Review: The Bastard's Crown
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 12, 2013
While I did read the book from start to finish, there were a few points in the story where I was considering putt it down. It's not a terrible story, but given the subject, it's not the best of class.There are a number of editing errors, enough to stand out. Looking at some of the previous reviews, and the author's comments, it seems this is an on-going process, something I find to be encouraging. I've seen enough bad-to-poor editing jobs that are never addressed, so it's a good thing to find an author who is willing to revisit previous published books for an editing round.The story is told from various points-of-view, from both the Saxon and the Norman side. This would normally give the story a much deeper human view. These are "real" people (the historical figures, obviously not including the fictitious characters) who live and die. They're not nameless and faceless enemies. With the shifting political environment, you might find yourself fighting side-by-side with someone, and later find those people are on the other side of the battle lines.But it is this shifting POV that I find distracting. A large cast of named characters are rapidly introduced, and I find tracking difficult, as I start to acclimate to these characters, then shortly after POV will shift.There are a few other issues with the story, and I really don't want to nit-pick, but basically I found that the positive aspects were outweighed, and I'm not sure I will continue with this series.