RFAK No. 1: Crossings, by Sarah Johnson

Written August 3, 2017.

Questions about Sarah Johnson’s Crossings:

1.      What are the gifts the Peltens have, and why is their used frowned on? I gather some used the gifts to control/mesmerize others, so I can see that. But it’s not really explained in the book.

2.      The characters are generally pretty flat. Eliinka’s parents are dead and she misses them. We don’t get to know them even in flashback. Sure, I’d miss my parents if they both died of the plague, but I’d share a few memories, aside from mentioning her mother helped her in music. That’s about all we get.

3.      We get a little inking into Zerin’s story, he was betrothed before. But we get to hear that much, and then, poof, he’s dead.

4.      Eliinka has one stress characteristic that’s repeated throughout the book – she digs her fingers into her palms. Over and over and over and over and over again. Once she squeezed so hard she cut herself and I almost stroked out because she did something different.

5.      Eliinka’s religion is central to her character – but like the gifts, it’s barely explained.

6.      Too much juice. Way too much juice.

7.      This is just a nit – but there’s some “modern” phraseology that slips into the book. I’ll have to look for examples. It just sounded off to my ears.

Positives about Sarah Johnson’s Crossings:

1.      The plot moves along rapidly, with good action from the main characters.

2.      There is good distinction between the Pelten and Virun cultures.

3.      Jereni has a good pulp heroine feeling about her, though she’s not just a body to be goggled at.

4.      Good evolution of Eliinka’s thoughts about her own culture versus the Verun, she sees both the good and the bad in both, whereas beforehand she was ignorant of both good and bad in both cultures, aside from rumor and hearsay.

5.      Ladies, be prepared for women to take the lead in this adventure. Men are all in the background.