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Khaim Novellas #1-4
The Tangled Lands
Khaim, The Blue City, is the last remaining city in a crumbled empire that overly relied upon magic until it became toxic. It is run by a tyrant known as The Jolly Mayor and his devious right hand, the last archmage in the world. Together they try to collect all the magic for themselves so they can control the citizens of the city. But when their decadence reaches new heights and begins to destroy the environment, the people stage an uprising to stop them.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2018
231 people are currently reading
6222 people want to read
About the author
Paolo Bacigalupi
133 books4,951 followersPaolo Bacigalupi is an award-winning author of novels for adults and young people.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
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February 19, 2018
The Tangled Lands by Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias S. Buckell is a fantasy read that is done a bit differently than normal books. When it was said in the synopsis that it takes place in four parts I wasn’t quite expecting four completely different stories. This really makes the book feel like reading a collection of novellas that all feature different characters but take place within the same fantasy world.
The four stories take place in Khaim, The Blue City, where a tyrant known as The Jolly Mayor has taken control of the world that is infested with something known as the brambles coming from the use of magic so magic is prohibited by anyone not in control of the mayor. Each story is a different take on the things taking place within this world and those fighting back.
Now my first complaint when reviewing a novella is usually the it needs more of this or that such as more world building or more character development or not enough content in the plot in such a short time. Really that same thing applies with this book even though it’s over 300 pages since you are reading separate stories in here. Each seemed like an ok read but with being so short I can’t help but be left with wanting more.
As creative as this was I have to go with the mid-range rating on this one as it just felt things could have had that bit of “more” added to them. I wondered really why choosing this format and not expanding to make a series giving more depth to the world and it’s inhabitants. The way it’s set it’s a bit of a strange jump when finishing one and moving on to the next without more details into the the world to go along.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The four stories take place in Khaim, The Blue City, where a tyrant known as The Jolly Mayor has taken control of the world that is infested with something known as the brambles coming from the use of magic so magic is prohibited by anyone not in control of the mayor. Each story is a different take on the things taking place within this world and those fighting back.
Now my first complaint when reviewing a novella is usually the it needs more of this or that such as more world building or more character development or not enough content in the plot in such a short time. Really that same thing applies with this book even though it’s over 300 pages since you are reading separate stories in here. Each seemed like an ok read but with being so short I can’t help but be left with wanting more.
As creative as this was I have to go with the mid-range rating on this one as it just felt things could have had that bit of “more” added to them. I wondered really why choosing this format and not expanding to make a series giving more depth to the world and it’s inhabitants. The way it’s set it’s a bit of a strange jump when finishing one and moving on to the next without more details into the the world to go along.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
March 8, 2018
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/03/08/...
A couple things I didn’t realize when I first picked up The Tangled Lands: one, the world featured here was in fact introduced back around 2011 in the Khaim Novellas series, consisting of The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Executioness by Tobias S. Buckell. Two, this book actually turned out to be an anthology of sorts, containing four short stories which include the aforementioned two novellas. All four pieces take place in a shared world so there are some related events and characters, but generally speaking, they are each distinct and standalone.
After scouring my copy of The Tangled Lands, I couldn’t find this information about its format mentioned anywhere on the dust jacket, so hopefully my review will help readers decide if this is the type of book for you. Personally, it wasn’t until I realized that I wasn’t reading a traditional novel but in fact four separate stories, that I felt better able to gauge my opinion of the book as a whole.
THE ALCHEMIST
First up is the tale of the alchemist, a beleaguered man whom despite his hard work and genius is seeing his life falling to ruin. This opening story also introduces the world to the uninitiated—it takes place in the city of Khaim, the last remaining city in a fallen empire that has been choked by a fast-growing kind of bramble that feeds on magic. As a result, any kind of magic has been outlawed to prevent the bramble from encroaching any further, though some still risk their lives to use it when faced with no other options. This, unfortunately, is the situation our hapless protagonist finds himself in when his only daughter is infected with the seeds of the bramble, causing a lung disease that will one day claim her life. To save her, the alchemist must perform a magical spell regularly to heal her body.
But the alchemist also knows that he cannot keep this up forever. The problem is the bramble; if it can be destroyed for good, magic wouldn’t be prohibited anymore, and his daughter would live. So, he devotes all his time and efforts into developing a bramble-killing device called a balanthast, which he brings to the city leaders once it is complete. However, that’s when everything goes wrong.
Of the four stories in this book, this was probably my favorite. Part of it was being introduced to this world for the very first time, I’m sure, but there were also a lot of subtle nuances to be found here, from meaningful messages to deep questions to chew on. The Alchemist is very much a Paolo Bacigalupi story in that sense; I can always count on him to present interesting perspectives and provide plenty of discussion fodder. I also enjoyed the characters here. Regardless of what you think of his motivations or actions, the alchemist is written in a way that allows the reader to understand his dilemma and sympathize with him.
THE EXECUTIONESS
The second story is The Executioness, written by Tobias S. Buckell to accompany The Alchemist. In Khaim, those who are caught using magic are immediately put to the axe in a public beheading. Our protagonist in this tale is Tana, the city’s only female executioner, forced to take her father’s place and carry out his gruesome task on the chopping block. But after a brutal attack on her home by foreign raiders, she must embark on a difficult quest to save her children.
I have to say this one was a rather humdrum in terms of the plot—Tana gets picked up along the way be a group of fighters who are tracking the raiders, and she learns to use her executioner’s axe in combat, becoming an effective leader in the process. What stood out for me was the unique role of the protagonist, an executioness but also a middle-aged mother. Sadly, this latter aspect of her life was not as deeply explored as her time with the army, which I thought was a missed opportunity. We also didn’t get to see a lot of the world-building in this one—another disappointment considering how well done it was in the previous story, with its amazing look at the magic system.
THE CHILDREN OF KHAIM
Written by Paolo Bacigalupi, this tale begins what I would call the “aftermath” phase, showing the consequences of the events from the two previous stories. We now know the full effects of the bramble. Beyond breaking down infrastructure and society by bursting forth from city streets and sprouting in farmers’ fields, it also poisons people and make them sick—very sick. In this story, a young man fights to keep his sister alive after she succumbs to “bramble sleep”. But how far will he go to save her, when resources begin to dwindle, and the hope fades every day?
Unfortunately, for a story with such emotionally harrowing themes, this was another one that I felt missed its mark. Rare for Bacigalupi, the characters here just didn’t engage me, so I didn’t feel as connected to this story as I wanted to be. It was also the shortest tale, and that might have hurt it, being that there was not enough time to adequately develop the characters or the plot. After all, for a story of this nature, that’s rather important.
THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
This closing tale by Tobias S. Buckell probably ranks as my second favorite in this collection. While it is dark and bleak, I nonetheless enjoyed it because of all its different layers. In this story, a blacksmith and his family are given only a fraction of the resources required to forge a set of armor for a wealthy duke’s son. The duke, fully aware of the unfairness in this situation, punishes the parents when they fail to deliver, thus forcing the couple’s daughter to complete the project or see her mother and father perish. However, the girl has her own plans, and risks everything to save her parents.
This one did not end the way I expected, and though it was also tough to read about the pain, suffering, and injustices committed by the elites on the serving class, I also enjoyed the unpredictable way this story unfolded. I also felt for the main character, my heart aching for her and the circumstances she has found herself in. Even though she was powerless, she still found a way to fight back, never giving in despite the hopelessness and impossible odds stacked against her.
Final Thoughts: The Blacksmith’s Daughter was perhaps a rather grim note to end the book on, but in a strange way, it also felt appropriate. Other than taking place in the world, the four these stories here are unlinked or can be read separately, and yet, a common theme does run through all of them. The concept of family features strongly in each tale, not to mention a central figure who sacrifices a great deal in order to save a family member.
