Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “A Conspiracy of Truths (A Conspiracy of Truths, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

A Conspiracy of Truths

(A Conspiracy of Truths #1)

Alexandra Rowland (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 940 ratings · 253 reviews

In a bleak, far-northern land, a wandering storyteller is arrested on charges of witchcraft. Though Chant protests his innocence, he is condemned not only as a witch, but a spy. His only chance to save himself rests with the skills he has honed for decades – tell a good story, catch and hold their attention, or die.

But the attention he catches is that of the five elected r ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 456 pages

Published October 23rd 2018 by Saga Press

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about A Conspiracy of Truths, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about A Conspiracy of Truths

Lists with This Book

The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan

Apprentices

126 books — 82 voters

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman

Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede

Sorcerer's Apprentice Theme

35 books — 12 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

really liked it Average rating 4.00 ·

Rating details

· 940 ratings · 253 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of A Conspiracy of Truths (A Conspiracy of Truths, #1)

Jan 27, 2019 Jessica Betts rated it it was amazing

For me, Character is the single most essential element of creating a binge-worthy and fandom-ready story.
I will follow a well-made character into any setting.
So, when Alexandra Rowland posted an excerpt from her novel A Conspiracy of Truths and I found Chant to be a whole, flawed and clever and opinionated, character I was willing to let him take me anywhere.
And oh, boy did he ever!
The structure of ACOT is such that you’re really getting several stories for the price of one. Each of them is co ...more

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2018 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: great-supporting-characters, fantasy, witty-dialogue, politics, poc-protagonist, secondary-lgbtq, fall-2018, stories-about-stories

A Conspiracy of Truths is a story about people and what makes them tick. And it's a story about stories. And it's a story about stories that tell you what makes people tick. And if you love stories (I mean, you're reading this, aren't you?) Rowland's debut is one you should not miss out on.

Admittedly, the book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I went into it anticipating something similar to 1001 Nights and In the Night Garden--something whimsical and fantastical--and it took me a while to adju ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2019 Jenia rated it it was amazing

I’ll be honest: A Conspiracy of Truths first came on my radar because of its gorgeous cover. And because of that gorgeous cover, I waited nine months after release date to actually get it — I wanted the paperback specifically. I’m glad I waited so long, because boy is the outside gorgeous; but I’m sad I waited so long because boy is the inside even better.

A Conspiracy of Truths is about… well, lies, mostly. Or rather, truths that seem like lies and lies that seem like truths, and the man who spi I’ll be honest: A Conspiracy of Truths first came on my radar because of its gorgeous cover. And because of that gorgeous cover, I waited nine months after release date to actually get it — I wanted the paperback specifically. I’m glad I waited so long, because boy is the outside gorgeous; but I’m sad I waited so long because boy is the inside even better.

A Conspiracy of Truths is about… well, lies, mostly. Or rather, truths that seem like lies and lies that seem like truths, and the man who spins them all. In less poetic terms: Chant is an old travelling storyteller who gets falsely accused of being a witch while he and his apprentice are passing through a town. He gets a trial, in which he tries to talk his way out of being executed for witchcraft. Instead he talks himself into being accused of being a spy. Then he continues to try to talk himself out of that. It goes similarly well.

Simply put: I really, really liked this book. I think I expected something far more litfic-y, and A Conspiracy of Truths does have a lot to say about the power of stories and how humans use them to make sense of the world — and how fragile those shared stories can be. But also it’s about a grumpy old man who’s stuck in various types of cell for most of the book, trying to bullshit his way out, with varying degrees of success. Chant’s stories and plots get pretty audacious — and snowball into something that shakes the whole nation. I giggled my way through most of it, and stared in delighted horror at the rest.

Chant is a fantastic character. He’s cynical and grumpy, but underneath that he also has a deep appreciation for humanity as a whole. His relationship with his apprentice Ylfing was my favourite part. They’re like an uncle and beloved nephew, at times fretting over each other and at times completely exasperated with the other. It’s pretty rare, and wonderful, to see a really strong cross-generational bond. Ylfing himself is wonderful too: a much sweeter, more optimistic, and completely “boy-crazy” (per Chant) foil to his master. Chant’s publicly-appointed advocate Consanza was another highlight: she’s just as cynical as him and pretty bored by the trial in general. Watching them butt heads made me grin every time.

I also really loved how much Rowland ran with the concept of storytelling. The book is literally being told by Chant and he’s not necessarily the most reliable narrator. For example, he tends to brush off any time his heart is pounding from worry or fear as oh, just him having a small heart attack probably, it happens. It’s exasperating in a really fun way. There’s also a lot of stories-within-stories: Chant and the others spins short tales to make a “moral” point, to convince the person listening to do something, or just to pass the time. The listener may interrupt the story with their own asides and the storyteller might not get to finish the tale. In one memorable case the storyteller simply forgot the ending.

This results in a fantastic juxtaposition: Chant’s own world is limited to his small cell, but as the most of the stories take place “a long time ago and half the world away” the book’s world feels large. Naturally Nuryevet, the country Chant is imprisoned in, is the most developed. It took a bit of time for the political factions and alliances in Nuryevet to click, but luckily it’s nothing too intricate. In general, Nuryevens are hilariously/depressingly obsessed with bureaucracy. Marriage is an “amalgamation of every kind of legal partnership”, and may include love and sex or “just” friendship, business, joint ownership of property, etc. Poly marriages are exceedingly common and nobody cares about the details as long as the paperwork is filed correctly; Consanza, for example, has two wives and a husband.

Side-note: to go with their love of bureaucracy, Nuryevens have a Slavic-based naming system, complete with patronymics and matronymics, which I freaking adored.

All right, I’ll leave off with the gushing here. In short, as I said, I don’t really regret waiting for the paperback. On the other hand, the sequel A Choir of Lies is coming out next month and I know that one I’ll have to get on day one. ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2019 Rebecca McNutt rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, adventure, comedy, fiction, humor, lgbt

A Conspiracy of Truths was initially appealing to me due to its beautiful cover design. I bought a hardcover copy just over that, because I thought it would double as a nice decoration. The story inside was equally as wonderful, though. While at times a bit vulgar, it combines elements of epic fantasy, science fiction, art and contemporary comedy to create an excellent story (containing even more stories), about a man accused of something he never did, and the clever way in which he finds out of ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2018 Emily added it

DEAR FUCKING GOD THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO READ.

The book didn't start becoming engrossing for me until about page 200, almost halfway through, and then I finished the rest in three days. Ugh.

I kept expecting the story to be different than what it ended up being. It has touches in its world-building that begs for the story to be an world-sweeping epic, but aside from the different stories Chant tells, the book stays in one country and its politics and quirks the entire time, and I kept waiting DEAR FUCKING GOD THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO READ.

The book didn't start becoming engrossing for me until about page 200, almost halfway through, and then I finished the rest in three days. Ugh.

I kept expecting the story to be different than what it ended up being. It has touches in its world-building that begs for the story to be an world-sweeping epic, but aside from the different stories Chant tells, the book stays in one country and its politics and quirks the entire time, and I kept waiting for the story to expand beyond the scope of this one country, but it never happened. And it's just one book, not one of a series. And I've been preferring one-offs! But something about this book makes me miffed that all this care and attention and detail went into all these other countries and peoples we'll never see and instead we spent the entire time in the fantasy equivalent of Yeltsin-and-Putin-era Russia, which, OK fine, but for whatever reason the fantasy version made me feel really irritated. Maybe because (given the book was publicized as a fantasy about "fake news"), the
actual politics bear a strong resemblance to both current U.S. politics and post-2000 Russian politics, which are ridiculous but horrifying to read about in real life and but the narrative-defying nature of these politics is irritating when it's in a book where you still have to hew to a narrative so that your story actually does something. So it feels like the fact that "this is a book with a narrative" but also "this countries' politics and its people are disinterested in or defy attempts at narratives" are in conflict with each other. IDK, I'm still trying to figure out why my primary emotion towards this book is annoyance.

The writing is good and the characters were fine. Maybe I'm getting old (lol) or maybe the luster of reading books about stories and storytelling has finally worn off for me, but all the bits and asides about that subject...it was fine, it wasn't shoehorned in, it wasn't clunky or overwrought, but I also didn't care very much.

Overall this book was one huge frustration for me, except it's hard for me to pin down exactly *why*, and of course it was a highly anticipated book that's been positively reviewed, so of course now I'm battling the feeling that the problem's on my end that I didn't like this book. Bah. ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2020 Justine rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-read

3.5 stars

This is a well written and mostly well executed book. The story moves along nicely and there are a host of engaging characters. That said, it wasn't completely to my personal taste.

I'm not generally of books written with a humourous undertone; I don't mind occasional humour, but I'm not a fan of the low level continuous humour in the form of flippancy or sarcasm by the characters. I also found the generous use of f bombs just a little jarring. I'm not bothered by profanity generally, bu ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2018 Freya Marske rated it really liked it

I got to sink my teeth into an ARC of this one courtesy of (disclaimer) MY DEAR FRIEND ALEX, who has written a joyfully layered and frequently hilarious story about stories. And about storytellers. And about the power of narrative to alter reality, and what happens when one person wielding that power out of sheer survival instinct sets off a chain of events that takes apart a nation.

The sheer amount of imagination and attention to worldbuilding detail in this made me want to weep with jealousy, ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2020 Lindsay rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbt, fantasy

In a huge and interesting secondary world fantasy, a wandering storyteller and his apprentice find themselves in trouble in a far northern country with corrupt courts and even more corrupt politicians. Worse, the people of Nuryevet seem to be singularly lacking in imagination and appreciation of stories, putting Chant (a title, not a name, but the only name he gives) in a difficult situation as the book starts with him in prison, on trial for witchcraft.

The closest parallel I can draw here is th ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2018 Rosie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2018

will update with THOUGHTS when i am not INCONSOLABLE over there being NO MORE OF THIS BOOK to put STRAIGHT INTO MY EYEBALLS

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2019 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq, new-adult, fantasy

I won a copy of A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland in a giveaway and for two months it sat unread while I scrambled around reading other things. Now, having finished it, I wish I had cracked open the book sooner.

A Conspiracy of Truths is told in a first person POV of an old man called Chant. Chant, from the very first page, is in trouble with the law and is relating to us - the Reader/the Listener - his story. I won’t tell you anything beyond that because discovering where Chant is and I won a copy of A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland in a giveaway and for two months it sat unread while I scrambled around reading other things. Now, having finished it, I wish I had cracked open the book sooner.

A Conspiracy of Truths is told in a first person POV of an old man called Chant. Chant, from the very first page, is in trouble with the law and is relating to us - the Reader/the Listener - his story. I won’t tell you anything beyond that because discovering where Chant is and what happens to Chant is the entire fun of the book and every page and every chapter reveals something new for the mystery.

One aspect of the book that I think Rowland did fantastic with was the cadence of Chant’s story. Chant’s occupation (I lied, I am telling you just a smidge more) is being a storyteller of sorts. Throughout the book he talks about how he has a bajillion stories in his mind about people from all over the world. And the thing that really shows that - beyond him just saying so - is the narration. As soon as you crack open the first page, Chant is saying fuck and speaking like someone who would be verbally telling a story. He has asides where he’ll ramble for a paragraph or two and still bring it back around to his main story. The way he relates to us who has said what and in what way sounds like a person telling another person about what they’ve experienced.

Repeatedly, I read the first page out loud to people to try and show them how interesting the book was and each time they agreed. There’s a solid rhythm to Chant’s/Rowland’s storytelling.

There is also a fantastic cast of characters. Each of them have their own stories outside of Chant’s and it shows. Their stories intersect with Chant’s, but they’re sole purpose in the book’s universe is not to serve Chant’s story and that helped make them stand out all the more as their own selves. There’s a cranky advocate, a simpering Queen, a doddering King, an honorable Queen, a heartfelt apprentice, and quite a few other characters built into the story who also have their own tale apart from Chant.

