Peter Last

RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • Most things about this novel are average, the world being a perfect example. There is potential here, a mythical world set atop the human one. The mythics have history with each other, feuds, cultures, allies, and enemies. This all interplays with humans in what should be a very interesting ride; unfortunately, mythic culture is barely explored or explained, making it feel hollow and confusing at times. Human culture makes sense, but only because the reader lives in it. The interplay between mythics and humans is sometimes interesting but often clichéd. All this might have worked with a different main character, but Na’rina is the future leader of the dryads. The idea, in this context, that she knows little about other races and cultures is ridiculous. Also, the lack of time spent on the specifics of dryad culture makes it feel like the reader has been left out of the loop.
  • MINOR SPOILERS: What is the purpose of a chapter? How long should it be? Where and how should a chapter end? The answers to these questions can vary from author to author and, among other things, help create a writing style. While they may not have a specific correct answer, it is certainly true that an author should know the answer for themselves to keep a book consistent. This novel does not appear to have a consistent approach to the function of a chapter or, more specifically, the end of a chapter. These breaks generally take one of three separate forms. Sometimes the end of a chapter closes out a scene. For example, chapter 15 ends an exchange between Icarus and Na’rina while chapter 16 begins some time later with Na’rina perched in the branches of a tree. Sometimes a chapter ends to close out a distinct portion of a scene. For example, the book’s climax continues from chapter 32 into chapter 33, but the chapter division represents a distinct shift in the action. Chapter 32 follows the characters’ trip to find the antagonist and ends when this is accomplished while chapter 33 depicts the actual confrontation. Finally, some chapters end on cliffhangers, for example, chapter five ends in the middle of a scene where Icarus is chasing Na’rina and she thinks he is going to kill her. The next chapter picks up a moment later when he tackles her and, notably, does not kill her. The inconsistency of the usage of chapter endings makes it more difficult to read the book. If you only have a limited amount of time to read, where should you stop? At the end of a chapter? Or should you continue a few paragraphs after to alleviate the dreaded cliff-hanger ending? It depends on the chapter.
  • SPOILERS: Many new authors ask how long a book should be. While there are some rules of thumb as to word count and number of pages, my usual answer is that a book should be exactly as long as it needs to be to tell its story; no more and no less. This book is a good case study. The plot is not inherently bad, but its pacing is a bit sporadic, and it generally drags on for longer than it should. The story begins slowly with meetings, hiking trips, and random excursions to the ocean. There is an uptick in the form of an escape from a laboratory ship…followed by two more laboratory escapes. Sprinkled in are also some random encounters (ex. a mugging on a street), a random side quest to have Na’rina’s council confirmed (ultimately worthless since nothing really changes due to this), and a bunch of exposition. The final act does pick up a bit to a relatively exciting ending, sending the novel out on a high note.
  • SPOILERS: Power progression is an important part of any story. Progress too slowly, and it can feel boring. Progress too quickly and it can seem flippant and unearned. Uneven progression may make it seem like the author forgets about it at times and tries to make up for it at other times. On the other hand, any of these things could also be used to great effect in a novel. For example, a character may struggle for the bulk of a novel to use any of their powers, but after they figure it out, they suddenly have a bunch of powers at their disposal. This could seem uneven and too fast, or, if the character’s sudden influx of powers creates physical, psychological, and moral quandaries, it could take the story down a compelling path. The point is that while many power progression methods can be successful, for it to work, the author must plan the progression as a part of the story and put in the requisite work to make the payoffs effective when a character gains more power. In Quaking Soul, the chronological path of Na’rina’s power progression is methodical, logical, and organized. She begins being able to heal herself and later adds the abilities to control electricity, trick handprint scanners, control kudzu, perform astral projection, control storms, and heal other people. Each power builds on the last and feeds into the next; unfortunately, while the timeline seems to have been competently planned, the meat of the story does not place enough of a focus on Na’rina’s abilities and their limitations and costs. She does not often worry about them being insufficient for the task at hand. When confronted with a problem she is unable to handle, she is conveniently able to expand her power usage with little effort and fewer consequences, unless you count feeling cold as a significant consequence. In addition, several of these powers are used only once and never mentioned again. Consequently, despite the logical power progression, many of Na’rina’s abilities feel more like plot conveniences than anything else.
  • MINOR SPOILERS: There is a large exposition dump by which the reader and the main character learn a host of secrets hinted at across the novel. This dump involves Na’rina reading a journal stolen from the bad guys which answers a lot of questions concerning how the humans found out about the mythics and why they are experimenting on them. This is followed by a conversation with Na’rina’s grandmother which provides significant information concerning mythic history, specifically the exile of the wer-im. While informative, this episode is not dynamic or engaging and halts the action dead in its tracks, killing the story’s momentum. The answers and information feel cheap because there is so much of it all at once and it is given, not earned. Had it been spread out across the volume and earned by the characters, the twists would have had a lot more emotional impact.
  • MAJOR SPOILERS: This is a tack-on to the spoiler above. The conversation with Na’rina’s grandmother reveals that the wer-im Silas is Mona’rina’s brother and Na’rina’s uncle. This is by far the best reveal in the book, and a good twist considering the plot and romantic sub-plot.