The Silence of the Girls

Book Title: The Silence of the Girls

Author: Pat Barker

Date Started: November 6th 2018

Date Completed: November 21st 2018

Genres: Historical, Fantasy

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

Final Rating: Three stars

Review:

◆ Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this ebook for review ◆

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book, and it's been a few days since I finished it. While I admire the aim of the novel and some of the ways it tried to get there, I feel like it loses the magic of the myth. And maybe that's the point, but it lost my interest pretty quickly when the realism became too interested in being 'realism' than it did in telling a story.

I know what the intention for this book was, and there are some times where I could see it straining so hard to get across - which it sometimes does, don't get me wrong! But the point was to take the original of The Iliad and inject reality into the warfare and personality into the women. That was ultimately the main thing that drew me to this book. But you can't achieve that by pointing at someone and saying 'this is a real person' but not follow through in the writing. The women still felt far more stilted to me than the men did, and it felt like they got a lot less attention as well. And the same goes for the warfare; this book was grim beyond a narrative purpose (and when you're writing a book it has to have narrative purpose); you can show humanity (or lack thereof) in more ways than horror. Again, I understand the aim, but it didn't hit the goal for me.

I think the main issue for me was really that it doesn't finish what it starts. If this is to be an account of the Trojan War from the women's - particularly Briseis' perspective - then why are half the chapters devoted to retelling the traditional myth with the men's stories? Are you trying to make a point about men dominating women's narratives by perpetuating it yourself? In all seriousness though, Barker does give up the quest to show the women's lives pretty quickly when Achilles steps on the scene, and then I felt like I was reading something trying to be The Song of Achilles (though of course we can't possibly see two men kiss - fine if you keep in the canon of Briseis' perspective, only it doesn't).

That all being said, in enjoyment terms it did pretty well at redeeming itself towards the end, though the resolution itself was ridiculously rushed and cut off. In showing what else was happening in the camp - while losing the initial intention of the whole thing - did give me more of an actual narrative as a reader. And, as mentioned, I felt like the male characters were better written, sadly.

Contrary to what I may have implied, I did like The Silence of the Girls, as I love pretty much any retelling of Greek myth. I just think that, given the purpose (that was marketed anyway) was to rewrite an epic poem from a more progressive standpoint, it didn't do a whole lot of progressive politics in action.

Kingdom of Ash

Book Title: Kingdom of Ash

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #7

Date Started: October 23rd 2018

Date Completed: November 5th 2018

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Quality Rating: Five Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Final Rating: Five stars

Review:

Sometimes there are books that define a particular time in your life, and that have a genuine change on you. When Throne of Glass started I loved it, but it wasn't really that yet. Partly because I was a teenager and it was just another YA book, and while I adored Celaena we were very different. As it's gone on things have developed and grown, and I've developed and grown; and Aelin has become such a big part of I am as a person. Growing up with certain books, and revisiting those worlds as they come out each year as a different person iss a really rare thing, especially when you grow in similar directions. Maybe not at the start, but by just a few books in this was one of those instances for me.

But, past the sentimentality of this series to me, it's genuinely brilliantly crafted. Kingdom of Ash felt like The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings, I would hope you all know) - both in its pros and cons. It's truly epic, even if it hesitates slightly too much on tiny details. It's been a long, long time since I've read something that has given me that heart-in-throat feeling during battle sequences. Did it have to be nearly 1000 pages? No. But I would be lying of I said I wouldn't read it all again. And you do feel the weight and weariness of that war along with them.

Which is why then it's so satisfying to see the girls save the world this time. Every damn one of them. I'm going to dip back into sentimentality for a second, because I grew up with Lord of the Rings and I straight-up adored it. Return of the King was and remains one of my favourite films of all time, and the book means just as much. So to see that scale of epic fantasy replayed but with the women on those frontlines, with the women dealing with final blow, with the warriors, and the healers, and the diplomats, and the children, and the mothers and all these varied, diverse women saving the day was what made me cry more than the conclusion of the series. Even just seeing all these women acknowledged - regardless of their generation, their importance to the story, or their screen time - tore at my heart continually.

Beyond that, I liked the fact that Sarah paid attention to character over their roles or strength. No spoilers, of course, but status and power changes a lot over the course of this book in various instances, but Sarah cares about the people instead. While she juggles an insane amount of primary characters (not even mentioning the secondary ones), she takes each one through their own arc giving the low moments just as much attention at the high ones.

In all honesty, I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or satisfied with the consequences and ultimate conclusion of Kingdom of Ash. Of course, none of these are things that I can name here without spoiling things, but I'm left feleing ambivalent - partly because the way the characters are left is pretty much perfect. I had a similar sort of thing in Queen of Shadows, where the King of Adarlan was really easily defeated, I mean he hardly gets a final battle. Likewise, Erawan felt like a bit of a wimp in the end. It's had to avoid when your whole host of characters are over-powered in a lot of ways, and Sarah definitely adapted well in the build-up. The characters don't get things easily, and each of them struggle in their own way. So, reflectively, I think she did the best she could with the situation she had - and that was pretty damn well.

Before I finish, I have to write a little something for Aelin here. Call it an intermission from the review. Because Aelin was a heroine who began in dresses and sword belts, and that duality was (and still is) so rarely seen. While she had an attitude problem and was dislikeable at times, we could empathise with her and we rooted for her. Through the books she was broken down literally to a shell, and built herself back up again, which is even more important and rare. And she is truly - truly - terrified for most of this book. PTSD, anxiety, depression, she is really feeling the affects of recent events. But in these last few books we also saw her completley transform into a queen. Maybe it's great timing with what's happening in the world, but so much of that development was what I went through as a woman in these last few years - and what countless other women have also been through. That recognition of identity and defiance of anyone who says we should be otherwise. That's important, so important. And when art reflects that it gives us an anchor to pivot from; to reinforce our points and harbour safely in. Fiction is created so that we can address our real lives without having to do it head on. Aelin - Celaena - Fireheart - was the literal beacon of that to so many girls. And women, boys, and I'm sure men as well.

I would like this to be the end of Throne of Glass, because I think it is worthy of concluding at its highest point. But at the same time I would read anything that came out of this universe without hesitation. As it is, I'm ready to burst into tears at an unpredictable moment when it really hits me that it's over. Until then, I will keep thinking about this story and its characters. To whatever end.