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mohsints's review
1.0
Just...painful. Awkwardly written, little to no characterisation, entirely too experimental to be worth the time. I read this after having delightedly torn through Gilman's "Half-Made World" books, and wish there were some way for me to go back in time and un-read this one.
shendriq's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
amyhuang's review
4.0
Much better than Thunderer. We get to see more of the City and how it works, and get to witness fantastic interactions between and across Ages. Also, though some characters continue being irritating, some of them are redeemingly interesting (read: Brace-Bel!). Feels like it could have been a bit shorter, but does a good job tying several different arcs together in a compelling way.
marlan's review
I gave up after 55 pages. It has an evocative title and and the author knows how to turn a phrase, but the main character is a blank slate who is difficult to care about: no memory, no family, no friends, and no motivation. He simply runs from various dangers, meets random people, and wallows in his problems.
Granted, I didn't read the first book in this series. Perhaps those who did will enjoy this more. Personally, as a SF fan, I get tired of never being able to pick up a book that interests me because it's book 3 of 7 or some such. I've decided to rebel by treating all books as stand-alones. Apparently, my rebellion was ill-advised.
I gave it two stars for the beautiful writing style, but unfortunately I can't enjoy a book for style alone.
Granted, I didn't read the first book in this series. Perhaps those who did will enjoy this more. Personally, as a SF fan, I get tired of never being able to pick up a book that interests me because it's book 3 of 7 or some such. I've decided to rebel by treating all books as stand-alones. Apparently, my rebellion was ill-advised.
I gave it two stars for the beautiful writing style, but unfortunately I can't enjoy a book for style alone.
grimread's review
3.0
The continuation of the story introduces you to some new characters, plots and the big mystery of the whole city. Although I think the whole point of the plot is Arjun and Ruth constantly missing each other and getting separated by circumstances. The style is easy to read.
kevinhanes's review
2.0
In the taxonomy of city fiction writer Gilman is a progression from Gaiman to Mieville to Van Der Meer to himself. Unfortunately he seems to have each author's weakness and none of their strengths. The premise of the book is interesting enough, but the actualization of it is flawed and a little boring.
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