Sunday, June 24, 2012

Mary Gentle "The Black Opera" (2012)




Initially, I was intrigued by the concept.  An alternate history with magical operas?  Awesome.   Unfortunately, some structural problems kept me from enjoying this book as much as I would have liked.
The book opens slowly, with lots of tell don’t show.  I did not find the religion vs science debate(s) compelling.  And as the book continues, the discussion becomes more polemicized & repetitious.  I was reminded of Heinlein, and his characters being obvious mouthpieces for the author, giving long speeches that don’t convert, but rather are more in the vein of “preaching to the choir”.
As the book progressed, there seemed to be a problem with its pacing.  The ultimate denouement seems to be artificially delayed again & again.  By the time the story ended, I was more than ready for its conclusion.

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