Chocolate Book Review no. 2 - Curse of the Elfs by Anna del C Dye
I love fantasy literature. I love it when authors unapologetically create amazingly original worlds and invite us to escape to them for a while. And this is just the sort of book I enjoy most, with fully developed elf and mankind folklores peopled with intriguing characters with wonderful names. It positively oozes romance - between Lathanyl and Katelynn, then Lath and Yasmeen - all set in an ethereal utopia (which I suspect is one big metaphor).
Unfortunately the language jarred somewhat for me. The elfs (I had always thought the plural was elves, and so does my spellchecker) sometimes spoke in an approximation of old English, with the occasional "thee" thrown in apparently at random and phrases like "Forget it not, daughter", but were also quite likely to say "For starters" and "It's awesome". I'd have liked it better if they could either speak consistently in old fashioned language or be entirely modern. The book was also extremely dialogue-heavy. At times I wondered whether the author would be more comfortable writing a screenplay, since much of the action came through the speech.
There was also some very poor editing, with a "summersault" and "undo attention" surviving the cut, and similar cringeworthy errors on almost every page. Whoever edited this book, they are being paid far too much for a job they really cannot do.
It was a sweet story, however, with some interesting twists (like killing off the narrator partway through!) and ultimately was very satisfying, if predictable, with an overall sense of wonderment and a beautifully created atmosphere of mystery and enchantment.
Unfortunately the language jarred somewhat for me. The elfs (I had always thought the plural was elves, and so does my spellchecker) sometimes spoke in an approximation of old English, with the occasional "thee" thrown in apparently at random and phrases like "Forget it not, daughter", but were also quite likely to say "For starters" and "It's awesome". I'd have liked it better if they could either speak consistently in old fashioned language or be entirely modern. The book was also extremely dialogue-heavy. At times I wondered whether the author would be more comfortable writing a screenplay, since much of the action came through the speech.
There was also some very poor editing, with a "summersault" and "undo attention" surviving the cut, and similar cringeworthy errors on almost every page. Whoever edited this book, they are being paid far too much for a job they really cannot do.
It was a sweet story, however, with some interesting twists (like killing off the narrator partway through!) and ultimately was very satisfying, if predictable, with an overall sense of wonderment and a beautifully created atmosphere of mystery and enchantment.
Thanks for your time, Anna J.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do chose to write the plural of elf as elfs. As an author I have the privilege of naming my creatures the way it pleases me.
The word awesome was created in the 1500 hundreds.
And "my" elfs do have their own way of speaking. It may not be the correct old or new english, but It is my way.
Thanks again,
Anna del C. Dye
Author of "The Silent Warrior Trilogy"
http://www.annadelc.com