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The Crowns of Ishia #1
The Mountain Crown
Méka must capture a king dragon, or die trying.
War between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor has left no one unscathed. Méka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Those who remained were forced to live under the Kattakan yoke, to serve their greed for gold alongside the dragons with whom the Ba’Suon share an empathic connection.
A decade later and under a fragile truce, Méka returns home from her exile for an ancient, necessary rite: gathering a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country. But Méka’s act of compassion toward an imprisoned dragon and Lilley, a Kattakan veteran of the war, soon draws the ire of the imperialistic authorities. They order the unwelcome addition of an enigmatic Ba’Suon traitor named Raka to accompany Méka and Lilley to the mountains.
The journey is filled with dangers both within and without. As conflict threatens to reignite, the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the decisions – defiant or compliant – that Méka and her companions choose to make. But not even Méka, kin to the great dragons of the North, can anticipate the depth of the consequences to her world.
War between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor has left no one unscathed. Méka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Those who remained were forced to live under the Kattakan yoke, to serve their greed for gold alongside the dragons with whom the Ba’Suon share an empathic connection.
A decade later and under a fragile truce, Méka returns home from her exile for an ancient, necessary rite: gathering a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country. But Méka’s act of compassion toward an imprisoned dragon and Lilley, a Kattakan veteran of the war, soon draws the ire of the imperialistic authorities. They order the unwelcome addition of an enigmatic Ba’Suon traitor named Raka to accompany Méka and Lilley to the mountains.
The journey is filled with dangers both within and without. As conflict threatens to reignite, the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the decisions – defiant or compliant – that Méka and her companions choose to make. But not even Méka, kin to the great dragons of the North, can anticipate the depth of the consequences to her world.
150 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2024
15 people are currently reading
4054 people want to read
About the author
Karin Lowachee
62 books358 followersKarin was born in South America, grew up in Canada, and worked in the Arctic. Her novels have been translated into French, Hebrew, and Japanese, and her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines, some of which were edited by John Joseph Adams, Nalo Hopkinson, Nisi Shawl and Ann VanderMeer. When she isn't writing, she serves at the whim of a black cat.
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July 6, 2024Karin Lowachee's latest highlights a talent that excels at handling diverse angles of experience and tangling complexities. Her handling of broken characters, the entrenched gulf of cultural differences, the dark and light threads that entangle the deep vein of inconsistencies in human relationships all feature in this moving story. The greater conflict between conquest and culture centers upon society's pariahs, outcasts, damaged veterans of a brutal war, juxtaposed against a third character's compassionate integration with the natural world. This is a taut, supberbly told tale, unfolded with curt strokes, worldly brilliance and a depth of setting seldom seen in a work of this length. If you have not yet read Karin Lowachee, this is a superb place to start.
October 17, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
The Mountain Crown is the first novella in the fantasy western series The Crowns of Ishia, written by Karin Lowachee, and published by Solaris Books. A bold novella that gives us an incredible main character in a challenging quest, and which takes the opportunity to create a perfect setting to discuss colonization and the oppression and eradication of indigenous cultures.
Méka, our main character, returns to the homeland of her nomadic tribe, the Ba'Suon, in order to fulfill an ancient, necessary rite: to capture a king dragon of the Crown Mountains, helping to maintain the ecological balance in the wild. Despite having all the necessary documentation, Méka will soon experience the distrust from Kattakans toward her people, and an act of compassion towards a dragon and a war veteran, Lilley, will put her in trouble with the authorities; as a result, a traitor Ba'suon will join her and Lilley in their journey to the mountains. A quest that will be plagued with difficult moments, decisions that can threaten to reignite the war and even the survivance of the own land.
Lowachee trusts the reader to pick the story as it goes, throwing a huge amount of intriguing worldbuilding at first, starting with the own Méka's ability, the empathy that is practically useless with the Kattakan (they are as dead for her), but that helps her to communicate with other Ba'Suon and dragons; a land with its own history, where the indigenous population has been displaced or subjugated by the invader. Putting us in her shoes allows us to experiment in first hand how she's treated as an inferior person, even if it's not reflected legally; and we can also see how the progress is forgetting about keeping the ecosystem equilibrium, a mission assumed by the Ba'Suon.
Not only that, but we have a marvelous cast of characters, especially Méka, Lilley, and Raka; not only we have a strong main character, but also a compassionate one, who will put herself in a difficult spot to rescue Lilley. Raka is a man conflicted with himself, a traitor to her roots who is drowning in his own guilt, and Lilley gives us additional context on how the war went, including a great queer subplot.
While I found this novella to be a bit dense at points, definitely I can say that Lowachee picked my interest, giving me a great read that also took the opportunity to discuss many themes that appear as a consequence of the disrespect from colonizers. We have a great and bold story, and definitely, I can't wait to continue reading more of The Crowns of Ishia in the future.
The Mountain Crown is the first novella in the fantasy western series The Crowns of Ishia, written by Karin Lowachee, and published by Solaris Books. A bold novella that gives us an incredible main character in a challenging quest, and which takes the opportunity to create a perfect setting to discuss colonization and the oppression and eradication of indigenous cultures.
Méka, our main character, returns to the homeland of her nomadic tribe, the Ba'Suon, in order to fulfill an ancient, necessary rite: to capture a king dragon of the Crown Mountains, helping to maintain the ecological balance in the wild. Despite having all the necessary documentation, Méka will soon experience the distrust from Kattakans toward her people, and an act of compassion towards a dragon and a war veteran, Lilley, will put her in trouble with the authorities; as a result, a traitor Ba'suon will join her and Lilley in their journey to the mountains. A quest that will be plagued with difficult moments, decisions that can threaten to reignite the war and even the survivance of the own land.
Lowachee trusts the reader to pick the story as it goes, throwing a huge amount of intriguing worldbuilding at first, starting with the own Méka's ability, the empathy that is practically useless with the Kattakan (they are as dead for her), but that helps her to communicate with other Ba'Suon and dragons; a land with its own history, where the indigenous population has been displaced or subjugated by the invader. Putting us in her shoes allows us to experiment in first hand how she's treated as an inferior person, even if it's not reflected legally; and we can also see how the progress is forgetting about keeping the ecosystem equilibrium, a mission assumed by the Ba'Suon.
Not only that, but we have a marvelous cast of characters, especially Méka, Lilley, and Raka; not only we have a strong main character, but also a compassionate one, who will put herself in a difficult spot to rescue Lilley. Raka is a man conflicted with himself, a traitor to her roots who is drowning in his own guilt, and Lilley gives us additional context on how the war went, including a great queer subplot.
While I found this novella to be a bit dense at points, definitely I can say that Lowachee picked my interest, giving me a great read that also took the opportunity to discuss many themes that appear as a consequence of the disrespect from colonizers. We have a great and bold story, and definitely, I can't wait to continue reading more of The Crowns of Ishia in the future.
August 14, 2024
I struggled to push through this book but despite my best intentions I gave up at the 50% mark.
The premise sounded interesting but the execution didn't click with me at all.
This was a case of style over substance. The writing is difficult to follow. It reminded me a bit of Marlon James's style in The Dark Star Trilogy but nowhere near as succesful. The MC communicates with the dragons in a way that I found at first difficult to understand and later just annoying. The cast of characters is not very big, but still I couldn't connect with any of them. In fact I felt completely disengaged from everything that was going on. Half way through this and I still couldn't understand what was the main plot.
