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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Almost four stars. Though I didn't quite like the setup at the end of this book making it clear that a sequel would be coming... I will read it.
So, I liked it! And yet I didn't finish it.
It's not you, book, it's me. I am going through a period of being extremely impatient with books and getting bored quickly.
The world here was interesting, but not quite clear to me. It's an Oliver-Twist style city and one of Fagin's boys is the protagonist. This boy, Ashes, is trying to go independent to keep his friend (who's run afoul of the Fagin character, Mr. Ragged) from being killed. He's hidden this friend away, and every day goes out to run a card hustle to keep them fed and to hopefully save enough that he can get some sort of meeting with a different powerful person who may offer them another chance.
I liked Ashes. He's pragmatic, passionate and cares about his friends. I wasn't so fond of his friend because it seemed certain that said friend was More Than He Seemed and that a twist would come our way.
This book was sort of confusing. There are Ravagers who come out at night, making the streets even more dangerous, and people apparently just show up in the city with no memories whatsoever at random (rasa). There are Ivories and Denizens, both higher in status than Ashes but I wasn't sure of much more than that. This was the sort of book that desperately needed a map. I don't normally worry about such stuff much but location was so important in this book and I had no sense of scale of the different districts of the city, how far hiding places were for Ashes, or why it would take him a certain amount of time to get anywhere (which came up frequently). None of this is ever explained, and although I'm good with rolling with the punches when it comes to world building, I needed a bit more here. Nothing was too confusing, but there was a bit too much taken for granted by the characters that wasn't explained. Maybe I should have finished the whole thing.
The Facefaker in the title becomes a teacher for Ashes, who turns out to have some magical talent himself as a Weaver. Don't ask me what that is either. This was about when my impatience got the better of me, and therefore I'm sure I missed out on some explanations. I did skim ahead enough to learn that Ashes makes the typical mistake of wanting to take on someone out of his league once he has access to some power, and that it goes about the way you'd expect. And that I was probably right about his Special Friend.
You might really love this book if you allow yourself to sink into it and not become impatient for quicker exposition. I rated it as highly as I did because I really do think it's a good book. It's one I should try again, except that it's not my way.
It's not you, book, it's me. I am going through a period of being extremely impatient with books and getting bored quickly.
The world here was interesting, but not quite clear to me. It's an Oliver-Twist style city and one of Fagin's boys is the protagonist. This boy, Ashes, is trying to go independent to keep his friend (who's run afoul of the Fagin character, Mr. Ragged) from being killed. He's hidden this friend away, and every day goes out to run a card hustle to keep them fed and to hopefully save enough that he can get some sort of meeting with a different powerful person who may offer them another chance.
I liked Ashes. He's pragmatic, passionate and cares about his friends. I wasn't so fond of his friend because it seemed certain that said friend was More Than He Seemed and that a twist would come our way.
This book was sort of confusing. There are Ravagers who come out at night, making the streets even more dangerous, and people apparently just show up in the city with no memories whatsoever at random (rasa). There are Ivories and Denizens, both higher in status than Ashes but I wasn't sure of much more than that. This was the sort of book that desperately needed a map. I don't normally worry about such stuff much but location was so important in this book and I had no sense of scale of the different districts of the city, how far hiding places were for Ashes, or why it would take him a certain amount of time to get anywhere (which came up frequently). None of this is ever explained, and although I'm good with rolling with the punches when it comes to world building, I needed a bit more here. Nothing was too confusing, but there was a bit too much taken for granted by the characters that wasn't explained. Maybe I should have finished the whole thing.
The Facefaker in the title becomes a teacher for Ashes, who turns out to have some magical talent himself as a Weaver. Don't ask me what that is either. This was about when my impatience got the better of me, and therefore I'm sure I missed out on some explanations. I did skim ahead enough to learn that Ashes makes the typical mistake of wanting to take on someone out of his league once he has access to some power, and that it goes about the way you'd expect. And that I was probably right about his Special Friend.
You might really love this book if you allow yourself to sink into it and not become impatient for quicker exposition. I rated it as highly as I did because I really do think it's a good book. It's one I should try again, except that it's not my way.
Very enjoyable, fast-paced story with interesting characters and world. A few plot threads that didn't seem to go anywhere. This is crying out for a sequel - which I will definitely buy.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Fantasy newcomer Chandler Birch tells an exciting tale that can stand on its own, while simultaneously setting the stage for larger conflicts and deeper stories in the gritty world of Teranis. Part heist novel, part revenge tale, part magic-user-in-training story, The Facefaker's Game delivers plenty of twists and turns, set in a well-developed fictional culture and setting.
An excellent read. Hard to believe that this is a first novel. This book will be on many people's Best Of 2016 lists.
Loved the world building. Dropped you right in and didn't over explain. Curious about the sequel. Good cast of characters and loved Jasin.
Excellent debut novel that I strongly recommend to any Scott Lynch (Gentleman Bastard series) fans. Interesting characters and story all around with a mix of intrigue and drama, I read this book in three sittings because I couldn't put it down.
