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The Iron Dragon's Daughter #2
The Dragons of Babel
A fantasy masterpiece from a five-time Hugo Award winner! A war-dragon of Babel crashes in the idyllic fields of a post-industrialized Faerie and, dragging himself into the nearest village, declares himself king and makes young Will his lieutenant. Nightly, he crawls inside the young fey's brain to get a measure of what his subjects think. Forced out of his village, Will travels with female centaur soldiers, witnesses the violent clash of giants, and acquires a surrogate daughter, Esme, who has no knowledge of the past and may be immortal. Evacuated to the Tower of Babel--infinitely high, infinitely vulgar, very much like New York City--Will meets the confidence trickster Nat Whilk. Inside the Dread Tower, Will becomes a hero to the homeless living in the tunnels under the city, rises as an underling to a haint politician, meets his one true love–a high-elven woman he dare not aspire to. You've heard of hard This is hard fantasy from a master of the form.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
February 9, 2017
This sequel to The Iron Dragon's Daughter shares practically every wonderfully skewed fantasy AND SF tradition from the first book, but don't expect anything quite like the same story. We've still got demon cyborgs who are airships wanting to see the world burn while ostensibly under control of the war effort, mythical half-mortals who are absolutely in the minority in this Elf-rich land and highly coveted for their ability to withstand the iron, and so many richly thought-out stage pieces that make these novels truly delightful and subversive at the same time.
They're not your standard fantasy, even while so many of the tropes exist in outline, or perhaps in inverted colors.
The same thing is true even for the main plot of this book, where we have the poor orphan in his quest to become king. Sound familiar? Well, not the way this is told, because Will is a Dragon's dupe, an ignorant exile, a burgeoning and later quite skilled con-man, hero to the people, star-crossed lover of a princess, and the executor of the biggest heist in history.
The crown.
And the twist was so worth it. Every step of the way, this novel was an inverted mirror to so much classic SF and classic fantasy, full of rich ideas from every corner of both fields, and written with such style and competence and rich, rich myth, that I can do nothing but bow to a master storyteller.
I've read a good number of Swanwick's novels, now, and a collection of short stories, and I can honestly say that there isn't a bad or an even mediocre one in the bunch. They're all fantastic and my trust is now boundless. :)
They're not your standard fantasy, even while so many of the tropes exist in outline, or perhaps in inverted colors.
The same thing is true even for the main plot of this book, where we have the poor orphan in his quest to become king. Sound familiar? Well, not the way this is told, because Will is a Dragon's dupe, an ignorant exile, a burgeoning and later quite skilled con-man, hero to the people, star-crossed lover of a princess, and the executor of the biggest heist in history.
The crown.
And the twist was so worth it. Every step of the way, this novel was an inverted mirror to so much classic SF and classic fantasy, full of rich ideas from every corner of both fields, and written with such style and competence and rich, rich myth, that I can do nothing but bow to a master storyteller.
I've read a good number of Swanwick's novels, now, and a collection of short stories, and I can honestly say that there isn't a bad or an even mediocre one in the bunch. They're all fantastic and my trust is now boundless. :)
March 11, 2008
Michael Swanwick writes excellent short stories, but has trouble with novels. Although presented as a novel, this is actually a series of short stories with a flimsy (and transparent) plot linking them.
I was tempted to rate it lower because two of the short stories making up the book were already published before, and also collected in The dog said bow wow. And I hate getting duplicates of stories, which is why I do not usually buy multi-author compilations.
But that would be unfair to the book itself, as those are quite good stories.
Swanwick's Faerie is a dark mirror of our own world, and one where he pulls few punches. The failures are those of the short story medium, scant characterization, a punchline, and background reiteration. He makes wonders both in short characterization and brief description, but they are still there.
It is a book I really wanted to like, but it kept me thinking what Gene Wolfe could have done with the same setting, and one of his long, convoluted plots.
I was tempted to rate it lower because two of the short stories making up the book were already published before, and also collected in The dog said bow wow. And I hate getting duplicates of stories, which is why I do not usually buy multi-author compilations.
But that would be unfair to the book itself, as those are quite good stories.
Swanwick's Faerie is a dark mirror of our own world, and one where he pulls few punches. The failures are those of the short story medium, scant characterization, a punchline, and background reiteration. He makes wonders both in short characterization and brief description, but they are still there.
It is a book I really wanted to like, but it kept me thinking what Gene Wolfe could have done with the same setting, and one of his long, convoluted plots.
January 14, 2008
If you like fantasy, or if you sometimes like fantasy but find yourself consistently disappointed by how badly written and lazy most works of fantasy are, then read this book. Like Swanwick's legendary book The Iron Dragon's Daughter, it's set in the "fairy realm", but in a Faerie that isn't frozen in the Dark Ages: it has industrial technology, capitalism, nightclubs, nation-states, and even the beginnings of a representative democracy. Their world looks a lot like our world, but as you might expect from a place where magic exists and the values system is profoundly different, everything about it is strange. It's like meeting someone who looks like a human but turns out to have evolved from an otter. Dragons of Babel is also about growing up, the loneliness of responsibility, the seductions of violence and evil, and the US "war on terror" and 9/11. It deploys classic genre tropes like the coming-of-age story, the hero's journey and the search for the missing king while skewing and subverting them. In sum: darn good book.
September 20, 2022
Very nice, and with a heart-warming ending. Recommended.
April 26, 2018
I tried really hard to finish this book, but ultimately I decided that it just wasn't worth it.
Michael Swanwick himself seems like a pretty proficient writer, almost everything he tried to do with this story just rubbed me the wrong way. Here are some of my biggest complaints:
The World:
In this book, Swanwick tried his best to take the ritual incantations, true names, and elven/dwarven races of high "Dungeons and Dragons" style fantasy and mash it into an industrialized and bureaucratic modern/sci-fi world. He probably wanted to take the two systems (magic and science), which seemed so different from one another, and have them dance together in an elegant give-and-take, with each complimenting the other. It was a valiant effort, but it failed. Instead of beautifully dancing together, the magic and science in this world just ended up stepping on each others' feet, colliding with the other dancers, and ultimately tumbling out a window. The magic system was never really explained, so as a result, it had no rules, felt no limitations, and made no sense. All magic ended up being was one "Deus ex Machina" moment after another. Swanwick tried to counteract this by throwing in random science buzzwords like Brownian motion, but they were so incorrectly used and out of place that they just left me thinking that Swanwick didn't know what he was talking about, completely extracting me from the story itself.
