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merricatct's review
3.0
I really did like this, and I feel like three stars might not be enough, but I also feel that four is too high. For all its uniqueness and humor, it was also really uneven. The author’s choice to have the narrative jump back and forth in time with no warning was distracting and took away from the experience of reading. Overall, this was a good read and I would seek out more work by this author, but there was definitely room for improvement.
dluman's review
5.0
A remarkable narrative style, telling stories from the points of view of some pretty horrific characters; Bullington does good work making the reader sympathize with his protagonists who make traitorous and foolish decisions because in all of his anti-heroes, we see ourselves.
sscalavera's review
4.0
Not for the faint of heart, this, but massively entertaining all the same. Also features a North African lesbian necromancer as its chief protagonist, and does some interesting stuff with genre conventions. Not that I really know what the genre conventions are for this book: it’s part historical fiction, part horror, part fantasy, part… something else. All very good, though.
lacifaeria's review
5.0
First and foremost: OMG PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!! I wish I could give this book out for presents and random celebrations and just because it's a day in the week and you could use a little bit of adventure. It is fantastic! Both in the complimentary sense and in the style. And it's great.
Ok so here's the story of a young magical Moor girl named Awa. I really like how the prologue even sets up the circumstances surrounding her birth, so that you get a sense of her not being meant to be major in her life. She was born almost into servitude and was tasked with caring for her mistress Omorose, a beautiful young woman from a harem. After being captured with her mistress and companion eunuch, they soon adapt and grow under the cruel tutelage of a mountain-top necromancer, and Awa excels beneath his domineering hand. At the same time, the author begins to spin the tale of the mercenary artist Manuel who wants to focus on his family and his art, and this last task is all that's between him and the idyllic life of his dreams. These are the building blocks of a story that is so much more than this (I'm giving it short shrift in summarizing the start like this). Trust me--it's super-fantastic.
I LOVE the main protagonist, and not just because she's a queer black woman although that didn't hurt. Though I have to make this one note about this: Reading this story with Awa as the protagonist really makes me feel saddened and disappointed when authors claim that introducing a person of color or an LGBT person as a main character is "pandering", that it's too hard, or that it would cause too many problems for the readers, mainly the ability to empathize with a character and whether or not people would read it. While her race or sexual orientation is never glossed over, and is included very often in the narrative, it never detracts from who Awa is. It also doesn't add to who Awa is, as if her being a "blackamoor" grants her superhuman strength or power. Most of the times it's mentioned is when other people comment on it or have a problem with it or are confused by it. Honestly, this is the best way to portray it (because that's most accurate), and this fledgling author managed to master an element of character creation that eludes so many other practiced authors. This man, a white man at that, was able to create and portray an empathetic character who is very far from who he is--and yet, he is so successful at this that you almost forget how rare it is or how many authors/writers claim they cannot do it. He really shames them and makes it look like they're not even trying to create diverse stories and characters, as if they're blankly banging their hands on a keyboard and shrugging. And this really sucks, because I like reading about different kinds of people. More characters like this please!
And that's the thing of it. He never hides it. The world he's created/adopted (Spanish Inquisition) isn't colorblind or even tolerant. It's mentioned often how people would be uncomfortable with a "Moor" or a woman who likes girls. It's mentioned the numerous disguises she has to use in order to get around in Renaissance Spain, France, and Germany. It's also mentioned in several conversations with Monique, her friend and road warrior, that there is racial bias even with the prostitutes, that she "might" be able to find a prostitute or two who could be paid to have sex with her, even though she was black. Like, the book NEVER shies away from that. And yet, Awa is such a fantastic character, so triumphant and conflicted, that you accept it, embrace this part of her narrative, and let it create an empathetic bond between you and her. Really well done.
