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ohclaire's review against another edition
3.0
Not my favorite martha wells but some really interesting stuff here! I liked the ending and the ghost world was really unexpected for me!
being_b's review against another edition
3.0
That was a whirlwind of an ending. Very strange pacing: The first 50% go by very slowly, with lots of time in the protagonists' heads, and then the pace accelerates and keeps accelerating until the very end. It's like all the plot happens then, and all the character work happens in the front. I don't often say this, but I think I would have liked it better as a trilogy with more time to unpack all the relationships and ideas.
stellarian's review against another edition
3.0
Yes, this was interesting and had an unusual magic/religion system, but I just felt like reading it was a chore I had to get done. Maybe it was pacing, maybe the book just doesn’t suit me well, I’m not sure.
kivt's review against another edition
3.0
Nothing extraordinary, but I’d like more solid fantasy like this. I liked the dynamic between the protagonists, I liked Maskelle herself, and I especially liked that what could have been a sprawling and tiresome trilogy was instead a compact single novel.
_morggs__'s review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
spacepenguin22's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.25
cor1313's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
june_s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
humvee's review against another edition
5.0
Another rich fantasy setting and compelling characters from Martha Wells!
I love Martha Wells' incredible imagination. Whether she's writing in a scifi (Murderbot Dairies), Steampunk-ish (the later Ile-Rein sagas) or fantasy (the earlier Ile-Rein sagas, Books of the Raksura, City of Bones, Wheel of the Infinite) setting. The worlds of her imagination are well thought out and internally consistent. They have a richness that many other authors can only envy. And then she populates them with interesting, flawed characters you wish you could meet in real life. And finally, she writes a story arc that is never boring or predictable! Wheel of the Infinite has hints of Cambodian and other southeast asian culture, mixed in with Tibetan or Nepalese Buddhist culture, and a smattering of her own made up anthropology. This interesting setting then has us following a mature and flawed but powerful priestess as she returns to the city of her birth, after a seven year exile. Trouble is brewing in her city, and she must help solve the mystery before it's too late! I loved this story and it's characters, and would be happy if Martha Wells brings us back to this world someday....
I love Martha Wells' incredible imagination. Whether she's writing in a scifi (Murderbot Dairies), Steampunk-ish (the later Ile-Rein sagas) or fantasy (the earlier Ile-Rein sagas, Books of the Raksura, City of Bones, Wheel of the Infinite) setting. The worlds of her imagination are well thought out and internally consistent. They have a richness that many other authors can only envy. And then she populates them with interesting, flawed characters you wish you could meet in real life. And finally, she writes a story arc that is never boring or predictable! Wheel of the Infinite has hints of Cambodian and other southeast asian culture, mixed in with Tibetan or Nepalese Buddhist culture, and a smattering of her own made up anthropology. This interesting setting then has us following a mature and flawed but powerful priestess as she returns to the city of her birth, after a seven year exile. Trouble is brewing in her city, and she must help solve the mystery before it's too late! I loved this story and it's characters, and would be happy if Martha Wells brings us back to this world someday....
aiight's review against another edition
1.0
I wish I could give it more stars but there's just nothing to this book. I love Martha Wells' Murderbot series, but this book has all of the weaknesses of that series and more without any of the strengths. The main characters are hardly developed and the side characters are completely forgettable. The setting, though painstakingly described in some cases, is without any flavor and also feels forgettable. The plot is weak and yet drives all the characters so there is zero suspense at any point in the book. The entire work is disappointingly insipid. I'm already forgetting everything about it.