joelevard's review against another edition
3.0
Really good except for the parts where I have no idea what is going on. She might as well just write "Blah blah blah politics."
Still planning on going on to book two, because magical ponies and giant cat people.
Still planning on going on to book two, because magical ponies and giant cat people.
leahvanderweide's review against another edition
Abandoned like 2 hours in. Not my cup of tea
patremagne's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve been meaning to read Elizabeth Bear for some time now, and after taking up Worlds Without End‘s Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge, Range of Ghosts came out on top of that list. I was almost put off immediately after reading the first few pages – the premise is great, but the prose seemed uncomfortably stuffy. Luckily, around the second chapter or so, it either toned down a bit or I got used to it – either way, I’m happy that it did.
Temur is the grandson of the Great Khan, a noble of the steppes in every sense of the word. Range of Ghosts opens up with Temur near-death on a battlefield, surrounded by the bodies of the dead and dying, his dreams of glory shattered. After the Khagan Mongke died, the Khaganate was plunged into civil war, with Temur’s relatives waging it. Normally, following a battle, the souls of the dead are put to rest in the Eternal Sky. Unfortunately for Temur, nobody put the souls to rest, and those ghosts are used to track and haunt him throughout the story. Once-Princess Samarkar forgoes her right to the Rasan Empire as well as her ability to bear children in order to become a wizard. Somewhere along the way, the paths of Samarkar and Temur meet. But the characters and the plot, while decent, were nothing truly outstanding or complex. What really made this story for me was the world.
Read the rest on my blog!
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/08/review-range-of-ghosts-by-elizabeth-bear.html
Temur is the grandson of the Great Khan, a noble of the steppes in every sense of the word. Range of Ghosts opens up with Temur near-death on a battlefield, surrounded by the bodies of the dead and dying, his dreams of glory shattered. After the Khagan Mongke died, the Khaganate was plunged into civil war, with Temur’s relatives waging it. Normally, following a battle, the souls of the dead are put to rest in the Eternal Sky. Unfortunately for Temur, nobody put the souls to rest, and those ghosts are used to track and haunt him throughout the story. Once-Princess Samarkar forgoes her right to the Rasan Empire as well as her ability to bear children in order to become a wizard. Somewhere along the way, the paths of Samarkar and Temur meet. But the characters and the plot, while decent, were nothing truly outstanding or complex. What really made this story for me was the world.
Read the rest on my blog!
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/08/review-range-of-ghosts-by-elizabeth-bear.html
oneheart's review against another edition
4.0
It takes a while for the plot to reveal itself, and when it does the characters make plans. And nothing goes according to plan. This doesn't mean that every goes wrong, its just that not everything goes right... in a dramatic fashion.
There are many passages that I had to reread, in order to approach an understanding of what is going on. In reality, I will probably need to read the entire book over again to catch all the subtlety I missed.
There are many passages that I had to reread, in order to approach an understanding of what is going on. In reality, I will probably need to read the entire book over again to catch all the subtlety I missed.
reading_rainy's review against another edition
4.0
A poetic story of a man, his adopted horse, and three very powerful women. Unlike any fantasy I've ever read. The women don't need saving; the male character respects women, yet is sensitive and strong. Looking forward to reading the second novel and hearing about Samarkar, Temur and Bansh in greater detail.
jessicafee86's review against another edition
4.0
This is a unique book, from a world building stand point this book is a blow your mind, awesome 5. But the characters tend to fade into the beautiful background of Elizabeth Bear's world, and up until the last few chapters barely rated a 3.
If I'm going to be completely honest about the characters, all of my favorites were animals. This book is full of awesome animals with very real personalities. Don't get me wrong, the human/oid characters were interesting, they just weren't very emotionally engaging. Then when I finally started to become invested, an unnecessary love triangle almost ruins it. (And depending on what happens in book 2, could still end up ruining it for me... we'll see, hope not!)
The story itself is awesome and a unique melting pot of cultures, myths and scenery were more than enough to keep me reading. It's 100% worth checking out and I can't wait to read the next book. My only gripe is with the somewhat flat main characters.
If I'm going to be completely honest about the characters, all of my favorites were animals. This book is full of awesome animals with very real personalities. Don't get me wrong, the human/oid characters were interesting, they just weren't very emotionally engaging. Then when I finally started to become invested, an unnecessary love triangle almost ruins it. (And depending on what happens in book 2, could still end up ruining it for me... we'll see, hope not!)
The story itself is awesome and a unique melting pot of cultures, myths and scenery were more than enough to keep me reading. It's 100% worth checking out and I can't wait to read the next book. My only gripe is with the somewhat flat main characters.
rachelini's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, this was great. So great that I read the second in the series before writing about this one. Really wonderful and varied world building, characters that don't all follow traditional paths, and straight up epic storytelling.
kieralesley's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really know what to do with this book.
Straight off the bat the worldbuilding is AMAZING. Full points to Bear her cultures and magic and mythology and history are stunning. Even the world itself with the changing sky is beautiful. Her characters derive from their cultures really well, too, they're all unique and have different worldviews. Her prose is masterful, too, it's never overwrought but really well-considered and lovely.
However... I found it boring. I can't even explain why. If I had to explain the book to someone I'd come away talking of necromancers and giant flying birds and vast grasslands and wizard princesses and tiger-people. I just never engaged with it like I do with things I love. I was *reading* it but never fell through the page to experience it. I think it was partly the pacing - we spent a lot of time travelling to places and setting up camp, partly the characterisation - I didn't really worry about the characters at any point, which probably means I didn't care that much about them, and partly the plot - I wasn't that motivated by what was at stake or really worried about where it was going. I wasn't hooked.
I really wanted to like this one, and I did admire elements of it - I loved the worldbuilding and the prose! - but I'm not compelled to pick up the next one, despite the third book garnering rave reviews. I don't think I want to spend the time to get there.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
Straight off the bat the worldbuilding is AMAZING. Full points to Bear her cultures and magic and mythology and history are stunning. Even the world itself with the changing sky is beautiful. Her characters derive from their cultures really well, too, they're all unique and have different worldviews. Her prose is masterful, too, it's never overwrought but really well-considered and lovely.
However... I found it boring. I can't even explain why. If I had to explain the book to someone I'd come away talking of necromancers and giant flying birds and vast grasslands and wizard princesses and tiger-people. I just never engaged with it like I do with things I love. I was *reading* it but never fell through the page to experience it. I think it was partly the pacing - we spent a lot of time travelling to places and setting up camp, partly the characterisation - I didn't really worry about the characters at any point, which probably means I didn't care that much about them, and partly the plot - I wasn't that motivated by what was at stake or really worried about where it was going. I wasn't hooked.
I really wanted to like this one, and I did admire elements of it - I loved the worldbuilding and the prose! - but I'm not compelled to pick up the next one, despite the third book garnering rave reviews. I don't think I want to spend the time to get there.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
drkappitan's review against another edition
5.0
I love Bear's lush worlds populated with women of all ages and temperaments, and people of different colors and faiths. It is absolutely possible to write non-Eurocentric medievalish fantasy, and Bear's done a stellar job of it.
sanaastoria's review against another edition
4.0
[4 Stars] I just finished this and I wanted to say that this is like no other fantasy book I've ever read. Sure the plot is not entirely original, but the characters, the world building, and the beautiful writing really sucked me in. Elizabeth Bear is a writer whose works I really need to look into more! This is a slow moving epic fantasy book, something just a little different.