(I found this one of those novels that sounded a lot better than it read--indeed when I would recap the plot in my head or think about certain scenes it sounded great but when I read it there was no pop.
Fantasy and SF authors often lay down all their bets on the setting-- they create the scenery but forget to animate the characters running around it--while they pull out the stops innovating on their setting they fall back on the familiar with the characters. It is not easy to do --- In SciFiNoir_Lit@yahoogroups.com, "Carole McDonnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Over the years, it's hard to not notice the similarities between > science fiction, fantasy, and the writing of history. Science > fiction, of course, is well-known for its many detailed future > histories. Indeed, for many readers the details of the history of the > world the writer is portraying is one of the most fascinating aspects > of the story. Fantasy too, from Tolkien to Steven Erikson to J.K. > Rowling has more than its share of works that are based on an > incredibly detailed imaginary history that serves to make the world > the characters live in come alive in much the same way that a good > history writer can bring to life the worlds of ancient Greece, China, > or any other period of human history. It should come as no surprise, > then, that a writer known for his historic novels would be able to > create a living, breathing fantasy world, one in which the > characters' lives and motivations are a direct result of the history > that lies behind them. In Acacia, the first novel in a new epic > fantasy series, author David Anthony Durham has done just that. > > Rest of review here: > > http://sfsite.com/10a/ac257.htm >
