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The Seventh Perfection
Daniel Polansky returns with The Seventh Perfection, an innovative, mind-bending fantasy mystery
When a woman with perfect memory sets out to solve a riddle, the threads she tugs on could bring a whole city crashing down. The God-King who made her is at risk, and his other servants will do anything to stop her.
To become the God-King's Amanuensis, Manet had to master all seven perfections, developing her body and mind to the peak of human performance. She remembers everything that has happened to her, in absolute clarity, a gift that will surely drive her mad. But before she goes, Manet must unravel a secret which threatens not only the carefully prepared myths of the God-King's ascent, but her own identity and the nature of truth itself.
When a woman with perfect memory sets out to solve a riddle, the threads she tugs on could bring a whole city crashing down. The God-King who made her is at risk, and his other servants will do anything to stop her.
To become the God-King's Amanuensis, Manet had to master all seven perfections, developing her body and mind to the peak of human performance. She remembers everything that has happened to her, in absolute clarity, a gift that will surely drive her mad. But before she goes, Manet must unravel a secret which threatens not only the carefully prepared myths of the God-King's ascent, but her own identity and the nature of truth itself.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2020
61 people are currently reading
2532 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Polansky
35 books1,249 followersDaniel Polansky is the author of the Low Town trilogy, Empty Throne duology, the Hugo-nominated novella The Builders, and A City Dreaming. He can be found in Los Angeles, mostly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
October 17, 2020
This was rad. More of an experimental piece, but there's a great implied story. And I actually loved not having any direct first person or third person experiences.
It blew my mind to see that a full story is possible without so many things I now realize I was taking for granted.
It blew my mind to see that a full story is possible without so many things I now realize I was taking for granted.
December 4, 2023
***Note: I received a copy curtesy of Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.
* Plot: 4.5★
* World building: 3.5★
* Characters: 3.5★
* Coherence/Consistency/ Sense of time: 3.5★
* Language/Humor/Witticism: 4★
* Enjoyability: 4+★
This is a story about a woman, Manet, who mastered all seven perfections (??), thus becoming a virtuoso and having perfect memory, and her search for another woman of whom she only has a portrait in a locket.
The most interesting part is that the story is told in a kind of 2nd PoV monologue, as the interviewed people answer Manet/you to questions that are only implied. These monologues are the only way we learn about the world and its history. I really liked that, instead of making it a long standard fantasy novel about a troubled world and a revolution and a God-King, all these things are just hinted at through this ingenious way of writing, and we are given only slivers of information and thereby we are free to supplement the story with our own oppinions and thoughts.
Overall, a very interesting and satisfying read.
L.E. I came across this type of narrative as a 2nd PoV monologue in Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin and I really liked it there too - maybe check it out if you enjoyed this one.
* Plot: 4.5★
* World building: 3.5★
* Characters: 3.5★
* Coherence/Consistency/ Sense of time: 3.5★
* Language/Humor/Witticism: 4★
* Enjoyability: 4+★
This is a story about a woman, Manet, who mastered all seven perfections (??), thus becoming a virtuoso and having perfect memory, and her search for another woman of whom she only has a portrait in a locket.
The most interesting part is that the story is told in a kind of 2nd PoV monologue, as the interviewed people answer Manet/you to questions that are only implied. These monologues are the only way we learn about the world and its history. I really liked that, instead of making it a long standard fantasy novel about a troubled world and a revolution and a God-King, all these things are just hinted at through this ingenious way of writing, and we are given only slivers of information and thereby we are free to supplement the story with our own oppinions and thoughts.
Overall, a very interesting and satisfying read.
L.E. I came across this type of narrative as a 2nd PoV monologue in Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin and I really liked it there too - maybe check it out if you enjoyed this one.
October 4, 2020
Manet is on a search for a woman on behalf of a God-King. Although we never hear Manet’s point of view, it is possible that there are hidden motivations for the search. The story is told by the people she interviews, in a series of monologues. We never even hear the questions she asks them. In an extremely disjointed fashion, we learn some things about both the woman and an old revolution.
I would have been more interested in the plot of this book if the structure had not been so confusing. There was some interesting world building. I know that the author was trying for something unique, but it was annoying. Also, I suggest that you not listen to the audiobook. The narrator of the audiobook was not good at creating distinctive voices so it was impossible to tell the speakers apart. She was particularly bad with male voices.
I would have been more interested in the plot of this book if the structure had not been so confusing. There was some interesting world building. I know that the author was trying for something unique, but it was annoying. Also, I suggest that you not listen to the audiobook. The narrator of the audiobook was not good at creating distinctive voices so it was impossible to tell the speakers apart. She was particularly bad with male voices.
August 12, 2020
The Seventh Perfection is a unique read due to the writing. It's in second person narration but it felt like a one sided conversation with myself and kind of made me feel a little confused with what was going on. If this was written differently I think I would've liked it more, even though the writing is what makes it different. It makes for a different reading experience for sure but I think I would've liked more backstory and more answers. It was interesting enough and the ending was open-ended. I have more questions than answers to be honest.. I am not the biggest fan of when that happens.
Thanks so much to netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced copy!
Thanks so much to netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced copy!
March 2, 2021
ARC received from the publisher (Tor.com) in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes, you know a book will be perfect for you going into it. Sometimes, like here, you stumble into it completely unawares. It was the cover that first caught my eye, and then the blurb – a woman with a perfect memory looking for answers. But it was the prose and the narrative style that won me over. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I still think it’s best to go in blind and knowing no more than that, but if you need more convincing…
The narrative is fragmentary, each chapter from the point of view of a different character telling something to our protagonist, who remains invisible. She moves through the story like a ghost, seen and spoken to, but never heard. A trick like that takes skill. I’m not sure it would work in a novel, but Polansky did it masterfully.
Along the way, we slowly learn what Manet, our protagonist is looking for and how the current state of affairs came to be. The setting and its history are a delight. I also loved how it played with themes of truth and the cost of learning it, propaganda, revolutions, power.
Since the hints are dribbled slowly, since none of the narrators is very reliable and many of them are odd, you have to do some assembly yourself. But oh, do I ever love it.
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: fans of literary fantasy, those looking for stories told in unique ways, if you liked The Gray House or City of Saints and Madmen but are looking for something shorter
Not recommended to: I don’t know, those who like their stories told in a straightforward fashion?
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Sometimes, you know a book will be perfect for you going into it. Sometimes, like here, you stumble into it completely unawares. It was the cover that first caught my eye, and then the blurb – a woman with a perfect memory looking for answers. But it was the prose and the narrative style that won me over. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I still think it’s best to go in blind and knowing no more than that, but if you need more convincing…
The narrative is fragmentary, each chapter from the point of view of a different character telling something to our protagonist, who remains invisible. She moves through the story like a ghost, seen and spoken to, but never heard. A trick like that takes skill. I’m not sure it would work in a novel, but Polansky did it masterfully.
Along the way, we slowly learn what Manet, our protagonist is looking for and how the current state of affairs came to be. The setting and its history are a delight. I also loved how it played with themes of truth and the cost of learning it, propaganda, revolutions, power.
Since the hints are dribbled slowly, since none of the narrators is very reliable and many of them are odd, you have to do some assembly yourself. But oh, do I ever love it.
Enjoyment: 5/5
Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: fans of literary fantasy, those looking for stories told in unique ways, if you liked The Gray House or City of Saints and Madmen but are looking for something shorter
Not recommended to: I don’t know, those who like their stories told in a straightforward fashion?
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
June 4, 2022
“Remember that I said that. Will you remember? Someone really ought to.”
When a servant of the God King sets out to solve a riddle, the threads she tugs on could bring a whole city crashing down…
Trying to explain/review this will be the toughest feat of my career, but I’m gonna try.
So this book reads as if you are the POV player in an adventure video game where you are trying to solve a mystery by going around and asking various people questions. Those people point you in the direction of new people and places, and so and and so forth, the story unfolds.
The coolest part about this book is that the questions we as the main character must be asking to these other characters aren’t written in the book, so as a reader you have to deduce what you’ve asked from the answers given. I know this sounds bananas, but once you get the hang of it, man is it cool.
I would say about 4% of the characters we meet and speak with are in their right mind, so that’s a bit of an overwhelming experience. 0 world-building is done outside of these conversations with characters so you’ll also have to spend a minute unravelling that too.
I really don’t want to tell y’all anything else, other than PLEASE read this so I have someone to talk about it with.
To finish, I would say I graduated from this story with (1) a great appreciation of Daniel Polansky as a writer (2) an understanding of 60% of what occurred and (3) a headache. I could not recommend it more.
The Seventh Playlist:
- Under the Table // Fiona Apple
- Hell’s Comin’ With Me // Poor Mans Poison
- Yellow Flicker Beat // Lorde
“Some people leap straight into cold water, and some wade in an inch at a time, shivering all the while. And there are some who need to be pushed.”
When a servant of the God King sets out to solve a riddle, the threads she tugs on could bring a whole city crashing down…
Trying to explain/review this will be the toughest feat of my career, but I’m gonna try.
So this book reads as if you are the POV player in an adventure video game where you are trying to solve a mystery by going around and asking various people questions. Those people point you in the direction of new people and places, and so and and so forth, the story unfolds.
The coolest part about this book is that the questions we as the main character must be asking to these other characters aren’t written in the book, so as a reader you have to deduce what you’ve asked from the answers given. I know this sounds bananas, but once you get the hang of it, man is it cool.
I would say about 4% of the characters we meet and speak with are in their right mind, so that’s a bit of an overwhelming experience. 0 world-building is done outside of these conversations with characters so you’ll also have to spend a minute unravelling that too.
I really don’t want to tell y’all anything else, other than PLEASE read this so I have someone to talk about it with.
To finish, I would say I graduated from this story with (1) a great appreciation of Daniel Polansky as a writer (2) an understanding of 60% of what occurred and (3) a headache. I could not recommend it more.
The Seventh Playlist:
- Under the Table // Fiona Apple
- Hell’s Comin’ With Me // Poor Mans Poison
- Yellow Flicker Beat // Lorde
“Some people leap straight into cold water, and some wade in an inch at a time, shivering all the while. And there are some who need to be pushed.”
May 6, 2024
Go in blind. Do not read the blurb. Or do, to see if you're at all interested in this book, but then forget it because it does the book injustice. It's a blurb for a regular book, an epic fantasy about a person with perfect memory and a mystery that will tear everything down, and that's not this book. That's more like The Tainted Cup.
This book is experimental. It's written in the POV of everyone the main character meets over the course of three days, and expressed exclusively through their side of the dialogue. You get one side of each conversation and that's all. No actions, no description, nothing but the words spoken by the people she meets, not all of them human. And thus, the story unfolds.
It's a thing of beauty. It's a delightful way to reveal the main character's goal, her yearning, her desperation, and the rich world of the book. The book is physically beautiful too; sink into that cover art. It's the kind of product that has little reason to earn back the expense Tor put into it, but they publish anyway out of love of great books.
This book is experimental. It's written in the POV of everyone the main character meets over the course of three days, and expressed exclusively through their side of the dialogue. You get one side of each conversation and that's all. No actions, no description, nothing but the words spoken by the people she meets, not all of them human. And thus, the story unfolds.
It's a thing of beauty. It's a delightful way to reveal the main character's goal, her yearning, her desperation, and the rich world of the book. The book is physically beautiful too; sink into that cover art. It's the kind of product that has little reason to earn back the expense Tor put into it, but they publish anyway out of love of great books.
July 8, 2021
This is a very unusually narrated SFF novella. Sadly, it wasn’t read enough by people, who nominate for awards like Hugo or Locus or Nebula, therefore, it is not in this year (2021) shortlists, even if I think it was better than most novellas that got there. I read is as a part of monthly reading for July 2021 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group.
The narration of the story is unique or at least I haven’t read anything similar: readers get a part of dialogue between an investigator and people she meets during her investigations. So, we jump-in knowing nothing about the nature of investigation, the setting or even whether it is a SF or fantasy.
From the very first dialogues we find out that the investigator is called Amanuensis, that she is in a city with street vendors and people mention a God King, Temple and the Rising, which happened a quarter century ago. Seems like a fantasy, but then we are made aware that Amanuensis shows a locket with a hologram of a woman (?), which make her sources instantly tight-lipped and in a hurry to be elsewhere. So maybe SF?
As the story progress, readers get more tidbits about the world and the quest. Because of the nature of one-sided dialogues there are no infodumps, but a slow accretion of information. While the story per se doesn’t have any novel twists, the narration definitely makes it stand out.
The narration of the story is unique or at least I haven’t read anything similar: readers get a part of dialogue between an investigator and people she meets during her investigations. So, we jump-in knowing nothing about the nature of investigation, the setting or even whether it is a SF or fantasy.
From the very first dialogues we find out that the investigator is called Amanuensis, that she is in a city with street vendors and people mention a God King, Temple and the Rising, which happened a quarter century ago. Seems like a fantasy, but then we are made aware that Amanuensis shows a locket with a hologram of a woman (?), which make her sources instantly tight-lipped and in a hurry to be elsewhere. So maybe SF?
As the story progress, readers get more tidbits about the world and the quest. Because of the nature of one-sided dialogues there are no infodumps, but a slow accretion of information. While the story per se doesn’t have any novel twists, the narration definitely makes it stand out.
Read
March 28, 2024I read this book.
