Preordered this and was really looking forward but very much not for me; clearly is very much for an awful lot of people. I just stuck really badly onPreordered this and was really looking forward but very much not for me; clearly is very much for an awful lot of people. I just stuck really badly on a couple of aspects of the world building to the point where I couldn't go on, and in general it gave me more of an NA feel than I enjoy. An entirely YMMV DNF....more
I'm not entirely sure what I make of this. I love Martha Wells' writing: that goes without saying. Her descriptions are outstandingly vivid and she chI'm not entirely sure what I make of this. I love Martha Wells' writing: that goes without saying. Her descriptions are outstandingly vivid and she choreographs actions scenes remarkably. The world built here is huge, wide-ranging, and deeply conceived. It takes a while to get your head round, or it did me, in large part because of the back and forth structure of the book, which flicks between past and present throughout, but it is immensely well done. That structure was, I thought, really effective in conveying the great agony of Kai's life: that he lives among people whose lifespans are mayflies compared to his potential existence (he is a demon who can take over dead bodies, a marvellous idea well played out). I really liked how Kai's gender is essential within him, the soul, and not tied to the genitalia of the body he inhabits. Quite.
Lots to love. But I kind of...felt I was missing the part of the story I wanted. The flashback sequence is all about how Kai's people (humans and demons) are brutally attacked and subjugated, and how he forms an alliance with various people including Bashasa, a human political type, to rebel. We get to a point of success and then jump forward several decades, when things have started going wrong, at which point we learn that Bashasa was to become Kai's deep ally and friend and possibly lover, and they did a huge amount together in the way of rule, and now he's dead. And it just feels like there's a huge amount of Kai's story missing. Like, if this was a fantasy trilogy, we're omitting book two.
Martha Wells knows exactly what she's doing in the realm of fantasy, and she told this story this way on purpose. I get that. In a lot of ways this is a book about picking yourself up and going on. Kai's been the hero and saved the world and now he's got to do it all again and he's tired and unwilling to engage with life to the same extent as he used to be. I think perhaps it's a very post-pandemic book.
edit: apparently I lost my final paragraph, thank you GR, ever helpful.
It's a fascinating read and the plot kept me hooked over its sizeable length. I did want more emotional engagement, more emotional highs. But I think I understand why we don't get them, and why this is a book that focuses on aftermath, and carrying on....more
Second tremendous installment. This is fabulous stuff, with the compulsive readability of Patrick O'Brien's sea stories, plus magic, sea monsters, vilSecond tremendous installment. This is fabulous stuff, with the compulsive readability of Patrick O'Brien's sea stories, plus magic, sea monsters, villainy, mutiny, piracy, oppression, rebellion, loads of violence, and deep if understated love. Wonderfully vivid; bleak but never tipping over into grimdark. Hugely compelling. I can't wait for book 3. ...more
Second in this alt-African-set epic fantasy series, which I'm really enjoying. Exceedingly dense, and do not even think about starting at volume 2, itSecond in this alt-African-set epic fantasy series, which I'm really enjoying. Exceedingly dense, and do not even think about starting at volume 2, it took me a while to click into the story even having read the first. Great worldbuilding, and a really complex story with lots of strands and magic and politics, human and divine. Looking forward to the next, and a shout out to the covers department for these also. ...more
A hugely anticipated read for me, an epic fantasy set in an incredibly realised alt-Africa. The setting is amazing, hugely vivid, tackling issues likeA hugely anticipated read for me, an epic fantasy set in an incredibly realised alt-Africa. The setting is amazing, hugely vivid, tackling issues like colonisation, eco-disaster, caste, and colorism but from very different perspectives to the usual. (This is purely African, no Western elements exist.) The magic system is terrifically developed and really creepy, and the politics of the story really interesting.
I did struggle a bit with the characters, in that there's nobody to really root for. They range from out and out sociopath (tbh she was great) to varieties of selfishness and self-centredness, which is realistic but leaves me feeling a bit distanced. YMMV on that but I'm not a grimdark reader and it felt like it needed someone to be striving for something better to relieve the bleakness and violence, of which there was a lot. That plus the sheer amount of world building made this a bit of a slow starter, but once the plot kicked into gear it became a rip-roaring adventure. Will definitely need the next. Also, what a cover. ...more
Alt African epic fantasy with a brotherhood of assassins, kingdom made up of conquered nations, political/religious machinations etc.
I loved the worlAlt African epic fantasy with a brotherhood of assassins, kingdom made up of conquered nations, political/religious machinations etc.
