A review by being_b
Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I quit at 30%.  Stream of consciousness character study requires the prose to do a lot of heavy lifting, and I wasn’t feeling it.  The problem with being inside the mind of someone with unresolved trauma, like Haimey, is that thinking is circular and repetitive.  Bear captures that extremely well, but it turns out it’s just as boring to watch as it is to experience.  Add to that Connla and Singer’s flatness, and i just couldn’t go on.  

Loved Machine, the next book in the series.