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gunslinger's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bijan711's review against another edition
4.0
The book was too smart for me. My key wish was for the writing to slow down just a bit, for the plot to be explored just a little more, so I could have a chance to piece together some of the major reveals on my own. Most of the book felt like it was going at break neck speed. A 1 page interlude to fast forward through 6 months of plot. But it worked well enough for me. And the penultimate plot point was one of the most epic I have ever read; gasping when something bad happened, clapping when a hero prevailed.
At the end of the book, I find myself unsure if I like the main character, if I respect her even. But I love where Dickinson has taken her and I look forward to seeing how this trilogy evolves.
At the end of the book, I find myself unsure if I like the main character, if I respect her even. But I love where Dickinson has taken her and I look forward to seeing how this trilogy evolves.
hayz999's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is an extremely slow build to an intense last 10% of the book. The cast of characters feels very underdeveloped so that by the end the emotional impact isn’t as high as it could be. The writing is vivid and beautiful, but most of the characters fall flat leaving you feeling unfulfilled.
bowden's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.75
robotreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
dennytherestaurant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
bibliocinephile's review against another edition
5.0
WOWWWWWWWWW. this book almost reads like a horror movies sometimes: just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. the unforgiving descriptions of the landscapes, the weather, love, and loss were brutal to read in the best way. it was almost masochistic to read this book, seeing Baru destroy so much but still, inside yourself, rooting for her. the morally grey protagonist was explored so well and so compellingly with queerness and how it lives in us very well written too. the plot was incredibly intriguing--never before has such a complex and nuanced plot been so easy to understand for me. simply incredible.
gothhotel's review against another edition
4.0
Exhausting. Dull at first, then utterly vital from about 40% to the end. Baru’s brilliance is at times overblown and the early part of the book feels like watching a board game unfold. Then it turns - around Radaszic’s letter, iykyk - and, oh, oh. You know where it’s going and you have to watch it go there, heart in throat, hoping against hope until you sink. The style is epic poetry but the spirit is historical materialism. Basically this book is like getting the shit beaten out of you. Respect, but not sure I recommend. The next book has mixed reviews and I am tired, so may or may not continue.
abandonedmegastructure's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
The Traitor Baru Cormorant is, without a doubt, the greatest work of SFF I've read this year. It's so many things: a high-level zoomed-out view of war and rebellion and shifting political alliances, a close psychological examination of its fascinating title character, and a philosophical exploration of themes of imperialism, gender, sexuality, modernity, power, and loyalty.
The narrative always sticks close to Baru, who makes for an unique and enjoyable viewpoint: rational but not emotionless, clever but not all-knowing, compassionate yet ruthless. Having a single perspective can be tough, but the novel always manages to share all relevant information with the reader and keep the pacing up. The side characters are distinct and interesting in their own ways, with schemes we only barely glimpse before they come to fruition in a way that perfectly rhymes with Baru's own uneasy paranoia.
The worldbuilding, too, is stellar: a single-page map gives us just enough information to contextualize everything that's slowly introduced . The differing societies are memorable, believable, and simultaneously both grounded in real historical cultures and utterly original (not a contradiction: a sad consequence of most fantasy writers forgetting that lands south of Cairo or east of Moscow exist). Quick throwaway lines have me thinking about all these imagined places that aren't even the focus of the story: an impressive feat!
As for the things that are the focus of the story... Aurdwynn is a bit bland, but this is more than made up for by the imperialist Masquerade, its ideology of colonialism and social darwinism horrifyingly realistic, its mastery of chemistry, psychology, and eugenics creating a very different sort of tyranny than the armor-clad jack-booted oppression of most of fantasy's evil empires.
And the plot! An impressive 400 page account detailing the journey of Baru herself, ruthlessly seeking power for the greater good, being forced to consider just how much she's willing to sacrifice for that. It maintains coherency without getting repetitive - and delivers a very interesting answer, subtly more complicated than 'literally everything'. Plus, y'know, rebellions and logistics and large-scale political maneuvering that doesn't fall into ASoIaF's trap of forgetting logistics are a thing (the opposite, in fact).
I was hooked from the first chapter, read the closing pages with barely-concealed awe, and will most definitely be reading the rest of the series. This book is everything I want out of the fantasy genre and more: a compelling narrative chock-full of high-stakes gambits, psychological turmoil, and interesting ideas. Five stars: I can't think of a single thing I'd change.
The narrative always sticks close to Baru, who makes for an unique and enjoyable viewpoint: rational but not emotionless, clever but not all-knowing, compassionate yet ruthless. Having a single perspective can be tough, but the novel always manages to share all relevant information with the reader and keep the pacing up. The side characters are distinct and interesting in their own ways, with schemes we only barely glimpse before they come to fruition in a way that perfectly rhymes with Baru's own uneasy paranoia.
The worldbuilding, too, is stellar: a single-page map gives us just enough information to contextualize everything that's slowly introduced . The differing societies are memorable, believable, and simultaneously both grounded in real historical cultures and utterly original (not a contradiction: a sad consequence of most fantasy writers forgetting that lands south of Cairo or east of Moscow exist). Quick throwaway lines have me thinking about all these imagined places that aren't even the focus of the story: an impressive feat!
As for the things that are the focus of the story... Aurdwynn is a bit bland, but this is more than made up for by the imperialist Masquerade, its ideology of colonialism and social darwinism horrifyingly realistic, its mastery of chemistry, psychology, and eugenics creating a very different sort of tyranny than the armor-clad jack-booted oppression of most of fantasy's evil empires.
And the plot! An impressive 400 page account detailing the journey of Baru herself, ruthlessly seeking power for the greater good, being forced to consider just how much she's willing to sacrifice for that. It maintains coherency without getting repetitive - and delivers a very interesting answer, subtly more complicated than 'literally everything'. Plus, y'know, rebellions and logistics and large-scale political maneuvering that doesn't fall into ASoIaF's trap of forgetting logistics are a thing (the opposite, in fact).
I was hooked from the first chapter, read the closing pages with barely-concealed awe, and will most definitely be reading the rest of the series. This book is everything I want out of the fantasy genre and more: a compelling narrative chock-full of high-stakes gambits, psychological turmoil, and interesting ideas. Five stars: I can't think of a single thing I'd change.