July09: Series as a whole.

Characters: The lead was only so neat, and none of the others were *that* developed. The dark prince was a solid attempt at aleast.
Plot: Actually came together well in the second book. Wraps up nicely.
Style: Shoots for mystic fairy. Can't leave gritty mud. Gets lost a little in the middle. ( )

I read about this book in a newspaper and was intrigued enough to buy the first one, which I really liked. When I picked up this book however, I was in love. It took me a little bit to get into the book but once I was in, boy was I obsessed. It is surprisingly well written with a refreshing plot line that doesn't bore. It doesn't have a lot of romance in it which I was really relieved about. I love all the characters and all the world ideas the author introduces. Her descriptions are detailed but not to the point where it is excessive, just descriptive. It is a fun read. If you read it you should definitely buy both books at once because this book just starts off where the other ended, without any plot reminders or summaries, which I really liked because I am so tired of authors rehashing the previous book(s) in the first chapter. Anyway, amazing book! ( )

(Amy) I have an irrational prejudice against the trade paperback form factor, especially largish ones. I'm not entirely certain why, though it is the least convenient of the common book formats. Hardcovers have the virtue of durability to offset their weight and sometimes awkward size; mass markets are easy to stick in a purse or even a pocket, and cheap enough that you don't mind doing so - not to mention lightweight enough to read in bed without worrying about dropping a heavy book on your face if you fall asleep. Trade paper is, essentially, the worst of both worlds.

Unfortunately, it also seems to be a format that is increasing in popularity, so it seems I shall have to Get Over It if I wish to carry on in my bibliophilic ways. And indeed, here my desire to read the sequel to Flesh and Spirit overcame the aversion most handily.

Breath and Bone picks up the story where its predecessor left off, with the country sliding deeper and deeper into chaos, with the Danae pulling farther away from the world of humans, with the Harrowers growing in power and working their horrific rites in more and more places, trying to lay the world low that a new world might rise.

I enjoyed this book as thoroughly as I did the first, though I did perhaps feel some of the descriptions of Danae dances were a bit excessive in detail. As quibbles go, though, occasional overdone descriptive passages are far from damning - after all, I did manage to read all of the Wheel of Time books (well, I still haven't read Knife of Dreams, but I suppose now that there is an end to the series in sight, I shall have to get around to it). I highly recommend this duology to anyone looking for some fantasy that manages to have some substance while still not being a demanding read.

And it looks like I have another author whose books I must track down, to see what her other work is like...
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/ze... ) ( )

http://zehavit-lamasu.livejournal.com... ( )

About 8 months ago I picked up the first volume in the duology, Flesh and Spirit, and thought it was pretty good. I thought I had the plot of the second volume pretty well worked out at the time. In some points I guessed right, but in the main points, Carol Berg really surprised me. Breath and Bone is a wonderful book with a twisty plot, great characters, and beautiful prose. This two-volume set should be on every fantasy fan's must-read list! For best effect, read them one after the other without break. ( )