[Book Review] Chivalrous
Chivalrous (Valiant Hearts #2) / Dina L. Sleiman (Powell's Books)
Born female means no matter how much she wishes to be a knight, Gwendolyn Barnes is expected to become a wife and a mother, hopefully to the political benefit of her parents. When the plans of her domineering father to wed her to a brutish man come to light, Gwendolyn must fight for herself or utterly surrender. In her struggle she finds an unexpected ally in a handsome newcomer, a man seeking his place in the world and instead finds Gwendolyn.
I couldn't hold an interest in this book. It's not necessarily poorly written, though it could use a little polishing for less of a "checking off the plot points" feeling. It just utterly failed to compel or engage me in any way.
I may also be the wrong audience for this. It's supposedly Young Adult, but had more of a Middle Reader feel. I can see someone 8 to 10 really liking this book.
It may also be worth noting that this is Christian fiction, something I was completely unaware of when I requested it. This is my fault, I didn't read the publisher description beforehand, which clearly states that religious fiction is their thing:
Advanced Reader Copy copy courtesy of Bethany House via NetGalley; differences may exist between uncorrected galley text and the final edition.
Born female means no matter how much she wishes to be a knight, Gwendolyn Barnes is expected to become a wife and a mother, hopefully to the political benefit of her parents. When the plans of her domineering father to wed her to a brutish man come to light, Gwendolyn must fight for herself or utterly surrender. In her struggle she finds an unexpected ally in a handsome newcomer, a man seeking his place in the world and instead finds Gwendolyn.I couldn't hold an interest in this book. It's not necessarily poorly written, though it could use a little polishing for less of a "checking off the plot points" feeling. It just utterly failed to compel or engage me in any way.
I may also be the wrong audience for this. It's supposedly Young Adult, but had more of a Middle Reader feel. I can see someone 8 to 10 really liking this book.
It may also be worth noting that this is Christian fiction, something I was completely unaware of when I requested it. This is my fault, I didn't read the publisher description beforehand, which clearly states that religious fiction is their thing:
"Recognized as the industry leader in inspirational fiction, we publish many of the top names in historical and contemporary romance, Amish and Mennonite fiction, romantic suspense, and many other fiction subgenres. Our nonfiction encompasses a variety of subjects, including Christian living, family resources, theology, heaven, and many more."Generally Christian fiction fails to interest me, but I can honestly say that the book lost my interest in the early chapters before faith even really enters the picture (besides the introduction). So it really wasn't the religious/"inspirational" aspect of the story that disengaged me from the book. However, this might be something that elevates the read to someone else.
Advanced Reader Copy copy courtesy of Bethany House via NetGalley; differences may exist between uncorrected galley text and the final edition.
Comments
Post a Comment