Scan barcode
greyhairedkid's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Litany of Earth, the prequel novella to this, and I wish I could say I loved this. Instead I kinda liked it.
Way too cozy for anything Lovecrafty - nothing in the novel evokes the creeping awfuls (e.g. the classic from Haunter in the Dark “I see it — coming here — hell-wind — titan blur — black wings — Yog-Sothoth save me — the three-lobed burning eye”) as well as Lovecraft did. Bringing the elder Deep Ones onstage as proud parents may have been a mistake, methinks, and a Yith (powerful amoral aeon-spanning bodysnatchers) as a landlady/schoolmarm was worse.
That said, it’s quite well done for what it is... Just too cozy for me.
Way too cozy for anything Lovecrafty - nothing in the novel evokes the creeping awfuls (e.g. the classic from Haunter in the Dark “I see it — coming here — hell-wind — titan blur — black wings — Yog-Sothoth save me — the three-lobed burning eye”) as well as Lovecraft did. Bringing the elder Deep Ones onstage as proud parents may have been a mistake, methinks, and a Yith (powerful amoral aeon-spanning bodysnatchers) as a landlady/schoolmarm was worse.
That said, it’s quite well done for what it is... Just too cozy for me.
mnswainey7's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure how to rate this book. It seems that there should be a prequel to this book, its concepts and the people mentioned in it. So much confusion on who what when. Could have been a decent story, but it just jumps right into a plot, not great, and characters, again not great.
emheld's review
3.0
First third was slow, but steady as it built this unique world out of one of HP Lovecraft's higher profile works. The characters have unique voices and the magic system feels...lived in.
But I'm frustrated to say the middleish portion is slow and padded, taking a long time to get to any real external threat or conflict. Once the threat solidified, Emrys' writing sped up and you really start at feel the stakes.
So it ends on a strong note (if quickly, without clean resolution of it's lesser B-antagonist), and I'd say it's a recommend. I'll be back for the sequel.
Maybe part of my semi-disappointment is based around the three-year hype machine for this book, started after Tor published "The Litany of Earth," the contained prologue to this world. It's a quirky, at times very relevant, take on Lovecraft and his nameless horrors, but not the be-all, end-all.
But I'm frustrated to say the middleish portion is slow and padded, taking a long time to get to any real external threat or conflict. Once the threat solidified, Emrys' writing sped up and you really start at feel the stakes.
So it ends on a strong note (if quickly, without clean resolution of it's lesser B-antagonist), and I'd say it's a recommend. I'll be back for the sequel.
Maybe part of my semi-disappointment is based around the three-year hype machine for this book, started after Tor published "The Litany of Earth," the contained prologue to this world. It's a quirky, at times very relevant, take on Lovecraft and his nameless horrors, but not the be-all, end-all.
shendriq's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
steven_v's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first novel in a series of 1 short story and 2 novels that is billed as "The Innsmouth Legacy," and by that title, and the proper names and some concepts of the narrative, this series purports to be a sort of fan-fic seqeuel to Lovecraft's works, and particularly, the Shadow Over Innsmouth. On this basis, I was excited to read this work -- I am a huge Lovecraft fan, and his Shadow Over Innsmouth is one of my favorites.
I found this novel disappointing. The author uses many of Lovecraft's basic concepts such as the Great Race of Yith and the Deep Ones, only in the most superficial way. There is a profound disconnect between how these elements are presented in Winter Tide, and how Lovecraft portrayed them. I'm not sure, after reading both the Litany of the Earth and this entire novel, whether the differences are intentional, or whether the author simply doesn't understand Lovecraftian horror. Either way, the result is the same - a story superficially set in "Lovecraft country" (Misktaonic, Arkham etc.) using many of HPL's proper nouns from his stories, but bearing no resemblance whatsoever to Lovecraftian fiction.
