readingrobin's review
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I believe I deserve a medal for finishing this book as quickly as I did, i.e. nearly two weeks. Now, I have to say that this is not a bad book by any means. It's intricately plotted, well told, and filled with memorable characters. It also happens to be excruciatingly, painfully, and utterly slow. There are times when I would read what I believed to be a good chunk, only to see that I had only moved about 2% further into the story. This book is a black hole where time and progression is only a relative theory and you're at the mercy of the author as to how long things are doing to drag on and on. All of the action happens out of view from our main character, Chant, who spends the majority of the plot in some sort of captivity, the only thing that changes is the location. For me, someone who is used to more fast-paced works, it became a little frustrating on more than one occasion.
That negative aside, everything else about A Conspiracy of Truths is pretty fantastic. I'm always a sucker for a curmudgeongly old man who knows he's the smartest one in the room, which is an apt description for Chant. This man, all from within a jail cell, brings a society to its knees through ingenuity, cleverness, and sheer dumb luck. There's no finer recipe for revolution. His voice carries the slow pace fairly well and it was a main reason of why I kept reading. He is a man that is devoted to the meaning of his profession, telling stories to just the right people at the right time. His humor comes from reacting to the oddness of the society containing him, one that thrives off bureaucracy and superstition. I saw another reviewer comparing it to Soviet-era Russia and, you know, the parallel isn't too far off.
The world, though we see little of it, somehow seems enormous as we sit alongside Chant in captivity. This is mainly achieved through the stories of this realm, coming from different places and carrying the views and lessons tied to that culture. There were tragedies, epics, trickster tales, creation myths, all told to either entertain, impart a message, or simply just to pass the time. I really like how this story incorporated its myths/legends/folktales into the overall plot, as well as how the reactions of certain people give a good indication of their true character. Not to give spoilers, but this ultimately reveals a theme of how the stories we choose to give meaning to might not always be the truest ones and that may come back to bite you in the end.
I'm not sure I will continue with the next book in this series. This one was certainly enough for me and I was satisfied with it in the end, even though it concluded with more of a fizzle than a bang. I'm willing to give Chant and the others a rest for now.
That negative aside, everything else about A Conspiracy of Truths is pretty fantastic. I'm always a sucker for a curmudgeongly old man who knows he's the smartest one in the room, which is an apt description for Chant. This man, all from within a jail cell, brings a society to its knees through ingenuity, cleverness, and sheer dumb luck. There's no finer recipe for revolution. His voice carries the slow pace fairly well and it was a main reason of why I kept reading. He is a man that is devoted to the meaning of his profession, telling stories to just the right people at the right time. His humor comes from reacting to the oddness of the society containing him, one that thrives off bureaucracy and superstition. I saw another reviewer comparing it to Soviet-era Russia and, you know, the parallel isn't too far off.
The world, though we see little of it, somehow seems enormous as we sit alongside Chant in captivity. This is mainly achieved through the stories of this realm, coming from different places and carrying the views and lessons tied to that culture. There were tragedies, epics, trickster tales, creation myths, all told to either entertain, impart a message, or simply just to pass the time. I really like how this story incorporated its myths/legends/folktales into the overall plot, as well as how the reactions of certain people give a good indication of their true character. Not to give spoilers, but this ultimately reveals a theme of how the stories we choose to give meaning to might not always be the truest ones and that may come back to bite you in the end.
I'm not sure I will continue with the next book in this series. This one was certainly enough for me and I was satisfied with it in the end, even though it concluded with more of a fizzle than a bang. I'm willing to give Chant and the others a rest for now.
mateyy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
contralistation's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
doriantagonist's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I adore stories about stories. This was wonderful. I loved how all the stories Chant told played into the narrative and how his audience would chime in occasionally. I love how alive the stories felt. I really really loved the story about the fog spirit. I am also very impressed that a story that takes places 80% in a jail cell managed to stay so interesting.
ruthorfiction's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fae269's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
frasersimons's review against another edition
reflective
tense
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
3.0
While this was fairly novel for a fantasy novel—I struggle to remember the last time the majority of a novel took place in a jail cell, for instance—and the world building being done via this Chant vocation: a person concerned primarily with stories and their function across kingdoms and lands, it still does feel quite static. The old man is conniving and there’s plenty of obstacles introduced at what feels like the right parts. I just can’t say it ever progressed from being interesting enough to keep reading, but not much more. I think I just prefer characters that are a lot more active, generally.
I’ll probably still read the second book, which I already own, as I did enjoy the ending and I didn’t find anything disagreeable. It’s great having a protagonist outside the normal archetypes and it was queer inclusive explicitly.
I’ll probably still read the second book, which I already own, as I did enjoy the ending and I didn’t find anything disagreeable. It’s great having a protagonist outside the normal archetypes and it was queer inclusive explicitly.
thatqueengabby's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? No
5.0