I usually love middle grade fantasy. I saw the cover and read in insert and thought it would be a perfect fit for my aesthetics. However, I was very disappointed with this book.
I am truly amazed this book managed to slide off of an editors desk.
It is in serious need of editting. Not small edits. BIG edits.
The most unpleasant thing about this book is it's narration. It is all tell and no show. Chapters go by with the author telling you what happens and very little interaction or dialogue is present, making it very difficult to connect with the characters or the stories. Then we have the overwhealming amoung of long, descriptive sentences that slow down the pacing. Additionally, the main too characters have little character growth. The book was far too long and needed to be shortened. The author could have said the same thing in much less words and it would have made for a stronger book.
Reading this book was so tedious, that I was unable to finish it. It didn't hold my attention and didn't move. My eyes continued to glaze over the endless blocks of narration. It became too much. It just wasn't enjoyable. So only a few chapters shy of the ending, I set it aside and said farewell.
I cannot reccomend this book. There are a wealth of other similar titles out there that are carried by a stronger voice.