Scan barcode
A review by spicedragon
Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor
2.0
2/5
Silk Fire was an ambitious undertaking for a debut novel. I believe if it was refined more it could be a groundbreaking novel, however, as it stands.... it is everything but.
The world-building has immense potential, the concept of taking the brightness from someone and how it can alter your appearance. The fact that our main character is a sex worker and closely follows the lives of him and his comrades. Kore's thirst and plan for revenge. An ancient ward of the city once thought lost, and a god that was thought long dead. SO much that could've made an amazing novel if the author had only focused on one aspect. I think the biggest pitfall of this novel is the author had multiple ideas of what would make a cool and new sci-fi novel and instead of whittling it down to a solid like four core ideas, the author decided to mash it all together. As I was reading the arc, I had gotten 6 chapters in and had hit like 3 climaxes that would've made up 3 other novels. At times, it's almost incomprehensible, a book that takes unbelievable amounts of brain energy to follow the plot and cast of characters who are there in a whirlwind and gone just as quick.
I do think the novel needs heavy editing to reach it's true potential.
Silk Fire was an ambitious undertaking for a debut novel. I believe if it was refined more it could be a groundbreaking novel, however, as it stands.... it is everything but.
The world-building has immense potential, the concept of taking the brightness from someone and how it can alter your appearance. The fact that our main character is a sex worker and closely follows the lives of him and his comrades. Kore's thirst and plan for revenge. An ancient ward of the city once thought lost, and a god that was thought long dead. SO much that could've made an amazing novel if the author had only focused on one aspect. I think the biggest pitfall of this novel is the author had multiple ideas of what would make a cool and new sci-fi novel and instead of whittling it down to a solid like four core ideas, the author decided to mash it all together. As I was reading the arc, I had gotten 6 chapters in and had hit like 3 climaxes that would've made up 3 other novels. At times, it's almost incomprehensible, a book that takes unbelievable amounts of brain energy to follow the plot and cast of characters who are there in a whirlwind and gone just as quick.
I do think the novel needs heavy editing to reach it's true potential.