I'm pretty sure I mentioned on here a while back about a book I had read that I really enjoyed called "The Hedgewitch Queen". It is by Lilith Saintcrow, an author I'd never heard of, but who has lots of books out actually. I got a Nook from Bill a while back as a gift, and I was really enjoying reading during Sesame Street before Elena was born. I would browse around for cheap books that met my very specific criteria for reading material: I like adventure and action, but not scary or suspenseful; I like a little bit of romance, but not over the top; I can read realistic or fantasy/make believe, but I prefer fiction to non-fiction. The biggest thing is it can't be scary. Oh, and I don't like if there are animal main characters who die. Ick. (Don't even get me started on my opinion of "The Call of the Wild"). Anyway, these kinds of books are pretty hard to find. So when I found this book, it was super cheap, I downloaded it and was immediately drawn into this imaginary world. I just loved that book! Just enough intrigue, action, mystery, romance, adventure--it was just right for me. I was crushed at the end when I had to wait until June for the sequel, especially with a cliffhanger ending!
So, it's June. I had preordered the book's sequel, "The Bandit King" and was eagerly awaiting it. I started reading it on the first and finished it on the second. It was okay. Actually, it was a little disappointing, but that didn't surprise me considering how much I had anticipated it. However, I really felt like it lacked something magical that the first book had. It wasn't terrible or anything, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
The first book is told from the heroine's perspective and the second book is told from the hero's perspective. Although I'm not so sure you can call him a hero. There's a hint of something dark about him in the first book, but he seems so caring and concerned about the heroine, Vianne, that you, the reader, can't seem to believe that he could really be that bad. Well. He is. And worse. It sort of burst my bubble about him. Hearing his thoughts and everything just made him seem, frankly, insane. Plus the whole reason behind his original action, the one that causes the events of the story, is kind of insignificant. I expected something better, deeper, more forgivable. I mean, I get that he doesn't want her married off, but his reasons just don't seem complete, I guess.
Well, it's maybe not a complete spoiler, but it does hint a bit at what areas disappointed me.
Anyway, a bit of a disappointment. I probably won't read it again, but I would read the first one again, even knowing what I do now from the second one.
When I was in high school, we read "A Tale of Two Cities". I hated the ending so much that I rewrote it (in the margins, not anything long or drawn out, just a sentence or two. Essentially, Sidney Carton doesn't die, he escapes the guillotine and goes off somewhere and lives. But I digress.). I keep thinking I could do that with this book too! I kind of have, in my mind, but honestly, I don't have the time or imagination to put anything down concretely, and I wouldn't want to risk any kind of plagiarism, either. It's her book, and her story, and I respect that completely. But I can certainly imagine a different ending.
Sum up: Read "The Hedgewitch Queen" if you like adventure and fantasy, but be aware that "The Bandit King" might be a little disappointing in comparison.
Oh, and I also read another series of hers, called "Strange Angels" about a girl who hunts vampires and stuff, and those five books were fantastic. So that was just another reason I was kind of let down by this book. I read the Strange Angels series while waiting for this one to be released, and I liked it so much, I really had high hopes for "The Bandit King". Ah well....
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