First, let me be clear, I did not finish the book Last First Snow by Max Gladstone, so
this isn’t a true review. Some people strongly believe that if you don’t finish
a book, you should not comment on it at a blog like mine. Well, I disagree,
because I think that sharing reasons why I don’t finish a book are just as
valid as sharing the reasons why I finish reading and enjoy (or not) books. And
let me be further clear that I believe a lot of why I didn’t finish this book
comes down to the old standard excuse – ‘it’s not you, it’s me’. So, you have
been warned.
I have heard many good things about the books that Max Gladstone
writes in the Craft Sequence, so
many that I’ve been waiting for a good place to jump in. It is my understanding
that they are all written to be stand-alone books in a related sequence and that Last First Snow is ‘first’ in the sense
of timeline. So, I thought it would be good entry point.
This is a book that I should like and I genuinely feel that the
concept at its core is brilliant. The book and the world combine social activism
of the real world with a fantasy world full of Aztec-inspired deities and
monsters. This is the story of a fantasy protest movement. It’s the story of
magical lawyers and big city mayors who are undead skeletons. In short it’s
full of a lot cool, unusual stuff with real depth and relevance to our own
world.
But, I didn’t finish this book, and that is something that is
pretty rare for me. Was it too dense? No. Did I not connect with the
characters? No. So, then what is the problem? And further, I made it pretty far
before I actually stopped – page 228 of 380.
I think that it’s because it’s all too real. Last First Snow expertly describes and identifies with so many
social problems of our own world – in short, it works too well.
Part of why I read is for escape, especially at this point in my
life when I have so much going on and I simply don’t have the emotional depth
and strength to pile on any more. This book, as fantastic as it is, did not
prove to be that escape. It pretty well just reinforced a lot of the issues I need
to deal with. It realistically shows the conflict of one’s ideas with the
family they love and care for and have committed to. There are no good choices.
And it touches way too close to home for me. Also, all of my ‘senses’ kept
telling me that something really awful was about to happen, again, something
reflecting a real world all too close to my own.
All of this proved too much for me. I wasn’t enjoying reading, I
was dreading it. It was time to put the book aside. Will I come back to it?
Maybe…I hope so, but it’s hard for me to predict when. Most likely I’ll try
another book in the Craft Sequence
first, but again, it will probably be a while.
The Craft Sequence
Last First Snow (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
Three Parts Dead (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
Full Fathom Five (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon)
