Daniel Williams

I wanted to love this. I think taking taking the story of individuals impacted by a war-torn country and placing it in a “Western Country” is a brilliant way to break the complacency that can come with reading similar, real stories in the news. Of course, the rise of authoritarian governments also makes this a little too timely. However, the strange formatting added nothing for me and detracted from the book. At first it did add to the frenetic pace, but it did make it feel jumbled in the middle and like I missed some important details and prose. It worked well to sit up the beginning slow creep and the frenetic pace of the ending, but was also an impediment.

Andrew Garfield/Cynthia Erick audiobook - Superb!

Loved the world this created - The characters, the lore, the world building (taking fantasy away from a vaguely European setting and placing it in pre-Columbia Americas). However, it definitely felt like an introduction to a series. It felt sort of plodding and that it was just prepping the reader for what was to come in the next book. I will certainly read that one too due to the brilliance of the world that was created here.

The concept and execution of this was really interesting and went in ways I didn't expect (the political aspect particularly). It wasn't the best or most interestingly written (some overwhelmingly corny and cliche lines), but all of the emotional notes hit for me. Would recommended.

More of a 3.5, but rounded up for benefit of the doubt. Lost me a bit in the last 150 pages with Joe's decision and the time jump.