But that might be forgivable, if the author had provided a story that was otherwise gripping or engaging. Unfortunately, such was not the case. The author undermines any possible tension over and over again by having what I can only call "Deus Ex Machina" moments repeatedly. More times than I can count throughout the novel, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle faces the protagonist (Aphra) and her friends, only to have one of them (almost always Aphra, who is also the first-person narrator) suddenly and without any foreshadowing or setup at all, provide some kind of supernatural or magical answer. There's always some spell, or ritual, or tweak to a ritual already performed, that we discover instantly (in the middle of the scene), will solve all our problems. There is no setup to these moments, so there is no payoff in reading about them... and after a while, one no longer has any worry about the characters, because we always know that Aphra will suddenly remember some ritual she learned when she was 3 years old, and this new spell will suddenly fix everything. The author doesn't set anything up ahead of time, so every solution seems to come out of thin air "just because" the author needs it to happen now.
Another major problem in this story is the main character, Aphra. All of her books were taken, and her family killed, while she was still young. She never really learned the magical rituals properly or from an able teacher -- she is largely self-taught. Therefore, she should be stumbling around, fumbling, and making a lot of mistakes. Instead, nearly every ritual she undertakes works flawlessly for her, often better than expected, and she rarely makes a dangerous or life-threatening error, as one would expect with an untrained character using powerful magical spells. At several points in the books, she confronts people older, wiser, and far more experienced than she is at these magicks, and yet she always has more insight or a firmer grasp on the basic principles than those who have been practicing them since before Aphra was born. When nobody has a clue what to do about a problem, especially regarding magic spells or rituals, Aphra will suddenly (see the paragraph above) intuit a solution that no one has ever thought of before, and each and every time -- it works! Usually without any real consequences for Aphra, or anyone else.
The final problem with this novel is that Aphra understands too much, and finds none of the things that Lovecraft presented as scary to be problematic or troublesome. Aphra is perfectly happy to worship Cthulhu... considers Nyarlathotep some kind of prophet or messenger, and prays to Shub-Nigaroth (sic). She also understands all of the secret hidden mysteries Lovecraft only shows as hints. By having this sort of narrator, these terrifying (according to Lovecraft) beings and secrets are robbed of their mystery and their ability to disturb or chill -- which might be OK, if the author had replaced these dire threats and scary entities with something worse. Unfortunately, the Lovecraftian horrors are supplanted by -- stubborn and willfully ignorant FBI agents, who probably mean well and are just misguided... How truly terrifying!
In the end, this novel is dragged down by the fact that there are no real obstacles to Aphra's goals, and the flimsy ones that the author provides, are usually overcome with a suddenly-intuited magical ritual. The entire team Aphra assembles basically gets along all the time. No one betrays anyone -- not really. There are no turncoats. No one switches sides. Nobody on the team is tempted by the lure of magical power. Everyone completely trusts Aphra and believes everything she says about the Lovecraftian mysteries all the time, in every context, completely. Anyone who doubts or disagrees with Aphra is depicted as being objectively wrong, and these folks either figure out the error of their ways, and join her side, or else suffer the consequences -- and they are, in fact, the only people to suffer any real consequences in this novel.
When I started out writing this review, at first I thought I would discuss my frustrations at all the ways in which I think Emrys got the Mythos wrong (and there are many of these). But instead, I've found that misrepresentation of Lovecraftian myth is the least of this novel's problems -- the elements above that destroy tension are much worse.
So why 2 stars instead of 1? I'll be honest, I vacillated. But the writing itself is pretty good (that is, the English; the words on the page), and the individual chapters, taken by themselves, are each good enough. It's just that taken together, there isn't any real reason to keep reading beyond a given chapter to the next one.
I found this novel disappointing. The author uses many of Lovecraft's basic concepts such as the Great Race of Yith and the Deep Ones, only in the most superficial way. There is a profound disconnect between how these elements are presented in Winter Tide, and how Lovecraft portrayed them. I'm not sure, after reading both the Litany of the Earth and this entire novel, whether the differences are intentional, or whether the author simply doesn't understand Lovecraftian horror. Either way, the result is the same - a story superficially set in "Lovecraft country" (Misktaonic, Arkham etc.) using many of HPL's proper nouns from his stories, but bearing no resemblance whatsoever to Lovecraftian fiction.
But that might be forgivable, if the author had provided a story that was otherwise gripping or engaging. Unfortunately, such was not the case. The author undermines any possible tension over and over again by having what I can only call "Deus Ex Machina" moments repeatedly. More times than I can count throughout the novel, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle faces the protagonist (Aphra) and her friends, only to have one of them (almost always Aphra, who is also the first-person narrator) suddenly and without any foreshadowing or setup at all, provide some kind of supernatural or magical answer. There's always some spell, or ritual, or tweak to a ritual already performed, that we discover instantly (in the middle of the scene), will solve all our problems. There is no setup to these moments, so there is no payoff in reading about them... and after a while, one no longer has any worry about the characters, because we always know that Aphra will suddenly remember some ritual she learned when she was 3 years old, and this new spell will suddenly fix everything. The author doesn't set anything up ahead of time, so every solution seems to come out of thin air "just because" the author needs it to happen now.
Another major problem in this story is the main character, Aphra. All of her books were taken, and her family killed, while she was still young. She never really learned the magical rituals properly or from an able teacher -- she is largely self-taught. Therefore, she should be stumbling around, fumbling, and making a lot of mistakes. Instead, nearly every ritual she undertakes works flawlessly for her, often better than expected, and she rarely makes a dangerous or life-threatening error, as one would expect with an untrained character using powerful magical spells. At several points in the books, she confronts people older, wiser, and far more experienced than she is at these magicks, and yet she always has more insight or a firmer grasp on the basic principles than those who have been practicing them since before Aphra was born. When nobody has a clue what to do about a problem, especially regarding magic spells or rituals, Aphra will suddenly (see the paragraph above) intuit a solution that no one has ever thought of before, and each and every time -- it works! Usually without any real consequences for Aphra, or anyone else.
The final problem with this novel is that Aphra understands too much, and finds none of the things that Lovecraft presented as scary to be problematic or troublesome. Aphra is perfectly happy to worship Cthulhu... considers Nyarlathotep some kind of prophet or messenger, and prays to Shub-Nigaroth (sic). She also understands all of the secret hidden mysteries Lovecraft only shows as hints. By having this sort of narrator, these terrifying (according to Lovecraft) beings and secrets are robbed of their mystery and their ability to disturb or chill -- which might be OK, if the author had replaced these dire threats and scary entities with something worse. Unfortunately, the Lovecraftian horrors are supplanted by -- stubborn and willfully ignorant FBI agents, who probably mean well and are just misguided... How truly terrifying!
In the end, this novel is dragged down by the fact that there are no real obstacles to Aphra's goals, and the flimsy ones that the author provides, are usually overcome with a suddenly-intuited magical ritual. The entire team Aphra assembles basically gets along all the time. No one betrays anyone -- not really. There are no turncoats. No one switches sides. Nobody on the team is tempted by the lure of magical power. Everyone completely trusts Aphra and believes everything she says about the Lovecraftian mysteries all the time, in every context, completely. Anyone who doubts or disagrees with Aphra is depicted as being objectively wrong, and these folks either figure out the error of their ways, and join her side, or else suffer the consequences -- and they are, in fact, the only people to suffer any real consequences in this novel.
When I started out writing this review, at first I thought I would discuss my frustrations at all the ways in which I think Emrys got the Mythos wrong (and there are many of these). But instead, I've found that misrepresentation of Lovecraftian myth is the least of this novel's problems -- the elements above that destroy tension are much worse.
