Book Review: "A Great And Terrible Beauty"

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book starts out really well. It deals with a young woman who grew up in India attending an English boarding school and is up to its crumpets in wild goings-on. I liked the first half very much, dealing as it did with the social politics of a group of girls. I also really liked the narrator, Gemma, who is fiery and independent but not sure of herself for all that.

However, the second half of the book veers--not without considerable entertainment value--into a world of runes, caves, magic, other realms, etc. etc. Unfortunately, that kind of fantasy stuff isn't really my thing. Still, I give the author kudos for snappy pace and skillful storytelling. On the whole, not bad, but a bit too magic-themed for me.



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