pennym_'s review
picked this up because i really loved piranesi and house of leaves for their labyrinths, and i was hoping this would have a similar vibe in terms of a vast magical maze. but that is not the case. the labyrinth here seems more metaphorcal than anything else, and i am struggling to keep track of what is going on. initially i found the godlike beings of chance and the trickster interesting enough to continue despite the confusing nature of the story, but i am swiftly losing the plot and at this point am lacking the desire to keep reading. i would read something more grounded from this author because the writing is very solid, but i have to pass on this one
plukkyduk's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I had such hopes for this book. I was really excited to read about a mythology and folklore that I was not familiar with. Boy, was I let down.
This feels like a sequel to a book that doesnt exist apparently. I was so lost on what was going on the whole time. I kept hoping that there would be some kind of explanation or understanding by the end but I was sorely disappointed.
1 star and zero because the author clearly has a voice and the ability to write, just not a story that makes any sense to me.
This feels like a sequel to a book that doesnt exist apparently. I was so lost on what was going on the whole time. I kept hoping that there would be some kind of explanation or understanding by the end but I was sorely disappointed.
1 star and zero because the author clearly has a voice and the ability to write, just not a story that makes any sense to me.
ginnikin's review
There's a lot going on in this, and I know a bunch of it went right past me, but I still enjoyed the read.
flying_monkeys's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
brighthappyness's review
3.0
I wish I could explain what was going on in this book but every time I thought I finally grasped something, another thing was thrown into the mix and I was left confused again....this pattern literally continued until the end, which was even more confusing....I honestly digged the premise and even the middle of the book once I got past the initial confusion of the first third of the book but nope I honestly feel like everything was literally just vibes and dreams and memories or something like that...
I read this book because I heard it ties in with Redemption in Indigo but I should have just left it alone as the standalone as it is because this honestly contributed nothing to the enjoyment of RiI....maybe if the same narrative style was used in this book as it was in RiI, I'd understand the book more
I read this book because I heard it ties in with Redemption in Indigo but I should have just left it alone as the standalone as it is because this honestly contributed nothing to the enjoyment of RiI....maybe if the same narrative style was used in this book as it was in RiI, I'd understand the book more
valodniece's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not always sure what was real and what was the labyrinth, but an intriguing story nonetheless.
david_agranoff's review
5.0
As I read this strange and esoteric fantasy novel I had a feeling that many of the readers out there on Good Reads would hate this book and boy was I correct. Reading many of the reviews I was confused. Did we read the same book? Because the book I read was pretty close to a masterpiece of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. I have not done the rankings but this book is easily one of my top ten reads of the year.
Karen Lord writes from a misty magical place, with an Afro-Caribbean feel she creates a fantasy world that is not easily digestible for a generation of readers honed on Harry Potter. It requires you to not rely on tropes and rehashed ideas. I mean there were times I thought things were going over my head but that is OK for me.
This is a fun read with magical portals, city-sized psychic labyrinths, Angels, shape-shifting immortal beings, killers and a murder mystery at the heart of journey through a universe with a Physics based on memory opposed to what we think of as natural science. The weird landscape makes for a really inventive environment that plays with what is real in our memory and the flexible nature of time. In some ways, I thought of this book as a cross between Leguin Lathe of Heaven and the David Fincher movie Seven.
The City labyrinth is populated by tricksters and undying immortals, there are moments of wild imagination that are balanced with the grim serial killer story. For a stand-alone book the mythology of the undying and the labyrinth were great examples of world-building. I learned after finishing this book that some of the settings and characters were in earlier work. So I am not sure how much I missed on stuff because I had not Read Redemption in Indigo.
The actual prose is beautifully composed and the story is well structured. The lead character Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist and she is really well written. Some of the Angels and the Undying came off more vague to me but that in a sense worked. I liked that as characters they often pointed out how humans just couldn't grasp what their life is like or how it works.
