The Raven Tower

4.5 stars, amazing world building

I enjoyed the big reveals in the third act, but getting through the slow 350-page buildup was tough. There are cool ideas here I liked, but I almost DNF'd halfway through because the plot dragged so much.

The Raven Tower is the first epic fantasy from SF author Ann Leckie known for her Imperial Radch trilogy (in which the first novel, Ancillary Justice received critical praise and won the Hugo Award,Nebula Award, BSFA Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award and Locus Award). In this complex and absorbing and surprisingly short fantasy novel the best-laid plans of gods and mortals collide, throwing a nation into turmoil and setting the stage for a divine conflict that’s been brewing for centuries. In a twist on Shakespeare's Hamlet, the tale spins out in past and present (which can be hard to follow at first), narrated by the rockbound god known as the Strength and Patience of the Hill. The god is speaking to Eolo, a warrior in service to Mawat - the heir to the bench and rightful ruler of Iraden, whose uncle has usurped his role. As the god recounts its ancient history (the narrative is told in second person, a technical challenge that takes a while to get use to I must admit), it also relates Eolo’s attempts to determine what happened to Mawat’s supposedly vanished father and how this connects to their patron god, the Raven, whose power is waning. With foreign gods taking an active interest in the kingdom, political intrigue brewing, and Mawat taking ever-bolder actions, Eolo must uncover Iraden’s greatest secret. And although it is a common fantasy trope to suggest gods gain strength through faith and worshipers and that they can employ that strength to bend reality Leckie makes this trope her own as she explores what happens when multiple beings of power collide. The climax of this revengeful political fantasy is absolutely riveting and becomes quite the page turner. Leckie’s tale is bold and masterful and as always, deeply intelligent examining the details of power, politics, and the nature of a divinity. I can't wait to reread this novel.

AHHHHHHH SO GOOD. (The only reason it took me a month to read is because I was reading it at lunch on days I went to the office and since I'm still working from home 2-3 days a week...)

Weird perspective, neat story It's hard to relate to the perspective the sorry is written from, but the way it's used to tell the story is neat. I've enjoyed the diverse cast in all this author's books, and this book is no exception. Fun read, took around 8 hours.

The flashback moments told by the omniscient character were very well done. The present plot was very boring and the characters were not likeable.

** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed the book, but it took while to really get into the book (about 1/3th of the way in I finally felt pulled in). The ending was satisfying but not really a surprise. I could see the ending for the last 50 pages or so.

Technically 3.5 stars but I'm feeling generous. This book has beautiful writing but a very slow and anticlimactic plot. I was definitely peeved by the ending, it felt rushed and flat. The foundation for a more complex book two remains however, I hope it comes to fruition.

Ohhh how I love modern fantasy's focus on the divine and the nature of it. Such a great read, written like a spoken epic that was later written down. Ann Leckie does it again!

”what sort of urgent business did I have in the world that I did not want to leave it? when I had spent my long time listening to fish, or staring at the stars? what was the point, what had ever been the point, in my constant, unconscious effort to keep that view of the stars? none except I had wanted it. it made things pleasant for me.” 3.5* where do I even begin with the raven tower? we have a god narrating the business of humans and the mythology and events leading up to the story. the main storyline of the book spans about a week’s time and is centred around eolo, a pretty damn cool character who happens to be trans. which is also hecka cool to read about in a fantasy setting. I had a fun time with this one, as it is one that you kinda just have to “go with the flow” for, since there’s a lot of things that aren’t explained until like two thirds through. the myriad, eolo, the strength and patience of the hill, and tikaz were probably my favourite characters. “eolo, have you been interrogating the god?”