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A review by mesal
Dark Mind by Val Neil
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
slow-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to BookSirens as well as the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Full review on my blog here!
Dark Mind is by far more uncomfortable to read than its prequel. A large part of this is due to the increased depictions of violence—people not willing to read too much of graphic violence and gore should probably think twice before buying this book, because there's plenty to be had—but another important reason is the heavy focus on the era's social evils. One begins the novel thinking it'll reproduce the same atmosphere as Dark Apprentice, with an undercurrent of humor running through several scenes and tying them together, but this novel runs in a completely different direction. There's still an abundance of humor, clearly an integral feature of the writing style and particularly refreshing when contrasted with the darker themes being explored; the change lies in the center of attention shifting solidly to those themes. At certain points during my read I was afraid Dark Mind would skew too heavily into the category of books whose writers feel compelled to comment on everything from racism to misogyny to ableism occurring within a specific time frame, believing it paramount to delineating what it was like to live during that time. This book does toe that line, but ultimately it ensures such discussions are incorporated seamlessly into the plot so that they're given a purpose as well as direction for future novels in the series.
Which brings me to another way Dark Mind differs from its predecessor: there is a structured plot. Granted, that plot still progresses at a slow pace, but there's much more going on than just Nikolai's training. Elements from the first book left largely unexplored are expanded upon in this one, tying up some loose ends while also creating questions so that readers look forward to their answers in the next installment. More plot does not equal less character exposition, though: the relationship between Nikolai and Medea, and the way in which they understand and misunderstand each other, is given special attention; a whole cast of new characters is also introduced, giving the reader more people to root for or despise.
Something I'm not sure I concur with is the amount of what reads as self-defense in the author notes. Certain things definitely need to be said, considering the amount of criticism regularly directed at writers who misrepresent categories of people to which they themselves do not belong; however, there's plenty that can be understood without it having to be stated outright. In my opinion, a story should be able to stand on its own weight and work as its own defense, which I believe Dark Mind has been able to do relatively successfully without the accompaniment of the surplus explanation.
Overall, I've had an excellent time reading this series as far as it has currently progressed, and have been (and will continue) recommending it to all adult dark fantasy enthusiasts.
Full review on my blog here!
Dark Mind is by far more uncomfortable to read than its prequel. A large part of this is due to the increased depictions of violence—people not willing to read too much of graphic violence and gore should probably think twice before buying this book, because there's plenty to be had—but another important reason is the heavy focus on the era's social evils. One begins the novel thinking it'll reproduce the same atmosphere as Dark Apprentice, with an undercurrent of humor running through several scenes and tying them together, but this novel runs in a completely different direction. There's still an abundance of humor, clearly an integral feature of the writing style and particularly refreshing when contrasted with the darker themes being explored; the change lies in the center of attention shifting solidly to those themes. At certain points during my read I was afraid Dark Mind would skew too heavily into the category of books whose writers feel compelled to comment on everything from racism to misogyny to ableism occurring within a specific time frame, believing it paramount to delineating what it was like to live during that time. This book does toe that line, but ultimately it ensures such discussions are incorporated seamlessly into the plot so that they're given a purpose as well as direction for future novels in the series.
Which brings me to another way Dark Mind differs from its predecessor: there is a structured plot. Granted, that plot still progresses at a slow pace, but there's much more going on than just Nikolai's training. Elements from the first book left largely unexplored are expanded upon in this one, tying up some loose ends while also creating questions so that readers look forward to their answers in the next installment. More plot does not equal less character exposition, though: the relationship between Nikolai and Medea, and the way in which they understand and misunderstand each other, is given special attention; a whole cast of new characters is also introduced, giving the reader more people to root for or despise.
Something I'm not sure I concur with is the amount of what reads as self-defense in the author notes. Certain things definitely need to be said, considering the amount of criticism regularly directed at writers who misrepresent categories of people to which they themselves do not belong; however, there's plenty that can be understood without it having to be stated outright. In my opinion, a story should be able to stand on its own weight and work as its own defense, which I believe Dark Mind has been able to do relatively successfully without the accompaniment of the surplus explanation.
Overall, I've had an excellent time reading this series as far as it has currently progressed, and have been (and will continue) recommending it to all adult dark fantasy enthusiasts.