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The Raven Tower

Ann Leckie (Goodreads Author)

3.99 · Rating details · 7,100 ratings · 1,275 reviews

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

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his ter ...more

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Hardcover, 416 pages

Published February 26th 2019 by Orbit

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Mar 25, 2019 Spencer Orey rated it it was amazing

This is a smart, easy to read Hamlet-inspired fantasy novel with some great moving pieces. I'm starting to appreciate fantasy books that stay tightly focused on a single situation rather than over-expanding out. This one is a real case study in how to do that.

The system of Gods and magic is cool, and there are some larger mysteries around language, worship, responsibility to others, and power that are fun to think about.

The main point of view is the controversial part, but I thought ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-biggest-fear, oh-no-biiiiiiirds, from-publisher-or-author

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

BOOK SCHWAG!!

i had high hopes for this book. leckie’s imperial radch trilogy has been so celebrated by the SF kids that even i wanted to read it, and SF books have always had very limited appeal to me. when i heard she was doing a fantasy novel this time out, i figured that would be a more suitable entry point to her work for me, as i am *marginally* more qualified to assess fantasy than SF ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2019-shelf

Cue up Simon and Garfunkle for this ride. Just a single song on endless repeat.

"Don't talk of love,
Well, I've heard the word before.
It's sleeping in my memory;
And I won't disturb the slumber
Of feelings that I've died.
if I never loved, I never would have cried.
I am a rock. I am an island."

Now make a novel of a god of a single rock, surround him with endless time, sleep, and other gods getting by or rising into a WWI assemblage of a Cue up Simon and Garfunkle for this ride. Just a single song on endless repeat.

"Don't talk of love,
Well, I've heard the word before.
It's sleeping in my memory;
And I won't disturb the slumber
Of feelings that I've died.
if I never loved, I never would have cried.
I am a rock. I am an island."

Now make a novel of a god of a single rock, surround him with endless time, sleep, and other gods getting by or rising into a WWI assemblage of alliances and obligations, always keeping out of the fray.

Enjoy second-person storytelling, sitting over the shoulder of humans or ruminating inside yourself, combining the most interesting aspects of N. K. Jemison's Broken Earth with Lois McMaster Bujold's Five Gods, sprinkle in the feel of lazy ruminations, solid logic, and patience. And then... turn the novel into one of vast revenge. :) :) :)

What is this Raven Tower, after all? In this world, there are vast numbers of gods and many of them help out based on the amount of devotion and offerings given to them. And depending on the god's power reserves, the spoken Word becomes reality. If the god speaks more than the power can manage, or if the god makes a promise that can be loopholed, the god can die.

So much of this novel teaches us the power of language and limits and vast schemes, but our MC god, the Rock, seems to have all the time in the world... until vast logic and realization leads him/her to learn to value someone. At long last. And this is where everything goes to hell. :)

This fantasy novel is actually a murder mystery. It's FAR from being a standard murder mystery, but in its core, it revolves around reveals, discoveries, and piecing everything together... like a mosaic of stone only revealing the full picture after so much wonderful deliberation.

So, WHO DIES? Men, or gods?

I'm kinda dancing around here. The full scope of the novel hit me over the head at the very last and I'm more than pleased by the outcome. I always rather enjoyed it, but only by the end did I discover I loved it. :)
...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was ok

Shelves: review-copy, fantasy

2 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/02/28/...

I am but a simple reader, with simple tastes. I can appreciate when an author tries different things, or when a novel tries to break out of its genre and stylistic norms. But at the end of the day, all I want to do is read a good story I can relate to and, above all else, enjoy. Which, unfortunately, was not The Raven Tower.

Thing is, this novel does in fact contain a fascinating premise: in a prosperous kingdom named Iraden, a god called the 2 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/02/28/...

I am but a simple reader, with simple tastes. I can appreciate when an author tries different things, or when a novel tries to break out of its genre and stylistic norms. But at the end of the day, all I want to do is read a good story I can relate to and, above all else, enjoy. Which, unfortunately, was not The Raven Tower.

Thing is, this novel does in fact contain a fascinating premise: in a prosperous kingdom named Iraden, a god called the Raven watches and protects his land and its people, staving off all threats with his magic. But this protection comes at a price—one exacted in blood. To sustain the Raven’s power, a sacrifice must be offered by the ruler of Iraden known as the Raven’s Lease, a human chosen by the god to carry out his will in the mortal realm. As long as this tradition continues, the land remains safe and thriving.

