The Master of Heathcrest Hall by Galen Beckett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I’m trying really hard to decide whether or not I hated how easily all of the happily-ever-afters came.
I mean, they were all plausible enough. I suppose. But I generally am distrustful of authors who make every single element end the way I wanted them to end. This probably comes of reading George R. R. Martin and having my heart in my throat as I turn each page for fear someone I like has been murdered.
I don’t know, but I’m so glad Ivy and Rafferdy ended up together because he was my favorite character in the whole series, even though I had to read the word “punch” so many times I no longer care for it because of him.
My inner ship-fangirl is pleased, but my lit major critic is wondering how successful Beckett was, exactly, with his whole experiment. The “mystical reasons” men dominated women were NEVER argued. It was just kind of like, women are witches and magicians are aliens. There is no establishment for an argument. It begs the question.
Also, the list of things that went unexplained was far longer than the list of things that were. Such as, what exactly is a White Thorn, what can she do, and why does she have to be female?
Siltheri are men born of witches, but if they can be illusionists why couldn’t witches be too? Are there any homosexuals in this world who aren’t men with witch blood? I don’t think that was a particularly effective means of explaining the gay away. Especially because I don’t see how being a witch’s son would make you gay everysingletime.
I enjoyed the book, but really think it could have been better.