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A review by tiltingwindward
Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov
2.0
I wanted to like this novella more, but it really felt like I was reading it in translation and the translator had accidentally dropped some pages on the floor and tucked them back into the narrative. It felt like bridge with some slats missing - still safe to walk across but unwanted absences in unexpected places. The story has the same emotional feel as many K.J. Parker books I have enjoyed, but without that needle-sharp attention to detail that makes Parker's stories work.
A huge challenge for any fantasy novella is getting enough detail in to make the world seem plausible without exceeding a novella length. Barsukov gave this a credible effort, but I never really understood some key things. Why does everyone think Duma is an aggressive expansionist neighbor who will invade? What do Drakiri actually look like? Why is this tower Queen Daelyn's only form of defense? It's hard for me to fully immerse myself in a story when huge questions remain narrative gaps.
A huge challenge for any fantasy novella is getting enough detail in to make the world seem plausible without exceeding a novella length. Barsukov gave this a credible effort, but I never really understood some key things. Why does everyone think Duma is an aggressive expansionist neighbor who will invade? What do Drakiri actually look like? Why is this tower Queen Daelyn's only form of defense? It's hard for me to fully immerse myself in a story when huge questions remain narrative gaps.