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A review by jsumms
Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North
4.0
You want gods, and all you get are people.
Hundreds of years into the future, humanity lives in near-harmony with nature, disavowing the dangerous technologies of the 21st century after horrible climate disasters devastated the planet. These disasters were the work of the kakuy, enigmatic nature spirits (think the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke, only a little less friendly), so says Temple, the dominant religious power of the setting. But in the centuries since the titular Burning Age, some have grown doubtful of the kakuy, and an organization known as the Brotherhood has emerged with the desire a return to the glory of the past, when humanity ruled the planet.
The protagonist of Notes, Ven, is a Temple priest living in the city of Vien in post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe, a refreshing setting that feels integral to the story. Ven is recruited by a man known as Georg to work for the Brotherhood. He was to translate ancient heretical texts stolen from the Temple by Brotherhood espionage to give them access to forbidden information and technologies. To tell you much more would be to ruin the best parts of the story, which follows Ven as he crosses Europe to prevent war and destruction.
While I enjoyed the book, it did drag a little in the middle— it took me three months to finish— but the worldbuilding and the nerve-wracking and emotional story were worth the read. If you like reading stories about the ways that people survive after the end of the world or stories that question humanity's place in the world, you'll like this one. A beautiful spy thriller with a Cold-war tinge set in a fantastical, post-apocalyptic world, I would recommend Notes from the Burning Age to anyone looking for a smart, thoughtful read.
Hundreds of years into the future, humanity lives in near-harmony with nature, disavowing the dangerous technologies of the 21st century after horrible climate disasters devastated the planet. These disasters were the work of the kakuy, enigmatic nature spirits (think the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke, only a little less friendly), so says Temple, the dominant religious power of the setting. But in the centuries since the titular Burning Age, some have grown doubtful of the kakuy, and an organization known as the Brotherhood has emerged with the desire a return to the glory of the past, when humanity ruled the planet.
The protagonist of Notes, Ven, is a Temple priest living in the city of Vien in post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe, a refreshing setting that feels integral to the story. Ven is recruited by a man known as Georg to work for the Brotherhood. He was to translate ancient heretical texts stolen from the Temple by Brotherhood espionage to give them access to forbidden information and technologies. To tell you much more would be to ruin the best parts of the story, which follows Ven as he crosses Europe to prevent war and destruction.
While I enjoyed the book, it did drag a little in the middle— it took me three months to finish— but the worldbuilding and the nerve-wracking and emotional story were worth the read. If you like reading stories about the ways that people survive after the end of the world or stories that question humanity's place in the world, you'll like this one. A beautiful spy thriller with a Cold-war tinge set in a fantastical, post-apocalyptic world, I would recommend Notes from the Burning Age to anyone looking for a smart, thoughtful read.