The Obsidian Tower

Overview: A slow political story with high stakes and good characters in an intriguing fantasy setting.

More Details: I found this story increasingly frustrating to the extent that I just wanted it to be finished (the sign of a bad book) - yet I couldn't put it down and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it (the sign of an excellent book). So I'm confused. Do I hate or love this book?

• The Pros: The characters were great, the Rookery characters were fascinating the "Rookery Gang" were a total bunch of likable but unique characters that I really wanted to find out more about and basically just wanted to spend time with and get to know. The main character Ryx was likable enough that you cared about her, but never felt like a cardboard cut-out “good guy”, she felt believable, flawed, yet very sympathetic. Even the secondary characters were very interesting and I would like to have found out more about them.

The world was very interesting, the (Ravenloftish) Witch Lord and Land system and the Republican Empire are like a siren call - I just want to find out more about this world and the history that made it this way.

• The Cons: It is frustratingly slow and very political. For the first half of the book I was thinking “Wow, this book just keeps adding foreshadowing and raising the stakes, when this kicks off it is going to be epic!” Except of course it doesn't kick off. OK I know there are a couple of big scenes in the Shrike Lord's hall and the final showdown with Grandmother which are breathtaking, and this is book 1 of 3 - but given that 95% of the book is essentially political maneuvering and backstabbing I was starting to just wish that anything would happen just invade or open the gate already! Unleash armageddon! At least I won't have to sit through another meeting!.

If this was Lord of the Rings, the story would start at the opening of the Council of Elrond, and the Council would sit around arguing and threatening to invade each other for the entire first book, while becoming increasingly nervous about that giant flaming eye that keeps getting bigger...but not nervous enough to actually agree to do anything about anything.

I think this analogy highlights my two biggest frustrations. Firstly, in LotR they go on a Very Long Walk. Lots of people make fun of that, but I loved getting to see the world. In this book we get to know some (very interesting) rooms very well, and that's pretty much it. Secondly this book is essentially about a bunch of nations having endless meetings and being unable to unite even when the negotiators are fully aware that failure to do so will result in the death of millions and the possible downfall of civilisation.

I guess I'd already read that story in the news that morning.

• On Balance: As frustrating as I found the book I'm still giving it four stars, which if you hover over the star thingy when rating a book you'll find means “Really Liked It”. That is because this is a story that it really well told. The characters, the setting, the plot - excellent. Yes the way it was told isn't my thing - I basically hate political stories - but even though this was the kind of story I hate, this author got me to read the whole darn thing and strongly consider reading the sequel. The author is that good! If she can get me that engaged in the sort of story I hate - this thing must be mind blowing for someone who enjoys political stories.... and those characters are just great.

So I'm still confused about my feelings for this book, but one thing I'm sure of is that this is an author who really knows how to write!