Scan barcode
A review by skycrane
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
4.0
More than anything, Three Parts Dead is simply a joy to read. I laughed out loud numerous times while reading it, and mostly not because of any jokes, but because of the silliness inherent in the world. Is a Craftswoman a lawyer, a magician, a necromancer? All three. Necromancy and law are just a subset of the same discipline. Obviously. What's the most immediate concern when your god dies? Hiring a good bankruptcy firm of course. Gods are always a huge mess of debts and obligations. Even though your god might be dead, it's in nobody's interest for him to remain entirely dead, least of all the creditors'. I still smile just thinking about it.
That's not to say that the book is entirely whimsical. The characters and story are treated very seriously. Even if it seems outlandish, I very much felt for Abelard, a devout novice technician who has to deal with the pain of living in a world without god; Cat, a servant of justice who is so addicted to the clarity and purpose of her calling that she spends her off time seeking life-threatening substitutes; and of course Tara, a new Craftswoman whose desperation and ambition may or may not drive her to commit sins just as horrible as those which were committed against her.
The plot is told like a mystery story, except the main character isn't a detective looking for a murderer, but rather a lawyer looking for assets missing from an estate. Of course, in this world, that's way more exciting than it sounds and involves tracking down vampires, fighting mind control, traveling to another plane to view the body of a fallen god, and jumping into a coach and yelling, "Driver, follow that cab!" It's a big adventure.
Overall, Three Parts Dead reminds me of some of the City Watch Discworld books, except with fewer puns. But it has the same sense of whimsy coupled with the depth of soul.
That's not to say that the book is entirely whimsical. The characters and story are treated very seriously. Even if it seems outlandish, I very much felt for Abelard, a devout novice technician who has to deal with the pain of living in a world without god; Cat, a servant of justice who is so addicted to the clarity and purpose of her calling that she spends her off time seeking life-threatening substitutes; and of course Tara, a new Craftswoman whose desperation and ambition may or may not drive her to commit sins just as horrible as those which were committed against her.
The plot is told like a mystery story, except the main character isn't a detective looking for a murderer, but rather a lawyer looking for assets missing from an estate. Of course, in this world, that's way more exciting than it sounds and involves tracking down vampires, fighting mind control, traveling to another plane to view the body of a fallen god, and jumping into a coach and yelling, "Driver, follow that cab!" It's a big adventure.
Overall, Three Parts Dead reminds me of some of the City Watch Discworld books, except with fewer puns. But it has the same sense of whimsy coupled with the depth of soul.