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sergek94's reviews
146 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“What is a game?" Marx said. "It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.”
Do you know that heart-warming feeling of connecting with another human soul during your younger years? Before you've built all of your emotional walls and defense mechanisms, before the often times cold and relentless march of time turned you into a more guarded person, who rarely truly opens their heart out to someone? Well, that's what happens when Sadie, a fiery and ambitious little girl, meets awkward and nerdy Sam, who has gone through a traumatizing accident that left his leg disabled and is in the hospital getting treated, not having talked to a single person, up until the arrival of Sadie. Despite the fact that one of the motives for Sadie to spend so much time with him was to fill out as many hours as she could for her Bar Mitzvah community service requirement (which would later upset little Sam), she loved every minute she spent with him, and so did Sam, who finally opened up to her after a period of complete trauma induced silence. Thus begins the story of Sadie and Sam, but unfortunately for them, they were not meant to stay kids forever, and the ever-marching flow of time inevitably took their childhood, and their innocence and open-hearted vulnerability away. Will these two kindred souls preserve their precious bond through the never-ending storms life brings upon them, and if they don't, can they eventually find their way back to each other?
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
This story spans around 30 years, and what an emotional and long journey it was! I could have sworn the book was 600 pages long, even though it was only in the 400s. I guess the fact that we cover such a vast time period just makes it read naturally longer than it actually is. What I loved about this book was that it was unapologetically authentic to real-life experience. The writing style is light and easy to follow, and we have a lot of humorous moments, but the author doesn't shy away from delivering gut-wrenching punches that come so suddenly and leave us in tears. These children grow up to be adults in their late 30s, and throughout their journey, they lose their childlike idealism for the world, and risk being devoured by cynicism. This is not a tragedy of a story, though, and these sad moments are gently nestled within joyous and heart-warming and cosy moments that make the less happy ones more bearable.
Our two protagonists are far from perfect, and both of them are flawed in their own ways. I alternated being frustrated with each of them at different points in the story, and I just wished they would act less stubbornly, less rashly, and truly put in the time to hear each other out. But even after their worst arguments, that bond that has been there ever since they were little kids always tries to creep up to the surface, to remind them just how much they truly mean to each other.
“And what is love, in the end?" Alabaster said. "Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else's journey through life?”
One aspect that really frustrated me in this book is the fact that one particular character, who I had a seething dislike for, has subjected one of our main characters to horrendous abuse that left me speechless and boiled my blood while reading, but in my opinion, was not held accountable for the damage they inflicted. I was waiting for some proper closure regarding that storyline, but it just didn't come... I don't fault the author for this though, since, like I said earlier, this book is incredibly true to our real-life experiences, and in the real world, many times, abuse does unfortunately go unaccounted for, and in many instances, the people who have been abused do not see it as such. The situation left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Whenever I read contemporary fiction, I find myself much more touched than when I read fantasy or SF when being faced with difficult and heavy storylines that involve triggering content. When reading fantasy/SF, there seems to be some shield protecting me from a full emotional impact, because I know we are dealing with a made-up world and exploring realistic concepts through that made-up world, which helps place a distance between myself and the tragedy. However, when I read contemporary fiction, it tends to touch me in a more profound way, which is why these themes were an emotional reading process for me.
I highly recommend this beautiful book, it's a wonderful journey with unforgettable characters. It's a solid 5 stars from me!
“Why wouldn’t you tell someone you loved them? Once you loved someone, you repeated it until they were tired of hearing it. You said it until it ceased to have meaning. Why not? Of course, you goddamn did.”
Here's a link to my YouTube video discussing this book, among other books I read.
Do you know that heart-warming feeling of connecting with another human soul during your younger years? Before you've built all of your emotional walls and defense mechanisms, before the often times cold and relentless march of time turned you into a more guarded person, who rarely truly opens their heart out to someone? Well, that's what happens when Sadie, a fiery and ambitious little girl, meets awkward and nerdy Sam, who has gone through a traumatizing accident that left his leg disabled and is in the hospital getting treated, not having talked to a single person, up until the arrival of Sadie. Despite the fact that one of the motives for Sadie to spend so much time with him was to fill out as many hours as she could for her Bar Mitzvah community service requirement (which would later upset little Sam), she loved every minute she spent with him, and so did Sam, who finally opened up to her after a period of complete trauma induced silence. Thus begins the story of Sadie and Sam, but unfortunately for them, they were not meant to stay kids forever, and the ever-marching flow of time inevitably took their childhood, and their innocence and open-hearted vulnerability away. Will these two kindred souls preserve their precious bond through the never-ending storms life brings upon them, and if they don't, can they eventually find their way back to each other?
“The way to turn an ex-lover into a friend is to never stop loving them, to know that when one phase of a relationship ends it can transform into something else. It is to acknowledge that love is both a constant and a variable at the same time.”
This story spans around 30 years, and what an emotional and long journey it was! I could have sworn the book was 600 pages long, even though it was only in the 400s. I guess the fact that we cover such a vast time period just makes it read naturally longer than it actually is. What I loved about this book was that it was unapologetically authentic to real-life experience. The writing style is light and easy to follow, and we have a lot of humorous moments, but the author doesn't shy away from delivering gut-wrenching punches that come so suddenly and leave us in tears. These children grow up to be adults in their late 30s, and throughout their journey, they lose their childlike idealism for the world, and risk being devoured by cynicism. This is not a tragedy of a story, though, and these sad moments are gently nestled within joyous and heart-warming and cosy moments that make the less happy ones more bearable.
Our two protagonists are far from perfect, and both of them are flawed in their own ways. I alternated being frustrated with each of them at different points in the story, and I just wished they would act less stubbornly, less rashly, and truly put in the time to hear each other out. But even after their worst arguments, that bond that has been there ever since they were little kids always tries to creep up to the surface, to remind them just how much they truly mean to each other.
“And what is love, in the end?" Alabaster said. "Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else's journey through life?”
One aspect that really frustrated me in this book is the fact that one particular character, who I had a seething dislike for, has subjected one of our main characters to horrendous abuse that left me speechless and boiled my blood while reading, but in my opinion, was not held accountable for the damage they inflicted. I was waiting for some proper closure regarding that storyline, but it just didn't come... I don't fault the author for this though, since, like I said earlier, this book is incredibly true to our real-life experiences, and in the real world, many times, abuse does unfortunately go unaccounted for, and in many instances, the people who have been abused do not see it as such. The situation left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Whenever I read contemporary fiction, I find myself much more touched than when I read fantasy or SF when being faced with difficult and heavy storylines that involve triggering content. When reading fantasy/SF, there seems to be some shield protecting me from a full emotional impact, because I know we are dealing with a made-up world and exploring realistic concepts through that made-up world, which helps place a distance between myself and the tragedy. However, when I read contemporary fiction, it tends to touch me in a more profound way, which is why these themes were an emotional reading process for me.
I highly recommend this beautiful book, it's a wonderful journey with unforgettable characters. It's a solid 5 stars from me!
“Why wouldn’t you tell someone you loved them? Once you loved someone, you repeated it until they were tired of hearing it. You said it until it ceased to have meaning. Why not? Of course, you goddamn did.”
Here's a link to my YouTube video discussing this book, among other books I read.
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“. . . but the Universe is an awfully big place. There is room enough for an awful lot of people to be right about things and still not agree.”
We all love to believe that we have absolute free will over our lives and are in full control of our destiny, and that notion gives our lives meaning and empowers us to weather the unpredictable storms of life. But what if free will is nothing but an illusion, and what if the entire purpose of our lives is to be chess pieces in someone else's agenda? Kurt Vonnegut Jr. explores this notion through this absurdist work of fiction, when a disgraced formerly privileged man named Malachi Constant is sent on a mission to Mars alongside a beautiful woman he could only dream of being with. There is a catch, however, and that catch is quite big.
The worst thing that could possibly happen to anybody would be to not be used for anything by anybody. Thank you for using me, even though I didn't want to be used by anybody.
This work of comedic sci-fi humorously explores the concept of free will and our role in the grand scheme of things, when a series of very weird and seemingly inexplicable events take our main character all the way to Mars to participate in an invasion on earth orchestrated by an elusive mastermind. Throughout this work, our main character has no idea why he is doing what he does, and is just moving with the waves, doing what he is expected to be doing. This series of misadventures take him from Earth to Mars, from Mars to Mercury, from Mercury back to Earth, and from Earth to one of Saturn's moons.
"The bounties of space, of infinite outwardness, were three: empty heroics, low comedy, and pointless death."
When we finally reach the final destination, we get an explanation of the meaning behind most of the events that have taken place on Earth, ultimately leading to the invasion that is discussed in this novel, and that explanation, if anything, is a giant slap in the face. The humour in this book is dry and somewhat subtle, with absurd events taking place that would make a person's jaw drop and snicker not only at the events themselves but at the muted reaction of the characters in the story, who just accept what "life" seems to throw at them with a sense of defeated resignation. In an albeit exaggerated way, this seems to mirror our state of mind as human beings, always seeming to follow forces bigger than us, whether it is more powerful people, bigger political agendas, and who knows what other grand scheme we as a humanity are not aware of.
“. . . but the Universe is an awfully big place. There is room enough for an awful lot of people to be right about things and still not agree.”
If you're into dry humour and witty satire, I recommend reading this book. I was very entertained most of the time, and the ending which I found to be hilarious as well as touching made this a memorable reading experience.
4 stars!
“Mankind flung its advance agents ever outward, ever outward. Eventually it flung them out into space, into the colorless, tasteless, weightless sea of outwardness without end.
It flung them like stones.”
We all love to believe that we have absolute free will over our lives and are in full control of our destiny, and that notion gives our lives meaning and empowers us to weather the unpredictable storms of life. But what if free will is nothing but an illusion, and what if the entire purpose of our lives is to be chess pieces in someone else's agenda? Kurt Vonnegut Jr. explores this notion through this absurdist work of fiction, when a disgraced formerly privileged man named Malachi Constant is sent on a mission to Mars alongside a beautiful woman he could only dream of being with. There is a catch, however, and that catch is quite big.
The worst thing that could possibly happen to anybody would be to not be used for anything by anybody. Thank you for using me, even though I didn't want to be used by anybody.
This work of comedic sci-fi humorously explores the concept of free will and our role in the grand scheme of things, when a series of very weird and seemingly inexplicable events take our main character all the way to Mars to participate in an invasion on earth orchestrated by an elusive mastermind. Throughout this work, our main character has no idea why he is doing what he does, and is just moving with the waves, doing what he is expected to be doing. This series of misadventures take him from Earth to Mars, from Mars to Mercury, from Mercury back to Earth, and from Earth to one of Saturn's moons.
"The bounties of space, of infinite outwardness, were three: empty heroics, low comedy, and pointless death."
When we finally reach the final destination, we get an explanation of the meaning behind most of the events that have taken place on Earth, ultimately leading to the invasion that is discussed in this novel, and that explanation, if anything, is a giant slap in the face. The humour in this book is dry and somewhat subtle, with absurd events taking place that would make a person's jaw drop and snicker not only at the events themselves but at the muted reaction of the characters in the story, who just accept what "life" seems to throw at them with a sense of defeated resignation. In an albeit exaggerated way, this seems to mirror our state of mind as human beings, always seeming to follow forces bigger than us, whether it is more powerful people, bigger political agendas, and who knows what other grand scheme we as a humanity are not aware of.
“. . . but the Universe is an awfully big place. There is room enough for an awful lot of people to be right about things and still not agree.”
If you're into dry humour and witty satire, I recommend reading this book. I was very entertained most of the time, and the ending which I found to be hilarious as well as touching made this a memorable reading experience.
4 stars!
“Mankind flung its advance agents ever outward, ever outward. Eventually it flung them out into space, into the colorless, tasteless, weightless sea of outwardness without end.
It flung them like stones.”
A Lady in Shadows: A Madeleine Karno Mystery by Lene Kaaberbøl
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
During a tumultuous time in France, a young lady was found brutally murdered in an alleyway corner in the city, with her stomach cut wide-open, and her insides sprawled out. No one cares about this woman, because she is one of the many prostitutes in the city who are looked down upon by the general population. What makes this murder quite peculiar is that there were no signs of struggle on her body. Could it be that this was not a murder, but an illegal abortion procedure gone wrong? Or is there something much darker behind this lady's death?
Madeleine Karno is tasked by the police force to try and solve this mystery. She is an astute detective who is highly observant and analytical, who has a masterful knowledge of human anatomy. Not only that, but she is the first female to have been accepted as a student at a university in her city. Madeleine has a lot to prove, living in a society that is misogynistic and discriminatory towards women. To top it all off, she also has to struggle with the fact that the man she is engaged with is bisexual, and one of his previous male lovers is back in the picture and is extremely hostile towards Madeleine.
More than the mystery aspect of this novel, I appreciated Madeleine's storyline regarding her willingness to break gender norms and to prove herself as an equal to men in the highly masculine space of academia. Additionally, the novel is full of interesting information on the anatomy of human beings and animals, such as octopuses. The author has done good research on the topics she wrote about, and this is an intellectually stimulating read.
The mystery aspect of the novel was alright, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. We can easily guess who the culprit is in my opinion, and the reveal at the end wasn't something that really moved me, though it was still done decently enough.
I would recommend this novel if you're interested in reading about an intelligent and astute woman trying to make it in 19th century France, even if the mystery portion itself isn't very grabbing.
3 stars.
“If Mama had lived, ... I hope she would have supported and approved of her daughter’s ambitions to accomplish something in this life. She taught me to read when I was five years old. If she knew what I was doing now, if she knew that I had been accepted at the university—the university , Papa—don’t you think she would have been just a little bit proud?”
Madeleine Karno is tasked by the police force to try and solve this mystery. She is an astute detective who is highly observant and analytical, who has a masterful knowledge of human anatomy. Not only that, but she is the first female to have been accepted as a student at a university in her city. Madeleine has a lot to prove, living in a society that is misogynistic and discriminatory towards women. To top it all off, she also has to struggle with the fact that the man she is engaged with is bisexual, and one of his previous male lovers is back in the picture and is extremely hostile towards Madeleine.
More than the mystery aspect of this novel, I appreciated Madeleine's storyline regarding her willingness to break gender norms and to prove herself as an equal to men in the highly masculine space of academia. Additionally, the novel is full of interesting information on the anatomy of human beings and animals, such as octopuses. The author has done good research on the topics she wrote about, and this is an intellectually stimulating read.
The mystery aspect of the novel was alright, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. We can easily guess who the culprit is in my opinion, and the reveal at the end wasn't something that really moved me, though it was still done decently enough.
I would recommend this novel if you're interested in reading about an intelligent and astute woman trying to make it in 19th century France, even if the mystery portion itself isn't very grabbing.
3 stars.
“If Mama had lived, ... I hope she would have supported and approved of her daughter’s ambitions to accomplish something in this life. She taught me to read when I was five years old. If she knew what I was doing now, if she knew that I had been accepted at the university—the university , Papa—don’t you think she would have been just a little bit proud?”
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When a man in his early 20s is found murdered on a boat one morning, three women who've had different relationships with him are called to investigation in order to shed light on the crime. As we explore these women's perspectives, we delve into the victim's backstory, which has its fair share of troubled incidents interwoven in a complex web that might help us figure out who committed this murder and why.
I enjoyed getting into this story with its easy-flowing writing and very superb character work! I think the characters here were very well written, each with their own complex backstory and morally grey stance, which leaves room for them to commit heinous acts and have quite the repertoire of experiences to be able to somehow justify them. I was particularly attached to two characters and genuinely cared about them throughout the story, but I will refrain from mentioning them in this review because it might distort the reader's experience when it comes to trying to figure out who the murderer is!
I also really enjoy cosy town mysteries, where all the characters live in a small town and form part of a community, and this was done nicely here, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
One complaint I have is that I wish we spent more time in the victim's head, because he seemed like an elusive character throughout the book and I never really felt like I got to know him and his own personal motivations as much as I would have wanted to, since most of the book explores other people's experiences of him, and I wish we had his personal perspective as well.
Otherwise, this book was really decent and enjoyable, and the well-written and well-rounded characters make up for any elements I didn't particularly like in this story. It also tugs at the heart strings a couple of times, which is a very strong element here. I definitely recommend this for a cosy mystery read!
I enjoyed getting into this story with its easy-flowing writing and very superb character work! I think the characters here were very well written, each with their own complex backstory and morally grey stance, which leaves room for them to commit heinous acts and have quite the repertoire of experiences to be able to somehow justify them. I was particularly attached to two characters and genuinely cared about them throughout the story, but I will refrain from mentioning them in this review because it might distort the reader's experience when it comes to trying to figure out who the murderer is!
I also really enjoy cosy town mysteries, where all the characters live in a small town and form part of a community, and this was done nicely here, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
One complaint I have is that I wish we spent more time in the victim's head, because he seemed like an elusive character throughout the book and I never really felt like I got to know him and his own personal motivations as much as I would have wanted to, since most of the book explores other people's experiences of him, and I wish we had his personal perspective as well.
Otherwise, this book was really decent and enjoyable, and the well-written and well-rounded characters make up for any elements I didn't particularly like in this story. It also tugs at the heart strings a couple of times, which is a very strong element here. I definitely recommend this for a cosy mystery read!
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
“Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days...What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue in it after failure?...Anyone can believe in someone, or something that always succeeds...But failure...ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value. Sometimes we just have to wait long enough...then we find out why exactly it was that we kept believing...There's always another secret.”
It's been 1,000 years since the Dark Lord took over. Evil has won, and the people are broken, accepting their defeat and yielding to the brutal iron fist of the Lord Ruler's tyranny. However, not all hope is lost. A band of thieves, led by their charismatic leader Kelsier, wish to overthrow the Lord Ruler and topple his empire. Among these band of thieves is a young street urchin named Vin, who became an unlikely newest member of Kelsier's crew. Vin is as strong-willed as Kelsier, and her hidden powers, that even she herself isn't aware of, might just as well surpass Kelsier's.
This is the second novel I read by Brandon Sanderson, the first one having been Elantris, which I liked, despite people saying that as his debut, it was far behind his later books. Sanderson is known for his hard-magic system, meaning that magic in this world isn't an allusive, mysterious phenomenon that we struggle to understand. On the contrary, it is akin to science, with clear rules and logic that must be followed to be able to work properly. The magic system in this novel is called Allomancy, which is a metal based magic. People can ingest certain metals and have access to certain powers, such as manipulating people's emotions or being able to have super strength. However, most people who have access to this power can only use one metal they specialize in, while a rarer portion of the population, called "Mistborns", can use all the metals at the same time, which gives them a significant advantage. Kelsier and Vin are Mistborns.
The nature of this hard magic system gives this book a very different feel than other fantasy works, making it a bit closer to fantasy's distant relative, science-fiction. If you're a fan of rigid and well-defined magic rules, then this book would be enjoyable for you. Sanderson spends quite a bit of pages explaining the magic system in the book, so if you aren't into this sort of thing, this book can also be a bit boring. I found the magic system to be interesting and I was interested in seeing how the characters utilize it, because the rigid nature of magic also ups the stakes during battle, since sometimes, it's not possible to use the magic efficiently based on certain circumstances, like metal reserves running out of your body.
This book also has a fair amount of political intrigue, since a great part of the story revolves around infiltrating balls and sowing discord among the great noble houses by spreading rumours and gossip. This adds a certain degree of political complexity to the novel, adding to its depth. Since this novel is quite long, I did find myself getting a bit bored during these parts of the story, craving a bit more action, but if you are into political manoeuvring, this book will satisfy that itch.
Fortunately, there are a lot of action scenes and explosive plot twists that make up for the slower parts of the novel, which I really enjoyed.
I would say that the character work isn't really that exceptional, since a lot of characters seem to be typical manifestations of their archetypes. They also lack the grit and edge you would see in works such as Joe Abercrombie's novels, but it's important to remember that Sanderson isn't trying to be Abercrombie, and he is not writing a grimdark story. On the contrary, certain ideals, such as hope, and the desire for goodness to triumph, and the role of religion and its importance, are key aspects of this work.
I would have preferred a much more atmospheric writing style, since the writing was generally bland and to-the-point, and given the atmospheric nature of the world, with a red sun and ashes falling down from the sky and blackened nature, there was a potential for really atmospheric writing, even though Sanderson is not known for that.
This is a decent work of fantasy overall, despite not being something extremely exceptional. It still merits 4 stars from me, because the story is very memorable. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
“But you can't kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.”
