Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

This was a very entertaining read.  The story follows a girl looking for information about a person whose image appears in a locket.  This main character has perfect memory recall.  The story is told in monologue format from various people that the main character interviews.  Ye get no perspective of the girl herself.  The questions she asks in her investigation are hinted at by the answers the other characters give.  Each chapter showcases a different person.  The world building is glimpsed in tiny snippets.  Basically every aspect of this book is a puzzle that the reader must figure out.  I rather enjoyed the journey.  Just go with the flow.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Tor.com!

This is going to be a short review, because honestly I don’t have anything to say about this book other than why I didn’t like it.

I try to find the good in books, but this is probably the worst book I have ever read.

Title: The Seventh Perfection
Author: Daniel Polansky
Page Count: 176
Genre: Fantasy Novella
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

When a woman with perfect memory sets out to solve a riddle, the threads she tugs on could bring a whole city crashing down. The God-King who made her is at risk, and his other servants will do anything to stop her.

To become the God-King’s Amanuensis, Manet had to master all seven perfections, developing her body and mind to the peak of human performance. She remembers everything that has happened to her, in absolute clarity, a gift that will surely drive her mad. But before she goes, Manet must unravel a secret which threatens not only the carefully prepared myths of the God-King’s ascent, but her own identity and the nature of truth itself.
The Seventh Perfection was 176 pages of a waste of time. Throughout the entire story I didn’t figure out what the point of the story was, where it was going, or how any of the stories overlapped.

I had no idea what was happening at any point, I wasn’t even sure if our main character was male, female, or human half the time.

When I thought I understood what was happening, something would happen in the story and I would be more confused and lost than before.

I’ll give the author credit for writing a story in the second perspective. It’s a very rare situation, but honestly not sure it was worth it.

Maybe it was just me. Maybe I was the reason the story didn’t make sense, but I can honestly say the only thing that I liked from the book was the idea that people spent their lives learning these different “perfections” to serve the ruler.

I am sorry to disappoint everyone with this review. I don’t have the best luck for books I look out for on NetGalley, I seem to always be disappointed in them, but one day I will find one I enjoy!

This story angers me, mostly because I'm upset I understand it.

I've never read a book told explicitly in dialogue by other people.

The main character doesn't have any words on the page the entire story. The reader can infer what she says from what a character responds with, but nothing is actually said.

Its creative, different, a great short story.

**I received this story early from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

this book was confusing and utterly weird, I liked the ferryman and the cover but that was about it, I couldn't understand the plot, but I enjoyed the characters interactions.

The premise of the book is what initially drew me in, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

The thing that everyone should know is that this book is not structured like a normal book. There are no descriptions of places, people, or things, and the protagonist doesn't speak. Instead, it is written like one side of an interview - you are given a time and location, and then read a stream of consciousness-esque transcript of your 'interviewees' side of the conversation. It is a very bold choice to try out such an odd narrative voice, and it will not land for everybody, but I was able to find myself enjoying it by the time I finished.

As for the plot, it follows the voiceless protagonist in her quest to investigate a strange locket. Because of the structure, the story itself is told through the people she talks to as they lead her to the next person who can reveal some information. One thing I liked was the seemingly random interludes of people speaking to our main character as she searches things out - One in particular happened as the protagonist was walking between one person and the next that she was meant to talk to. Most people have the experience of being called out to by some random person on the street, so I found it a way to relate to the character, even though we really know nothing about them. Even though it is told via direct dialog with no description, each voice, and ultimately person, felt unique enough that I could construct an image in my head to supplement what I was reading. The absolutely gorgeous cover art helps to set the exact 'vibe' of the book, and goes a long way in fueling your imagination in a structure that requires it to function.

If you're on the fence, I say go for it anyways. Some people may be put off by the structure, but the novella doesn't overstay its welcome since it's relatively short,

Reviewed via ARC from NetGalley.

What you'll notice first is the unusual pov style used in this novella. It's told entirely through speech, but only in terms of what others around are main character are saying, and we can't hear anything our main character says. I'm used to experimental styles thanks to fanfic, and thought it kind of lent to the "solve the mystery" air. We'd have to learn about the world and our main character through what others can tell us.

Our main character is a servant/slave of a god emperor who has mastered seven "perfections" or arts, and looking for answers in town to solve a mystery. This leads her to learn a lot about herself and the empire she serves.

For the most part the narration succeeds, but towards the end I got lost a bit. It doesn't help that we skip the climax or major task entirely and only hear that it happened through confusing metaphor. The twist at the end would have been more compelling if I wasn't caught up over missing a good old fight and struggle
A decent attempt at challenging narrative convention, but could be better.

The author made an interesting writing choice and that was part of the reason why I was drawn to this book. Now that I'm done with it, I'm not quite sure what I just read. I'm not going to lie, I felt confused quite frequently while reading this book but somehow, I still wanted to continue reading.

Although I didn't love this story, I was still very impressed with this little novella. I'll definitely be checking out Polansky's other books.

There are four categories of fantasy, in my opinion. There’s bad fantasy, average fantasy, good fantasy, and next-level fantasy. I think it’s the right choice to place The Seventh Perfection in the next-level category.

To sum this book up in two words:

Mind blown.

"Why does the moon look like that? Do you ever wonder? Wander? Do you ever either? Is it fair that the moon looks like that, and will look like that after we are gone? No, it does not seem fair to me either."

We follow Manet, the God-King’s Amanuensis, as she tries to unravel a secret that could destroy all the carefully altered myths surrounding the God-King’s ascent.

The unique thing about this book, and probably its best characteristic, is the fact that it’s written in a second-person narrative. If you don’t know what that means (like me before I read this book), basically it means that the book is written like a dialogue or play, except that there are no stage-directions, only one character talks per chapter, and you have no idea what the main character is saying. The only way you can know what she’s saying is by deducing it from what the other characters are saying. The reader is literally the main character.

Intrigued?

You should be.

Normally, I wouldn’t have liked to read so many POVs but in this book, each character is written so different from each other that it didn’t matter. All the characters were so individually unique and I loved it.

"What’s fought for is cherished above what is given."

Manet follows a trail of breadcrumbs as she tries to find out who the woman in the mysterious locket sent to her, was. As she finds out more, her journey becomes more dangerous, old secrets bubbling to the surface from a past most would prefer to forget.

This was an intriguing, wonderfully-written and short must-read!

"Men lie all the time, to themselves even more than to us."

If this sounds like something you would like to read? Then what are you waiting for? Do yourself a favour and request this book on Netgalley before its archive date of 22 September or pre-order it!

The Seventh Perfection by Daniel Polansky

The Seventh Perfection is the second Polansky novella I've read, after the wonderfully high- (or is it low?) concept The Builders, a revenge Western starring anthropomorphic animals. This new one is even more highly conceptual, and quite a bit more ambitious, but in the end I found it - like The Builders - just lacking a degree or two of that perfection* that would have lodged it firmly among my favourite fantasy novellas. However, it’s still hugely impressive and well worth a read, especially if you’re after something a little more unique than the standard fantasy fare.

The high-concept here is in the telling, which is not exactly epistolary, but rather told in a series of one-way dialogue-monologues - that is, the transcript of only one part of each dialogue, rather than pure monologues or letters. The words on the page are what the characters say to the main character, but what the main character says is only ever implied.

Neat, huh?

Obviously, it's a bit artificial, a bit gimmicky, and leaves some gaps...but it's definitely an interesting approach. I don't mind a gimmick, now and then, and this one fits the story, which is about memory (the titular seventh perfection), and perception. The lead character, Manet the Amenuensis, has a perfect memory as a result of intense training at the mysterious White Isle, and therefore the book reflects their first-hand, verbatim experiences. You also get the sense that their training (or perhaps aptitude) has left them unable to read into human reactions very much, such is the perfection of their recall.

As the investigation proceeds the author paints a picture of a city and society recovering from recent upheaval, where technology blesses some with a good life but where some still struggle at the margins. It's a vaguely Asian-seeming setting, but not explicitly anything, and the technology level seems a mix as well - there are programmed part-human constructs, rare ray guns, bustling trams(?), and a reasonably modern urban society. However, all we get are glimpses and second hand comments - due to the nature of the narrative we are never told.

