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A review by castle_samj
A Distortion of Fate: Tapestry: Book 1 by M.J. Lindsey
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
~127k words, ~12 hours, ARC Reader (digital).
Cloud Atlas meets Final Fantasy (7 or 9). A number of warring factions, each approaching dissonance with varying degrees of historical context and hidden agendas. It was difficult to predict what would happen, or as the story often is told without firm chronology, how we got where we are. At times, this was a wonderful way to retroactively add context, and at others it would have been more appropriate to tell the past before the present. Overall, I think the balance was well done, giving fair intrigue and curiosity followed by actually satisfying it in decent time.
As the first in the Tapestry series, it's a great opener. There are a lot of concepts being introduced, and several name drops that take a keen attentiveness to maintain bearing. The book did not spend a lot of time explaining things overtly but rather allowed the mystery to persist as though I was traveling with any of the main characters, learning in real time. There remains some missing details pertaining to the various people groups and customs; some times it felt oversimplified, such as a character making a situation black-and-white when there would certainly be more color. However, the world building is sufficient to deliver the story arc successfully and not overburden me with unworthy details. But fingers crossed we get some more filler going forward.
Dialogue was handled extremely well. There were various forms of communication that were each given a unique font or typewritten style that allowed for a more fluid experience. Internal voices, thoughts, signaling, speaking, codes; there were even incompatible languages and dialects that contributed to additional discomfort or tension in certain interactions and conversations. The author's attention to communication is a welcomed approach to the concept that people are unique and there is no such thing as a 'universal language'.
I'm eager for the next part, The Space Between Stars. There are a number of plot lines that haven't been fully resolved, and the 'fate' of the main characters is far from decided. And I'm very eager to see how far the special technology develops; it's such a tease for us engineers that love gadgets.
Cloud Atlas meets Final Fantasy (7 or 9). A number of warring factions, each approaching dissonance with varying degrees of historical context and hidden agendas. It was difficult to predict what would happen, or as the story often is told without firm chronology, how we got where we are. At times, this was a wonderful way to retroactively add context, and at others it would have been more appropriate to tell the past before the present. Overall, I think the balance was well done, giving fair intrigue and curiosity followed by actually satisfying it in decent time.
As the first in the Tapestry series, it's a great opener. There are a lot of concepts being introduced, and several name drops that take a keen attentiveness to maintain bearing. The book did not spend a lot of time explaining things overtly but rather allowed the mystery to persist as though I was traveling with any of the main characters, learning in real time. There remains some missing details pertaining to the various people groups and customs; some times it felt oversimplified, such as a character making a situation black-and-white when there would certainly be more color. However, the world building is sufficient to deliver the story arc successfully and not overburden me with unworthy details. But fingers crossed we get some more filler going forward.
Dialogue was handled extremely well. There were various forms of communication that were each given a unique font or typewritten style that allowed for a more fluid experience. Internal voices, thoughts, signaling, speaking, codes; there were even incompatible languages and dialects that contributed to additional discomfort or tension in certain interactions and conversations. The author's attention to communication is a welcomed approach to the concept that people are unique and there is no such thing as a 'universal language'.
I'm eager for the next part, The Space Between Stars. There are a number of plot lines that haven't been fully resolved, and the 'fate' of the main characters is far from decided. And I'm very eager to see how far the special technology develops; it's such a tease for us engineers that love gadgets.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief