The writing is beyond tolerable; my eyes rolled so often they hurt. Why do rooms always have to be "small but immaculate"? Also, while casuarina trees and bougainvillea exist on Aruba, the "trademark tree" is the Divi-divi, and cacti are more typical than flowers. Let me guess, Edwards has never been there, right? And note to author: You don't know your ass from a hole in the ground about photography. I thought it was about revelation and discovery.
Thanks, Kim, I'll bring my diploma from R. T to work tomorrow and shred it in the shredder. And my friends out there, if you ever hear me coin a phrase like "Memory Keeper" in reference to me being a photographer, please walk quietly up behind me and smash my skull in with a baseball bat. At least that will be more pleasurable than reading this book. May 16, Erin rated it it was ok Recommends it for: Man I hated this book- the plot had some great potential, but instead you got to witness one scene of frustrated people not knowing how to deal with their emotions after another.
Seriously, imagine 60 someodd pages of: Af Man I hated this book- the plot had some great potential, but instead you got to witness one scene of frustrated people not knowing how to deal with their emotions after another. After about 10 of these scenes, we get the point. Then we progress to 60 pages of a new hell: Then the book adds some completely random characters, has people reflect on life ad nauseum, and basically does nothing to make you care about any of the characters. Also, despite basing an entire story around the mistake of giving up a child because of a mental disability, it gave absolutely no credit to the young girl who has downs syndrome!
She's more of a prop than a person, no part of the story is told from her perspective, and asside from the desire to marry her boyfriend, never gets the chance to show the world what she wants and feels. Great job reaffirming stereotypes! My boss loved this book, and some of my coworkers thought it was OK, but obviously I thought it was bad enough to write a barely-cohesive rant rather than a review.
This book was a waste of time and paper. View all 19 comments. I read a bunch of reviews of this book prior to reading it myself, and wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked this book quite a bit, and here's why: The story was fascinating! What would I have done in that situation? It was fun to imagine myself as Norah, Caroline, David or Paul and determine if my actions would mirror theirs, or if I would have done things differently.
The metaphors and imagery that Edwards uses are captivating. For exa I read a bunch of reviews of this book prior to reading it myself, and wasn't sure whether or not I would enjoy it. For example, she describes "crocuses shouting" and "a wedge of air coming through an open door". The juxtaposition of physical characteristics ascribed to inanimate objects, and the fusion of opposites added texture to the story.
Going along with that, she used the wind as a metaphor-unrest, loneliness, loss, guilt, shame, it spoke a different language to each of the characters and manifested itself in interesting ways. The obsessive compulsive picture taking, the drive to make sense of the world, the bones, the running, the travel-all of these were terrific physical manifestations of inner turmoil, some blatant, others, subtle reminders of the loss. Edwards descriptive abilities made it seem that I was in the room with the characters. She pointed out the pattern of sunlight cascading through the windows, or other mundane details that so many other authors gloss over or ignore because they are too busy telling about events that happen.
I realize that in some cases this can be construed as "dragging, boring, or slow" but Edwards used such beautiful, interesting language to describe those things, that it made the story come alive for me, and I felt like I was a participant observer, rather than just an observer. One of my personal fascinations is tracking and tracing the pivotal points in people's lives that determine who they really are. Naturally this book was all about how one seemingly right decision affected dozens of lives. How would they have been different if different decision were made?
The only really bothersome thing was that nobody triumphed over the loss To not make decisions based on how you think someone will react, but to give them the agency to decide that for themselves? I understand how the outcomes of each of the characters happened, but also would have liked to have seen some triumph and salvation-and perhaps that's what Rosemary and Jack were supposed to be, at least for David.
He couldn't fix his own family so he spent his time fixing others-literally and figuratively. And, I guess, ultimately Phoebe and Caroline triumphed I just don't like to believe that suffering a loss reduces us to throwing our lives to the wind. I want to think that peace and hope can still be found.
View all 3 comments. Jun 03, Heather rated it did not like it Shelves: From the beginning of the novel there were little details that bothered me. The plot often felt contrived, as pieces fell together too nicely. Perhaps I reached a certain point in the story where I began to look for things that bothered me and therefore found them more readily than other readers. Yet, Norah, the mother of the twins, and her sister, Bree seem to never really develop. Norah, whose life unravels for a bit after she thinks her daughter has died, drinks too much and then begins having affairs, and this is who she remains for most of the novel.
The characters just seemed too much like a sappy Lifetime movie for me to really take them inside of me and keep with me. She was the driving force of the novel and yet we really never know her other than glimpses through the eyes of Caroline. I wanted to know this child as a child and not as a sad plot device. In the end, I think that my largest issue with this book was the absolute destruction of this family. Perhaps, for me, it just made their bonds from the beginning suspect as their destruction was made so inevitable by that one tragic mistake. View all 4 comments.
Apr 10, Sarah rated it it was ok. This is one of those books that I always see people reading in parks and on the subway, and I just want to shout at them, "Save yourself! There's still time to quit reading! The interesting premise is this: The mother doesn't know about this baby and it's raised by the father's coworker. You're interested, rig This is one of those books that I always see people reading in parks and on the subway, and I just want to shout at them, "Save yourself! Well, watch out, because after the initial birth scene, which is good, nothing happens for pages.
The author drags you through the book, dangling the moment that the mother finds out about her daughter in front of you. If this had been an actual good, daring book, it would have started at the point where the mother finds out about her long-lost daughter. Instead, it ends there. View all 7 comments. Jan 28, Lisette Brodey rated it liked it. Wow, I'm really torn as to what to say about this book. I will start by saying that Kim Edwards is a skilled writer and there's no taking that away from her.
Her words flow beautifully and that was greatly appreciated by me. I began reading this book and fell in love with it. From the beginning, I was very sure that I was going to rate it with five stars. I was intrigued by the premise: It's and a doctor's wife gives birth to twins. The twins were unexpected no ultrasounds back then and so Wow, I'm really torn as to what to say about this book. The twins were unexpected no ultrasounds back then and so the second baby, a girl with Down's Syndrome, was a shock. In the panic of a moment, the doctor, who had lost his own sister when she was 12 due to a heart problem , panics and gives his newborn daughter, Phoebe, to his nurse, Caroline.
He wants to spare his wife and himself the pain of having a child with Down Syndrome who might not live long. Caroline takes the baby to the home, but when she gets there, she realizes she cannot leave the child in such a wretched place and makes a split-second decision to keep her as her own. The author skillfully goes back and forth between the doctor's family, David and Norah Henry and their son, Paul and Caroline's life with the girl, Phoebe.
Somewhere, around page , I started not liking the book so much. What had been a taut, interesting story, started taking little side trips that I felt tarnished the characters and didn't stay within what I thought the author had set up. But I didn't want to dislike the book for this reason, because I don't expect the author to go where I might go or where I might have liked to see her go.
- Famille sans nom 2 (illustré) (French Edition).
- See a Problem?.
- The Wallace, Idaho Mystery Series.
- The Wallace, Idaho Mystery Series | Lisa Stowe – The Story River Blog.
- Writing, Editing, Reading and Words in General.
- The Memory Keeper: A Mountain Mystery - Lisa Stowe - Google Книги;
Still, the things that were going on kept nagging at me and making me uneasy in a way that I don't think were intended to make me uneasy. I began to care less and less about the characters, but stayed with the book because it was interesting to see where it went and I had already invested so much time in reading it. There were too many long descriptions of things that didn't matter to me, and no matter how hard I tried, I didn't get to know the characters in the way I thought I should. I am stuck in the middle.
In the end, I didn't really care for it all too much, but cannot say that others would not. I give the writer kudos for being so skilled with the English language. I didn't really care about any of the characters very much in the end, if at all, and I think that's what really soured me on this book. This is a hard one for me to judge. If you're at all interested, read it for yourself and see what you think. Jul 24, Lola rated it it was ok Shelves: I have looked forward to reading it for so long and was expecting great things based on all the praise-worthy reviews on the book jacket.
