A review by ksbrennan
Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
3.0
"The makers, the beautiful, the ones cast out because their light was too brilliant for the world beyond. The ones who wish true and deep with their whole hearts for more than they have. They come here, and we love them."
This is a tough one, because I love the worldbuilding, and I think Callie and Jack are great main characters. Zettel manages to make them realistic and dynamic, with relatable flaws and unique strengths. The magic developed here is also interesting, taking a lot from traditional fairy lore, but embedding it in the unique cultural context of the 1930s Dust Bowl in Kansas. It's a unique setting that adds a lot of ambiance to the story.
On the other hand, I find it frustrating when books in a series don't resolve in any meaningful way. This book doesn't have an actual resolution, and while I do plan on reading the rest of the series, I really hate it when there's no individual story to the book itself, rather than just furthering the series as a whole, if that makes sense. And, given that the book is entirely in service to the larger series plot, it's also frustrating that I don't even feel like I have a great grasp of what the overall plot is, in terms of the prophecy and the motivation of the major players. Callie's motivation is very clear, but both of the courts, I'm not as sure.
Still, the book zips along at a fast pace, and I enjoyed the characters, the magic, and the setting enough to carry me through to the next one.
This is a tough one, because I love the worldbuilding, and I think Callie and Jack are great main characters. Zettel manages to make them realistic and dynamic, with relatable flaws and unique strengths. The magic developed here is also interesting, taking a lot from traditional fairy lore, but embedding it in the unique cultural context of the 1930s Dust Bowl in Kansas. It's a unique setting that adds a lot of ambiance to the story.
On the other hand, I find it frustrating when books in a series don't resolve in any meaningful way. This book doesn't have an actual resolution, and while I do plan on reading the rest of the series, I really hate it when there's no individual story to the book itself, rather than just furthering the series as a whole, if that makes sense. And, given that the book is entirely in service to the larger series plot, it's also frustrating that I don't even feel like I have a great grasp of what the overall plot is, in terms of the prophecy and the motivation of the major players. Callie's motivation is very clear, but both of the courts, I'm not as sure.
Still, the book zips along at a fast pace, and I enjoyed the characters, the magic, and the setting enough to carry me through to the next one.