This book really caught me by surprise. I like books that build worlds that are full of color and life, and the author of this novel has done that and much more.
Something about the writing style was unusual and refreshing – full of vibrant descriptions of color, flavor, aroma, passion and poetry. I was at times reminded of our times in Istanbul, in southern Spain, and Greece. The descriptions here are of far-away cities and people, with special attention paid to the act of reading. Reading and storytelling are critical to this book, and a reminder of why we love to read in the first place.
The story moved from an isolated island to a the spectacular imagery of a grand city, then on to a mysterious island of towers and intrigue, and then next towards the north and the snow and deserts, where we concentrate more on a critical relationship of our protagonist.
This story is filled with stories, which in themselves contain other stories, and it was fun to peel through the layers and discover what lies within.
I’m looking forward to reading more from this author – you can tell she worked hard to bring this book to fruition, and it was worth the effort.
Next I’m reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.
