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A review by luisvilla
The Ruin of Angels by Max Gladstone
3.0
Gimmick bad; book good?
The craft books have always been based on, essentially, a gimmick: mundane office jobs in a magical world. But Gladstone has always been really, really committed to the gimmick, which made it feel less gimmicky and more fun. You were never going to confuse it for high literature, but pushing hard on the edges of a profession was at least entertaining. Here, Gladstone's commitment to the gimmick wanes. I'd been excited to see VC through his entertaining, screwy lens. But he pays it lip service, instead: not integral to the plot in any way, and glossed over so trivially that you learn nothing interesting about our world or his. Might as well have left it out altogether.
All of this probably makes it a better book? So I guess if you're into decently written fantasy, by all means! Just don't go into this expecting the same thing as other Craft novels.
The craft books have always been based on, essentially, a gimmick: mundane office jobs in a magical world. But Gladstone has always been really, really committed to the gimmick, which made it feel less gimmicky and more fun. You were never going to confuse it for high literature, but pushing hard on the edges of a profession was at least entertaining. Here, Gladstone's commitment to the gimmick wanes. I'd been excited to see VC through his entertaining, screwy lens. But he pays it lip service, instead: not integral to the plot in any way, and glossed over so trivially that you learn nothing interesting about our world or his. Might as well have left it out altogether.
All of this probably makes it a better book? So I guess if you're into decently written fantasy, by all means! Just don't go into this expecting the same thing as other Craft novels.