What a delight. One of those books that's fantasy for children because it's saying things too big and strong and powerful for adults, but it's absolutWhat a delight. One of those books that's fantasy for children because it's saying things too big and strong and powerful for adults, but it's absolutely beautiful, and wondrous, and clever, and absolutely packed full of hard and delicate truths about the world and people....more
Another fairytale-but-canny, slow-but-deep, character-and-craft-driven story from EK Johnston. I didn't find this one quite as compelling as Thousand Another fairytale-but-canny, slow-but-deep, character-and-craft-driven story from EK Johnston. I didn't find this one quite as compelling as Thousand Nights, but still poignant, persistent and deft....more
I enjoyed this a lot within the bounds of what it was, it's just that I have some problems with the standard elements of some of the things it was. ToI enjoyed this a lot within the bounds of what it was, it's just that I have some problems with the standard elements of some of the things it was. To whit:
1) Quest/travel storyline. This is the one where our characters are travelling from x to y, and encountering plot elements along the way. I actually mostly passionately hate this structure, because I want plots to blossom from and build upon themselves, winching inexorably tighter. I find and-then-the-next-adventure-happened leaves me with no continuing tension of development. (Yes, this means I'm often setting books aside for this, because fantasy as a genre loves this, I have no idea why.)
Now, despite that, I thought this book did really well with its quest, mostly by frontloading the book with heavy investment in the main character, her relationships, her goals, her flaws. The tension on her and on those carried me through the questing; the focus wasn't on the next thing encountered, but on what it meant for her.
2) YA's zeal for pace at the expense of depth. I am constantly crying about this when it comes to YA fantasy--the world, the characters, the moments of wonder, the big reveals all seem to go flying past without time to really feel them, because things have to move fast at all costs. (It particularly saddens me because YA is so good at having interesting worlds and characters and wonders.)
There was so much going on in this book, and I would've given my eye teeth (or some other teeth; I have my wisdom teeth in a bag somewhere!) for just a few more lines grace around every significant moment. Everything just whisked past slightly too briskly; I wanted to luxuriate.
But as it was, all my fundamental format issues aside, this was a beautiful, intriguing, woven-with-wonder urban fantasy with some cracking characters who I really enjoyed spending time with. I'm keen to read more in the series....more
Noping out at 70 pages in, though I skimmed another hundred-odd wondering whether the romance might be worth pushing on. I really like the premise, ofNoping out at 70 pages in, though I skimmed another hundred-odd wondering whether the romance might be worth pushing on. I really like the premise, of both the book and the main character, but the delivery of that main character did not work for me at all. The style and worldbuilding were also a little too glib, but in a fantasy romance I could live with that, but I just wasn't interested in coming along with this lady....more
Handing this back to the library (digitally) at 130-odd pages (of the nearly-500 in my e-copy) because it is so intense with its ideas, and I am just Handing this back to the library (digitally) at 130-odd pages (of the nearly-500 in my e-copy) because it is so intense with its ideas, and I am just not mentally up to that right now. Hopefully I can have another crack at it one (easier) day. I definitely see why everyone has been talking about this book - whether they've loved it or hated it or just been amazed by it. It's a pretty impressive feat of concept and language. Thus far it's a bit too concept-and-language and not a lot of story-and-character, but it is definitely committed to its thing and doing it hard, and there are a lot of Big Damn Ideas getting thoroughly put through their paces....more
There are so many parts of this that I love egregiously. The Cold War and colder magical war overlaid and interwoven is a fantastic concept, and it's There are so many parts of this that I love egregiously. The Cold War and colder magical war overlaid and interwoven is a fantastic concept, and it's delivered with spy-shenanigans much more of the Smiley than Bond school, which is always a lot more fun to read. I enjoyed the characters, with all their personal levers and problems. And in general, the writing was great.
My only real niggle was pacing again. The episodic nature of the original work is still not quite sitting right with me, and that's far more a problem with me than a problem with the material, which was designed to be read in a different way than this. I'm a little annoying with myself for not getting with it: after all, I don't expect the same pacing out of a binge-watched TV show as I do from a movie. But I'm just stuck on novel-pacing when it comes to the written word.
