A review by kodkod
The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The world-building is lush, provocative, and a cultural anthropologist's delight. Alternate universes, carniverous plants and walking trees, star magic, diverging skies and histories... It's fun, even if I'm now jaded about multiverses after years of Marvel and Sanderson content.
The prose is dialogue and action heavy, but also filled with unfamiliar terminology and world-building related jargon. This results in a text that is simultaneously fast-paced and challenging to immerse in initially. It admittedly feels a tad clunky, but no more or less than some other technical fantasy and sci-fi works.
The character work, though... I consider this to be one of Kameron Hurley's weaknesses across her works, but it's more pronounced here. This is a grimdark series (or a rebuttal/reversal of the misogyny found in grimdark), and I have a hard time imagining the large, unlikeable cast developing in a direction in future installments that I find particularly compelling or enjoyable. Still, I'll eventually read on when I'm in that special mood that allows me to bask in a storyline consisting of terrible people making terrible choices.
3.5 stars, rounded up — because, even though it's not my favourite, Hurley does excellent dark fantasy and grimdark work. She incorporates perspectives (queer, women, disabilities, poc) and socio-political systems that most authors in the subgenre fail to consider, especially around the time this was published.
The prose is dialogue and action heavy, but also filled with unfamiliar terminology and world-building related jargon. This results in a text that is simultaneously fast-paced and challenging to immerse in initially. It admittedly feels a tad clunky, but no more or less than some other technical fantasy and sci-fi works.
The character work, though... I consider this to be one of Kameron Hurley's weaknesses across her works, but it's more pronounced here. This is a grimdark series (or a rebuttal/reversal of the misogyny found in grimdark), and I have a hard time imagining the large, unlikeable cast developing in a direction in future installments that I find particularly compelling or enjoyable. Still, I'll eventually read on when I'm in that special mood that allows me to bask in a storyline consisting of terrible people making terrible choices.
3.5 stars, rounded up — because, even though it's not my favourite, Hurley does excellent dark fantasy and grimdark work. She incorporates perspectives (queer, women, disabilities, poc) and socio-political systems that most authors in the subgenre fail to consider, especially around the time this was published.