Boy was i disappointed! The plot and synopsis of the story had such excellent promise but along the way the author dropped the ball. It was very difficult to relate or sympathize with Norah Henry, even though she is the one wronged by her husband's rash but not unfounded decision to lie about the "supposed" death of their mentally defected daughter while keeping her healthy twin brother.
Norah's self destructive ways and at times selfish childishness did nothing but annoy me and drive me farther away from her pain. What the author did really well was humanizing Dr. David Henry because reading the back of the novel i thought he was a monster. He was the only character i actually felt was not overly contrived. The major climax and confrontation i was hoping would happen between members of the family never occurred; instead the author decided do something that was shocking but totally unnecessary to the digression of the conflict. So why did i bother giving it 2 stars? Because the one question i wanted answered -- what would possess a man to do such a horrible thing as to not only give away his newborn daughter but then lie about her death?
Also the book was beautifully written, and i appreciate any book that can evoke emotion based on simple sentence construction. So, i will look for other books by Kim Edwards -- at the library not the bookstore, for now. Jan 24, Elizabeth rated it really liked it Shelves: The Memory Keeper's Daughter crept up on me in a way I never expected.
After reading many conflicting reviews I assumed I would either DNF this book at worst or slap 3 stars on it at best. David Henry delivers his own twins. His son is perfectly healthy. His daughter is born with Down's Syndrome. Remembering his own sickly sister who died young, and the unending sorrow it caused for his mother, he is determined to protect his wife from the same heartache. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution, but Caroline, the nurse, chooses to disappear into another city to raise the child herself.
The story unfolds over 25 years - two families, unknowingly bound by the fateful decision made long ago. Let me start off by saying, this book is not for the faint of heart. It is not a happy story. Henry and his wife Norah live a life teeming with grief; a heavy secret, unbeknownst to Norah, settles between them and grows ever larger as the years go by. It's a story I might not have understood a few years ago.
I've always been troubled by characters that keep secrets or avoid having important conversations, usually thinking it was bad plot device. But I've recently experienced things in my own family that have opened my eyes to certain behaviors. I think this was something that happened a lot in the 60 and 70s.
For whatever reason, families tended to brush things under the rug and keep skeletons in the closet. One of my favourite things about this book, apart from the writing which I found deeply engrossing, was the passage of time. This book takes place over 25 years and I was never once confused about what year it was or how old the twins were at any given time.
Kim Edwards' storytelling is seamless; one chapter melting perfectly into the next, even if they were five or ten years apart. This story won't be for everyone, but it's one I won't forget anytime soon. View all 5 comments. Jun 20, Michele rated it it was amazing. Dark Trees in the Heart The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a story about a secret--a terrible, life-altering secret running central to the story and in the lives of the characters.
In spite of spanning only twenty-five years, it has an epic feel. We first meet Norah and David Henry on the stormy night she gives birth to twins. The boy, Paul, is born healthy. The second, an unexpected daughter, is born with Down's Syndrome. While his wife lay unconscious, David, a doctor who presides o Dark Trees in the Heart The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a story about a secret--a terrible, life-altering secret running central to the story and in the lives of the characters. While his wife lay unconscious, David, a doctor who presides over the deliveries because their doctor is unable to get to them due to the snowstorm, makes the decision to tell his wife the second child died.
Trying to spare his wife the pain and suffering of having a child who, in his mind would surely die an early death, hands the baby to his nurse, Caroline Gill. He instructs her to take the child to an institution. Caroline finds she cannot leave the baby in this place, moves away and raises "Phoebe" on her own. This sets the stage for the terrible secret David must live with and the consequences it has on his family.
Account Options
It's called The Memory Keeper's Daughter because David takes up photography and becomes obsessed with the process. Diving into his hobby, which ultimately brings notoriety to him, he is able to take his mind off his secret, and yet at the same time, focus on the life his lost daughter leads away from him.
