An interesting fantasy novel, especially after the author’s award-winning science fiction series. Engaging, well-written.

Ann Leckie loves to create puzzles. In this case, the puzzle is how a rock god who can speak nothing but truth at peril of its very existence can tell a story set in the past. Language is a constraint upon this deity- speaking makes a thing so, and pushing too hard against reality with godspeech can drain a god's power or even destroy that god. This particular god is a prisoner and it wants to be free, but it needs to push reality (not too much!) in order to achieve its goal.

So, this rock god is telling a person that person's own story. Can the person hear them? Probably not, but that doesn't mean that the god isn't an influence anyway.

The most interesting part of the book for me was the rock god's story. How it became aware of itself and the world, how it found companionship, and how it was challenged to care for its worshippers.

Unfortunately, a good deal of the book is the story of the person the rock god is speaking to, and that person's story (and the story of the people around) just wasn't that interesting. There's political intrigue and a complicated network of alliances and betrayal, but the characters other than the rock god never came alive for me and I didn't much care what became of them.

What I did find interesting: how changing language changed how priests could interpret the communications of their gods, how augers and divining tools were used and misused, what exactly the rules for godspeech were. Leckie created a fascinating system and put her main character in an interesting quandary. But I found the book to be slow paced and it didn't focus enough on what I found most interesting about it. But then, even though I read a lot of mysteries I don't read them primarily to solve the puzzle but to immerse myself in a different place/time with interesting characters.

I absolutely loved The Raven Tower, which is why I think it’s so hard to write about. I know I’m late on the feedback here, but essentially this is an incredibly clever and masterful standalone fantasy book by Anne Leckie. Everything is thoroughly thought out and beautifully unfolds through just over 400 pages of gorgeous prose. The switching between the second and first person perspectives was a stroke of genius that really engaged me, and made me question the foundations of the fantasy genre in general, especially when it comes to harder magic systems.

Leckie really dug down to the core for this one in terms of worldbuilding, character and plot and it really shows. I think there will be a vocal contingent of people who find the main plot to be derivative or at least unimaginative. I don’t think that would necessarily be wrong, but I think it’s used in a way to highlight something deeper at the core of Raven’s Tower. How do we end up telling the same story again, and again with different mechanisms, different characters, and different magic systems? Leckie seems to be asking this question again and again throughout the narrative, pointing it out with the dual perspective, each on a different scale of time. In some ways, she even answers the question, but less so on the grand scale of genre fantasy, but more so within the context of her own novel. Where I think Raven Tower succeeds outside it’s own context is it has made me ask those same questions, again and again outside the book. Does it ruin fantasy? No. I think it just highlights some of the preconceptions that fantasy readers may have when it comes to picking up new books, and brings into stark contrast some of the things that critics seem to gush about, hard magic systems with problems that are solved through expert exploitation of those systems as constructed by the author.

I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but The Raven Tower just seemed to focused a few things that really made me think about the purpose of the novel. This was probably my favorite Fantasy read of 2019.

Incredibly well written, this is a book for people who love well built worlds, nuanced writing, nuanced characters. If you want your characters or your world to be fairly straight forward and non-complex, this is not the book for you.

Ms. Leckie uses words lyrically and ties together her threads not just neatly but interwoven in a braid so tight that it doesn't fray even when it does drag a tiny bit.

This is a nice foray into fantasy and it is my hope she will follow up with another.

Initial review on Lady Business: I started capslocking about this and then accidentally went long, which seems appropriate for <em>The Raven Tower</em>. It's simultaneously a mystery, an exploration of language and faith, and a political drama structured like Hamlet. It was slow going for me at first, but I was very emotionally invested in Eolo being very smart and very dry at everything! The perspective that the narrative takes on him and the world – and the way it spins out the world building – was fascinating, and I adored it. If you didn't get around to it yet and you like Ann Leckie's way of looking at politics, I'd definitely recommend it.

[This review is based on a copy from Netgalley]

Leckie’s previous series had a polarizing effect for her readers. The perspective and narrative was original and unlike anything I had read before. It told the story from the perspective of not just an AI, but a hive-mind AI. There was also a non-genderization element that, for me, really highlighted how hard wired my brain is to want to know gender. It was interesting to me. I think it was very well executed, but unusual enough that while some loved it, others, well, not so much. I personally loved it, I appreciated the risks she took in telling her story. I could understand other reader’s concerns, they just were more positives for me.

