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Dubric Bryerly #1
Ghosts in the Snow
Where does the fever of illusion stop...and the cold truth begin?This unique debut thriller combines forensics, fantasy, and edge-of-your-seat suspense like never before. In a world where sorcery is illegal, someone is murdering young women in ways that defy all reason—and all detection. Only one man knows how to track such an untraceable killer, a man called to deliver justice by an onslaught of…For Dubric Bryerly, head of security at Castle Faldorrah, saving lives has become a matter of saving his sanity. A silent killer is afoot, savagely mutilating servant girls and leaving behind no clues and no witnesses—except the gruesome ghosts of the victims. Ghosts that only Dubric can see.Caught in the eye of the grisly storm is Nella, a linen maid working to free herself from a dark past—if she can survive an invisible killer’s rampage. But with the death toll rising and Nella under the protective wing of a man who may be a prime suspect, Dubric must resort to unconventional methods. With the future of Faldorrah and countless lives at stake, including his own, he can’t afford to be wrong. And if he’s right, the entire kingdom could be thrust into war.From the Paperback edition.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2004
19 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Siler Jones
8 books59 followersTamara Jones started her academic career as a science geek, earned a degree in art, and, when she's not making quilts or herding cats, writes grisly thrillers. Despite the violent nature of her work, Tam's easygoing and friendly. Not sick or twisted at all. Honest.
Tamara is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
Tamara is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 25, 2011
Think of a fairly standard serial-killer mystery, only set in a vaguely medieval high fantasy kingdom. Dubric is the older, somewhat-hard-bitten detective (or, er, something. It wasn't clear to me what he does when there are no murders, which we are told is most of the time) trying to catch the elusive psycho who has been slashing up servant girls. I liked the novelty of this genre-cross, but every aspect of the story was... off. The characters, their relationships, the world in which they lived and its laws, politics, and culture. All interesting, but none of it rings true. It all just felt -- made up.
March 28, 2012
If you're a fan of crime fiction involving sexually tinged violence against young women described in loving, entrails-eviscerating detail, this might be a book you'll enjoy. If, however, you're looking for a combination of fantasy and mystery that does justice to both genres... you might want to look elsewhere. Ghosts in the Snow is basically an episode of Law and Order: SVU set in a generic, faux-Medieval fantasy world. A serial killer is brutally murdering serving girls, and we follow Dubric, the castle castellan who is literally haunted by the ghosts of all the victims, as he searches for clues.
Perhaps I would have found the story more compelling if I were more of a mystery fan than a fantasy one, but like an episode of SVU, the red herring on whom suspicion falls for the majority of the book is so obviously innocent -- and the other viable suspects so few and also so obvious -- that I had a hard time getting into the mystery aspects. On the fantasy side, the world that Jones created is barely explored beyond a few cryptic mentions of a past devastating magic war, and a silly made up curse word. ("Peg" -- because it's okay to talk about a woman's legs being broken loose from her hips as she's raped to death, but actually having your characters say "fuck" would just be too... uncouth?) There's also mention of a barbaric neighboring kingdom that seems to exist purely to give the author an excuse to add in a few more titillating stories of sexual servitude. (Practically everyone in the book is obsessed with sex -- specifically, which women are having it, and how to best shame them for it. It gets tiresome.)
The mystery itself makes very little use of the setting, other than the killer using a cloak of invisibility to escape capture. Though the killer seems to be motivated by twisted spiritual zeal, the world's religious system -- a Goddess, who may or may not have cursed Dubric with his ghosts -- is barely mentioned or explained other than in a bizarre, melodramatic, and misogynist rant from Dubric late in the novel. Dubric's methods are all startling anachronistic and completely non-fantastical. Absolutely nothing he uses to examine evidence couldn't be found in a modern mystery, with the exception of a magic mirror which can show the owner of any object. Neat! Except he doesn't even think to use it until more than 2/3 into the story. Likewise, he doesn't interact with the ghosts who haunt him at all for most of the story, and they provide no clues as to the killer's identity. The red herring's black outs and out of control rages -- which other members of the castle seem at several points to also be experiencing -- are hinted at being supernatural in origin but are never really clearly explained.
Most of the other characters blend together in poorly drawn cliches -- the gossipy, small-minded castle staff, Dubric's tough but loyal gang of underlings, the distant and haughty nobles... and Nella, the object of the killer's obsession, who is so blandly perfect (and beautiful, brave, chaste, noble and long-suffering!) that I couldn't make myself care about her. Her forbidden romance with a noble is less tortured than tepid. Not to mention needlessly overwrought -- as are most of personal melodramas plaguing the various side-characters. Basically, I didn't find any of these people particularly likeable.
Lastly: the violence. I'm not a squeamish person, but I don't enjoy gore for the sake of gore, and as the death toll rose, the descriptions of the murders began to feel less necessary to the story and more like repetitive torture porn. That said, fans of gory murder mysteries who don't care about fantasy world-building or aren't looking for a believable romance might enjoy the novelty of the setting. But I think I'll pass on the sequel.
Perhaps I would have found the story more compelling if I were more of a mystery fan than a fantasy one, but like an episode of SVU, the red herring on whom suspicion falls for the majority of the book is so obviously innocent -- and the other viable suspects so few and also so obvious -- that I had a hard time getting into the mystery aspects. On the fantasy side, the world that Jones created is barely explored beyond a few cryptic mentions of a past devastating magic war, and a silly made up curse word. ("Peg" -- because it's okay to talk about a woman's legs being broken loose from her hips as she's raped to death, but actually having your characters say "fuck" would just be too... uncouth?) There's also mention of a barbaric neighboring kingdom that seems to exist purely to give the author an excuse to add in a few more titillating stories of sexual servitude. (Practically everyone in the book is obsessed with sex -- specifically, which women are having it, and how to best shame them for it. It gets tiresome.)
The mystery itself makes very little use of the setting, other than the killer using a cloak of invisibility to escape capture. Though the killer seems to be motivated by twisted spiritual zeal, the world's religious system -- a Goddess, who may or may not have cursed Dubric with his ghosts -- is barely mentioned or explained other than in a bizarre, melodramatic, and misogynist rant from Dubric late in the novel. Dubric's methods are all startling anachronistic and completely non-fantastical. Absolutely nothing he uses to examine evidence couldn't be found in a modern mystery, with the exception of a magic mirror which can show the owner of any object. Neat! Except he doesn't even think to use it until more than 2/3 into the story. Likewise, he doesn't interact with the ghosts who haunt him at all for most of the story, and they provide no clues as to the killer's identity. The red herring's black outs and out of control rages -- which other members of the castle seem at several points to also be experiencing -- are hinted at being supernatural in origin but are never really clearly explained.
