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A review by timmason
The Mountain of Iron by Ursula Vernon
3.0
I'm getting old. Every time I read 'lay' where I'm expecting 'lie', my hackles rise. I know it's not a big thing, but there it is. I like Ursula Vernon's imagination, the way she tells a story, so I read her books, but every 'lay' or 'laid' that does not conform to my old and creaking Britspeak sets my teeth on edge. Damned, as my French friends might say.
Ok - the book. Ms Vernon says she wrote this when she was 16/17. This is an amazing piece of writing for a 16/17 year old. In fact, it's pretty good for any age. The heroine is sympatico - although her bildung zips by rather quickly - from library rat with a head full of stardust and a pudgy body to Clint Eastwood mercenary bodyguard with muscles of steel in six months is admirably rapid progress. The main villain is grimly villainous and the supporting cast suitably fun-loving and lethal. An enjoyable read. The foreshadowing is tad heavy-handed in places, but there you go.
Ok - the book. Ms Vernon says she wrote this when she was 16/17. This is an amazing piece of writing for a 16/17 year old. In fact, it's pretty good for any age. The heroine is sympatico - although her bildung zips by rather quickly - from library rat with a head full of stardust and a pudgy body to Clint Eastwood mercenary bodyguard with muscles of steel in six months is admirably rapid progress. The main villain is grimly villainous and the supporting cast suitably fun-loving and lethal. An enjoyable read. The foreshadowing is tad heavy-handed in places, but there you go.