M'rella's Reviews > Mélusine

Hmm I've read your progress updates, and it's been 2 years back when I read it, but I don't remember it being this..... messy. I know I was intrigued by the story.
Hope you still like it in spite of all the 'messyness'

I might be... picky? I don't know.
A downpour of new, unfamiliar and complicated names that don't mean much, mentioned only once or twice through the entire book, doesn't impress me.
Characters establishing themselves as one person, strong and powerful, in the first half chapter, then turning 180 degrees into complete pushover and a doormat in the second, bug the hell out of me, given that there is no explanation, no indication, not a whisper - nothing.
Too much detail and time spent on secondary characters and objects and not enough on the main players, is puzzling.
Just as puzzling is switching from Past Tense to Present in the middle of a chapter for one paragraph only. You want to highlight something, make it stand out? Use italics. Or at least give your readers a warning.

things like that, they add up, you know?

I loved your review, even though I don't agree with some things, as you know :) And I'm so grateful to you because without you starting this series I think I wouldn't even know about it.
I don't think SM needed to translate Morskaiakrov, she didn't translate any words with Greek, French or whatever else origin, and I'm sure there are names there that mean something and we don't even know it. So well, it was probably a little something she shared with those who understood but those who didn't - didn't lose anything.
I think she used present tense for dreams and maybe for the moments when Felix's mind was completely disjointed. I don't think it's the best stylistic method but at least it was not random.
What I completely agree with you is about Felix falling apart too fast because of a too little reason. Okay, maybe the reason was not little but I don't know, if you're smart and you have a secret, you kinda should at least take into account this secret might come to the open some day. But well, Felix started suffering so badly so fast, and I loved suffering characters, so I'm kinda okay with it.
A lot of secondary characters and unfinished storylines will be used in later books :)
Ah, and Felix... let's say his behavior in the end of the book - it was him being nice :)

@Juxian

I am not concerned with Russian translation only. This is a trend among some authors and languages lately and a puzzling one. Why use names that only select few understand? What is the purpose of it? You put your work out there for people to enjoy, places to discover, new facts to learn. Why keep your readers in the dark?
That boat name, it adds to the smuggler's story, gives it another layer. Why deny this piece of information?

I need to know and understand what's on that paper (or ipad screen). I want to know what the author is saying. So I do my research when there is a snag. But it takes me away from the story :/ I am sure I am not the only one.

I understand what the author is doing with Present Tense and dreams, but with POVs switching and Mildmay's ...mmm ...dialect, and italics in case of ghosts, with colons in book 2, it seems like SM is desperate, trying to cover everything and everyone from MCs to the littlest mouse out there. Next thing we know, she'll be using caps and colors. That's my personal impression, of course.

I did enjoy SM's broken boys a lot! At no point in the book Felix's condition bothered me after those first couple of chapters. And MIldmay - loved him, too! So stoic! :D Even when his own country men treated him so badly in the end, he was awesome!

I got attached to Felix and Mildmay, loved their journey and hardships and Felix not being a jerk while being crazy, and his indifference in the end jarred me the worst way possible because of that.

Thanks for listening/reading, because unloading onto someone willing to discuss a book is a great opportunity.

Joёl recommended this book to me, so all the credits go to her :) However I did have Melusine on my virtual shelves (as well as dead-tree ones) forever. She gave me a nudge :) I am grateful for that. Despite all of my bitching, I enjoyed book one very much :)