Most of the other characters blend together in poorly drawn cliches -- the gossipy, small-minded castle staff, Dubric's tough but loyal gang of underlings, the distant and haughty nobles... and Nella, the object of the killer's obsession, who is so blandly perfect (and beautiful, brave, chaste, noble and long-suffering!) that I couldn't make myself care about her. Her forbidden romance with a noble is less tortured than tepid. Not to mention needlessly overwrought -- as are most of personal melodramas plaguing the various side-characters. Basically, I didn't find any of these people particularly likeable.
Lastly: the violence. I'm not a squeamish person, but I don't enjoy gore for the sake of gore, and as the death toll rose, the descriptions of the murders began to feel less necessary to the story and more like repetitive torture porn. That said, fans of gory murder mysteries who don't care about fantasy world-building or aren't looking for a believable romance might enjoy the novelty of the setting. But I think I'll pass on the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2020
This was actually a fairly good book. I quite enjoy when authors come at genre writing from novel directions and Ghosts in the Snow is a procedural mystery unfolding in a fantasy setting with heavy elements of thriller peppered in. While reading, I was continually surprised at how caught up I was, and moved quickly past the frustrations that made me pause.
On reflection these hiccups become more visible. This is the sort of work where analyzing becomes double-edged. It highlights strengths for certain, but makes the possible shortcomings appear more over-shadowing.
I think ultimately the strengths and detractors come from the same place; the writing feels idealistically fresh and therefore also inexperienced. Fresh in the sense that it is committed to its approach, but green because it leans so heavily on its ideals that it becomes inflexible at best and stereotypical at worst.
Jones commits hard to an “exposition through experience” approach. We hear only what the characters themselves take part in, remember, think and talk about. This show-not-tell technique has its benefits, and Jones is carefully meticulous in maintaining it. The drawbacks can be annoying, though, in regards to both setting and character. Without a framework, the information we get about this speculative world has no clear place to hang and connect. Things start to feel vague and confusing.
The same goes for our characters. I love that none of the players in this novel are clean-slate; they are already all in the middle of their own personal stories. It makes them truly dynamic. On the flip side, however, we also have to assemble them in our own minds as we go along. This is fun until it too gets confusing, especially when we only have patchy ideas about the world in which they live.
There is a bit of idealistic stereotyping in the characters, too, and this made a couple of them (Risley and Nella, for me) actively annoying.
When I start bundling all of these things together, I too easily start doubting my original assessment of the book.
But here's the thing: it still worked for me. I liked it. My hope is that as Jones settles into this series and her characters become more organically themselves that the kinks will smooth out and the books will grow their own merit.
This is the first book in a series. It is complete within itself, like a standard mystery novel, but it looks as though there are more to come. I will keep an eye out for them, but I wont go hunting hard.
On reflection these hiccups become more visible. This is the sort of work where analyzing becomes double-edged. It highlights strengths for certain, but makes the possible shortcomings appear more over-shadowing.
I think ultimately the strengths and detractors come from the same place; the writing feels idealistically fresh and therefore also inexperienced. Fresh in the sense that it is committed to its approach, but green because it leans so heavily on its ideals that it becomes inflexible at best and stereotypical at worst.
Jones commits hard to an “exposition through experience” approach. We hear only what the characters themselves take part in, remember, think and talk about. This show-not-tell technique has its benefits, and Jones is carefully meticulous in maintaining it. The drawbacks can be annoying, though, in regards to both setting and character. Without a framework, the information we get about this speculative world has no clear place to hang and connect. Things start to feel vague and confusing.
The same goes for our characters. I love that none of the players in this novel are clean-slate; they are already all in the middle of their own personal stories. It makes them truly dynamic. On the flip side, however, we also have to assemble them in our own minds as we go along. This is fun until it too gets confusing, especially when we only have patchy ideas about the world in which they live.
There is a bit of idealistic stereotyping in the characters, too, and this made a couple of them (Risley and Nella, for me) actively annoying.
When I start bundling all of these things together, I too easily start doubting my original assessment of the book.
But here's the thing: it still worked for me. I liked it. My hope is that as Jones settles into this series and her characters become more organically themselves that the kinks will smooth out and the books will grow their own merit.
This is the first book in a series. It is complete within itself, like a standard mystery novel, but it looks as though there are more to come. I will keep an eye out for them, but I wont go hunting hard.
July 9, 2008
The Basics:
At its heart, Ghosts in the Snow is a modern-day thriller that’s been transplanted into a fantasy setting. The book follows Dubric Bryerly, head of security at Castle Faldorrah and investigator par excellance. Dubric is also the victim of a strange curse—the ghosts of people murdered at Castle Faldorrah appear to him, and won’t go away until their murders are solved. Generally speaking, the ghosts can’t DO anything, and no one but Dubric can see them (or knows about the curse). Normally, it seems, this isn’t a big deal; someone gets murdered, Dubric solves the murder fairly quickly, the ghost goes away. At least, that’s the impression that I have. We never see Dubric solve a simple case, because, let’s face it, that wouldn’t make for a very interesting novel.
Instead, Ghosts in the Snow pits Dubric against a Hannibal Lector-style serial killer who is murdering, dismembering, and eating parts of various serving girls around the castle. As the murders and ghosts pile up, Dubric is forced to deal with political pressure, servant revolts, crazy nobles, and a variety of other problems, in addition to the killer himself.
The Good:
Jones has set up a fairly interesting story, an interesting setting, and populated it with some fun, if not terribly deep, characters. Dubric himself is a bit of a classic embittered cop who’s lost his faith, his wife, and is wholly dedicated to his job. He has some classic sidekicks, including the geeky peasant made good Otlee, the physically formidable Dien, and Dubric’s understudy Lars, who occasionally perceives the ghosts that plague Dubric as the murders continue. Nella, one of the serving girls who is a focal point for part of the story, is also a fun character, if a bit of a stereotype. In short, Jones does a marvelous job of translating the classic tropes of modern thrillers into a fantasy setting.
Jones is sparse on the world-building, which is a nice touch in an age where fantasy writers seem to feel that everyone needs to write like Tolkien, and that problems can only be resolved over a twelve-book series. She introduces information as it’s needed to advance the story, and not much more. It’s well done, and keeps the story moving at a brisk clip.
