Charming the Moon: Good Criticism

Today, I'm terribly excited because my little novella, Charming the Moon was reviewed by Jeff Chapman!

I stumbled across his review on Goodreads, which led me in turn to his wonderful blog review and which he generously left on Amazon.  A snippet: 

"Snyder tells her tales with a serious tone befitting mythic lore but also mixes in comedy. The "battle" scene between Brigglekin and the other dwarves approaches slapstick. It is difficult at times to follow who some of the characters are since the reader is dropped into stories without having the full context. Readers of J.R.R. Tolkien's Silmarillion will know what I mean. Of the two tales, I found the longer story about Brigglekin the most rewarding. Brigglekin faces internal and external conflicts and must step beyond his comfort zone to resolve them. Snyder introduces a rich world in these tales and I am looking forward to a longer sojourn in Niamh and the Hermit."

This is an example of how a good critic can help an author see her own strengths and weaknesses.  While I much appreciate the reference to the Silmarillion, I also appreciate its inherit criticism - and thoroughly agree that these stories presuppose either that the audience will 1) just go with it or 2) have read Niamh.  (I also agree that Brigglekin is my favorite of the two, although my sister and several others would disagree.)

What's the best criticism you ever received?  What's the worst?  How do you deal with reviews of your work?  Sound off in the comments below!

And if you've read any of my work, please do consider leaving a review on either Goodreads or Amazon or your own blog!  Let me know if you have, and I'll make sure I list it here!