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abookwormspov's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As someone who is super into building systems, architecture and AI, I loved this conceptually. Overall I was missing something, and I don't quite know what. But still good overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Confinement
gwenswoons's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was way outside my comfort zone - I’ve ended up reading many of those this year because of the StoryGraph Genre Challenge, which has been really fun! The writing is certainly excellent - I find books in the sci-fi/thriller/horror spectrum not often super poetic and flowery in their language, but this really was. I listened on audio, and after a while, despite well-done narration, I ended up finding the constant florid language and the cadence of it over the course of the novella a little bit repetitive and exhausting - I had to take sizable breaks from listening, even in such a short book. I would not likely listen to this or similar works again; but I do think that it was very atmospheric and tense in a way that felt unusual and sometimes quite captivating, so if you are a sci-fi or horror reader, I think you might really enjoy it if you’re up for something a little outside the box.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Murder, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting
lbelow's review
mysterious
2.5
Arkady Martine is good at thinking up interesting premises and terrible at writing characters that are at all interesting, have personalities or motives, or influence the plot in any meaningful way. Needless to say that if this had been any longer, I wouldn't have finished it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Death
laurareads87's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Having absolutely loved Martine's Teixcalaan duology, I was happy to pick up a copy of Rose/House, a novella about a house that is an AI that holds the remains and estate of its deceased architect; when the house, which is entirely off limits except to one archivist once per year, reports a dead body on its premises, the local precinct must figure out how anyone got into the house in the first place and how, if at all, anyone left it.
I feel neither very happy nor disappointed -- after finishing this novella, I cannot say it left me with very strong feelings at all. Compared to Teixcalaan, this just didn't feel especially novel or interesting, and I found that I did not particularly care who was doing what or what happened to anyone in the story.
What worked for me: Martine's an absolutely fantastic writer and the atmosphere is rendered in great detail despite the book's short length. Rose House, the house/AI, is creepy. Its voice, its shape, its artificial 'personality' - creepy. The reader is also given just enough detail about the near-future wider world to be interested and to feel like this is a fully formed universe.
What didn't work for me: the mystery didn't feel especially mysterious and the characters weren't interesting. Some theoretical questions about AI and art could've been explored, but weren't in any way that felt satisfying. I was left feeling like the book was trying to be deeper and more philosophical than it actually was.
I feel neither very happy nor disappointed -- after finishing this novella, I cannot say it left me with very strong feelings at all. Compared to Teixcalaan, this just didn't feel especially novel or interesting, and I found that I did not particularly care who was doing what or what happened to anyone in the story.
What worked for me: Martine's an absolutely fantastic writer and the atmosphere is rendered in great detail despite the book's short length. Rose House, the house/AI, is creepy. Its voice, its shape, its artificial 'personality' - creepy. The reader is also given just enough detail about the near-future wider world to be interested and to feel like this is a fully formed universe.
What didn't work for me: the mystery didn't feel especially mysterious and the characters weren't interesting. Some theoretical questions about AI and art could've been explored, but weren't in any way that felt satisfying. I was left feeling like the book was trying to be deeper and more philosophical than it actually was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Murder
schnaucl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It was interesting locked room mystery. Some very interesting visuals. The house was very creepy (to be fair, I think any AI house would be creepy even without a murder).
Not sure I really understand the theory behind a 24-hour rule before you have to report a deceased person on the premises, especially if the house doesn't have to allow an investigation or even retrieval of the body. Why 24 hours? Especially if assistance might have been rendered with a more timely notification.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
aileron's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Minor: Toxic relationship
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Death
bookingitwithbri's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
This is the second book I've read from Arkady Martine; in many ways, this novella is much different than A Memory Called Empire. Yet, similarly to A Memory Called Empire, the world that Martine builds feels *so* real. In this novella, a man is found dead in an empty house run by an AI. Except maybe the house *is* the AI and maybe the AI is the house.
Rose House belonged at one time and was built by a famous architect. After his death, he leaves the house and its archives to a student of his. For only seven days a year, Rose House will let her inside to look at the archives. But aside from her, no one is allowed inside the house. So when the local police precinct gets a call from Rose House itself saying that there is a dead man inside, everyone is confused how that's possible. Understandably. So unfolds a past-paced and short murder mystery novel centering around 2 dead men, one detective, a rather odd archivist, and Rose House--who is probably in love with its dead maker.
Even though this book was short, I read it (quickly) in small chunks. I wanted to savor the world and the mystery of what had happened. On the surface, it's a fairly standard "someone is found dead in a room with no windows or doors" mystery but with a twist. I really appreciated Martine's commentary on AI and emotion/intelligence. Now having read two of her books, I can confidently say that Martine's world-building is stunning. I would probably rank her in the top 3 for contemporary world-builders in the SF/F genre. The only reason that I didn't rate this a 5 star is because the ending left a *teeny* bit to be desired for. While interesting, the revelation of what happened and then the action after its revealed was too fast to have as much impact as it could have. But such is the way with novellas sometimes.
I would definitely recommend this book and this author.
This is the second book I've read from Arkady Martine; in many ways, this novella is much different than A Memory Called Empire. Yet, similarly to A Memory Called Empire, the world that Martine builds feels *so* real. In this novella, a man is found dead in an empty house run by an AI. Except maybe the house *is* the AI and maybe the AI is the house.
Rose House belonged at one time and was built by a famous architect. After his death, he leaves the house and its archives to a student of his. For only seven days a year, Rose House will let her inside to look at the archives. But aside from her, no one is allowed inside the house. So when the local police precinct gets a call from Rose House itself saying that there is a dead man inside, everyone is confused how that's possible. Understandably. So unfolds a past-paced and short murder mystery novel centering around 2 dead men, one detective, a rather odd archivist, and Rose House--who is probably in love with its dead maker.
Even though this book was short, I read it (quickly) in small chunks. I wanted to savor the world and the mystery of what had happened. On the surface, it's a fairly standard "someone is found dead in a room with no windows or doors" mystery but with a twist. I really appreciated Martine's commentary on AI and emotion/intelligence. Now having read two of her books, I can confidently say that Martine's world-building is stunning. I would probably rank her in the top 3 for contemporary world-builders in the SF/F genre. The only reason that I didn't rate this a 5 star is because the ending left a *teeny* bit to be desired for. While interesting, the revelation of what happened and then the action after its revealed was too fast to have as much impact as it could have. But such is the way with novellas sometimes.
I would definitely recommend this book and this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Toxic relationship
The horror/tension is more psychological, but it is kind of a murder mystery with some descriptions of decay of a corpse.
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