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gilnean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Colonisation, War, and Classism
anna_hepworth's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Reading this was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Warrior (Lynesse Fourth Daughter) goes to ask for help from the Sorcerer In The Tower, who is actually no such thing, but an anthropologist, left behind. And the threat, described as 'demon' for half the book, is a creeping eldritch horror that was more convincingly awful than many I've read in more explicitly horror books. And there is a strong element of body horror in the way that this presents.
This is a novella, so there isn't anything complicated in b-plot. But there doesn't need to be. The world building is lush, and complex. The exploration of how the past/future are alien to us was done really well, particularly in the chapter where two stories are told together in separate columns--this is a stylistic choice I've seen done a few times, often to juxtapose the colonial and colonised perspectives--which really highlighted the way that language can shift.
The characterisation is strong, but some what difficult to relate to. Given that one of the viewpoint characters spends a lot of time actively (and effectively) suppressing all sensation of emotion, this is probably a necessary side effect of an accurate portrayal of the inside of their mind.
This is a novella, so there isn't anything complicated in b-plot. But there doesn't need to be. The world building is lush, and complex. The exploration of how the past/future are alien to us was done really well, particularly in the chapter where two stories are told together in separate columns--this is a stylistic choice I've seen done a few times, often to juxtapose the colonial and colonised perspectives--which really highlighted the way that language can shift.
The characterisation is strong, but some what difficult to relate to. Given that one of the viewpoint characters spends a lot of time actively (and effectively) suppressing all sensation of emotion, this is probably a necessary side effect of an accurate portrayal of the inside of their mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I am more a relic worthy of study than those I was placed to observe.
Elder Race follows Lynesse, a royal daughter eager to prove her value by vanquishing a demon threatening neighbouring territories, and Nyr, an archaeologist from the society Lynesse's descends from but whom Lynesse's people believe is a wizard. The book alternates perspectives between the two, with a single brilliant chapter juxtaposing them by including each of their perspectives side by side. I quite enjoyed this book! I will say that the interplay between the main characters, and particularly Nyr's internal struggles with his situation and the chasm of misunderstanding between himself and Lynesse, interested me far more than the demon-slaying plot did. The climax of the plot - the confrontation with the menacing force - seemed a little bit rushed, but I found I didn't mind in the slightest because I was more interested in what Nyr was thinking about. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Tchaikovsky so far, and this is no exception. Recommend for fans of LeGuin.
Elder Race follows Lynesse, a royal daughter eager to prove her value by vanquishing a demon threatening neighbouring territories, and Nyr, an archaeologist from the society Lynesse's descends from but whom Lynesse's people believe is a wizard. The book alternates perspectives between the two, with a single brilliant chapter juxtaposing them by including each of their perspectives side by side. I quite enjoyed this book! I will say that the interplay between the main characters, and particularly Nyr's internal struggles with his situation and the chasm of misunderstanding between himself and Lynesse, interested me far more than the demon-slaying plot did. The climax of the plot - the confrontation with the menacing force - seemed a little bit rushed, but I found I didn't mind in the slightest because I was more interested in what Nyr was thinking about. I've enjoyed everything I've read by Tchaikovsky so far, and this is no exception. Recommend for fans of LeGuin.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Gore
saturdayslaughter's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a cool concept and what a cool story. I have so many thoughts but idk what’s useful in a review. I thought Nyr was very compelling, and found Lynesse a lot less compelling but still fun, she felt like a window to her world first and a person second, and they were the only two real characters. Themes of isolation and cultural divide. The ‘it isn’t magic’ thread was fun to follow because how they see him ended up (mild mystery spoilers) paralleling how he sees the demon . Spoilers for the tone of the ending, but it was nice to see him find a better place . Does Tchaikovsky always write about anthropology? It’s very fun, I’m onboard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror
mjwhitlock18's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Such an interesting mix of SciFi and Fantasy. Nyr is a clinically depressed cultural anthropologist living in and studying a world colonized long ago by people from earth. Because he has more advanced science and tech, the people from the world think he’s a sorcerer, and due to a failure of translation, he can’t explain to them that his science isn’t magic. A childishly naive, youngest sister/warrior princess comes to him to beg for his magic help fighting off a “demon” plague that is taking over part of her mother’s kingdom. This novella is quick, witty, genre-bending, and explores some good themes around communication, solitude, and the bravery in the face of hopelessness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
saltycoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Suicidal thoughts
scribewarden's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest when I picked it up because I didn't read the synopsis. But basically getting a book that is half sci-fi and half fantasy told from two different POVs? It was a fun time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
eegekay's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
thoughtsontomes's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I would have never read this if it hadn't been for the Hugo Awards Nominees project I am doing and I'm so glad I did. This hit so many tropes I love. This was a scifi/fantasy fusion, which shows how much the two genres are linked. It has some inter-dimensional stuff going on. AND it has nature based body horror mixed with tech. I loved the way this was done and I look forward to reading more from this author now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Moderate: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts
ninjamuse's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt