Decided to be generous and round up to four. The Bobiverse, despite the awful and whimsical name, turns out to be some of the more pure sci-fi out theDecided to be generous and round up to four. The Bobiverse, despite the awful and whimsical name, turns out to be some of the more pure sci-fi out there at the minute- very much following in the footsteps of Clarke and other early writers, this is a series that is absolutely focused on discovery and the sensawunder of the universe. Vast interstallar distances! The possibilities of new and strange life! Interesting new technologies that change how we think or interact with the world! It's pure joy to a space nerd to be presented with this galactic playground and just let loose, seeing what there is to discover.
If you've somehow stumbled on this review for number 2 in the series, it follows the adventures of Bob, a tech nerd and millionaire from the early 21st century whose brain is scanned and reproduced into Van Neumann probes in the late 22nd. Sent out to explore the universe and hopefully find habitable planets for humans to move to, these AI reproductions of Bob clone themselves to create more Bobs. It's an interesting high-sci-fi set up, but presented from the very accessible point of view of Bob, a fairly-average guy. It skirts the line with nerdy references; never going full Ready Player One but there are certainly a lot of in-jokes and call-backs that might give you a chuckle if you're into that sort of thing. For me it's usually eye-roll-worthy and frustrating, but here it felt like a normal level of referencing and not total idolasition of older nerd culture.
The first book in the series left me a little underwhelmed. The prose was nothing to write home about, and in order to facilitate the exciting space opera explorations we bypassed a lot of other things like meaningful characters or actual plot. Grabbing the second on audible when a sale was on could have gone either way, but I'm glad I gave it a second shot. The second improves in a lot of ways over the first. Definitely the cast of characters improves, with our eponymous Legion of Bobs each having similar but distinct personalities. But more importantly we have some true characters to anchor onto as well- humans on the first non-Earth human colony, as well as various alien species that the Bobs encounted. The Deltans in particular have more character to them than anything in the first book, and as we actually follow the whole life of one of them, it's hard not to get emotionally invested. This might pose a challenge going forward (and of course this series does continue), as the Bobiverse grows with more and more Bobs over larger distances and timescales, keeping up with the 'Ephemerals' will prove difficult. As the Bobs are starting to find out, digital immortality can change your perspective on these things.
Plotting and pacing is improved as well, although there is definitely room for further improvement. We get several overarching plotlines or themes to follow, some of which even conclude before the end of the book! There are still lots of very short chapters where nothing whatsoever happens, mostly there to remind us of all the players in this increasingly expanding cast of Bobs. We are introduced to a wider threat which looks like it may serve as the driving force of the next book. As fun as the exploration is, it would be nice to have a little more structure to the story so hopefully the third book will have that.
Sheer joy and wonder of space exploration, and we're having fun with it. Good stuff.
Merged review:
Decided to be generous and round up to four. The Bobiverse, despite the awful and whimsical name, turns out to be some of the more pure sci-fi out there at the minute- very much following in the footsteps of Clarke and other early writers, this is a series that is absolutely focused on discovery and the sensawunder of the universe. Vast interstallar distances! The possibilities of new and strange life! Interesting new technologies that change how we think or interact with the world! It's pure joy to a space nerd to be presented with this galactic playground and just let loose, seeing what there is to discover.
If you've somehow stumbled on this review for number 2 in the series, it follows the adventures of Bob, a tech nerd and millionaire from the early 21st century whose brain is scanned and reproduced into Van Neumann probes in the late 22nd. Sent out to explore the universe and hopefully find habitable planets for humans to move to, these AI reproductions of Bob clone themselves to create more Bobs. It's an interesting high-sci-fi set up, but presented from the very accessible point of view of Bob, a fairly-average guy. It skirts the line with nerdy references; never going full Ready Player One but there are certainly a lot of in-jokes and call-backs that might give you a chuckle if you're into that sort of thing. For me it's usually eye-roll-worthy and frustrating, but here it felt like a normal level of referencing and not total idolasition of older nerd culture.
The first book in the series left me a little underwhelmed. The prose was nothing to write home about, and in order to facilitate the exciting space opera explorations we bypassed a lot of other things like meaningful characters or actual plot. Grabbing the second on audible when a sale was on could have gone either way, but I'm glad I gave it a second shot. The second improves in a lot of ways over the first. Definitely the cast of characters improves, with our eponymous Legion of Bobs each having similar but distinct personalities. But more importantly we have some true characters to anchor onto as well- humans on the first non-Earth human colony, as well as various alien species that the Bobs encounted. The Deltans in particular have more character to them than anything in the first book, and as we actually follow the whole life of one of them, it's hard not to get emotionally invested. This might pose a challenge going forward (and of course this series does continue), as the Bobiverse grows with more and more Bobs over larger distances and timescales, keeping up with the 'Ephemerals' will prove difficult. As the Bobs are starting to find out, digital immortality can change your perspective on these things.