But now, the power of the Raven is waning. Another god called the Strength and Patience of the Hill narrates this tale, watching events play out in its stonebound form. Iraden’s downfall begins as Mawat, the heir to the current Lease, returns home to find his father missing and the throne usurped by his uncle. In the middle of this chaos, an unassuming aide named Eolo tries to help Mawat reclaim his birthright, unwittingly stumbling upon a grave secret beneath the foundations of the Raven’s Tower.

Now here’s the rub: told in a mix of first and second person narration, you as the reader are essentially Eolo, and the narrator is the Strength and Patience of the Hill using its all-seeing gaze to tell you all that’s happening, what you are doing and thinking, and pretty much everything else there is to know about what’s going on. Not that you, as Eolo, can really be aware all the time that the god is speaking all the time, though. Like its name implies, the Strength and Patience of the Hill has also been around for a long, long time. It has seen quite a lot of things and it also isn’t shy about waxing poetic—to itself—about its age-old history and the past.

Consequently, I think the writing style will be the biggest point of contention for readers, and the determining factor in whether you will love this novel or hate it. Personally, I have a somewhat thorny relationship with the second-person narrative mode, though I concede that if used sparingly, or in specific situations that call for it, it can be very effective. Regrettably though, the way it was done here grated on my nerves like nails raked across a chalkboard. I’m not saying the idea wasn’t clever or that Leckie’s technique in employing it wasn’t skillful, but the constant distraction of it was mentally exhausting and frankly not very pleasant at all.

Which is why, as much as I wanted to like this novel, I struggled to connect with nearly every aspect of it. In particular, the characters were a bust. While you are supposed to be Eolo, use of the second person device immediately distances you from everything you do and everything you are supposed to be. From there, everything else failed to spark my interest, which is a shame because in theory, the inspiration behind the story and its lore is actually quite imaginative and compelling. Thematically, it reminded me a little of Joanne Harris’ The Gospel of Loki in that the narrative almost takes on a mythical quality, using the god-and-mortal relationship to explore concepts like power, knowledge and ideology through a philosophical lens. It’s just unfortunate that Leckie’s execution and interpretation did not work for me at all.

Bottom line? If a unique and an entirely different kind of fantasy is what you’re looking for, The Raven Tower is a book you might want to consider, but I also recommend reading samples or plenty of reviews to determine if the style is to your taste. Who knows, this could very well end up being your favorite book of the year. But if what you find strikes you as ludicrously complicated or irritating and awkward to the extreme, then it’s probably safe to say this novel is not for you. I have great admiration for Ann Leckie and think she’s a talented writer. I reasonably enjoyed reading her Imperial Radch trilogy and Provenance, though neither really blew me away, so it was initially my hope that her first foray into epic fantasy would be more my speed. But well, c’est la vie, as they say. ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Lizy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, read-in-2018, arcs, siba18

Holy sh*t, y'all. And let me repeat: holy sh*t.

I have to start this review with how I heard about this book. I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Ann Leckie twice during SIBA18, both during the Rise of Alt SFF panel and again during the moveable feast of authors, where she had 90 seconds to tell my table about her first foray into fantasy. I loved the way she summarized her book and I have no doubt her synopsis will sound way, way better than anything I could pen, so I'm going Holy sh*t, y'all. And let me repeat: holy sh*t.

I have to start this review with how I heard about this book. I had the amazing opportunity to meet with Ann Leckie twice during SIBA18, both during the Rise of Alt SFF panel and again during the moveable feast of authors, where she had 90 seconds to tell my table about her first foray into fantasy. I loved the way she summarized her book and I have no doubt her synopsis will sound way, way better than anything I could pen, so I'm going to unapologetically paraphrase it below:

"The Raven Tower is a book where anything the gods say becomes true. They cannot tell lies, and if they state an impossibility, they die. This novel is about a god who gets themselves into a predicament, and they need those around them to get them back out of it--but they're surrounded by enemies on all sides."

That's not an exact quote of what she said, but it was in the ballpark. Anyway. I was hooked. I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did. This book is a friggin masterpiece. It's told from that same unique triple perspective that N.K. Jemisin used in the Broken Earth trilogy, where there's a 'you,' an 'I,' and a 'them,' all bundled together in the narration, but it's pulled off without being convoluted or bizarre. The characters are flawlessly portrayed. The intrigues are so good.

Most of all, I love the tricks that are pulled. I don't want to say too much and inadvertently give things away - especially because to the best of my knowledge I'm penning the very first review of this book and it just wouldn't be fair to anyone to spoil anything when all y'all have to wait until February to read this - but there's this running theme of characters that are set up one way but turn out to be another. With the gods, especially, I really liked how they're set up as being super trustworthy, and yet depending on who you're dealing with, that may not be a quality they possess in any way.

