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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
There are good concepts in this book - strong bones, if you will - in the worldbuilding, but I was really put off by how the initial chapters seemed to be alternating a traditional fantasy world with what felt like Deep AI Sci-Fi, and I just could not bring myself to care about that part. I liked the bit with Oressa and Gadjosik at the beginning, but after six chapters I felt like all of the conflicts were weirdly shallow and it felt like a write-by-numbers "here is an obstacle! ok solved. Here is an obstacle! ok solved." I was just bored, and there are too many books in the world to keep reading one I'm not enjoying.
This book suffers a bit from the way it is structured around a great mystery - the Kiepa, her mountain - which is pretty quickly transparent to the reader and utterly opaque to its low-tech, post-apocalyptic protagonists. It is a pleasure to read all the same, because of Neumeier’s perennial strengths - her inventiveness and skill with worlds, her eye for character and human relationships, familial, romantic, feudal and more. Her characters always feel like people, even the minor ones, and the protagonists here are bound to charm young adult readers especially. Neither the kind scholarly brother nor the courageous and tactically brilliant sister are clichés, and that makes all the difference to this charming adventure.
I quite enjoyed this. The main characters are nuances and engaging, the setting isn't totally standard swords & arrows fantasy (they have indoor plumbing & gunpowder), and the conceit is interesting. It's a tidy, small world, which I like but may be disappointing if you prefer sprawling epics. My only two complaints are: 1) Sometimes Oressa's dialogue seemed wrong. Out of place, wrong tone, wrong sentiment... I'm not sure exactly. Maybe it was just my perception, maybe it could have used another draft, or maybe a little more inner dialogue around those bits might have helped. Not sure. And 2) The Mountain itself - here come spoilers. Anyway, I still enjoyed it.
Spoiler
I felt like the whole idea of the mountain and the keppa and the kepahlos was sort of leaning towards a computer system, and I was really interested to see where it would go, but it didn't really go anywhere. I'm a little unclear about why and how the mountain began and what it has to do with the gods; if all the memory being kept comes from the keppa's incarnations then the gods are irrelevant, aren't they? I don't know.
adventurous
slow-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
This is exactly the sort of fantasy novel I'd been yearning for. Hopeful, fascinating, tense -- but not bloody -- and with a great cast of characters who are the kind of people you'd want to know. They're very human with their flaws and weaknesses and fears, but they keep pushing through because it's right and that actually matters.
One thing I found especially enjoyable is that the book itself feels almost like a mountain of memories. It gives all these impressions and elements that seem to be from the type of fantasy stories that I loved when I was younger. However, it mingles with more modern writing techniques so it doesn't feel dated or simplistic like some of those earlier fantasies. I can't go back to some of those -- they just don't hold up my adult preferences. But THIS novel gives them back to me in a way that I can appreciate these decades later. It's quite an accomplishment.
I don't know if there will be a sequel -- there could be. There are loose ends that don't need to be followed to give the reader satisfaction, but they could lead to new wonderful adventures. There's also a wide world and a deep history and interesting future that could also be explored. These are all coulds, though. The book stands complete on its own.
One thing I found especially enjoyable is that the book itself feels almost like a mountain of memories. It gives all these impressions and elements that seem to be from the type of fantasy stories that I loved when I was younger. However, it mingles with more modern writing techniques so it doesn't feel dated or simplistic like some of those earlier fantasies. I can't go back to some of those -- they just don't hold up my adult preferences. But THIS novel gives them back to me in a way that I can appreciate these decades later. It's quite an accomplishment.
I don't know if there will be a sequel -- there could be. There are loose ends that don't need to be followed to give the reader satisfaction, but they could lead to new wonderful adventures. There's also a wide world and a deep history and interesting future that could also be explored. These are all coulds, though. The book stands complete on its own.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
(I got a patchy look at the last ten pages through Google preview; it was all over bar the shouting, but I did want to see the shouting. Oh well.)
There are many things I liked about this book. Significantly, the characters were great. I was a big fan of Oressa, a princess whose carefully hidden feistiness is actually an obsessive need for knowledge and control; from first appearances she could easily have been a tired rendition of same-old, but she was marvellous, layered, worthy, delightful. I liked Gajdosik, though he was rather more cast-to-type. And I even liked Gulien, though intellectual-yet-effective princes are prone to causing me exasperation (and so did he, I just didn't mind so much).
