Reviews

Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky

afraser45's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

eefmaoam's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was an interesting read. I don’t think this book or it’s messaging will stick with me and it didn’t invite me to read another book written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but it was nice for what it was. 
 
I really, really struggled to get through the first 20-ish percent of this book because of the peculiar tone of voice and the way it’s written (I can only describe it as a mix between Herodotus and Multatuli, making me almost as pretentious as the main character Stefan). It starts in media res which I normally prefer, but because of the (extremely) slow pacing it through me off quite a bit (and put me off of reading this book for a proper 3 weeks). 

However, after that first part of getting used to the writing style and world itself, I quite enjoyed the book. I liked the way the book is decided into different parts and I’m a sucker for a nice frame story, so that works in favour of Cage of Souls. 

The ending was quite uneventful and it nearly feels like a conclusion to this story. I’m left with a lot of questions (and not the once intended in an open-ended story) and feel generally unsatisfied with the inconclusiveness; it almost feels like a story without an actual plot because of the ending. 

Still, all and all together, not a bad read, just not for me. 

sumomus's review against another edition

adventurous reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

grudgecat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

trakiul's review

4.0

Stefan Advani, my best friend Stefan Advani? 

fluffywhiskers's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

4.25

100yrs's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

jakelewis_23_'s review against another edition

4.0

A brilliant and thought provoking book about humanities struggle with itself and the world around us! Set in a civilisation both more and less advanced than ours we see the struggle of Stefan Advani. There is only one city left on a dying earth and a floating prison. Some really great characters here too! Will keep me thinking for a while I think.

4.25 stars

helynalc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is the type of book after which I immediately want to read more from the author. Damn.

What can I say? For a long while, I had no idea why I was reading this book. This usually bothers me; I like when there's a promise of where we're going and why, at the beginning, but I didn't really have that here. Even the blurb was vague...nothing really hooked me except the dying sun bit. But you know, I wasn't really bothered and it was because of the style. Needed a few pages to settle for me but this slow (slooooow) memoir-like writing just took me with it. Stefan didn't even seem like such an interesting personality first (he got some layers later), but I was very much there for his story.

So, we got to this prison with him, not really sure why, yet, the swamp and the whole place is Bonkers, stuff is happening...sure. Then there's a long flashback bit and suddenly, there are weird powers, characters who start to connect into a network, slowly, distant Shadrapar, the Last City, becomes something living too. This whole apocalyptic world gets slowly colored in, and everything I thought was "well, alright" turns "oh boy". And..."oh, that too??". And I still didn't really know why I was reading about all these weird, *weird* tidbits. I mean, I'm not even sure now, when I finished it. I was always like...okay, this story bit is over, it was fun but now, surely, we get to The Point, right? Oh okay, there's another episode of Stuff, that's cool, okay, let's do this! :D And the little episodes slowly built out the world, the characters, the mood.

And what's this book? It's a story from the end days of humanity. About people, about their chaotic but so, so human decisions and paths. About the cages we lock ourselves in (wow, deep). What's the meaning of it? Well, I think the meaning is that the story was told.

I was never bored (okay, lowest points were the fight scenes but those aren't my friends in the best of circumstances). I enjoyed every page. There was even a Big Sci-fi Moment towards the end to blow my mind. And yes, I wanted to look forward, and I wanted more, but...this was a story from the end days of humanity. Whatever comes after will be a whole another story.

I loved it. I really did. I need the cover as a poster on my wall.

drusca78's review against another edition

5.0

The worldbuilding is  amazing