Plotting and pacing is improved as well, although there is definitely room for further improvement. We get several overarching plotlines or themes to follow, some of which even conclude before the end of the book! There are still lots of very short chapters where nothing whatsoever happens, mostly there to remind us of all the players in this increasingly expanding cast of Bobs. We are introduced to a wider threat which looks like it may serve as the driving force of the next book. As fun as the exploration is, it would be nice to have a little more structure to the story so hopefully the third book will have that.
Sheer joy and wonder of space exploration, and we're having fun with it. Good stuff....more
A compelling narrative wrapped in a heavy dose of commentary and criticism of the publishing industry, social media and racial issues. It's a good looA compelling narrative wrapped in a heavy dose of commentary and criticism of the publishing industry, social media and racial issues. It's a good look at cancel culture and the left eating the left; how anything short of utter perfection is not good enough. The protagonist is a horrible entitled person, with no small dosage of racism, and Kuang still makes it easy to be very symapthetic towards them. A thoughtful and intelligent book with lots of layers to unpeel; some subtle and some not, but the lack of subtlety is used intentionally and works very well in its place.
Lots of people have written lots more about this book than I will here; partly I'm not sure I can do it justice and partly the meta elements about goodreads make me feel like part of the problem.
If Claire North hit me in the face it would still be a more eloquent experience than the majority of the books I've read recently. Their writing is asIf Claire North hit me in the face it would still be a more eloquent experience than the majority of the books I've read recently. Their writing is as exemplary here as always, and suffused with wit, warmth, empathy, and barely suppressed righteous fury. This is a continuation of the story of Penelope and the women in her life; Odysseus's left behind wife, tenuously ruling the kingdom of Ithaca in his absence. That's really the major knock against this book- that it is a continuation. It does feel a little bit like more of the same, and lacks the incredible novelty of Ithaca, the first in the series. I know that greek myth retellings are a everywhere at the minute but nevertheless Clair North brought an incredible voice to the genre, a real understanding of the stories and wider context as well as traditionally fantastic writing, and as such Ithaca really was an incredible breath of fresh air. House of Odysseus, while still great, does sometimes feel like padding. That unfortunate middle-of-a-trilogy book. The opening particularly was a little slow, but it did all soon pick up.
We also have a change in narrator, from Hera of the first book to Aphrodite here. It's an interesting choice that works well in some parts and less well in others; and I had the ultimate impression that perhaps we could have had a second level of story with the involvement of the Gods, but this never quite fully developed. But then, that's very much not the point of this series; the point is to tell the stories of the human women, those that the poets won't tell.
Personally, some of the language bothered me more in this book than the first; generally I think North has done a fantastic job of making these stories accessible and modernised without radically altering things. In the first one I know some people who didn't love the modern vernacular thrown in but I thought it worked great. Here though the repeated use of the word "dishy" definitely stood out!
That said, I'm seriously nitpicking. Overall it's a great read; enthralling and full of strong characters, with a really well-drawn world. The story follows on from the first; with Penelope still beset by numerous suitors believing her husband to be dead. Orestes and Elektra return to the island; Orestes in the grip of apparent madness with grief over his actions. Hot on their heels is Menelaus, keen to take advantage of the weakness of Orestes, King of Kings, and take that lofty mantle for himself.
It's a great story of family loyality and the strength of those who may be overlooked. It's a tale of desire and how that can shape us; both by accepting it or denying it. Still definitely recommended; it's a fantastic book; just a little slower and less fresh than the first. But Claire North's "B" is at the level of anyone else's "A". Strong recommend, and I'm looking forward to the conclusion....more
There are some interesting ideas in here but they are so far buried that I begin to wonder whether they were actually accidental in the first place. TThere are some interesting ideas in here but they are so far buried that I begin to wonder whether they were actually accidental in the first place. The fist 50% of the book is so completely stuck in a paint-by-numbers dystopia; half Handmaid's Tale and half Ender's Game; that by the time things kick up a notch I'm thoroughly confused as to why we've spent so long stuck in the tedium. There are some very basic looks at gender essentialism and why fascism might be bad, actually (and especially for women!) that are of course important points but they feel very well-trodden and little new is added to the conversation. The more subtle and interesting ideas, like how living in certain societies shapes your worldview and your very being; and especially the glorification of war and indoctrination of child soldiers; could have done with more of a spotlight. Granted in reality all of this ugliness is difficult to disentangle, but the book fell apart slightly towards the end when it seems that all the nastiness was actually the fault of One Bad Man who was narcissistic, power-hungry and a rapist. This serves well in a straightforward narrative as it gives you a clear Villain for the Heroes to beat, but a more interesting or nuanced tale would have examined how these attitudes pervaded the society and maybe can't be dismantled simply by defeating the big boss, but need to actually be worked at.
