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A review by deimosremus
Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As I’ve done a dive into the work of Gene Wolfe over the past 2 years or so, he’s without a doubt, become my all-time favorite author. Soldier of the Mist is my 10th Wolfe read, and while it’s safe to say that his tendencies as an author are to “recycle” concepts in play that are familiar in many of his works, the way he manages to make those ideas feel fresh for each subsequent work is rather miraculous.
Latro, Soldier of the Mist’s narrator, much like Book of the New Sun’s Severian or Peace’s Alden Dennis Weer, is one within the ‘unreliable’ category. However, unlike Severian, who often lies to the reader or slyly skirts around the truth, or Alden, whose buried evilness isn’t apparent, Latro is one that admits to his own faults, seeks forgiveness for them and is ultimately a protagonist that has more recognizable goodness within him. The fact that he’s conceptually Severian’s opposite (self-described perfect memory VS complete lack of memory) seems to mark the Latro books as a response to New Sun— to play with some of those same ideas that made it so unique within the realm of SFF, but in a completely different direction.
The way Wolfe plays with the memory of his narrator also means that there are gaps within the narrative that the reader is not aware of— again, using the same tactic of reading New Sun as a story to ‘piece together’, rewarding observant readers with revelations and subtle clues. Of course, it being Wolfe, it’s phenomenally written and constructed, beautiful in its use of language and observance of history, mythology, folklore and literature. Very much looking forward to reading Soldier of Arete and Soldier of Sidon when I get the chance.
Latro, Soldier of the Mist’s narrator, much like Book of the New Sun’s Severian or Peace’s Alden Dennis Weer, is one within the ‘unreliable’ category. However, unlike Severian, who often lies to the reader or slyly skirts around the truth, or Alden, whose buried evilness isn’t apparent, Latro is one that admits to his own faults, seeks forgiveness for them and is ultimately a protagonist that has more recognizable goodness within him. The fact that he’s conceptually Severian’s opposite (self-described perfect memory VS complete lack of memory) seems to mark the Latro books as a response to New Sun— to play with some of those same ideas that made it so unique within the realm of SFF, but in a completely different direction.
The way Wolfe plays with the memory of his narrator also means that there are gaps within the narrative that the reader is not aware of— again, using the same tactic of reading New Sun as a story to ‘piece together’, rewarding observant readers with revelations and subtle clues. Of course, it being Wolfe, it’s phenomenally written and constructed, beautiful in its use of language and observance of history, mythology, folklore and literature. Very much looking forward to reading Soldier of Arete and Soldier of Sidon when I get the chance.