I know, its still Mercedes Lackey, but it was an actual novel, not an anthology! I promise, the book I'm currently reading is by someone else.
Like I said, Lackey has a lot of detractors but I've always enjoyed her books and have been able to ignore the people who critique her harshly. Maybe not anymore. This was by far, her most disappointing novel to date. You can say that she writes the same story over and over again, or at least has the same character archetypes. And yes, I will give you that. She isn't as terrible as Dean Koontz, who I found to have the most interesting plot ideas with the most cardboard cut out characters ever-- but how many stories can you write about noble, self-sacrificing people who give up their whole lives to serve their country? People who are so special and wonderful that spirit-beings chose them special out of everyone else?
Maybe reading all those short stories back to back then jumping right into this novel was a mistake. Maybe the book wasn't that bad. Well, maybe not. Mags is just another lovable orphan who is practically perfect in every way. He has a tough life, gets Chosen, goes to learn to be a Herald. Yeah, yeah I've READ THIS BEFORE. No, no-- Mags is different he worked in a MINE. He suffered from CHILD LABOR! Yeah, whatever. READ IT BEFORE.
Even more offensive than the re-treadness (yeah its not a word sue me) of the book was how after chapter upon chapter of origin story the last couple of chapters throw some weak plot threads that aren't even close to resolved, thus ensuring that the book is a series. I know that the next book is already out. I haven't checked but I'm willing to bet it is a trilogy. This really ticked me off.
I have nothing against book series. Sometimes I never want stories to end, so knowing there will be more is awesome. Is it annoying when series seem to be never ending? When you worry 'Gee, I hope nothing happens to the author...' Rest in Peace, Robert Jordan. Please, watch your health George R.R. Martin. Yes, that is annoying. One of the things I love the most about Jim Butcher's Dresden Files is that while it's a series and you get all that wonderful continuity of character, the books are all their own complete stories. So if he decided to stop, or something happened to him it would be sad but you wouldn't be hanging there wondering BUT WHAT HAPPENED???
This book however felt very much like she got to the end and threw some stuff in there just so she would make sure she'd get another book. It felt really haphazard and lazy. Mags isn't a remarkable enough character for me to really care enough to keep reading about him. He's no different than any other of the Herald's I've read about. I have a touch of OCD and one of the ways it manifests is a need to read everything by authors I "collect" so I am sure eventually I will read the rest of the series. But it will feel like a chore, not something I'm looking forward to like Ghost Story, the next Harry Dresden book or Dance of Dragons, the next Song of Fire and Ice book.
Hardback and definitely not good for me.
So... I started this blog on a whim because of a need to have a creative outlet. Unfortunately, I have an almost paralyzing writer's block. Unless a story grabs me by the collar and screams in my face to be written I have trouble getting the words out. So I figured a blog with a built in theme/purpose at the very least gave me a good starting point. I have now caught up to all the books I've finished so far this year. The posts will be less frequent now as I write once I finish them up.
No comments:
Post a Comment