In The Raven Tower, Leckie again took risks and presented a unique reading experience in terms of narrative style. I assumed that with this book, I would again fall into the set of readers that love it. Unfortunately that was not the case. In this book, readers get the point of view from, of all things, a rock. It turns out the rock is more than just a rock, it is actually a god. But since this god is inhabiting the form of a rock, it is limiting.Oh, and did I mention this is told in 2nd person? I find 2nd person highly distracting, and I think there are very few places it works well (at least for me). It also made it very hard to really connect to the characters, and I tend to be a very character focused reader. If I don’t connect with them, it is quite challenging (unlikely) that I will end up enjoying the book. I won’t say it can’t happen, just that it is highly unlikely.

I normally try to be very laid back when it comes to story style, always assuming that how the author wants to tell the story is going to be the best way, or at least the way the story was meant to be enjoyed. Now there are some books that I read where I feel like I would likely have preferred the story more if it had been told in a slightly different format but not often, and I can usually theorize why the author made their decision. That said, I am not sure I have ever struggled with a style choice quite like I did with The Raven Tower. I found the second person narration terribly distracting, it distanced me from the story and I just never gained that emotional connection to the story or characters that I really need to enjoy a book. I also struggled a bit with the narrator being a stone, who is really a god. I don’t know, maybe I was just not opened minded enough with this one and my struggles to accept the writing style just made my experience worse.

Perhaps I never let go of my hang ups with the second person narrative enough to give this book a fair shot. Or maybe I was too close minded to fully accept the point of view of a rock (even if it was also a god). I really wanted to love it like I have her other books, but when it came down to it, I was distracted by the narrative style and I believe it was both my distraction level paired with the actual narrative style that led to me feeling completely detached from the characters and uninvested in the story. That may sound harsh, but it was my reading experience and I really can’t change or sugar coat it. This book just did not work for me at all. I do want to leave this with the fact that I do still believe Leckie is a talented story teller. I think it is good she takes chances when she feels like it, but part of taking a chance is risking alienating readers. Her previous risks worked very well for me and were strengths in her writing. It’s just unfortunate her risks in this book didn’t work as well for me. I will certainly read another of her books, just provided it’s not 2nd person, and not told from the POV of a rock.

Reading, or listening (which I did), to this novel is like hearing an anecdote from an elderly relative who often goes off on tangents and digresses only to finally reach the point much later and seemingly at random. This story was a “detective mystery” that really, really wanted to incorporate gods somehow. The plot did not really come together until the very end and the rest of the novel was not compelling enough to really keep you interested throughout. The back and forth through time and different narrations, first and second person from the same narrator, was perplexing enough to be muddled and confusing for the majority of this seemingly endless novel. The more interesting details were never really addressed or explained and the richest characters remained as background noise. I wish this book had been better.

4.5

Here is a story I have heard: Upon word of his father’s impending death Mawat rides home for Iraden to take his place as heir to the Raven’s Lease. As Lease, Mawat’s father will be called upon to sacrifice himself in the name of the Raven God of Vastai, to give the God its continuing power so Iraden can continue to reap the benefits of the God’s protection.

When he arrives, Mawat discovers, much to his shock, that his uncle has already taken up the bench—a feat that should be impossible. Mawat enlists the help of his aide Eolo to piece together what, exactly, is going on and find out what happened to his father. However, there are other things at play in Iraden, such as the Raven’s weakening hold on its power. Things that have been in motion for a long time.

Something is definitely rotten in the state of Iraden. There. Will. Be. A. Reckoning.

The Raven Tower has the rare distinction, for me, of being told in second person point of view. Meaning you, the reader, are somewhat represented by the aide Eolo as this omniscient presence narrates the goings on in Iraden—speaking directly to Eolo—as if looking down on events from above. The story moves back and forth between this action and the history of how things came to be this way in Vasti—as relayed by said presence. It’s an extremely interesting, and I’d say really well done, choice that Ann Leckie made in telling the story this way. It was also a little difficult, at times, for me to stay with the story. The shift from one story thread to another would often pull me out of the rhythm of the story. As we learn, there is power in words, and I’d find myself having to go back and re-read to make sure I took in every sentence and mention.

