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simmonsj's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love that I experienced this book as an audiobook. I think the format was perfect. This novella is told through a series of interviews, where we do not hear the MC asking the questions and instead only hear the other person's answers and stories. This made the audiobook a fantastic medium as it is simply that, people talking. No non-dialogue is found at all. This format is perfect for a novella - I think a full length novel in this style would be too much. The narrator also did a nice job of changing up her tone and pitch for different characters.
Everything about the world, characters, and plot are contained within these exchanges and I must admit the author did a great job with it. While not a great deal developed, I got a sense of the world and the culture that surrounds it - just enough for this story. The plot is given out in bits but I had no trouble following along. I even thought the main character is decently fleshed out by the end even though she only gets a small chapter to explain her life.
Overall I enjoyed how unique this novella was and a nicely wrought world and story. And I do suggest the audiobook if one is able. I feel that the author could easily take this world and characters and turn it into a full length novel, even if it was something that is set in this world but with different characters.
Everything about the world, characters, and plot are contained within these exchanges and I must admit the author did a great job with it. While not a great deal developed, I got a sense of the world and the culture that surrounds it - just enough for this story. The plot is given out in bits but I had no trouble following along. I even thought the main character is decently fleshed out by the end even though she only gets a small chapter to explain her life.
Overall I enjoyed how unique this novella was and a nicely wrought world and story. And I do suggest the audiobook if one is able. I feel that the author could easily take this world and characters and turn it into a full length novel, even if it was something that is set in this world but with different characters.
willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
4.4 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/09/22/the-seventh-perfection-by-daniel-polansky-review/
How long does it take for a lie to unravel? How long for an empire to fall? While it might be set in motion by a single rock falling, it might take ten thousand years for all the stones to fall.
Manet is having a rather bad day.
Amanuensis to the God-King, she had to master all seven perfections, developing her body and evolving her mind into something past the point of humanity. Something approaching perfection. She remembers everything that has happened to her since arriving ashore the White Isle. She can sing, play the harp—perfectly—she can keep numbers and translate; she can serve her God—perfectly.
What Manet cannot do, however, is forget.
When a locket with a certain photo appears on her doorstep, it reveals a secret from her childhood that Manet hadn’t remembered. A secret that she just can’t forget. A secret that rips a gargantuan hole in the story of the God-King’s ascension, a story that she has taken as gospel her entire life. But when Manet goes down the rabbit-hole to follow this thread, she soon learns that doing so is a step she can never untake. But Manet will learn the truth, no matter the cost to her life—and that of the world itself.
This one was a bit of a slow build, to be honest. I actually thought of abandoning it—twice—prior to reaching the quarter mark. Glad I continued!
I could never really figure out what Age this story took place in. Some parts seemed to indicate an alchemical, maybe industrializing fantasy world, others a more science fiction, advanced dystopia. I’m pretty sure it was intended this way, however, as you’ll find out.
The story is told entirely through the viewpoints of others, with no input from Manet herself. This took some getting used to. We don’t hear (or see) what Manet has to say, what she thinks, what she knows, her wants, her desires, her dreams—not exactly, at least. At first this drove me crazy (yes, to the point where I considered stopping), but around the quarter mark something changed. And I began to read between the lines. I started to read Manet’s questions and responses in precisely how the narrator (whomever it happened to be at the time) responded. And then Manet took on a life of her own. A life, directly affected by my depiction of her.
Even though I couldn’t see her exact words, I got the gist of them—and then my imagination took hold. See, in my story she was both sarcastic and passionate. She used sarcasm to cope with her life unraveling but was passionate about discovering the truth. Once I got a feel for Manet—once my imagination began to fill in the gaps the author had left—the story took off. And I didn’t even think of abandoning it again.
While it’s possible that this was a terrible way to write a story, I’m chalking this up as an innovative idea. Now, I’m not sure it would’ve made an effective novel (being a bit vague and out there), but for a day’s read, I’d say it worked. It could certainly come across as a lazy way to tell a story, or a hard way that didn’t work; but it worked for me. And my version of Manet wouldn’t’ve been the same as everyone else’s. The main plot is written—but how you arrive there changes depending on how your opinion of who exactly Manet is. Does that make any sense?
