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A review by branch_c
Chasing the Phoenix by Michael Swanwick
4.0
I have to admit that I enjoy each book of Swanwick's that I read slightly better than the last - though this is only my third so far. The writing is absolutely polished, making it a pleasure to read; the confident tone and sharp turns of phrase remind me a bit of Iain M. Banks. The characters are cleverly eccentric, and their cartoonish arrogance somehow makes them more likeable rather than less. The humor is kept at a steady, understated level that brings more of a smile than a laugh in most cases.
There are echoes here of a fantasy favorite of mine, Bridge of Birds, both for the Asian setting, and for the parallels between the protagonists - their deceptive but ultimately well-intentioned antics strike a similar chord. But this book lacks some of the charm of the Hughart classic, and the science fictional framing doesn't work as well for me.
The plot also doesn't quite rise to the level of quality of the other aspects of the book - the goal of conquering China is fairly straightforward, and it doesn't really deviate from that goal in interesting ways. The menacing AI presence, for example, shows promise in introducing an intriguing factor, but unfortunately that never really materializes. The romantic shenanigans come across like something out of a Shakespeare comedy - which is not necessarily a bad thing; there's certainly some sly cleverness there, but again, it doesn't exactly hold my interest the way Swanwick apparently intends.
The characters are probably the best part - some may say they're too one dimensional, and missing the transformational journey that protagonists are supposed to take, but for me they serve the purpose of the story perfectly - I should mention that I have not read any of the other Darger and Surplus stories, so will likely follow up with those when I have a chance. The final twist is nicely done - it's one of those cases where something was certainly expected, but I was effectively surprised by what it turned out to be.
In the end, I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars; it's really a strong 3.5 for me, so I'll round up in recognition of the solid effort and enjoyable reading experience.
There are echoes here of a fantasy favorite of mine, Bridge of Birds, both for the Asian setting, and for the parallels between the protagonists - their deceptive but ultimately well-intentioned antics strike a similar chord. But this book lacks some of the charm of the Hughart classic, and the science fictional framing doesn't work as well for me.
The plot also doesn't quite rise to the level of quality of the other aspects of the book - the goal of conquering China is fairly straightforward, and it doesn't really deviate from that goal in interesting ways. The menacing AI presence, for example, shows promise in introducing an intriguing factor, but unfortunately that never really materializes. The romantic shenanigans come across like something out of a Shakespeare comedy - which is not necessarily a bad thing; there's certainly some sly cleverness there, but again, it doesn't exactly hold my interest the way Swanwick apparently intends.
The characters are probably the best part - some may say they're too one dimensional, and missing the transformational journey that protagonists are supposed to take, but for me they serve the purpose of the story perfectly - I should mention that I have not read any of the other Darger and Surplus stories, so will likely follow up with those when I have a chance. The final twist is nicely done - it's one of those cases where something was certainly expected, but I was effectively surprised by what it turned out to be.
In the end, I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars; it's really a strong 3.5 for me, so I'll round up in recognition of the solid effort and enjoyable reading experience.