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mariebrunelm's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
5.0
First of all, many thanks to my friend for making me discover this book by a Finnish author. I'd never heard about it even though it's quite recent.
Then, can we talk about how gorgeous this novel is please? It's one of those where the story starts very quiet to let you discover the world bit by bit and get used to the characters before the plot picks up. But what made me swoon was really the atmosphere and the language.
We find ourselves on an island, following the secluded life of a weaver, Elliana. All weavers live in a sort of citadel, cut off from the rest of the inhabitants, and rarely go outside. Our story starts when the outside comes in in the shape of a girl who arrives at the citadel after she was attacked in some way. On her hand is tattooed Elliana's name, although the two have never met. They are brought together by what looks like chance while in the streets of the town below the Tower's wall, a strange epidemic of nightmares causes unrest.
What follows is a gentle tale wrapped in mystery which swells as the chapters go by. The imagery of weaving permeates all the text without it being heavy. The author also pays close attention to light, which on this island is provided by glass bubbles in the shape of jellyfish filled with algae-rich water, emitting a blue glow. All of these contribute to bathing the narrative in a slightly eery, very picturesque atmosphere served by beautiful, flowing sentences. Emmi Itäranta is a Finnish writer writing sometimes in Finnish, sometimes in English. The City of Woven Streets was translated from Finnish into French by Martin Carayol and I thought the translator did a fantastic job because not once did I remember this was a translation.
Rep: brown & black cast. Sapphic MC, intersex secondary character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, and Blood
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