A review by kasscanread
Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway
2.0
I couldn't find the strength to get through this book (though that happens to me often, being a picky reader). Sisters of Heart and Snow focuses around two storylines taking place centuries apart, which I suppose intertwine farther along in the novel. One story is about the dysfunctional family of Killian, Drew, and Rachel Snow, and their mother I can't remember the name of, and the other is about Tomoe Gozen, the amazing female samurai in ancient Japan.
Which of these storylines seems like it should have the most focus - especially early on in the novel to catch the reader's attention - the mostly boring modern family drama (as far as I got into the book) or a freakin' amazing female samurai? Unfortunately, Margaret Dilloway seems to think it is the former deserving of 90% of the book's attention, and even manages to drain what thrill their was to read about the rarely covered Tomoe Gozen in scarce, somewhat poorly written two-page chapters.
The problem with this book was apparent by page thirty, at which point I will usually stop reading a novel that is uninteresting or can't find its plot (unless something equally interesting as the main plot is there to entertain until later on). If it is good in the middle or near the end, I would still say it wasn't worth it to have to read the trite thirty or so pages that I did.
If any author's read this review (not likely) I would like to challenge them to the task of writing a better book about Tomoe Gozen. She deserves one.
Which of these storylines seems like it should have the most focus - especially early on in the novel to catch the reader's attention - the mostly boring modern family drama (as far as I got into the book) or a freakin' amazing female samurai? Unfortunately, Margaret Dilloway seems to think it is the former deserving of 90% of the book's attention, and even manages to drain what thrill their was to read about the rarely covered Tomoe Gozen in scarce, somewhat poorly written two-page chapters.
The problem with this book was apparent by page thirty, at which point I will usually stop reading a novel that is uninteresting or can't find its plot (unless something equally interesting as the main plot is there to entertain until later on). If it is good in the middle or near the end, I would still say it wasn't worth it to have to read the trite thirty or so pages that I did.
If any author's read this review (not likely) I would like to challenge them to the task of writing a better book about Tomoe Gozen. She deserves one.