The killer’s identity is appropriately obscured; I gave it my best shot, but totally failed to figure it out until the big reveal.
The Bad:
Jones does commit a minor version of the great cardinal sin of mystery’s (and writing in general)—she introduces something that seems relevant or important, but never appears to be. The killer’s means of turning invisible also grants him the ability to perceive the victims internal fluids, blow flow, etc. It’s neat, and gives the killer a sort of Predator-vision that makes him creepy, but nothing ever really comes of the ability. It’s not clear why it matters, or what it’s supposed to be used for.
The red herring in the story is bright red, with flashing red lights that say “Red Herring Here.” Or pretty close. Jones keeps pushing it to the point where it becomes obvious that it can’t be the right explanation, at which point, the continued pushing becomes a bit annoying.
The Ugly:
The killer murders, dismembers, and eats people. He also ties someone up with someone else’s intestines; someone else is literally ripped apart. If gory details aren’t your thing, this book is emphatically not for you.
Overall, Ghosts in the Snow is fun book that, while interesting, doesn’t quite live up to it’s potential. The plot is a little too straightforward, and the overemphasis on the red herring eventually starts to make Dubric seem a bit thick (though even HE gets frustrated with it). It is a first novel, so I’m willing to forgive some of the clunky writing. It’s also apparently the start of series, which is interesting, but leaves me a bit skeptical. The premise doesn’t really seem to allow for a lot of interesting stories except for more of the same. Dubric is a neat character, but a single castle and the surrounding lands seems a bit small to work as a setting for a series of murder mysteries. But I guess we’ll find out.
Fans of mystery, fantasy, or both will probably enjoy this, provided they aren’t looking for anything genre-breaking or mind-blowing. But it’s a fun read, and if you like both those genres, it’s definitely wroth checking out.
At its heart, Ghosts in the Snow is a modern-day thriller that’s been transplanted into a fantasy setting. The book follows Dubric Bryerly, head of security at Castle Faldorrah and investigator par excellance. Dubric is also the victim of a strange curse—the ghosts of people murdered at Castle Faldorrah appear to him, and won’t go away until their murders are solved. Generally speaking, the ghosts can’t DO anything, and no one but Dubric can see them (or knows about the curse). Normally, it seems, this isn’t a big deal; someone gets murdered, Dubric solves the murder fairly quickly, the ghost goes away. At least, that’s the impression that I have. We never see Dubric solve a simple case, because, let’s face it, that wouldn’t make for a very interesting novel.
Instead, Ghosts in the Snow pits Dubric against a Hannibal Lector-style serial killer who is murdering, dismembering, and eating parts of various serving girls around the castle. As the murders and ghosts pile up, Dubric is forced to deal with political pressure, servant revolts, crazy nobles, and a variety of other problems, in addition to the killer himself.
The Good:
Jones has set up a fairly interesting story, an interesting setting, and populated it with some fun, if not terribly deep, characters. Dubric himself is a bit of a classic embittered cop who’s lost his faith, his wife, and is wholly dedicated to his job. He has some classic sidekicks, including the geeky peasant made good Otlee, the physically formidable Dien, and Dubric’s understudy Lars, who occasionally perceives the ghosts that plague Dubric as the murders continue. Nella, one of the serving girls who is a focal point for part of the story, is also a fun character, if a bit of a stereotype. In short, Jones does a marvelous job of translating the classic tropes of modern thrillers into a fantasy setting.
Jones is sparse on the world-building, which is a nice touch in an age where fantasy writers seem to feel that everyone needs to write like Tolkien, and that problems can only be resolved over a twelve-book series. She introduces information as it’s needed to advance the story, and not much more. It’s well done, and keeps the story moving at a brisk clip.
The killer’s identity is appropriately obscured; I gave it my best shot, but totally failed to figure it out until the big reveal.
The Bad:
Jones does commit a minor version of the great cardinal sin of mystery’s (and writing in general)—she introduces something that seems relevant or important, but never appears to be. The killer’s means of turning invisible also grants him the ability to perceive the victims internal fluids, blow flow, etc. It’s neat, and gives the killer a sort of Predator-vision that makes him creepy, but nothing ever really comes of the ability. It’s not clear why it matters, or what it’s supposed to be used for.
The red herring in the story is bright red, with flashing red lights that say “Red Herring Here.” Or pretty close. Jones keeps pushing it to the point where it becomes obvious that it can’t be the right explanation, at which point, the continued pushing becomes a bit annoying.
The Ugly:
The killer murders, dismembers, and eats people. He also ties someone up with someone else’s intestines; someone else is literally ripped apart. If gory details aren’t your thing, this book is emphatically not for you.
Overall, Ghosts in the Snow is fun book that, while interesting, doesn’t quite live up to it’s potential. The plot is a little too straightforward, and the overemphasis on the red herring eventually starts to make Dubric seem a bit thick (though even HE gets frustrated with it). It is a first novel, so I’m willing to forgive some of the clunky writing. It’s also apparently the start of series, which is interesting, but leaves me a bit skeptical. The premise doesn’t really seem to allow for a lot of interesting stories except for more of the same. Dubric is a neat character, but a single castle and the surrounding lands seems a bit small to work as a setting for a series of murder mysteries. But I guess we’ll find out.
Fans of mystery, fantasy, or both will probably enjoy this, provided they aren’t looking for anything genre-breaking or mind-blowing. But it’s a fun read, and if you like both those genres, it’s definitely wroth checking out.
April 19, 2009
Ghosts in the Snow might not have been a waste of time reading, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. The premise had been attractive—the book had originally been described to me as a magical forensic mystery—but I couldn’t stand the characters. Any of them. I was particularly taken aback by the prevalent viciousness against the female characters. And that’s not even taking into effect that this is a murder-mystery novel, and the murderer sought is a serial killer who is attacking young women. The women in this book are either characterized as sluts or bitches, or they’re being verbally accused of being sluts or bitches.
Remainder of review (with detailed quotes) has been moved offsite to accommodate more flexible HTML formatting.
Remainder of review (with detailed quotes) has been moved offsite to accommodate more flexible HTML formatting.
