Urgh, I’m so conflicted about this book. It’s not bad, let me get that out there from the start – it’s definitely not bad. What it is is very different from its predecessor, The Poison Throne, which was a book I really enjoyed. I loved the characters and subtleties of the plot in the first instalment of this trilogy, and found the shift in focus in The Crowded Shadows rather jarring. But while the setting and plot changed, the writing style stayed much the same, which caused some problems.I do like the writing in these books, but sometimes it felt like this could have done with another edit. There were a few too many words in some of the sentences and some repetition that could easily have been cut. The analytical style of description worked very well in the court setting of the first book, but in the life-or-death situations in the Crowded Shadows it felt overwritten and slow. That wasn’t always the case, of course, and several scenes managed to be dramatic and emotional, but not quite reaching the heights of the first book.There were some pacing issues in the plot, especially in the first half where I came close to putting the book down. It starts well, jumping straight into the action, but then slows and meanders around a bit. The main characters’ goal – to reach Alberon’s camp – doesn’t change at all, and it leaves the whole book feeling like an extended filler episode rather than doing much to progress the plot. It’s a very good filler episode, once it gets going, but still. Also, there is very little recap of the first book, which threw me off a bit in some places.The main focus of the book is Merron culture, which I did find intriguing and well-handled. The Merron society was very well developed and not at all one-dimensional – I loved the contrast between the brutality of their religion and the Merron themselves, most of whom were very likeable. The confusion about their culture is also done well – the reader is as much in the dark as Wynter is and the slow reveal of the truth is paced perfectly. Once it became clear that this was the focus, I enjoyed the book a lot more.Unfortunately, this means that the attention is shifted from the strong characters of the first book. They’re still there, they’re still layered and interesting, and the new characters are just as deep, but they feel somewhat out-of-focus this time. The first book’s strength was definitely the dynamic between the main characters, the bonds between them and the emotional torture they all went through. In this book, that was lacking.The main problem was Wynter herself. Don’t get me wrong – I love Wynter – I think she’s a great heroine with a good balance of independence and vulnerability, but she wasn’t the heroine of this book. Wynter felt like an observer here, watching a story where Christopher and Razi and the Merron were much more important characters. The plot would have unfolded in virtually exactly the same way if she hadn’t been there, and I think that this is one of the reasons I felt less of an emotional connection to the story this time. This book could definitely have done with a change of POV, or some POV switching, rather than forcing Wynter into scenes where she didn’t belong just so she could watch from the sidelines.I’m definitely going to finish this trilogy – I love the darkness of this low-fantasy world, how it explores concepts that lots of YA would be afraid of, and the characters are still very strong. I just hope that the next book is a bit sharper and the balance between world-building, character and plot is better handled. Devoured this in the span of a single day, but it was due more to my impatience to find out what's going on than anything. I'd have preferred to give this book four stars, but Celine Kiernan's infuriating tendency to have her characters withhold vital information from Wynter pushes all patience just a little bit too far. My affection for Christopher, which was at an all-time high from the previous book, has dropped at an alarming rate. Yes, his hesitation to share everything is understandable, but it doesn't make everything any less annoying. Adding all that Irish into the mix didn't help clear up the increasingly muddy waters of this book.And all this obtuseness flying around is actually rather damaging to Wynter as a character as well. Treating the story this way has Wynter do nearly nothing in the book, once she meets up with Razi and Christopher. She merely stands around, holds them back, or tries to make them feel better -- not exactly the most stirring of heroines. She has, I think, lost herself in this book, fallen into the background of Christopher's and Razi's separate dramas.I'm still going to read the last book, because I can't stand to leave anything open-ended. I'm also hoping with everything in me that Wynter finally steps out from her friends' shadows and saves the day -- as well as my opinion.
What do You think about The Crowded Shadows (2000)?
Alright, nothing great. She's in love with her characters, but me, not so much.
—Heather
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this book! It has a very good ending.
—taniaaggarwal
Fantastic follow up in the Moorehawke Trilogy!
—district5