There is tremendous detail and one can feel the author using a variety of lenses to provide both wide-angle and tight, intimate views of each scene. Although at times I felt it to be a bit repetitive and wished it were shorter by pages, I enjoyed the writing so much, along with the emotion it drew from me, that it didn't matter.
I kept turning pages waiting to see how it would all play out. This book made me ask the question. Dark trees in the heart, a fistful of bones. Jun 03, Alycia rated it did not like it Recommends it for: Books like this make me mad. I thought this story was very upper-middle class white suburbia. I don't know how to explain it any better, but I thought that there were these tiny sorrows within the story that were turned into gigantic dramas so I guess it reflects the overall narrative in that sense , but I just didn't give a damn.
There Books like this make me mad. There were heavy handed references to women's rights, etc. And a side note; I finished this book on the train and thus read a bit of an interview that was at the back of my copy. Kim Edwards' book titles: If these titles don't irritate you like they irritate me, then you might read her work. If you find these annoying like I do, read no further. And finally, I think this review is disgruntled merely because I am sad that I wasted time reading this instead of something worthwhile.
I want my reading time back. Jan 09, Tung rated it did not like it.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
The book begins in The doctor then lies to his wife and tells her their daughter died at childbirth. Instead of delivering the child to the institution, however, the nurse instead runs off with the child to raise it as her own. The plot sets itself up for ongoing tension between the characters due to their past decisions, and then allows all of the characters to redeem themselves at the end. The characters are stereotypes: My biggest grievance is that Edwards overwrites every scene. We understand that the characters all have made decisions they regret, and that their pasts inform their present and future actions.
We also understand symbolism: Pass on this, unless you have no sense of discernment and like trite stories.
View all 6 comments. Mar 31, Carol rated it it was amazing Shelves: A beautiful and moving story about a secret kept for 25 years and the effects on the people involved. I really enjoyed this one. I knew the secret world come out eventually, I just had that feeling that it would, but I love how the writer moved each of the characters through the story. May 15, Carol rated it it was ok. Although the premise was extremely interesting, and there were true moments of brilliance in her characterizations, descriptions, and interactions, this book, more than anything, left me incredibly angry at the author.
Her two stories are so clearly divided between good and evil, it's unrealistic. The last 50 pages or so are so filled with action that it made me wonder if she got to a certain point and her editor told Although the premise was extremely interesting, and there were true moments of brilliance in her characterizations, descriptions, and interactions, this book, more than anything, left me incredibly angry at the author. The last 50 pages or so are so filled with action that it made me wonder if she got to a certain point and her editor told her she had to finish within a certain number of pages or time.
Not to mention that we're supposed to believe David died in his 50s from running. We were never given any reason to believe he had any medical problems, and if anything, the stress in his life had dissipated! Add on the fact that she brings up the same metaphor over and over again get rid of that damn wall, already, we know it's there! You don't have to point it out! The only saving grace was that so many members of my book club felt the same exact way. Aug 19, Meredith rated it liked it Shelves: This book would have been better if they would have cut out all of the descriptions that were used.
Too much "The wind is blowing, it was cold, etc". I wanted the author to get to the point already. Other than that a very sad story about the love between a husband and wife and the secrets that are kept between them. Although I enjoyed the book it was just ok because of all the extra that was there. Nov 29, Kei rated it did not like it Shelves: Beautiful writing, horrible story telling - I bought this book based on the back cover snapshot.
No one recommended it to me, so I have no one to blame. My problem with this book is, the author had SO MUCH in the palm of her hand that she could have done with this story. But she was more interested in being poetic and symbolic - which is only good if it contributes to great storytelling.
I was expecting to love the wife and feel emotionally connected to her throughout the book since she has been Beautiful writing, horrible story telling - I bought this book based on the back cover snapshot. I was expecting to love the wife and feel emotionally connected to her throughout the book since she has been deceived, grieving for a dead daughter that did not really die. But instead, she turns out to be a self-centered, promiscuous whore which makes no sense to me whatsoever. There was nothing "driving" her to adultery.
The poor excuse of feeling alienated or growing apart emotionally from her husband just doesn't cut it for me. The son was just not interesting to me. He was also too weak, again with no strong reason or explanation. Seriously, does a father working too many hours really cause his son to end up that disconnected? And his wife to end up a self-righteous adulterer? There is no "why. Jun 07, Deanna rated it liked it. It took me a little longer than usual to get into the book. I did find it could be overly detailed at times that weren't especially important to the story.
I would find myself easily distracted by other things going on around me. I am usually able to tune everything out when I am into a really good book. I will say that this wasn't the case very often but it was something I noticed. There was a lot of emotion along with many shocking and dramatic 3. There was a lot of emotion along with many shocking and dramatic events. Heartbreaking and dealt with many issues such as secrets, acceptance, and family dynamics.
Nov 12, Becca rated it really liked it Shelves: The story starts in with a husband, who is a doctor, delivering his own wife's baby late on a snowy night at his clinic, because they couldn't make it to the hospital in the snow storm. After their son is born, his wife gives birth to an unexpected twin- a daughter with Down's Although I really liked this book, I'm not sure I would openly recommend it to people for fear of them coming back and saying, "You liked THAT?
After their son is born, his wife gives birth to an unexpected twin- a daughter with Down's syndrome. The husband, in an attempt to spare his wife grief, tells the nurse to take the baby away to an institution. He means to tell his wife what he has done, but instead tells her the second baby died.
Lisa Stowe (Author of The Memory Keeper)
And it goes from there. It is a very interesting and thought provoking book about the effects of a "big bad" secret in a family's life. Of not being allowed to grieve in an open and healthy manner, and this leading to grieving secretly and destructively. Of trying to escape grief leading to sorrow, while facing challenges leading to joy. And of how society's view of grief, of what is socially acceptable, and of Down's syndrome has shifted over the decades.
The author wove many levels of detail and imagery into the book, which was a joy to read. I felt she also had an incredible depth of understanding of the emotions people feel in different experiences and times of their life, and what those emotions can motivate them to do.
In particular, I really enjoyed how right on her descriptions were of a young grieving mother in a society that does not allow her to fully grieve.
Kim Edwards had such tremendous compassion for the characters, that even when I didn't like what they were doing, I felt I understood why they were doing it and what they were trying to accomplish, and so I had to feel some compassion for them as well. That was what I enjoyed about this book.
That and the view of how much the culture shifted from to the late 80's. I didn't enjoy that there is immorality in this book, although she stops short of descriptive sex, for which I am grateful. She does show that the immorality does not bring happiness. Most of all I didn't enjoy watching the family fall apart because they failed to communicate. I found parts of it rather depressing. At times I wanted to put down the book and run and hug my children and husband with tears of joy for the wonderful and happy family that I have. I was disappointed that the author seemed to portray life as having no real hope for a true, deep, meaningful, and loving relationship where communication and honesty exist.
I would have given it 5 stars if it hadn't been so depressing. I am grateful that at least it ended with a sense of peace and hope for the future. Although I have mixed feelings about the book, I fully admire the talent of the author. The story was depressing, but the author's depth and talent was a joy to read. That is why I gave it four stars, and that is why I am glad to have read this book. Mar 26, Nola Redd rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Some moments in our lives are crossroads, moments where the course of our lives is shaped.
Sometimes the deviation is minor, and sometimes it is life-altering. A dreadful snowstorm forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his first child, which to his surprise turns out to be twins. The first is a perfect son, ideal in all ways. In a moment that changed and def Some moments in our lives are crossroads, moments where the course of our lives is shaped. In a moment that changed and defined the life of all five people in the room — the twins, the parents, and the nurse — Dr.