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days...What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue in it after failure?...Anyone can believe in someone, or something that always succeeds...But failure...ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value. Sometimes we just have to wait long enough...then we find out why exactly it was that we kept believing...There's always another secret.”
It's been 1,000 years since the Dark Lord took over. Evil has won, and the people are broken, accepting their defeat and yielding to the brutal iron fist of the Lord Ruler's tyranny. However, not all hope is lost. A band of thieves, led by their charismatic leader Kelsier, wish to overthrow the Lord Ruler and topple his empire. Among these band of thieves is a young street urchin named Vin, who became an unlikely newest member of Kelsier's crew. Vin is as strong-willed as Kelsier, and her hidden powers, that even she herself isn't aware of, might just as well surpass Kelsier's.
This is the second novel I read by Brandon Sanderson, the first one having been Elantris, which I liked, despite people saying that as his debut, it was far behind his later books. Sanderson is known for his hard-magic system, meaning that magic in this world isn't an allusive, mysterious phenomenon that we struggle to understand. On the contrary, it is akin to science, with clear rules and logic that must be followed to be able to work properly. The magic system in this novel is called Allomancy, which is a metal based magic. People can ingest certain metals and have access to certain powers, such as manipulating people's emotions or being able to have super strength. However, most people who have access to this power can only use one metal they specialize in, while a rarer portion of the population, called "Mistborns", can use all the metals at the same time, which gives them a significant advantage. Kelsier and Vin are Mistborns.
The nature of this hard magic system gives this book a very different feel than other fantasy works, making it a bit closer to fantasy's distant relative, science-fiction. If you're a fan of rigid and well-defined magic rules, then this book would be enjoyable for you. Sanderson spends quite a bit of pages explaining the magic system in the book, so if you aren't into this sort of thing, this book can also be a bit boring. I found the magic system to be interesting and I was interested in seeing how the characters utilize it, because the rigid nature of magic also ups the stakes during battle, since sometimes, it's not possible to use the magic efficiently based on certain circumstances, like metal reserves running out of your body.
This book also has a fair amount of political intrigue, since a great part of the story revolves around infiltrating balls and sowing discord among the great noble houses by spreading rumours and gossip. This adds a certain degree of political complexity to the novel, adding to its depth. Since this novel is quite long, I did find myself getting a bit bored during these parts of the story, craving a bit more action, but if you are into political manoeuvring, this book will satisfy that itch.
Fortunately, there are a lot of action scenes and explosive plot twists that make up for the slower parts of the novel, which I really enjoyed.
I would say that the character work isn't really that exceptional, since a lot of characters seem to be typical manifestations of their archetypes. They also lack the grit and edge you would see in works such as Joe Abercrombie's novels, but it's important to remember that Sanderson isn't trying to be Abercrombie, and he is not writing a grimdark story. On the contrary, certain ideals, such as hope, and the desire for goodness to triumph, and the role of religion and its importance, are key aspects of this work.
I would have preferred a much more atmospheric writing style, since the writing was generally bland and to-the-point, and given the atmospheric nature of the world, with a red sun and ashes falling down from the sky and blackened nature, there was a potential for really atmospheric writing, even though Sanderson is not known for that.
This is a decent work of fantasy overall, despite not being something extremely exceptional. It still merits 4 stars from me, because the story is very memorable. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
“But you can't kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.”
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
“Human beings are unknowable. You can never know a single person fully, not even yourself. Even if you think you know yourself in your safe glass castle, you don’t know yourself in the dirt. Even if you hustle and make in the rough, you have no idea if you would thrive or die in the light of real riches, if your cleverness would outlive your desperation.”
Cara is stuck walking on a thin, fine thread between two worlds. One world is the world of the city of Wiley, a prestigious haven from the harsh world outside, graced with the privilege of technology, luxury, and easy living. The second world is the world of the outer wastes, where primitive social structures still prevail and people must struggle, and in many instances, kill, to survive. Cara is originally from these wastes, but due to her unique ability to travel to several multiverses, she is a valuable employee in the city and is a candidate to receive citizenship. The reason she is able to travel to these multiverses is because she is dead in most of them, and you can only travel to another universe is if your parallel self living in that universe is no longer alive. She is a valuable asset to her employers, who use her for their own gains. In this sci-fi novel, we explore the complex lifestyle Cara partakes in, as a resident of the city of Wiley whose origins hail from the wild outskirts, while exploring different multiverses and the consequences that ensue when something goes wrong, and Cara discovers secrets relating to the true purpose of her missions which threaten her life. A central theme of this story is also her complex relationship with her handler, Dell, which tethers between romantic interest and cold aloofness.
Despite this story being a bit too dry for me to read, the fact that I listened to the audiobook greatly enhanced my reading experience. The narrator did a great job giving a unique voice to the characters and making the story interesting to listen to. The plot is riveting, and the world is lush with a great atmosphere and interesting characters which make the experience of consuming this story satisfying. The constant romantic tension that exists between Cara and Dell serves to move the story forward, because we are always given little tidbits of what could be between them, despite many barriers that exist between the two, including the barrier of social status, since Dell has a high social standing while Cara is considered to be a rough outlander. Dell is aloof and cold as ice, while Cara is engaged and warm, albeit also rough around the edges. When we are convinced that Dell doesn't see Cara as more than an unsophisticated outlander she is obliged to deal with, she engages in selfless acts that shows that she cares, but is quick to retreat back into her ivory tower, leaving Cara, and the reader, frustrated, and craving for more. This push and pull adds tension to the story, making it a page turner!
The science-fiction here tends to be on the softer end, and despite the science of teleportation between multiverses is talked about, it is not the focal part of the story, so if you don't like the science to overwhelm your sci-fi reads, this is a good reading choice.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read which I would give 3 and a half stars to and round up to 4!
“The multiverse isn't just parallel universes accessible thorough science. They are in each of us, a kaleidoscope made of varying perceptions.”
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Human beings are unknowable. You can never know a single person fully, not even yourself. Even if you think you know yourself in your safe glass castle, you don’t know yourself in the dirt. Even if you hustle and make in the rough, you have no idea if you would thrive or die in the light of real riches, if your cleverness would outlive your desperation.”
Cara is stuck walking on a thin, fine thread between two worlds. One world is the world of the city of Wiley, a prestigious haven from the harsh world outside, graced with the privilege of technology, luxury, and easy living. The second world is the world of the outer wastes, where primitive social structures still prevail and people must struggle, and in many instances, kill, to survive. Cara is originally from these wastes, but due to her unique ability to travel to several multiverses, she is a valuable employee in the city and is a candidate to receive citizenship. The reason she is able to travel to these multiverses is because she is dead in most of them, and you can only travel to another universe is if your parallel self living in that universe is no longer alive. She is a valuable asset to her employers, who use her for their own gains. In this sci-fi novel, we explore the complex lifestyle Cara partakes in, as a resident of the city of Wiley whose origins hail from the wild outskirts, while exploring different multiverses and the consequences that ensue when something goes wrong, and Cara discovers secrets relating to the true purpose of her missions which threaten her life. A central theme of this story is also her complex relationship with her handler, Dell, which tethers between romantic interest and cold aloofness.
Despite this story being a bit too dry for me to read, the fact that I listened to the audiobook greatly enhanced my reading experience. The narrator did a great job giving a unique voice to the characters and making the story interesting to listen to. The plot is riveting, and the world is lush with a great atmosphere and interesting characters which make the experience of consuming this story satisfying. The constant romantic tension that exists between Cara and Dell serves to move the story forward, because we are always given little tidbits of what could be between them, despite many barriers that exist between the two, including the barrier of social status, since Dell has a high social standing while Cara is considered to be a rough outlander. Dell is aloof and cold as ice, while Cara is engaged and warm, albeit also rough around the edges. When we are convinced that Dell doesn't see Cara as more than an unsophisticated outlander she is obliged to deal with, she engages in selfless acts that shows that she cares, but is quick to retreat back into her ivory tower, leaving Cara, and the reader, frustrated, and craving for more. This push and pull adds tension to the story, making it a page turner!
The science-fiction here tends to be on the softer end, and despite the science of teleportation between multiverses is talked about, it is not the focal part of the story, so if you don't like the science to overwhelm your sci-fi reads, this is a good reading choice.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read which I would give 3 and a half stars to and round up to 4!
“The multiverse isn't just parallel universes accessible thorough science. They are in each of us, a kaleidoscope made of varying perceptions.”