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Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'
Sing the Four Quarters: A Quarters Novel by Tanya Huff
1 review
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I really don't know how to feel about Sing the Four Quarters. On one hand, I did to some extent enjoy it -- it's decently written in technical terms, and the worldbuilding and plot are, if not the most original, at least interesting -- but on the other, there are a lot of issues. Some of these come down to my preferences (and surprisingly for a tokophobe, the pretty graphic depiction of the central character's pregnancy wasn't one). Some, however, are pretty objective, like the casual and unchallenged depictions of incest and pedophilia as well as the pretty consistent cissexism and some incidental ableism, including a passage where an expectant character is fearful about her child being disabled (it's a fictional condition, but the descriptions read very similarly to a lot of neurological disorders). Much of this is ostensibly due to when it was written, but it's fairly uncomfortable to read today. It's also somewhat startling in combination with more progressive themes, like very smooth representation of gay and bi characters as well as pretty decent handling of childbearing out of wedlock and open, casual relationships.
On a more technical, overarching level, there are some hiccups in the writing as well. Though I liked (some of) the characters and was invested enough in their arcs to continue reading, I don't think I could really actively list off any of their traits. By the last quarter (incidentally, lol) of the book, I was struggling to even remember some of them. Since almost every important character's perspective is at some point shown -- and not always predictably, given Huff seems to have a habit here of switching PoVs between paragraphs, which does not work in third-person limited and is confusing and awkward -- this is a bit of a problem. The size of the cast is impressive, but it's ultimately more of a bane than a boon. A lot of characters whose perspectives are shown are also not likable in the slightest, and when each segment is at least a little important, some can be agonizing to trawl through.
The worldbuilding also doesn't delve as deep as I think it could, with some things like that aforementioned disability barely glanced over -- though the world tries very hard at being fleshed out and has compelling material there, it comes across as more superficial than anything else. A lot of concepts are thrown at the reader all at once and expected to be understood throughout the rest of the book. "Show don't tell" seems to be taken to an unfortunate extreme, with very few things actually explained except in passing or clunky dialogue. Additionally, the plot is just a bit too contrived to play out and be paced comfortably. It's also heavily bogged down with fantasy politics, which would normally be interesting to me, but the lack of super coherent worldbuilding just makes it confusing and difficult. How things connect and are resolved is ultimately satisfying, but the journey there can sometimes be a drag.
Sing the Four Quarters's main flaw is perhaps that it's too ambitious. There are a lot of names and ideas and plot threads present, too much to be neatly juggled, and the problems it's also laden with distract from its stronger suits. Though I personally enjoyed it (kind of), I don't think I would read it again, nor would I especially recommend it. If it were a quicker read with a punchier plot, this would perhaps be different, but its length makes everything stand out all the more.
On a more technical, overarching level, there are some hiccups in the writing as well. Though I liked (some of) the characters and was invested enough in their arcs to continue reading, I don't think I could really actively list off any of their traits. By the last quarter (incidentally, lol) of the book, I was struggling to even remember some of them. Since almost every important character's perspective is at some point shown -- and not always predictably, given Huff seems to have a habit here of switching PoVs between paragraphs, which does not work in third-person limited and is confusing and awkward -- this is a bit of a problem. The size of the cast is impressive, but it's ultimately more of a bane than a boon. A lot of characters whose perspectives are shown are also not likable in the slightest, and when each segment is at least a little important, some can be agonizing to trawl through.
The worldbuilding also doesn't delve as deep as I think it could, with some things like that aforementioned disability barely glanced over -- though the world tries very hard at being fleshed out and has compelling material there, it comes across as more superficial than anything else. A lot of concepts are thrown at the reader all at once and expected to be understood throughout the rest of the book. "Show don't tell" seems to be taken to an unfortunate extreme, with very few things actually explained except in passing or clunky dialogue. Additionally, the plot is just a bit too contrived to play out and be paced comfortably. It's also heavily bogged down with fantasy politics, which would normally be interesting to me, but the lack of super coherent worldbuilding just makes it confusing and difficult. How things connect and are resolved is ultimately satisfying, but the journey there can sometimes be a drag.
Sing the Four Quarters's main flaw is perhaps that it's too ambitious. There are a lot of names and ideas and plot threads present, too much to be neatly juggled, and the problems it's also laden with distract from its stronger suits. Though I personally enjoyed it (kind of), I don't think I would read it again, nor would I especially recommend it. If it were a quicker read with a punchier plot, this would perhaps be different, but its length makes everything stand out all the more.
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
A main character is pregnant, and her various symptoms are covered in detail; there is also a labor scene near the end. A character is mentioned to have slept with her nephew, who is more than 10 years her junior, and has some charged interactions with him. Suggestions are made to make sexual advances on (i.e., assaulting) a drugged person. A couple was betrothed when one party was 16 and the other was 22, though they didn't form an actual relationship until the former was 19, and there are mentions of arranging other children to marry, most with significant age differences between them and a potential betrothed. Physical child abuse is described but not shown on-page. A child is endangered multiple times and gravely wounded. The King's Guard isn't quite equivalent to modern-day police, but they are a body that apprehends those accused of a crime nevertheless, so some of their actions bear a resemblance to police violence. Mild ableism/cissexism is present in terms of expectations for a baby.
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