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yuck1209 's review for:
Kalyna The Soothsayer
by Elijah Kinch Spector
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An odd read. If I had to summarize it, I’d say it’s a story about characters caught between larger forces beyond their control (e.g., politics, the whims of those in power, etc.), and their attempts to survive or have agency despite all that.
The first person narration works for and against the story in different ways. Sometimes, especially towards the start, Kalyna’s voice leans a bit too much on exposition, explaining Tetrarchia’s history or other random cultural tidbits directly at the reader. Other times, it’s helpful to get insight into Kalyna’s inner moral struggles as she balances her survival (and that of her family) with that of Rotfelsen or Tetrarchia overall.
It does feel very… chaotic. There are multiple factions vying for power, and none of them appear to be particularly competent, clever, or working towards a specific vision of the future they want. It reads as very messy and disorganized, which maybe isn’t entirely inaccurate to how government or the world functions, but it does feel a bit unsatisfying. Like, obviously Kalyna has to be some level of cunning and resourceful to stay attuned to the ever-shifting political sands around her. But watching her stay one step ahead of selfish, myopic fools somehow feels both satisfying and disappointing.
The first person narration works for and against the story in different ways. Sometimes, especially towards the start, Kalyna’s voice leans a bit too much on exposition, explaining Tetrarchia’s history or other random cultural tidbits directly at the reader. Other times, it’s helpful to get insight into Kalyna’s inner moral struggles as she balances her survival (and that of her family) with that of Rotfelsen or Tetrarchia overall.
It does feel very… chaotic. There are multiple factions vying for power, and none of them appear to be particularly competent, clever, or working towards a specific vision of the future they want. It reads as very messy and disorganized, which maybe isn’t entirely inaccurate to how government or the world functions, but it does feel a bit unsatisfying. Like, obviously Kalyna has to be some level of cunning and resourceful to stay attuned to the ever-shifting political sands around her. But watching her stay one step ahead of selfish, myopic fools somehow feels both satisfying and disappointing.