Overall I do think this was a decent book, but it aims for grandeur that it never quite manages to achieve; grasping at larger themes but never quite able to contain them. A lot of food for thought but still at the end of the day a watered-down Ender's Game....more
A decent story and solid sequel, that unfortunately gets mired down a little too much and begins to drag. I'm unclear if these two books were planned A decent story and solid sequel, that unfortunately gets mired down a little too much and begins to drag. I'm unclear if these two books were planned as a duology, but it definitely doesn't feel like it; this second book undoes some of the progress we had made by the end of the first seemingly arbitrarily, so that we can have more obstacles. Still well-drawn characters and a good grasp of what makes the world so appealing and fascinating, but not quite as cohesive as the first book....more
A fun story and a very solid addition to the world of Avatar. This is the rare kind of adaptation/tie-in novel that absolutely captures the vibe of thA fun story and a very solid addition to the world of Avatar. This is the rare kind of adaptation/tie-in novel that absolutely captures the vibe of the original while providing a new and interesting story too. If you've seen and enjoyed Avatar then you will asbolutely appreciate this book.
If you haven't seen Avatar then you could still do a lot worse for a young-adult fantasy book than this. In a lot of ways it is very YA, but it's also one of the few books I've read with that description that feel like they're pushing against it too; there is a really good story in here that at times feels handicapped by having to remain so accessible.
The Avatar of the shows and books is a legendary figure- the only person in this world capable of controlling all four of the classical elements (this control of elements is referred to as "bending" them). They also serve as a political figure; uniting the disparate peoples of this world through any means whether that's threats, treaties or clevernerss. When an Avatar dies, they will reincarnate in another part of the world and continue the cycle. At the start of this novel, the old Avatar has died but the new one can't be found. This leads to a power vacuum and the rise of larger criminal enterprises, with no Avatar to be afraid of the desperate begin to get bold.
In desperation of their own, some powerful sages declare a young boy to be the Avatar, on the strength of his earthbending ability. Naturally, they have a lot to gain by being tutors and allies of the air-quotes "Avatar", political clout and prestige. So when our real Avatar Kyoshi appears, she faces a large uphill struggle even to be recognised as such. Soon she finds herself on the run and entangled with some criminal elements.
What we get then is a fun adventure with a great cast of characters, all of whom would have been right at home on the original show. It has a great vibe of cameraderie as they bring the team together, and even a fantastic romance that manages to buck a lot of the more tedious YA romance trends. It does a great job of tackling similar themes to the original show while keeping them fresh; coming into your own and finding your people, and fighting against an entrenched status quo; particularly showing how even "good" options and "good" societies still hurt people whether intentionally or not.
Unfortunately my reviewing has really suffered recently. A reflection of finding it quite difficult to engage fully with reading in the past few monthUnfortunately my reviewing has really suffered recently. A reflection of finding it quite difficult to engage fully with reading in the past few months as well; struggling with anxiety that just makes it hard to really connect with anything. With that caveat; Tigerman is the first book for quite a while to really grab me. A touching and emotional examination of found family and fatherhood, with Hemingwayan portrayals of masculinity and Vonnegutian social observation, all wrapped in a nebulously spec-fic setting and a surprisingly realistically-painted superhero plot. Harkaway takes great efforts to twist recognisable superhero tropes into shapes that are just plausible enough for disbelief to be suspended. In large part this is due to the superhero plot never being the focus of the story- it is very much centred on the emotional connection between the two main characters, as well as the precarious political situation of the setting and how this affects its inhabitants.
We follow The Sergeant, one Lester Ferris (although they think of themselves much more as The Sergeant), who is a British soldier retired from active duty and sent as a political liaison to the fictional island of Mancreu, somewhere in the Arabian sea. A former British colony, the island is now independent but hosts a number of diplomats from varying nations, as well as having a whole fleet of more-or-less deniable warships off the coast, due to some strange natural phenomena found beneath the island. These phenomena have been deemed so dangerous that the entire island has now been condemned; doomed to be scorched from the earth at an undefined point in the near future. The Sergeant is to help with the evacuations where possible, but mostly has been ordered to sit things out, lest the British government be seen to be meddling too much. Against this backdrop of imminent doom, strange feelings have descended on the inhabitants. A certain melancholy but also a vaguely celebratory vibe; with little consequences left for their actions. The Sergeant themself is somewhat melancholy; reflecting on a life in the army and following orders; unsure what future they might be able to make for themself, and where. When they meet a bright and seemingly orphaned boy, they get a glimpse of a potential future as a father and it begins to open up something.
