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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
DNF at 65%
I just... don't care about this and I cannot carry on.
The writing is fine, but that's really all it has going on.
I just... don't care about this and I cannot carry on.
The writing is fine, but that's really all it has going on.
4 1/2 stars. [b:Tess of the Road|33123849|Tess of the Road|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503583827s/33123849.jpg|53793345] is a great example of how being “slow” and being “compelling” are not mutually exclusive. I was utterly sucked into this book, but be warned: the pacing is definitely languid.
This is character-driven fantasy at its best. It's slow. It's about people, relationships and a young woman's life. The magic is limited and if you took out the few fantastical elements - namely, the dragons and quigutl - then this could easily be Contemporary or Historical Fiction. But it doesn't suffer for it, in my opinion.
I guess it depends what you like. One of my favourite fantasy series is Megan Whalen Turner's [b:The Thief|448873|The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)|Megan Whalen Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427740839s/448873.jpg|1069505], which also focuses heavily on character dynamics. And, truth be told, I am so burned out on the same magic systems reworded to sound somewhat new, the same throne struggles, the same stock characters and romances. I felt like this was something fresh and new-- a deep and intricate portrait of a woman’s early life.
This book follows Tess's journey in alternating past and present narratives. Hartman uses a fantasy setting to explore issues of consent and ideas about womanhood, virginity and religion. Tess, always the rebellious one, breaks away from the path her family have chosen for her and seeks other options out on the road in this world of misogyny and devout faith. Her relationships with her twin sister, her mother (whose voice of judgment rings constantly in Tess’s head) Seraphina and Pathka, as well as others, are complex and are developed gradually over the course of the novel.
And Tess. Oh, Tess. She is messed up and has something of a drinking problem. She pushes people away and, at times, actively screws up her own chances of happiness. But, so help me, I loved her. Her growth from a young girl into a woman - making mistakes, being selfish, etc. - feels so realistic and organic. This is not a book of mystery - honestly, most readers will guess the truth of Tess’s traumatic past - but I still sat rapt in horrified anticipation of what I knew must be coming.
[b:Tess of the Road|33123849|Tess of the Road|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503583827s/33123849.jpg|53793345] definitely does not check many of the regular fantasy boxes (uncomplicated strong heroine, blandly gorgeous love interest, fight to reclaim throne, some magic blah blah) which is probably why it won’t join the other trope-wielders on the bestseller list. But it was a breath of fresh air to me. Plus, the few fantasy elements it does include seemed new and exciting, such as the quigutl and their use of the ungendered pronoun "ko".
There are different kinds of great writers. There are those who know how to craft a perfect sentence, enchant with it, capture with words something that the reader will place in a colourful graphic and share all over Pinterest. Then there are the storytellers. They are not so readily quotable— their strength not in an individual sentence but in the slow build, through paragraphs and chapters, of a complex story and characters. I think this book demonstrates the latter.
If you enjoy this kind of slow-burn, complex fantasy, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Though this is set in the same universe as Hartman's previous books, I didn't finish [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239] and never read [b:Shadow Scale|16085457|Shadow Scale (Seraphina, #2)|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405355942s/16085457.jpg|21451371], so I would say it is perfectly fine to jump in right here.
TW:
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This is character-driven fantasy at its best. It's slow. It's about people, relationships and a young woman's life. The magic is limited and if you took out the few fantastical elements - namely, the dragons and quigutl - then this could easily be Contemporary or Historical Fiction. But it doesn't suffer for it, in my opinion.
I guess it depends what you like. One of my favourite fantasy series is Megan Whalen Turner's [b:The Thief|448873|The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)|Megan Whalen Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1427740839s/448873.jpg|1069505], which also focuses heavily on character dynamics. And, truth be told, I am so burned out on the same magic systems reworded to sound somewhat new, the same throne struggles, the same stock characters and romances. I felt like this was something fresh and new-- a deep and intricate portrait of a woman’s early life.
This book follows Tess's journey in alternating past and present narratives. Hartman uses a fantasy setting to explore issues of consent and ideas about womanhood, virginity and religion. Tess, always the rebellious one, breaks away from the path her family have chosen for her and seeks other options out on the road in this world of misogyny and devout faith. Her relationships with her twin sister, her mother (whose voice of judgment rings constantly in Tess’s head) Seraphina and Pathka, as well as others, are complex and are developed gradually over the course of the novel.
And Tess. Oh, Tess. She is messed up and has something of a drinking problem. She pushes people away and, at times, actively screws up her own chances of happiness. But, so help me, I loved her. Her growth from a young girl into a woman - making mistakes, being selfish, etc. - feels so realistic and organic. This is not a book of mystery - honestly, most readers will guess the truth of Tess’s traumatic past - but I still sat rapt in horrified anticipation of what I knew must be coming.
[b:Tess of the Road|33123849|Tess of the Road|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503583827s/33123849.jpg|53793345] definitely does not check many of the regular fantasy boxes (uncomplicated strong heroine, blandly gorgeous love interest, fight to reclaim throne, some magic blah blah) which is probably why it won’t join the other trope-wielders on the bestseller list. But it was a breath of fresh air to me. Plus, the few fantasy elements it does include seemed new and exciting, such as the quigutl and their use of the ungendered pronoun "ko".
There are different kinds of great writers. There are those who know how to craft a perfect sentence, enchant with it, capture with words something that the reader will place in a colourful graphic and share all over Pinterest. Then there are the storytellers. They are not so readily quotable— their strength not in an individual sentence but in the slow build, through paragraphs and chapters, of a complex story and characters. I think this book demonstrates the latter.
If you enjoy this kind of slow-burn, complex fantasy, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Though this is set in the same universe as Hartman's previous books, I didn't finish [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387577872s/19549841.jpg|17375239] and never read [b:Shadow Scale|16085457|Shadow Scale (Seraphina, #2)|Rachel Hartman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405355942s/16085457.jpg|21451371], so I would say it is perfectly fine to jump in right here.
TW:
Spoiler
Rape; non-graphic. Physical and emotional abuse.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In Goredd, a very old fashioned town, is where Tess lives with her family. They are taught that women are ladies and men are their protectors, meanwhile dragons can be who they want. Tess is not a lady and does things her way, this is what has gotten her into trouble on multiple occasions. Her family feel the only way to deal with her is forcing her to the nunnery. Tess despises that plan, so the day she is set to join, she runs away. Only she’s not running away but toward something; something she has yet to find. The title of this novel truly tells the story of what this book is about. As much as the reader really enjoyed reading about Tess on her journey to find herself; this felt like it went in and on and on. The reader liked the plot; they liked reading this expedition that Tess found herself on. She didn’t know where she was going, nor did she have to know, but it was really beautiful to see her through all these different places and figuring out who she was as she did this. It was great character development because the reader felt like they really got to know her. She started off as a very one dimensional and predictable character, to a very rounded and multi-dimensional one. That was what the reader really loved about this, and seeing Tess at the end, actually chose herself instead of falling back on old habits, was so good to see. What the reader didn’t care for, was how long this felt. It wasn’t like Tess went to one or two places and did things there, no she went to at least three or more and it just made this plot drag. The writing was fast-paced, which was good because it helped us move through the story, but it didn’t stop it from carrying on for as long as it did. It felt like we read a few books in this one volume. Each place held a different experience for Tess, which, again, was great for her character. The way this ended has the reader curious where the sequel is going to go. Is Tess going to go back home, and if she does, what is going to happen now that she has all this life experience on the road. Lastly, this also took place in the same world as Hartman’s Seraphina duology, it was really good to see Seraphina again. Knowing that there were dragons and other mythical creatures made this a fun read, but sometimes the world building lacked a bit, but that’s not going to stop this reader from picking up the sequel. As for this novel, it was well done, the reader just thought it was a lot to take in, in one book.
My original review from when I read an Advance Reader's Copy of this book in 2018:
Practically from the start, I’ve been reeling over the emotional journey that the heroine makes in this intensely personal fantasy novel. Largely eschewing the traditional genre focus on epic quests, author Rachel Hartman has instead written a powerful meditation on trauma, grief, and healing that only happens to take place in a world with dragons. (It’s technically a follow-up to her Seraphina duology, but this novel tells an independent story that doesn’t require having read the previous two books first.)
The tale of a young woman who takes to travel in order to escape her past and find a reason to keep living is incredibly cathartic, and is suffused with an uplifting moral philosophy that finds Tess ultimately letting down her barriers to affirm the goodness of life in all its diversity. We need more stories like this, and I can already tell this is one I’ll be revisiting in the future.
Further thoughts, in 2022:
And here I am, revisiting it! I decided to refresh my memory of this title now that its long-awaited sequel has arrived, and to see whether it still strikes me as powerfully -- which it does. I stand by everything I wrote four years ago, but I also wanted to speak a bit more on this book's fairly radical compassion that's modeled throughout.
It's a feminist picaresque that abhors sexism and rape culture but doesn't judge a girl for dressing in men's clothing while traveling alone. It celebrates consensual relations among adults, without placing any shame on sex workers or on anyone who abstains for any reason. It gently meets people with senility where they are, rejecting the overt mistreatment sometimes directed their way along with the well-meaning urge to try wrenching them back into the clarity of the present. And it understands the importance of making space and time for safely processing trauma, while stressing that no magical cure can ever erase our worst experiences. As one disabled character who now requires assistance to walk reflects, "I wouldn't wish for this, Tess, but I'm not sure I'd wish it away, either."
I'll give a special shout-out to the delightful quigutl too, that inquisitive and friendly race of small dragons who are always taken seriously by the text and the protagonist, whether in pursuing their inscrutable investigations into the mysteries of the universe or in changing from female to male to an ungendered 'ko.' Tess loves them, Hartman loves them, and I love them too. They're part of why this volume has stayed lodged in my heart, and I'm so excited to see how they continue to play a role in the heroine's journey over the next one.
[Content warning for rape, alcohol abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, gore, premature childbirth, and death of a newborn.]
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--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
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--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
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--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
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Practically from the start, I’ve been reeling over the emotional journey that the heroine makes in this intensely personal fantasy novel. Largely eschewing the traditional genre focus on epic quests, author Rachel Hartman has instead written a powerful meditation on trauma, grief, and healing that only happens to take place in a world with dragons. (It’s technically a follow-up to her Seraphina duology, but this novel tells an independent story that doesn’t require having read the previous two books first.)
The tale of a young woman who takes to travel in order to escape her past and find a reason to keep living is incredibly cathartic, and is suffused with an uplifting moral philosophy that finds Tess ultimately letting down her barriers to affirm the goodness of life in all its diversity. We need more stories like this, and I can already tell this is one I’ll be revisiting in the future.
Further thoughts, in 2022:
And here I am, revisiting it! I decided to refresh my memory of this title now that its long-awaited sequel has arrived, and to see whether it still strikes me as powerfully -- which it does. I stand by everything I wrote four years ago, but I also wanted to speak a bit more on this book's fairly radical compassion that's modeled throughout.
It's a feminist picaresque that abhors sexism and rape culture but doesn't judge a girl for dressing in men's clothing while traveling alone. It celebrates consensual relations among adults, without placing any shame on sex workers or on anyone who abstains for any reason. It gently meets people with senility where they are, rejecting the overt mistreatment sometimes directed their way along with the well-meaning urge to try wrenching them back into the clarity of the present. And it understands the importance of making space and time for safely processing trauma, while stressing that no magical cure can ever erase our worst experiences. As one disabled character who now requires assistance to walk reflects, "I wouldn't wish for this, Tess, but I'm not sure I'd wish it away, either."
I'll give a special shout-out to the delightful quigutl too, that inquisitive and friendly race of small dragons who are always taken seriously by the text and the protagonist, whether in pursuing their inscrutable investigations into the mysteries of the universe or in changing from female to male to an ungendered 'ko.' Tess loves them, Hartman loves them, and I love them too. They're part of why this volume has stayed lodged in my heart, and I'm so excited to see how they continue to play a role in the heroine's journey over the next one.
[Content warning for rape, alcohol abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, gore, premature childbirth, and death of a newborn.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
I really liked this magical, dragon-filled adventure. But, more than that, I'm thrilled to have recently found three books with physically disabled characters that read as though the writer made the effort to understand things disabled people experience, instead of trotting out the same tired plot devices. In the past, I've been happy if I could say that about three books a year, so yay! Anyway, it's a relatively small part of Tess of the Road, and there are many other things to enjoy here: it's young adult novel where romance isn't a central storyline, there's redemption, adventure, and dragons, and there are some very nice bits about teen-aged girls' sexuality and agency in general.
(The other two books are Lock In and Head On by John Scalzi.)
(The other two books are Lock In and Head On by John Scalzi.)
Truly a book about the journey, not the destination. First time in a while that I've been excited to see that a book was a part of a series.
Update: I went back and read the two earlier books that are in the same universe (different protagonists) and then reread Tess. I still loved it, possibly more, and am looking forward to the next book.
Update: I went back and read the two earlier books that are in the same universe (different protagonists) and then reread Tess. I still loved it, possibly more, and am looking forward to the next book.
There's no actual dragons in this book! I've been on the hunt for a good book with dragons and no romance that isn't boring, and while this Hits the mark of not boring and no romance, there's no dragons either! I did love the main character, but I want fucking dragons!