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silverlotus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
rocketiza's review against another edition
1.0
500 pages in: Jesus cock christ, this book drags everything out and should have been edited to about half this length. Well, this far in may as well finish.
525 pages in: Literal deus ex machina? Take your last 600 pages and shove it.
525 pages in: Literal deus ex machina? Take your last 600 pages and shove it.
lilacashes's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most fun books I have read this year and I have read quite a few fun ones.
It starts out interestingly and innocently enough, following the exploits of a woman leading a band of mercenaries in late middle age central Europe. What could just as well be a historical novel, with loads of historical detail and battle scenes both extensive and gripping, progresses with time into something ever more, shall I say, deranged. The fun kind of deranged. The kind of deranged which leaves you scratching your head, muttering "what the hell is going on here? I *have* to find out!" and as you find out more you need to look out of the window from time to time to reassure yourself that reality is still out there.
I won't spoiler the plot because that would take all the fun out of it, just so much: it is common good practice for writers to put their protagonist through some deep shit, and when they are at the deepest, just make it even harder for them. And by the Green Christ, Mary Gentle piles heaps upon heaps of shit on Ash. You'd almost be tempted to feel sorry for her, if Ash weren't the most badass character I can think of. So no matter how gruesome a situation she finds herself in, she'll deal with it. (Incidentally: if you cannot stand gruesomeness, this book may not be for you. Violence and death are described in graphical detail.)
That is not to say that Ash (the character) is without flaws. She has her own kind of stupidity, especially when she lets her crotch make decisions for her, and got me groaning again and again. She's a well rounded character and she'll surprise you at times, but is quite consistent.
There's other characters as well, and while none of them is described in even close to Ash's depth I found them well rounded and plausible too. To be honest the book's plot does have some holes, inconsistencies and implausibilities, but I was happy to excuse those for the sheer amount of fun I had with this book.
It starts out interestingly and innocently enough, following the exploits of a woman leading a band of mercenaries in late middle age central Europe. What could just as well be a historical novel, with loads of historical detail and battle scenes both extensive and gripping, progresses with time into something ever more, shall I say, deranged. The fun kind of deranged. The kind of deranged which leaves you scratching your head, muttering "what the hell is going on here? I *have* to find out!" and as you find out more you need to look out of the window from time to time to reassure yourself that reality is still out there.
I won't spoiler the plot because that would take all the fun out of it, just so much: it is common good practice for writers to put their protagonist through some deep shit, and when they are at the deepest, just make it even harder for them. And by the Green Christ, Mary Gentle piles heaps upon heaps of shit on Ash. You'd almost be tempted to feel sorry for her, if Ash weren't the most badass character I can think of. So no matter how gruesome a situation she finds herself in, she'll deal with it. (Incidentally: if you cannot stand gruesomeness, this book may not be for you. Violence and death are described in graphical detail.)
That is not to say that Ash (the character) is without flaws. She has her own kind of stupidity, especially when she lets her crotch make decisions for her, and got me groaning again and again. She's a well rounded character and she'll surprise you at times, but is quite consistent.
There's other characters as well, and while none of them is described in even close to Ash's depth I found them well rounded and plausible too. To be honest the book's plot does have some holes, inconsistencies and implausibilities, but I was happy to excuse those for the sheer amount of fun I had with this book.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
2.0
I've read a number of fantasy novels that would be a lot better were they much shorter, and Ash is definitely in that category. Though there were elements I enjoyed, reading this was a slog and cutting it by 600 pages would have made no difference to the plot. The strength of this is its main character: Ash, the teenage mercenary captain, follows in the tradition of Joan of Arc by being a Medieval female soldier, but is different from her in almost every other way. Ash grew up in the baggage train of an army, learnt to fight almost before she could walk, and has known every kind of vice and terror. She hears voices, but is not devout: and it quickly turns out that the voices she hears are not those of the saints, but of something else entirely. Ash is tough as nails, but capable of great love and kindness; she exists in a world of violence, but gains solace from the camaraderie of her fellow soldiers. She's hot-headed and fiercely intelligent, and very very compelling: she drives the narrative and is the most successful thing about this book.
