tnanz's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like this book had tremendous potential. The writing, the pace, the magic/supernatural system were all good. But I didn't love the way the politics were written, and the plot wasn't fantastic. All in all didn't grab me the way I hoped it would: but I'd be willing to give the author another shot!
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
Anthony Huso’s debut novel The Last Page is certainly a tough one. Highly original and rife with elements of the weird it is a fantasy novel quite unlike any I have ever read. The blurb on the book from Glen Cook mentions a link to “science fantasy” and that comparison is not too far off base. The Last Page is a novel unlike anything on the market today; an important distinction since its unique style and willingness to borrow conventions from outside the typical fantasy genre called to mind the old school fantasists featured in the pages of Weird Tales (authors like C. L. Moore and Fritz Leiber). In a genre that has become somewhat insular and self-referential The Last Page is a rare exercise in invention and originality.
The Last Page initially centers on Caliph Howl a young man finishing his studies at school while reluctantly awaiting the summons home to assume the unwanted kingship of Isca. Caliph, in the last year or so of his studies meets Sena a fellow student and the two students quickly form a bond. Sena is not quite what she seems; Sena is a Shradnae witch who seeks the mysterious Cisrym Ta; an ancient grimoire of unknown power. The book is locked by magic and in order to open it she needs to betray someone who loves her. Of course, Caliph’s kingdom is threatened by civil war while other unknown things move against both Sena and Caliph.
One thing I should note is that the invented language and unique characters used throughout The Last Page look completely terrible on my nook. Looking at the Nook for PC software I can see they don’t look bad there so the difficulty must be on the device itself rather than the file. It’s a minor quibble but The Last Page is liberally sprinkled with this bit of invention. Secondly, and another pitfall of reading The Last Page on an e-reader is that the glossary and pronunciation guide for these letters and words is located at the end of the novel. It is a chore and a distraction to flip to that information while reading. To be fair my first choice for reading The Last Page was print, but as happens here in the library, it has seemingly disappeared off the shelves.
Like I mentioned at the start of this review The Last Page is a difficult novel. The original elements like the invented language, and a complex cosmology require a bit of a stretch for readers more familiar with traditional fantasy. Those flexible readers who feel confident in their ability to stretch their expectation will be rewarded by an engrossing story in a strange world. While, the civil war in Isca and Caliph’s struggle to rule might be expected to take center stage I thought the novel was really something closer to a character study and was at its strongest when dealing with the witch Sena. Certainly the civil war offers an external threat and the novel spends some time dealing with Caliph’s struggles there but by and large the conflicts of the novel are relegated to the internal realms of our character’s thoughts and the dark shadows barely glimpse amidst the chaos of war.
By far my favorite parts of The Last Page were those that dragged in elements of horror. I was particularly and pleasantly horrified by Caliph’s discovery of how his nation is kept fed. Take for example Huso’s description of the “farm” and the meat it houses:
That is disgusting and brilliant in a very twisted kind of way. It’s combination of horrific abomination with the cold calculation of necessity wavering between tempering and magnifying the horror. Huso, simultaneously throws at us a scene of gory horror and a complex social and moral issue. It’s a trick he will continue to use to great effect over the course of the novel. Of course he will also throw other horrors at readers, ones that reminded me somewhat of the Deep Ones and worshipers of Dagon from Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, while simultaneously hinting at cosmic horrors lurking unseen in the places between the world.
The Last Page is rife with these touches of horror and on Huso’s website he speaks briefly on horror:
That “uncertainty of how to react” is emblematic of much of The Last Page and it is a curious sensation that few, if any, other fantasy novels manage to evoke. While I was a bit off-put by what I felt was a lack of focus with regards to the novel’s external conflicts Huso’s constant invention, hints of things in the shadows, and masterful portrayal of his character’s and their relationship kept me entranced for every page. It is the kind of novel that after reading it once I want to explore again just to examine the details that my initial read is sure to have missed. I excited to see what Huso comes up with next and I am excited (an excitement tinged with a sort of manic dread) to explore more of The Last Page’s
The Last Page initially centers on Caliph Howl a young man finishing his studies at school while reluctantly awaiting the summons home to assume the unwanted kingship of Isca. Caliph, in the last year or so of his studies meets Sena a fellow student and the two students quickly form a bond. Sena is not quite what she seems; Sena is a Shradnae witch who seeks the mysterious Cisrym Ta; an ancient grimoire of unknown power. The book is locked by magic and in order to open it she needs to betray someone who loves her. Of course, Caliph’s kingdom is threatened by civil war while other unknown things move against both Sena and Caliph.
One thing I should note is that the invented language and unique characters used throughout The Last Page look completely terrible on my nook. Looking at the Nook for PC software I can see they don’t look bad there so the difficulty must be on the device itself rather than the file. It’s a minor quibble but The Last Page is liberally sprinkled with this bit of invention. Secondly, and another pitfall of reading The Last Page on an e-reader is that the glossary and pronunciation guide for these letters and words is located at the end of the novel. It is a chore and a distraction to flip to that information while reading. To be fair my first choice for reading The Last Page was print, but as happens here in the library, it has seemingly disappeared off the shelves.
Like I mentioned at the start of this review The Last Page is a difficult novel. The original elements like the invented language, and a complex cosmology require a bit of a stretch for readers more familiar with traditional fantasy. Those flexible readers who feel confident in their ability to stretch their expectation will be rewarded by an engrossing story in a strange world. While, the civil war in Isca and Caliph’s struggle to rule might be expected to take center stage I thought the novel was really something closer to a character study and was at its strongest when dealing with the witch Sena. Certainly the civil war offers an external threat and the novel spends some time dealing with Caliph’s struggles there but by and large the conflicts of the novel are relegated to the internal realms of our character’s thoughts and the dark shadows barely glimpse amidst the chaos of war.
By far my favorite parts of The Last Page were those that dragged in elements of horror. I was particularly and pleasantly horrified by Caliph’s discovery of how his nation is kept fed. Take for example Huso’s description of the “farm” and the meat it houses:
Like a cattle yard, where butchered animals were hung on hooks to drain. Only these great carcasses were alive and three times size of a butchered cow. Three heavy chains hooked onto iron rings that pierced their upper portion and suspended each living meat several feet above the floor. They were vaguely the shape of a human heart and the iron rings that suspended them pulled the tissue into painful-looking triangles…The meat had no arms or legs. It had no skin but a translucent bluish white membrane that covered the dark maroon muscle tissue and bulging blue veins underneath. Lumpy patches of yellow adipose clustered in grooves and seams where the muscles joined in useless perfection.
Cable-thick tubing ran from above, bundled together and coupled into various implanted sockets for reasons obviously associated with sustaining dubious life.
Occasionally, muscles twitched or a sudden shudder wen through the enormous cohesion of mindless flesh and sent the body swinging in the slow tight spiral allowed by the chains.
At the bottom of the meat, near the pointed but snubbed posterior, something like an anus spewed filth with peristaltic violence into a square depression in the floor. Urine dribbled or sprayed from hidden hole proximal to the defecating sphincter, help to wash soupy piles of shit and blood toward runnels in the floor.
That is disgusting and brilliant in a very twisted kind of way. It’s combination of horrific abomination with the cold calculation of necessity wavering between tempering and magnifying the horror. Huso, simultaneously throws at us a scene of gory horror and a complex social and moral issue. It’s a trick he will continue to use to great effect over the course of the novel. Of course he will also throw other horrors at readers, ones that reminded me somewhat of the Deep Ones and worshipers of Dagon from Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, while simultaneously hinting at cosmic horrors lurking unseen in the places between the world.
The Last Page is rife with these touches of horror and on Huso’s website he speaks briefly on horror:
For me, fantasy must play chameleon in exactly this way, offer beauty hidden in horror; promise loveliness then suddenly throw its head back and scream. This is something I think horror on its own struggles to do because I always suspect it. But fantasy can go both ways. The horror can dissolve suddenly and unexpectedly into bliss, which I think enhances the sense of unpredictability. It is surprise and uncertainty, especially the uncertainty of how to react, that I prize.
That “uncertainty of how to react” is emblematic of much of The Last Page and it is a curious sensation that few, if any, other fantasy novels manage to evoke. While I was a bit off-put by what I felt was a lack of focus with regards to the novel’s external conflicts Huso’s constant invention, hints of things in the shadows, and masterful portrayal of his character’s and their relationship kept me entranced for every page. It is the kind of novel that after reading it once I want to explore again just to examine the details that my initial read is sure to have missed. I excited to see what Huso comes up with next and I am excited (an excitement tinged with a sort of manic dread) to explore more of The Last Page’s
etoiline's review against another edition
3.0
THE LAST PAGE is a strangely compelling. There were many parts of it that made me cringe, and quite often I simply had no idea what was happening. But the setting was interesting--a sort of steampunk medival--and the characters were (sometimes too) realistic. The narrative suffers a bit at the beginning as the reader is simply dropped into a world where it's assumed they'll figure out what's going on, but even for this veteran fantasy reader who has made up not a few of her own languages, this was tough. When you require your reader to look up footnotes just to figure out what the characters are saying? When strange diacritical marks make the phrases look like so much gibberish with no obvious relation to any known sentence structure? These things make the book very tough to read. I had to force myself to continue at a few points, because of the cringe-factor and the complete weirdness of the world. If you can make it through these, you'll be rewarded with quite a story, laced with betrayal and stretches where you'll probably feel like you're watching a train wreck: you want to turn away but you can't. There's a good story in there, but beware if you're not the sort to want the darker side of fantasy, because it is definitely on display in this novel.
Received as a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
Received as a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
drey72's review against another edition
2.0
I had really high hopes for The Last Page – it’s a steampunk-ish novel set in a fantasy world where would-be kings fight over a throne, witches practice magic and deception in addition to assassination, and the High King doesn’t really want to be High King. But while I did like Caliph Howl (the High King), I couldn’t get into the story. I had to make myself pick it up and keep on reading, mostly because I didn’t want to be caught unawares when I read The Black Bottle… I guess that’s the downside to agreeing to review books, huh?
Caliph Howl is a well thought out character. He’s charismatic, smart, and honorable. Mostly. His main weakness is his fondness for Sena, who happens to be a witch who’s trying to open a magic tome, one that’s supposed to spill all kinds of magical secrets and grant all kinds of magical powers.
I didn’t care so much for Sena – she’s self-absorbed and selfish. Everything she does is for her own gain, even her relationship with Caliph. Usually when you have characters like this, they have at least one redeeming quality, but I didn’t find that to be the case here. Not until the end, anyway, when it might’ve been too late for me to change my mind about her.
Ok, you say. So the girl interest isn’t interesting. There’s still the story, right? Right. And I really enjoyed the beginning, when Caliph was at school. Once he gets (dragged kicking and screaming) back to Stonehold, however, things drag and get so bloody convoluted. And maybe convoluted wouldn’t be such a problem for me – I do love George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series after all – if the author hadn’t been so fond of using really long and obscure ways to describe simple things. I’ve never had to look up as many words in a book as I did with this one. Go ahead and call me lazy, but having to continually interrupt my reading to decipher words, really does take the fun out of what’s supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable.
Bottom line? Awesome premise. Horrid execution.
drey’s rating: Ok
Caliph Howl is a well thought out character. He’s charismatic, smart, and honorable. Mostly. His main weakness is his fondness for Sena, who happens to be a witch who’s trying to open a magic tome, one that’s supposed to spill all kinds of magical secrets and grant all kinds of magical powers.
I didn’t care so much for Sena – she’s self-absorbed and selfish. Everything she does is for her own gain, even her relationship with Caliph. Usually when you have characters like this, they have at least one redeeming quality, but I didn’t find that to be the case here. Not until the end, anyway, when it might’ve been too late for me to change my mind about her.
Ok, you say. So the girl interest isn’t interesting. There’s still the story, right? Right. And I really enjoyed the beginning, when Caliph was at school. Once he gets (dragged kicking and screaming) back to Stonehold, however, things drag and get so bloody convoluted. And maybe convoluted wouldn’t be such a problem for me – I do love George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series after all – if the author hadn’t been so fond of using really long and obscure ways to describe simple things. I’ve never had to look up as many words in a book as I did with this one. Go ahead and call me lazy, but having to continually interrupt my reading to decipher words, really does take the fun out of what’s supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable.
Bottom line? Awesome premise. Horrid execution.
drey’s rating: Ok
tortacular's review against another edition
2.0
There were aspects of it that I liked, but I found myself losing interest as the story progressed.
cupiscent's review against another edition
Made it up to page 42 of 728 in my e-copy. The first chapter was all right, really, but nothing riveting, and then the second chapter was just wall-to-wall ridiculous wordage, and I just can't be bothered.
"The bells ceased and a pleasant loneliness poured in with the moonlight, varnishing the walls, tranquilizing every board."
...uh huh.
"The bells ceased and a pleasant loneliness poured in with the moonlight, varnishing the walls, tranquilizing every board."
...uh huh.
illyria18's review
1.0
Rating: 1.5
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
You know what, I'm proud of myself for finishing this book. Most will say they wont waste their time finishing a bad book but for me I hate not to. Especially if I plan to do a review for it then I need to make sure I actually finish the book. It wasn't easy but I did it. And oh boy will there be spoilers concerning the ending.
I took notes. I actually finally took notes for a book so that I could bring up all the different things I wanted to say for the review. Now granted I should of been doing this before with the other books I've reviewed. Finding I've often times forgotten to write about one more thing that I forgot to say. Still none of them needed it as much as this book did.
Let me bring up one of the good things first though before I get into ranting about the bad.
This cover. Or the one that shows the landscape and the zeppelins. It is absolutely beautiful. Whoever designed that is a artist. It's so detailed and really helps visualize the world of the book. The other cover I've seen with the eye is nice but this one seems just perfect for the story. So great choice on that.
You want to know what else is detailed? Everything is this book. There were so many details that you literally couldn't go one paragraph without hitting a whole bunch. Now this did help you to visualize every little thing but at the same time it did become overwhelming and well some things I just really didn't care about knowing. Example: Do I really need to know how exactly Sena managed to take her urgent piss or Caliph relieving his bowels? Don't worry, he wiped afterwards.
As if that didn't already feel unneeded something else was even more not wanted. That would be the constant comparisons of things. It seemed everything had to be compared to something so that the reader might better understand what was happening. Sometimes it helped and other times it just felt pointless or sometimes even crass or just disgusting.
"The capacity of the vaults was sufficient that Isca's sewers had never needed extensive redesign. They sucked floods down an ineluctable network of straws like a fat girl at a soda fountain and pushed them through turbines toward the bay where powerful geysers of odious water gushed into the sea." pg.148-149
"The ragmen drift north toward the crest of the cemetery, wading through patchy ugly weeds that flourish like pubic hair." pg.230
Overall it started to feel like the book was just lots of descriptions and very little story. Or really that the story was getting bogged down by them. Which is something I never thought I'd find myself saying since I had always considered descriptions a good thing.
