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sammishgirl's review
This book just never clicked for me. The writing didn't flow, and after 90 pages I still didn't care about any of the characters or what was going to happen. I didn't hate it, I just didn't care one way or another. And life is too short to read books you don't like so I stopped.
bookishcharlotte's review
4.0
This is a novel about a river.
No, really.
Decades ago, the river Irenicon tore through Rasenna, effectively dividing the city into two, and thoroughly terrifying its citizens. The feuding factions occupying the city more or less carried on with business as usual – working during the day, and attacking each other at night – but the river, a huge, relentless force that had torn so easily through their city, couldn’t be ignored, and their daily lives had to adjust to accommodate it. Since then, Rasenna and Concord have maintained a complex relationship, and even at its most cordial, the danger and the threat presented by that strong city linger.
This premise certainly does not suffer from being overly simplistic. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. There are enough distinct, and, dare I say it, intriguing threads to satisfy even the most demanding reader, it provides a clear indication of what direction the novel is likely to travel in – without spoiling the ending, which shouldn’t be as rare as it is – and more than adequate space for a great plot and brilliant characters.
However.
(Drumroll please)
I’m still, sometime after finishing Irenicon, not quite sure how I feel about it. To put it absurdly simply: I opened the book expecting one thing, and what I found was entirely different. While that was not necessarily bad – and, for many reasons, it was very good – I was ultimately faced with a narrative that, instead of meeting or exceeding my expectations, somehow circumnavigated them to run wildly in the other direction, leaving rose petals drifting in its wake.
The problem with the plot was twofold. On the surface, Irenicon is a particularly interesting succession dispute. Sofia, heir apparent, is faced with a whole host of enemies, several long-standing and frankly rather ridiculous traditions, and seemingly ironclad internalised prejudices on her way to success. It’s a long, uphill battle to the top, and the odds are certainly not in her favour. But Irenicon is also about the man that falls in love with her, an Engineer – not the usual sort, might I add – sent from Concord to build a bridge that will enable them to continue taking over the world. And, reading it, I wasn’t quite sure which I was supposed to be more interested in. They are the two obvious main characters, but their narratives do not combine well, and that damages the cohesion of the novel.
On the other hand, the world building in Irenicon is, in a word, exquisite. Everything from the widest concept, to the smallest detail, shows evidence of being considered at length. It’s incredible work, and really brings the novel to life, vivid enough to draw the reader straight into the action. I almost felt as if I could really be there, peering around a building to spy on the action, and that is not something to be taken lightly.
Additionally, the characters are vibrant and exceedingly well crafted, without a stereotype in sight. They’re three-dimensional enough to feel realistic, and they fit their world to perfection. Sofia might easily have turned into the archetype ‘strong’ female devoid of all feelings, but she doesn’t, and it is the combination of her sympathetic, quick-thinking outlook and her fighting prowess that arguably enables her to save the day.
However, Sofia’s narrative quickly turns into a Romeo and Juliet snoozefest that we know and loathe. Star-crossed lovers are a perfectly respectable narrative trope, but I expected her character development to arise from the actual plot, not from her inexplicable interest in the Engineer sent from Concord. To add insult to grievous injury, said Engineer’s character development arises from the plot developments that exist alongside the realisation of his all-consuming love for Sofia.
There’s a clear imbalance, and it’s not one that I liked.
Ultimately, then, I liked many aspects of Harte’s Irenicon. It’s well written, the world building aspects are exceedingly admirable, and there are many excellent characters, all of which undergo significant development throughout the course of the narrative. For the problems mentioned above, however, I was unable to give it 5 stars.
No, really.
Decades ago, the river Irenicon tore through Rasenna, effectively dividing the city into two, and thoroughly terrifying its citizens. The feuding factions occupying the city more or less carried on with business as usual – working during the day, and attacking each other at night – but the river, a huge, relentless force that had torn so easily through their city, couldn’t be ignored, and their daily lives had to adjust to accommodate it. Since then, Rasenna and Concord have maintained a complex relationship, and even at its most cordial, the danger and the threat presented by that strong city linger.
This premise certainly does not suffer from being overly simplistic. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. There are enough distinct, and, dare I say it, intriguing threads to satisfy even the most demanding reader, it provides a clear indication of what direction the novel is likely to travel in – without spoiling the ending, which shouldn’t be as rare as it is – and more than adequate space for a great plot and brilliant characters.
However.
(Drumroll please)
I’m still, sometime after finishing Irenicon, not quite sure how I feel about it. To put it absurdly simply: I opened the book expecting one thing, and what I found was entirely different. While that was not necessarily bad – and, for many reasons, it was very good – I was ultimately faced with a narrative that, instead of meeting or exceeding my expectations, somehow circumnavigated them to run wildly in the other direction, leaving rose petals drifting in its wake.
The problem with the plot was twofold. On the surface, Irenicon is a particularly interesting succession dispute. Sofia, heir apparent, is faced with a whole host of enemies, several long-standing and frankly rather ridiculous traditions, and seemingly ironclad internalised prejudices on her way to success. It’s a long, uphill battle to the top, and the odds are certainly not in her favour. But Irenicon is also about the man that falls in love with her, an Engineer – not the usual sort, might I add – sent from Concord to build a bridge that will enable them to continue taking over the world. And, reading it, I wasn’t quite sure which I was supposed to be more interested in. They are the two obvious main characters, but their narratives do not combine well, and that damages the cohesion of the novel.
On the other hand, the world building in Irenicon is, in a word, exquisite. Everything from the widest concept, to the smallest detail, shows evidence of being considered at length. It’s incredible work, and really brings the novel to life, vivid enough to draw the reader straight into the action. I almost felt as if I could really be there, peering around a building to spy on the action, and that is not something to be taken lightly.
Additionally, the characters are vibrant and exceedingly well crafted, without a stereotype in sight. They’re three-dimensional enough to feel realistic, and they fit their world to perfection. Sofia might easily have turned into the archetype ‘strong’ female devoid of all feelings, but she doesn’t, and it is the combination of her sympathetic, quick-thinking outlook and her fighting prowess that arguably enables her to save the day.
However, Sofia’s narrative quickly turns into a Romeo and Juliet snoozefest that we know and loathe. Star-crossed lovers are a perfectly respectable narrative trope, but I expected her character development to arise from the actual plot, not from her inexplicable interest in the Engineer sent from Concord. To add insult to grievous injury, said Engineer’s character development arises from the plot developments that exist alongside the realisation of his all-consuming love for Sofia.
There’s a clear imbalance, and it’s not one that I liked.
Ultimately, then, I liked many aspects of Harte’s Irenicon. It’s well written, the world building aspects are exceedingly admirable, and there are many excellent characters, all of which undergo significant development throughout the course of the narrative. For the problems mentioned above, however, I was unable to give it 5 stars.
cupiscent's review
4.0
Flawed, unusual, great. There are elements of the things I loved about Guy Gavriel Kay about this - the strength of the setting (a strongly evoked northern Italy of Machiavelli) and the romantic brutality of character choices and consequences - but though Harte's style is equally poetic, it is sparse and pared back (sometimes cut too far, too close to the bone to give the necessary weight to the big moment that just went whizzing past). The characters are strong, floundering, human, drawn in virulent and sizzling strokes - and though I have seen comments on it being YA, I had to actually think hard about it to remember that the heroine is 16 for much of the story. (Not that she's not believably 16, she's just living in a city where innocence dies young.)
And the broad strokes of the story and worldbuilding had so much stuff that delighted me. The martial art of Rasenna is inherently ridiculous, and so magnificently delivered that I wish it could be real. The differences from the real world are threefold and not necessarily related, but thematically they're woven together tightly, and with a depth of exploration that I found genuinely interesting. I found myself with a great deal of trust in the author (for all this is his first book) and a genuine interest in how he was going to explore further, and this enabled me to keep my enthusiasm through some slightly bumpy bits in the finale sequence.
It felt fresh but measured. It felt artistic but grounded. And I really enjoyed it.
And the broad strokes of the story and worldbuilding had so much stuff that delighted me. The martial art of Rasenna is inherently ridiculous, and so magnificently delivered that I wish it could be real. The differences from the real world are threefold and not necessarily related, but thematically they're woven together tightly, and with a depth of exploration that I found genuinely interesting. I found myself with a great deal of trust in the author (for all this is his first book) and a genuine interest in how he was going to explore further, and this enabled me to keep my enthusiasm through some slightly bumpy bits in the finale sequence.
