tiredLady Rhian at Deep Thoughts has posted a long and detailed review of Rosemary and Rue. She says "I really liked this book. The story is fast-paced and engaging, drawing you into Toby's world and making you root for her as she struggles against villains and obstacles on her path to the goal. She's suspicious and mostly sarcastic, but you don't like her any less for it. Highly recommended." Yay, and thank you!
Night Owl Reviews is a fairly large review site, and I was delighted when I saw that they'd chosen to review Rosemary and Rue. Night Owl says "This book is haunting, even after you finish it. I was so impressed with this book that I want to read it again." Further, "This is a stellar debut from Seanan McGuire. Rosemary and Rue is urban fantasy at its best!" I like the phrase "stellar debut." I won't qualify for it ever again, so I'm enjoying it while I can.
kitsuchi says "I read a fair bit of urban fantasy this year, and Seanan McGuire's Rosemary and Rue was probably the one I enjoyed most unreservedly. A strong mystery with an engaging heroine and plenty left to explore. Also no annoying romantic options." (You can view the original post here. Also, remember that bit about romantic options; I have a post coming up on that topic.)Over on the Bookish LJ Community,
admnaismith posted a deeply humorous review, explaining how the book was specifically targeted at him. He says "Rosemary and Rue is about a high spirit, low status changeling with the whimsical name October Daye (her mundane San Francisco friends nod sympathetically and mutter about hippie parents) in a world where changelings have limited fae abilities and the sidhe and other pureblooded fae, many of whom have personal grudges against Daye, are almost powerful enough to kill her by blinking. Daye is outmatched and in mortal danger constantly, and needs to judiciously trade favors with stronger faeries in order to get what she needs to solve the crime and defeat the culprit (In this world, Bad Things happen when you are indebted to someone like, say, the Luidaeg)." He also says "Remember the name: October Daye. We’ll be seeing plenty more of her in days and books to come."talkstowolves has posted a long and thoughtful review, complete with a disclaimer about how our friendship doesn't stop her from being critical. I love academics, and I love her review. She says "this debut novel from Seanan McGuire plays to type; yet I can say, without a doubt, that this is the best urban fantasy novel I've read in five years. I make this assertion drawing from a pool of novels by Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff, Emma Bull, Patricia Briggs, and others." She also says "Rosemary and Rue isn't without its flaws—at times, the exposition overbalances from stage-setting to distracting, and the mystery does seem to wander a bit aimlessly in the middle—but the exhilaration of getting to know this particular San Francisco and this particular Faerie more than compensate for any of those drawbacks. Moreover, these are flaws that I don't expect will continue past this debut: the occasional over-exposition was due to initial worldbuilding, and any issues with plot pacing are overcome with experience." I have the glee. The glee is mine.Fantasy Magazine has posted a review of Rosemary and Rue. It says "October Daye, the narrator/protagonist, is a welcome addition to the ranks of urban fantasy’s hardboiled female leads. She’s tough and smart. She’s also psychologically damaged by her changeling’s existence among the disdainful purebloods, and her secret life among the humans and other changelings. In short, she’s complicated, sympathetic, maddening, and believable." Also, "Rosemary and Rue is strong enough to win its author a large well-deserved following."
And that's today's review roundup. Whew.
January 12 2010, 16:46:36 UTC 7 years ago
Huh! I thought that all her romantic options were quite annoying! Even charmingly so, in one case.
January 24 2010, 20:50:57 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 17:42:10 UTC 7 years ago
http://bookelfe.livejournal.com/156
January 24 2010, 20:54:27 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 22:08:51 UTC 7 years ago
I really liked it, but as a reader/viewer, I find it more interesting to see how people disagree with something I either enjoyed or didn't, than to see them praise (or cut down) the same things I saw.
January 12 2010, 22:20:51 UTC 7 years ago
1) On Amazon. I try really hard to avoid reading Amazon reviews, but occasionally my Google spiders bring them to me anyway. As soon as I realize what they are, I stop reading, and since I don't post the good Amazon reviews, I don't post the bad ones, either.
2) On Goodreads. Same issue, plus Goodreads reviews are frequently so short and quickly-written that they don't tell me very much, beyond "hey, look, I wrote a review."
3) So full of spoilers that it would be unfair to link. Negative reviews seem to depend a lot more heavily on spoilers than positive ones, maybe because they're often inspired by dislike of one specific element. (There was one negative review I refused to link because it was mean-spirited and nasty, and it would have been like pouring honey on the reviewer and shouting "GO MY KILLER BEES AVENGE ME!", but that was a special case.)
January 13 2010, 23:23:48 UTC 7 years ago
January 24 2010, 20:54:58 UTC 7 years ago