Bullington is also very skilled at presenting the fantastical elements in such a way that you almost forget this is fantasy. During Awa's internment with the necromancer, she is surrounded by practical applications of necromancy, which I found delightful. I love fantasy. Give me some mage spells and blue fire and I'm all about it. Raise an undead army of the damned, and I'm right there for you. But it tickled me to think of practical necromancy, like raising the dead for entertainment value, or to fulfill basic household chores like washing clothes or fetching dinner. Or serving as a bed like in the case of the bear that the necromancer slept in during the day. Or serving as a lover, the undead concubine of the necromancer. Or even as a friend, like Awa's undead friend Alvarez, who taught Awa how to spar in battle and was her advisor and confidante. One of the times I was aware that I had just accepted "practical" necromancy was when the dining set assembled itself from a collection of undead soldiers' bones. And while it might strike you as odd, the next feeling is, "Well, I mean, why wouldn't you?" And like that, you're in.
Awa is beautiful, though never described that way in the book except through Manuel's eyes when he wants to paint her. She's protective, shy, nervous, sweet, intelligent, empathetic. When she approaches spell-casting, it's from a place of making deals and bargains and asking favors of the spirits in the objects around her, as opposed to commanding them the way the necromancer does. I always felt like her magic was better, even when she was raising the dead, because she asked permission and fulfilled requests of the dead she asked favors of. Even as her power grew, Awa's approach was always humble, and I think that actually made her a more powerful witch. However it's not as if she was perfect. She killed Manuel the first time they were in the cave together in order to prevent him from running, knowing that it was only a "little death" (not orgasm) and she could bring him back. She never disclosed what was in her "stews" that magically restored broken bones and missing body parts (it was people hahahaha). She didn't tell people she was a witch in order to keep their company. And sometimes, even though she was trying to do what she thought was best, she denied a few someones the option of choice in favor of what she thought was best, often with disastrous results (like in the case of changing Chloe into a vampire in order to give her eternal life while being restored to her most perfect form). There were times when Awa's relationships with people were strained by her lack of alive friends during her formative years. Like watching a child who's never made friends before. And watching her struggle through her guilt over raising Omorose broke my heart. Here was a girl who the whole world overlooked and all she wanted was to be loved in a world that wasn't meant to love her. She felt ashamed of her needs, a very human thing to do, and struggled with internalized hatred over bringing Omorose back to be her lover, even though Omorose was nothing short of vain, petty, jealous, and contemptuous and completely unworthy of the love Awa had for her. All of these things endeared her to me. She was incredibly powerful but her outside life was muted. It was an amazing balance and a pleasure to read. I feel like I really understand who she is and it made me love her.
Still, she's not the only remarkable character in this book. Her two companions, Manuel and Monique, are just as awesome and the bond she shares with them is heartwarming. I wish there was a bit more about Monique because she just an amazing character. Described as being a veritable "giantess", Monique is a brawling, fighting, foul-mouthed prostitute (later Madame) with a heart of pure gold. And after Awa heals her of the "spirits" in her ladybits, they become friends for life. I really appreciated their friendship and the way it was portrayed. While both were lesbians, and even tried to have a go at it once or twice, the main core of their relationship was a deep respect and profound love for each other as people, as friends. They went into business with each other. Monique didn't care that she was "a blackamoor" or a lesbian. Monique was able to see right through all the bullshit to Awa's heart and couldn't be swayed against her no matter what. And people tried. Dr. Paracelsus tried to spoil her affection by disclosing that Awa was really a witch. But that didn't matter to Monique, because Awa was one of the first people to treat Monique as a person and that meant more to her than any hearsay or gossip against Awa. And while the end of the book glosses over a few stories that I wish the author fleshed out in a series of books (*begs* please please please *begs*), it was nice to note that Awa and Monique's bond lasted into the ages. I wish I had a friend like Monique.
The story is really compelling, so compelling in fact, that you don't realize until you get to Awa's curse that the main dilemma hasn't even been introduced to the narrative. The necromancer's dirty trick and 10 year curse on Awa is pure fairytale and I love it. 100 pages in and now there's a race against time with impossible odds to save Awa's life. And I love it. The story is really fast-paced from that point, and even though a lot happens in 10 years, you still have this aching in the back of your mind, like, "Awa....you're running out of time....you need to find that book and break the necromancer's curse!" And I like that. I mean, it's still a fantasy book. There should be incredible elements weaved into the story.
And yet, it's "bawdy", which is a great word. It's lewd. There are off-color jokes and plenty of plain speaking. There's lots of sex, with both living and dead people. Lots of booze and base scenarios. This was an era when people could buy "indulgences" but I appreciate the narrative including the reasons why indulgences were purchased. It wasn't this sterile environment most people make the Med/Ren period to be--this was vibrant, with selfish, vain characters; greed and gluttony; jealousy, anger, cowardice. So while you knew it was happening in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, there was no bullshit. These were people. Regular people thrust into a magically unbelievable situation.
So yeah. I'm sure I've spoiled enough of this but I think most people should read this book. It's a fast read with a great story and compelling characters. A total pleasure to read. In fact, I kept taking breaks from it, because whenever I picked it up, I was usually reading 50-75 pages at a time and I wanted to slow it down so it wasn't over too fast. And now, I want to read the other book Jesse Bullington wrote, because I like how he writes. The other one takes place in the 1300's which is great (I love Med/Ren stuff) but knowing how he tells a story, I totally understand why it was described as "Grimm's fairy tales as described by Chuck Palahniuk (sp?)" and I'm totally on board for that!!
Ok so here's the story of a young magical Moor girl named Awa. I really like how the prologue even sets up the circumstances surrounding her birth, so that you get a sense of her not being meant to be major in her life. She was born almost into servitude and was tasked with caring for her mistress Omorose, a beautiful young woman from a harem. After being captured with her mistress and companion eunuch, they soon adapt and grow under the cruel tutelage of a mountain-top necromancer, and Awa excels beneath his domineering hand. At the same time, the author begins to spin the tale of the mercenary artist Manuel who wants to focus on his family and his art, and this last task is all that's between him and the idyllic life of his dreams. These are the building blocks of a story that is so much more than this (I'm giving it short shrift in summarizing the start like this). Trust me--it's super-fantastic.
I LOVE the main protagonist, and not just because she's a queer black woman although that didn't hurt. Though I have to make this one note about this: Reading this story with Awa as the protagonist really makes me feel saddened and disappointed when authors claim that introducing a person of color or an LGBT person as a main character is "pandering", that it's too hard, or that it would cause too many problems for the readers, mainly the ability to empathize with a character and whether or not people would read it. While her race or sexual orientation is never glossed over, and is included very often in the narrative, it never detracts from who Awa is. It also doesn't add to who Awa is, as if her being a "blackamoor" grants her superhuman strength or power. Most of the times it's mentioned is when other people comment on it or have a problem with it or are confused by it. Honestly, this is the best way to portray it (because that's most accurate), and this fledgling author managed to master an element of character creation that eludes so many other practiced authors. This man, a white man at that, was able to create and portray an empathetic character who is very far from who he is--and yet, he is so successful at this that you almost forget how rare it is or how many authors/writers claim they cannot do it. He really shames them and makes it look like they're not even trying to create diverse stories and characters, as if they're blankly banging their hands on a keyboard and shrugging. And this really sucks, because I like reading about different kinds of people. More characters like this please!
And that's the thing of it. He never hides it. The world he's created/adopted (Spanish Inquisition) isn't colorblind or even tolerant. It's mentioned often how people would be uncomfortable with a "Moor" or a woman who likes girls. It's mentioned the numerous disguises she has to use in order to get around in Renaissance Spain, France, and Germany. It's also mentioned in several conversations with Monique, her friend and road warrior, that there is racial bias even with the prostitutes, that she "might" be able to find a prostitute or two who could be paid to have sex with her, even though she was black. Like, the book NEVER shies away from that. And yet, Awa is such a fantastic character, so triumphant and conflicted, that you accept it, embrace this part of her narrative, and let it create an empathetic bond between you and her. Really well done.
