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A review by anna_hepworth
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book is structured in four separate interlinked stories, and on my first attempt this failed me -- because the start of the second was so different from the previous, with different viewpoint characters, and a time skip, and I struggled to get invested. Particularly, because the first part is so self-contained.
I have lots of scattered thoughts, and they are spoilery, so I'm going to restrict myself to some general comments and leave this as a short review. The world-building is fantastic. The multiple worlds, the travel mechanism, the gods, the magic and technology, all deftly sketched and fitted in to the story seamlessly. The characters are amazingly detailed and complex individuals. The main viewpoint character, Csorwe, is morally grey and yet it was entirely understandable how they get from their childhood expectations to their adult self. The plot is intricate, and strongly adheres to the approach I have previously seen attributed to Lois McMaster Bujold of 'if in doubt, make things worse' (said approach attributed to Emily Tesh in the acknowledgements). And the writing is lush.
Having finished it, I'm now reaching for book 2, and very much looking forward to finding out what else happens. I'm presuming that the safe life that several of the characters have gone off to find won't be, or that those characters won't appear in further instalments. And I imagine that there are some worlds-changing events to come, given a) the implications of some events in this book and b) the synopsis of the second.
I have lots of scattered thoughts, and they are spoilery, so I'm going to restrict myself to some general comments and leave this as a short review. The world-building is fantastic. The multiple worlds, the travel mechanism, the gods, the magic and technology, all deftly sketched and fitted in to the story seamlessly. The characters are amazingly detailed and complex individuals. The main viewpoint character, Csorwe, is morally grey and yet it was entirely understandable how they get from their childhood expectations to their adult self. The plot is intricate, and strongly adheres to the approach I have previously seen attributed to Lois McMaster Bujold of 'if in doubt, make things worse' (said approach attributed to Emily Tesh in the acknowledgements). And the writing is lush.
Having finished it, I'm now reaching for book 2, and very much looking forward to finding out what else happens. I'm presuming that the safe life that several of the characters have gone off to find won't be, or that those characters won't appear in further instalments. And I imagine that there are some worlds-changing events to come, given a) the implications of some events in this book and b) the synopsis of the second.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Death, and Torture