We Are The Dead

A difficult book to rate. There are many fundamental flaws with this one - the characters are unlikable, the prose is somewhat naïve and clunky, and there is a lot of telling going on. The first half the book was a real struggle with this. The book follows multiple POVs, but the dominant one is probably Tynnstra. The idea of a coward as lead character in this style of fantasy (which btw is at grimdarkest end of grimdark) is a nice idea, but the constant statements that she is a coward without really developing the whats and the whys of it just ends up deeply annoying. Cowards can be written well (Flashman and Rincewind are two examples that come to mind) and it is possible to write them in ways where it is possible to relate and understand their cowardice. Tynnstra is just a coward, with no ulterior motives explored at all.

The one dimensionality of the other characters is also there. The villains are evil for no apparent reason except to be evil. The noble soldiers are also not really explored in their motivations. The shallowness of the characters is offset dramatically against the viciousness of the world they live in. A conquered country with an invading force that cares little for their new subjects is a vivid setting that really is brutal.

The saving grace for the novel is its second half. Here the pace picks up, the action picks up, the characters start to show some better development and suddenly the story becomes alive. The prose is still clunky at times but the tension and the stakes become more exciting, the telling is reduced and the whole thing is much more readable.

This is very grim and very dark. There are plenty of triggers in the text. It is also not the best prose. But there is enough excitement to help provide some good entertainment.