greenherring's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kylecat22's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome story and great lore to follow up the previous Yarnsworld book. Can't wait to read the next!
feelingferal's review against another edition
5.0
I lovelovelovelovelovelovelove this book. I love it as a reader who is always down for a good folktale retelling. And I love it as a Pacific Islander who hadn't realized until this moment how much they craved representation in their favorite genre. Loved it.
tawallah's review
adventurous
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? Yes
3.0
marsh_mall0w's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Confinement, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism
Minor: Slavery
liisp_cvr2cvr's review
5.0
Imagine a baby blue clear ocean, lots of sunshine, golden sandy beaches, canoes… coconut trees and colorful fish. People who live a simple life, believe, fear and celebrate gods. The Crescent Atoll is a laid back paradise of breathtaking sights… and yet… gods are not the only ones the people of the Atoll feel weary about, there are also the taniwhas. The monsters.
Like many Atoll villages, Pukotala was a small collection of wooden huts thatched with dried palm leaves. It was a fishing settlement, built on the edge of the tree line, to give easy access to the water these people needed for their livelyhoods….
Our main character is Kaimana. A young lady whose Knack for music took her away from her home island, Pukotala, to travel with a musical troupe across the Atoll islands to perfom songs about the gods. She is now back on Pukotala, preparing to perform to the people she grew up with and to her parents, to prove to them that her Knack for music is what she should pursue not the simple life as a wife to a fisherman.
“There’s a monster in the village.”
Kaimana raised her eyebrows at the toddler’s words. “No, don’t worry. There’s no taniwha here.”
The young girl was not convinced. She stuck out her bottom lip, kicked up some of the sand at her feet and stared at Kaimana. “No, there is. In the cave in the hills where the stream comes to life. My uncle went to catch it, and he never came back.”
Having a Knack is all well and good, but Kaimana needs the Spark. She needs something to spark the Spark, to compose the musical piece that would make her known across the islands. That is her goal. The search for inspiration is what makes Kaimana act, against everyone’s wiches and warnings, and she can’t help herself but go check out that cave where the alleged taniwha now lives. And for me, this is where the truly magical part of the story gets its beginning.
The taniwha Kaimana finds looks like a log… a tree stump… but huge! Gray-ish in colour, but covered with moss here and there, and has some destructive limbs… No one knows where taniwha come from, how long they live or if they have families… But it is a long known truth that the taniwha are dangerous, very dangerous in fact and no one can be sure if they can be trusted.
Due to some unfortunate events, Kaimana finds out the taniwha of her island is after her. Is Rakau following Kaimana to kill her and her travelling troupe? How will the troupe act and feel when they find out the taniwha is after them… Is it all Kaimana’s fault for waking the monster?
It was a clear night, the moon was full, and the crystal water of the reef was undisturbed by any nearby rivers. The moonlight painted the rocks and coral of the reef a pale blue, and this was strongly contrasted by the powerful green of Rakau’s eyes, which illuminated the sea bed and even tinted the water in front of him.
As if the situation doesn’t seem odd and scary enough, Nakau the pig-headed War God doesn’t take lightly to the fact that his temple now has a gaping hole in its wall! And Kaimana’s troupe isn’t happy either… the performance for the pig god was their biggest event yet, in years! So, who’s to blame? The inner dynamics of the troupe members also come into play and it’s weaved into the story perfectly!
The pig god had chosen to build his temple in the middle of the area of the Atoll that gave him most opportunity to practice his art of war. Most Atoll islanders who ate human flesh were civilised enough to only do so to people who had angered them, but one always heard stories…
A chase for revenge by Nakau and his army across the seas surrounding the Atoll Islands starts, throughout the story of Kaimana’s survival, myth and folk tales mix with current events. The Birdmen of the Broken Island, the gods of volcanoes and farming and song, the Lava Racer and many more legendary tales strategically placed n between scenes of Kaimana’s journey. And it is a journey to capture her Knack’s Spark and finish the Song, to stay alive, to find shelter for her friend. ‘Where Waters Turn Black’ is fantastically imaginative and beautifully fluous, taking me on a journey unlike any other.
Personally I loved ‘They Mostly Come Out at Night’, the first book in the Yarnsworld series by Benedict Patrick, and I absolutely, if possible, loved ‘Where the Waters Turn Black‘ even more! I simply cannot wait for the next book in this collection. The books in this series are standalone novels so you do not need to read ‘TMCOaN’ to enjoy ‘WtWTB’… however, I do suggest reading both of the books.. they’re ah-mazing! A very satisfied bookworm, I am slapping a very grateful 5 stars on this book! ‘Nuff said!