One of my favorite parts of the story was that the men and women were never expected to not be emotional. They were allowed their vulnerable moments. Chant and his apprentice had quite a few that made me tear up.

On a technical side, I want to say that I loved the book cover, the back cover (!!! JUST A BIG QUOTE! none of that ‘here are some reviews of it!’ I loved that so much), the stories within Chant’s larger story, the writing (again), and the map! Chant’s unreliability!! I loved every thoughtful thing that went into the book and from what I read, there were so many thoughtful things.

Now, some heads up for folks: lots of time spent in jail and some repercussions that come from that, quite a bit of fear about torture, some callousness from characters, incompetency in government, violence and gore for a little bit, and some cheating on significant others (not by anyone married).

This was a really fun book to read and I’m glad I finally picked it up to read. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an unreliable narrator, stories about storytelling, political maneuvering, world building, and found families. All in all, it was a wonderfully emotional book with a beautifully unreliable narrator whose true meaning is in his actions and not always in the words he tells his audience. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2018 Jennifer Mace rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, fantasy, div-gay

Take one desperate, curmudgeonly old storyteller on trial for witchcraft. Add one undermotivated and deeply unimpressed lawyer who just wants to go home to her wives and husband. Pepper with a sprinkling of paranoid, trigger-happy nominally-elected fantasy despots and stir vigorously with the aide of some, shall we say, 'creative' storytelling. Garnish with the softest, most precious apprentice to never deserve the disaster about to befall him and everyone he cares about - and now you have A Con ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2020 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, 2020-read, auth-f

Chant wanders from country to country, collecting stories. He lacks weapons, save his voice and the huge number of tales in his head. While travelling through Nuryevan with his apprentice Ylfling, Chant (not his name, but his title/job description) is apprehended and charged with witchcraft. This is a serious charge, and though cleared, Chant is subsequently charged with a greater offence, treason, and awaits execution. Meanwhile, the political situation and already existing corruption worsens a ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2020 Merit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, unreliable-narrator

Arrested on false accusations of witchcraft and spycraft, Chant finds himself lost in a corrupt and decayed bureaucratic nightmare, with the threat of death (or freezing in his cell) growing more likely with every day. But Chant is from a long time of storytellers and senses an opportunity... Ambitious and intricate, Rowland acknowledges the deeply unreliable narrator Chant but it still a fascinating and interesting story. Loved the worldbuilding (my old weakness) and the red herrings at the ver ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 29, 2019 Sheila rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019

4 stars--I really liked it.

What incredible characterization! Chant is both stupid and genius, canny and foolish, oblivious and aware. He's fascinating in the way the best unreliable narrators are. And my god does he make a mess of everything! I adored both Ylfing and Consanza too--really, all the characters were well rounded and interesting.

And the stories! There are several stories within the framing tale--Chant is a storyteller, after all.

My only small quibble with this book is, since most of ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 02, 2018 Lauren James rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtqia, portobello-books-sff-curated-picks, unreliable-narrator, best-of-2018, poly

An old man is trapped in prison, accused of witchcraft. An old man who has spent his life learning how to tell stories, and manipulate perceptions. An old man who will do anything to get free. An old man, who single-handedley manages to take down an entire government from a prison cell.....

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 08, 2019 Christina rated it liked it

What I liked:
- The worldbuilding in general. I appreciated the uniqueness of it, and I truly felt I understood the country as if it were a real place.
- The relationship between Chant and Ylfing. I love asshat characters who try to talk their way out of trouble, and I also love it when they're paired with ray of sunshine characters. Their reunion was easily my favorite part of the book. (I also have a soft spot for fake fortune telling.)

What I disliked:
- The pace. I've enjoyed long books before, ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2019 Olosta rated it it was amazing

It is not often that I come across a fantasy book that is so original, yet so well written.

I aplaud the author for the choices she made in her narrative and world-building, and in the developement of her characters. All of them, even the ones who only come up for a shorter time, are three dimensional, interesting and engaging.

