Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsI have mixed feelings about this book.
May 11, 2019
This book had some really good things about it, namely the creativity behind the story. There are lots of nuances in it about how magic works, the culture of the Netherworld, and lots of really cool technological ideas. I really loved that part.
The parts I didn't love were mostly the writing style. I don't like the writing "on the nose", or explaining everything right away. I prefer a more sophisticated method of alluding to things and letting the reader work a little bit for filling in what's not being said. It makes it more intriguing. Also, the sophomoric, combative banter was really annoying. The hero/heroine can be immature, but must we endure that style of speaking, where it's not only junior, but also cliched and predictable?
The ending occurred abruptly, which made me think that the original work was a much longer book, and that the writers, editor or publisher decided to split it into a trilogy. Okay, I get it, but perhaps more could have been done to make the first book seem finished, and the second book could have had a more generous lead in.
I don't want to read the next books because I just don't want to read that annoying dialogue, or endure the "cute moxy" that the writers are so attached to in this character/caricature.
