The Raven Tower

by Ann Leckie

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 WORLD FANTASY AWARD

A usurper has claimed the throne. Invaders amass at the borders. And they have made their alliances with enemy gods...

For centuries the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by a god known as the Raven. But in their hour of need, the Raven speaks nothing to its people. It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo - aide to the true heir to the throne - arrives. In seeking to help his master reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself... and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

A triumph of the imagination, The Raven Tower is the first fantasy novel by Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking fantasy masterpiece.

• ISBN10: 0356507017
• ISBN13: 9780356507019
• Publish Date: 26 February 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[pamela]

I desperately want to rate The Raven Tower higher than I am, but despite it being beautifully written and conceptually wonderful, it just didn't quite grab me as much as I wanted it to.

Where The Raven Tower shines is in it's first-class concept. I loved reading about the gods, and seeing in narrative form how pantheons rose and fell, and religions sprang up around them. The narrator was a wonderful character with such a unique voice and outlook. The stories about the people of the present, on the other hand, didn't grab me quite as much. They seemed incidental to a much more interesting story.

One of The Raven Tower's main failings, I think, is that there was no real development between characters, nor exploration of their relationships. Because there's so much time covered in the narration, and the narrator, while technically omniscient by virtue of godhood, is not a mind reader, a lot of the character information and backstory was simply info-dumped with no real narrative flow. It meant that a lot of the plot felt disjointed, and character motivations seemed underdeveloped. There was also a romance subplot that seemed tacked on and unnecessary. It meant nothing to the plot and didn't really lead anywhere, so again, I felt nothing for the characters. It also meant that the ending felt incredibly lacklustre - I simply didn't feel enough for the characters for it to be impactful.

That said, Ann Leckie's writing is beautiful. I loved that she played with form and used a completely unique narrator's voice. From an academic standpoint, I simply can't fault The Raven Tower - but it just wasn't always interesting to read. When I was engrossed I couldn't put it down, but when it dragged I struggled to pick it up again. It ebbed and flowed, which definitely speaks to an issue of pacing.

The Raven Tower spans genres. It would be equally at home in a sci-fi, fantasy, or literary fiction collection. It's definitely a book worth reading, even if only for academic interest. It's definitely well-written and has some beautifully conceived ideas. But it's not one for anyone looking for a quick fantasy read.

[moraa]

3.5 stars

I am the Strength and Patience of the Hill! And I am the god of Vastai, who until now has sustained Iraden! And you, little snake, will not be the first god I have killed. No, nor even the second.

What I liked about this:
1. the story is told from the point of view of a stone (yes, you read that correct, a stone tells the story - more on that in #4)
2. premise
3. Characterisation
-I got some LGBTQ+ vibes from Eolo, I love his timid nature - we all need a break from the badass soldiers and their weapons of ancient steel (or whatever)
-Mawat: My. Father. Never. Fled. is all we get for the first half of the book but the narrator voices him so well that it's stuck in my head now
-The Strength and Patience of the Hill (other titles omitted) had me in its grasp, not a particularly laudable feat since it narrated the story but that bit at the end... I thought we were friends, I thought you were here to make things better but instead you reminded me who you were and when you swore your vengeance, you left me speechless.
-Tikaz: fierce and one to watch out for, certainly no damsel in distress (see #5 below)
4. Racial diversity! (thank the gods there was more than the standard Nigerian accent in the audiobook, I hate it when producers assume all Africans speak that way)
5. The conclusion.

What I didn't like:
1. Pacing - I nearly abandoned this because things weren't happening fast enough or happening at all.

[bookperson]

idk what I was thinking going into this book, but this is dense high fantasy and apparently I don't like books like this one.
still giving it 4 because everybody seem to adore it

[sarahjay]

This is a very cool book. I thought I was going to hate the second person stuff, because normally I dislike that, but once I'd gotten used to it I thought it was a very interesting way to tell this story. I loved a lot of what's in this, especially the way gods were described and depicted. I took so long to read it because I didn't want it to end, because every scene made me just want there to be more. Which is why I ended up giving it only four stars. The ending was... abrupt? It left me a little cold. And I think there are maybe explanations and reasons for that, something about the narrator having a more impassive perspective on events than we do, but I felt a little confused by it all the same. It was not conclusive, which is why probably many people think there will be a sequel. Ann Leckie already said it was a standalone, so not sure about that. More in this world would be very welcome, though. All I really know is that Ann Leckie is a genius and I'll read everything she writes forever.