Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-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
Really enjoyed this book. I always enjoy prehistoric novels and I thought this one was very good. I really liked the setting of the scenes, the descriptions of life back then, the social settings, and I felt like the story didn't fall into the 'noble savage' trap that some books of this type do.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
Not among my very favorite KSR novels, but fun from the jump and by the end had moved me in unanticipated ways. I knew going in that this would be a story of early humans in what is now Europe, and the cover image of a lone figure in desolate ice, and the title Shaman, had me envisioning a serious epic. But while it can be serious and epic, it was also far more pleasant and off-beat than I expected. The early human societies Robinson describes are different than our own in so many ways, but he also makes them so recognizably human: prone to petty squabbles, occasionally vulgar, and especially in our young male protagonist, desperately horny.
Outside of a couple genuinely thrilling scenes, most of the book is leisurely paced, with many descriptions of how these people must have lived: how they hunted and stored food, made fire, prepared for the seasons, told stories and painted caves. I found this mostly fascinating, but if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea you may find this book hard to get through. Particularly intriguing was the relation between groups of humans (“packs”) as well as the “old ones” (who the reader would know to be Neanderthals) who share their landscape. And I’ve come to look forward to the scenes in many KSR books of extreme physical exertion; he writes them well, and this had a couple.
Outside of a couple genuinely thrilling scenes, most of the book is leisurely paced, with many descriptions of how these people must have lived: how they hunted and stored food, made fire, prepared for the seasons, told stories and painted caves. I found this mostly fascinating, but if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea you may find this book hard to get through. Particularly intriguing was the relation between groups of humans (“packs”) as well as the “old ones” (who the reader would know to be Neanderthals) who share their landscape. And I’ve come to look forward to the scenes in many KSR books of extreme physical exertion; he writes them well, and this had a couple.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
"Cast yourself out into the spaces you breathe, watch what happens."
I'm a sucker for anything that imagines humans in prehistoric times! The speculation of what life might have been like back then never ceases to thrill me. KSR creates such a rich and well considered narrative here. The way he describes the passage of time in particular is interesting and fluid, aware of time as both cyclical and not, both real and imagined. I have to imagine that it's challenging to craft an extended story like this one within the context of a period in which time was both very important in terms of survival and utterly meaningless in terms of how we utilize it to mark and denote everything and everyone that exists within it in the modern day. Overall the novel has a structure that had me frequently thinking "oh, is it about to end?" as I listened to the audiobook, only to be pleasantly surprised by the fact that several hours of story remained. You might find the novel boring if you're big on things moving fast and feeling urgent throughout, but I found its mixed pace that sometimes slows to a detailed crawl to be a pleasant one.
Interesting idea -- look at the beginnings of humanity by considering a life 30,000 years ago. I enjoyed it, and liked the idea, but the book wasn't the mot gripping/engaging.
I’ve been wanting to read Shaman for a long time. I enjoy prehistoric fiction, and Robinson is one of my favorite science fiction writers, so I was curious to see how he would approach this genre. I loved the book and highly recommend it.
The main viewpoint character is Loon, a young shaman in training who faces a rite of passage, surviving alone in the wilderness.
One of the jacket comments called the book an immersive experience, and I agree. I felt drawn in by the detailed descriptions of Loon’s world and how he thought and felt about it. The songs and dances, stories and art mentioned in the story felt authentic and well-researched, and brought that world to life. I could feel the love and respect Loon and other characters had for the nature around them.
The first part of the book reminded me a little of Andy Weir’s The Martian, with its technical detail and focus on a single character’s struggle for survival. The rest of the book is classic Robinson, with conflict that touches on timeless big questions such as how humans should treat each other, and our relationship to nature and the spirit world.
The main viewpoint character is Loon, a young shaman in training who faces a rite of passage, surviving alone in the wilderness.
One of the jacket comments called the book an immersive experience, and I agree. I felt drawn in by the detailed descriptions of Loon’s world and how he thought and felt about it. The songs and dances, stories and art mentioned in the story felt authentic and well-researched, and brought that world to life. I could feel the love and respect Loon and other characters had for the nature around them.
The first part of the book reminded me a little of Andy Weir’s The Martian, with its technical detail and focus on a single character’s struggle for survival. The rest of the book is classic Robinson, with conflict that touches on timeless big questions such as how humans should treat each other, and our relationship to nature and the spirit world.
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot of sex and masturbation. My first story set in a prehistoric world. It's interesting to see what was happening.
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Basically paleolithic history nerd stuff with KSR's sense of humor. Best read as a coming-of-age adventure novel. Although the death of one character made me surprisingly sad!