A review by abookishtype
The Carnival Of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 
In The Carnival of Ashes, Tom Beckerlegge takes us back centuries, to a time when Italy was ruled by city-states and small kingdoms, when Venice governed a trading empire, and the fictional city of Cadenza was ruled by poets. This novel—which is arranged in linked prose chapters called cantos—shows us the strange events that bring down the city of poets and libraries through the eyes of a cross-section of its inhabitants. And not only do the characters vary from high to low, poet and non-poet, the cantos themselves transform from comic to Gothic to mystery to tragedy and more. This book is absolutely stunning...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.