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goblingirlreads's review
Alright, I read a few other reviews and it appears I'm not alone: I am DNF-ing this at 5%. My biggest piece of wisdom is read the first chapter. This writing style is simply not for everyone.
The writing style is very unique and lyrical while being about a pretty complex science fiction environment. I simply could not compute all the details and poetry into understanding. My brain fought through every word. I think many people would find this exciting and beautiful. I really hope the people that it sings for, find it and love it. The themes and subject matter are compelling and I'm sorry I couldn't get my brain to the right frequency.
Thank you to Netgalley and TorDotCom for my review copy.
The writing style is very unique and lyrical while being about a pretty complex science fiction environment. I simply could not compute all the details and poetry into understanding. My brain fought through every word. I think many people would find this exciting and beautiful. I really hope the people that it sings for, find it and love it. The themes and subject matter are compelling and I'm sorry I couldn't get my brain to the right frequency.
Thank you to Netgalley and TorDotCom for my review copy.
intothevolcano's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Archangels of Funk is packed full of great ideas, vivid world building, and lyrical prose that is rhythmic throughout - I would have loved to have seen it in its original theatrical incarnation, which I didn't know about until the acknowledgements. I can really imagine it working well in this format.
As a novel, it felt ambitious and fresh to me. My only quibble is the pacing - the combination of slow plot progression, coupled with very short chapters, meant that this book took me a very long time to read. I found myself dipping in and out, rather than ploughing through in one sitting - and I worry it may have lost some of its impact because of this.
However, when I was reading, the world felt so real and fully fleshed out. I was attached to all of the characters, no matter how minor - and I loved the Bruja and Scout POV chapters. These brought a brilliant perspective, that was so different from the human characters but, as with the rest of the book, bursting with feeling - particularly love.
Thanks to Tor and Edelweiss for the ARC.
As a novel, it felt ambitious and fresh to me. My only quibble is the pacing - the combination of slow plot progression, coupled with very short chapters, meant that this book took me a very long time to read. I found myself dipping in and out, rather than ploughing through in one sitting - and I worry it may have lost some of its impact because of this.
However, when I was reading, the world felt so real and fully fleshed out. I was attached to all of the characters, no matter how minor - and I loved the Bruja and Scout POV chapters. These brought a brilliant perspective, that was so different from the human characters but, as with the rest of the book, bursting with feeling - particularly love.
Thanks to Tor and Edelweiss for the ARC.
scarletranger's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From the first page, Hairston pulled me into this what-if world and made me feel like part of the New World Festival, working through music to bring hopeful change. The characters breathe life into this novel, creating a unique experience of being able to feel this story of love and healing deep in my bones and spirit.
tyrshand's review
funny
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The core of the novel is the Next World Festival -- a welcoming celebration of dance, storytelling, music, and more -- that invites people to remember their pasts and choose their future. Cinnamon Jones promised her family she'd continue the tradition after they'd gone, but environmental disaster, a string of kidnappings, and a flood of sad memories have doused her creativity.
But Cinnamon helped create a charitable, kind community that hides inside a country largely controlled by greed and callousness. Neither the ghosts of her family or her still living (or living-ish) friends will let her fall.
While there is tension from corporate spies and attacks from desperate people, much of the novel flows in a delightful eddies. There is music in Hairston's prose and as the perspectives jump from character to character, readers may feel like they're buffeted by the crowd at a massive party. They'll catch a piece of drama here, a fond reminisce there, a bit of new drama, and then maybe peek at a budding romance. It's a little hectic and confusing, but the vibes feel so right that they'll know it will all come together in the end. And it does, in a moving and joyful way.
The conflict resolution in the novel is fascinating, because while no one is a doormat, forgiveness and understanding are incredibly important. There's a theme about how even very recent mistakes don't make someone a bad person necessarily, that people can be pulled onto a better path if they want.
It's also one of my favorite micro-genres -- apocalyptic (or near-to) science fiction with a heavy dose of magic. This one is also sprinkled liberally with whimsy, making this feel a bit like Kiki's Delivery Service crossed with Fahrenheit 451.
This was my first novel by Hairston, but I recognized references to some of her other books, so I am excited to go back and read those and see how they tie into this.
Also, I should note that the wonderful diversity of the cast. Many have mixed heritage, the traditions of their families and cultures matter, and queerness seems completely accepted. The few characters who place too much importance on a binary gendered view are quickly educated and judged accordingly.
But Cinnamon helped create a charitable, kind community that hides inside a country largely controlled by greed and callousness. Neither the ghosts of her family or her still living (or living-ish) friends will let her fall.
While there is tension from corporate spies and attacks from desperate people, much of the novel flows in a delightful eddies. There is music in Hairston's prose and as the perspectives jump from character to character, readers may feel like they're buffeted by the crowd at a massive party. They'll catch a piece of drama here, a fond reminisce there, a bit of new drama, and then maybe peek at a budding romance. It's a little hectic and confusing, but the vibes feel so right that they'll know it will all come together in the end. And it does, in a moving and joyful way.
The conflict resolution in the novel is fascinating, because while no one is a doormat, forgiveness and understanding are incredibly important. There's a theme about how even very recent mistakes don't make someone a bad person necessarily, that people can be pulled onto a better path if they want.
It's also one of my favorite micro-genres -- apocalyptic (or near-to) science fiction with a heavy dose of magic. This one is also sprinkled liberally with whimsy, making this feel a bit like Kiki's Delivery Service crossed with Fahrenheit 451.
This was my first novel by Hairston, but I recognized references to some of her other books, so I am excited to go back and read those and see how they tie into this.
Also, I should note that the wonderful diversity of the cast. Many have mixed heritage, the traditions of their families and cultures matter, and queerness seems completely accepted. The few characters who place too much importance on a binary gendered view are quickly educated and judged accordingly.
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