As The Sergeant begins to semi-officially investigate crimes on the island, we get a great exploration of the people and culture of this post-colonial, semi-abandoned and totally-doomed place. It鈥檚 a very enveloping atmosphere, and strongly evokes that laid-back island life, despite the gnawing unease of the looming evacuation/ecological disaster, and the ever-present shadow of warships in the bay. It鈥檚 a small place where everyone knows everyone, and yet there are still secrets hiding in the shadows, and myths hiding in the mountains. The inevitable yet ill-defined end has lent an aura of lawlessness to the island, and it begins to be used as a base for smugglers and other international criminals. When one of The Sergeant鈥檚 friends gets caught in the crossfire, they find themself wanting to take more action than their official role would allow. Partly out of this need and partly to impress The Boy (who is enamoured with comic books), they create a superhero-like alter ego and take the fight directly to some of the smugglers.
The book is much more rooted in the emotional wanderings and thoughts of The Sergeant, and in exploring the lives of the islanders. But the superhero plot is engaging and hits all the beats you might expect, and several that you might not. It manages good deconstruction of some of the more offensively simplistic ideas commonly found in superhero stories (primarily that such things as 鈥渂ad guys鈥� just don鈥檛 exist in the real world) while still feeling like a potential origin story for a Batman-like character. It never crosses the line into heavy-handed parody or cynical take-down; being clearly very respectful of the source material yet also very aware of the pitfalls of tropes.
It is a great and thoughtful story, with clear emotional stakes and well-drawn characters. There鈥檚 something deeply charming and old-school about the presentation, with some of the more problematic elements of such a colonial tale recognised and avoided or examined critically. It鈥檚 a timely tale of continuing living in the face of ecological disasters. And it鈥檚 a sweet and touching tale of emotional connection, and forging bonds. There鈥檚 some real genuine humour in here, as well as some serious social commentary. Really great work and I will look forward to reading more of Harkaway鈥檚 work; I鈥檓 not sure why I鈥檝e avoided them for so long....more
A fun enough sci-fi heist caper, set in an interesting vision of the future. Sadly, not even the best sci-fi heist caper set in an interesting future A fun enough sci-fi heist caper, set in an interesting vision of the future. Sadly, not even the best sci-fi heist caper set in an interesting future with 鈥淨uantum鈥� in the title; Hannu Rajaniemi鈥檚 The Quantum Thief takes that accolade and casts a shadow so long that it鈥檚 impossible to escape from. If you want an incredible, inventive, literarily playful book with fascinating concepts and brilliant characters then go read that one. But you could do a lot worse than this as a second-place option.
There is a certain slickness to the novel, and it certainly captures the vibe of a quality heist film; in some case a little too accurately, which makes the tropes feel a little too tropey and the twists and turns a little trite. We have a classic conman, somewhat down on their luck, approached by a mysterious benefactor to pull off a seemingly impossible gig for seemingly impossible rewards. The thrill of the challenge proves to be too alluring, and you-son-of-a-bitch, they鈥檙e in. We get the 鈥済etting the band back together鈥� scenes of recruiting various characters with complementary skills and wide backgrounds- personalities will clash, and you just know that one of them is going to betray the others at some point. Because come on, it鈥檚 a heist story. This also gives a good excuse to explore the universe that K眉nsken has created, the various inventions and developments and subsequent politics and culture shifts.
There are a few interesting ideas here, but somehow not enough to prop up the size of the universe they have attempted to create. One such idea is the genetic engineering of a human sub-species that are genetically programmed to feel something approaching religious awe in the presence of their creators. Such wide-spread manipulation and subsequent slavery goes about as well as you鈥檇 expect, and these new people rebel against their masters, and now control their own sovereignty- this leaves them in an awkward philosophical position without their divinities! We get some interesting exploration of self-determination, and honestly this backdrop would have made for an excellent setting for the whole book. By focusing so strongly on this one element though, it makes other parts of the world-building look a little flimsy in comparison. There are one or two other pillars of major development but highlighting them only makes the cavernous spaces around them feel emptier. At no point did I feel that the setting was a well-rounded creation; if I had peeked behind the curtain at any time, I鈥檓 certain I would have found nothing waiting in the wings.
It is unfortunately held back from ever really reaching stylish by some clunky writing. Never really reaching for dazzling prose, it is not objectionable but there are certainly some sentences that land like bricks, especially some of the dialogue. The characters, beside the protagonist, don鈥檛 really seem to have arcs as such- being as they are vehicles for the heist tropes and worldbuilding exploration. Even our leading character is mostly flat and stuck in stereotyping, needing of course to be one step ahead of everyone the whole time. There are personally stakes introduced that are then completely ignored for the rest of the book; honestly I feel like I missed something there.
The pacing is also a little too slow to really capture a snappy heist action story. Even in the latter half of the book when the action kicks off we too frequently find ourselves delving into exploration of the world again, which bogs down plot rather than allowing the plot to show us the world through the action.
All very negative sounding comments but I still reasonably enjoyed it; it鈥檚 a fun book, there鈥檚 some interesting stuff to explore. It just feels like with another editorial pass this could have been shaped into something really excellent and that missed potential is a little disappointing....more
A bloody good time. Or good bloody time? Or both. Abercrombie continues to play to their strengths; incredibly well realised but awful characters, traA bloody good time. Or good bloody time? Or both. Abercrombie continues to play to their strengths; incredibly well realised but awful characters, trapped in each other's orbits like vengeful planets. Monzcarro Macatto is the leader of a mercenary band in the employ of Grand Duke Orso. Worried that Monza might be getting a bit too popular with the people, Orso has her thrown from a balcony; an ordeal she (just barely) survives. She then decides to dedicate her new lease on life to wiping out anyone who was even vaguely connected to this betrayal. To do so she recruits a band of fantastic villains, and sets off on a journey around Styria, murdering all the way.
The characters here are all so completely, deliciously vile. It could very well be a difficult book if you're strongly averse to grimness and unpleasantness; but somehow Abercrombie seems to always manage to stay on the right side of torture-porn. The grotesque antics are never glorified; it's always clear that these people are villains (well, almost everyone is a villain here but that's obvious too). The worldbuilding is still disappointing frankly; in a book where we get a full tour around a fictional kingdom it would have seemed easy to pepper in some real interest but the most we get is that one city has canals, and another has lots of towers. That was never the focus though- the enjoyment is always in watching these characters interact with each other, and Abercrombie's effective and evocative writing style. There is, as always, a good sprinkling of dark humour thrown in there too.
Less grand than the original trilogy and less concerned with dismantling the tropes of fantasy epics. Without that dedicated structure this book is at once freer and less directed; I can see both styles appealing in different ways. A good standalone, but reading directly after the trilogy does also give a great sense of wider context....more
Excellent, quality character work. Not as groundbreakingly original as it felt on the first read some 15 years ago but still a fantastic story. The "tExcellent, quality character work. Not as groundbreakingly original as it felt on the first read some 15 years ago but still a fantastic story. The "twists" don't feel like twists at all; a sign of my immaturity reading it the first time or just knowing in advance what happens? They really are telegraphed! Worldbuilding remains fairly weak and the plot has a somewhat inconsequential air, but it's worth it for the vividly painted characters....more
A haunting and beautiful adventure through space and time with a handsome, oddly dressed and quirky human-looking alien; complete with ancient races aA haunting and beautiful adventure through space and time with a handsome, oddly dressed and quirky human-looking alien; complete with ancient races and grudges, universe-altering stakes, self-reference and lots of running down corridors. Hang on is this a Doctor Who fanfic? Well it seems like it sort of is. Whitely uses the familiar structure of the human companion swept up into these grander adventures, but colours it with fantastic imagination, and uses it to comment on and deconstruct the ideas often present and persistent in Doctor Who. It's also a bittersweet and elegiac story on the beauty and fragility of nature; and a story about forging who you are. Lovingly written and thoughtfully considered, a great book....more
A light study into a pair of intriguing characters and the landscape around them, this short book ultimately suffers from overwrought prose and a lackA light study into a pair of intriguing characters and the landscape around them, this short book ultimately suffers from overwrought prose and a lack of development. This is the second book by Myers that I have read, and in both cases they have had the distinct feeling of reaching for profundity and sorely missing. When you can so clearly see the effort the author is putting in to try and achieve something great it can often be off-putting, and here the results are not worth the stretch. Especially when the focus is so strongly on the natural world and doing its best to reflect that beauty; often less is more, and I鈥檇 be much happier with simple, clear, evocative prose. This book is anything but effortless, with strained and conflicting metaphors and heavy-handed messages scattered throughout.
The book follows two somewhat odd characters of Redbone and Calvert, as they spent their summer nights making crop circles in the countryside of Wiltshire and surrounding counties. Each chapter focuses on a new circle, designed by Redbone and created by the pair in the dead of night. Perhaps somewhat appropriately the plot moves in repetitive circles; each chapter was much the same- they set out, they work and chat during the night, we get ruminations on the local countryside. We get no real sense of advancement as the novel progresses; their characters are static throughout. We do in some of the chapters have meetings with random strangers they meet during the night, which adds a bit of new colour to the quickly drying scene. It also allows us to examine various aspects of late 80s British culture, but so many of the issues feel shoehorned in or only examined on a very surface level; it feels like this chapter鈥檚 random stranger has been brought in to introduce issue x, then we move on to the next thing without real consideration. With a bit of effort, any one of the chapters in this book could have been worked into a decent short story, but reading it repeatedly didn鈥檛 add much to the experience for me.
