Scan barcode
nekoshka's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Misogyny, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity and Injury/Injury detail
jesticulate's review
dark
funny
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War
elizabeth_lepore's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Slavery, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Colonisation and Infidelity
lores's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Three good things, three bad
1 - this was incredibly tightly plotted, I was on the edge of my seat attempting to figure out what was going on, it was like trying to watch a chess match and it was really enjoyable for me as you saw more and more of the bigger picture. This was probably what I enjoyed most and covers a multitude of other sins because I was just having a lot of fun the whole time
2 - I really loved the look inside the main character's head. The narration style took a second to get into, but once I got used to it, I couldn't help but root for him. This may well be my soft spot for tired, intelligent British men who aren't sure if they're doing the right thing anymore but are too stubborn to change paths (see also Claire North's Harry August, completely different book but weirdly similar character beats and tropes) but I liked him and I felt like he was very well realised, I keep thinking back to certain moments and realising how much they meant in retrospect
3 - there was a lot of engineering speak in here, and I love a main character that's a nerd about mundane things which actually keep the world running. This is where the worldbuilding was most convincing, in the little things that related directly to the narrator's area of expertise
Overall, these were enough to make me enjoy it regardless of the rest but there were some issues
1 - not a problem for me, but if you're here for fantasy primarily this isn't going to be for you. It reads a lot more like alternate history, with very vague hints at it being a completely fantasy world. There's no magic, and the mentions of fantasy races and kingdoms did end up mattering but were a little hard to keep straight in my head for a while. If there was meant to be serious worldbuilding here beyond how the military worked, I don't think it worked very well
2 - Speaking of worldbuilding, it becomes increasingly clear that the main character is a member of an oppressed race which is introduced disarmingly casually but becomes more important. On an interpersonal level I do think this was explored in his relationships with people and there did seem to be an attempt to address the implications of this within the book which worked ok for me. However, the choice to make the oppressed race white (vs blue imperialists), as well as the implications of the main character leading the defence of the empire's city only really hold up if you don't read it as making real world parallels, which is difficult to do when mentions of segregation, empire and slavery are so charged by their historical place. For me, this wasn't enough to take me out of the narrative while I was reading it, but if this is an attempt to discuss real-world social issues, there are some problems here.
3 - two things that normally also take me out of a book were slightly underdeveloped side characters and mild sexism with a couple of these side characters. Some side characters did end up being important and I did care about them, but it took a while to get them straight and the focus is always on the narrator. Points for making me want to just keep reading and ignore what's normally huge pet peeves for me, minus points for making me have to.
Ultimately, I do think you should give this book a try, and if you read it for what it is, a fun romp which lets you feel smart and enjoy the ride, I don't think you'll regret it
1 - this was incredibly tightly plotted, I was on the edge of my seat attempting to figure out what was going on, it was like trying to watch a chess match and it was really enjoyable for me as you saw more and more of the bigger picture. This was probably what I enjoyed most and covers a multitude of other sins because I was just having a lot of fun the whole time
2 - I really loved the look inside the main character's head. The narration style took a second to get into, but once I got used to it, I couldn't help but root for him. This may well be my soft spot for tired, intelligent British men who aren't sure if they're doing the right thing anymore but are too stubborn to change paths (see also Claire North's Harry August, completely different book but weirdly similar character beats and tropes) but I liked him and I felt like he was very well realised, I keep thinking back to certain moments and realising how much they meant in retrospect
3 - there was a lot of engineering speak in here, and I love a main character that's a nerd about mundane things which actually keep the world running. This is where the worldbuilding was most convincing, in the little things that related directly to the narrator's area of expertise
Overall, these were enough to make me enjoy it regardless of the rest but there were some issues
1 - not a problem for me, but if you're here for fantasy primarily this isn't going to be for you. It reads a lot more like alternate history, with very vague hints at it being a completely fantasy world. There's no magic, and the mentions of fantasy races and kingdoms did end up mattering but were a little hard to keep straight in my head for a while. If there was meant to be serious worldbuilding here beyond how the military worked, I don't think it worked very well
2 - Speaking of worldbuilding, it becomes increasingly clear that the main character is a member of an oppressed race which is introduced disarmingly casually but becomes more important. On an interpersonal level I do think this was explored in his relationships with people and there did seem to be an attempt to address the implications of this within the book which worked ok for me. However, the choice to make the oppressed race white (vs blue imperialists), as well as the implications of the main character leading the defence of the empire's city only really hold up if you don't read it as making real world parallels, which is difficult to do when mentions of segregation, empire and slavery are so charged by their historical place. For me, this wasn't enough to take me out of the narrative while I was reading it, but if this is an attempt to discuss real-world social issues, there are some problems here.
3 - two things that normally also take me out of a book were slightly underdeveloped side characters and mild sexism with a couple of these side characters. Some side characters did end up being important and I did care about them, but it took a while to get them straight and the focus is always on the narrator. Points for making me want to just keep reading and ignore what's normally huge pet peeves for me, minus points for making me have to.
Ultimately, I do think you should give this book a try, and if you read it for what it is, a fun romp which lets you feel smart and enjoy the ride, I don't think you'll regret it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexism
More...