Maybe it's my fault and readers familiar with the author's writing style will like it, but for everyone else I suggest reading a sample first.
My thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this Arc.
The premise sounded interesting but the execution didn't click with me at all.
This was a case of style over substance. The writing is difficult to follow. It reminded me a bit of Marlon James's style in The Dark Star Trilogy but nowhere near as succesful. The MC communicates with the dragons in a way that I found at first difficult to understand and later just annoying. The cast of characters is not very big, but still I couldn't connect with any of them. In fact I felt completely disengaged from everything that was going on. Half way through this and I still couldn't understand what was the main plot.
Maybe it's my fault and readers familiar with the author's writing style will like it, but for everyone else I suggest reading a sample first.
My thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for this Arc.
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November 26, 2024DNF @ 19%
The writing style is annoying me so much I can't even figure out if I like the story. My track record for finishing books this month is truly abysmal :( Not rating.
r/Fantasy BINGO: Judge a Book by Its Cover (Hard Mode, not even looking at the blurb)
The writing style is annoying me so much I can't even figure out if I like the story. My track record for finishing books this month is truly abysmal :( Not rating.
r/Fantasy BINGO: Judge a Book by Its Cover (Hard Mode, not even looking at the blurb)
September 28, 2024
Absolutely PERFECT.
Rtc!
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
Highlights
~dragon cubs!
~don’t touch the swords
~maintaining eco-balance
~unexpected queerness
~the cosmos is definitely listening
I’ve been hearing Lowachee’s name for a long time, but never managed to read any of her books until Mountain Crown showed up on Netgalley. I figured a relatively short book + dragons would be a good introduction for an author I hadn’t tried before.
SUFFICE TO SAY, AFTER THIS NOVELLA I WILL BE DEVOURING LOWACHEE’S ENTIRE BACKLIST!
The plot is pretty well covered by the blurb, so I won’t go over that much, but the WORLD! Please picture me swooning. Lowachee wastes no time establishing her setting; the sense-of-place is so strong and clear, and rings unique, like not quite like anything I’ve seen before. Mostly in terms of the Ba’suon, the people Méka, our MC, belongs to: we learn about Méka’s – let’s call it psychic empathy, for lack of a better term – on the very first page, and it’s rapidly confirmed that this is an ability all Ba’suon have. It’s absolutely fascinating to see how this is clearly Méka’s primary sense – think of how humans are intensely visual creatures, and now imagine all that weight placed on a kind of psychic ability. Lowachee’s worldbuilding is phenomenal on every level, but I especially loved how this one detail – the Ba’suon’s empathy – informs and influences absolutely everything about Méka and her culture.
But in a way, Méka’s empathy – magic? – is almost defined by absence, in Mountain Crown. Because non-Ba’suon don’t have this ability, and weirder and worse is the way that they feel dead to this sense. Ba’suon can sense each other, and animals and birds and so on…but not humans who are not Ba’suon. This is a direct reversal from the other times I’ve seen fictional cultures with this kind of magic – think the Lakewalkers from Bujold’s Sharing Knife quartet, where non-Lakewalkers don’t have this magic, but Lakewalkers can still see/sense them just fine. So I wonder what it was like, when the Ba’suon encountered other peoples for the first time? Like the Kattakans – imagine being invaded by people who look human, but ‘register’ as completely dead? That must have been horrifying, and it says a lot about the Ba’suon that they haven’t demonised outsiders because of that. It would have been very believable for a people in that situation to become intensely xenophobic…but they’re not.
(I mean, they’re not pro-Kattakan, with really good reason. But there’s no sense of only Ba’suon people are real people, you know?)
That’s important. What we can infer about the Ba’suon from that…almost, I think, gives us the heart of who they are. What defines them as a people.
That, and the dragons, of course. Which the Ba’suon call suon (and the way I flailed when I realised the Ba’suon named themselves after dragons! Or named the dragons after themselves! Again, tiny details which imply SO MUCH!)
larger adults flit back and forth like jeweled bats upon stalactites.
The characters are amazing. I loved Méka; I loved getting to know her, learning who she was. She’s so different from most of the main characters I see; practical but unyielding on the things that matter to her, with a pride that almost doesn’t seem like pride, compassionate without necessarily being forgiving, an unfamiliar kind of optimistic. Her…reverence is almost the right word, but not quite…for the natural world is a beautiful thing to witness, to be inside of for a while. She has a very non-individualistic outlook and attitude that is – pretty foreign to Western culture, really!
I don’t mean to suggest that she’s some perfect Enlightened being: far from it! In her POV the Kattakans are an ‘infestation’, and while she doesn’t offer violence to insults, she definitely invites idiots to Fuck Around And Find Out, with a mien of such steady, implacable surety in her ability to wipe the floor with anyone who tangles with her, that I had to go find a fan.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
Rtc!
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
Highlights
~dragon cubs!
~don’t touch the swords
~maintaining eco-balance
~unexpected queerness
~the cosmos is definitely listening
I’ve been hearing Lowachee’s name for a long time, but never managed to read any of her books until Mountain Crown showed up on Netgalley. I figured a relatively short book + dragons would be a good introduction for an author I hadn’t tried before.
SUFFICE TO SAY, AFTER THIS NOVELLA I WILL BE DEVOURING LOWACHEE’S ENTIRE BACKLIST!
The plot is pretty well covered by the blurb, so I won’t go over that much, but the WORLD! Please picture me swooning. Lowachee wastes no time establishing her setting; the sense-of-place is so strong and clear, and rings unique, like not quite like anything I’ve seen before. Mostly in terms of the Ba’suon, the people Méka, our MC, belongs to: we learn about Méka’s – let’s call it psychic empathy, for lack of a better term – on the very first page, and it’s rapidly confirmed that this is an ability all Ba’suon have. It’s absolutely fascinating to see how this is clearly Méka’s primary sense – think of how humans are intensely visual creatures, and now imagine all that weight placed on a kind of psychic ability. Lowachee’s worldbuilding is phenomenal on every level, but I especially loved how this one detail – the Ba’suon’s empathy – informs and influences absolutely everything about Méka and her culture.
His energetic presence was a hollow clang to her, an empty bucket struck by the hammer of the cosmos.
But in a way, Méka’s empathy – magic? – is almost defined by absence, in Mountain Crown. Because non-Ba’suon don’t have this ability, and weirder and worse is the way that they feel dead to this sense. Ba’suon can sense each other, and animals and birds and so on…but not humans who are not Ba’suon. This is a direct reversal from the other times I’ve seen fictional cultures with this kind of magic – think the Lakewalkers from Bujold’s Sharing Knife quartet, where non-Lakewalkers don’t have this magic, but Lakewalkers can still see/sense them just fine. So I wonder what it was like, when the Ba’suon encountered other peoples for the first time? Like the Kattakans – imagine being invaded by people who look human, but ‘register’ as completely dead? That must have been horrifying, and it says a lot about the Ba’suon that they haven’t demonised outsiders because of that. It would have been very believable for a people in that situation to become intensely xenophobic…but they’re not.
(I mean, they’re not pro-Kattakan, with really good reason. But there’s no sense of only Ba’suon people are real people, you know?)
That’s important. What we can infer about the Ba’suon from that…almost, I think, gives us the heart of who they are. What defines them as a people.
That, and the dragons, of course. Which the Ba’suon call suon (and the way I flailed when I realised the Ba’suon named themselves after dragons! Or named the dragons after themselves! Again, tiny details which imply SO MUCH!)
larger adults flit back and forth like jeweled bats upon stalactites.
The characters are amazing. I loved Méka; I loved getting to know her, learning who she was. She’s so different from most of the main characters I see; practical but unyielding on the things that matter to her, with a pride that almost doesn’t seem like pride, compassionate without necessarily being forgiving, an unfamiliar kind of optimistic. Her…reverence is almost the right word, but not quite…for the natural world is a beautiful thing to witness, to be inside of for a while. She has a very non-individualistic outlook and attitude that is – pretty foreign to Western culture, really!
I don’t mean to suggest that she’s some perfect Enlightened being: far from it! In her POV the Kattakans are an ‘infestation’, and while she doesn’t offer violence to insults, she definitely invites idiots to Fuck Around And Find Out, with a mien of such steady, implacable surety in her ability to wipe the floor with anyone who tangles with her, that I had to go find a fan.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
June 26, 2024
‘Méka must capture a king dragon, or die trying.’
This was my first read by Karin Lowachee, but definitely not my last. This tale was peculiar and so very unique with a lovely, lyrical writing style that I truly enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion | Solaris for this arc in exchange for review.
Pub date: 10.8.24.
This was my first read by Karin Lowachee, but definitely not my last. This tale was peculiar and so very unique with a lovely, lyrical writing style that I truly enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion | Solaris for this arc in exchange for review.
Pub date: 10.8.24.
June 9, 2024
And done! Loved this novella! Dark and dense at times but easy to get lost in. If you haven’t read Karin Lowachees work yet this is a great place to start
February 23, 2025
i did not realise this book would have such a western vibe to its setting, which was a very pleasant surprise.
after fourth wing i desperately needed a cleanser, and thank the lord i chose this book to do it. i've not read any karin lowachee before, but i definitely want to check more out as a result of this.
after fourth wing i desperately needed a cleanser, and thank the lord i chose this book to do it. i've not read any karin lowachee before, but i definitely want to check more out as a result of this.
February 15, 2025
I'm mulling...I really enjoyed this, but it wasn't perfect. In this volume, a young woman named Méka--whose family was displaced by colonialism and war--travels to her pillaged homeland to "gather" a dragon as a rite of passage. In the mining town on the border of the mountains where she'll do this, she picks up (by freeing) a one-handed slave, an ex-soldier ostensibly of the colonizers' people, who has previously had an intimate connection with one of Méka's people who served in the war instead of being interred like Méka's family. They're joined against their will by a void of a man, also of Méka's people, who personally betrayed her companion and his friend and has some mysterious powers and a very withholding personality. Also, Méka's people have an empathic connection to dragons, and there are LOTS of dragons. They're big, they're powerful, you can ride them and they might burn you to a crisp.
I loved the shapes of this world's history and politics, the things it did around colonialism. In general this book plays to Lowachee's two primary strengths, which are: setting up a horrible political conflict, and showing the deep damage that these conflicts inflict on landscapes, histories, and especially individuals. I really like the main characters, although I think our POV character Méka only had so much to do in this book - she is an interesting, formidable, and steadfast person with strong convictions and a deep-rooted sense of being part of her own culture. All of those traits are great! At points she really took a back seat to the men of the story, whose complicated feelings about each other are explored but whose emotional trajectory is like 90% of the way to where it needs to be. Raka, the withdrawn one who did some Bad Things, is also MOST of a character but needed a bit more room to grow before getting to where he does in this book. Lilley is lovely, and such a Lowachee-typical sadboy that I was amused and also delighted to meet him.
There are certain parts that I think needed to be punched up significantly - it's mostly a meditative book, and it's not Lowachee's fault that Solaris put "SHE MUST CAPTURE A DRAGON OR DIE TRYING" on the back cover, but it does not really live up to the peril and intensity implied by this selling copy. There are also moments of fancy in the writing that should have been tamped down on--not every metaphor or turn of phrase works but a harder editor would probably have smoothed or removed those moments. Alas. The shape of the story is very good, and the pain between individuals and groups of people is tenderly observed. I also think that as a setup to what I know the other two books are about, this is a good kicking-off point. And structurally, I think the three novella scheme for publishing the story as a whole makes sense as well. We'll see, of course, because I'm going to read them, but so far it makes sense.
After having read the Warchild books many times, and Gaslight Dogs once long ago, it is interesting and a pleasure to read Lowachee's take on a new setting, which I think carries forward some of her most essential themes and tendencies. Could have used another round of edits; I'm looking forward to the other two books. 3.5? What's a number, anyway.
I loved the shapes of this world's history and politics, the things it did around colonialism. In general this book plays to Lowachee's two primary strengths, which are: setting up a horrible political conflict, and showing the deep damage that these conflicts inflict on landscapes, histories, and especially individuals. I really like the main characters, although I think our POV character Méka only had so much to do in this book - she is an interesting, formidable, and steadfast person with strong convictions and a deep-rooted sense of being part of her own culture. All of those traits are great! At points she really took a back seat to the men of the story, whose complicated feelings about each other are explored but whose emotional trajectory is like 90% of the way to where it needs to be. Raka, the withdrawn one who did some Bad Things, is also MOST of a character but needed a bit more room to grow before getting to where he does in this book. Lilley is lovely, and such a Lowachee-typical sadboy that I was amused and also delighted to meet him.
There are certain parts that I think needed to be punched up significantly - it's mostly a meditative book, and it's not Lowachee's fault that Solaris put "SHE MUST CAPTURE A DRAGON OR DIE TRYING" on the back cover, but it does not really live up to the peril and intensity implied by this selling copy. There are also moments of fancy in the writing that should have been tamped down on--not every metaphor or turn of phrase works but a harder editor would probably have smoothed or removed those moments. Alas. The shape of the story is very good, and the pain between individuals and groups of people is tenderly observed. I also think that as a setup to what I know the other two books are about, this is a good kicking-off point. And structurally, I think the three novella scheme for publishing the story as a whole makes sense as well. We'll see, of course, because I'm going to read them, but so far it makes sense.
After having read the Warchild books many times, and Gaslight Dogs once long ago, it is interesting and a pleasure to read Lowachee's take on a new setting, which I think carries forward some of her most essential themes and tendencies. Could have used another round of edits; I'm looking forward to the other two books. 3.5? What's a number, anyway.
August 6, 2025
"Your people used many things for war. Bodies both suon and Ba'suon. The land. One another."
"Don't that anger you?"
"If I let my anger run wild, it too would devastate everything in my path. And what of the world then?"
★★★★★
Karin Lowachee is honestly one of my favorite authors and deserves so much more recognition in the sff space. She has such a natural grasp on the pure emotional beauty of words and the pathos of storytelling. Also, Lowachee really was just out there championing diversity in her work way before such stories were sought after by big publishing houses. Just read any of her short fiction and you'll see what I mean. Needless to say, I literally back-flipped outta my chair when I came across the news that she was tackling a fantasy series.
