I found the characters interesting and the descriptions vivid.
The meadow was large and irregular, with smaller areas fenced off by brush and low trees. In one such corner, Ratha found Cherfan guarding a herd of three-horn deer while his partner for the day, red-gold Bira, tended a watch fire nearby.
Bira was an unusual and striking color for the Named, who tended to be shades of brown and tan, some with faint spots that lingered from their cubhood. The hue of Bira's long fur was most intense down her back, deep gold tipped with reds and oranges. Her one vanity was her beautifully plumed tail.
However, I couldn't get over the fact that I had no idea what was going on in this story. This is the FIFTH book in a series that I am not familiar with so references to Ratha's cubs were confusing at best. I also found Ratha's relationship with Thakur mystifiying; clearly there is a past, but I don't know what it is.
Obviously, my lack of understanding is my fault as I attempted to read this story without having read the previous four. Therefore, for the unitiatied I would only give this a 2 (recommend under certain situations) because the reader has to deal well with ambiguity in a story (which, apparently, I don't). However, for fans of Ratha, I would say this is a 4 or 5. Clearly there is great depth in this saga, but I think it's more for fans of the story from the 80's and 90's. Those of us who haven't read any of the Named series need to start with Book 1!
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed the characters and descriptions. Bira is one of my favorite characters in the series.
I did attempt to write the book so that it could be a stand-alone novel. For some people, I succeeded; for others, I didn't.
I do try to learn from reader comments, so may I ask what I could have done to make the story clearer?
The nature of a series does tend to make it difficult to make a given book completely understandable if one jumps in in the middle. It may be an impossible task to explain enough in each one so that the reader isn't lost.
The only thing I can think of is a forward with summaries of the previous books, or more backfill/background, although that tends to load and slow a story.
If you can think of another series author who has managed to solve this problem, I'd like to hear about it.
I do appreciate your honesty, and your willingness to recommend this book to series fans, and that readers not yet familiar with the Named should start with the first book.
CB
Clare:
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the idea of a forward summarizing the story thus far! I felt like I was missing something critical and a summary would help people like me who have a hard time with the ambiguity that is inherent in jumping into the middle of a series. This is an amazing, fully realized world with strong characters.