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unladylike's review
4.0
Not quite as good as the first two Library collections of Finder, mostly due to the lack of depth, but I still very much enjoy everything Carla Speed McNeil puts into her world.
Considering how much this story focuses on the Llaverac clan and their ambiguous sex characteristics and feminine gender presentation, I'm disappointed that McNeil hasn't once mentioned the existence of trans people in her notes, but I get that it isn't really her point or her job to do that.
Considering how much this story focuses on the Llaverac clan and their ambiguous sex characteristics and feminine gender presentation, I'm disappointed that McNeil hasn't once mentioned the existence of trans people in her notes, but I get that it isn't really her point or her job to do that.
mitrna_'s review
2.0
Uhm, don't exactly know what to say about this one. The whole thing was kind of confusing?? The idea was pretty cool but everything was so jumbled up together. Also, the Indian/ Ascian thing was so weird and uncomfortable. The end also just really made no sense, like... what was the point? The drawings and panels were really cool though, and I loved it so 1.5 stars rounded up to 2.
caedocyon's review
3.0
Very nice art. Interesting subjects---racism/police violence and non-traditional genders, oh my!---even though none of the characters was likeable or relatable. (Actually, that's not completely true---Lord what's-his-face was interesting, even though he's supposed to be the main antagonist.)
The thing that really charmed me was a liberal sprinkling of what we'd call trans* women, and effeminate butches of indeterminate assigned sex (many with facial hair, OH MY). My heart went pitter-patter. All my favorites were antagonists, though (the deliciously butch personal stylist, the racist/"ditzy" sideburns-sporting real-estate agent on the bus)... HM.
I wish the story had been more comprehensible without having to read the notes in the back, but it's possible that's my fault for jumping into the series at random.
The thing that really charmed me was a liberal sprinkling of what we'd call trans* women, and effeminate butches of indeterminate assigned sex (many with facial hair, OH MY). My heart went pitter-patter. All my favorites were antagonists, though (the deliciously butch personal stylist, the racist/"ditzy" sideburns-sporting real-estate agent on the bus)... HM.
I wish the story had been more comprehensible without having to read the notes in the back, but it's possible that's my fault for jumping into the series at random.
kjboldon's review
4.0
I've been reading this series since it started in '96. The author calls it "aboriginal science fiction." I'm gaining more and more respect for the term "speculative fiction." But whatever it's called, I love this series.
mpho3's review
4.0
Any volume of Finder is easier to read then it is to describe. Shaenon Garrity characterized the series in The Comics Journal, as being 'simultaneously straightforward and labyrinthine, genre-based and uncategorizable. It’s solid sci-fi of the kind they were making in the 1970s, Ursula Le Guin/Vonda McIntyre type stuff that’s all about anthropology and world-building and a little bit of the old feminism. McNeil calls it ‘aboriginal science fiction'.’’ Truthfully, reading Finder is more fun than reading about it. Nonetheless, there are some things that should said about it.
For starters, "seek and ye shall find" is the fitting epitaph McNeil chose for this volume, which contextually fits in with the others or can stand alone. It harkens back a little bit to [b:Finder: Sin-Eater], where Jaeger’s relationship to the Grosvenor family is most clearly depicted. Voice revolves around Rachel Grosvenor’s quest to formally join her mother’s tribal clan, the Llaveracs. To do so, she must participate in the clan’s Conformation pageant to be judged for beauty and conformity to the purity of the clan’s standards for androgynous presentation. At the start of the book, the pageant is already underway, but Rachel and her sister Marcie get mugged on the way home from the first night of the competition, and Rachel loses the heirloom ring she inherited from her mother. Unfortunately the ring serves as her passport into the competition. She can’t participate without it, and so begins her quest to find the ring and baring that, to find the Finder (Jaeger) who could likely find the ring. However, it quickly becomes obvious that this particular Finder might not want to be found, and Rachel may just have to fare for herself.