That said, it didn’t feel like much was accomplished by the end of the book. These tales read more like mini vignettes following the triumphs and tragedies of the different characters—little slices of life in Khaim. It’s a neat idea, but going back to what I wrote at the beginning of this review, if you want to avoid disappointment, it’s probably best to consider The Tangled Lands an anthology rather than a novel or even a collection of constituent short stories that make up a whole.
A couple things I didn’t realize when I first picked up The Tangled Lands: one, the world featured here was in fact introduced back around 2011 in the Khaim Novellas series, consisting of The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Executioness by Tobias S. Buckell. Two, this book actually turned out to be an anthology of sorts, containing four short stories which include the aforementioned two novellas. All four pieces take place in a shared world so there are some related events and characters, but generally speaking, they are each distinct and standalone.
After scouring my copy of The Tangled Lands, I couldn’t find this information about its format mentioned anywhere on the dust jacket, so hopefully my review will help readers decide if this is the type of book for you. Personally, it wasn’t until I realized that I wasn’t reading a traditional novel but in fact four separate stories, that I felt better able to gauge my opinion of the book as a whole.
THE ALCHEMIST
First up is the tale of the alchemist, a beleaguered man whom despite his hard work and genius is seeing his life falling to ruin. This opening story also introduces the world to the uninitiated—it takes place in the city of Khaim, the last remaining city in a fallen empire that has been choked by a fast-growing kind of bramble that feeds on magic. As a result, any kind of magic has been outlawed to prevent the bramble from encroaching any further, though some still risk their lives to use it when faced with no other options. This, unfortunately, is the situation our hapless protagonist finds himself in when his only daughter is infected with the seeds of the bramble, causing a lung disease that will one day claim her life. To save her, the alchemist must perform a magical spell regularly to heal her body.
But the alchemist also knows that he cannot keep this up forever. The problem is the bramble; if it can be destroyed for good, magic wouldn’t be prohibited anymore, and his daughter would live. So, he devotes all his time and efforts into developing a bramble-killing device called a balanthast, which he brings to the city leaders once it is complete. However, that’s when everything goes wrong.
Of the four stories in this book, this was probably my favorite. Part of it was being introduced to this world for the very first time, I’m sure, but there were also a lot of subtle nuances to be found here, from meaningful messages to deep questions to chew on. The Alchemist is very much a Paolo Bacigalupi story in that sense; I can always count on him to present interesting perspectives and provide plenty of discussion fodder. I also enjoyed the characters here. Regardless of what you think of his motivations or actions, the alchemist is written in a way that allows the reader to understand his dilemma and sympathize with him.
THE EXECUTIONESS
The second story is The Executioness, written by Tobias S. Buckell to accompany The Alchemist. In Khaim, those who are caught using magic are immediately put to the axe in a public beheading. Our protagonist in this tale is Tana, the city’s only female executioner, forced to take her father’s place and carry out his gruesome task on the chopping block. But after a brutal attack on her home by foreign raiders, she must embark on a difficult quest to save her children.
I have to say this one was a rather humdrum in terms of the plot—Tana gets picked up along the way be a group of fighters who are tracking the raiders, and she learns to use her executioner’s axe in combat, becoming an effective leader in the process. What stood out for me was the unique role of the protagonist, an executioness but also a middle-aged mother. Sadly, this latter aspect of her life was not as deeply explored as her time with the army, which I thought was a missed opportunity. We also didn’t get to see a lot of the world-building in this one—another disappointment considering how well done it was in the previous story, with its amazing look at the magic system.
THE CHILDREN OF KHAIM
Written by Paolo Bacigalupi, this tale begins what I would call the “aftermath” phase, showing the consequences of the events from the two previous stories. We now know the full effects of the bramble. Beyond breaking down infrastructure and society by bursting forth from city streets and sprouting in farmers’ fields, it also poisons people and make them sick—very sick. In this story, a young man fights to keep his sister alive after she succumbs to “bramble sleep”. But how far will he go to save her, when resources begin to dwindle, and the hope fades every day?
Unfortunately, for a story with such emotionally harrowing themes, this was another one that I felt missed its mark. Rare for Bacigalupi, the characters here just didn’t engage me, so I didn’t feel as connected to this story as I wanted to be. It was also the shortest tale, and that might have hurt it, being that there was not enough time to adequately develop the characters or the plot. After all, for a story of this nature, that’s rather important.
THE BLACKSMITH’S DAUGHTER
This closing tale by Tobias S. Buckell probably ranks as my second favorite in this collection. While it is dark and bleak, I nonetheless enjoyed it because of all its different layers. In this story, a blacksmith and his family are given only a fraction of the resources required to forge a set of armor for a wealthy duke’s son. The duke, fully aware of the unfairness in this situation, punishes the parents when they fail to deliver, thus forcing the couple’s daughter to complete the project or see her mother and father perish. However, the girl has her own plans, and risks everything to save her parents.
This one did not end the way I expected, and though it was also tough to read about the pain, suffering, and injustices committed by the elites on the serving class, I also enjoyed the unpredictable way this story unfolded. I also felt for the main character, my heart aching for her and the circumstances she has found herself in. Even though she was powerless, she still found a way to fight back, never giving in despite the hopelessness and impossible odds stacked against her.
Final Thoughts: The Blacksmith’s Daughter was perhaps a rather grim note to end the book on, but in a strange way, it also felt appropriate. Other than taking place in the world, the four these stories here are unlinked or can be read separately, and yet, a common theme does run through all of them. The concept of family features strongly in each tale, not to mention a central figure who sacrifices a great deal in order to save a family member.
That said, it didn’t feel like much was accomplished by the end of the book. These tales read more like mini vignettes following the triumphs and tragedies of the different characters—little slices of life in Khaim. It’s a neat idea, but going back to what I wrote at the beginning of this review, if you want to avoid disappointment, it’s probably best to consider The Tangled Lands an anthology rather than a novel or even a collection of constituent short stories that make up a whole.
March 22, 2018
Some of this I've read before. Good and interesting. But too dark for me to be completely enjoyable. Torture both physical and mental and usually fairly unnecessary. The world is fairly well thought out and the magic system feels consistent. Pretty strong use of female characters as well.
September 16, 2021
Четири новели в един общ свят. Паоло Бачигалупи и Тобиас Букет се прескачат един през друг, изграждайки една вселена, напомняща Умиращата Земя на Ванс. Историите са бегло свързани една с друга, като само глобалните промени оттекват между редовете, докато се запознаваме със съдбите на различните герои.
Сякаш разказите на Бъкет ми допаднаха повече, някак повече разбира героиката и приключението, които залягат в основата на Високото фетъзи. Бачигалупи от друга страна набляга на социума и неправдите произлизащи от него. Не че второто не съм го очаквал, все пак екодистопичната му фантастика е това, което го изкара на писателската карта на хората.
Светът на Синия град Каим се разпада. Някога големите империи, изградени на основата на магията са задушени от Трънака - отровни лияни, които растат от магия. Каим се държи, едва. Благодарение на Веселия Кмет и неговия архимаг, който със зверски мерки се разправят с потребителите на магия, но само за да запазят монопола на древното знание за себе си.
"Алхимикът" от Бачегалупи - В род на магьосници един учен наивно смята, че ако изобрети немагично средство за разправяне с Трънака ще върне славата на магическата империя. След години лишения и саможертви успява, само за да види изобретението си покварено от силните на деня и използвано за саморазправа и трупане на власт и богатства.
"Екзекуторката" от Бъкет - Наследничка на родова линия от палачи, На Тана ще и се наложи да хване брадвата, за да спаси семейството си. Неопитна, тя успява в първата си задача като екзекутор, но само за да намери дома си в пламъци, а децата си отвлечени. Това ще я поведе на дълго пътешествие през Трънака, в края на което ще трябва да се превърне в легенда.
