DNF@60%

I was absolutely swept up in the strange, dark city in a bizarre, morbid world. The worldbuilding is vague and wonderful. The Oliver Twist style gang was a lot of fun. But as it moved into part two and away from these things into what I found to be boring infodumps and so much time spent doing nothing snd/ or lessons and hobbies, so out of tune with what this book had been, it just couldn't keep my interest.

I really tried and then went away and came back and tried again, but I just can't. It's as much a me problem as anything else and there is a lot I love about the first half of this book, so your mileage may vary. ( )

I liked the first half of this better than the second - the world created with the living mud, unsupervised children, and colourful characters is like a kind of fantastical Dickens world where magic exists alongside the grinding poverty. I felt it dragged a bit more in the second half after Nathan leaves the streets and we spend more time with the Master. I'm sure I'll still read the second one though. ( )

In this first of a trilogy, a grim world is described from the point of view of 13 year old Nathan whose father is dying and whose mother must prostitute herself to keep the family going. His father warns him against using his magic, but Nathan doesn't really understand his power and just struggles to survive in the midst of the overwhelming mud, filth, flukes, worms, gill men, and kidnappers. An extensive cast of characters and glossary are required reading to make any sense of the plot, but the map is too small to shed much light. After the 512 pages of story, I was ready to be finished, but alas, the story carries over to the second installment of the trilogy. ( )

DNF. I checked this out to test the theory that I'd enjoy any story read to me by Kobna. And that did carry me through quite a ways, perhaps too far. I should have known, it's a giant red flag when every book blurb is about something that doesn't happen until the end - almost as if nothing before then is very interesting.
The writing is all over the place, and it seems like the intent was fantasy but grosser and with more rape threats. There's something about toxic male bullshit that doesn't know it's toxic male bullshit, that thinks it's justified, explainable, sympathetic. It's boring. ( )

Literary Fiction Fantasy (with captial letters) with lots of body horror, magic, Living Mud, and a Chosen One. It is Dickens meets The Magic Flute stuffing itself into an allegory.

I liked the setting. The worldbuilding is intriguing. There are golems. The tone is a bit too precious, aiming for whimsy and just missing it. The ending is abrupt yet complete. I wasn't sure if there would be a sequel; I'm not sure whether I want to read it or not. (It is part of a planned trilogy.)

I thought this book would be my jam. It has the trappings of high fantasy - a map of the city of Mordew, a list of Dramatis Personae, a list of things to come, a huge glossary, and other back material. (I'm also jonesing to re-read [b:Dictionary of the Khazars|321566|Dictionary of the Khazars|Milorad Pavić|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320461994l/321566._SY75_.jpg|1025689]. I thought this might tide me over.) It attempts to subvert many genre tropes and engage with Tolkein and Lewis.

By focussing on these two white male progenitors of the genre, however, the author ignores how the SFF genre has grown and evolved in the last 30 years. Instead, its themes and characterizations are treated as Something New TM. Like Christopher Columbus, this author has not Discovered A New Land; I wish that the literary fiction world of authors, publishers, press agents, and reviewers acknowledged that. When will we get past the battle between High and Low Art?

I'd recommend reading [b:The Ruin of Kings|39863237|The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1)|Jenn Lyons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1530209192l/39863237._SY75_.jpg|61659494] if you want to read about a Chosen One growing up in a grotesque city AND want lots of overtly queer and non-white characters. Read [b:The Magicians Trilogy Boxed Set|22076621|The Magicians Trilogy Boxed Set|Lev Grossman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428769835l/22076621._SX50_.jpg|41412729] for a better takedown of Narnia. Read The Dictionary of the Khazars if you want to read a story stylized as a reference work that can truly be read in any order you choose.

If you want to read a good book about the Death of God and the disposal of the Body, please read James Morrow's: [b:Towing Jehovah|218572|Towing Jehovah (Godhead, #1)|James K. Morrow|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1429962492l/218572._SX50_.jpg|1085107] I'm putting this as a spoiler since that revelation happens over halfway through the book (unless you skipped ahead to the Glossary) though this is the first thing mentioned on the publisher's blurb.

Lastly, I do not like how this book deals with "spoilers." But that should be another rant. ( )