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elusivity's review
4.0
This one started off somewhat slowly. I puzzled over what the vignette about a young Kai and her sister Ley meant. Apparently, the loss of their father to the sea kicked off a slow dissolution to the family, with Kai staying in Kavekanvana and Ley heading off for her fortunes in Agdel Lex, the city that is three cities in one space.
This story seemed keyed to Ley, a secretive person who also harbor a great drive to ...something. I wasn't sure how much having lost a father can contribute to her closed-off personality (mentioned and emphasized throughout), nor why the family would drift apart so drastically. Not that the situation cannot arise, but I wish the family dynamic is a LOT more fleshed out. As it stood, Kai rarely if ever sees Ley, they don't understand or disclose anything true of intimate to one another Yet Kai will drag herself and a bunch of people to try and first extricate Ley from law, then from the world altering plan Ley created with the dastardly Alethia Vane (who is so evil, like Cruella de Ville evil, casually shoving pedestrians off the sidewalk as she passed, for no reason except she wanted to. What is the reason for her being so evil?!). They just have that inexplicable and wondrous sibling bond I guess.
This is a women's story; or rather, a story peopled by women. No important character is male, apart from a secondary character who is transgender male yet had sufficient experience with of being a woman that he bore children, and another who modded himself as a giant crocodile or something. The delver crew of Zeddig, Rayment, Gal, and Ley back in the days when she was dating Zeddig, ended up being 2 homosexual pairs. The ponderingly slow but brutal police/villain was a woman who punch and break necks and fed people to be tortured by her Lord the giant star Squid.
Inventive as always. Despite all my tiny nits, recommended highly!
This story seemed keyed to Ley, a secretive person who also harbor a great drive to ...something. I wasn't sure how much having lost a father can contribute to her closed-off personality (mentioned and emphasized throughout), nor why the family would drift apart so drastically. Not that the situation cannot arise, but I wish the family dynamic is a LOT more fleshed out. As it stood, Kai rarely if ever sees Ley, they don't understand or disclose anything true of intimate to one another Yet Kai will drag herself and a bunch of people to try and first extricate Ley from law, then from the world altering plan Ley created with the dastardly Alethia Vane (who is so evil, like Cruella de Ville evil, casually shoving pedestrians off the sidewalk as she passed, for no reason except she wanted to. What is the reason for her being so evil?!). They just have that inexplicable and wondrous sibling bond I guess.
This is a women's story; or rather, a story peopled by women. No important character is male, apart from a secondary character who is transgender male yet had sufficient experience with of being a woman that he bore children, and another who modded himself as a giant crocodile or something. The delver crew of Zeddig, Rayment, Gal, and Ley back in the days when she was dating Zeddig, ended up being 2 homosexual pairs. The ponderingly slow but brutal police/villain was a woman who punch and break necks and fed people to be tortured by her Lord the giant star Squid.
Inventive as always. Despite all my tiny nits, recommended highly!
kearneykd's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
tmikerx's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful. This was the type of story that drove me to love Gladstone so much. This book is, essentially, one giant love story - but of so many different types. Familial love, romantic love, platonic love, love of your job(?)... But the story does not focus on that aspect as odd as it sounds. Rather, the love stories are the motivating factors behind the movements of the characters, and it helps to focus on why things are being done the way they are.
The cities in themselves are worthy of praise in their world building, and while reading I couldn't help but feel that as Agdel Lex and Alikand are layered on top of each other, so is our world layered on top of theirs. References to things like looking at a watch to meet a step goal, or wearing a comic book t-shirt helped foster this sense that some of the events that played out in the book also had an effect on events in the real world (or vice versa).
The characters... Every single one of them is a bad ass Woman who don't need no man (yes, there are men, but they are not the focus). I love a good story where there is character growth, and Gladstone did not disappoint on this front.
While I think this book COULD be read on its own, I definitely don't recommend it. There are references to characters and events beyond the scope of this story that having prior knowledge of makes this book so much richer.
Most definitely a 5 star read.
The cities in themselves are worthy of praise in their world building, and while reading I couldn't help but feel that as Agdel Lex and Alikand are layered on top of each other, so is our world layered on top of theirs. References to things like looking at a watch to meet a step goal, or wearing a comic book t-shirt helped foster this sense that some of the events that played out in the book also had an effect on events in the real world (or vice versa).
The characters... Every single one of them is a bad ass Woman who don't need no man (yes, there are men, but they are not the focus). I love a good story where there is character growth, and Gladstone did not disappoint on this front.
While I think this book COULD be read on its own, I definitely don't recommend it. There are references to characters and events beyond the scope of this story that having prior knowledge of makes this book so much richer.
Most definitely a 5 star read.
itsatraaaaap's review
5.0
Chapter 64 of this book is the best chapter in a fantasy novel I have ever read. Every book in this series gets a little more inventive and I'm indebted to Max Gladstone for giving me these books.
mgwuh's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
d20economist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is feral and chaotic and beautiful- not a good entry point to the series, but a magnificent addition to it. I want to reread.