The Alchemy of Stone

http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2008/09/review-of-alchemy-of-stone.html

Beautiful imagery and fascinating world-building come together in a stunted narrative that doesn't quite deliver the story it's trying to be. This feels like either a polished rough draft or a larger piece that has been crudely hacked down. Dialogue is often meandering and weak, and occasionally the beginnings of conversations prelude to nothing. Scene transitions, in general, are clumsy and jarring, partly because scenes so often felt incomplete, but captivating details about the main character and the world she inhabits are just enough to pull me through to the end. It's a book that will stick with me, even if it's not one I can't confidently recommend.