The exception is the final chapter, where we do see some actual change. This final chapter did work better for me than what had come before, but I don鈥檛 think that it justified the drudgery to get there. In this part, we see their latest and greatest crop circle go up in literal flames; the dryness of summer leaving the fields susceptible to a fire which rips through them. With the keen awareness of nature in this book (even if it is ineloquently expressed), this becomes a somewhat harrowing exploration of climate change, it鈥檚 disastrous effects, and the futility of creative expression in the face of extinction. This is somewhat reflected in Calvert, who becomes despondent after witnessing this, and having this greatest creation interrupted and destroyed. A relatively powerful message, but again the trudge to get there remains tedious. And it remains a little mired in the past; since at least the existentialists of the 40s, literature has faced the crushing inevitability and absurdity of life, and forged its own meaning anyway. While it is nice to see writers confronting the overwhelming dread and destruction of climate change, we can still do better than this.
The narrative gets these messages across clearly; or it certainly could at any rate. But Myers seemingly lacks confidence in the story鈥檚 ability to speak for itself, and feels the need to re-iterate these concerns through both in-character dialogue and narration. This just adds to the overall feeling of the book trying so hard to achieve a message or something meaningful, but unfortunately it just detracts.
The characters are interesting, but not interesting enough to carry the whole book. There is a love for the natural world but it is a struggle to express it clearly, with prose that veers from workable to, in places, laughably purple. Minimal to zero plot. Full of zeitgeist but doesn鈥檛 seem to really want to examine anything. Fine but overall disappointing reading....more
A fun romp through Leckie鈥檚 Imperial Raadch universe, although this time we find ourselves distinctly outside the Raadch, in a loose collection of staA fun romp through Leckie鈥檚 Imperial Raadch universe, although this time we find ourselves distinctly outside the Raadch, in a loose collection of star-system-states and a space station that serves as a central diplomatic hub between humanity and the nebulously threatening Presger. There is a good fa莽ade of alienness here; we are told repeatedly in the previous books and again here that the Presger are too alien to really comprehend, with unknowable motives and methods. In an attempt to understand each other, the Presger created 鈥渢ranslators鈥�; outwardly-seeming human creatures that nevertheless have more than enough Presger in them to communicate in both directions, and mark them out as distinctly non-human.
A few of these translators had featured in previous novels and were often the highlights there; the slightly unhinged alien weirdness and unpredictability always made for interesting developments. This liminal and artificial culture takes centre stage in Translation State and serves as a great vehicle for the central theme of belonging; how do you forge an identity for yourself, or a place for yourself, when you are stuck between two worlds? Or just failing to find your space in the world you do have?
We have three viewpoint characters to explore this world from; Enae, a somewhat estranged and put-upon family member who gets sent on a seemingly hopeless quest in order to keep them out of the house. This quest is to find a missing Presger translator who went missing some 200 years prior. We also have Qven, a juvenile translator who seems destined by their clade for great things. We also have Reet, a youngish adult who lives without many friends on a space station; in contact with their foster parents but with no knowledge of their true origins.
Enae鈥檚 mission brings the three together, but they are quickly relegated to a background character. It is an interesting decision; after a third of the way through, even the chapters we get from Enae鈥檚 POV feature other characters more strongly, and Enae becomes a passive observer. All three of the protagonists suffer from some level of passivity, but with Enae it is clearest. It鈥檚 a struggle to see exactly why they were included in the narrative- other than having vaguely similar themes of trying to find meaning and belonging these chapters don鈥檛 really add much. They hardly contribute to the worldbuilding either, with all of the more interesting elements coming from elsewhere.
Most of that elsewhere is Qven; the only first-person section and a really fun look into the alien society of the translators. We see them growing up and learning the ways of humanity in a way that ranges from unsettling uncanny-valley to flat-out terrifying, yet still sympathetic. After suffering a rape-like attack in late adolescence, they are deemed 鈥渢ainted鈥� and unsuitable by their superiors, and subsequently condemned and denied their prestigious future as a Presger translator. After having been stripped of the very reason for which they were born and raised, there is naturally a struggle with what and who they even are now.
Reet is also struggling to find their place in the world. Abandoned as a baby, they grew up with a loving family but still felt isolated. When a nationalist organisation claims them as the long-lost heir to a destroyed throne, they welcome the newfound feeling of community, if not the truth of that claim. In a twist that is unlikely to shock any but the very least observant of readers, they turn out to be a child of the missing translator and are in fact biologically translator rather than human. Also, in a weird 鈥渢wo-in-a-row鈥� for Leckie books, using Reet as a name has once again caused me to read large sections in a Yorkshire accent.
