Of All the Stars
by Kris Madigan
I really enjoyed how this book started out, but ultimately, the story as a whole didn’t work for me.
The first chapter sets up an interesting problem, and it’s heavy with a mystic, magical atmosphere that tickled my imagination something fierce.
Perhaps, it would have been predictable, but I would have liked the book to continue with more of this. Instead, the second chapter takes the story in a completely new direction and sets up an entirely new problem. It then takes the rest of the book to connect this new complication to what was hinted at in the first chapter.
So, yes, there’s a connection, and at the end of the book, I began to see the big picture, but it also made me feel like this is all just an introduction.
Of All the Stars could be the opening act of a big epic tale of fading magic, conflicts, prejudice, and misunderstandings. There are many things hinted at, many questions remain unanswered, and there’s a ton of potential for a larger story, but as a standalone novella, it only scratches the surface of that potential.
What I’ll whine about
The beginning. The first chapter set me up to expect a story entirely different to the one that started in the second chapter. I think, if the author had begun the story in a way that better supported the journey that followed, I wouldn’t have been so confused about what was going on, or why. It would have changed my entire perception of the story, and I’d probably have enjoyed it quite a lot.
What I’ll gush about
The beginning. Much as I blame the first chapter for giving me the wrong idea, it’s also a fantastic piece of writing. The mood and the setting and the issue presented all resonate with me in the best of ways, and I would have loved for the story to keep spinning on that yarn.
Final Words
A story almost completely different from what the beginning led me to believe.
