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nyfrea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Als Vogelfreund mochte ich das Buch durchaus gern - immerhin wurde hier quasi die Menschheitsgeschichte aus Sicht einer Krähe erzählt. Ein Highlight ist es aber leider trotzdem nicht geworden, denn obwohl die Idee sehr schön und interessant war und der Schreibstil gut, war es mir für meinen Geschmack wirklich *zu* slow-paced. Nach anfänglicher Begeisterung, hat es sich irgendwann einfach nur extrem gezogen, was ich schade fand. Hätten weniger Seiten einen Unterschied gemacht? Vielleicht, vielleicht auch nicht.
Nichtsdestotrotz empfinde ich es als gutes Buch und schwanke gedanklich zwischen 3,75 und 4 Sternen. Ich habe definitiv einiges über Krähen gelernt und mochte deren Sicht der Dinge ;)
Nichtsdestotrotz empfinde ich es als gutes Buch und schwanke gedanklich zwischen 3,75 und 4 Sternen. Ich habe definitiv einiges über Krähen gelernt und mochte deren Sicht der Dinge ;)
chamblyman's review
5.0
This deep and beautiful literary fantasy may be the finest example of an "animal protagonist" novel that I've ever read. It's an exquisitely crafted fable of a crow's journey through life, death and beyond. Ka will delight fans of Watership Down, Lord of the Rings, and Arthurian legend literature. Crowley is truly a master of otherworldly yet deeply human storytelling. Poetic and moving!
roseparis's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
vbroes's review
5.0
A heart-rending work of towering ambition, an inquiry into the meaning of being alive and of being dead.
compassrose's review
1.0
Certainly beautifully written, but there's a great deal about this that lands clumsily in 2020. I admit I was put off right from the start, when Crowley introduces a shaman who transitions as part of his coming into power, immediately says "Crows always know what sex something really is," and continues to describe him as female. He then mentions that Crows have a word/pronoun they use for beings whose gender they don't know, and nevertheless proceeds to ruthlessly misgender poor Fox Cap for the rest of his long story.
Dar Oakley himself turns into a kind of Magical Minority, so absorbed in the fate and stories of humans he forgets how to be a crow. His travels to Turtle Island, and the way the First Nations story is swept aside in favour of Civil War ghosts and white people, are awkwardly managed, as is the story of the Native woman the narrator has as a caretaker, and her baby son, affected by fetal alcohol syndrome.
Overall, centres the European experience, and inserts Dar Oakley, European Crow, into First Nations stories in a most uncomfortable way.
Dar Oakley himself turns into a kind of Magical Minority, so absorbed in the fate and stories of humans he forgets how to be a crow. His travels to Turtle Island, and the way the First Nations story is swept aside in favour of Civil War ghosts and white people, are awkwardly managed, as is the story of the Native woman the narrator has as a caretaker, and her baby son, affected by fetal alcohol syndrome.
Overall, centres the European experience, and inserts Dar Oakley, European Crow, into First Nations stories in a most uncomfortable way.
Content Warnings
Persistent authorial misgendering of trans character
valjeanval's review against another edition
5.0
This really hit the sweet spot that is literary fantasy/magical realism for me. The prose is lush and dense, the scope is epic, and also undying spirit crow. Crows are neat. Highly recommended especially to fans of Watership Down.
jessicafee86's review
4.0
Really pretty but also a bit of a dense, slow read. I ended up really enjoying it but it's not really a book for binge reading. Take your time with it and savor the writing, visuals, and tone for maximum enjoyment.
kenleyneufeld's review
4.0
A great sadness. To live for generations would be a lonely life and the writer carried that message through the voice of Dar of the Oak by the Lea. And yet, to explore different points in human history through the eyes of a crow is unique and intriguing. To see common things anew.
Through the beauty of the writing, the creativity of the words (constantly grabbing my dictionary), we reach a zenith in the final section - Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr - and read, "Over centuries People - some People - has become more and more sure they could do anything, make anything, change anything: and so they could. They had even - too late to stop - changed the earth and the seas and the seasons: changed Time."
I'm left with sadness from the journey, sadness for our human condition, and hope with the unanswered questions.
It wasn’t a “thrilling” book but it was a good story.
Through the beauty of the writing, the creativity of the words (constantly grabbing my dictionary), we reach a zenith in the final section - Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr - and read, "Over centuries People - some People - has become more and more sure they could do anything, make anything, change anything: and so they could. They had even - too late to stop - changed the earth and the seas and the seasons: changed Time."
I'm left with sadness from the journey, sadness for our human condition, and hope with the unanswered questions.
It wasn’t a “thrilling” book but it was a good story.
zuly's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0