A little sloppier in arc than its predecessor (something the title character comments upon towards the end of the book), but no less propulsive. It's also pulpier and more brutal, even as Baru's betrayals become more intimate and horrible. My ideal review of this would be a picture of me making a face as if to say "I can't take any more of this! Please, god, give me more!" My fingers curled around an invisible ball as if to suggest a total clench of the heart.

The only reason it works is that Dickinson is such a strong writer of character. It'd collapse under its own weight were the characters not so idiosyncratic and weird, with fully-formed personalities.

Thinking back now on something I wrote earlier about David Mitchell, a phenomenal character writer whose "all genres existing equally" principle is betrayed by his meager approach to the fantastic. Seth Dickinson pulls it off. (And ends it with a cute BARU CORMORANT WILL BE BACK! cliffhanger note, to boot.)