A Review of Cold Magic, by Kate Elliott
Dec. 31st, 2010 10:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
musingaloudA Review of Cold Magic, by Kate Elliott
I stink it up at writing reviews. It makes me feel incompetent, especially when I read other in-depth, highly analytical reviews. I guess, when I read, I just want to get lost in the story and not really pay attention to structure and symbolism and character development. I do tend to notice prose for some reason, though, and that can draw me out of the story. I want the characters to be believable and to act in ways that I expect, but most of all, I want to love the characters. For me, reading is always about the characters, and the plot is secondary to that. I can usually love the plot if I care about what the characters are doing.
So that was my caveat about the poor quality of this review. All you can expect from me is a basic, "Yes! I liked it" or a "It was okay." (I rarely hate a book -- I can probably count on one hand the number of books I did not finish because I couldn't get into them. I guess I'm a book whore -- pardon my language.) Now let's get on with it.
I think I'm required by law to say here that I did win a copy of an ARC of Cold Magic in a contest at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kateelliott LJ. But that in no way has influenced my review, nor was I required to post a review. So there.
Cold Magic is described in the product review at Amazon thusly (and I quote): A bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle. It is the dawn of a new age... The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy. Cat and Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families. But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can't be trusted, who can you trust?
The book is heavy on history, which was necessary to explain this alternate time period. But at its core, it's a fun romp with entertaining and unusual characters, struck into an intricate plot with enough twists and turns to keep any reader turning the pages as quickly as possible. Most people know I'm a big Elliott fan, because her books are always about the characters, and that's why I read books in the first place. I was happy with this book, and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
I stink it up at writing reviews. It makes me feel incompetent, especially when I read other in-depth, highly analytical reviews. I guess, when I read, I just want to get lost in the story and not really pay attention to structure and symbolism and character development. I do tend to notice prose for some reason, though, and that can draw me out of the story. I want the characters to be believable and to act in ways that I expect, but most of all, I want to love the characters. For me, reading is always about the characters, and the plot is secondary to that. I can usually love the plot if I care about what the characters are doing.
So that was my caveat about the poor quality of this review. All you can expect from me is a basic, "Yes! I liked it" or a "It was okay." (I rarely hate a book -- I can probably count on one hand the number of books I did not finish because I couldn't get into them. I guess I'm a book whore -- pardon my language.) Now let's get on with it.
I think I'm required by law to say here that I did win a copy of an ARC of Cold Magic in a contest at
kateelliott LJ. But that in no way has influenced my review, nor was I required to post a review. So there.Cold Magic is described in the product review at Amazon thusly (and I quote): A bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle. It is the dawn of a new age... The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy. Cat and Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families. But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can't be trusted, who can you trust?
The book is heavy on history, which was necessary to explain this alternate time period. But at its core, it's a fun romp with entertaining and unusual characters, struck into an intricate plot with enough twists and turns to keep any reader turning the pages as quickly as possible. Most people know I'm a big Elliott fan, because her books are always about the characters, and that's why I read books in the first place. I was happy with this book, and am looking forward to the rest of the series.
