Shadowmarch

I was quite reluctant to DNF this book. It's a book with a slow simmering plot, meant to be savoured rather than devoured. I wouldn't have minded doing this slowly - even if it takes me a year to finish this book - if the characters were likeable. Which they are not. Barrick & Briony are so whiny and such spoiled brats that the thought of enduring them for hundreds of pages to the end made my blood go cold.

On top of that I couldn't keep up with the dozens of subplots and characters in the first book and I hear it doesn't get any better with the last book.

The plot did pique my interest but this book is too much a slog due to the factors above. Like other reviewers mentioned - TW needs a ruthless editor to trim this book to manageable level.

If I was a student with time on my hands I probably would stick with this till the end. Unfortunately as a busy corporate worker constantly dogged by deadlines and whose free time is as precious as gold (or more), I just can't afford to do it.

This book is for more patient readers. I am, unfortunately, not one of those.