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blodeuedd's review
3.0
Look at that, I actually liked book 2 more. That does not happen a lot but here, maybe it was because now I knew the world, now I was truly invested, or maybe just because book 2 kicked it up a notch.
Lom and Maroussia return to the city. There are more to Lom than meets the eye and I do wonder about his origin. While Maroussia is no longer the confused woman on the run, she now has a goal. Together they must run from those who seek them. Closer and closer to the Pollandore which might change the world.
The world is still awesome. War is coming closer, the dictator is dead. The leadership of the city had changed, and yes the angel is still watching and playing.
This book is about a journey through the city, fighting for your life, seeking and what war do. And the end, oh that was rather evil wasn't it. Now I need more. Now I need to know what will happen to Vlast.
Lom and Maroussia return to the city. There are more to Lom than meets the eye and I do wonder about his origin. While Maroussia is no longer the confused woman on the run, she now has a goal. Together they must run from those who seek them. Closer and closer to the Pollandore which might change the world.
The world is still awesome. War is coming closer, the dictator is dead. The leadership of the city had changed, and yes the angel is still watching and playing.
This book is about a journey through the city, fighting for your life, seeking and what war do. And the end, oh that was rather evil wasn't it. Now I need more. Now I need to know what will happen to Vlast.
ceridwenanne's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
I didn't find Truth & Fear as affecting as its predecessor, Wolfhound Century, I think because the story ranges far out of Mirgorod into the Forest of the Vlast, and Mirgorod is the unacknowledged main character of that story. In Truth & Fear, the governance of Mirgorod is given over to Stalinesque-psycho, Josef Trantor, now styling himself General Rizen. I definitely felt the thrill of Rizen pushing the city to fight back against the invading armies of the Archipelago, especially after the vulpine Chazia fucked off to the north, leaving Mirgorod to burn. But the whole thing has very Siege of Stalingrad vibes, and that was completely, crushingly awful.
I did start a bit when I figured out that what the text had been calling "angels" this whole time were chthulu-style inter-dimensional monsters. It's possible I missed the cues to that reality earlier because this had been my audio to and from work, so the chunks are all bitten off. (Also super irritated to learn no audiobook of the third novel in the trilogy exists. Assholes.) Anyway, Higgins's prose continues to be this side of overheated. I greatly enjoy it, but more focused readers may not appreciate the lingering descriptions. The ending, like the previous novel, tended more metaphorical than I would prefer, but I'm pretty fascinated watching Higgins play with hagiography, folklore, and science the way he is. Who even does that?
I did start a bit when I figured out that what the text had been calling "angels" this whole time were chthulu-style inter-dimensional monsters. It's possible I missed the cues to that reality earlier because this had been my audio to and from work, so the chunks are all bitten off. (Also super irritated to learn no audiobook of the third novel in the trilogy exists. Assholes.) Anyway, Higgins's prose continues to be this side of overheated. I greatly enjoy it, but more focused readers may not appreciate the lingering descriptions. The ending, like the previous novel, tended more metaphorical than I would prefer, but I'm pretty fascinated watching Higgins play with hagiography, folklore, and science the way he is. Who even does that?
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