As a result, the reader is a participant in the investigation, picking up clues and piecing them together along with the investigator - but also beyond them, because you know a lot less to start with. Not everything is answered, either, and this is probably a book that will reward a few readings. Each character is given a fairly distinct voice, but, in the novella format, few of them are given a chance to unfold beyond a brief impression - even the protagonist, if I’m honest. In retrospect, this was the main thing lacking in The Builders as well, whereas other recent reads like Ring Shout and The Four Profound Weaves have managed to work rounder characters even into similar lengths.

But this is more a book about ideas - about revolutions, the myth-making that surrounds them, their sacrifices and imperfections, and, as quite a cynical book, their ultimate futility. The ideas and the way they are told are compelling, as are the hints at a wider world, but more than the experimental storytelling style, it’s the short format that doesn’t quite give the ideas enough room to fully evolve. Especially (and here’s a slightly spoilery bit, so don’t read the next few words if you want to remain entirely clueless about the ending)...especially because it ends so damn abruptly. I was expecting another chapter, or at least a few more paragraphs, to the point where I thought perhaps my ARC was incomplete. The last 7% of my sample was taken up by acknowledgements, and a lot is left hanging.

I wrote before that novellas can either seem like short novels or long short stories, and this is clearly the latter. More ambiguity is allowed in short stories - and perhaps more literary novel than we often get in speculative fiction - but since this is a genre of ideas as well as adventure, it did feel like this left too many of those ideas hanging, the arc of the story launched but still not quite touched down. Perhaps that was what the author wanted to achieve, and I was just unprepared not to be landed gently instead of having to make the last bit of the journey on my own.

But either way, it was worth the journey, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for something different, something challenging, something you’re happy to put a bit of effort into.

The Seventh Perfection publishes on 22 September 2020 from Tor.com. (Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.)

(* Sorry.)

This book has style. You have to be willing to play audience to eccentricities of language and formatting—it’s got one sided dialogue, it’s got 2nd person POV, it’s got past and present storylines intertwining and it is at times a little confusing if you get caught up in the cross tides instead going with the flow.
If you go in with a determined hatred of second person narratives, you might struggle to enjoy the beauty of the prose. It’s rare to see 2nd person POV, in fact off the top of my head NK Jemisin’s Fifth Season books are the only other time I’ve encountered it at any particular length.

What’s it about:
A riddle needs solving! History needs recording! The story follows Manet, amanuensis to the God King, as she investigates a mystery and records oral histories of the events that lead to the God King’s ascension. We the readers are along for the ride, quite literally seeing through Manet’s eyes as she interviews people throughout the investigation. We only ever hear the responses to her questions though, so the reader is in for a bit of detective work (and at a rather decided disadvantage as well! At least Manet knows her side of the story; we swim in the fragments).

The writing is full on fantastic. It’s hard to pull off something this stylized, but Polansky certainly has the skills to back it up.


Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for approving my request for a review copy.

Probably more of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.

I was so intrigued when I first saw this premise but what really made me wanna read this book was that very painting like beautiful cover. And this one has definitely surprised me.

I’ve read only a few short stories and other works which are written in second person, and I have come to distinctly associate it with N. K. Jemisin. But it was such a surprise to see such creative use of this writing style in this novella. While the story itself stays close to the premise that is mentioned on GR, the way the author goes about it is very unique and really did have me thinking hard on trying to connect the dots. It’s all a one sided conversation with many many unusual characters, and we have to rely on the shaky and unreliable memories of these people to try and figure out what’s going on. We don’t get the protagonist’s POV at all, so it was very interesting to try and get to understand her motivations.

There is also an underlying theme about revolution, what happens after it is successful, are the legends that are borne out of it always truthful or merely exaggerated, and do the general public really need to know the actual truth or just the manufactured one that keeps them content. It’s also very interesting to see how memories change over time, what and how we try to remember them and what it really says about us.

To conclude though, despite all this interesting stuff, I wasn’t satisfied with the story and would have preferred if it was a longer book so that we could have gotten to know the world a little more and just gotten more answers in general. The ending is also slightly open ended and I’m not usually a fan. However, I would still recommend this novella just to experience something so fascinating and singular.

An interesting and puzzling read. Based on the description, this book is not quite what was expected, though it is completely accurate: a girl created to have perfect memory is on a quest to discover answers, and those answers could topple the new social order established by a recent revolution. The narration is a unique use of the second-person; it is completely based on one-sided dialogue, so that the reader never really gets to know the assumed protagonist, or even know the questions that are asked, only the answers. Tense emotional situations coupled with an exploration of the unreliability of memory make this an engaging read.

I received a copy of The Seventh Perfection in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Seventh Perfection is the latest novella to come from the mind of Daniel Polansky, and it's an adventurous take on a fantastical world.

Manet is famous for her perfect memory – complements of her mastering the seven perfections. Now she's on a quest to solve a riddle and save the city, ideally before the perfection she has mastered costs her everything.

“Well, thank Ba'l Melqart that you were born into the era of His benevolence.”

I can say with complete honesty that The Seventh Perfection is like nothing else I've ever read. It's wholly unique, and was unafraid to take risks.

Admittedly not all of those risks paid off, but I still respect them nonetheless. The world itself seemed to beg for further exploration, and that alone was enough to keep me reading this story. Actually, I wouldn't have minded seeing even more of the world that Polansky built here.

The entire story is told in the second person, which I know can be off-putting for many readers. In this case, it did feel like it forced an extra layer of distance between the main character and the reader. A bit ironic, really.

Much of the novella is about Manet searching the city for answers. Thanks to the perspective, that means there are a bunch of new characters talking at her (and us, by proxy), to tell the tale. It's also important to note that we see other characters reactions to Manet's words, but not her own. It's an interesting twist, one that makes the tale feel just a touch more mysterious.

Honestly, this story really reminded me of a lot of classic JRPG games, where the NPCs do all of the talking, and the main character never seems to say anything. That added a heavy dose of nostalgia for me, but again, I can see why others might not enjoy it nearly so much. It's probably going to depend on your preference, and your mood at the moment.

Still, I cannot get over how unique this novella is. I truly do mean that, too. This book is unlike anything else I've even heard of, let alone read. I absolutely adore that, and give Polansky credit for giving it form.

On that note, this is the first piece of work I've read by Polansky. If the rest of his works are anything like this one, I think he's going to be an author worth looking into.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to get an eARC copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. What can I say? I didn't expect to read such a profound novel such as this. Reading from a second person narrative is really interesting to me. Once in a while I got lost, but otherwise it is a comforting read. I wish there are more broader narratives of other perfections beside memory but nonetheless the story is exquisite. The story is just enough if it is going to be a standalone novel and if it's going to be a series then I can't wait to read the next one. Thank you again and happy reading everyone.

The Seventh Perfection completely blew my mind. This is the first time I encountered a narrative written in the second person perspective. It means the plot consists of conversations of the main character with various people. This kind of reminds me of role-playing games, but here comes another twist, the protagonist side was completely silent.

What made this book different from others is the author’s choice of narrative. I honestly found it challenging since I was not used to it. At first, it was definitely confusing and I needed a lot of concentration to follow the flow of what was happening. It took me a while to pick bits and pieces of information from the conversations to draw a much clearer picture of the plot. Although it was slow-paced, it worked for me. The diversity of voices in each chapter kept me intrigued and curious. Then I understood why the author chose this narrative style. Clearly, it suited the overall mysterious atmosphere and mood that this novella demanded.

The protagonist’s main quest was to search the truth about someone. The approached of finding the truth was really interesting. Each chapter featured a person who might know or involve to that someone. People told ‘the truth’ based on what they believed was true and from the memories they remembered. However, memories were a fickle thing, that was why everyone’s memory of the past differed. Therefore, the protagonist, as well as the readers, had to think critically to assess what was really the truth.

There were still lots of things and elements such as the world-building I think should be explained more. Also, the ending was somewhat open-ended which was not much to my liking. I was expecting there would be a more satisfying ending. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading this novella.

Overall, The Seventh Perfection is a quick, engrossing read. The narrative structure might not be for everyone, but I suggest to give it a try if you’re looking for a unique, fantasy story.

4/5 stars!

3.5/5 stars



It is a captivating short story. I really liked the whole second point of view perspective wherein you, as a reader, was engaged in the whole story.

The story revolves around Manet, a girl who is looking for an answer to the truth hidden from her. Someone gave her a locket with a picture of a woman, and she came looking for it through different people in the story. She also honing her skill for acquiring the seven perfections to serve the so-called god as an amanuensis.

I am so engaged in the writing style of the author and his twist to every part of the story especially the truth at the end. Though it was short, he manages to concise the story towards the end.