The plot then hinges on the legal status of these two individuals, and whether this will require amendments to the all-important treaty that prevents the Presger from indiscriminately taking humans apart piece-by-piece. It鈥檚 a weird and fun ride, although it would honestly have been interesting to see more of the actual legal discussions, a lot of which happen off-screen while our characters are confined to quarters and waiting for the verdict. The council is then interrupted and the final quarter of the book turns into a bizarre, extended action sequence that holds almost no stakes or interest, a truly baffling decision to take away from the climactic emotional moment. While we鈥檙e waiting though we get extended scenes of Reet and Qven getting to know each other. There are strong shades of Martha Wells鈥檚 Murderbot here, as these vaguely human entities just want to hide under blanket forts, eat dumplings and watch soap operas. Leckie is undeniably a more talented writer than Wells, but after the dozenth time of being told that we鈥檙e watching re-runs of the same fictional soap opera, it very much begins to drag. Will likely appeal to those who enjoy the recent trend of cosy fantasy, but I was definitely hopeful for something a little more impactful. It would have also been fantastic to get even a slight direct look at the actual Presger here; to add some real weight to why this treaty needs to be maintained so strongly. This idea does pervade the thinking of so many characters that we know it must be serious, but building up a threat like that and at no point showing it off is a bit of a shame- especially given the attention given to the Translators.
A big theme, as mentioned, is the power of self-identification. It crops up in all elements of the book, from the inclusive approach to pronouns, to the nature of the treaty with the Presger, to our main characters being biologically translator but identifying as human. Unfortunately though, the book frequently undermines its own points here in the way it sets up its more fantastical elements. Case in point: the Presger Translators have a capability/requirement where they 鈥渕eld鈥� with another entity upon reaching maturity. Ideally this should be another translator, but it could in theory be something/someone else. Done incorrectly, this process can be deadly and horrifying to one or both parties; and as they reach the end of adolescence this becomes a necessity; without melding they will perish. Therefore Reet, as a lost and stranded Translator juvenile, is approaching the point where they will need to meld or else die; they begin to feel this overwhelming urge to do so, and are biologically incapable of preventing themselves from doing so. Saying that you鈥檙e a human is fine to a point, but Reet will soon be killing people just by touching them. If we did not have the great fortune of Enae discovering them when they did, we would not be in the privileged position of being able to make these choices.
A warm and pleasant read, with certainly enough interest to keep it going. The prose is great and handles the varied pronouns deftly and unobtrusively- although this may require an adjustment period for some readers. But a lot of it doesn鈥檛 seem to stand up to strong scrutiny and the more I鈥檝e thought about this book the more issues I seem to be picking out. As a result, I鈥檒l try to stop thinking now and just remember the actually pretty enjoyable time I had reading it....more
A funny and deeply tragic novel. A story of how a vulnerable person gets taken advantage of, and how the human brain is capable of rationalising anythA funny and deeply tragic novel. A story of how a vulnerable person gets taken advantage of, and how the human brain is capable of rationalising anything.
Kevin Stubbs is a sad sort of man; lives by themself, few friends, somewhat estranged wife and child. But, they know the TRUTH of things, the FACTS of the situation, what鈥檚 really going on. And what鈥檚 really going on is that there is a gigantopithicus (bigfoot/yeti equivalent) running rampant in the woods of Sutton, south London. It鈥檚 just that there鈥檚 a big conspiracy to keep it quiet, right? All the scientists and media trying to hide these simple truths. But Kevin has seen it with their own eyes and will not be dissuaded. The story follows Kevin and a small team of investigators as they follow up on a particularly noteworthy sighting of the beast. The mystical and supernatural elements are well presented and often have a well-suffused humour to them; that Marenghian tint of being from a slightly schlocky horror writer. It鈥檚 very well done; there are some truly funny moments throughout. But Gigantic grounds its humour in a deeply believable world; even if that is seen from Kevin鈥檚 somewhat oblivious vantage point. Kevin is a deeply sympathetic character, someone who wants so desperately to belong to something and to connect that they become vulnerable to the abuse of bad actors. While the bigfoot idea is fantastical, it feels like an insight into the kind of mind that could fall into any number of modern conspiracy theories; flat-earth, climate-change denial, new world order type stuff. At no point is Kevin ever malicious, just misled.
There is a really touching story here about a man unable to connect with his wife; fully consumed by an insane obsession. The stories of the other members of the Gigantopithicus Investigation Team (or GITs) similarly have well-drawn personalities and arcs throughout the book, and the writing is clever enough to show these despite Kevin鈥檚 utter obliviousness.
A heartfelt and sad character study wrapped in an amusing monster-hunt. Great reading!...more
Bloody good fun. If not the progenitor of modern grimdark, then at least a strong early proponent that brought the genre into the mainstream. As a resBloody good fun. If not the progenitor of modern grimdark, then at least a strong early proponent that brought the genre into the mainstream. As a response to the idealised heroes and honourable quests of earlier years, often in themselves problematic and unexamined but nevertheless presented as positive, we now go distantly into the opposite direction. Everyone is unabashedly horrible, cruel, and selfish, and we just get to revel in their interactions. It鈥檚 the Always Sunny in Philadelphia of fantasy novels; after decades of sitcom characters being awful people for laughs yet still being presented as the supposedly sympathetic protagonists, we final get a piece of media that says: 鈥渘o actually these are all terrible people鈥� and instead uses that as a starting point to explore from.
