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A review by teokajlibroj
The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I was reading it, I loved it. I was hooked and couldn't wait to read more. But now that I've reached the ending, I'm left feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
The main problem is that not much happens in the book (towards the end Baru herself even reflects on everything that's happened in the book and concludes that she's done nothing). Most of the book is spent traveling on a boat, while the main characters squabble and scheme. They are supposed to be the most powerful people in the Empire (why are 3 on a single boat?) but they don't seem to wield any actual power. There's a couple new POVs but they don't really add anything.
Baru is very passive during the book, which I think is the fatal flaw. During just one brief moment she is clever and adventurous putting a scheme into plan, but unfortunately for the other 99% of the book she is miserable, moany and sulky. It's hard to believe that in the previous book she was Queen and master of intrigue. She's supposed to be a genius, but with one exception, she never acts like one, instead she is easily outmaneuvered and acts like a pawn manipulated by other forces. There's lots of suspicion and intrigue with the other cryptarchs but it never goes anywhere. I never got the impression that they were masters of an empire, they acted like low level bureaucrats.
The plot with Juris Ormsment seemed contrived and added solely to add tension to an otherwise exposition-heavy voyage. Are you telling me 3 of the most powerful people in the empire would be so helpless against a single ship? The narrative turn towards magic and cancer seemed out of place and odd.
Not a bad book, but it doesn't hold up to brilliance of the first one. It needs more activity and less exposition. Basically, imagine if the first book ended before Baru reached Aurdwynn. So, we have her background and development but it ends before she starts acting and scheming for herself. That's how this book felt.
The main problem is that not much happens in the book (towards the end Baru herself even reflects on everything that's happened in the book and concludes that she's done nothing). Most of the book is spent traveling on a boat, while the main characters squabble and scheme. They are supposed to be the most powerful people in the Empire (why are 3 on a single boat?) but they don't seem to wield any actual power. There's a couple new POVs but they don't really add anything.
Baru is very passive during the book, which I think is the fatal flaw. During just one brief moment she is clever and adventurous putting a scheme into plan, but unfortunately for the other 99% of the book she is miserable, moany and sulky. It's hard to believe that in the previous book she was Queen and master of intrigue. She's supposed to be a genius, but with one exception, she never acts like one, instead she is easily outmaneuvered and acts like a pawn manipulated by other forces. There's lots of suspicion and intrigue with the other cryptarchs but it never goes anywhere. I never got the impression that they were masters of an empire, they acted like low level bureaucrats.
The plot with Juris Ormsment seemed contrived and added solely to add tension to an otherwise exposition-heavy voyage. Are you telling me 3 of the most powerful people in the empire would be so helpless against a single ship? The narrative turn towards magic and cancer seemed out of place and odd.
Not a bad book, but it doesn't hold up to brilliance of the first one. It needs more activity and less exposition. Basically, imagine if the first book ended before Baru reached Aurdwynn. So, we have her background and development but it ends before she starts acting and scheming for herself. That's how this book felt.