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A review by book_banshee
First Truth by Dawn Cook
3.0
After 3 weeks I finally got through this book! I don't think it's ever taken me this long to read a book. While the fantasy element and the characters were interesting, the story kept such a slow pace that it never held my interest for long when I picked it up to read (hence the 3 weeks).
While First Truth provides the perspectives of multiple characters, the main protagonist was Alissa, a young woman who is one day thrown out of the house by her mother. She's sent off to follow in the steps of her deceased father and travel to the Hold, a place that trains its students in magic and a place that Alissa doesn't believe in. As she sets out, she picks up Strell, a wandering piper and storyteller, as a traveling companion.
My only real complaint with this book is that it was extremely slow paced and failed to hold my interest. Nonetheless, I think it's a decent fantasy read, I just don't think it was for me. (I also could have done without the long chapters from Bailic's perspective-- he was extremely boring)
Despite the dragging pace, I thought the characters and the setting were well developed. I did get a little confused on how the mind magic worked. There didn't seem to be any clear cut rules when it came to magic and that bugged me.
I do want to praise this book for it's slow growth in friendship and romance. Insta-love has been a big pet peeve of mine lately, and I appreciated how it took most of the book for the idea of love and romance to even cross the minds of the protagonists. Alissa and Strell's bantering were entertaining and felt very realistic.
Overall, I thought this was a good fantasy novel, it just didn't work me. If you find the synopsis intriguing, I say pick it up. I, however, do not plan to continue on with the series.
While First Truth provides the perspectives of multiple characters, the main protagonist was Alissa, a young woman who is one day thrown out of the house by her mother. She's sent off to follow in the steps of her deceased father and travel to the Hold, a place that trains its students in magic and a place that Alissa doesn't believe in. As she sets out, she picks up Strell, a wandering piper and storyteller, as a traveling companion.
My only real complaint with this book is that it was extremely slow paced and failed to hold my interest. Nonetheless, I think it's a decent fantasy read, I just don't think it was for me. (I also could have done without the long chapters from Bailic's perspective-- he was extremely boring)
Despite the dragging pace, I thought the characters and the setting were well developed. I did get a little confused on how the mind magic worked. There didn't seem to be any clear cut rules when it came to magic and that bugged me.
I do want to praise this book for it's slow growth in friendship and romance. Insta-love has been a big pet peeve of mine lately, and I appreciated how it took most of the book for the idea of love and romance to even cross the minds of the protagonists. Alissa and Strell's bantering were entertaining and felt very realistic.
Overall, I thought this was a good fantasy novel, it just didn't work me. If you find the synopsis intriguing, I say pick it up. I, however, do not plan to continue on with the series.