TL;DR
Though it’s a bit of a slow build and the writing style takes some getting used to, the Seventh Perfection was one of my favorite novellas of the year thus far. With a lead that never speaks—but is only spoken to, told entirely through the words of the people she converses with—it is up to the reader to read between the lines, using hints and clues, along with their own bias and preference, to determine Manet’s very words. In my version she was passionate but sarcastic (which might tell you something about me), but in someone else’s version she might be cold and dismissive, or warm but skeptical. While the Seventh Perfection is very much something of Daniel Polansky’s creation, and he tells a complete tale—I felt something of myself in the story at the end, and I could not help but wondering where the story went from there.
Hopefully this (more or less) makes sense. If not, I guess you’ll have to read it to find out more!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/09/22/the-seventh-perfection-by-daniel-polansky-review/
How long does it take for a lie to unravel? How long for an empire to fall? While it might be set in motion by a single rock falling, it might take ten thousand years for all the stones to fall.
Manet is having a rather bad day.
Amanuensis to the God-King, she had to master all seven perfections, developing her body and evolving her mind into something past the point of humanity. Something approaching perfection. She remembers everything that has happened to her since arriving ashore the White Isle. She can sing, play the harp—perfectly—she can keep numbers and translate; she can serve her God—perfectly.
What Manet cannot do, however, is forget.
When a locket with a certain photo appears on her doorstep, it reveals a secret from her childhood that Manet hadn’t remembered. A secret that she just can’t forget. A secret that rips a gargantuan hole in the story of the God-King’s ascension, a story that she has taken as gospel her entire life. But when Manet goes down the rabbit-hole to follow this thread, she soon learns that doing so is a step she can never untake. But Manet will learn the truth, no matter the cost to her life—and that of the world itself.
This one was a bit of a slow build, to be honest. I actually thought of abandoning it—twice—prior to reaching the quarter mark. Glad I continued!
I could never really figure out what Age this story took place in. Some parts seemed to indicate an alchemical, maybe industrializing fantasy world, others a more science fiction, advanced dystopia. I’m pretty sure it was intended this way, however, as you’ll find out.
The story is told entirely through the viewpoints of others, with no input from Manet herself. This took some getting used to. We don’t hear (or see) what Manet has to say, what she thinks, what she knows, her wants, her desires, her dreams—not exactly, at least. At first this drove me crazy (yes, to the point where I considered stopping), but around the quarter mark something changed. And I began to read between the lines. I started to read Manet’s questions and responses in precisely how the narrator (whomever it happened to be at the time) responded. And then Manet took on a life of her own. A life, directly affected by my depiction of her.
Even though I couldn’t see her exact words, I got the gist of them—and then my imagination took hold. See, in my story she was both sarcastic and passionate. She used sarcasm to cope with her life unraveling but was passionate about discovering the truth. Once I got a feel for Manet—once my imagination began to fill in the gaps the author had left—the story took off. And I didn’t even think of abandoning it again.
While it’s possible that this was a terrible way to write a story, I’m chalking this up as an innovative idea. Now, I’m not sure it would’ve made an effective novel (being a bit vague and out there), but for a day’s read, I’d say it worked. It could certainly come across as a lazy way to tell a story, or a hard way that didn’t work; but it worked for me. And my version of Manet wouldn’t’ve been the same as everyone else’s. The main plot is written—but how you arrive there changes depending on how your opinion of who exactly Manet is. Does that make any sense?
TL;DR
Though it’s a bit of a slow build and the writing style takes some getting used to, the Seventh Perfection was one of my favorite novellas of the year thus far. With a lead that never speaks—but is only spoken to, told entirely through the words of the people she converses with—it is up to the reader to read between the lines, using hints and clues, along with their own bias and preference, to determine Manet’s very words. In my version she was passionate but sarcastic (which might tell you something about me), but in someone else’s version she might be cold and dismissive, or warm but skeptical. While the Seventh Perfection is very much something of Daniel Polansky’s creation, and he tells a complete tale—I felt something of myself in the story at the end, and I could not help but wondering where the story went from there.
Hopefully this (more or less) makes sense. If not, I guess you’ll have to read it to find out more!
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not quite sure what to make of THE SEVENTH PERFECTION. While not necessarily for me, it is certainly an interesting, difficult read. Extremely effective as a novella. If there ever was a genre mash of "experimental fantasy noir," this would probably fit the bill. Would recommend if you like books like THE RAVEN TOWER by Ann Leckie or THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone for their experimental styles, or A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS by Alexandra Rowland for sheer voicey-ness.