Being of mixed clan heritage, Rachel feels pressured to succeed because doing so can make all the difference for her and her siblings who’ve had a hard time fitting into either of their parent’s tribes (though frankly neither Lynne nor Marcie share their older sister's aspirations). Therefore, it’s ironic that her quest to join high society takes Rachel to the depths of Anvard, the city-state where the story is set. Anvard is a rich mix of clans (all as different as apples and oranges), gangs, traditions, and technology. Part of the city remains in complete darkness all the time, literally as well as figuratively. Through her wanderings we’re immersed in a rich culture and a wide variety of settings within it, from desolate bus stops, seedy bars and illicit businesses to the glamor of fashionable nightclubs and the pageant itself. We’re treated to wide array of characters too, including a vampire cowboy (see McNeil’s endnotes), made men (think Sopranos), and pair of androgynous realtor queens (think Queer as Folk).
As always, McNeil’s artwork is gorgeous, reminding me more of [a:Jaime Hernandez|83339|Jaime Luis Hernandez|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]’s work than his brother [a:Gilberto|5763747|Gilbert Hernandez|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]’s; but all three have an amazing eye for detail (little things on the page that end up lending a whole lot of meaning) and such skill in depicting gestures and facial expressions that are unhampered by the consistency in the way they draw their characters. Rachel's transformation from pawn to victim to sidekick to femme fatale seems to lift right off the pages.
Finder: Voice is comprised of some memorable scenes. One of my favorites is a confrontation with her "sister" Lynne early on and another is her accidental involvement in a sacred ceremony of the nomadic, outsider Ascians. There is a lot of stuff packed into not so many pages, and it takes genuine talent to pull that off.
For starters, "seek and ye shall find" is the fitting epitaph McNeil chose for this volume, which contextually fits in with the others or can stand alone. It harkens back a little bit to [b:Finder: Sin-Eater], where Jaeger’s relationship to the Grosvenor family is most clearly depicted. Voice revolves around Rachel Grosvenor’s quest to formally join her mother’s tribal clan, the Llaveracs. To do so, she must participate in the clan’s Conformation pageant to be judged for beauty and conformity to the purity of the clan’s standards for androgynous presentation. At the start of the book, the pageant is already underway, but Rachel and her sister Marcie get mugged on the way home from the first night of the competition, and Rachel loses the heirloom ring she inherited from her mother. Unfortunately the ring serves as her passport into the competition. She can’t participate without it, and so begins her quest to find the ring and baring that, to find the Finder (Jaeger) who could likely find the ring. However, it quickly becomes obvious that this particular Finder might not want to be found, and Rachel may just have to fare for herself.
Being of mixed clan heritage, Rachel feels pressured to succeed because doing so can make all the difference for her and her siblings who’ve had a hard time fitting into either of their parent’s tribes (though frankly neither Lynne nor Marcie share their older sister's aspirations). Therefore, it’s ironic that her quest to join high society takes Rachel to the depths of Anvard, the city-state where the story is set. Anvard is a rich mix of clans (all as different as apples and oranges), gangs, traditions, and technology. Part of the city remains in complete darkness all the time, literally as well as figuratively. Through her wanderings we’re immersed in a rich culture and a wide variety of settings within it, from desolate bus stops, seedy bars and illicit businesses to the glamor of fashionable nightclubs and the pageant itself. We’re treated to wide array of characters too, including a vampire cowboy (see McNeil’s endnotes), made men (think Sopranos), and pair of androgynous realtor queens (think Queer as Folk).
As always, McNeil’s artwork is gorgeous, reminding me more of [a:Jaime Hernandez|83339|Jaime Luis Hernandez|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]’s work than his brother [a:Gilberto|5763747|Gilbert Hernandez|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]’s; but all three have an amazing eye for detail (little things on the page that end up lending a whole lot of meaning) and such skill in depicting gestures and facial expressions that are unhampered by the consistency in the way they draw their characters. Rachel's transformation from pawn to victim to sidekick to femme fatale seems to lift right off the pages.
