The Girl and the Stars
(Book of the Ice #1)
by Mark Lawrence
fantasy, chicklit
copyright 2020
read in August 2020
rated 7/10: well worth reading
First, take note: this is not a complete story. It is volume one of a series. Not "book" one with a suitable ending but "volume" one, with all the major characters lined up to die.
Very annoying.
At least the back cover does say, "An epic new series." A more accurate phrase would be, "A first chapter of a multi-volume epic." Because that's what it is, a first chapter. With some success followed by a to-be-continued ending and not even an intermediate conclusion.
Despite all that... it's a good book. Not great but good.
The setting is a planet, the people are descendants of space-travellers. There is remnant technology. All this is so fantastic that the book is fantasy rather than science fiction. The characters have fantasy-style powers and the technology may as well be magic.
I also categorise this book as chicklit. No, the characters are not continually changing clothes. In fact, most of them wear the same clothes throughout the book. So?
The heroine is constantly questioning herself. Is she good or is she bad, she asks herself. As she fights evil, are her actions just as evil? There's a lot of action but the main theme of the book is -- I think -- acceptance that everyone is made up of both good and bad.
I may be old-school but this seems to be aimed at female readers. With enough violent action for those who prefer to not think too deeply.
That good-bad dichotomy of individuals is made real, which is quite clever. The dichotomy is caused by old tech, it may be fought with the same tech, all very sensible.
Until the heroine uses the fantasy cliche of drawing on her mystical powers to save the day. I can't do any more, she cries... before doing even more.
The book is good enough to be well worth reading. If I see volume two, I may read it.... maybe. I would rather like to know that the epic series will actually end, before I commit to reading more.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
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"Please do not feed the fears" … graffiti on a toilet wall
===Dying for you to read my blog, at https: // notdotdeaddotyet .blogspot. com. au/ :-)
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