The Love Story:
I've mentioned already that Swanwick seems like a capable writer. However, as soon as the love story comes up, any writing skill he seems to have goes completely out the window. As soon as the main character first meets his love interest, the dialogue quality drops farther and faster than I thought possible. Whenever our protagonist is in the same room as his love interest, they make Star Wars: Attack of the Clones sound like Pride and Prejudice. Their story is so ridiculous and their dialogue is so cheesy that I wished the love interest would be randomly killed after only a couple pages of her being introduced--just so that the protagonist would stop talking about how much he loved her.
The Mature Content:
I am no stranger to mature content in stories. Sex, graphic violence, incest, rape, etc. are actually very common in good literature. They normally make me feel uncomfortable while I'm reading a story, but they normally serve a very important purpose. For example, the sex "scene" in 1984 lent much more significance to the story and represented so much more than just the act itself. The sex, language, groping, masturbation, etc. in this book, on the other hand, seemed like they were nothing more than the subject of a prepubescent boy's sexual fantasies. There was no SIGNIFICANCE behind the content. It was sex for the sake of sex--worse, it was fake, ridiculous, cartoonish sex written for its own sake.
Tl;dr
I suggest you skip this one. There are plenty of other books you could be reading that aren't this one.
Michael Swanwick himself seems like a pretty proficient writer, almost everything he tried to do with this story just rubbed me the wrong way. Here are some of my biggest complaints:
The World:
In this book, Swanwick tried his best to take the ritual incantations, true names, and elven/dwarven races of high "Dungeons and Dragons" style fantasy and mash it into an industrialized and bureaucratic modern/sci-fi world. He probably wanted to take the two systems (magic and science), which seemed so different from one another, and have them dance together in an elegant give-and-take, with each complimenting the other. It was a valiant effort, but it failed. Instead of beautifully dancing together, the magic and science in this world just ended up stepping on each others' feet, colliding with the other dancers, and ultimately tumbling out a window. The magic system was never really explained, so as a result, it had no rules, felt no limitations, and made no sense. All magic ended up being was one "Deus ex Machina" moment after another. Swanwick tried to counteract this by throwing in random science buzzwords like Brownian motion, but they were so incorrectly used and out of place that they just left me thinking that Swanwick didn't know what he was talking about, completely extracting me from the story itself.
The Love Story:
I've mentioned already that Swanwick seems like a capable writer. However, as soon as the love story comes up, any writing skill he seems to have goes completely out the window. As soon as the main character first meets his love interest, the dialogue quality drops farther and faster than I thought possible. Whenever our protagonist is in the same room as his love interest, they make Star Wars: Attack of the Clones sound like Pride and Prejudice. Their story is so ridiculous and their dialogue is so cheesy that I wished the love interest would be randomly killed after only a couple pages of her being introduced--just so that the protagonist would stop talking about how much he loved her.
The Mature Content:
I am no stranger to mature content in stories. Sex, graphic violence, incest, rape, etc. are actually very common in good literature. They normally make me feel uncomfortable while I'm reading a story, but they normally serve a very important purpose. For example, the sex "scene" in 1984 lent much more significance to the story and represented so much more than just the act itself. The sex, language, groping, masturbation, etc. in this book, on the other hand, seemed like they were nothing more than the subject of a prepubescent boy's sexual fantasies. There was no SIGNIFICANCE behind the content. It was sex for the sake of sex--worse, it was fake, ridiculous, cartoonish sex written for its own sake.
Tl;dr
I suggest you skip this one. There are plenty of other books you could be reading that aren't this one.
May 12, 2008
Remember that urban legend of razor blades hidden in Halloween treats? Swanwick does the literary equivalent of this, creating a fantasy world that includes all our myths and folklore along with our shadowy impulses and iniquities. A wonderful skewering of the hero’s quest that lingers at the heart of all traditional fantasy, this follows the picaresque adventures of Will le Fay as he moves through surreal set pieces on his journey to be king. All traditions are scorned and you get stories on stories and ambiguous, evocative images. Malevolent cyborgs, imaginary and real wars, world as the dream of a hermaphrodite, the tower of Babel, detective tales, trickster tales, and plenty of baudy humor.
January 10, 2009
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. It's unlike anything I've read. The story starts out one way, the second half feels like the author switched stories on you, and the end....I'm really not sure how the end ties to the first part of the book. the author introduces certain characters who you expect would play a big role and this is not the case. There are also pivotal scenes that you expect would lead to some major action at the end, and this does not happen. This felt like a book the other put together with everything he thought was cool. When I realized that there was just a few more chapters to go, I was shocked. There was so much more that needed to be elaborated on. And the end was so anti-climatic. I am still left wondering what was the significance of certain scenes. With that being said, the book still kept my interest, because it was just different and unpredictable. I feel like this book had such great ideas but the author did not follow through with them completely.
*I wrote this review on BN.com and decided to copy and paste
*I wrote this review on BN.com and decided to copy and paste
August 31, 2020
Unexpectedly brilliant turn on the lost king riff. So many parts of this defy the cliche that it becomes a kind of master class on the inherent problems with the conceit, and yet still delivers. One wonders if inheriting a throne would be worthwhile if it would be the throne of Nimrod. But there are LOTS of marvelous questions strewn throughout. Swanwick does not disappoint.
May 19, 2015
I read the first chapter as a short story and thought it was top 5 ever. This book is the attempt to turn that short story into a novel. It didn't work well. Amongst my many troubles w the book is this sizable middle section of the protagonist leading a rebellion that turns out to be an illusion, this a waste of pages. Almost like a story that ends with the final line: but then I woke up and realized it was all just a dream". Total cop-out. This is my 2nd Swanwick novel, I doubt I will try a 3rd
April 22, 2019
Another story set in Swanwick's fairie world. If you've read the Iron Dragon's Daughter you may be more familiar with the setting and the way Swanwick's world works, but even if you haven't, it's a delightfully strange and surreal place to visit. I enjoyed Will's story as much as I did Jane's, and the parallels to the real world are perhaps even clearer this time around as we follow refugees from a seemingly endless war to the great and powerful city-state on one side of the conflict.
June 23, 2019
This is a follow-up novel to "The Iron Dragon's Daughter", which is a book I enjoyed when I was young because of the weird and unique world. "Dragons of Babel" shares the weirdness and kept me reading, but it lacked cohesiveness. It felt like someone rambling. Now I'm curious if I'd find the original the same way if I reread it.
