Cav's Place

I like books, but it’s really rare that I’m awed by one, yet this managed that. Authors that try to create original fantasy worlds, with new or at least highly uncommon creatures and systems, also tend to make me raise my eyebrows and think twice, because all too often people struggle to just make something different and forget about making it actually good, but this one is once again an exception, creating a rather unusual world and being brilliant at the same time. And the names of the good characters can still make me snicker when I remember them, long after finishing the book.
There is something to be said about the ending, which features unnecessary scenes but remains forced even with them, and those who are bothered by “perfect” characters will find reasons to complain throughout, yet there’s simply too much done exactly right in here for a few perhaps questionable decisions the author made about a few elements to mar the overall impression. So just read it, all right?

Rating: 5/5

Note: This is the updated version of this quick review. The initial one was posted on June 26, 2006, with a rating of 10/10.