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prosenheim's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: War, Vomit, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Outing
seaprincess's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
"I shall give them a name for themselves, a way to distinguish from place and parentage and godling, for it is by this distinguishment that they will grow into their reason for being. I shall give them a name for themselves, that they may feel the spark of their own unbridled individuality and know themselves important, no matter the forces which may seek to persuade them otherwise.
Make it so, exclaimed the gods.
With pleasure, said grinning Genoveffa. Behold: from language, life."
(4.5 stars) the heretic's guide to homecoming is a book that contains multitudes, coming alive, rearing its sentience above simple pages. a deeply empathetic and all-encompassing story tempered by hundreds of thousands of stories interwoven within, creating a world of palpably rich flavor and depth. it is about kindness and courage, at the same time about injustice and fear. about friendship and family, all the same about gods and godlings. it cuts relentlessly deep in its portrayals of both festering anxiety and progressive healing. and most notably, as the book is a "guide," we bear witness to ronoah's inner musings, and follow him on his travels, one physical through the world of shale, the other mental—a quest to self-acceptance, self-possession.
this book is written with gentleness and hope, and i went into it expecting this, but what i did not anticipate was the mental fortitude i needed to persevere through the story. our main character ronoah has an intense internal dialogue with his anxiety, and much of the text tails him on his downward spirals as he reacts to and moves through the world. while i found myself in keen resonance with ronoah as a character because of this, it was also difficult to see such struggles so accurately depicted on the pages, difficult to read as he dwelled on his perceived shortcomings when he actually had so much to offer. that being said, ronoah is so easy to empathize with and love, not only because of his grapple with mental health, but also because he tries his hardest to be kind and honest, to listen, to be observant and attentive, to appreciate others and his surroundings. really, to put it shortly, he just tries, period. in doing that, i found it so soothing to tag along on his journey, to watch him experience new things, to experience him kindling meaningful relationships. to see him fall, reflect, and get back up over and over again was incredibly inspiring. "life is transformation," he encourages himself stubbornly, "so change already."
ronoah's companion, reilin, is a perfect foil. although they share many traits (compassion, attentiveness, wisdom), reilin is much more self-confident from the get-go and therefore a quite a bit more unpredictable. so unpredictable, cryptic, and mysterious, in fact, that i occasionally found him rather frightening. despite that, though, i felt that i was able to trust him. time and time again, he shows ronoah what he needs to see, and tells him what he needs to hear (albeit with copious amounts of subtlety), nudging ronoah along, helping him find his footing, his voice, and himself. and surprisingly—or maybe unsurprisingly, given his character—reilin does this all for his own gain. so for reilin, i am truly grateful. he is one of the most interesting and uniquely multifaceted characters i've read about in a long time.
if the main characters weren't enough, the world of the heretic's guide and its people were full of intrigue. with every bend in the road, ronoah and reilin discovered something new. with every new friend met, every teller heard, every story and legend told, i was struck with true wonder. it is tremendously apparent that this world was built with so much love, thought, and care. even after hearing so much about each place, each culture, i still feel that there is so much more to know. i am still dizzy with awe at how real this story felt, and at the same time how magical it was. and like ronoah, i never stopped wanting to hear more.
it's hard to describe exactly what happens in this book, because truthfully, not much does. much of the expedition is internal, driven by the development and growth of its characters, characters who happen upon stories instead of the other way around. but luckily, that is just the type of story that i love. i adored every bit of it, its lessons on empathy and kindness, on vulnerability and trust, on failing and learning. i think the greatest maxim, however, was this—listen to others, believe in their stories, and don't forget to do the same for yourself.
“'I am changing. I am better, and getting better every day that passes, I know it, and you know it, because there was once a time where nothing could have separated you from the dusty roads you walked. You know the power an adventure has to transform you. It is worth the suffering. But—' His voice wavered just a bit, suddenly timid. 'But one day I will visit, and end your suffering. I will show you how changed I am, and I hope you will like what you see.'”
Make it so, exclaimed the gods.
With pleasure, said grinning Genoveffa. Behold: from language, life."
(4.5 stars) the heretic's guide to homecoming is a book that contains multitudes, coming alive, rearing its sentience above simple pages. a deeply empathetic and all-encompassing story tempered by hundreds of thousands of stories interwoven within, creating a world of palpably rich flavor and depth. it is about kindness and courage, at the same time about injustice and fear. about friendship and family, all the same about gods and godlings. it cuts relentlessly deep in its portrayals of both festering anxiety and progressive healing. and most notably, as the book is a "guide," we bear witness to ronoah's inner musings, and follow him on his travels, one physical through the world of shale, the other mental—a quest to self-acceptance, self-possession.
this book is written with gentleness and hope, and i went into it expecting this, but what i did not anticipate was the mental fortitude i needed to persevere through the story. our main character ronoah has an intense internal dialogue with his anxiety, and much of the text tails him on his downward spirals as he reacts to and moves through the world. while i found myself in keen resonance with ronoah as a character because of this, it was also difficult to see such struggles so accurately depicted on the pages, difficult to read as he dwelled on his perceived shortcomings when he actually had so much to offer. that being said, ronoah is so easy to empathize with and love, not only because of his grapple with mental health, but also because he tries his hardest to be kind and honest, to listen, to be observant and attentive, to appreciate others and his surroundings. really, to put it shortly, he just tries, period. in doing that, i found it so soothing to tag along on his journey, to watch him experience new things, to experience him kindling meaningful relationships. to see him fall, reflect, and get back up over and over again was incredibly inspiring. "life is transformation," he encourages himself stubbornly, "so change already."
ronoah's companion, reilin, is a perfect foil. although they share many traits (compassion, attentiveness, wisdom), reilin is much more self-confident from the get-go and therefore a quite a bit more unpredictable. so unpredictable, cryptic, and mysterious, in fact, that i occasionally found him rather frightening. despite that, though, i felt that i was able to trust him. time and time again, he shows ronoah what he needs to see, and tells him what he needs to hear (albeit with copious amounts of subtlety), nudging ronoah along, helping him find his footing, his voice, and himself. and surprisingly—or maybe unsurprisingly, given his character—reilin does this all for his own gain. so for reilin, i am truly grateful. he is one of the most interesting and uniquely multifaceted characters i've read about in a long time.
if the main characters weren't enough, the world of the heretic's guide and its people were full of intrigue. with every bend in the road, ronoah and reilin discovered something new. with every new friend met, every teller heard, every story and legend told, i was struck with true wonder. it is tremendously apparent that this world was built with so much love, thought, and care. even after hearing so much about each place, each culture, i still feel that there is so much more to know. i am still dizzy with awe at how real this story felt, and at the same time how magical it was. and like ronoah, i never stopped wanting to hear more.
it's hard to describe exactly what happens in this book, because truthfully, not much does. much of the expedition is internal, driven by the development and growth of its characters, characters who happen upon stories instead of the other way around. but luckily, that is just the type of story that i love. i adored every bit of it, its lessons on empathy and kindness, on vulnerability and trust, on failing and learning. i think the greatest maxim, however, was this—listen to others, believe in their stories, and don't forget to do the same for yourself.
“'I am changing. I am better, and getting better every day that passes, I know it, and you know it, because there was once a time where nothing could have separated you from the dusty roads you walked. You know the power an adventure has to transform you. It is worth the suffering. But—' His voice wavered just a bit, suddenly timid. 'But one day I will visit, and end your suffering. I will show you how changed I am, and I hope you will like what you see.'”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
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