I was first interested in this author because I heard her compared To Octavia Butler and Ursula K Leguin. I thought that high praise might be pure hyperbole but Unraveling delivered. I suspect that Karen Lord is an author I will continue to enjoy and I can see her work becoming a staple of mine. I got this because it was her newest work, but some of her older works seem even more up my alley.
Read Unraveling if you like powerful and grim fantasy with well written and stylish prose. One of the best books of the year in my opinion.
Karen Lord writes from a misty magical place, with an Afro-Caribbean feel she creates a fantasy world that is not easily digestible for a generation of readers honed on Harry Potter. It requires you to not rely on tropes and rehashed ideas. I mean there were times I thought things were going over my head but that is OK for me.
This is a fun read with magical portals, city-sized psychic labyrinths, Angels, shape-shifting immortal beings, killers and a murder mystery at the heart of journey through a universe with a Physics based on memory opposed to what we think of as natural science. The weird landscape makes for a really inventive environment that plays with what is real in our memory and the flexible nature of time. In some ways, I thought of this book as a cross between Leguin Lathe of Heaven and the David Fincher movie Seven.
The City labyrinth is populated by tricksters and undying immortals, there are moments of wild imagination that are balanced with the grim serial killer story. For a stand-alone book the mythology of the undying and the labyrinth were great examples of world-building. I learned after finishing this book that some of the settings and characters were in earlier work. So I am not sure how much I missed on stuff because I had not Read Redemption in Indigo.
The actual prose is beautifully composed and the story is well structured. The lead character Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist and she is really well written. Some of the Angels and the Undying came off more vague to me but that in a sense worked. I liked that as characters they often pointed out how humans just couldn't grasp what their life is like or how it works.
I was first interested in this author because I heard her compared To Octavia Butler and Ursula K Leguin. I thought that high praise might be pure hyperbole but Unraveling delivered. I suspect that Karen Lord is an author I will continue to enjoy and I can see her work becoming a staple of mine. I got this because it was her newest work, but some of her older works seem even more up my alley.
Read Unraveling if you like powerful and grim fantasy with well written and stylish prose. One of the best books of the year in my opinion.
satsumaorange's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the writing style - I enjoy books that feel slightly "pretentious" in their writing style, and I actually learned a few new words with this one, which is rare for me! The story was lovely and satisfying, and I really liked all the main characters.
The plot does a lot of time-jumping, and it's important to distinguish between real and unreal events, but there is a gray area. I really liked how this book played with the fundamental elements of realness, and the way it was described and implied, rather than bluntly explained to the reader. By the end, I felt like I "got it" enough to inhabit the world Karen Lord created, but there's still an air of mystery and otherworldliness that I am am reveling in. I feel like Lord understands that sometimes it's a good thing to not know exactly what's going on! Lord expertly knows what "rules" to share and which to hide from the reader, and the resulting feeling of mystery is a part of the experience.
I feel like I didn't entirely follow the murder-mystery plot itself, and some of the supporting cast were kind of hard to recall because there was a lot of names. In retrospect, I wish I'd written down a list of names and defining events so I could keep up a little better. Still, on the whole, pretty enjoyable!
The plot does a lot of time-jumping, and it's important to distinguish between real and unreal events, but there is a gray area. I really liked how this book played with the fundamental elements of realness, and the way it was described and implied, rather than bluntly explained to the reader. By the end, I felt like I "got it" enough to inhabit the world Karen Lord created, but there's still an air of mystery and otherworldliness that I am am reveling in. I feel like Lord understands that sometimes it's a good thing to not know exactly what's going on! Lord expertly knows what "rules" to share and which to hide from the reader, and the resulting feeling of mystery is a part of the experience.
I feel like I didn't entirely follow the murder-mystery plot itself, and some of the supporting cast were kind of hard to recall because there was a lot of names. In retrospect, I wish I'd written down a list of names and defining events so I could keep up a little better. Still, on the whole, pretty enjoyable!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Dementia, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Violence
boehmography's review
challenging
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? Yes
1.25