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A review by alesia_charles
Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
4.0
4.5 stars, really. First off, I love Wells' writing. She knows how to use words to elevate setting and character to something three-dimensional, and (my favorite technique) to occasionally drop in something humorous that's also illuminating. For example, on p. 12: "There were gasps and outcries, proving that some of the raiders at least were among the devout. One quick thinker turned and dived out the nearest window."
An amazing bit of work. With that one pair of sentences, Wells had me wondering: Just who *is* this woman that jumping out a window is a rational response to her announcing her title? Bits of information accumulate for quite a while before it all comes clear - which is kind of necessary, because it's involved with this culture's religion, and the religion is also most of what the plot is about, in a manner of speaking. (Can't explain more without spoiling the plot.)
What keeps the book from being five stars for me is simply that despite how interesting the main characters (Maskelle and Rian) were, I had trouble really warming up to them. They had interesting back stories and roles and definite personalities and all, but I don't know. It feels like because their cultures were so unlike those of our world, learning about those cultures displaced some of the learning about the characters.
In addition, the pacing of the end of the book seemed off. It had high stakes and danger and politics andtranslation to an alien alternate universe , but something about the order of events or the way they were presented didn't work well for me. Some of what happened resulted from past events that didn't get explained until quite close to - or even after - the novel's events, which might have something to do with it. Or maybe it's just me.
Still. Maskelle's little lightning strike and a bunch of the other events were sufficiently dramatic and thrilling, the world was fascinating, and most of the characters were of the non-pale persuasion (cover art notwithstanding: Maskelle, the dark-skinned main character, is on the back cover; that's Rian, the supporting lead, on the front). And the resolution makes sense, once you work it out - but it really is quite complicated. Highly recommended.
An amazing bit of work. With that one pair of sentences, Wells had me wondering: Just who *is* this woman that jumping out a window is a rational response to her announcing her title? Bits of information accumulate for quite a while before it all comes clear - which is kind of necessary, because it's involved with this culture's religion, and the religion is also most of what the plot is about, in a manner of speaking. (Can't explain more without spoiling the plot.)
What keeps the book from being five stars for me is simply that despite how interesting the main characters (Maskelle and Rian) were, I had trouble really warming up to them. They had interesting back stories and roles and definite personalities and all, but I don't know. It feels like because their cultures were so unlike those of our world, learning about those cultures displaced some of the learning about the characters.
In addition, the pacing of the end of the book seemed off. It had high stakes and danger and politics and
Still. Maskelle's little lightning strike and a bunch of the other events were sufficiently dramatic and thrilling, the world was fascinating, and most of the characters were of the non-pale persuasion (cover art notwithstanding: Maskelle, the dark-skinned main character, is on the back cover; that's Rian, the supporting lead, on the front). And the resolution makes sense, once you work it out - but it really is quite complicated. Highly recommended.