anna_hepworth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was a little concerned that starting with book 3 of a series was going to be a problem; it wasn't. Looking at the summaries of the two previous books, I suspect this is a thematic series rather than a sequence of sections of a story.
Tchaikovsky throws the reader in the deep end, confounding with details, as well as a very close second person viewpoint. I'm rather partial to well done second person, so this was a bonus for me. There is good reason for the second person, and I greatly appreciated that for building the tension to the story ending. I also love when the world building comes through in tiny pieces, as it is relevant to the viewpoint character.
Given that Torquell, our supposed hero, is incredibly naive at the beginning, as well as ignorant about much outside their village, there is a lot to leave the reader guessing. If it walks like a feudal fantasy and squawks like a feudal fantasy, does one give up on it for not being interested in feudal fantasy? Surprisingly, the answer here was 'no'. I don't like that particular fantasy genre, and as a rule give up in the first 20 pages. But in those first few pages Tchaikovsky had hooked my interest, and every extra glimpse of the world outside the village dragged me further in.
Effectively, this was a read straight through without interuptions book. Highly recommended.
Tchaikovsky throws the reader in the deep end, confounding with details, as well as a very close second person viewpoint. I'm rather partial to well done second person, so this was a bonus for me. There is good reason for the second person, and I greatly appreciated that for building the tension to the story ending. I also love when the world building comes through in tiny pieces, as it is relevant to the viewpoint character.
Given that Torquell, our supposed hero, is incredibly naive at the beginning, as well as ignorant about much outside their village, there is a lot to leave the reader guessing. If it walks like a feudal fantasy and squawks like a feudal fantasy, does one give up on it for not being interested in feudal fantasy? Surprisingly, the answer here was 'no'. I don't like that particular fantasy genre, and as a rule give up in the first 20 pages. But in those first few pages Tchaikovsky had hooked my interest, and every extra glimpse of the world outside the village dragged me further in.
Effectively, this was a read straight through without interuptions book. Highly recommended.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Murder
Minor: Rape, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
content warning for eugenics.
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