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A review by swineberg
By Force Alone by Lavie Tidhar
5.0
This book swings for the fences and for me, just totally nails it. Tidhar incorporates the familiar elements of Arthurian stories while also telling a tale of a people building a nation in the ruins of an empire, a rollicking fantasy and sci-fi adventure, a gangland tale, an examination of the rise of Christianity and the way it is at odds with both science and magic, and a deconstruction of why and how we tell these tales of might and nationalism and myth. Give it to the boy. This is catnip to me.
One of the most genre-blending books I’ve ever read, consistently dazzling in its imagination and references.
It seems in vogue to write these types of stories now, but they’re harder to pull off than they seem. It’s a complete gut rehab of its source material, placing it in a historical context rarely seen for Arthurian stories while throwing in everything under the sun in a way that somehow blends into a cohesive, boundless world. Just what I needed to read when I needed to read it, exactly what I hoped it would be.
That said, drink every time you read the phrase “by force alone”
One of the most genre-blending books I’ve ever read, consistently dazzling in its imagination and references.
It seems in vogue to write these types of stories now, but they’re harder to pull off than they seem. It’s a complete gut rehab of its source material, placing it in a historical context rarely seen for Arthurian stories while throwing in everything under the sun in a way that somehow blends into a cohesive, boundless world. Just what I needed to read when I needed to read it, exactly what I hoped it would be.
That said, drink every time you read the phrase “by force alone”