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A review by thetamehistorian
Soul of Ash by H.L. Moore
4.0
(extremely minor spoilers below, mentions of a character's development)
4.5 stars.
This is an excellent sequel to Heart of Dust. Although the plot is, shall we say, less immediate than in the previous book, it is no less appealing. H.L. Moore instead presents a masterclass in building tension with a building mystery, just the smallest hints that something is wrong, and the scattered clues throughout the novel are very rewarding to spot (and some I only spotted on second reading). There are more plot threads this time, which adds to the intrigue and complexity of the world, though all are rewarding in their own way, and come together neatly for the end.
At the heart of this book, as always, is the relationship between Nathaniel and Doran and it is beautifully and realistically written considering the events of the previous book and the attempts of both characters to accept and move on from what happened. Nathaniel's journey was especially compelling, a mixture of atonement, denial, and hope (at times, frustratingly so, I love him but he's an idiot sometimes). To my surprise though, the stand out for me was the interactions between Tsa Lien and Nathaniel, which were handled extremely well in relation to the character's respective histories.
Gerald remains a delight.
My only complaint, and it is a small one at best, was that it took some time to get my head around the place names and geography of the world this book is set in, as a lot more are dropped in and discussed in detail - though the notes at the end were appreciated. Perhaps, in the next book, a map could be included to help with this? (I do love a good map).
Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the next one!
As a side note: I once again read this book in one sitting, to the horror and awe of my SO who frequently checked in and couldn't believe I was STILL reading it. I couldn't put it down.
4.5 stars.
This is an excellent sequel to Heart of Dust. Although the plot is, shall we say, less immediate than in the previous book, it is no less appealing. H.L. Moore instead presents a masterclass in building tension with a building mystery, just the smallest hints that something is wrong, and the scattered clues throughout the novel are very rewarding to spot (and some I only spotted on second reading). There are more plot threads this time, which adds to the intrigue and complexity of the world, though all are rewarding in their own way, and come together neatly for the end.
At the heart of this book, as always, is the relationship between Nathaniel and Doran and it is beautifully and realistically written considering the events of the previous book and the attempts of both characters to accept and move on from what happened. Nathaniel's journey was especially compelling, a mixture of atonement, denial, and hope (at times, frustratingly so, I love him but he's an idiot sometimes). To my surprise though, the stand out for me was the interactions between Tsa Lien and Nathaniel, which were handled extremely well in relation to the character's respective histories.
Gerald remains a delight.
My only complaint, and it is a small one at best, was that it took some time to get my head around the place names and geography of the world this book is set in, as a lot more are dropped in and discussed in detail - though the notes at the end were appreciated. Perhaps, in the next book, a map could be included to help with this? (I do love a good map).
Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the next one!
As a side note: I once again read this book in one sitting, to the horror and awe of my SO who frequently checked in and couldn't believe I was STILL reading it. I couldn't put it down.