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dfmjr's review against another edition
DNF. World is wonderful. Something is not clicking with me
shane_tiernan's review against another edition
3.0
I have to say I'm disappointed in this. Many people said it reminded them of [book:Perdido Street Station], and I can see some of that and some of [book:City of Saints and Madmen], but overall those promises fail to deliver. I like the world Mrs. Bishop creates but the plot was lacking. The first 100 pages is all out action ala wild west style then the entire tone changes to a more laid back, atmospheric, surreal mystery.
Unfortunately the story didn't really seem to go anywhere from there and the two main characters had little interaction. The epilogue is a little wishy-washy with its "this could have been what happened but no one's really sure" dialog. I'd probably read another novel from Bishop if it wasn't too long because I think there's a lot of potential here.
Unfortunately the story didn't really seem to go anywhere from there and the two main characters had little interaction. The epilogue is a little wishy-washy with its "this could have been what happened but no one's really sure" dialog. I'd probably read another novel from Bishop if it wasn't too long because I think there's a lot of potential here.
mabs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ryanteston's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
talbet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lovedayrobijn's review against another edition
5.0
Phantasmagoric, dust-dry and rust-red novel of the same Weird Frontier breed as the ʾAlf Laylah wa-Laylah, Stephen King's Wizard and Glass, and Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus -- stories concerned with the empty spaces where wind and ghosts are more at home than are we ourselves. More than any other author I can name, I wish desperately for a new novel by Bishop. A masterful prose stylist with an immense and unique gift.
kizza's review against another edition
2.0
Beautifully written, devastatingly dull.
There's a reason literary and fantasy fictions are not the same genre. In both genres the reader expects certain tropes and cliches. In literary fiction, there's a certain amount of navel gazing and just moving about the world somewhat pointlessly. In fantasy, there's the expectation of a plot that gives the characters a reason to move about the world. See where the disconnect lies? This book is literary fiction with fantasy window-dressing.
This is for literary fans who don't read much fantasy. Everyone else should avoid it or expect, in some way, to be disappointed.
There's a reason literary and fantasy fictions are not the same genre. In both genres the reader expects certain tropes and cliches. In literary fiction, there's a certain amount of navel gazing and just moving about the world somewhat pointlessly. In fantasy, there's the expectation of a plot that gives the characters a reason to move about the world. See where the disconnect lies? This book is literary fiction with fantasy window-dressing.
This is for literary fans who don't read much fantasy. Everyone else should avoid it or expect, in some way, to be disappointed.