Henry requests that his nurse take the girl to a home for the mentally retarded. Instead, she takes the child away and raises her as her own. The mother is told only that her daughter was stillborn. Edwards traces the lives of the two families over the next twenty-five years. Henry sought to shelter his wife and son from grief, but his deep, dark secret winds up alienating him from his family, and the pain he caused may well exceed what they would have otherwise have suffered. Start it on a weekend, you may not be able to put it down.
Jul 23, Jamie Books and Ladders rated it did not like it Shelves: Disclaimer I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Not only did the story slowly trudge along after an initial burst but the writing was just not good. Paragraphs would be dedicated to saying the same thing over and over in slightly different ways. It was like when you know you need more words for your essay but have nothing else to say. I think maybe the writing was trying to be somewhat Purple Prose-y but it failed completely. I had such a hard time getting to this percentage to be honest so I just am not going to move forward.
View all 4 comments. Dec 01, Aelvana rated it really liked it. Carastind is a country weakened by plague, with aggressive neighbors. But the Kieba, the power that has always protected the country, has had some kind of an argument with the king. Only Oressa and Guilan, the princess and prince, know that if their enemies struck now, Carastind would likely fall. To prevent this, the brother and sister gamble desperately: But the Kieba has plans of her own.
It's hard to write a good summary of this. In one sens Carastind is a country weakened by plague, with aggressive neighbors. In one sense, it's got the elements of a traditional fantasy: But it's how the story moves with those elements that make them really shine. Although this is a world of gods long dead and magics no longer understood, there's a definite touch of science fiction as well.
I loved Kieba's mountain. I like intelligent stone anyway, so the living crystal was one of my favorite elements of the book. I also really liked the characters. Guilen is loyal to his father and his country, which is hard because his father's actions seem destined to bring down the country, thus forcing the young man to make a series of hard choices. Oressa sees things more simply. She's a princess in a place where the most that's expected of her is to make a political marriage, but that hasn't stopped her from learning everything she can about politics.
She's incredibly strong-minded and competent right from the start, which was refreshing. But that doesn't mean she doesn't make mistakes, though she takes every setback and tries to find a way through. One of my favorite parts of the book was a conversation Oressa has with a certain prince, where she fills in both sides of the conversation.
My other favorite scene involves the story she tells to explain herself on a journey, and the way she can use even that to her advantage. The mysteries keep unfolding, the troubles keep building, and the end caps it off perfectly. The story could easily end here, although I'm the sort that always wants to know just a bit more.
I'd particularly like to see some of the gods, and learn what it was they did that ended up killing them. I rate this book Recommended. See my reviews and more at https: While The Mountain of Kept Memory is firmly in the fantasy genre, the eponymous mountain, the dwelling place of the Kieba, had an almost science fiction feel to it.
I really loved the influence, and I thought the background mythology of the dead gods and the Kieba was one of the best things about the book. The narrative switches POV between two protagonists. Gulien Madalin is the prince and heir to the throne. Oressa is his sister, the princess. She was a pretty awesome female lead. Jan 16, G Lensing rated it really liked it. Rachel Neumeier has done it again! This is a fine fantasy novel with relatable heroes, dastardly villains, and a few characters who defy categorization. The brother and sister at the heart of the book are a great pair, right up there with Leto and Ghanima Atreides.
Mar 14, Siavahda rated it liked it Shelves: I have no idea how Neumeier thinks up these ideas, but I approve immensely! Apr 23, USOM rated it really liked it. I received this free book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest. I am going to list the five reasons why I think you should read this book! This was a pleasant surprise for me! The narrative switches between two protagonists, Gulien and Oressa, prince and princess of Carastind.
The plot is instigated by an invasion of the capital city of Carastind by a foreign prince, but that is just the start. It's a wild ride of shifting situations and allegiances well, wild by my standards; I like my fantasy pretty tame that kept me o This was a pleasant surprise for me! It's a wild ride of shifting situations and allegiances well, wild by my standards; I like my fantasy pretty tame that kept me on my toes guessing from start to finish!
