Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Spiritwalker
Publisher: Orbit (September 2, 2010)
Mogsy's Rating: 3 of 5 stars
The positive things I've heard about Kate Elliott's books, especially praise for her Crossroads trilogy, have always piqued my curiosity and made me feel like I'm missing out for not having read any of her work. So when I saw the Cold Magic ebook on sale a few months back, I snapped it up and didn't even hesitate for a second.
From its
description, the book sounded like it would be right up my alley. Dawn
of a new age? An Industrial Revolution which heralds inventions and
technologies never seen before? Throw in a young, educated
heroine caught up in the middle of this movement, and I
thought it was going to be a winner for sure.
In
many ways, I was correct. This is undoubtedly a good book. The story is
an intricate web of political intrigue and hidden truths, taking place
in a world that is practically overwhelming with its multiple facets. And
Catherine "Cat" Hassi Barahal is a headstrong protagonist, embarking on
a perilous adventure to find out who she really is. All in all, I was
quite enchanted by this novel and all the wondrous magic, people and creatures Cat encountered on her journey.
And
yet, I can't shake the feeling that this book could have been so much
more. I wanted it to be great; I wanted to be amazed, but something
always stopped me just short of getting to that point. After a
while, I was finally able to pin down why I felt this way. Essentially, everything I
mentioned before -- the fascinating characters, setting, and plot -- all started out on the right track, but ultimately never seemed to reach their potential.
Perhaps
the most frustrating of those for me is the setting, which had
everything going for it with its steampunky flavor and even an alternate
spirit realm. I was intrigued by the idea of a clash between
magic and science, between the old and the new, but unfortunately what I'd hoped for never really
materialized. Don't get me wrong; it's a complex and imaginative world,
but it somehow lacked coherence. Incidentally, I felt much the same
way about the story, which started losing its momentum after a strong introduction,
in part due to the lack of clear direction.
I
also felt ambivalent towards Cat. I didn't dislike her but I didn't like
her either, and therein lies the problem. It's hard to fully appreciate
a book when the protagonist fails to interest me. Even now I can think
of very little to say about her, except that I didn't really care for the way she was drawn to Andevai. Among my biggest pet peeves is when heroines fall
for men who treat them badly, and Cat dances dangerously close to that
line. Here's a man who snatches her from her home, speaks to her gruffly, and is an all
around cold, arrogant jerk. By all rights she should want nothing to
do with him, and yet he is shaping up to be the love interest.
I
guess I'll just have to wait to find out what happens. Though I liked this
book well enough, I'm also not in any hurry to pick up the sequel. I'm certainly not writing this series off yet, but I have a feeling my next
Kate Elliott book will probably be something else. After all, I have heard that her Spiritwalker series is very different from her previous work, and who knows, perhaps I'll check out
the Crossroads trilogy first.
GAH WHY DOES YOUR BLOG ALWAYS EAT MY POSTS??!! Move to wordpress!
ReplyDeleteOK, try this again.
Your thoughts are mine exactly. FWIW I am among those that liked Crossroads much better. This is a good series, and I always wanted to move on to the next, but always left me hoping for something better on top of that. Some of that is intentional, by the middle book I realized this is actually Bea's story more than Cat's, figuring that out made the second flow a bit better. But still, a frustrating series for me because of it's strong potential not always showing itself.
The more I think about it the more unsure I am of whether or not I want to keep going with the series. At the time it was still being considered, but now there are so many more books I have to read in my pile, and again, so many more people prefer Crossroads.
DeleteIf I ever get around to hosting on my own, I probably will make the switch. I find blogger and wordpress both have similar features, but I've always been more comfy with the latter since that's what I've used for my game blog for years.
I've never heard of this author, why are there so many authors and books out there??? Life used to be so much easier when I knew everything that was out there and could choose accordingly. I find reading to be extremely complicated these days with the advent of indie publishing and tons of small presses putting stuff out. OK, now I've completely gone off on a tangent when all I really wanted to say was "I've never heard of this author." So, I'm too busy to pick up a three star book in any case:-)
ReplyDeleteHow have you never heard of Elliot? Somewhere along the line there has been a serious communication breakdown on this one.
DeleteLOL Tammy! I guess Elliott's a pretty big in modern SFF, I'd heard of her before I saw these Spiritwalker books but I think it was this series that made me be more aware because it has recently gotten so much attention. It was enough that I'd always felt like I was missing out for not having read her stuff.
DeleteThat reading experience sounds rather like having a carrot dangled in front of you. Oh and too many "Cat" and "Kitty" names I feel like Ive run across lately.
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it, ME TOO. I'd just finished a book with a character named Catarina/Cat.
DeleteAnd yeah, big time dangling. I kept waiting for it to hook me. It got my attention, but not in the big way.
It is a shame that the book could have been a bit more. :(
ReplyDelete