The Raven Tower

paperback

Published by Orbit.

ISBN:
978-0-356-50700-2
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4 stars (90 reviews)

Listen. A god is speaking. My voice echoes through the stone of your master's castle. The castle where he finds his uncle on his father's throne. You want to help him. You cannot. You are the only one who can hear me. You will change the world. A triumph of the imagination, The Raven Tower is the first fantasy novel by Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards. Gods meddle in the fates of men, men play with the fates of gods and a pretender must be cast down from the throne in this breathtaking fantasy masterpiece.

7 editions

A first/second-person narrative of gods and men

4 stars

I thought this book was pretty good, though it has a bit of a rough start. Once you get past the initial part and get used to the first/second person narrative it becomes much better. It's also not a particular long story, but the characters, especially the Strength and Patience of the Hill, are cool.

I can recommend this as a quick jump into Ann Leckie's works, particularly if you are more interested in fantasy than her usual science fiction.

For a full review, check out my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-raven-tower-by-ann-leckie.html

De la bonne fantasy et c’est rare

4 stars

Merci de combiner un univers de style fantasy avec une vraie histoire. Combien d’histoires se contentent d’un univers de style fantasy et d’une histoire complètement manichéennes éclatée au sol qu’on a lue 40 fois depuis le Seigneur des anneaux… bonne histoire, réellement humaine.

Review of 'The Raven Tower' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This is my first read from Ann Leckie, and I regret that it took me this long—but this was a good choice for my first foray into her works. For one, I love having a standalone fantasy novel—not every story needs to be marketed into a trilogy, publishers, please. This novel is told in a mix of first- and second-person narrative, due to the fact that it is told from the perspective of one of many gods that inhabit this world. The Raven Tower addresses themes of divinity, language, revenge, and others—all of which made me pick up this book not too long after reading the blurb. (That, and the incredible cover.) It’s a wonder that this didn’t spend much time on my TBR shelf.

The worldbuilding was decently done—I found it was just enough to pepper the story with interesting details. It was a bit overwhelming at first, especially …

Review of 'The Raven Tower' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

If it aint broke, don't fix it. Ann Leckie, once again, has crafted a gripping story filled with political intrigue and fantastic world building, but this time with a fantasy backdrop. I'll always be impressed with the author's ability to weave world building into action, minimizing exposition blocks. Regarding characters, the author continued with her theme of crafting beautifully flawed side characters while making the main character(s) infallible. However, like her previous works, I didn't mind this much because I still found both of the main characters to be interesting enough despite being seemingly flawless. The structure of the story was unique in that most of it was written in second person, which I think is difficult to pull off (N.K. Jemisin notwithstanding) but also stuck with the tried and true shifting POV throughout the book. The pacing of the book felt a bit touch and go, with the action …

Review of 'The Raven Tower' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

The Raven Tower is a fantasy succession struggle murder mystery, where part of the mystery lies in whether there was truly a murder. An immersive setting and slightly disconcerting second person narration create a tale of gods, the price of power, twisted language, and loyalty.

The story was interesting but mostly fine, but, for me at least, the real strength in this book is in how it slowly revealed what the story actually was, like a tide slowly going out. Most of the pieces were technically in place early on, but the way their importance is revealed creates a slow-burning mystery with a pretty dramatic finale. The world-building is great, the interpersonal relationships are complex in a good way without being too much to keep track of. It felt calm and meditative to read, prompting a lot of interesting thoughts about the nature of language and communication in a practical …

Review of 'The Raven Tower' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Very slight spoilers below.

SF is more my speed than Fantasy, but I loved the Radch series enough to give The Raven Tower a chance--enough to give anything Leckie writes, ever, a chance--and I'm very glad I did. The POV is unusual, a mix of 1st and 2nd person, and the narrator is...a rock. A rock that is a god, but still a rock. Just embrace the world and jump in.

In addition, Ann Leckie and I share a truly wonderful local library system.

Review of 'The Raven Tower' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A thoroughly fascinating read that feels - some parts - more alien than the Ancillary trilogy. The second perspective narration makes sense and when you finally put all the facts together it's very satisfying. The setting is painted in broad strokes, but the concepts are both original and believable. Really the only thing to regret is the limited length and the lack of potential sequels to the story - though there's a little scope for more stories set in the world of the Raven Tower.

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