Scott Burton's Reviews > The Snake Stone

The first book I read in this series was the Janissary Tree. I enjoyed it more than this one. This novel felt disjointed. There were too many asides that diverted and distracted me. For example, Goodwin clearly enjoys supplying the reader with detailed descriptions of food preparation. Sounded yummy, but I'll read a cookbook if that's what I'm in the mood for. I never felt that the characters were more than props, so I never connected to the characters--even Yashim was much more shallow than in the first. All in all, this tale was a disappointment. I'll give the series another try, but it will be based on my experience with the Janissary Tree rather than the Snake Stone.