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| May 2012; The Writer's Coffee Shop; 9781612131016 paperback (277 pages) |
I really wanted to like this book. However, the entire time I was reading it, something felt off. I think in part is the new cast of characters who I did not connect with. I had a hard time getting into the entire story. There was a mystery to be solved in Immortal, I didn't feel there was much of a mystery in this one. The whole tone of the book seemed off to me. In my review (see it here) of Immortal, I praised the writing style. Whereas it was sharp in the first book, it seemed dull in the sequel. I know that Gene went with a new publisher for the second book which means a new editing team, but I don't think it was necessarily editorial problems. Adam's voice was different.
Greek mythology has never really been my thing so I'm sure that didn't help when reading Hellenic Immortal. I did find the history a little more interesting this go-around. I'm not sure about the new creature he introduced. In general, satyrs are okay, but did we need a "creature"? Could the story occur even if they were human?
I had really high hopes after reading Immortal and I'm sure that played some into my disappointment. That is how it can be with sequels. Was it a good story? Yes. Did I find it entertaining? Yes. Was it what I was expecting? No. I really wanted more of Clara and Iza. I liked those characters and connecting with characters is high on whether or not I really like a book. I could not connect with Mike or Adriane. And I'm not sure if I really like Adam. I was happy to get more information on who the red headed woman is.
So should you read Hellenic Immortal? I think so. It had entertainment value and I'm glad for the glimpses we got of Clara and Iza.
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Your turn: How do you feel about sequels? Does the anticipation enhance or hinder your enjoyment?
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Hm. I just read tr two back-to-back, and if anything I liked the Hellenic Immortal quite a bit better. I didn't particularly care about Clara one way or the other, and I think them going their separate easy for awhile makes a lot more sense narratively than becoming an immortal, mystery-solving duo. I expect we'll see her in a subsequent book, and her appearance will be more interesting for having been doing her own thing for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI think for me it was the combination of not really liking Greek mythology, high expectations, and having to learn about a new cast. When there is a whole new cast I often find myself not liking it as much. For example, I loved the television show House until they changed all the characters. Then I quickly grew bored with the show.
DeleteI can see that. For me, Adam is the main interest and everyone else is secondary. I can also see not getting into the Greek thing, though for me, that was part of what I enjoyed. Wherea with the first book the historical asides wre pretty random and often tangential to the story I thought here they were more focused and helped drive the story.
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