Now before I forget the book also writes symbols from time to time. In the beginning they give you definitions at the bottom of the page so that you might better understand. Some of these help, others not so much. The real fun part comes though when they get used again later on and you're suppose to remember what they were before after reading off the other ones and having it be many pages later. Yeah, I wasn't about to wade my way back through the pages in an attempt to find that exact one again. It got to the point where I got myself to understand the main story and let everything else just go over my head. Which wasn't too hard what with some of the words this book was using.
Now onto the characters. Or really what caused the most unevenness in the book for me. Caliph Howl was the better main character. I can't say I overly liked him but I felt I understood him better and in the end I did want to see him succeed even though the odds were stacked so badly against. The amount of betrayals he suffered through started to become laughable. Having me believe he might as well get used to trusting no one at this point. The plot with him and the coming war with Saergaeth was the most interesting thing in here. Focusing on that seemed to keep Caliph's mind clear and he seemed pretty sensible. That is of course if you don't include the times when he's around Sena and becomes pretty well senseless. By the end of the book she could of killed him and his ghost would still be longing after her.
Sena was the real problem with this book. Over time her plot just became uninteresting. So I didn't care about her or her story. I tried but just like with everyone else she pushed me away. To the point where I wished her plot would just end and we could stay focused on Caliph. When she betrayed Caliph and left to do what she had been planning to do the whole book I was glad. When pg, 336 came all I could do was laugh. Something so obvious and now the character was finally realizing it. Laughing at the stupidity of it. For me that was where I wanted her story to end. It would of been perfect and then we could of focused back on the war and Caliph.
Since everything after that with Sena just felt like a distraction. I could practically hear myself groan whenever she came up. That's never a good sign. In fact the only times she was interesting were the times she was being attacked/running from a monster.
Other than that there were some side characters I liked. Namely Alani. I thought he was a good addition. He was really interesting and I would of liked more of him in the book. The same goes for Cameron. He apparently had the good sense to leave the book not long after his appearance. Still he was memorable to me and it was sad seeing him go so soon. He seemed really interesting as well and I would of really liked getting to know him more.
As the story went along though I noticed that even when things were happening I didn't feel too invested in the outcome. It was more just me trying to get through the book. Everything just felt so long winded and tedious. Maybe too many things did go over my head or something because for me it just seems this book could of been shorter. But make it to the end I did and here's what I have to say.
I'm not sure if it was meant to be taken seriously but even now I'm still laughing. All that time being bored by Sena's plot finally paid off as it finally did something and saved the day, killing thousands, but saving the day. When they killed Caliph and started saying she'd be Queen it was just another stupid thing I forced myself to except. Sure lets make the girl who's certainly crazy and doesn't care about the lives she takes Queen. Sure, whatever. Yet it decided to show me that they could one up that and make things even more crazy. All of it coming to the huge climax where Sena kills, or should I say explodes, many animals in a room full of people to bring Caliph's now embalmed body back to life. To top it all off now Sena wants to have a child. Yep, now that it would seem her body is dead and his body should be incapable of doing much since he was definitely dead she wants to start a family. Well isn't that sweet? I'm sorry but the ending to this supposed first book felt ludicrous to me. It felt forced after everything else and all I could do was laugh.
So why give it a 1.5 and let it have two stars? Well its a bit tricky to explain. I may not have liked the characters but I didn't outright hate them. It might of been because the book was being told in third person and not first but I didn't find myself wanting to throw the book against the wall or getting angry at the stupid things characters were doing. In the case of Sena, none of it seemed stupid for her to be doing, in fact she was doing just what I'd expect her character to do. So I couldn't get frustrated with her. Besides that there were some chapters where things did get interesting. Sena being attacked in her home, Caliph and Sena being chased into the old crumbling manor, and when they actually did have the battle at the end. That battle topped everything else as the most interesting thing hands down. It was long awaited and felt like a pretty good payoff. Along with the few side characters I would of liked to learn more about I felt this book deserved more then one star. It did have good things. It just felt bogged down by a bunch of other stuff that seemed not needed.
At the end of the day this book really just wasn't for me. It's not something I'd normally read. It sounded really interesting and had an enticing cover but it was just a bit much for me. If you're not a light reader and like adult steampunk this one might just be for you though. Definitely for adults who like to challenge their minds with a lot of details. I know there are many out there and this book might be just what they're looking for. In any case there may be people that like this kind of book but it just wasn't for me.
I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.
You know what, I'm proud of myself for finishing this book. Most will say they wont waste their time finishing a bad book but for me I hate not to. Especially if I plan to do a review for it then I need to make sure I actually finish the book. It wasn't easy but I did it. And oh boy will there be spoilers concerning the ending.
I took notes. I actually finally took notes for a book so that I could bring up all the different things I wanted to say for the review. Now granted I should of been doing this before with the other books I've reviewed. Finding I've often times forgotten to write about one more thing that I forgot to say. Still none of them needed it as much as this book did.
Let me bring up one of the good things first though before I get into ranting about the bad.
This cover. Or the one that shows the landscape and the zeppelins. It is absolutely beautiful. Whoever designed that is a artist. It's so detailed and really helps visualize the world of the book. The other cover I've seen with the eye is nice but this one seems just perfect for the story. So great choice on that.
