It has been a very long time since a book has enthralled me as this one did. I loved this story's dark fantasy world that was at once vivid and surreal. The writing transported me to Pelim so that I could feel the cold fingers of mist and smell the fishy miasma over the docks. This book also provided a much needed fresh and unique approach to vampires and vampire society. The melding together of so many different folklores made this a stand-out read for me and one to which I plan to return.The characters were quite easily the best part - a motley and wonderfully diverse cast that made me smile and cry as they endured various trials and tribulations. The casual attitude towards sexuality in this book is also something I loved and elevated this already excellent story head and shoulders above many others.In short, I cannot recommend this book enough to those looking for a mature and intelligent YA read that is delightfully dark and unapologetic about its themes. Hellisen’s prose is gorgeous and dark and dangerous, and I fell in love with the vaguely steampunky, wholly Gothic atmosphere of the first half of this novel. Witches, vampires, and magic abound, but Hellisen’s wordcraft and worldbuilding are such that her stock paranormal creatures are anything but.However, like many of the books I’ve read of late, the narrative structure was muddy, and I never connected emotionally with the characters. I feel like these two things (muddy structure and lack of emotional resonance) are symptomatic of each other, and both tethered to character, desire line, and fear.Fear is a key element–and catalyst–for reader suspense and character growth. In this novel, it is conspicuously absent. Hellisen’s characters know no fear. They are angry, abused, vengeful, but they are never afraid of anything. Fearlessness can be a wonderful façade for a character masking his or her true fears, but that was not the case in Hellisen’s narrative.Though Hellisen’s prose is gorgeous, and her treatment of paranormal tropes fresh, the messy plot and lack of emotional resonance did not allow me to connect with the story.Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
Do You like book Rouge Est L'océan (2013)?
it was engrossing. engrossing like I missed my stop on the bus reading it.
—Petilu123
When i looking for something interested, i want to read this books!
—Jessica
See my blog for review lunanshee.blogspot.com
—smile
