The Troupe

Reading some of the reviews here I really thought I was in for an experience with this book. The writing isn't bad but the story just lacked something intangible. I believe that the author tried to just touch upon the magical elements enough to intrigue the reader and leave him curious and wanting more. But how many times can you really use that trick until it gets old?

He does a good job of describing bizarre magical events, and the characters are fairly well developed...but it isn't enough to push this book into the 'good' or 'great' category. There is also this idea of the "song" which is never really explained fully and leaves the reader unsure of its nature, which the author takes full advantage of by having the story shift this way and that. First, when the song is sung it keeps the evil wolves at bay...then later it has absolutely no effect on the wolves. They sing the song repeatedly for effect, but then we are lead to believe that once it is sung and 'let out' it is gone...so which is it? This is not explained. In other words, they sing it repeatedly then at the end we are told the character is struggling to hold it in lest it get let out and then its gone. If the whole book is centered around something, the nature of that something should be consistent. Otherwise the story is just shiftless and has no meaning.