Méka, a woman of the subjugated nomadic people known as the Ba'Suon, returns to the homeland from which her forebears were driven to carry out an ancient task. To curtail the destructive powers of a king dragon and maintain the balance of the natural world. In pursuit of this goal, she will come face to face with the consequences of the devastating war that has left her people and the land riven.
The Mountain Crown's setting was so unique. It was sort of giving me some Western vibes? As in frontiersmen and gold rushes and expeditions into uncharted territories. Lowachee has no qualms though about tossing you right into the middle of things. I was grasping to orient myself in this world for the first few parts, but the more I just went along for the ride, the more things started to click into place and it eventually felt like I was really living in Ishia. Love when an author has enough faith in the intelligence of readers to piece things together themselves. And the dragons! They are depicted here as simply an integral part of the natural world. This book is also almost very ghibli-esque with its emphasis on the human spiritual connection to nature. I found that to be a beautiful thing.
Lowachee's character work is always an amazing thing to behold. Méka was such a fantastic protagonist. Seriously this is how you write a "strong" heroine!! Really loved what the author had to say here especially:
Specifically with The Mountain Crown, I wanted to write a woman who is grounded in her spirituality, who is contained, who is purposeful in her movements, who outsiders might consider stoic, who is capable without being flashy, who (Western) readers might consider passive as if it’s a fault (it isn’t). I wanted to write about her culture that seeks other avenues besides war, that is connected to nature on an atomic level in a conscious way. I wanted this story to unfold in its own way, with a character who wasn’t pushing to be pigeonholed as a specific type of personality. I think my focus on these aspects of both character and story are because I’ve become interested in narratives that explore people and ways of living that aren’t the commonly considered Western narratives of “active” protagonists and constant “action” to drive a plot.
And it's not just Méka who carries the story. The way the author slowly unravels the depths to each of her unwitting companions too was sooooo masterful. Somehow, Lowachee was able to make even a character who doesn't show up physically in the book have so much presence. I would have kept reading just to learn more about each of them. I loved all of the characters and wish I could just move onto the next book ASAP but alas 😭😭😭.
While this novella certainly is a thrilling adventure, there's also a lot of heavy stuff here about colonization. A really poignant and sad undercurrent seems to pervade through all of the events in The Mountain Crown, but there is also so much here to reflect on thematically-speaking. I felt the depths of pain and rage - at the destruction of families and cultures by imperialism, at the far-reaching traumas of war. But I also felt the depths of love as well. Anyway, I'm getting carried away. I'm confident this trilogy is going to be a masterpiece.
[Thank you to the publisher for the arc which I received through Netgalley. My review and thoughts on this book are entirely my own.]
— ♩♫♩ ~ Reminiscence
September 23, 2024
8/10
Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for providing me with an e-ARC for this title.
This novella is impressively detailed for its length. It’s packed with so much emotion and incredible world building that makes this story so immersive. I wasn’t expecting to be so emotionally affected by this story, but the characters and themes were great. I really felt like I couldn’t put this down.
While at times the plot did feel a little rushed due to the story’s length it was still very satisfying. I really just wanted to spend more time in this world and with these characters. I highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for providing me with an e-ARC for this title.
This novella is impressively detailed for its length. It’s packed with so much emotion and incredible world building that makes this story so immersive. I wasn’t expecting to be so emotionally affected by this story, but the characters and themes were great. I really felt like I couldn’t put this down.
While at times the plot did feel a little rushed due to the story’s length it was still very satisfying. I really just wanted to spend more time in this world and with these characters. I highly recommend!
September 4, 2025
2025-10: 4 stars.
I decided to revisit this first entry in this series to refresh my memory about the world, the characters, and the dragons.
I think I enjoyed this book much more the second time around. I could appreciate the difficult situation Méka finds herself in travelling back into her former lands, which are under an invader's control, and her peaceful approach to problems.
2024-10: 4 stars.
Méka is Ba’suon, and she arrives in the Kattakan settlement of Fortune City, as the first step on her journey to a mountain range where dragons nest. She and her people have a form of telepathic communication with dragons, and me,beds of her people must regularly travel to the crown of the mountain to gather a king shown to keep the dragons from becoming too populous there and becoming pests, and inadvertently drawing the ire and guns of Kattakan hunters.
The Kattakan are a conquering nation, with no respect for the Ba’suon, or other peoples. When the Kattakan came to conquer, the Ba’suon chose not to fight, instead moving into camps, or working as lowly servants and the like, preferring balance and peace in their interactions. When Kattakan went tomwar, some Ba’suon enlisted and fought on dragons for their conquerors.
Now, a greedy official keeps Méka’s identity papers and says she must bring him the king dragon she is after, and must take one of his men with her. The man is Ba’suon; he returned from the war a shell of who he was. He will not open up to Méka, and refuses to engage with the unusual Katyakan man Méka convinced to accompany her. His name is Lilley; a former slave, he went to war, fell for a Ba’suon man who returned home after the war, leaving Lilley alone and sad.
Lilley and Méka get along, and with the help of a couple of much smaller dragons, travel with the taciturn Raka up the mountain.
There is a palpable sense of menace author Karin Lowachee introduces early in the tale, which only grows deeper at the start of the journey up the mountain, and the further they travel with the frustrating Raka. When they realize that the official has sent a party of men after them, I expected a confrontation. What I did not expect was the explosion of violence that happens after what had been till then a quiet story of people reckoning with the costs of invasion, war and trauma, and loss of a loved one. I genuinely gasped and put the book down when a cruel, unprovoked act was the catalyst for a shocking amount of violence.
Then, like the Ba’suon need for balance, Lowachee gave us the result, which has Méka choosing her words and actions carefully and deliberately to find a peaceful way to move forward. It’s communication, and some measure of trickery and boldness under a veneer of calm that has Méka finding a path forward that allows her to fulfill her intended mission, and bring home a wounded spirit.
The novella takes a while to get going, and I noticed the author’s tendency for poetic phrasing resulting in confusing text gradually tapered off to the point that the narrative began truly resonating for me.
The story starts out slow, and I had a little difficulty getting into it initially, as I found the author's overly poetic prose difficult to parse at times, but thankfully, this diminished as the story progressed and the sriting became more straightforward, enough to really enjoy this tale, and grow attached to Méka and Lilley. Lowachee left me wanting to learn more about the Ba'suon and their intriguing empathic culture; it's no surprise that someone like Raka, suffering from his Kattakan war experiences and refusing to seek healing would be such a conundrum to Méka.
Though the novella ends with a peaceful resolution (thanks to a powerful dragon overhead), I wonder what is next in this complex world.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I decided to revisit this first entry in this series to refresh my memory about the world, the characters, and the dragons.
I think I enjoyed this book much more the second time around. I could appreciate the difficult situation Méka finds herself in travelling back into her former lands, which are under an invader's control, and her peaceful approach to problems.
2024-10: 4 stars.
Méka is Ba’suon, and she arrives in the Kattakan settlement of Fortune City, as the first step on her journey to a mountain range where dragons nest. She and her people have a form of telepathic communication with dragons, and me,beds of her people must regularly travel to the crown of the mountain to gather a king shown to keep the dragons from becoming too populous there and becoming pests, and inadvertently drawing the ire and guns of Kattakan hunters.
