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A review by christinecc
Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A post-apocalyptic world, the threat of chaos renewed, and a spy who has nothing to do but throw himself into a desperate mission. 4.5 stars.
Claire North's "Notes from the Burning Age" is moving, adventurous, and cynically hopeful. It takes a little while to figure this out, but the story soon reveals itself to be a spy thriller in a world only just beginning to heal from massive destruction. The "Burning Age" separates our present day from this world in recovery, and the knowledge of our ambitions and worst inventions are slowly rising to the surface--or in some cases, being purposefully dug up by those with less than kind intentions.
Our protagonist is Ven, a deeply cynical man who engages himself in a mission that literally cannot succeed without a metric ton of hope. His new employer, Georg Mestri, is a ruthless man intent on delving into the past, and he needs Ven to do it. Their relationship is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel: two forces who can't get a read on each other, diametrically opposed in a huge war. They're fantastic antagonists but only a small part of what makes this novel so compelling.
While the rest of the cast is a little difficult to keep track of, readers who persevere will find so much to love in this story. It's got post-apocalyptic world-building and an adventure worthy of John le Carré's best novels.
Highly recommended if you love spy novels, morally ambiguous characters, diplomacy on the brink of war, and evocative writing.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Claire North's "Notes from the Burning Age" is moving, adventurous, and cynically hopeful. It takes a little while to figure this out, but the story soon reveals itself to be a spy thriller in a world only just beginning to heal from massive destruction. The "Burning Age" separates our present day from this world in recovery, and the knowledge of our ambitions and worst inventions are slowly rising to the surface--or in some cases, being purposefully dug up by those with less than kind intentions.
Our protagonist is Ven, a deeply cynical man who engages himself in a mission that literally cannot succeed without a metric ton of hope. His new employer, Georg Mestri, is a ruthless man intent on delving into the past, and he needs Ven to do it. Their relationship is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel: two forces who can't get a read on each other, diametrically opposed in a huge war. They're fantastic antagonists but only a small part of what makes this novel so compelling.
While the rest of the cast is a little difficult to keep track of, readers who persevere will find so much to love in this story. It's got post-apocalyptic world-building and an adventure worthy of John le Carré's best novels.
Highly recommended if you love spy novels, morally ambiguous characters, diplomacy on the brink of war, and evocative writing.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.