Helpful Score: 2
It has been a very long time since I picked up a book and could not finish it. I actually think the last one was in college. This is an extremely confusing book. In the very beginning, it is unclear who people are. It's almost like people have been given nicknames, but they are so nondescript that it is impossible to figure out if you should care about them or not. I read through some of the other reviews and noticed that a lot of people complained about it being like a young adult novel. I believe they are incorrect. This is why:
1. Young adult novels have clear plot lines that are character or action driven to keep the audience moving through the story. If a novel does not move quickly, then young adults move on to something different. This is because there are so many other options available that it is not worth struggling through a novel. Archon: The Books of Raziel is character driven, but it takes too long to know who is important and who is not. There are too many characters introduced all at once and there is no relationship between the audience and the characters within the first three chapters or so. This is honestly what drove me away from the novel.
2. Young adult novels usually have a clear cut plot structure. Archon: The Books Of Raziel has not clear hint to where the book is going until about halfway through the novel. I had already stopped caring by the time I had a general idea of what was going to happen throughout the book. It is sad that even once I figured out where the book was going that I wasn't drawn in enough to finish it.
Regardless, I was drawn in by a beautiful cover and completely let down.
1. Young adult novels have clear plot lines that are character or action driven to keep the audience moving through the story. If a novel does not move quickly, then young adults move on to something different. This is because there are so many other options available that it is not worth struggling through a novel. Archon: The Books of Raziel is character driven, but it takes too long to know who is important and who is not. There are too many characters introduced all at once and there is no relationship between the audience and the characters within the first three chapters or so. This is honestly what drove me away from the novel.
2. Young adult novels usually have a clear cut plot structure. Archon: The Books Of Raziel has not clear hint to where the book is going until about halfway through the novel. I had already stopped caring by the time I had a general idea of what was going to happen throughout the book. It is sad that even once I figured out where the book was going that I wasn't drawn in enough to finish it.
Regardless, I was drawn in by a beautiful cover and completely let down.
Helpful Score: 1
First of all I have to be honest and start out by saying I didnt finish this book. This is the first book in many many years where I have not been able to force myself to push through. I just cant. I started this book 6 days ago and have only been able to make it through to Chapter 19/Page 168. For someone like me who is used to reading a 300-400 page book a day, this has been a painfully slow process. I decided not to torture myself anymore.
First of all at 168 pages I am still not sure what kind of world we are living in. I know we are at the Vatican and that there are a whole slew of angels, demons, jinns, blood heads and witches. Although the main character is a blood head I am still unclear as to what exactly that means. There are so many characters thrown at me I was always confused as to who was what. Mainly because there are male characters with female names, female characters with male names and ambiguous angels.
At 168 pages I found myself no more knowledgeable of this world than I was when I first read the back cover blurb. The dialogue is sometimes written in a fashion where you are unclear who is speaking. At one point one girl speaks up and I was like when did she enter the room?
I feel bad about not finishing the book, but in the end determined that life is too short to waste days on a novel that lost your attention and interest somewhere around chapter 2.
Cherise Everhard, May 2013
Book Provided by and reviewed for the Amazon Vine Program
First of all at 168 pages I am still not sure what kind of world we are living in. I know we are at the Vatican and that there are a whole slew of angels, demons, jinns, blood heads and witches. Although the main character is a blood head I am still unclear as to what exactly that means. There are so many characters thrown at me I was always confused as to who was what. Mainly because there are male characters with female names, female characters with male names and ambiguous angels.
At 168 pages I found myself no more knowledgeable of this world than I was when I first read the back cover blurb. The dialogue is sometimes written in a fashion where you are unclear who is speaking. At one point one girl speaks up and I was like when did she enter the room?
I feel bad about not finishing the book, but in the end determined that life is too short to waste days on a novel that lost your attention and interest somewhere around chapter 2.
Cherise Everhard, May 2013
Book Provided by and reviewed for the Amazon Vine Program