The Kattakan are a conquering nation, with no respect for the Ba’suon, or other peoples. When the Kattakan came to conquer, the Ba’suon chose not to fight, instead moving into camps, or working as lowly servants and the like, preferring balance and peace in their interactions. When Kattakan went tomwar, some Ba’suon enlisted and fought on dragons for their conquerors.
Now, a greedy official keeps Méka’s identity papers and says she must bring him the king dragon she is after, and must take one of his men with her. The man is Ba’suon; he returned from the war a shell of who he was. He will not open up to Méka, and refuses to engage with the unusual Katyakan man Méka convinced to accompany her. His name is Lilley; a former slave, he went to war, fell for a Ba’suon man who returned home after the war, leaving Lilley alone and sad.
Lilley and Méka get along, and with the help of a couple of much smaller dragons, travel with the taciturn Raka up the mountain.
There is a palpable sense of menace author Karin Lowachee introduces early in the tale, which only grows deeper at the start of the journey up the mountain, and the further they travel with the frustrating Raka. When they realize that the official has sent a party of men after them, I expected a confrontation. What I did not expect was the explosion of violence that happens after what had been till then a quiet story of people reckoning with the costs of invasion, war and trauma, and loss of a loved one. I genuinely gasped and put the book down when a cruel, unprovoked act was the catalyst for a shocking amount of violence.
Then, like the Ba’suon need for balance, Lowachee gave us the result, which has Méka choosing her words and actions carefully and deliberately to find a peaceful way to move forward. It’s communication, and some measure of trickery and boldness under a veneer of calm that has Méka finding a path forward that allows her to fulfill her intended mission, and bring home a wounded spirit.
The novella takes a while to get going, and I noticed the author’s tendency for poetic phrasing resulting in confusing text gradually tapered off to the point that the narrative began truly resonating for me.
The story starts out slow, and I had a little difficulty getting into it initially, as I found the author's overly poetic prose difficult to parse at times, but thankfully, this diminished as the story progressed and the sriting became more straightforward, enough to really enjoy this tale, and grow attached to Méka and Lilley. Lowachee left me wanting to learn more about the Ba'suon and their intriguing empathic culture; it's no surprise that someone like Raka, suffering from his Kattakan war experiences and refusing to seek healing would be such a conundrum to Méka.
Though the novella ends with a peaceful resolution (thanks to a powerful dragon overhead), I wonder what is next in this complex world.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 24, 2024
3,5 stars
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion.
TW/CW Mentions of war | Animal Death | Animal Cruelty | Xenophobia | Slavery | Death
The Mountain Crown is the start to a novella series set in a world where the war from the past still seems very much on the foreground.
In a city where xenophobia is still very real, our main character arrives to do her duty to her people. To gather a powerful dragon, or rather known to her as a Suon. But she stumbles herself into an unexpected situation that gives her companions she wasn't expecting.
The Mountain Crown has a lot of things. Great dragons, great set-up and scenery, great world building. Yet I still struggled a little in places with this story. This has to do with the writing style. Our main character is written in a way that we are still somewhat removed from her. It made it hard to connec to her and to the story. This was especially the case at the start and in the middle in the travels. Yet having said that, once I got used to it, it was mostly fine. I do think that in a full novel I would have more problems with that personally.
I loved the whole idea of this world and the dragons. The dragons felt like real dragons. Meka's people can communicate with them, make contact with them. And there is some form of control, but only if the dragons allow the connection. There is also some great world building of the people of our main character. I got a good feel for how the war has affected them. That was true enrichment.
From the other race we mostly got more of a negative angle, this of course because this was Meka's point of view. But she does befriend one of them. That helped balance it out. I am certainly looking forward to reading the next installment next year.
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion.
TW/CW Mentions of war | Animal Death | Animal Cruelty | Xenophobia | Slavery | Death
The Mountain Crown is the start to a novella series set in a world where the war from the past still seems very much on the foreground.
In a city where xenophobia is still very real, our main character arrives to do her duty to her people. To gather a powerful dragon, or rather known to her as a Suon. But she stumbles herself into an unexpected situation that gives her companions she wasn't expecting.
The Mountain Crown has a lot of things. Great dragons, great set-up and scenery, great world building. Yet I still struggled a little in places with this story. This has to do with the writing style. Our main character is written in a way that we are still somewhat removed from her. It made it hard to connec to her and to the story. This was especially the case at the start and in the middle in the travels. Yet having said that, once I got used to it, it was mostly fine. I do think that in a full novel I would have more problems with that personally.
I loved the whole idea of this world and the dragons. The dragons felt like real dragons. Meka's people can communicate with them, make contact with them. And there is some form of control, but only if the dragons allow the connection. There is also some great world building of the people of our main character. I got a good feel for how the war has affected them. That was true enrichment.
From the other race we mostly got more of a negative angle, this of course because this was Meka's point of view. But she does befriend one of them. That helped balance it out. I am certainly looking forward to reading the next installment next year.
January 5, 2025
Sequels and more dragons and rebellion against the colonizers NOW.
December 29, 2024
I truly enjoyed my time in this world. I wasn't expecting the Western vibes, but it didn't affect my reading at all, though seeing the word "posse" in a dragon book was a little jarring haha.
You're thrown directly into the story, with things being explained along the way, which could be a bit jarring if certain things weren't explained exactly. Despite this, the story felt very grounded, and I simply can't properly convey the near reverence that was in these pages for the story that was being told.
Everyone felt so solid and I wanted to understand the Ba'Suon culture more and more. The ability that they possess to connect with living things in an empathic sense was really interesting to read about, though the way the suon/dragon's thoughts were conveyed were a little confusing to me at times, and I felt some things could have been clearer in general it was still an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
You're thrown directly into the story, with things being explained along the way, which could be a bit jarring if certain things weren't explained exactly. Despite this, the story felt very grounded, and I simply can't properly convey the near reverence that was in these pages for the story that was being told.
Everyone felt so solid and I wanted to understand the Ba'Suon culture more and more. The ability that they possess to connect with living things in an empathic sense was really interesting to read about, though the way the suon/dragon's thoughts were conveyed were a little confusing to me at times, and I felt some things could have been clearer in general it was still an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
October 21, 2024
Thanks to the publisher (Rebellion Publishing) for an ARC of this book.
Even though this is a novella by wordcount, it felt more like a novel in the best possible way. The worldbuilding is very rich and detailed and the characters are complex. I especially loved Méka with her connection to dragons and the world around her. She’s quietly competent, not here to prove herself, but to do what she has to do for the good of her people and the world with the least possible bloodshed. I can’t wait to get my hands on more!
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4/5
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Even though this is a novella by wordcount, it felt more like a novel in the best possible way. The worldbuilding is very rich and detailed and the characters are complex. I especially loved Méka with her connection to dragons and the world around her. She’s quietly competent, not here to prove herself, but to do what she has to do for the good of her people and the world with the least possible bloodshed. I can’t wait to get my hands on more!
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4/5
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
December 9, 2024
Wonderful worldbuilding, though I confess I kept wanting the narrative to switch to another perspective. Méka is a protagonist who focuses so much on others' mental and emotional states (which of course makes perfect sense given the cosmology and her role) that there's almost not enough of her. But of course, just like her, I became invested in the wellbeing of those around her, so the narration was successful on that front, I suppose.
October 27, 2024
4 out of 5 Khaleesis
December 16, 2024
This was so gorgeously wrought, so emotionally layered, and such a wonderful surprise. I've loved Lowachee's SF for many years, and I'm 1000% onboard with her dragons.