You want to know what else is detailed? Everything is this book. There were so many details that you literally couldn't go one paragraph without hitting a whole bunch. Now this did help you to visualize every little thing but at the same time it did become overwhelming and well some things I just really didn't care about knowing. Example: Do I really need to know how exactly Sena managed to take her urgent piss or Caliph relieving his bowels? Don't worry, he wiped afterwards.
As if that didn't already feel unneeded something else was even more not wanted. That would be the constant comparisons of things. It seemed everything had to be compared to something so that the reader might better understand what was happening. Sometimes it helped and other times it just felt pointless or sometimes even crass or just disgusting.
"The capacity of the vaults was sufficient that Isca's sewers had never needed extensive redesign. They sucked floods down an ineluctable network of straws like a fat girl at a soda fountain and pushed them through turbines toward the bay where powerful geysers of odious water gushed into the sea." pg.148-149
"The ragmen drift north toward the crest of the cemetery, wading through patchy ugly weeds that flourish like pubic hair." pg.230
Overall it started to feel like the book was just lots of descriptions and very little story. Or really that the story was getting bogged down by them. Which is something I never thought I'd find myself saying since I had always considered descriptions a good thing.
Now before I forget the book also writes symbols from time to time. In the beginning they give you definitions at the bottom of the page so that you might better understand. Some of these help, others not so much. The real fun part comes though when they get used again later on and you're suppose to remember what they were before after reading off the other ones and having it be many pages later. Yeah, I wasn't about to wade my way back through the pages in an attempt to find that exact one again. It got to the point where I got myself to understand the main story and let everything else just go over my head. Which wasn't too hard what with some of the words this book was using.
Now onto the characters. Or really what caused the most unevenness in the book for me. Caliph Howl was the better main character. I can't say I overly liked him but I felt I understood him better and in the end I did want to see him succeed even though the odds were stacked so badly against. The amount of betrayals he suffered through started to become laughable. Having me believe he might as well get used to trusting no one at this point. The plot with him and the coming war with Saergaeth was the most interesting thing in here. Focusing on that seemed to keep Caliph's mind clear and he seemed pretty sensible. That is of course if you don't include the times when he's around Sena and becomes pretty well senseless. By the end of the book she could of killed him and his ghost would still be longing after her.
Sena was the real problem with this book. Over time her plot just became uninteresting. So I didn't care about her or her story. I tried but just like with everyone else she pushed me away. To the point where I wished her plot would just end and we could stay focused on Caliph. When she betrayed Caliph and left to do what she had been planning to do the whole book I was glad. When pg, 336 came all I could do was laugh. Something so obvious and now the character was finally realizing it. Laughing at the stupidity of it. For me that was where I wanted her story to end. It would of been perfect and then we could of focused back on the war and Caliph.
Since everything after that with Sena just felt like a distraction. I could practically hear myself groan whenever she came up. That's never a good sign. In fact the only times she was interesting were the times she was being attacked/running from a monster.
Other than that there were some side characters I liked. Namely Alani. I thought he was a good addition. He was really interesting and I would of liked more of him in the book. The same goes for Cameron. He apparently had the good sense to leave the book not long after his appearance. Still he was memorable to me and it was sad seeing him go so soon. He seemed really interesting as well and I would of really liked getting to know him more.
As the story went along though I noticed that even when things were happening I didn't feel too invested in the outcome. It was more just me trying to get through the book. Everything just felt so long winded and tedious. Maybe too many things did go over my head or something because for me it just seems this book could of been shorter. But make it to the end I did and here's what I have to say.
I'm not sure if it was meant to be taken seriously but even now I'm still laughing. All that time being bored by Sena's plot finally paid off as it finally did something and saved the day, killing thousands, but saving the day. When they killed Caliph and started saying she'd be Queen it was just another stupid thing I forced myself to except. Sure lets make the girl who's certainly crazy and doesn't care about the lives she takes Queen. Sure, whatever. Yet it decided to show me that they could one up that and make things even more crazy. All of it coming to the huge climax where Sena kills, or should I say explodes, many animals in a room full of people to bring Caliph's now embalmed body back to life. To top it all off now Sena wants to have a child. Yep, now that it would seem her body is dead and his body should be incapable of doing much since he was definitely dead she wants to start a family. Well isn't that sweet? I'm sorry but the ending to this supposed first book felt ludicrous to me. It felt forced after everything else and all I could do was laugh.
So why give it a 1.5 and let it have two stars? Well its a bit tricky to explain. I may not have liked the characters but I didn't outright hate them. It might of been because the book was being told in third person and not first but I didn't find myself wanting to throw the book against the wall or getting angry at the stupid things characters were doing. In the case of Sena, none of it seemed stupid for her to be doing, in fact she was doing just what I'd expect her character to do. So I couldn't get frustrated with her. Besides that there were some chapters where things did get interesting. Sena being attacked in her home, Caliph and Sena being chased into the old crumbling manor, and when they actually did have the battle at the end. That battle topped everything else as the most interesting thing hands down. It was long awaited and felt like a pretty good payoff. Along with the few side characters I would of liked to learn more about I felt this book deserved more then one star. It did have good things. It just felt bogged down by a bunch of other stuff that seemed not needed.
