jonwesleyhuff's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, I thought this was a great read in a lot of ways. It is beautifully written, although I did feel like there was a tendency to fall back on some phrases (things were often compared to "cauls" for instance) and there is a tendency to remind the reader that things smell like "piss and shit" a little too often. I get the idea, I think, which is to contrast the quite lovely descriptive language with the primal, gritty feel that the book strives for a lot of the time. That works pretty well, and I don't have a problem with invoking the smells so much as the repetition of phrases.
The book does take its time getting going, and at first I found myself wanting to know more about the narrator, Alok, and the mysterious man who claims to be a half-werewolf more than I wanted to know about the story-within-the-story. However, over time the other story became the more dominant narrative. The charm of this book lies in the ability for it transport the reader to another time and place. The plot itself is fairly straightforward and a little plodding until the latter half of the book. But it does pick up, and the very end of the book is so fascinating. It uses the idea of the werewolf or shapechanger in an interesting way, through a very particular lens, and made it feel like a satisfying read in the end.
The book does take its time getting going, and at first I found myself wanting to know more about the narrator, Alok, and the mysterious man who claims to be a half-werewolf more than I wanted to know about the story-within-the-story. However, over time the other story became the more dominant narrative. The charm of this book lies in the ability for it transport the reader to another time and place. The plot itself is fairly straightforward and a little plodding until the latter half of the book. But it does pick up, and the very end of the book is so fascinating. It uses the idea of the werewolf or shapechanger in an interesting way, through a very particular lens, and made it feel like a satisfying read in the end.
ashley_elizabeth's review against another edition
I just can't seem to get into this book. Every time I pick it up I feel like it takes great effort to keep going, and when I put it down I don't feel any sense of desire to start again. Hopefully it's just a "wrong book, wrong time" situation and I'll try again in the future.
stone_stupas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If the character had pissed and sh*t less in this book and Indra Das hadn't chosen to collapse their own logic towards the end, this would have been rated higher. Still worth the read because it is written beautifully and historical details and events are woven intricately!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement and Rape
akazzy8's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
catcouch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
tiffclanton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jubileee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0