October 6, 2024
The Mountain Crown is an epic yet compact novella that weaves an intense dragon-rider quest with deep cultural lore, reminiscent of Empress of Salt and Fortune meets Temeraire. The story follows Méka, a member of the Ba’Suon, a nomadic people who share a deep, empathic bond with dragons. Having been exiled for a decade, Méka returns to her homeland under a fragile truce between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor. Her mission is to capture a king dragon from the Crown Mountains to maintain the delicate balance of the land. However, Méka’s journey grows more complicated when her compassion towards an imprisoned dragon and a Kattakan war veteran named Lilley draws the attention of the imperial authorities. Joined by a Ba’Suon traitor, Raka, the trio embarks on a perilous adventure through treacherous landscapes and political tensions.
One of the novella’s strongest aspects is Méka herself. As a protagonist, she is resilient, capable, and carries the weight of her people's history and the deep connection they share with dragons. The lore surrounding the Ba’Suon’s traditions and their empathic relationship with dragons is wonderfully crafted, adding a layer of depth to the world that is both intriguing and emotional. The novella brilliantly balances action and character development, with the journey itself providing a compelling backdrop to the events of the story.
The only element that took some getting used to was the lack of traditional chapter breaks. The entire story unfolds in a single, continuous flow, which may be disorienting at first. However, once you settle into the rhythm, the novella moves quickly, and the story remains engaging throughout.
Overall, The Mountain Crown is an excellent, emotional read. It packs a lot of rich storytelling into under 200 pages, and Karin Lowachee masterfully creates a world filled with dragons, lore, and compelling characters. Fans of condensed epic fantasy stories will find much to love in this beautifully told novella.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
One of the novella’s strongest aspects is Méka herself. As a protagonist, she is resilient, capable, and carries the weight of her people's history and the deep connection they share with dragons. The lore surrounding the Ba’Suon’s traditions and their empathic relationship with dragons is wonderfully crafted, adding a layer of depth to the world that is both intriguing and emotional. The novella brilliantly balances action and character development, with the journey itself providing a compelling backdrop to the events of the story.
The only element that took some getting used to was the lack of traditional chapter breaks. The entire story unfolds in a single, continuous flow, which may be disorienting at first. However, once you settle into the rhythm, the novella moves quickly, and the story remains engaging throughout.
Overall, The Mountain Crown is an excellent, emotional read. It packs a lot of rich storytelling into under 200 pages, and Karin Lowachee masterfully creates a world filled with dragons, lore, and compelling characters. Fans of condensed epic fantasy stories will find much to love in this beautifully told novella.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
October 6, 2024
The first book in a new series of novella length epic fantasy (again with this excellent trend!). This is an epic adventure with dragons amidst the aftermath of a bitter war.
I admit I had a hard time engaging with The Mountain Crown, which I strongly suspect was more a me-problem than a book problem. The writing is lush and descriptive, and there is plenty of action with engaging characters. The worldbuilding may be a tad complex, but as the first book in a series of novellas, it's worth its expansiveness. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Solaris for an eARC for review. The Mountain Crown is out 10/8/24.
I admit I had a hard time engaging with The Mountain Crown, which I strongly suspect was more a me-problem than a book problem. The writing is lush and descriptive, and there is plenty of action with engaging characters. The worldbuilding may be a tad complex, but as the first book in a series of novellas, it's worth its expansiveness. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Solaris for an eARC for review. The Mountain Crown is out 10/8/24.
October 7, 2024
A quick read with dragons? I think yes! Novella fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I love Nghi Vo, Neon Yang, and so many other writers of short stories with beautiful prose. The Mountain Crown fits that vibe.
The story moves quickly. Being the first in a novella series, there is a lot of description and worldbuilding packed into the short pages. It takes a little bit to really get going, but I think it is worth it!
It’s like a little bite of epic fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. All opinions are my own.
The story moves quickly. Being the first in a novella series, there is a lot of description and worldbuilding packed into the short pages. It takes a little bit to really get going, but I think it is worth it!
It’s like a little bite of epic fantasy!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. All opinions are my own.
October 3, 2024
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
This book took me entirely by surprise. A nuanced yet powerful discussion on colonialism and occupation, the book also provides a new take on dragons and is a quick and exciting read. It reminded me a little of The Unbroken and also somewhat of A Memory Called Empire.
I devoured this book. The prose is so engaging in that it was highly descriptive and moved at a great pace, yet took the timte to slow down and include lyrical, elegant language, often in descriptions of emotions or the landscape.
The world-building is rich for a novella. Not only do we have the concept of the occupation and why, but hints as to the outer setup of the world (it’s by no way implying this is the lone occupied land) are given. We also have the dragons, which are magical beings that the Ba’Suon can link with telepathically yet don’t try to control. The dragons are somewhere between an animal and sentient and act a bit like horses and dogs. The Ba’suon also have the ability to telepathically link with their fellow Ba’suons and are able to read their emotions and other things about them. These aspects of the world building tie into the story, so nothing feels over-explained or needlessly included.
I wanted more of this story when it was done! In a good way, though, not a “I feel like I’m missing something”. I don’t think we’re meant to get more to the story in this volume because it’s not something that can be wrapped up easily. One person can’t end a regime, just as one person can’t carry one out.
In terms of the characters, I really liked how Meka was not some girl on her first mission. She’s mature, knows what she’s doing, and is entirely confident in her abilities, yet she’s not arrogant. While everyone seems enamoured by these fierce, openly angry young women in books today (I mean, fair), a woman who is fierce and angry yet keeps it contained and boiling under the surface is more interesting to me because that sort of character is harder to convey. Her strength and resolve are shown in the things she doesn’t do, the passive, rigid resistance she espouses by her actions. She complies when needed but isn’t afraid to renege on promises she made to someone she doesn’t respect. She also has a light, soft side that rounded her out. She’s not the most gregarious or even interesting of characters in terms of backstory, but she bears a weight that carries the story through.
I also really liked the other two characters, Lilley and Raka. One is openly likable and brings in a bit of fun to the story (after his initial introduction), and Raka is mysterious and taciturn. The more we learn about these men, the more we grow to like them, despite their initial rough presentation. There is also a complex relationship that forms between the three of them, something I won’t spoil, but which felt mature and natural and I really liked it.
The story itself is very simple. Meka is trying to bring a dragon back to her people to prevent fighting between males and to help populate the dragons in a different region. It's something her people have done for centuries, much like controlled burning. There is a very subtle environmentalism thread running through this novel, as well as the direct attack on unjust war.
The three characters together represent sides of colonialism we often see in media: the colonized person fighting back, a person from the colonizing force who has grown to appreciate the other culture and, in a sense, finds more community with them than their own people, and the colonized person who is complacent, or perhaps complicit in their own people’s subjugation. As much as I just characterized them, this is only how they appear at the start - the novel shows how these perspectives are varied, complex, and can’t be boiled down into simple designations. This book reminds us that not only is colonialism and occupation of lands - whether by force or more subtle means - always destructive, people aren’t all bad, and making connections and understanding and respecting one another is how we can break these mentalities. And, also, that fighting back is sometimes the only option.