Like many Atoll villages, Pukotala was a small collection of wooden huts thatched with dried palm leaves. It was a fishing settlement, built on the edge of the tree line, to give easy access to the water these people needed for their livelyhoods….
Our main character is Kaimana. A young lady whose Knack for music took her away from her home island, Pukotala, to travel with a musical troupe across the Atoll islands to perfom songs about the gods. She is now back on Pukotala, preparing to perform to the people she grew up with and to her parents, to prove to them that her Knack for music is what she should pursue not the simple life as a wife to a fisherman.
“There’s a monster in the village.”
Kaimana raised her eyebrows at the toddler’s words. “No, don’t worry. There’s no taniwha here.”
The young girl was not convinced. She stuck out her bottom lip, kicked up some of the sand at her feet and stared at Kaimana. “No, there is. In the cave in the hills where the stream comes to life. My uncle went to catch it, and he never came back.”
Having a Knack is all well and good, but Kaimana needs the Spark. She needs something to spark the Spark, to compose the musical piece that would make her known across the islands. That is her goal. The search for inspiration is what makes Kaimana act, against everyone’s wiches and warnings, and she can’t help herself but go check out that cave where the alleged taniwha now lives. And for me, this is where the truly magical part of the story gets its beginning.
The taniwha Kaimana finds looks like a log… a tree stump… but huge! Gray-ish in colour, but covered with moss here and there, and has some destructive limbs… No one knows where taniwha come from, how long they live or if they have families… But it is a long known truth that the taniwha are dangerous, very dangerous in fact and no one can be sure if they can be trusted.
Due to some unfortunate events, Kaimana finds out the taniwha of her island is after her. Is Rakau following Kaimana to kill her and her travelling troupe? How will the troupe act and feel when they find out the taniwha is after them… Is it all Kaimana’s fault for waking the monster?
It was a clear night, the moon was full, and the crystal water of the reef was undisturbed by any nearby rivers. The moonlight painted the rocks and coral of the reef a pale blue, and this was strongly contrasted by the powerful green of Rakau’s eyes, which illuminated the sea bed and even tinted the water in front of him.
As if the situation doesn’t seem odd and scary enough, Nakau the pig-headed War God doesn’t take lightly to the fact that his temple now has a gaping hole in its wall! And Kaimana’s troupe isn’t happy either… the performance for the pig god was their biggest event yet, in years! So, who’s to blame? The inner dynamics of the troupe members also come into play and it’s weaved into the story perfectly!
The pig god had chosen to build his temple in the middle of the area of the Atoll that gave him most opportunity to practice his art of war. Most Atoll islanders who ate human flesh were civilised enough to only do so to people who had angered them, but one always heard stories…
A chase for revenge by Nakau and his army across the seas surrounding the Atoll Islands starts, throughout the story of Kaimana’s survival, myth and folk tales mix with current events. The Birdmen of the Broken Island, the gods of volcanoes and farming and song, the Lava Racer and many more legendary tales strategically placed n between scenes of Kaimana’s journey. And it is a journey to capture her Knack’s Spark and finish the Song, to stay alive, to find shelter for her friend. ‘Where Waters Turn Black’ is fantastically imaginative and beautifully fluous, taking me on a journey unlike any other.
Personally I loved ‘They Mostly Come Out at Night’, the first book in the Yarnsworld series by Benedict Patrick, and I absolutely, if possible, loved ‘Where the Waters Turn Black‘ even more! I simply cannot wait for the next book in this collection. The books in this series are standalone novels so you do not need to read ‘TMCOaN’ to enjoy ‘WtWTB’… however, I do suggest reading both of the books.. they’re ah-mazing! A very satisfied bookworm, I am slapping a very grateful 5 stars on this book! ‘Nuff said!
nathan_towns's review
5.0
This book was delightful. I liked the first book in the series, but it did occasionally suffer from "first book" syndrome. The author was clearly trying to find his voice. This one did not suffer from that in the slightest.
queenterribletimy's review
5.0
This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum! I recently reread my favorite Yarnsworld novel, Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick via audiobook. Since my first review I wrote back in the summer of 2017 is pretty much useless, I decided to write a slightly better one.