Bullington is also very skilled at presenting the fantastical elements in such a way that you almost forget this is fantasy. During Awa's internment with the necromancer, she is surrounded by practical applications of necromancy, which I found delightful. I love fantasy. Give me some mage spells and blue fire and I'm all about it. Raise an undead army of the damned, and I'm right there for you. But it tickled me to think of practical necromancy, like raising the dead for entertainment value, or to fulfill basic household chores like washing clothes or fetching dinner. Or serving as a bed like in the case of the bear that the necromancer slept in during the day. Or serving as a lover, the undead concubine of the necromancer. Or even as a friend, like Awa's undead friend Alvarez, who taught Awa how to spar in battle and was her advisor and confidante. One of the times I was aware that I had just accepted "practical" necromancy was when the dining set assembled itself from a collection of undead soldiers' bones. And while it might strike you as odd, the next feeling is, "Well, I mean, why wouldn't you?" And like that, you're in.
Awa is beautiful, though never described that way in the book except through Manuel's eyes when he wants to paint her. She's protective, shy, nervous, sweet, intelligent, empathetic. When she approaches spell-casting, it's from a place of making deals and bargains and asking favors of the spirits in the objects around her, as opposed to commanding them the way the necromancer does. I always felt like her magic was better, even when she was raising the dead, because she asked permission and fulfilled requests of the dead she asked favors of. Even as her power grew, Awa's approach was always humble, and I think that actually made her a more powerful witch. However it's not as if she was perfect. She killed Manuel the first time they were in the cave together in order to prevent him from running, knowing that it was only a "little death" (not orgasm) and she could bring him back. She never disclosed what was in her "stews" that magically restored broken bones and missing body parts (it was people hahahaha). She didn't tell people she was a witch in order to keep their company. And sometimes, even though she was trying to do what she thought was best, she denied a few someones the option of choice in favor of what she thought was best, often with disastrous results (like in the case of changing Chloe into a vampire in order to give her eternal life while being restored to her most perfect form). There were times when Awa's relationships with people were strained by her lack of alive friends during her formative years. Like watching a child who's never made friends before. And watching her struggle through her guilt over raising Omorose broke my heart. Here was a girl who the whole world overlooked and all she wanted was to be loved in a world that wasn't meant to love her. She felt ashamed of her needs, a very human thing to do, and struggled with internalized hatred over bringing Omorose back to be her lover, even though Omorose was nothing short of vain, petty, jealous, and contemptuous and completely unworthy of the love Awa had for her. All of these things endeared her to me. She was incredibly powerful but her outside life was muted. It was an amazing balance and a pleasure to read. I feel like I really understand who she is and it made me love her.
Still, she's not the only remarkable character in this book. Her two companions, Manuel and Monique, are just as awesome and the bond she shares with them is heartwarming. I wish there was a bit more about Monique because she just an amazing character. Described as being a veritable "giantess", Monique is a brawling, fighting, foul-mouthed prostitute (later Madame) with a heart of pure gold. And after Awa heals her of the "spirits" in her ladybits, they become friends for life. I really appreciated their friendship and the way it was portrayed. While both were lesbians, and even tried to have a go at it once or twice, the main core of their relationship was a deep respect and profound love for each other as people, as friends. They went into business with each other. Monique didn't care that she was "a blackamoor" or a lesbian. Monique was able to see right through all the bullshit to Awa's heart and couldn't be swayed against her no matter what. And people tried. Dr. Paracelsus tried to spoil her affection by disclosing that Awa was really a witch. But that didn't matter to Monique, because Awa was one of the first people to treat Monique as a person and that meant more to her than any hearsay or gossip against Awa. And while the end of the book glosses over a few stories that I wish the author fleshed out in a series of books (*begs* please please please *begs*), it was nice to note that Awa and Monique's bond lasted into the ages. I wish I had a friend like Monique.
The story is really compelling, so compelling in fact, that you don't realize until you get to Awa's curse that the main dilemma hasn't even been introduced to the narrative. The necromancer's dirty trick and 10 year curse on Awa is pure fairytale and I love it. 100 pages in and now there's a race against time with impossible odds to save Awa's life. And I love it. The story is really fast-paced from that point, and even though a lot happens in 10 years, you still have this aching in the back of your mind, like, "Awa....you're running out of time....you need to find that book and break the necromancer's curse!" And I like that. I mean, it's still a fantasy book. There should be incredible elements weaved into the story.
And yet, it's "bawdy", which is a great word. It's lewd. There are off-color jokes and plenty of plain speaking. There's lots of sex, with both living and dead people. Lots of booze and base scenarios. This was an era when people could buy "indulgences" but I appreciate the narrative including the reasons why indulgences were purchased. It wasn't this sterile environment most people make the Med/Ren period to be--this was vibrant, with selfish, vain characters; greed and gluttony; jealousy, anger, cowardice. So while you knew it was happening in the time of the Spanish Inquisition, there was no bullshit. These were people. Regular people thrust into a magically unbelievable situation.
So yeah. I'm sure I've spoiled enough of this but I think most people should read this book. It's a fast read with a great story and compelling characters. A total pleasure to read. In fact, I kept taking breaks from it, because whenever I picked it up, I was usually reading 50-75 pages at a time and I wanted to slow it down so it wasn't over too fast. And now, I want to read the other book Jesse Bullington wrote, because I like how he writes. The other one takes place in the 1300's which is great (I love Med/Ren stuff) but knowing how he tells a story, I totally understand why it was described as "Grimm's fairy tales as described by Chuck Palahniuk (sp?)" and I'm totally on board for that!!
yeehaw_dudes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
sarahjsnider's review
4.0
Fantasy books take a few chapters for me to adjust to; I am always shocked that NOTHING is off the table. But once I get into the features of the world, I'm like, why not raise the dead, bring them back, use them to heal the living? So that part is fun. And the characters are likable, for the most part (maybe a little fuzzy around the edges toward the climax). I wish the writing style could have been more consistent throughout, and why did the author/editor keep using "alright"? When has that ever been acceptable? Other than that, the feel-good zombie book of the summer.
elfangor's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
itsthunderkid's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rhi_new's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book... I wanted to like it so much! I still really like aspects of the plot. The subject matter is dark, sometimes darker than anything else I've read, but that isn't what bothered me. Every aspect of the description was appealing to me, honestly, which made the actual book all the more disappointing.
It was so tedious.
The writing is sometimes brilliant and sometimes funny, but so much of it is so wandering and tedious that it's painful to read. One sentence feels like an entire page, and definitely not in a good way. The reader has to painstakingly unearth the narrative from the writing -- only to be disappointed, because the narrative and the characters are both weak.
I agree with another reviewer who said this book is unnecessarily crass. Crudeness isn't something I'd automatically consider a fault, but this book will literally beat you over the head with it, often to the detriment of the plot.
I gave up after a couple hundred pages. Maybe one day I'll go back and finish it, but for now, I couldn't stand it.
It was so tedious.
The writing is sometimes brilliant and sometimes funny, but so much of it is so wandering and tedious that it's painful to read. One sentence feels like an entire page, and definitely not in a good way. The reader has to painstakingly unearth the narrative from the writing -- only to be disappointed, because the narrative and the characters are both weak.
I agree with another reviewer who said this book is unnecessarily crass. Crudeness isn't something I'd automatically consider a fault, but this book will literally beat you over the head with it, often to the detriment of the plot.
I gave up after a couple hundred pages. Maybe one day I'll go back and finish it, but for now, I couldn't stand it.