The background on which Rowland built her world is well researched, and takes as a point of origin one of my favourite mythological archetypes ever - the trickster - comb ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2019 Nicholas Kotar added it

DNF. Not enough to keep me interested. Initially, both main characters were interesting. But there's simply not enough going on to keep me engaged.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2019 Hart_D rated it it was amazing

Amazing book. I can't get over how sharp the characterizations are. It's a long book because a lot happens, but this author conveys just incredible amounts of info in a few words.

I'm sure this has been compared to Pratchett, because it's socially conscious fantasy written in non-flowery language, with a decent amount of humor, and an unlikely hero. I liked it better than anything I've read by him.

There wasn't anything I didn't like, but I didn't always sympathize with the main character. I don't ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2019 Emma (howlsmovinglibrary) rated it it was amazing

A Conspiracy of Truths was definitely a fantasy book that doesn’t really feel like fantasy. In the opening third of the book I wasn’t entirely sure why I kept reading, because nothing seemed to be happening – but I guess that’s kind of the point. Chant, the protagonist, is a storyteller by trade, and his voice is crafted in such a way that you want to keep reading and listening to what he has to say even when you’re not quite sure where it’s going to lead.

A political intrigue fantasy that is bas A Conspiracy of Truths was definitely a fantasy book that doesn’t really feel like fantasy. In the opening third of the book I wasn’t entirely sure why I kept reading, because nothing seemed to be happening – but I guess that’s kind of the point. Chant, the protagonist, is a storyteller by trade, and his voice is crafted in such a way that you want to keep reading and listening to what he has to say even when you’re not quite sure where it’s going to lead.

A political intrigue fantasy that is basically narrated by someone who doesn’t care about political intrigue, who also doesn’t see half of what is happening because he’s locked in a cell, I imagine this book was really challenging to write, and at points it’s challenging to read. The story is essentially about how small things initially snowball into much larger, cataclysmic events, which means it’s exceptionally slow paced, although it does have a very satisfying payoff once things start to really get going. I think where it excelled was making me feel really invested in the core group of characters – Chant, his solicitor, and his apprentice in particular – so that I was basically just willing to read on to discover more about their relationships in the slower chapters. I also loved all the small stories that Chant, as a storyteller, wove into his narrative. And Chant’s the fun kind of unreliable narrator who isn’t necessarily evil, he’s just a bit of a dick, unwilling to let you know when he really cares. The writing style made it obvious when he was repressing some information or emotion.

What I also appreciated was how casually the worldbuilding was laced through the first person story, and how unashamedly queer it all was. Chant argues that part of a storyteller’s job is to understand people, so we learn quite a bit about those who visit him and the country in which he finds himself imprisoned. Many of these characters are queer, and the country itself has a marriage system that is both polyamorous and also completely unconcerned with gender. While romance wasn’t a huge concern of the plot, I think all featured romantic relationships were queer in some respect. People who are fans of worldbuilding heavy books and secondary fantasy worlds which do away with the assumptions of our society will definitely love this story.

A Conspiracy of Truths might not be for everyone because it is a very slowburn, worldbuilding heavy story with minimal action. But it was also cleverly written, unique in its setting, and super freaking gay.

Original review on Howl's Moving Library
...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 17, 2018 sigaloenta rated it liked it

Shelves: tfn, fantasy, sff, tough-guide

Perhaps I'm being a bit hard on this book, only giving it three stars, because after a rocky beginning it was pretty enjoyable: well-written, well-paced, with reasonably engaging characters, a narrator who turned out to be not as irritating as he at first appeared, and moderately interesting themes. It's certainly much better on a technical level (on any technical level you like) than most other speculative fiction being published right now.

Moderately interesting themes -- the power of stories, Perhaps I'm being a bit hard on this book, only giving it three stars, because after a rocky beginning it was pretty enjoyable: well-written, well-paced, with reasonably engaging characters, a narrator who turned out to be not as irritating as he at first appeared, and moderately interesting themes. It's certainly much better on a technical level (on any technical level you like) than most other speculative fiction being published right now.

Moderately interesting themes -- the power of stories, the contingencies of politics and randomness of history, the complicatedness of people -- but not all of them were done in a very interesting way. The last was. This book is unusual and outstanding in recent fantasy for its cast of truly mixed characters: no heroes here (well, except for the protagonist and his apprentice), no saints (again, largely excepting these two), but no villains for whom we don't also feel a shred of admiration or sympathy, and no engaging sympathetic character whom we don't also see full of sins -- and not just romantic antihero, "gray and gray" morality sins either. I mean stupidity, short-sightedness, the ability to self-delude-- the sort of flaws that fantasy novels usually pretend don't exist or treat with the utmost disdain when they do.

The other themes, however... this is a novel that thinks it has a lot of Deep Things to say about stories and the power of stories. Unfortunately, it doesn't, really. Yes, yes, stories have the power to change minds. People hear what they already believe or want to believe to be true. Tales can be Truer than the mere truth. These kind of truisms flatter the reader and writer both, so I understand why they are deployed (stories are powerful, dontcha know! Especially the ones we tell ourselves!) But there was nothing new here.

Too easily, for a novel that purports to be about complexity and contingency, Chant quickly becomes central and all-contriving in the political landscape (surely there are other peddlers of stories to the powerful, even in Nuryvet?) and the narrative loses a lot of interest in the second half as it becomes apparent where Chant is and whom he is narrating to-- and therefore how this story must end. Ultimately, Rowland gave us a narrator whose schtick is storytelling, but didn't allow any of that vaunted power to spill over into the story he was telling us. And that's unfortunate. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2018 Mike rated it really liked it

Shelves: galley

4.0 out of 5 stars

Based on the book cover and description alone, I was expecting this to be a deadly serious high fantasy tale. What greeted me instead was an unexpectedly delightful story featuring a wonderfully eccentric narrator named Chant.

Chant is an irascible traveling raconteur with a sharp tongue who tells stories to anyone who lends a year (and some who don’t). These stories are presented as interludes interspersed throughout the book — most come from Chant’s voice, but some are tales t ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2018 Kristobelle rated it it was amazing

*A Kristobelle's Top Tenner of 2018*

Is it weird to want to hug a book? There's something about this book that reminds a lot of folk tales from in and around the motherlands (Eastern Europe), and it may have made me a little more enamoured with it than I usually would be about an inanimate object..

Not sure what to say about it honestly, as it's exactly what the description says it is.. Great characters, interesting villains, superb folk like short stories intertwined throughout.

I was a little wo ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2019 Doctor Science rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hugo-poss-2019, library-request

A complex and audacious first novel. The protagonist is an admitted asshole, but it's not (as I at first feared) because the author thinks assholes are especially interesting. It's because she's writing him as an unreliable (though highly-skilled) narrator, which is a REALLY hard sell. Making the protagonist off-putting is necessary to get us, the readers, enough distance to accept the unreliability.

Excellent and thought-provoking.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2018 Sana marked it as anti-library · review of another edition

Damn, this sounds awesome! A storyteller as the main character, love it and that coverrrr 😍

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2018 Aiyesha rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, books-owned

How To Limbo Your Way Out Of A Witchcraft Accusation In Twelve Easy Steps*

*Social Revolution And Total Governmental Upheaval Optional, But Highly Recommended

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2020 Steve Westenra rated it it was amazing

It's taken me a while to review this one, though I absolutely adored it and tore through it. Part of that was due to general business, but it was also because this book was so thoughtful, so deliberate, and so subtly complex, that I felt it deserved a proper consideration of its themes rather than me simply rambling about how much I loved it (retrospectively, this review is still pretty rambly).

The story, which is rather many stories within one, concerns a deceptively simple premise: an itineran It's taken me a while to review this one, though I absolutely adored it and tore through it. Part of that was due to general business, but it was also because this book was so thoughtful, so deliberate, and so subtly complex, that I felt it deserved a proper consideration of its themes rather than me simply rambling about how much I loved it (retrospectively, this review is still pretty rambly).

The story, which is rather many stories within one, concerns a deceptively simple premise: an itinerant storyteller is arrested under suspicion of practicing black magic, and must use his only available resource--storytelling itself--to free himself and argue his case. What follows is an intricately woven tapestry that deals with the power of words, the nature of perspective, propaganda, and the responsibility of the storyteller. It's a book I wish I could encourage my students to read to foster reflection and critical thinking.

This book surprised me on so many levels. I had already wanted to read it since first hearing about it, but I wasn't expecting the level of humour Rowland brings to the page. Although it's certainly humour of the laugh out loud variety, it's also at turns a very dark, exacting kind that seeps under your skin as effortlessly as Rowland's words seem to the page.

I'm usually not one to compliment voice, if only because "voice" so often becomes shorthand (at least in fantasy) for a particular kind of univocal fantasy hero(ine). Here though, I have to say, Rowland's protagonist, Chant, has such an immediate and commanding presence that I hesitate to call it anything else. I was sunk right away into Chant's barbed and often circuitous way of recounting his story. Every sentence is rich with Chant's personality, his foibles, his desires--it's all so indelibly him. That depth of characterization is so rare, and is rendered even moreso when it comes to the complex layering of not only Chant's character, but the characterization (via Chant) of the secondary and tertiary cast. Though we're never for a moment outside Chant's descriptions of the people he describes (even the stories told by others--and there are plenty--are all skillfully understood by Rowland as third-hand narratives related by the other characters through Chant's appreciation of their talents, or lack thereof), the personalities of the rest of the cast all shine through. That's a strength of characterization I hardly ever see, and speaks to a level of attention to detail and real knowledge and understanding of how people simply are that I can only hope to achieve in my own writing. Hats off.

The story also barrels along. At a certain point, I had a very hard time putting this one down, and considering that for the most part it takes place in a cell, that's pretty impressive. Rowland needs none of the usual cheap devices to create a sense of tension and unease in the reader. Suspense is produced through a deep engagement with character, and the overarching sense of doom that pervades the work. The Sword of Damocles hangs above not only Chant's head, but seems to threaten the lives of everyone around him. It's a level of tension that reminds me of the way I felt reading (and even re-reading) A Song of Ice and Fire.

There's a maturity to the themes Rowland engages with here that I also feel deserves comment. There are no easy answers in Conspiracy, no black and white representations of morality. Rowland rather sees culture as complex and shifting, as sensitive to individual influence as it is to collective ones, as shaped by forces that initially appear external, but are as deeply embedded within a given society as are its obviously internal elements.

If my comments seem vague it's because the best part of Conspiracy lies in its unfolding as you read. The intricacies I gesture to are ones best experienced through the process of reading itself.

This is precisely where I've been hoping to see fantasy go, and hope Rowland's work is a harbinger of good things to come in a genre I love, but which is too often taken over by simplistic trends and cliches. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2020 gio rated it liked it

Shelves: tentative-2020-books-to-read, 2018-releases, bought-in-2020

“There’s a story in anything, if you know what to look for and how to frame it. If you can find the person who needs to hear it. That is my sacred calling—collecting stories and passing them along—but it’s not just myths and tall tales. It’s people, and the way people are.”

I feel like this book wanted to do more than it was ready for. All in all there’s everything in this book in terms of potential: political intrigue, a bitter old storyteller, the recurrent theme about the power of stories, peo ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 14, 2020 M.S. rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf-f

3,8 stars

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2018 Marzie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-edelweiss

This book is just a sheer delight. As I told Alex Can Read who steered me to this book, I laughed so often that it was a tonic in these dark times.

A Conspiracy of Truths is about a storyteller and his stories within his larger story, like the famed Arabian Nights or Catherynne Valente's The Orphan's Tales. We have a cantankerous old storyteller who we can call Chant (a title, not a name, and you're not getting a name because for religious reasons he won't tell you so don't bother asking, you in This book is just a sheer delight. As I told Alex Can Read who steered me to this book, I laughed so often that it was a tonic in these dark times.

A Conspiracy of Truths is about a storyteller and his stories within his larger story, like the famed Arabian Nights or Catherynne Valente's The Orphan's Tales. We have a cantankerous old storyteller who we can call Chant (a title, not a name, and you're not getting a name because for religious reasons he won't tell you so don't bother asking, you insolent cur because it's none of your business) who has been charged with black witchcraft. Well, that and brazen impertinence. (Yes, that's a charge.) Oh, and the espionage charge, because hanging out with pirates and spies, while great for your storytelling archive, is probably ill-advised if you plan to go to Nuryevet. Frankly, I'd really suggest you avoid going to Nuryevet. But, okay, if you're reading this book, you're effectively there. Watch out for the Queens. The Queen of Justice, the Queen of Pattern... wait, Queen of Secrets? (Do Secrets have Patterns?) Then there's the Queen of Order and the Queen of Coin...Wait, no... Queen of Gold? Penny Queen? Dragon Queen? (scary!) These are all mostly elected positions, by the by. And as in any political system there are fights for power, position, dominance, information, and oh, you get it. Poor Chant. They fight over Chant. What does he know? So much, but some of it is embedded in stories. He must be hiding something. Is he a spy? A blackwitch? His public defender Consanza is all but useless, preoccupied, a seeming narcissist. She's never lost a case before the Court of Justice. Will Chant's be the first if she keeps his case? And Yfling, Chant's young and kind apprentice... gosh knows how he will fare in this den of political wolves. Poor boy will probably end in tears. Tears of joy? Tears of relief?

So look, this book is worth your time but just keep your cards close to your chest. Don't mention who you know and spent time sailing with, or anything you might have heard about royalty in other courts, or anything you know about border skirmishes, or really just... just shut up and read. Or listen. Because I waited to listen to the start of the newly released audiobook and it's super.

If you ever wanted a story in which you could imagine a totally snarky character like Elliot from In Other Lands grew up and grew old after visiting all the border and other lands and had a bunch of allegorical stories and intrigue to share, this is your book. And if you don't want to read a story with snarky, cantankerous characters, shame on you! What are you thinking?!

P.S. A Story

Over the summer I attended a WorldCon Kaffeeklatsch hosted by Saga editor Navah Wolfe. Navah described what she was looking for when she looks at submissions. She described a situation in which a book, no matter how weird (you mean like seventy-something snarky and cursing protagonist who is charged with multiple trumped up crimes?) just GRABS YOU. Yep. I see what she means by that...

I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Saga Press via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

286 users

Fiction

40 users

GLBT > Queer

21 users

LGBT

21 users

Adult

16 users

See top shelves…

About Alexandra Rowland

Alexandra Rowland

189 followers

Alexandra Rowland is the author of A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS and, occasionally, a bespoke seamstress under the stern supervision of her feline quality control manager. She holds a degree in world literature, mythology, and folklore from Truman State University, and she is one of three hosts of the literary podcast, Be the Serpent. Find her at www.alexandrarowland.net, on Twitter as @_alexrowland, or ...more

Other books in the series

A Conspiracy of Truths (2 books)

Books by Alexandra Rowland

A Choir of Lies (A Conspiracy of Truths, #2)

More…

9 Books that Goodreads Editors Highly Recommend

Let's talk books, shall we? As you can imagine, Goodreads editors are voracious readers and there's nothing we like more than talking shop. Seriou...

Trivia About A Conspiracy of T...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from A Conspiracy of T...

“Nuryevet wasn't a real thing--it was a story that people told one another. An idea they constructed in fantasy and then in stone and mortar, in lines of ink in labyrinthine law books, in cities and roads. It was a map, if you will, drawn on a one-to-one scale and laid out over the whole landscape like so much smothering cloth. So when I say there was nothing in Nuryevet worth saving, that's what I mean: the story wasn't worth saving, and none of its monstrous whelps were either--the government, their methods, the idea that they could feed their poor to the story like cattle to a sea monster so the wealthy could eat its leavings.” — 1 likes

“It's messy, lad, it's all messy." I waved my hand airily. "You just question everything that anyone tells you and assume they don't really know what they're talking about, even when they sound like they do, and you remember that everybody has a reason for telling you something in the way that they do and that most reasons are selfish.” — 1 likes

More quotes…