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2016/11/01/review-the-facefakers-game-by-chandler-j-birch/
The Facefaker’s Game is an entertaining coming of age story that features a number of familiar, but quite likable, tropes. I want to stress that it’s not a negative to contain tropes. I firmly believe these are traits that are so common because they can be quite enjoyable, which is the case within The Facefaker’s Game. The book has enough originality within it’s magic and characters to make the old familiar feel fresh and fun.
It feature a 14 year old boy, with no family, trying make it on the mean streets. And trust me, Burroughside is mean. In addition to the gangs of orphans and criminals, there are also monsters that come out at night. People don’t risk breaking curfew because staying out past dark pretty much typically means your life. Another interesting/mysterious feature of this book was certain people (though they don’t call them people) who would appear in Burroughside with no memory of who they are. The word amnesia was never used, but that is the general idea. And with no memory, no place to live, their lack of defenses against the monsters of the night means they are not likely to live long. It’s a mystery of the world that leaves you guessing a bit where they come from.
Ashes is not big or strong, but he is incredibly clever. So far, he survives through conning people with card games and working as a petty thief. Clever protagonists that get by on their wits, and maybe a bit of deception are often favorites of mine. It really makes way for an expected underdog to rise beyond what others expect of them. Ashes had enough unique qualities to him to keep me intrigued as he not only survives, but also lays out plans for vengeance. After conning a man he comes to know as Candlestick Jack, Ashes’ life takes an incredible turn. He is introduced to Jack’s world and the people who work for him, as well as his own capabilities, and starts to see opportunity to right some of the wrongs he sees with his world.
As for the political and social aspect to Birch’s, the town has an underground hierarchy/structure to it. Ashes and his like, the gangs of orphans that reside in Burroughside, are expected to pay a “tax” to the governor, and this price is getting steeper, making survival harder. And to complicate things, Ashes is not completely alone. He has a boy he has taken responsibility for, watches over and protects. It’s adds a nice dimension to his character as it allows the reader to see he is not always about the con, but is also fiercely caring and loyal.
At times, you can see that Ashes feels an enormous sense of obligation and tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, finding it very difficult to trust anyone, trying to single handedly do everything rather than ask for help. It can make his world lonely in a way that I think even Ashes can’t quite see. At least not yet.I feel like this is one of those series where there is potential for tremendous growth in the protagonist as he ages and comes into his own, something I eagerly anticipate. This was a very strong debut from Birch and I am definitely looking forward to see where he takes the story next.
The Facefaker’s Game is an entertaining coming of age story that features a number of familiar, but quite likable, tropes. I want to stress that it’s not a negative to contain tropes. I firmly believe these are traits that are so common because they can be quite enjoyable, which is the case within The Facefaker’s Game. The book has enough originality within it’s magic and characters to make the old familiar feel fresh and fun.
It feature a 14 year old boy, with no family, trying make it on the mean streets. And trust me, Burroughside is mean. In addition to the gangs of orphans and criminals, there are also monsters that come out at night. People don’t risk breaking curfew because staying out past dark pretty much typically means your life. Another interesting/mysterious feature of this book was certain people (though they don’t call them people) who would appear in Burroughside with no memory of who they are. The word amnesia was never used, but that is the general idea. And with no memory, no place to live, their lack of defenses against the monsters of the night means they are not likely to live long. It’s a mystery of the world that leaves you guessing a bit where they come from.
Ashes is not big or strong, but he is incredibly clever. So far, he survives through conning people with card games and working as a petty thief. Clever protagonists that get by on their wits, and maybe a bit of deception are often favorites of mine. It really makes way for an expected underdog to rise beyond what others expect of them. Ashes had enough unique qualities to him to keep me intrigued as he not only survives, but also lays out plans for vengeance. After conning a man he comes to know as Candlestick Jack, Ashes’ life takes an incredible turn. He is introduced to Jack’s world and the people who work for him, as well as his own capabilities, and starts to see opportunity to right some of the wrongs he sees with his world.
As for the political and social aspect to Birch’s, the town has an underground hierarchy/structure to it. Ashes and his like, the gangs of orphans that reside in Burroughside, are expected to pay a “tax” to the governor, and this price is getting steeper, making survival harder. And to complicate things, Ashes is not completely alone. He has a boy he has taken responsibility for, watches over and protects. It’s adds a nice dimension to his character as it allows the reader to see he is not always about the con, but is also fiercely caring and loyal.
At times, you can see that Ashes feels an enormous sense of obligation and tries to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, finding it very difficult to trust anyone, trying to single handedly do everything rather than ask for help. It can make his world lonely in a way that I think even Ashes can’t quite see. At least not yet.I feel like this is one of those series where there is potential for tremendous growth in the protagonist as he ages and comes into his own, something I eagerly anticipate. This was a very strong debut from Birch and I am definitely looking forward to see where he takes the story next.