Andrew
I was delighted to be selected as a reviewer for Gollancz Geeks as I'm a huge fan of Tom Lloyd, having read the Twilight Reign series and thoroughly enjoyed it. I picked up Moon's Artifice with a huge sense of anticipation and I wasn't disappointed.
Lloyd's strength is his world and character building. Very quickly I got a sense of the Imperial City and Narin, the Lawbringer. For me though, the most interesting character in the book was Enchei the old warrior. What an intriguing character with a mysterious background. The female lead in the book is a refreshingly strong character capable of holding her own (most of the time!).
The very strict caste system and the different houses and characteristics of each is an interesting idea, which I wasn't sure of at first as it seemed very complicated. However, as I got further into book it made sense and actually became key to the story. It reminded me of ancient China and the very strict caste system in that society.
I loved this book and really look forward to the next in the series.
First impressions are very good based upon the fabulous cover. It's really intriguing with the matte texture and the shiny holographic inserts. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book especially when the line on the back cover says ‘... and now the true story of Snow White, told the way it always should have been...'
As I got into the book it was apparent the the author had decided on a very different tack to the Disney version! Sex scenes in Snow White! At first I couldn't get used to this, but it gradually began to make sense and integrated into the story. I really like the way that the Queen is portrayed as being only a few years older than Snow White as it adds another dimension to the jealousy aspect of the tale.
I'm not so sure about the inclusion of Aladdin & Hansel and Gretel. I just don't see what it adds. I also don't think the Prince's character was developed enough, but I suppose in a relatively short story like this, there isn't the luxury of enormous character development. I would have liked the story to be a little longer and to have developed the plotline at the end where the Prince takes Snow White back to his kingdom. What happened to her, how did his parents react and did the dwarves come to her rescue? So many unanswered questions!
Overall I enjoyed this twist on the original tale, however it did leave me a little frustrated and wanting more. I wonder if perhaps this is the intention?
I got this book through GoodReads First Reads and first impressions looking at the cover were quite good.
As I got into the book it was enjoyable and I liked most of the characters, however I felt that they could have been fleshed out a bit more. Overall a good story, but maybe missing a little in the details.
I got this through GoodReads First Reads and having read some of the reviews was a bit dubious, however I've got to say I quite liked it.
If you read it, you MUST take it completely as a fantasy book and not try to take any historical accuracy from the story.Once you have accepted that, the book us quite enjoyable. The characters are well described although some of the detail is a little repetitive. (i.e. Did you know the parents are archeologists??)
The bad guys in the story do feel quite menacing on occasion and the description of the shadow realm is done quite nicely.
Overall a good read.
Firstly, I got my copy of this book through GoodReads First Reads.
I was a little apprehensive about reading this book as the cover suggested it could have quite a religious angle, which isn't really my thing. However, in the context of the storyline and the characters it works well and doesn't feel as though it's being rammed down your throat.
The storyline itself was quite involving and I really got to like Captain Chase and feel real empathy for him and his crew during their ‘rehabilitation'.
Overall then, an interesting read and I look forward to the next in the series.
