One of the things I find the strangest is the comparisons to the Harry Potter series . Yes, it's a story about yI'm ... just not sure I get this one.
One of the things I find the strangest is the comparisons to the Harry Potter series . Yes, it's a story about young wizards learning about magic, and yes, it's in a version of England, and also yes, it's about orphans. But that's about it.
The underlying structure of the book is different. The magical system is softer (not that a soft magical system is necessarily bad, they can be used well, but in this case it just seems vague). The character relationships seem to have far less internal consistency. Most of the plot (and problems) in the book is driven by people not talking to each other. Which, as other reviewers have commented, is a rather trying for the reader.
Further, the book was written decades ago, and (at least culturally) harks back to an even earlier era, one where corporal punishment (of children) was (at the very least) common. That aspect of the book is unlikely to be terribly well received these days.
All in all, rather a miss for me. Perhaps, children in the 6-10 range might find the character interactions to be engaging, but beyond that I can't really recommend this.
If you're looking for the inspiration material that J.K. Rowling drew on, I'd suggest looking further back to E Nesbit, in particular, I suggest The Enchanted Castle, although all of Nesbit's books are worth a look.
As always: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by the author or by the publisher....more
I put off reading this for some time, because I was … concerned as to how it would work out. Second books often are problematic (as Baldree himself meI put off reading this for some time, because I was … concerned as to how it would work out. Second books often are problematic (as Baldree himself mentions in the afterword). So I approached this one carefully. I knew it was a prequel, and I was skeptical about how much of the MC’s voice would carry over from the earlier book.
To my pleasant surprise, I needn’t have worried. The MC (Viv) is indeed more energetic and restless in this book (as one might expect from a character at the beginning of her career rather than at the end of it), but despite that, she’s still clearly the same person.
The book has the same careful pacing, where Viv makes small choices and each choice that follows builds on the last. In Legends and Lattes we see her at the end of her career (as a mercenary), making a conscious choice to put down her weapons, and to make her way in the world through non-violent means. She is tempted repeatedly to pick back up her weapons, but instead she intentionally chooses to try a peaceful solution first. It’s interesting watching her build relationships and alliances, to actively pursue prosperity, not simply for herself, but also for those she meets along the way.
In Bookshops and Bonedust, she is (as I said) more restless, she’s been temporarily sidelined from her mercenary career (due to injury) but she itches to return to it. Yet she still, bit by bit, begins to build, to create connections, to provide a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. And in her relative youth, she is perhaps a bit unaware of how important she herself is to the entire process.
Another aspect of the book that causes me a bit of trepidation is the romance element. There is a romance (and if it matters, it is an LGBT romance), but Baldree’s handling of that is just as gentle and careful as he is with the rest of the book. The romance is never overbearing. It’s there, it moves forward, it’s meaningful, but it never reaches a point where I (a person who’s less than fond of romance) felt compelled to set the book down. It’s a quiet romance, sweet if you will, and it remains a side plot, never taking center stage (another approach I appreciate).
It is a book that looks at life, and looks at personal connections as fleeting, yet precious. It is a book that examines the transitory nature of our journey thoughtfully. One that touches, acknowledges, and then moves on.
All in all, I will say that I’m going to recommend this book highly. It is a “cozy” fantasy. Quiet, thoughtful, and on the whole positive. I will especially recommend it if you’ve read the previous book.
And finally, lest I forget to mention … To this day, I still play Torchlight 2, and still feel it’s the pinnacle of the series. It is a rare gem, not just for its pure, enjoyable ARPG core, but also for the fact that it still runs on my old Mac. I expected it to stop working (at least on Macs) when Catalina came out, and yet here I am, still playing it on Sonoma 14.0, nearly 12 years after its release.
As always: I paid retail price for the Kindle version of this book, my thoughts on it are my own. They were neither solicited by, nor compensated for, by the author or by the publisher....more
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