked the characters, and I enjoyed the plot. It wasn't earth-shattering or anything, but it was enjoyable - well paced and well told. The romance was a bit quickly established - but at least there's acknowledgement of the fact.
I'm definitely curious to find out what happens next, and would enjoy continuing with the series - especially after that bitter-sweet, open ended ending. Yeesh.
(p.s. I should add, for those who don't know me, that I'm a harsh rater. Something that I would rate 3 1/2 stars would proably get a 4 or more from a less critical reader.)
*** A note included with my free copy asked me to let people know that they can download a free copy at www.apocryphile.org/kingdom/. If you like this sort of story, I would definitely recommend giving it a go. (The author notes Buffy the Vampire Slayer as an inspiration, and that definitely comes across. It also reminded me of 'The Order', a movie with Heath Ledger, which I liked, and perhaps a little bit of 'Stigmata' as well. It's demon-slaying, but with more real-world magical references than Buffy - as I said, both entertaining and informative. It's pretty quick and easy, with enough pathos to keep it grounded in relatable characters. It does generally espouse a specific worldview, but it's one of tolerance and interfaith cooperation and understanding, so at least it's a good worldview. *grins* And, as I said, it does not cross the line into preachiness, and, after the initial set-up, the story takes over and the message does not get in the way of the story, which can sometimes happen in these circumstances. ***
*****
Some philosophical nitpicking:
* I'm definitely curious to learn more about the Independent Catholics. I was raised Roman Catholic, and while I have heard of the Old Catholics before, it was only once, recently, in passing, and I don't know much about them.
* I was appreciative of the entry for shamanism in the glossary, specifically that it mentions that several nature cultures practiced forms of it, and it's not specifically a practice of the Native American tribes, which so many people mistakenly believe it is. (Interesting etymological side point, the word actually comes from Siberia.)
* I was a bit confused by the rules of "practicing magic" in the book. The friars have a few that they are not magicians, though they study it in order to understand it and, when necessary, to counter it. However, this gets a bit tricky depending on your definition of magic. If it's just the actual invocation or evocation of angels or demons then, fine, fair enough, I suppose.
However, it's also stated that Mikael is a Wiccan and while Wiccans call themselves witches, they still practice a for of magic, thus, magician.
It's just picking nits, perhaps, but I was hoping for some clarity on this point in the book, and it never quite came. (To that extent, doing an exoricism, itself, in some circles, is considered magic - or at least a form of shamanism, which, itself, has magical elements.)
* Speaking of Wicca, I generally like the definition given in the glossary of the book, except for the part where it says they "worship the Goddess". While there are certain branches - Dianic, for instance - which is Goddess-centric, "Wicca is typically a duotheistic religion, worshipping a Goddess and a God, who are traditionally viewed as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. These two deities are often viewed as being facets of a greater pantheistic Godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities".
Of course, there's as much disagreement and in-fighting amongst the different types of Wiccans as there are the denominations of Christianity and the various occult orders, but I get tired of the Lord of the Wiccae getting short shrift all the time.
* On that note, though, I was glad to see Mikael a practicioner, as well as Kat, since there seems to be a big "for women only" view of Wicca that a lot of people seem to have.
*One last thing, about the European Witch Hunts - the 9 million number has been generally thrown out by scholars. The latest estimates vary anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000. Also, while a vast majority were women (75 - 80%), not all of them were. While this doesn't change the horribleness of what happened to those people, I am a great believer in historical accuracy for historical claims.
(From a story viewpoint, this could be written off as a belief that Kat holds, since the information comes from her perspective; however, since the book tries to be informative as well as entertaining, I think it important that the information parts are correct.) ...more
**spoiler alert** "I was not afraid to die for my beliefs, but not until I had determined which beliefs were worth dying for." ~pg. 8 (Great line.)
2 1**spoiler alert** "I was not afraid to die for my beliefs, but not until I had determined which beliefs were worth dying for." ~pg. 8 (Great line.)
2 1/2
It was an interesting story, but a bit too slow-paced. I think my biggest problem, though, was that it never really captured any sense of urgency or fear, even when it was supposed to. I was also surprised, in looking back, that all the events happened in 5 days, because it seemed more like going on two weeks.
I'm not really sure what to say about it. I guess I just wanted to like it more than I did. There was a blurb by Matthew Pearl about it, and I loved his The Poe Shadow: A Novel and enjoyed The Dante Club: A Novel. This story actually reminded me a little bit of 'The Dante Club' with the theatrical set-up of the murders, but I feel that Pearl evokes the time periods much better, not just in his desriptions but in his style. This book was written in a thoroughly modern style, so I had a hard time getting into the periodness of the story.
Also, very few of the characters were really likable, which is always a problem for me. Perhaps it's just because some of the characters who I think I would've liked were never fully developed. I had a hard time discerning the profs from each other for the longest time. It actually helped when they started dying off.
And I think I just prefer the types of mystery stories like Sherlock Holmes and Monk, where the detective sees things no one else does and puts things together, revealing the mystery and their genius for all and sundry. This was more the type where the detective bumbles around, finds out information almost by accident, and then the villain reveals his master plan while he has the detective trussed up and ready to die.
Of course, since it's written in first person, the suspension of disbelief - the fear that the protagonist might not get out of the trap - is even harder to maintain since there's 50 pages left in the book, and who else is going to narrate them?
But even when he was captured, even though it said he was afraid, it was never really properly evoked. I felt very distanced from all the goings on, never really involved, never properly engaged. I was curious to know the whodunit, but more as an intellectual exercise instead of any personal or emotional investment.
