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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The time travel is really good (all stars are for that), and the whole reason I read the book. However, it was too slow for me. The first half was intriguing and a good read. I disliked the second half of the book because it jumped back and forth between times and perspectives. The writing suffered a bit imo. It was sometimes hard to follow. There were sections where pronouns were used and it wasn't obvious to whom the pronouns referred. I also don't care for Napoleonic War historical fantasy or really war in general. If you are ok with spoilers, I think it was much more enjoyable to read knowing that Joe is Jem and he and Kite are in love. Nevertheless, I skimmed the last half of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Rape
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s your life too; you might like to start giving a fuck what happens in it.
To be honest, I was enjoying this book a lot more before the story actually started. There was that long, slow beginning about the amnesiac protagonist adjusting to a life that didn't feel like his own, and there were so many interesting, sometimes beautifully nebulous things hinted at. The mysterious "epilepsy" epidemics, the weird alternate England occupied by France. Finally, Joe's trip to that weird lighthouse on the frozen edge of the world, the tortoises in the tavern, the coming of winter from the sea. The lighthouse parts were my absolute favorite. I was looking forward to just reading an entire book about lighthouse weirdness.
But then the entire time traveling plot started unfolding, and it was all dimension hopping and murders and naval warfare and convoluted politics. The way it was all laid out, with the random switching of POVs and times, just made my head ache. On top of that, once all that action started, I realized there wasn't a single character I could root for. I simply disliked them all. Even Joe, who'd had my sympathy in the earlier chapters.
I guess The Half-Life of Valery K was a fluke, and Natasha Pulley really isn't an author for me...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Slavery, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Good lord. What a fucking masterpiece. I cannot comprehend how Pulley made all the alternate timelines work but Jesus Christ. The storytelling. The IMMACULATE pacing and knowledge reveals. The word building and attention to detail. Fuck me.
And the emotion. The TENSION. My heart was in my throat most of the second half of the book. Jesus Christ.
And the emotion. The TENSION. My heart was in my throat most of the second half of the book. Jesus Christ.
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-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:
Yes
this book crumpled me like a paper cup, my dudes. by all accounts, this should not have worked for me, since there are so many elements in it that i don't typically enjoy (historical fiction/fantasy, the 1800s, naval battles, British people being British). i am so, so glad i read it anyways.
here's what it's about: tenderness and care and trauma and timefuckery, people exploding into gory bits, men gently touching under tables. tobacco smoke and devotion and fear, killing slavers and mending lighthouses and hearts. children as tools, what it means to know a person, freedom from colonial shackles, and love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
i'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time.
here's what it's about: tenderness and care and trauma and timefuckery, people exploding into gory bits, men gently touching under tables. tobacco smoke and devotion and fear, killing slavers and mending lighthouses and hearts. children as tools, what it means to know a person, freedom from colonial shackles, and love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
i'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I did in parts. The first half before Joe travels back in time and it follows his journey up to the lighthouse in Scotland, it was really enjoyable to see how much different this timeline was compared to our own.
However, once Joe traveled back in time, I felt the story had lost its legs. It became too focused on the relationship between Joe and Kite which had far too much tension for too long to make the rest of the book truly interesting. It was pretty obvious to me at least that Joe was actually Gem all along but that wasn't revealed until the final part of the book. The way the two treated each other never really made sense to me, especially Kite in the long run knowing full well who Joe really was.
However, when the narrative wasn't focused on the relationship between the two it was quite enjoyable. The final part, part VI, was very entertaining as Joe finally returns home, and Kite finds him again in the future. Things have changed, and Joe slowly begins to notice the changes around him.
All in all the book was good, I enjoyed it and intend to read more of Natasha Pulley in the future, however, I don't know if I can recommend this out right.
However, once Joe traveled back in time, I felt the story had lost its legs. It became too focused on the relationship between Joe and Kite which had far too much tension for too long to make the rest of the book truly interesting. It was pretty obvious to me at least that Joe was actually Gem all along but that wasn't revealed until the final part of the book. The way the two treated each other never really made sense to me, especially Kite in the long run knowing full well who Joe really was.
However, when the narrative wasn't focused on the relationship between the two it was quite enjoyable. The final part, part VI, was very entertaining as Joe finally returns home, and Kite finds him again in the future. Things have changed, and Joe slowly begins to notice the changes around him.
All in all the book was good, I enjoyed it and intend to read more of Natasha Pulley in the future, however, I don't know if I can recommend this out right.