Vera Nazarian

It's hard to find a fantasy novel with a unique and fresh premise, so you can imagine how happy I was when I found Cobweb Bride. I found the plot gripping and interesting because it hadn't been done before (to the best of my knowledge, anyway). The characters were well written, and while the plot slowed down somewhat at times, it definitely kept my interest throughout. I loved the ending, as well, which set book 2 up nicely, and I can't wait to read that one to find out where the story goes.

5/5 stars.… (mehr)

This is my review from my blog:

I heard about Cobweb Bride a few months ago, somewhere, and thought the concept was fascinating; one day all death stops. While not exactly new, the idea of it being Medieval times in a made up portion of the world seemed to fascinate me. I wanted to explore this world.

Explore I did, and am so glad! I felt connected to the characters and the world. There was gore but it was just right and described well enough to picture but not too deeply as to disgust (this is in reference to a battle at the beginning, after death stopped, and people were still fighting and 'dying', the book is not totally gross). The second and third chapters were a bit laborious to get through. Ms. Nazarian threw a lot of characters at me very quickly during an Imperial birthday party. I muddled through and it was worth it. Everything picks up around chapter 5 and while I know that seems like a long time, there are some very important things that happen in the beginning. The beginning pace can be slow but Ms. Nazarian has a way of painting a picture vividly (without too much description) that keeps the interest.

While it was constantly mentioned that the Cobweb Bride had to be found and all death had stopped, I didn't feel that as an annoyance. It reminded me that everyone was a bit frantic and something needed to be done so that death could continue. There is a rather gruesome moment when something important is revealed about the food supply (although none of the characters seem to get it right away), and that became a worry for me as I had become invested in these characters. The changes in Percy made me happy because I felt so damn sorry for her home life situation. She's really the main character but there are many others to follow and care for as well. It's really like a theatrical play.

By the end, and a major plot point is revealed, I was very surprised at the outcome. It was one of those 'I didn't see that coming' situations. If you like sword fights, witches, handsome knights, damsels not-so-much in distress, and Death as a Spaniard, Cobweb Bride is worth every penny.… (mehr)