copyright & licensing

all content © VM (Vicky) Brasseur and licensed under CC BY-SA

Originally posted on 15 May 2024

1 minute read

This book got a lot of buzz in popular media, and I probably found it on a list from one of those outlets. It involved books, libraries, and magic, so obviously I needed to check it out (literally, from my local public library).

The magic system in Törzs’ universe is pretty neat. I liked the way she handled that. Plus, despite the fact that the entire book kinda revolved around magic, the story didn’t use it gratuitously. That was good to see.

I found the plot very predictable though. Pretty sure none of the things that were supposed to be Big Reveal! weren’t at all for me, which is a shame.

Considering all the buzz, I expected better. Then when I was preparing to write this I noticed that none of that buzz was in any of the usual SFF places. No Hugo, no Locus, none of that. All the foofaw was in the popular media only.

Törzs deserves that foofaw. She wrote a whole book! And it’s not bad! That’s a helluvan accomplishment. It’s just not a book that’s a good fit for my preferences.

Overall, it was an entertaining enough book and I don’t regret my time with it, but I also don’t feel the need to read it again or recommend it to friends.