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withtheclassics 's review for:
The Tiger and the Wolf
by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Tiger and the Wolf took me a long time to read: nearly eight weeks. Even for a book of ~600 pages, this is a long time for me. Part of the reason it took so long is because I read it in fits and starts, a dozen pages here, a hundred there, in and around all of the other things I've read since mid-December. I even forgot I had the book a couple of times. Usually, this is bad news for a book in my possession.
So why did I give it four stars?
Well, for one, the world building is amazing. The Crown of the World is richly detailed in its landscape and multiple cultures and religious beliefs make this feel like a real place. It's one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds I've read.
Second, the prose is very good, even elegant at times. Tchaikovsky's descriptions, especially, are lovely, and add to instead of detract from the magic of the book.
Third, the plot is intricate, featuring a dozen or so main characters, with three or four POV characters, all with their own well-developed and complex motivations and desires - and fears. Of everyone, I thought Maniye, the main main character, was the least developed. She spends much of the story reacting and running - but then, she's a quiet, abused person at the beginning, so in many ways her actions are realistic. And she is by no means a weak character.
Last night, after I'd finished the book, I lay awake wondering if there was any part of the plot that was unnecessary. I don't think so. Although it may not seem like it at first, all of the threads come together in the last scene in a satisfying way, and without what came before, the ending wouldn't make sense.
It seemed odd to me that it took so long to finish this book. Usually, if I forget I'm reading a book, it drifts to my DNF and that's it. I think the fact that I kept returning to it says a lot, actually. It doesn't grip you and drag you along; it's a slow burn. I found I remembered what had been happening even if it had been a couple of weeks between reads, which made it easy to return to reading it.
I wonder if this isn't just one of those books you either have to read in a dramatic sprint, or slowly. I went with the latter option, but I don't regret that. In fact, I've added the sequels to my TBR.
So why did I give it four stars?
Well, for one, the world building is amazing. The Crown of the World is richly detailed in its landscape and multiple cultures and religious beliefs make this feel like a real place. It's one of the most fully realized fantasy worlds I've read.
Second, the prose is very good, even elegant at times. Tchaikovsky's descriptions, especially, are lovely, and add to instead of detract from the magic of the book.
Third, the plot is intricate, featuring a dozen or so main characters, with three or four POV characters, all with their own well-developed and complex motivations and desires - and fears. Of everyone, I thought Maniye, the main main character, was the least developed. She spends much of the story reacting and running - but then, she's a quiet, abused person at the beginning, so in many ways her actions are realistic. And she is by no means a weak character.
Last night, after I'd finished the book, I lay awake wondering if there was any part of the plot that was unnecessary. I don't think so. Although it may not seem like it at first, all of the threads come together in the last scene in a satisfying way, and without what came before, the ending wouldn't make sense.
It seemed odd to me that it took so long to finish this book. Usually, if I forget I'm reading a book, it drifts to my DNF and that's it. I think the fact that I kept returning to it says a lot, actually. It doesn't grip you and drag you along; it's a slow burn. I found I remembered what had been happening even if it had been a couple of weeks between reads, which made it easy to return to reading it.
I wonder if this isn't just one of those books you either have to read in a dramatic sprint, or slowly. I went with the latter option, but I don't regret that. In fact, I've added the sequels to my TBR.