I really enjoyed this read, but there were a few things that bugged me (side note: these are all personal preference notes and not actual critical literary notes). First off, I’m not the biggest fan of books that span over a decade. I’m alright with flashbacks and such but really, I’d rather know what’s going on in the main plot rather than slog through 2/3 of a book of back story. Granted, the story was interesting and not entirely ‘back-story’ as it were, but still it took an awfully long time for the character arc to come to a head. Also, not a lot of plot going on. This story was almost entirely about character development and first person self-discovery (as those are wont to do) told through anecdotal stories and plot lines. Interesting, but not quite what I look for. All of that being said, I felt somewhat lost without a cultural background or at the very least a map of the country that she had entirely re-made. Historical fiction in re-written magical history gets confusing when trying to place it into a canon and factual history that I only rudimentarily know. Again, my own preferences.
Despite all of these trivial misgivings, though, I greatly enjoyed the book and am looking forward to its sequels.
M's Book Blog 