If you are new to the Yarnsworld series, let me give you a quick heads up. If you are familiar with this world, feel free to jump to the next paragraph. All the books in the series are stand-alones, and can be read in whatever order you want. However, there are a couple that are connected to each other. Book 1, They Mostly Come Out At Night, and book 4, From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court, are set in the same part of Yarnsworld, in the Magpie King’s forest, and are connected. The same goes for book 2, Where the Waters Turn Black, and book 5, To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl which are set at the Crescent Atoll. Book 3, Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords has no connected novel yet, but never say never. This novel is set in yet again another part of the same universe. If you are into audiobooks, the Yarnswold novels are now available, paired together, so you can enjoy them all at once.
Right, let’s talk about Where the Waters Turn Black, the second book set in the Yarnsworld series. This is the story of Kaimana, a girl with a Knack for music. In the Yarnsworld, people can develop Knacks, a magical skill of their profession. Kaimana is a talented ocarina player, traveling around the Crescent Atoll with her troupe to perform and tell stories to the islanders. But what she wants more than anything is to create a masterpiece so people would know her name. She chases her spark – people with Knacks can spark which allows them magical abilities for a short amount of time to use, a gift from the gods – and a worthy story to tell. Until one day, on her home island, she finds a taniwha – mythical creatures, some of them with magical abilities -, one with whom the islanders live in harmony. Until, that is, when Kaimana wakes him up and things go out of hand from there.
Kaimana is unlike many women over the Crescent Atoll – while many of them settle down, marry and raise children, being content with their lives, Kaimana longs for adventures and to see the world outside of her home island. To find inspiration. With Rakau on her side, she gets a bit more than she bargained for, however. The islands are not only home to people and the taniwha, but the gods as well. Legends and myths are as real in the Crescent Atoll as the people themselves, and I think that’s one of my favorite aspects of this book. That beings from stories aren’t sentient, but real, breathing and occasionally bleeding living things. It’s not unusual for gods (Tangaloa, Nakoa, Leinani, Yam, and the others) to visit the islands, dishing out gifts and punishments, but their presence is always a blessing – of some sort. Kaimana definitely gets more than her fair share of these encounters during the book and her adventures. To her credit, she does not let her fear get in the way and even stands up to them when needed. Which is saying something when you have to stand up to the god of war. That takes some balls. Or…um…let’s settle with bravery.
My other favorite thing about Where the Waters Turn Black is the friendship between Kaimana and Rakau. It builds up slowly from beginning to end and it’s just as uplifting and heartbreaking and real as any other friendship is. But it’s also as pure and unconditional as only an animal-human friendship can be. I don’t read nearly enough books with an animal companion, which is such a shame. I’m also a sucker for stories about found families and this book definitely ticks that particular box of mine off as well.
And did I even mention the folktales between chapters? Aside from Patrick‘s widely imaginative world, these folktales are what is drawing me to the Yarnsworld so much. They not only tell interesting stories and teach valuable life lessons but also are an integral part of the book. They are giving depth to certain characters and let us learn more about the world without the necessity of info dumps in the main text. It’s a really cool way of storytelling. Patrick is crazy talented at bringing characters into life and make them seem real even if they are only secondary ones.
For Where the Waters Turn Black, Patrick drew inspiration from Polynesian stories and legends, which I find highly interesting. To the point that I’m tempted to do a bit of research to learn more. Not that I know much about this culture, but to my mind, Patrick‘s writing is making the islands and their people and gods and creatures alive. It just makes me wish I could travel all over the world – imagined or otherwise. Then again, I probably wouldn’t survive too long…
Epic in scope, but with its less than 250 pages, this is a compact book you can read just in one sitting if you need to get away from everyday life. And who doesn’t need a great escape to a world where the water is crystal clear (well, except when it turns black, in which case you probably better get away as you are getting close to Leinani’s volcano and you really don’t want to piss her off), the sky is blue and the islands are green and lush and full of vibrant life, and where the gods and taniwha are walking among the people?
I said many times before that Benedict Patrick had become one of my favorite authors over the years, and it was Where the Waters Turn Black that sealed the deal for me of becoming a Yarnsworld fangirl. And I’m not even into fangirling. Anyway. You are really missing out on an amazing journey if you don’t read these books. And before I start sounding like a broken record, let me just say this: Where the Waters Turn Black is as close to perfection as a book can be. It’s got music, magic, monsters, gods, found family, adventure, and a heroine who fights to write her own story. What would you do to earn a place in legends? Would you befriend a monster and deal with gods even if you might die trying? Kaimana certainly did all that and more.
Do yourself a favor, start reading the Yarnsworld novels today!
If you are new to the Yarnsworld series, let me give you a quick heads up. If you are familiar with this world, feel free to jump to the next paragraph. All the books in the series are stand-alones, and can be read in whatever order you want. However, there are a couple that are connected to each other. Book 1, They Mostly Come Out At Night, and book 4, From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court, are set in the same part of Yarnsworld, in the Magpie King’s forest, and are connected. The same goes for book 2, Where the Waters Turn Black, and book 5, To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl which are set at the Crescent Atoll. Book 3, Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords has no connected novel yet, but never say never. This novel is set in yet again another part of the same universe. If you are into audiobooks, the Yarnswold novels are now available, paired together, so you can enjoy them all at once.
Right, let’s talk about Where the Waters Turn Black, the second book set in the Yarnsworld series. This is the story of Kaimana, a girl with a Knack for music. In the Yarnsworld, people can develop Knacks, a magical skill of their profession. Kaimana is a talented ocarina player, traveling around the Crescent Atoll with her troupe to perform and tell stories to the islanders. But what she wants more than anything is to create a masterpiece so people would know her name. She chases her spark – people with Knacks can spark which allows them magical abilities for a short amount of time to use, a gift from the gods – and a worthy story to tell. Until one day, on her home island, she finds a taniwha – mythical creatures, some of them with magical abilities -, one with whom the islanders live in harmony. Until, that is, when Kaimana wakes him up and things go out of hand from there.
Kaimana is unlike many women over the Crescent Atoll – while many of them settle down, marry and raise children, being content with their lives, Kaimana longs for adventures and to see the world outside of her home island. To find inspiration. With Rakau on her side, she gets a bit more than she bargained for, however. The islands are not only home to people and the taniwha, but the gods as well. Legends and myths are as real in the Crescent Atoll as the people themselves, and I think that’s one of my favorite aspects of this book. That beings from stories aren’t sentient, but real, breathing and occasionally bleeding living things. It’s not unusual for gods (Tangaloa, Nakoa, Leinani, Yam, and the others) to visit the islands, dishing out gifts and punishments, but their presence is always a blessing – of some sort. Kaimana definitely gets more than her fair share of these encounters during the book and her adventures. To her credit, she does not let her fear get in the way and even stands up to them when needed. Which is saying something when you have to stand up to the god of war. That takes some balls. Or…um…let’s settle with bravery.
My other favorite thing about Where the Waters Turn Black is the friendship between Kaimana and Rakau. It builds up slowly from beginning to end and it’s just as uplifting and heartbreaking and real as any other friendship is. But it’s also as pure and unconditional as only an animal-human friendship can be. I don’t read nearly enough books with an animal companion, which is such a shame. I’m also a sucker for stories about found families and this book definitely ticks that particular box of mine off as well.
And did I even mention the folktales between chapters? Aside from Patrick‘s widely imaginative world, these folktales are what is drawing me to the Yarnsworld so much. They not only tell interesting stories and teach valuable life lessons but also are an integral part of the book. They are giving depth to certain characters and let us learn more about the world without the necessity of info dumps in the main text. It’s a really cool way of storytelling. Patrick is crazy talented at bringing characters into life and make them seem real even if they are only secondary ones.
For Where the Waters Turn Black, Patrick drew inspiration from Polynesian stories and legends, which I find highly interesting. To the point that I’m tempted to do a bit of research to learn more. Not that I know much about this culture, but to my mind, Patrick‘s writing is making the islands and their people and gods and creatures alive. It just makes me wish I could travel all over the world – imagined or otherwise. Then again, I probably wouldn’t survive too long…
Epic in scope, but with its less than 250 pages, this is a compact book you can read just in one sitting if you need to get away from everyday life. And who doesn’t need a great escape to a world where the water is crystal clear (well, except when it turns black, in which case you probably better get away as you are getting close to Leinani’s volcano and you really don’t want to piss her off), the sky is blue and the islands are green and lush and full of vibrant life, and where the gods and taniwha are walking among the people?
I said many times before that Benedict Patrick had become one of my favorite authors over the years, and it was Where the Waters Turn Black that sealed the deal for me of becoming a Yarnsworld fangirl. And I’m not even into fangirling. Anyway. You are really missing out on an amazing journey if you don’t read these books. And before I start sounding like a broken record, let me just say this: Where the Waters Turn Black is as close to perfection as a book can be. It’s got music, magic, monsters, gods, found family, adventure, and a heroine who fights to write her own story. What would you do to earn a place in legends? Would you befriend a monster and deal with gods even if you might die trying? Kaimana certainly did all that and more.
