decafplease's review
4.0
Bought this at ICFA & finished it on the plane. A book about magical objects.
saoki's review
3.0
This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it novels, with as much impressive writing as flaws. I loved the setting, magic system and apocalyptic tone enough to accept the slightly confusing changes in point of view and the infodumps. Other people didn't.
It is, in all, a good first novel. It's fresh, interesting and makes you want to know more about the characters and setting. However, I can't help but wonder how much better it would be if only the author had give the story more time to develop. It felt like a prologue, like the story she really wanted to tell happens in the second book, and this one is just a way to explain how things got the way they did.
PS: I started reading this book years ago, but thought it too dark at the time. I resumed reading it this year and it didn't felt dark at all. I guess reading Robin Hobb makes a significant difference in your concept of darkness.
It is, in all, a good first novel. It's fresh, interesting and makes you want to know more about the characters and setting. However, I can't help but wonder how much better it would be if only the author had give the story more time to develop. It felt like a prologue, like the story she really wanted to tell happens in the second book, and this one is just a way to explain how things got the way they did.
PS: I started reading this book years ago, but thought it too dark at the time. I resumed reading it this year and it didn't felt dark at all. I guess reading Robin Hobb makes a significant difference in your concept of darkness.
epersonae's review
3.0
It took me a while to get into this one, because the initial narrative is so jumbled -- and on purpose. But the writing is gorgeous and the concept of the world is complex and consistent, so it won me over. Of the two narrators, the male voice is less distinctive, maybe less realistic, but not jarringly so. If I could've gotten my bearings a little quicker, I'd give it 4 stars. (Looking forward to the sequel.)
nearlywriting's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
waclements7's review
5.0
Really fascinating. I love the characters and how complicated they are. Astrid has a monumental task as a chanter and keeper of the magic liquid in her home. Her friend Sahara is charismatic and self-serving. The people surrounding Astrid--her mother, Jacks--are wonderful, interesting characters. I love how surreal the story gets, yet I think everyone can relate to the idea of just wanting to be loved back by the one you love. Even when responsibility dictates that what it takes to get that love isn't the wisest thing, and sometimes true love is right in front of us. The story is complicated but all comes together--it leads up to the sequel (which I am going to start next!). I really like the insights into human nature through exposure to the extraordinary. Highly recommend.
nannahnannah's review
3.5
This is a hard book to review, mostly because I'm so conflicted. Do I like the book? I like parts of it. Very much! And then there are aspects of the book I'm just very . . . confused on, so much so that it brings my rating (and enjoyment of the novel) from 5 to 3.5.
When it comes to fantasy apocalyptic novels, Indigo Springs is the most original book I've ever read, by far. It begins with our protag, Astrid, already in police custody and being questioned by our 1st-person PoV character. Through him--and Astrid--we learn how the world fell into (magical) chaos.
Besides that, the book has bi representation! Astrid is bisexual and actually says the word. :O I know, right? Thought it's upsetting that both her women love interests turn out to be villains (:////) and only her male love interest turns out to be the 100% amazingly pure good character (make that really upsetting, because the main villain is the evil, manipulative, sex-crazy bisexual stereotype).
And then we come to why I'm very, very confused about this book: Astrid's mom and whether this book is transphobic or contains trans rep. Honestly? It's probably neither, and that's what makes me so frustrated. I wish this whole issue was left out entirely.
Astrid's mom is introduced as a very unstable character who lives within a delusion, which is the actual book the word uses. This delusion includes calling Astrid a boy, thinking of themself as the character of a book they love (a detective), and . . . thinking they're male. They also peculiarly grow bristly hair that keeps on growing despite how they pluck them every night (I'm using "they" pronouns for this character because nothing was ever, ever clear about this character or their actual preferred pronouns until the very end, and even then, I was left confused).
It became clear that this delusion was the cause of magical contamination. Contamination that is generally understood to be bad, and harmful, and could turn people insane.
After learning this . . . it's hard not to go back to Astrid's mom and think--especially after learning Astrid's mom discovered the concept of gender dysphoria and wanted to start taking testosterone--trans people = insanity according to this book ?? ESPECIALLY after Astrid siphoned the magical contamination out of her mother and all this dysphoria was gone! Her mother was even wearing a bra again, and how happy Astrid was at that!!
But then at the very end,Astrid's mother was truly healed, and they became . . . male. Thinking of the book's viewpoint on this issue previously, this doesn't make sense? And it confuses me. I mean, of course I'm . . . glad? But it just confuses me more, and I'm just not sure where this book stands. It leaves me feeling uneasy.
Anyway, besides those issues, this book is so original and well written. The climax falls a little flat and is over too soon, but I've never read something so creative. I'll probably read on.
When it comes to fantasy apocalyptic novels, Indigo Springs is the most original book I've ever read, by far. It begins with our protag, Astrid, already in police custody and being questioned by our 1st-person PoV character. Through him--and Astrid--we learn how the world fell into (magical) chaos.
Besides that, the book has bi representation! Astrid is bisexual and actually says the word. :O I know, right? Thought it's upsetting that both her women love interests turn out to be villains (:////) and only her male love interest turns out to be the 100% amazingly pure good character (make that really upsetting, because the main villain is the evil, manipulative, sex-crazy bisexual stereotype).
And then we come to why I'm very, very confused about this book: Astrid's mom and whether this book is transphobic or contains trans rep. Honestly? It's probably neither, and that's what makes me so frustrated. I wish this whole issue was left out entirely.
Astrid's mom is introduced as a very unstable character who lives within a delusion, which is the actual book the word uses. This delusion includes calling Astrid a boy, thinking of themself as the character of a book they love (a detective), and . . . thinking they're male. They also peculiarly grow bristly hair that keeps on growing despite how they pluck them every night (I'm using "they" pronouns for this character because nothing was ever, ever clear about this character or their actual preferred pronouns until the very end, and even then, I was left confused).
It became clear that this delusion was the cause of magical contamination. Contamination that is generally understood to be bad, and harmful, and could turn people insane.
After learning this . . . it's hard not to go back to Astrid's mom and think--especially after learning Astrid's mom discovered the concept of gender dysphoria and wanted to start taking testosterone--trans people = insanity according to this book ?? ESPECIALLY after Astrid siphoned the magical contamination out of her mother and all this dysphoria was gone! Her mother was even wearing a bra again, and how happy Astrid was at that!!
But then at the very end,
Spoiler
Anyway, besides those issues, this book is so original and well written. The climax falls a little flat and is over too soon, but I've never read something so creative. I'll probably read on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia
anachronistique's review
2.0
This book was super frustrating for me, because I felt like there was so much potential within it but it never quite came together. Some parts are good, I like the magic system - but having a timeline that jumps around and an unreliable narrator and an entire other secret history and a bunch of other things that don't actually click until way too late was just frustrating.
ken_bookhermit's review against another edition
4.0
My enjoyment of this book has a lot to do with the magical system that is closely tied in with the natural world, and Astrid's usage of it. Her fears and desires also make her into this real person that is sympathetic (or maybe because I'm just really empathic, who knows). Her conflict with Sahara is one of the more authentic and devastating conflicts I've seen in a while, and Astrid's triumph in that regard is what kept me reading until the very end. The ending had me curious for what could happen next, and hooray, there is a sequel!!