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kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
This is a elegant, whimsical, history-rich, and satisfying novel of a young concubine and her best friend, a magical mapmaker, who escape the court of their sultan and the Inquisition with the help of a crafty djinn. The characters are well-drawn and complex, and the world--of courts, travelers, cities, seas, and islands--Wilson creates is a detailed and full of nuance and depth. There are surprises and unforeseen twists, and the ending is also a beginning that will keep readers thinking about the book for a long time.
toniak's review against another edition
3.0
Tried to do too much, and then wasn't able to pull it off. Lacking depth.
kevinmccarrick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
kenchingfox's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
3.0
therealjoshuat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
jabrwocky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? No
5.0
debtat2's review against another edition
5.0
What an absolutely beautiful book, not only is the cover stunning but the story itself is as visually stunning as its exterior. From the exotic setting in Morocco to the fabled shores of the isle of Avalon the story is told in such splendid detail you can’t help being swept along throughout.
The characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.
I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
The Bird King will be published in the UK on March 12 2019 and can be pre-ordered now
A proper review to follow!
Thank you to G. Willow Wilson, the publishers Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.
I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
The Bird King will be published in the UK on March 12 2019 and can be pre-ordered now
A proper review to follow!
Thank you to G. Willow Wilson, the publishers Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
debtat2's review against another edition
5.0
What an absolutely beautiful book, not only is the cover stunning but the story itself is as beautiful as its exterior. From the exotic setting in Morocco to the fabled shores of the isle of Avalon the story is told in such splendid detail you can’t help being swept along throughout.
The characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.
I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. It was a genuine pleasure to read and will be one that can be read and re read without loosing any of the spellbinding magic.
This is the first book i have read by G. Willow Wilson but she will be a author I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.
If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
The characters are as colourful as their surroundings weaving together humans and mythical creatures alike all culminating in the quest to find the fabled Bird King.
I loved this book to the point I’m struggling to review it without spoilers and to do the story justice. It was a genuine pleasure to read and will be one that can be read and re read without loosing any of the spellbinding magic.
This is the first book i have read by G. Willow Wilson but she will be a author I will be keeping an eye out for in the future.
If you enjoyed books such as Robert Dinsdale’s The Toymakers or Katherine Arden’s The Bear and The Nightingale then you won’t want to miss this one.
alexandrasilva's review against another edition
3.0
This was one of my anticipated books of 2019 so thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book has flaws: it is very slow, the phrasing gets a bit weird at times and the plot gets even weirder. That being said, I can see why many people won't enjoy it, I almost put down myself.
BUT when the pacing started to pick up, I flew through the story and found many things I liked: Fatima and Hassan's friendship, the various side characters (especially the non-human ones), the MLM rep and the weirdness of the plot itself (which reminded me of Del Toro's El Laberinto del Fauno, even though they don't actually have that much in common).
The thing I enjoyed the most, however? The representation of the religions. In a book where the opposing sides are from different religions (and the plot focuses on this a lot), it would be very easy to portray either of them in a bad way, while praising the other. That does not happen in this book. Both religions are presented realistically: they each have their pros and cons, their believers and their fanatics.
The ending did disappoint me in that it felt like it was dragging for the last 50 or so pages. Despite this, I still recommend the book, especially if you are looking for a surreal historical fiction.
This book has flaws: it is very slow, the phrasing gets a bit weird at times and the plot gets even weirder. That being said, I can see why many people won't enjoy it, I almost put down myself.
BUT when the pacing started to pick up, I flew through the story and found many things I liked: Fatima and Hassan's friendship, the various side characters (especially the non-human ones), the MLM rep and the weirdness of the plot itself (which reminded me of Del Toro's El Laberinto del Fauno, even though they don't actually have that much in common).
The thing I enjoyed the most, however? The representation of the religions. In a book where the opposing sides are from different religions (and the plot focuses on this a lot), it would be very easy to portray either of them in a bad way, while praising the other. That does not happen in this book. Both religions are presented realistically: they each have their pros and cons, their believers and their fanatics.
The ending did disappoint me in that it felt like it was dragging for the last 50 or so pages. Despite this, I still recommend the book, especially if you are looking for a surreal historical fiction.