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abhilasha08's review against another edition
5.0
This is easily my favourite book from 2020, and is responsible for bringing my reading habit back with a vengeance.
The writer’s words were like water to the parched landscape of unpretentious visual writing, and I’m a huge enthusiast of ‘show-don’t-tell.’
I loved how the dialogue between Mithila and Amrit never fell off beat, though chapter 13 has my whole heart in the way that I had to call a friend up to scream about how gorgeously it was written.
While I’d have loved to know more about Alvar, Elmandar and Mankala, I’m going to wait until book 2 to judge the fullness of character sketching, since I’ve heard this is a two-part series.
That aside, I’m so mad about the way that cliffhanger has me yearning.
The writer’s words were like water to the parched landscape of unpretentious visual writing, and I’m a huge enthusiast of ‘show-don’t-tell.’
I loved how the dialogue between Mithila and Amrit never fell off beat, though chapter 13 has my whole heart in the way that I had to call a friend up to scream about how gorgeously it was written.
While I’d have loved to know more about Alvar, Elmandar and Mankala, I’m going to wait until book 2 to judge the fullness of character sketching, since I’ve heard this is a two-part series.
That aside, I’m so mad about the way that cliffhanger has me yearning.
charvi_not_just_fiction's review against another edition
DNF because unfortunately I wasn't able to get into it. The world building is intense and confusing because it's not explained very well
reads_vicariously's review against another edition
4.0
"The Revolution will have your heart - and all of it - or it will have none of it"
Open to almost any spot in Gautam Bhatia's speculative sci-fi novel The Wall, and you will find language that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The entire book is filled with a strong sense of yearning amidst entrapment, and prose like poetry pours from the pages. The story, the characters, the conflicts - all feel timeless and yet incredibly timely.
The city of Sumer is enclosed by a massive Wall, and for 2,000 years no one has gone out or come in. Mithila, obsessed with knowing what lies beyond, resolves to breach the Wall with a band of like-minded companions. Unfortunately, there are many in the city who like life just the way it is, with its laws and hierarchies, and will do anything to stop her.
This is a story of layers, both in the complexities of the plot and in the world that Bhatia is building for us. It's a little confusing at first to keep it all straight. So many character names, rival factions, organizational features to the city, and so on. But thankfully the author provides a detailed map and character list at the beginning of the book, which were very helpful. And once you get a few chapters into the story it all starts to stick, and suddenly I found myself fully immersed. Bhatia does a fantastic job with this immersion, interspersing the main narrative with songs, poems, quotes, manuscript excerpts, and side stories - all from the history/culture of the world he has created. It made me think of RPGs like Skyrim (although obviously without the "open world" concept haha), where you're constantly coming across items/texts which reveal additional details that help flesh out the world.
I absolutely love the main character Mithila, whose passion is infectious and whose desire for truth, knowledge, and freedom is deeply relatable. I rejoiced in her successes and cried out in frustration at her setbacks (side note: I also appreciate the inclusion of same-sex relationships where the emphasis is entirely on the relationship and not the fact that it's same-sex). There are a lot of great side characters as well, but Mithila will always have my heart as we are kindred souls of a kind.
Honestly, because there is so much going on in this book I could write pages for this review. To put it briefly: the characters are compelling, the mythology/lore is intriguing, the concept of the city is unique, and even though there's a lot of political subplots and meetings-in-forums they are never boring (actually, for someone who normally doesn't care for such, I was super engaged during those moments). The ending of the book is both perfect and perfectly frustrating (as epic cliffhangers go), but from what I understand this is just the first part of a larger story and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy all the way from India in exchange for an honest review!
Open to almost any spot in Gautam Bhatia's speculative sci-fi novel The Wall, and you will find language that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The entire book is filled with a strong sense of yearning amidst entrapment, and prose like poetry pours from the pages. The story, the characters, the conflicts - all feel timeless and yet incredibly timely.
The city of Sumer is enclosed by a massive Wall, and for 2,000 years no one has gone out or come in. Mithila, obsessed with knowing what lies beyond, resolves to breach the Wall with a band of like-minded companions. Unfortunately, there are many in the city who like life just the way it is, with its laws and hierarchies, and will do anything to stop her.
This is a story of layers, both in the complexities of the plot and in the world that Bhatia is building for us. It's a little confusing at first to keep it all straight. So many character names, rival factions, organizational features to the city, and so on. But thankfully the author provides a detailed map and character list at the beginning of the book, which were very helpful. And once you get a few chapters into the story it all starts to stick, and suddenly I found myself fully immersed. Bhatia does a fantastic job with this immersion, interspersing the main narrative with songs, poems, quotes, manuscript excerpts, and side stories - all from the history/culture of the world he has created. It made me think of RPGs like Skyrim (although obviously without the "open world" concept haha), where you're constantly coming across items/texts which reveal additional details that help flesh out the world.
I absolutely love the main character Mithila, whose passion is infectious and whose desire for truth, knowledge, and freedom is deeply relatable. I rejoiced in her successes and cried out in frustration at her setbacks (side note: I also appreciate the inclusion of same-sex relationships where the emphasis is entirely on the relationship and not the fact that it's same-sex). There are a lot of great side characters as well, but Mithila will always have my heart as we are kindred souls of a kind.
Honestly, because there is so much going on in this book I could write pages for this review. To put it briefly: the characters are compelling, the mythology/lore is intriguing, the concept of the city is unique, and even though there's a lot of political subplots and meetings-in-forums they are never boring (actually, for someone who normally doesn't care for such, I was super engaged during those moments). The ending of the book is both perfect and perfectly frustrating (as epic cliffhangers go), but from what I understand this is just the first part of a larger story and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy all the way from India in exchange for an honest review!
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
5.0
A great first book to what will be an exceptional series.
From the epilogue, I was hooked on the story of Mithila as she struggles to try and cross the Wall whilst dealing with some very intense opposition from within her city. Following her and her friends as they longed for freedom was so interesting, with the inclusion of songs and writings crafted for the story this book was excellently written. The book was well paced and I liked how the tension built all the way through the story, and the ending certainly has me intrigued as to what will happen in the second book because it was very ominous!
I simply adored Mithila, I found her a wonderful and driven protagonist who learned that the way she went about things was not always right and had to give up so much in pursuit of a life beyond the Wall. Her companions in the struggle too were intricately created and I look forward to seeing what happens to them all in the sequel because they all still have some growing to do but I'm not sure how it's going to pan out after the events of this book.
Just am incredibly well written book. I can't wait to read more of this series!
From the epilogue, I was hooked on the story of Mithila as she struggles to try and cross the Wall whilst dealing with some very intense opposition from within her city. Following her and her friends as they longed for freedom was so interesting, with the inclusion of songs and writings crafted for the story this book was excellently written. The book was well paced and I liked how the tension built all the way through the story, and the ending certainly has me intrigued as to what will happen in the second book because it was very ominous!
I simply adored Mithila, I found her a wonderful and driven protagonist who learned that the way she went about things was not always right and had to give up so much in pursuit of a life beyond the Wall. Her companions in the struggle too were intricately created and I look forward to seeing what happens to them all in the sequel because they all still have some growing to do but I'm not sure how it's going to pan out after the events of this book.
Just am incredibly well written book. I can't wait to read more of this series!
shellycampbellauthor's review
5.0
Immersive world in bits and pieces
Some books hold your hand and lead you where you are meant to go. The Wall is not one of them. Gautam doles out this story in bits and pieces and from many points of view. It’s a fascinating read and a really cool examination of governance, coming of age and burning up for a cause all wrapped up within a city bound by an inescapable wall.
Some books hold your hand and lead you where you are meant to go. The Wall is not one of them. Gautam doles out this story in bits and pieces and from many points of view. It’s a fascinating read and a really cool examination of governance, coming of age and burning up for a cause all wrapped up within a city bound by an inescapable wall.
stone_stupas's review
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
nivedd's review against another edition
4.0
took me a while to get into the rhythm of this book but i really really enjoyed it
cassidee_omnilegent's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Gautam for sending me a review copy of this novel! The Wall is smart and intricate in its world building. The novel was easy to devour! The text could be somewhat dry at times but the novel was very well-structured.
At times, I didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters but I do think that this novel was a great set up of what is to come. The ending leaves you wanting more and it promises to show us life beyond The Wall.
I can relate to other reviewers that have expressed disappointment at reading the whole novel without finding out what’s beyond, but the author knows how to hook a reader into reading their next book.
The setting within The Wall is very interesting. This is one of the few novels where I actually used the map, as this piece of the world has such a unique set up. I loved that aspect!
Great job, Gautam. I can’t wait to see where it goes. I cannot foresee a sophomore slump with book two, this has such a wonderful set up for an amazing continuation.
At times, I didn’t feel much of a connection with the characters but I do think that this novel was a great set up of what is to come. The ending leaves you wanting more and it promises to show us life beyond The Wall.
I can relate to other reviewers that have expressed disappointment at reading the whole novel without finding out what’s beyond, but the author knows how to hook a reader into reading their next book.
The setting within The Wall is very interesting. This is one of the few novels where I actually used the map, as this piece of the world has such a unique set up. I loved that aspect!
Great job, Gautam. I can’t wait to see where it goes. I cannot foresee a sophomore slump with book two, this has such a wonderful set up for an amazing continuation.
readingvicariously's review against another edition
4.0
"The Revolution will have your heart - and all of it - or it will have none of it"
Open to almost any spot in Gautam Bhatia's speculative sci-fi novel The Wall, and you will find language that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The entire book is filled with a strong sense of yearning amidst entrapment, and prose like poetry pours from the pages. The story, the characters, the conflicts - all feel timeless and yet incredibly timely.
The city of Sumer is enclosed by a massive Wall, and for 2,000 years no one has gone out or come in. Mithila, obsessed with knowing what lies beyond, resolves to breach the Wall with a band of like-minded companions. Unfortunately, there are many in the city who like life just the way it is, with its laws and hierarchies, and will do anything to stop her.
This is a story of layers, both in the complexities of the plot and in the world that Bhatia is building for us. It's a little confusing at first to keep it all straight. So many character names, rival factions, organizational features to the city, and so on. But thankfully the author provides a detailed map and character list at the beginning of the book, which were very helpful. And once you get a few chapters into the story it all starts to stick, and suddenly I found myself fully immersed. Bhatia does a fantastic job with this immersion, interspersing the main narrative with songs, poems, quotes, manuscript excerpts, and side stories - all from the history/culture of the world he has created. It made me think of RPGs like Skyrim (although obviously without the "open world" concept haha), where you're constantly coming across items/texts which reveal additional details that help flesh out the world.
I absolutely love the main character Mithila, whose passion is infectious and whose desire for truth, knowledge, and freedom is deeply relatable. I rejoiced in her successes and cried out in frustration at her setbacks (side note: I also appreciate the inclusion of same-sex relationships where the emphasis is entirely on the relationship and not the fact that it's same-sex). There are a lot of great side characters as well, but Mithila will always have my heart as we are kindred souls of a kind.
Honestly, because there is so much going on in this book I could write pages for this review. To put it briefly: the characters are compelling, the mythology/lore is intriguing, the concept of the city is unique, and even though there's a lot of political subplots and meetings-in-forums they are never boring (actually, for someone who normally doesn't care for such, I was super engaged during those moments). The ending of the book is both perfect and perfectly frustrating (as epic cliffhangers go), but from what I understand this is just the first part of a larger story and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy all the way from India in exchange for an honest review!
Open to almost any spot in Gautam Bhatia's speculative sci-fi novel The Wall, and you will find language that is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The entire book is filled with a strong sense of yearning amidst entrapment, and prose like poetry pours from the pages. The story, the characters, the conflicts - all feel timeless and yet incredibly timely.
The city of Sumer is enclosed by a massive Wall, and for 2,000 years no one has gone out or come in. Mithila, obsessed with knowing what lies beyond, resolves to breach the Wall with a band of like-minded companions. Unfortunately, there are many in the city who like life just the way it is, with its laws and hierarchies, and will do anything to stop her.
This is a story of layers, both in the complexities of the plot and in the world that Bhatia is building for us. It's a little confusing at first to keep it all straight. So many character names, rival factions, organizational features to the city, and so on. But thankfully the author provides a detailed map and character list at the beginning of the book, which were very helpful. And once you get a few chapters into the story it all starts to stick, and suddenly I found myself fully immersed. Bhatia does a fantastic job with this immersion, interspersing the main narrative with songs, poems, quotes, manuscript excerpts, and side stories - all from the history/culture of the world he has created. It made me think of RPGs like Skyrim (although obviously without the "open world" concept haha), where you're constantly coming across items/texts which reveal additional details that help flesh out the world.
I absolutely love the main character Mithila, whose passion is infectious and whose desire for truth, knowledge, and freedom is deeply relatable. I rejoiced in her successes and cried out in frustration at her setbacks (side note: I also appreciate the inclusion of same-sex relationships where the emphasis is entirely on the relationship and not the fact that it's same-sex). There are a lot of great side characters as well, but Mithila will always have my heart as we are kindred souls of a kind.
Honestly, because there is so much going on in this book I could write pages for this review. To put it briefly: the characters are compelling, the mythology/lore is intriguing, the concept of the city is unique, and even though there's a lot of political subplots and meetings-in-forums they are never boring (actually, for someone who normally doesn't care for such, I was super engaged during those moments). The ending of the book is both perfect and perfectly frustrating (as epic cliffhangers go), but from what I understand this is just the first part of a larger story and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy all the way from India in exchange for an honest review!
sumedhaj's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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
3.5