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The Unfinished Land
Reynard, a young apprentice, seeks release from the drudgery of working for his fisherman uncle in the English village of Southwold. His rare days off lead him to strange encounters—not just with press gangs hoping to fill English ships to fight the coming Spanish Armada, but strangers who seem to know him—one of whom casts a white shadow.
The village’s ships are commandeered, and after a fierce battle at sea, Reynard finds himself the sole survivor of his uncle’s devastated hoy. For days he drifts, starving and dying of thirst, until he is rescued by a galleon, also lost—and both are propelled by a strange current to the unknown, northern island of Thule. Here, Reynard Reynard must meet his destiny in a violent clash between humans and gods.
The village’s ships are commandeered, and after a fierce battle at sea, Reynard finds himself the sole survivor of his uncle’s devastated hoy. For days he drifts, starving and dying of thirst, until he is rescued by a galleon, also lost—and both are propelled by a strange current to the unknown, northern island of Thule. Here, Reynard Reynard must meet his destiny in a violent clash between humans and gods.
370 pages, Hardcover
First published February 16, 2021
100 people are currently reading
720 people want to read
About the author
Greg Bear
230 books2,095 followersGreg Bear was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict (Forge of God books), parallel universes (The Way series), consciousness and cultural practices (Queen of Angels), and accelerated evolution (Blood Music, Darwin’s Radio, and Darwin’s Children). His last work was the 2021 novel The Unfinished Land. Greg Bear wrote over 50 books in total.
(For a more complete biography, see Wikipedia.)
(For a more complete biography, see Wikipedia.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
July 19, 2020
Anyone who is familiar with Greg Bear will perk up when I say he harkens back to Eon's strange new SF worlds, mixes it with the feel of Dinosaur Summer, and then tops it off a taste of the big magic of City at the End of Time.
Aspects, mind you. The Unfinished Land is a wonderful new land that mixes historical fantasy with the kick of adventure, complete with sea battles, shipwrecks, and strange settlements WAY off the beaten path.
And when I say strange settlement, I mean one with eldritch magics, gods from outer space, drakes, and a carefully constructed social system of unique undead, eaters, and builders.
Just trying to figure out the rich worldbuilding gave me tons of enjoyment.
Maybe I'm weird, but the historical settings, while delicious, were not my favorite parts. When we get halfway into the novel, things get really interesting. No spoilers, but this is the kind of out-there imagination that I've always appreciated in Greg Bear. The bigger, the weirder, the better. :)
The play on the title is particularly awesome. Just mind, it probably isn't what you think. Maybe. :)
Aspects, mind you. The Unfinished Land is a wonderful new land that mixes historical fantasy with the kick of adventure, complete with sea battles, shipwrecks, and strange settlements WAY off the beaten path.
And when I say strange settlement, I mean one with eldritch magics, gods from outer space, drakes, and a carefully constructed social system of unique undead, eaters, and builders.
Just trying to figure out the rich worldbuilding gave me tons of enjoyment.
Maybe I'm weird, but the historical settings, while delicious, were not my favorite parts. When we get halfway into the novel, things get really interesting. No spoilers, but this is the kind of out-there imagination that I've always appreciated in Greg Bear. The bigger, the weirder, the better. :)
The play on the title is particularly awesome. Just mind, it probably isn't what you think. Maybe. :)
October 5, 2020
I have not read anything by Greg Bear in ages, so was quite excited when I managed to snag a Netgalley ARC of ‘The Unfinished Land’. Bear is a seminal writer of the genre, with classics such as ‘Blood Music’, ‘Eon’ and ‘Slant’ under his belt. I think his most recent SF series was the ‘War Dogs’ books (2014 to 2016), so it is great to see a new book from this 69-year-old veteran.
Reading ‘The Unfinished Land’ reminded me how uncompromisingly intelligent and innovative a writer Bear has always been. Here in particular I am thinking of ‘City at the End of Time’ (2009), a novel guaranteed to bend any reader’s mind into quantum knots. I would venture that his latest is even more dizzying, even though it reads as a fairly straightforward fantasy quest narrative, replete with faux Elizabethan English.
As I said, the plot itself is quite straightforward: Young apprentice Reynard, working for his fisherman uncle in the English village of Southwold, suddenly finds the village’s fleet commandeered for the fight against the Spanish Armada. He is soon shipwrecked and finds himself a lone survivor. But Reynard’s journey into the deep mysteries underpinning his world is only beginning. And here be there dragons.
Reading this I was reminded of Clarke’s First Law that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’. I think the same applies to world-building. Bear uses the old Gene Wolfe trick of setting his ‘world’ so far into the future that it appears to be both medieval and eldritch. Or is it the deep past? Mmm, it could be a totally different planet altogether. See what I mean?
Ultimately this is a rather meticulous SF novel masquerading as somewhat pedestrian fantasy. If that sounds like a total contradiction, Bear has the chutzpah to pull it off, both from a technical point of view, the quality of his writing, the precision of his world-building … and the impish delight he takes in wrong-footing the poor reader and setting his tale off in some completely unanticipated directions.
Did I know what was going on at all times? Definitely not. I think I kind of know what happened in the end: It’s not that the resolution is overly complex, but that Bear obscures it in mist and magic. I do think a lot of non-genre readers will be supremely frustrated by the slow pace and sheer strangeness on display here, much of which is inferred and has to be worked out by the reader him- or herself, rather than be spoon-fed by the author. I for one prefer this approach, as it makes for a much more immersive reading experience. I think ‘The Unfinished Land’ is destined to become a future Bear classic.
Reading ‘The Unfinished Land’ reminded me how uncompromisingly intelligent and innovative a writer Bear has always been. Here in particular I am thinking of ‘City at the End of Time’ (2009), a novel guaranteed to bend any reader’s mind into quantum knots. I would venture that his latest is even more dizzying, even though it reads as a fairly straightforward fantasy quest narrative, replete with faux Elizabethan English.
As I said, the plot itself is quite straightforward: Young apprentice Reynard, working for his fisherman uncle in the English village of Southwold, suddenly finds the village’s fleet commandeered for the fight against the Spanish Armada. He is soon shipwrecked and finds himself a lone survivor. But Reynard’s journey into the deep mysteries underpinning his world is only beginning. And here be there dragons.
Reading this I was reminded of Clarke’s First Law that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’. I think the same applies to world-building. Bear uses the old Gene Wolfe trick of setting his ‘world’ so far into the future that it appears to be both medieval and eldritch. Or is it the deep past? Mmm, it could be a totally different planet altogether. See what I mean?
Ultimately this is a rather meticulous SF novel masquerading as somewhat pedestrian fantasy. If that sounds like a total contradiction, Bear has the chutzpah to pull it off, both from a technical point of view, the quality of his writing, the precision of his world-building … and the impish delight he takes in wrong-footing the poor reader and setting his tale off in some completely unanticipated directions.
Did I know what was going on at all times? Definitely not. I think I kind of know what happened in the end: It’s not that the resolution is overly complex, but that Bear obscures it in mist and magic. I do think a lot of non-genre readers will be supremely frustrated by the slow pace and sheer strangeness on display here, much of which is inferred and has to be worked out by the reader him- or herself, rather than be spoon-fed by the author. I for one prefer this approach, as it makes for a much more immersive reading experience. I think ‘The Unfinished Land’ is destined to become a future Bear classic.
February 15, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I have enjoyed Greg Bear's work before and the concept of this book sounded so good. I love stories about shipwrecks and survival on weird islands. I did enjoy the beginning but once the boy reached the island it went downhill from there. The plot was nonsensical and actually rather boring. I abandoned ship at 38% and was relieved to do so. Arrr!
February 15, 2021
Synopsis: It’s the Elizabethan age, shortly after a naval fight between the English and the Spanish armada. Shipwrecked young fisherman Reynard finds himself on board of a Spanish ship which soon gets lost and stranded at the mythic island Thule north of Scotland, and eventually Tir Na Nog, the mythological Irish otherworld.
Reynard meets all sorts of creatures besides of Spaniards and Vikings. Starting with the Vampire like Eaters who don’t feed on blood but on their victims’ remaining life time. Next are the Blunters who bind “drakes” which are overgrown dragonflies. Add to that the faery-like Childers, appearing as small children. Technologically far advanced (and leading to a Science Fantasy touch) are the Crafters, makers of the world. In the background wait the Norse Vanir and Aesir, Hel and the Sister Queens who wage war against each other.
Review: The author provides a vivid beautiful prose which kept me for a long time reading this book before I gave up at some two-thirds. That beauty had contained a lot of overwriting with sidelong descriptions of unimportant details.
I always waited for something conclusive to happen, something engaging, an autonomous decision by the main protagonist. But the book never drew me in, and I had to fight sleep every. single. day for a whole sluggish week.
Most of the sidekicks are as uninteresting as Reynard, always questioning what and why they should do but never giving a hint of an answer. The narration’s Early New English with all those “thee, thou, haveth, telleth” and so on didn’t exactly help me enjoying the story, although it provides a certain atmosphere.
It’s not often that I stop reading a book before the end, and far more seldom that I get past the first half to DNF. In this case though, I wanted to love the book, because both the author and the topic was highly appealing to me.
Reynard meets all sorts of creatures besides of Spaniards and Vikings. Starting with the Vampire like Eaters who don’t feed on blood but on their victims’ remaining life time. Next are the Blunters who bind “drakes” which are overgrown dragonflies. Add to that the faery-like Childers, appearing as small children. Technologically far advanced (and leading to a Science Fantasy touch) are the Crafters, makers of the world. In the background wait the Norse Vanir and Aesir, Hel and the Sister Queens who wage war against each other.
Review: The author provides a vivid beautiful prose which kept me for a long time reading this book before I gave up at some two-thirds. That beauty had contained a lot of overwriting with sidelong descriptions of unimportant details.
I always waited for something conclusive to happen, something engaging, an autonomous decision by the main protagonist. But the book never drew me in, and I had to fight sleep every. single. day for a whole sluggish week.
Most of the sidekicks are as uninteresting as Reynard, always questioning what and why they should do but never giving a hint of an answer. The narration’s Early New English with all those “thee, thou, haveth, telleth” and so on didn’t exactly help me enjoying the story, although it provides a certain atmosphere.
It’s not often that I stop reading a book before the end, and far more seldom that I get past the first half to DNF. In this case though, I wanted to love the book, because both the author and the topic was highly appealing to me.
October 16, 2020
First of all, thank you NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. And to the author, thank you as always for putting words on paper and coming up with something for all of us to read.
This review is not going to be easy to write. I came to this book with a lot of expectations, especially after reading the author is an award-winning one, and I was very disappointed.
The Plot:
Raynard is a British fisherman that gets stranded at sea during a war with the Spanish and on the brink of death gets picked up by a Spanish galleon, and more specifically, an old man on board of it. From there they journey to the islands of Tir Na Nog and encounter the few levels of creatures? Peoples? Who play a part in creating our world: the Eaters, who feed on time (thus. life) but can also bestow it; the Blunters, who defend the main town on the island by being paired with drakes (kind of like dragons with an insect-like twist); the Travelers, who journey the earth and collect stories and news; the Crafters, who take those stories and craft new parts for our world.
The story Revolves around its characters all knowing somehow that they need to bring Raynard to meet with a Crafter. The other supposed goal is to stop the sister queens who live on the other side of the island from waging war and killing all the Crafters and possibly other island inhabitants (and I can only assume put an end to the creation of new stuff on our world).
The Characters:
Forgive me, for I can’t even remember their names. There are Raynard and the old man, Widsith; there are a few Eaters, some Blunters, and a bunch of Travelers. Oh and a magician called (the king of) Troy. Together, they all travel deeper and deeper into the island to get Raynard to the Crafter.
The Good:
Unfortunately not much. The idea of our land as unfinished and creatures molding, taking apart, experimenting, and ultimately drafting our world until it works is a really good one. Exciting one even. At times, the writing really overtook me and I got it and enjoyed it. Especially the final chapter.
The Bad:
A whole lot. My overview here is so shallow since I kept falling asleep 10 minutes into reading (I read in bed) Every. Single. Night. So take this with a grain of salt, because maybe as I was drifting asleep I was missing key elements that make this *yawn* story a really good one?
Here’s the impression I did get:
1. Too much was left untold and by the time you get what’s going on in the story it’s too late—you’re already so lost you are no longer interested. The author drops hints here and there on the workings of this world and the characters within it, but most of the time you’re just trying to catch up, piece it together, and figure out what the hell is going on.
2. The use of old, archaic English. I did not like it, did not connect to it, did not enjoy trudging through it. The end.
3. The stakes. The stakes are too damn low. I did not feel for this tale because I didn’t get a sense of why it’s so important to get Raynard to the Crafter and to stop the sister queens. Even when I got to the end the most I felt was “it’s too late” but no sense or urgency or, ultimately, involvement or care.
4. The characters: For me they were too flat, too generally sketched, and therefore not engaging. Why have dragon-like creatures when they don’t do any epic things? Why have time/life sucking creatures when they don’t really do anything to move the plot? What is the deal with Troy and his unclear (barely used yet oft mentioned) magic? And I could go on and on. It’s like they all kind of hover around one another, not really doing anything grand, and no one really makes me want to love them, hate them, root for them or against them. Just a real shame and a missed opportunity. If I had to make a comparison: imagine Frodo traveling to Mt. Doom, but there’s no ring, and all the Orcs and Elves are gone. Oh and Sauron is almost gone anyway. Shrug.
The Ugly:
The Drakes. Dragonfly-like dragons that just fly around (yes and eat, like any other bird of prey) and you have to drink their amniotic fluid to bond with them? Pass, thanks.
The Bottom Line:
Bland. I’d pass, unless you have insomnia.
This review is not going to be easy to write. I came to this book with a lot of expectations, especially after reading the author is an award-winning one, and I was very disappointed.
The Plot:
Raynard is a British fisherman that gets stranded at sea during a war with the Spanish and on the brink of death gets picked up by a Spanish galleon, and more specifically, an old man on board of it. From there they journey to the islands of Tir Na Nog and encounter the few levels of creatures? Peoples? Who play a part in creating our world: the Eaters, who feed on time (thus. life) but can also bestow it; the Blunters, who defend the main town on the island by being paired with drakes (kind of like dragons with an insect-like twist); the Travelers, who journey the earth and collect stories and news; the Crafters, who take those stories and craft new parts for our world.
The story Revolves around its characters all knowing somehow that they need to bring Raynard to meet with a Crafter. The other supposed goal is to stop the sister queens who live on the other side of the island from waging war and killing all the Crafters and possibly other island inhabitants (and I can only assume put an end to the creation of new stuff on our world).
The Characters:
Forgive me, for I can’t even remember their names. There are Raynard and the old man, Widsith; there are a few Eaters, some Blunters, and a bunch of Travelers. Oh and a magician called (the king of) Troy. Together, they all travel deeper and deeper into the island to get Raynard to the Crafter.
The Good:
Unfortunately not much. The idea of our land as unfinished and creatures molding, taking apart, experimenting, and ultimately drafting our world until it works is a really good one. Exciting one even. At times, the writing really overtook me and I got it and enjoyed it. Especially the final chapter.
The Bad:
A whole lot. My overview here is so shallow since I kept falling asleep 10 minutes into reading (I read in bed) Every. Single. Night. So take this with a grain of salt, because maybe as I was drifting asleep I was missing key elements that make this *yawn* story a really good one?
Here’s the impression I did get:
1. Too much was left untold and by the time you get what’s going on in the story it’s too late—you’re already so lost you are no longer interested. The author drops hints here and there on the workings of this world and the characters within it, but most of the time you’re just trying to catch up, piece it together, and figure out what the hell is going on.
2. The use of old, archaic English. I did not like it, did not connect to it, did not enjoy trudging through it. The end.
3. The stakes. The stakes are too damn low. I did not feel for this tale because I didn’t get a sense of why it’s so important to get Raynard to the Crafter and to stop the sister queens. Even when I got to the end the most I felt was “it’s too late” but no sense or urgency or, ultimately, involvement or care.
4. The characters: For me they were too flat, too generally sketched, and therefore not engaging. Why have dragon-like creatures when they don’t do any epic things? Why have time/life sucking creatures when they don’t really do anything to move the plot? What is the deal with Troy and his unclear (barely used yet oft mentioned) magic? And I could go on and on. It’s like they all kind of hover around one another, not really doing anything grand, and no one really makes me want to love them, hate them, root for them or against them. Just a real shame and a missed opportunity. If I had to make a comparison: imagine Frodo traveling to Mt. Doom, but there’s no ring, and all the Orcs and Elves are gone. Oh and Sauron is almost gone anyway. Shrug.
The Ugly:
The Drakes. Dragonfly-like dragons that just fly around (yes and eat, like any other bird of prey) and you have to drink their amniotic fluid to bond with them? Pass, thanks.
The Bottom Line:
Bland. I’d pass, unless you have insomnia.
July 16, 2020
I would like to thank the author/publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Unfinished Land is a fantasy book full of lore, mythical creatures, journeys and difficult vocabulary. The story takes place during the Elizabethian time hence the language was full of 'thy', 'believeth" and similar words. If you have no trouble with this, that is great. For me, this makes the book hard to read. In the first chapters, there was some Spanish mixed in as well and because I speak no Spanish at all, it almost resulted in DNF. But I pushed through in a hope that this book will deliver exciting adventure.
Unfortunately, I am disappointed. Half of the book did not make sense to me. It was like a dream you partially understand but can't really get a grip of the story. I feel like things were overcomplicated while there could have been an easy explanation for it. And a lot of things were not explained at all.
There were too many characters without any real purpose to mine liking. I don't know what the main goal of Reynard was? What did he want? What was his dream? Why did he do things he did? I missed the driving force or motivation behind his decisions and actions. He says he wants to escape the island but then he never even tries to do it instead he gets willingly intertwined in other character plots. And what motivation was behind the other character actions I don't know either. Everything and everyone is mysterious. I guess the reader is supposed to keep guessing but some answers are needed in order to make the reader interested and invested in the characters.
The tone of the story seemed very static. There was no build-up, there was no tension, there was no boring part. The whole book was written at the same emotional level. To me all characters were the same, there was no distinctive language that would separate them or any special features they would have to make them stand out.
Those are the reasons why I decided to give this book only 2 stars. However, there were things I did love about this book. I loved that chapters were short, it made the read dynamic. The chapters also had names and I just love to have that little 'spoiler'. Words can't describe how much I love a good title to a chapter. I also really enjoyed the name and background of the main character Reynard. I feel like the name fit him really well. I also recognise that the author has an amazing imagination and combines legends and lore with his own ideas and creation which is hard to do and not many authors are able to fit their own "creations" into the real world.
But these things, unfortunately, didn't make me enjoy the read. I had to push through the chapters. I had to force myself to read it and in the end the book didn't deliver what the synopsis promised.
The Unfinished Land is a fantasy book full of lore, mythical creatures, journeys and difficult vocabulary. The story takes place during the Elizabethian time hence the language was full of 'thy', 'believeth" and similar words. If you have no trouble with this, that is great. For me, this makes the book hard to read. In the first chapters, there was some Spanish mixed in as well and because I speak no Spanish at all, it almost resulted in DNF. But I pushed through in a hope that this book will deliver exciting adventure.
Unfortunately, I am disappointed. Half of the book did not make sense to me. It was like a dream you partially understand but can't really get a grip of the story. I feel like things were overcomplicated while there could have been an easy explanation for it. And a lot of things were not explained at all.
There were too many characters without any real purpose to mine liking. I don't know what the main goal of Reynard was? What did he want? What was his dream? Why did he do things he did? I missed the driving force or motivation behind his decisions and actions. He says he wants to escape the island but then he never even tries to do it instead he gets willingly intertwined in other character plots. And what motivation was behind the other character actions I don't know either. Everything and everyone is mysterious. I guess the reader is supposed to keep guessing but some answers are needed in order to make the reader interested and invested in the characters.
The tone of the story seemed very static. There was no build-up, there was no tension, there was no boring part. The whole book was written at the same emotional level. To me all characters were the same, there was no distinctive language that would separate them or any special features they would have to make them stand out.
Those are the reasons why I decided to give this book only 2 stars. However, there were things I did love about this book. I loved that chapters were short, it made the read dynamic. The chapters also had names and I just love to have that little 'spoiler'. Words can't describe how much I love a good title to a chapter. I also really enjoyed the name and background of the main character Reynard. I feel like the name fit him really well. I also recognise that the author has an amazing imagination and combines legends and lore with his own ideas and creation which is hard to do and not many authors are able to fit their own "creations" into the real world.
But these things, unfortunately, didn't make me enjoy the read. I had to push through the chapters. I had to force myself to read it and in the end the book didn't deliver what the synopsis promised.
February 26, 2021
I'm not sure exactly what this story was about. I know we started off with a young man named Reynard who lost his uncle and cousin in a battle. He's stranded in the wreckage until an old man named Manuel rescues him. They journey to another land where Reynard encounters magical creatures and gods.
Other than that, I couldn't tell what the plot was. I think one or more of the Sister Queens were bad and Reynard was working to stop them. It seemed to be a lot of Reynard and Manuel, aka Widsith, going different places in the new land and meeting people. I felt like this really lacked direction and was trying to be poetic by using old English words like 'thou' and 'thine' which bogged the dialogue down.
I did like the fantasy land and new creatures. The Eaters are like vampires but they can take or give life force. Sometimes they give Widsith life and he changes from an old man at the beginning to a younger man for the rest of the book. The Blunters are kind of gross, they bind with Drakes by drinking amniotic fluid, ew. Finally the Childers are fae like and sort of mysterious.
The book felt very low stakes, like there wasn't any urgency to anything and antagonists weren't actually much of a threat. It was more of a story about a magical land and that's it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Other than that, I couldn't tell what the plot was. I think one or more of the Sister Queens were bad and Reynard was working to stop them. It seemed to be a lot of Reynard and Manuel, aka Widsith, going different places in the new land and meeting people. I felt like this really lacked direction and was trying to be poetic by using old English words like 'thou' and 'thine' which bogged the dialogue down.
I did like the fantasy land and new creatures. The Eaters are like vampires but they can take or give life force. Sometimes they give Widsith life and he changes from an old man at the beginning to a younger man for the rest of the book. The Blunters are kind of gross, they bind with Drakes by drinking amniotic fluid, ew. Finally the Childers are fae like and sort of mysterious.
The book felt very low stakes, like there wasn't any urgency to anything and antagonists weren't actually much of a threat. It was more of a story about a magical land and that's it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2021
This book book was a major disappointment. The author is known for science fiction and this foray into fantasy left a great deal to be desired. It is a bit of a slog read with characters that were left undeveloped and uninteresting along with new terminology for the fantasy world that made reading confusing as they were not clearly defined. I would recommend sticking with the author’s science fiction works and skip this one.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
July 7, 2020
I am a firm believer that sometimes a book is bad only because it was read at the wrong time. Don't misunderstand me, a book can truly be terrible. But outside influences tend to weigh heavily against enjoyment. A good example of this would be when I read Blood of Elves. After discovering black mold in our apartment, we were forced to live in a Hotel room for six months while our entire building was remodeled. It was stressful and, with two young boys, almost impossible to give the book my full attention. I hated it and haven't picked up a Witcher book since.
The Unfinished Land falls into this category because I had suffered a medical episode while reading this. In fact, I spent the bulk of this book laying on the floor, covered in my own blood and when that wasn't going on, writhing in pain. The book was used as a distraction from what was going on but the reading itself suffered as a result.
I attempted to read two other books but neither held much interest for me. When I started The Unfinished Land I was instantly hooked. Something was intriguing about the way it was written. The best I could come up with was in the style of Classic Foreign Fiction, whatever that may mean. It probably doesn't fulfill that category at all. It reminded me of a lot of older foreign fiction I read from time to time, in other words. Or something you would read in high school.
Our story starts with a boy, Reynard, as he is struggling to survive on the wreck of his Uncle's fishing vessel. His Uncle, Cousin, and the other people on the boat all were killed when it came under attack by a Spanish Galleon. We are treated to flashbacks of what put him in this position, as well as one flashback where we are introduced to the man with the white shadow. He is rescued by the Spanish, specifically, an Old Man named Manuel. Their ship lands on an island and our story begins to take shape.
It is on this island that our story takes a sharp turn. I believe chapter two begins to mention Queen Hel, and then the Vanir and Aesir. As a Norse Mythology fan, I was all for it. But the book itself is extremely schizophrenic. I quickly began to takes notes from this point onward only to abandon it when my medical issues took hold. There was simply no way for me to keep up with everything going on because the book kept outrunning itself.
Numerous books handle large cast well enough for you to understand each person's motivations and believe they are a living, breathing entity. This isn't one of those books. Characters come at you fast and you meet others almost as soon as you leave the last. The island also has mythical creatures but not nearly enough for it to feel special. The book gets lost in its construction easily here but I'll try my best to summarize a few points.
The island, if I'm following this correctly, is a version of Tir Na Nog. Queen Hel is responsible for most of it but at this point, she is long gone. There is another part of the island ruled by the Sister Queens who later we meet as conjoined siblings. I'm unsure if there are more or just those two. There are tiers of people who serve either side, some of which are Those Beneath The Sky, Crafters, The Travelers, and the Blunters. Blunters are responsible for getting blood from Nymphs which will turn into Drakes in order to pair up with them. The Drakes aren't typical but instead are overgrown dragonflies. There are also Childers which to my understanding are faeries that appear as small children. If I am incorrect please let me know. I lost a significant amount of blood so please forgive me. There are also Eaters which are Vampires who eat Lifetimes instead of drink blood. Their victims age until there is nothing left. I enjoyed the Eaters most of all the fantasy elements of the book because they came across as the most developed. Sadly, I couldn't say that about anything else.
The writing style changes once we get to the island or at least feels like it has. The promise of the Aesir and Vanir is as incomplete as the land the book is about. I was hoping Queen Hel would be Loki's daughter as it was heavily implied but nothing becomes of it. Nothing becomes of a lot of the book. Other reviews, the few that I've seen, say that the book had no plot and went nowhere. It was my challenge in my incapacitated state to try to prove them wrong. I still don't know, ultimately.
I can understand why Manuel, really known as Widsith, is sent out from the island to discover what is going on with the rest of the world. Each time he returns as an old man, Calybo of the Eaters uses his power to rejuvenate Widsith back into a younger man. Reynard's role is constantly brought up as he doesn't know his part in all of this. In the end...well, without giving too much away I feel that the ending of the book was pointless as I don't truly feel Reynard had any importance at all. And as for the Island itself...
I wish it pushed harder into the mythological elements. We get a handful of creatures and way too many different people who speak what I'm assuming is old English. Lots of Doth, Thou, Telleth, and the like. Very annoying. There's a throwaway line somewhere where I believe it mentioned Elves and Dwarves but I didn't write it down and none are mentioned or appear. There's also a brief part that mentions Trees can walk and the people of yesteryear became trees. Truly something of interest in this story and it is not utilized. I believe the intention was that the Crafters of the land could create anything they wanted, creatures and places, but this fantastical island was an island first and foremost and fantastical as a minor afterthought.
Reynard and the group travel from person to person trying to get Reynard to a specific location where he would learn his purpose in all of this. That can qualify as a plot but again this is all poorly developed. Events are rushed together. Every time I felt as if I had a hold and understanding of the story, other things would happen and I would be lost once again. For what it's worth, the synopsis says that this will lead up to a war between humans and the gods but what Gods? And humans had come and gone on that island for centuries. Too many ideas and the wrong things are emphasized. Here's another example of something that went nowhere. Reynard for fans of tales and fables is obviously an allusion to Reynard the Fox. He's even referred to as such in the book. Reynard is not a trickster, nor do I see any other connection to the fabled character. So what was the point?
My favorite part of the book, as I kind of mentioned above, were the Eaters. I thought there would be a bigger role for these people to play but this book goes in whatever directions it feels like even if it means bashing itself against a wall. There is a moment where the Eaters board boats to leave the Island and I was reminded of the Elves leaving Middle Earth. Intentional or not, it was a pleasant connection.
I'm looking back and forth to the one page of notes I did manage to take and I've used none of it here because it wouldn't make any sense. I believe the story of this book is about the time of myths and legends dying and the world of man and science taking over. I could be absolutely wrong. For now, I am saying this book falls into a space between good and bad. It simply is what it is and I don't know if it knows itself what it's trying to be. Maybe it warrants a reread at a later date. It's a tough call. Finishing it was extremely difficult for me. Whether that is because of the blood loss, or pain, or if it is because the book isn't as good as I wish it to be is not something I could say at the moment. It's something to think about at least.
The Unfinished Land falls into this category because I had suffered a medical episode while reading this. In fact, I spent the bulk of this book laying on the floor, covered in my own blood and when that wasn't going on, writhing in pain. The book was used as a distraction from what was going on but the reading itself suffered as a result.
I attempted to read two other books but neither held much interest for me. When I started The Unfinished Land I was instantly hooked. Something was intriguing about the way it was written. The best I could come up with was in the style of Classic Foreign Fiction, whatever that may mean. It probably doesn't fulfill that category at all. It reminded me of a lot of older foreign fiction I read from time to time, in other words. Or something you would read in high school.
Our story starts with a boy, Reynard, as he is struggling to survive on the wreck of his Uncle's fishing vessel. His Uncle, Cousin, and the other people on the boat all were killed when it came under attack by a Spanish Galleon. We are treated to flashbacks of what put him in this position, as well as one flashback where we are introduced to the man with the white shadow. He is rescued by the Spanish, specifically, an Old Man named Manuel. Their ship lands on an island and our story begins to take shape.
It is on this island that our story takes a sharp turn. I believe chapter two begins to mention Queen Hel, and then the Vanir and Aesir. As a Norse Mythology fan, I was all for it. But the book itself is extremely schizophrenic. I quickly began to takes notes from this point onward only to abandon it when my medical issues took hold. There was simply no way for me to keep up with everything going on because the book kept outrunning itself.
Numerous books handle large cast well enough for you to understand each person's motivations and believe they are a living, breathing entity. This isn't one of those books. Characters come at you fast and you meet others almost as soon as you leave the last. The island also has mythical creatures but not nearly enough for it to feel special. The book gets lost in its construction easily here but I'll try my best to summarize a few points.
The island, if I'm following this correctly, is a version of Tir Na Nog. Queen Hel is responsible for most of it but at this point, she is long gone. There is another part of the island ruled by the Sister Queens who later we meet as conjoined siblings. I'm unsure if there are more or just those two. There are tiers of people who serve either side, some of which are Those Beneath The Sky, Crafters, The Travelers, and the Blunters. Blunters are responsible for getting blood from Nymphs which will turn into Drakes in order to pair up with them. The Drakes aren't typical but instead are overgrown dragonflies. There are also Childers which to my understanding are faeries that appear as small children. If I am incorrect please let me know. I lost a significant amount of blood so please forgive me. There are also Eaters which are Vampires who eat Lifetimes instead of drink blood. Their victims age until there is nothing left. I enjoyed the Eaters most of all the fantasy elements of the book because they came across as the most developed. Sadly, I couldn't say that about anything else.
The writing style changes once we get to the island or at least feels like it has. The promise of the Aesir and Vanir is as incomplete as the land the book is about. I was hoping Queen Hel would be Loki's daughter as it was heavily implied but nothing becomes of it. Nothing becomes of a lot of the book. Other reviews, the few that I've seen, say that the book had no plot and went nowhere. It was my challenge in my incapacitated state to try to prove them wrong. I still don't know, ultimately.
I can understand why Manuel, really known as Widsith, is sent out from the island to discover what is going on with the rest of the world. Each time he returns as an old man, Calybo of the Eaters uses his power to rejuvenate Widsith back into a younger man. Reynard's role is constantly brought up as he doesn't know his part in all of this. In the end...well, without giving too much away I feel that the ending of the book was pointless as I don't truly feel Reynard had any importance at all. And as for the Island itself...
I wish it pushed harder into the mythological elements. We get a handful of creatures and way too many different people who speak what I'm assuming is old English. Lots of Doth, Thou, Telleth, and the like. Very annoying. There's a throwaway line somewhere where I believe it mentioned Elves and Dwarves but I didn't write it down and none are mentioned or appear. There's also a brief part that mentions Trees can walk and the people of yesteryear became trees. Truly something of interest in this story and it is not utilized. I believe the intention was that the Crafters of the land could create anything they wanted, creatures and places, but this fantastical island was an island first and foremost and fantastical as a minor afterthought.
Reynard and the group travel from person to person trying to get Reynard to a specific location where he would learn his purpose in all of this. That can qualify as a plot but again this is all poorly developed. Events are rushed together. Every time I felt as if I had a hold and understanding of the story, other things would happen and I would be lost once again. For what it's worth, the synopsis says that this will lead up to a war between humans and the gods but what Gods? And humans had come and gone on that island for centuries. Too many ideas and the wrong things are emphasized. Here's another example of something that went nowhere. Reynard for fans of tales and fables is obviously an allusion to Reynard the Fox. He's even referred to as such in the book. Reynard is not a trickster, nor do I see any other connection to the fabled character. So what was the point?
My favorite part of the book, as I kind of mentioned above, were the Eaters. I thought there would be a bigger role for these people to play but this book goes in whatever directions it feels like even if it means bashing itself against a wall. There is a moment where the Eaters board boats to leave the Island and I was reminded of the Elves leaving Middle Earth. Intentional or not, it was a pleasant connection.
I'm looking back and forth to the one page of notes I did manage to take and I've used none of it here because it wouldn't make any sense. I believe the story of this book is about the time of myths and legends dying and the world of man and science taking over. I could be absolutely wrong. For now, I am saying this book falls into a space between good and bad. It simply is what it is and I don't know if it knows itself what it's trying to be. Maybe it warrants a reread at a later date. It's a tough call. Finishing it was extremely difficult for me. Whether that is because of the blood loss, or pain, or if it is because the book isn't as good as I wish it to be is not something I could say at the moment. It's something to think about at least.
July 25, 2022
This book starts with fifteen-year-old Reynard clinging to a sinking ship, the only survivor of an attack by the Spanish Armada in 1588. Within thirty pages, he has been lost in a storm, rescued, followed by a sea monster, and marooned on an island filled with dragons, gods, magicians, and time vampires. This sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is.
Although Bear’s fantasy world is massive and complex, it never quite manages to seem real enough to be engaging. Reynard is shuffled around from one location to another, never having a clue what’s going on or what’s expected of him. Each new place is described in exhaustive detail, introduces a new cryptic character who drops some hints or warnings on Reynard’s head (not that he catches any of them), and then stops mattering as soon as he heads off to the next place. He’s literally just wandering around for months. My three main takeaways from the whole book are essentially:
1. Reynard is probably the most frustratingly passive character I’ve ever read about
2. It’s annoying when every character sounds exactly the same
3. It’s doubly annoying when every character sounds exactly the same when they’re using Ren Faire-level formal dialogue (so many thous! so many dosts!)
After the first 70ish pages of the book there’s not really any action, and the big picture doesn’t come together until the very, very end. Basically, the world-building is gorgeous, but the character development and relationships are nonexistent, so it's hard to care.
Although Bear’s fantasy world is massive and complex, it never quite manages to seem real enough to be engaging. Reynard is shuffled around from one location to another, never having a clue what’s going on or what’s expected of him. Each new place is described in exhaustive detail, introduces a new cryptic character who drops some hints or warnings on Reynard’s head (not that he catches any of them), and then stops mattering as soon as he heads off to the next place. He’s literally just wandering around for months. My three main takeaways from the whole book are essentially:
1. Reynard is probably the most frustratingly passive character I’ve ever read about
2. It’s annoying when every character sounds exactly the same
3. It’s doubly annoying when every character sounds exactly the same when they’re using Ren Faire-level formal dialogue (so many thous! so many dosts!)
After the first 70ish pages of the book there’s not really any action, and the big picture doesn’t come together until the very, very end. Basically, the world-building is gorgeous, but the character development and relationships are nonexistent, so it's hard to care.
September 28, 2021
"I do not now cross oceans, but navigate a land of fable."
—Widsith, p.170
I was browsing the shelves of my local library, a privilege recently regained that still seems worthy of mention, and came upon a map of a magical island, gazing back at me from the front matter of The Unfinished Land by Greg Bear. I was instantly reminded of the map of "Insula Mirabilis" at the beginning of Carrie Vaughn's Questland, which I read just prior to this one. Both novels, too, involve a stranger to that island being taken along, will-he nill-he, on a quest to its center.
Otherwise, though, these books turned out to be nothing alike. For one thing, Questland's tone is light and contemporary, whereas The Unfinished Land is serious, its language ornate and archaic:
He stepped over a tangle of branches and through a gap and approached the rock foundation that rooted one great rib as it rose above the fields, above this part of the stony flats, to join with side arches that supported many floors, interconnected by thick rigging, ladders, and bridges, their lines and backstays hanging in sad tatters from curved masts, like a stricken ship rising from a stormy sea.Sentences like these are common throughout The Unfinished Land. It's a very polished book, but one that also comes across as cold and labyrinthine. It won't be for everyone.
—p.274
*
Reynard Shotwood is a teenaged dreamer—mired in a world without wonders, Reynard (whose name, we are reminded, means "Fox") initially reminded me of "Mute Inglorious Tam," by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth—and if you have not read their classic short story, I can highly recommend it.
The year is 1588, and Elizabethan England is facing its greatest existential threat to date: the Spanish Armada. His uncle takes Reynard out to sea on his hoy (a "small sloop-rigged coasting ship") from the tiny English fishing village of Southwold, to supply food to the English fleet—but their mission does not succeed. The hoy is wrecked, and Reynard is the only survivor, drifting northwest until a Spanish ship rescues him, shortly before itself running aground on the northernmost isle of Tir Na Nog—where Reynard's adventures soon begin in earnest.
"fugitives from failed histories"
—p.152
Reynard is soon surrounded by beings from legend, who claim to believe he is important despite his youth and inexperience. He is another passive protagonist, one to whom things happen, for the most part, rather than an agent of his own fate.
And the Unfinished Land where he finds himself is itself changing, being acted upon, its ancient rites and customs crumbling, its most powerful beings absent from the stage.
*
We tend to think of magical lands as being finer, more polished, than our own mundane world, but in The Unfinished Land they are the opposite. The long and stable history of Tir Na Nog begins to feel provisional, illusory... and it's not at all clear whether Reynard or anyone else can preserve what has been.
There are revelations aplenty in The Unfinished Land, both for Reynard and for us as readers. The book goes on, I think, rather longer than it really needed to—a hazard of stories about quests: sometimes the journey overwhelms the destination—but Greg Bear does bring his tale to a satisfying end.
November 22, 2025
In some ways this is the fantasy version of Bear's Hull Zero Three. It's a world that makes no sense, to me or the protagonist. Along with the protag, I have to learn not just what the plot is, but what the world is, who the protag is, and what all these weird events mean....
I do love Bear's ability to build that kind of weird, while weaving it together.
On the other hand, the final scenes
I do love Bear's ability to build that kind of weird, while weaving it together.
On the other hand, the final scenes
September 22, 2023
ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
If you're not familiar with Greg Bear's works (which I was not), I can assure you that short of asking someone who has actually read it, NOTHING will prepare you for where this book goes. The blurb/synopsis isn't incorrect, per se, but it doesn't even scratch the surface of what going on in The Unfinished Land, and paired with the really pretty cover, it might actually give you a certain idea about what to expect that will just end up being blown out the water. That's certainly what happened to me, and I'm eternally grateful.
About 50% into the book, I told my husband that reading it feels like trying to keep water in your cupped hands. There's a steady stream of water refilling what's lost, but that doesn't keep the water you're desperately trying to hold onto from spilling over the sides and seeping through your fingers. Such is the worldbuilding and the story's development in The Unfinished Land. You're constantly supplied with details and information, but it's all so murky you can't ever really keep much of a grip on it. Here, information does not equal pieces to a puzzle or full understanding. But don't worry: the characters mostly don't know that the hell's going on either.
This murkiness in terms of the world building and the seemingly random writing style (see the not-quite Elizabethan English dialogue contrasted against the slightly-dated English exposition) do serve a purpose, in my opinion. I could tell quite early on that the author wanted to constantly make sure the reader is wrong-footed and perhaps create an atmosphere that places the story in a definable genre, i.e. historical fiction with some clear fantasy elements, so that it can all be blown to smithereens when the book's true otherness starts revealing itself. The other thing is that some ways into the story, you realise that the world being described is most likely coming to an end in some way or another, and the diaphanous nature of the storytelling absolutely has the effect of wiping what you've read from your mind in a direct reflection of this story world's possible temporary nature.
Only a day after I finished reading the book, and already, the majority of the story's detail has seeped from my mind's metaphorical fingers, and what I'm left with is glimmering impressions of what went before the book's ending, and then of course the ending itself. Quite literally, the entire point of the book is revealed on the last page, and the very last word of the book is the key to what goes before.
After knowing that I'd finished the book and listening to my brain-melted account of what it is about and what happens in the end, my dear historically-minded husband came to the rescue. To avoid spoilers, all I can say is if you're not really a history buff, try to look up some of the historical elements in the book. Look up the time period, what happened in the world in that time, some of the figures that featured, and what they and their time meant for the world as we know it today. I liked where the book went in the end, but after my husband clarified a few historical points for me, the book's conclusion just felt that much more satisfying.
If my review intrigues you to the point where you want to read The Unfinished Land, then great! BUT, a few warnings first (especially because I've seen so many reviews pointing out some of these things as negatives):
- DON'T expect this to be historical fiction, fantasy, or sci-fi - this is none of that and all of that all rolled into one.
- DON'T expect this to be an easy ride - the writing really makes you work for it, and while I believe I understand most of the author's writing choices, many people will likely just see them as unnecessary.
- DON'T expect pitch-perfect world building - like I've said, it's rich and imaginative, but it's murky and hard to keep hold of while reading.
- DON'T expect a clear-cut ending that magically solves everything - the ending isn't difficult to understand, but it still leaves you to ponder and detangle everything that went before it.
- (Almost most importantly) DON'T expect any kind of character development or even 100% coherent interactions between characters - there is basically none. Seriously. No one grows.
In fact, do yourself a favour and read a few of the other 4-star reviews out there, as I believe a few different perspectives from people who actually enjoyed the book will help you determine whether this is actually for you or not.
If you still feel up to it after all of the above, then good on you. I can promise that you are in for an incomparable treat.
If you're not familiar with Greg Bear's works (which I was not), I can assure you that short of asking someone who has actually read it, NOTHING will prepare you for where this book goes. The blurb/synopsis isn't incorrect, per se, but it doesn't even scratch the surface of what going on in The Unfinished Land, and paired with the really pretty cover, it might actually give you a certain idea about what to expect that will just end up being blown out the water. That's certainly what happened to me, and I'm eternally grateful.
About 50% into the book, I told my husband that reading it feels like trying to keep water in your cupped hands. There's a steady stream of water refilling what's lost, but that doesn't keep the water you're desperately trying to hold onto from spilling over the sides and seeping through your fingers. Such is the worldbuilding and the story's development in The Unfinished Land. You're constantly supplied with details and information, but it's all so murky you can't ever really keep much of a grip on it. Here, information does not equal pieces to a puzzle or full understanding. But don't worry: the characters mostly don't know that the hell's going on either.
This murkiness in terms of the world building and the seemingly random writing style (see the not-quite Elizabethan English dialogue contrasted against the slightly-dated English exposition) do serve a purpose, in my opinion. I could tell quite early on that the author wanted to constantly make sure the reader is wrong-footed and perhaps create an atmosphere that places the story in a definable genre, i.e. historical fiction with some clear fantasy elements, so that it can all be blown to smithereens when the book's true otherness starts revealing itself. The other thing is that some ways into the story, you realise that the world being described is most likely coming to an end in some way or another, and the diaphanous nature of the storytelling absolutely has the effect of wiping what you've read from your mind in a direct reflection of this story world's possible temporary nature.
Only a day after I finished reading the book, and already, the majority of the story's detail has seeped from my mind's metaphorical fingers, and what I'm left with is glimmering impressions of what went before the book's ending, and then of course the ending itself. Quite literally, the entire point of the book is revealed on the last page, and the very last word of the book is the key to what goes before.
After knowing that I'd finished the book and listening to my brain-melted account of what it is about and what happens in the end, my dear historically-minded husband came to the rescue. To avoid spoilers, all I can say is if you're not really a history buff, try to look up some of the historical elements in the book. Look up the time period, what happened in the world in that time, some of the figures that featured, and what they and their time meant for the world as we know it today. I liked where the book went in the end, but after my husband clarified a few historical points for me, the book's conclusion just felt that much more satisfying.
If my review intrigues you to the point where you want to read The Unfinished Land, then great! BUT, a few warnings first (especially because I've seen so many reviews pointing out some of these things as negatives):
- DON'T expect this to be historical fiction, fantasy, or sci-fi - this is none of that and all of that all rolled into one.
- DON'T expect this to be an easy ride - the writing really makes you work for it, and while I believe I understand most of the author's writing choices, many people will likely just see them as unnecessary.
- DON'T expect pitch-perfect world building - like I've said, it's rich and imaginative, but it's murky and hard to keep hold of while reading.
- DON'T expect a clear-cut ending that magically solves everything - the ending isn't difficult to understand, but it still leaves you to ponder and detangle everything that went before it.
- (Almost most importantly) DON'T expect any kind of character development or even 100% coherent interactions between characters - there is basically none. Seriously. No one grows.
In fact, do yourself a favour and read a few of the other 4-star reviews out there, as I believe a few different perspectives from people who actually enjoyed the book will help you determine whether this is actually for you or not.
If you still feel up to it after all of the above, then good on you. I can promise that you are in for an incomparable treat.
July 23, 2021
From my previous encounters with Greg Bear’s work I was expecting more than I got. There’s a good story in this novel…somewhere…I think…but he’s not going to tell you anything about it. The main character doesn’t know, either. He travels all over the island of Tir na Nog with a stalwart band of natives but all they’ll tell him is that he’ll figure it out. Seriously, four fifths of the book is people telling Reynard he’ll find out what’s going to happen when it’s time for him to. It would have been great if that time ever came but alas the end arrived before the explanation.
Reynard is adrift at sea after his uncle and the rest of the crew were killed in a battle with the Spanish Armada. Reynard will be following them soon if he doesn’t get any fresh water. Suddenly someone spots his ship! He’s saved! Unfortunately the ship that found his is a Spanish galleon. Manuel, the lookout, brings Reynard on board and convinces the captain to let him stay. The captain says okay as long as Reynard navigates for them. That will be tricky because Reynard doesn’t know where they are either. But that’s okay because they’re caught in a plot current that brings them to the outermost island of Tir na Nog.
The first night the crew is visited by Eaters, a type of undead vampire that sucks the life out of people instead of their blood. The only people not aged by the Eaters are Reynard because he’s The Hero and Manuel who is returned to youth. Manuel turns out to be a native of this island called Widsith the Traveller because he travels around the world. Why and for what purpose we will never know because no one ever really clarifies his importance in the greater scheme of things. He’s the Hero’s Guide and that’s all he does.
Eventually Widsith and Reynard escape the Spanish with the help of a group of Blunters. Blunters are people from Widsith’s home village who bind themselves to drakes. Drakes are some kind of giant dragonfly. This wasn’t clear to me from the text; I had to read a couple of reviews to figure out what they were supposed to look like. That explains the dragonfly wings on the cover, I guess. The Blunters work by drinking the amniotic fluid from drake chrysalises which somehow connects them to the drake inside when it hatches. The drakes don’t do much in the story except show up to fight when it’s convenient. There’s a Scene of Much Significance about halfway through where Reynard and several of his fellow travelers have to drink drake fluid but nothing much comes from that, either.
Our Heroes and the Blunters return to Widsith’s home village in the brief space between battles. Seems the conquistadors have decided to do what they do best and are raping, burnining, and pillaging their way across the island. Reynard and Widsith escape before the village is destroyed and wind up with a group of Gypsies who may or may not be related to Reynard. No one knows, apparently. Surprising, right?
They decide that the only way to stop the conquistadors is to visit Queen Hel. Reynard, as a proper Renaissance boy, is horrified at the thought of going to Hell but again no one takes the time to sit him down and explain the difference between the Norse goddess and the Christian concept. Of course they don’t. Instead they wander across the island as it dies from Tired Fantasy Trope Syndrome. It’s not a real fantasy novel unless the magic is leaving the land, right?
Eventually they meet up with the Sister Queens in a scene that is as confusing as it is totally forgettable. Reynard and the Manic Pixie Dream Girl that’s latched on to him end up meeting Queen Hel in an even more confusing and forgettable scene. Then suddenly they’re back in England? Why? How did they get there? What happened with the conquistadors? What was going on with the Sister Queens? What did Hel do? Heck if I know, no one up to and including the author ever explained anything.
The more I think about this book, the more it irritates me. There was some good worldbuilding going on but it felt like a rough draft. The faux-Shakespearean English was a bit grating at first, but eventually I got used to it and it drew me into this sketch of a fantasy kingdom. Would that it had been fleshed out more. Alas it was not and instead of finding ourselves in a fully-realized portrait we were in the land of stick figures.
Final verdict: location counts. If you find a Greg Bear book on the science fiction shelf, pick it up. If you find this on the fantasy shelf, shove it behind the other books.
Cross-posted from The Eclectic Reviewer
Reynard is adrift at sea after his uncle and the rest of the crew were killed in a battle with the Spanish Armada. Reynard will be following them soon if he doesn’t get any fresh water. Suddenly someone spots his ship! He’s saved! Unfortunately the ship that found his is a Spanish galleon. Manuel, the lookout, brings Reynard on board and convinces the captain to let him stay. The captain says okay as long as Reynard navigates for them. That will be tricky because Reynard doesn’t know where they are either. But that’s okay because they’re caught in a plot current that brings them to the outermost island of Tir na Nog.
The first night the crew is visited by Eaters, a type of undead vampire that sucks the life out of people instead of their blood. The only people not aged by the Eaters are Reynard because he’s The Hero and Manuel who is returned to youth. Manuel turns out to be a native of this island called Widsith the Traveller because he travels around the world. Why and for what purpose we will never know because no one ever really clarifies his importance in the greater scheme of things. He’s the Hero’s Guide and that’s all he does.
Eventually Widsith and Reynard escape the Spanish with the help of a group of Blunters. Blunters are people from Widsith’s home village who bind themselves to drakes. Drakes are some kind of giant dragonfly. This wasn’t clear to me from the text; I had to read a couple of reviews to figure out what they were supposed to look like. That explains the dragonfly wings on the cover, I guess. The Blunters work by drinking the amniotic fluid from drake chrysalises which somehow connects them to the drake inside when it hatches. The drakes don’t do much in the story except show up to fight when it’s convenient. There’s a Scene of Much Significance about halfway through where Reynard and several of his fellow travelers have to drink drake fluid but nothing much comes from that, either.
Our Heroes and the Blunters return to Widsith’s home village in the brief space between battles. Seems the conquistadors have decided to do what they do best and are raping, burnining, and pillaging their way across the island. Reynard and Widsith escape before the village is destroyed and wind up with a group of Gypsies who may or may not be related to Reynard. No one knows, apparently. Surprising, right?
They decide that the only way to stop the conquistadors is to visit Queen Hel. Reynard, as a proper Renaissance boy, is horrified at the thought of going to Hell but again no one takes the time to sit him down and explain the difference between the Norse goddess and the Christian concept. Of course they don’t. Instead they wander across the island as it dies from Tired Fantasy Trope Syndrome. It’s not a real fantasy novel unless the magic is leaving the land, right?
Eventually they meet up with the Sister Queens in a scene that is as confusing as it is totally forgettable. Reynard and the Manic Pixie Dream Girl that’s latched on to him end up meeting Queen Hel in an even more confusing and forgettable scene. Then suddenly they’re back in England? Why? How did they get there? What happened with the conquistadors? What was going on with the Sister Queens? What did Hel do? Heck if I know, no one up to and including the author ever explained anything.
The more I think about this book, the more it irritates me. There was some good worldbuilding going on but it felt like a rough draft. The faux-Shakespearean English was a bit grating at first, but eventually I got used to it and it drew me into this sketch of a fantasy kingdom. Would that it had been fleshed out more. Alas it was not and instead of finding ourselves in a fully-realized portrait we were in the land of stick figures.
Final verdict: location counts. If you find a Greg Bear book on the science fiction shelf, pick it up. If you find this on the fantasy shelf, shove it behind the other books.
Cross-posted from The Eclectic Reviewer
October 15, 2022
DNF at 100 pages and then chucked it in the recycling bin -- hopefully the paper it's printed on can get a second life as something more worthwhile. The synopsis had really grabbed me because a Treasure Island-meets-fantasy island plotline was *exactly* what I was in the mood to be reading. Unfortunately the book itself is dreadful, nonsensical, and irritating, and provided not an ounce of hope that it might get better if I kept slogging through. There's not a single positive thing I can say for it. Next!
March 8, 2021
This was a huge disappointment and didn't meet my expectations at all.
I gave this a fair chance but DNFd this after 50%, mostly because I disliked the shakespearean writing (I hated it) and the fact that I didn't care about the plot or Reynard or anything.
I do have some earlier unread works on my TBR and will give those a try.
This one was a big miss.
Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I gave this a fair chance but DNFd this after 50%, mostly because I disliked the shakespearean writing (I hated it) and the fact that I didn't care about the plot or Reynard or anything.
I do have some earlier unread works on my TBR and will give those a try.
This one was a big miss.
Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2023
The Unfinished Land is a very different sort of book for Bear. But, in some ways, it is similar to his other tales. An adventure story where the stakes are high, and a journey is undertaken to affect change. Admittedly the book takes a while to get going, and is slow gel in terms of tone. But the wait is worth it, and the end is lovely.
September 5, 2021
Although I don't agree with a lot of the negative reviews for this book, I can understand some readers' frustrations. I had no problem with the archaic language used in the dialogue sections of the book, but I did find the story at times hard to follow. If someone asked me to recount the events in this book and tell them what it was about, other than to say it's a quest narrative set on a mythical island, I'm not sure what I could say. On the plus side, the book does have a number of scenes that possess a real sense of wonder. On the negative side, it's too bad that so many of the book's mysteries aren't more clearly explained.
April 4, 2021
First off, I am a dedicated fan who will read anything Greg Bear writes, and so naturally I was very excited to have a new GB novel to read. Unfortunately, in this case it was only my love for the author that got me through this book.
The premise - in Isle from Irish folklore invaded by Conquistadores, and possibly harboring Lovecraftian monsters - combined with GB's abilities to bring wild scifi concepts into being, seemed like a sure hit. But the result was disappointing.
For one, the protagonist is not at all intriguing. They lack definitive character traits beyond being clueless, and they lack any of their own agency beyond being moved around the story by other, more interesting characters. Even the more interesting characters are less defined - there's a huge ensemble cast but I found myself struggling to differentiate who was who, even when some of the characters were supernatural creatures. Because of this, the story lacked much in the way of emotional impact even when these characters were confronted with death and devastation.
A particularly frustrating character was the Spanish captain - allegedly a major antagonist, he's barely in the book! I found myself wishing that his discovery of another native faction, and ultimately leadership of their forces as they hunted the heroes, was the actual subject of the book, or at least a sub plot. Instead it's just referred to occasionally, despite being a central conflict. The main antagonists themselves appear in just a couple of chapters.
The story also suffered from an over abundance of cryptically defined concepts - Blunters, Travellers, Crafters, Eaters, comes so fast and furious with such vagueness that you're left as frustrated as the main character most of the time. I think GB was trying for something like the Book of the New Sun, which was filled with artfully defined groups and creatures somehow extrapolated from scifi, but missed the mark. In those books, Gene Wolfe managed to find a place just on the near side of confusing, with enough richness for the reader to be satisfied with an incomplete picture. There is no such satisfaction in The Unfinished Land.
Nonetheless there were some haunting images and fanciful concepts that were great - a society built around the successful population management of murderous, airplane sized bugs, or a blasted plain full of giant tombs containing dead creatures, the bodies of which are still enough to drive you insane.
Ultimately, I did finish this book. I reached the end wondering if perhaps I'd just not read it carefully, or didn't allow my imagination to fill the pages, or let my own expectations ruin the experience. But I also wondered all of those things for the whole duration of the story, so in this case, I really do feel like there was a lot missing. To any disappointed readers, I'd invite you to read other books by Greg Bear (Forge of God/Anvil of the Stars, Blood Music, Eon, City at the End of Time) just to see what the big deal is about.
The premise - in Isle from Irish folklore invaded by Conquistadores, and possibly harboring Lovecraftian monsters - combined with GB's abilities to bring wild scifi concepts into being, seemed like a sure hit. But the result was disappointing.
For one, the protagonist is not at all intriguing. They lack definitive character traits beyond being clueless, and they lack any of their own agency beyond being moved around the story by other, more interesting characters. Even the more interesting characters are less defined - there's a huge ensemble cast but I found myself struggling to differentiate who was who, even when some of the characters were supernatural creatures. Because of this, the story lacked much in the way of emotional impact even when these characters were confronted with death and devastation.
A particularly frustrating character was the Spanish captain - allegedly a major antagonist, he's barely in the book! I found myself wishing that his discovery of another native faction, and ultimately leadership of their forces as they hunted the heroes, was the actual subject of the book, or at least a sub plot. Instead it's just referred to occasionally, despite being a central conflict. The main antagonists themselves appear in just a couple of chapters.
The story also suffered from an over abundance of cryptically defined concepts - Blunters, Travellers, Crafters, Eaters, comes so fast and furious with such vagueness that you're left as frustrated as the main character most of the time. I think GB was trying for something like the Book of the New Sun, which was filled with artfully defined groups and creatures somehow extrapolated from scifi, but missed the mark. In those books, Gene Wolfe managed to find a place just on the near side of confusing, with enough richness for the reader to be satisfied with an incomplete picture. There is no such satisfaction in The Unfinished Land.
Nonetheless there were some haunting images and fanciful concepts that were great - a society built around the successful population management of murderous, airplane sized bugs, or a blasted plain full of giant tombs containing dead creatures, the bodies of which are still enough to drive you insane.
Ultimately, I did finish this book. I reached the end wondering if perhaps I'd just not read it carefully, or didn't allow my imagination to fill the pages, or let my own expectations ruin the experience. But I also wondered all of those things for the whole duration of the story, so in this case, I really do feel like there was a lot missing. To any disappointed readers, I'd invite you to read other books by Greg Bear (Forge of God/Anvil of the Stars, Blood Music, Eon, City at the End of Time) just to see what the big deal is about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2021
Rating: 2.5 stars.
I really liked the general concept of this book.
The world and the setting were really fun, I liked the characters, and the story itself was really intriguing and interesting. I loved the chapter titles specifically. I really enjoyed the fantastical elements and how new ideas were combined with the fairytale elements.
However, I found this book sort of hard to read. The pacing was off and I wasn't invested until half of the book was over. The worldbuilding was really confusing and some parts of it I didn't understand at all, not even after finishing the book. There were so many characters that made the story confusing and it was really hard for me to get through the chapters, although they were fairly short.
I also wasn't a fan of the writing style and the Old English, so I needed a while to fully get into that as well and it kept interrupting the reading flow for me.
Overall I think that this is a pretty good book, it's just not for me personally.
I really liked the general concept of this book.
The world and the setting were really fun, I liked the characters, and the story itself was really intriguing and interesting. I loved the chapter titles specifically. I really enjoyed the fantastical elements and how new ideas were combined with the fairytale elements.
However, I found this book sort of hard to read. The pacing was off and I wasn't invested until half of the book was over. The worldbuilding was really confusing and some parts of it I didn't understand at all, not even after finishing the book. There were so many characters that made the story confusing and it was really hard for me to get through the chapters, although they were fairly short.
I also wasn't a fan of the writing style and the Old English, so I needed a while to fully get into that as well and it kept interrupting the reading flow for me.
Overall I think that this is a pretty good book, it's just not for me personally.
June 5, 2020
Although I am not a great fan of fantasy, I can see that this is an excellent book. It is set in Elizabethan times and has all the tropes of an Historical novel. Our hero, the boy Reynard, is marooned in his uncle's fishing boat, captured by a Spanish galleon and ultimately shipwrecked on a magical island.
It is full of magical creatures - eaters of time and lives, giant lobsters which climb on deck, nymphs which rise from the sea and hang from trees.
The characters are well written and well rounded.
Keywords: Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Exciting.
This book is well written and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Fantasy.
Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.
It is full of magical creatures - eaters of time and lives, giant lobsters which climb on deck, nymphs which rise from the sea and hang from trees.
The characters are well written and well rounded.
Keywords: Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Exciting.
This book is well written and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Fantasy.
Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.
March 12, 2023
I enjoyed the descriptions. This book was odd though and I’m not sure I entirely understood the story 😂
August 17, 2020
Fantasy novel, The Unfinished Land by Greg Bear mixes history, a dash of adventure, and a pinch of lore to create a stunning new taste of magic.
Our hero, Reynard, is a young man who has long been unhappy working on his uncles fishing ship. He is visited by a stranger with a white shadow, whispering hints of a prophetic nature, and finds himself marooned after his uncle's boat is destroyed by a Spanish fleet. He is adrift, and near-death on a dead and peculiar sea, when another ship of the Spanish armada picks him up.
When the ship runs aground, Reynard and the Spaniards are about to understand that the land they've discovered is worlds away from anything they could have predicted or imagined. A place filled with eldritch magic and gods, Reynard is thrust into the dynamic of these wild, mystical lands. Greg Bear offers a plethora of curiosities, even hinting that this unknown land may be Tír na nÓg.
Unfortunately, the whole of the story hangs empty. Reynard doesn't have an apparent driving force. Instead, it seems as if he proceeds along a path only because it is what lays before him. Similarly, the plot lacks direction, often reading like a dream with missing parts, though Bear's writing is exquisite and descriptions poetic. Though lacking in character and story development, The Unfinished Land can be seen as a kind of otherworldly travelogue.
Reynard meets creatures, people who steal time like vampires, powerful Queens, drakes, and travelers of time. What they all mean to one another, or why they are the way they are, is never explained. The Unfinished Land is not a book for a reader who prefers strong character-focused stories. Rather, it reads more as if Greg Bear is commenting on change. A land filled with creatures and beings of magic fading away as the onslaught of science and progress drive that mystery from our minds.
Beautiful and strange, the excellent world-building of The Unfinished Land cannot detract from its lack of purpose.
Many thanks to Greg Bear, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Our hero, Reynard, is a young man who has long been unhappy working on his uncles fishing ship. He is visited by a stranger with a white shadow, whispering hints of a prophetic nature, and finds himself marooned after his uncle's boat is destroyed by a Spanish fleet. He is adrift, and near-death on a dead and peculiar sea, when another ship of the Spanish armada picks him up.
When the ship runs aground, Reynard and the Spaniards are about to understand that the land they've discovered is worlds away from anything they could have predicted or imagined. A place filled with eldritch magic and gods, Reynard is thrust into the dynamic of these wild, mystical lands. Greg Bear offers a plethora of curiosities, even hinting that this unknown land may be Tír na nÓg.
Unfortunately, the whole of the story hangs empty. Reynard doesn't have an apparent driving force. Instead, it seems as if he proceeds along a path only because it is what lays before him. Similarly, the plot lacks direction, often reading like a dream with missing parts, though Bear's writing is exquisite and descriptions poetic. Though lacking in character and story development, The Unfinished Land can be seen as a kind of otherworldly travelogue.
Reynard meets creatures, people who steal time like vampires, powerful Queens, drakes, and travelers of time. What they all mean to one another, or why they are the way they are, is never explained. The Unfinished Land is not a book for a reader who prefers strong character-focused stories. Rather, it reads more as if Greg Bear is commenting on change. A land filled with creatures and beings of magic fading away as the onslaught of science and progress drive that mystery from our minds.
Beautiful and strange, the excellent world-building of The Unfinished Land cannot detract from its lack of purpose.
Many thanks to Greg Bear, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2021
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with the e-arc of The Unfinished Land by Greg Bear in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
The Unfinished Land appears to be an historical fantasy, that introduces us to Reynard Shotwood. Reynard is a young apprentice fisherman on his uncle’s fishing boat, that has been commandeered by Queen Elizabeth to help the English fleet defend the island against King Philip's Spanish Armada.
Reynard finds himself the sole survivor on the floating ruins of his uncle’s boat and after many days adrift is pulled to relative safety aboard a Spanish warship. However, the ship is list, low on supplies and unable to fight the tides dragging it northwards to a string of seven islands.
Land does not bring succour and safety, instead vampire like night time attacks that steal days, months, years from their lives. As Reynard struggles to survive, he finds out that is arrival on the islands is a sign of change and he begins a magic-filled journey of self-discovery.
There is a lot to be said for the premise and promise of this story. The smorgasbord of mythology and folklore and fantasy are a wonder to behold, but for me the pace and Reynard’s reticence and reluctance to participate in the story made it a long and at times arduous read.
I did persist and was rewarded by the finale to the story, but even that with all it’s strength wasn’t enough to make this a go to read for me.
The Unfinished Land appears to be an historical fantasy, that introduces us to Reynard Shotwood. Reynard is a young apprentice fisherman on his uncle’s fishing boat, that has been commandeered by Queen Elizabeth to help the English fleet defend the island against King Philip's Spanish Armada.
Reynard finds himself the sole survivor on the floating ruins of his uncle’s boat and after many days adrift is pulled to relative safety aboard a Spanish warship. However, the ship is list, low on supplies and unable to fight the tides dragging it northwards to a string of seven islands.
Land does not bring succour and safety, instead vampire like night time attacks that steal days, months, years from their lives. As Reynard struggles to survive, he finds out that is arrival on the islands is a sign of change and he begins a magic-filled journey of self-discovery.
There is a lot to be said for the premise and promise of this story. The smorgasbord of mythology and folklore and fantasy are a wonder to behold, but for me the pace and Reynard’s reticence and reluctance to participate in the story made it a long and at times arduous read.
I did persist and was rewarded by the finale to the story, but even that with all it’s strength wasn’t enough to make this a go to read for me.
June 22, 2020
** Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley who sent me an ARC in return for a honest review. **
I am a big fan of Greg Bear's hard SF stories, so was looking forward to reading this one. Color me somewhat baffled after having finished this one because the review is so hard to do. On the face of it, this is the story of a boy called Reynard, a fisherman's son who is shipwrecked on a mysterious shore after a battle with the Spaniards. The story is a travelogue with the boy meeting strange creature after creature from Eaters of Time, to Crafters, to Travelers, to Queens, to drakes (giant dragonfly-like dragons) and childers. Who are these creatures, why do they do what they do, and what is their background? If you are ok with none of these questions ever being answered, then this is the book for you. There is no obvious character development for the boy (or anyone else for that matter), so if you are looking for a story with a point, you should probably look elsewhere.
What you get here is a sense of a world fading away, a world of magic and monsters, and being replaced by a new world of science, not that this is explained clearly (or at all). The world building is gorgeous and lyrical, but there is no reader empathy with any of the characters, since we don't spend any time with any of them (including the boy) long enough to learn of their motivations or backgrounds. The world-building reminds me somewhat of Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, another book where it was completely unclear what the hell was going on, but was mesmerizing all the same. Fans of that one will probably like this one. Though come to think of it, that book made a little more sense than this one.
So 5* for the writing, -1.5* for the complete lack of plot. That gives 3.5*, so let's add 0.5* to round up (plus the ability to evoke an elegiac sense of loss in the reader) for a grand total of 4*.
I am a big fan of Greg Bear's hard SF stories, so was looking forward to reading this one. Color me somewhat baffled after having finished this one because the review is so hard to do. On the face of it, this is the story of a boy called Reynard, a fisherman's son who is shipwrecked on a mysterious shore after a battle with the Spaniards. The story is a travelogue with the boy meeting strange creature after creature from Eaters of Time, to Crafters, to Travelers, to Queens, to drakes (giant dragonfly-like dragons) and childers. Who are these creatures, why do they do what they do, and what is their background? If you are ok with none of these questions ever being answered, then this is the book for you. There is no obvious character development for the boy (or anyone else for that matter), so if you are looking for a story with a point, you should probably look elsewhere.
What you get here is a sense of a world fading away, a world of magic and monsters, and being replaced by a new world of science, not that this is explained clearly (or at all). The world building is gorgeous and lyrical, but there is no reader empathy with any of the characters, since we don't spend any time with any of them (including the boy) long enough to learn of their motivations or backgrounds. The world-building reminds me somewhat of Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, another book where it was completely unclear what the hell was going on, but was mesmerizing all the same. Fans of that one will probably like this one. Though come to think of it, that book made a little more sense than this one.
So 5* for the writing, -1.5* for the complete lack of plot. That gives 3.5*, so let's add 0.5* to round up (plus the ability to evoke an elegiac sense of loss in the reader) for a grand total of 4*.
Want to read
June 27, 2020This book is really different from anything Iv'e read in a long time! It's full of interesting and well thought out characters!! I did get quite a strong Treasure Island feel from it but there were also a lot of mythical elements which makes it the perfect read for fans of lord of the rings and The Hobbit.
The book follows a young boy, Reynard on a long and dangerous journey after he becomes the sole survivor on a ship that has been taken down by the Spanish! Along the way Reynard meets a host of colourful characters who turn him from a scared young boy, to an adventure driven young man!! The plot is full of twists and turns that you never know what is going to happen next!
It does require a level of concentration to keep track of all the characters you meet along the way but it is so worth it! I found it the perfect read to curl up with to be transported to new and amazing places!!
The book follows a young boy, Reynard on a long and dangerous journey after he becomes the sole survivor on a ship that has been taken down by the Spanish! Along the way Reynard meets a host of colourful characters who turn him from a scared young boy, to an adventure driven young man!! The plot is full of twists and turns that you never know what is going to happen next!
It does require a level of concentration to keep track of all the characters you meet along the way but it is so worth it! I found it the perfect read to curl up with to be transported to new and amazing places!!
February 13, 2021
It's hard to describe this book other than an awesome piratelike adventure. It's set in Elizabethan times so the language was a little clunky and old fashioned but once I got used to that it wasn't really a problem. I did have trouble keeping up with all the characters, but I loved all the fantastical creatures along the way and the descriptive world building. This book was written more like one of his hard scifi books that I've read, so it's probably not for the average lighthearted fantasy reader. But I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Greg Bear and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Thank you to Greg Bear and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
January 8, 2025
Very pretty prose that lures you into a strange and mystical world. This was a very unique read and in that sense my favorite kind of fantasy: the kind which lulls you in with its misty forests, its vast secrets that you never quite seem to grasp. It feels rather mythological and with that it's just a complete journey into new lands.
It can be a bit hard to follow, and the characters seem rather abstract and none really "approachable". They too just feel like talking riddles. I can't agree with the low ratings here. The Unfinished Land isn't particularily thrilling and it has you wonder throughout. The protagonist is fundamentally passive. But it paints such a brilliant atmosphere with its prose and nature that it definitely is a worth journey.
It can be a bit hard to follow, and the characters seem rather abstract and none really "approachable". They too just feel like talking riddles. I can't agree with the low ratings here. The Unfinished Land isn't particularily thrilling and it has you wonder throughout. The protagonist is fundamentally passive. But it paints such a brilliant atmosphere with its prose and nature that it definitely is a worth journey.
July 19, 2025
Well sometimes you get what was predicted. I read this book to satisfy the popsugar challenge, A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads. This book had a 2.87 average rating when I picked it up. And it kind of deserves that average. This is not exactly a bad book. The world is interesting and the characters have potential. But the book is all setup. A number of the characters travel through the scenery. And in the end. Well the end felt abrupt. And arbitrary. 2.5 of 5
October 26, 2021
I...what was this book and why was it written?
It wasn't poorly written, but I also didn't understand the story and the why and what Bear was trying to do with it or why I should be invested in these characters. It was a slog and I am not the "person who puts down a book that I'm not enjoying" yet because while life is too short to read terrible books, I'm a pretty fast reader and it's not that much of an investment and I did want to know if anything happened in the end.
Bah.
It wasn't poorly written, but I also didn't understand the story and the why and what Bear was trying to do with it or why I should be invested in these characters. It was a slog and I am not the "person who puts down a book that I'm not enjoying" yet because while life is too short to read terrible books, I'm a pretty fast reader and it's not that much of an investment and I did want to know if anything happened in the end.
Bah.
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