Callan Primer

This was the first book I bought for my e-reader, and I wasn't disappointed. Wind Out of Indigo has elements of steampunk, of romance, and of epic fantasy, while the world-building suggests old-school science fiction. I was reminded of Andre Norton and of Barbara Hambly, for the quick pace and the strong characters, especially Alice, a sturdy, strong-minded heroine who would get along famously with Hambly's Jenny Waynest. Secondary characters were clearly sketched in, from the eccentric show more astronomer to the stubborn, wily fen-dwellers.
Primer provides something I always look for - a non-generic world. Indigo, a land perpetually in night, with luminiscent foliage and mazey waterways, is well evoked without long descriptive passages (I have to admit I'm getting tired of the current fantasy trend to show every step of a journey - sometimes telling is a good idea!) sometimes eerily beautiful, sometimes creepy and nerve-wracking. And have I mentioned that I love non-medieval settings in fantasy?
I did wish at times that the pace of the story allowed for a little more space for the growth of the relationship between Alice and Louis. The breakneck speed of the last part meant that the changes and reversals in their beliefs and feelings about each other came so quickly that I almost missed them in the heat of the action. Fortunately, the ending provided what I'd missed.
Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of Barbara Hambly, Sherwood Smith, Cherie Priest, and Andre Norton. show less

Let me tell you why

Three stars is a low score. This book reads far better quite often. The heroine is charming, Lt Park is intense, Greerly is outstanding. The plot moves well. The dialogue works.

But.

Every once in a while there is a plot point that hangs a bit odd. And I still don't understand exactly what the Ogres are. I guess I just felt like every once in a while I was smacked in the face by a fish called 'YA'. As if things were simplified or brushed aside because "kids won't show more understand".

****spoiler****

This isn't about her avoiding Bagtown. That was a smart choice and worked fine. It was how after 12 days she was already beat down, then suddenly reinvigorated and manages to open a noodle shop. That turn around did not work for me. The ending was a bit off as well. She destroys infrastructure in a place that is barely getting by and everybody decides it's fine. It did not balance well.

****end spoiler****

Even with a three star rating...I still plan on getting the next book. The author writes pretty well and seems to be inventive. I won't say the ideas are original, but I don't recall seeing this combination before. show less

Let me tell you why

Three stars is a low score. This book reads far better quite often. The heroine is charming, Lt Park is intense, Greerly is outstanding. The plot moves well. The dialogue works.

But.

Every once in a while there is a plot point that hangs a bit odd. And I still don't understand exactly what the Ogres are. I guess I just felt like every once in a while I was smacked in the face by a fish called 'YA'. As if things were simplified or brushed aside because "kids won't show more understand".

****spoiler****

This isn't about her avoiding Bagtown. That was a smart choice and worked fine. It was how after 12 days she was already beat down, then suddenly reinvigorated and manages to open a noodle shop. That turn around did not work for me. The ending was a bit off as well. She destroys infrastructure in a place that is barely getting by and everybody decides it's fine. It did not balance well.

****end spoiler****

Even with a three star rating...I still plan on getting the next book. The author writes pretty well and seems to be inventive. I won't say the ideas are original, but I don't recall seeing this combination before. show less