Now, that being said, that’s just what I read in the story. You can go into this thing reading it entirely at face value and finding it utterly entertaining, but I would argue this book carries with it a deeper purpose that is poignant and relevant to today.
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. I thought it was fantastic.
This book took me entirely by surprise. A nuanced yet powerful discussion on colonialism and occupation, the book also provides a new take on dragons and is a quick and exciting read. It reminded me a little of The Unbroken and also somewhat of A Memory Called Empire.
I devoured this book. The prose is so engaging in that it was highly descriptive and moved at a great pace, yet took the timte to slow down and include lyrical, elegant language, often in descriptions of emotions or the landscape.
The world-building is rich for a novella. Not only do we have the concept of the occupation and why, but hints as to the outer setup of the world (it’s by no way implying this is the lone occupied land) are given. We also have the dragons, which are magical beings that the Ba’Suon can link with telepathically yet don’t try to control. The dragons are somewhere between an animal and sentient and act a bit like horses and dogs. The Ba’suon also have the ability to telepathically link with their fellow Ba’suons and are able to read their emotions and other things about them. These aspects of the world building tie into the story, so nothing feels over-explained or needlessly included.
I wanted more of this story when it was done! In a good way, though, not a “I feel like I’m missing something”. I don’t think we’re meant to get more to the story in this volume because it’s not something that can be wrapped up easily. One person can’t end a regime, just as one person can’t carry one out.
In terms of the characters, I really liked how Meka was not some girl on her first mission. She’s mature, knows what she’s doing, and is entirely confident in her abilities, yet she’s not arrogant. While everyone seems enamoured by these fierce, openly angry young women in books today (I mean, fair), a woman who is fierce and angry yet keeps it contained and boiling under the surface is more interesting to me because that sort of character is harder to convey. Her strength and resolve are shown in the things she doesn’t do, the passive, rigid resistance she espouses by her actions. She complies when needed but isn’t afraid to renege on promises she made to someone she doesn’t respect. She also has a light, soft side that rounded her out. She’s not the most gregarious or even interesting of characters in terms of backstory, but she bears a weight that carries the story through.
I also really liked the other two characters, Lilley and Raka. One is openly likable and brings in a bit of fun to the story (after his initial introduction), and Raka is mysterious and taciturn. The more we learn about these men, the more we grow to like them, despite their initial rough presentation. There is also a complex relationship that forms between the three of them, something I won’t spoil, but which felt mature and natural and I really liked it.
The story itself is very simple. Meka is trying to bring a dragon back to her people to prevent fighting between males and to help populate the dragons in a different region. It's something her people have done for centuries, much like controlled burning. There is a very subtle environmentalism thread running through this novel, as well as the direct attack on unjust war.
The three characters together represent sides of colonialism we often see in media: the colonized person fighting back, a person from the colonizing force who has grown to appreciate the other culture and, in a sense, finds more community with them than their own people, and the colonized person who is complacent, or perhaps complicit in their own people’s subjugation. As much as I just characterized them, this is only how they appear at the start - the novel shows how these perspectives are varied, complex, and can’t be boiled down into simple designations. This book reminds us that not only is colonialism and occupation of lands - whether by force or more subtle means - always destructive, people aren’t all bad, and making connections and understanding and respecting one another is how we can break these mentalities. And, also, that fighting back is sometimes the only option.
Now, that being said, that’s just what I read in the story. You can go into this thing reading it entirely at face value and finding it utterly entertaining, but I would argue this book carries with it a deeper purpose that is poignant and relevant to today.
If you couldn’t tell, I loved this book. I thought it was fantastic.
October 23, 2024
I thought the premise of this sounded so promising—a fantasy western with dragons! Unfortunately, I hated it.
A lot of that is due to the terrible audio recording, which sounded like the reader had a bad mic, but the reader also really didn’t work for me. What were those accents?
The real reason for this low rating, though, is the writing. I could not get into it. The story starts with a woman entering a place she’s most definitely not welcome and the first thing she does is make a stupid decision despite the writing telling us she’s cautious and smart just to set the plot in motion. This is one of my least favorite things. That plus there’s not enough world-building, the characters never came alive for me, the writing plods and nearly every description is a simile. It was very cringe.
The ideas here were great: post-colonization, people in conflict, communicating with dragons, prophecy dreams, and what I can only describe as aural ancestral magic with feelings. It was the execution that fell short for me. But if any of these things sound intriguing to you, give it a shot. Just maybe avoid the audiobook.
A lot of that is due to the terrible audio recording, which sounded like the reader had a bad mic, but the reader also really didn’t work for me. What were those accents?
The real reason for this low rating, though, is the writing. I could not get into it. The story starts with a woman entering a place she’s most definitely not welcome and the first thing she does is make a stupid decision despite the writing telling us she’s cautious and smart just to set the plot in motion. This is one of my least favorite things. That plus there’s not enough world-building, the characters never came alive for me, the writing plods and nearly every description is a simile. It was very cringe.
The ideas here were great: post-colonization, people in conflict, communicating with dragons, prophecy dreams, and what I can only describe as aural ancestral magic with feelings. It was the execution that fell short for me. But if any of these things sound intriguing to you, give it a shot. Just maybe avoid the audiobook.
September 28, 2024
3 ⭐️
This book was a tangle of paradoxes. It had some beautiful descriptions, and painted an interesting picture of a broken world. Our FMC Méka is traveling to a mountainous place to bring back a king suon (dragon) to her people, in some sort of ritual/rite that is never quite explained. She is part of the Ba’Suon people who have been forced out of their lands by the Kattakan people, and have just been in a Great War against each other… I think.
At the same time this book entranced me with lovely phrasing, it disturbed me at its lack of basic description of people and their interactions. There was hardly any feeling or emotion in this book. I rarely knew how characters felt about situations or each other, because there was very little said about it. Are they mad? Curious? In love? Loathing each other? Worried about the future? There are no implications of feelings, except for occasionally in dialogue when someone would say something curt/gruff and I’d get the impression that they were angry. Otherwise, I assume everyone had a calm, stoic face at all times because the author never implies otherwise. It was so strange.
I loved the relationship between the suon (dragons) and Ba’Suon. The magic/power is quite vague, though. It’s difficult to understand the communication from the suon, and difficult to know what actually happened in this novel. Having finished it, I’m not sure I could tell you what exactly happened or what the main point of the story is.
It’s beautifully written but overly complex, even for such a brief book. This author is obviously greatly talented, but this story fell flat for me, despite the epic adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion publisher for this ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion of this book.
This book was a tangle of paradoxes. It had some beautiful descriptions, and painted an interesting picture of a broken world. Our FMC Méka is traveling to a mountainous place to bring back a king suon (dragon) to her people, in some sort of ritual/rite that is never quite explained. She is part of the Ba’Suon people who have been forced out of their lands by the Kattakan people, and have just been in a Great War against each other… I think.
At the same time this book entranced me with lovely phrasing, it disturbed me at its lack of basic description of people and their interactions. There was hardly any feeling or emotion in this book. I rarely knew how characters felt about situations or each other, because there was very little said about it. Are they mad? Curious? In love? Loathing each other? Worried about the future? There are no implications of feelings, except for occasionally in dialogue when someone would say something curt/gruff and I’d get the impression that they were angry. Otherwise, I assume everyone had a calm, stoic face at all times because the author never implies otherwise. It was so strange.
