Negative Positive
Title: A work of surprising excellence.
Review: This is one of the finer fantasy novels to appear in recent decades. With a mature sense of humor and keen literary style, if avoids both the pomposity of contemporary high fantasy, and silliness of contemporary humourous fantasy. For the first time in many years, we have a truly beautiful fantasy novel to add to our bookshelves. Clarke adds comical and sometimes extensive footnotes that give a mock-scholarly feel as well as relieve tension (but you'll notice they appear less often near the climax). Her treatment of magic is subtle and tasteful, and her characters lifelike but interesting. Is it too long? No. If you think so, go buy yourself an attention span or a cheap Piers Anthony story and leave this serious, beautiful, and mysterious novel to the grown-ups.
Is the review positive or negative? 