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A review by hellkitty915
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
2.0
I haven't read many of Patricia McKillip's books. I read the Riddlemaster series long ago as a child. I picked this one up out of sheer boredom from the library. I know it's a children's book, but some younger books are still appealing to adults. This one is not.
The characters Nepenthe and Bourne are okay, if barely two-dimensional. The subplot of Axis & Kane is poorly handled and confusing. And the young Queen of Raine is barely tolerable. I didn't like the writing style, with its flowing wordy passages that are hard to follow. The key elements of the plot are confusing and unexplained. They seem to pop up out of nowhere and leave the reader waiting for the rest of the explanation.
Overall, the book has a very rushed feel to it. I think it would have been better if the author had taken more time with it and expanded the stories. Storylines would have followed a bit more logically and the characters would have been more likable. It's another case of a great premise spoiled by bad writing.
The characters Nepenthe and Bourne are okay, if barely two-dimensional. The subplot of Axis & Kane is poorly handled and confusing. And the young Queen of Raine is barely tolerable. I didn't like the writing style, with its flowing wordy passages that are hard to follow. The key elements of the plot are confusing and unexplained. They seem to pop up out of nowhere and leave the reader waiting for the rest of the explanation.
Overall, the book has a very rushed feel to it. I think it would have been better if the author had taken more time with it and expanded the stories. Storylines would have followed a bit more logically and the characters would have been more likable. It's another case of a great premise spoiled by bad writing.