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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
This book will break your brain. This is a good thing. Enjoy the weirdest fantasy you've read in a while
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alright I have had my eye on this one for a while. It's dark academia and magic (a fav combo for me). And August being women in translation month (yes, I know this is written by a couple, so it's only half a woman in translation, but the translator is female too...), it seemed like the time to give it a go. (The authors are Ukrainian, but the novel's original language is Russian.)
Y'all this book was weird. Like, esoterically, creepily, weird. Like "whatttttttt did I just read?" weird. Now I get that the MC, Sasha, does not know what's going on (or what's she being taught at her secluded and secretive university) for most of the book either. So it makes sense that she isn't able to clearly explain or describe it to us as readers. But it is unmooring to not understand a book, conceptually, for the majority of the reading experience. Don't get me wrong, I loved the vibes. It was like the perfect level of extremely dark academia energy. And I don't even think I minded the slower paced plot, because the scene and aura setting, and character and "world" development, were so visceral.
However, I just felt, the whole time, like the story was just beyond my grasp; theoretical to the point that I felt close to understanding, but my fingertips *just* couldn’t ever touch it. Like, I think I get that each person is a word, conceptually, which is attached to their personality and powers, in real life. And Sasha is special, a password that can open a new universe/reality/dimension or something. And then their power comes from being able to create or manipulate words? But not real words, like concepts of words that are always-changing and can only be seen/manipulated in their minds, not be written down? But even if that is right, I have no idea how to actually "get" it. If that's what the students at the school felt like over their years of study, no wonder they had to be coerced into enrolling/staying. It was kind of infuriating. Which also, like, great writing, to make me feel that deeply as a reader. Finally, what was that ending?! Like, Sasha ascended? Into a concept? She isn't human/real? Whoa. I think.
Anyways, wow this is philosophical and enigmatic and absolutely inscrutable. I *think* I understood enough to respect the completely out-of-the-box thinking and writing it took to create this story. And I tip my hat to the authors for that. But I am not sure that respect is enough to pull me to keep reading and finish the series. I am going to recommend it if it sounds like it's up your alley, because truly the writing was really great, but I will be leaving my time with this story here.
“Yes, Sasha, as they say, you are a disaster and a gift in one little bottle.”
“All the world’s a text. […] And all the men and women merely words.”
“Fear is a projection of danger [...] genuine or imagined. The thing you wear around your neck is a phantom fear, the kind you get used to...kind of like a familiar sprain. Nothing happened. But you believe in trouble, and that is why you lived through these minutes as if through a real tragedy."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Minor: Ableism, Sexual assault, Violence
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a translated work from two Ukrainian authors.
I can only describe it as slow burn, very dark, weird, cerebral, and existential. I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to but I really enjoyed it.
I can only describe it as slow burn, very dark, weird, cerebral, and existential. I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to but I really enjoyed it.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is definitely a book that I have to revisit in the future. I was drawn into the story from the beginning to the point where I read the entire book in one day. I think it has elements of dark academia, but it's hard for me to say that it is dark academia. In a way, you get a little bit of everything with this book - a bildungsroman, fantasy, horror, dark academia, etc. For a book about words, I'm at a loss to find the right ones to describe it.