A review by sashkello
Bone Dance by Emma Bull
2.0
Loved the start, enjoyed the middle, got completely let down by the final act.
The book feels split in three parts which have very little to do with each other. The world which the author is building in the first part is interesting and intriguing, but instead of going gradually deeper and understanding more about it the second act switches to mostly chase scenes and action. Then the action suddenly stops and we are introduced to a completely new part of the world and suddenly... spirits and magic, and a plethora of new characters. I felt like the author started to build a new world when the book should have already be in its final chapters, and it felt undercooked. A slow-burning 200-page deus-ex-machina, culminating in completely nonsensical ending.
Last 1/3 of the book just completely broke my belief in the story... There are 4-5 characters which are briefly mentioned throughout the novel, and some of them have literally one paragraph worth of interactions with the hero. And it makes sense - she/he's a loner and spend most of the time by themselves. But why on earth then towards the end they all turn out to be so extremely important to them, like they are best friends with long history? It just comes out of nowhere - "oh, yes, this guy who was mentioned once on page 32, we go way back together, can't stop thinking about him, and that other woman who you probably forgot about completely, now I want to risk my life for her, it's not worth living without her anyway" and stuff like that.
Eh, it's not a horrible book, and I can see why some might enjoy it, but it wasn't worth the time. Should have finished with the first show-off with the main baddie and be done with it.
The book feels split in three parts which have very little to do with each other. The world which the author is building in the first part is interesting and intriguing, but instead of going gradually deeper and understanding more about it the second act switches to mostly chase scenes and action. Then the action suddenly stops and we are introduced to a completely new part of the world and suddenly... spirits and magic, and a plethora of new characters. I felt like the author started to build a new world when the book should have already be in its final chapters, and it felt undercooked. A slow-burning 200-page deus-ex-machina, culminating in completely nonsensical ending.
Last 1/3 of the book just completely broke my belief in the story... There are 4-5 characters which are briefly mentioned throughout the novel, and some of them have literally one paragraph worth of interactions with the hero. And it makes sense - she/he's a loner and spend most of the time by themselves. But why on earth then towards the end they all turn out to be so extremely important to them, like they are best friends with long history? It just comes out of nowhere - "oh, yes, this guy who was mentioned once on page 32, we go way back together, can't stop thinking about him, and that other woman who you probably forgot about completely, now I want to risk my life for her, it's not worth living without her anyway" and stuff like that.
Eh, it's not a horrible book, and I can see why some might enjoy it, but it wasn't worth the time. Should have finished with the first show-off with the main baddie and be done with it.