Scan barcode
A review by goblinhearted
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
4.0
As someone who is not typically very familiar with high fantasy fiction, I enjoyed this book. It ticked many of my boxes including female main character, lesbians, flamboyant but moody elf dudes, and librarian necromancers.
However, I waited a while before writing this review because I wanted everything to really sink in. Time and then more time passed. Something has prevented me from loving this book. Even though I was enjoying what I read, it felt like things slowed down. I had intended to read the sequel after finishing, but I felt like I needed a break before jumping right into it.
The worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved the concept of the maze, a kind of hub world that one travels through to get somewhere else. The descriptions of the different areas of the world were impeccable. I really enjoyed the writing style and even jotted down some notes about techniques that I really liked and would like to emulate in my own writing (someday).
Maybe it’s just that I’m drawn to very character-driven novels, and I’d say this one is definitely more plot-driven. Csorwe, our main character, has a little bit of a past but is for the most part a blank slate. I feel like I would have liked to get to know her and Shuthmili a lot better.
The highlight of this book for me is the relationship between Csorwe and Shuthmili. I loved how Csorwe, given her life experience, could suspect that something similar was happening to Shuthmili. I also didn’t expect to grow so fond of Tal (who at first just seemed to be plopped into the story to be an insufferable asshole) and of course, Oranna.
However, I waited a while before writing this review because I wanted everything to really sink in. Time and then more time passed. Something has prevented me from loving this book. Even though I was enjoying what I read, it felt like things slowed down. I had intended to read the sequel after finishing, but I felt like I needed a break before jumping right into it.
The worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved the concept of the maze, a kind of hub world that one travels through to get somewhere else. The descriptions of the different areas of the world were impeccable. I really enjoyed the writing style and even jotted down some notes about techniques that I really liked and would like to emulate in my own writing (someday).
Maybe it’s just that I’m drawn to very character-driven novels, and I’d say this one is definitely more plot-driven. Csorwe, our main character, has a little bit of a past but is for the most part a blank slate. I feel like I would have liked to get to know her and Shuthmili a lot better.
The highlight of this book for me is the relationship between Csorwe and Shuthmili. I loved how Csorwe, given her life experience, could suspect that something similar was happening to Shuthmili. I also didn’t expect to grow so fond of Tal (who at first just seemed to be plopped into the story to be an insufferable asshole) and of course, Oranna.