Review: Compelling
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 31, 2013
I very much liked this book.  In contrast to many by independent authors, it was well-researched and polished; there were some punctuation errors (primarily comma splices)that nettled me a bit, but not enough to take away from the compelling nature of the story.The characters are well-defined, and I felt that I got to know them intimately; any irrationalities that appeared were consistent with the characterization and the world as it was built.  I enjoyed the period feel of the setting -- it clearly reads medieval, but not in a heavy-handed way; some writers of historical fiction pepper their scenery to prove they know the period, but that is not done here.  Telling details flow subtly and seamlessly from the action and plot.Love of Shadows is part of a trilogy, but it stands alone, as well, because I did not read the first book yet was able to thoroughly enjoy and enter into the world of this one.  I was a little nervous about that right at the beginning, because there was a reference to the reader "knowing what I mean or where I come from" (paraphrase).  So I was a little lost about the Shadow angle, but I like how it was never explained directly at the outset, with a gradual unfolding instead.  Indeed, I'm still a little confused about it, but in a good way - I like the sense of mystery.I will definitely look for more books by this author, as I enjoyed this book more than most I have read lately.