"Децата на Каим" от Бачигалупи - Тежка е съд бата на мигрантите в Каим, обвинявани в употреба на магия, единственото препитание, което могат да намерят е изгарянето на трънаците и събирането на семената им. Когато сестрата на Моп получава "целувката на съня" от тръните, той ще направи невъзможното, за да запази надеждите си да я спаси. Естествено, напразно, но това ще доведе до доста интересна развръзка.
"Дъщерята на ковача" от Бъкет - Да търгуваш с благородниците на Каим е проклятие за обикновените хора. Семейството на София ще го разбере от първа ръка, когато получи поръчка от дук Малабаз, за изковаване на специална броня за сина му. Дукът няма намерение да плати и това ще унищожи цялото семейство. На София и остава само едно нещо - отмъщение. Но какво може да направи една дъщерря на ковач на недосегаемите благородници?
Експериментът като цяло беше интригуващ. Забавно ми беше как Бачигалупи пречупва тропите на реалистичната си фантастика, за да ги вкара в този измислен и различен свят. Може би малко е прекалил, но с помощта на Бъкет всичко си идва на мястото. Все пак резултатът е доста мрачен и не вярвам да се понрави на почитателите на чистото фентъзи, дори и на гримдарк таковата. Това е четиво по-скоро за мрачни фантастични фенове.
Сякаш разказите на Бъкет ми допаднаха повече, някак повече разбира героиката и приключението, които залягат в основата на Високото фетъзи. Бачигалупи от друга страна набляга на социума и неправдите произлизащи от него. Не че второто не съм го очаквал, все пак екодистопичната му фантастика е това, което го изкара на писателската карта на хората.
Светът на Синия град Каим се разпада. Някога големите империи, изградени на основата на магията са задушени от Трънака - отровни лияни, които растат от магия. Каим се държи, едва. Благодарение на Веселия Кмет и неговия архимаг, който със зверски мерки се разправят с потребителите на магия, но само за да запазят монопола на древното знание за себе си.
"Алхимикът" от Бачегалупи - В род на магьосници един учен наивно смята, че ако изобрети немагично средство за разправяне с Трънака ще върне славата на магическата империя. След години лишения и саможертви успява, само за да види изобретението си покварено от силните на деня и използвано за саморазправа и трупане на власт и богатства.
"Екзекуторката" от Бъкет - Наследничка на родова линия от палачи, На Тана ще и се наложи да хване брадвата, за да спаси семейството си. Неопитна, тя успява в първата си задача като екзекутор, но само за да намери дома си в пламъци, а децата си отвлечени. Това ще я поведе на дълго пътешествие през Трънака, в края на което ще трябва да се превърне в легенда.
"Децата на Каим" от Бачигалупи - Тежка е съд бата на мигрантите в Каим, обвинявани в употреба на магия, единственото препитание, което могат да намерят е изгарянето на трънаците и събирането на семената им. Когато сестрата на Моп получава "целувката на съня" от тръните, той ще направи невъзможното, за да запази надеждите си да я спаси. Естествено, напразно, но това ще доведе до доста интересна развръзка.
"Дъщерята на ковача" от Бъкет - Да търгуваш с благородниците на Каим е проклятие за обикновените хора. Семейството на София ще го разбере от първа ръка, когато получи поръчка от дук Малабаз, за изковаване на специална броня за сина му. Дукът няма намерение да плати и това ще унищожи цялото семейство. На София и остава само едно нещо - отмъщение. Но какво може да направи една дъщерря на ковач на недосегаемите благородници?
Експериментът като цяло беше интригуващ. Забавно ми беше как Бачигалупи пречупва тропите на реалистичната си фантастика, за да ги вкара в този измислен и различен свят. Може би малко е прекалил, но с помощта на Бъкет всичко си идва на мястото. Все пак резултатът е доста мрачен и не вярвам да се понрави на почитателите на чистото фентъзи, дори и на гримдарк таковата. Това е четиво по-скоро за мрачни фантастични фенове.
March 18, 2018
Really interesting concept, but definitely very underwhelmingly executed. This book is actually four standalone novellas, which don't really build on each other or expand the extended story, which I really wanted them to do. By the end it was actually pretty frustrating, as I felt the first one was by far the most interesting and the only one which actually seemed to *affect* the world. I was then waiting for the characters/threads from this to weave back in, but it never happened. The second story was very boring (a woman learns to fight with an axe! no one else in the world has ever considered that women can fight! women do some fighting and men are surprised! the women conquer a city but then the ending suggests that they just all rest on their laurels for the next few decades and this while thing was entirely inconsequential!), and the third and forth were just sort of static -- nothing really changed from beginning to end except for characters losing family members. So overall I was pretty disappointed. Wouldn't recommend.
May 3, 2018
Ahoy there me mateys! I have loved Paolo Bacigalupi ever since I read the windup girl. So when I heard that he had co-written a book, I knew I had to pick it up. Just be aware that this is not one complete story but rather four interrelated short stories set in the same world. I am glad that me matey, Millie @ milliebotreads, warned me of this so I was prepared.
That said, I absolutely loved this book. The world and its magic is so very fascinating. Brambles are taking over the world and destroying everything in their path. They are spread by the use of magic and they kill. The solution seems easy. Just stop doing magic. And yet folk can’t seem to help themselves. A little spell to stop a sickness. A charm to fix physical defects. A magic bridge to span a river. The bigger the magic, the more the brambles grow. Every spell hurts. The four stories talk about the consequences of the brambles in various walks of life.
The four sections follow 1) an alchemist, 2) an executioness, 3) a child of Kahim, and 4) a blacksmith’s daughter. Personally, stories 1 and 4 were me favourite. The alchemist story set up the world in a wonderful way and I was highly invested in what would happen. The blacksmith’s daughter had unexpected turns throughout that kept me guessing.
All of the stories had unresolved endings and yet were satisfying. That be unusual for me. I would love to have further adventures of both the alchemist and the blacksmith’s daughter. I would also love to have more stories set in this amazing world. It was a quick read and I couldn’t put it down. I want more!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
That said, I absolutely loved this book. The world and its magic is so very fascinating. Brambles are taking over the world and destroying everything in their path. They are spread by the use of magic and they kill. The solution seems easy. Just stop doing magic. And yet folk can’t seem to help themselves. A little spell to stop a sickness. A charm to fix physical defects. A magic bridge to span a river. The bigger the magic, the more the brambles grow. Every spell hurts. The four stories talk about the consequences of the brambles in various walks of life.
The four sections follow 1) an alchemist, 2) an executioness, 3) a child of Kahim, and 4) a blacksmith’s daughter. Personally, stories 1 and 4 were me favourite. The alchemist story set up the world in a wonderful way and I was highly invested in what would happen. The blacksmith’s daughter had unexpected turns throughout that kept me guessing.
All of the stories had unresolved endings and yet were satisfying. That be unusual for me. I would love to have further adventures of both the alchemist and the blacksmith’s daughter. I would also love to have more stories set in this amazing world. It was a quick read and I couldn’t put it down. I want more!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
February 14, 2020
I liked this “green fantasy” / “eco fantasy” setting as a nice change from Bacigalupi’s usual “eco-dystopias”. In this world, magic is a resource and if you use it, you create pollution. Pollution that takes the shape of an invasive plant species that poisons humans into an endless sleep.
Nice idea. The 4 different short stories taking place in this world, however, were too repetitive. I enjoyed the old 2, back when I first read them. This book includes 2 new ones, which unfortunately were just the same plot of poor people getting abused by the exploitative nobility. I don’t have much patience left for superficial doom and gloom in my fiction reading and especially not if the characters are one-dimensional and there is almost nothing happening. Bacigalupi’s story was unbearably bleak, and Buckell spends most of his already short tale with the forging of armor and a fist fight.
I still recommend the first two stories, but when I get so bored while reading that correcting some student essays sounds more interesting, I can’t give the whole collection more than an “ok 2 stars”.
Nice idea. The 4 different short stories taking place in this world, however, were too repetitive. I enjoyed the old 2, back when I first read them. This book includes 2 new ones, which unfortunately were just the same plot of poor people getting abused by the exploitative nobility. I don’t have much patience left for superficial doom and gloom in my fiction reading and especially not if the characters are one-dimensional and there is almost nothing happening. Bacigalupi’s story was unbearably bleak, and Buckell spends most of his already short tale with the forging of armor and a fist fight.
I still recommend the first two stories, but when I get so bored while reading that correcting some student essays sounds more interesting, I can’t give the whole collection more than an “ok 2 stars”.
didn-t-finish
July 19, 2018DNF @ 29%
Meh.
Meh.
March 1, 2018
I am not impressed.
This is not really a novel - it's four novellas happening in or around the same city where magic causes bramble to grow. This bramble causes deadly sleeping sickness in people and cannot be destroyed. Ergo, magic is forbidden and its use punished (or, as we all know, only higher-ups get to use it without fear of consequences).
If this was a novel, it might have been interesting with some more work put into it. But as it is, the novellas are too short to do any real worldbuilding (a pet peeve of mine: names were all over the place here, from Indian to Slavic ones without any good reason), characters are just sketches that are not there long enough for a reader to care about them (or maybe it's just me being emotionless and unsympathetic again) and the plot ... just isn't very interesting. Another city doomed by magic and fanaticism, another religion claiming to be the only way, another revenge story, another bunch of vague downer endings.
I know grimdarks are popular now. I know despair is in now for some reason. But even in the darkest works I've read there were spots of light and hope. Here? Nothing. Precisely nothing positive happens.
And I'm getting tired of this. If you want me to care about your writing, you better give me something more than just ceaseless dreariness. If I'll ever want that, I'll just go watch the news.
This is not really a novel - it's four novellas happening in or around the same city where magic causes bramble to grow. This bramble causes deadly sleeping sickness in people and cannot be destroyed. Ergo, magic is forbidden and its use punished (or, as we all know, only higher-ups get to use it without fear of consequences).
If this was a novel, it might have been interesting with some more work put into it. But as it is, the novellas are too short to do any real worldbuilding (a pet peeve of mine: names were all over the place here, from Indian to Slavic ones without any good reason), characters are just sketches that are not there long enough for a reader to care about them (or maybe it's just me being emotionless and unsympathetic again) and the plot ... just isn't very interesting. Another city doomed by magic and fanaticism, another religion claiming to be the only way, another revenge story, another bunch of vague downer endings.
I know grimdarks are popular now. I know despair is in now for some reason. But even in the darkest works I've read there were spots of light and hope. Here? Nothing. Precisely nothing positive happens.
And I'm getting tired of this. If you want me to care about your writing, you better give me something more than just ceaseless dreariness. If I'll ever want that, I'll just go watch the news.
April 26, 2018
I received a copy of this book for review from Wunderkind PR. All opinions are my own.
3ish stars overall. I'm not sure why it took so long for me to get back to this for review... Probably because I felt fairly neutral about it.
Here's the star break-down for each novella:
The Alchemist: 3 stars. This was my introduction to this world and the city of Khaim. I found the concept of the magic to be interesting, as well as the political machinations that we learned about. Though I liked the ideas, I didn't feel any emotional investment, and didn't feel anything for the characters themselves.
The Executioness: 3.5 stars. I think I'm a sucker for stories with a female protagonist... At least for this collection of novellas. I found it interesting how this character progressed and gained her reputation. I think that if there was a follow up to this novella I would definitely want to read it.
The Children of Khaim: 2 stars. In my opinion, this one was just depressing. I didn't have any other thoughts.
The Blacksmith's Daughter: 4 stars. This was my favorite of the collection! I thought that it had the most compelling plot, and provided a different perspective on the goings-on in Khaim. I also love the whole "family trade/learning a trade" thing. This was the story with the most satisfying ending.
3ish stars overall. I'm not sure why it took so long for me to get back to this for review... Probably because I felt fairly neutral about it.
Here's the star break-down for each novella:
The Alchemist: 3 stars. This was my introduction to this world and the city of Khaim. I found the concept of the magic to be interesting, as well as the political machinations that we learned about. Though I liked the ideas, I didn't feel any emotional investment, and didn't feel anything for the characters themselves.
The Executioness: 3.5 stars. I think I'm a sucker for stories with a female protagonist... At least for this collection of novellas. I found it interesting how this character progressed and gained her reputation. I think that if there was a follow up to this novella I would definitely want to read it.
The Children of Khaim: 2 stars. In my opinion, this one was just depressing. I didn't have any other thoughts.
The Blacksmith's Daughter: 4 stars. This was my favorite of the collection! I thought that it had the most compelling plot, and provided a different perspective on the goings-on in Khaim. I also love the whole "family trade/learning a trade" thing. This was the story with the most satisfying ending.
February 23, 2018
This review first appeared on my blog.text
The Tangled Lands is made up of four distinct short stories, tied together by a common land and a common problem. Calling The Tangled Lands a novel is a bit misleading and left me somewhat disappointed in the end result. The four stories are loosely tied together by place and problem, but not character. Each story has distinct characters, and while each story was very good, the overall novel doesn't seem to have accomplished much. At the end of the book, I was a little let down. Each story contained loss and victories, but those losses and victories didn't seem to add up to a cumulative effect.
My issue with the structure aside, the stories were well written and fit together thematically and in style.
The idea of an environmental effect from the use of magic is an interesting metaphor for energy usage in the world today. The use of magic creates bramble infestations in the world, and bramble is a nasty, murderous plant that kills those that it touches. Small magics hinder larger magics because the effect is compounded. This is a thoughtful and powerful comparison to using energy that doesn't come from "clean" sources. The more we use "unclean" energy, the more damage we do to our environment and eventually what we're left with will be deadly and have a devastating effect on our world.
I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The Tangled Lands is made up of four distinct short stories, tied together by a common land and a common problem. Calling The Tangled Lands a novel is a bit misleading and left me somewhat disappointed in the end result. The four stories are loosely tied together by place and problem, but not character. Each story has distinct characters, and while each story was very good, the overall novel doesn't seem to have accomplished much. At the end of the book, I was a little let down. Each story contained loss and victories, but those losses and victories didn't seem to add up to a cumulative effect.
My issue with the structure aside, the stories were well written and fit together thematically and in style.
The idea of an environmental effect from the use of magic is an interesting metaphor for energy usage in the world today. The use of magic creates bramble infestations in the world, and bramble is a nasty, murderous plant that kills those that it touches. Small magics hinder larger magics because the effect is compounded. This is a thoughtful and powerful comparison to using energy that doesn't come from "clean" sources. The more we use "unclean" energy, the more damage we do to our environment and eventually what we're left with will be deadly and have a devastating effect on our world.
I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
August 12, 2018
4 stars for incredible world building and writing. I’d read a review saying the story was ‘dark’ and indeed it is. It could also be dismissed as pessimistic or even a ‘simple’ story about people’s inability to stop polluting the earth-a common theme of this author. But it is more than that- about family ties, loss of ones land and livelihood, and cruelty to a person that then changes that person. The ending was hard and if the rest of the story (really 4 novellas by two authors) hadn’t been so engaging I would have given 3 stars.
March 11, 2018
'The Tangled Lands' is made up of four standalone novellas tied together by a common land and a common problem. The overuse of magic has given rise to a bramble that is encroaching on the cities and destroying everything in its path. The worldbuilding is beautiful . It allows the stories to breathe. The people and their predicaments are also interestingly presented. It’s a good read, but never goes beyond a good read. I enjoyed all four stories, but none of them really stood out.
July 21, 2018
Mehhh.
I must read more short stories. I must get used to the small format conveying the same emotion and build and creativity as the long form novel. But these four stories feel disconnected and cold and unwelcoming, cutting the reader off in a very dispassionate way. Which may be due to the bleak content: all four stories are relentlessly dark and nauseating.
It's a relatively quick read, but that might have been me skimming frantically over another description of maggots and rats trying to find a glimmer of hope, which this series simply doesn't have, except in the first (and I believe strongest) story.
Mild spoilers as I talk through each section.
Okay, so it's four short stories. They're sort of related to each other. That is, they take place in the same world and they mention events that the others set up, but no characters or plots return once their part is ended.
The first one is about an alchemist who is trying to stop this bramble from taking over the world--this bramble is finely attuned to magic in all shapes and sizes, and whenever any magic is used, it grows. It's deadly stuff, sending its victims to eternal (usually, unless the plot requests otherwise) sleep with just a touch of its fibrous tentacles. Cool, Sleeping Beauty stuff in this weird semi-Mesopotamian (maybe?) fantasy landscape. But with more maggots crawling around inside the victims over time because why not. This first tale sets the landscape up and puts out the rules for the magic system. The main character is persistent and despite his awful circumstances filled with hope for his daughter's survival and the idea that he can save the world. It balances the bleak with the good. It feels the most complete. Characters are finely developed, goals clear and completed by the end of it, sense of place strongest.
The next three feel meandering and without purpose.
The second story is about an older mother figure whose sons are stolen in a raid and her long trip in a caravan to get them back. Which...she doesn't succeed in. Her sons are still gone and she never sees them again, far as we know. She takes over a city, but solves nothing and eventually seems to decide that the people who stole her family in a raid were at least sort of right all along because without them the bramble is really causing mayhem in her city. Feels like a stationary story where nothing proceeds. Yay, fighting women I guess, whatever, rah-rah the patriarchy sucks, what message am I meant to come away with here exactly?
The third story is about a young boy and girl who used to be very rich, lost their home to bramble, came to live as refugees in a city that doesn't want them, and is The Worst. The girl, Rain, accidentally touches bramble and falls asleep, and her brother, Mop, refuses to mercy-murder her, but decides to keep her safe until she maybe wakes up--tho this never happens (except when the plot requests it, as mentioned). He loses her anyway, and spends the rest of his very short story desperately trying to find her by searching the brothels for "dolls"--others like her, in this eternal living slumber where they're still alive and warm, but can't fight their rapists. Of which there are hundreds of dolls, and Lots of Gross Men (only men?) who want to enjoy their night of Mostly-Dead Sex. And then after a convoluted midnight magic romp he finds her body being raped by his boss, and she Still Doesn't wake up but for some reason they're now accepted by their coworkers because Reasons. Feels the most incomplete, like it exists for shock value and little else. Characters are flat and pointless, and the reader just stumbles along watching the horrible events with detachment. Hurrah.
The final story is an Extremely Black piece about the atrocities the rich will do to the poor. A blacksmith is hired by a lordling to make armor, but they weren't paid enough to finish it. When they present the half-completed armor to the lordling and request funds for the rest, he tells them to stuff it, sell their daughter as a doll by brushing her with bramble thorns, and make the rest of his order anyway. She apparently thinks that her parents will do this, because she doesn't sleep at home again until they've schemed up a way to escape (some nice family love there), and in the escape they're caught and her parents thrown into a pit and buried alive with bramble magically, in such a way that they won't die right away apparently because That's How That Works. She's given a ticking time schedule to finish the armor before her parents suffocate in a fifteen-foot-deep pit or fall asleep, which goes as well as you'd expect because This Book Has No Hope. Drama and maggots ensue, and she attempts a rescue which has a guessable outcome, let's be real, and then she rides her horse into the sunset leaving the readers with a bit ol' "....okaaaaay?" look of horror on their face as they realize that's where we're leaving it. Characters and stakes are at least better defined here than the third story, though the big bads are almost cartoonish in their bad-ness.
Also, commas are thrown all over the place like we're playing darts with no rhyme or reason. And there are other typos and misused words and nonsense that makes me think we forgot to bring an editor along at all.
Look. The book has a really interesting landscape, even if I personally had a hard time pinning exactly what I was looking at for most of it. And I feel like the ideas were there. They just seem to be really lost under the shock value sequences. The first story with the alchemist truly was an interesting little piece. But the villains are all cardboard cut outs with no gray to balance them out, and the messages are so lost beneath such intense loss and sorrow, and the book ends on such a bleak, horrible note that I'm really not sure what readers are meant to take away. I get that this is a series of short stories set in the same universe, only tangentially related to each other. Leaving it open like this lets the authors keep playing in this sandbox universe without having to resolve anything. They can keep building and tearing down as they like.
But, storywise, we have a way to fix the bramble--we've had it since The Alchemist--but for some reason the alchemist never builds a new bramble destroying balanthast, never shops it to a new city, never opens up the wilds, never builds up an army of his own, never deals with the nebulous and ill-defined power of the forbidden magic that the majistar has. We never see nor hear of the Alchemist and the amazing, world-saving thing he's created despite that being one of his main character motivations.
Instead we just watch stuff spiral deeper and darker into blackness and the worst of humanity with no hope for the good that we also carry in our hearts.
It's going to stick with me for a very, very long time. But I don't think that's a good thing in this case.
I must read more short stories. I must get used to the small format conveying the same emotion and build and creativity as the long form novel. But these four stories feel disconnected and cold and unwelcoming, cutting the reader off in a very dispassionate way. Which may be due to the bleak content: all four stories are relentlessly dark and nauseating.
It's a relatively quick read, but that might have been me skimming frantically over another description of maggots and rats trying to find a glimmer of hope, which this series simply doesn't have, except in the first (and I believe strongest) story.
Mild spoilers as I talk through each section.
Okay, so it's four short stories. They're sort of related to each other. That is, they take place in the same world and they mention events that the others set up, but no characters or plots return once their part is ended.
The first one is about an alchemist who is trying to stop this bramble from taking over the world--this bramble is finely attuned to magic in all shapes and sizes, and whenever any magic is used, it grows. It's deadly stuff, sending its victims to eternal (usually, unless the plot requests otherwise) sleep with just a touch of its fibrous tentacles. Cool, Sleeping Beauty stuff in this weird semi-Mesopotamian (maybe?) fantasy landscape. But with more maggots crawling around inside the victims over time because why not. This first tale sets the landscape up and puts out the rules for the magic system. The main character is persistent and despite his awful circumstances filled with hope for his daughter's survival and the idea that he can save the world. It balances the bleak with the good. It feels the most complete. Characters are finely developed, goals clear and completed by the end of it, sense of place strongest.
The next three feel meandering and without purpose.
The second story is about an older mother figure whose sons are stolen in a raid and her long trip in a caravan to get them back. Which...she doesn't succeed in. Her sons are still gone and she never sees them again, far as we know. She takes over a city, but solves nothing and eventually seems to decide that the people who stole her family in a raid were at least sort of right all along because without them the bramble is really causing mayhem in her city. Feels like a stationary story where nothing proceeds. Yay, fighting women I guess, whatever, rah-rah the patriarchy sucks, what message am I meant to come away with here exactly?
The third story is about a young boy and girl who used to be very rich, lost their home to bramble, came to live as refugees in a city that doesn't want them, and is The Worst. The girl, Rain, accidentally touches bramble and falls asleep, and her brother, Mop, refuses to mercy-murder her, but decides to keep her safe until she maybe wakes up--tho this never happens (except when the plot requests it, as mentioned). He loses her anyway, and spends the rest of his very short story desperately trying to find her by searching the brothels for "dolls"--others like her, in this eternal living slumber where they're still alive and warm, but can't fight their rapists. Of which there are hundreds of dolls, and Lots of Gross Men (only men?) who want to enjoy their night of Mostly-Dead Sex. And then after a convoluted midnight magic romp he finds her body being raped by his boss, and she Still Doesn't wake up but for some reason they're now accepted by their coworkers because Reasons. Feels the most incomplete, like it exists for shock value and little else. Characters are flat and pointless, and the reader just stumbles along watching the horrible events with detachment. Hurrah.
