Reviews

This book definitely won't be for everyone - it's very long, it's essentially about a bureaucrat working to transform feudal governments and bring in things like universal income, there's a fair bit of repetition in the final third when Cliopher goes over and over with his family about their feelings about him and his job -BUT. It is also spectacular. Such fantastic world-building, such a satisfying story. Loved it.

boxofowls's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

sirkt's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective relaxing 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? No

5.0

Incredible, cannot wait to read the rest of the series, the characters are brilliantly written and the first half in particular I absolutely loved

elly29's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What a sprawling, masterful work. I initially thought this was a novella (I was entirely wrong about that -- it's some +900 pages). And, I wouldn't say it's terribly exciting. It is about the ordinary life of an ordinary person who does the extraordinary thing of reforming the world's government. And it starts off with the secretary who is essentially in charge of the government inviting his boss on vacation, and treating him (who is like a god, and cannot be touched, and no one knows his true name) like a friend and regular person. It's long, and very bureaucratic, and quite beautiful. I would also point anyone interested in starting this series to https://nineworlds.miraheze.org/wiki/Reading_Order , so you have an idea of what you're committing yourself to, and where you may want to stop.

I want to say that this novel has something for everyone, but I don't think that is true. It deals with themes of hard work, ambition, following's one's dreams, integrity, leaving home behind, adventure, of misunderstandings, of cultural differences and being caught between two of those cultures, of growing up and family understandings and loneliness and friendship and callings/vocations. It's very much a novel that knows it's set against a greater history and mythology. It is an 'in medias res' tale of Cliopher's career that references events and that intermundial mythology (see the Reading Order link above), and you're thrown into it and have to go alone with tidbits and references, until the spiral turns and the story revisits plot points that happened long before the start of "The Hands of the Emperor". This is true of both global events and histories, and Cliopher's personal history. And indeed, I look forward to filling out the mythologies even more by one day reading "The Return of Fitzroy Angursell". And, if you're looking for blood and revenge and sex, this really isn't a novel about that.

In short, I loved it, and though it was long, it had many sweet payoffs. Though, by the end there were so many tirades and speeches that I was getting a little "over it". But still. Highly enjoyable.

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I think I encountered some of the best advice in its pages for someone trying to figure out their career path:

"You said to go through all the things I liked to do, look hard at what I do with my free time, what makes me feel challenged and excited and creative, and how I want to participate in my community -- and when I told Mama what you'd written, she looked at me and said, 'Oh, Gaudy, look at the Service'" (Chapter 17)

han_nur's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ryank74's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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