siavahda's review
5.0
I have this quirk where it takes me a long time to read books I'm really excited about. I pre-order, but they sit on my Kindle for months - sometimes years - before I'm brave enough to see if this one lives up to the hype, if that one is a worthy sequel to something I adored.
Well, this absolutely is. Rook Song was fascinating and said so many important things, even while I missed the spirituality/Gaianism of Astra; but Blood of the Hoopoe beautifully marries both together - the magic, the mythology, the spirituality of Astra, with the complicated and multi-faceted political and moral issues of Rook Song.
This book pulls no punches - as anyone who's been following this series already knows; the violence is worse, the perversity of various villains is revealed to be worse even than the previous books implied (people triggered by too-frank discussions of pedophilia and apologism/advocation for it may want to steer clear of certain chapters; I know I had to put the book down several times because I was just so sickened. Nothing happens on-page, but it's discussed and it's unspeakable, as it's meant to be), the horror of what's been done to the Sec-Gens is explored in even more depth than before... At times I did feel one of the main villains was being turned almost into a stereotype; an unapologetic pedophile (excuse me while I throw up) who engages in messed-up BDSM and spouts rampant misogyny - it was a bit cliche. But I think it served to better display just how not-perfect Is-Land is - not that anyone who's read the other books really needed the lesson, but still. I can forgive a villain being something of a caricature, when the rest of the book was so unbelievably good, and beautiful even when it hurt.
As the blurb says, Blood is primarily about Astra growing into her destiny - although destiny doesn't seem quite the right word, since she has to choose it - and beginning to learn and understand what that destiny entails. But entwined with that are the stories of YAC leader Enki, whose beloved YAC is slipping away from him, and Muzi, the young man who agreed to guide and protect Astra through the desert in Rook Song but becomes so much more.
I think I just loved how complicated this book was, how it simplified nothing and didn't hesitate to show all sides of the conflict, how motivations and goals and hopes can clash even among people who believe themselves to be on the same side. I also very much loved (even if, like Astra, I'm not yet sure I understand) Foyle's take on what is wrong with humanity and how it must be fixed.
I mean, I just loved it. And I don't understand why this series isn't far more popular than it is - it feels so utterly necessary.
I can't wait for book four!
Well, this absolutely is. Rook Song was fascinating and said so many important things, even while I missed the spirituality/Gaianism of Astra; but Blood of the Hoopoe beautifully marries both together - the magic, the mythology, the spirituality of Astra, with the complicated and multi-faceted political and moral issues of Rook Song.
This book pulls no punches - as anyone who's been following this series already knows; the violence is worse, the perversity of various villains is revealed to be worse even than the previous books implied (people triggered by too-frank discussions of pedophilia and apologism/advocation for it may want to steer clear of certain chapters; I know I had to put the book down several times because I was just so sickened. Nothing happens on-page, but it's discussed and it's unspeakable, as it's meant to be), the horror of what's been done to the Sec-Gens is explored in even more depth than before... At times I did feel one of the main villains was being turned almost into a stereotype; an unapologetic pedophile (excuse me while I throw up) who engages in messed-up BDSM and spouts rampant misogyny - it was a bit cliche. But I think it served to better display just how not-perfect Is-Land is - not that anyone who's read the other books really needed the lesson, but still. I can forgive a villain being something of a caricature, when the rest of the book was so unbelievably good, and beautiful even when it hurt.
As the blurb says, Blood is primarily about Astra growing into her destiny - although destiny doesn't seem quite the right word, since she has to choose it - and beginning to learn and understand what that destiny entails. But entwined with that are the stories of YAC leader Enki, whose beloved YAC is slipping away from him, and Muzi, the young man who agreed to guide and protect Astra through the desert in Rook Song but becomes so much more.
I think I just loved how complicated this book was, how it simplified nothing and didn't hesitate to show all sides of the conflict, how motivations and goals and hopes can clash even among people who believe themselves to be on the same side. I also very much loved (even if, like Astra, I'm not yet sure I understand) Foyle's take on what is wrong with humanity and how it must be fixed.
I mean, I just loved it. And I don't understand why this series isn't far more popular than it is - it feels so utterly necessary.
I can't wait for book four!
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