Iæm rather ambivalent when it comes to this book. The ideas are original and interesting, and I love the world Keyes creates (re-creates, I sould say, since this is an alternative history of sorts). The magic and science work together, and don’t clash as usually.

But when I started reading this book, I had a hard time. Basically, I kept on reading only because it was Keyes and because I loved his ‘Kingdom of Thorn and Bone’. It is apparent Keyes has become a much more accomplished writer since writing ‘Newton’s Cannon’ – because the writing in the Cannon is… well, clumsy at best, at least at the beginning of the book. It’s ridden with cliches, the characters are… not very well developed, etc. But the plot is interesting, and somehow )and I can’t really pinpoint when that happened) I had grown attached to the characters. And I’m going to continue the series, hoping it gets even better.

Another Keyes goodie. The characters become deeper and better developed here, the plot gets more and more interesting. Hm. I also like the morbidity I must admit. Not many fantasy writers save Mrtin dare be BRUTAL, but Keyes is, and heæs doing well :D

Canæt wait for the next book.

This grew to be one of my favourite fantasy books as soon as I read it. Why? The plot is interesting; the characters not OVERLY original, but passable. But what I like the best about this book is the way Keyes playes with folktales and legends, they way he plays with old and contemporary languages. The guy’s well-educated. The guy’s an anthropologist. What else would I need from a fantasy writer.

I started today, and I’ve read a 1/3 or so of the book. In the begining it was rather difficult to get into the story – the cast of the main characters is largish, and when the author switched the PoV it always took me some time to remember who was who, and what they were like. It also took me time to get used to May’s writing style.

But now I’m growing to really, really like the book. I’m already attached to the characters(esp. Steinie the Viking and Aiken); the writing style is nice and picturesque but not overly descriptive (which I like), and I got really pulled into the story.

We’ll see what happens later on…