A review by gbonesy
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear
4.0
i think what i appreciate most about these books is how visceral and grimy and gross they are while not descending into the USUAL haunts of Low Fantasy- which is to say, rape, rape, rape, endless parade of rape. there's pus, effluvia, viscera, ineffective magic, ineffective leadership, half-measures and lost causes galore, but at the same time, everyone's pretty much funny and friendly and trying their best to keep their world together. i really liked the wizards trying to find a cure for the plague (GOD HOW GROSS GOD HOW REAL GOD HOW DEPRESSING AND DELIGHTFULLY SAD), and i love everything about the pseudo-mongolia querynsk culture.
also the horses. so many horses. so many people who love the shit out of their horses. oh and that amazing eagle hunt scene. and edene in the kingdom of erem. and hrahihma the failed tiger monk. and DELIGHTFUL SEGUEWAYS ABOUT PSEUDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.
also the horses. so many horses. so many people who love the shit out of their horses. oh and that amazing eagle hunt scene. and edene in the kingdom of erem. and hrahihma the failed tiger monk. and DELIGHTFUL SEGUEWAYS ABOUT PSEUDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.