What lacks is the world-building and more substantial development, though as I might say, it is a short story.

I will look forward to what every this author publish.

The Seventh Perfection is a fantasy written in a style that I’ve only ever encountered in short stories before. The narrative consists solely of conversations the main character has with an array of people, but with a twist: her side of them has been removed completely. The reader is perfectly able to infer that she’s there from how people refer to her presence. They comment on her questions, refer to something she does or says, or describe her looks or mood. And the whole time she remains silent.

I feared it would be difficult to get the hang of the story, but already by second page I was perfectly able to follow what was going on. It takes a while before there is enough information about the main character to form a picture of her—if I hadn’t read the back copy I wouldn’t even have known she’s a woman—but all in all, the story was easy to follow.

Manet is seeking to unravel a mystery of a woman whose picture she has been sent in a locket by an anonymous person. Why her identity compels her isn’t made clear, and for the first half of the book I assumed she was on an official government business, as she is constantly referred to by her title amanuensis. Little by little, it becomes clear that she’s on a personal mission, that the woman’s identity matters to her, and that the God-King she serves isn’t happy about it. Mostly, because along the way, she learns the truth about how the God-King came to ascend in the first place.

The book is set in a world that is a mixture of fantasy and technology, but it’s only ever hinted at. There are no descriptions of surroundings—or people, for that matter. There are beings other than human that Manet encounters during her quest, and towards the end the interviews aren’t even with humans anymore. So, despite the lack of descriptions, the world emerges as rich and complex.

We learn a surprisingly lot about Manet, despite the fact that only the second to last chapter gives her voice. She emerges as a rather unlikeable person—she manages to anger almost everyone she encounters, her friends included—but extremely determined. There is nothing she wouldn’t do to learn the truth. She is one of the few people who have learned the art of seven perfections, a discipline of body and mind, the seventh of which is a perfect memory. While this was interesting, the narrative style that erases her from the picture made her special skills go unused and unnoticed. It’s therefore slightly unnecessary that she is such a unique person. She could’ve been anyone, really.

The Seventh Perfection is an excellent book. It gets four stars for the story and the world, and an extra star for pulling off the chosen style with such skill. If you’re looking for a quick and surprisingly immersive read, I warmly recommend this one.

The Seventh Perfection was a book that caught my interest earlier this year so I was excited to be approved for an early copy on Netgalley. Upon starting this book I noticed it was a one sided conversion which in itself is a little confusing but after a while I became accustomed to this second person perspective and accepted it for what it was. However, it was still very confusing but alas I continued, being a person who finishes books and often times they wind up paying off in your reading efforts. To wind things up, this was one of those, what the heck did I read, books and feel my time was wasted. So disappointing for a premise that sounded so promising.

The story of a woman who received a locket from a secret benefactor. Somehow she knows the picture inside is important but finding the identity of the unknown woman proves perilous.

So, the beginning of this completely boggled my mind. It's experimental in form: it's one-sided dialogue. I had to check out the book flap description for a broader sense of what was going on in the initial chapter. That being said, by half way through, I knew exactly what was happening and I was totally engaged. I liked how the one-sided form created a better mystery. We only see half the puzzle pieces at any given moment - though I think it also works better in short form - so I'm glad this was a novella. Anyway, I though there were a few too many "crazy" POVs in which the voice was shrill or manic. In a few cases, this worked for me, like with Sweetness and the Crone, but I didn't like it as much with the Street Preacher and Pim Pav Pom. I feel like there was another one as well... Regardless, one of my favorite POVs was The Minder of the House of the Full Peach. I loved his empathy and the unfolding of the story there. Intriguing and rich.

The lead up to the ending is the best part of the book. The urgency and sense of chase. The way everything came together. I can't say I loved the final scene itself as I'm still a bit confused about what happened, but regardless, there was a circularity I appreciated. So in summary, a cool experimental SFF novella.

Confusing and difficult to read, I was never really sure what was happening in "The Seventh Perfection" by Daniel Polansky because there were simply too many terms, concepts, and world-building lore conversations wrapped up in every page. Some reader out there may enjoy the, uh, complexity of the whole thing but in general it felt like I was simply reading words on a page because I never was really clear what the plot or conflict even were.