There is a great deal to admire about this ambitious novel: its central characters are vividly drawn, complex, and satisfyingly larger than life. ParkThere is a great deal to admire about this ambitious novel: its central characters are vividly drawn, complex, and satisfyingly larger than life. Parker-Chan’s sense of place is authentic. And the genderqueer themes are a welcome presence in the landscape of mainstream fantasy literature. Where this book falls short for me is in its many chapters of palace and court intrigue; the inclusion of a vast cast of supporting players makes following the twisting threads of betrayals and shifting loyalties challenging and murky.
Still, over all, I’m glad to have spent time following this tale, and I’ll be interested to see its development in future installments.
Merged review:
There is a great deal to admire about this ambitious novel: its central characters are vividly drawn, complex, and satisfyingly larger than life. Parker-Chan’s sense of place is authentic. And the genderqueer themes are a welcome presence in the landscape of mainstream fantasy literature. Where this book falls short for me is in its many chapters of palace and court intrigue; the inclusion of a vast cast of supporting players makes following the twisting threads of betrayals and shifting loyalties challenging and murky.
Still, over all, I’m glad to have spent time following this tale, and I’ll be interested to see its development in future installments....more
This was a bewildering, entertaining, and inventive sequel to the wonderfully enjoyable Gideon the Ninth. I can’t say that I’m able to parse fully allThis was a bewildering, entertaining, and inventive sequel to the wonderfully enjoyable Gideon the Ninth. I can’t say that I’m able to parse fully all of the implications of the various revelations and plot twists that Muir flings at her readers in this installment, but that doesn’t overly trouble me. As with the first novel, I have the feeling that Muir is wanting some of her thornier emotional beats to land with a little more impact, and for me, they fall short of that. But I remain thoroughly impressed by how confidently and wittily and boldly she crafts her work, and I definitely will continue on with The Locked Tomb. ...more
As with pretty much every anthology, there were a couple of clunkers contained in these pages, but there were also some excellent, innovative, and traAs with pretty much every anthology, there were a couple of clunkers contained in these pages, but there were also some excellent, innovative, and transcendent stories, and overall, I was very happy to encounter the works of so many new and interesting writers from around the world. ...more
I have been reading novels and comic books for about the same number of decades, and I’ve enjoyed both throughout my reading journey. But I prefer my I have been reading novels and comic books for about the same number of decades, and I’ve enjoyed both throughout my reading journey. But I prefer my novels to read and feel like novels, not comic books, and this novel felt far too much like a comic book in the end.
There are a ton of enjoyable and inventive aspects in this book: Clark’s joy at creating a steampunk version of Cairo that blends magic with early industrial tech is refreshingly infectious. He pokes at and interrogates classism and colonialism and racism in satisfying ways. And he provides ample, empowered space to the women in his tale. But the plot and its many action sequences motor along with both too much shorthand and too little depth, which is what made it feel like a multi-issue comic book arc in the end.
I’m still an admirer of Clark, having enjoyed — but not fallen in love with — his previously-published novellas — and I’m hopeful that he will find ways to infuse his future writing with more emotional depth. As with his other works, the 3-star rating I’m giving this novel isn’t really a grumpy one; there’s too much goodwill and generosity of spirit on display here. ...more
Treading the somewhat familiar territory of a culture clash between a scientifically advanced researcher and the “barbaric” people he was sent to studTreading the somewhat familiar territory of a culture clash between a scientifically advanced researcher and the “barbaric” people he was sent to study, Tchaikovsky does manage to flex some richly imaginative and throughly literary muscles in this novella. I did, however, want to feel more emotionally invested in the events of the story. Still, it was an interesting and impressive read. ...more
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