July 19, 2021
For fans of crime mysteries, historical fiction and low-magic fantasy. Dubric is the 68-year-old head inspector for Castle Faldorrah faced with a set of brutal murders. The perpetrator seems to be a ghost - silent and leaving no trace. That is, no trace except for the ghosts left behind that only Dubric can see. As the body count of the sadistic serial murderer rises, Dubric is plagued by an ever-increasing number of ghosts captured in time at the moment of their death, making it nearly impossible for him to sleep and focus on the investigation. Everyone is a suspect, even those Dubric has known their whole lives.
I thought I had this one figured out. I really did. But no. After many twists and turns, the clues truly point to only one person. And not THAT person.
I thought I had this one figured out. I really did. But no. After many twists and turns, the clues truly point to only one person. And not THAT person.
March 14, 2011
This is Tamara Siler Jones's debut novel, and it is an absolute winner in my opinion. This is a dark, gritty and very grim mystery with an exceptionally clever dose of fantasy woven throughout. There's murder and mayhem; there's magic and intense psychological drama. The main protagonist of the novel is Dubric Bryerly, a survivor of the "Mage Wars", now serving as the Castellan, or Chief of Security, in a castle owned by the Lord he owes allegiance to.
Ghosts in the Snow is a forensic-fantasy that tells the tale of a number of young women who have been brutally murdered, and Dubric must discover who is doing it and why. It isn't giving anything away to say that there's a hitch; Dubric sees the ghosts of these murder victims until justice for their killings has been achieved. So, with multiple murders, he is man somewhat overwhelmed, to say the least. The suspense and horror mount with each page turned. I thought the plot was extremely well constructed, and the sense of mystery and drama just kept ratcheting up from the first page. There are currently three books in the "Dubric Bryerly" series, and I highly recommend them all. If you like fantasy (especially on the dark side of things) and mystery, you're going to love these books!
Ghosts in the Snow is a forensic-fantasy that tells the tale of a number of young women who have been brutally murdered, and Dubric must discover who is doing it and why. It isn't giving anything away to say that there's a hitch; Dubric sees the ghosts of these murder victims until justice for their killings has been achieved. So, with multiple murders, he is man somewhat overwhelmed, to say the least. The suspense and horror mount with each page turned. I thought the plot was extremely well constructed, and the sense of mystery and drama just kept ratcheting up from the first page. There are currently three books in the "Dubric Bryerly" series, and I highly recommend them all. If you like fantasy (especially on the dark side of things) and mystery, you're going to love these books!
September 1, 2015
Take the heinous crimes of Jack the Ripper, ramped up a notch or two, add the thrills and chills of a well-written crime novel, mix in the oppressive atmosphere most often found in dark fantasy novels, and what you come up with is Ghosts in the Snow, a superbly crafted and seamless mix of seemingly disparate genres.
Dubric Bryerly is the castellan of Castle Faldorrah, responsible for the safety and well-being of his master's, Lord Brushgar's, domain. When an unknown killer begins savagely murdering servant girls, more than Dubric's reputation is on the line. Cursed by the Goddess Malanna after his wife's murder some forty years ago, he is haunted by the ghosts of the dead...literally. They appear before him in a flash of blinding pain, wailing silently, lamenting their deaths. And until Dubric finds their killer, the ghosts remain with him, tormenting him as they grow in boldness and strength.
Used to dealing with murders born out of drunken rages or domestic disputes, the recent spate of deaths baffles him. The murderer eludes Dubric's grasp, leaving no clues and no witnesses. All Dubric knows is that an innocent linen maid, Nella, has become the object of the murderer's twisted desire. Nella has a protector, however, in the dashing Lord Risley. Unfortunately, as bodies continue to pile up, the few clues Dubric and his team have found point to Lord Risley as the prime suspect. Now Dubric must decide if he's willing to gamble his life and the kingdom he vowed to protect on Risley's guilt, for if he's right, Faldorrah will be thrust into war, and if he's wrong, another innocent life will be lost when the real killer strikes again.
When I read this book for the first time, somewhere around 2005, I didn't know it was the first of a trilogy. All I knew was that it was an exhilarating, if gruesome, breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. I'd never heard of anyone combining a forensic-style crime storyline with the fantasy genre. Heck, if anyone'd asked me, I wouldn't have had the first clue how to go about doing that. Somehow, Tamara Siler Jones' twisted little brain (and I mean that in the best of ways) managed to concoct this unique and inventive tale and I congratulate her for it.
Dubric Bryerly is the castellan of Castle Faldorrah, responsible for the safety and well-being of his master's, Lord Brushgar's, domain. When an unknown killer begins savagely murdering servant girls, more than Dubric's reputation is on the line. Cursed by the Goddess Malanna after his wife's murder some forty years ago, he is haunted by the ghosts of the dead...literally. They appear before him in a flash of blinding pain, wailing silently, lamenting their deaths. And until Dubric finds their killer, the ghosts remain with him, tormenting him as they grow in boldness and strength.
Used to dealing with murders born out of drunken rages or domestic disputes, the recent spate of deaths baffles him. The murderer eludes Dubric's grasp, leaving no clues and no witnesses. All Dubric knows is that an innocent linen maid, Nella, has become the object of the murderer's twisted desire. Nella has a protector, however, in the dashing Lord Risley. Unfortunately, as bodies continue to pile up, the few clues Dubric and his team have found point to Lord Risley as the prime suspect. Now Dubric must decide if he's willing to gamble his life and the kingdom he vowed to protect on Risley's guilt, for if he's right, Faldorrah will be thrust into war, and if he's wrong, another innocent life will be lost when the real killer strikes again.
When I read this book for the first time, somewhere around 2005, I didn't know it was the first of a trilogy. All I knew was that it was an exhilarating, if gruesome, breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. I'd never heard of anyone combining a forensic-style crime storyline with the fantasy genre. Heck, if anyone'd asked me, I wouldn't have had the first clue how to go about doing that. Somehow, Tamara Siler Jones' twisted little brain (and I mean that in the best of ways) managed to concoct this unique and inventive tale and I congratulate her for it.
July 5, 2013
The first book in a series of three books (possibly more), Ghosts in the Snow is basically a swords-and-sorcery style forensic thriller. It's interesting to see the juxtaposition of modern forensic pathology against a clearly medieval society.
The only real word of caution I have with this book is that it's quite dark and descriptive about the violence. Definitely not for the squeamish. But it's well written, and the characters were interesting and intriguing. Clearly they're fully formed people in the author's head, not just cardboard cutouts she's using to tell her story. I did have a little trouble following her logical leap from setting up the main suspect of the story into the actual climax of the novel, but I think that was more of a case of my having been looking in the complete wrong direction to the person I thought was the killer. (Here's a protip for people who don't mind spoilers: It's not Lord Romlin the elder, so don't try to connect him to the murders despite his being an excellent fit.)
