Reviews

The Last Witness by K.J. Parker

anteus7's review against another edition

5.0

I need to read more K. J. Parker. I've read two novellas and they have both been imaginative and had unreliable narrators, which I love.

This story follows a (mostly) unscrupulous (except in specific circumstances--he does have some professional ethics) memory thief for hire as he navigates the treacherous waters of a city in the beginnings of political turmoil. He is at once small-minded and above the petty concerns of regular people (but he's not). He has a kind of charm but is mostly not very likable (though I found myself charmed into liking him a bit most of the time).

This is a short piece with lots of little bits of foreshadowing, so pay attention or you'll miss something and slap your forehead later.

Well worth the read!

writings_of_a_reader's review against another edition

2.0

I liked the concept a lot, but the main character wasn't very likable. The story overall was a bit sad and depressing. I also found my mind wandering throughout the story for some reason, and I would have to backtrack to see what I had missed. So, a bit of a disappointment for me, but I did like the narrator for the audio.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.

drownedworld's review against another edition

3.0

What kind of person would you be if you could eliminate specific memories from people? An interesting exploration of the power and responsibility - and suffering - that goes along with having that ability.

tregina's review against another edition

4.0

I was loving this when I first started it, then I got lukewarm in the middle, then it all came back around in the end. I really liked the sketched in worldbuilding, the things that didn't matter, ultimately, but combined to give you the uneasy sense that this seems like our world, a little, but it's really not. The best part, though, is the journey of discovery, awful discovery, that we make alongside our antihero.

ladyanne's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

newyorkshire's review

dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I loved the idea of this one, but it lacked a plot that I enjoyed. The themes, I really liked them, especially the comments on morality. 

callmecat's review against another edition

1.0

Wow fascinating and his backstory with the eye is perfect woah. But it's the type of dark stuff I could never bear to write and I can't stay in his head this way either.

haljonesy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

lezreadalot's review against another edition

4.0

First off, a note about the way I consume audiobooks: I usually save them for when I'm doing something else, like walking to and from public transport, getting ready for work in the morning, on the bus etc. Conserves time. Physical books and other hobbies take up my free time. But I started this book today, just wanting to see if I'd like it and then I'd save it for tomorrow. That was the plan anyway. But I ended up just lying in bed listening and before I knew it I just had 30 more minutes to go.

A lot of the credit for that belongs to the narrator: good job all around. Some people just have one of those voices that's great to listen to, and he's one of them. But the book itself was really really good. I'm not usually wild about unreliable narrators but this one was fascinating. Is that story he's recounting one of his, or just another of the memories he's taken? Who knows! It was frustrating in a good way, and I just wanted to know more more more.

Not sure the story was consistently well told; it kind of danced all over the place. Which really really worked for the plot and the style in the beginning but then it kinds started going off the rails coming near the end. Like, he's in a another country now? And he's a famous concertist? Okay??? But I mean, this stuff didn't detract hugely from the general experience.

Spoiler

The last twists came very fast, and whoa, I didn't know my contempt for a character could grow that fast. (And I already didn't like him much.) You brought this on yourself buddy. And at first I was chagrined at the fact that he went in and snatched up his daughter's memories just like that when she's supposedly so much more powerful than he is, but then I realised... we have no idea if that IS what happened. Now that we know it's possible to plant memories, it's entirely possible that the whole ending sequence is something of her design!

I'm not usually wild about vague endings like that, but in a book that's all about remembrance and a narrator we can't trust... well played.

3.5 stars.

_b_a_l_'s review against another edition

5.0

Its dark. Its messed up. And its somehow quite beautiful.