zacwest's reviews
456 reviews

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

4.0

 

There's something interesting here, at least at the core. The world building is unique and I think can best be described as cribbing some good tropes and combining them together well. I feel like it's probably 30% longer than needed, but at least reasonably unpredictable. The thing I dislike the most is the constant discussion of the long-future-from-this-novel state of the narrator. It's good that it's wrapping up loose ends ("and I never saw them again" after a chapter, e.g.) but it's hard that it's projecting some weird future state (look how awful I made the galaxy). I'm torn, really, but erring on the side of liking it more than I expected from the beginning.

Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay

5.0

 

This was an interesting one. A lot of disconnected and reconnected plot lines that danced around each other but never quite melded. Still a solid Kay novel and really quite interesting to see the post-Sarantine world affairs

River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay

5.0

 

I loved the hints throughout of the impact of the actions as perceived a few hundred years later; really a fun way to contextualize the actions in the novel. Great amount of foreshadowing, and a very satisfying array of opinions of characters. Another killer Kay novel.

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

5.0

I was a bit disappointed by the last Kay novel, but this one is a return to form. I love how well we marinate in the culture; not a lot happens, but a _lot_ happens. The political machinations were a fun departure from the normal Kay experience of a character out of their element, though of course the protagonist here can mostly claim that to be the case. 

The Will of the Many by James Islington

5.0

Solid, unpredictable, interesting world building and plot. An absolute joy of a novel and a great introduction to a new series.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

3.0

A fun but minor side story in the Fionavar Tapestry world. Happy to enjoy it, but a little outside of the things I find most satisfying in a Kay novel: a plot that lasts longer than a few days. Felt a lot more stretched out than it needed to be, and I never really doubted where the ending was going to be.

Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

4.0

The world is so rich and interesting, and the added viewpoint really helps sell the expanded world. I wish I could say I was surprised by the ending, but it was projected from the beginning and without it the next book wouldn't be possible.

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay

4.0

After reading several of Kay's novels in a row, this one felt like the rare miss. I enjoyed the story and world building, but it didn't feel like I built up or resolved anything. It was kind of a glipse into the life, not really a well-unified epic story. I did enjoy the long-term impact of The Sarantine Mosaic in some side conversation of characters in the book.

Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay

5.0

The back half of this novel really kept me on my toes; I couldn't predict at all where we were going, and I loved it. As I'm finding more and more reading his back catalog, Kay's ability to pull at emotional threads is unmatched; I'm sympathizing with the protagonists and antagonists alike!

Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay

5.0

I'm finding the best part of the author's writing is the room to breathe and establish ideas and inferences myself without being bashed over the head with the conclusion. From start to finish the first of this two-part series let me soak up the rich world-building and amusing characters. The time-jumps were a bit unexpected, but helped set the stage, and I can't believe I moderately care about chariot racing.