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City Of Dark Magic (2012)

by Magnus Flyte(Favorite Author)

3.42 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0143122681 (ISBN13: 9780143122685)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Penguin Books

series

City of Dark Magic

review 1: I picked up this book in hopes of a pleasant diversion and expected to rate it with three stars. While I found the novel mildly amusing once I'd reached about page 150, the book fell flat of expectations for a few simple reasons. First of all, the characters were not very dynamic or likable. Sarah acted much like a bonobo when she reached the castle, using sex as a sort of handshake. I found it quite disconcerting to see her respond to the inelegant advances of Douglas at the dinner table and proceed to meet him in the toilet for a little appetizer. Maybe this element of Sarah's character is meant to make the novel racy and sensual, but it simply felt unnecessary to the story. Max seemed a little bipolar. When we first meet Max, the writers gave me the impression he would ... moreplay a Mr. Darcy-like character. Sarah was quick to vocalize that he was not her type, whatsoever. Just from that particular introduction to Max, the romance between the two was evident without reading another chapter. To complicate the romance, the writers would find ways to make Sarah doubt Max. The rest of the characters were not especially compelling. Characters were fleshed out as little as possible, as if that would keep the suspense and mystery alive throughout the story.Additionally, the plot was simply too busy. Of course I could keep up with all the jumping around from one chapter to the next, but I felt as if the foreshadowing throughout the novel was more exciting than the actual resolutions. Foreshadowing seemed to function as another cheap plot device to keep you anxious for the next page and the next chapter. The novel could've been a much more solid piece had the writers stayed focused on simply telling a good story and worried less about employing cheap tricks to draw in readers.On the other hand, I did find the parts related to time travel and alchemy very compelling. I can't speak to any sort of scientific accuracies on the content about dark matter and energy, but I appreciated the fact that explanations in the story made the stuff of fantasy and legends seem scientifically plausible for the story.
review 2: I'd have given this five stars if it weren't for the overuse of sex as plot device. Otherwise, great characters, fascinating story that made me do research because I became interested in the real history. Funny and fast paced and very fun to listen to in the car. I could have done without the senator's point of view too, she was a bit too much for my taste but that is just a personal preference. less

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