City of Bones

DNF - PG 49

Why?

Because it was only available from my library as an audiobook and, for some reason, the narration of this is so not working for me. I wouldn't mind trying again, but I'll certainly have to go for a print book.

(Also, I do not know where I read the synopsis, but it definitely wasn't Goodreads, and the book is very different than what I was expecting from the synopsis I did read.)

I couldn't immerse myself in City of Bones. Scenes are constantly interrupted by exposition dumps, often lengthy ones. It's clumsy and annoying. A damn shame, since I've been wanting to read this for years.

It took me some time to get into the story, but once I did I was hooked! My favourite Wells story after The Murderbot Diaries, and well worth going into without looking at the blurb. I had no idea what was coming and it was a wild and interesting ride. The conclusion could've maaaybe used a bit more explaining, such as going a bit more into Constans' motives, but it's also nice to have something to ponder on myself.

Post apocalyptic world that is all gloom but is understandable and tough, magic, a love story (of sorts), a growing up (of sorts) and an ending that closes the story in a good but not sentimental way. Some of the twists were fairly telegraphed but not in a way that made me groan. Overall, well done Martha Wells.

Wells writes more good thing than just murderbot! Now if only I could find more of them at the library....

I'm leaving this unrated for now, because while I really enjoyed the world-building and the plot, I didn't really like how the book ended.

Most of my frustration with the book is rooted in one character, Elena. As readers, we are supposed to love her and cheer on her growth throughout the book but that's difficult to do when she largely ignores the abuse and unfair treatment heaped on her friends. That's a bit easier to understand in the beginning when she has little power but it makes little sense by the end when she is Master Warder. Sure she fights for their safety when they are in danger but she never calls out any of her colleagues' biases and prejudices. I didn't expect her to take on the entire social hierarchy of Charisat but it's interesting to see that despite the power she wields by the end, Elena doesn't even try . Is it because she is too self-interested to fight for better treatment for people she cares about? Does she think the prejudice is justified? What exactly is it that drives her inability to stand up for people who have consistently put their lives in danger to save hers? Her inaction would be an easier pill to swallow if the narrative called out her behaviour, but it absolutely doesn't. Despite this, she is arguably the character that has the best outcome by the end of the book.

Thus, in spite of the lengths Wells goes to portray the abysmal treatment of the kris and foreigners in Charisat, the narrative doesn't present a compelling argument for why they should be treated better. It almost seems to accept their inferiority. I feel like this point is further buttressed by Wells' treatment of Khat's rape at the hands of the Elector's heir. It's quickly glossed over and not discussed again, although it is suggested that such behaviour is commonplace among patricians and krismen. It was a horrifying scene and should absolutely have been treated as such.

It's such a shame because this was in most parts such an enjoyable read. However, it was Wells' second book and written more than 2 decades ago so I'm willing to give the rest of her books a chance.

Marsupial man
roped into a relics scheme
and a lady's bed.

4.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Khat is a krismen, of a race created by the ancients to withstand the perils of the Waste. In the city Charisat, he's distrusted and disregarded - but still sought after for his knowledge of relics and lore. And that combination attracts danger.

Review
City of Bones was the second (or perhaps first) Martha Wells book I read, and I still think it's the best. While Wells has been uneven (her Raksura books seem like they're by a different author), this book is her writing at its absolute best, and I strongly recommend it. Note that while this edition is billed as the author's preferred text, the differences between this and an earlier version are just minor stylistic edits; the story itself is unchanged.

Efficiently and effectively, Wells builds up a fascinating, complex world that we never quite see the full outlines of but that is nonetheless easy to follow. The emotional scale of the story is small, with a focus on just a few individuals, but the implicit scope is huge, with actions affecting the whole world. These are all hard things to pull off, and she does it beautifully here.

No book is perfect, and there's a somewhat muddled portion in the late middle of the book, where things happen a bit too fast, and there are a few too many muddy motives floated about. And there are some red herrings that we could have done without – e.g., Khat's attraction to one particular character has no real basis, and feels careless. But overall, this is a great book, and one whose taste will linger, even if the complexities of the plot do not.

If you're already a Martha Wells fan, you'll love this. If you're not yet one, you'll love this.