What do you think?
Rate this book
Redemption
Unraveling
The search for a notorious serial killer takes a therapist on a nightmarish quest to an alternate world to find the sinister secret behind his crimes in a dark fantasy inspired by Caribbean urban myth, from the award-winning author of The Blue, Beautiful World .
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2019
62 people are currently reading
13473 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
December 22, 2022
I really liked the atmosphere of the story & the characters were a lot of fun to follow. The plot was a little on the confusing side, but I read this without realizing that it's a bit of a spin off book, so maybe that's on me? It was a fun read, but didn't really stand out to me.
June 4, 2019
NOW AVAILABLE!!
if you’re going to read ONE african mythology-infused fantasy novel with magical portals, bloody dismemberments, shapeshifting, immortal beings, and a murder mystery that throws you in the middle of its world with zero regard for your comfort… probably read Black Leopard, Red Wolf.
that’s glib, but the comparison is worth mentioning. i love marlon james, and i’m willing to work for his ‘catch me if you can’ brand of storytelling, but reading that book fulfilled my quota of maddeningly confusing fantasy novels for the year. blrw requires the reader’s close attention and critical engagement throughout, otherwise, it can be easy to get bogged down and lost. this book is the same kind of disorienting, but it never came together for me, even though i kept going back and rereading chunks of it, trying to find where i’d lost the thread.
i suspect a lot of my confusion would have been avoided by reading Redemption in Indigo first. ten years is a long time to wait before writing a follow-up, and this lists as a standalone novel, but several of the characters were introduced in RII, and this book takes for granted that you are either already familiar with or can effortlessly wrap your head around its fantasy bits, and i am simply not that reader.
i don’t think the word ‘standalone’ should ever be applied to a book set in a fantasy realm. because while the story itself may be a standalone, the specifics of the world are crucial for comprehension and enjoyment.
‘cuz it would be fine if this book was about jimmy the baker and the first book was all about his bakery and all the fine loaves he baked therein. and if the readerly WE were only reading the second book featuring jimmy the baker and he made mention of the previous loaves in his life, we would be able to interpolate our own bread-related memories or experiences into the story and we would probably be a-ok. but this? this is about undying/immortal creatures and angels and a goddess and mindpaths and essences and amulets and I DON’T KNOW HOW THIS WORKS.
but then, neither do the characters:
same.
i enjoyed the parts i did understand—which was more of the book than this review is implying—and she does good word-work:
(o, that assonance)
but, yeah, i struggled with the conceptual foundation. and i hear you scolding me - 'karen, you have owned Redemption in Indigo for years. it’s your own damn fault you didn’t read it.'
we all agree i am a dummy.
you are probably better at fantasy than i am and this book will not trip you up the way it tripped me up. OR, to avoid being me, all bewildered and mewling, there are three weeks before this book comes out and Redemption in Indigo is < 200 pages. you can do it.
******************************
IS this a standalone? because it doesn't FEEL like a standalone! i am about 60 pages in and i am LOST!
come to my blog!
if you’re going to read ONE african mythology-infused fantasy novel with magical portals, bloody dismemberments, shapeshifting, immortal beings, and a murder mystery that throws you in the middle of its world with zero regard for your comfort… probably read Black Leopard, Red Wolf.
that’s glib, but the comparison is worth mentioning. i love marlon james, and i’m willing to work for his ‘catch me if you can’ brand of storytelling, but reading that book fulfilled my quota of maddeningly confusing fantasy novels for the year. blrw requires the reader’s close attention and critical engagement throughout, otherwise, it can be easy to get bogged down and lost. this book is the same kind of disorienting, but it never came together for me, even though i kept going back and rereading chunks of it, trying to find where i’d lost the thread.
i suspect a lot of my confusion would have been avoided by reading Redemption in Indigo first. ten years is a long time to wait before writing a follow-up, and this lists as a standalone novel, but several of the characters were introduced in RII, and this book takes for granted that you are either already familiar with or can effortlessly wrap your head around its fantasy bits, and i am simply not that reader.
i don’t think the word ‘standalone’ should ever be applied to a book set in a fantasy realm. because while the story itself may be a standalone, the specifics of the world are crucial for comprehension and enjoyment.