There's a mystery at the heart of this novella, told through a series of one-sided conversations between various characters and Manet, our silent protagonist, a high-ranking servant of the God-King. Because of this, she is in a precarious position as she investigates the origins of a locket that was anonymously sent to her. As she digs deeper into the mystery of who the woman in the locket is, she uncovers things about the city, its God-King, and her own past that could very well lead to treason—and even blasphemy.
That's a very loose interpretation of the plot, at least. The book itself is rather more vague due to the style that Polansky chose to write it in. Because you never get to hear Manet speak or get insight into her thoughts, there is a definite distance that took away from any sort of tension that readers might have felt otherwise. Still, Polansky did a remarkable job at character building through these one-sided conversations. You get as full a picture of Manet as you can in a story this short: her motivations, her personality, a little of her history.
I think the most interesting thing about this book is probably the idea of mythmaking—who controls history, who benefits from it, and what are the consequences of pursuing truth to its bitter end.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
There's a mystery at the heart of this novella, told through a series of one-sided conversations between various characters and Manet, our silent protagonist, a high-ranking servant of the God-King. Because of this, she is in a precarious position as she investigates the origins of a locket that was anonymously sent to her. As she digs deeper into the mystery of who the woman in the locket is, she uncovers things about the city, its God-King, and her own past that could very well lead to treason—and even blasphemy.
That's a very loose interpretation of the plot, at least. The book itself is rather more vague due to the style that Polansky chose to write it in. Because you never get to hear Manet speak or get insight into her thoughts, there is a definite distance that took away from any sort of tension that readers might have felt otherwise. Still, Polansky did a remarkable job at character building through these one-sided conversations. You get as full a picture of Manet as you can in a story this short: her motivations, her personality, a little of her history.
I think the most interesting thing about this book is probably the idea of mythmaking—who controls history, who benefits from it, and what are the consequences of pursuing truth to its bitter end.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for providing this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
ktaylor6263's review against another edition
The format/style choice was just a massive nope
sarah2's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.0
An engaging story of obsession, loss, and sacrifice. I thought the style presented an interesting challenge. Each chapter is one side of a conversation the main character, Manet, is having. Because you're only receiving half of the information, you are left to piece together what questions were asked to receive the provided answers and why those questions were asked in the first place. There are also interesting philosophical discussions of how history is created that I found engaging. Conceptually very cool.
emilygreen0110's review against another edition
4.0
Wow wow wow
I LOVE LOVE LOVE 2nd person narration, and this was such a treat to read. So unique, such a cool premise, and so much fun to explore in this way
I was so invested in the solving of this mystery, and I loved the writing so much
I LOVE LOVE LOVE 2nd person narration, and this was such a treat to read. So unique, such a cool premise, and so much fun to explore in this way
I was so invested in the solving of this mystery, and I loved the writing so much
lordbrainless's review against another edition
3.0
Interesante lectura desde el punto de narración: segunda persona, sin que la protagonista "hable" en todo el libro y dejando que la historia se mueva a través de los "monólogos" de los otros personajes con los que se va encontrando.
La historia en sí es interesante, pero siendo un libro tan corto está comprimida y acaba de manera muy abrupta, ni siquiera diría que es un final abierto. Podría ser interesante una secuela, aunque preferiría que continuara con "A City Dreaming".
No recomendaría a nadie ese libro, a pesar de lo corto que es, a no ser que lo quisieran leer más por la manera en la que está escrito que por la historia y personajes.
La historia en sí es interesante, pero siendo un libro tan corto está comprimida y acaba de manera muy abrupta, ni siquiera diría que es un final abierto. Podría ser interesante una secuela, aunque preferiría que continuara con "A City Dreaming".
No recomendaría a nadie ese libro, a pesar de lo corto que es, a no ser que lo quisieran leer más por la manera en la que está escrito que por la historia y personajes.
liter_ely's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ypineda's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lydiainspace's review
5.0
This novel draws you in and demands your attention and curiosity: if you lend it some, you become complicit in the story, embodying an investigator or interviewer yourself as you try to piece together the narrative of this world, and of its undefined protagonist. I love experimental and post-modern writing styles, but they can be hard to execute well while simultaneously trying to build fantastic worlds and plots. This book manages to do it all. As an audiobook, The Seventh Perfection is a tight, fast-paced, 3-hour listen: I was absolutely amazed at how much story could happen in so little time.