Review: Interesting concept, but not well executed
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 29, 2013
The description of this novella sounds fantastic. I mean, who doesn't love a good, mysterious,  Gothic fantasy story with a necromancer who saves the living? Unfortunately, I didn't think the story lived up to all of my expectations. I finished it a few days ago, and still am not entirely sure how I feel. I was left wanting more, but at the same time I wasn't really interested in learning anything else. Most of my questions were answered, but it felt like the answers were just thrown together.I did think that Prioleau's writing and world-building were beautiful though, and that's part of the reason I kept reading even when I was so confused as to what was happening. I never really got used to the dialect and Jasmine's voice, but I blame that more on myself than on the story. It's very old styled, and reminded me of something I might read in an Austen or Bronte novel  I also felt like the plot moved too quickly, which might have been because it is only a novella.I also never really connected with Jasmine. She was just too... weird for my liking. Her relationship with Master Dag is strange and takes a while to develop, but I never could figure out what he thought about her. His secrets were really interesting though, and I did enjoy the spin on a classic mythological creature that Prioleau put into the story.Overall, this just didn't end up being the story for me. Maybe someone who enjoys dark, Gothic mysteries might enjoy it, but it's just really hard for me to say. I think there's  full novel in there somewhere trying to claw its way out. I can only give this a 2.5/5 as is though. I liked parts of it, but most of it was just too confusing and underdeveloped for me.