At the end of the day this book really just wasn't for me. It's not something I'd normally read. It sounded really interesting and had an enticing cover but it was just a bit much for me. If you're not a light reader and like adult steampunk this one might just be for you though. Definitely for adults who like to challenge their minds with a lot of details. I know there are many out there and this book might be just what they're looking for. In any case there may be people that like this kind of book but it just wasn't for me.
imjustcupcake's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book through the Good Reads First Reads giveaway.
When I first started to read this book, I didn't know what to think about it. I found myself getting lost, not fully understanding, and wishing there was a glossary.
However, the further in I got, the more clear everything became. I got used to the different languages and the terminology, and eventually found myself feeling connected to the characters.
The way that this novel is written is brilliant. The the author leaves you confused about things and then brings them into clarity at the right moment. This is probably why I found it easier and easier to understand the story as it went on.
I am sad that the novel ended. I don't know if I am happy with the ending or not. There were still so many things I wanted to know more about!
When I first started to read this book, I didn't know what to think about it. I found myself getting lost, not fully understanding, and wishing there was a glossary.
However, the further in I got, the more clear everything became. I got used to the different languages and the terminology, and eventually found myself feeling connected to the characters.
The way that this novel is written is brilliant. The the author leaves you confused about things and then brings them into clarity at the right moment. This is probably why I found it easier and easier to understand the story as it went on.
I am sad that the novel ended. I don't know if I am happy with the ending or not. There were still so many things I wanted to know more about!
peregrineace's review
2.0
Only good grammar saved this book from being a single star. (This is possibly the longest review I've ever written. It was simply so problematic that I need the catharsis of writing about it. For the high points, skip to the end.)
This novel had such an interesting premise. Spies, a reluctant king, magic through math... the math angle was enough to hook me. Too bad the author has no grasp of higher mathematics (a few buzz words thrown in here and there) and never, ever explained how "holomorphy" works (aside from using blood as fuel). He also has only a loose grasp of military tactics but I'm no expert, so we won't quibble about that.
The book suffers from a number of flaws. First, the secondary characters are introduced as important but are often found hanging around a scene without actually doing or saying anything. There is scant emotional connection with these characters, who have no motivations and inconsistent personality. For instance, we're supposed to believe that Sena hates Megan, her mentor, as shown by. However, at no point in the few scenes with Megan is she ever cruel or hateful towards Sena. She seems to be a hard, powerful woman but it is clearly shown that she favors Sena, .
Second, it's simply not a very clever book. The two main characters are supposed to be a king with a great education and a spy with the same, plus magic. Both of them sort of meander through the plot and don't do anything very smart; Caliph barely knows who the people in his castle are, much less what's actually going on in his kingdom, and Sena often fumbles at the most basic of spying skills (she never gets information out of anyone, botches a basic lock pick, and once even skips on some information gathering because she doesn't feel like it). Caliph, in particular is a problem. He doesn't want to be king and isn't a very good one; the general challenging him is clearly a better leader and more in touch with the kingdom, even though we never "meet" him. This seems to have an obvious solution and I was never quite sure why Caliph fought for his throne at all. Without a sense of purpose in the protagonists, the plot seems listless and there are no "twists" worth commenting on.
Third, the historical inaccuracies. This is billed as steampunk but that's a very general category. I'd have been fine if the technology had been consistent. Alas, the tech in this novel ranges from 15th to 20th century. Early in the book, it's mentioned that certain books are rare because the printing presses are also rare. Later, we have much more 19th century technology (in keeping with the steampunk theme). But there are also cotton balls (1970's), supersonic artillery (1860's but not likely viable as used in lighter-than-air craft), the medical term "stat" (not in common use till the late 1800's), and toast popping up as a metaphor (invented in 1935). Technology develops at a certain pace for a reason and the author has completely ignored this logical evolution with no in-world explanation.
Fourth, the authorial cultural voice is too obvious. The viewpoint of the book occasionally slips out of the characters heads. I would forgive this in a first-time author except for the prominence of cultural references that have no place in this world. Amongst others, Huso references Gulliver's Travels and a British politician, neither of which should exist in this world. This is simply shoddy world-building on the author's part.
You can't review this book without mentioning the language. I like books that challenge me, both in vocabulary and in philosophy. However, this book doesn't so much challenge my vocabulary as it seeks to make me an expert at using a dictionary. Reading it felt like reading an essay by someone learning English as a second language; liberal use of a thesaurus without an understanding of the nuance of the language. The author is guilty of repeatedly using two poor choices: neologisms (particularly, turning nouns into adjectives) and archaic meanings (often of words that have strikingly different modern meanings, such as "slaver" and "depended", or that are spelled differently, such as "exoteric" instead of "esoteric"). This vocabulary, along with the common diacritical marks in the often-used/rarely-explained in-world language, detracts from the flow of the story, since I had to look up a word an average of once per page. I could go on about this for quite awhile but will content myself with including a list of odd words at the end of this review for your perusal.
In summary: not worth it for anyone but those who want something to deconstruct as an example of overdone language and what not to do. The language is too dense, the characters flat and unmotivated, the world-building not internally consistent. Huso might one day turn out a decent book but he needs a stronger editorial hand and some more critical beta readers.
