The Bone Season
(Bone Season 1)
by Samantha Shannon
fantasy, chick lit
copyright 2013
read in August 2016
rated 8/10: really quite good ?
... Or maybe seven, Well worth reading ? Nooo... For my own enjoyment rating... eight. I needed good escapism, this book is good escapism.
... Yeeesss... Make that:
rated 7/10: Well worth reading.
Great escapism. Great logic of magic. Still a bit clunky in the storyline.
I've been reading some non-F/SF books. Books which have been submitted for the Premier's Book Award. Books which are in the top ten for that award. "Reading" ? Well, trying to read. Failed to finish any, so far.
In fact, I will probably not even start reading the remaining two that I have. I admit it: I'm not impressed by literary style, nor by deeply significant meaning. I want to enjoy a book... And I want to escape into my enjoyment of reading.
I enjoyed Bone Season.
The heroine is tough, she is beautiful. Best of all -- she will never give up.
The book is set in a parallel universe. Just a few decades ahead of our own time, so there is some advanced science. Okay, it could be science fiction... I call it fantasy. It is also chick lit...
So there is a love triangle. There is no surprise that one male of the triangle is strong, tall, handsome -- absolutely dependable, for when the heroine swoons, or twists her ankle. And yet: this heroine barely swoons. When she twists her ankle she continues to run and fight. She is more than feisty. She is tough !
The heroine is also caring. Will she leave her friends to die? No way! Will she leave a casual acquaintance to die? Hardly! This woman is good. Very good. I like her :-)
The universe is also good. A new take on ghosts and the spirit world. The parallel universe thing is also very well done. Language and style suit the time at which it appears to have split from our own universe. Enough difference to be interesting, similar enough to be understood.
The story is not great. Enjoyable, but no great surprises. Except for the basic premise, which provides enough surprise to make for very enjoyable reading.
The book is also rather complex: there are too many characters to track. This is a problem (for me!) -- but I prefer it to the alternative.
This is the first book of a series. Characters are introduced. They will -- I expect -- reappear in later books. The alternative is, to pare down the cast -- and introduce new characters in subsequent books. I find that that approach often feels artificial. Like a film franchise which introduces new characters -- simply to sell more character-based merchandise.
I'm happy with Bone Season's approach. It's complex, I lost track of who's who. So I read it again :-) There is enough enjoyment and enough complexity to reward a second reading. Though, I'll admit, there is enough predictability that I would not have worried if my second reading had been interrupted.
And now, my favourite snippet...
Remember that love triangle? By the end of the book, one of the three is no longer part of the triangle. What happened?! That, I like... Very clever, very nice, I still smile when I think of it :-)
With no love triangle, will the next book be less chick lit? Not to worry. This girl will attract more lovers. She just can't help it, she is so nice. And there are plenty of other characters who are almost good enough for her.
A solid ending. With a major cliff-hanger... with the clear statement, that this woman will be able to sort out the problems of the cliff-hanger. She may suffer but she will come through, somehow.
Very enjoyable. I hope there are more.
Footnote: A quick check of the web... Yes, there are two more books, so far. Excellent :-)
====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====
"Talk low, talk slow and don't say too much." … John Wayne
No comments:
Post a Comment