Review: Interesting and beautiful
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 30, 2013
I've lusted after this book for a long time. I mean that cover! That title! Oh god, that title is so esoteric and cool. I just wanted this book so badly. I wanted to caress it and squeeze it. Oh and read it, that too...But in my haste to get this pretty little book, I neglected to read the blurb and the comments about this one from my friends. I had a vague sense that it would be fantasy but I thought it would be more paranormal for some reason. It is not. This book is fantasy-horror and is more glbt than just strictly an m/m story. It is funky, queer fantasy for the adventurous reader. Now, I am not a horror reader, nor am I a high fantasy reader, but I decided to stick with it because it has only great reviews from people that I trust.So what are my thoughts on this one? I'm giving this book 4 stars because I enjoyed it about 3 stars worth but I thought that it deserved five stars. It is beautifully, magically written with inventive protagonists and an interesting world. This book feels almost southern gothic to me with its queer characters and a kind of mythical, religious-tinged, voodoo sort of vibe. I found it to be a really special read.However... I didn't love this book in equal proportions to its level of quality. I often have trouble with fantasy books in that it takes me a long time to "get" the world. I had that trouble here. I also didn't connect to the characters on a personal level. I felt detached the entire time and, because this book has horror elements, cringing as to what may be coming next. What can I say, I don't like so much death in my leisure reading!My conclusion about this book is that if you like beautifully executed fantasy, please give this book a try. If you are squeamish like me, you might want to read a different Arvin book.**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**