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ellen_is_reading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
I loved this. Beautiful letter to earth and how we take care of it or do not. Examination of the consequences of our current age. Political twists and personal intrigues. Complicated futures and what could become of us all.
However, quite slow and dense. The descriptions are lovely but sometimes hard to follow, and the politics mean it is a slow, drawn out read ( like the war)
However, quite slow and dense. The descriptions are lovely but sometimes hard to follow, and the politics mean it is a slow, drawn out read ( like the war)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Excrement and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
bexisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jsumms's review against another edition
4.0
You want gods, and all you get are people.
Hundreds of years into the future, humanity lives in near-harmony with nature, disavowing the dangerous technologies of the 21st century after horrible climate disasters devastated the planet. These disasters were the work of the kakuy, enigmatic nature spirits (think the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke, only a little less friendly), so says Temple, the dominant religious power of the setting. But in the centuries since the titular Burning Age, some have grown doubtful of the kakuy, and an organization known as the Brotherhood has emerged with the desire a return to the glory of the past, when humanity ruled the planet.
The protagonist of Notes, Ven, is a Temple priest living in the city of Vien in post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe, a refreshing setting that feels integral to the story. Ven is recruited by a man known as Georg to work for the Brotherhood. He was to translate ancient heretical texts stolen from the Temple by Brotherhood espionage to give them access to forbidden information and technologies. To tell you much more would be to ruin the best parts of the story, which follows Ven as he crosses Europe to prevent war and destruction.
While I enjoyed the book, it did drag a little in the middle— it took me three months to finish— but the worldbuilding and the nerve-wracking and emotional story were worth the read. If you like reading stories about the ways that people survive after the end of the world or stories that question humanity's place in the world, you'll like this one. A beautiful spy thriller with a Cold-war tinge set in a fantastical, post-apocalyptic world, I would recommend Notes from the Burning Age to anyone looking for a smart, thoughtful read.
Hundreds of years into the future, humanity lives in near-harmony with nature, disavowing the dangerous technologies of the 21st century after horrible climate disasters devastated the planet. These disasters were the work of the kakuy, enigmatic nature spirits (think the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke, only a little less friendly), so says Temple, the dominant religious power of the setting. But in the centuries since the titular Burning Age, some have grown doubtful of the kakuy, and an organization known as the Brotherhood has emerged with the desire a return to the glory of the past, when humanity ruled the planet.
The protagonist of Notes, Ven, is a Temple priest living in the city of Vien in post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe, a refreshing setting that feels integral to the story. Ven is recruited by a man known as Georg to work for the Brotherhood. He was to translate ancient heretical texts stolen from the Temple by Brotherhood espionage to give them access to forbidden information and technologies. To tell you much more would be to ruin the best parts of the story, which follows Ven as he crosses Europe to prevent war and destruction.
While I enjoyed the book, it did drag a little in the middle— it took me three months to finish— but the worldbuilding and the nerve-wracking and emotional story were worth the read. If you like reading stories about the ways that people survive after the end of the world or stories that question humanity's place in the world, you'll like this one. A beautiful spy thriller with a Cold-war tinge set in a fantastical, post-apocalyptic world, I would recommend Notes from the Burning Age to anyone looking for a smart, thoughtful read.
twtone's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kamykiins's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
one_womanarmy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
slow-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? Yes
5.0
It took me nearly three months to read this book, because the vivid beauty of Claire North's weaving together of personal loss, the horror of humanity, the beauty of recovery, and climate change impacts was giving me nightmares. It was excellent. I cried at numerous junctures and was moved by the stunning creativity and darkness at every scale. A more comprehensive review later.
john_langley's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully written story of the future after climate catastrophe; full of intrigue and well-observed depictions of flawed humanity’s relationships with their gods, their eco-priests and their leaders.
3 and a half stars.
3 and a half stars.
kymzii's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
Author Claire North has written some of my very favorite novels, but this is one of her efforts that doesn't quite hit the mark for me. The premise of the setting is sound: a post-apocalyptic future where holy priests try to recover digital records of the past, both to unlock the secrets of our lost technology and to learn more about who we were as a people before climate disasters wiped out our civilization. That has major [b:A Canticle for Leibowitz|164154|A Canticle for Leibowitz (St. Leibowitz, #1)|Walter M. Miller Jr.|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1450516880l/164154._SY75_.jpg|250975] vibes, which I love. Yet the slow-moving plot of a recruit for a criminal organization looking to foment revolution and the subsequent cat-and-mouse spy game / war story leaves me cold, in part because I never really feel like I understand what either the protagonist or any of the other characters are specifically aiming to achieve. He gets captured and released several times as the conflict lumbers along, but his motivation beyond his immediate survival is rather unclear, which makes it hard for me to remain invested as a reader. I appreciate the nonbinary representation, though!
[Content warning for torture and gore.]
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[Content warning for torture and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog