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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Great, unique idea for a fantasy world. I love it a lot and I love the incredibly dark tones and topics.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It's not only the format (4 novellas, written by two authors, all set in the same world, during the same period) that makes this original, it's the premise of how magic works in this world and how that drives all the plots in these novellas.
All of the stories are about people in desperate situations doing what they need to survive and try to protect the people they love. You end up rooting for them the whole time, fingers-crossed, that things will somehow work out for them. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. All the stories are pretty dark and one is very adult. Which definitely works for me, because I'm almost an adult (it starts around 60 right?).
My wife really loved this collection, especially after I tortured her by having her read The Three Body Problem. Luckily she dropped that a about 3 hours in and jumped into this one, so her trust in me was restored.
All of the stories are about people in desperate situations doing what they need to survive and try to protect the people they love. You end up rooting for them the whole time, fingers-crossed, that things will somehow work out for them. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. All the stories are pretty dark and one is very adult. Which definitely works for me, because I'm almost an adult (it starts around 60 right?).
My wife really loved this collection, especially after I tortured her by having her read The Three Body Problem. Luckily she dropped that a about 3 hours in and jumped into this one, so her trust in me was restored.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received this from a friend who knew I wanted to explore more fantasy. Plus we'd just finished watching The Wheel of Time series.
This read was a case of I appreciated it more than liked it. Overall I appreciated the structure of related novellas that felt like they were in chronological order, and the final moments of the final story, I could see the other stories behind it. I was interested in the world and concepts and logistics of magic, religion, and science. The struggles were real. However it wasn't completely satisfying. At times to precious or trying too hard? And moments and plot points that could've taken more time to explore.
This read was a case of I appreciated it more than liked it. Overall I appreciated the structure of related novellas that felt like they were in chronological order, and the final moments of the final story, I could see the other stories behind it. I was interested in the world and concepts and logistics of magic, religion, and science. The struggles were real. However it wasn't completely satisfying. At times to precious or trying too hard? And moments and plot points that could've taken more time to explore.
I quite enjoyed this YA fantasy written by two authors. It has four stories that take place in the same world. Each author writes two stories. The main characters in each story do not bleed into the next story, but many of the background characters do. Many of the fantasy aspects are unique and well written and the stories have a hint of steampunk to them.
Two authors, four tales, one setting.
It was an interesting concept, one that worked decently, as the stories proceeded somewhat chronologically, with details from one tale appearing in a later tale. The setting was conceptualized well, though by the end of the fourth tale, I would be better off never having to read "brambles" again. In fact, since that word is used so often in the book, it will be my attempt to try not to reference it again in my review.
Imagine, if you will, a land where every person, from lowly peon to high-ranking magistrate, had the capability to work magic--be it from a spoken spell, a potion, a scrap of parchment--but for every use of magic, the land would erupt with deadly flora that could (literally) send a person into eternal sleep. The kingdoms of old have fallen into tangled, irreparable thorn-stricken despair, but the nation of Khaim is still managing to keep its borders from succumbing to the ever-encroaching tangle, while its neighbors condemn the people of Khaim for having brought the "curse" upon themselves. From great elaborate magical constructions to simple kitchen spells, these monster-plants can appear in a neighbor's garden, in the cobblestone roads, or as part of the nation's boundary, which is burned back every day by workers. Obviously, when a resource is limited, as is magic in this case, the most corrupt and powerful will hoard the power for themselves; and so the leaders of Khaim devise evil plans to keep all the magic for themselves by slaughtering anyone who is caught using magic without authority, all the while working great spells themselves to build flashy, but unnecessary, kingdoms in the sky.
From that initial setting, Bacigalupi and Buckell spin a variety of stories, mostly centering around ordinary civilians, that examine the consequences of living in this nation, particularly with regard to the power-hungry dictatorship in Khaim. In one story, a man attempts to come up with a way to exterminate the magically created forests, only to have his creation used for nefarious purposes. In another, a mother seeks to free her children from a cult of priests who kidnap children and indoctrinate them into the cult. Still another finds a displaced refugee risking all to save his sister, while the last revolves around a blacksmith's daughter, who unwillingly rebels against her place in hierarchy.
While the authors do a great job of playing around with this world, it doesn't feel fully fleshed out. For instance, magic is a vague, nebulous thing - some people utter a spell, others use ingredients to aid in their delivery, while still others write words on parchment. It isn't clear whether there are limitations or restrictions, or why no one seems to fail at their attempts to use it. There weren't different languages and beyond some superficial religious differences, there wasn't a lot of cultural diversity, despite the fact that at least four or five different nationalities were mentioned. The focus of the stories seems to be on the hierarchy and the dystopian element of betrayal from family members informing on family members and neighbor turning against neighbor due to the forbidden use of magic, which isn't a bad thing, but there was a lot of potential that wasn't explored.
And I personally found Bacigalupi's sections to be much more intriguing and well-written than Buckell's, particularly with regards to Buckell's action sequences, which left a lot to be desired and devolved into simple "He did this, she then did that". The last vignette was probably the least satisfying, as there is a lot of action, but not a lot of narrative and the character's motivations are left out, which led me to mercilessly bash the character for making a lot of stupid decisions.
Perhaps better seen as a series of vignettes told within the same setting rather than a fully fleshed novel, The Tangled Lands has a lot of promise and introduces a somewhat novel world but doesn't quite deliver what I expected.
It was an interesting concept, one that worked decently, as the stories proceeded somewhat chronologically, with details from one tale appearing in a later tale. The setting was conceptualized well, though by the end of the fourth tale, I would be better off never having to read "brambles" again. In fact, since that word is used so often in the book, it will be my attempt to try not to reference it again in my review.
Imagine, if you will, a land where every person, from lowly peon to high-ranking magistrate, had the capability to work magic--be it from a spoken spell, a potion, a scrap of parchment--but for every use of magic, the land would erupt with deadly flora that could (literally) send a person into eternal sleep. The kingdoms of old have fallen into tangled, irreparable thorn-stricken despair, but the nation of Khaim is still managing to keep its borders from succumbing to the ever-encroaching tangle, while its neighbors condemn the people of Khaim for having brought the "curse" upon themselves. From great elaborate magical constructions to simple kitchen spells, these monster-plants can appear in a neighbor's garden, in the cobblestone roads, or as part of the nation's boundary, which is burned back every day by workers. Obviously, when a resource is limited, as is magic in this case, the most corrupt and powerful will hoard the power for themselves; and so the leaders of Khaim devise evil plans to keep all the magic for themselves by slaughtering anyone who is caught using magic without authority, all the while working great spells themselves to build flashy, but unnecessary, kingdoms in the sky.
From that initial setting, Bacigalupi and Buckell spin a variety of stories, mostly centering around ordinary civilians, that examine the consequences of living in this nation, particularly with regard to the power-hungry dictatorship in Khaim. In one story, a man attempts to come up with a way to exterminate the magically created forests, only to have his creation used for nefarious purposes. In another, a mother seeks to free her children from a cult of priests who kidnap children and indoctrinate them into the cult. Still another finds a displaced refugee risking all to save his sister, while the last revolves around a blacksmith's daughter, who unwillingly rebels against her place in hierarchy.
While the authors do a great job of playing around with this world, it doesn't feel fully fleshed out. For instance, magic is a vague, nebulous thing - some people utter a spell, others use ingredients to aid in their delivery, while still others write words on parchment. It isn't clear whether there are limitations or restrictions, or why no one seems to fail at their attempts to use it. There weren't different languages and beyond some superficial religious differences, there wasn't a lot of cultural diversity, despite the fact that at least four or five different nationalities were mentioned. The focus of the stories seems to be on the hierarchy and the dystopian element of betrayal from family members informing on family members and neighbor turning against neighbor due to the forbidden use of magic, which isn't a bad thing, but there was a lot of potential that wasn't explored.
And I personally found Bacigalupi's sections to be much more intriguing and well-written than Buckell's, particularly with regards to Buckell's action sequences, which left a lot to be desired and devolved into simple "He did this, she then did that". The last vignette was probably the least satisfying, as there is a lot of action, but not a lot of narrative and the character's motivations are left out, which led me to mercilessly bash the character for making a lot of stupid decisions.
Perhaps better seen as a series of vignettes told within the same setting rather than a fully fleshed novel, The Tangled Lands has a lot of promise and introduces a somewhat novel world but doesn't quite deliver what I expected.
A book that wrenches the heart for sure. Thought provoking themes set to a vibrant world and characters that compel the soul.
Collection if 4 short stories set in the same universe, this setting captured me right away and the first 2 stories were great at establishing the world and characters while showing the intricacies of history, politic, war and economic without being blatant exposition because it was intertwined with the characters. They mad me feel intimately present in key moments of this world.
Then the last two were more personal to the characters. they didn't add much to the grand scheme of the world which is what interested me the most.
So a 2/4 they first two are really good
Then the last two were more personal to the characters. they didn't add much to the grand scheme of the world which is what interested me the most.
So a 2/4 they first two are really good
4.5 stars. One of the things I like about this joint effort is that the stories don't need to end in a positive way. They just are andthey focus on the regular people and I can imagine many different reasons that people act in particular ways. EG that despite magic causing bramble, people still justify using it. Hat forcing people to not use magic is draconian but it works. It's a book to make you think, subtly.