I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I feel duty bound to say up front that this book is best read by “cat people” as opposed to “dog people”… like me. That aside, this book won me over. It didn’t even take that long for it to do so.
I’ve done a lot more reading of Urban Fantasy and Modern Fantasy of late, and so this book was a pleasant breath of fresh air as it took me back into a realm of the Fantasy genre I hadn’t been to in a while. While this is definitely Fantasy Fare of the most classical kind, it is not a rehashing of previous stories; a retelling of Tolkien, Weis and Hickman, Salvatore, or Eddings. In fact the author, Chappell, has provided us here with anything but. It's amusing, interesting, and engaging, providing us with vividly fleshed out characters that are not only believable and relatable, but easy to become intellectually involved with.
I will not get into explanations of locations I enjoyed or characters I did (or did not) like, as I believe you should actually read the book for yourself. I wouldn’t recommend it to you if I didn’t feel that way about it. I also will not dwell on the finer points that disappointed me as that is subjective, and I know others who don’t agree with my assessments in that area.
What I will say is that when this book is good, which is 96.3% of the time, it is damn good. The world was rich, and while there were sequences that I will admit weren’t as good as others, I found myself so deeply bound to following the character’s lives I eagerly continued reading. I think of all the books I’ve read this year I would have to say this was the easiest and most enjoyable and relaxing read.
I will gladly return to follow any further adventures that Trotter (the main Character of Alice Will) has in store. I would also gladly fork over a few dollars to follow author Chappell’s forays into other genres of writing if she chooses to go in new directions. I am a fan of her skilled depictions of the complex as well as her grasp of humor. (It makes it hard to believe that this is her debut.)
Conclusion: Chappell's Alice Will is definitely worth the time and money if you are a true fan of Fantasy fiction. You will not be disappointed.
- Dennis Sharpe
Alice Will on Goodreads.com
Alice Will on Amazon.com (paperback)
Alice Will on Amazon.com (kindle)
Alice Will on Center One Publishing
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