A review by totalspan
The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Writing from the POV of an animal creates a real slew of considerations around how they perceived the world, and how they express it to the reader. I think Cidgy really nails it here with Tama. The portrayal of a failing farm in the high country is similarly specific and perfect. There's a real variety of dialogue with different characters from different backgrounds, expressed through various media - and they're all distinctive and satisfying. I would have preferred a clearer delineation between magic/realism, and the pacing felt a bit off: stretched at the beginning and rushed at the end. Overall a great, if harrowing, time.