Rating: 
Summary: Not quite on the level of Archangel, but good nonetheless.
Review: A suspenseful murder mystery/lovestory. Shinn has created yet another masterpiece. While not quite as good as any of the books in the Samaria trilogy, this book has its share of qualities that should delight anyone who is a fan of Shinn's work. I have found all of her books a great read and always tough to put down once I start reading. Ms. Shinn cannot write books fast enough for me. As soon as I finish one I want to read another. Definitely one of today's great authors. Deserves much more appreciation and fanfare than she gets.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After reading ARCHANGEL, JOVAH'S ANGEL and THE ALLELUIA FILES I was very disappointed with WRAPT IN CRYSTAL. I found it predictable and the physical relationship gratuitous. This is not a Shinn book I would recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: After reading ARCHANGEL, JOVAH'S ANGEL and THE ALLELUIA FILES I was very disappointed with WRAPT IN CRYSTAL. I found it predictable and the physical relationship gratuitous. This is not a Shinn book I would recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful Thriller
Review: Combines an emotionally scarred interstellar detective's search for a serial killer with a fascinating look at a peaceful desert culture that embraces a female deity. Shinn's usual first-rate work.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Shinn's Best Work
Review: Having read most of Sharon Shinn's novels, and loved them all, (I started with the Samaria trilogy)I have to say this was a bit of a dissapoitment. It was much more boring than her other novels, and I found myself struggling to get through it. It only picked up towards the end, and that's when I ended up staying up half the night to finish it. If you are looking for a good Shinn novel, I would suggest the Samaria trilogy, rather than reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable, but it kept my attention...
Review: Honestly, this book was pretty predictable. But the characters were likable, and the story kept me interested. Much as I was sure I knew what was going to happen, I was compelled to keep reading. I'm not in a rush to see a sequel, but I will probably read this book again.
Rating:
Summary: This one disappointed me, too.
Review: I haven't read the Archangel series yet, which sounds good, but I did really like her novel Summers At Castle Auburn. Which makes this novel all the more disappointing. It lacked the tight pacing and humor and vibrant characters of that novel. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that the futuristic setting was anachronistic and bland. The male lead and the female characters were stereotypes: he was a taciturn action hero and they were damsels in distress. Then he had to go and fall in love with the one who was far less interesting! I just didn't like any of these characters or feel any real internal conflict propelling them through the story, and that's usually what I need to get through endless chapters, like in this novel, where not a lot happens other than theological debate. Comptently written, but sure was easy to put down after each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: This one disappointed me, too.
Review: I haven't read the Archangel series yet, which sounds good, but I did really like her novel Summers At Castle Auburn. Which makes this novel all the more disappointing. It lacked the tight pacing and humor and vibrant characters of that novel. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that the futuristic setting was anachronistic and bland. The male lead and the female characters were stereotypes: he was a taciturn action hero and they were damsels in distress. Then he had to go and fall in love with the one who was far less interesting! I just didn't like any of these characters or feel any real internal conflict propelling them through the story, and that's usually what I need to get through endless chapters, like in this novel, where not a lot happens other than theological debate. Comptently written, but sure was easy to put down after each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Melodrama and Unbelievably Beautiful Women
Review: I loved The Shapechanger's Wife. I loved the Samaria Trilogy (except for the plethora of "riotous curls").I could not stand Wrapt in Crystal. The world was minorly interesting, but the religious beliefs did not have the fullness and richness that marks the beliefs of any religion I've encountered before. (...Dogmatic people tend to be dogmatic about more than one thing...) Also...the characters.
Her male hero is completely unbelievable. He's supposed to be macho, but the guy waxes poetic about pretty scenery, children, etc., etc. Split personality. As with some of the other readers, the mystery was not something to carry me. Nobody that I cared about was murdered. Until the end, no part of the mystery provided tension. In fact, the "lead" that the hero follows seemed rather weak throughout. And if I read one more word about flowing, golden, riotous, silken hair... Is this worth my meager tuppence? Is it worth spending on a book rather than upon dinner for a few days?
Rating:
Summary: Melodrama and Unbelievably Beautiful Women
Review: I loved The Shapechanger's Wife. I loved the Samaria Trilogy (except for the plethora of "riotous curls"). I could not stand Wrapt in Crystal. The world was minorly interesting, but the religious beliefs did not have the fullness and richness that marks the beliefs of any religion I've encountered before. (...Dogmatic people tend to be dogmatic about more than one thing...) Also...the characters.
Her male hero is completely unbelievable. He's supposed to be macho, but the guy waxes poetic about pretty scenery, children, etc., etc. Split personality. As with some of the other readers, the mystery was not something to carry me. Nobody that I cared about was murdered. Until the end, no part of the mystery provided tension. In fact, the "lead" that the hero follows seemed rather weak throughout. And if I read one more word about flowing, golden, riotous, silken hair... Is this worth my meager tuppence? Is it worth spending on a book rather than upon dinner for a few days?
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