I loved the relationship between the suon (dragons) and Ba’Suon. The magic/power is quite vague, though. It’s difficult to understand the communication from the suon, and difficult to know what actually happened in this novel. Having finished it, I’m not sure I could tell you what exactly happened or what the main point of the story is.
It’s beautifully written but overly complex, even for such a brief book. This author is obviously greatly talented, but this story fell flat for me, despite the epic adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion publisher for this ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion of this book.
June 14, 2024
3⭐️
There has to be more right?
There is no other way to describe how I'm feeling other than I am absolutely captivated by this world.
I must admit as a non-English native speaker it was a little hard to catch on the world building, because let me tell you, it was INTENSE, but in the best way possible.
I had to re-read some passages to fully grasp some concepts, but once you understand you only want to know more.
The general feeling I had while reading was absolutely magical, which is a testament of how skillfully the story is written since there are no obvious magic shows.
The power that is described is something born from connection with nature and the cosmo, something that the Kattakans, the antagonists of the story, have forgotten. I really hope I got this right, because, to be honest, I do not think I fully understand the extension of that power. WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO KNOW MORE.
I can only describe it as a feeling of wonder, like the feeling a child gets seeing a rainbow for the first time.
The way the author wrote of the Ba'suon, their culture and their beliefs, make me entirely attracted to this world. And want to know a bonus? THERE ARE DRAGONS! (or "suon" as they are called by the Ba'suon).
The reason why I am not giving this book more ⭐️ is because I feel like it was very focused on the world building and the characters were left behind a little. I wanted to know so much more about Mika's family, Lilley's past in the war and Raka's scars; I feel like we could have gotten so much more about them, so the only flaw would be that it was too short. But seeing that this is just book one of the crowns of Ishia, I am choosing to be optimistic that we'll get more; it certainly has the potential of becoming an amazing piece of high fantasy.
There has to be more right?
There is no other way to describe how I'm feeling other than I am absolutely captivated by this world.
I must admit as a non-English native speaker it was a little hard to catch on the world building, because let me tell you, it was INTENSE, but in the best way possible.
I had to re-read some passages to fully grasp some concepts, but once you understand you only want to know more.
The general feeling I had while reading was absolutely magical, which is a testament of how skillfully the story is written since there are no obvious magic shows.
The power that is described is something born from connection with nature and the cosmo, something that the Kattakans, the antagonists of the story, have forgotten. I really hope I got this right, because, to be honest, I do not think I fully understand the extension of that power. WHICH IS WHY I WANT TO KNOW MORE.
I can only describe it as a feeling of wonder, like the feeling a child gets seeing a rainbow for the first time.
The way the author wrote of the Ba'suon, their culture and their beliefs, make me entirely attracted to this world. And want to know a bonus? THERE ARE DRAGONS! (or "suon" as they are called by the Ba'suon).
The reason why I am not giving this book more ⭐️ is because I feel like it was very focused on the world building and the characters were left behind a little. I wanted to know so much more about Mika's family, Lilley's past in the war and Raka's scars; I feel like we could have gotten so much more about them, so the only flaw would be that it was too short. But seeing that this is just book one of the crowns of Ishia, I am choosing to be optimistic that we'll get more; it certainly has the potential of becoming an amazing piece of high fantasy.
August 1, 2024
The Mountain Crown is a must read novella in the genre of fantasy and adventure. It is short but packs a punch.
✔️Fast paced
✔️Dragons
The author keeps readers engaged from start to finish. It is a fast read. The character development was great for such a short book.
This novella excels in its world-building and pacing. And as someone who devours books with dragons, this book satisfied in many ways. Meka is a fantastic FMC. It is a great addition to the fantasy world and I am looking forward to the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for the Arc of this wonderful novella.
✔️Fast paced
✔️Dragons
The author keeps readers engaged from start to finish. It is a fast read. The character development was great for such a short book.
This novella excels in its world-building and pacing. And as someone who devours books with dragons, this book satisfied in many ways. Meka is a fantastic FMC. It is a great addition to the fantasy world and I am looking forward to the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion for the Arc of this wonderful novella.
July 21, 2024
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for this eARC
I'm not quite sure what it was that I just read but I really enjoyed it! Not at all what I expected, but all the better for it.
This was one of the most unique takes on dragons I've seen for a long while, which instantly made me really enjoy it. Though dragons seem to be having a resurgence of late, there are frustratingly few stories that try to do something new with them, but they were wonderful here.
Lowachee's writing is also gorgeous and it made me feel really immersed in the world. Despite the short page count, the atmosphere created was incredible. I loved the exploration of the Ba'suon culture, limited though it was, and the sheer vastness and unfathomableness (is that a word?) of the magic and connection to the suon (dragons) and the natural world. The bond between suon and rider was just so heartwarming. I also loved hearing the dragons' thoughts- alien and strange yet with clear meaning. The lyricism meant that the magic in particular was sometimes a bit hard to understand, but I think that contributed to the wonder of it. It's magic after all- I shouldn't expect to understand it!
I also really liked the characters. Again, despite the short page count, Lowachee really established them in a way that felt real and grounded. I realise now that I don't actually know a huge amount about them, but I feel as if I really do.
My only complant would be the short page count! I just want to spend more time in this universe with the suon. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out.
I'm not quite sure what it was that I just read but I really enjoyed it! Not at all what I expected, but all the better for it.
This was one of the most unique takes on dragons I've seen for a long while, which instantly made me really enjoy it. Though dragons seem to be having a resurgence of late, there are frustratingly few stories that try to do something new with them, but they were wonderful here.
Lowachee's writing is also gorgeous and it made me feel really immersed in the world. Despite the short page count, the atmosphere created was incredible. I loved the exploration of the Ba'suon culture, limited though it was, and the sheer vastness and unfathomableness (is that a word?) of the magic and connection to the suon (dragons) and the natural world. The bond between suon and rider was just so heartwarming. I also loved hearing the dragons' thoughts- alien and strange yet with clear meaning. The lyricism meant that the magic in particular was sometimes a bit hard to understand, but I think that contributed to the wonder of it. It's magic after all- I shouldn't expect to understand it!
I also really liked the characters. Again, despite the short page count, Lowachee really established them in a way that felt real and grounded. I realise now that I don't actually know a huge amount about them, but I feel as if I really do.
My only complant would be the short page count! I just want to spend more time in this universe with the suon. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out.
February 28, 2025
It's an interesting little dragon book. The world it's set it seems intriguing. The story itself is big on themes of colonialism and colonization. It feels a little heavy handed about that, but also well written and those themes are very relevant to the journey the main character goes on and the people she meets. So what you get out of it would probably depend on how you relate to those particular themes. It's an interesting ride. The main character is nice to spend time with, but the highlight is all the little world building touches I think. It's a short read but gets a lot across and is well structured. All the elements of plot, character, writing etc are strong.
February 14, 2025
I would have liked this to be a little longer. I liked the unique setting (it's giving wild west gold rush boomtown town vibes), Meka and Lilley, the dragons (dragon riders have been done many times, and I appreciate that it a slightly different take), the anticolonialism, etc. I would have liked all those things to be more fleshed out. I would have liked more of the Ba'suon and their camp and their culture and ways too. I really enjoyed it all and want more. Will definitely be reading the rest of this series when it comes out
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