May 29, 2009
Two snippets that I really like, maybe not much to do with the book: "...To recognize the illusory nature of your own being is to flirt with its dissolution. To become one with everything is to become nothing specific at all." And, "There were two detectives in the frigid apartment...in trench coats that looked like they had been sent out to be professionally rumpled."
This is a superb book. Swanwick's prose is effortlessly fine, his characters squalid and heroic and all points between. There is enough material here for any run-of-the-mill trilogy, and some dekalogies accomplish less than this one volume. Swanwick belongs with Miéville and Wolfe as writers who move the goalposts of fantasy and make it a new game.
This is a superb book. Swanwick's prose is effortlessly fine, his characters squalid and heroic and all points between. There is enough material here for any run-of-the-mill trilogy, and some dekalogies accomplish less than this one volume. Swanwick belongs with Miéville and Wolfe as writers who move the goalposts of fantasy and make it a new game.
May 22, 2010
I'm not sure Swanwick's successful in combining postmodern self-referencing, steampunk fantasy, a Bildungsroman and a critique of military adventurism and the notion of spreading democracy by force (complete with obligatory 9-11 reference), but hell, it's more ambitious than a lot of fantasy.
February 5, 2013
Reading THE DRAGONS OF BABEL proved a strange journey for me, which is somewhat appropriate given the book itself is an incredibly bizarre tale. The book was lent to me by a friend who was curious to see what I'd think about it. Perhaps the best way to describe this novel would be to take every bit of mythology and folklore, a copy of "Alice in Wonderland" and enough pop culture to provoke a diabetic seizure, shake it all up, add a dash of Stephen King, spill the resulting brew out into a traditional fantasy world and then sprinkle the rim with a liberal amount of perversity. I've never read a book like this before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
THE DRAGONS OF BABEL focuses on Will whose village is invaded by a metal dragon, which is something of a self-aware flying war machine. The dragon corrupts Will, turning him into a mortal vessel for dispensing his power and rage among the villagers, but that is simply where this book starts. From there, Will manages to turn the tables on the dragon but finds himself banished from his home. From there, he finds his way through the world, encountering all sorts of bizarre people and creatures. On one level, this book is about his journey to make himself into a more mature man, though I use "mature" rather loosely. In some ways, I think Will's maturity is more of accepting that life is something made perfect by all its imperfections. At the same time, the book is about his quest to destroy Babel, which he blames for the war that brought the dragon to his village and ruined his life.
The book itself comes across incredibly random, a series of short adventures thinly connected by Will as the main character. It's only at the end where Swanwick brings it all together.
Another layer to this book is the language. What Swanwick has written here is very literary. The world of Babel is revealed in a lyrical fashion, and even when he refers to things that make no sense, the beauty and flowing perfection of language itself is impossible to ignore.
I'd be lying if I didn't admit that there were many moments I doubted Swanwick could pull off a satisfying ending to this book. The story just felt too unconnected and cynical to provide any conclusion that wouldn't leave a reader wondering why they'd spent so much time taking this journey.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about my enjoying THE DRAGONS OF BABEL is that there was about a three-month period in which I had to stop reading. I'd made it halfway through this book, and then reading obligations for the James River Writers Conference forced me to put THE DRAGONS OF BABEL aside. This is where the seemingly random short story structure worked in the book's favor. Even with that huge gap in there, I was able to dive right back in without any problems, but this was also due to the strength of the setting and characters crafted by Swanwick.
For anyone who loves dark fantasy but wants something well off the beaten path, then you need to read this book. Don't try to over-analyze it. Just dip into its rapids and ride on the words.
THE DRAGONS OF BABEL focuses on Will whose village is invaded by a metal dragon, which is something of a self-aware flying war machine. The dragon corrupts Will, turning him into a mortal vessel for dispensing his power and rage among the villagers, but that is simply where this book starts. From there, Will manages to turn the tables on the dragon but finds himself banished from his home. From there, he finds his way through the world, encountering all sorts of bizarre people and creatures. On one level, this book is about his journey to make himself into a more mature man, though I use "mature" rather loosely. In some ways, I think Will's maturity is more of accepting that life is something made perfect by all its imperfections. At the same time, the book is about his quest to destroy Babel, which he blames for the war that brought the dragon to his village and ruined his life.
The book itself comes across incredibly random, a series of short adventures thinly connected by Will as the main character. It's only at the end where Swanwick brings it all together.
Another layer to this book is the language. What Swanwick has written here is very literary. The world of Babel is revealed in a lyrical fashion, and even when he refers to things that make no sense, the beauty and flowing perfection of language itself is impossible to ignore.
I'd be lying if I didn't admit that there were many moments I doubted Swanwick could pull off a satisfying ending to this book. The story just felt too unconnected and cynical to provide any conclusion that wouldn't leave a reader wondering why they'd spent so much time taking this journey.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about my enjoying THE DRAGONS OF BABEL is that there was about a three-month period in which I had to stop reading. I'd made it halfway through this book, and then reading obligations for the James River Writers Conference forced me to put THE DRAGONS OF BABEL aside. This is where the seemingly random short story structure worked in the book's favor. Even with that huge gap in there, I was able to dive right back in without any problems, but this was also due to the strength of the setting and characters crafted by Swanwick.
For anyone who loves dark fantasy but wants something well off the beaten path, then you need to read this book. Don't try to over-analyze it. Just dip into its rapids and ride on the words.
December 19, 2011
It’s disappointing to find a book as well written as “The Dragon’s of Babel” that was so lacking as far as pure story and character goes. This book had so many things going for it. Swanwick has a great narrative voice, and a very clever way of describing this world that he created. The mixture descriptive humor, clever use of real technologies, and unapologetic use of magic made so many passages in the book a delight. And the creativity of the world was just brilliant – I loved every location that I was introduced to, and felt like I had really been there. I mean, what else could a fantasy novel be lacking, right?
Well, character and plot continuity. The main character, Will, was just not believable at all. There was no character development as the story progressed. No question – Will changed throughout the book. But the changes were abrupt and almost random. Will didn’t grow with his experiences – his personality and even skills changed to fit the needs of the current situation. There was no shred of the original young man who began the story in a small village. The story just followed different people who happened to also be named Will. How did he keep acquiring all of those new skills? And why was Esme in this book?
Then there was the plot, which wasn’t really a plot. It was more of a collection of different scenarios thrown together, without any common thread, other than the fact that they followed this ever-changing character Will. I like a bit more of a story arc. If I wanted to read a series of unrelated events, entertaining though they were, I’d go get a book of short stories.
The big plot-twist at the end? Couldn’t possibly have been more obvious.
With the character and plot disappointments in mind, I do recommend The Dragons of Babel to any true fantasy fans. It is a well imagined world, and I particularly like the treatment of magic, not as something mystical that needs to be explained, but as a reality of life that just is. And like I’ve said, the writing itself is excellent – I just wish the same care had been put into the character and story development.
Well, character and plot continuity. The main character, Will, was just not believable at all. There was no character development as the story progressed. No question – Will changed throughout the book. But the changes were abrupt and almost random. Will didn’t grow with his experiences – his personality and even skills changed to fit the needs of the current situation. There was no shred of the original young man who began the story in a small village. The story just followed different people who happened to also be named Will. How did he keep acquiring all of those new skills? And why was Esme in this book?
Then there was the plot, which wasn’t really a plot. It was more of a collection of different scenarios thrown together, without any common thread, other than the fact that they followed this ever-changing character Will. I like a bit more of a story arc. If I wanted to read a series of unrelated events, entertaining though they were, I’d go get a book of short stories.
The big plot-twist at the end? Couldn’t possibly have been more obvious.
With the character and plot disappointments in mind, I do recommend The Dragons of Babel to any true fantasy fans. It is a well imagined world, and I particularly like the treatment of magic, not as something mystical that needs to be explained, but as a reality of life that just is. And like I’ve said, the writing itself is excellent – I just wish the same care had been put into the character and story development.
September 7, 2009
I can best describe this story as a Gotham City meets Dungeons and Dragons. You don't read a lot of fantasty stories that mention elves and haints in one chapter, then Blackberries and El trains in the next. When reading the first few chapters, I had the suspicion that the story seemed familiar. It was. "The Dragons of Babel" actually started out as a short story, "King Dragon," in "The Dragon Quintet," which I read a few years ago. The story centers on Will, who at the beginning is a boy raised by his aunt. His small, provincial village changes forever when a wounded drago ship -- part beast, part magical machine -- crash-lands and declares himself ruler. He takes young Will as his servant. Will is eventually able to break free but is forced into exile. His travels take him to the legendary city of Babel, where he and a con man make a living for themselves. This was a really neat story, with a lot of different twists and turns. I kind of saw part of the ending coming, but didn't get the whole puzzle right. There were a lot of neat ideas and concepts -- almost too much. There are so many creatures and so many ideas thrown in, there's little time devoted to any background or fleshing out. The "F-bomb" also gets dropped a lot. I don't mind a bit of language, but here it seemed distracting and out of place. This novel could almost be split into three or four different stories, and I wonder if it might have worked better as a trilogy. Swanwick does do a good job creating a very realistic and believable world, and Will, at least, is given a good deal of depth.
June 15, 2011
This is the first book I have read by Michael Swanwick and the experience has quickly elevated him to my short list. I will be reading more.
The Dragons of Babel is set in a world where science and fantasy collide. Each new juxtaposition of the mythical and the ordinary surprised me at first, had me grasping for a way to classify what I was reading. Soon enough, however, I forgot to notice the differences and became caught up in the story.
The story is wonderful. It is a twist on a classic tale, but, in the author’s own words, it has been stripped down and reconstructed. Quite simply, Will LeFey makes a journey, physical and allegorical, toward adulthood. Along the way he meets a cast of characters who each play a very specific role. There is a sneaking suspicion throughout you know these characters, yet they are presented in fresh and engaging ways. Will faces challenges, of course, the story would not be complete without them. And, as with any good tale – in my opinion – all the elements are there. There is adventure and suspense, drama and politics, friendship and love. There are lessons failed and learned and the book is full of miniature parables.
I found the ending satisfying, even if I wished for something else. Up until that very point, however, the fate of Babel was in question, leaving me hanging on every word.
The Dragons of Babel is set in the same universe as The Iron Dragon’s Daughter.
The Dragons of Babel is set in a world where science and fantasy collide. Each new juxtaposition of the mythical and the ordinary surprised me at first, had me grasping for a way to classify what I was reading. Soon enough, however, I forgot to notice the differences and became caught up in the story.
The story is wonderful. It is a twist on a classic tale, but, in the author’s own words, it has been stripped down and reconstructed. Quite simply, Will LeFey makes a journey, physical and allegorical, toward adulthood. Along the way he meets a cast of characters who each play a very specific role. There is a sneaking suspicion throughout you know these characters, yet they are presented in fresh and engaging ways. Will faces challenges, of course, the story would not be complete without them. And, as with any good tale – in my opinion – all the elements are there. There is adventure and suspense, drama and politics, friendship and love. There are lessons failed and learned and the book is full of miniature parables.
I found the ending satisfying, even if I wished for something else. Up until that very point, however, the fate of Babel was in question, leaving me hanging on every word.
The Dragons of Babel is set in the same universe as The Iron Dragon’s Daughter.
October 18, 2008
Set in the same world as The Iron Dragon's Daughter. Will is a happy-go-lucky fairie peasant boy--until a draconic cyborg machine of death crash lands in his village. The dragon chooses Will to be his mouthpiece and spy, which makes him grow up very fast and very dark. Eventually, Will escapes to the city, where he adventures first as a vigilante in the sewers and then as a conman in high society.
Unfortunately, this book doesn't hold together quite as well as The Iron Dragon's Daughter. It began as short stories, and the link between each set of adventures is a bit thin. Will himself doesn't really have a set personality. That said, however, Swanwick is not equalled in feypunk. There is no one else with his verve or craft. Even when he's a little off his game, he's still the best in town.
Unfortunately, this book doesn't hold together quite as well as The Iron Dragon's Daughter. It began as short stories, and the link between each set of adventures is a bit thin. Will himself doesn't really have a set personality. That said, however, Swanwick is not equalled in feypunk. There is no one else with his verve or craft. Even when he's a little off his game, he's still the best in town.
January 31, 2019
This was not a sequel I expected to see.
Way back in 1993 Swanwick, mostly known previously for SF novels and short stories (including Nebula Award winner "Stations of the Tide") published "The Iron Dragon's Daughter", a fantasy novel that somehow filled the eventual niche that would exist years later consisting of all those people who read "Game of Thrones" and thought it took a far too optimistic view of human nature and existence in general. A caustic exercise in walking into a "Dungeons and Dragon" convention and spraying acid indiscriminately everywhere, including on yourself and then laughing while your skin melts, it was a fearlessly nihilistic experience. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly for everyone and there were just as many people who were repelled by it as enjoyed it (if that's the right word to use).
So scorched earth was it that I never would have expected Swanwick to try writing anything resembling it ever again, especially as his career to that point hadn't been marked by consistent throughline, jumping as it was from subgenre to subgenre. Thus my surprise when a novel set in the same world came out in 2008 and while part of me was interested in revisiting a world that had at the same been so alluringly different from any fantasy I had read so far, I also wondered if he'd be able to capture that same strange mix of bile and sour fairydust that made the first time out so memorable.
Turns out, either he wasn't interested in recapturing that corrosive vibe or he's simply mellowed with age. Its still a dark world, don't get me wrong, but you don't read it wondering why the characters don't slit their own throats in the vain hope of something resembling relief.
Its not a direct sequel, taking place maybe around the same time as the first book but focusing on a different character entirely (it sounds like our original protagonist Jane cameos somewhere but its subtle if she does) in a different location. Young man Will is going about his business in his placid village when a war dragon decides to crash land there. Injured and unable to fly but not one to miss an opportunity to remind everyone that he could level the place if he wants to, he decides to engage in some good old fashioned oppression and decides to basically hold the village hostage and declare himself king. Unfortunately for Will, as it turns out he's half-mortal and can thus interface with the dragon, he gets the unwanted position of being his lieutenant, making him about as popular as an outbreak of dysentery. This also makes Will basically a collaborator, which he becomes . . . sort of okay with.
These opening chapters harken back to the dark tone of the first book, where everything starts out at "hopeless" and proceeds to get worse. And had Swanwick stayed on the trajectory that the book seems to be heading in early on it might have been an even harsher experience ultimately, although the grimy sexual degradations that sometimes characterized the first time out are pretty much absent here.
But before too long he does something unexpected . . . he gets Will out of his predicament and while it doesn't make him any more popular it does send him out on the road. And while the book will never be mistaken for a madcap romp it does give a more freewheeling feeling to the story, as Will encounters signs of the war (including some female centaur soldiers that have probably inspired parts of the Internet to fulfill all your unspoken needs for sexy art featuring militant half-horse people, if they even needed extra inspiration) and winds up in a refugee camp with the intentions of making it up to Babel in the company of a con-man and an immortal little girl with a very spotty memory. And while Will has his share of tribulations and adventures, its nowhere near as brutalizing an experience as "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" was. He falls in love, has setbacks and some successes and eventually embarks on a scheme so crazy it just might work.
Lacking the intensity that Swanwick brought to our first visit, it has the feel of someone interested in exploring more of a world he created fifteen years prior but without the burning need to destroy everything we love. As such the stakes don't feel as high and it can sometimes come across as a series of connected adventures that eventually culminate in an ending (open-ended, of course) . . . the first book could probably be accused of this as well but the overpowering atmosphere could distract you from it. Toned down a bit here, the focus is more on the world he's created and it still remains fascinating, a strange mirror world where all the residue of more optimistic fantasy worlds have run down and collected at the bottom here, and yet everyone is still trying to make it work, even if every desire is self-serving from the top down. Will's escapades don't have the same impact as Jane's did years ago (nothing could) but perhaps that's the point. He could give us more of the same and some readers would probably welcome the pummeling. But by giving us a tour of a slightly different underbelly he could be suggesting its not as bad as it seems (although "pleasant" is all kind of relative here), your fate as much influenced by opportunity and choices as random chance. Even so, it'd have been interesting to see our protagonists switch books, or for someone to read them in a different order and see how that changes things.
Way back in 1993 Swanwick, mostly known previously for SF novels and short stories (including Nebula Award winner "Stations of the Tide") published "The Iron Dragon's Daughter", a fantasy novel that somehow filled the eventual niche that would exist years later consisting of all those people who read "Game of Thrones" and thought it took a far too optimistic view of human nature and existence in general. A caustic exercise in walking into a "Dungeons and Dragon" convention and spraying acid indiscriminately everywhere, including on yourself and then laughing while your skin melts, it was a fearlessly nihilistic experience. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly for everyone and there were just as many people who were repelled by it as enjoyed it (if that's the right word to use).
So scorched earth was it that I never would have expected Swanwick to try writing anything resembling it ever again, especially as his career to that point hadn't been marked by consistent throughline, jumping as it was from subgenre to subgenre. Thus my surprise when a novel set in the same world came out in 2008 and while part of me was interested in revisiting a world that had at the same been so alluringly different from any fantasy I had read so far, I also wondered if he'd be able to capture that same strange mix of bile and sour fairydust that made the first time out so memorable.
Turns out, either he wasn't interested in recapturing that corrosive vibe or he's simply mellowed with age. Its still a dark world, don't get me wrong, but you don't read it wondering why the characters don't slit their own throats in the vain hope of something resembling relief.
Its not a direct sequel, taking place maybe around the same time as the first book but focusing on a different character entirely (it sounds like our original protagonist Jane cameos somewhere but its subtle if she does) in a different location. Young man Will is going about his business in his placid village when a war dragon decides to crash land there. Injured and unable to fly but not one to miss an opportunity to remind everyone that he could level the place if he wants to, he decides to engage in some good old fashioned oppression and decides to basically hold the village hostage and declare himself king. Unfortunately for Will, as it turns out he's half-mortal and can thus interface with the dragon, he gets the unwanted position of being his lieutenant, making him about as popular as an outbreak of dysentery. This also makes Will basically a collaborator, which he becomes . . . sort of okay with.
These opening chapters harken back to the dark tone of the first book, where everything starts out at "hopeless" and proceeds to get worse. And had Swanwick stayed on the trajectory that the book seems to be heading in early on it might have been an even harsher experience ultimately, although the grimy sexual degradations that sometimes characterized the first time out are pretty much absent here.
But before too long he does something unexpected . . . he gets Will out of his predicament and while it doesn't make him any more popular it does send him out on the road. And while the book will never be mistaken for a madcap romp it does give a more freewheeling feeling to the story, as Will encounters signs of the war (including some female centaur soldiers that have probably inspired parts of the Internet to fulfill all your unspoken needs for sexy art featuring militant half-horse people, if they even needed extra inspiration) and winds up in a refugee camp with the intentions of making it up to Babel in the company of a con-man and an immortal little girl with a very spotty memory. And while Will has his share of tribulations and adventures, its nowhere near as brutalizing an experience as "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" was. He falls in love, has setbacks and some successes and eventually embarks on a scheme so crazy it just might work.
Lacking the intensity that Swanwick brought to our first visit, it has the feel of someone interested in exploring more of a world he created fifteen years prior but without the burning need to destroy everything we love. As such the stakes don't feel as high and it can sometimes come across as a series of connected adventures that eventually culminate in an ending (open-ended, of course) . . . the first book could probably be accused of this as well but the overpowering atmosphere could distract you from it. Toned down a bit here, the focus is more on the world he's created and it still remains fascinating, a strange mirror world where all the residue of more optimistic fantasy worlds have run down and collected at the bottom here, and yet everyone is still trying to make it work, even if every desire is self-serving from the top down. Will's escapades don't have the same impact as Jane's did years ago (nothing could) but perhaps that's the point. He could give us more of the same and some readers would probably welcome the pummeling. But by giving us a tour of a slightly different underbelly he could be suggesting its not as bad as it seems (although "pleasant" is all kind of relative here), your fate as much influenced by opportunity and choices as random chance. Even so, it'd have been interesting to see our protagonists switch books, or for someone to read them in a different order and see how that changes things.
March 22, 2009
This is a strange and involving fantasy story in a different vein; it takes place in the land of Faerie in the machine age. Lots of the fantasy tropes here but with a twist that makes them real. Mostly because Swanwich is a very fine writer with a great imagination. Highly recommended.
April 17, 2014
This is one of the few books where I absolutely didn't see the ending coming. I loved it. ^_^
May 2, 2019
First thing first: the title is deceptive. The book isn't really about dragons at all. The first chapter might lead you to believe that it will be because there is a dragon, but it's just a sentient fighter jet anyway. Does that sound weird? Yes? Well, buckle up for a weird book.
The world building in this was bizarre the whole way through. I'm fine with a take-it-as-you-go sort of approach to building a world and letting the reader figure things out from context; it saves from long sections of the book that are nothing but explanations (I'm looking at you, Moby Dick), but this is an extreme version. There are new concepts popping up at all times and none of it is explained. How does magic work and what are its limits? No idea. There are lots of examples of magic use, but the people in the story seem generally as surprised by it as the reader.
The part that baffles me most about the world is the inclusion of so many things from the real world. The world and pretty much everything about it is completely foreign, perhaps more than what you would typically expect from high fantasy. So when I came to a mention of Duke Ellington, I was surprised. Is there an elf version of him in this world or what? Then a bull speaks Croatian. Is there a Croatia? These references to real people and places continue, but stranger yet are the brand names. Pepsi. Marlboro. Kawasaki. I can suspend disbelief for some things, but it seems a stretch that not only does this magical world have cell phones and refrigerators as though the development of technology is unaffected by magic and the other peculiarities of the world, but also the same companies exist and are presumably operated by fairies or some such thing.
As for the story, it's a strange and wandering thing. The end sort of brings it all together, but the pieces still don't add up to a narrative progression that makes any kind of sense. There's even some question as to how much of it actually happened the way the protagonist experienced it, but beyond that, the main question in reflecting back on any segment if the plot is "what was the point?" Character development? No, there isn't any to speak of.
So far, this review may seem awfully negative, and don't get me wrong: it is, but the book is still fun and interesting to read. It's just weird. Each chapter taken as a short story is a success, but it feels disjointed to follow a character who is a slave, a ruler, a refugee, a warrior, a crime scene investigator, a con man, a lover, etc. all in vignettes. The overall plot is something like Anastasia, but it's difficult to tell because nothing seems to be adding up to that until you get to it.
I mostly enjoyed reading this despite it's being so strange and having little discernible point besides a bit of nihilism perhaps, but it did seem at times that it was trying too hard to be edgy, and that was offputting. You'll see what I mean if you read it.
The world building in this was bizarre the whole way through. I'm fine with a take-it-as-you-go sort of approach to building a world and letting the reader figure things out from context; it saves from long sections of the book that are nothing but explanations (I'm looking at you, Moby Dick), but this is an extreme version. There are new concepts popping up at all times and none of it is explained. How does magic work and what are its limits? No idea. There are lots of examples of magic use, but the people in the story seem generally as surprised by it as the reader.
The part that baffles me most about the world is the inclusion of so many things from the real world. The world and pretty much everything about it is completely foreign, perhaps more than what you would typically expect from high fantasy. So when I came to a mention of Duke Ellington, I was surprised. Is there an elf version of him in this world or what? Then a bull speaks Croatian. Is there a Croatia? These references to real people and places continue, but stranger yet are the brand names. Pepsi. Marlboro. Kawasaki. I can suspend disbelief for some things, but it seems a stretch that not only does this magical world have cell phones and refrigerators as though the development of technology is unaffected by magic and the other peculiarities of the world, but also the same companies exist and are presumably operated by fairies or some such thing.
As for the story, it's a strange and wandering thing. The end sort of brings it all together, but the pieces still don't add up to a narrative progression that makes any kind of sense. There's even some question as to how much of it actually happened the way the protagonist experienced it, but beyond that, the main question in reflecting back on any segment if the plot is "what was the point?" Character development? No, there isn't any to speak of.
So far, this review may seem awfully negative, and don't get me wrong: it is, but the book is still fun and interesting to read. It's just weird. Each chapter taken as a short story is a success, but it feels disjointed to follow a character who is a slave, a ruler, a refugee, a warrior, a crime scene investigator, a con man, a lover, etc. all in vignettes. The overall plot is something like Anastasia, but it's difficult to tell because nothing seems to be adding up to that until you get to it.
I mostly enjoyed reading this despite it's being so strange and having little discernible point besides a bit of nihilism perhaps, but it did seem at times that it was trying too hard to be edgy, and that was offputting. You'll see what I mean if you read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2020
From the moment you crack apart the first pages of Dragons of Babel, Swanwick leads you into an enchanting world that you continue to discover through to the very last pages.
The story itself follows a young man, Will, whose village is visited by a dragon – a heaving, mechanized beast – that needs a new Rider and chooses Will to be enslaved by its consciousness. While his mind is intermittently overwhelmed, the young protagonist finds his way back to freedom – or so he believes – but is too late for repentance for his kinsfolk for his action as the dragon’s servant.
Ostracized and alone, Will sets out, braving the landscape torn and tattered by war, and gets himself tangled up in all the sorts of trouble only the most haunted of travellers can seem to fall into. Along the way, he meets allies and adversaries, and those whom he can’t ever seem to figure out one way or the other.
But the grandest of charades ensues when Will finds himself swept into the tutelage of a master conman, Nat Whilk, learning and biding survival as much as anything after finding himself neck-deep into trouble by no fault of his own (but rather by Nat’s).
Painted into a corner, there is no way to go but to see it through to the end, and even Will is shocked to discover the ruse his associate has shimmied him into. And yet, at last, it all falls into place.
As much a personal story as it as a grand adventure, Swanwick’s artfully woven tale leads you through thoughtful perspectives on power and how one is affected when afforded a consequence-free choice to abuse it. While it, too, touches on a thirst for vengeance, there is the craving for peace in that dangerous, enchanting, wonder-filled world where anything can happen, or nothing at all, with even more tricks and mysteries than even the infamous Nat Whilk himself.
The story itself follows a young man, Will, whose village is visited by a dragon – a heaving, mechanized beast – that needs a new Rider and chooses Will to be enslaved by its consciousness. While his mind is intermittently overwhelmed, the young protagonist finds his way back to freedom – or so he believes – but is too late for repentance for his kinsfolk for his action as the dragon’s servant.
Ostracized and alone, Will sets out, braving the landscape torn and tattered by war, and gets himself tangled up in all the sorts of trouble only the most haunted of travellers can seem to fall into. Along the way, he meets allies and adversaries, and those whom he can’t ever seem to figure out one way or the other.
But the grandest of charades ensues when Will finds himself swept into the tutelage of a master conman, Nat Whilk, learning and biding survival as much as anything after finding himself neck-deep into trouble by no fault of his own (but rather by Nat’s).
Painted into a corner, there is no way to go but to see it through to the end, and even Will is shocked to discover the ruse his associate has shimmied him into. And yet, at last, it all falls into place.
As much a personal story as it as a grand adventure, Swanwick’s artfully woven tale leads you through thoughtful perspectives on power and how one is affected when afforded a consequence-free choice to abuse it. While it, too, touches on a thirst for vengeance, there is the craving for peace in that dangerous, enchanting, wonder-filled world where anything can happen, or nothing at all, with even more tricks and mysteries than even the infamous Nat Whilk himself.
July 2, 2017
_The Dragons of Babel_ is a second foray into the richly weird industrial fairyworld of _The Iron Dragon's Daughter_. A sequel to that book would be impossible, but this alternative exploration of the same setting manages to provide a second experience which is only slightly less bizarrely fatalistic, and still manages to keep you guessing.
In many ways, _The Dragons of Babel_ is the male mirror of a female _Iron Dragon's Daughter_, and the reflections cast by that parallel are interesting to observe. In both cases, a dragon is involved in raising the child up from obscurity, and in both cases it turns out that their inherent properties are key to their power. In Will's case the story is laden with typically male themes: he internalises the power of the dragon, and becomes formidable in combat. He protects the weak; he falls in love with a dazzling beauty and charms her through persistence and uncanny skill. He raises himself from the lowest level by his own merit, but is also the true-born son of a powerful king. Whereas Jane develops her sexuality as a weapon, a tool to power, Will develops himself through cunning and strength, a modern Odysseus character. In the end, Will replaces his father.
The book is almost as dazzling as the previous work for the rich blend of high fantasy and modern industrial settings. We see soldiers of mass destruction, refugee camps, centaur squads and time-travelling border patrols. In the sewers, we are treated to a most fantastic and illustrious portrait of an underground resistance movement. In the city there are always the threats to the identify of class and race, and repercussions to any challenge of the existing order.
Magical and brutal, Swanwick's second presentation offers more of the same nihilistic enchantment, and very well done.
May 25, 2025
Una de esas raras ocasiones donde las segundas partes son mejores que las primeras (en mi humilde opinión). Quizá sea un sesgo por haber leído el primero en su traducción al castellano, con su portada inadecuada y su encuadernación en rústica, mientras este lo he leído en su versión original (porque además no se tradujo ante el probable batacazo del primero), con una portada más pertinente, una encuadernación en tapa dura y, desengañémonos, me atrevería a decir que una manera de ver el mundo más madura, menos punk y pretendidamente transgresora que la primera parte.
Aunque en realidad es probable que ayude que no es una segunda parte, sino una historia diferente contada en el mismo mundo, un viaje de un héroe nuevo desde la inmadurez hasta el triunfo más absoluto al más puro estilo del autor aquel de las latas de sopa, enfrentándole a diferentes avatares del Destino en episodios cortos como los de Hércules o Asterix. Por otra parte, aunque hay menos referencias sexuales explícitas de las que plagaban el anterior, aún hay alguna que chirría e incluso obliga a apartar la vista por vergüencita ajena. ¿Creceremos algún día? No, no creceremos nunca.
Lo malo es que mi cabeza lo ha tratado como comida rápida: lo terminé hace dos días y me cuesta evocar los nombres de los personajes protagonistas, las cosas que les pasaron antes del desenlace y, si me apuras, me acuerdo de la escena que dispara el resto de la trama porque, curiosamente, es muy similar a la del libro anterior y también a la del posterior (que estoy leyendo ahora).
¿Se deja leer? Se deja leer. ¿Se lo recomendaría a algún fanático de la alta fantasía? Solo si ya se ha leído todo lo demás, cosa que yo aún no he hecho: son las pruebas que nos pone el Señor.
Aunque en realidad es probable que ayude que no es una segunda parte, sino una historia diferente contada en el mismo mundo, un viaje de un héroe nuevo desde la inmadurez hasta el triunfo más absoluto al más puro estilo del autor aquel de las latas de sopa, enfrentándole a diferentes avatares del Destino en episodios cortos como los de Hércules o Asterix. Por otra parte, aunque hay menos referencias sexuales explícitas de las que plagaban el anterior, aún hay alguna que chirría e incluso obliga a apartar la vista por vergüencita ajena. ¿Creceremos algún día? No, no creceremos nunca.
Lo malo es que mi cabeza lo ha tratado como comida rápida: lo terminé hace dos días y me cuesta evocar los nombres de los personajes protagonistas, las cosas que les pasaron antes del desenlace y, si me apuras, me acuerdo de la escena que dispara el resto de la trama porque, curiosamente, es muy similar a la del libro anterior y también a la del posterior (que estoy leyendo ahora).
¿Se deja leer? Se deja leer. ¿Se lo recomendaría a algún fanático de la alta fantasía? Solo si ya se ha leído todo lo demás, cosa que yo aún no he hecho: son las pruebas que nos pone el Señor.
November 29, 2019
This was my first novel by Swanwick. I think the unique aspects of his writing include exotic use of language (it is elegantly literary but also has a punk aesthetic as well), strong world building, and surprising plot twists. I actually just re-read this book because the writing is so dense. The plot moves very quickly but there are some ideas I want to go back and ponder over.
The only weaker area of the writing I can think of is character development. I feel like each character is clear but I don't feel really close to the characters. I am rooting for the protagonist but am not sure if I am strongly identifying with him (maybe he is too perfect). However, it is a really electrifying ride and one which seems to rebel against the tropes of fantasy.
At first, after I read this book the first time, I felt a sense of shock like, is this what fantasy could be. Then I felt depressed, like "how can I ever write fantasy after this?" But I think there is this line toward the back section of the book where Swanick actually throws down the gauntlet and challenges the reader to write in a way that is surprising and new (paraphrased). I think the writing is special because it is an amalgam of fantasy and classical literature. There are ideas which are a little more philosophical which add poignancy to the fast-paced story.
The only weaker area of the writing I can think of is character development. I feel like each character is clear but I don't feel really close to the characters. I am rooting for the protagonist but am not sure if I am strongly identifying with him (maybe he is too perfect). However, it is a really electrifying ride and one which seems to rebel against the tropes of fantasy.
At first, after I read this book the first time, I felt a sense of shock like, is this what fantasy could be. Then I felt depressed, like "how can I ever write fantasy after this?" But I think there is this line toward the back section of the book where Swanick actually throws down the gauntlet and challenges the reader to write in a way that is surprising and new (paraphrased). I think the writing is special because it is an amalgam of fantasy and classical literature. There are ideas which are a little more philosophical which add poignancy to the fast-paced story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2021
Odd, quirky, at times laugh out loud funny. Unlike a typical Tolkien trope this fantasy novel blends a far future post apocalypse setting with mythical creatures, magic, and a vast melting pot of existing cultures, belief structures and language, and then throws in present references that somehow fit without breaking immersion. Though a YA book the themes and situations are very adult - sex, addiction, war, death, the swift passage of time, complex relationships, karma versus free will, dire reality vs quixotic dreams, and a tiny bit of ill-fated love to boot.
At times cyclical and obvious, the read is no less equally surprising and emotive.
Will is a badly used protagonist forced through obstacles unending that transition him from boy to man. His friends are a young girl who retains no memory including of Will, an old donkey-eared trickster, an alderman who hears all, a princess who works for the corrupt government, and figments of some else's imagination. From a woodland village beset by WWII style airstrikes called dragons through an epic hero's journey to His Absent Majesty's empty throne, a reader is allowed to cheer for him as much as they fear for him.
At times cyclical and obvious, the read is no less equally surprising and emotive.
Will is a badly used protagonist forced through obstacles unending that transition him from boy to man. His friends are a young girl who retains no memory including of Will, an old donkey-eared trickster, an alderman who hears all, a princess who works for the corrupt government, and figments of some else's imagination. From a woodland village beset by WWII style airstrikes called dragons through an epic hero's journey to His Absent Majesty's empty throne, a reader is allowed to cheer for him as much as they fear for him.
July 2, 2025
This book was so boring and nonsense. It pretend to be a fantasy, but actually there is no world building at all, just a bunch of different characters that are not human and sime magic things with no rules. And on the other hand there are a lot of references to our world (countries and brands). The protagonist is once referred to as "white boy", in a racial way. But they are not humans, there isn't any black person or other ethnicity! If you want to write something about racism, at least create a fantasy settings appropriate. The author just copied the reality, in a way that makes no sense.
Another thing that makes no sense is the protagonist, that does things with no intention whatsoever. He arrived in a place and join a group; does he have a purpose to do that? No.
He is totally blank.
And so the plot is totally nonsense, a juxtaposition of stories totally unconnected.
At least at the last hundred pages there is a little plot (this made me raise my rating to 2 stars) but was so little and so diluted with all those cheap subplots, that seems like missed opportunity for a good book
Another thing that makes no sense is the protagonist, that does things with no intention whatsoever. He arrived in a place and join a group; does he have a purpose to do that? No.
He is totally blank.
And so the plot is totally nonsense, a juxtaposition of stories totally unconnected.
At least at the last hundred pages there is a little plot (this made me raise my rating to 2 stars) but was so little and so diluted with all those cheap subplots, that seems like missed opportunity for a good book
October 3, 2018
This was okay. I liked the twist at the end when .
There are all sorts of various settings and elements: iron dragons, a girl without a memory , a refugee camp, a bustling city which our intrepid heroes have to , a journey through the underground which turns out to and a heist .
There is a mix of various tropes and a nice plot twist at the end. It's a strange read, but ultimately ok.
There are all sorts of various settings and elements: iron dragons, a girl without a memory , a refugee camp, a bustling city which our intrepid heroes have to , a journey through the underground which turns out to and a heist .
There is a mix of various tropes and a nice plot twist at the end. It's a strange read, but ultimately ok.
March 18, 2021
Learn to praise the imperfect world.
This tale exists in the same world as 'The Iron Dragon's Daughter' and in fact has a cameo from Fata Jayne about two thirds in.
This tale is smoother plotwise than the first as the world building had already been done and Will the Hero had a less convoluted path than Jane and honestly was less interesting as a character. This isn't to say this novel or Will wasn't good just that it wasn't as wild a ride this time but it was a 'tighter' path and pacing.
I recommend this book. Very worldly and less pretentious than most cyberpunk/high fantasy stories. There are some really clever moments.
This tale exists in the same world as 'The Iron Dragon's Daughter' and in fact has a cameo from Fata Jayne about two thirds in.
This tale is smoother plotwise than the first as the world building had already been done and Will the Hero had a less convoluted path than Jane and honestly was less interesting as a character. This isn't to say this novel or Will wasn't good just that it wasn't as wild a ride this time but it was a 'tighter' path and pacing.
I recommend this book. Very worldly and less pretentious than most cyberpunk/high fantasy stories. There are some really clever moments.
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