Otherwise, the book is a mixture of two elements: one, it's a depiction of Medieval warfare. Mary Gentle brings a strong historical voice to her accounts of warfare and battle, but unless you're very interested in warfare, the battles quickly blend together, and I found myself skimming them. Gentle is determined to show us warfare without glamour or chivalry, as a dirty, brutal and pointless occupation, and I applaud her for that. However, she doesn't have to write about it in such detail to get that across. Secondly, the book is a story about a scholar translating documents about Ash's life, and going to an archaeological dig to verify elements of Ash's life. Here we find the sci-fi element of the plot, which I won't go into in depth: suffice it to say that it's convoluted, full of info-dumping, and not entirely satisfactory. The majority of the book is about Ash, and the conceit is that these sections are supposed to be translations of a Medieval manuscript, which I don't buy at all. Compare them, for example, to sources on the life of Joan of Arc: in their detailed dialogue, frank discussions of shitting oneself, and use of modern American vernacular, they bear no relation to these sources. I was happy to read an account of Ash that dealt with the realities of her life, but as a supposed Medieval manuscript it just didn't work for me.
Overall, this is an impressive book in its exhaustive detail on Medieval history, but it's not worth the 1000+ page slog.
Otherwise, the book is a mixture of two elements: one, it's a depiction of Medieval warfare. Mary Gentle brings a strong historical voice to her accounts of warfare and battle, but unless you're very interested in warfare, the battles quickly blend together, and I found myself skimming them. Gentle is determined to show us warfare without glamour or chivalry, as a dirty, brutal and pointless occupation, and I applaud her for that. However, she doesn't have to write about it in such detail to get that across. Secondly, the book is a story about a scholar translating documents about Ash's life, and going to an archaeological dig to verify elements of Ash's life. Here we find the sci-fi element of the plot, which I won't go into in depth: suffice it to say that it's convoluted, full of info-dumping, and not entirely satisfactory. The majority of the book is about Ash, and the conceit is that these sections are supposed to be translations of a Medieval manuscript, which I don't buy at all. Compare them, for example, to sources on the life of Joan of Arc: in their detailed dialogue, frank discussions of shitting oneself, and use of modern American vernacular, they bear no relation to these sources. I was happy to read an account of Ash that dealt with the realities of her life, but as a supposed Medieval manuscript it just didn't work for me.
Overall, this is an impressive book in its exhaustive detail on Medieval history, but it's not worth the 1000+ page slog.
pine_wulf's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't really care much for Ash. The character, not the book. The book is excellent. It is so well put together and the characters really resonated with me. It is not often that I find myself longing for a character, but darnit, I miss you Florian! The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the middle. For hundreds of pages it really slows down and starts to drag, to the point I almost dnf'd.
This isn't the book it seems to be from the start. I was really rooting for Ash at the beginning. It seems to be more of a strong female mercenary captain expecting to get equal respect from and rights as men(those not in the company) in 1470s Europe and dealing with that not really being the case. But then the alternate history starts and by the time it starts to get bogged down. I think the main reason I didn't care for the middle third or so of the book is because I just don't see enough of my beloved side characters. But it picks up again and everything feels so real. I didn't understand all the science stuff explained in the "Present day" texts, but the history is spot on.
This isn't the book it seems to be from the start. I was really rooting for Ash at the beginning. It seems to be more of a strong female mercenary captain expecting to get equal respect from and rights as men(those not in the company) in 1470s Europe and dealing with that not really being the case. But then the alternate history starts and by the time
Spoiler
Ash ends up in Cartageraylaurie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-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
A long novel about a mercenary captain in Renaissance-era Europe that is considerably out of the common way. Has the trappings of a gritty, violent fantasy but a science fiction flavor. The length and dense prose will be challenging to many readers. While the pace of the plot is slow-moving, the chapters overall are not terribly long and the tense and action-packed sequences are excellent at holding the reader's attention. Read this if you are terminally bored while browsing current offerings of speculative fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Cursing, War, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Lesbophobia, Infertility, Pregnancy, Blood, and Child abuse
Misogyny is a near constant presence, but it felt realistic for the setting and character development. It was framed in a negative light, not excused. The rape/sexual assault of a child was quite graphic and occurred in the first chapter, and did not recur, though there were mentions of the trauma of the experience. General sexual assault/harassment and threats of rape continue throughout the book, while no other explicit rape scenes occur, if memory serves. There are a few explicit sex scenes with slightly dubious consent but overall enthusiasm from participants. Definitely want to include a warning for the violent physical beating of a pregnant woman and the subsequent detailed description of a miscarriage.angrywombat's review against another edition
4.0
Woah... That was an experience.
This is a strange (but good) book. Starts out feeling like a straight historical fiction - actually the framing device is that this is a translation of a 15th century text. But some of the details are a little off (in fact these oddities are called out in the footnotes of each chapter, where the "translator" tries to explain them). The writing is great - everything is fully detailed and accurate. I really was thinking of a more accessible [b:The Name of the Rose|119073|The Name of the Rose|Umberto Eco|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415375471s/119073.jpg|3138328].
We are introduced to a great collection of characters - Ash, a female mercenary captain, and her collection of international cast-offs. I really came to love them in the first quarter of the book (which is as long as many other fantasy books!) But then things start to get.. weird.. and more "fantastic" with a Visgothic empire in north africa that lived in an "eternal twilight" and had actual golems... I loved the reaction of the "translator" and "editor" who were having a fit over the weird elements and trying to argue the veracity of them...
The story continues, and it really digs into these "differences" and they become the driving force in the book - why these oddities exist and the effects of these reasons. There becomes a running story happening in the footnotes! I loved it! The framing story becomes something like a science fiction story in itself...
This book was great. As I said it was a real experience and I loved the characters and all of them really came across as completely believable - all their actions made perfect sense for them.
Unfortunately the middle of this book suffers for the detail. The detail of all the clothes, armor, weapons etc feels like it overwhelms the slow moving plot for a long time. But the early setup (first 1/4) and the climax (last 1/4) have some of the best writing I've read - real page turners... That middle is slow, and sometimes gruesome, but well worth it for how it builds towards the ending and makes it worthwhile.
This is a strange (but good) book. Starts out feeling like a straight historical fiction - actually the framing device is that this is a translation of a 15th century text. But some of the details are a little off (in fact these oddities are called out in the footnotes of each chapter, where the "translator" tries to explain them). The writing is great - everything is fully detailed and accurate. I really was thinking of a more accessible [b:The Name of the Rose|119073|The Name of the Rose|Umberto Eco|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415375471s/119073.jpg|3138328].
We are introduced to a great collection of characters - Ash, a female mercenary captain, and her collection of international cast-offs. I really came to love them in the first quarter of the book (which is as long as many other fantasy books!) But then things start to get.. weird.. and more "fantastic" with a Visgothic empire in north africa that lived in an "eternal twilight" and had actual golems... I loved the reaction of the "translator" and "editor" who were having a fit over the weird elements and trying to argue the veracity of them...
The story continues, and it really digs into these "differences" and they become the driving force in the book - why these oddities exist and the effects of these reasons. There becomes a running story happening in the footnotes! I loved it! The framing story becomes something like a science fiction story in itself...
This book was great. As I said it was a real experience and I loved the characters and all of them really came across as completely believable - all their actions made perfect sense for them.