Thus are we thrust into the world of the First Law; with a delightfully awful cast of characters to explore it with. It is a strongly character driven book; on this re-read I was struck by how little plot there actually is. Certainly, characters go on journeys but it鈥檚 all rather perfunctory and has the distinct feeling of pieces being set up on a board. It might be a long, gruelling journey across the frozen mountains of the north but there is no strong narrative purpose to it. It is all in service of getting our characters into the same place at the same time. Which is a worthwhile goal as the characters are very well realised; products of the world around them in a way that feels deeply authentic and gives the otherwise somewhat bare worldbuilding a solid point to build around. All thoroughly selfish, but never in a cartoonish 鈥渂wa-ha-ha I will rule the world鈥� type of way, purely being invested in their own interests. If someone is fighting to save the kingdom it鈥檚 to save their own skin or win reputation, not for any loftier moral goal.
With our group including a feared barbarian from the icy north, a crippled war hero now working as a torturer, and a talented but lazy nobleman, we explore the conflicts that beset the pseudo-medieval kingdom of the Union. The hordes of northmen have united under a single King for perhaps the first time, threatening the northern borders. The Empire in the south has seen a resurgence with a new and brutal emperor, threatening in that direction. And the ruling council of cares more for lining their own pockets than with true governance. Throw into this an ancient wizard, returning to the world and warning of nebulous, otherworldly dangers that may begin to press as well. It鈥檚 an uneasy situation, one which we feel very keenly through the points of view of some of the commoners caught up in these burgeoning conflicts. The hints of ancient and powerful magic hold a strong intrigue, and you have all the hallmarks of the beginning of an epic story.
But it鈥檚 best not to expect your traditional epic fantasy. Not just the characters are being re-examined here, but the tropes and tricks of the fantasy trade. Abercrombie is incredibly genre-savvy, and delights in turning tradition on its head, and playing with well-known ideas in new and different ways; some subtle, some glaring.
In a way its difficult to say exactly why I enjoy this so much; it鈥檚 just simply good. Well written, with effective prose and convincing dialogue. Magnificently written characters at most ends of the spectrum; although with the notable exception of women- good examples of which are sorely lacking from this book. Plot a little slow but the start of a larger trilogy. Good stuff. ...more
A really interesting historical document, that is not without merits as a narrative as well. Presented as an account of the Earls of Orkney, this sagaA really interesting historical document, that is not without merits as a narrative as well. Presented as an account of the Earls of Orkney, this saga is packed with all the bloodshed, Viking raids, sibling rivalries, house burnings and drunken feasts that you could possibly want in a medieval tale. There are three rather distinct sections to the book; the first third-to-half recounts the older history of the isles; starting from semi-mythical characters and rapidly working our way through the generations. The next segment looks at the life, death, and subsequent miracles of Saint Magnus. Finally we take an extended look at the life of earl Rognvald and the members of his court and lands as we approach the present day of the author.
The first section was by far the most enjoyable; the stories here have that beautiful lilt of myth to them, and you can just hear them being told and retold in grand longhouses as wood crackles on the fire, the winter wind battering the walls. This particular translation by Palsson and Edwards really keeps that feeling of oral storytelling; there are some great turns of phrase and an overall rhythm to the book that keeps it driving forwards. There is a lot of poetry included though, and only in translated English. I wish this was also provided in the original Norse, perhaps phonetically, just so that we could get a feel for the language and the real poetry of it. The book sketches out families that ruled over the isles, and the various ways their allegiances had changed over the years; painting a great picture of a culture that is deeply connected with Norway, with Scotland and England and Ireland.
As we get closer to the time of the author though, the book begins to slow and ultimately grinds to a halt. What was previously a sweeping, generational story; the real highlights and greatest hits of the Earls of Orkney; now becomes a tedious play-by-play of Rognvald鈥檚 entire life. I鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 still a lot here to interest the keen historian but for this reader the detail was bogging down the story. There鈥檚 far too often that we find ourselves going on a fishing trip, or staying at some small lord鈥檚 house on their island or visiting family for Christmas and we are treated to the names and genealogies of all twelve of their companions, only two of whom will ever enter the narrative again. Most likely the author was actually able to speak with people who were there for these events, but this then reveals a very different taste for editing than a modern reader might have. In one particularly memorable moment, a character lets out a hearty sneeze; another character comments 鈥渨hat a big sneeze!鈥� and then the narrative continues. Hilarious attention to bizarre detail.
A read that begins as enjoyable myth/history before slowing down into overexamined recounting. Still a fun read and sheds a lot of really interesting light onto a different time and culture....more
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