Here's a partial list of words I had to look up. These were not made-up-for-the-story words and this list does not include higher level vocabulary that I already knew:
cromlech, zoetrope, inutile, tor, lacrymose, fictile, etiolated, fulgent, tumefying, gracile, adit, viscid, agglutinated, incunabulum, nigrescent, sprue, thallus, eldritch, vicinal, asomatous, fusty, dramaturgically, exoteric, autarchic, ineluctable, condign, demulcent, coriaceous, aposteme, voluble, sybaritism, bolide, vade, oriel, adumbrations, slaver, orgonomic, orgone, mephitic, sequacious, bathyal, cribriform, rived, delitescent
This novel had such an interesting premise. Spies, a reluctant king, magic through math... the math angle was enough to hook me. Too bad the author has no grasp of higher mathematics (a few buzz words thrown in here and there) and never, ever explained how "holomorphy" works (aside from using blood as fuel).
Spoiler
This is a problem because it creates a lack of tension in the plot. For instance, it is never hinted that Sena might be able to raise the dead. Therefore, when she miraculously saves Caliph at the end, there is no dramatic tension about whether it's possible leading up to the moment of action; she just does it, to the surprise of the reader.The book suffers from a number of flaws. First, the secondary characters are introduced as important but are often found hanging around a scene without actually doing or saying anything. There is scant emotional connection with these characters, who have no motivations and inconsistent personality. For instance, we're supposed to believe that Sena hates Megan, her mentor, as shown by
Spoiler
Sena's unleashing of a curse on MeganSpoiler
makes every effort to save her life, and has worked to promote her through the ranks of the witchesSecond, it's simply not a very clever book. The two main characters are supposed to be a king with a great education and a spy with the same, plus magic. Both of them sort of meander through the plot and don't do anything very smart; Caliph barely knows who the people in his castle are, much less what's actually going on in his kingdom, and Sena often fumbles at the most basic of spying skills (she never gets information out of anyone, botches a basic lock pick, and once even skips on some information gathering because she doesn't feel like it). Caliph, in particular is a problem. He doesn't want to be king and isn't a very good one; the general challenging him is clearly a better leader and more in touch with the kingdom, even though we never "meet" him. This seems to have an obvious solution and I was never quite sure why Caliph fought for his throne at all. Without a sense of purpose in the protagonists, the plot seems listless and there are no "twists" worth commenting on.
Third, the historical inaccuracies. This is billed as steampunk but that's a very general category. I'd have been fine if the technology had been consistent. Alas, the tech in this novel ranges from 15th to 20th century. Early in the book, it's mentioned that certain books are rare because the printing presses are also rare. Later, we have much more 19th century technology (in keeping with the steampunk theme). But there are also cotton balls (1970's), supersonic artillery (1860's but not likely viable as used in lighter-than-air craft), the medical term "stat" (not in common use till the late 1800's), and toast popping up as a metaphor (invented in 1935). Technology develops at a certain pace for a reason and the author has completely ignored this logical evolution with no in-world explanation.
Fourth, the authorial cultural voice is too obvious. The viewpoint of the book occasionally slips out of the characters heads. I would forgive this in a first-time author except for the prominence of cultural references that have no place in this world. Amongst others, Huso references Gulliver's Travels and a British politician, neither of which should exist in this world. This is simply shoddy world-building on the author's part.
You can't review this book without mentioning the language. I like books that challenge me, both in vocabulary and in philosophy. However, this book doesn't so much challenge my vocabulary as it seeks to make me an expert at using a dictionary. Reading it felt like reading an essay by someone learning English as a second language; liberal use of a thesaurus without an understanding of the nuance of the language. The author is guilty of repeatedly using two poor choices: neologisms (particularly, turning nouns into adjectives) and archaic meanings (often of words that have strikingly different modern meanings, such as "slaver" and "depended", or that are spelled differently, such as "exoteric" instead of "esoteric"). This vocabulary, along with the common diacritical marks in the often-used/rarely-explained in-world language, detracts from the flow of the story, since I had to look up a word an average of once per page. I could go on about this for quite awhile but will content myself with including a list of odd words at the end of this review for your perusal.
In summary: not worth it for anyone but those who want something to deconstruct as an example of overdone language and what not to do. The language is too dense, the characters flat and unmotivated, the world-building not internally consistent. Huso might one day turn out a decent book but he needs a stronger editorial hand and some more critical beta readers.
Here's a partial list of words I had to look up. These were not made-up-for-the-story words and this list does not include higher level vocabulary that I already knew:
cromlech, zoetrope, inutile, tor, lacrymose, fictile, etiolated, fulgent, tumefying, gracile, adit, viscid, agglutinated, incunabulum, nigrescent, sprue, thallus, eldritch, vicinal, asomatous, fusty, dramaturgically, exoteric, autarchic, ineluctable, condign, demulcent, coriaceous, aposteme, voluble, sybaritism, bolide, vade, oriel, adumbrations, slaver, orgonomic, orgone, mephitic, sequacious, bathyal, cribriform, rived, delitescent
megandawn's review
3.0
(cross posted from theturnedbrain.blogspot.com.au/)
Because I am nothing if not timely I have finally got around to reading The Last Page, just as its sequel is being released. Better late than never right? I bought it when it was first came out because I'm sure I liked the sound of it, but that was so long ago that when I finally picked it up I couldn't remember a thing about it.