Do yourself a favor, start reading the Yarnsworld novels today!
llmacrae's review
5.0
This is the third book by Benedict Patrick that I’ve read (listened to, as they’ve all been audiobooks) and matches the vivid world building, rich lore, and fantastic characters that I’ve come to know and love.
This time, instead of the forest locations of They Mostly Come Out At Night, and From The Shadows Of The Owl Queen’s Court, we spend time on The Crescent Atoll. It’s still part of the same universe, which is always wonderful to revisit, although so far away that it could be a different world.
Each of the Yarnsworld books (at least that I’ve read so far), are stand-clones, able to be enjoyed on their own merits, without reading of previous books required for understanding. It makes it fun to pick and choose which story to dive into, without worrying about required reading.
The protagonist of Where The Waters turn Black is Kaimana, a young musician who plays the ocarina. Having left home to join a travelling troupe due to her Knack for music (Knacks being another fantastic part of the Yarnsworld books where an individual develops an incredible, somewhat magical, skill in some aspect of life - from playing a particular instrument, to dancing, to fishing, to carpentry etc.), although Kaimana’s time with the troupe isn’t going particularly well - worsened when she ends up bonding with a taniwha when the troupe returns to her home island.
“Taniwha” is the name given to a variety of creatures more commonly referred to as monsters. Rakau is the name she bestows upon hers - a sort of giant dog-like, otter-like, semi-aquatic creature that honestly was rather endearing - and their friendship is considered a very bad sign by those of her troupe given the taniwha’s history as bloodthirsty monsters. It’s such a bad sign that Kaimana is driven from the troupe and forced to flee, taking a canoe across the atoll to find somewhere safe for her taniwha (and herself).
We meet several gods along the way, some who want to help her, some who want to harm her, and others who are more indifferent.
Driven by her spark to create the most beautiful song, one that will be told for generations, Kaimana is a fantastic protagonist who pulls the adventurous story onwards. Much of the atoll isn’t safe, and many conflicts arise from being hunted or desired by different people for their own reasons.
Patrick’s writing is vivid in a way I’ve not really encountered before. There is no shying away from the devastation the gods of the atoll have wrought on not just the environment, but the people. There are groups who worship other dieties and totems, those with conflicting ideals, and many places are unsafe for a young ocarina player and her taniwha. Many have been changed beyond all recognition, and Kaimana has a morbid curiosity for many of them (of course, it is all contributing to her fantastic song).
One thing I’ve always loved about the Yarnsworld books are the variety of gods. They each are very different, with different powers, strengths, and personalities. They are as much a part of the world as people, animals, plants etc. and often walk among the people.
The God of Yam makes an appearance (among others), and I loved his character in particular.
Each chapter is bookended by a regional folk tale. These small interludes are some of the best parts of the Yarnsworld books, shining a light on a particular god, hero, or foolish mortal. They serve to enrich an already vibrant world, and often play into what our main cast see or experience.
As the previous audiobooks, Where The Waters Turn Black was narrated by Derek Perkins. He is a fantastic narrator, excellent speed, cadence, and great voices for each of the characters. He is able to make emotional moments more powerful, and brings the book to life in an exceptional way.
Overall I enjoyed They Mostly Come Out At Night a little more than Where The Waters Turn Black, but it is still an easy five star read for me.
Benedict Patrick has become an auto-buy author for me. I’ve also ordered his two latest books (Darkstar Dragon and Whalefleet) in hardback through his recent kickstarter campaign, and can’t wait to read those, too!
Highly recommend the Yarnsworld books - start with the ones you like the sound of most, but be prepared to want to devour them all!
This time, instead of the forest locations of They Mostly Come Out At Night, and From The Shadows Of The Owl Queen’s Court, we spend time on The Crescent Atoll. It’s still part of the same universe, which is always wonderful to revisit, although so far away that it could be a different world.
Each of the Yarnsworld books (at least that I’ve read so far), are stand-clones, able to be enjoyed on their own merits, without reading of previous books required for understanding. It makes it fun to pick and choose which story to dive into, without worrying about required reading.
The protagonist of Where The Waters turn Black is Kaimana, a young musician who plays the ocarina. Having left home to join a travelling troupe due to her Knack for music (Knacks being another fantastic part of the Yarnsworld books where an individual develops an incredible, somewhat magical, skill in some aspect of life - from playing a particular instrument, to dancing, to fishing, to carpentry etc.), although Kaimana’s time with the troupe isn’t going particularly well - worsened when she ends up bonding with a taniwha when the troupe returns to her home island.