Another thing - and this is kind of random - that I really loved with this book was the turn of phrase within it. It's not anything major, but there's little transitional sentences that fully set the scene. This is mainly from the gods having to avoid lies by saying things like "Here's a story that I've heard" instead of saying something as a fact. For whatever reason, seeing a section start of with that introduction immediately segued me into a) being 8 years old again getting tucked into bed with my chapter books, or b) popping the popcorn to hear some serious gossip, depending on what else had just been narrated.

The only "bad" thing - and I put this in quotes because it's only like a half bad thing - that I can say about this novel is that it's a little bit slow to start. But that's coming from me, and I think it's important to keep in mind I am a professional book nerd with little to no patience for slowness (there's a reason I'm still not caught up with the GoT books). I'm one of those people who gives up on books if they don't have my soul chewed up and spat out in 50 pages. This does not follow that formula, and that's OK. It does a properly executed slow-build. It takes a little more mental investment to get into, you have to think about it, and I can readily admit I was more than a little confused at the 50 page mark. The Raven Tower is worth sticking around to the end, though.

All in all, this is a fantastic book. There's honestly so much more I could say about it, but for the sake of spoilers I'm going to stop now. Suffice it to say, this is a brilliantly executed novel that I'd highly recommend reading. I can't wait to hand-sell it in 2019. ...more

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Jan 04, 2019 Bob rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-epic

Here is a story I have heard.

It is a story that is easy to admire, to appreciate, to acknowledge as something wholly unique within the fantasy genre, and yet it is a difficult one to enjoy. You likely have never read a story quite like it, and whether you would like to read another is probably what will divide the fans from the frustrated.

Here is another story I have heard.

It is a story that is technically impressive, told with an unusual point-of-view, and through an original voice./>Here Here is a story I have heard.

It is a story that is easy to admire, to appreciate, to acknowledge as something wholly unique within the fantasy genre, and yet it is a difficult one to enjoy. You likely have never read a story quite like it, and whether you would like to read another is probably what will divide the fans from the frustrated.

Here is another story I have heard.

It is a story that is technically impressive, told with an unusual point-of-view, and through an original voice. You, for all intents and purposes, are the main character, and the voice of a god is speaking directly to you. That voice tells you what is happening to you, in the present tense. It tells you what you see, feel, hear, and know. If that sounds awkward and uncomfortable - patronizing, even - you are not alone, but I have heard that others loved it.

Here is another story I have heard.

It is a story with an intriguing mythology, one that is built slowly, repetitively, over centuries of existence. You are witness to a god coming into awareness, idly watching ages pass, as life crawls out of the oceans, humans begin to walk the land, and other gods learn to walk alongside them. You learn the power of worship and sacrifice alongside the voice of the god, even as it learns the power of language. As a prelude or a bit of storytelling within a story, it could be an effective balance to your story, the one being told about you and to you, but it can also be a distraction that holds back a pace that is already crawling.

Here is another story I have heard.

It is the story of you, your friend (and Master), his uncle (and usurper), and a few other key individuals in your life. They talk a lot, and argue a lot. They debate a lot, and question a lot. They, however, do not do a lot, and neither do you. In fact, as much as this is your story, you are not particularly interesting - I'm sorry - and neither are those around you. Maybe, if we could see them through your eyes, and get inside your head, everyone might come to life a little better, but as characters narrated by the god's voice, you are flat and colorless.

Here is another story I have heard.

It is the story of The Raven Tower, and the god's voice - along with your story - is related to us by Ann Leckie. An experimental work of meta-fiction, her telling is intelligent, complex, and multi-layered approach. She does an admirable job of capturing the god's voice, which I'm sure you can attest to, having heard it for hundreds of pages. It's just a shame that your story and the people in it weren't nearly as interesting as her telling. ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Philip rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-releases, female-author, fantasy, high-fantasy, top-5-2019

3.75ish stars.

Leckie slides comfortably into the fantasy genre after receiving much acclaim for her sci-fi works. I expected this to be as complex as her Radch universe, which was intimidating, but it's really not. Maybe even too far in the opposite direction. It was surprisingly a simple, fairly quick read despite the majority of it being either set-up or history. The people and places were easy to keep track of and most of the characters were sufficiently likable or hateable, as th ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Phrynne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 5000-2019

I rushed to Netgalley to get hold of an advance copy of this book based on how much I enjoyed Leckie's science fiction series. The Raven Tower is fantasy which I also love, but somehow this one just missed the mark for me.

Of course the writing is good and as usual for this author it is presented in an unusual way. Very unusual actually since the narrator is a rock who is also a god. This god spends a large part of the book philosophising on anything and everything as to be expected since ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Nils | nilsreviewsit rated it did not like it

After hearing such praise for Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice series, but having never read it myself, I was really excited to try her fantasy debut, The Raven Tower. The premise sounded just my kind of story; I mean the idea of a Raven god and a Raven’s Lease who’s duty is to sacrifice themselves when the Raven god dies, sounded like a bloody good fantasy read! Plus the characters were proposed to be extremely diverse. However... this book just wasn’t for me.
🦅
At first I did like the After hearing such praise for Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice series, but having never read it myself, I was really excited to try her fantasy debut, The Raven Tower. The premise sounded just my kind of story; I mean the idea of a Raven god and a Raven’s Lease who’s duty is to sacrifice themselves when the Raven god dies, sounded like a bloody good fantasy read! Plus the characters were proposed to be extremely diverse. However... this book just wasn’t for me.
🦅
At first I did like the unique narrative voice; the whole story is told from the POV of a rock inhabited by a god, and the narrator uses second person and first person narration simultaneously throughout. I thought this was a great idea, and something a reader rarely comes across, but after a while it became so tedious.
🦅
As the narrator was an observer watching the main characters and telling you their story, I expected the characters to pop from the page, and be captivating. I expected the plot to be full of stabby stabby moments, and full on with use of godly powers. This just did not deliver on that though, and very quickly I honestly found myself bored.
🦅
I felt the characters needed to be fleshed out more, because as they were I just didn’t feel anything for them, they were just so bland. I think if there had been chapters that included narration from either Eolo or Marat the prince would have worked so much better, as then we could get some personality from them!
Lastly, the plot... my god... the plot was so SLOW! It hardly moved forward and there were just endless pages of dialogue that felt forced and pointless.
🦅
Personally, I like my fantasy books to be filled with much more tension, excitement and peril than this book was. Having said that though, just because this book didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean you will feel the same. So please don’t be put off trying this if it’s one you’re looking forward to. Variety is the spice of life, so I hope many of you will enjoy this.
🦅
Thank you Orbit for sending me a free copy of The Raven Tower in exchange for an honest review. Release date: 28/02/19 ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Tatiana rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2019

I found The Raven Tower to be both conceptually intriguing and boring.

I wonder if my general indifference to the novel has to do with the fact that this story's narrator is a rock. A rock that is a god, but still a rock that likes to just exist. Or be rolled around by someone.

The most compelling part of this novel, for me, was the concept of gods and how they interact with and are nurtured by humans. I thought it was quite interesting how Leckie had weaved the history of the world with the developm ...more

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Jul 09, 2019 Rebecca Roanhorse rated it it was amazing

Most novels are straightforward things, a linear story with a single POV that entertains and, if you, the reader, are lucky, it makes you think, too. And if you, the reader, are also a writer, there is the rare book that is so impressive that it makes you want to be a better writer. This is that kind of book. Which also means it may not be for everyone. In fact, I can assure you it's not. There are multiple POVs, none of them 3rd person. There are multiple timelines. Your narrator is a rock (who ...more

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Jul 01, 2019 Choko rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

*** 3.33 ***

I need to explain my rating... I hated giving this author's work anything below a 4 star, but I couldn't and stay honest with myself. I think I tend to be tougher on authors of which I have high expectations and I already know that they are really, really good at what they do. Ann Leckie is one of those authors, who has become a must read for me ever since I read her Sci-fi series. Even in this book I loved the imaginative world and characters. However, I wonder if the style of *** 3.33 ***

I need to explain my rating... I hated giving this author's work anything below a 4 star, but I couldn't and stay honest with myself. I think I tend to be tougher on authors of which I have high expectations and I already know that they are really, really good at what they do. Ann Leckie is one of those authors, who has become a must read for me ever since I read her Sci-fi series. Even in this book I loved the imaginative world and characters. However, I wonder if the style of writing fits with Sci-fi better and loses something when transferred to Fantasy, but the story of G-ds living and taking an active participation in human day to day life in The Raven Tower felt way too discombobulated to read the way it deserves. I understand that it was told from the point of view of an entity which is separate and doesn't always have the whole picture or the point of reference we might need to have in order to understand. I get that and I think it is a great idea. I also love the consideration this author keeps giving to fluid gender and sexuality. Extremely well done and felt when it comes to that!!!! But for whatever reason this book failed to connect with me. I had to stop several times and then come back and re-read, just to make sure I didn't miss a detail or a hint of meaning. The jump in timelines didn't bother me by itself, but with everything feeling so "other" and removed, it only added to the estrangement between me and the characters. Overall, it just felt like the book was published in an early draft stage instead of waiting for more thoughtful and engaging redact.