The final story is an Extremely Black piece about the atrocities the rich will do to the poor. A blacksmith is hired by a lordling to make armor, but they weren't paid enough to finish it. When they present the half-completed armor to the lordling and request funds for the rest, he tells them to stuff it, sell their daughter as a doll by brushing her with bramble thorns, and make the rest of his order anyway. She apparently thinks that her parents will do this, because she doesn't sleep at home again until they've schemed up a way to escape (some nice family love there), and in the escape they're caught and her parents thrown into a pit and buried alive with bramble magically, in such a way that they won't die right away apparently because That's How That Works. She's given a ticking time schedule to finish the armor before her parents suffocate in a fifteen-foot-deep pit or fall asleep, which goes as well as you'd expect because This Book Has No Hope. Drama and maggots ensue, and she attempts a rescue which has a guessable outcome, let's be real, and then she rides her horse into the sunset leaving the readers with a bit ol' "....okaaaaay?" look of horror on their face as they realize that's where we're leaving it. Characters and stakes are at least better defined here than the third story, though the big bads are almost cartoonish in their bad-ness.
Also, commas are thrown all over the place like we're playing darts with no rhyme or reason. And there are other typos and misused words and nonsense that makes me think we forgot to bring an editor along at all.
Look. The book has a really interesting landscape, even if I personally had a hard time pinning exactly what I was looking at for most of it. And I feel like the ideas were there. They just seem to be really lost under the shock value sequences. The first story with the alchemist truly was an interesting little piece. But the villains are all cardboard cut outs with no gray to balance them out, and the messages are so lost beneath such intense loss and sorrow, and the book ends on such a bleak, horrible note that I'm really not sure what readers are meant to take away. I get that this is a series of short stories set in the same universe, only tangentially related to each other. Leaving it open like this lets the authors keep playing in this sandbox universe without having to resolve anything. They can keep building and tearing down as they like.
But, storywise, we have a way to fix the bramble--we've had it since The Alchemist--but for some reason the alchemist never builds a new bramble destroying balanthast, never shops it to a new city, never opens up the wilds, never builds up an army of his own, never deals with the nebulous and ill-defined power of the forbidden magic that the majistar has. We never see nor hear of the Alchemist and the amazing, world-saving thing he's created despite that being one of his main character motivations.
Instead we just watch stuff spiral deeper and darker into blackness and the worst of humanity with no hope for the good that we also carry in our hearts.
It's going to stick with me for a very, very long time. But I don't think that's a good thing in this case.
March 22, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
THE TANGLED LANDS is less a novel, than four interrelated novellas. Each part focuses on different characters working within Khaim, a city covered in deadly thorns and vines due to the overuse of magic. Khaim acts as the main character, setting, and antagonist throughout each novella. In Khaim, magic is deadly but corruption isn’t just found in tangled roots. It’s in the men the who wield power and that people who follow orders unconditionally.
There are no happy endings in Khaim. The lands, the government, and the citizens change as magic is weeded out. My favourite parts of THE TANGLED LANDS were Paolo Bacigalupi’s two stories: The Alchemist and The Children of Khaim. The language is more poetic and the stories are a little slower, focusing more on the small details of the characters. I could have happily read a full novel about The Alchemist and his family.
I wish that more threads had carried through each novella. I wanted The Alchemist and his family to pop up in other stories. Although Tobias Buckell wrote awesome, kickass ladies and referenced back to The Executioness, it would have been amazing to have to two authors weave more of their stories together.
If you’re looking for a complete novel, THE TANGLED LANDS may disappoint you. There’s no solution, no happy ending, life just goes on for these poor characters. If you enjoy anthologies and always wanted something a little more interconnected, THE TANGLED LANDS is a beautiful read with complex magic, complicated characters, and corrupted power.
TW: Reference to rape, child molestation
THE TANGLED LANDS is less a novel, than four interrelated novellas. Each part focuses on different characters working within Khaim, a city covered in deadly thorns and vines due to the overuse of magic. Khaim acts as the main character, setting, and antagonist throughout each novella. In Khaim, magic is deadly but corruption isn’t just found in tangled roots. It’s in the men the who wield power and that people who follow orders unconditionally.
There are no happy endings in Khaim. The lands, the government, and the citizens change as magic is weeded out. My favourite parts of THE TANGLED LANDS were Paolo Bacigalupi’s two stories: The Alchemist and The Children of Khaim. The language is more poetic and the stories are a little slower, focusing more on the small details of the characters. I could have happily read a full novel about The Alchemist and his family.
I wish that more threads had carried through each novella. I wanted The Alchemist and his family to pop up in other stories. Although Tobias Buckell wrote awesome, kickass ladies and referenced back to The Executioness, it would have been amazing to have to two authors weave more of their stories together.
If you’re looking for a complete novel, THE TANGLED LANDS may disappoint you. There’s no solution, no happy ending, life just goes on for these poor characters. If you enjoy anthologies and always wanted something a little more interconnected, THE TANGLED LANDS is a beautiful read with complex magic, complicated characters, and corrupted power.
TW: Reference to rape, child molestation
July 9, 2018
Desigual colección de cuatro novelas cortas ambientadas en el mismo mundo. La idea central alrededor de la cual se construye el mundo es muy ingeniosa: la magia existe y está casi al alcance de todo el mundo, pero cada vez que se usa crece la 'zarza', una planta inmune a la magia, muy difícil de erradicar y cuyas espinas sumen a la gente en un sueño eterno.
La ejecución es ya otra cosa muy distinta y bastante más deficiente.
La ejecución es ya otra cosa muy distinta y bastante más deficiente.
March 8, 2018
This was just ok for me. When it says a story in four parts it actually means four story’s in the same world. There are two stories from each author and the book read like a collection of novellas. They were all of a good standard but I can’t help but wish it was one narrative set in this world. I feel like it would be so much better this way.
The Brambles were really interesting though and a little bit creepy. And I liked the overall message the book conveyed.
The Brambles were really interesting though and a little bit creepy. And I liked the overall message the book conveyed.
July 28, 2018
The Tangled Lands comprises of four parts which I guess you could call short stories/novellas which are interconnected to form the story.
It is a tale of magic and the environmental consequences that result from the use of it and the lengths people go to stop said use as well as the growth of the bramble.
I received a sample of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I obtained the first part of the book which is called The Alchemist written by Paolo Bacigalupi. This book is a collaboration with Tobias S Buckell so I'm guessing that some of the other parts are written by him as opposed to the whole book being jointly written by the two. I could be wrong though. I guess I'll find out when I read the rest of the book. And I will be reading the rest of it. This sample really whet my whistle.
I very much liked the tale of The Alchemist and the way it introduced us to the world, the magic system and the political structure of the place. It was well thought out and written and I very much warmed to the characters. Whether those characters will appear again later in the book I do not know but I felt that their tale was wrapped up nicely anyway by the end of this part.
Bacigalupi is one of my favourite authors so I was very excited about the release of this book and especially excited to receive this sample. I'm only wishing I had received the whole book as now I have to wait for it's release before finishing what promises to be an excellent fantasy story.
TO BE UPDATED NOW I'VE FINISHED THE BOOK
It is a tale of magic and the environmental consequences that result from the use of it and the lengths people go to stop said use as well as the growth of the bramble.
I received a sample of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I obtained the first part of the book which is called The Alchemist written by Paolo Bacigalupi. This book is a collaboration with Tobias S Buckell so I'm guessing that some of the other parts are written by him as opposed to the whole book being jointly written by the two. I could be wrong though. I guess I'll find out when I read the rest of the book. And I will be reading the rest of it. This sample really whet my whistle.
