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A review by natsirt_esq
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
3.0
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is a unique book. It's clearly fantasy, but unlike most fantasy that I've encountered. It seems to be fantasy that is trying to address current social issues with respect to race and gender identity. Lofty goals that the author doesn't completely hit the mark on. Those coming to this for a good fantasy book will likely be disappointed. Those coming to this for intriguing social issues will likely be similarly disappointed.
The frequent allusions to Ursula LeGuin invite comparisons between Turnbull and LeGuin. The comparison is not favorable to Mr. Turnbull.
Most of the book is world building and character development. On finishing it I felt like I'd been strung along for hundreds of pages with the promise of some pay off, that simply never came. I see now that it's part one of a "saga." I understand books being part of a series, but each book needs to be able to stand on their own. There isn't enough here. This feels like the beginning of a longer book.
The character development is difficult to follow at times. Some characters are introduced and extensive histories provided. Some are never introduced. Some chapters it takes a bit to figure out who the character is. Many chapters are from the perspective of a "monster" who has figured out how to drop into other universes and interact with people. Most people can't see him. But one can. Sometimes the author spends pages telling us about a character. Other times he lets the character develop through their actions. Ridley gets developed better than most. We learn through Ridley's interaction at a barber shop that he is trans. and how that played out via a strained dinner with his parents. Harry's development on the other hand is pages and pages of the narrator telling us about what happened in the past.
There are also a lot of characters to keep track of. Some are more interesting than others. After expensive development of Harry, he disappears for most of the book. His reappearance explains almost nothing and the story of what happened to him sounds more interesting than the story we actually got to read.
The book touches on identity and cooperative living. The cast of characters is quite diverse. The author is clearing trying to make a point on some social issues. That point was lost on me.
Fans of Turnbull's first book, "The Lesson" will enjoy a brief allusion to it towards the end. As a fan of of "The Lesson" I was let down by No Gods, No Monsters and likely would not pick up the next book in the saga.
This is a unique book. It's clearly fantasy, but unlike most fantasy that I've encountered. It seems to be fantasy that is trying to address current social issues with respect to race and gender identity. Lofty goals that the author doesn't completely hit the mark on. Those coming to this for a good fantasy book will likely be disappointed. Those coming to this for intriguing social issues will likely be similarly disappointed.
The frequent allusions to Ursula LeGuin invite comparisons between Turnbull and LeGuin. The comparison is not favorable to Mr. Turnbull.
Most of the book is world building and character development. On finishing it I felt like I'd been strung along for hundreds of pages with the promise of some pay off, that simply never came. I see now that it's part one of a "saga." I understand books being part of a series, but each book needs to be able to stand on their own. There isn't enough here. This feels like the beginning of a longer book.
The character development is difficult to follow at times. Some characters are introduced and extensive histories provided. Some are never introduced. Some chapters it takes a bit to figure out who the character is. Many chapters are from the perspective of a "monster" who has figured out how to drop into other universes and interact with people. Most people can't see him. But one can. Sometimes the author spends pages telling us about a character. Other times he lets the character develop through their actions. Ridley gets developed better than most. We learn through Ridley's interaction at a barber shop that he is trans. and how that played out via a strained dinner with his parents. Harry's development on the other hand is pages and pages of the narrator telling us about what happened in the past.
There are also a lot of characters to keep track of. Some are more interesting than others. After expensive development of Harry, he disappears for most of the book. His reappearance explains almost nothing and the story of what happened to him sounds more interesting than the story we actually got to read.
The book touches on identity and cooperative living. The cast of characters is quite diverse. The author is clearing trying to make a point on some social issues. That point was lost on me.
Fans of Turnbull's first book, "The Lesson" will enjoy a brief allusion to it towards the end. As a fan of of "The Lesson" I was let down by No Gods, No Monsters and likely would not pick up the next book in the saga.