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A review by anntharai
The Original by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of those stories that's like, takes you three hours to read and untold months to get over. I loved every aspect of this book, and by 'loved' I mean enjoyed various things at a decently high level and hated others viscerally because they made my entire being recede into itself.
The real pinnacle of this book is the precise balance between "oh that's so cool" and "holy christ the implications of that are horrific". Take "themes" for example: this society views the world through themes, you know, like the one you have on your phone or computer, and this edits everything around you to look and be a certain way. This extends from how you see everything (gritty neon cyber punk world or cute countryside village) to how people view you physically (height, gender, weight, style). That's cool right? Want to live in anime style retro carton world? Sure can, and how cool, right? But find out your favourite place in the world is actually a bare white warehouse with no internal walls, weird. Find out that because themes edit everything including sound someone can be literally firing a gun next to you and you'll be just chilling out dancing to some house music - scary.
Finding out there are people who don't have a theme installed and so can see you as you really are, shouting at the top of your lungs to talk over music that isn't really there, watching you pee in "bathrooms" that aren't actually enclosed, and outdoor areas you once thought were secluded are actually concrete carparks with hundreds of people milling around thinking they're alone ? Horrific.
I loved this book and it's haunted my contemplations ever since finishing it and I can't think of a better compliment to give an author.
The real pinnacle of this book is the precise balance between "oh that's so cool" and "holy christ the implications of that are horrific". Take "themes" for example: this society views the world through themes, you know, like the one you have on your phone or computer, and this edits everything around you to look and be a certain way. This extends from how you see everything (gritty neon cyber punk world or cute countryside village) to how people view you physically (height, gender, weight, style). That's cool right? Want to live in anime style retro carton world? Sure can, and how cool, right? But find out your favourite place in the world is actually a bare white warehouse with no internal walls, weird. Find out that because themes edit everything including sound someone can be literally firing a gun next to you and you'll be just chilling out dancing to some house music - scary.
Finding out there are people who don't have a theme installed and so can see you as you really are, shouting at the top of your lungs to talk over music that isn't really there, watching you pee in "bathrooms" that aren't actually enclosed,
I loved this book and it's haunted my contemplations ever since finishing it and I can't think of a better compliment to give an author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Gun violence