elzbethmrgn's Reviews (667)

Given up. While the Audible narration is brilliant (Kate Redding, of course) the audio editing is terrible and the story is tedious. I'm adding this only because I spent so much time giving it 'one more chance' - usually I don't add my DNFs.

This was the Sword and Laser book club pick for August. I feel like this book tried to do too many things and ended up not doing any of them particularly well.

The f-yeah-friends-forever plot line is one that is being heavily praised, and I can see why, but I kept waiting for the shoe to drop on Kasia as well: having been taken and subsequently rescued from the Wood, but with almost zero lasting effects? Ehh. I couldn’t trust the friendship at all because I was waiting for Kasia to betray everything.

It was a quick readable tale, but not one I feel the need to reread to get into the minutiae.

If you’re a fan of Felicia Day this is a short-but-interesting read. If you’re not into her, this is probably not the book for you.

I really appreciate that I started this book after taking Latin lessons, because now I understand what things like participles and prefixes and even first-person singular verbs are. I appreciate it even further after learning from Bryson that some of the most ridiculous grammar rules and spellings are based on Latin, despite having nothing to do with Latin in the first place.

It’s not all about the Latin, though, I’m just focusing on it because I’ve been learning Latin grammar this past year. In fact, I found a book full of interesting trivia, like most of Bryson’s books.

Although I read some reviews from Actual Linguists slamming this book, I find Bryson’s style completely readable and enjoyable and I’m happy to go along with it, knowing that if I want to know more detailed information I’m going to have to go digging for it.

I read this so long ago I can't think of any definite impressions, except that it didn't suck. Which is one heck of an endorsement from me, at any rate.

A light bit of British-detective brain candy. In Medieval-monk form. I'm cool with that.

I struggled. I struggled so hard. The first half of the book dragged and dragged and eventually I realised it was because all of the supporting characters, who masked Fitz's incompetence, weren't there. Fitz and his wolf BFF does not make a compelling story (for me). Once Fitz met up with some old cast members again, it was a bloody great story to the end. But that first half dragged so long for me, this only gets an 'I liked it' review.

On the other hand, Wit-bees. Fucking marvellous.