I thought the eleven victims in a single "phase" (approximately a week from what I can tell) was a little much, but the accelerated killings made sense when you started to understand the killer's motivation. Also, some of the reasoning behind why the killer was cutting out the girls' entrails never clicked for me. Maybe it wasn't supposed to, but everyone was making a big deal about "the girls are missing organs!" and then we never found out why that was important (at least, I don't think we did).
The shortcomings are amply made-up for by the writing and the richly detailed world and characters, though, so I didn't actually mind that much until after I finished, and had the chance to sit down and think about how well the book performed. (As a side-note, I find myself becoming a much more discerning reader now that I'm writing out reviews for everything. It's much harder to keep plowing through a novel I don't like because if I'm not engaged, I'm analyzing what exactly isn't working for me with the book. It's an interesting way to read, and I hope that eventually it translates into my being better able to judge which books to buy when I'm shopping for new reading material.)
The only real word of caution I have with this book is that it's quite dark and descriptive about the violence. Definitely not for the squeamish. But it's well written, and the characters were interesting and intriguing. Clearly they're fully formed people in the author's head, not just cardboard cutouts she's using to tell her story. I did have a little trouble following her logical leap from setting up the main suspect of the story into the actual climax of the novel, but I think that was more of a case of my having been looking in the complete wrong direction to the person I thought was the killer. (Here's a protip for people who don't mind spoilers: It's not Lord Romlin the elder, so don't try to connect him to the murders despite his being an excellent fit.)
I thought the eleven victims in a single "phase" (approximately a week from what I can tell) was a little much, but the accelerated killings made sense when you started to understand the killer's motivation. Also, some of the reasoning behind why the killer was cutting out the girls' entrails never clicked for me. Maybe it wasn't supposed to, but everyone was making a big deal about "the girls are missing organs!" and then we never found out why that was important (at least, I don't think we did).
The shortcomings are amply made-up for by the writing and the richly detailed world and characters, though, so I didn't actually mind that much until after I finished, and had the chance to sit down and think about how well the book performed. (As a side-note, I find myself becoming a much more discerning reader now that I'm writing out reviews for everything. It's much harder to keep plowing through a novel I don't like because if I'm not engaged, I'm analyzing what exactly isn't working for me with the book. It's an interesting way to read, and I hope that eventually it translates into my being better able to judge which books to buy when I'm shopping for new reading material.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2009
This is the first story I've read in this genre which falls under fantasy and historical fiction. I've always been a fan of suspense and mysteries so when I saw this on sale, it made me want to pick it up. Something compelled me to buy it and no it's not a little voice in my , and it's also not the half-price tag. Maybe I'm reading too much paranormal stuff but somehow it seemed to say "buy me! buy me!" I knew I was risking an impulse buy because the author wasn't familiar and after I saw the other two books (Threads of Malice and Valley of the Soul) I bought them as well. After getting home and browsing the reviews, I was appeased. It certainly piqued my curiosity.
I had a somewhat high expectation and not that the story wasn't good. It was great, but after reading a load of mysteries, I've learned to speculate and connect the dots so I was able to guess who the culprit was. Tamara Siler Jones was able to mislead the evidence to the wrong person who happens to be framed and I found that too obvious for the plot. While reading it I know they're pinning it on the wrong character and I was wondering how long would it be before they catch the real one.
Despite of that, this book was really refreshing with the whole different world, with a different god (in this case, goddess), different customs, expressions, curse words and the like I found them entertaining. And the angle of the story is the behind the scenes. When reading historical fiction (mostly romances), the hero and heroine are usually of noble or aristocratic birth and in this case, the supposed heroine was a linen maid, and all of the victims were maids.
The killings were brutal, psychotic, maniacal, and very gory. This is descriptive writing at its finest and that earns the high marks for me. The forensic take on the story was also interesting, as I expected from other reviewers, it's CSI set in medieval times. I liked that a lot and I'm on to the next in this series.
I had a somewhat high expectation and not that the story wasn't good. It was great, but after reading a load of mysteries, I've learned to speculate and connect the dots so I was able to guess who the culprit was. Tamara Siler Jones was able to mislead the evidence to the wrong person who happens to be framed and I found that too obvious for the plot. While reading it I know they're pinning it on the wrong character and I was wondering how long would it be before they catch the real one.
Despite of that, this book was really refreshing with the whole different world, with a different god (in this case, goddess), different customs, expressions, curse words and the like I found them entertaining. And the angle of the story is the behind the scenes. When reading historical fiction (mostly romances), the hero and heroine are usually of noble or aristocratic birth and in this case, the supposed heroine was a linen maid, and all of the victims were maids.
The killings were brutal, psychotic, maniacal, and very gory. This is descriptive writing at its finest and that earns the high marks for me. The forensic take on the story was also interesting, as I expected from other reviewers, it's CSI set in medieval times. I liked that a lot and I'm on to the next in this series.
January 26, 2023
Extremely original and compelling fantasy murder mystery. Rather good, but I felt that it needed heavy editing. It could easily have been 150 pages shorter and the better for it. I’ll happily buy the rest of the series.
3.5
3.5
April 15, 2012
I picked up the three books in this series on recommendations from a book community on LiveJournal. I'll just say - horror is not my cup of tea. I love fantasy and action and violence to a point, but not beyond that.
Aside from my dislike for the genre (which undoubtedly tinges my review), the setting both intrigues and puzzles me. The author subscribes so heavily to the "show 'em, don't tell 'em" dictum that virtually nothing about the setting is explained. After reading/skimming all three books, I strongly suspect that these are novels of the far future, in which a highly advanced mechanized (if not computerized) civilization falls AND magic arises. Therefore certain elements, seeming anachronistic to the setting ("gadgets" and devices leftover from "the ancients," modern forensic techniques, even some speech patterns) didn't bother me too much. On the contrary, I just wish there were a bit more explanation; it could be a very fascinating world, but the stories for which it serves as the backdrop aren't my thing at all.
