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Hard Bitten

By Chloe Neill

(8)

| Paperback | 9780451233325

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1 Review

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As in the previous books, the pace is rather slow and builds up things, adding to the climax, till the last chapter, then all is solved too suddenly. But the reading is pleasant; despite a lot of repetitions to summarize past events, the new ones are built step by step and the reader is gradually im ... (continue)

As in the previous books, the pace is rather slow and builds up things, adding to the climax, till the last chapter, then all is solved too suddenly. But the reading is pleasant; despite a lot of repetitions to summarize past events, the new ones are built step by step and the reader is gradually immersed in the current adventure, putting facts and theories together as the characters do. We're always a step forward, imagining what can happen and why, guessing who's involved and how, but in Hard Bitten there's more suspance and the mistery is better built than in the other books, so I would rated it 4 stars.
There's only a slight character development and something doesn't seem completely right: Ethan's too accomodating, and i can't see the need for Jonah's sudden romantic interest; I like when the heroine doesn't change idea too suddenly, when she's not wooed too easily, but maybe Merit drags her refusal and denial a bit too much.
Good the insight on the GP members and their way of thinking (and [not]acting).
What's really interesting is the hint on Mallory and dark magic, and the introduction of her tutor seems to hide something, or so I hope. And hope to see developments there. Too little Mal/Mer interaction.
Then, there's the McKatrick gang that seems to be introduced only to distract us from the main culprit, but it doesn't work so well so their presence is quite useless (unless they'll have a future active role in the next book).
There's also the issue of Merit's turning and her name: all that angst and emphasis and then is all gone with a single simple sentence...
The author decided to picture Joshua as a cold, detached being: she should've stick to that role, 'cause trying to give him a sort of fatherly love trait doesn't suit him neither the story.
There are also some minor discrepancies.
For that, the rating could've been 3/3.5 stars.
But then the climax comes and all blows up.
It's not what happens and who involves. It's how it happens.
You turn the page and wonder if you missed something, one or more chapters, even an entire book in between!
Welcome the unexpected, but there's nothing, nihil, niente di niente in the book to give a solid backup to this development. And it somehow involves a violation of the characters 'cause they act as if they were someone else.
And after an event of such a big relevance and impact on all the characters - one that opens the door to unpalatable developments for future books - there's almost nothing.
Everyone starts anew.
Please, author, have some respect for your readers, and their brain.
2 stars thanks to 23 chapters on 25.
More here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/166302349

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Elenariel said on May 9, 2011 | Add your feedback