Delphine by Richard Sala

It had to happen. I had to run across something I didn't like. Well, here you go.

I'm not sure what I'm missing. This got a lot of 5 star reviews on Goodreads, but I don't see why. It's supposed to be influenced by fairy tales. I have probably mentioned here before that I love mythology and folklore. There's no reason I shouldn't like this. Except I don't. Here's why.

I have been spoiled, perhaps, by the slicker art of the other series I've read. This is very sparse. It's all sepia-tones and some whole pages go by without dialogue. It seems to operate on two levels, one with what is currently happening and one with either the traveler remembering what happened with Delphine or imagining what will happen.

I feel that the Goodreads plot summary is really deceptive. They describe it as a retelling of Snow White from Prince Charming's perspective. Well, there is a point where Delphine is sleeping. God knows, if a girl is asleep it must be a reference to Snow White. They call some people witches, but all they do is beat the traveler up. Things get weird; he gets lost in a freak show of a house. Delphine, for all he seems to love her, is kind of a bitch too. Why Prince Charming would want to be with her I have no idea. But then I think that in real life too.

Worst of all, this just had zero plot. Yeah, there's the whole thing where he's trying to find her, but you can't tell if he actually finds her or not. You do see him with the sleeping Delphine, but is that in the real storyline or the imaginary one? And then...nothing happens. He loses an eye. I guess that's something. But who cares? She's bitch, he's a sap. I need to care about the character to enjoy a book and there was just nothing to care about. I'm not sure what the other people were reading, but it had to be something other than what I did.

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