*
Maybe I didn't have the patience for this experimental work. It reminded me of a role-playing game where you would choose to ask a question and the pixelated npc would proceed to spout paragraphs of information while you attempted to click through and close all the boxes so you could get on with the game. Because video game writing, right? Except. With this it was completely one-sided, you didn't ask any questions. Several characters would speak to another as if they were doing said asking, though they were not, and what's left sort of resembles persons speaking to themselves. Some of us might be guilty of doing so, Michelle maybe, but I haven't put my finger, or toe, on why this method seemed a good idea. Other than practice.
Good points: urrr...the writing of course...urrr... one could learn to not overtell...urrr...urrr...mystery writing...
*
Maybe I didn't have the patience for this experimental work. It reminded me of a role-playing game where you would choose to ask a question and the pixelated npc would proceed to spout paragraphs of information while you attempted to click through and close all the boxes so you could get on with the game. Because video game writing, right? Except. With this it was completely one-sided, you didn't ask any questions. Several characters would speak to another as if they were doing said asking, though they were not, and what's left sort of resembles persons speaking to themselves. Some of us might be guilty of doing so, Michelle maybe, but I haven't put my finger, or toe, on why this method seemed a good idea. Other than practice.
Good points: urrr...the writing of course...urrr... one could learn to not overtell...urrr...urrr...mystery writing...
July 7, 2021
Leaning more towards 4.5 stars.
This was a wonderful experience: A story told in way of a discussion where only one side of the discussion can be heard. We only ever see the answers and reactions of those characters the protagonist is interacting with. The speaking and acting part of the protagonist self has to be deduced, the plot has to be figured out layer by layer as we go along. There is no narration, no description. A bold and - for me - completely new experiment. Kudos to the author for this approach. Even with this minimalistic structure Polansky succeeded in bringing to life a quite vivid picture of his world in my mind.
Fantastic! My only question is why it didn't show up on the award short lists for this year.
This was a wonderful experience: A story told in way of a discussion where only one side of the discussion can be heard. We only ever see the answers and reactions of those characters the protagonist is interacting with. The speaking and acting part of the protagonist self has to be deduced, the plot has to be figured out layer by layer as we go along. There is no narration, no description. A bold and - for me - completely new experiment. Kudos to the author for this approach. Even with this minimalistic structure Polansky succeeded in bringing to life a quite vivid picture of his world in my mind.
Fantastic! My only question is why it didn't show up on the award short lists for this year.
June 7, 2020
My first Polansky. Definitely not the last. Longer review to come.
October 13, 2020
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
There is only one way to satisfy an irrevocable urge to uncover the truth: you go hunting for answers. It is not the destination that will serve as the driving force of this journey but the desire to eliminate all of the dreaded possibilities that your mind could conceive as you’re left to reflect upon them. Author Daniel Polansky (Low Town trilogy, The Builders) now returns with a brand-new novella that will send readers into a mysterious world where slaves are trained to develop their body and mind to the peak of human performance before becoming the God King’s Amanuensis. However, one woman’s past will send her looking for the truth behind the history of her society prior to kneeling before her destiny.
What is The Seventh Perfection about? The story follows the journey of a woman with perfect memory off to unravel a mystery that will leave severe repercussions on a whole city. Having gone through rigorous training to become the God King’s Amanuensis, she is now hunted down by her fellow servants with their master at risk of unprecedented backlash. Driven with a desire to uncover this secret born from a past that haunts her, she runs into various individuals from different classes within society to obtain answers that could demystify the mythology carefully conceived for their God King while also embarking on a quest of self-discovery through the deconstruction of the truth.
In this fantasy mystery, writer Daniel Polansky constructs a fascinating narrative puzzle for readers to discover and indulge. The story offers a unique structure where each chapter is a different individual interacting with you, symbolically representing the protagonist, and all this without a hint of what she asks or tells them. It is thus up to the reader, never given the answer on a silver platter, to piece together this mystery and understand the chain of events as they play out. Without mercifully feeding the reader with extensive world-building, a low-fantasy setting also serves as an ideal background for this ideology-heavy story that seeks to explore politics through an in-depth analysis of the truth, one that is so fragile, taken for granted, and assumed-universal.
While the world in which it is set isn’t the main attraction, this novella succeeds to immerse readers by introducing strange yet delightful characters with singular personalities that allowed each and every one of them to have a life of their own. It is through their discourse that readers must bring to light the protagonist’s identity, her query, and her motives. This thus forces readers to be engaged by the narrative, to seek out the theological, political, and societal climate of this world, just like the protagonist as she tries to grasp the truth behind the God King’s ascension. Despite the pacing behind the story being slow and rocky at first, you are bound to be enchanted by this literary marvel and its quest towards untangling an engrossing mystery.
The Seventh Perfection is a thought-provoking fantasy mystery exploring a society’s mythology and one woman’s journey to uncovering the truth.
Thank you to Raincoast Books for sending me a copy for review!
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
September 22, 2020
10/10 stars
The full review is available on my blog here.
The Seventh Perfection is a fantasy mystery. Set in a city still remembering the throes of popular revolution which dramatically altered its physical, ideological and spiritual landscape two decades prior, the novella follows Manet – a young woman gifted with an eidetic memory and rigorously trained to become God-King’s Amanuensis. Amanuensis is a sort of a glorified portable memory/bodyguard/entertainment center slave, and the titular seven perfections refer to seven disciplines of mind and body that an adept must master before they are deemed worthy of entering the presence of the God-King. Manet has finished her training, attaining all seven perfections; but before she assumes the position of Amanuensis, she needs to solve a mystery surrounding her past. That obsession drives her through the city like a honed knife, and The Seventh Perfection is the recording of her quest: we travel with Manet from one person to another, listening to their answers, searching for clues, teasing apart the conspiracy of silence surrounding the events of the revolution. Polansky lets the readers become Manet, in a manner peculiarly reminiscent of video games: the text of The Seventh Perfection consists only of responses of the people Manet meets along the way; and her unrecorded, unwritten questions become ours as we must ask them ourselves while slowly learning about the city’s history, Manet’s quest and its real stakes.
There are so many aspects of this novella that I loved, and ironically enough the fantasy elements are at the end of the list. Both the exalted God-King living in his magic tower, and the Amanuenses and their seven perfections are necessary here, but as a prop: without them, particularly without the eidetic memory of our protagonist, this novella wouldn’t make much sense. But these elements are absolutely secondary in the development of the story and its protagonist; the more important aspects are hidden deep within the pages, patiently waiting to be found.
On the surface, The Seventh Perfection is a mystery set in a fantastical world. But when you dig deeper, it turns into a fascinating reflection on power, truth, and sacrifice. It’s a very political novella and more than once while reading I had flashes of historic events in mind: various popular revolutions, from Europe and South America. The Seventh Perfection asks many incredibly pertinent questions regarding not only our political and ideological systems, but also regarding the way societies shape their identities and institutions. Polansky slyly analyses the very real chasm between the worldviews of people representing the old world and the new; the shaping of history by the victors and the slow dissolution and diminishing of those ground beneath the inexorable wheel of events; and the role of individual heroes within popular social movements – are they catalysts, instigators, or simply convenient symbols? He even manages to cram in these 170-odd pages a short impression of the curious way in which for many people even the bloodiest, most radical political change in fact changes nothing.
Polansky’s writing is impeccable here; there are no empty runs, no red herrings. Each character has their unique voice and agency, and we meet an astounding variety of them, from the lowest to the highest echelons of the city. The action runs smoothly and linearly, out of necessity streamlined into a form of an interrogation, of a series of meetings, more or less accidental, that shape not only one life, but, in the end, the lives of all. Could it have been a bit less simple, a bit less like an artistic, highly ambitious video game? I’m pretty sure the answer’s yes; but I’m not at all certain it would make The Seventh Perfection any better. Polansky’s novella is a very quick, slick and immersive read; an open invitation for a truly wild ride. But beware: it puts a lot of weight on the shoulders of its readers, going off the deep end and not caring if they can swim – it offers no explanations and no shortcuts to easy answers, and yet in return for a bit of goodwill it delivers a very satisfying, highly rewarding reading experience.
Enough of the gushing. I’ll finish this review by saying that The Seventh Perfection is for me one the best reads of 2020. Short, slick, brutal, challenging, mind-bending and thought-provoking – what else would you need? 😀
I received a copy of this novella from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!
The full review is available on my blog here.
The Seventh Perfection is a fantasy mystery. Set in a city still remembering the throes of popular revolution which dramatically altered its physical, ideological and spiritual landscape two decades prior, the novella follows Manet – a young woman gifted with an eidetic memory and rigorously trained to become God-King’s Amanuensis. Amanuensis is a sort of a glorified portable memory/bodyguard/entertainment center slave, and the titular seven perfections refer to seven disciplines of mind and body that an adept must master before they are deemed worthy of entering the presence of the God-King. Manet has finished her training, attaining all seven perfections; but before she assumes the position of Amanuensis, she needs to solve a mystery surrounding her past. That obsession drives her through the city like a honed knife, and The Seventh Perfection is the recording of her quest: we travel with Manet from one person to another, listening to their answers, searching for clues, teasing apart the conspiracy of silence surrounding the events of the revolution. Polansky lets the readers become Manet, in a manner peculiarly reminiscent of video games: the text of The Seventh Perfection consists only of responses of the people Manet meets along the way; and her unrecorded, unwritten questions become ours as we must ask them ourselves while slowly learning about the city’s history, Manet’s quest and its real stakes.
There are so many aspects of this novella that I loved, and ironically enough the fantasy elements are at the end of the list. Both the exalted God-King living in his magic tower, and the Amanuenses and their seven perfections are necessary here, but as a prop: without them, particularly without the eidetic memory of our protagonist, this novella wouldn’t make much sense. But these elements are absolutely secondary in the development of the story and its protagonist; the more important aspects are hidden deep within the pages, patiently waiting to be found.
On the surface, The Seventh Perfection is a mystery set in a fantastical world. But when you dig deeper, it turns into a fascinating reflection on power, truth, and sacrifice. It’s a very political novella and more than once while reading I had flashes of historic events in mind: various popular revolutions, from Europe and South America. The Seventh Perfection asks many incredibly pertinent questions regarding not only our political and ideological systems, but also regarding the way societies shape their identities and institutions. Polansky slyly analyses the very real chasm between the worldviews of people representing the old world and the new; the shaping of history by the victors and the slow dissolution and diminishing of those ground beneath the inexorable wheel of events; and the role of individual heroes within popular social movements – are they catalysts, instigators, or simply convenient symbols? He even manages to cram in these 170-odd pages a short impression of the curious way in which for many people even the bloodiest, most radical political change in fact changes nothing.
Polansky’s writing is impeccable here; there are no empty runs, no red herrings. Each character has their unique voice and agency, and we meet an astounding variety of them, from the lowest to the highest echelons of the city. The action runs smoothly and linearly, out of necessity streamlined into a form of an interrogation, of a series of meetings, more or less accidental, that shape not only one life, but, in the end, the lives of all. Could it have been a bit less simple, a bit less like an artistic, highly ambitious video game? I’m pretty sure the answer’s yes; but I’m not at all certain it would make The Seventh Perfection any better. Polansky’s novella is a very quick, slick and immersive read; an open invitation for a truly wild ride. But beware: it puts a lot of weight on the shoulders of its readers, going off the deep end and not caring if they can swim – it offers no explanations and no shortcuts to easy answers, and yet in return for a bit of goodwill it delivers a very satisfying, highly rewarding reading experience.
Enough of the gushing. I’ll finish this review by saying that The Seventh Perfection is for me one the best reads of 2020. Short, slick, brutal, challenging, mind-bending and thought-provoking – what else would you need? 😀
I received a copy of this novella from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!
September 22, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This was a very entertaining read. The story follows a girl looking for information about a person whose image appears in a locket. This main character has perfect memory recall. The story is told in monologue format from various people that the main character interviews. Ye get no perspective of the girl herself. The questions she asks in her investigation are hinted at by the answers the other characters give. Each chapter showcases a different person. The world building is glimpsed in tiny snippets. Basically every aspect of this book is a puzzle that the reader must figure out. I rather enjoyed the journey. Just go with the flow.
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Tor.com!
This was a very entertaining read. The story follows a girl looking for information about a person whose image appears in a locket. This main character has perfect memory recall. The story is told in monologue format from various people that the main character interviews. Ye get no perspective of the girl herself. The questions she asks in her investigation are hinted at by the answers the other characters give. Each chapter showcases a different person. The world building is glimpsed in tiny snippets. Basically every aspect of this book is a puzzle that the reader must figure out. I rather enjoyed the journey. Just go with the flow.
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Tor.com!
September 17, 2020
Probably more of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.
I was so intrigued when I first saw this premise but what really made me wanna read this book was that very painting like beautiful cover. And this one has definitely surprised me.
I’ve read only a few short stories and other works which are written in second person, and I have come to distinctly associate it with N. K. Jemisin. But it was such a surprise to see such creative use of this writing style in this novella. While the story itself stays close to the premise that is mentioned on GR, the way the author goes about it is very unique and really did have me thinking hard on trying to connect the dots. It’s all a one sided conversation with many many unusual characters, and we have to rely on the shaky and unreliable memories of these people to try and figure out what’s going on. We don’t get the protagonist’s POV at all, so it was very interesting to try and get to understand her motivations.
There is also an underlying theme about revolution, what happens after it is successful, are the legends that are borne out of it always truthful or merely exaggerated, and do the general public really need to know the actual truth or just the manufactured one that keeps them content. It’s also very interesting to see how memories change over time, what and how we try to remember them and what it really says about us.
To conclude though, despite all this interesting stuff, I wasn’t satisfied with the story and would have preferred if it was a longer book so that we could have gotten to know the world a little more and just gotten more answers in general. The ending is also slightly open ended and I’m not usually a fan. However, I would still recommend this novella just to experience something so fascinating and singular.
I was so intrigued when I first saw this premise but what really made me wanna read this book was that very painting like beautiful cover. And this one has definitely surprised me.
I’ve read only a few short stories and other works which are written in second person, and I have come to distinctly associate it with N. K. Jemisin. But it was such a surprise to see such creative use of this writing style in this novella. While the story itself stays close to the premise that is mentioned on GR, the way the author goes about it is very unique and really did have me thinking hard on trying to connect the dots. It’s all a one sided conversation with many many unusual characters, and we have to rely on the shaky and unreliable memories of these people to try and figure out what’s going on. We don’t get the protagonist’s POV at all, so it was very interesting to try and get to understand her motivations.
There is also an underlying theme about revolution, what happens after it is successful, are the legends that are borne out of it always truthful or merely exaggerated, and do the general public really need to know the actual truth or just the manufactured one that keeps them content. It’s also very interesting to see how memories change over time, what and how we try to remember them and what it really says about us.
To conclude though, despite all this interesting stuff, I wasn’t satisfied with the story and would have preferred if it was a longer book so that we could have gotten to know the world a little more and just gotten more answers in general. The ending is also slightly open ended and I’m not usually a fan. However, I would still recommend this novella just to experience something so fascinating and singular.
September 25, 2020
This one was very interesting. All the characters talk directly to you and the author has left most of the world-building to the reader's imagination.
Loved it.
November 30, 2021
Kad bolje razmislim, Polanski me nijednom do sada nije izneverio. Sviđa mi se i put kojim se kreće. Od solidne grimdark low fantasy trilogije, preko urban fantasy čarobnjačkog road tripa, Ezopa na meskalinu pa do... pa ovoga. Trebalo bi, verovatno, da pričekam malo, da mi se slegnu utisci ali svi znamo da neću ništa napisati ako odložim tako da..
Ovo je s jedne strane mladalački smelo a s druge veoma zrelo delo. Eksperiment s formom koji je ovde napravio, iako neuobičajen i na prvi mah težak za navikavanje, zapravo bolje uvlači čitaoca u svet koji... ah, zašao bih u spojlere ovde a to mi je anatema! (A o toliko detalja bih pričao, pročitajte, pročitajte!) Ima ovde materijala za trilogiju, majstorski spakovanog u 170 strana, uz neovlašne komentare o identitetu, politici, odnosu moći i istine... I ono što je najbitnije, zabavno je i uživao sam u čitanju.
Ovo je s jedne strane mladalački smelo a s druge veoma zrelo delo. Eksperiment s formom koji je ovde napravio, iako neuobičajen i na prvi mah težak za navikavanje, zapravo bolje uvlači čitaoca u svet koji... ah, zašao bih u spojlere ovde a to mi je anatema! (A o toliko detalja bih pričao, pročitajte, pročitajte!) Ima ovde materijala za trilogiju, majstorski spakovanog u 170 strana, uz neovlašne komentare o identitetu, politici, odnosu moći i istine... I ono što je najbitnije, zabavno je i uživao sam u čitanju.
October 7, 2021
El estilo en segunda persona es un currazo espectacular que le sale bastante bien. No me ha gustado tanto como The Builders del mismo autor pero en estructura está es más original.
September 22, 2020
This little novel is thoroughly unique and incredibly bold. Not only does Polansky tackle a second-person POV, he tells the story in a series of one-sided conversations between various characters and our mysterious, voiceless protagonist. As another reviewer put it, it reads like you are in the room of someone else on a phone call: you get one half of the conversation and have to interpret from there.
This is a challenging way to write a story. Polansky has given himself the task of creating a world and a plot with only one-sided dialogue, and he still somehow manages to make it work. The plot starts out somewhat confusing, but you slowly start to understand more and more about Manet, the God-King, and situation of his rise. Furthermore, I found that Polansky was able to give Manet, his silent protagonist, a surprising amount of personality through the lens of others and the way they react to her and her unseen dialogue.
It doesn’t always work. There are times where explanations and world-building feel artificially created, and there are times when I got frustrated by the lack of explanation in certain aspects of the story telling (the Kelp stirrers? Sweetness? There is a lot that goes unexplained). Still, I can’t help but feel that the parts that do work are so cleverly done that they outweigh the parts that are more foggy.
This won’t be a story for everyone. It’s a tale for lovers of the genre, yes, but it’s also a tale for lovers of truly innovative storytelling. What Polansky has accomplished is a feat, even with its shortcomings. I really enjoyed the novelty of this read.
This is a challenging way to write a story. Polansky has given himself the task of creating a world and a plot with only one-sided dialogue, and he still somehow manages to make it work. The plot starts out somewhat confusing, but you slowly start to understand more and more about Manet, the God-King, and situation of his rise. Furthermore, I found that Polansky was able to give Manet, his silent protagonist, a surprising amount of personality through the lens of others and the way they react to her and her unseen dialogue.
It doesn’t always work. There are times where explanations and world-building feel artificially created, and there are times when I got frustrated by the lack of explanation in certain aspects of the story telling (the Kelp stirrers? Sweetness? There is a lot that goes unexplained). Still, I can’t help but feel that the parts that do work are so cleverly done that they outweigh the parts that are more foggy.
This won’t be a story for everyone. It’s a tale for lovers of the genre, yes, but it’s also a tale for lovers of truly innovative storytelling. What Polansky has accomplished is a feat, even with its shortcomings. I really enjoyed the novelty of this read.
September 12, 2020
This is one of those books where the audiobook narration does NOT work at all. The Seventh Perfection has some really cool concepts, but since the audiobook narrator is one person rather than a full cast, the execution of this story was really poor. I found myself not being about to distinguish between the different characters or really even orient myself around who was speaking when.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
December 29, 2023
Second person perspective slayyyy!! I kinda don’t love when 2nd person has a lot of “you enter in the inn” “you say” etc but this has NONE of that bc the protagonist doesn’t speak, think, or act on the page at all!! Made it super super interesting for the dialogue bc the protagonist’s responses are omitted so I found myself filling in the gaps with a voice of my own creation.
Found the story very interesting too! She unravels an thread that can’t be undone and though we never hear from her, her story, motives, emotions, and thoughts become clear through the conversations with the other characters. The seventh perfection being memory is seriously such a curse, something said frequently in the book, and something I thought about myself as well. To remember everything, every detail, forever….and then to see what occurs to the King/Queen in that respect.
The story is very open ended in the end. Is this for the better or worse of society? I like to think the protagonist is also the antagonist of this story, personally.
Found the story very interesting too! She unravels an thread that can’t be undone and though we never hear from her, her story, motives, emotions, and thoughts become clear through the conversations with the other characters. The seventh perfection being memory is seriously such a curse, something said frequently in the book, and something I thought about myself as well. To remember everything, every detail, forever….and then to see what occurs to the King/Queen in that respect.
The story is very open ended in the end. Is this for the better or worse of society? I like to think the protagonist is also the antagonist of this story, personally.
March 15, 2023
Quick, a study in the use of the second person. A bit unsatisfying in the ending, a bit railroaded, but a worthy experiment and an enjoyable couple of hours.
October 6, 2020
Fantastic. Unique. An exquisite example of how "world-building" ought to be done, which is to say by implication, while telling one character's story, rather than as if one were building an RPG supplement, or an entire wikipedia for a non-existent world. It's not even possible to label this clearly as "fantasy" or "science fiction" as there are elements that could be interpreted either way and the fantastical elements could as easily be explained as having science fictional underpinnings.
The style and pov will not be to the taste of many. The main character here is shown only in the reactions and responses of the people she interacts with, with the exception of one one chapter near the end which is still distanced. It's probably the closest approach the the loathsome second person you can get without making me want to punch the book in the face.
The ending is not really the sort that I'd hoped for, but there is a sense to it. I would love to see more of this world explored, through other stories, other characters, and I wonder if it's intended to tie in to any of Polansky's other work, of which I've read only a little so far.
Maybe not a perfect 5, but more than close enough. Excellent.
The style and pov will not be to the taste of many. The main character here is shown only in the reactions and responses of the people she interacts with, with the exception of one one chapter near the end which is still distanced. It's probably the closest approach the the loathsome second person you can get without making me want to punch the book in the face.
The ending is not really the sort that I'd hoped for, but there is a sense to it. I would love to see more of this world explored, through other stories, other characters, and I wonder if it's intended to tie in to any of Polansky's other work, of which I've read only a little so far.
Maybe not a perfect 5, but more than close enough. Excellent.
August 26, 2020
This is going to be a difficult book to review.
To start, I enjoyed this. Yes, different styles appeal to me, but Polansky has written something engaging and intriguing that kept pulling me back, despite not having a central narrator. To elaborate; The Seventh Perfection is a tale of revolution, of revisionism, of mystery. We have a central view point, a woman who investigating a strange hologram locket. The story is told by the people she interviews, their dialogue like a stream of consciousness. They respond to her questions, yet we never see them, never can tell what our view point is doing or saying. And so it goes, one interviewee leading to the next, dropping hints for who to seek out, who might have an answer.
Seventh Perfection tells two stories really. The first is our present, the investigation. The second is the past, of a revolution to overthrow the previous ruler. A God, supposedly. Whether there were or not, who can say. They fell and were replaced at the end of the day. And like all good revolutions, there are always those who lament what is lost, of a glorious past. And these too our investigator talks to.
Impressions, impressions. The first few chapters threw me; who wouldn't? It's a strange choice in narrative voice, and not one I'd come across before. Quickly I found myself reading chapter after chapter, curious to see who would come next. By and large, each of these interactions felt separate; while some were so strange it would be hard to mistake, I never felt like the voices were too close for different characters.
This is the second Polansky I've read, the first being The Builders, and his writing style I quite like. I should probably try and hunt down some longer form fiction of his at some point. It's not overly descriptive, but at the same time doesn't stray into overly workmanlike. Again, it's hard to really describe his writing, for we're not given anything that you could consider traditional. There's no real description of the world, just brief glimpses we get as people recollect history. There's barely any description of characters, unless we double back onto another who knows a previous speaker. Frustratingly, I can't tell you more.
I end on the ending. I'm not sure what happened, not really. There are hints, but how Polansky wants us to interpret them, I'm at a bit of a loss. Was it deliberate? Would it have benefited from another chapter or two? I can't say, and considering the stylistic choices, it's hard to see how more would have achieved anything else. I want to know more, and that's always a good hook.
I was given a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
To start, I enjoyed this. Yes, different styles appeal to me, but Polansky has written something engaging and intriguing that kept pulling me back, despite not having a central narrator. To elaborate; The Seventh Perfection is a tale of revolution, of revisionism, of mystery. We have a central view point, a woman who investigating a strange hologram locket. The story is told by the people she interviews, their dialogue like a stream of consciousness. They respond to her questions, yet we never see them, never can tell what our view point is doing or saying. And so it goes, one interviewee leading to the next, dropping hints for who to seek out, who might have an answer.
Seventh Perfection tells two stories really. The first is our present, the investigation. The second is the past, of a revolution to overthrow the previous ruler. A God, supposedly. Whether there were or not, who can say. They fell and were replaced at the end of the day. And like all good revolutions, there are always those who lament what is lost, of a glorious past. And these too our investigator talks to.
Impressions, impressions. The first few chapters threw me; who wouldn't? It's a strange choice in narrative voice, and not one I'd come across before. Quickly I found myself reading chapter after chapter, curious to see who would come next. By and large, each of these interactions felt separate; while some were so strange it would be hard to mistake, I never felt like the voices were too close for different characters.
This is the second Polansky I've read, the first being The Builders, and his writing style I quite like. I should probably try and hunt down some longer form fiction of his at some point. It's not overly descriptive, but at the same time doesn't stray into overly workmanlike. Again, it's hard to really describe his writing, for we're not given anything that you could consider traditional. There's no real description of the world, just brief glimpses we get as people recollect history. There's barely any description of characters, unless we double back onto another who knows a previous speaker. Frustratingly, I can't tell you more.
I end on the ending. I'm not sure what happened, not really. There are hints, but how Polansky wants us to interpret them, I'm at a bit of a loss. Was it deliberate? Would it have benefited from another chapter or two? I can't say, and considering the stylistic choices, it's hard to see how more would have achieved anything else. I want to know more, and that's always a good hook.
I was given a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2020
This is one of those "what the hell did I just read??" books. Told entirely in one-sided dialogue (think how in Legend of Zelda games, Link never speaks, though there are occasional gaps where his dialogue would go and people talk to him as though he's talking back - it's like that) and each chapter a different person speaks to Manet (our MC, our eyes, ourself), with a few people being visited twice.
When I first started this novella, I was worried that I was missing something, that there was some previous work I needed to have read in order to understand what was going on, but the style was fascinating and so I kept at it. And I couldn't stop. There are so many interesting themes: obsession, victim blaming, who writes history, public justice, sacrifice, truth... Also, this would make an amazing full-cast audiobook. Seriously.
Alas it only gets a four because I still feel confused and vaguely unsettled, feeling like this is some kind of lengthy introduction to something else - or maybe a conclusion? But I'm absolutely going to be seeking out other works by this author. Because this was brilliant.
{Thank you Tor.com and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy; all thoughts are my own}
When I first started this novella, I was worried that I was missing something, that there was some previous work I needed to have read in order to understand what was going on, but the style was fascinating and so I kept at it. And I couldn't stop. There are so many interesting themes: obsession, victim blaming, who writes history, public justice, sacrifice, truth... Also, this would make an amazing full-cast audiobook. Seriously.
Alas it only gets a four because I still feel confused and vaguely unsettled, feeling like this is some kind of lengthy introduction to something else - or maybe a conclusion? But I'm absolutely going to be seeking out other works by this author. Because this was brilliant.
{Thank you Tor.com and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy; all thoughts are my own}
August 7, 2020
No, The Seventh Perfection isn't named for Daniel Polansky's previous seven flawless books.
Instead it's the most imaginative book I've read all year. A second person POV fantastical mystery that's as enthralling as our Manet.
Manet bounces from person to person, we as the reader only get to see the interviewee's side of the conversation.
Slowly things begin to make a little sense, then a little more, and before you know it I'm drawing venn diagrams with all the character's names and how they relate and oh my god it's 3 AM and I've had 4 cups of coffee.
I'm left in awe with how Polansky wrote this story. My immediate impulse is to go back for an instant re-read. It is *that* good. And I can only imagine the clues I missed on a first read through.
100/5
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC ebook!
Instead it's the most imaginative book I've read all year. A second person POV fantastical mystery that's as enthralling as our Manet.
Manet bounces from person to person, we as the reader only get to see the interviewee's side of the conversation.
Slowly things begin to make a little sense, then a little more, and before you know it I'm drawing venn diagrams with all the character's names and how they relate and oh my god it's 3 AM and I've had 4 cups of coffee.
I'm left in awe with how Polansky wrote this story. My immediate impulse is to go back for an instant re-read. It is *that* good. And I can only imagine the clues I missed on a first read through.
100/5
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC ebook!
August 31, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing an ARC!
_________________________
I skimmed the synopsis of this one: when I saw the number of pages and the length of the synopsis, I felt I would be less surprised if I read it thoroughly! And I was right!
So, if you want to go blind in this novella, just know that it's original, strange to the point of being somewhat fascinating, and really surprising in its ending!
If you want to know more, keep reading!
What surprised me first was the format of this book: it's a multiple-pov novella told exclusively in the answers the narrator, Manet, gets. We never "hear" her voice. And still, as we go on, we get attached to her, to her dangerous quest for truth ; we want to understand what she is looking for, who she is, what is really her position in the hierarchy of this government, who is the God King, who is Amata, what's their story, what happened, and why is Manet involved? A lot of questions crowd in the reader's mind; at some points, you just want to keep reading without stopping until you know.
The plot is really just that: Manet's quest for truth. Truth about what? I won't tell you, it would be giving too much!
The novella deals with different topics, notably Manet's role of Amatuensis - a word which won't be explained, but which defines her "job" - and the seven perfections. Little by little, we understand what are the perfections, what is the seventh, even if we don't really understand why it gives the novella its name.
And now, we enter spoilery waters!
Just a word to conclude: brilliant!
_________________________
I skimmed the synopsis of this one: when I saw the number of pages and the length of the synopsis, I felt I would be less surprised if I read it thoroughly! And I was right!
So, if you want to go blind in this novella, just know that it's original, strange to the point of being somewhat fascinating, and really surprising in its ending!
If you want to know more, keep reading!
What surprised me first was the format of this book: it's a multiple-pov novella told exclusively in the answers the narrator, Manet, gets. We never "hear" her voice. And still, as we go on, we get attached to her, to her dangerous quest for truth ; we want to understand what she is looking for, who she is, what is really her position in the hierarchy of this government, who is the God King, who is Amata, what's their story, what happened, and why is Manet involved? A lot of questions crowd in the reader's mind; at some points, you just want to keep reading without stopping until you know.
The plot is really just that: Manet's quest for truth. Truth about what? I won't tell you, it would be giving too much!
The novella deals with different topics, notably Manet's role of Amatuensis - a word which won't be explained, but which defines her "job" - and the seven perfections. Little by little, we understand what are the perfections, what is the seventh, even if we don't really understand why it gives the novella its name.
And now, we enter spoilery waters!
Just a word to conclude: brilliant!
January 29, 2021
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
This is a fascinating, experimental novella. It is told in pseudo second person; our protagonist is silent, nameless, and only we only know them through the observations of others. Polansky has given us half a conversation, but a whole story.
It touches on broad themes, such as the fragility of empire, the role of propaganda, and the sacrifices inherent in learning hard truths. The main character both accomplishes her goal and becomes what she fears and hates most, all in one fell swoop.
The worldbuilding is deft and seamless. Each little tidbit we’re granted pulls ten times its own weight when it comes to creating a sense of atmosphere and grounding. While it’s temping to label it dreamlike, oneiric, that would do poor justice to the sense of existence that Polansky manages to convey.
I would highly recommend this novella to fans of KJ Parker’s novellas. It has the same sense of irreverence and experimentality.
This is a fascinating, experimental novella. It is told in pseudo second person; our protagonist is silent, nameless, and only we only know them through the observations of others. Polansky has given us half a conversation, but a whole story.
It touches on broad themes, such as the fragility of empire, the role of propaganda, and the sacrifices inherent in learning hard truths. The main character both accomplishes her goal and becomes what she fears and hates most, all in one fell swoop.
The worldbuilding is deft and seamless. Each little tidbit we’re granted pulls ten times its own weight when it comes to creating a sense of atmosphere and grounding. While it’s temping to label it dreamlike, oneiric, that would do poor justice to the sense of existence that Polansky manages to convey.
I would highly recommend this novella to fans of KJ Parker’s novellas. It has the same sense of irreverence and experimentality.
December 2, 2020
3.75 stars
I discovered this book thanks to the book community and I was really curious about it, but it was somehow strange… On one hand I was curious, because I read some really interesting things about it (and the idea of it was too intriguing to resist), on the other hand I was a bit skeptical because I knew that as far as enjoyment goes this probably wasn’t the right book for me. And you know what?
I was right, but I am grateful nonetheless to have discovered and read this book. Sure, if we mind only the enjoyment then it was mediocre, I should rate it 3 stars, because if we speak about that and only that this wasn’t a bad read but it wasn’t so good either. But… Yes, this is the strange part and a big but. I was intrigued by it. And fascinated.
We met some interesting characters, and I wish we could know more about them, because they had so much potential! The halflings, for example, were peculiar and I really wanted to spend more time with them (even if this could be a headache inducing thing!), and I wanted to know more about The Crone and Sweetness. This pair was creepy but so promising! And the best part is that we manage to meet a lot of different characters, every one of them with a voice and a distinct personality, but we never get to see them, or to knew something about them, if not what we learned from their words.
Because this book is one side of a dialogues, but we never get the whole dialogues or the whole picture. We get to read what the different characters answer to our protagonist, but we don’t get the question and we don’t get anything outside the talk. We don’t have descriptions, we don’t have part with actions. We just get words. And yet with these words we get to discover a new world, a mystery, a lore, interesting people and more. Because even with speeches and nothing else we get action, too. And some twists and turns. It was just so intriguing!
Being able to piece together what happened, and who our main character is, and how this world works, with his society, his history and his uniqueness, only from the talk of unknown people is so satisfying. Action was unexpected. I mean, our MC goes around with questions (some dangerous ones) and we see only the answers she get, the babbling of people who may be a tad reluctant to share their truth with someone else, or the recounting of a past that is long gone, so yeah, action is not in the picture, right? Well, sorry my friends. It is wrong! The author manage to move forward his plot, and we get some action too. It was unexpected, yes, and it was fantastic.
And another thing I wasn’t expecting is… This book is sci-fi! Yes, it is quite a subtle thing, it is not on the “heavy side” of sci-fi, but it is there. And it was surprising! We have a fascinating world-building, and we don’t get to see enough of it. All thing considered this book was an unique experience, and I ended the reading satisfied because, even if I wasn’t really hooked up and completely immersed in it, I had the satisfaction of reading something that is amazingly well done. This was not an easy feat, to make a complete picture showing only a small part of it. And yet we have something wholesome and astounding. It is not the kind of book I would read every day for the rest of my life, but it is a book that deserves to be read, appreciated and loved, because the author with this work was masterful. And it is something unique and captivating!
I discovered this book thanks to the book community and I was really curious about it, but it was somehow strange… On one hand I was curious, because I read some really interesting things about it (and the idea of it was too intriguing to resist), on the other hand I was a bit skeptical because I knew that as far as enjoyment goes this probably wasn’t the right book for me. And you know what?
I was right, but I am grateful nonetheless to have discovered and read this book. Sure, if we mind only the enjoyment then it was mediocre, I should rate it 3 stars, because if we speak about that and only that this wasn’t a bad read but it wasn’t so good either. But… Yes, this is the strange part and a big but. I was intrigued by it. And fascinated.
We met some interesting characters, and I wish we could know more about them, because they had so much potential! The halflings, for example, were peculiar and I really wanted to spend more time with them (even if this could be a headache inducing thing!), and I wanted to know more about The Crone and Sweetness. This pair was creepy but so promising! And the best part is that we manage to meet a lot of different characters, every one of them with a voice and a distinct personality, but we never get to see them, or to knew something about them, if not what we learned from their words.
Because this book is one side of a dialogues, but we never get the whole dialogues or the whole picture. We get to read what the different characters answer to our protagonist, but we don’t get the question and we don’t get anything outside the talk. We don’t have descriptions, we don’t have part with actions. We just get words. And yet with these words we get to discover a new world, a mystery, a lore, interesting people and more. Because even with speeches and nothing else we get action, too. And some twists and turns. It was just so intriguing!
Being able to piece together what happened, and who our main character is, and how this world works, with his society, his history and his uniqueness, only from the talk of unknown people is so satisfying. Action was unexpected. I mean, our MC goes around with questions (some dangerous ones) and we see only the answers she get, the babbling of people who may be a tad reluctant to share their truth with someone else, or the recounting of a past that is long gone, so yeah, action is not in the picture, right? Well, sorry my friends. It is wrong! The author manage to move forward his plot, and we get some action too. It was unexpected, yes, and it was fantastic.
And another thing I wasn’t expecting is… This book is sci-fi! Yes, it is quite a subtle thing, it is not on the “heavy side” of sci-fi, but it is there. And it was surprising! We have a fascinating world-building, and we don’t get to see enough of it. All thing considered this book was an unique experience, and I ended the reading satisfied because, even if I wasn’t really hooked up and completely immersed in it, I had the satisfaction of reading something that is amazingly well done. This was not an easy feat, to make a complete picture showing only a small part of it. And yet we have something wholesome and astounding. It is not the kind of book I would read every day for the rest of my life, but it is a book that deserves to be read, appreciated and loved, because the author with this work was masterful. And it is something unique and captivating!
September 23, 2020
If I were to describe this book in on word, it would be *intriguing*. I’ve never read anything else by Daniel Polansky, but I’m certainly interested to do so now.
(Assuming I can ever get Mount Readmore under control)
(Yeah, that’ll totally happen any day now)
Anyway, this book takes place over the course of three days (which is a setup I find I really love - ironic given my long standing love of epics like *Lord of the Rings* and *Wheel of Time*). The main character has returned from training on a remote island to serve as a high ranking servant of the God-King. She was training to obtain the Seven Perfections - 7 physical and mental disciplines honed to perfection, and something very few are able to obtain.
Some time after arriving in the city, during a time of festival celebrating the anniversary of the God-King's ascension, she receives a gift from an unknown benefactor - a locket with the image of a woman. Hey attempts to figure out the truth behind the locket lead her into dangers and intrigues touching on the God-King himself.
It's a good premise for a book, and Polansky does a great job with the pace of the reveals. He teases things well and does a wonderful job raising the stakes and the tension.
What led to me comparing this book to a concept album? Each chapter is one encounter with someone the protagonist had over the course of the three days. Most people we see only once, though a handful pop up a few times.
All we ever get as readers - EVER - is the dialogue of these other people who aren't our protagonist. No description, no actions, and none of the protagonist's dialogue. Just half of each conversation. I'm dating myself here, but it kind of felt like the cutscenes from the *Half-Life* games.
It's weird. I can't think of any other book like it. But damn if it doesn't work and work very, very well.
Also: holy crap, this cover is *gorgeous*.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.
(Assuming I can ever get Mount Readmore under control)
(Yeah, that’ll totally happen any day now)
Anyway, this book takes place over the course of three days (which is a setup I find I really love - ironic given my long standing love of epics like *Lord of the Rings* and *Wheel of Time*). The main character has returned from training on a remote island to serve as a high ranking servant of the God-King. She was training to obtain the Seven Perfections - 7 physical and mental disciplines honed to perfection, and something very few are able to obtain.
Some time after arriving in the city, during a time of festival celebrating the anniversary of the God-King's ascension, she receives a gift from an unknown benefactor - a locket with the image of a woman. Hey attempts to figure out the truth behind the locket lead her into dangers and intrigues touching on the God-King himself.
It's a good premise for a book, and Polansky does a great job with the pace of the reveals. He teases things well and does a wonderful job raising the stakes and the tension.
What led to me comparing this book to a concept album? Each chapter is one encounter with someone the protagonist had over the course of the three days. Most people we see only once, though a handful pop up a few times.
All we ever get as readers - EVER - is the dialogue of these other people who aren't our protagonist. No description, no actions, and none of the protagonist's dialogue. Just half of each conversation. I'm dating myself here, but it kind of felt like the cutscenes from the *Half-Life* games.
It's weird. I can't think of any other book like it. But damn if it doesn't work and work very, very well.
Also: holy crap, this cover is *gorgeous*.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.
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