A review by library_rift
The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Candon

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Thank you to Tor for the ARC of this book I received in May.

This book was heavy - at least to me - and one of the reasons why it receives the rating it does. Because while this book is a great read, the fact that it took me so long to get through it when it normally doesn’t take me this long to read a book this size, really frustrated me.

The learning curve isn’t steep, it’s probably easier if you read a lot of sci-fi with a similar type of world building, but it certainly took me some time to get an understanding of what was what. The author does a really good job of gradually fleshing their world building out, revealing the relationships between things/terms and what that means to the overall world and Sunai in particular.

The prose is excellent, and sometimes poetic. The balance Candon has to maintain between technological mumbo-jumbo, a dysfunctional universe, and an incredibly dysfunctional main character who refuses to acknowledge what’s right in front of him until someone else forces him to - and to make me still enjoy reading, really worked for me. 

I wouldn't necessarily say I loved any of the characters, as they're all dysfunctional in ways that are brought to the forefront, but they are likable, diverse, and interesting. They are characters I want to read about in future books.

Definitely something for anyone to consider reading, especially if you like your books to have blends of other genres mixed in.
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