artemishi's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Characters: 5, I couldn't tell any of the characters apart, other than Alice being 13 and the MC, and Valeria being the villain whose motivation is to be eeeeeevil.
Atmosphere: 6, I could picture the buildings, because I bought this book from the author in Stratford-on-Avon and, like Wizard's Thatch, a lot of it appears to be halted in time around the Elizabethan era. However, the emotional atmosphere of the book fell flat for me, with no tension or mood building.
Writing: 5, this really could've used an edit. There was shifting tense all over, it was tell-not-show style (I expected some of that, given it's essentially middle grade novel, but it's extensive here), and it jumped around within chapters such that I had trouble knowing which "she" was thinking/saying a thing until a name was dropped.
Plot: 5, this story ran like a racehorse, and also included scenes totally irrelevant to plot and character, so I'd say it had a pacing issue. It's a cute sort of concept, but in need of more polish. The story got marginally better around page 78, where we switch from Alice's narration and bad dialogue to exposition and the history of magic in the British Isles.
Intrigue: 5, I had to grit my way through this. I wanted to love it, I really did. I bought it from the author himself. He had a bookstore whose upper levels were a museum dedicated to his book series.
Logic: 6, starting on page 80, we get actual intrigue in the plot and a sense that there are rules to the magic at play. Then everything is explained point-blank. The only characters whose motives we know (the Doctor and Valeria) act in accordance with them.
Enjoyment: 6, there's some cheeky bits and a clever referencing to notable fictional characters, but most of the story was clunky, rushed, and unpolished. It read as a middle grade Doctor Who/Harry Potter fanfic.
*Read for the Orilium Academy Magical Readathon Autumn Equinox
aliceperspeculum's review
3.0
A very short book and quite fun, but no great feat of literature.
The mystery is pretty good, as is the ridiculous hodge-podge of different stories (a knowing and cheeky rip-off of doctor who, a nod to Sherlock Holmes as well as William Shakespeare as a character).
I found the writing style very simplistic, as well as there being a few errors here and there. This book would definitely have benefitted from a professional editor, but it was a very quick read and a bit of fun, so there's no harm in giving it a try.
The mystery is pretty good, as is the ridiculous hodge-podge of different stories (a knowing and cheeky rip-off of doctor who, a nod to Sherlock Holmes as well as William Shakespeare as a character).
I found the writing style very simplistic, as well as there being a few errors here and there. This book would definitely have benefitted from a professional editor, but it was a very quick read and a bit of fun, so there's no harm in giving it a try.
trillianmagic's review
4.0
Guilty Pleasure
Ok, it's not a rival for Hamlet and it's aimed at a younger audience (much), but it was a short, fun read. I'm not going to deny there's the odd.....borrowed idea but it holds together well and I would read more IF I COULD GET THEM!!!!!!
Ok, it's not a rival for Hamlet and it's aimed at a younger audience (much), but it was a short, fun read. I'm not going to deny there's the odd.....borrowed idea but it holds together well and I would read more IF I COULD GET THEM!!!!!!
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