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A review by lindzy
Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov
3.0
Full Review Here
Tower of Mud and Straw is a short, fantasy novel by Yaroslav Barsukov. The premise sounded engaging and I liked the idea of a compact book after reading lots of lengthy ones recently.
For a short novel, I was surprised by the pacing. We’re thrown straight in at the deep end, with hints of a back story and a protagonist who follows his heart rather than what is expected of him. The strong start drew me into what seemed a complex world.
But after that, it’s hard to identify exactly what happens. He wants to build the tower. Wants to pull it down. Save it: destroy it. The forward momentum of the plot is stunted by the main character continuously changing his mind. Although this is a character flaw pointed out to him and he tries to address it, it meant the plot didn’t feel it was going anywhere.
At the same time, we’ve got portals to other dimensions, mysterious technology that doesn’t appear to be connected to the portal, warring communities without any explanation as to why. There is a lot packed into a book that didn’t feel it was going anywhere. It’s hard to draw the connections between events and characters. I liked the book, but at the same time, am a little baffled by what actually happened.
Shea is a good protagonist. He wants to do what is right, which instantly makes him likeable. He follows his instincts, which is why he keeps changing his mind as he learns more about what is going on. He’s got a complicated back story and a lot is left unsaid about how he rose to his position. I like the mystery: we don’t know everything about him, and what we do know, we learn in snippets as the story unfolds.
I’m writing this review a little after finishing the book, but it’s not just the distance that means I can’t remember some of the other characters. There’s a love interest who is more than she seems for their short-lived affair. There’s the mystery benefactor/potential threat whose motives stem from revenge. And the friend who helps Shea make decisions – once they’ve stopped drinking themselves into a stupor. Again, for a short book, it’s interesting how many didn’t make it to the end.
This is a good book. It’s engaging, it’s full of potential and I read it in a day. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what works or didn’t, however, as I got to the end and wasn’t sure I fully understood what had happened. The world-building has a good structure in place and I think if this had the time to expand and breathe, go into a little more depth, it would have been a strong read.
If you’re looking for a fantasy book that won’t take you long to get through, and offers enjoyable escapism, then I’d recommend Tower of Mud and Straw. If you’re after in-depth characters and an intricate world, this maybe isn’t the one for you.
Tower of Mud and Straw is a short, fantasy novel by Yaroslav Barsukov. The premise sounded engaging and I liked the idea of a compact book after reading lots of lengthy ones recently.
For a short novel, I was surprised by the pacing. We’re thrown straight in at the deep end, with hints of a back story and a protagonist who follows his heart rather than what is expected of him. The strong start drew me into what seemed a complex world.
But after that, it’s hard to identify exactly what happens. He wants to build the tower. Wants to pull it down. Save it: destroy it. The forward momentum of the plot is stunted by the main character continuously changing his mind. Although this is a character flaw pointed out to him and he tries to address it, it meant the plot didn’t feel it was going anywhere.
At the same time, we’ve got portals to other dimensions, mysterious technology that doesn’t appear to be connected to the portal, warring communities without any explanation as to why. There is a lot packed into a book that didn’t feel it was going anywhere. It’s hard to draw the connections between events and characters. I liked the book, but at the same time, am a little baffled by what actually happened.
Shea is a good protagonist. He wants to do what is right, which instantly makes him likeable. He follows his instincts, which is why he keeps changing his mind as he learns more about what is going on. He’s got a complicated back story and a lot is left unsaid about how he rose to his position. I like the mystery: we don’t know everything about him, and what we do know, we learn in snippets as the story unfolds.
I’m writing this review a little after finishing the book, but it’s not just the distance that means I can’t remember some of the other characters. There’s a love interest who is more than she seems for their short-lived affair. There’s the mystery benefactor/potential threat whose motives stem from revenge. And the friend who helps Shea make decisions – once they’ve stopped drinking themselves into a stupor. Again, for a short book, it’s interesting how many didn’t make it to the end.
This is a good book. It’s engaging, it’s full of potential and I read it in a day. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what works or didn’t, however, as I got to the end and wasn’t sure I fully understood what had happened. The world-building has a good structure in place and I think if this had the time to expand and breathe, go into a little more depth, it would have been a strong read.
If you’re looking for a fantasy book that won’t take you long to get through, and offers enjoyable escapism, then I’d recommend Tower of Mud and Straw. If you’re after in-depth characters and an intricate world, this maybe isn’t the one for you.