It's all to do with the Kieba, an immortal woman believed to be a former goddess, and the use of her magic, the remnants of the magic of the dead gods. She dwells inside a mountain in Carastind, and the kingdom has always relied upon her protection, but now they can no longer be certain of it. And it turns out that various factions have very different ideas about what and who the Kieba really is, how her magic works, and how it might be exploited. And this is where The Mountain of Kept Memory rubs up against the border between fantasy and sci-fi, because elements of the Kieba's "magic," when seen in action, look a quite a bit like far-future SF technology.
So this could be a far-future regressed society, or a fantasy world that happens to have had an incredibly high-tech past. The ambiguities in the worldbuilding appealed to me, and I liked that Neumeier refrained from giving us clear-cut answers. But what I honestly enjoyed the most about Neumeier's writing was how intelligent all of the characters evidently are and all differently so , without her ever having to TELL us how intelligent they are. The plot is driven by the ways the protagonists and antagonists interpret constantly-changing situations and decide upon courses of action accordingly.
I'm a huge fan of McKinley, and though I have never read anything by Kay, I wouldn't have thought of lumping those two authors together. Though McKinley's books are often quite different from each other, the element of ambiguity and complexity in Neumeier's writing reminded me a bit of hers. It was alright but I was really hoping for something better. Also Oressa annoyed me a lot.
Nov 06, Nicole rated it liked it Shelves: There's some fun character building here, but it's buried beneath some cliche. Jun 06, Pie rated it liked it Shelves: This took me WAY longer to finish than I thought it would, which I blame completely on having to finish an ton of library books before they became overdue, and not because I hated this book. I enjoyed this, I guess, although it's by no means my favorite Rachel Neumeier novel.
My biggest problems were that it's rather slow-paced due to so much travel and sometimes confusing when it comes to the Kieba and the artifacts. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of the world outside of Carasti 3. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of the world outside of Carastind and the Kieba's mountain—Tamarist especially, since so much of the plot is kicked off by things happening there that we never actually get to see. A lot of things involving Tamarist felt unexplored, such as Gajdosik's other siblings and the political situation.
It also would have been great to see the perspective of Prince Gajdosik, who's a rather complex character who could have shed some light onto what's going on his home country. As it is, most of what the readers learns is second-hand. The ending of the book feels rather abrupt, too, with a few plotlines dropped or done hastily that I thought were going to be much more important.
This isn't exactly a complaint, but I didn't quite understand why this book is listed as adult. Compared to Neumeier's other adult novel, there's almost no blood, torture, or otherwise explicit stuff that would put it in the adult category. Oressa is 20 and Gulien is 25, but they easily could have been teenagers considering both their plotlines involve some kind of coming-of-age.
I suppose it might be the fact the world-building is kind of complex and there's a lot of characters. As for what I liked, I did like the world-building when I wasn't being confused by it. All the dead gods and the artifacts they left behind make for an interesting backstory for the world. There were also some slightly more sci-fi aspects, such as the kephalos and the steel-and-glass golems, that made an otherwise rather typical fantasy setting more interesting. Overall, I think I've liked Rachel Neumeier's other books better, though I don't regret reading this one.
Dec 15, LHbooks rated it really liked it. I could never tell what was going to happen next in this book. In some ways the novelty of that was wonderful. They were mostly relegated to reacting bravely and with principle. This slowed down my interest in the book, though I maint 3. This slowed down my interest in the book, though I maintained interest and it got going in the second half.
There is already a great inherent conflict that this book was lacking, and his journey is one I am looking forward to immensely. I will also say that this is the kind of fantasy that does pay some attention to how great houses and people work, the logistics of which I really do find entertaining. Kitchens, maids, inns, guard rosters Lackey is also really good at this and this is in large part why I read her books.