A powerhouse of a book, beautifully and cannily written, and asking so many hard, pointed questions about humanity. The characters are all magnificentA powerhouse of a book, beautifully and cannily written, and asking so many hard, pointed questions about humanity. The characters are all magnificent, and the author delivers their facets so starkly and yet so subtly.
My only criticism is that I might've liked it to dig more into questions of gender and presentation, and also sex - that flipped a little too quickly and completely, and while there were some complications, it was still largely a situation of gender essentialism. But on the other hand, what the story was really about was that back to a deeper expression of a dichotomy of power, not gender at all. That was the whole point.
Anyway, so well done, so many things to think about, but a brutally hard book in places. Content warnings for all sorts of sexual violence and abuse and many other things besides....more
What an absolutely wonderful piece of fiction - almost more an excellent novel that happens to be set in a sci-fi setting than a sci-fi novel, per se.What an absolutely wonderful piece of fiction - almost more an excellent novel that happens to be set in a sci-fi setting than a sci-fi novel, per se. Though it does lean heavily into a core space-opera-sci-fi question - but do you count as human? - in ways that might be more familiar to cyberpunk - where's the line between AI and human? - but does it in a way that rings so loudly true for those humans who have struggled with not being, in some way, the average sort of definition of "human". That sounds terribly dry and Full Of Sententious Meaning, but the emotional throughlines on this were so thoroughly and deftly crafted. Literally, I laughed and I cried. It was a ride. A charming, small, personal, deeply felt ride....more
I really enjoy this series, which is funny because it's made up of some big elements that are generally not my sort of thing, to whit: flintlock fantaI really enjoy this series, which is funny because it's made up of some big elements that are generally not my sort of thing, to whit: flintlock fantasy (which is often too martial for me, but this binds the military stuff up with character and I love it) and superhero shenanigans (I just don't care about varied powers, but there's so much else happening in this world that I don't mind having that along as well).
The characters remain fantastic and I am wildly invested in all of them; politics remains such a knotty and realistic problem in the world; and there were a number of "OH SHIT" moments in this book that really kicked everything up a notch. Including the one on the final page that really sets the stage for an epic last book that I am definitely looking forward to....more
This was great, without even niggles of the small variety that bothered me in the first arc. A wonderful twist of light-hearted and teeth. Plus bonus This was great, without even niggles of the small variety that bothered me in the first arc. A wonderful twist of light-hearted and teeth. Plus bonus badassery from Nightingale and Beverley....more
I'm conflicted about this one. I liked the familiar elements explored differently--the school and the romance and the rivalry--and I liked that it wasI'm conflicted about this one. I liked the familiar elements explored differently--the school and the romance and the rivalry--and I liked that it was adaptability and focus and care that were important, not power. But so often throughout the style of the prose just fell flat for me, never quite lifting me up in wonder or emotion.
Quite probably a great fantasy read of forests and spirits and the hard edges of fairytale wonder. But it just didn't quite sing for me....more
Loved it. LOVED it. Even more than the first one, because here we plunge into the full throttle 24-7 onion-layers of public-eye politics that Persona Loved it. LOVED it. Even more than the first one, because here we plunge into the full throttle 24-7 onion-layers of public-eye politics that Persona referenced, but never had a chance to fully explore. And it's a bounteous playground for Valentine's devil-in-the-details style, as a flick of her prose gives you snippets of stark meaning in each movement and description. Everything's so fraught the finale almost caught me by surprise in its coming, and then it pulled the rug right out from under me in the best and most heartbreaking way. (Oh Suyana, the wounds you give yourself.)...more
(I got a patchy look at the last ten pages through Google preview; it was all over bar the shouting, but I did want to see the shouting. Oh well.)
Ther(I got a patchy look at the last ten pages through Google preview; it was all over bar the shouting, but I did want to see the shouting. Oh well.)
