This review does not contain spoilers! Please keep them out of the comments as well.
Title: Atlantis
Author: Carol Roberts
Stars: ★★★
The book opens on a mystery, but the first chapter threw me. Maybe the names or the change in tone from the foreboding of the prologue. Something shifted, and it took the whole chapter for me to get back into the story.
The pacing remains steady with the calm, lolling stroll of literary fiction. There were times I couldn’t help but think of Eddie Izzard’s stand-up on British films. Partially due to certain conversations having a strange propriety at times and – what I imagined in my head – were awkward pauses filled with that good old growing tension.
Every author seems to have a particular they favor for names. At least in this book, Ms. Roberts clearly favors A-names. They are, however, variable enough to identify rather than blur.
Reasons it’s a 3-star and not a 4-star? Story didn’t pull me in, and I think that’s somewhat on the even-handedness of the pacing. While an interesting feature, it became monotonous. I understood – vaguely – the time and location, but each time I grew certain, something in the phrasing of dialogue or a description of the background would throw me.
Ultimately, though, my biggest issue is one that has everything to do with taste – I am not a fan of literary fiction. I like the grit of realism more so than the poetic phrases more common to literary fiction, and while there were some passages in this story which had me rereading out of appreciation for the word-play, the whole didn’t speak to me beyond a bland appreciation for the path it offered.
However, if you love fantasy with a literary fiction vibe, this would be a great fit! Plus – the author is giving away the second book for free to those who purchase the first and follow a click through link!!
Buy Links:
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