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jonahbarlow's review against another edition
3.0
For a fantasy book about the colonization of Africa, there’s a lot of conversations that aren’t had. The plot is so dense and there are so many characters that it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on. I’m mildly interested in the sequels but I know as soon as I finish this review I will forget all 500 pages.
kvcatnip's review against another edition
1.0
I truly hated this book.
I’m giving it two stars because I did like some of the writing style, and it was enough at certain points to keep me going.
Now, the content. First of all, throw away all notions of science fiction and fantasy you know or have read before picking this up. It’s nothing like anything else. And while that can be delightful sometimes, this book was like biting into too tough meat. You chew until your jaw hurts and you need to chug water to get it down. It’s heavy worded, convoluted, and often condescending. It has crude depictions and mentions of sex, way too frequently and without purpose. It has too many characters and storylines and not enough context. I read this entire book and I still don’t know what the actual STORY was.
It often gave me headaches, and had me longing for my traditional Tolkien-esque fantasy worlds.
I’m giving it two stars because I did like some of the writing style, and it was enough at certain points to keep me going.
Now, the content. First of all, throw away all notions of science fiction and fantasy you know or have read before picking this up. It’s nothing like anything else. And while that can be delightful sometimes, this book was like biting into too tough meat. You chew until your jaw hurts and you need to chug water to get it down. It’s heavy worded, convoluted, and often condescending. It has crude depictions and mentions of sex, way too frequently and without purpose. It has too many characters and storylines and not enough context. I read this entire book and I still don’t know what the actual STORY was.
It often gave me headaches, and had me longing for my traditional Tolkien-esque fantasy worlds.
thealiplante's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this on a whim and I am forever glad that I did. A beautifully written book that will confound, horrify and mesmerize you from beginning to end. I am not certain that I understand anything that happened as I finish, but I will be thinking about this book for a long while.
insectteeth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
not_bender's review against another edition
4.0
This book started off a little slow, or maybe that was just me getting used to the writing. I enjoyed Catling's writing, and the story was one I haven't read before, at least not noticeably so. A few scenes weren't exactly pleasant, specifically some with Ishmael, but the phrasing kept me drawn in even in most of those moments. I'm going to have to get the second book soon and then likely the third once it's released, now.
lithiumlion's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Probably one of my most challenging reads ever and yet I'm compelled
foolish_shane's review against another edition
3.0
So this was a pretty insane book. It reminded me a lot of Cloud Atlas. Lots of different stories told only tentatively linked. Except this jumps around a lot more. It was hard to follow at times, but the writing was beautiful and the ideas where exotic and capricious. I can't say I loved it because I was often lost , but I did it on audio so that may be part of the problem.
There are so many characters that I actually went online and found a "dramatis personae" type summary someone had created. It seemed like the author just let his imagination run wild and this could have been helped by a tougher editor. Still having trouble finding a link between some of the characters and the rest of the story.
Anyway, if you're up for a challenge definitely check it out.
There are so many characters that I actually went online and found a "dramatis personae" type summary someone had created. It seemed like the author just let his imagination run wild and this could have been helped by a tougher editor. Still having trouble finding a link between some of the characters and the rest of the story.
Anyway, if you're up for a challenge definitely check it out.
nihilisk's review against another edition
4.0
Four stars because this is a truly good blend of historical fiction, gothic, fantasy, and horror. The prose seems heavy-handed at first but eventually casts its spell on you. I am headed to the library immediately after this to pick up the second book in the trilogy. I hope it has as much originality and momentum as this.
zanderzander's review against another edition
4.0
Historical... Fiction fantasy science fiction. I started reading the Vorrh alone at bars for the first several sessions so it helped develop the murky tone. The first third of the book is filled with mysterious character setups that seem to only establish that there are no rules in this world. The confusing setting nearly feels like a Jeff Vandermeer, until it settles likely thanks to the influence of bog wizard comic book author Alan Moore. The edition I read wore a big impressive list of accolades from the likes of Neil Gaiman and Tom Waits acting like holy armor to sanctify the text. I was drawn in by the intensity of the twists and turns for the middle third, and couldn't wait to see how these odd beings would eventually mingle since they seemed to come from several different worlds and books. The last third shows how the author(s) actually had no plan for these eventual meetings, and therefore disappointed somewhat. There are apparently two more of these, but I am in no hurry.
suzyvee91's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5