I also liked the world. The physical world was interesting primarily because it was a dry setting, not the usual Euro-mash. (As an Australian, part of the fantastical of fantasy is how green and wet everything usually is.) But that didn't really matter much to the story; it was less about the physical and more about the metaphysical. The special physics layer of this world was a believable post-gods mess, full of mystery and holes.
That was also part of the problem for me, unfortunately. There was a little too much mystery, and it took a little too long to piece itself together, and then there were still holes, because there was just no way for our very tight viewpoint characters to know much more. It meant that even the finale was sort of a mash of Things Happening that we then needed a couple of chapters to have explained to us. (Part of my lack-of-shine for Gulien is probably that most of this stuff was in his storyline, rather than Oressa's.)
And that mystery overflowed, by necessity, onto some of the antagonist / foil / supporting characters. It makes some of the resolutions a bit anticlimactic. And even more unfortunately, the other antagonist characters were rather cliche. That was probably the most significant weakness of the book.
A final note on the writing. This is the third of Neumeier's books I've read, and her style has always been just heavy enough that you notice the crafting of the words, and that how we're telling the story is a part of the enjoyment. Which either works for you or it doesn't. Mostly, it works for me here, and I enjoyed taking the extra time with the flow, especially as it complemented the strong character viewpoints. Mostly, but not always: sometimes I found myself starting to skim because there'd been too much woffle since the last point of significance. YMMV.
There are many things I liked about this book. Significantly, the characters were great. I was a big fan of Oressa, a princess whose carefully hidden feistiness is actually an obsessive need for knowledge and control; from first appearances she could easily have been a tired rendition of same-old, but she was marvellous, layered, worthy, delightful. I liked Gajdosik, though he was rather more cast-to-type. And I even liked Gulien, though intellectual-yet-effective princes are prone to causing me exasperation (and so did he, I just didn't mind so much).
I also liked the world. The physical world was interesting primarily because it was a dry setting, not the usual Euro-mash. (As an Australian, part of the fantastical of fantasy is how green and wet everything usually is.) But that didn't really matter much to the story; it was less about the physical and more about the metaphysical. The special physics layer of this world was a believable post-gods mess, full of mystery and holes.
That was also part of the problem for me, unfortunately. There was a little too much mystery, and it took a little too long to piece itself together, and then there were still holes, because there was just no way for our very tight viewpoint characters to know much more. It meant that even the finale was sort of a mash of Things Happening that we then needed a couple of chapters to have explained to us. (Part of my lack-of-shine for Gulien is probably that most of this stuff was in his storyline, rather than Oressa's.)
And that mystery overflowed, by necessity, onto some of the antagonist / foil / supporting characters. It makes some of the resolutions a bit anticlimactic. And even more unfortunately, the other antagonist characters were rather cliche. That was probably the most significant weakness of the book.
A final note on the writing. This is the third of Neumeier's books I've read, and her style has always been just heavy enough that you notice the crafting of the words, and that how we're telling the story is a part of the enjoyment. Which either works for you or it doesn't. Mostly, it works for me here, and I enjoyed taking the extra time with the flow, especially as it complemented the strong character viewpoints. Mostly, but not always: sometimes I found myself starting to skim because there'd been too much woffle since the last point of significance. YMMV.
The Mountain of Kept Memory is a stand alone fantasy novel that reminded me of City of Stairs. The gods died long ago, but the Kieba has retained some of their power, which she’s used to protect the people of Carastind… until the king manages to anger her. With the kingdom on the edge of invasion, the prince and princess of Carastind are desperately trying to salvage their kingdom’s independence from the forces arrayed against them.
While The Mountain of Kept Memory is firmly in the fantasy genre, the eponymous mountain, the dwelling place of the Kieba, had an almost science fiction feel to it. I really loved the influence, and I thought the background mythology of the dead gods and the Kieba was one of the best things about the book. The world building was just detailed enough to avoid feeling generic, but I think I’ll be remembering the Kieba and her mountain for quite a while.
