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estewanii's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Redefines the post-modern era, a story of humanity's struggle with peace and harmony, and their hunger for power and hubris. Ultimately, if we had been given a new slate in life, how would we live? Think? And would the history of our ruin repeat itself?
It's not a kind book; it's weary, cynical, and violent. But all the same it cherishes and preaches the good of people and their place in the world. A wonderful read.
It's not a kind book; it's weary, cynical, and violent. But all the same it cherishes and preaches the good of people and their place in the world. A wonderful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Slavery, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Deadnaming and Panic attacks/disorders
occasional_owl's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Could it have benefited from a bit more editing? Yes
Did it still make me cry? Absolutely
Did it still make me cry? Absolutely
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: War
sorryiambooked's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Was really unsure how to rate this one .. I think 3.5 is more what I would rate it. I really enjoyed this one, but didn't love it. If you enjoy eco-fiction/eco-thriller types books and are okay with a slower paced read, I think this is still worth a read! It's just definitely not for everyone.
I went into this book not really knowing what I was going to get plot-wise. The blurb is short and mostly vague. The problem is that I wasn't sure where the plot was going most of the time which led to me being slightly getting lost a couple times.
While I love North's writing and her creation of this different type of dystopia and the characters, I thought it was maybe a tad long? A lot happens seems to happen in the first 25-30% of the book, slowed in the middle, and then picked up around the 70% mark.
I did love North's underlying message of the importance of taking care of our home, Earth, and not putting profit and power above that or others' health and safety.
Part dystopia, part commentary on our current world, part tale of espionage .. and it all comes together to work quite well.
I went into this book not really knowing what I was going to get plot-wise. The blurb is short and mostly vague. The problem is that I wasn't sure where the plot was going most of the time which led to me being slightly getting lost a couple times.
While I love North's writing and her creation of this different type of dystopia and the characters, I thought it was maybe a tad long? A lot happens seems to happen in the first 25-30% of the book, slowed in the middle, and then picked up around the 70% mark.
I did love North's underlying message of the importance of taking care of our home, Earth, and not putting profit and power above that or others' health and safety.
Part dystopia, part commentary on our current world, part tale of espionage .. and it all comes together to work quite well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Physical abuse, and War
Minor: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, and Violence
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My 2nd 5 star from Claire North... It's the social commentary with a speculative twist for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Torture, War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
belleanndthebook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
1.5
Mostly, this book was just not for me.
I absolutely loved the prose, which was definitely flowery. I found it to be incredibly immersive, and the prose combined with the post-apocalyptic setting and the kakuy—fantastical nature spirits/gods—made for a setting reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli movie.
Due to the beautiful prose, I kept reading through a story that felt very shallow. We only got to know a few characters well, which muddled the political intrigue of the story. Additionally, the story covered such a long period of time that it often felt like it was “telling” rather than “showing” the story.
I think the audience of this book is those who enjoy flowery prose and like to sit back and watch a story unfold.
Thank you to NetGalley to providing this ARC in exchange for a review.
I absolutely loved the prose, which was definitely flowery. I found it to be incredibly immersive, and the prose combined with the post-apocalyptic setting and the kakuy—fantastical nature spirits/gods—made for a setting reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli movie.
Due to the beautiful prose, I kept reading through a story that felt very shallow. We only got to know a few characters well, which muddled the political intrigue of the story. Additionally, the story covered such a long period of time that it often felt like it was “telling” rather than “showing” the story.
I think the audience of this book is those who enjoy flowery prose and like to sit back and watch a story unfold.
Thank you to NetGalley to providing this ARC in exchange for a review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Confinement
onthesamepage's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What makes this book so interesting is that, even though it is technically a dystopian novel, there's a lot more underneath the surface. It's just something you discover slowly.
At first glance, the setup seems pretty simple. Ven was once a priest of the Temple, asked to translate documents from the Burning Age, the age where monsters called the kakuy destroyed most of humankind after humankind destroyed most of the earth. Dangerous documents from that time that describe things like bombs, for example, are heresy, and must be archived and hidden away. When the Brotherhood, a group that believes that the Temple has too much power and that the kakuy have disappeared, approaches Ven so he can translate for them, he doesn't have much of a choice. Georg, their leader, has made it clear what will happen to him if he refuses. Once he starts, he quickly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous political game between people who want to return to the old, destructive ways, and people who want to honor the earth and pacify the kakuy.