Once I was fully engrossed in the story, I really enjoyed seeing how everything (the present happenings and the history) fit together, eventually, very unassumingly, leading us to an ending that packed quite the punch.

I found the relationship between humans and the gods to be very interesting especially in the way that we see the gods vulnerabilities. Such as the power of words. Creating and destroying. There’s a give and take of how power is developed and held, how it’s released and utilized. The humans and gods play off one another (and oftentimes themselves) and, at times, you lose sight of who’s controlling whom. That is, until the pieces all fall into place by the end.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ann Leckie, and coincidentally it’s her first fantasy book as she’s already notable for her science fiction. Ann Leckie certainly has a way with crafting a story presenting things in a way that makes you think outside the box. I highly recommend The Raven Tower. Even if you need to put it down or start over again, it pays off in the end.

I requested this book based on the premise. A hamlet inspired fantasy? Please.

There is no criticism for the title, or the writing. It was an excellent and well-told story. It just wasn't 100% my everything. But it was really well done and there will be definitely people who love it for that!

The Raven Tower is epic in scale, heartwarming and chilling in equal measure. A story of mystery and discovery that takes both Eolo and the reader deeper and deeper into The Raven Tower to uncover its secrets.

Leckie alternates skillfully between the two threads, the small story and the long one. Each thread gives the reader some clues to understand what is happening, something that may seem opaque when one first opens the book. Just as Leckie did in the Imperial Radch trilogy, she plays with inclueing, pulling the reader into the effort to make sense of the setting. Which in turn helps solve the mystery of the missing Lease. It’s a small mystery inside a bigger one.

The book is also a beautifully written meditation on the passage of time and seasons. Read slowly and enjoy.

This is a difficult book for me to review. On concept, intent ,and ambition I'd say 4/5, but on enjoyment it was more like a 3. I loved some of the ideas here, and I'll definitely recommend this to people who like both literary fiction and fantasy and want something more cerebral than the usual swashbuckling, warriors, and wizards. But it didn't come together for me as seamlessly as I was hoping and it felt like the author punted at the climax rather than swing for the bleachers.

I admit the first chapter didn’t suck me in, what did get my attention was someone else mentioned that this was a retelling of Hamlet but not from the usual viewpoints. Once I heard that I was very intrigued and dove right back in. The people of the area have a relationship with their god that in exchange for protection the leader will die when the god mortal body passes and its spirit moves to a new bird host. The god is found dead and the leader is missing and not able to sacrifice himself and the tower is in chaos. Mawat is called home and his aid Eolo will help him solve the mystery of what happened to the raven god and his father. It isn’t a perfect retelling of Hamlet, but knowledge of the play isn’t necessary to appreciate this novel.

Give me all, and I mean all, of the unconventional narrators in fantasy and science fiction, please. I read this right after finishing Marlon James's Black Leopard, Red Wolf, and these two books will always be paired with each other in my mind. Each are different from what's often expected out of fantasy, and both of these are game changers on what I personally will expect from fantasy from now on.

Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower is told from the perspective of a god who resides in stone and who has lived in their particular stone for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years. The Raven Tower takes some time to unfold, as the god in the rock spends their time thinking about everything in the grand scope of everything from the beginning of time. It had a very Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead approach to a Hamlet-like fantasy, and I loved that. I'm the kind of reader who loves that sort of thing. Give me the perspective of someone not directly involved in the action of the story.

Because the god is a rock, The Strength and Patience of the Hill, the narrative is exploratory, and you must be patient, because patience pays off in the end, like a rock rolling downhill and gaining momentum. The final quarter of the book is unputdownable and made my patience in letting the narrator tell Eolo his story, this story they have heard, well worth it in the end.

If you're ready for something new in your fantasy, something for your mind to chew on and think about, and something a little philosophical about what it means to be involved in a story and what it means to be a god, pick this up. It's already one of my favorite reads of 2019.

I dnfed this bad boy after about 100 pages. It just really wasnt for me. ...................................

