Robbie Arnott

The best thing about this book is the idea of a mythical heron made out of rain, which can take any form and shape of water it pleases when it pleases, and which has powerful control over the local weather conditions. But there's no way this badass bird would be captured and contained in modern times by the first group of dumbasses with an oilcloth and a small cage of metal bars that find and attempt it. I'm offended on the bird's behalf.

However that's how this blandly told eco-allegory tale would have it. It has an interesting setup, with the rain heron myth telling leading into a modern day setting of an unnamed country where climate change disasters have led to societal collapse and military coup. The storytelling however doesn't fulfill the promise and the prose is just average, leading to disappointment. Soldiers are looking for a hermit woman they hope can lead them to the bird. You know they'll find her and they do. Then you know she'll lead them to the bird and she does. You don't know that absolutely nothing will happen from the military rulers having control of the bird. I mean, nothing. Zip happens. What a blown opportunity from their point of view, I tell you what.

Instead the novel focuses on the character development of the soldier who lead this mission, a turning away from world building into characterization which is unfortunate. The world of the novel is left quite vague, while the character development is nothing you wouldn't expect, unexceptionally told. The rain heron is really beside the point for all of this once it has helped serve as catalyst, featuring some rather too-obvious symbolism involving an eyeball and sight which later leads to a stomach turning passage involving a "river of pus" streaming down someone's face. Sorry.

The premise then is greater than the execution. It's not bad, it's just disappointing.… (altro)