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beanbaglove

Beanbag Love

I read. I write. I talk about reading and writing. That is when I'm not driving kids somewhere or teaching them. Married, educated, domesticated. I really enjoy the friends I've met through a variety of different message boards and venues regarding reading and authors. I try to take a positive view when I write reviews but sometimes I can't. Those times are few and far between, but they do exist. I'm mostly an old softy, though. I think so anyway.

Currently reading

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning I love this series. It gives me a stomach ache, but I think the characters are some of the best I've seen by a romance author. There's a lot of suspense and emotion and mystery. I couldn't put Dreamfever down.

That said I was disappointed that we couldn't have been thrown a few answers. We got more info, but not enough truly clarify any one thing. I feel KMM could have settle a few things for her readers and that would have helped immeasurably in the long wait. It's the time in a finite series when some of the riddles are solved leaving the most important ones for the final volume. She's never written a series this way before, but if I were advising her, I'd tell her to give up a few things for the readers.

I also would tell her to adjust her thinking on cliffhangers. Cliffies are normal for a series like this, no question. But this one was the literary equivalent of the author thumbing her nose at her readers. Now, it's possible that it was necessary to keep the identity of the character a secret (no spoilers from me!), but I'll have to see that for myself in Shadowfever. I supported the place where Faefever ended, but I have seen suggestions that would have made the cliffhanger just as powerful and less middle finger.

So, that's the only thing that takes a star away. I think someone should actually edit KMM and tell her these things before they put the book out -- particularly when there's no telling how long the readers will have to wait for the next one.

Just the name. That's all that was needed. It wouldn't have made it any less of a cliffhanger, but it would have made it a heck of a lot less of an "eff you".

Still, as annoyed as I am by that I highly recommend this series. But don't go in thinking Highlanders. You've been warned. Don't even compare the two. Different stuff. But very good. Or you may want to wait until after Shadowfever. Frankly, I almost wish I had. ;^)