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Read Child Of A Rainless Year (2006)

Child of a Rainless Year (2006)

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Rating
3.71 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0765348241 (ISBN13: 9780765348241)
Language
English
Publisher
tor fantasy

Child Of A Rainless Year (2006) - Plot & Excerpts

So the good - great to see fantasy that is not tired Celtic mythology rehashed or the annoying current Vampire craze which seems to be 90% of what passes for fantasy these days.The disappointing - the story was a wee bit of a letdown.I really have enjoyed other books by Jane Lindskold. I enjoyed this one too, but not as much as some of the others. It pulled me in at first, and I liked Mira. I think it could have been edited down in some parts. I wish we'd seen more through Maybelle's eyes too as I thought her story was interesting. I have to admit, that in my mind's eye, I saw Melissa McCarthy (she played Sookie in Gilmore Girls) as Maybelle. I don't know why, I just saw her as capable of being that character!In the end I was frustrated a bit as I thought it wrapped up rather too neatly and I felt it sort of died out rather than went somewhere interesting. I somehow wanted something else, although I can't say what that is. I suspect part of my frustration lies with Colette. Everyone else, including Stan felt 3-dimensional to me and Colette was an enigma. Why did she, who is the lynch pin of the story have to be so narrow. There was great potential in the possibilities around Colette/Mira that were merely passed by that could have made this mind-bogglingly good instead of merely good. Ah, it's so easy for a reader to edit though, isn't it?

A fun urban fantasy novel with an intriguing concept. The narrator, mid-50 year-old Mira, is not the usual protagonist for a fantasy novel, but that fact alone makes her story intriguing. Starting from her childhood, Mira talks about her seemingly ordinary life, albeit with a few mysterious twists. The entire plot of the story moves fairly slowly until the last fifty or so pages, but I believe it is all the better for the story. By the time everything is explained with the main mystery of the disappearance of Mira's mother over forty years ago, I was so invested with the characters that I was sad to see it end. However, at times I wished more of the main mystery was actually answered before the end of the book, but I was quite impressed with what Jane Lindskold did here.

What do You think about Child Of A Rainless Year (2006)?

I first saw this book at Queen Anne Books the day I went there to buy “Through the children’s gate”. I already had three books picked out so I didn’t buy this one; I wouldn’t have regretted it if I had. This one I read while I was home sick, and it drew me in so much that I think I read it in one day. The story is told in the first person, which I don’t often like, but I was drawn in immediately. This is a fantasy book – there’s magic in it, centered around an old house in a small town in New Mexico, but there is nothing fantastical about the narrator – a stocky, sensible middle aged woman – and because of the... solidity... of the narrator, the magic when it shows up is entirely believable, at least to those of us who are able to suspend disbelief about silent women who appear as manifestations of the goodwill of the house towards its occupant. The book appears to be a single title, not part of a series, and really, I couldn’t see how this could be extended into a series, as the heart of the story is the relationship between the narrator and her mother. But I liked this enough that I will try to find other titles by this author, in hopes that the magic of her writing is found in other books as well.
—Jeannen

This was a wonderful idea with a compelling backstory. This would have garnered four stars if not for the fact that the book was bogged down in so many places with meaningless detail (for example, we are treated to full listings of every single meal the characters eat) and stair-stepping action (Mira arrives at a real estate agent's office. They agree to go out to lunch, but Mira must use the bathroom first). It became quite tedious. Also, a major plot thread is introduced that calls the love interest's character into question, but is forgotten just as quickly and never gets resolved.All in all, a good read with some very interesting concepts that could stand better editing and a more even pace.
—Paul

Although the pacing is too slow in the beginning, and much to fast towards the end, this book still captured and held my interest. Written from the perspective of a recently orphaned 50-year old woman, the story follows her journey back home to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and what she finds utterly shakes her entire perception of herself - and reality. An interesting take on a magical story from the perspective of someone other than a headstrong teen, this book offers a deeper and more layered experience. As you start to notice the cracks in space, the story begins to knit itself together. However, the denouement felt too tidy and simple. Another twist at the end would not have been unwelcome in a story as straightforward as this one. Still, the book is filled with magic, mystery, and just a touch of romance. Definitely worth a read if the recent slew of teen paranormal novels have left you with a bad taste in your mouth.
—Riley

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