I didn't finish this book.  I only got about halfway through so keep that in mind while you decide to buy the book.

The book is very well written (plenty of showing rather than telling, individual characters with different voices, common premise made original through imagination and resourcefulness), but there were a few things I didn't much care for.

for one, I understand that it's a different culture, but do all the characters from magic land have to speak in a flowery, backwards way?  I feel like that's the literary equivalent of shakey cam: it's designed to draw you into a realistic experience but ends up making me feel sick.

next, I had a hard time visualizing the scenes presented.  While I understood most of the feelings the characters were having (that's the showing I was talking about), I couldn't really get much of a grasp on the world that they were in.  There should have been a bit more description.  maybe this was a side-effect of the dialogue being difficult.

finally, I really tried to give the main character the benefit of the doubt, but nobody just rapes somebody!  not a decent, likable person anyway.  I understand that you're sad and confused, but that doesn't really translate to rape, now does it.  I just lost my will to root for the main character and so I just gave up.
I didn't finish this book. I only got about halfway through so keep that in mind while you decide to buy the book. The book is very well written (plenty of showing rather than telling, individual characters with different voices, common premise made original through imagination and resourcefulness), but there were a few things I didn't much care for. for one, I understand that it's a different culture, but do all the characters from magic land have to speak in a flowery, backwards way? I feel like that's the literary equivalent of shakey cam: it's designed to draw you into a realistic experience but ends up making me feel sick. next, I had a hard time visualizing the scenes presented. While I understood most of the feelings the characters were having (that's the showing I was talking about), I couldn't really get much of a grasp on the world that they were in. There should have been a bit more description. maybe this was a side-effect of the dialogue being difficult. finally, I really tried to give the main character the benefit of the doubt, but nobody just rapes somebody! not a decent, likable person anyway. I understand that you're sad and confused, but that doesn't really translate to rape, now does it. I just lost my will to root for the main character and so I just gave up.