A review by gerhard
Principles of Angels by Jaine Fenn
4.0
When I saw Queen of Nowhere at a local bookshop, Fenn's latest, I was intrigued enough to track down the first instalment in the Hidden Empire sequence, having never read her before.
Women SF writers are particularly celebrated for creating some of the best novel series out there - one only has to think of Ursula K, LeGuin, C.J. Cherryh and Steph Swainston.
I practically gulped Principles of Angels down. It is a white-hot read, expertly paced, with a truly fascinating premise and set-up. Also, Fenn is an absolute master at world-building. She manages to avoid info-dumping, and expertly weaves in necessary detail and colour into the overall plot - but just enough to keep you asking questions. It is a delicate balance, and Fenn manages it with superb precision.
Equally, the characters are fascinating and complex. Taro is a young male prostitute; there is a very weird sex scene involving a significantly older woman that advances the plot not a single jot, but which makes for an intriguing insight into the mindset of such a particular professional ... All this is very Delany-esque, much in the vein of Nova, with a smidgeon of China Mieville (Perdido Street Station) and Alastair Reynolds (Terminal World).
My only gripe is the perfunctory ending; this is also one of the few books that I actually wished was longer. A superb introduction to what has the potential to be a fascinating SF novel series.
Women SF writers are particularly celebrated for creating some of the best novel series out there - one only has to think of Ursula K, LeGuin, C.J. Cherryh and Steph Swainston.
I practically gulped Principles of Angels down. It is a white-hot read, expertly paced, with a truly fascinating premise and set-up. Also, Fenn is an absolute master at world-building. She manages to avoid info-dumping, and expertly weaves in necessary detail and colour into the overall plot - but just enough to keep you asking questions. It is a delicate balance, and Fenn manages it with superb precision.
Equally, the characters are fascinating and complex. Taro is a young male prostitute; there is a very weird sex scene involving a significantly older woman that advances the plot not a single jot, but which makes for an intriguing insight into the mindset of such a particular professional ... All this is very Delany-esque, much in the vein of Nova, with a smidgeon of China Mieville (Perdido Street Station) and Alastair Reynolds (Terminal World).
My only gripe is the perfunctory ending; this is also one of the few books that I actually wished was longer. A superb introduction to what has the potential to be a fascinating SF novel series.