The Raven Tower

Interesting premise and unusual second person (yes as in “I saw you first when you arrived in ..”) the Gods of this world beg to be explored more - I hope the will be more books in this setting.

This book really had a magical effect on me, commanding my attention in a way that I don't expect from a novel without a prominent romance or friendship plot. There are actually a couple of good friendship plots here, as well as a (very) light romance, but overall, I'd say this is a plot-driven book, although the characters have quite a lot of depth as well. I loved it and I'm so excited to continue reading this author.

I am a cis woman, so be sure to look for reviews from trans readers. One of the main characters, Eolo, is a trans man and I felt that aspect of the story was handled very well. It isn't quite incidental representation, but the book is definitely not about his identity. In general, I feel this is more the point-of-view character's story than it is Eolo's.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I have mixed feelings about her narration. I really liked some of her choices, such as the voice and accent she chose for Tikaz. I thought that was perfect, as were most of the other characters. The accent she chose for Eolo worked really well for a farm boy whom others might underestimate, but I really disliked the voice she chose for him. He sounded like a terrified child at several key moments (e.g., when he refuses to go with Mawat into the women's temple, and when he's flirting with Tikaz) and I just don't think that performance fit with the character's words and actions. It is a major flaw of this audiobook. If you are a reader who does either audio or text, I recommend going with the text for this book.

I'm sure there are long essays to be written about this book as a version of Hamlet, but I'm not qualified to do that. Still, as a lifelong consumer of fanfic & transformative works, I want to say that I loved Tikaz on her own, but even more in comparison with the character she's based on. What a wonderful interpretation. I want to draw hearts all around her.

So, I loved this, and I recommend it enthusiastically. It's cleverly constructed, and it touches on some deeper truths, especially about power and loyalty. But mainly, it was just very enjoyable to read.

I loved the Ancillary Series, and I thought Provenance was fun but not quite up to the tightly wound social commentary that Ancillary was. The Raven Tower is Leckie back to her roots, weaving a complex mystery around a diverse cast. It was recommended to me as middle ages Hamlet, and while the parallels are quite clear, it's much richer than just a Shakespearean retelling. I'm an absolute devotee of the gods among us trope, and the gods Leckie imagines are so unique, so perfectly Other. Also, I read this in Ireland where I stayed in a medieval tower while hunting neolithic standing stones, so perfect mood book.