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timinbc's review against another edition
1.0
Althea Ann makes some good remarks here, but I am going to interpret my similar reaction differently.
Palmer gives us a boy who can bring inanimate objects to life. Wow, what's going to happen with THAT? Well, by page 95 (when I bailed out) we haven't seen the kid again. We've spent the time exploring an artificial society, introducing about 87 uninteresting characters, and learning the strange rules of a new way of using gendered pronouns (roughly speaking, we use he/she based on observed behaviour, and even then only if we know the people fairly well). And nothing of interest happens.
WHAT ABOUT THE MAGIC KID?
As I put this book down, I fantasized the boy (can I call them a boy?) bringing a plastic Godzilla to life 100' tall and telling it to kill all the characters we've met so far so we can get on with the story.
I award Palmer a point for noting that singular "they" requires "themself" as its reflexive.
But they has offered me a really interesting story, then withdrawn it in favour of 100 pages of "look what a clever author I am." Sorry, I want the story and I want it now.
There have been other stories that explored pronouns and artificial societies. They generally didn't impress me either, but the ones I recall didn't leave the story behind.
I won't say you won't like this book. Obviously many have and will, but I am not among them.
Palmer gives us a boy who can bring inanimate objects to life. Wow, what's going to happen with THAT? Well, by page 95 (when I bailed out) we haven't seen the kid again. We've spent the time exploring an artificial society, introducing about 87 uninteresting characters, and learning the strange rules of a new way of using gendered pronouns (roughly speaking, we use he/she based on observed behaviour, and even then only if we know the people fairly well). And nothing of interest happens.
WHAT ABOUT THE MAGIC KID?
As I put this book down, I fantasized the boy (can I call them a boy?) bringing a plastic Godzilla to life 100' tall and telling it to kill all the characters we've met so far so we can get on with the story.
I award Palmer a point for noting that singular "they" requires "themself" as its reflexive.
But they has offered me a really interesting story, then withdrawn it in favour of 100 pages of "look what a clever author I am." Sorry, I want the story and I want it now.
There have been other stories that explored pronouns and artificial societies. They generally didn't impress me either, but the ones I recall didn't leave the story behind.
I won't say you won't like this book. Obviously many have and will, but I am not among them.
echan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
4.0
truthlessofcanada's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tough book to review.
To sum it up I thought almost every scene on the micro level was very good, but for a while I started to just feel like I had no idea where it was going, and what is was actually about at a macro level. But, the final chapter really reigned it in, and felt like it brought me back on course.
Ada Palmer deserves an incredible amount of credit for the world she has created, she has basically invented a new form of government/society, and made it feel plausible. Also this book has an incredibly interesting frame narrative, and narrator, who I could see being off putting cause being in his head is just at times very strange.
Also lots of distinctive supporting characters, and fantastic writing.
Really it was just a very impressive book, that I would say was very dense, but not incredibly challenging or confusing to me. Although that varies, lots of people will read something I find extremely confusing and have no problems, and then read something I don't find confusing and be lost. And while this is a challenging novel, I do not think it is an outlier compared to lots of other reasonably dense stories I have read.
This book also has a lot of political intrigue, and I do have to say I found a lot of it to be pretty obtuse, like I got the general idea, but if you are someone who as they read has to figure everything out, and why everyone is doing everything, this will be really tough. Maybe I actually didn't follow this particularly well, maybe I am simply more at peace with missing things.
Every scene with Bridger in it was amazing.
8.8/10
To sum it up I thought almost every scene on the micro level was very good, but for a while I started to just feel like I had no idea where it was going, and what is was actually about at a macro level. But, the final chapter really reigned it in, and felt like it brought me back on course.
Ada Palmer deserves an incredible amount of credit for the world she has created, she has basically invented a new form of government/society, and made it feel plausible. Also this book has an incredibly interesting frame narrative, and narrator, who I could see being off putting cause being in his head is just at times very strange.
Also lots of distinctive supporting characters, and fantastic writing.
Really it was just a very impressive book, that I would say was very dense, but not incredibly challenging or confusing to me. Although that varies, lots of people will read something I find extremely confusing and have no problems, and then read something I don't find confusing and be lost. And while this is a challenging novel, I do not think it is an outlier compared to lots of other reasonably dense stories I have read.
This book also has a lot of political intrigue, and I do have to say I found a lot of it to be pretty obtuse, like I got the general idea, but if you are someone who as they read has to figure everything out, and why everyone is doing everything, this will be really tough. Maybe I actually didn't follow this particularly well, maybe I am simply more at peace with missing things.
Every scene with Bridger in it was amazing.
8.8/10
testaroscia's review against another edition
3.0
I have a feeling I am going to regret the 3 stars, a bit like I regret them for my first Joe Abercrombie but the feelings are the same: excellent writing, an obvious set up for ongoing trilogy, introduction of plenty of characters, but a lack of a narrative arc in book one lets it down. Suggested to me from a fellow Neal Stephenson the difference, I think lies in that m Stephenson is a writer that likes to learn a lot about his subject, whereas Palmer is very learned about her subject that likes to write. Palmer's choice of a single person POV does not help in the flow as the number of characters, with interchangeable names, never get defined beyond what Mycroft describes them as. You will also need a wiki fan page to sort out not just the characters but the various groups described. Having said that, i am pretty optimistic that things will gel in book two. As someone that went to kindergarten with a Doria Pamphilj, I will be back for a second helping.
iain_dwyer's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I found the pace slow. I got most of the way to the end but didn't end up finishing the story. There are some interesting ideas here about alternate ways to organize society, but the characters felt flat and under developed.
leflambeur's review against another edition
4.0
More a wrapper for a metaphysical and philosophical discussion than a true scifi book. Certainly no "hard" scifi in there for lovers of that genre. It reminded me of a China Mieville book more than anything else, using a future setting to play with big ideas.
The read is kind of slow, and dense, but stunning for its ideas and how they are presented. It has some good hooks that keep you going, but don't get at all resolved in this book.
Not for everyone, but definitely great writing and not to be missed.
The read is kind of slow, and dense, but stunning for its ideas and how they are presented. It has some good hooks that keep you going, but don't get at all resolved in this book.
Not for everyone, but definitely great writing and not to be missed.
ashablue's review against another edition
4.0
Gender ambiguity. A new world order made not of nations but of "Hives" based one one's values and interests. A child god who makes real anything they touch. A person who thinks they are a god. A mass murderer with a heart of gold. Be prepared for epic political intrigue, philosophy and a lot of Latin in your sci-fi.
pipode1234's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5