Finder: Voice is comprised of some memorable scenes. One of my favorites is a confrontation with her "sister" Lynne early on and another is her accidental involvement in a sacred ceremony of the nomadic, outsider Ascians. There is a lot of stuff packed into not so many pages, and it takes genuine talent to pull that off.
booksoflore's review
3.0
I jumped into this story, not knowing it was not the first in the series. I was confused and discovered the author’s notes at the very end after scratching my head for over 150 pages. The amount of world building that has to be done to tell a story like this is insane and I feel better knowing that I didn’t start at the beginning.
I will say, one thing that I really disliked and couldn’t shake about this book was the depictions of the Ascian people. It was extremely uncomfortable and stereotypical to show them as these mythical outsiders with deformed features and strange rituals. I also am always extremely critical of the race and culture of real people (I’ve come to learn that the Ascian people originally were just called “Indian” which is, wow) being simplified, warped, and demonized when it comes to science fiction and fantasy writing.
Overall, an interesting read but I feel like I need to read more of the series to understand it better but I don’t truly know if I’m up for it at the moment. We’ll see!
I will say, one thing that I really disliked and couldn’t shake about this book was the depictions of the Ascian people. It was extremely uncomfortable and stereotypical to show them as these mythical outsiders with deformed features and strange rituals. I also am always extremely critical of the race and culture of real people (I’ve come to learn that the Ascian people originally were just called “Indian” which is, wow) being simplified, warped, and demonized when it comes to science fiction and fantasy writing.
Overall, an interesting read but I feel like I need to read more of the series to understand it better but I don’t truly know if I’m up for it at the moment. We’ll see!
kfan's review
5.0
The amount of world-building Carla Speed McNeil has done around her stories is way beyond stunning. I don't know who else to compare her to besides Tolkien. Which isn't fair! Because I like her WAY BETTER than Tolkien. There's a really progressive, transgressive, feminist thing happening in McNeil's work but it's also extremely fun & funny & engaging. It would be one thing if she has just created this world with all these insane ideas in it. But then on top of that she tells thrilling, hilarious, and deeply touching stories. Every little detail in her stories totally matters to the world in which it exists. If there's a tiny sign in the background of one of the panels, it means something. It may not be important to this story, and it may never even be revealed, but somewhere in the huge history of this world she's imagined, that sign is there for a reason. It's absolutely mind-blowing. Thank God she includes footnotes for just about every page, otherwise you'd have no idea that there are three other stories happening beneath the story on the page in front of you. She is the absolute best. It is fucking criminal that she doesn't have the recognition and respect that her male graphic novelist counterparts get. She fucking demolishes them with every line she draws.
tangleroot_eli's review
4.0
Oh, Finder. I love you so. That's, uh, really all I have to say on the matter.
Reread 2016: Struggled a little the second time around. Some of the Llaverac "gender play" seems less subversive and more... coy. On the surface they all seem androgynous/genderfluid/gender transgressive, but underneath, they still seem somewhat tied (or at least Rachel does) to the idea of a person's "real" gender--see Rachel's confrontation with Lord Rod. What seemed so progressive on a first read was somewhat disappointing on the second.
Reread 2016: Struggled a little the second time around. Some of the Llaverac "gender play" seems less subversive and more... coy. On the surface they all seem androgynous/genderfluid/gender transgressive, but underneath, they still seem somewhat tied (or at least Rachel does) to the idea of a person's "real" gender--see Rachel's confrontation with Lord Rod. What seemed so progressive on a first read was somewhat disappointing on the second.
wingedpotato's review
5.0
Finder always floats my boat, and this latest installment (finally!) is absolutely brilliant. The art is still like nothing else out there but McNeil's gained a looseness and fluidity that really enhances her storytelling.