Dear Ms. Moore,
I had high hopes for this book as the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, I found that there were inconsistencies in the world building and characterization all through the book. Plus when you’re reading a first person POV story and you spend almost the whole book wanting to smack down that person, it’s really hard to like the book. Dunleavy is one of the most whiney, unpleasant, and prejudiced characters I’ve read about in ages. She’s heard all kinds of things about the Source with whom she’s bonded and instead of either getting to know him, or just observing how he really is, she insists on believing everything long past when she should have opened her stupid eyes and seen how he really is. She bitches and complains about everything, she judges everything by how it will affect her personally and is always willing to jump to the worst conclusions about everyone else. And her poor Source is stuck with her for life. They can’t leave their jobs and if one dies, the other dies. I felt so sorry for Karish and would have suggested he gut her like a fish if only it wouldn’t have killed him too.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. Almost everyone else on this planet is almost as unpleasant to read about as Dunleavy. Nasty, cruel, pompous, vitriolic, sour, smirking…just pick one of these adjectives and it should fit someone.
I will give you credit for trying to come up with a different world trying to carry it through. If only you had worked harder on having it make sense and stay consistent. For instance, you spend plenty of time telling us how the pairs have no control over whom they bond with. How such care has to be taken to ensure that no one accidentally bonds with someone not in this organization. Then later, you have them all taking about how the Sources choose their Shields. WTF? The lives of everyone on the planet are dependent on how the Sources and Shields work to control these natural forces. But then Karish inherits an aristocratic title and Dunleavy whines about how the organization will say that this is far more important than him carrying on with his job of protecting the populace. She bitches about how once he becomes the Duke, she’ll have no job since she’s bonded for life to a Source who won’t be working and then when he tells her he’s thinking of giving up the title, Dunleavy is depressed. Huh? There were just so many times that I was stopped short while reading this book. So many times I said, “what the f*ck!?” or “but wait a minute…!”
I read 175 pages, skipped 50 because I just couldn’t stand to read them, went to the end just to find out what happened and finally finished it. I’m sorry but with all these problems, I can’t give it higher than a D.
~Jayne
See, I actually liked it. I liked that Dunleavy wasn’t immediately likeable since it was just so different. Yeah, she can be stupid, but so can people in real life.
Guess it just depends on what you prefer to read. :-)
Hi Nicole. It was your review that introduced me to this book and why I wanted to read it. I was expecting Dunleavy to start out with a chip on her shoulder. I just wasn’t expecting it to not only stay there but seem to grow bigger as the book went on. From the posts at Amazon, it seems that readers do fall into one of two camps with this book. Well, we can wave to each other over the fence dividing us, can’t we? ;)
Yup :-)
Sorry I steered you towards a book you disliked so much! I wonder if I’m more forgiving of fantasy than I am of other genres.
No, no, don’t apologize. We books pimps are always on the lookout for a new favorite book. Sometimes one works and sometimes we crash and burn. Thems the breaks.
Thats exactly what I did too. Not because I didn’t like Dunleavy but because I didn’t particularly like her either. I found that I was halfway into the book and didnt really care what happened to either of them.
I really wanted to read this book but wanted word of mouth on it first. Thanks for the warning and saving me some $$$.
I’m always looking for new stuff too but this one – I wasn’t so sure about.
Well I really enjoyed the book. It had alot to do with duty and the problems between two people who are forced to work together. Sure Dunleavy was difficult and stubborn in the beginning but she was also admirable in her determination to do the right thing. I think it and its sequel were very good and enjoyed them tremendoulsy, but I can also see where other people could find fault if they weren’t prepared to understand the character’s motivations.
Anna, I’m glad it worked better for you than it did for me.
Dear Ms. Moore
I just wanted to let you know that I loved your book!!!! When I select a book, I only wish to be entertained and interested in the story. I was !! The story was definately different from anything I have read. I also read the Hero Strikes Back and loved it too.
I look forward to your next novel.
I loved this book too!!
I think that when reading this book we should pay attention to what Dunleavy is saying at the begining about how pairs work. She saids something along the lines of some pairs hating eachother and other pairs being good friends is normal. It seems that pairs(this one in particular) share a very deep emotional bond that might at first be hard for the reader to grasp. That said we should try and stay open about her feelings towards Karish to the very end.
Kali, frankly it’s been so long since I read this book that I can’t remember specifically what Dunleavy said about the bonding. Or many specifics at all. But I’m glad you enjoyed it.
When my friend suggest I read the this book at first I had my droughts but when I got into it I loved it my friend n I were living toghter w/ what is now r ex n when we read this book we felt as if we were Dunleavy
[...] Dear Author [...]
I liked this book quite a lot, actually. Loved it, even. A little along the story I did do a double take about all this bonding and Shield and Source business and try to get it into my head, but it wasn’t because I thought it was horrible or anything like that. I didn’t find myself thinking how ‘whiny’ or ‘prejudiced’ Dunleavy was. She doesn’t like some people or situations (don’t we all?), swears a little in her head (which I must say, got me chuckling here and there), but then tries to take it in her stride. She made some mistakes, but that’s normal. She makes mistakes, she admits it. She doesn’t simply give up, and neither does she simply submit into anything. If you were to put me in her shoes and be paired to a stranger with a reputation as Karish’s, I, at first, might not exactly like him either. Still, I find that that sort of ‘frienemy’ relationship they developed along the end was nice. I’ve been reading so many books with sappy romances between the male and female protagonists that I’ve gotten positively sick of it. But, that might just be me. I’m only 14, so I suppose my opinion would be mediocre.
^ – ^;;
@Carla: Hi Carla, thanks for stopping by and commenting. From the posts made since I reviewed the book 4 years ago, I definitely think I’m the one in the minority about it. ;)