1) The author begins with a third-person narrator who is at a distance from the protagonist and her situation. The short prologue goes right into the first chapter…which is from the first-person perspective of the protagonist. I love the effect of this technique; the author starts at a distance and zooms in, just like the famous first shot of Psycho.
2) I love the descriptions and the metaphors she uses. Pompeii is a particular fascination of mine; while I’m not an expert in geology, I wonder about the accuracy of the time frame of the explosion. On the other hand…this is a time travel fantasy book about magic and stuff. So the proper thing to do is to just enjoy the music made by the sentences.
3) Every story needs BIG STAKES. I love that the book begins with the instant destruction of an entire city in which everyone was burned alive where they stood. The ash cloud engulfed entire hemispheres. And it’s all because of the protagonist. Makes me want to know what happens next!
Check out the author’s web site and buy her book!
