A review by gkneveu
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
3.0
This my third Frances Hardinge book and I think it's my least favorite (after A Face Like Glass and Cuckoo Song). It's not bad by any means, but the other two are so good.
Once again, she creates an excellent world. I am so far very impressed with how different the three universes are for the three books I've read. While this book does follow some conventional fantasy setting of "vaguely England in the 18th century," the setup with the guilds, the Beloved and the Birdcatchers give it an interesting enough spin.
That being said, I wish there had been more contribution of the setting. The little bits of Birdcatcher history were so intriguing and off putting, but they hardly come up in the actual narrative. Even though the plot revolves around the guilds, there was something a bit lacking for me. The back cover promised a world where reading the wrong book could drive you mad. I was hoping for a bit more of that vibe.
Once again, she creates an excellent world. I am so far very impressed with how different the three universes are for the three books I've read. While this book does follow some conventional fantasy setting of "vaguely England in the 18th century," the setup with the guilds, the Beloved and the Birdcatchers give it an interesting enough spin.
That being said, I wish there had been more contribution of the setting. The little bits of Birdcatcher history were so intriguing and off putting, but they hardly come up in the actual narrative. Even though the plot revolves around the guilds, there was something a bit lacking for me. The back cover promised a world where reading the wrong book could drive you mad. I was hoping for a bit more of that vibe.