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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked the writing, the storyline and plot, and the characters felt well fleshed out. My problem was part of the story of the Wastelands, which becomes a fantasy narrative, but with no explanation of how the world worked. How did the plants grow on the train? If the trees weren't dangerous in some way, why was the sap like blood? What of the many monsters that dwelled in the Wastelands who took your memories and warped your reality, luring you into giant spiderwebs to eat you? It felt like the author really wanted the reader to feel affinity with the Wastelands and the characters from it, but did none of the work to make it a likeable place.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very interesting high concept, engaging enough to keep you reading but ultimately a little underbaked. The basic concept, of a poisonous otherworldly wasteland that has mysteriously occupied 19th century Siberia and can now only be traversed by a luxurious high security train, is really excellent - at first glance, it's a sort of Orient Express meets Roadside Picnic. However the concept doesn't really develop in an interesting direction - it's not a mystery to unravel because ultimately you're left with as many questions as you started with. But it also doesn't have the depths of baroque, cosmic horror of something like Annihilation, where the unknowable nature of the alien environment is the entire point. Instead it sort of falls between these two directions and ends somewhat limply. The characters are entertaining, if not especially deep. Having three viewpoints muddies things a bit - the novel would probably have been stronger with a single clear protagonist, and like the central mystery of the wasteland, some of the character arcs feel a bit flat and underwhelming. The supporting cast is good, several of them I would have wanted to spend more time with. It's a wild ride with excellent descriptive language, and doesn't outstay it's welcome, but I was left wanting more substance.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense