For all the jokes about Brandon Sanderson being a machine, I’m not sure Tchaikovsky doesn’t deserve those accolades more. He is churning out novels and novellas at an incredible rate, and they’re all excellent. This was my least favorite of all the Tchaikovsky stuff I’ve read, meaning I give it like an A-.
Our protagonist is a troublemaker in his village, one that provokes fond exasperation rather than causing serious problems. Everyone pretty much expects him to grow out of it sooner or later. But his life takes a darker turn when the Ogre landlord and his retinue stops by the village on his annual tour of his estates, and the protagonist doesn’t meekly accept bullying and humiliations from the landlord’s son. The themes and allegories are unsubtle: overconsumption, overpopulation, capitalist exploitation, slavery, class divides, etc. But sometimes unsubtle is appropriate.
Interestingly, it’s written in the rarely-seen second person perspective, with the narrator constantly talking about “you do this” or “you feel that.” The only other book that does that which comes to mind is the Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin; like with that trilogy, you eventually find out who is narrating and it’s an interesting and important reveal.
This book is a great example of why I prefer the term “spec fic” over trying to categorize things as science-fiction or fantasy: whether this is fantasy or science-fiction depends on your perspective, and how far along you are in the book. (Tchaikovsky’s Elder Race fits kind of the same niche).
A good work by a great author. Strongly recommended for a nice quick read.
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