It felt fresh but measured. It felt artistic but grounded. And I really enjoyed it.
samantha_randolph's review
2.0
"Inheriting a city full of anger, corruption, and fear isn't exactly what a future Contessa would want. Sofia Scaligeri desperately wants to change her home, but it seems impossible with all the enemies they face. When a Concordian engineer, Giovanni, agrees to build a bridge over the Irenicon, a solution starts to present itself. But with a deadly Wave coming, no one can tell who will survive." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=45110
abookishtype's review
3.0
How do you fight against impossible odds? Twenty years before the opening of Aidan Harte's Irenicon, an unnatural wave ripped through the city of Rasenna and ended their resistance against the Concordian Empire. Since then, the city has torn itself apart as factions fight pointless, bloody vendetta. The heir is underage. The city's regents scheme and squabble. The beginning of the book is rocky, but if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded with a fantastic (in both senses of the word) vision of an alternate late medieval Italy...
Read the rest of my review on my blog at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review on my blog at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
cindyc's review
4.0
3,5 stars.
http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/irenicon-the-wave-trilogy-1-aidan-harte/
Irenicon is a book that had to grow no me. Not necessarily due to the story, but more because of the structure in the very beginning of the book. The first few chapters confused me immensely. I didn’t understand what was going on or what it was supposed to introduce me to.
More and more, as the story unfolded and the world building got more extensive, the story grew on me. A quarter in I was hooked.
It has been said about this book before, it is even stated on the cover, but the world building is absolutely fantastic. The culture Harte has created here is stunning and very special. It represents an old alternate Italy, with Italian sounding names and the Mediterranean climate. Rasenna, the stage for the most part of this story, is special in its own peculiar ways. The most prominent thing is the artificially made river who destroyed part of the city years before. The river was sent as a Wave by the engineers of Concord, as a way to conquer them. The fact that the river is artificial isn’t the most special thing about it though, it is sentient. Or rather, it contains sentient beings, that the people call buio’s. Sometimes these beings escape the river and roam the streets, drowning everyone they encounter. It seems only one woman, a nun, is able to lead them back to the river.
Water and these creatures play an important role throughout the book. When we are introduced to the mysterious ‘Water style’ it really challenges you to keep an open mind and think differently about something as basic as water.
The river in itself is important, but what it left in its wake is even more so. The river has divided Rasenna in two sides, literally and figuratively speaking. Because when the river destroyed part of the city, their leader perished as well. With his daughter, Sofia, being too young to take over his position, prominent families from both sides compete for it. Both sides clash frequently, but there is elegance in their fighting, because they fight with flags. Flags, you say? Yes! This got me very confused at first, because this fact is kind of thrown at you in the very beginning and I just didn’t get it at first. But the more you read about it, the more it fits and the more natural it seems. These flags have great meaning and they are carried with pride. Each family has its own flag and is based in its own tower in Rasenna, creating this kind of elite population.
Another interesting change to the world we know is the Christianity in Rasenna. In this alternate world, Herod succeeded in slaying baby Jesus, therefore this world has never known the words of the Messiah.
The story takes off when Giovanni, an engineer from Concord, arrives in Rasenna to build a bridge over the river and unite the two rivaling sides. Concord has its own reasons to build this bridge, so he is met with a lot of hostility and distrust and soon a war is brewing, among the people of Rasenna, but also with Concord.
Sofia, who will become Contessa as soon as she turns eighteen, shares their distrust at first but soon warms to the Concordian engineer and his plans for Rasenna.
In between chapters there are fragments from a book that describes a bit of the history of Concord, with a focus on Bernoulli, the brilliant man who formed the engineer guild. There are a lot of footnotes, who were fun to read at first, but I soon found myself skipping them, because they hampered my reading rhythm. It was interesting, though, to read about Concord’s history and learn more about this infamous Bernoulli.
As for the characters, compared to the brilliant world building, they were ok. Sofia was my number one character. I like that we had a strong, young heroine who also had a lot of faults. Doctor Bardini, her tutor and one of the main forces in Rasenna, and the nun were also very interesting to read about. Others had the tendency to become a bit clichéed at certain moments. Though the characters are varied and carry the story well, making more of them shine would have made this book amazing.
