Chris Horne
I knew what would happen on this story from the main series, however it was incredibly effecting.
I knew what would happen on this story from the main series, however it was incredibly effecting.
A Dark Academia novel published in 2023 by former self publishing sensation M.L Wang.
This book really had me split down the middle. On the one hand, it is a tightly paced, well plotted, turn pager of a book. There is an unlikeable protagonist who the author skilfully makes you route for. The world building is fun and the prologue is a stand out moment of brilliant writing.
But on the other hand this book suffers from a white saviour issue that is very difficult to see past. The book spends little time with the oppressed people and most of them have limited personalities or agency.
The books political themes are heavy handed and lack nuance to the point where it often becomes tell rather than show.
Within this books pages there is the possibility of a great story, the character of Carra, a girl of the oppressed people, is charismatic, funny and dynamic. I would love to have spent more time with her and seen how she interacted with this world and what decisions she might have made when offered the possibility of freeing herself.
Overall this book is a miss for me, although there are many good parts to it and I would read the author again.
A Dark Academia novel published in 2023 by former self publishing sensation M.L Wang.
This book really had me split down the middle. On the one hand, it is a tightly paced, well plotted, turn pager of a book. There is an unlikeable protagonist who the author skilfully makes you route for. The world building is fun and the prologue is a stand out moment of brilliant writing.
But on the other hand this book suffers from a white saviour issue that is very difficult to see past. The book spends little time with the oppressed people and most of them have limited personalities or agency.
The books political themes are heavy handed and lack nuance to the point where it often becomes tell rather than show.
Within this books pages there is the possibility of a great story, the character of Carra, a girl of the oppressed people, is charismatic, funny and dynamic. I would love to have spent more time with her and seen how she interacted with this world and what decisions she might have made when offered the possibility of freeing herself.
Overall this book is a miss for me, although there are many good parts to it and I would read the author again.
In this book Jim Butcher takes on the difficult task of writing an entertaining book with a grieving, often passive, protagonist and he takes it seriously. There are no short cuts, no instant recovery, and no fading to black at difficult moments. Dresden repeatedly descends into dark periods of mourning and just when you think he’s out, he falls back in.
To my understanding what Dresden goes through in this book reflects many peoples reality of grief and in this way the writing is excellent. However, while this process of grieving feels real, it is difficult to make it interesting for a reader when it happens over and over again. Butcher has created a series that is famous for its fast moving plots, quirky characters, cheesy quips and big set pieces and while some of these are present they are toned down and seem less fun than usual. This is a well thought out book about grief, I just wish more of the things I love about Dresden were there to balance it out.
In this book Jim Butcher takes on the difficult task of writing an entertaining book with a grieving, often passive, protagonist and he takes it seriously. There are no short cuts, no instant recovery, and no fading to black at difficult moments. Dresden repeatedly descends into dark periods of mourning and just when you think he’s out, he falls back in.
To my understanding what Dresden goes through in this book reflects many peoples reality of grief and in this way the writing is excellent. However, while this process of grieving feels real, it is difficult to make it interesting for a reader when it happens over and over again. Butcher has created a series that is famous for its fast moving plots, quirky characters, cheesy quips and big set pieces and while some of these are present they are toned down and seem less fun than usual. This is a well thought out book about grief, I just wish more of the things I love about Dresden were there to balance it out.
In this book Jim Butcher takes on the difficult task of writing an entertaining book with a grieving, often passive, protagonist and he takes in seriously. There are no short cuts, no instant recovery, and no fading to black at difficult moments. Dresden repeatedly descends into dark periods of mourning and just when you think he’s out, he falls back in.
To my understanding what Dresden goes through in this book reflects many peoples reality of grief and in this way the writing is excellent. However, while this process of grieving feels real, it is difficult to make interesting for a reader when it happens over and over again. Butcher has created a series that is famous for its fast moving plots, quirky characters, cheesy quips and big set pieces and while some of these are present they are toned down and seem less fun than usual. This is a well thought out book about grief, I just wish more of the things I love about Dresden were there to balance it out.
In this book Jim Butcher takes on the difficult task of writing an entertaining book with a grieving, often passive, protagonist and he takes in seriously. There are no short cuts, no instant recovery, and no fading to black at difficult moments. Dresden repeatedly descends into dark periods of mourning and just when you think he’s out, he falls back in.
To my understanding what Dresden goes through in this book reflects many peoples reality of grief and in this way the writing is excellent. However, while this process of grieving feels real, it is difficult to make interesting for a reader when it happens over and over again. Butcher has created a series that is famous for its fast moving plots, quirky characters, cheesy quips and big set pieces and while some of these are present they are toned down and seem less fun than usual. This is a well thought out book about grief, I just wish more of the things I love about Dresden were there to balance it out.