I struggle with myself when I actually get critical, because I am well aware that I give three and four stars easily to some pulp fiction, rom-coms, historical romances, cozy mysteries and all types of either Chic flicks or military-fantasy-action books, which probably took much less effort and thought, or creativity overall. However, I always look at what IS the book in its entirety of intent and targeted audience. Those books I mentioned usually have one purpose - momentary entertainment, a provoking of a certain feeling or a rush of adrenaline. They don't have a claim to good literature or attempt to bring something innovative or special to our literary culture as a whole. I look upon them as I do to the half an hour or hour shows on TV, telling a story, usually one situation, and tell it from start to finish in the most easily consumer friendly way, for anyone to be able to not only understand, but engulf it in couple of big bites and move on to the next meal. I don't judge them for what they are, because we all need those unpretentious and entertaining reads to run away with for a moment or two, from real life. They have their place and they are needed. So when I rate them, I rate them according to rather they achieved their purpose of escapism and how well did they do it.

However, there are those authors, and AL is one of those, who bring something different, something a bit more refined, more thoughtful, more complex and complete to the table, and their work awakens our minds and pushes us to think and feel through the ethical questions that mark us as human. Those are the authors who bring the new elements tho their genres and you never mistake their work for that of someone else. Those authors should have a scale of their own. On that scale we must be able to to show that we see their writing not only as better and unique, but also we should be able to express when their work is not quite up to the standard we expect from them. This is where this particular rating comes from. With all my utmost respect for the work and creativity! I hope we get much more in the future:-) ...more

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May 28, 2019 Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net rated it liked it

Shelves: cover-porn

See this review and more like it on www.bookbastion.net!
__________

I was in the cutest little local bookstore earlier this month when I came across The Raven Tower in the employee recommendations section. To be honest, the cover was so striking and gorgeous that it caught my eye almost immediately and after checking out the premise on the inside dust jacket, I put aside another book I was interested in reading (I promise I'll come back for you one day little abandoned book baby!) and snagged this one instead.

If there's one subset of the fantasyinstead.
If ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Liz Barnsley rated it it was amazing

Here is a story I’ve heard…
Ann Leckie has written a highly absorbing, beautifully imagined fantasy novel, with a quirky, atmospheric and highly engaging character voice…
I probably didn’t need to take the third party precautionary measure because I believe this to be true, but care in all things, especially when you pick up The Raven Tower because it will deprive you of sleep and leave you longing for more.
In a world where God’s and human’s intertwine, a God cannot speak false. ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbt, fantasy

So far, this is my second favorite fantasy book this year with only the amazing conclusion of the Winternight trilogy beating it.

We start the story with an unseen narrator speaking to the main character Eolo, describing Eolo's actions in the second person. Eolo is the loyal and reserved companion of the Heir to the Raven's Lease. The Raven's Lease is a role with considerable power in the nation of Iraden, but it is also the designated human sacrifice to the Raven, the God of Iraden. ...more

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Oct 08, 2018 Libertie rated it it was amazing

Ann Leckie seems to enjoy writing books in which the main characters are big, sentient objects.

I'm a bookseller who received an advance reader copy of the book after having the pleasure of meeting Ann at the SIBA Discovery Show. I was extremely excited about the work, having been a fan of "Ancillary Justice."

Well, "The Raven Tower" lived up to my lofty expectations! Like the Ancillary Trilogy, this work showcases Ann's incredible skill for building fantastical realms. The ...more

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Mar 19, 2019 Thomas Wagner rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The Raven Tower is one of those impeccably crafted epic fantasy novels in which characters we’re given no particular reason to root for fight for stakes we’re given little reason to care about. This might be a thoroughly unremarkable thing if the book was yet another mid-list debut. But it’s the fantasy debut of none other than Ann Leckie, a writer of enormous and richly deserved acclaim, and that makes it so much more disappointing. It’s a book I found so very frustrating because all of the pieces a The Raven Tower is one of those impeccably crafted epic fantasy novels in which characters we’re given no particular reason to root for fight for stakes we’re given little reason to care about. This might be a thoroughly unremarkable thing if the book was yet another mid-list debut. But it’s the fantasy debut of none other than Ann Leckie, a writer of enormous and richly deserved acclaim, and that makes it so much more disappointing. It’s a book I found so very frustrating because all of the pieces are there. They just never construct a satisfying whole.

It’s set in a world inhabited by both people and beings they call gods. Our narrator is one of these gods, an entity called The Strength and Patience of the Hill, which has taken possession of an enormous boulder. It’s just as well this is our narrator, because it’s really all the book has to offer by way of an interesting and appealing character. Leckie plays around a bit with speculation on what kinds of entities these so-called gods really are. There’s never an explanation of their origin, except in the case of another god, the Myriad, who is hinted at being some kind of extraterrestrial.