There are many things I liked about this book. Significantly, the characters were great. I was a big fan of Oressa, a princess whose carefully hidden feistiness is actually an obsessive need for knowledge and control; from first appearances she could easily have been a tired rendition of same-old, but she was marvellous, layered, worthy, delightful. I liked Gajdosik, though he was rather more cast-to-type. And I even liked Gulien, though intellectual-yet-effective princes are prone to causing me exasperation (and so did he, I just didn't mind so much).
I also liked the world. The physical world was interesting primarily because it was a dry setting, not the usual Euro-mash. (As an Australian, part of the fantastical of fantasy is how green and wet everything usually is.) But that didn't really matter much to the story; it was less about the physical and more about the metaphysical. The special physics layer of this world was a believable post-gods mess, full of mystery and holes.
That was also part of the problem for me, unfortunately. There was a little too much mystery, and it took a little too long to piece itself together, and then there were still holes, because there was just no way for our very tight viewpoint characters to know much more. It meant that even the finale was sort of a mash of Things Happening that we then needed a couple of chapters to have explained to us. (Part of my lack-of-shine for Gulien is probably that most of this stuff was in his storyline, rather than Oressa's.)
And that mystery overflowed, by necessity, onto some of the antagonist / foil / supporting characters. It makes some of the resolutions a bit anticlimactic. And even more unfortunately, the other antagonist characters were rather cliche. That was probably the most significant weakness of the book.
A final note on the writing. This is the third of Neumeier's books I've read, and her style has always been just heavy enough that you notice the crafting of the words, and that how we're telling the story is a part of the enjoyment. Which either works for you or it doesn't. Mostly, it works for me here, and I enjoyed taking the extra time with the flow, especially as it complemented the strong character viewpoints. Mostly, but not always: sometimes I found myself starting to skim because there'd been too much woffle since the last point of significance. YMMV....more
Setting aside circa page 75 with more of a meh than a nope. There's simultaneously too much and too little going on--lots of things happening, but tooSetting aside circa page 75 with more of a meh than a nope. There's simultaneously too much and too little going on--lots of things happening, but too many crossing threads hang loose and it's hard to pick which are important. I'm quite interested in Suzan's circumstances, but we're spending the bulk of time with Luca, who can't even be bothered to talk with his father about his sister's panic about a sexual predator, despite repeated entreaties and promises to do so, so nuts to him....more
History-adjacent urban fantasy with sassy magic flappers and a diverse cast. I enjoyed it a lot. Our central duo of main characters are just wonderfulHistory-adjacent urban fantasy with sassy magic flappers and a diverse cast. I enjoyed it a lot. Our central duo of main characters are just wonderful girls, with flaws and edges and a believable best-friend bond that flexes and strains and glows. (They both get delightful romance lines, but the most important relationship is with each other, and it's wonderful.) And the magic system is full of art and wonder, but also misuse and consequences and responsibility.
So there's a lot to like. It didn't quite come together in searing magnificence for me; things felt a little disconnected and aimless through the first half, but the world and characters carried it through. I look forward to seeing what this author does next....more
I noped out very quick on this, because after six chapters of alternating POV, one had been all fleeing through the desert (promising to begin with; qI noped out very quick on this, because after six chapters of alternating POV, one had been all fleeing through the desert (promising to begin with; quickly tedious) while worldbuild-info-dumping (...always tedious) and the other had been all "oh shit oh shit I'm not ready to be king" with actually zero immediate threat or conflict (the grand vizier seems really supportive and helpful actually, and while the thing that killed Your Father The King was a strange new illness, it's more mystery than pressing concern).
