What I've Been Reading
Jan. 21st, 2004 06:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lagilmanFinally finished up Fantasy Life by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Not sure what to think about it.
On the one hand, really interesting stuff. She's venturing into what I think of as Nina Kiriki Hoffman territory, with fantastical happenings along "our" Oregon Coast. And she does it well -- I recognize the world, and I can see these things happening. The plot is familiar but well-done (four generations of women holding back Badness through magic) and her use of the local elements is well-woven into the action. And the characters are all well-drawn. At no point did I think "well, this person is annoying me" when they weren't meant to.
And yet... as much as I like Kris' writing, I couldn't warm up to this book. I read it all the way through, and liked bits and starts, but at the end I was pleased that she'd tied all the threads together rather than emotionally satisfied. And I felt no curiosity about how characters went on, or what the repercussions would be from their actions. In short, there was meat on the bone, and the meat had texture... but no taste to the meat. Which is odd, since I know Kris can do taste, and do it well.
Disappointing. But I haven't quite figured out what, if anything, I would have suggested to create the missing taste.
On the one hand, really interesting stuff. She's venturing into what I think of as Nina Kiriki Hoffman territory, with fantastical happenings along "our" Oregon Coast. And she does it well -- I recognize the world, and I can see these things happening. The plot is familiar but well-done (four generations of women holding back Badness through magic) and her use of the local elements is well-woven into the action. And the characters are all well-drawn. At no point did I think "well, this person is annoying me" when they weren't meant to.
And yet... as much as I like Kris' writing, I couldn't warm up to this book. I read it all the way through, and liked bits and starts, but at the end I was pleased that she'd tied all the threads together rather than emotionally satisfied. And I felt no curiosity about how characters went on, or what the repercussions would be from their actions. In short, there was meat on the bone, and the meat had texture... but no taste to the meat. Which is odd, since I know Kris can do taste, and do it well.
Disappointing. But I haven't quite figured out what, if anything, I would have suggested to create the missing taste.
