Learn From Example

I read a new-to-me author this past weekend and loved the book enough to recommend it to my readers who enjoy dark urban fantasy.

The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu

As my Writing Process post today, I decided to catalogue what I think Ms. Liu did right:

*She opened with a killer sentence. Instantly grabbed my attention. I literally stopped and reread to make sure I had it right.

*She plunges the reader straight into action, with some veiled references to things that would be explained later. I enjoyed being able to get an instant sense of the stakes in the novel without being overburdened with details before I cared about the characters.

*Her first person POV pulled me into her m/c and never let me go.

*Ms. Liu's descriptions are haunting, dazzling, and gloriously mesmerizing by turns. I found myself rereading certain passages just to soak in the beauty of her world-building.

*The pace is quick enough to keep me turning the page. I was reluctant to put the book down, even for some much-needed sleep.

*Ms. Liu's imagination runs freely outside the boundaries of more conventional urban fantasy and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging on for the ride.


Were there things in the book that didn't wow me? Yes, a few. Some loose ends left dangling too long for my taste as a reader. Some conversations drawn out that still gave me too little information. Not enough time/exploration of the m/c's relationship with her love interest, although the bond between them is clearly portrayed.

Still, Ms. Liu delivered such a solid, fast-paced, imaginative, and beautifully rendered story that I soaked it in 'til the last page and am left itching to get to my library to check out the rest of her books.