dozens reviewed Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their …
Review of 'Tess of the Road' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Who recommended it to me ##
tomasino posted a pretty stellar review recently, and I generally am into stuff that tomasino is into, so I thought I'd give it a spin!
## How to read this book ##
In one sitting, turning the pages as fast as possible.
## What I liked ##
So much. Too much to list here.
Look, let's make a story golem: if the the meat of a story is its characters, and the story itself, the plot; then the bones of the story are all the things that support the meat, that allow the plot to progress, the whole world setting. In this book, that's the politics--each nation with rich language, ways of dressing, etc--the pantheon of saints and deities, the dragons and the quigutl, the dragon-kin. Especially the quigutl: so alien and relatable, their language and culture permeating throughout the whole story.
This book has great bones.
Also, the incredible amount of fluidity of gender, self, and identity: the way quigutl--Pathka, specifically--change genders. Tess adopts several personas in her travels on the road, all of them male. She is herself reborn on the Road, just as Anathuthia presumably will be reborn.
I already checked out the two Seraphina books and hope to dive into them soon.
## What I didn't like ##
At first I really hated Tess's bleak, oppressive home life and her bleak, abusive family. She had to have something to flee from though, I guess. It's an important part of who she is, and an important part of why she had to go on her journey.
tomasino posted a pretty stellar review recently, and I generally am into stuff that tomasino is into, so I thought I'd give it a spin!
## How to read this book ##
In one sitting, turning the pages as fast as possible.
## What I liked ##
So much. Too much to list here.
Look, let's make a story golem: if the the meat of a story is its characters, and the story itself, the plot; then the bones of the story are all the things that support the meat, that allow the plot to progress, the whole world setting. In this book, that's the politics--each nation with rich language, ways of dressing, etc--the pantheon of saints and deities, the dragons and the quigutl, the dragon-kin. Especially the quigutl: so alien and relatable, their language and culture permeating throughout the whole story.
This book has great bones.
Also, the incredible amount of fluidity of gender, self, and identity: the way quigutl--Pathka, specifically--change genders. Tess adopts several personas in her travels on the road, all of them male. She is herself reborn on the Road, just as Anathuthia presumably will be reborn.
I already checked out the two Seraphina books and hope to dive into them soon.
## What I didn't like ##
At first I really hated Tess's bleak, oppressive home life and her bleak, abusive family. She had to have something to flee from though, I guess. It's an important part of who she is, and an important part of why she had to go on her journey.