An element of mystery is often helpful in evoking a sense of the otherworldly. But in an epic fantasy, the more you convey that your world has a magic system under which everything works, readers will want to have some kind of grasp of the whys and wherefores. And I frankly would have appreciated a bit more exploration into the relationship between the gods and humans, particularly an understanding of how these gods are nurtured by the worship and sacrifice, especially blood sacrifice, of the humans they serve. The closest Leckie gets to anything in line with her customary brilliance is in a passage where Patience painstakingly figures out how to communicate with its young priestess, using tiny stones. In these scenes, we see that the gods of this world started out sort of stumbling around learning things, no differently than the people. Patience has to learn to empathize with and care for the humans who worship it. And that’s actually terrific, because not only does it make Patience enormously appealing as a character, these human weaknesses make Leckie’s gods as a whole more believable. But it still whet my appetite for more information that never came.

Still, gods and humans have to coexist for one another’s survival. There are huge, powerful, ancient gods, as well as small gods whose powers might be limited to specific areas, or even specific physical items, like kitchen knives or boats. And these gods end up in conflict, depending on whatever conflicts the humans who worship them are currently embroiled in. This creates a specific political landscape for the gods, forcing them to enter into alliances and share their powers. Powerful gods can simply take the power from lesser gods to enhance their own, and in some cases can even “speak the death” of other gods, although it drains their power immensely for them to do so.

Vastai is a city in the land of Iraden, on the coast of a narrow strait (continued...) ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Cathy by: Leckie-fans, even if fantasy is not your thing

Shelves: read-2019

Unusual second-person narrative. A little odd at first, but it grew on me. Strange that a main character does not have an inner voice.

The book alternates between two stories. There is the present day plot and a back story. I don‘t want to give too much away, I think it is more fun not too know going in. For a long while I suspected that the main narrator was leading us astray. I wasn‘t quite sure, who the narrator really is. Again, I don‘t want to give too much away...

“What is i/>“What ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-read, auth-f, scifi-fantasy

Holy crap, this was good.
With its unusual structure: 2nd person narration coupled with two stories alternating through the book, this is not the easiest story to get through. But Leckie doesn't disappoint. Either of the two tales would be fascinating, but each has their own interesting points. The one going back millenia, describes the birth and evolution of the narrator (who happens to be a god) and the presence of many, many small gods, provides the backstory for the events happening in ...more

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Feb 26, 2019 Adah Udechukwu rated it it was amazing

The Raven Tower seemed weird at first. The first 30 or so pages had me confused but soon the novel picked up. It started making a lot of sense. I loved the world building. I loved the characters. The entire concept of the novel was fascinating and oddly compelling.

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Jan 22, 2019 Timy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: have-it, mystery, fiction, magic, arc, fantasy, stand-alone, epic-fantasy, fbr

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

You can find this review on my blog with my choice of music.

I've got an ARC from Orbit in exchange of an honest review.

Ever since I laid eyes on the cover and the blurb, I knew I had to read The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. I was kind of obsessed with it and couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. Which I did over Christmas and was so happy that I just hugged it to my chest (ask James). So you can imagine how hyped I was when I could finally crack it open. I a/>I've Actual rating: 2.5 stars

You can find this review on my blog with my choice of music.

I've got an ARC from Orbit in exchange of an honest review.

Ever since I laid eyes on the cover and the blurb, I knew I had to read The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. I was kind of obsessed with it and couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. Which I did over Christmas and was so happy that I just hugged it to my chest (ask James). So you can imagine how hyped I was when I could finally crack it open. I also have to mention here, that this was my first ever experience with an Ann Leckie book.

The Raven Tower has two plotlines, both are told by the Strenght and Patience of the Hill, an ancient god. In one of the plotlines we learn about its story, how it had met with people and learned their language, we see history through its eyes, or at least the part it saw anyway or heard about through its friend the Myriad. Unless other gods, the Strenght and Patience of the Hill never wanted to change its form and so remained a stone. Since speaking was hard for it, it invented a language of its own – the people, its priests used tokens and learned how to translate them. We also learn about the history of Ard Vusktia and Vastai, two cities, part of Iraden, divided by the sea, fighting over dominance. Whoever had claim over the strait had the power, because this was the safest place to cross. On one side Ard Vusktia was home of several gods either major or minor, living together, being worshipped by humans in exchange of helping them out occasionally. On the other side, Vastai is being protected by a god called the Silent Forest, keeping enemies off their borders, preventing fires and sickness to plague the people. When the Raven appears he takes control over the land and declares his authority over the strait as well as Ard Vusktia. Thus a conflict begins which will lead to consequences neither side can handle.

While we learn about the history and the centuries old conflict, we also follow the events in present Vastai, where the main god is the Raven – a mysterious being who appeared out of nowhere and took charge – , and thanks to an ages old pact his Lease is the ruler. When the Raven’s Instrument (a raven, in which the god reincarnates) dies, the Lease has to die as well as a sacrifice. His place is taken by the Heir and the cycle goes on. The Lease doesn’t rule alone, on his side there are the Silent Mother, the Silent Forest’s priestess and the head of the Council of Directions. At the beginning of the story, the current Lease disappears, his place is taken by his brother Hibal, even though his son and heir, Mawat is already on his way from the border where he tries to keep the Tel in check. With him comes his aide, Eolo, to whom the Strenght and Patience of the Hill tells its story.

I think this was the first book I’ve read that was written partly in the second person. Can’t say I’ve become a fan of this style of writing. Kind of makes it even harder to connect with the characters. But then, they aren’t all that interesting to begin with. At one hand, we have a stone without feelings or much knowledge about the world outside of what it can sense or hear from its friends. And since its attention is mostly on Eolo, we learn more about him, but not enough to make the reader really sympathize with him or root for him or the others. We never learn why he is the one who gets the god’s attention, what makes him special. The world-building is also somehow lacking, thanks to the narrow POV. Personally I was left with many questions and only a few answers. The ending was very sudden and not too satisfying. While I understand why things happened and what were the god’s motivations, it took forever for the events to pick up and never really gained momentum. Everything is rather told than shown and so I couldn’t figure out why should I care about these people?

Mawat, the Heir is angry and acts like a spoiled child whose toy was taken away when he finds out that his uncle took his place. First he locks himself away, then decides to protest by sitting naked in the middle of the main square – this is a common way of protest for the people of Iraden, though it doesn’t makes any more sense – until Eolo’s investigations prods him to take actions. Eolo is constantly asked if he is the “partner” of Mawat besides being his aide which is a big honor for someone whose ancestors are farmers. Anyway, Eolo sexual life has absolutely nothing to do with the plot, and not even relevant, but this is the only thing people of Vastai can come up when it comes to him. I guess understanding friendship must be hard for them. Tikaz, the daughter of the head of the Council of Directions, is the childhood friend of Mawat, and everyone expects them to get married. She refuses, because, I’ve no idea why. Because she has to appear as a strong and independent female character? Which is fine, but she is not. Or at least this doesn’t make her appear that. We don’t learn much more about her, except that her mother lives far away and she could go live with her if she wanted. Oh and she also fancies Eolo. No idea why, the guy is shy and has absolutely no appeal whatsoever – or if he does, we don’t know about it anyway.

The “villains” in this book are supposed to be Hibal who took the position of the Lease and a pair of twins, Okim and Oskel. According to some legends, twins are considered evil, and though they are not left in the forest anymore, the people of Vastai still superstitious against them and treat them badly. And so, Okim and Oskel had become hard and bitter, the typical prototypes of bullies. It’s not clear if they know or suspect their true heritage which is the topic of rumors, but anyway their motivation for following Hibal is rocky at best.

I had really high hopes for The Raven Tower. I expected to be swept away by mystery, magic and an intriguing plot. What I’ve got was a disappointing tale of a stone and a mystery unfurling ever so slowly and without much surprises. It’s a shame, because I wanted to love this book, but almost nothing worked for me. Maybe it was because of the narrative, being told the events by a “mere” bystander, the fact that there aren’t any chapters (even though the narrative between present and past are divided), or because the pace was too slow for my taste. But the fact that I couldn’t care about any of the characters remains, and that’s a flaw I can’t look over. Even so, don’t let my dissapointment affect you, I advice to make your own judgement. It actually has some cool ideas like the army the Forest sends to defend Vastai, or the way the gods communicate with people, even the Raven’s pact to have a Lease and a Heir at all times. It’s just a shame it couldn’t deliver the way I expected.

If you like your epic fantasy to be less action packed and more focused on the events that lead to the main plot, you might find this one in your favor. The Raven Tower offers the tale of slow burning revange, sacrifice and tragedy.

...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Holly (The Grimdragon) rated it did not like it

Shelves: in-which-i-abandon, fantasy-sci-fi, the-infinite-library

"There will be a reckoning."

This.. is a DNF for me. I tried. I really did. I made it to page 137 and just.. I couldn't go on.

You know I believe in being completely honest in my reviews. Whelp.. The Raven Tower will probably tick the boxes for most people, but that just wasn't the case for me. At all. Clearly.