‘cuz it would be fine if this book was about jimmy the baker and the first book was all about his bakery and all the fine loaves he baked therein. and if the readerly WE were only reading the second book featuring jimmy the baker and he made mention of the previous loaves in his life, we would be able to interpolate our own bread-related memories or experiences into the story and we would probably be a-ok. but this? this is about undying/immortal creatures and angels and a goddess and mindpaths and essences and amulets and I DON’T KNOW HOW THIS WORKS.
but then, neither do the characters:
The Trickster closed his eyes, pondering. “I can’t explain it. I barely understand the theory of how amulets work. I know a lot depends on human choice. I also know that there are some events—both those in the past and those yet to come by human reckoning—that are already completed, and others that are waiting for a choice to be made. Change or thwart those choices, and you change the world—past and future.”
“There is no way I am going to understand that, is there?” She wagged her head in tired defeat.
same.
i enjoyed the parts i did understand—which was more of the book than this review is implying—and she does good word-work:
The murmur and chatter had the disconcerting normality of a cocktail party hum, and the vague background surged and shifted with the turgid ennui of a crowd of people assembled to elegantly waste time
(o, that assonance)
but, yeah, i struggled with the conceptual foundation. and i hear you scolding me - 'karen, you have owned Redemption in Indigo for years. it’s your own damn fault you didn’t read it.'
we all agree i am a dummy.
you are probably better at fantasy than i am and this book will not trip you up the way it tripped me up. OR, to avoid being me, all bewildered and mewling, there are three weeks before this book comes out and Redemption in Indigo is < 200 pages. you can do it.
******************************
IS this a standalone? because it doesn't FEEL like a standalone! i am about 60 pages in and i am LOST!
come to my blog!
April 4, 2019
I am not going to lie but I don’t know the author, so I picked this book only by looking at the cover page which seemed to me very intriguing. It’s a big maze with an eye in the middle. The main characters Dr. Miranda Ecouvo and two brothers Chance and Trickster have to go through the maze and solve complicated puzzles in order to catch a killer or rather confirmed that Walther Grey, Butcher of the City killed and mutilated 7 victims. I couldn’t get into the book on the beginning but when I did I couldn’t stop. It’s difficult reading and needs a lot of attention because scenes change very quickly but it’s rewarding on the end. There is a lot of characters throughout the book so if someone likes challenging reading I recommend this one :).
Thank you to First to Read and publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to First to Read and publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2019
I'm not entirely sure what I read. A story of a serial killer, a forensic therapist, and a pair of brothers, Ajit and Chance, one a Trickster, the other who is sort of human, and sort of undying. A story also of angels, and of a powerful being who can make undying individuals, and can separate a less-powerful being than her into undying and human....
Miranda, the therapist, is pulled into the oddest investigation she's ever been on by Chance, who takes her through labyrinths to help her find the identity of the serial killer and his motive.
There was a lot of weird and wonderful in this book, and stuff I didn't really understand, like the pantheon of deities/super-beings, and the stuff about the amulets; but I liked Miranda and her prickliness, and her relationships with Chance and Ajit. As I'm still processing what I read, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.
Miranda, the therapist, is pulled into the oddest investigation she's ever been on by Chance, who takes her through labyrinths to help her find the identity of the serial killer and his motive.
There was a lot of weird and wonderful in this book, and stuff I didn't really understand, like the pantheon of deities/super-beings, and the stuff about the amulets; but I liked Miranda and her prickliness, and her relationships with Chance and Ajit. As I'm still processing what I read, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.
January 18, 2020
The hero of Karen Lord’s knotty, and sometimes confounding, fantasy thriller is Miranda – a therapist pulled out of time and into a labyrinthine netherworld to help solve a series of murders that baffles the gods themselves. The title of Lord’s novel is appropriate, the drawback being that the story unravels a bit too methodically and deliberately. The characters, human and god, are appealing. Miranda brings a surprising amount of consideration to her role in these events, even as she is unceremoniously hijacked into service. The Trickster, too, makes an interesting companion and foil. On the downside, we get way too deep into the book before a genuine antagonist shows up, and while the conclusion was satisfying enough, the trip there was too circuitous to fully captivate this reader.
January 20, 2020
Apparently this book isn’t really a standalone, it’s a sort of continuation of one of the author’s other stories and it really showed. I don’t hate stories that don’t reveal a lot, but this book took that to another level. It was so needlessly confusing that I had no idea what was happening for most of the story. The reader is just dropped into this world with no explanation of what’s happening and it never becomes clearer. I never connected with any of the characters because of that either. This was just a bad reading experience, and not one that I’d recommend.
Read
May 16, 2023I've read a few books where the readers are simply dropped into the world and left there to fend for themselves and figure out how everything works, but Unraveling took that experience to a whole other level. It was original and ambitious and intriguing but also super confusing and I can't honestly say that I enjoyed the experience of reading it very much. I'll definitely look up more of Karen Lord's work though.
April 5, 2019
I received a free e-ARC through First to Read from the publishers at Penguin Random House. Trigger warnings: death, child death, body horror, dismemberment, severe injury, violence, blood, spiders.
Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist who helps people who have witnessed violent crime unravel the truth about what they’ve seen. She’s coming off one of the most gruesome cases The City has seen lately: a ritual murderer who dismembers his victims and keeps their body parts. However, when she’s visited by Chance and the Trickster, two brother undying, she realizes that the murders may have been instigated by something other than human. The three of them follow the memories of various people involved in the case, bending both space and time, in the hopes that they can get close enough to the real killer to discover their identity and stop them before they complete the ritual and become immortal.
This is one of the weirdest books in recent memory. We’re dropped abruptly into the story with little explanation into the plot or the world. While Unraveling claims to be a stand-alone fantasy novel, I kind of wish I had read Lord’s Redemption in Indigo first, if only to familiarize myself with the characters and the world-building. That being said, the plot itself is stand-alone, and it’s entirely possible to read it on its own, provided that readers are patient and don’t mind having all their questions answered immediately–if ever.
The structure is gorgeously complicated as Miranda and the undying move in and out of timelines and imagined physical spaces. Very little of the plot actually takes place in the “real” world, and the timeline meanders into the memories of various minor characters, loops back on itself to see events play out again in a different way, and never manages to resemble anything close to linear. We’re always grounded by Miranda, Chance, or the Trickster’s perspectives, which keeps the novel from becoming too confusing. Again, it’s the kind of book that rewards patience and requires some thinking on the part of the reader to weave the many threads together into something intelligible.
I’m new to Lord’s fiction, but I admire the restraint in her writing style. Her subject matter is complicated, and it would have been very easy for the language to be similarly complicated, which would likely render the novel utterly incoherent. Instead, the sentences themselves are clear and straightforward. I might not understand why things are happening, but I pretty much always knew what was happening, weird as it might be. I would encourage readers who want to experiment with nonlinear views of time and space to give it a try because, on the whole, it’s pretty accessible. In addition, it also presents Caribbean culture/mythology, which is a nice change from American/European fantasy.
On an intellectual level, the novel has a lot of impact. On an emotional one, it fails to hit any sort of mark. Chance and the Trickster are unique and interesting. I admire Miranda’s faltering when confronted with harrowing experiences and her ultimate grit in facing them down. The characters are compelling, but they’re typically not moving; I never felt a connection to them or to anything that was happening, and it’s my sense that the book holds readers at a distance. Similarly, while I felt I understood most of what had happened, I was less clear on what exactly I was supposed to take from that. It’s not that every novel needs a message, but if Unraveling has one, I have no idea what it is. I’d be open to reading more of Lord’s fiction in the future and possibly revisiting this book to see if I can get a better sense of its overall theme. I’ve certainly never read anything else like it.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist who helps people who have witnessed violent crime unravel the truth about what they’ve seen. She’s coming off one of the most gruesome cases The City has seen lately: a ritual murderer who dismembers his victims and keeps their body parts. However, when she’s visited by Chance and the Trickster, two brother undying, she realizes that the murders may have been instigated by something other than human. The three of them follow the memories of various people involved in the case, bending both space and time, in the hopes that they can get close enough to the real killer to discover their identity and stop them before they complete the ritual and become immortal.
This is one of the weirdest books in recent memory. We’re dropped abruptly into the story with little explanation into the plot or the world. While Unraveling claims to be a stand-alone fantasy novel, I kind of wish I had read Lord’s Redemption in Indigo first, if only to familiarize myself with the characters and the world-building. That being said, the plot itself is stand-alone, and it’s entirely possible to read it on its own, provided that readers are patient and don’t mind having all their questions answered immediately–if ever.
The structure is gorgeously complicated as Miranda and the undying move in and out of timelines and imagined physical spaces. Very little of the plot actually takes place in the “real” world, and the timeline meanders into the memories of various minor characters, loops back on itself to see events play out again in a different way, and never manages to resemble anything close to linear. We’re always grounded by Miranda, Chance, or the Trickster’s perspectives, which keeps the novel from becoming too confusing. Again, it’s the kind of book that rewards patience and requires some thinking on the part of the reader to weave the many threads together into something intelligible.
I’m new to Lord’s fiction, but I admire the restraint in her writing style. Her subject matter is complicated, and it would have been very easy for the language to be similarly complicated, which would likely render the novel utterly incoherent. Instead, the sentences themselves are clear and straightforward. I might not understand why things are happening, but I pretty much always knew what was happening, weird as it might be. I would encourage readers who want to experiment with nonlinear views of time and space to give it a try because, on the whole, it’s pretty accessible. In addition, it also presents Caribbean culture/mythology, which is a nice change from American/European fantasy.
On an intellectual level, the novel has a lot of impact. On an emotional one, it fails to hit any sort of mark. Chance and the Trickster are unique and interesting. I admire Miranda’s faltering when confronted with harrowing experiences and her ultimate grit in facing them down. The characters are compelling, but they’re typically not moving; I never felt a connection to them or to anything that was happening, and it’s my sense that the book holds readers at a distance. Similarly, while I felt I understood most of what had happened, I was less clear on what exactly I was supposed to take from that. It’s not that every novel needs a message, but if Unraveling has one, I have no idea what it is. I’d be open to reading more of Lord’s fiction in the future and possibly revisiting this book to see if I can get a better sense of its overall theme. I’ve certainly never read anything else like it.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
dnfed
May 16, 2024DNF at 49% I have only the vaguest idea of what's going on and no sense that it's going anywhere (I'm getting Masters of Death vibes but with less squirrel squabbling) and at this point I feel comfortable that this one isn't for me.
December 5, 2019
As I read this strange and esoteric fantasy novel I had a feeling that many of the readers out there on Good Reads would hate this book and boy was I correct. Reading many of the reviews I was confused. Did we read the same book? Because the book I read was pretty close to a masterpiece of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. I have not done the rankings but this book is easily one of my top ten reads of the year.
Karen Lord writes from a misty magical place, with an Afro-Caribbean feel she creates a fantasy world that is not easily digestible for a generation of readers honed on Harry Potter. It requires you to not rely on tropes and rehashed ideas. I mean there were times I thought things were going over my head but that is OK for me.
This is a fun read with magical portals, city-sized psychic labyrinths, Angels, shape-shifting immortal beings, killers and a murder mystery at the heart of journey through a universe with a Physics based on memory opposed to what we think of as natural science. The weird landscape makes for a really inventive environment that plays with what is real in our memory and the flexible nature of time. In some ways, I thought of this book as a cross between Leguin Lathe of Heaven and the David Fincher movie Seven.
The City labyrinth is populated by tricksters and undying immortals, there are moments of wild imagination that are balanced with the grim serial killer story. For a stand-alone book the mythology of the undying and the labyrinth were great examples of world-building. I learned after finishing this book that some of the settings and characters were in earlier work. So I am not sure how much I missed on stuff because I had not Read Redemption in Indigo.
The actual prose is beautifully composed and the story is well structured. The lead character Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist and she is really well written. Some of the Angels and the Undying came off more vague to me but that in a sense worked. I liked that as characters they often pointed out how humans just couldn't grasp what their life is like or how it works.
I was first interested in this author because I heard her compared To Octavia Butler and Ursula K Leguin. I thought that high praise might be pure hyperbole but Unraveling delivered. I suspect that Karen Lord is an author I will continue to enjoy and I can see her work becoming a staple of mine. I got this because it was her newest work, but some of her older works seem even more up my alley.
Read Unraveling if you like powerful and grim fantasy with well written and stylish prose. One of the best books of the year in my opinion.
Karen Lord writes from a misty magical place, with an Afro-Caribbean feel she creates a fantasy world that is not easily digestible for a generation of readers honed on Harry Potter. It requires you to not rely on tropes and rehashed ideas. I mean there were times I thought things were going over my head but that is OK for me.
This is a fun read with magical portals, city-sized psychic labyrinths, Angels, shape-shifting immortal beings, killers and a murder mystery at the heart of journey through a universe with a Physics based on memory opposed to what we think of as natural science. The weird landscape makes for a really inventive environment that plays with what is real in our memory and the flexible nature of time. In some ways, I thought of this book as a cross between Leguin Lathe of Heaven and the David Fincher movie Seven.
The City labyrinth is populated by tricksters and undying immortals, there are moments of wild imagination that are balanced with the grim serial killer story. For a stand-alone book the mythology of the undying and the labyrinth were great examples of world-building. I learned after finishing this book that some of the settings and characters were in earlier work. So I am not sure how much I missed on stuff because I had not Read Redemption in Indigo.
The actual prose is beautifully composed and the story is well structured. The lead character Dr. Miranda Ecouvo is a forensic therapist and she is really well written. Some of the Angels and the Undying came off more vague to me but that in a sense worked. I liked that as characters they often pointed out how humans just couldn't grasp what their life is like or how it works.
I was first interested in this author because I heard her compared To Octavia Butler and Ursula K Leguin. I thought that high praise might be pure hyperbole but Unraveling delivered. I suspect that Karen Lord is an author I will continue to enjoy and I can see her work becoming a staple of mine. I got this because it was her newest work, but some of her older works seem even more up my alley.
Read Unraveling if you like powerful and grim fantasy with well written and stylish prose. One of the best books of the year in my opinion.
June 27, 2020
2.5 stars, it was confusing and I sort of got the hang of the story, but something still was holding me back from liking it, I will have to revisit this one and see if I change my mind.
May 22, 2021
3.5 stars
done-with
April 5, 2019I'm with the other reviewers on this one - it's a fantastic concept and there are marvelous threads in the story, but unraveling them (no pun intended) proved to be a LOT of work... There are some highly intriguing and original ideas here, and the characters held great potential, but everything seemed weighted down by a vaguely obtuse sense that I wasn't quite getting what the author was trying to tell me. The read was surprisingly uneven as a result; I'd be clicking along and thoroughly enjoying the journey for handfuls of pages, then suddenly find myself pulling back, shaking my head, and rereading the last few paragraphs to figure out what happened, where I got lost, and why things stopped making sense...
Thanks to Penguin First to Read for my review copy.
Thanks to Penguin First to Read for my review copy.
June 27, 2021
Nope, not for me. Way too confusing, it was a real struggle to get through.
August 10, 2019
I’ll be honest, I finished “Unraveling” by Karen Lord weeks ago but have not had the energy or desire to write this review. Unfortunately, it was an arduous read for me. I had to force myself to pick it up and often found my mind wandering while I read it. When I finally did finish it, the only emotion I felt was relief. “Unraveling” is a classic example of very fascinating concepts that just never came together.
“Unraveling” is a murder mystery steeped in Caribbean folklore. It begins with a forensic psychologist believing a series of ritualistic murders had just been solved. But after a near death experience, she is intercepted by two demi-god brothers who reveal the true killer has not been caught. So they guide her through labyrinths in a netherworld so she can travel through the past, present, and future and solve the case. And there are angels and undying people and amulets. Or at least I think that is what it’s about? I don’t really know. The story jumps around in time, perspective, and reality so often and without explanation that I felt I was traveling my own labyrinth just trying to decipher what in the hell was going on! I’m not saying it’s bad for a book to be complex or take some work to unpack, but the reward better be worth it… and this one just wasn’t. Though unraveling (pun intended) the serpentine narrative was very difficult, the book wasn’t all pain! The writing was often beautiful. Especially in Lord’s descriptions of the demi-gods and angel, she really captures an otherworldly quality of these characters.
My main issue is that the book is marketed as a “standalone fantasy novel.” It wasn’t until I did a little research that I found out that it takes place in the same world as Lord’s previous book “Redemption in Indigo” (2010). Even many characters and overarching concepts are introduced in the previous book. Though the story of “Unraveling” is standalone, the reader is expected to have this previously acquired information. In fantasy/sci-fi an understanding of the world is vital for comprehension and enjoyment of the story, so I feel like reading “Unraveling” without reading the previous book set me up for failure! Maybe that’s why I was so lost? Or maybe it was just an overly complex book with interesting concepts that just never came to fruition!
** Daw Books provided me a copy of the book for honest review
“Unraveling” is a murder mystery steeped in Caribbean folklore. It begins with a forensic psychologist believing a series of ritualistic murders had just been solved. But after a near death experience, she is intercepted by two demi-god brothers who reveal the true killer has not been caught. So they guide her through labyrinths in a netherworld so she can travel through the past, present, and future and solve the case. And there are angels and undying people and amulets. Or at least I think that is what it’s about? I don’t really know. The story jumps around in time, perspective, and reality so often and without explanation that I felt I was traveling my own labyrinth just trying to decipher what in the hell was going on! I’m not saying it’s bad for a book to be complex or take some work to unpack, but the reward better be worth it… and this one just wasn’t. Though unraveling (pun intended) the serpentine narrative was very difficult, the book wasn’t all pain! The writing was often beautiful. Especially in Lord’s descriptions of the demi-gods and angel, she really captures an otherworldly quality of these characters.
My main issue is that the book is marketed as a “standalone fantasy novel.” It wasn’t until I did a little research that I found out that it takes place in the same world as Lord’s previous book “Redemption in Indigo” (2010). Even many characters and overarching concepts are introduced in the previous book. Though the story of “Unraveling” is standalone, the reader is expected to have this previously acquired information. In fantasy/sci-fi an understanding of the world is vital for comprehension and enjoyment of the story, so I feel like reading “Unraveling” without reading the previous book set me up for failure! Maybe that’s why I was so lost? Or maybe it was just an overly complex book with interesting concepts that just never came to fruition!
** Daw Books provided me a copy of the book for honest review
September 8, 2019
I would like to rename this book to Unrevealing. I chose to read this book because my library app advertised this book as one of the new additions to the library's collection and I thought that it would be fun for once to read a book just because it looked interesting, without any background information. Guess the old saying about judging a book by its cover holds true! I guess the author wrote this because she has been contemplating Christian theology and somehow created this book based on that? But don't worry, she doesn't come to any conclusions (or if she does, I didn't get them). She doesn't even provoke you to think about questions concerning Christian theology (or if she tried to, then she missed the mark at least with me). The only question you are left with is what did I just read, what does it mean? Thankfully the language she uses is almost poetic so there is a good flow to the book which makes it easier to reach the end (which still didn't come soon enough).
October 14, 2022
This was a wild ride. I don't fully understand everything that happened but you can't go wrong with Robin Miles narrating! But really, the writing was great and the story and characters were fascinating. If you're down for a sci-fi, interdimensional, fantastical, Caribbean folk lore inspired mystery/thriller, definitely give UNRAVELING a listen.
get-back-to-later
September 28, 2019I think this is too esoteric for me right now. It's not you, book, it's me. I'm too busy and I have a cold and I can't concentrate on this thing. I need something more straightforward for the moment.
July 29, 2020
3.5/5 Unraveling was kinda of difficult to get into, we were immediately thrown into this world and didn't get much explanation about the world Miranda is thrown into or the world she's from. I enjoyed the writing style, and once I got past the confusion of the world I really enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down because I needed to know the outcome.
June 20, 2019
Unraveling is a mythic murder mystery that unfolds as a journey through time and memory. Karen Lord does a fantastic job making the undying and angels seem truly otherworldly while also making the undying who are currently mortal familiarly human, and I appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into it. However, it never engaged my heart as much as my head, and it just wasn't a book I found particularly memorable as someone who prefers stories with more in-depth characterization.
3 1/2 Stars
Full Review on My Website
3 1/2 Stars
Full Review on My Website
September 21, 2020
Utter favorite. Important to note that Unraveling by Karen Lord is something of a follow-up to Lord’s debut, Redemption in Indigo. Had I not realized that, I may have just read Unraveling first and that would have been a big bummer because 1) Unraveling spoils some of the events of Redemption in Indigo, and 2) Unraveling was SO MUCH more lovely because I was already acquainted with and invested in some of its characters, and it was a delight to revisit them in this very different story. If you’re interested in reading either of these novels, I would highly recommend reading the pair in order to you as well.
Unraveling is like a supernatural detective mystery that’s totally convoluted in the best way. Untwisting the knotted storylines of past/present/potential futures/dreams is well worth it, but I’m glad I wasn’t listening to the audio for this one because there were a lot of pieces to put together and information to digest, so I think that would have made it quite challenging to follow personally. The story follows Dr. Miranda Ecouvo, a brilliant and tenacious forensic therapist who’s just helped put a serial killer behind bars when that belief is thrown into question by the arrival of a slew of supernatural beings who believe something more sinister is afoot. Miranda is one of those protagonists who just lodged herself into my heart, and I adored walking the labyrinth alongside her through the course of this novel. The characters, plot, and world building are all developed with exciting details and intrigue and I loved every minute. Plus, all the beautiful little ways this book twisted back to Redemption in Indigo made my heart sing. As with Redemption in Indigo, the ending of this novel was sheer perfection, resolving every little hook that had me holding my breath in anticipation in manners both unexpected and gloriously foreshadowed. The two books are honestly so different, and yet they are so brilliantly situated together. I was stunned and delighted by these instant-favorites and I’m looking forward to diving into Lord’s sci-fi next.
Unraveling is like a supernatural detective mystery that’s totally convoluted in the best way. Untwisting the knotted storylines of past/present/potential futures/dreams is well worth it, but I’m glad I wasn’t listening to the audio for this one because there were a lot of pieces to put together and information to digest, so I think that would have made it quite challenging to follow personally. The story follows Dr. Miranda Ecouvo, a brilliant and tenacious forensic therapist who’s just helped put a serial killer behind bars when that belief is thrown into question by the arrival of a slew of supernatural beings who believe something more sinister is afoot. Miranda is one of those protagonists who just lodged herself into my heart, and I adored walking the labyrinth alongside her through the course of this novel. The characters, plot, and world building are all developed with exciting details and intrigue and I loved every minute. Plus, all the beautiful little ways this book twisted back to Redemption in Indigo made my heart sing. As with Redemption in Indigo, the ending of this novel was sheer perfection, resolving every little hook that had me holding my breath in anticipation in manners both unexpected and gloriously foreshadowed. The two books are honestly so different, and yet they are so brilliantly situated together. I was stunned and delighted by these instant-favorites and I’m looking forward to diving into Lord’s sci-fi next.
September 1, 2019
I simply cannot recommend this book at all. It was totally opaque. There were sequences from one paragraph to another where the jump made no sense to me. I kept at it for two reasons. First, my book club was reading it, and I like the social aspect. Second, I felt there must be a literary aspect that I was just not getting and I wanted to meet the challenge. In the end there was failure - its up to other readers to decide who is culpable.
If you do read this book note that there is apparently an earlier novella with some of the main characters. I cannot imagine what context that could provide to untangle the knots that *I* ran into in this book. But I doubt reading that first would hurt.
If you do read this book note that there is apparently an earlier novella with some of the main characters. I cannot imagine what context that could provide to untangle the knots that *I* ran into in this book. But I doubt reading that first would hurt.
June 30, 2021
3.5 stars
What an absolutely strange little book. I'm not even going to pretend like I understood what I just read, lmao. However, despite my general confusion, I... think I liked it?
It definitely drops you in as if it was book 3 in a series, and you were already familiar with the magic and the characters and the world. But in reality, you have no idea what's going on. So while the characters are working to figure out this murder mystery, you are working to get a grip on... well, everything.
But I eventually got used to and started enjoying the non-linear storytelling. Her descriptive writing is quite excellent; there were whole paragraphs that set the scenery so well that I felt like I was remembering a half-forgotten memory.
Not a book I would recommend to any and everyone. But for such an ambitious fantasy-thriller, I'm not mad at it.
What an absolutely strange little book. I'm not even going to pretend like I understood what I just read, lmao. However, despite my general confusion, I... think I liked it?
It definitely drops you in as if it was book 3 in a series, and you were already familiar with the magic and the characters and the world. But in reality, you have no idea what's going on. So while the characters are working to figure out this murder mystery, you are working to get a grip on... well, everything.
But I eventually got used to and started enjoying the non-linear storytelling. Her descriptive writing is quite excellent; there were whole paragraphs that set the scenery so well that I felt like I was remembering a half-forgotten memory.
Not a book I would recommend to any and everyone. But for such an ambitious fantasy-thriller, I'm not mad at it.
July 4, 2019
Review forthcoming!
did-not-finish
August 24, 2022DNF on page 90.
I don't really entirely know what's going on in this novel, and I've come to understand that rather than being a 'standalone' it actually draws on prior works. I loved the other novel by Karen Lord that I read, so I reserve the right to come back to this one (likely once I've read the earlier work that ties into this novel).
I don't really entirely know what's going on in this novel, and I've come to understand that rather than being a 'standalone' it actually draws on prior works. I loved the other novel by Karen Lord that I read, so I reserve the right to come back to this one (likely once I've read the earlier work that ties into this novel).
June 27, 2021
This book won’t be for everyone, but if you love nerding out about time, space, memory, subconscious and immortality then definitely give this a try. A lot went over my head but even though I don’t think I truly understood it, I understood enough that I liked it.
Want to read
July 24, 2019every time I see the name 'Miranda' this scene pops into my head:
January 5, 2022
I unraveled nothing. Sadly, this book made absolutely no sense to me, and I largely felt reading it that the narrator sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher. I don’t mean that as a judgement of the author’s writing or the characters, but more of my inability to comprehend the actions and meanings of the novel. I would not have finished it, but I needed to finish my reading goal by midnight. I’ve liked other books written by Lord, so my feelings toward Unraveling is a huge bummer for me.
February 14, 2021
I listened to the audiobook and I think this might have been the only reason I continued "reading". It started out a lot like Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie and I still haven't gotten through chapter 1 of that book 🙈.
I don't think fantasy novels are "my thing" and it wasn't until after I read the book that I realized it was supposed to be "steeped in Caribbean storytelling". I followed the storyline for the most part, I just didn't really enjoy it. May revisit this.
I don't think fantasy novels are "my thing" and it wasn't until after I read the book that I realized it was supposed to be "steeped in Caribbean storytelling". I followed the storyline for the most part, I just didn't really enjoy it. May revisit this.
September 14, 2019
I usually don't give confusing books such a high score. And, I never realized that fantasy/mythological literature could be so confusing and vague at times. I read this book slowly over several days, stopping at key points in the book (and it is divided into three sections, which does help.) I tried to digest everything learned so that I would not be at a loss for the next section. I loved the imagery (well, on a personal level; the dismemberment, spiders and death stuff were not my cup of tea), and how my brain had to work to piece together new information with old information. At the end of the story, I am still not sure what the relationship of Dr. Miranda Ecouvo and Chance by the end of the story, as well as Chance's and The Trickster's relationship between the two of them, as well. I do understand how the author's background in physics could allow her to imagine complicated physical properties of the earth, and how one could enter and leave the earth through an invisible curtain. A lot of the imagery seemed to be Bible-based, though, but in inaccurate way to explain their "reality" to a Christian like me. However, I could put my beliefs aside to truly enjoy this a fantasy story. I would not hand this to someone with mental issues. The issues presented in the story are disturbing enough to the average person. Sometimes, the imagery was amazing, though. I had researched the title to see if another author had used it (yes), and I had thought Labyrinth or Labyrinths matched the book cover better (but both of those titles were taken, as well.) Spiders and webs were also mentioned frequently enough in the book that I could have seen this as titled "Tangled Webs" (also another title already taken) or something indicating conflict. At times, I felt close to different characters for different reasons. I would hope there is a sequel to this book, continuing with Miranda and Chase. Something is there. I am not sure what. That relationship could be explained in so many ways, or at least this book has made my vision imaginative as well. I was a #rifwinner (Read It Forward) of this interesting book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews