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kwthor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Slavery, and Toxic friendship
tericarol21's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
5.0
I loved this book!! The concept (what happens in the society when the gods are dead) is fascinating, the storytelling is fantastic, the characters and their relationships intertwine in complex yet relatable ways…it’s so good.
Not one for reading right before bed though!
Not one for reading right before bed though!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Bullying
Minor: Death
tourneuse's review
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is a wonderful, brilliant concept. Compared to other books of FH’s that I’ve read, I found it extremely heavy.
Hark scavenges with his ‘friend’ Jelt. When a job goes wrong and he is caught, he ends up as an indentured servant to a curator in an institutional home for former priests of his archipelago’s since-departed gods, which presents an opportunity for a new life once his indenture is up. Jelt finds him and presses him to use his new position for more criminal activity - because as Hark puts it, if Jelt can’t have something, no one can. The boys’ discovery of a dangerous relic of the gods that might lead them to uncomfortable knowledge of their true nature puts them, and the whole archipelago, in danger. Hark will have to use all his resources and the help of Selphin, a rebel member of a local gang and the ‘sea-kissed’ (deaf) community, to save himself - that’s if he decides that he wants to go against his friend’s orders to do so.
I think FH is one of the most brilliant children’s authors I’ve ever read (I wish I could get books for adults this good), her writing style, characterisation and worldbuilding are flawless. But I found this quite unpleasant reading. From the outset, Jelt is an emotionally manipulative bully, and the drama hinges more on whether Hark will break away than it does on the main plot. I think it would be brilliant for a child who is similarly under the thumb of a ‘friend’ who is a jealous bully holding them back, but otherwise it’s a little didactic and introspective. There is a somewhat unnecessary spiel about how Hark thinks belief in gods is stupid, this feels a little precocious and something similar has appeared in Hardinge’s other books. It leaves a sour aftertaste and in the case of this book, which is about gods, it actually makes the conclusion less interesting. The character of Selphin could have been given more POV chapters earlier to round the book out.
Hark scavenges with his ‘friend’ Jelt. When a job goes wrong and he is caught, he ends up as an indentured servant to a curator in an institutional home for former priests of his archipelago’s since-departed gods, which presents an opportunity for a new life once his indenture is up. Jelt finds him and presses him to use his new position for more criminal activity - because as Hark puts it, if Jelt can’t have something, no one can. The boys’ discovery of a dangerous relic of the gods that might lead them to uncomfortable knowledge of their true nature puts them, and the whole archipelago, in danger. Hark will have to use all his resources and the help of Selphin, a rebel member of a local gang and the ‘sea-kissed’ (deaf) community, to save himself - that’s if he decides that he wants to go against his friend’s orders to do so.
I think FH is one of the most brilliant children’s authors I’ve ever read (I wish I could get books for adults this good), her writing style, characterisation and worldbuilding are flawless. But I found this quite unpleasant reading. From the outset, Jelt is an emotionally manipulative bully, and the drama hinges more on whether Hark will break away than it does on the main plot. I think it would be brilliant for a child who is similarly under the thumb of a ‘friend’ who is a jealous bully holding them back, but otherwise it’s a little didactic and introspective. There is a somewhat unnecessary spiel about how Hark thinks belief in gods is stupid, this feels a little precocious and something similar has appeared in Hardinge’s other books. It leaves a sour aftertaste and in the case of this book, which is about gods, it actually makes the conclusion less interesting. The character of Selphin could have been given more POV chapters earlier to round the book out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Body horror
julianship's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. I really wanted to like this book more than I did, unfortunately. It took a tremendously long time to get going– there's so much setup, and while the last third of the book is fantastic, the beginning really drags. The premise and worldbuilding are exactly up my alley– I love a book that grapples with the material traces of the past, in this case, deeply dangerous artifacts of dead gods. But the book simultaneously took a very long time to tell me interesting and fairly fundamental details about basic worldbuilding while getting off to a slow start (usually it's one or the other!)
I didn't dislike Hark, our POV character, but I found his relationships with other characters frustratingly one-note, in particular the emotionally (and eventually physically) abusive friendship he has with Jelt. I get that this is YA, and we're not always going to get profound explorations of the psychology of a dangerous relationship. But I still wish that we'd seen a side of Jelt that hadn't just been him belittling Hark; the book told me that existed, but because I never saw it on page, it was harder to empathize with Hark's loyalty and inability to leave him behind. Hark cares deeply about Jelt while feeling trapped by him. This is part of the psychology of abuse– it's never just bad parts, or it wouldn't be so hard to leave. The book clearly wants me to feel that tug towards Jelt even while finding him monstrous, but I just can't find it in me– he's never anything but an asshole on page, and not even in a fun way.
That aside, there are some really delightful moments in the book– for my qualms with the pacing, Hardinge's prose is excellent, particularly in action scenes and body horror moments, and the climax is truly gripping. Selphin, who's a Deaf side character we get to see more of in the second half of the book, is a delight, and I could honestly read a whole book about her instead. Overall, I really liked the handling of Deafness/Deaf culture in a world where people who go down into the depths often come up with hearing loss, making it a badge of honor. Initially, I thought, oh, this is a fun worldbuilding detail, but Hardinge doesn't fall into the trap of forgetting about a character's disability or magicking it away when it becomes inconvenient for plot reasons. As Selphin becomes more integral to the story, her Deafness ends up shifting the course of the plot in interesting ways.
