An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (The Risen Kingdoms, #1) in /r/Fantasy Discussion Group

Nov 11, 2017 Sherwood Smith added it

Shelves: fantasy, steampunk

Wow, what a wild ride!

I'm amazed that this is Craddock's first book. The writing is so tight, so witty, so rich with image that I was drawn in from the start, even though I'm wary of any more special-girl-in-repressive-patriarchal-settings SF/F. Craddock makes it work anyway, because the characters are so vivid, rather than the stock characters you meet in that situation. And the sure grace of the narrative voice, avoiding the too-often encountered awkward lumps of sentence fragments and chains Wow, what a wild ride!

I'm amazed that this is Craddock's first book. The writing is so tight, so witty, so rich with image that I was drawn in from the start, even though I'm wary of any more special-girl-in-repressive-patriarchal-settings SF/F. Craddock makes it work anyway, because the characters are so vivid, rather than the stock characters you meet in that situation. And the sure grace of the narrative voice, avoiding the too-often encountered awkward lumps of sentence fragments and chains of overused simile, was a pleasure to read.

He also makes the worldbuilding work, though again, I'm not fond of plopping undigested wodges of earth-cultures into another world, in this case seventeenth/eighteenth century France and Spain. If you're going to posit musketeers in sky ships, you pretty much have to borrow the France of Dumas.

But to this Craddock adds 17th and 18th century philosophical thinking and terms, while spinning a wild tale of weird inherited magic, a Leibnizian clockwork religion (which is not easily hand waved off by postmodern heroes, hurray!), and well-designed sky ships on floating continents.

Jean-Claude is our single musketeer (oh, to meet the rest of them!), appointed guardian over Isabelle, the disabled daughter of a really heinous comte and his equally nasty family. He guards her and guides her as she grows to become a mathematician and a strategist, before she is propelled into high politics through an arranged marriage, at age twenty-four. Watching her figure out solutions to impossible situations was sheer bliss. The narrative voice doesn't tell us she's bright, it shows us in endlessly creative ways.

There was never a slow page, and the ending built to a breakneck climax that almost tipped over the edge into too fast. I was left with some questions (view spoiler) but overall it came to such an enjoyable resolution, while avoiding the too-easy and too-often seen series stretcher in which everyone conveniently turns stupid long enough for the big bad to escape, in order to come back with a bigger and badder threat in book two.

There is such scope for exploration in this setting, and Craddock resolved things in such a way that I don't expect book two to be the same story, only with artificially ratcheted stakes.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year. ...more

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Aug 19, 2017 Mackay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

You've never seen a world like this one before - strange and compelling and weirdly beautiful. I've seldom liked a character as much as I like Jean-Claude, aging Musketeer with a wry, humorous tongue and a father's love for the girl whose life he saved once upon a time. And as that girl, Isabelle des Zephyrs, grows up and becomes a pawn in international politics, both she and Jean-Claude must fight their way through (highly original) sorcery and hidden enemies using their wits for weapons. Saili ...more

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Nov 07, 2022 Bridgit rated it it was amazing

4.5
Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 - This was really fun. The main character is great. Brilliat mind. Lots of agency. The magic in here was really cool. I haven't seen anything like it before. 2 types of magic mixed with clockwork steampunk. Very excited to see what happens in the next book. ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Likable characters in an interesting setting. While there is plenty more to explore in this world, the book works as a standalone with a satisfying ending.

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