Review: Almost there
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 08 23, 2012
I read this book several months ago and have needed some time to let my thoughts on it percolate. There are a number of things I liked about this story, but there are numerous challenges as well.First, I enjoyed the setting a lot. I grew up in the KC area and could easily visualize the streets and school setting. The book starts slow, maybe too slow. Some people were disturbed by the descriptions of torture right up front and that bothered me a bit as well. But I think I would have been less disturbed if there had been some kind of well-defined reason or payback for it. The world building is inventive and intriguing. I am also fascinated by the possibly scientific explanation for the magic, but this is something that needs more development. I wish I could say as much for the characters. Aside from John Lyon, the main character who is transported to a different world via an access under the stairs in his new, supposedly haunted, home, none of the characters had any redeeming qualities to be seen. Except for maybe his friends in this world, but their roles are pitifully minor.Although an editor is credited, it is clear that his degree was not English. Just because you are a professor doesn't mean you have mad grammar skills. For example: "Three, threatening shadows", "livered servants (Were they wearing liver? Or just had intact livers?)", "hot, berry pies", "then hads of cities", extraneous exclamation points and other questionable punctuation choices, etc.There's promise here, but it needs some more work. 2.5 stars.