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O Espelho Quebrado (2009)

by Brian Keaney(Favorite Author)

3.35 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Edições Gailivro

series

The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus

review 1: So, you know that feeling when you've been on a merry-go-round too long, and you stubble around the play ground, head spinning, and bump into other equipment? You can focus for a moment on the swing set, before the spinning overwhelms you, and you thud into the teeter-totter... That's what this book is like. The opening chapters are so diverse, so abstract, and so strange, it's all terrible confusion. Finally, when part 2 arrives, one is pulling some sense of the story together, but the book is only 144 pages, and part two shows up on p.93, so you need some serious fortitude to get to that point. Reading 2/3 of a book and still feeling clueless is extremely irritating. Ironically, part two is entitled "The Answer." I didn't read the first book in this series, but I'... morem a firm believer in the concept that a book should stand on its own, within the series. Still not sure whether this series could possibly stand on its own! The book is told in 3rd person narration with a stilted, formal diction.The cover is nice though. In fact, it's probably the best thing about this book.I'm giving the cover two stars. The book doesn't really have any. It wanted to be an epic fantasy novel, full of interesting characters. It's got enough characters, but none of them are developed, including the protagonist. The book feels a kilometre wide and a centimetre deep. No satisfaction with this one. Skip it and save yourself the wasted hours. I read every page, so you don't have to. Trust me.
review 2: "The Cracked Mirror" picks up where "The Hollow People" left off, with teenager Dante Cazabon, recently escaped from the asylum island where he and his friend Bea grew up, realizing his potential to tap into the Odyllic Force, a power to act outside of time and dreams. The country is controlled by the possessed Dr. Sigmundus, who rules citizens through drug-induced mind-control. The story opens with Dante searching for Bea and trying to reunite with the Puca, a group of freedom fighters. The narrative switches between Dante, Bea (who has been brainwashed and is now working at a museum dedicated to Sigmundus), and new character Nyro. Along the way, Dante discovers new powers and learns that he has a guardian angel and a long-lost twin brother, the evil Gallowglass.The first book in the series, which seemed to borrow from "The Matrix" and Lois Lowry’s "The Giver," showed some promise. However, this sequel is sloppy and has little appeal. This book is a classic case of being told, not shown, through below-average dialog and convenient plot devices. Characters are quickly introduced and go out of their way to assist Dante and Bea without any cause. It’s almost impossible to become emotionally invested in Dante because he is such a flat character. The chapters focused on Bea, Nyro, and Gallowglass have a bit more drive, but not enough to justify continuing this series. There’s another cliff-hanger ending, which might throw readers, but will most likely not encourage them to read the next book. less

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