Unfortunately the middle of this book suffers for the detail. The detail of all the clothes, armor, weapons etc feels like it overwhelms the slow moving plot for a long time. But the early setup (first 1/4) and the climax (last 1/4) have some of the best writing I've read - real page turners... That middle is slow, and sometimes gruesome, but well worth it for how it builds towards the ending and makes it worthwhile.
begemot's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
nwhyte's review against another edition
5.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3564209.html
At first sight this appears to be set in the fifteenth century of our own era. Ash, a teenage mercenary commander, has taken strategic advice for years from voices in her head and as a result is one of the most successful mercenaries in Western Europe. But the near-future (ie early 2000's) researchers who are trying to compose a new biography gradually realise that her history is not their history, and the two realities begin to leach into each other. This book gave me very strange dreams when I first read it; my dreams have generally been strange this year so I didn't notice any difference this time. Admittedly the history and presentation are dodgy - I doubt that any of the female mercenary commanders of the fifteen century were still teenagers, and the whole thing is presented as a translation, complete with scholarly footnotes for difficult bits, from a manuscript which is not written in the style of any medieval text. I'm also a bit better informed about medieval Burgundy than I was twenty years ago, thanks to Van Loo and Dunnett. But in the end I love the intensity of description and the leakage between realities. It's awfully long, but I found myself thinking at one point, oh no, there's only 250 pages left to go.
At first sight this appears to be set in the fifteenth century of our own era. Ash, a teenage mercenary commander, has taken strategic advice for years from voices in her head and as a result is one of the most successful mercenaries in Western Europe. But the near-future (ie early 2000's) researchers who are trying to compose a new biography gradually realise that her history is not their history, and the two realities begin to leach into each other. This book gave me very strange dreams when I first read it; my dreams have generally been strange this year so I didn't notice any difference this time. Admittedly the history and presentation are dodgy - I doubt that any of the female mercenary commanders of the fifteen century were still teenagers, and the whole thing is presented as a translation, complete with scholarly footnotes for difficult bits, from a manuscript which is not written in the style of any medieval text. I'm also a bit better informed about medieval Burgundy than I was twenty years ago, thanks to Van Loo and Dunnett. But in the end I love the intensity of description and the leakage between realities. It's awfully long, but I found myself thinking at one point, oh no, there's only 250 pages left to go.
ianbanks's review against another edition
5.0
A big fat book of 1120 close-printed pages of pure awesome! A perfect blend of historical-fantasy with near-cutting-edge SF and heaps of battles, violence and (because it is a "free translation" of an "historical" body of work) an absolute ton of rude words - I almost made up a "Swearing" shelf just for this book, but settled for the more descriptive "Housebricks."
Ash is a mercenary captain who has heard voices for half of her young life. They advise her on tactics leading her to a reputation as one of Europe's best soldiers of fortune. But an invasion of Europe from the empire of Carthage leads her to discover that her powers aren't as miraculous as she might think...
... in the present day, Pierce Ratcliff, an academic, is working on what he calls the definitive edition of Ash's life. He discovers that there are some differences between the world Ash lived in and the world he studied the history of for so many years. This leads him to question the nature of history, the universe and everything.
I freaking love this book to bits. If you have a spare month and enjoy a book that covers just about every theme and topic known to man and still keeps you rattling through because almost every character, action and word is compelling, you probably will too.
2021 Reread: Still magnificent.
Ash is a mercenary captain who has heard voices for half of her young life. They advise her on tactics leading her to a reputation as one of Europe's best soldiers of fortune. But an invasion of Europe from the empire of Carthage leads her to discover that her powers aren't as miraculous as she might think...
... in the present day, Pierce Ratcliff, an academic, is working on what he calls the definitive edition of Ash's life. He discovers that there are some differences between the world Ash lived in and the world he studied the history of for so many years. This leads him to question the nature of history, the universe and everything.
I freaking love this book to bits. If you have a spare month and enjoy a book that covers just about every theme and topic known to man and still keeps you rattling through because almost every character, action and word is compelling, you probably will too.
2021 Reread: Still magnificent.