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Title: Shows promise, but not quite there yet.
Review: As this was recommended along with Barbara Hambly's latest, I decided to give "Dead March" a go. Unfortunately, it can't help but suffer in comparison with "Wet Grave." Several things in the book struck me as being underdeveloped, and I think the main fault was the characterization. Too much information about the characters is given in expository chunks; rather than letting us discover who these people are through their actions and their conversation, we're simply told what their attitudes and personalities are. The story would have been much more effective if they'd been allowed to reveal themselves. The premise itself is fascinating and seldom-seen, but the presentation of the author's ideas would have benefitted from some more subtlety.
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