So why 2 stars instead of 1? I'll be honest, I vacillated. But the writing itself is pretty good (that is, the English; the words on the page), and the individual chapters, taken by themselves, are each good enough. It's just that taken together, there isn't any real reason to keep reading beyond a given chapter to the next one.
qalminator's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I've ever read. I loved this. I loved how it both used Lovecraft as a starting point, AND turned it on its head. The main characters include a Jewish FBI agent, a black secretary, a disabled dabbler, two "people of the water" (one of whom is the POV character), and a student descended from the "people of the rock". Highly recommended.
Note: While I truly enjoyed this, I will point out that it's fairly slow, plot-wise. There are a few rip-roaring action scenes, but most of it is more contemplative. That's one of the things I liked about it, but it may not be to everyone's taste.
Also be aware that it examines the rampant sexism of the time period (late '40's), and includes some other annoying 'isms' as well, but the main characters are all trying to rise above that and find their ways around it.
This is absolutely not a romance. I have no idea what Aphra's (POV character) leanings are. She shows no particular attraction to anyone, but most of the people she encounters are either viewed as family or enemy, so there wasn't much opportunity. There are two very, very mild romantic subplots, one of which Aphra only knows about because of her keen sense of smell. Nothing happens on-screen.
Note: While I truly enjoyed this, I will point out that it's fairly slow, plot-wise. There are a few rip-roaring action scenes, but most of it is more contemplative. That's one of the things I liked about it, but it may not be to everyone's taste.
Also be aware that it examines the rampant sexism of the time period (late '40's), and includes some other annoying 'isms' as well, but the main characters are all trying to rise above that and find their ways around it.
This is absolutely not a romance. I have no idea what Aphra's (POV character) leanings are. She shows no particular attraction to anyone, but most of the people she encounters are either viewed as family or enemy, so there wasn't much opportunity. There are two very, very mild romantic subplots, one of which Aphra only knows about because of her keen sense of smell. Nothing happens on-screen.
_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
2.0
The Cthulhu mythos is the very best.
The deep ones, Dagon and Innsmouth bits are the very best bits.
Having a fish person lead is a novel and bold choice.
But a very large portion of this book is a faithful near real-time rendition of academic research.
Honestly, awesome world building aside, I got a bit bored.
The deep ones, Dagon and Innsmouth bits are the very best bits.
Having a fish person lead is a novel and bold choice.
But a very large portion of this book is a faithful near real-time rendition of academic research.
Honestly, awesome world building aside, I got a bit bored.
eacolgan's review against another edition
4.0
This book was quietly lovely, smart and poignant, and just enjoyable all the way through. Set a few years after the end of WW2, it looks at the effects of the US internment camps on those who survived them, hints at the beginnings of McCarthyism, and makes the whole Lovecraftian mythos feel as natural and real as any other part of American history. The question of what makes a monster is examined alongside the question of what makes family, and seen through the eyes of Aphra, one of the last of her kind, the answer seems to be "If you feel it to be true, it is." I really loved this, and am looking forward to whatever Emrys writes next.
sharkalanche's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ainsleym's review against another edition
3.0
Extremely slow with no plot and little character development. I liked the relationship between Aphra and Charlie. It seemed the most fleshed out and convincing. I wish the book had focused more on strengthening that rather than adding so many other characters that weren't developed. It was interesting to see how the author developed Innsmouth and its culture. There weren't any stakes to this or anything that the plot seemed to be building towards and while I was ready to go with it at first, not enough changed to make the directionless plot worth it. I also wish that there was more mystery. The Yith acted like a human who just didn't always pick up on social cues/follow social conventions, which like relatable, and I don't want to relate to the Yith, I want them to be alien and unknowable! So much of this story was about understanding other people and researching magic which didn't mesh well for me with what I like about cosmic horror, which is facing the unknowable and exploring how people react to facing something incomprehensible. The writing was decent and there were some parts of this that I liked but it didn't do special anything for me. I won't be reading more in this world but I'm not mad that I read it, if only for curiosity about the gorgeous cover.