The Paper Gardens

I've been meaning to read [b:The Assassin's Curse|13533650|The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse, #1)|Cassandra Rose Clarke|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335967954s/13533650.jpg|18229805], but haven't gotten around to it just yet. I needed a good break after reading [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1369520317s/13496.jpg|1466917], though, and saw that I had this book sitting around. I decided I'd read this as a sort of taste-test to see whether or not I should put more effort into finding The Assassin's Curse.

The answer is yes.

The Wizard's Promise is a kind-of sort-of sequel, set in the same world as the Assassin's Curse duology. There was a bunch of world-building in this book, and key terms were explained, so you don't have to have read the first duology to appreciate The Wizard's Promise. I'd imagine that there's more to enjoy in there for someone who has read the first series, though.

I loved the world-building in this book. The atmosphere of the story was great, especially towards the end of the story. The masked procession - both the introduction and the twist - was just so creepy and so wonderfully established. The bit with the twisted procession was definitely my favorite part of the story.

The plot is a tad bit slow, with most of the action happening at the beginning and the end, with a gaping hole in the middle where nothing much happened, as far as plot progression goes. Hanna gets a job fishing and starts trying to save up money to make her way home. That's really all that happens for a good stretch of time.

I didn't really mind the slow pacing. Sure, there were times where I wished something would happen, but in general, there was so many things being described that I was never bored.

There's a downside to me choosing to read this now, of course. The publisher, Strange Chemistry, went out of business, so I have no idea when, or if to expect the second book.

Ah, well. I've got the first series to read, I suppose.