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Book Review of Uncertain Magic

Uncertain Magic
Uncertain Magic
Author: Laura Kinsale
Genre: Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
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Helpful Score: 7


2.5 stars. I'm not partial to stories set in Ireland or Wales anyway (for some reason, I find them dull), but I'm not so sure that had this story been removed to another location, I would have disliked it any less. First of all, the mind-reading of the heroine was the author's very lazy way for Roderica to know so much about so many characters without having to do any characterization. The phrases "her gift" and "her talent" were deployed way too often.

Secondly, NOTHING HAPPENS for pages upon pages, apart from some sensuous interaction between Faelan and Roderica ("Roddy" - blech) while she's both aroused and fearful of who he might really be. Then, in the last 50 pages or so, all hell breaks loose with some rebellion and then in the last 10 pages there's an inept reveal about Faelan's past and a highly far-fetched wrap-up by supernatural fairies/avenging pixies who say that Faelan's been set up for all these years and made to believe he's crazy and they take away Roderica's gift in some show of divine fair play and sacrifice. Or something. I don't know - I was long past caring at that point. After 300 pages of nothing and then the last 50 is bam bam bam with stuff, it made for a very poor read. And confusing as well, since the concept of Roderica "losing time" like Faelan does isn't explained, unless she was drugged as well.

I won't be bothering with any more Kinsale novels. The plots for 2 others sound exactly like this one!