Unfinished Review #1- The Fifth Vertex by Kevin Hoffman

*Goodreads Page*
*NetGalley Page*- I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.

 

 Goodreads synopsis-  Urus Noellor--a boy born deaf who is about to be publicly branded as a burden, incapable of being the warrior his people demand--stands upon a rooftop, poised to throw himself over the edge. His failed attempt at suicide unlocks within him a long-dormant form of magic thought to have died out thousands of years before, a power that may be the key to saving the world from an equally ancient enemy.

Urus and his companions--Goodwyn, the greatest warrior in Kest, and Cailix, a mysterious orphan--must find a way to stop a powerful group of sorcerers from destroying the five long-hidden vertices that ward the world against threats from beyond, while fighting off threats from within. They soon learn that the scope of the coming danger may be more dire than any of them could have imagined. As the battle for the vertices spreads to the neighboring realms, Goodwyn must face the realities of war and death; Cailix discovers a devastating truth that could change everything; and Urus discovers his uncanny gifts and courage as he peels away clues to his true identity. But even as Urus gains the power he has always craved, he experiences it all in profound, lonely silence.

I feel awful, guys. Really, really awful. This book has AMAZING reviews on Goodreads, and I was really looking forward to it because the synopsis sounded awesome, but it ended up falling flat, and I just can't finish it.

This book started out great-- a deaf protagonist named Urus, about to be marked as an outcast, standing upon the roof of his home, ready to jump to his death, only to end up landing unharmed,- in fact, smashing the cobblestones beneath him with the impact of his fall-with blue light sizzling out of his fingers. Urus looks up and sees his uncle standing in the shadows and knows he's in trouble, and begins the trek back up to his rooms for what he knows will be a harsh discussion with his uncle.

In retrospect, this is where things got a little... sketchy. Personally, if I jumped from a building to what I assumed would be to my death, and wound up walking away with not even so much as a scratch, and blue light flying out of my fingers, I'd be a little more concerned and a little less inclined to worry about what my uncle is going to say about my trying to kill myself. Also, once we do get to the discussion with the uncle, it seems unreal, almost forced. I don't know. I just felt like it was all a little off.

Anyway, as for the rest of the book that I managed to read, I was slightly annoyed by a few gaping plot holes in some of the stories. There were some things that just didn't seem to add up, and some information that I think the author meant to tell us, but didn't, and then would later put into the dialogue as if it was common knowledge (which it wasn't. Unless I just blacked out some of stuff. It's a possibility...)

Also, another thing that bothered me was the speed at which the story accelerated. I know that really weird, but things just felt like they kept moving too fast. It was like boom, boom, boom big even here, big event there. It kind of gave me whiplash. 

I really do feel awful for not liking this book. It has some serious potential. I think if the author just goes back through, irons some things out, clears up a few other things, this book will be spectacular.

  

I really hate not finishing books, but obviously, if a book just isn't clicking for you, it's best to move on. Which is what I'm going to have to do with this book. I have a pile of other books that need to be read, and trying to slog through this book is keeping me from books that I really will enjoy. Who knows, maybe one day I'll pick this book up again and fall in love with it. Right now though, I have to set it aside and move on.

Until next time,

xox