Irenicon is a book that took me a bit by surprise, especially after the confusing and somewhat false start (for me). Along the way lots of surprising twists are revealed that I didn’t see coming at all. We also learn a lot of new things about this special world throughout the book that added an extra layer to the already excellent world building. I’m intrigued by the role water plays in this world, it really did challenge me and I like it when a book can achieve that.
With the surprising twist for a few of the main characters at the end and the intriguing world building I’m very curious to read the other two books in the Wave trilogy.
Next up is ‘The Warring States’!
http://draumrkopablog.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/irenicon-the-wave-trilogy-1-aidan-harte/
Irenicon is a book that had to grow no me. Not necessarily due to the story, but more because of the structure in the very beginning of the book. The first few chapters confused me immensely. I didn’t understand what was going on or what it was supposed to introduce me to.
More and more, as the story unfolded and the world building got more extensive, the story grew on me. A quarter in I was hooked.
It has been said about this book before, it is even stated on the cover, but the world building is absolutely fantastic. The culture Harte has created here is stunning and very special. It represents an old alternate Italy, with Italian sounding names and the Mediterranean climate. Rasenna, the stage for the most part of this story, is special in its own peculiar ways. The most prominent thing is the artificially made river who destroyed part of the city years before. The river was sent as a Wave by the engineers of Concord, as a way to conquer them. The fact that the river is artificial isn’t the most special thing about it though, it is sentient. Or rather, it contains sentient beings, that the people call buio’s. Sometimes these beings escape the river and roam the streets, drowning everyone they encounter. It seems only one woman, a nun, is able to lead them back to the river.
Water and these creatures play an important role throughout the book. When we are introduced to the mysterious ‘Water style’ it really challenges you to keep an open mind and think differently about something as basic as water.
The river in itself is important, but what it left in its wake is even more so. The river has divided Rasenna in two sides, literally and figuratively speaking. Because when the river destroyed part of the city, their leader perished as well. With his daughter, Sofia, being too young to take over his position, prominent families from both sides compete for it. Both sides clash frequently, but there is elegance in their fighting, because they fight with flags. Flags, you say? Yes! This got me very confused at first, because this fact is kind of thrown at you in the very beginning and I just didn’t get it at first. But the more you read about it, the more it fits and the more natural it seems. These flags have great meaning and they are carried with pride. Each family has its own flag and is based in its own tower in Rasenna, creating this kind of elite population.
Another interesting change to the world we know is the Christianity in Rasenna. In this alternate world, Herod succeeded in slaying baby Jesus, therefore this world has never known the words of the Messiah.
The story takes off when Giovanni, an engineer from Concord, arrives in Rasenna to build a bridge over the river and unite the two rivaling sides. Concord has its own reasons to build this bridge, so he is met with a lot of hostility and distrust and soon a war is brewing, among the people of Rasenna, but also with Concord.
Sofia, who will become Contessa as soon as she turns eighteen, shares their distrust at first but soon warms to the Concordian engineer and his plans for Rasenna.
In between chapters there are fragments from a book that describes a bit of the history of Concord, with a focus on Bernoulli, the brilliant man who formed the engineer guild. There are a lot of footnotes, who were fun to read at first, but I soon found myself skipping them, because they hampered my reading rhythm. It was interesting, though, to read about Concord’s history and learn more about this infamous Bernoulli.
As for the characters, compared to the brilliant world building, they were ok. Sofia was my number one character. I like that we had a strong, young heroine who also had a lot of faults. Doctor Bardini, her tutor and one of the main forces in Rasenna, and the nun were also very interesting to read about. Others had the tendency to become a bit clichéed at certain moments. Though the characters are varied and carry the story well, making more of them shine would have made this book amazing.
Irenicon is a book that took me a bit by surprise, especially after the confusing and somewhat false start (for me). Along the way lots of surprising twists are revealed that I didn’t see coming at all. We also learn a lot of new things about this special world throughout the book that added an extra layer to the already excellent world building. I’m intrigued by the role water plays in this world, it really did challenge me and I like it when a book can achieve that.
With the surprising twist for a few of the main characters at the end and the intriguing world building I’m very curious to read the other two books in the Wave trilogy.
Next up is ‘The Warring States’!
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