“Taniwha” is the name given to a variety of creatures more commonly referred to as monsters. Rakau is the name she bestows upon hers - a sort of giant dog-like, otter-like, semi-aquatic creature that honestly was rather endearing - and their friendship is considered a very bad sign by those of her troupe given the taniwha’s history as bloodthirsty monsters. It’s such a bad sign that Kaimana is driven from the troupe and forced to flee, taking a canoe across the atoll to find somewhere safe for her taniwha (and herself).
We meet several gods along the way, some who want to help her, some who want to harm her, and others who are more indifferent.
Driven by her spark to create the most beautiful song, one that will be told for generations, Kaimana is a fantastic protagonist who pulls the adventurous story onwards. Much of the atoll isn’t safe, and many conflicts arise from being hunted or desired by different people for their own reasons.
Patrick’s writing is vivid in a way I’ve not really encountered before. There is no shying away from the devastation the gods of the atoll have wrought on not just the environment, but the people. There are groups who worship other dieties and totems, those with conflicting ideals, and many places are unsafe for a young ocarina player and her taniwha. Many have been changed beyond all recognition, and Kaimana has a morbid curiosity for many of them (of course, it is all contributing to her fantastic song).
One thing I’ve always loved about the Yarnsworld books are the variety of gods. They each are very different, with different powers, strengths, and personalities. They are as much a part of the world as people, animals, plants etc. and often walk among the people.
The God of Yam makes an appearance (among others), and I loved his character in particular.
Each chapter is bookended by a regional folk tale. These small interludes are some of the best parts of the Yarnsworld books, shining a light on a particular god, hero, or foolish mortal. They serve to enrich an already vibrant world, and often play into what our main cast see or experience.
As the previous audiobooks, Where The Waters Turn Black was narrated by Derek Perkins. He is a fantastic narrator, excellent speed, cadence, and great voices for each of the characters. He is able to make emotional moments more powerful, and brings the book to life in an exceptional way.
Overall I enjoyed They Mostly Come Out At Night a little more than Where The Waters Turn Black, but it is still an easy five star read for me.
Benedict Patrick has become an auto-buy author for me. I’ve also ordered his two latest books (Darkstar Dragon and Whalefleet) in hardback through his recent kickstarter campaign, and can’t wait to read those, too!
Highly recommend the Yarnsworld books - start with the ones you like the sound of most, but be prepared to want to devour them all!
lanko's review
5.0
This was surprising. The beginning actually didn't do much for me. Kaimana was a little annoying, there was no sign of a plot and the writing wasn't soaring either. Only the setting and local mythology kept me interested enough.
Even then, for the first third or so the story was about 2-3 stars and I considered once or twice dropping it.
The about the second third in things started to change a lot for the better. I don't remember exactly the point, but around this part the story gripped me and I was really curious to see what would happen and what else would be discovered, specially as the mythologies surprisingly weren't just stories.
At this point the story was really good and I would rate it a 4*. And that single missing star is solely because on how the author handled inner thoughts.
It really didn't feel like a person thinking, but simple a narrative device used by the author for massive exposition on how to feel/see certain things and even to infodump backstory.
The way he did the character's thoughts really drove me nuts throughout the whole story.
But then the final third rolled in. It was surprisingly tense for some moments and also surprisingly emotional, considering how the story had been so far.
The small tales about various people/gods of the Atoll being chapters were also really good, many would make great stories. I particularly was really surprised at the kind and cruel brothers' tale.
This coupled with the surprising final third really made the story memorable to me and made me brush away the things that didn't work for me for a full 5*.
Even then, for the first third or so the story was about 2-3 stars and I considered once or twice dropping it.
The about the second third in things started to change a lot for the better. I don't remember exactly the point, but around this part the story gripped me and I was really curious to see what would happen and what else would be discovered, specially as the mythologies surprisingly weren't just stories.
At this point the story was really good and I would rate it a 4*. And that single missing star is solely because on how the author handled inner thoughts.
It really didn't feel like a person thinking, but simple a narrative device used by the author for massive exposition on how to feel/see certain things and even to infodump backstory.
The way he did the character's thoughts really drove me nuts throughout the whole story.
But then the final third rolled in. It was surprisingly tense for some moments and also surprisingly emotional, considering how the story had been so far.
The small tales about various people/gods of the Atoll being chapters were also really good, many would make great stories. I particularly was really surprised at the kind and cruel brothers' tale.
This coupled with the surprising final third really made the story memorable to me and made me brush away the things that didn't work for me for a full 5*.