The narrative switches POV between two protagonists. Gulien Madalin is the prince and heir to the throne. He’s conscientious and tries to be a good son, but he’s realizing that his father may not have the kingdom’s best interests at heart. Oressa is his sister, the princess. She was a pretty awesome female lead. She’s adept at playing the role of the demure princess, but she’s actually got a rebellious streak a mile wide and is far more intelligent than she lets on. If anything happens within the palace, she’s likely to know about it.
Tone-wise, The Mountain of Kept Memory doesn’t follow the grimdark trend. While I wouldn’t call it fluffy, it’s not dark either. There is a minor romance subplot for Oressa, but it doesn’t receive much focus. The story’s more centered around the political drama of invading armies and trying to seek the Kieba’s help.
The Mountain of Kept Memory is one of the few stand alone epic fantasy novels I’ve come across in a while. I was doubting Rachel Neumeier’s ability to fit the plot into one volume, but she ended up surprising me. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a more traditional fantasy novel.
Originally posted on my link text
I received an ARC of The Mountain of Kept Memory from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
While The Mountain of Kept Memory is firmly in the fantasy genre, the eponymous mountain, the dwelling place of the Kieba, had an almost science fiction feel to it. I really loved the influence, and I thought the background mythology of the dead gods and the Kieba was one of the best things about the book. The world building was just detailed enough to avoid feeling generic, but I think I’ll be remembering the Kieba and her mountain for quite a while.
The narrative switches POV between two protagonists. Gulien Madalin is the prince and heir to the throne. He’s conscientious and tries to be a good son, but he’s realizing that his father may not have the kingdom’s best interests at heart. Oressa is his sister, the princess. She was a pretty awesome female lead. She’s adept at playing the role of the demure princess, but she’s actually got a rebellious streak a mile wide and is far more intelligent than she lets on. If anything happens within the palace, she’s likely to know about it.
Tone-wise, The Mountain of Kept Memory doesn’t follow the grimdark trend. While I wouldn’t call it fluffy, it’s not dark either. There is a minor romance subplot for Oressa, but it doesn’t receive much focus. The story’s more centered around the political drama of invading armies and trying to seek the Kieba’s help.
The Mountain of Kept Memory is one of the few stand alone epic fantasy novels I’ve come across in a while. I was doubting Rachel Neumeier’s ability to fit the plot into one volume, but she ended up surprising me. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a more traditional fantasy novel.
Originally posted on my link text
I received an ARC of The Mountain of Kept Memory from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is exactly the sort of fantasy novel I'd been yearning for. Hopeful, fascinating, tense -- but not bloody -- and with a great cast of characters who are the kind of people you'd want to know. They're very human with their flaws and weaknesses and fears, but they keep pushing through because it's right and that actually matters.
One thing I found especially enjoyable is that the book itself feels almost like a mountain of memories. It gives all these impressions and elements that seem to be from the type of fantasy stories that I loved when I was younger. However, it mingles with more modern writing techniques so it doesn't feel dated or simplistic like some of those earlier fantasies. I can't go back to some of those -- they just don't hold up my adult preferences. But THIS novel gives them back to me in a way that I can appreciate these decades later. It's quite an accomplishment.
I don't know if there will be a sequel -- there could be. There are loose ends that don't need to be followed to give the reader satisfaction, but they could lead to new wonderful adventures. There's also a wide world and a deep history and interesting future that could also be explored. These are all coulds, though. The book stands complete on its own.
One thing I found especially enjoyable is that the book itself feels almost like a mountain of memories. It gives all these impressions and elements that seem to be from the type of fantasy stories that I loved when I was younger. However, it mingles with more modern writing techniques so it doesn't feel dated or simplistic like some of those earlier fantasies. I can't go back to some of those -- they just don't hold up my adult preferences. But THIS novel gives them back to me in a way that I can appreciate these decades later. It's quite an accomplishment.
I don't know if there will be a sequel -- there could be. There are loose ends that don't need to be followed to give the reader satisfaction, but they could lead to new wonderful adventures. There's also a wide world and a deep history and interesting future that could also be explored. These are all coulds, though. The book stands complete on its own.