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House Of The Four Winds, The (2014)

by Mercedes Lackey(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1491502029 (ISBN13: 9781491502020)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Brilliance Audio

series

One Dozen Daughters

review 1: I don't know about this one. I've never read this author before and since she is popular and prolific, people must like her books, but I did find this one a bit "lackey." (Please pardon the pun.)Since this is the first book of this author that I've read I don't know if this is representative of her work or not, but for me, it falls a bit flat. And I had a big problem with the location. It starts out by saying their little principality is near Poland and then goes off into all these maybe imaginary places that appear to be actual places with different names or spelling or pronunciations attached to them. Why do that? It is hard for me to go along with the ride when I don't know where I am. Not that I can't get caught up in a fantasy place when it is actual fantasy. But when... more you put a fantasy place in a real place and then make up silly names for the other places it becomes problematic for me. Tolkien's Middle Earth works because there is no real reference for anything, but if you said Middle Earth is near Chicago or Pittsburgh, but instead called them Sheekaga or Putsberk, I would wonder why you're doing that, what is the significance of disguising real places in that way.So to that story. Look at the description: a princess in disguise who is a great swordsman, mutiny, piracy, magic, romance. Sadly, other than the being in disguise, most of that is just glossed over. I expected a lot more swash and buckle than what is here. The one and only swordfight is brief. Most of the story is Clarice's thoughts, which might have worked had the story actually been told I her voice. Since it is in third person it might have been nice to know what is in other's heads. Otherwise why tell it in third person if the only viewpoint is that of Clarice? Not that her viewpoint is bad. I liked Clarice and enjoyed her as a character, but the story remained cold for me, somehow flat. I think that might be because so much of the story is waiting for what will happen next. They wait for the mutiny. They wait for Shamal to unwrap her plans. They wait to sail. They wait for Dominick. They wait to rebel against the magic. They wait and wait and wait. And for all the magic and how scary it should be, it isn't scary at all. And why use the word thurmaturge(I don't think I've spelled that correctly) when the word magician or sorcerer or mage would say the same thing? Again, I don't know this author's writing so maybe her typical long-time reader would already know this term. It just seems an odd way to say magic and I couldn't really find any reason not to simply call it magic when they refer to it as magic and sorcery. W.T.W?Additionally, the romance isn't developed at all. They are friends and she decides that maybe what she feels is love or maybe not. Again, some thoughts from Dominick would have been nice since we're told he has feelings for her(as a man) but we never get to see them in any way.The biggest problem I have is that you can't set your story out on a voyage to get something mysterious and dangerous and then don't get the thing that is mysterious and dangerous or even finally tell us what it is. As a reader I feel very short-changed as if the author just threw that whole plot to the side at the end and decided not to bother with it.But, on the other hand there was just enough here that I would try another book in this series and hope I like it better.
review 2: I was looking for a light fun fantasy read, and sadly this isn't it. I don't think I could ever picture an author who has written so many books, many of which I loved, could write a story so slow and plodding. The book seems alternate stretched and condensed--the boring parts go on forever, and all the entertaining parts are resolved too quickly.The small kingdom of Swansgaard has 12 princesses, and one prince. To prevent the country from going bankrupt, all 12 ladies must find their own way in the world. Hey, sounds like a great setup for a 12 or 13 book series! Princess Clarice, in disguise as Clarence, buys passage on a ship to the new world and soon is found in the middle of a mutiny, pirates, and on the search for something called "The Heart of Light." No surprise, but everything works out in the end. YAY!The book feels like I missed half of the story. It starts with Clarice's 18th birthday and then picks up as she is trying to buy passage on a ship. By this point she is adept at cross dressing, and has worked out a passable story so no one tries to take advantage of her. I would have liked to know what had happened in between and get to know the character a little better. As it was the characterization was flat, the story was unsatisfactory, and the world building wasn't as complete as I would have liked. I did borrow this book from the library, and I will probably do the same for the second one just to see if maybe the kinks would be worked out and the story smoother. less

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