Rebecca Heap's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"
REVIEW OF THE RUBY LOCKET BY MELISSA WRAY
THE RUBY LOCKET BY MELISSA WRAY 3 out of 5 stars
I really liked the opening of this book, where the two brothers find a girl in the “wasteland” who initially appears to be dead. It did take me a little time to feel completely gripped by the story and I did feel the plot lacked momentum in the beginning. I also never felt invested in the love story between Saxon and Kerina; it was very much a slow burn. I would have liked the worldbuilding to have been a little bit more complex and inventive. I didn’t have a clear picture in my mind of what the world, its people and culture really looked like on a wider and more detailed scale and I would have liked to know more about the “Burn,” that destroyed the world before, and what actually caused it. I am afraid I am not a huge fan of books that switch POV from chapter to chapter and the eponymous ruby locket, and its “message,” was not as remarkable as I expected it to be. (SPOILERS HERE) I found it a bit unbelievable that Kerina would happen to have a connection with Saxon’s parents and I was waiting for another twist at the end but they had correctly guessed their adversary. Having said all this, I did like reading it and particularly enjoyed the latter third when the action kicked in. The dialogue was written well and I liked the snarky character of Vera and would have liked to see more of her. I also liked the idea of an oppressed people with additional abilities (though I would have liked those abilities to be more exciting and have more of an impact in the story) - this reminded me of the TV series “The Boys” and the superheroes with manufactured powers. Overall, I wasn’t blown away with this book but it was definitely a worthwhile read. The Ruby Locket
I really liked the opening of this book, where the two brothers find a girl in the “wasteland” who initially appears to be dead. It did take me a little time to feel completely gripped by the story and I did feel the plot lacked momentum in the beginning. I also never felt invested in the love story between Saxon and Kerina; it was very much a slow burn. I would have liked the worldbuilding to have been a little bit more complex and inventive. I didn’t have a clear picture in my mind of what the world, its people and culture really looked like on a wider and more detailed scale and I would have liked to know more about the “Burn,” that destroyed the world before, and what actually caused it. I am afraid I am not a huge fan of books that switch POV from chapter to chapter and the eponymous ruby locket, and its “message,” was not as remarkable as I expected it to be. (SPOILERS HERE) I found it a bit unbelievable that Kerina would happen to have a connection with Saxon’s parents and I was waiting for another twist at the end but they had correctly guessed their adversary. Having said all this, I did like reading it and particularly enjoyed the latter third when the action kicked in. The dialogue was written well and I liked the snarky character of Vera and would have liked to see more of her. I also liked the idea of an oppressed people with additional abilities (though I would have liked those abilities to be more exciting and have more of an impact in the story) - this reminded me of the TV series “The Boys” and the superheroes with manufactured powers. Overall, I wasn’t blown away with this book but it was definitely a worthwhile read. The Ruby Locket