This book has an amazing premise and a fascinating matriarchal world, and I have never been more frustrated to spend an entire book faffing around witThis book has an amazing premise and a fascinating matriarchal world, and I have never been more frustrated to spend an entire book faffing around with teenage nonsense rather than exploring the awesome stuff. I feel like I spent two-thirds of the book waiting for the story to really start, and the interim was mostly filled with boy trouble and plot-coincidences that would have been less eye-rolly if they'd been more supported by character. (For instance, (view spoiler)[if Mirabella's urge to escape had been less sudden, less one-off, more of a Thing--perhaps if she'd been fixated on the story of Arsinoe's attempted escape, constantly wishing she had the gumption to try, whatever--then her randomly busting out and traipsing across half the island just to accidentally insta-love bonk another girl's bloke would've seemed less bizarrely contrived. (hide spoiler)])
I've been thinking a lot, as I plowed my way through the book (though it's charmingly easy to read in a line-by-line sense), about what I would've preferred this story to be. There are, for my money, two ways this could have been done really well. 1) Cleave to that fantastic premise--three sisters in a fatal fight for the throne--and kick into the actual struggle in the first third of this book. Keep things tight and pacey and emotional. Assassination attempts interspersed with memories and regrets and feel-struggles. Whee! 2) Revel in that great setting, really dig into it, make this the female Game of Thrones--whee!--in the process making the book at least twice as long and no longer YA.
Instead, I feel the book tried to do both at once, giving not enough depth to the girls and their stuff, and not enough intricacy to the politics. Some great twists got thrown in in the final pages of the book, but for me, it's not enough to get me to read further....more
Setting aside circa page 100. There is so much going on - so many characters, so many systems, so many elements of the world in play - and I am findinSetting aside circa page 100. There is so much going on - so many characters, so many systems, so many elements of the world in play - and I am finding it difficult to keep up with it all, and frustrating that we're not spending more time with any of it, such that each new revelation feels more like a rabbit out of a hat than an inevitable development. The ideas are all big and wild and wondrous, but for me there's just too many of them, and not enough depth to their exploration....more
This book was full of the sort of adventure, wonder, and light-touch meta-narrative ponderings that I associate with The Neverending Story. As I notedThis book was full of the sort of adventure, wonder, and light-touch meta-narrative ponderings that I associate with The Neverending Story. As I noted in updates, it's a physically beautiful thing, with untrimmed pages and beautiful formatting and lots of decorative detail, often hiding extra meaning. There are marks referenced in the text. There's a hidden poem. There are flourishes that pay off in both the short and long term. It's really great. (I sort of wish it had gone further. I sort of wish there had been variations in typeset for different points of view--different stories, if you will.)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I can also see how it hasn't quite set the reading world on fire. It's a rollicking good read, with the quick pace and teenage protagonists of a great YA fantasy. But it's also a little opaque and braided in its storytelling, a little tricky and clever, a little bit hard work. (And I'm not saying that YA readers can't cope with it, but YA bestsellers tend to be slick and easy in their structure.) It's also not hitting a lot of the things that bother me about YA--which obviously I consider a feature but others may consider a bug. There's a great sense of the world, wide and full of wonders, layered up across the viewpoints into shimmering mosaic. And the characters are rich and interesting and don't demonstrate their dynamics primarily through quips.
All in all, my only real discontent is that I felt the ending slammed in a little hard and fast. It didn't quite feel inexorable, and it smashed through quite quickly. It didn't really leave me with a burning and gripping need to read more, to know the answers, to see what happens. But this has been such an interesting and well-done book that I'm pretty keen to read onwards regardless....more
This was gentle and delightful. A time-travelling pirate ship gets enmeshed in Victorian-era Hawaiian politics, but as with all time-travel books, it'This was gentle and delightful. A time-travelling pirate ship gets enmeshed in Victorian-era Hawaiian politics, but as with all time-travel books, it's more about the characters, what they're chasing through time, who they are at the centre of the whirl of time and place. The titular girl is a wonderful knot of yearning and fear, and her relationships with her father, her friends, her crewmates were all delicately but deeply carved. My niggles were all pretty minor - there was some zany paragraphing errors in my copy that occasionally made it unclear who was speaking; and the romance was surprisingly sweet for such a born-of-fairytales bodice-ripping love interest. But perhaps that, too, is the point....more