![]() Still, I cringed: this is a cover made for the e-reader. Except that too many book-world friends read and enjoyed it, so I thought it was worth a try. (That's right, I went there even after my little speech about objectifying women-hypocrisy, thy name is Amanda.)Ĭross posted at This Insignificant Cinder Pay your $10, try not to look at it too hard, and you might have a relatively good time. Still, it bothered me a bit that so many other noir tropes were dodged, but this was the one that was adhered to.Įssentially, this book is like a cheap and ugly hooker. While I didn't particularly like the objectified female characters, such is the territory with a noir-esque novel and there's nothing here that suggests Alex Bledsoe harbors misogynistic tendencies instead, he's just tipping his hat to one of the defining characteristics of the genre. I won't say much regarding this since I don't want to ruin anything, but a locked room can have so much potential for an unexpected twist that The Sword-Edged Blonde never capitalizes on. Ineffective use of the locked room mystery presented as the crux for the case. He occasionally ruminates on his past woes, but then snaps back to the present and soldiers on. The only real nod to noir is that he has a suitably tragic past, but it doesn't seem to have shaped his character in any significant way. But LaCrosse is basically just a good guy who wanders around while clues smack him in the face. I expected a world-weary, wise-cracking antihero (maybe a character like Ash from Army of Darkness). The protagonist, Eddie LaCrosse, is a bland character. Or maybe a spork blonde, kind of confused and essentially useless. The reality is that she's more of a butter-knife-edged blonde. Sure, there's a blonde, but nothing about her is particularly "sword-edged." She's basically clueless and pouty. Is he being sneaky-sneaky, trying to catch our hero off-guard, or has he simply got his back, bro? You know what-doesn't matter because this character and this scene never appears in the novel, at least not in any recognizable form. It appears as though a giant troll king will manifest somewhere in the novel, and it's difficult to tell if he will be friend or foe based upon the back-to-back stance with the protagonist. And wtf it has to do with the novel, I have no idea. Even by the artistically lacking and inept standards of mass market paperback sci fi/fantasy covers, that is one fugly cover. While I enjoyed the book as a light, quick read, I could have loved it if it weren't for a few peeves: This is a bit of fun and forgettable reading, perfect for vacation but little else. The Sword-Edged Blonde is the snappy title for this noir/fantasy mash-up that's light on the noir, easy on the fantasy, and not as snappy as I wanted it to be. Having spent years trying to outrun his past, LaCrosse begrudgingly returns home and is forced to confront his demons while trying to unravel the mystery of whether or not the beautiful blonde bombshell actually killed her own son. His only hope? Eddie LaCrosse, the tough as nails sword-for-hire investigator and the king's childhood friend. ![]() King Philip desperately believes in his wife's innocence, despite all evidence to the contrary. In the medieval kingdom of Arentia, Queen Rhiannon has been charged with a particularly horrific case of infanticide.
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