I was very excited to read The Raven Tower as it is the first fantasy novel from Ann Leckie – who had previously written the Sci-fi trilogy, The Imperial Radch.
I found this slow to start, but necessary to absorb yourself in the world and ride the build up, and I must also admit that I needed to read the first chapter twice to try to get use to the unique perspective.
The story is told from the perspective of the Raven, the god, who watches over Iraden from a tower top. The Raven’s Lease (the human ruler) has gone missing. The Raven Lease’s son and true heir, rides back to Iraden only to discover that a family member has usurped the throne. Together Mowat and his aide, Eolo, work to reclaim the city.

Thanks for the advanced copy of the ebook!

The Raven Tower is a dark and twisty tale. It has the plot and creativity to be a 5 star novel, but I was just a little underwhelmed. I believe this book could just use a little more action. It is a wonderful and unique story; it just lacked the action that keeps the reader hooked.

Fantasy is one the genres I absolutely love. YA or Adult I love them all. And when I hear Ms. Leckie was doing one I was beyond excited I really enjoyed her previous works The Imperial Radch trilogy which is in fact Science fiction. I wanted to see how she handled Fantasy. And I will admit that this book could be super confusing. In the synopsis it is suggested that there are two gods, no, no There are gods for everything and there is one god a rock god yes as in the stone. who is narrating the story of a our MCs. journey. who will eventually meets the god that is narrating his story. Are you confused? not surprised. And when the rock god is not narrating Eolo's story he is going on about food and life and everything in between I honestly could have done without any of that because it made the story drag so much. The real gem was the ending which got the book a three star instead of two.


Overall this is an original concept of a book but the plot dragged and was a little confusing which hindered my joy and investment in the book.

To be honest, most of this book was more boring than I thought it'd be. At first, it seemed promising, and for a while it had my interest. The problem though, I think, is that Leckie was trying to do something different with this book--not the typical fantasy story wherein two heroes somehow or other wind up together and work together to overcome hardships, but rather, two separate stories remaining separate and intersecting only for a short period of time, after which...well, the future's left uncertain.

It's hard for me to pinpoint what exactly Leckie was going for in this story, because she kind of lost me through it, and while I did read to the end, I realized I had gotten to a point where I couldn't give a damn anymore. The only thing I wish for, next time, is maybe a bit more clarity and focus, which is what this book lacks.

I liked the writing, it was smooth and easy to read. It was brutal and harsh when it needed and the time jumps were superb. So subtle, which I like. The plot itself had a lot of different themes going on, which was also good. It talks a lot about fear controlling our thoughts on people who are different to us, how to reclaim your power and living your life. In the end the story felt like it was going to build up to something, but it never did. It all felt flat.

Maybe some readers will enjoy getting lost in jungles of description and side action but maybe I expected more?
Still definitly a book to checkout because though it is strange, it's unique and that's always something I need more in my life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
“Here is a story I’ve heard.”

Eolo and Mawat hurry back to Vastai because the current Lease, Mawat’s father, time is up and Mawat is to take over. When they arrive though they find that Mawat’s uncle is already sitting on the bench, how? Hibald can’t become the new Lease without the death of the previous Lease and Mawat is positive his father must still be alive somehow, somewhere. Thus starts the journey of Eolo to help discover the secret and conspiracy behind what happened to the current/previous Lease and what is going on in Iraden.
The story is told in first person from a big stone god, a very old god that spends much of its time watching and contemplating before it does anything. In a world where a god has to be careful of what it says because it can happen easily, happen and weaken them greatly, or destroy them in the attempt of making it happen the Strength and Patience on the Hill has perhaps quite wisely handled its strength.
The stone god jumps back and forth between the now with Eolo attempting to discover what is going on and the world before it is now, a world where many gods walked the world and had much to offer and the events that led to the world it is now.
The ending was entirely unexpected and intriguing. I don’t know if I’m happy with that as it is or if I need more to truly feel satisfied, I go back and forth on my feelings.
***
While I enjoyed the story overall I had a hard time with the first person narrative, it tends to be my least favorite form of story telling. When I got into the book I really got into it and had a hard time putting it down. That said, when I did put it down I’d have a hard time picking it back up again knowing I’d be reading first person. Ann Leckie certainly knows how to spin a story that got me intrigued enough to see it through the end.
The characters Eolo and Tikaz where my favorites, Eolo’s loyalty to Mawat was greater than he probably deserved from him.