I wanted to like this book, but found it very hard to follow, and quite frankly, not worth the effort once I did read enough to get the gist of the plot line. To be blunt, reading this book is just a little too much like work, and a little not enough like pleasure. Save it for a night when you have insomnia.
The book is set in a poorly explained alternate universe, and the main character, Moth, is involved in an important secret work. Her skills, which are considered remarkable for the universe, aren't described or illustrated by the author. The skills that others may have aren't referenced at all. Moth isn't a particularly likable character, but then neither is anyone else.
The world itself is gritty, dark and roiling with tensions that won't make any sense until the last third of the book. When things do come together for Moth, it again, isn't really explained. It's the literary equivalent of writing "and then a miracle occurs" in the middle of your complicated equation, as way to gloss over all the things that just really don't hang together in the plot.
The language of the book is beautifully done, but tends to obfuscate rather than explicate. There are long passages where the author drones on for pages at a time about - well, hard to describe since it doesn't actually make sense or contribute anything to the story other than lovely but meaningless prose, and extra pages. It's a little like listening to a linguistically gifted, but drunk friend describe a dream he had.
If you decide to tackle this one, there is an extensive glossary of terms in the back that helps to explain the universe. Apparently, the author didn't have the necessary writing skills or respect for the reader to incorporate any of this information into text of the book itself. Think of it as a study guide.
The book is set in a poorly explained alternate universe, and the main character, Moth, is involved in an important secret work. Her skills, which are considered remarkable for the universe, aren't described or illustrated by the author. The skills that others may have aren't referenced at all. Moth isn't a particularly likable character, but then neither is anyone else.
The world itself is gritty, dark and roiling with tensions that won't make any sense until the last third of the book. When things do come together for Moth, it again, isn't really explained. It's the literary equivalent of writing "and then a miracle occurs" in the middle of your complicated equation, as way to gloss over all the things that just really don't hang together in the plot.
The language of the book is beautifully done, but tends to obfuscate rather than explicate. There are long passages where the author drones on for pages at a time about - well, hard to describe since it doesn't actually make sense or contribute anything to the story other than lovely but meaningless prose, and extra pages. It's a little like listening to a linguistically gifted, but drunk friend describe a dream he had.
If you decide to tackle this one, there is an extensive glossary of terms in the back that helps to explain the universe. Apparently, the author didn't have the necessary writing skills or respect for the reader to incorporate any of this information into text of the book itself. Think of it as a study guide.
