Myrren's Gift is the first title I have read by this author and it has left me feeling very let down.
The main storyline and underlying themes I found alluring, encapsulating some of the things a good fantasy novel should have (mystery, political intrigue, righteous cause, etc). And the idea of reincarnation for the protagonist was unique, opening many opportunities for character development and growth. But it wasn't followed through. Execution was diabolical.
The pace of the story is very choppy and often stalls before picking up any sort of momentum. Descriptive imagery is weak and hardly apparent, often non-existent. Alarmingly character viewpoints are continuously changing mid-chapter. Never have I jumped between four character viewpoints in as many paragraphs. There is purposed domination by the author in 'dumping' vast amounts of information onto the reader (this can go on for 3-4 pages at a time) whilst simultaneously rushing through key scenes.
The characters are contrived, their acting and thinking often not in line with their personality traits, background or experiences. The timeline of events are unrealistic and rushed. The main character just bounces around from place to place, disaster to disaster, all within a few short weeks of each other. One day he's lying in bed with broken ribs, a few days later he's fighting in a tournament against a matched opponent, the ribs forgotten by both the character and author.
But worst of all is the author's world creation - or lack thereof. Class distinctions result in different upbringings and idealisms - but this has been ignored. There are temples and a deity called Shar - and that's all we're told about their religious beliefs, customs and how it has shaped their community. The map provided is nothing more than three rough squares clumped together. Two nations at war with each other for several centuries would hardly have their capital palaces within three days ride of each other. The Palaces of Pearlis and Werryl do not sit within a sizeable town or city. No mention is made of the government buildings, city landmarks, or rich and poor districts, no merchants or traders, no guard patrols, no beggars, no filth-ridden alleys, no city walls or the vast population - nothing. In fact the palaces seem more like country retreats.
On a journey from Pearlis to Werryl, McIntosh fails to describe the land. No visual imagery of fields, forests or hills; no sounds of wildlife; no fragrances; no changes in human settlement. In fact, the reader is left entirely to their own machinations to decide what fills this void. This is constant throughout the story.
Though these points might seem trivial, veteran readers of the genre look out for these things in a good story and quickly pick up on such shockingly amateur mistakes. Fantasy by its very nature should have a believable infrastructure which somehow feels so natural and real no matter how far it stretches the imagination, that it could really exist. McIntosh has failed to do this, and along with a major literary disaster like changing character viewpoints every few paragraphs, she has achieved nothing more than to alienate readers. I find it hard to believe this got past the editing process at Orbit and made it to print.
Never have I written a review with the aim of deterring someone from reading a book, but in this case I'll be doing you a favour. Doubt I'll purchase anything else from this author again. Instead I recommend The Mirage Makers trilogy by Glenda Larke.
