Paper and Fire

DNF - PG 79

Why?

The first book made such gutsy, unexpected choices, really running our characters through the wringer. This book...doesn't. In fact, it even retcons some of the choices I thought were gutsy in an ‘I lied' sort of way. Blerg.

Actual spoiler, spoiler - like, a big one - below. Only click if you are fully prepared for the first and second books to be spoiled. (And, yes, I skipped ahead to make sure I was right. I am. I was. I knew I was reading the first Epherma and that just left me in a bad place for the rest of the book.)

Even though it hurt, I loved the way the first book killed Thomas. It was the indication that not all was easy and light in this world - as though we didn't already know it. But then to have him not really be dead...ugh. I feel like it was such a cheap copout where the author wanted an emotional push from the first book but either 1: refused to follow through with it or 2: didn't know where else to go with the story. Do I like it when we get the emotional resonance of a death and then we find out that the character didn't actually die and it was just our emotions being toyed with?