Overall, there are great moments in this one, but it took long enough to get going that I had a hard time appreciating them. In part, maybe this is because I did it as an audiobook with a narrator I didn't love. Joshua Akehurst does an acceptable job, but his delivery feels a little flat, even at a higher speed (which is my usual fix for an unengaging narrator.)
I didn't dislike Hark, our POV character, but I found his relationships with other characters frustratingly one-note, in particular the emotionally (and eventually physically) abusive friendship he has with Jelt. I get that this is YA, and we're not always going to get profound explorations of the psychology of a dangerous relationship. But I still wish that we'd seen a side of Jelt that hadn't just been him belittling Hark; the book told me that existed, but because I never saw it on page, it was harder to empathize with Hark's loyalty and inability to leave him behind. Hark cares deeply about Jelt while feeling trapped by him. This is part of the psychology of abuse– it's never just bad parts, or it wouldn't be so hard to leave. The book clearly wants me to feel that tug towards Jelt even while finding him monstrous, but I just can't find it in me– he's never anything but an asshole on page, and not even in a fun way.
That aside, there are some really delightful moments in the book– for my qualms with the pacing, Hardinge's prose is excellent, particularly in action scenes and body horror moments, and the climax is truly gripping. Selphin, who's a Deaf side character we get to see more of in the second half of the book, is a delight, and I could honestly read a whole book about her instead. Overall, I really liked the handling of Deafness/Deaf culture in a world where people who go down into the depths often come up with hearing loss, making it a badge of honor. Initially, I thought, oh, this is a fun worldbuilding detail, but Hardinge doesn't fall into the trap of forgetting about a character's disability or magicking it away when it becomes inconvenient for plot reasons. As Selphin becomes more integral to the story, her Deafness ends up shifting the course of the plot in interesting ways.
Overall, there are great moments in this one, but it took long enough to get going that I had a hard time appreciating them. In part, maybe this is because I did it as an audiobook with a narrator I didn't love. Joshua Akehurst does an acceptable job, but his delivery feels a little flat, even at a higher speed (which is my usual fix for an unengaging narrator.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, and Bullying
madarauchiha's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
I really loved this book. Have you ever wanted a story about eldritch religious horrors and deep sea terror, but without the racist, hideous h p lovecraft garbage? This is it. Granted it is very much for younger readers, I'd say 13-20 yo? This isn't aimed towards adults specifically, but I wouldn't say adults can't read it. Just understand that the reading level is going to be a little juvenile if you have outgrown it. That the main character is 15 doesn't help this, but it's not a detriment to the story. It does make sense in that he's very young and will make stupid decisions as a 15 yo orphan child with no parental guidance.
I loved the world set up in this as well. They 'elder gods' aka known deities in are not blatant rip offs on lovecraft lore. They are fleshed out enough that they're unique and incredibly creepy.
The characters are fantastic and have clearly defined voices and povs. I love that there's an actually disabled deaf character who is portrayed realistically. I saw in the author's acknowledgements that they hired sensitivity readers and engaged with actual Deaf organizations, which I appreciate. That is what I require from authors when they are writing about things they haven't experience and require conscious effort and purpose in showing.
The plot was surprisingly interesting. I wasn't expecting much when I discovered that the MC was 15 yo. I had braced myself for a very boring, by the numbers YA plot. That wasn't the case. The writing was sensible and florid enough when it needed to be. I would enjoy seeing more from this author and this series.
Content warnings:
minor religious bigotry [fictional], animal death, ableist c slur, emetophobia, body horror,
medium suicide, drowning,
major deep water scenarios, thalassophobia, mass death, ableism, child abuse, ableism, gore, body horror, manipulation, slavery, oceans, open water, abuse, murder, gore, body horror, kidnapping, child abuse, toxic relationships,
I really loved this book. Have you ever wanted a story about eldritch religious horrors and deep sea terror, but without the racist, hideous h p lovecraft garbage? This is it. Granted it is very much for younger readers, I'd say 13-20 yo? This isn't aimed towards adults specifically, but I wouldn't say adults can't read it. Just understand that the reading level is going to be a little juvenile if you have outgrown it. That the main character is 15 doesn't help this, but it's not a detriment to the story. It does make sense in that he's very young and will make stupid decisions as a 15 yo orphan child with no parental guidance.
I loved the world set up in this as well. They 'elder gods' aka known deities in are not blatant rip offs on lovecraft lore. They are fleshed out enough that they're unique and incredibly creepy.
The characters are fantastic and have clearly defined voices and povs. I love that there's an actually disabled deaf character who is portrayed realistically. I saw in the author's acknowledgements that they hired sensitivity readers and engaged with actual Deaf organizations, which I appreciate. That is what I require from authors when they are writing about things they haven't experience and require conscious effort and purpose in showing.
The plot was surprisingly interesting. I wasn't expecting much when I discovered that the MC was 15 yo. I had braced myself for a very boring, by the numbers YA plot. That wasn't the case. The writing was sensible and florid enough when it needed to be. I would enjoy seeing more from this author and this series.
Content warnings:
minor religious bigotry [fictional], animal death, ableist c slur, emetophobia, body horror,
medium suicide, drowning,
major deep water scenarios, thalassophobia, mass death, ableism, child abuse, ableism, gore, body horror, manipulation, slavery, oceans, open water, abuse, murder, gore, body horror, kidnapping, child abuse, toxic relationships,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal death, Ableism, and Religious bigotry
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