I loved the world--it's really vivid and well drawn--but found the story really, really slow. Not even sure why since there's a lot happening. Possibly too much, there's four major plotlines and a *lot* of characters, but that might just be my pandemic brain making it hard to read book good. And after what felt like a very long reading experience, I really wanted a bit more of a resolution/defined place to stop than basically 'end of volume 1'. I don't read that much high fantasy so doubtless I'm out of step with norms of the genre, but I want a sense of an ending dammit! ...more
An epic fantasy romance with a setting so well developed it feels as strong as the characters. The author writes the world and magic of this series wiAn epic fantasy romance with a setting so well developed it feels as strong as the characters. The author writes the world and magic of this series with incredible confidence and depth--there's never a sense that what's on the page is all there is; we just know there's massive amounts of untold history and theology and past spooling out, unsaid. (Which is a very good thing. My least favourite thing is a fantasy world where the author make you read endless self-indulgent silmarillioning; my second least favourite is a fantasy world with the depth of wallpaper, where the characters play out their roles on a flat un-thought-through setting. This book falls into neither pit.)
It's an incredibly assured performance, especially in a second book, and that carries through to the writing, which is lush to the point of dense in description, counterbalanced by fairly terse dialogue. Ari, the immortal stripped of his memories, is a mess; Hei is a bit of a mystery seen through Ari's eyes, but his intense love and fierce courage shine through Ari's confusion. There's a real sense of threat, of epic-scale magic and sacred mystery, and of a love that won't give up or give in. And the city itself is beautifully realised, decadent, weird and haunting.
I had an ARC from the author, who is a friend and colleague, but I don't leave reviews I don't mean....more
Fantasy set in an amazingly developed and vivid alt-Asian world with empires, small kingdoms, warlords and politics. Also dragons (though we don't seeFantasy set in an amazingly developed and vivid alt-Asian world with empires, small kingdoms, warlords and politics. Also dragons (though we don't see many). The narrator is the 'Bitch-Queen' of a small, chaotic and divided nation but we don't get a great deal of bitch in this first instalment: she's mostly running for her life, trying to escape unseen enemies and identify traitors, and working out what's going on, in particular with her estranged husband. That's a big element: beyond survival the queen is focused to a very large extent on reuniting with her husband and wondering if he really loved her.
It's a very traditional fantasy world in that respect--heavily dynastic and controlling of her sexuality, patriarchal, with a lot of emphasis put on her sexual conduct/purity and a lot of very aggressive sexual language used against her. This is clearly the point--she's not nice but she's also wronged and slandered in large part because she's a woman, while trying to do her best by her country. She's presumably going to embrace her inner Bitch-Queen as the series develops, and hopefully set it all on fire. ...more
Well developed fantasy world, very good Wellsian concept of creepy alien invasion, older lesbian heroine, moral complexity, well written. I don't knowWell developed fantasy world, very good Wellsian concept of creepy alien invasion, older lesbian heroine, moral complexity, well written. I don't know why I don't love it but this is the second of the author's books I've tried and I just don't seem to connect with her characters for no reason I can put my finger on. There you go. Completely "it's not you, it's me"....more
It's been a while since I read any epic fantasy. This is a big sprawling canvas of a book, where the stories really only start to intersect very late It's been a while since I read any epic fantasy. This is a big sprawling canvas of a book, where the stories really only start to intersect very late on. Very much the first in a series, we've only just started getting into the proper story. Excellent worldbuilding and some really fascinating ideas, brilliant set up, and how nice to see a fantasy world that doesn't just base its morals on one real-world usually medieval doctrine.
There's a nice tendency to extreme violence that makes you genuinely fear for the characters, and I particularly enjoyed one character's journey from the point of sympathy, surviving in a harsh environment, to unrolling latent psychotic instincts and starting a new career as basically a serial killer. Didn't see that coming. :)
I don't generally read dragons or high fantasy but this came strongly recommended, for which I am glad. Lovely characters in a vividly drawn, well conI don't generally read dragons or high fantasy but this came strongly recommended, for which I am glad. Lovely characters in a vividly drawn, well constructed world about which I'd be glad to read more (Sethan and Cayc's story please!). There was a real sense of melancholy about Tarn's endless existence and need for love. And even though the romantic conflict hinged on communications failure, that's pretty fair when the communicators are a millennia-old dragon and the spirit of a desert.
Great fun by a terrific voice. Gobbled down in two sittings....more
This was silly, very enjoyable fantasy. The hero had things frankly rather easy (being over seven feet tall, aided by a god, and possessed of a magic This was silly, very enjoyable fantasy. The hero had things frankly rather easy (being over seven feet tall, aided by a god, and possessed of a magic sword) but what the hell, it was a rattling read in a pretty old-school way. Not great, but great fun....more
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