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A review by peterkeep
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
4.0
As other people have already said, Three Parts Dead is a WEIRD book. It was extremely original, and kind of caught me off guard. I had to change the way I've been reading to adapt to this kind of story - instead of reading and constantly thinking ahead about what events might lead to, or what certain characters will likely do next, I was forced to take a back seat and just enjoy the ride.
With a story this original, it was impossible to even try to think ahead as to what could be coming around the corner. Instead, I paid attention to the story Gladstone was telling and enjoyed myself a lot. It's a bit of murder-mystery mixed with a legal drama, all in the backdrop of the strangest urban fantasy world I've encountered. After 50 pages, I still didn't know a lot of what was going on in the "big picture," but I was enjoying everything presented in front of me.
Gladstone didn't over-explain anything - if anything, he left me constantly questioning what a reference was, how characters were connected, or what the implications of different actions were. In time, everything gets connected and cleared up really well. The story starts with a relatively small scope, following Tara as she figures out her life after her strange exit from school. As it continues, it zooms out to become an expansive thriller set in a robust world with a cast of characters good, evil, and somewhere in between.
One of my favorite parts of the book, though, was the social commentary. A lot of times, when authors want to make a political statement in their writing, they write about social issues - gender roles, social policies, civil rights issues, etc. Gladstone, again, is quite original in his narrative on global finance. It's a topic not touched on much, and the way he weaves his criticisms of modern financial systems into his story is really great. He isn't heavy-handed, and instead uses hiscriticisms observations (I shouldn't put words into his mouth) of modern financial systems as a really cool part of his worldbuilding.
I think out of all of the cool things in this book, there's a pretty easy theme: this book is just so unique. It was a nice refreshing detour from the same kinds of tropes and ideas that show up in fantasy.
With a story this original, it was impossible to even try to think ahead as to what could be coming around the corner. Instead, I paid attention to the story Gladstone was telling and enjoyed myself a lot. It's a bit of murder-mystery mixed with a legal drama, all in the backdrop of the strangest urban fantasy world I've encountered. After 50 pages, I still didn't know a lot of what was going on in the "big picture," but I was enjoying everything presented in front of me.
Gladstone didn't over-explain anything - if anything, he left me constantly questioning what a reference was, how characters were connected, or what the implications of different actions were. In time, everything gets connected and cleared up really well. The story starts with a relatively small scope, following Tara as she figures out her life after her strange exit from school. As it continues, it zooms out to become an expansive thriller set in a robust world with a cast of characters good, evil, and somewhere in between.
One of my favorite parts of the book, though, was the social commentary. A lot of times, when authors want to make a political statement in their writing, they write about social issues - gender roles, social policies, civil rights issues, etc. Gladstone, again, is quite original in his narrative on global finance. It's a topic not touched on much, and the way he weaves his criticisms of modern financial systems into his story is really great. He isn't heavy-handed, and instead uses his
I think out of all of the cool things in this book, there's a pretty easy theme: this book is just so unique. It was a nice refreshing detour from the same kinds of tropes and ideas that show up in fantasy.