Book Review: Her Latent Charm by Dana C. Brentson

Fantasy is my favorite genre to read.

That seems like such a simple statement, right? But with the multitude of sub-genres under the fantasy umbrella, sometimes I come across a book that just isn’t my jam.
I wanted to like this book so badly. The premise of the story is awesome, and that is probably what kept me turning pages to finish the story without putting it down.
I have a very proficient mind’s eye (read vivid inner movies) when I read, so evocative writing, fine details, and lyrical prose are a must for me to love a book.

But…
Prose for the sake of itself can miss the mark. A wise author (Mark Twain, love him or hate him) once said, “Don’t use a 5-dollar word when a 50-cent word will do.” Sometimes there are too many words trying to paint the picture and instead of a masterpiece, my mind becomes a mess.

Having said all that, my initial impression of Her Latent Charm was complicated. Our POV character, Lila, has a gift that she doesn’t understand and cannot seem to control. This is a challenge for the crew and ship she calls home because they are always trying to keep her safe.

The set-up grabbed my attention, but then several characters are introduced rapid fire (which I don’t mind) but we barely learn their name before another is introduced. I found this hard to follow.

It is easy to see that Brentson has worked hard to create a rich world for this story and as the story goes on we do seem to go deeper into the key character’s back stories within this world. As a reader, feeling like I am immersed in the world from the start is critical to holding my interest.

The pacing of this book is what I struggled with most, as is the reason for my 3-star rating. If you love a story that has a slower pace, then this might be a great book for you. For me, however, I found the middle slow and didn’t get to a point where I needed to keep reading until about the last quarter of the book.

Now, if you are the type of person that hates cliffhangers, you will like this book. Each chapter has a tidy end and a clear beginning. For me, I crave the cliffhanger at the end of each chapter. I don’t want the character to just go to sleep at the end of each chapter and wake up each morning. I want to hold my breath from chapter to chapter. I want the story to give me no other choice but to start another chapter.

Overall, this is a great story with likable characters set in an interesting world. It just wasn’t my jam. But it could be yours, so you should totally read it.