Review: Conclusion Was Sharply Pierced
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 26, 2013
Note: This actually rates closer to a 3.5 than a 3; however, because of certain factors, I was unable to deem this a 4.Extended review can be found on The Review Board ([...]Disclaimer: Very slight spoilers.Blurb: Imagine the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Betty Crocker.That’s Pierce in a nutshell.Pierce has been on the run for two years from the man who held her captive in a vampire compound for almost a decade. Life on the run would be a lot simpler if she didn’t suffer from several social disorders and ‘quirks’, have a ten-year-old brat in tow, as well as have two characters from a 1945 classic film living in her head and guiding her at every turn.First line of the blurb was definitely comedic to say the least. After my initial chuckles, I dove in.The first few chapters were extremely slow. Although appreciative of the detail of the surroundings in Chapter One, it bordered on excessive. One almost wondered if the chapter was just about the kitchen until the dialogue started to kick in.There were other instances where descriptions of locations threatened to overtake the plot, and the imbalance definitely served as a deterrent.The descriptions of Pierce’s cooking prowess I found to be very educational as well as comedic, although some readers who want to stay focused on the plot and action may find these episodes to be unnecessary and somewhat off putting.Once I got past the initial sluggishness, I really liked some of the action sequences. I did get a rare element of surprise when it was discovered that Lucas was actually alive, and he proved to be quite a force in how the story panned out.In addition to enjoying some of the action sequences, there were a couple of characters I took a liking to. Although Lucas is portrayed to be silent and brooding, I found him to be quite realistic. I also thought Napoleon was very likable and possessed a maturity beyond his years.The ending was not a suitable companion to the action or the buildup. I understood there was going to be a next part, but the ending seemed more suitable for a horror movie than an urban fantasy/paranormal romance book. It just felt like a letdown. If the ending had the matching momentum of the action, this would have prompted me to give it a higher rating.