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A review by banjax451
All the Ash We Leave Behind by Robert Cargill
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The worst part about watching a world grow cold isn’t the chill, it’s remembering the warmth.
You'll find this line about a third of the way through this outstanding novella, set in the author's series of books starting with Sea of Rust and its prequel, Day Zero. All the Ash We Leave Behind serves as something of a "midquel" (if that's a thing), though it doesn't bridge the gaps. Here we see a Nannybot looking for and finding a rumored "last enclave" of humanity and bots living together, outside of the war that has consumed most of humanity (and now is consuming bots themselves as the AIs war with one another). But not everything in Confederation is going great, which is something Nanny discovers and is forced to reckon with.
This is a bleak and dark bit of fiction - much as Day Zero was. This is a survivor tale and is about survival itself. It has a message, but I don't know if everyone reading this will appreciate the idea that just getting to another day is a success.
If I had a quibble that holds this back from the heights of the prior two novels (and of other C. Robert Cargill work, which I quite love honestly - I still long for a return to Austin and the world of "the wizard Colby") it is that it is so short. I think there was an interesting idea here that could have been drawn out into a full novel, stretching out more and more regarding events in Confederation. But instead...it all is over in just a handful of pages and I was left wondering why we didn't get more time. This is short, and it made me wish there had simply been more.
But for what it is...it is very good. Just don't expect to feel good at the end. Because you won't.
4 stars. I'd also love it if Cargill got back to Brittle's story...the ending of Sea of Rust seemed to imply that there was more there to tell. But if this is what I get...I'm happy enough, since Cargill is such a good writer and (unfortunately), the movies he writes aren't my cup of tea.
You'll find this line about a third of the way through this outstanding novella, set in the author's series of books starting with Sea of Rust and its prequel, Day Zero. All the Ash We Leave Behind serves as something of a "midquel" (if that's a thing), though it doesn't bridge the gaps. Here we see a Nannybot looking for and finding a rumored "last enclave" of humanity and bots living together, outside of the war that has consumed most of humanity (and now is consuming bots themselves as the AIs war with one another). But not everything in Confederation is going great, which is something Nanny discovers and is forced to reckon with.
This is a bleak and dark bit of fiction - much as Day Zero was. This is a survivor tale and is about survival itself. It has a message, but I don't know if everyone reading this will appreciate the idea that just getting to another day is a success.
If I had a quibble that holds this back from the heights of the prior two novels (and of other C. Robert Cargill work, which I quite love honestly - I still long for a return to Austin and the world of "the wizard Colby") it is that it is so short. I think there was an interesting idea here that could have been drawn out into a full novel, stretching out more and more regarding events in Confederation. But instead...it all is over in just a handful of pages and I was left wondering why we didn't get more time. This is short, and it made me wish there had simply been more.
But for what it is...it is very good. Just don't expect to feel good at the end. Because you won't.
4 stars. I'd also love it if Cargill got back to Brittle's story...the ending of Sea of Rust seemed to imply that there was more there to tell. But if this is what I get...I'm happy enough, since Cargill is such a good writer and (unfortunately), the movies he writes aren't my cup of tea.