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A review by elisa_menz
The Ore Monger by Zaid Hasan
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
I knew this would be a good book from the beginning, but I did not expect it to become one of my top reads of the year (might be contending for one of the Top 3 of the last five years).
I'm at a point in my life when I should probably be reading cozy, low-stakes, no-drama novels almost exclusively, but I plunged into this story head first and what did I get? Regicide, autocratic governments, institutionalized racism, manipulating information, indoctrination, corruption, and greed. I constantly grumbled with indignation, finding parallels between this world and our own.
Still, this is a Fantasy novel with a dash of sci-fi, and the world-building alone is a sight to behold. Vast and detailed, it covers everything from different races, cultures, landscapes, mythology, culture, and the history behind so many well-curated tidbits of information. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but once you give up on trying to remember the names of the four suns, you're good to go.
What I enjoyed the most were the characters. For a multiple POV narrative, it was so easy to follow who was saying what, where, and with who thanks to the author's impeccable work creating full-fledged, complex characters. I loved how he took elements from real cultures around our world and adapted them to their cultures.
This is a heavy book, and not just because it's over 600 pages. A good reminder that our search for justice and equality is constant but not unachievable and that hope can never be lost.
First book of the saga. Prepare yourself for quite a journey!
I'm at a point in my life when I should probably be reading cozy, low-stakes, no-drama novels almost exclusively, but I plunged into this story head first and what did I get? Regicide, autocratic governments, institutionalized racism, manipulating information, indoctrination, corruption, and greed. I constantly grumbled with indignation, finding parallels between this world and our own.
Still, this is a Fantasy novel with a dash of sci-fi, and the world-building alone is a sight to behold. Vast and detailed, it covers everything from different races, cultures, landscapes, mythology, culture, and the history behind so many well-curated tidbits of information. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but once you give up on trying to remember the names of the four suns, you're good to go.
What I enjoyed the most were the characters. For a multiple POV narrative, it was so easy to follow who was saying what, where, and with who thanks to the author's impeccable work creating full-fledged, complex characters. I loved how he took elements from real cultures around our world and adapted them to their cultures.
This is a heavy book, and not just because it's over 600 pages. A good reminder that our search for justice and equality is constant but not unachievable and that hope can never be lost.
First book of the saga. Prepare yourself for quite a journey!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Colonisation
Minor: Toxic relationship