The year of our War...

[Walker Boh]

Has anyone read it? I read a review in SFX and bought it to read on the way home from a concert, and I couldn't put the thing down! Brilliant stuff, come pay day, the sequel will be bought!

Views anyone...?

 

[Ainulindale]

I think Steph performs a wonderful character profile with Jant, and the series basis is damn interestic (the Circle). I also thoguth the conceptual possibilities of Shift is a nice touch, and thought the flashbacks to Jant's past, depicting a dickensenain feel were the best parts of the novel.

That said, Steph dialog sometimes leaves something nto be desired and it a bit of a deus ex machina ending to the plot. I really enjoyed the concept and the peripheral stories much more then the linear main story. At any rate the weaknesses can be attributed to being a new author.

I had the opportunity to interview Steph hee if interested, and for my full thoughts on The Year of Our War, I reviewed it here


At any rate the possibilities IMHO overshadow the flaws, but ehy do certainly exist IMHO.

 

[Rogue]

The Year of our War by Steph Swainston

In British author Swainston's first novel, a well-written, if occasionally uneven, fantasy, three humanoid species coexist successfully in a medieval world under the rule of a benevolent, immortal emperor, supported by a circle of 50 immortal warriors. For many centuries, however, this civilization has been under attack by Insects, monstrous creatures who convert everything they conquer into the Paperlands, endless wastelands of bizarre white walls and tunnels. Now one of the immortals, Jant the Messenger, addicted to the hallucinatory drug called cat, which allows him access to an alternate universe, has discovered the Insects' secret. Despite his debilitating addiction, Jant must find a way to preserve his world against the monsters' increasing onslaught. Numerous bloody battles keep the action moving, and Swainston has a powerful sense of the surreal, but her domestic scenes tend to drag and verge on soap opera. Jant is an engaging antihero, though most of the other characters are fairly flat. This off-beat fantasy should appeal to fans of China Miéville's fiction as well as to those who remember Roger Zelazny's Amber series with fondness.

I havn't read it and as it sounds quiet bizarre, I probably won't.

 

[rune]

Ive recently finished this book and it is different, definately steps out of the normal fantasy story. I did enjoy it, despite it being a bit gritty and raw at times. It's just got a nice edge to it that I enjoyed

 

[rune]

Ive also recently finished the sequel No Present Like Time. Definate a good sequel and this authors gone onto my favourites list

 

[Brys]

I think Steph performs a wonderful character profile with Jant, and the series basis is damn interestic (the Circle). I also thoguth the conceptual possibilities of Shift is a nice touch, and thought the flashbacks to Jant's past, depicting a dickensenain feel were the best parts of the novel.

That said, Steph dialog sometimes leaves something nto be desired and it a bit of a deus ex machina ending to the plot. I really enjoyed the concept and the peripheral stories much more then the linear main story. At any rate the weaknesses can be attributed to being a new author.

I had the opportunity to interview Steph hee if interested, and for my full thoughts on The Year of Our War, I reviewed it here

At any rate the possibilities IMHO overshadow the flaws, but ehy do certainly exist IMHO.

I agree with that, but I think that the novel's been done a disservice by it being consistently described as New Weird, when to me it seemed just to be an epic fantasy with some originality in it. It's still one of the best debuts I've read.