I very much liked the tale of The Alchemist and the way it introduced us to the world, the magic system and the political structure of the place. It was well thought out and written and I very much warmed to the characters. Whether those characters will appear again later in the book I do not know but I felt that their tale was wrapped up nicely anyway by the end of this part.
Bacigalupi is one of my favourite authors so I was very excited about the release of this book and especially excited to receive this sample. I'm only wishing I had received the whole book as now I have to wait for it's release before finishing what promises to be an excellent fantasy story.
TO BE UPDATED NOW I'VE FINISHED THE BOOK
September 27, 2018
This book is perhaps more a 2.5 for me. It’s a really interesting world and concept but I was disappointed by the lack of any real conclusion/accomplishment of the book. Before reading it I didn’t realise that the 4 parts of the book were written as 4 separate novellas set in the same world. I kept hoping that it would come back and tie all the characters together to make this more of an actual novel rather than just 4 separate short stories, but it didn’t. Will more novellas be written in this series? If so, I hope they revisit these same characters and lead to some kind of conclusion.
March 11, 2018
This wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I really enjoyed this! Lots of different POVs and consistent writing between the two authors. I was expecting them to try and solve the toxic magic stuff destroying the town but that's not the point of the book. Really cool and fast read and A FANTASY STAND ALONE!
December 29, 2017
Those of us living through the trump administration will certainly see some familiarity in these cautionary tales of a fantasyland. And what a well built fantasyland this is! This quartet of stories is a rich enticement to hoping for further novels set in this class driven world. The two authors stories blended easily together and the strong feminism represented was a welcome viewpoint.
April 17, 2021
The Tangled Lands is an anthology of four novellas, each taking place in a land in the grip of an ecological disaster, which is, as most are, a man-made disaster. In this case, the culprit is the overuse of of a critical resource, magic, and the result is a explosive growth of a kudzu-like species of vine (bramble), with spines that send humans into lethal comas, and which devours acreage, including cropland, and is impossible to eradicate.
The first novella, "The Alchemist," serves as an introduction to the world, in particular the imperial city of Lesser Khaim. Its protagonist was once a wealthy craftsman, now an alchemist, down to his last dime, but certain his invention is the long-sought means of killing the bramble. Spoiler, it is. But as one might expect with a story by Bacigalupi, the rich and powerful are only interested in enriching themselves, and things don't go well for the ordinary-man hero.
"The Executioness," penned by Buckell, takes place a few years later. A young woman steps into the role of executioner when her ailing father cannot fulfill his duties as executioner. In the short time that she is away from home, chopping heads from necks, raiders attack her village, killing her father and kidnapping her children. Determined to rescue her children, she sets off on a journey that will turn her into a powerful symbol for the rebellion that is brewing against the Emperor of Lesser Khaim.
In "The Children of Khaim," Bacigalupi treads in similar waters as The Drowned Cities and Ship Breaker., Mop and Rain, two children, refuges from war and poverty, eke out a living as laborers in a futile battle to clear land of the bramble. The work is dangerous, as any physical contact the bramble can send a full-grown man into a Sleeping Beauty coma. Rain, Mop's younger sister, serves as the archetypal too-stupid-to-live child whose bumbling actions drive the plot. I'm not a fan of this plot device, but in Bacigalupi's deft hands, it is effective.
And finally, Buckell brings on another strong female protagonist in "The Blacksmith's Daughter." Hoping for a big payout, a blacksmith takes on a commission to build a fine suit of armor for a Duke's son. As on might expect, the Duke is a rich asshole who refuses to pay the balance due on the nearly finished armor and threatens the family with annihilation if they don't complete the project. Also, the Duke's son, is an spoiled, incompetent rich brat. Although, Sofiya, the protagonist, begs her parents to flee immediately, they refuse, and the consequences dire. The plot follows Sofiya's attempts to save her parents and her transformation into unwilling bad-ass.
This was my first introduction to Buckell's writing, and it went well. In fact, I preferred Buckell's stories to Bacigalupi's. "The Alchemist" felt too much like early chapters of a larger tale, and "The Children of Khaim," as noted above, was driven by the protagonist's almost irrational desire to save someone who can't be saved. All four stories, however, are set in a world that is original, with solid worldbuilding And the stories' overarching themes, greed, corruption, and exploitation, are, unfortunately, as timely as ever.
The first novella, "The Alchemist," serves as an introduction to the world, in particular the imperial city of Lesser Khaim. Its protagonist was once a wealthy craftsman, now an alchemist, down to his last dime, but certain his invention is the long-sought means of killing the bramble. Spoiler, it is. But as one might expect with a story by Bacigalupi, the rich and powerful are only interested in enriching themselves, and things don't go well for the ordinary-man hero.
"The Executioness," penned by Buckell, takes place a few years later. A young woman steps into the role of executioner when her ailing father cannot fulfill his duties as executioner. In the short time that she is away from home, chopping heads from necks, raiders attack her village, killing her father and kidnapping her children. Determined to rescue her children, she sets off on a journey that will turn her into a powerful symbol for the rebellion that is brewing against the Emperor of Lesser Khaim.
In "The Children of Khaim," Bacigalupi treads in similar waters as The Drowned Cities and Ship Breaker., Mop and Rain, two children, refuges from war and poverty, eke out a living as laborers in a futile battle to clear land of the bramble. The work is dangerous, as any physical contact the bramble can send a full-grown man into a Sleeping Beauty coma. Rain, Mop's younger sister, serves as the archetypal too-stupid-to-live child whose bumbling actions drive the plot. I'm not a fan of this plot device, but in Bacigalupi's deft hands, it is effective.
And finally, Buckell brings on another strong female protagonist in "The Blacksmith's Daughter." Hoping for a big payout, a blacksmith takes on a commission to build a fine suit of armor for a Duke's son. As on might expect, the Duke is a rich asshole who refuses to pay the balance due on the nearly finished armor and threatens the family with annihilation if they don't complete the project. Also, the Duke's son, is an spoiled, incompetent rich brat. Although, Sofiya, the protagonist, begs her parents to flee immediately, they refuse, and the consequences dire. The plot follows Sofiya's attempts to save her parents and her transformation into unwilling bad-ass.
This was my first introduction to Buckell's writing, and it went well. In fact, I preferred Buckell's stories to Bacigalupi's. "The Alchemist" felt too much like early chapters of a larger tale, and "The Children of Khaim," as noted above, was driven by the protagonist's almost irrational desire to save someone who can't be saved. All four stories, however, are set in a world that is original, with solid worldbuilding And the stories' overarching themes, greed, corruption, and exploitation, are, unfortunately, as timely as ever.
August 3, 2019
Actual rating: 1.5
You can also find this review here on my blog.
Oh boy, how to write a review for this book… The Tangled Lands was one of my most anticipated reads of last year and then i never got to it. So i had time to get myself hyped up about how cool I thought the synopsis sounded that when i did finally start it, i was let down nearly instantly. This is a book i definitely regret the time spent reading it.
The writing style is just odd. You are thrust into this world instantly and it feels like you’re running along, playing catch up to understand exactly what is going on in this world. Basically, magic use makes brambles grow and take over the land so it has been outlawed. We follow the characters as they live in this rapidly decreasing land, and their struggle to live without magic.
Except the characters are boring and bland; which makes it really hard to feel any kind of sympathy for their situation. Just as you finally get to know a bit about the characters the story would move onto the next “part” and you never hear from those characters again. This made for such a disjointed story and confusing as hell. I guess it’s almost like each part is a short story in this larger world, but it’s not executed well at all. the writing is the fundamental part of storytelling and it honestly ruined the whole thing for me.
The overall concept of the story was intriguing, but i just couldn’t get invested in the book at all, unfortunately. It was a complete waste of my time, and i can’t honestly think of anything that was done well. Regrettable but true.
You can also find this review here on my blog.
Oh boy, how to write a review for this book… The Tangled Lands was one of my most anticipated reads of last year and then i never got to it. So i had time to get myself hyped up about how cool I thought the synopsis sounded that when i did finally start it, i was let down nearly instantly. This is a book i definitely regret the time spent reading it.
The writing style is just odd. You are thrust into this world instantly and it feels like you’re running along, playing catch up to understand exactly what is going on in this world. Basically, magic use makes brambles grow and take over the land so it has been outlawed. We follow the characters as they live in this rapidly decreasing land, and their struggle to live without magic.
Except the characters are boring and bland; which makes it really hard to feel any kind of sympathy for their situation. Just as you finally get to know a bit about the characters the story would move onto the next “part” and you never hear from those characters again. This made for such a disjointed story and confusing as hell. I guess it’s almost like each part is a short story in this larger world, but it’s not executed well at all. the writing is the fundamental part of storytelling and it honestly ruined the whole thing for me.
The overall concept of the story was intriguing, but i just couldn’t get invested in the book at all, unfortunately. It was a complete waste of my time, and i can’t honestly think of anything that was done well. Regrettable but true.
March 14, 2019
* * * *
4 / 5
~mini review~
The Tangled Lands isn’t the kind of book that I normally pick up: it’s a collection of four short-ish (approx. 70 pages each) non-intersecting stories set around the city of Khaim. The world has been beset by brambles. Each time a spell is cast, new brambles sprout, and a single touch is enough to send a person to sleep for eternity. Cities have been swallowed by the bramble, farmland is abandoned, and refugees are paid a pittance to hack down the pervasive, devilish plants so that the rich might reclaim their lands.
All four stories are set in and around the city of Khaim. There is an alchemist trying to find a way to destroy the brambles – for they do not burn and must be hacked by hand; a woman whose family is abducted by religious prophets and who takes up the axe to hunt them down; a brother and a sister, refugees both, and the sister is kissed by the bramble; lastly, a blacksmith’s daughter, paid to craft a suit of armour for a rich lord.
The stories are rich, fascinating, and somewhat sickening. They are a look into how deep and dark humanity can go, and how hope can still flourish. It’s about betrayal and can it actually be right to execute those who perform small magics for those they love? What do you do, what can you do, when death is growing up around you, looming in at the windows. The Tangled Lands was evocative and imaginative, and well worth a read.
Read this review and more on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
4 / 5
~mini review~
The Tangled Lands isn’t the kind of book that I normally pick up: it’s a collection of four short-ish (approx. 70 pages each) non-intersecting stories set around the city of Khaim. The world has been beset by brambles. Each time a spell is cast, new brambles sprout, and a single touch is enough to send a person to sleep for eternity. Cities have been swallowed by the bramble, farmland is abandoned, and refugees are paid a pittance to hack down the pervasive, devilish plants so that the rich might reclaim their lands.
All four stories are set in and around the city of Khaim. There is an alchemist trying to find a way to destroy the brambles – for they do not burn and must be hacked by hand; a woman whose family is abducted by religious prophets and who takes up the axe to hunt them down; a brother and a sister, refugees both, and the sister is kissed by the bramble; lastly, a blacksmith’s daughter, paid to craft a suit of armour for a rich lord.
The stories are rich, fascinating, and somewhat sickening. They are a look into how deep and dark humanity can go, and how hope can still flourish. It’s about betrayal and can it actually be right to execute those who perform small magics for those they love? What do you do, what can you do, when death is growing up around you, looming in at the windows. The Tangled Lands was evocative and imaginative, and well worth a read.
Read this review and more on my blog: http://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.com
February 24, 2019
Algo que siempre me ha gustado de Bacigalupi es que usa su obra de fantasía/ ciencia ficción para crear paralelos con la vida actual que son particularmente relevantes. Si usa sociedad sabe que el uso de cierta magia (cofcof productos y tecnologías) esta destruyendo el mundo, ¿porque les cuesta tanto dejar de usarla? Es algo que vemos día a día y no es difícil entender lo que está pasando socialmente en estas historias.
Ninguna de las historias tiene un final completamente satisfactorio y la forma en que todo está organizado deja qué desear pero creo que en general pone sobre la mesa temas que necesitamos leer más y más en estos tiempos. Es fácil leer historias postapocalípticas donde lo que sea que pasa es culpa de un mal nebuloso y no explorado. Bacigalupi, esta vez con Buckell, constantemente nos invita a afrontar las responsabilidades de la humanidad cuando hay un escenario catastrófico a gran escala.
Ninguna de las historias tiene un final completamente satisfactorio y la forma en que todo está organizado deja qué desear pero creo que en general pone sobre la mesa temas que necesitamos leer más y más en estos tiempos. Es fácil leer historias postapocalípticas donde lo que sea que pasa es culpa de un mal nebuloso y no explorado. Bacigalupi, esta vez con Buckell, constantemente nos invita a afrontar las responsabilidades de la humanidad cuando hay un escenario catastrófico a gran escala.
December 25, 2018
4 Stars
The Tangled Lands is another great Bacigalupi novel which I really enjoyed even though I am not really a fan of the short story novel format.
Like other Paolo Bacigalupi novels, this is a fast and incredibly enjoyable story that both adults and young adults will enjoy. I could read his novels every day. There is something raw and real about his end of the world scenarios that just touch you the right way and make you feel like there is still a glimmer of hope in humanity. His writing style is somewhat simple. He adds in the little details and some world building thereby creating a story that is rich and filled with the human spirit.
The Tangled Lands is another great Bacigalupi novel which I really enjoyed even though I am not really a fan of the short story novel format.
Like other Paolo Bacigalupi novels, this is a fast and incredibly enjoyable story that both adults and young adults will enjoy. I could read his novels every day. There is something raw and real about his end of the world scenarios that just touch you the right way and make you feel like there is still a glimmer of hope in humanity. His writing style is somewhat simple. He adds in the little details and some world building thereby creating a story that is rich and filled with the human spirit.
August 1, 2025
Really beautiful. The constant loss and grief for different homes really hit me. I loved The Blacksmiths most, then The Executioness. The latter was such an interesting read for depicting cycles of violence, and how continuing them often feels like the only choice. Children of Khaim was so disturbing but definitely ranks third for me with the Alchemist last - but each of these stories was brilliant. I would absolutely read long-form novels in this world.
September 12, 2025
How can anyone be right when everything is so wrong?
This is such a heart-wrenching and beautiful collection of stories. They work really well together as contemplations of human selfishness and greed, cycles of violence and the impact that even the smallest moments of compassion can have. My rankings go like this:
1. The Executioness
2. The Blacksmith’s Daughter
3. The Children of Khaim
4. The Alchemist
This is such a heart-wrenching and beautiful collection of stories. They work really well together as contemplations of human selfishness and greed, cycles of violence and the impact that even the smallest moments of compassion can have. My rankings go like this:
1. The Executioness
2. The Blacksmith’s Daughter
3. The Children of Khaim
4. The Alchemist
April 13, 2019
Four independent short stories set in the same world. Four different perspectives on a common problem - a world overgrown with bramble caused by the use of magic. Strict laws, cruel governing. Unequal social structures.
Strong characters stand up against a cruel system, for their families. Changing the world. Becoming legends, or just becoming free.
Strong characters stand up against a cruel system, for their families. Changing the world. Becoming legends, or just becoming free.
May 1, 2019
Päris hea kogumik veidi Araabiat meenutava settinguga maast mida vallutab maagiast jõudu ammutav üliohtlik okasväät. Kaks autorit, neli juttu - kaks kummaltki. Ei oska kumbagi esile tõsta või maha laita, mõlemad olid head. Kogu see kogumik/maailm on suht süngetes toonides, depressiivne ja masendav ja lootust paremale eriti polegi, fantasy (kogumik)romaani puhul see muidugi ongi pigem pluss kui miinus.
Tänud nende autorite leidjale, tänud väljaandjale. Hea.
Tänud nende autorite leidjale, tänud väljaandjale. Hea.
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