Scan barcode
A review by mg_in_md_
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
4.0
To be rated/reviewed after this month's book club meeting
This was probably closer to a 3.5-star rating, but I rounded up to 4 stars since this was a debut novel and I found an online interview with the author that enhanced my reading experience. This fairy tale/fable is set in a nameless place at a nameless time, centering around two families that are united in marriage and plagued by dark secrets. While the story chronicles the lives of three generations of women, it primarily revolves around the relationships among Meridia, her mother Ravenna, and her mother-in-law Eva, and the mysteries behind the magic that guides their lives. Meridia is determined to overcome the haunting magic created by those she loves and the oppressive secrets behind their broken lives. She embarks upon a tumultuous journey of hope and heartbreak as she attempts to keep her new and old families together, ultimately uncovering truths about her own past and shocking revelations about her husband's family.
This is a deeply atmospheric novel that challenges the reader's imagination with story elements that are, at times, unsettling. I would have liked a bit more explanation about the magic, but found that the interview I read afterwards filled in some gaps and helped me draw my own conclusions. While reading, I was reminded of the works of [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg] and the magical realism of [a:Gabriel García Márquez|13450|Gabriel García Márquez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1476349500p2/13450.jpg]. I found the story inventive and engaging overall, and would seek out this author again.
In addition to being a book club read, I used this for the "read a fantasy novel" category in the 2017 BookRiot Read Harder Challenge.
This was probably closer to a 3.5-star rating, but I rounded up to 4 stars since this was a debut novel and I found an online interview with the author that enhanced my reading experience. This fairy tale/fable is set in a nameless place at a nameless time, centering around two families that are united in marriage and plagued by dark secrets. While the story chronicles the lives of three generations of women, it primarily revolves around the relationships among Meridia, her mother Ravenna, and her mother-in-law Eva, and the mysteries behind the magic that guides their lives. Meridia is determined to overcome the haunting magic created by those she loves and the oppressive secrets behind their broken lives. She embarks upon a tumultuous journey of hope and heartbreak as she attempts to keep her new and old families together, ultimately uncovering truths about her own past and shocking revelations about her husband's family.
This is a deeply atmospheric novel that challenges the reader's imagination with story elements that are, at times, unsettling. I would have liked a bit more explanation about the magic, but found that the interview I read afterwards filled in some gaps and helped me draw my own conclusions. While reading, I was reminded of the works of [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg] and the magical realism of [a:Gabriel García Márquez|13450|Gabriel García Márquez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1476349500p2/13450.jpg]. I found the story inventive and engaging overall, and would seek out this author again.
In addition to being a book club read, I used this for the "read a fantasy novel" category in the 2017 BookRiot Read Harder Challenge.