Book Review: The Outstretched Shadow
Dec. 18th, 2004 12:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tigertoyToday's book review is The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.
A standard fantasy novel. This is an original world, with an original take on how magic works, but not terribly innovative in either respect. The hero and his friends are well drawn enough that I cared about them. The plot was fairly straightforward and predictable, but basically satisfying. There are two independent sets of villains; one of them is an absolute evil so over the top that it's hard to actually believe in, while the other is a chillingly realistic depiction of how a well meaning human society can go bad. It's well written; the story moves along. It's not a bad book, but there's not a lot that really shines. I did enjoy reading it, but I know Lackey can do better. 7 out of 10.
A standard fantasy novel. This is an original world, with an original take on how magic works, but not terribly innovative in either respect. The hero and his friends are well drawn enough that I cared about them. The plot was fairly straightforward and predictable, but basically satisfying. There are two independent sets of villains; one of them is an absolute evil so over the top that it's hard to actually believe in, while the other is a chillingly realistic depiction of how a well meaning human society can go bad. It's well written; the story moves along. It's not a bad book, but there's not a lot that really shines. I did enjoy reading it, but I know Lackey can do better. 7 out of 10.