Aug 16, Ascian rated it liked it Shelves: I bought this in paperback form at my local bookstore yesterday. Kept reading it until I finished it. What I liked included: It's not as captivating or as all-consuming for me as The Library at Mount Char was, but it's still okay. May 29, sigaloenta rated it really liked it. Very oddly identical to Winter of Ice and Iron in set-up: In some ways this variation was more successful than WoIaI: Oressa is a much more interesting, active character than Kehera, and Gulien more fleshe Very oddly identical to Winter of Ice and Iron in set-up: Oressa is a much more interesting, active character than Kehera, and Gulien more fleshed out than his counterpart; instead of operating in a totally different plotline for most of the novel, Godjalek has to work with them and they with him from a much earlier point, leading to interesting and enjoyable relationships between all three protagonists who all, indeed, really feel like protagonists equally.
Oressa and Gulien's conflicted in different ways relationship to their father is also a really nice element: In other ways, though, it was messier: The shifting loyalties of various minor nobles and courtiers! The technical, almost computer-like language of the kephalos and the Keiba's mountain! How does memory get turned into stone, anyway?!
The world didn't quite hang together-- but also, I confess that I enjoyed the atmosphere of WoIaI snow! But still a quite enjoyable fantasy novel. Sep 25, Allyson rated it liked it. The writing is also a bit thin. But the fantasy setting is fresh and fascinating, and the plot really moves. Sep 22, Mimi rated it really liked it. It was a bit slow in the beginning however the pace really took off in the middle.
I liked the female character who showed an independent mind. Her brother seemed to be a wimp. Overall a good tale. Oct 12, Katie M rated it it was amazing. While a little overwhelming with jargon and terms for the magic system at times, this book also boasts captivating characters that immediately grabbed my attention.
Nov 08, Chumofchance rated it it was amazing. Excellent fantasy standalone that mixes pure, old-fashion epic goodness with some weird and unique touches that give it a flavor and setting all its own. A solid fantasy novel with enough tweaks to the setting to keep it fresh and interesting. Feb 03, Patrick Elsey rated it liked it. Just kind of a middle of the road book. Aug 14, Lisa rated it really liked it. I liked the characters and the original ideas in this book - I would definitely read more by this author. However, the repetition in her descriptions of things was tedious to get through.
Dec 04, Gretchen rated it really liked it. If you're looking for a fast paced, action fantasy novel, this isn't it. If you're looking for a familiar yet still interesting world in which to wrap yourself in like a blanket, though, read this. Sep 07, Cathy rated it it was ok. Not quite my cup of tea but it kept me interested enough to finish up the book to know the ending. I wanted the characters to have more mastery of things than they seemed to.
Mar 18, elbren rated it liked it Shelves: Feb 14, Sionna rated it liked it Shelves: Honestly, I also thought it was a series until I came onto review it, so that was kinda affecting me, but I'm glad it isn't a series. A lot is going on here, some of which I still don't understand. The basic fantasy old time stuff I understood, but the sci-fi aspect I don't understand at all. I think at the end I kinda understood, but I still really don't I feel like it could have been explained better throughout rather than jammed all together in the time of need.
I did like the characters. They were all so different and had their own way of doing things. There is a little romance, but it is definitely slow burning and not at all the main focus. I liked that even though I wanted So. I really liked them. Even at the end I didn't understand the King though.
I also would have loved to read some of this through Gajdosik's POV. He ended up being my favorite character! I thought the setting and description was done well for the most part. The one thing I kinda disliked was how the map in the front didn't have the other places mentioned Gontai, etc. I'm sure this was done because the characters didn't know about the places, but it was a little weird.
Also, how great is trade if they aren't going all over the world? In the end, I ended up reading all of it sometimes touch and go. If you don't mind POV changes every chapter and you like fantasy while being kept in the dark trying to figure out the mystery, I think you will like this. Honestly, not a bad book.
It just so happens I don't think this was entirely my style. Oct 13, Stacey rated it really liked it Shelves: Original review posted on October 17th, on The Book Adventures. In the past few months, my life has been in a state of near-constant chaos, so when I've made time to read, I've been reading comfort books and nonfiction.
This, my first foray back into new books, enthralled me. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning more than once because I couldn't put it down.