Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - Assassin of Reality

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Assassin of Reality by Sergey Dyachenko

5 reviews

meganpbell's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This sequel to the mind-bending Eastern European dark academia fantasy Vita Nostra is a bit of a slog, but I was glad for the chance to immerse myself again in the world of Sasha Samokhina, the Institute of Special Technologies, and the Great Speech. There really is no stranger linguistic magic system or higher philosophical stakes than in this series—I’m hoping this installment just suffered from Middle Book Syndrome.

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jodar's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

I found Assassin of Reality had a less visceral and shocking impact compared to the previous novel, Vita Nostra. Just as for the MC, doubtless the reader too is now anticipating some more of the earlier weirdness. To me the weirdness this time was more surreal, though, and less nightmarish and unhinged.

It is definitely a worthwhile read all the same and a good sequel to the first novel. I’m sure I’m not alone in not being entirely sure what actually occurs to the MC and the entire universe(!) at the end. A lot was unintelligible, I suspect intentionally so for us mere humans!

The novel poses some daunting questions: Can there be freedom without evil? If you were super-powerful but not all-powerful like the MC, how would you act for the good? Why would you act for the good, even? Is ultimate reality, or perhaps rather the goal of perfection, impersonal, inhuman logic? Or will allowing any personality within reality necessarily lead to imperfection? And at a more human level, do intimate relationships have a ‘purpose’? – or is that attitude narcissistic and undermining of true relationship?

There are echoes of Christian themes, such as creation by the Word, though it is an indirect influence, not overt. So too, elements of a destructive cult: intimidation by instructors and levels of enlightenment, whereby teachings at a lower levels are “necessary lies”.

The translation had a few American English words and expressions that are likely cryptic to other readers – a tony cocktail party; cry uncle; cockamamie – and more than once a non-standard plural aircrafts instead of aircraft.

CW: extramarital sex.

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naomi_k's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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aileron's review

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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sarah984's review

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I thought this was a great follow up to Vita Nostra. Not quite as mysterious as the characters know what they're getting into now, but Sasha's fight for freedom was interesting to me. The romance was a bit silly though.

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