Aside from my dislike for the genre (which undoubtedly tinges my review), the setting both intrigues and puzzles me. The author subscribes so heavily to the "show 'em, don't tell 'em" dictum that virtually nothing about the setting is explained. After reading/skimming all three books, I strongly suspect that these are novels of the far future, in which a highly advanced mechanized (if not computerized) civilization falls AND magic arises. Therefore certain elements, seeming anachronistic to the setting ("gadgets" and devices leftover from "the ancients," modern forensic techniques, even some speech patterns) didn't bother me too much. On the contrary, I just wish there were a bit more explanation; it could be a very fascinating world, but the stories for which it serves as the backdrop aren't my thing at all.
September 14, 2022
Ghosts in the Snow is a dark, murder mystery set in a vaguely-medieval, low-magic, fantasy world. Dubric Bryerly is the Castellan of Castle Faldorrah, and it's his task to solve the murders. Dubric is also cursed with the ability to see the ghosts of people murdered in his demesne until justice is achieved. And the ghosts just keep accumulating. With mounting terror and suspense, Dubric tries to find the killer with little evidence, increasing political pressure, unhelpful and angry serving staff, and obnoxious nobles. I loved the character of Dubric Bryerly and his interactions with his squire, page and scribe. The setting and snippets of extended world building that we get to read about was also interesting. This book isn't perfect, but it was enjoyable to read (despite the graphic murder scenes) and I came to care about the characters. Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.
June 25, 2018
2 1/2 stars - I almost liked it. It's a relatively well-put-together mystery and, to begin with, I loved the idea of the ghosts. But the ghosts don't really matter much, and I wanted them to have some sort of interaction or weight in the tale. There were too many characters, and they were not individual enough to sort one from another a lot of the time. I didn't care about the victims and I WANT to care about the victims, so that was a major fail. I felt like I was shoved into who I need to care about and who I don't. I felt like the only people the author wanted me to care about are the love interests, Nella and Risley. The problem is, I couldn't care less about Risley and Nella was OK but, good grief, why should I ONLY care about her well-being when major numbers of other women are getting murdered?? Furthermore, I could have lived without the gross-out scenes from the murderer's point of view (I don't mind getting the murderer POV; I just didn't like the unnecessary gross factor - who wants to keep reading when it's so disgusting? After the first one, I just skipped over these.) I also felt like there was too much sheer boneheadedness on the part of those with authority in the handling of the case. I was left feeling unsatisfied and annoyed, because this could have been really something but instead it fell flat for me.
December 1, 2018
Yessss!!!!!!
This book was unexpectedly fantastic!!!
How pissy would it be to see the ghosts of people killed until their case is ultimately resolved? I mean, daaaaaamn!!!
That sounds pretty bad, but it does get worse. Much worse. It's like, you take that base condition and it gradually evolves into something more terrifying. While at the same time, trying to get the case resolved!
It's gory as all get out, so if that isn't your thing, this definitely won't be for you. There is no topic untouched.
This book was unexpectedly fantastic!!!
How pissy would it be to see the ghosts of people killed until their case is ultimately resolved? I mean, daaaaaamn!!!
That sounds pretty bad, but it does get worse. Much worse. It's like, you take that base condition and it gradually evolves into something more terrifying. While at the same time, trying to get the case resolved!
It's gory as all get out, so if that isn't your thing, this definitely won't be for you. There is no topic untouched.
August 23, 2008
I think this leaned more towards horror for me than fantasy, the murders in this book were very graphic and chilling. I had to pause every so often before I could move on. The idea is very genre-bending : in a midieval castle setting with fantasy elements thrown in (ghosts, magic items, a curse), the head of security Dubric has to use primitive forensics and detective work to determine who the serial killer in the castle is. As a sub-story there is a romance between a poor chambermaid and a young noble. A very gritty tale with a lot of hard characters in it. Siler Jones is sparing with her character's backstories, it takes chapters into to find out why so-and-so feels strongly about something, and it also takes that long to understand the hierarchy in the castle and to understand more about the world and religions in it. I suppose that is just good world building, though I feel almost like the story could have begun earlier in some aspects. I also felt some frustration at the mob mentality in the book and how everyone was quick to blame head of security Dubric for not finding the killer and how he got very little respect in a stressful job. Again - kudos to the writer for making me respond emotionally. Anyway, recommended if you would like to try a book that is not formalaic.
October 6, 2015
I always enjoy a fantasy with a good mystery plot, and from the mystery aspect, this had some nice sleight of hand in how it got me second-guessing my thoughts on who the culprit might be (although I could have done with a villain who was a little less Hannibal Lechter-y).
I also appreciated the way the titular ghosts were incorporated into the story and the way she opted to reveal some elements of the main characters' backstories in drips and drabs throughout the book as a fun way to learn more about them in areas that didn't have direct bearing on the case and thus would've been silly to include in some big info-dump.
I did find that "drips and drabs" approach was a detriment in other ways, though. The setting never really rose above feeling like just some vaguely medieval castle with no sense of the world outside it, and even when a war is threatened at one point, the various players in positions of political power are a complete hodgepodge of names that don't really fit together into a solid picture of the world. I particularly found the description of one neighboring... province? kingdom? country?... so over the top in evilness that I found it hard to keep up my suspension-of-disbelief with regards to one character whose behavior was driven by having grown up there.
I also appreciated the way the titular ghosts were incorporated into the story and the way she opted to reveal some elements of the main characters' backstories in drips and drabs throughout the book as a fun way to learn more about them in areas that didn't have direct bearing on the case and thus would've been silly to include in some big info-dump.
I did find that "drips and drabs" approach was a detriment in other ways, though. The setting never really rose above feeling like just some vaguely medieval castle with no sense of the world outside it, and even when a war is threatened at one point, the various players in positions of political power are a complete hodgepodge of names that don't really fit together into a solid picture of the world. I particularly found the description of one neighboring... province? kingdom? country?... so over the top in evilness that I found it hard to keep up my suspension-of-disbelief with regards to one character whose behavior was driven by having grown up there.
May 30, 2008
Tamara Siler Jones’ Ghost in the Snow, however, is another matter. It is a combination forensic thriller, fantasy and suspense. I thought that George R. R. Martin’s books were brutal, they are Disney stories by comparison. Ghost in the Snow is well written, well plotted with great characters, an amazing book for a first effort. My only complaint is that she went to too much effort to make her “red herring” look as guilty as hell; this meant, he was innocence and I figured out 100 pages or so ahead of the protagonist who the real murderer was. However I did not expect justice to be served as it was and I should have seen that coming. In the end the Ghost in the Snow was a satisfying read, I am looking forward to reading the other two in the series but plan to give the series a rest so I don’t burn out of her.
