Status Updates From Alkumetsä

When I first heard about this book and author it was in a list of sci-fi books. So far it is fantasy. Yes, I realize that the boundary be the two is not clear cut. We will press on and see what we find. The writing is clear and reads rather quickly, which is nice.

Finished Part Two. It’s interesting in many ways, and also very serious in tone, and also, perhaps, a bit too in love with its sense of its own importance.

Finished Part One. I can well imagine that this novel, when it appeared in the early 80s, was quite unlike any other fantasy literature of its time.

An intriguing beginning. It’s *very* British in style and setting. Since this book has appeared on a number of lists of the best fantasy novels, I’ve been curious to see whether or not I will agree.