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A review by maeverose
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
3.0
I’m starting to think this series isn’t for me. I love the concept, but I’m always disappointed by the execution. This is definitely a case of the book not being for me, but nothing being wrong with the book. I can absolutely see how people would love this.
I loved the the first third of this one. Weirdly, I preferred most of the parts that took place in the real world. The parts in the Goblin Market felt like they were spent almost entirely on explanation for the structure of the world, which I found to be somewhat interesting but mostly repetitive and boring. I would’ve preferred if we got more focus on Lundy’s adventures with Moon to take down the Wasp Queen and their encounter with the Bone Wraiths. Some explanation of the world would of course be necessary and interesting, but I wanted to see them actually explore the world as well. I felt this way with the second book too. This series seems to be more about the characters and the ideas of these worlds and how they differ from our own, which is absolutely fine, but I guess I want a little more adventure in my portal fantasy. I understand that would likely mean these books would need to be novels instead of novellas in order to fit the appropriate amount of world building, plot and character development. But I’d still prefer that, I think.
Most of the writing in this book I absolutely love, especially in the first third, but every now and then there was a sentence that didn’t look right to me, and I can’t tell if it’s an actual typo or an intentional choice that just didn’t click in my brain. I don’t remember this being an issue with the first three books in the series but it’s been a while since I read them.
I loved the the first third of this one. Weirdly, I preferred most of the parts that took place in the real world. The parts in the Goblin Market felt like they were spent almost entirely on explanation for the structure of the world, which I found to be somewhat interesting but mostly repetitive and boring. I would’ve preferred if we got more focus on Lundy’s adventures with Moon to take down the Wasp Queen and their encounter with the Bone Wraiths. Some explanation of the world would of course be necessary and interesting, but I wanted to see them actually explore the world as well. I felt this way with the second book too. This series seems to be more about the characters and the ideas of these worlds and how they differ from our own, which is absolutely fine, but I guess I want a little more adventure in my portal fantasy. I understand that would likely mean these books would need to be novels instead of novellas in order to fit the appropriate amount of world building, plot and character development. But I’d still prefer that, I think.
Most of the writing in this book I absolutely love, especially in the first third, but every now and then there was a sentence that didn’t look right to me, and I can’t tell if it’s an actual typo or an intentional choice that just didn’t click in my brain. I don’t remember this being an issue with the first three books in the series but it’s been a while since I read them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Rape, Blood, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Teen pregnancy through implied rape (i think, I could’ve misinterpreted that part. It’s left very vague)