February 9, 2017
Really good read. I'm not really all that into Fantasy stuff so I thought I'd give this hybrid book a try and I'm glad I did. She does a nice job of setting things out and every time I think it's one thing, something happens to dispel that hypothesis. So whodunnit? You have to read this book to find out.
January 16, 2017
This book gave me nightmares. I even slept with the lights on for a night or two. I was expecting kings, mages, mystery and war. What I got was a solid horror mystery with a killer that is vile, depraved and heinous. Shockingly gory, too. Which was awesome.
I liked Dubric. I wanted more of Dubric and his story. But hopefully that will happen in subsequent books of the series. I didn't love the Nella character. She started strong, but was a little too simpering at times. I wanted more fight and fire from her. But the other characters were fun and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book.
I liked Dubric. I wanted more of Dubric and his story. But hopefully that will happen in subsequent books of the series. I didn't love the Nella character. She started strong, but was a little too simpering at times. I wanted more fight and fire from her. But the other characters were fun and interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book.
July 30, 2016
This book has promise. I like what the author has in mind: a perfect way to commit murder and mayhem....but it's somewhat lacking. It's almost as if the author tried too hard to get the story to go exactly the way she envisioned it.
One of the strong characters goes back and forth between being strong and a sappy little girl swooning over her love interest. She and the other characters could also use a little more development; they are stuck between two dimensional fluffs and engaging people I want to get to know.
One of the strong characters goes back and forth between being strong and a sappy little girl swooning over her love interest. She and the other characters could also use a little more development; they are stuck between two dimensional fluffs and engaging people I want to get to know.
August 12, 2018
The essence of this novel sounded very promising: a mixed-genre fantasy thriller, which is set in a medieval sort of Game of Thrones world. If you chose this because you like crime novels with a twist, you may be happily entertained. Unfortunately, the fantasy elements (why I chose to read it) are just vaguely explored. So was pretty much everything else. Pity. This could have been so much more, if only the writer had been more interested in the fantasy aspect or the historical background of her creation, such as the various magical, now forbidden items that are still in circulation after the Mage Wars. But no, the good guys hardly ever make use of such props, nor are they reasonably explained. Hence the killer can walk around undetected, as no one even considers the possibility that he might use an illegal invisibility cloak.
The characters in this novel are fairly one-dimensional. We find out very little about castellan Dubric Bryerly, the main character, even though he has an interesting back story. It's unclear what his tasks are when there are no rampant psychopathic killers to track down, something he doesn't seem to be very good at, since his team is in the dark until literally the last moment, fixating their attention on the obvious red herring for about 50% of the book. Also, I continued to wonder why he does not try to communicate with the ghosts of the murdered women that haunt him and taunt him. Could they not just point at their murderer? So our protagonist does not seem to be an exceedingly talented chief of castle police.
The love story, too, appeared interesting at first (jaded princeling seems sincerely infatuated with chamber maid - how long is that going to last?), but it was stretched very thin and became more and more implausible the longer it dragged on, while the two characters represented classic stereotypes. Sure, I continued to read because I wanted to know who the killer was, but 460 pages seemed like such a long way to go.
For me, it’s a 2.5 stars book, leaning more towards a 2. The world building aspect was poor. The characters remained shallow and clichéd. The crime aspect was okay, I suppose, it had a clever set-up and some interesting details. However, I’m not a huge crime novel fan. The story felt very much like an overlong procedural drama episode. And yes, it is the first instalment in a Dubric Bryerly series.
The characters in this novel are fairly one-dimensional. We find out very little about castellan Dubric Bryerly, the main character, even though he has an interesting back story. It's unclear what his tasks are when there are no rampant psychopathic killers to track down, something he doesn't seem to be very good at, since his team is in the dark until literally the last moment, fixating their attention on the obvious red herring for about 50% of the book. Also, I continued to wonder why he does not try to communicate with the ghosts of the murdered women that haunt him and taunt him. Could they not just point at their murderer? So our protagonist does not seem to be an exceedingly talented chief of castle police.
The love story, too, appeared interesting at first (jaded princeling seems sincerely infatuated with chamber maid - how long is that going to last?), but it was stretched very thin and became more and more implausible the longer it dragged on, while the two characters represented classic stereotypes. Sure, I continued to read because I wanted to know who the killer was, but 460 pages seemed like such a long way to go.
For me, it’s a 2.5 stars book, leaning more towards a 2. The world building aspect was poor. The characters remained shallow and clichéd. The crime aspect was okay, I suppose, it had a clever set-up and some interesting details. However, I’m not a huge crime novel fan. The story felt very much like an overlong procedural drama episode. And yes, it is the first instalment in a Dubric Bryerly series.
May 25, 2018
Okay, well, I guess I'd give this about 3.25 Goodreads stars. It's not badly written (though I did catch a few lingering proofreading slips, including an I-should-be-me and a sprung-s/b-sprang), but it's pretty gory, with lots of bloody deaths (as well as some mob violence), and the suspicion gets focused on Risley sooner than really makes sense to me. I did figure out one thing that turned out to be true, and one sneaky transition did NOT fool me, but although I suspected the one who turned out to be guilty, I was far from sure, and had other suspects, so I don't get much credit for that.
The central ghosts are as gory after death as in their deaths, and they're all vicious and spiteful, even the ones who weren't when alive. As someone who's also read Tony Hillerman's mysteries, I was reminded of what Navajo tradition thinks of the lingering dead, and these ghosts would definitely fit in with chindis! Though, ~spoiler~, there are a couple other spirits who are different.
The investigation is realistically hampered by scenes contaminated by panicked, ignorant townfolk, and by politics. It's unusual to find systematic questioning of witnesses in a high fantasy, in a world where there are still aftereffects of having fought evil mages not that many decades ago. The killer is a slightly clichéd psychotic serial killer, so looking for logical explanations has its shortcomings.
Dubric is older than the typical lead, experienced but worn, and hampered at times by the aches of an aging body operating on hardly any sleep. There are some scenes from servant Nella's PoV (she's a bit too stoic and perfect, despite being widely maligned for her tentative relationship with a nobleman), and several from the killer's, too, and I believed a couple bits featuring Dubric's assistants, but Dubric is the primary 3rd-person-limited.
I couldn't say I completely loved this book, but it had some interesting elements and characters, and did keep me guessing as to what was going to happen. I acquired another book by the same author, and I certainly do still plan to read it.