Actually, no, I remembered one thing. That while it was marketed as steampunk most people who read it felt the label certainty did not apply. Which sucks, because if steampunk was more like The Last Page, I feel like the genre and I would get along a lot better. This is what I've always wanted steampunk to be! Not a thinly veiled England full of eccentric geniuses and feisty ladies, but a dark and gritty fantasy world that just so happens to be powered by steam. (And zeppelins, natch). Well, steam and gas really. Steam, gas, and a dash of mathematics/magic. (A cool and original magic system, but then even real world maths seems like magic to me half the time). So I guess it can't be called steampunk after all. More like steampunk's moody older brother.
So, yes, the setting worked for me very well, but did the rest of the book? Mostly, yes. Huso has a distinctive narrative voice, and while I feel he stumbled with some of his metaphors I would rather an author push themselves a touch too far than not at all. I also like that the book had an almost modern air to it, much like Steph Swainstons 'Castle' books. Not many fantasy novels really embrace ideas like freedom of press, or really consider the logistics of keeping a kingdom fed, unless it pertains directly to the plot.
Ah yes, the plot. It's straightforward enough. Caliph Howl is a reluctant heir to the throne, and while at University he meets and falls in love (not sappy love though, more like too cool for love love) with Senna. Senna has a locked book, and she really wants to unlock it. That's the basic gist of it. Caliph has to fight to hold onto a kingdom he doesn't particularly want, and Senna has to unlock her book.
(Ok, brief asid, how cool is the name Caliph Howl? So cool.)
I really liked Caliph's character. Competent without being showey, compassionate without being boring. He's all poker face on the outside but storm of emotions on the inside, you know? Senna I did not like as much, although she was no less well done. I would have liked some more motivation as to why she wants to open the book so much, (aside from the power it would give her. Power is all well and good, but what does she want to do with it?) There are hints about it, and maybe it will be elaborated on in further books. Huso is good at hinting as opposed to spelling out, which is always good.
Unfortunately though I felt things fell apart towards the end of the book. Focus was lost, things just starting to happen in a haphazard way and I also started to get confused about what was happening with some plot points. Events occurred which seemed to be of great importance to the characters, but didn't seem that important to me. That kind of disconnect between book and reader is not a good thing.
This aside I do see myself picked up the next book somewhere down the line. There were still a lot of things to like about the Last Page and I will be interested to see where Huso takes it.
Because I am nothing if not timely I have finally got around to reading The Last Page, just as its sequel is being released. Better late than never right? I bought it when it was first came out because I'm sure I liked the sound of it, but that was so long ago that when I finally picked it up I couldn't remember a thing about it.
Actually, no, I remembered one thing. That while it was marketed as steampunk most people who read it felt the label certainty did not apply. Which sucks, because if steampunk was more like The Last Page, I feel like the genre and I would get along a lot better. This is what I've always wanted steampunk to be! Not a thinly veiled England full of eccentric geniuses and feisty ladies, but a dark and gritty fantasy world that just so happens to be powered by steam. (And zeppelins, natch). Well, steam and gas really. Steam, gas, and a dash of mathematics/magic. (A cool and original magic system, but then even real world maths seems like magic to me half the time). So I guess it can't be called steampunk after all. More like steampunk's moody older brother.
So, yes, the setting worked for me very well, but did the rest of the book? Mostly, yes. Huso has a distinctive narrative voice, and while I feel he stumbled with some of his metaphors I would rather an author push themselves a touch too far than not at all. I also like that the book had an almost modern air to it, much like Steph Swainstons 'Castle' books. Not many fantasy novels really embrace ideas like freedom of press, or really consider the logistics of keeping a kingdom fed, unless it pertains directly to the plot.
Ah yes, the plot. It's straightforward enough. Caliph Howl is a reluctant heir to the throne, and while at University he meets and falls in love (not sappy love though, more like too cool for love love) with Senna. Senna has a locked book, and she really wants to unlock it. That's the basic gist of it. Caliph has to fight to hold onto a kingdom he doesn't particularly want, and Senna has to unlock her book.
(Ok, brief asid, how cool is the name Caliph Howl? So cool.)
I really liked Caliph's character. Competent without being showey, compassionate without being boring. He's all poker face on the outside but storm of emotions on the inside, you know? Senna I did not like as much, although she was no less well done. I would have liked some more motivation as to why she wants to open the book so much, (aside from the power it would give her. Power is all well and good, but what does she want to do with it?) There are hints about it, and maybe it will be elaborated on in further books. Huso is good at hinting as opposed to spelling out, which is always good.
Unfortunately though I felt things fell apart towards the end of the book. Focus was lost, things just starting to happen in a haphazard way and I also started to get confused about what was happening with some plot points. Events occurred which seemed to be of great importance to the characters, but didn't seem that important to me. That kind of disconnect between book and reader is not a good thing.
This aside I do see myself picked up the next book somewhere down the line. There were still a lot of things to like about the Last Page and I will be interested to see where Huso takes it.