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A review by livyalusk
So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
5.0
The scope and ambition of this story seemed very hit or miss to me. That made me very pleasantly surprised when it was handled in such a clever and engaging way.
It is clear to me that the author had a real passion for this project and it manages to make me as a reader very interested in his areas of interest. From the history of Indiana to the formation of a storm, I've learned a lot. Using all of his interests as a foundation for the lore he'd built proved very effective, immersing me in the world completely.
The clever way Koryta threads together the main themes of control, power and vanity makes for very interesting characters. They share very present similarities that manage to manifest in unique but clear ways. It also played with the idea of fate in a way that isn't too crazy, making you think long and hard about whether the events really had to happen and what kind of people the main characters are.
The ending, without giving anything away, sent quite a beautiful message that managed to make me feel hopeful for someone I had completely lost hope for. It does so without a happily ever after, but with a subtle idea of how things will look. It leaves a lot to the imagination, but I don't imagine anything horrible.
It is clear to me that the author had a real passion for this project and it manages to make me as a reader very interested in his areas of interest. From the history of Indiana to the formation of a storm, I've learned a lot. Using all of his interests as a foundation for the lore he'd built proved very effective, immersing me in the world completely.
The clever way Koryta threads together the main themes of control, power and vanity makes for very interesting characters. They share very present similarities that manage to manifest in unique but clear ways. It also played with the idea of fate in a way that isn't too crazy, making you think long and hard about whether the events really had to happen and what kind of people the main characters are.
The ending, without giving anything away, sent quite a beautiful message that managed to make me feel hopeful for someone I had completely lost hope for. It does so without a happily ever after, but with a subtle idea of how things will look. It leaves a lot to the imagination, but I don't imagine anything horrible.