All in all, it was kind of ho hum
The parts at the beginning, and some of the theological tension, was much more interesting than the murder mystery. If the story had focused on him as a person and the experiences of the Catholics and Protestants, as well as his search for the book, I think all of that would've been much more interesting. I am interested in Giordano as a character, both historical and fictional. It was the plot that was less interesting, though....more
I've heard a lot about how this book is a rip-off of Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse. I haven't read either o**spoiler alert** 1 1/2
So, where to start?
I've heard a lot about how this book is a rip-off of Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse. I haven't read either of those series, yet (well, I have no intention of reading Twilight, but I am interested in the Southern Vampires), but from what I know of both, I can definitely see the comparisons. It also initially reminded me of Midnighters, with the obligatory group of outsiders/freaks who hang out together, and you could even throw in little Harry Potter reference, if you count using the Elixir of Life (which, of course, is a historical thing, but I doubt most people nowadays know of it and the Philosopher's Stone or anything alchemical except through Harry Potter).
It really was rather cliche, right from the start. Normal, popular, cheerleader girl turns freak by getting in a car crash which kills her family and becomming psychic. (Though, after what we learn, it wasn't the crash but the elixir, imo). Hangs out with troubled goth girl and gay guy friend. Of course. (Btw, I was part of the freak/geek crowd in my high school. There are other variations. Or maybe it's just the 30 year-old demi-goth in me which is tired of seeing goth as just a teenage fad, but I digress.)
So in comes ubermensch, in all his glory. How boring is Damen, honestly? Ok, so I tend to go for the dark and brooding types, or the rough and rugged types, and the California beauty thing doesn't really do it for me - but he had no real mystery. The reader knows exactly what and who he is from the outset, and there's nothing which makes him at all interesting or conflicted or anything.
And, for the love of all things holy, I would like - even in a trashy romance novel - for the girl to learn a little something about the guys personality, his beliefs, his ideas, and not just fall desperately in lust 'cause he's just oh so hot... (I also wouldn't mind a hot chick knowing she's hot.)
And since when does beng psychic mean you can touch a book and know everything in it?
Oh, and of course she can't tell anyone about her psychic abilities 'cause they'll think she's a freak. Hello - one of your best friends is a goth chick. She would probably think it's the coolest damn thing about you. Admittedly, she'd probably be a bit freaked that you could read her thoughts - but you could tell her some of it, if not all of it. Us freaks just love freaky things - get it? Ugh.
And then comes the kindly psychic who could help you. But you're dismissive - lying about it, firstly, then saying she's a phony. Of course she can see your dead sister and read your thoughts, but clearly she's a phony.
But then we learn it's not that, really, it's your guilt for "causing the accident". It's your punishement, and you don't want help... you just want to wallow. Ok, I can dig that - for awhile. I remember my own moments of wallowing in angst - though I always turned to someone to confide in, to trust. I mean, you don't even trust your dead little sister with some of your burden? That's right - because you're punishing yourself.
But wait - what's this? You find that alcohol shuts out the noise, so you become a raging alcholic... overnight! Not just a nip here and there to take the edge of, no, of course not. That won't do.
So you're whiny and annoying AND a hypocrit, because if it was about punishing yourself you wouldn't jump at the first - no, sorry, second - chance to turn it off.
And even then, when you're desperate to turn it off, you still won't just pony up and go to the goddamn psychic!
Ok, anyway...
And then there's Drina. Drina - so obvious. Of course even she's so drop-dead gorgeous that even while she's trying to kill you you're struck by her beauty. Obviously the elixir not only keeps people alive, and heals them, (and gives them other super powers, apparently) - but it makes them drop dead gorgeous. Except it didn't seem to have the same effect on Ever. Maybe it only happens after the first 100 years... who knows, they never explain anything.
I have to pause to say the first half of the book was ok. Yes, it was cliche and annoying, but it was readable, in that teenage trashy romance kinda way - but then we get to the end where Drina "reveals" herself as the killer, and we discover she's a complete and utter cartoon villian. "It was I who killed your family... muahahaha!" "Oh, you mortals... so boring, so obvious." I kept thinking of Voldemort at his cheesiest ('cause, let's admit it, Voldemort was cheesy, especially in the movie version of GoF). She might as well have said "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dead sister, too" - afterall, she practically died like the Wicked Witch. "I'm melting... I'm melting... "
And Damen the clueless. Never figuring out that Ever, in her various incarnations, kept being killed? Never putting together that it kept seeming to happen in sort of the same way, according to Drina.
So I guess Mr. Perfect does have a flaw - it's sheer and utter stupidity.
And half of the drama between Damen and Ever could've been resolved by just talking to each other, instead of playing mind games half the time. I mean, really, Ever - why do you love him, besides the fact he's hot? Ok, so you recognize him on some level. (Did anyone not know it was Damen that saved her from the car accident from the first moment you meet him and their eyes meet? Really?)
But, of course, Ever doesn't seem to learn much in her various incarnations, either. Yes, Damen says part of the journey is forgetting, but he also mentions that souls are meant to evolve. Of course, I guess she never gets past 17, so that might explain a lot.
And the ending was just so saccharine.
And if Ever "pressed her lips together" one more time I think I was gonna scream. I really hope the author discovers some more descriptive phrases for the next book.
But, I must admit, despite all it's various flaws, I did get the tinglies once or twice. I guess I'm a sucker for romance, no matter how badly portrayed. *sighs* That's more a failing of mine than a credit to the author, though.
I'm glad I didn't buy it. And, ok, I might read the next one. Then again, I read the first couple of pages that were previewed at the end of this book, and I found them even more annoying than the horrible ending I'd just read. So maybe not. I certainly won't pay for it....more
colleen the convivial curmudgeon
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