Critique

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this book. Perhaps it’s that my hopes were so high to begin with, but they weren’t quite met. Given the overview, there was certainly a recipe for an excellent tale—steampunk, Victorian England, the hunchback of Notre Dame as the main character, but as a teenager, and having been raised completely differently—but the execution was a little lacking.

Specifically, I felt like the story was rushed, and Slade didn’t take the time to relish in the scenes, the action, the science, etc. Give it a hundred to two hundred more pages, and I think the whole story would really come alive. I would care more about the characters. They would have a bit more time to develop, especially Modo, who could use a lot more writing about his magical power as well as his training. We need more character backstory, more development, and more description about everything involved.

The ending certainly leaves it open for a sequel or a few, and I’m hoping they get better with each installment.

Critique

Skillfully interlacing Indian mythology with its history and culture, this ornately woven tale shows the beauty and power of India during the twentieth century. Michaelis’s captivating words, blossoming somewhere between poetry and prose reveals the influence of storytelling. Strong themes of redemption, rebirth, forgiveness and personal conviction toward the greater good are delineated powerfully throughout the text, and even though some of the content is for more mature audiences, its handled in a way that makes things like sexuality, evil, and death appear symbolic in the overall journey toward life and growth. I recommend this text to all readers 14+.