Aspects
Ratings2
Average rating4.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating4.5
Aspects is the great John M. Ford's last novel, unpublished in his lifetime. It is a fantasy novel unlike any other, filled with politics and manners, swords and sorcerous machine guns, ancient empires and the onward march of progress. The master author's lost work is finally here. A forbidden romance. Magic running rampant. A monarchy coming to an end. The world is changing, and with it a nation begins the process of dismantling the royal family and building a democracy in their place. A delicate and dangerous task, which sparks political intrigue in the halls of Parliament and power struggles that draw in the nobility, Archmages, and idealists alike . . . even before the Gods choose to meddle, in favour of old hierarchies. Against this backdrop of political turmoil comes the powerful story of two lovers torn apart by the fragile new system . . . and a lost woman, overlooked in the power struggles, striving to find the help she needs to control her own powers. 'The best writer in America, bar none' Robert Jordan 'A great writer who is really f*ck*ng brilliant' Neil Gaiman
Reviews with the most likes.
This is the first time I've ever read an unfinished book. I didn't realise how difficult it would be to follow a story knowing that there is no satisfying ending(or any kind of for that matter) waiting for me. This is also my first John M. Ford book and now you can count me as one of the grieving and heartbroken.
The writing and wold-building was sprawling and beautiful, the characters real and complex. That being said, it was a bit slow placed for me, packed with social mores that I had to make a conscious effort to decipher. I don't know how much of the unfinished manuscript the editors left untouched (or if they left it completely as is) but I can sense that within it is a grand universe that I only got the tiniest glimpse of.
Additionally, the introduction by Neil Gaiman was truly gorgeous. It made me miss a person I've never personally known. We can only hope and pray that in our lifetime we can forge a friendship like theirs.
Rest in Peace, John M. Ford.
