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A review by liviajelliot
The Child of the Greenwood by Joshua Walker
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The Child of the Greenwood is a fast-paced, action-packed novella with themes of grief, growth, and challenging one's beliefs. It is the second novella in The Song of the Sleepers series, but it also works as a standalone.
Just like the first novella (The Rest to the Gods), we have two timelines—past and present—with chapters titled Now and Then. Although we are always following the same character, Jilo, the difference between each timeline is incredibly well done. While then-Jilo was frustrated about his father's behaviour, being often self-deprecated and a bit sour, now-Jilo is bitter, traumatised, and has changed as he aged. As a result, although he is a bit of an unreliable narrator (especially then-Jilo, since he was also a young teenager) it was easy and enjoyable to pick up the character biases throughout the plot.
Overall, Jilo as a character is excellent. His emotions and thoughts come out of the page, and we see how his low self-esteem affects his inner dialogue. It reads natural, and Walker's easy-to-read yet engaging prose make him an even more compelling character.
The alternation of chapters basically tells us how he came to be, and why he's on his current predicament. Both timelines weave together seamlessly, as one posits questions the other answer (either immediately or in future chapters), making the narrative engrossing.
Something that I really loved are all the little details that tie The Child of the Greenwood to the remainder of the series. Let me give you some hints on spoilers.We get details of the Four Front War that appears in The Rest to the Gods, the river Sickness mentioned in Exile..., some mentions of past events around the Great Trees, a character we finally know how he ended up somewhere, and a bit of the Adira-vs-Therador push. Reading the series is not required to pick up on these details, but they weave together to demonstrate that Q'ara is large, living world full of magic and mystery. To me, it made Q'ara feel alive.
This novella does feature the Nestler/Burrowers (aka, Hidden Ones) a bit more—a species of weasel-like creatures of Q'ara. While I loved exploring their lives and beliefs, the novella focuses more on how Jilo is adopted by the Nestlers and the friendships he forms, rather than exploring the Hidden Ones' culture.
While this novella doesn't focus on the Sleeper's magic, which gives the name to the series, it sows the seed for a bit of mystery that hasn't appeared on the series before—artifacts called 'grindels' that seem to have some of the Sleeper's power (i.e., luminosity).
Finally, while the pacing of the entire book was almost perfect, the last two chapters (each closing their respective timeline's arcs) felt (to me, subjectively) a bit fast. I would have enjoyed them more were they slightly longer.In particular, there is a 'trial' scene in the Then timeline that felt a bit rushed to me—but then again, I'm the reader who enjoys detailed melee fights in books. Likewise, there is a decision in the final Now chapter which, to me, warranted more discussion. It is well-presented, though—I just wanted more! However, this is a novella, and fast-paced plots are common and expected.
Just like the first novella (The Rest to the Gods), we have two timelines—past and present—with chapters titled Now and Then. Although we are always following the same character, Jilo, the difference between each timeline is incredibly well done. While then-Jilo was frustrated about his father's behaviour, being often self-deprecated and a bit sour, now-Jilo is bitter, traumatised, and has changed as he aged. As a result, although he is a bit of an unreliable narrator (especially then-Jilo, since he was also a young teenager) it was easy and enjoyable to pick up the character biases throughout the plot.
Overall, Jilo as a character is excellent. His emotions and thoughts come out of the page, and we see how his low self-esteem affects his inner dialogue. It reads natural, and Walker's easy-to-read yet engaging prose make him an even more compelling character.
The alternation of chapters basically tells us how he came to be, and why he's on his current predicament. Both timelines weave together seamlessly, as one posits questions the other answer (either immediately or in future chapters), making the narrative engrossing.
Something that I really loved are all the little details that tie The Child of the Greenwood to the remainder of the series. Let me give you some hints on spoilers.
This novella does feature the Nestler/Burrowers (aka, Hidden Ones) a bit more—a species of weasel-like creatures of Q'ara. While I loved exploring their lives and beliefs, the novella focuses more on how Jilo is adopted by the Nestlers and the friendships he forms, rather than exploring the Hidden Ones' culture.
While this novella doesn't focus on the Sleeper's magic, which gives the name to the series, it sows the seed for a bit of mystery that hasn't appeared on the series before—artifacts called 'grindels' that seem to have some of the Sleeper's power (i.e., luminosity).
Finally, while the pacing of the entire book was almost perfect, the last two chapters (each closing their respective timeline's arcs) felt (to me, subjectively) a bit fast. I would have enjoyed them more were they slightly longer.