"The Broken Crown" by Michelle West (BR)

[Travis]

Starting November 7th we are reading the first book in Michelle West's The Sun Sword series, The Broken Crown.

Please keep all spoilers in tags and state chapter or percentage so that everybody can smoothly follow the discussion.

[Travis]

If your library provides access to Hoopla, there's an audiobook available.

[Travis]

Yasmin wrote: "Started reading Michelle West's The Broken Crown today. I'm not much into fantasy but the land of the Commons certainly stirred my mind as Askeyia, the naive healer, gets caught in a trap though sh..."

I ended up thinking of the first two chapters as short stories that I'm sure will be related to the main narrative at some point. I especially enjoyed the second of the two. Such a fascinating scenario. And so nice to have women characters who are (view spoiler)[mature with real life experience. (hide spoiler)]

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

This is a 31 hour audiobook! I feel tricked! How is the audio? Should I get the physical book too or is it good?

Glad it spoke to you, Yasmin!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I just listened to the sample. I think this has to be an eye-read for me. Welp! Now's the time for big books!

[Travis]

Allison wrote: "I just listened to the sample. I think this has to be an eye-read for me. Welp! Now's the time for big books!"

I'm going back and forth, but, yeah, the audio is not so good.

[Travis]

I'm in the middle of Chapter 11 now and really enjoying the subtleties characters must negotiate in these varied settings. At the same time, the pacing and sequence for delivering information feels off: too fast when I wish it would slow down, too slow when I wish it would speed up, and withholding information about the world for reasons I'm not quite able to understand.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

ok I need help please. spoiler for ch 1

(view spoiler)[ I get that Askeiya was taken and raped? I don't understand by whom or what the game was or why it happened or what or achieved or who the lord is though. (hide spoiler)]

[Travis]

Allison wrote: "ok I need help please. spoiler for ch 1

[spoilers removed]"

I'm a bit stalled out 2/3 of the way through, and I still don't know the answers to those questions.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

That is not encouraging!

[Stephanie]

I also found that unclear, Allison. It seems like something that's going to come up much later, although (view spoiler)[ I almost stopped reading because I really don't like the "woman is pregnant after the rape and has to keep the baby to save the universe" storyline, which is what it seems like is happening. Because...how is this the only option?? I get that the book wasn't published super recently, but putting women through trauma for the drama of it in a story is not something I like.

Anyway. I decided to give the rest of the book a chance because it's one of the only real books I have with me, and I want to read epic fantasy by a woman and about women, and I want to discuss something. So hopefully things will get better! (I'm still quite near the beginning, maybe chapter 2? Power went out while I was reading last night.) (hide spoiler)]

That doesn't really answer your question, Allison, sorry. D:

Another note, I was just reading an interview with the author and she had this to say about the book: (not any spoilers that I can see, but putting in tags to manage length)
(view spoiler)[ "But many people found (and still find) The Broken Crown confusing and difficult. Which is all kinds of heart-breaking. That was the first book that did what I felt I set out to do, and at this remove, I feel like I failed the story unintentionally. As a reader, I don’t like to be smacked over the head with things. I don’t want everything spelled out in obvious and painful ways. I am afraid to be too obvious.

And I think the book suffered for that."

Interview is here: https://www.tor.com/2012/10/02/sleeps...

(hide spoiler)]

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Blerg. That makes it sound like this is going to be Malazan-esque in the amount we have to fight to piece things together. I think I like the setting and mythology, I just do feel fairly detached because I have no bread crumbs to turn into a guide. Every time I start thinking I've got something in place, we learn something new that doesn't seem to connect to what I'd figured out previously.

But I am also in the early goings.

[Beth]

(caught this in the digest) The West quote in Stephanie's post make this book sound intriguing to me! That linked mini-interview is top-notch. Allison's expression of frustration with the book comparing it to puzzle box Malazan intrigues me even more--the good ol' reverse recommendation. ;) I'll be looking forward to seeing some SFFBC mates' reviews of this one, and may hop on to this sooner rather than later, depending!