This
past week I’ve read two new books which in and of itself is unusual since I don’t
get as much time as I’d like to read.
The
first book I read was Tamora Pierce’s recently released Tempests and Slaughter which is set in the lands of Tortall but
unlike all her other Tortall books, the leading character is a male. The
subtitle for this book is The Numair
Chronicles. The lead hero is Arram Draper who latter (not in this book)
changes his name to Numair.
I
am so thrilled to be able to read his backstory and I was, just a bit, disappointed,
that I didn’t learn how or why he left Carthak and changed his name. I cannot
wait until the next instalment, The
Exiles Gift, comes out so I can learn the rest of his story.
One
thing I did learn about Tamora Pierce’s writing is she knows how to handle the
delicate matters of going through puberty in telling a story. I’ve seen it in
how she told both Alanna’s and Kel’s stories and I see it here. I sort of wish
I’d had this book when my boys were tweeners. It would have helped me discuss
their changing body with them. I’m going to recommend my daughters read this
before they have sons going through that phase of life.
The
second book I read was a romance. I saw on Goodreads that my eldest daughter
was reading so I checked it out. It was free on Kindle so why not?
The
story line was actually very interesting and held my interest but within just a
few chapters I learned something.
I
got an excellent illustration of what a plot hole is and how it can pull the
reader right out of the story.
You
see in this lovely story the author went into some detail describing the heroine’s
rattle trap car as she’s parking outside the hero office building just before
they are to meet for the first time. Within minutes of them meeting, he drags
her off in his car (there are reasons for this) and then much later that day
returns her.
Here is where the plot hole is.
Now
I understand why the author has the hero return the heroine to her home, NOT
his office. She needed him to know where the heroine lived for the
next scene and the most logical way was for him to take her home. In fact, if
he’d just taken her to her car he would not have known her address or phone
number and therefore he would have had difficulty getting in touch with her in
the next scene. So I understand why he took her home but she never once
addressed the heroine’s car. And she only shows the heroine returning to that
office building one other time, over two weeks later.
Through
the rest of the story the heroine’s car is never mentioned again. Not once.
I
read the whole story wondering what happened to it.
If
she had never mentioned the heroine’s car I wouldn’t have given it a second
thought. But that wasn’t the case and now I’m left wondering who stole the girl’s
car and why didn’t she report it to the police?
I’ve
heard of plot holes before. I understand I’ve got at least one in one of my
stories that I’m currently working on, but I’d never seen one so obvious and
glaring as this one.
Anyway,
if you are into fantasy you really should pick up a book by Tamora Pierce.
Smile.
Make the day a brighter day.
