A review by whami
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 Yet another Ian McDonald book is a 5-star read for me, even though it is something I normally wouldn't enjoy.
McDonald has a knack for writing books that are everything I normally hate (slow uneven pacing, not much happening, way too much time spent describing the background and scenery, etc.) but I end up loving. This wasn't quite as good as Hopeland, but still an excellent read.