Emotion in text

Recently, I have found myself wanting to read books that make me feel something. If something awful happens to your protagonist character who you've spent time apparently making me feel something for, and then this thing happens and I feel nothing...

Yes, we have a problem.

Some weeks back I discovered J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Basically, each "brother" has a book, but the stories don't stay neatly within the covers, they branch out into other books, which also has the advantage of making you immediately want the next book. In the second book Lover Eternal, we meet Zsadist. Well, I met Zsadist. Being that I was reading from the Library, I managed to pick up book 2 first. Now, it is not Zsadist's novel, it's actually Rhage and Mary's novel, and Zsadist is portrayed as being dangerous and unstable. This did not stop J.R. Ward from making him a sympathetic character. So throughout all the novels until we finally see him clearly in his own novel, I've felt bad for him, liked him, hoped good things would happen to him - and when they did I was really really happy. This happened with several other characters too.

When really bad things happen to your character, I need to feel sad. If it doesn't even make me feel a little bit sympathetic, there is a disconnect and that is a problem. When bad things were happening to Zsadist, I found myself tearing up and crying because I really really wanted everything to work out for him. This was interspersed with wanting to beat (up) his love interest for not noticing what her actions were doing.

About The Blue Sword By Robin McKinley

I first read this book sometime in the mid to late 90's and it has the distinction of being the first book I ever borrowed from the Library and, being struck with a burning desire to own it, went into my local book store and gave it to them and asked them to please order it for me. It came in from America. This was big in, I think 1998. No internet shopping for teenage me (did they have it then?).  This review was previously posted on The Book Depository previously.

This is the story of Harry Crewe who finds herself leaving home after the death of her father, and entrusted in the care of her brother Richard - who she has not seen for several years. Soon after arriving in Damar, the outpost Richard is posted to, strange and interesting things begin to happen, and she soon finds herself caught up in events that will change everything.

In more recent novels, magic has become something of a tool. Take Harry Potter for example, it's a you do this, you say that, and the pin has turned into a duck. In this book, magic is more an uncertain force that can make you act, even if you are most unwilling.

This is an excellently realistic fantasy novel, with a heroine you can be proud of - she is not one of these wussy heroines who seem to populate so many novels. The world is expertly created, no need to suspend your disbelief here, you do so automatically as everything seems perfectly reasonable and believable as you read it. The book is rich in detail, and as it continues, draws you in until you are completely absorbed. I believe the first time I read this, I read it cover to cover in a day (thankfully it was a weekend, otherwise my teachers might have had something to say about that).

The only issue I had was a pet peeve with dialogue. Does everyone always have to say things? It reads as Harry said, said Richard, And then Corlath said:. There are many other words that could or should have been used. However, it is a small peeve in an otherwise brilliant book. It's a YA Fantasy Novel, but I would recommend it to anyone.

The description is thus;

"Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Free Hillfolk. When Corlath, the Hillfolk King, sees her for the first time, he is shaken - for he can tell that she is something more than she appears to be. He will soon realise what Harry has never guessed: She is to become Harmid-sol, King's Rider, and carry the Blue Sword, Gonturan, which no woman has wielded since the legendary Lady Aerin, generations past..."

Re Lady Aerin, her story is another connected novel called the Hero and the Crown.

Hello!

Hello!

Welcome to my new book reviewing blog. Well, I call it a reviewing blog, but really it's a space for me to talk about books, not necessarily reviews. I read a lot; mainly romance, sci-fi and fantasy or paranormal, but occasionally other stuff. I'm going to try to post one review a month. "Bookish Miss" comes from the fact that in Historical Romance novels it seems to be meant as an insult. I am bookish :D I don't take it as an insult.

<3

Julie