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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
2.5 stars. I feel bad giving Master of Poisons such a low rating, because I wanted so much to love a book featuring an immersive fantasy world inspired by African cultures, queer relationships and GNC/nonbinary representation center stage, an expansive cast of characters, and lyrical writing that reads like a griot's tale. I was also looking forward to a plot centered on climate change, the plundering of natural resources, and the survivance of indigenous peoples in the face of imperialism and bigotry - handled here on the level of allegory, but no less resonant given how the real world parallels perpetually weigh on my mind.
Unfortunately the story fell flat for me on almost every level, and at 500 pages was a slog to get through. I couldn't gel with the writing style, which read strangely staccato, as if it was originally written as a script for a play or a movie (which I might have gotten into my head after reading up on Hairston's theatre background, but the comparison is fitting). Characters transition abruptly between emotional states, internal and external dialogue, actions, and - most jarringly - whole time skips spanning months and years. Important events like character deaths or magical breakthroughs happen in the span of a few sentences and often by way of summary, which made the whole thing feel rushed and awkward, as if the author didn't want to go to the trouble of fleshing out scenes. The main plot lacks cohesion and tension, so I spent the majority of the book both bored and confused, a fatal combination. I was tempted to DNF at several points and continued solely by virtue of stubbornness and wanting to do right by the book by giving it a chance to reach some sort of pay-off. It never came. What ought to have been the climax and cathartic release of the resolution somehow also managed to happen off-page and largely by summary, as if the narrative had just run out of steam toward the end. The characters were ultimately the biggest disappointment: they read like mouthpieces for the author's ideas or like fable archetypes, which might work for a shorter piece, but the strong sense of extended allegory without grounding and folklorish, repetitive prose wears thin over the length and breadth of a chunky epic fantasy.
There were certainly lovely pieces of writing, worldbuilding, and themes throughout that struck me: Smokeland/Jumbajabbaland, the spirit/dream realm of possibility and potentiality; "Basawili," a greeting and affirmation meaning "not the end, more breath to come"; "abelzowadyo," a sacred shapeshifter or many-faceted being; and the idea that the "weeds and wild things" of the world - plants, animals, mountains and rivers - belong to no one but themselves, and even constitute "people" in their own right. I just wish these poignant elements had been furnished with stronger writing, characterization, and narrative cohesion and momentum.
All of that said, Hairston doesn't lack for imagination so much as execution here, so I'll still try out her other novels. Basawili.
Unfortunately the story fell flat for me on almost every level, and at 500 pages was a slog to get through. I couldn't gel with the writing style, which read strangely staccato, as if it was originally written as a script for a play or a movie (which I might have gotten into my head after reading up on Hairston's theatre background, but the comparison is fitting). Characters transition abruptly between emotional states, internal and external dialogue, actions, and - most jarringly - whole time skips spanning months and years. Important events like character deaths or magical breakthroughs happen in the span of a few sentences and often by way of summary, which made the whole thing feel rushed and awkward, as if the author didn't want to go to the trouble of fleshing out scenes. The main plot lacks cohesion and tension, so I spent the majority of the book both bored and confused, a fatal combination. I was tempted to DNF at several points and continued solely by virtue of stubbornness and wanting to do right by the book by giving it a chance to reach some sort of pay-off. It never came. What ought to have been the climax and cathartic release of the resolution somehow also managed to happen off-page and largely by summary, as if the narrative had just run out of steam toward the end. The characters were ultimately the biggest disappointment: they read like mouthpieces for the author's ideas or like fable archetypes, which might work for a shorter piece, but the strong sense of extended allegory without grounding and folklorish, repetitive prose wears thin over the length and breadth of a chunky epic fantasy.
There were certainly lovely pieces of writing, worldbuilding, and themes throughout that struck me: Smokeland/Jumbajabbaland, the spirit/dream realm of possibility and potentiality; "Basawili," a greeting and affirmation meaning "not the end, more breath to come"; "abelzowadyo," a sacred shapeshifter or many-faceted being; and the idea that the "weeds and wild things" of the world - plants, animals, mountains and rivers - belong to no one but themselves, and even constitute "people" in their own right. I just wish these poignant elements had been furnished with stronger writing, characterization, and narrative cohesion and momentum.
All of that said, Hairston doesn't lack for imagination so much as execution here, so I'll still try out her other novels. Basawili.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing is beautiful, the world is easy to get captivated in. So you might be asking, “why are you dnfing this book?”. Well, I borrowed 5 books from the library which are all due in 3 weeks and this one by far is the biggest. So, I have decided to prioritize my time to the smaller books 🦭.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Super cool concepts, but I struggled with the narration and frequent short time skips.
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
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:
Yes
DNF'd at 50%
Too literary, writing style and me don't fit at all. Writing style is short, non-descripive, no beautiful prose, but just there to confuse people.
Story is really, really boring to me, don't care at all.
I hate when an author picks some things, like a pronoun, and continually sets this word in cursive throughout the whole book. Absolute pet peeve. The first occurence? sure. But I get it it's a pronoun. That's a me problem for sure, though.
Too literary, writing style and me don't fit at all. Writing style is short, non-descripive, no beautiful prose, but just there to confuse people.
Story is really, really boring to me, don't care at all.
I hate when an author picks some things, like a pronoun, and continually sets this word in cursive throughout the whole book. Absolute pet peeve. The first occurence? sure. But I get it it's a pronoun. That's a me problem for sure, though.
I stopped after book 1. This is just not a book for me. The world building is confusing and the book is just feeling like a slog. I am not a big fan of slow burn fantasy like this. I struggle to get into the rhythm and just don’t enjoy it… I wish I loved it
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book, while having a super interesting plot that made me want to keep reading to find out what happened, was pretty confusing to read. I have high praise for the world building, the complicated characters, the commentary on politics. But the writing was a little unfamiliar. Overall appreciated it for the uniqueness!