Scan barcode
A review by call13cojess
Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
3.0
Would be a 1.5-2 star if not for the second half of the book.
Not nearly enough character/relationship development in the first half; it feels like the second half was part of a completely different book, when you look at how the characters interact, the memories and attachments the MC mentions. I like a bit of inference when it comes to a story, but when I have to infer more than 80% of the interactions (read: dialogue, WEEKS of living together where we get one day for every 14 lived ((and one of the MCs sleeps for the majority of those days too?!)), backstory for any of the other characters other than one night of sharing the pivotal childhood event needed for the plot from each MC, etc) it makes me sad that I won't remember the other characters at all in a few months--and there were only 5 main ones in the whole book!!
Once we skip the whole up-in-the-air, infer all of this relationship-building stuff, the plot isn't half bad. I was worried it was going to be another Beauty and the Beast + Secret Garden retelling, but the other elements helped balance those themes out to make it more original and interesting.
I think it rubbed me the wrong way mostly because it has some of my least favorite tropes in it, namely "MC who protects the other MC blindly and with no thought/hesitation", "MC whose only personality traits are stubbornness, so-called selflessness (see above trope) and random passes at humor", "MC who reveals they have a secret power/strength we never really heard about before the mid-point of the book and they become integral to whatever force they're fighting (which ties into "MC who is an immediate master of their craft within 2 pages of revealing it)" and "Chosen One who refuses to let others help them in their Fight Against Evil because they're sacrificing themselves for the Greater Good and to protect their loved ones (although good on the author for letting the MC accept help at the final "battle" at least, it helped it not be annoying)."
Also wth was that ending?? I had to look up whether there was a sequel because...??? I do like cliffhangers but it wasn't even one of those "oh the reader can think of alternate endings because to pin just one down wouldn't be the best call (see Wilder Girls and Lady Chatterley's Lover)."
Anyways, I feel it would have been a better-put-together book after a few more passes to round out the first half and cut out some of the unnecessary monologues from the MC. Good ideas, eh execution.
Not nearly enough character/relationship development in the first half; it feels like the second half was part of a completely different book, when you look at how the characters interact, the memories and attachments the MC mentions. I like a bit of inference when it comes to a story, but when I have to infer more than 80% of the interactions (read: dialogue, WEEKS of living together where we get one day for every 14 lived ((and one of the MCs sleeps for the majority of those days too?!)), backstory for any of the other characters other than one night of sharing the pivotal childhood event needed for the plot from each MC, etc) it makes me sad that I won't remember the other characters at all in a few months--and there were only 5 main ones in the whole book!!
Once we skip the whole up-in-the-air, infer all of this relationship-building stuff, the plot isn't half bad. I was worried it was going to be another Beauty and the Beast + Secret Garden retelling, but the other elements helped balance those themes out to make it more original and interesting.
I think it rubbed me the wrong way mostly because it has some of my least favorite tropes in it, namely "MC who protects the other MC blindly and with no thought/hesitation", "MC whose only personality traits are stubbornness, so-called selflessness (see above trope) and random passes at humor", "MC who reveals they have a secret power/strength we never really heard about before the mid-point of the book and they become integral to whatever force they're fighting (which ties into "MC who is an immediate master of their craft within 2 pages of revealing it)" and "Chosen One who refuses to let others help them in their Fight Against Evil because they're sacrificing themselves for the Greater Good and to protect their loved ones (although good on the author for letting the MC accept help at the final "battle" at least, it helped it not be annoying)."
Also wth was that ending?? I had to look up whether there was a sequel because...??? I do like cliffhangers but it wasn't even one of those "oh the reader can think of alternate endings because to pin just one down wouldn't be the best call (see Wilder Girls and Lady Chatterley's Lover)."
Anyways, I feel it would have been a better-put-together book after a few more passes to round out the first half and cut out some of the unnecessary monologues from the MC. Good ideas, eh execution.