The central ghosts are as gory after death as in their deaths, and they're all vicious and spiteful, even the ones who weren't when alive. As someone who's also read Tony Hillerman's mysteries, I was reminded of what Navajo tradition thinks of the lingering dead, and these ghosts would definitely fit in with chindis! Though, ~spoiler~, there are a couple other spirits who are different.
The investigation is realistically hampered by scenes contaminated by panicked, ignorant townfolk, and by politics. It's unusual to find systematic questioning of witnesses in a high fantasy, in a world where there are still aftereffects of having fought evil mages not that many decades ago. The killer is a slightly clichéd psychotic serial killer, so looking for logical explanations has its shortcomings.
Dubric is older than the typical lead, experienced but worn, and hampered at times by the aches of an aging body operating on hardly any sleep. There are some scenes from servant Nella's PoV (she's a bit too stoic and perfect, despite being widely maligned for her tentative relationship with a nobleman), and several from the killer's, too, and I believed a couple bits featuring Dubric's assistants, but Dubric is the primary 3rd-person-limited.
I couldn't say I completely loved this book, but it had some interesting elements and characters, and did keep me guessing as to what was going to happen. I acquired another book by the same author, and I certainly do still plan to read it.
April 22, 2021
This novel had everything that I love: ghosts, the Medieval era, mystery, passionate lovers and a supernatural plot-twist. I would never have thought that this outrageous combination would spurn a truly enjoyable read. Lord Durbric is castellan at Castle Faldorrah and this winter proves to be the worst for the inhabitants. Apparently someone is killing (and eating) the young maids (the ones who change the linen and clean the kitchens) and for some reason all evidence is pointing to the King's grandson, Lord Risley.
However, that's not the only thing that troubles Dubric. Due to a supernatural curse, he has the ability to see those that have died. In fact, that's how he becomes aware of the murders. The ghosts want justice and the only way they would leave is if Dubric finds the gruesome killer. With a sweet maid, Nella, who believes in Risley's innocence and a raging mob of scared civilians that want to see Risley hung, Dubric is racing against time to find an invisible killer and prevent a war from destroying the castle.
I doubt many people would be into this novel. It's not genre-specific, yet I was engaged from beginning to end. The gory details are not for sensitive readers.
However, that's not the only thing that troubles Dubric. Due to a supernatural curse, he has the ability to see those that have died. In fact, that's how he becomes aware of the murders. The ghosts want justice and the only way they would leave is if Dubric finds the gruesome killer. With a sweet maid, Nella, who believes in Risley's innocence and a raging mob of scared civilians that want to see Risley hung, Dubric is racing against time to find an invisible killer and prevent a war from destroying the castle.
I doubt many people would be into this novel. It's not genre-specific, yet I was engaged from beginning to end. The gory details are not for sensitive readers.
July 18, 2022
Poor Dubric's eyes must be raw from all that rubbing.
Joking aside, this novel was an interesting read, mixing murder mystery with a fantasy. It's a good mix even though the execution was a bit rough at times. The writing was solid, but there were a few repetitive phrases throughout that got quite noticeable after a while (like Dubric and his eye rubbing condition).
The main cast of characters were fun to follow, and the chilling details of the murders and hints left throughout made me keep eagerly reading. With that, it felt like a good chunk of the book could have been shaved off. Reading about the endless swooning of some of the characters had me gagging or wanting to skip ahead to the good bits.
I do also like that this book can be read as a standalone. However, I think I'll eventually try the next book, as I'm curious what new mystery Dubric and his crew will need to solve.
Joking aside, this novel was an interesting read, mixing murder mystery with a fantasy. It's a good mix even though the execution was a bit rough at times. The writing was solid, but there were a few repetitive phrases throughout that got quite noticeable after a while (like Dubric and his eye rubbing condition).
The main cast of characters were fun to follow, and the chilling details of the murders and hints left throughout made me keep eagerly reading. With that, it felt like a good chunk of the book could have been shaved off. Reading about the endless swooning of some of the characters had me gagging or wanting to skip ahead to the good bits.
I do also like that this book can be read as a standalone. However, I think I'll eventually try the next book, as I'm curious what new mystery Dubric and his crew will need to solve.
Currently reading
September 8, 2025I had found all 3 books in the series at a used book store and the summary sounded like quite an interesting murder mystery in an Old England type setting. I know the rule about judging a book by it's cover, but I saw the cover for this book and thought it just had to be good.
I DNF'd this one pretty quickly. Not the writing style or pacing, but the story instantly went in a direction that I didn't find interesting or what I thought it was going to be and I just had a lot of other books on my list that I would have rather been reading.
I DNF'd this one pretty quickly. Not the writing style or pacing, but the story instantly went in a direction that I didn't find interesting or what I thought it was going to be and I just had a lot of other books on my list that I would have rather been reading.
May 28, 2018
Ugh. The 3-4-5 star reviews led me astray on this one for sure. Poorly constructed world, too many characters (and the main character is a caricature, nit at all personable or likeable), juvenile dialogue, gratuitous violence (and not in a good way), and a stupid and pointless and totally unbelieveable “love” story. I will NOT be wasting my time with the two follow-up novels, and maybe I can save you the effort as well.
October 1, 2020
Great premise, murder mystery in dark fantasy setting. The book starts off at a slow pace, but throws enough interesting tidbits in to keep you going. I was really interested in the outlawed magic, the remnants of the war, the artifacts and wanted to know more about their stories. Dubric is an interesting character, damaged goods, and Lars was shaping up to be too. This is a solid read and i will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.
November 14, 2023
I wanted to like this one. and for the first while I was interested in the blend of murder mystery and fantasy novel. and then it slowed down to a crawl and seemed to go nowhere for ages to the point I eventually gave up and broke a rule of mine about not skipping to the end of a mystery to get the answer. but I did. and then skipped back to my place in the book and realized that nope that didn't help me either. As it seemed like things were breaking down and maybe the chaotic ending was just so the author could finished the damn book and move on.
So I'm just going to calk this one up as didn't work for me.
So I'm just going to calk this one up as didn't work for me.
March 22, 2018
The premise was interesting. The writing was okay. It just went on for way too long. I got to a point where I just didn't care anymore, and then I still tried to continue reading it. Needless to say I ended up not finishing the book, I don't know who the killer was, and I'm okay with that actually. I read 80% of the book and just couldn't bring myself to care enough to continue.
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