Very unique but not my favorite
This fell a bit short for me. I love the concept of an Arthurian legend and a retelling of Vivien but I just didn’t connect with the characters or the writing.
That being said, the world building and the lore was very impressive and rich. I was quite amazed by the wealth and depth of knowledge that the author has about his subject matter.
Vivien felt a bit too idealized - so beautiful, so kind, so smart, so guileless. I personally didn’t get the “strong woman” vibes that I think the book was aiming for.
The writing style was a bit off for me. I think plenty of readers will enjoy it but for me it felt a tad too flowery and made it harder for me to be immersed in the story.
Lastly, I know the art in this book is really appealing, but I think these are AI generated images. And I think making any kind of profit from AI art is dubious. There is no additionally information online or in the book about the person who is credited for the images.
The faces in the paintings are hyper realistic yet there are serious substantive mistakes and inconsistencies. For example, in one image of Vivien looking out a window, the lighting doesn’t make sense: there is a shadow cast on her chest from the window. But the shadow is from modern window blinds while the window itself is rectangular panes and there are no actual blinds on the window.
Having said that, I absolutely loved seeing the photographs taken by the author. I think that was such a unique and interesting addition to the story and really enriched the reading experience.
All in all, I think this is a really special book and although it wasn’t a favorite for me, it was super unique and definitely worth checking out.
That being said, the world building and the lore was very impressive and rich. I was quite amazed by the wealth and depth of knowledge that the author has about his subject matter.
Vivien felt a bit too idealized - so beautiful, so kind, so smart, so guileless. I personally didn’t get the “strong woman” vibes that I think the book was aiming for.
The writing style was a bit off for me. I think plenty of readers will enjoy it but for me it felt a tad too flowery and made it harder for me to be immersed in the story.
Lastly, I know the art in this book is really appealing, but I think these are AI generated images. And I think making any kind of profit from AI art is dubious. There is no additionally information online or in the book about the person who is credited for the images.
The faces in the paintings are hyper realistic yet there are serious substantive mistakes and inconsistencies. For example, in one image of Vivien looking out a window, the lighting doesn’t make sense: there is a shadow cast on her chest from the window. But the shadow is from modern window blinds while the window itself is rectangular panes and there are no actual blinds on the window.
Having said that, I absolutely loved seeing the photographs taken by the author. I think that was such a unique and interesting addition to the story and really enriched the reading experience.
All in all, I think this is a really special book and although it wasn’t a favorite for me, it was super unique and definitely worth checking out.