I will bow to history today.
FLESH AND FIRE: BOOK ONE OF THE VINEART WAR
Laura Anne Gilman aka suricattus
Continuing my trawl of the Nebula Best Novel nominees and I was very pleasantly surprised by this first volume in what promises to be a fascinating and innovative trilogy.
The prose is smooth, making for an easy read and the worldbuilding and politics are very nicely done and integrated, but what I'm sure is sparking the most talk is the wine-based magic system which I found wonderfully refreshing. The mythology it ties into works well on multiple levels and many were the beautiful passages describing the magic's activation and its effect on the user.
Jerzy struck me as a typical fantasy protagonist: humble beginnings that portend greatness to come, a certain uniqueness, as well as struggling to come to terms with changing surroundings and, through his adventures, gain a greater agency.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching him move throughout this world and while the pace was rather leisurely for the vast majority of the book, I did find the end satisfyingly exciting and look forward to what this trilogy promises in its auspicious beginnings.
Laura Anne Gilman aka suricattus
Continuing my trawl of the Nebula Best Novel nominees and I was very pleasantly surprised by this first volume in what promises to be a fascinating and innovative trilogy.
The prose is smooth, making for an easy read and the worldbuilding and politics are very nicely done and integrated, but what I'm sure is sparking the most talk is the wine-based magic system which I found wonderfully refreshing. The mythology it ties into works well on multiple levels and many were the beautiful passages describing the magic's activation and its effect on the user.
Jerzy struck me as a typical fantasy protagonist: humble beginnings that portend greatness to come, a certain uniqueness, as well as struggling to come to terms with changing surroundings and, through his adventures, gain a greater agency.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching him move throughout this world and while the pace was rather leisurely for the vast majority of the book, I did find the end satisfyingly exciting and look forward to what this trilogy promises in its auspicious beginnings.