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sarrie's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde is the third book in the Gem Universe, a world in which a valley of powerful gems are lost and then found again as magic claws it’s way back to the surface. These gems whisper to those that can hear them, causing madness in those that can hear them and jealousy in those that can’t. In the first two books in this series we saw first the Jeweled Valley, home to the gems, to fall in another kingdom’s quest for power. In the second book we saw another kingdom years down the road attempt to harness the power of a false gem, and the power of the knowledge of history.
The Book of Gems follows our main character as she returns to the Jeweled Valley from which her family comes from and her quest both for academic redemption and knowledge. Unfortunately for me this might have been the biggest tripping point for me. Dev, this main character, is the worst kind of character archetype for me. The type that refuses to believe what’s in front of her. Magic is not real, the power of them gems is not real even though from the beginning she talks of seeing writing magically appear on a piece of stone paper. She hears constant humming and talking - but don’t worry! It’s not magic. Gems are eating a man’s body - but don’t worry! It’s not magic!!
Outside of Dev the story felt incredibly dry. I love the idea and setting of the Gem World. I’ve read all three of these novellas! Likely due to the character choices and the absolute refusal to acknowledge the actual beauty of the magic here it’s painful to read. Fran Wilde’s story’s peak briefly with intense magic and horror at about the 70% mark and then drop completely, so you have to be prepared for that dry slide to a climax.
For me the Gem Universe was strongest in the second novella, The Fire Opal Mechanism. The horror of that final third of the novella made the story dynamic and interesting. The Book of Gems attempts to capture some of that horror but the character’s refusal to see the truth, and the avoidance of the conversations that would spark leads this to feeling dry and ultimately lacking for me as a reader.
I’d recommend these in a quick succession read and only if you’re very interested in the ideas here. How history is lost, power is coveted but misunderstood, and how the mistakes of the past can cause havoc on the future. Even the whispering gems are only briefly given page time, so don’t get into these for a lot of those.
3 Whispering Opals
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Xenophobia, and War
Moderate: Cultural appropriation
Minor: Violence
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