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jes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
saoki's review
4.0
I love Aliette de Bodard's style and voice, her complex characters, the amount of work she puts in her settings and the seemingly-effortless-but-obviously-thought way the details show up in her writing, painting incredible pictures.
It is, however, a very complex book, with many plots and as many stories as main characters. There is a classic heroic journey in there (even if it has an unusual ending), some political intrigue, a redemption arc (which is interrupted), a mystery and possibly two coming of age stories. The stories mingle and interact, since the main character in one is secondary in another, but every action and reaction counts. It is a rich tapestry, but one that possibly required a longer wordcount (I wonder how many chapters the author trimmed away while editing). And then there is the matter of the ending, which I shall not spoil, but might not be everyone's cup of tea.
In short, it's a great story, but one that does not acts the way an experienced reader expects a story to act. If you're wondering why this matters at all, just take a look at all the 3 star reviews. That "something wrong" they can't place? That's their inner editor wishing the book just acted normal and followed a single story.
As the first book in a series, The House of Shattered Wings is solid, because we get the promise that things will be revealed. As a stand alone story, however, it is unsatisfying. Quite like a very small portion of a wonderful, complex dish: it leaves you hungry.
It is, however, a very complex book, with many plots and as many stories as main characters. There is a classic heroic journey in there (even if it has an unusual ending), some political intrigue, a redemption arc (which is interrupted), a mystery and possibly two coming of age stories. The stories mingle and interact, since the main character in one is secondary in another, but every action and reaction counts. It is a rich tapestry, but one that possibly required a longer wordcount (I wonder how many chapters the author trimmed away while editing). And then there is the matter of the ending, which I shall not spoil, but might not be everyone's cup of tea.
In short, it's a great story, but one that does not acts the way an experienced reader expects a story to act. If you're wondering why this matters at all, just take a look at all the 3 star reviews. That "something wrong" they can't place? That's their inner editor wishing the book just acted normal and followed a single story.
As the first book in a series, The House of Shattered Wings is solid, because we get the promise that things will be revealed. As a stand alone story, however, it is unsatisfying. Quite like a very small portion of a wonderful, complex dish: it leaves you hungry.
cybergoths's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
oberonmallory's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
captaincrunchabunch's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jwells's review against another edition
I couldn't get into this. There seemed to be a lot of exposition, and I didn't feel emotionally connected.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
jaymeks's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book from First to Read, and I was very excited about the chance to read it. Looking at all of the hype surrounding the book, including several authors whom I really respect, I thought this was going to be the next big book that I loved. Man, was I mistaken. I read and read, and realized I had only gotten through about 100 pages. For the amount I read, I felt like so much more should have happened.
I think my issue was the book read much, much slower than what I prefer. The book was well written, the characters were fascinating, I just started to lose interest because of the pacing. It is slow.
Because I only read around 100 pages, I can't rate it better than 2 stars even though it probably deserves more. I might try to finish it, but not right away.
I think my issue was the book read much, much slower than what I prefer. The book was well written, the characters were fascinating, I just started to lose interest because of the pacing. It is slow.
Because I only read around 100 pages, I can't rate it better than 2 stars even though it probably deserves more. I might try to finish it, but not right away.
tamandua's review against another edition
3.5
a bit rough around the edges, like it needed an extra draft, but very promising. the world building is interesting and at its core there’s an interesting story there, but I had difficulty caring about any of the characters much, and actively disliking others (cough, cough, Selene)