Started: 27/07/21
Finished: 04/08/21
Spoilers: No
3.5*
Here on Goodreads, this book is most commonly shelved as Fantasy, but really this is much more of a Scifi / Dystopian novel. Bare that in mind. I went into this thinking it was an actual fantasy book and was a little surprised to find it was more akin to Orwell's 1984 or Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
Thankfully I really enjoy those books, so didn't mind at all, but I can imagine someone who doesn't enjoy classics being a little miffed with this one.
Characters
I'm ordinarily a character reader. If I don't enjoy the character, I don't enjoy the book. However, the world created here is like a character in itself, albeit a very unreliable, untrustworthy character. So It didn't matter to me that I felt disconnected to Largo for over half the book. I was intrigued enough by the world and bizarre social system that I wanted to keep reading. And the more I read, the more I warmed to Largo and his struggles.
He's very much an average guy and unlikely hero. For so long he just keeps his head down and does his job and doesn't want to rock the boat. But when things become personal, when push comes to shove, Largo absolutely does whatever is necessary to protect his own. He actually has a lot of growth in the book.
Although at the start he doesn't have a whole lot of agency and he just gets slapped about by the plot, he eventually starts fighting back, and not a moment too soon. It definitely feels like a breaking point in the story. A much-needed one. It reaches a moment where I'm like c'mon, Largo, do something, and in a very human moment on his part, it's almost like he has the same thought, and he starts to finally do something and rebel against authority. There's a release of tension when Largo fights back, almost like he's woken up and finally seeing the world for what it is.
Largo isn't a typical hero, but he's a character who learns as he goes and ultimately takes charge of his own fate.
Plot
I'm actually not going to say a whole lot about the plot. I don't want to hint at too much. I went into this book pretty much blind, thinking it would be one thing and getting something totally different. But in the end, I was quite pleasantly surprised by what I got. I think this is perhaps one of those books that's best left unexplained.
Setting
Though I didn't fall in love with this world, it's vivid in its utter bleakness. A fascinating world that's vastly underexplored and completely unexplained. Lower Proszawa, despite, sounding (and spelling) incredibly Polish, seems to be a part of this strange reimagined Germany.
There's talk of a Great War that has been, brutal and bloody and which has left some men utterly disfigured, as well as talk of a new war on the horizon. This unsettled period essentially trapped between two great wars gives the world an almost 1920s 1930s vibe, and yet there's much about the world that suggests otherwise. Some technology indeed feels like it belongs within that time period, but then there's a serial blend with automatons, in which these robotic people are slowly swallowing up all the menial jobs of humans.
Machines are powered by steam or plasma, giving the world a slight steampunk edge, though it never feels obviously steampunk, it's much more subtle than that.
A lot of world-building information is given in supplemental material every other chapter in the form of documents, user manuals for automaton devices, or diary excepts. While an interesting way to include world-building snippets that might otherwise not have been included, it's not the most exciting way to flesh out a world.
Regarding the strange imbalance between various technologies, we're offered no explanation. Where did this advanced tech come from, and why aren't all mechanical fields in the world as advanced?
As much as I enjoy diving into the deep end and simply immersing myself in a world, I do like to have some level of understanding towards it too.
This is a strange world, to say the least, and not at all what I expected going in. Furthermore, the cover art screams dark fantasy gothic, but the story couldn't be further from that visual.
It's a bit weird, a bit skewed, but I think it's meant to be. The veil of mystery surrounding this gritty, grimey world works well to add to the layers of uncertainty and tension. And though I would have liked more answers, I can't deny that it had my attention from the start.
Writing Style
The writing feels very reminiscent of modern classics like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, as I mentioned above. It inkoves the same feelings in me. I feel the same kind of disconnect to the characters and the world as these aspects come across as secondary to the main themes of the book. Those being, political corruption, censorship, propaganda, and the little guy standing up to authority knowing full well this is a battle he can't win but fighting anyway.
The oppressive nature of this world comes across vividly in the writing. There are moments when Largo is stuck, helpless to a cruel authority and I found myself getting frustrated. Not because what was happening was bad writing, but because Largo's treatment was so unfair and unjust. I felt the way Largo did, angry and helpless. And that's just good writing.
The dialogue, though not contrived, sometimes felt a little stilted and sticky, but this is generally a well-written novel with decent prose without getting too purple. Kadrey does a pretty great job depicting his world. I was able to imagine all of it in various shades of grey and muted tones, such was the vibe I was getting from his descriptions.
Final Impression
An interesting read. Not at all what I expected. But sometimes that can be a good thing. If I'd known the details of this story, I'm not sure I would've picked it up, but I'm glad I did. Take a chance on something outside your comfort zone and you might be surprised by what you find.
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