I was pleasantly surprised to have received this. When I first opened it up, I couldn't get over the gorgeous cover, the beautifully detailed pages in the front and the ...more

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Mar 06, 2019 The Captain rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Ahoy there mateys! I absolutely adore this author’s work and love, love, love her Imperial Radch books. The first book of the trilogy is one of me favourite books of all time. To say I was excited about this newest book was an understatement. And it delivered.

Now to be fair, I think readers are going to have a harder time with this book due to the fact it is written in second person and meanders quite a bit. But I trusted that Leckie’s journey would lead to satisfaction in the end. A ...more

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Mar 29, 2019 Acqua rated it liked it

Shelves: adult, qm, boring, fantasy, db, no-chemistry, w-ones, love-cover, retelling, q

This is, without any doubt, the most interesting book narrated by a rock I've ever read.

3.5 stars

The Raven Tower is a really interesting novel. It's a story about political intrigue in a coastal city, but unlike most books about political intrigue, it's narrated in second person by a god who resides inside a rock to the main character, Eolo.

It's interesting not only because the narrator is a god and this book explores the meaning of godhood and the relationships between gods and humans, and n/>The ...more

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May 12, 2019 Audrey rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy, 2019-books

I think the blurb here on GR gives too much away, but I don’t want you to go in completely blind because this is a different book.

The book alternates between first person narration and second person. The second person is Eolo, an aid to a prince (only he’s not called that) whose father has disappeared and whose uncle has taken the throne. It takes a while to figure out WHO is the first person, but it’s a god that happens to be …

… a pretty rock.

During the first person narrations, the god gives the history of the world fr ...more

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May 21, 2019 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2019-releases

In this world, there are many gods, many with their own specialties. Gods can gain power from humans worshiping them and sacrificing to them. They can work out deals where gods use their power to "effect change" in a beneficial way for humans.

A really, really important point in this is that the gods can change reality by speaking it. So they have to be very careful about what they say and how they say it. Because if they literally state something IS when it actually isn't, their powe ...more

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May 09, 2019 Emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I really enjoyed this book, but it fell short of a 5 star read for me - I don't think it's anything I would re-read, but I flew through in two days and liked the story although I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. The weird second person POV didn't put me off like it seems to have done for other people. I liked the ending too - even though I see lots of others complaining about it.

This book reminds me a lot of the Broken Earth series by Jemison - that story was kind of weird ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Quartzen rated it it was amazing

It's been a while since I stayed up late to finish a book on the day it came out, but I couldn't put this one down. I went into it not knowing anything more than the blurb, and knowing I'd enjoyed Leckie's previous novels a great deal, and I couldn't put it down.

I don't have much to say about the plot, but the story structure- echoing the parallel plot lines of Ancillary Justice without feeling derivative- and narration- a narrator not as much typically unreliable as one who openly h ...more

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Jun 08, 2019 Christopher Buehlman rated it it was amazing

You became aware at the bottom of a prehistoric seabed. The ocean dried out around you and in time you found yourself worshipped by humans who called you The Strength and Patience of the Mountain. Congratulations! You’re a god! But don’t let it go to your head, if you have a head—there are lots and lots of gods, and you’re all different.

What’s more, if you say the wrong thing, you’ll die.

What you’re doing narrating the story of another god far to the south, a god called The Raven, i ...more

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Apr 27, 2019 Sepani rated it did not like it

Shelves: stand-alone, read-within-the-published-year, reviews-on-books, did-not-finish

DNF

A very unpopular review when considering the ratings of the other book reviews.

When I first saw the cover of the book, I was very tempted to try out the book. I was as nervous before reading as to what the story narrates about. But unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a single thing which was narrated in the story.

Confusion occurred since the author has used a mix of both first and second person narration. That annoyed me soo much. This is the first time where I have read a book with ...more

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Dragons & Jetpacks: The Raven Tower / Overall Discussion/ *Spoilers*	25	63	Aug 10, 2019 02:03AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The Raven Tower [June 16, 2019]	17	33	Jun 30, 2019 06:06AM
Beyond Reality: The Raven Tower (5/19): Finished Reading Spoilers Likely	3	17	May 02, 2019 03:20PM
Beyond Reality: The Raven Tower (5/19): Roll Call & First Impressions (No Spoilers)	2	12	May 01, 2019 08:30PM

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“I’ve been thinking,” I said to Oissen, when he returned the next afternoon. “Yes, the Myriad had warned me you might do that.” — 2 likes

“The question is not, said the Myriad, whether distant events will affect us. This is not truly a question-- they can and they will. Nor is the question how we will be affected. One can make any number of careful and informed guesses, but until events occur any predictions are subject to error, to the extent that one's information, or one's understanding, may be incomplete. [...] The relevant question here, it seems to me, is not any of those things. It is, rather, Do you care?” — 1 likes

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