[OPY]∎ PDF Free Dreams and Shadows A Novel C Robert Cargill 9780062190420 Books

Dreams and Shadows A Novel C Robert Cargill 9780062190420 Books

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Dreams and Shadows A Novel C Robert Cargill 9780062190420 Books

I'm an unabashed Cargill fan, but I have a low tolerance for books when they can't keep my attention. I'm just not the type of guy who can power through pages like some others. That's not to say that this book is anything like that---nah, this is good stuff. Cargill sets up a fantasy world that's plenty complicated but, no worries, as he presents it sensibly so that it's easy to understand and follow. I could feel a notable deal of love, reverence, and enthusiasm in the pages, and, besides the curious and interesting story, that fact kept me eagerly flipping pages to see how it all ended up.

I was impressed with the way the branching storylines weaved together, culminating in a climax that felt both small and epic at the same time.

There was no tripping over superfluous details of the environment that just serve as page filler, and for that I am ever thankful.

If I had one tiny gripe, it's that I thought some of the conversations felt inorganic and thought, "who talks like that?" in certain parts. Not a big deal, though.

So, in summary, I recommend this on the basis that I felt as if it was a tale inspired and drawn lovingly out of many of the fantasy movies and books I grew up watching and reading. Give it a shot.


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Dreams and Shadows A Novel C Robert Cargill 9780062190420 Books Reviews

I have mixed feelings about this book. The opening chapters that introduce the characters and begin the world building were excellent. I was hooked and wanted to read more, so I read more and more, hoping for some of that early wonder to return. I finished the book feeling like I'd been conned. The opening chapters are good because you feel like you are reading a YA book or even a children's book that, with a knowing wink, is narrating a story for adults. But, that quickly fades and the book turns into a horror story with some gruesome scenes, lots of violence and swearing. That alone would not be a problem if the characters had hooked me, but the adult version of the kids we meet early in the book are not interesting in the least. The character that I can only assume from the ending is the main character of the story did not seem to be the main character until rather late in the book. So, I was left feeling conned and confused. The writer is talented and I hope he manages to avoid some of the same mistakes in the follow up.
While this story begins with the tale of two boys - this is definitely an novel geared towards adults. The first part of the story tells the history of Ewan, Knocks, and Colby. It all begins in the fairy courts - and eventually it seems to end there as well. The story is full of new legends and lore that are based in some of the traditional faerie legends that I have read in the past. It is at the same time both familiar and strange. This wonderful mix was what kept the book going for me. I loved the history and the interactions between the non-human folk. The downfall of this book was that even once I finished - I wasn't quite sure where the story was going. This is a series, so perhaps more will be "settled" in book two, but I was just confused as to what the point of it all was at the end of book one. It was also much more violent than I had expected - so if you like your violence behind closed doors and glossed over - this isn't for you. While it wasn't overly graphic, it was still quite descriptive and not my favorite. - See more at http//hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-dreams-and-shadows-dreams.html#sthash.EXwMm0qs.dpuf
In reading some of the other reviews, it seems that the major complaint about this work was the mixture of so many disparate mythologies and religions into something of a hodgepodge. I did not have a problem with the amount of diversity in Mr. Cargill's world, and I actually liked Colby more after reading this book. I read this book after its successor, Queen of the Dark Things, so I had a bit of background coming into this one. I might even suggest that others read them in the opposite order since this one fills in the blanks nicely.

As with Queen of the Dark Things, the world here reminds me of the Nightside series by Simon Green. I think there are many interesting classes of characters introduced in this work, so if you like a veritable menagerie of options, there are possibilities that you will be satisfied by future works that take place in this world. A few of the standalone characters are developed pretty well I did care about Colby and Ewan and had a definite dislike of Knocks. Most of the others were pretty one dimensional with the notable exception of Coyote.

My main critique is that, while entertaining, I found some of the early chapters -- for example, the whole section about the campers -- to be only tangentially related to the main story. I didn't do a page count, but it felt like a lot of investment in learning about characters and classes of supernatural, only to have the story abruptly change gears and jump back to the main thread, never to really return again (how was that for trying to not spoil what happens in that part?)

At any rate, for an initial work by this author and an introduction to a new world, I think it is a solid effort. The second work, is more polished and wanders less. I look forward to a third in the series to see where else this will go.
I'm an unabashed Cargill fan, but I have a low tolerance for books when they can't keep my attention. I'm just not the type of guy who can power through pages like some others. That's not to say that this book is anything like that---nah, this is good stuff. Cargill sets up a fantasy world that's plenty complicated but, no worries, as he presents it sensibly so that it's easy to understand and follow. I could feel a notable deal of love, reverence, and enthusiasm in the pages, and, besides the curious and interesting story, that fact kept me eagerly flipping pages to see how it all ended up.

I was impressed with the way the branching storylines weaved together, culminating in a climax that felt both small and epic at the same time.

There was no tripping over superfluous details of the environment that just serve as page filler, and for that I am ever thankful.

If I had one tiny gripe, it's that I thought some of the conversations felt inorganic and thought, "who talks like that?" in certain parts. Not a big deal, though.

So, in summary, I recommend this on the basis that I felt as if it was a tale inspired and drawn lovingly out of many of the fantasy movies and books I grew up watching and reading. Give it a shot.