Review: Like Harry Potter - even in the bad ways.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 10 3, 2011
Other reviewers have commented on the similarities between this and the Harry Potter opus.  Not unjust.  But it shares some of the flaws of the Potter books too. Too many people are determined to hide crucial information from anyone who might make use of it.  I grew tired of reading variations on "you're not ready for that knowledge yet", and "...decided not to share that information just yet."  The middle third of the book simply wouldn't have happened if the protagonist had followed instructions. There weren't any good reasons for suddenly concealing one of the most important events in the book; just a whim.  Also like Potter the book contains long expository sequences that don't seem to develop the character or plot.  Lots of riding hither and thither and descriptions of the world.  Some readers may prefer that style - it does expose the full scope of world building.  I like world building, but I prefer a tighter novel with an emphasis on plot emerging from character.I think that much of the flaws result from the fact that this is a first book.  Two of the characters (Varden and Timlin) are described inconsistently. I think this is to give the author room to explore their complexity in future novels, but the effect in this novel is to make them incomprehensible plot devices. The protagonist, like Potter, reminds me of the Japanese "silent but good" protagnist, but I think is much more effectively characterized than Potter.  It is difficult to portray the fact that adolescents can be weak willed and subject to peer pressure without reminding us that we used to be that way.  I think the author has done this exceptionally well. (at times it is uncomfortable to read; I want to slap the protagonist upside the head, but I recognize the difficulty of standing up against a strong willed but blockheaded friend).I liked the world (I just wish it were described tersely) and the suspense as I tried to identify the true antagonists. (wish we'd been a bit more fair there).If you're looking for a quick, easy read to entertain, this is probably at an appropriate price point. But I wish I'd known the above in advance so that I wouldn't be expecting more than I received.