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A review by daturas
The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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
Baru, my beloved. Five stars because I've been sitting here trying to come up with a single thing I would change. I cannot find one.
Oh no, the consequences of my own actions......
First, as a heads up: there is less talk of graphic colonialism & the "cleanliness" rituals of the first book. It's definitely still there, don't get me wrong. The characters just spend most of the book away from the mainland so it's more of a constant background thing than something we actually have to witness. Still monitor your own mental health and safety when you read it.
Baru has to deal with the loss of the one she loves the most and prove herself to the people she trusts the least. We're introduced to a new cast of wonderfully terrible characters. Dickinson is a master at creating a truly morally grey character, and he finds new and exciting ways to do it over and over again. Every character he introduces has their own agenda. They all have sympathies and they all have points-of-no-return. When reading Baru, I find it easiest to get rid of the urge to pick who you're rooting for and just let things fall as they may. Everyone is entertaining and diverse in the most real sense--each character is different from the one standing next to them by leagues. It's actually a bit incredible, and definitely one of my favorite parts about reading the Masquerade series. I'd love to have a chat with him sometime to learn how he does it.
It's less like "there are no villains because everyone has reasons" and much more "everyone is a villain except for Tau-Indi, who has never done anything wrong in their entire life. peace and love". The characters sometimes will excuse their actions, and Baru is no exception, but the narrative itself never does.
That being said, I'm rooting for Tau-Indi.
No spoilers. I'm so excited to see where the third books picks up.
Oh no, the consequences of my own actions......
First, as a heads up: there is less talk of graphic colonialism & the "cleanliness" rituals of the first book. It's definitely still there, don't get me wrong. The characters just spend most of the book away from the mainland so it's more of a constant background thing than something we actually have to witness. Still monitor your own mental health and safety when you read it.
Baru has to deal with the loss of the one she loves the most and prove herself to the people she trusts the least. We're introduced to a new cast of wonderfully terrible characters. Dickinson is a master at creating a truly morally grey character, and he finds new and exciting ways to do it over and over again. Every character he introduces has their own agenda. They all have sympathies and they all have points-of-no-return. When reading Baru, I find it easiest to get rid of the urge to pick who you're rooting for and just let things fall as they may. Everyone is entertaining and diverse in the most real sense--each character is different from the one standing next to them by leagues. It's actually a bit incredible, and definitely one of my favorite parts about reading the Masquerade series. I'd love to have a chat with him sometime to learn how he does it.
It's less like "there are no villains because everyone has reasons" and much more "everyone is a villain except for Tau-Indi, who has never done anything wrong in their entire life. peace and love". The characters sometimes will excuse their actions, and Baru is no exception, but the narrative itself never does.
That being said, I'm rooting for Tau-Indi.
No spoilers. I'm so excited to see where the third books picks up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation