Reviews

A masterclass in building worlds with a very particular tone.

A slow-burning glimpse at an almost familiar place and time as viewed through a warped rose colored glasses.

It takes its time then gives you what you think you want, only to make you realize you wanted something different all along.

Content Warnings

bennought's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked Harrison's new book, though not quite as much as 'Light.' Just like the earlier book, the plot is fragmented and confused, partly because the reader is dumped in a fully developed world and has to tread water in order to understand it all. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Harrison is a beautiful writer, and he manages to bring the world life and build the characters enough that you're willing to soldier on just to keep absorbing his prose and to find out what happens. I also find it highly intriguing that the two characters who drive the majority of the book do not make it all the way to the end, and it is three of the secondary characters with which it concludes. To be perfectly honest, I still haven't completely digested the book, and I guarantee that it will take multiple readings in order to gain a better understanding of it. Regardless, I liked it a lot, and even if I'm not entirely sure what happened, Harrison's writing and skill at development kept me interested and definitely makes me want to read more of his works.

karp76's review against another edition

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3.0

Meh. By far the weakest of Harrison's novel. A detective story, that may or may not be a love story which may or may not be science fiction. Not nearly as defined or stirring as "Light."

shane's review against another edition

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2.0

Two stars means 'It was OK' according to goodreads which really sums up 95% of this novel. I'm not going to go to town on this review. In fact, it's more of a personal reminder or a general overview of why I didn't quite dislike it, but certainly didn't rate it at all. So here it is then. This is the story of an anomaly or part of it anyway that basically drops off the main anomaly and causes a kind of rent or tear through to somewhere else. Predictably, things come through from that side and people go through to that side. If it sounds like I'm bored writing this its because I am. A book that can make me bored all over again when I write the review is definitely a book to avoid. Some of it was pretty good. There were parts that made me smile or sent my thoughts off at a tangent, and for that I am thankful but seriously now, most of this novel is very, very slow going and is little more than an exercise in character development. This wouldn't be a bad thing at all if there was a story to go with it, but what story there is didn't hold my interest.

I liked 'Light', but this just dragged a little to much for my taste and in the end didn't really go anywhere, at least nowhere that I wasn't expecting all along.

Not great, but not terrible either. Just OK.

abarrera's review

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4.0

While I did like this book, I felt a big difference with his previous one, Light. As some reviewers pointed out, Harrison prioritizes the atmosphere over the plot here. I loved the noir feeling he creates, which reminds of China Mieville indeed. However, I felt the book dropped any pretension at a plot at the end, adding dangling sketches of some of the protagonists. I kind of missed some more integration of these within a larger plot, especially because the did enrich the storyline, creating a seeming acceleration effect that took you nowhere.

Anyhow, a nice book overall, but as with Light, not for all audiences.

squeakyoctopod's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad 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

hamja's review

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adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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