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A review by willrefuge
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene
2.0
Honestly, I'm very disappointed. I've had this on my 'to-read' shelf for quite some time, and now that I've finished it (FINALLY finished it, even), I look back and reflect on the entertainment it has given me. And that is summed up with the following paragraph.
Meh.
Okay, okay. I really expected more. My main problem with the book was its characters. The so-called "HOLLOW GODS" series starter produced some hollow POVs. Hollow, and unlikable. Oh, they didn't begin this way--in fact, many (though not all) were progressing nicely up until the halfway point of the novel. But following the 150 page mark only a single character continued in his arc. I suppose it's suitable that Krishanjit was destined to change everything, because he was the only one to actually CHANGE at all after this point.
The end was even more of a disappointment, if anything. I felt some resolution with Krish's story in the book, that and his two companions (although it seems THEY only reach any resolution as they're WITH HIM). As for the other POV characters, the only ones whose story-arcs were resolved were the ones who died. Otherwise it's like the author just assumed we didn't care enough about them by the end. And maybe we shouldn't. I kinda just wanted the book over with at this point, though after 400 pages I would've liked SOME effort put into it. But there wasn't.
I really don't see a reason to read the next one. It seems the kind of thing where the dead will come back to life--most likely to resume being boring and non-vital--and the living will just revolve around Krish until they, too, die. Eventually everything will end and good or evil or no one will triumph. Or maybe she'll just end the book in the middle of a thought. I dunno.
Sigh.
Maybe I'm being too hard on it. But I really, REALLY wish I would've just read something else. But whatever.
Let's call it 2 stars. 2/5. My rating actually went DOWN upon reflecting on this story. Go figure. It might rate bits of a star more, 2.1 or 2.2 or 2.349872 or whatever, but I'm rounding it down.
So, 2. 2/5.
Meh.
Okay, okay. I really expected more. My main problem with the book was its characters. The so-called "HOLLOW GODS" series starter produced some hollow POVs. Hollow, and unlikable. Oh, they didn't begin this way--in fact, many (though not all) were progressing nicely up until the halfway point of the novel. But following the 150 page mark only a single character continued in his arc. I suppose it's suitable that Krishanjit was destined to change everything, because he was the only one to actually CHANGE at all after this point.
The end was even more of a disappointment, if anything. I felt some resolution with Krish's story in the book, that and his two companions (although it seems THEY only reach any resolution as they're WITH HIM). As for the other POV characters, the only ones whose story-arcs were resolved were the ones who died. Otherwise it's like the author just assumed we didn't care enough about them by the end. And maybe we shouldn't. I kinda just wanted the book over with at this point, though after 400 pages I would've liked SOME effort put into it. But there wasn't.
I really don't see a reason to read the next one. It seems the kind of thing where the dead will come back to life--most likely to resume being boring and non-vital--and the living will just revolve around Krish until they, too, die. Eventually everything will end and good or evil or no one will triumph. Or maybe she'll just end the book in the middle of a thought. I dunno.
Sigh.
Maybe I'm being too hard on it. But I really, REALLY wish I would've just read something else. But whatever.
Let's call it 2 stars. 2/5. My rating actually went DOWN upon reflecting on this story. Go figure. It might rate bits of a star more, 2.1 or 2.2 or 2.349872 or whatever, but I'm rounding it down.
So, 2. 2/5.