The Middle Book Never Gets as Much Attention

Ironcrown Moon by Julian May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mostly liked it. Quite good, I would say. 4 stars, though I see why some didn't love it.

Julian May was a brilliant and inventive writer. She sometimes writes over my head, frankly, in many ways; for instance, I've found more new-to-me words in her writing than in any modern author. But I like that. Her historical knowledge in general and and of things medieval in particular are also impressive and used to good effect. I can't help but learn when I read her books.

Sometimes, as in this novel, the pace slows and excitement wanes as she weaves together many different points of view. We're following so many different characters, different individuals and groups plotting against and pitted against so many other groups, that it becomes an impenetrable tangle. The minutiae of their individual planning is sometimes tedious, and trying to remember who knows what and who is double-crossing whom gets to be a challenge.

So you just read and see if it makes sense at the end.... and I think it does.

I love the setting and world-building in this series, and that makes some of the slower bits tolerable. But when it gets good, it's very good. When we get to the scene on the river, with people watching from many different angles, it's very cool. And from that point on, from maybe 60% of the way through the book to the end, it's a lot of fun to read.

IMO, of course.

The very best characters are Deveron (also called Snudge) and a talented healer and magic-user named Induna. (slight spoiler-->) We see them together near the end, and I wanted to cheer when they finally connected. Almost all the main characters are morally compromised people, all engaged in murderous plots, and it's nice to find someone to actually root for.

I liked it overall, and especially the last third and a bit.

I hope the final book in the trilogy leads somewhere good. Fingers crossed.

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