A review by genny
Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Goodness, how do I even begin to review this book? I expected a weird magic system, but this went beyond anything my mind was prepared for. It's actually funny to look back through my reading notes; I went from confused and depressed (nearly DNF'd around 40% in), to strangely compelled to continue (Part Two was the turning point for me), to calm acceptance and even enjoyment. I think it's because the authors are very skilled at getting the reader into the protagonist's headspace - my own feelings reflected Sasha's, as we watch her transformation from a terrified freshman at the Institute, to an almost-broken version of not-quite-herself, to something beyond human that she has learned to be proud of.

It's very difficult to explain the premise without spoiling the plot, but the gist of it is that language is the "magic system" in place. The fact that this deals so heavily with speech theory must have made this a beast to translate. I can't help but feel that this book was written for someone smarter than me, ha! I read some discussions about this after I finished, which helped solidify my interpretation of it (especially that vague ending). It's a book that begs to be discussed, really. It'll be sitting in a dark corner of my brain for quite some time. Now I need a light, fluffy read to decompress!
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