Scan barcode
A review by infinite_tbr
Starless by Jacqueline Carey
4.0
This book took me nearly 200 pages before I really got into it, but once it caught me, I couldn’t put it down. The slow start is mostly due to a lengthy section of training told from a child’s perspective. It also wasn’t the start I expected based on my minimal knowledge of Jacqueline Carey’s works. I expected something with strong female characters and an epic story. I did eventually get both, but it took a while. There’s also a lot of lore dumped at the start…
However, after the slow start, the story really gets going. Khai was chosen by the God Pakhrun to serve as the Shadow to Zariya, Princess of the House of the Ageless (a family that eats magic seeds to avoid aging). Khai spends their childhood training to become a deadly warrior and bodyguard. When Zariya and Khai finally meet, the story really gets going. Evil is rising, the Ageless are running out of seeds, and the House of the Ageless is full of vicious family members all trying to get the upper hand.
There were several things I really liked about this book. First, it turned out to be wonderfully diverse despite me spending a good quarter of the book fearing it was another boy-hero fantasy novel. Instead, we’ve got heroes that are nonbinary, physically disabled, LGBT, and POC. The fact that the gods literally walk around interacting with their faithful but are not human in aspect or understanding made it truly fascinating to read the interactions. The lore about them being cast from their places as stars in the heavens because they rebelled against their father the sun was fascinating. And I liked that the big bad guy, Miasmus, was somewhat redeemed through the heroes actions. The ensuing battle between good and evil based on prophecy was great. And the landscapes Khai and Zariya visited were excellent.
It did feel like the ending was a bit rushed after the dragging start. I could have used a lot more of the Prophecy Hunters and their stories and a bit less of Khai training… I do like that the prophecy didn’t refer to just one person. I also liked that we didn’t spend the entire story on one island but instead got to see a ton of the world and other gods, not just the twins. Overall, I really enjoyed this book although the pacing was a bit off.
However, after the slow start, the story really gets going. Khai was chosen by the God Pakhrun to serve as the Shadow to Zariya, Princess of the House of the Ageless (a family that eats magic seeds to avoid aging). Khai spends their childhood training to become a deadly warrior and bodyguard. When Zariya and Khai finally meet, the story really gets going. Evil is rising, the Ageless are running out of seeds, and the House of the Ageless is full of vicious family members all trying to get the upper hand.
There were several things I really liked about this book. First, it turned out to be wonderfully diverse despite me spending a good quarter of the book fearing it was another boy-hero fantasy novel. Instead, we’ve got heroes that are nonbinary, physically disabled, LGBT, and POC. The fact that the gods literally walk around interacting with their faithful but are not human in aspect or understanding made it truly fascinating to read the interactions. The lore about them being cast from their places as stars in the heavens because they rebelled against their father the sun was fascinating. And I liked that the big bad guy, Miasmus, was somewhat redeemed through the heroes actions. The ensuing battle between good and evil based on prophecy was great. And the landscapes Khai and Zariya visited were excellent.
It did feel like the ending was a bit rushed after the dragging start. I could have used a lot more of the Prophecy Hunters and their stories and a bit less of Khai training… I do like that the prophecy didn’t refer to just one person. I also liked that we didn’t spend the entire story on one island but instead got to see a ton of the world and other gods, not just the twins. Overall, I really enjoyed this book although the pacing was a bit off.