This is the start of a story that draws from many different genres and influences to become something unique, but also a somewhat difficult read. North has a way with words, and there were parts of this that I went back to read a second time because I was struck by a particular turn of phrase. But the book has not entirely earned its length. From the very beginning, there is too much focus on describing every detail of the setting, which becomes tiresome very quickly. Page after page of descriptions of the looks, smells and vibe of a city, complete with run-on sentences. It makes this a very dense book and definitely took away from my overall enjoyment.
But underneath that, there is a fascinating story. It has political intrigue, a whodunit element related to spies, war and history, and at the centre of it are two fascinating characters. Georg and Ven continue to circle each other, mostly sure of their purpose in this world, both trying to convince the other of a theological standpoint. I genuinely enjoyed all their interactions and was eager to see what the next one would bring. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters, but I didn't necessarily mind it in this case. Despite the first person POV, it does feel as if we are held at a distance from the events that are unfolding, forced into the role of an observer. Part of this is because Ven himself does a lot of observing throughout the book. He keeps much of his emotion in check, which impacts me as a reader, and makes the choice of POV an interesting one.
If you have the patience for it, I definitely think this boo
What makes this book so interesting is that, even though it is technically a dystopian novel, there's a lot more underneath the surface. It's just something you discover slowly.
At first glance, the setup seems pretty simple. Ven was once a priest of the Temple, asked to translate documents from the Burning Age, the age where monsters called the kakuy destroyed most of humankind after humankind destroyed most of the earth. Dangerous documents from that time that describe things like bombs, for example, are heresy, and must be archived and hidden away. When the Brotherhood, a group that believes that the Temple has too much power and that the kakuy have disappeared, approaches Ven so he can translate for them, he doesn't have much of a choice. Georg, their leader, has made it clear what will happen to him if he refuses. Once he starts, he quickly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous political game between people who want to return to the old, destructive ways, and people who want to honor the earth and pacify the kakuy.
This is the start of a story that draws from many different genres and influences to become something unique, but also a somewhat difficult read. North has a way with words, and there were parts of this that I went back to read a second time because I was struck by a particular turn of phrase. But the book has not entirely earned its length. From the very beginning, there is too much focus on describing every detail of the setting, which becomes tiresome very quickly. Page after page of descriptions of the looks, smells and vibe of a city, complete with run-on sentences. It makes this a very dense book and definitely took away from my overall enjoyment.
But underneath that, there is a fascinating story. It has political intrigue, a whodunit element related to spies, war and history, and at the centre of it are two fascinating characters. Georg and Ven continue to circle each other, mostly sure of their purpose in this world, both trying to convince the other of a theological standpoint. I genuinely enjoyed all their interactions and was eager to see what the next one would bring. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters, but I didn't necessarily mind it in this case. Despite the first person POV, it does feel as if we are held at a distance from the events that are unfolding, forced into the role of an observer. Part of this is because Ven himself does a lot of observing throughout the book. He keeps much of his emotion in check, which impacts me as a reader, and makes the choice of POV an interesting one.
If you have the patience for it, I definitely think this boo
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Torture
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was my first book by Claire North + it won’t be my last. Notes from the Burning Age is set after human-caused environmental catastrophe and grapples with the question of whether humans are destined to repeat themselves. The story follows a single POV, that of Ven, a member of the Temple dedicated to kakuy (a kind of land/place/animal spirit who are believed to have been awakened from sleep by humans’ destructive actions). His job is first to sift through remnants of writings from the ‘burning age,’ sorting them as safe or heretical, ensuring anything deemed to dangerous is not made available. He ultimately ends up entangled in the political manoeuvrings of various groups with different attitudes towards the kakuy, the ‘heretical’ knowledge, and how human societies should live. A compelling blend of spy thriller, environmentalist dystopia, and character-driven story about ethical commitment and faith which includes a diverse cast of characters, and very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
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