As a fellow author, I find that the world building, character development, and pacing really makes or breaks a book for me. As such, I tend to focus my reviews in these areas. With that said, here are my opinions for Jackdaw Court:
World Building
It took a while for the world building to develop enough to place where the story was taking place. Before that really settled in, several peripheral countries and cities were mentioned, which showed where the actual focus was not. The biggest developmental clue is the vocabulary used in the work itself – definitely a British of some type with no Australian or Canadian colloquialisms I could discern.
The physical setting develops a bit faster – between the character’s home and immediate businesses – though the settings that make up the satellite scenes as the action picks up don’t receive as much development. At best, these settings are mentioned (and may be familiar to readers who live in the localized areas) with an extremely brief sketch of what the area looks like. Most are mentioned in passing, most often businesses given a name and what type (ex: stopped by [XYZ] for a proper grocery shop.)
Character Development
Even though this is told through a first person point of view, the character development beyond the lead is very well done. Each of the characters that influence the plot have a mountain of personality quirks that make them stand out from the crowd. Almost all of them have some hidden talent that slowly emerges as the tale unfolds, most of which reveal a wide array of intelligence levels and personality types.
Pacing
The pacing was spot on for Jackdaw Court. I felt no sense of time dilation or compression as I read through. There was a well done ebb and flow to the book with the romantic scenes feeling like time was non-existent (with the curtains closed for the most part), and the action scenes having a tempo surge (without getting graphic). Jago was able to transition between the two smoothly for the most part, which really kept the focus on the character driven story.
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Top reviews from other countries
- jacquiReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2017
really enjoyed this book
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
