Early review: Worldsoul by Liz Williams

Worldsoul by Liz Williams (Worldsoul #1)

Egalley thanks to Prime Books


Synopsis from Goodreads
What if being a librarian was the most dangerous job in the world?

Worldsoul, a great city that forms a nexus point between Earth and the many dimensions known as the Liminality, is a place where old stories gather, where forgotten legends come to fade and die—or to flourish and rise again. Until recently, Worldsoul has been governed by the Skein, but they have gone missing and no one knows why. The city is also being attacked with lethal flower-bombs from unknown enemy. Mercy Fane and her fellow Librarians are doing their best to maintain the Library, but... things... keep breaking out of ancient texts and legends and escaping into the city. Mercy must pursue one such dangerous creature. She turns to Shadow, an alchemist, for aid, but Shadow—inadvertently possessed by an ifrit—has a perilous quest of her own to undertake.

Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK 

Release date: 6th of June 2012.

2/10

* * *

Unfortunately me and Worldsoul got separated due to irreconcilable differences twenty or so chapters in the story.



You see, I like to have the lay of the land as soon as the story begins, a little bit of world-building, a bit of history for the main characters, some sort of inkling as to what direction the story would take.


I had absolutely no idea what was happening in Worldsoul through most of the book. There are few major characters driving completely separate plot lines and POVs - Mercy Fane, Shadow, The Duke and Deed. 


We see what's happening in their own individual lives with their own string of secondary characters, but it doesn't explain why they are introduced to us, which is why I lost interest in the plot so early.


No clarity as to what is the world like, how it works, how it connects to all these numerous dimensions, what was the original goal of The Library, The Court and so on and so forth... There are pieces of a puzzle, but they do not make sense together, and I just couldn't accept it.


If there was a potential in the story, blame me for not being able to see it. Severely disappointed.

* * *

Честно говоря, я не смогла дочитать эту книгу до конца. Настолько она читалась как набор бессмысленных элементов, которые ну никак не желали складываться в несущую в себе смысл картину, что я сдалась после первых двадцати глав.


Ну убило бы автора дать нам в начале хоть какое-то представление о мире, как он функционирует, смысл его иерархии и Библиотеки? Плюс к тому, сюжет разбит на четыре главные, независимые друг от друга линии - от лица Мерси Фэйн, библиотекаря; алхимика Тени; демона Дьюка и дизира Дида.


Какого хрена они нам предоставлены и как они вписываются в общую картину совершенно не ясно, и вот эта бессмыслица совершенно меня прикончила. Долистала книгу до конца, чтоб не бросать, но удовольствия от неё никакого не получила, и вам её совершенно не советую.