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A review by antonism
Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock
4.0
4 / 5
Miserere was a good read. Not enjoyable in the true sense of enjoyment but intense and evocative and worth the time. I will regrettably not write a detailed review as I usually do due to serious lack of time on my part lately. This book demands it and has earned it but sadly I don't have the time at the moment.
The plot is good enough, with a lot of tension and suspense but overall it's not super exciting. I'd say most plot threads are quite predictable and the plot twist can be guessed easily from very early on. The characters are well written; it's always great when an author uses the internal monologues properly because then there's greater investment and attachment of the reader to the protagonists. The supernatural elements are a bit hit and miss, and with me it was mostly miss. The prose is amazing though. The description and dialogues flow so nice and it's a joy to read. But what really drives this novel is the tension and general atmosphere from start to finish. This book is BLEAK and oppressive in a desirable way. There's never a happy or relaxed moment. Even when one of the characters succeeds in doing something, there's always a bad side, a sacrifice or a big "but". All the characters struggle and it's a constant, non-stop struggle throughout the whole book.
So, yeah, in the end, I'd say this is not a happy, cozy fantasy book to read when you want something light and uplifting. It is grim, dark, bleak and sad but overcoming the struggle is its own cathartic reward. Plus the writing is great and a joy to read so, all taken into account, Miserere gets my recommendation!
4 / 5
Miserere was a good read. Not enjoyable in the true sense of enjoyment but intense and evocative and worth the time. I will regrettably not write a detailed review as I usually do due to serious lack of time on my part lately. This book demands it and has earned it but sadly I don't have the time at the moment.
The plot is good enough, with a lot of tension and suspense but overall it's not super exciting. I'd say most plot threads are quite predictable and the plot twist can be guessed easily from very early on. The characters are well written; it's always great when an author uses the internal monologues properly because then there's greater investment and attachment of the reader to the protagonists. The supernatural elements are a bit hit and miss, and with me it was mostly miss. The prose is amazing though. The description and dialogues flow so nice and it's a joy to read. But what really drives this novel is the tension and general atmosphere from start to finish. This book is BLEAK and oppressive in a desirable way. There's never a happy or relaxed moment. Even when one of the characters succeeds in doing something, there's always a bad side, a sacrifice or a big "but". All the characters struggle and it's a constant, non-stop struggle throughout the whole book.
So, yeah, in the end, I'd say this is not a happy, cozy fantasy book to read when you want something light and uplifting. It is grim, dark, bleak and sad but overcoming the struggle is its own cathartic reward. Plus the writing is great and a joy to read so, all taken into account, Miserere gets my recommendation!
4 / 5