The Rose Throne

by Mette Ivie Harrison

[ladygrey]

I liked the way this story started. We're introduced to this world very quickly and there's an elegance to the way she explains this simply and straightforward without bring pedantic.

But the Kellin arrived in Weirland and it got off. The dialog didn't line up with the characters emotional reactions. They were always angry at each without saying anything offensive and without explaining the nuance of their tone or the intricacies of cultural politics that warranted their fights. We also didn't get any hints of their eventual attraction to explain why they set each other off. So there was nothing to align what they were saying with how they were reacting.

But then the story worked better in Rurik and I liked the characters and the world well enough. It wasn't poorly done but it was I retesting enough that I saw potential for more that it didn't fulfill. It was a vicious, precarious court but there wasn't a lot of subtext in the dialog. It was the only piece missing from a well developed court. Sometimes the dialog had depth and was intriguing and sometimes it felt forced which made it a little trite. I liked that it was surprising so it went in directions I didn't expect. Except that meant the description in half a lie which was disappointing.

Mostly, though, as much as I enjoyed this book I didn't like that its really only half a book. It isn't a cliffhanger but there are so many elements to the story that were introduced but never rested you know it has to have a sequel. But it's not really a series. It's like one really large story that got ripped in half. That's another part of the potential - it could have been a very good self-contained story if it had gone in another direction. But who am I stay say how the story should have gone?