Let me begin by saying that I majored in English in college and taught junior high Language Arts for many years. I'm very aware of grammatical errors, so perhaps things that bother me as a reader might not bother other people. That being said, I had a difficult time getting through this book, especially the first half or so.
The writing style frustrated me, because I was taught that writers should use the same tense throughout a paragraph, essay or book. However, in "Fire in the Heart," the author has a tendency to keep switching back and forth between past and present tense, which was very distracting for me. For example:
"In misty veils the salty spray moved along the narrow cobbled streets of the small village and shivering, she pulled her jacket tighter around her body. (past tense) It may be a stormy night ahead she decides as the wind seems to be fiercer than usual and the sky is filled with ominous thunderheads. (present tense) Rianna is used to the weather, which is often wild and bitterly cold, (present tense) having lived here all her life, but she did not wish to be caught in a storm. (past tense)
and......
"In the marketplace they could see see some country farmers and many strangers milling around the stalls, looking at, tinkering, and purchasing the goods for sale. Most of them talked in groups, either comparing their purchases, or gossiping. Simple country couples in practical dark gowns and rough work clothes mixed with young girls running around giggling, in pretty dresses, or wearing skirts with cotton blouses, and short waistcoats. (past tense) There are even serious looking business men to be seen, in straight legged pants, long black jackets and tall dark hats. Some are holding black canes as they walked, indeed a rare sight to see here. (present tense) Scottish pipers waited there looking very grand....." ( past tense)
This starts in chapter one and continues throughout quite a bit of the book. I'm surprised that no one (editor for the publisher maybe?) caught this before the book was printed. I was getting so frustrated that there were several times I almost decided to put it down and start reading something else. I stuck it out, though, and I will say that later, the tense changes weren't quite as numerous so I was able to focus more on plot.
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