Pam
10/11/2024
3.5 stars
This Persian-inspired fantasy world set out to do a lot of interesting things, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The main character is a newly arrived refugee and a healer who must hide the true source of their magic due to the prejudice against blood magic practitioners.
"What does it mean to be oppressed when you were once an oppressor?" asks the author.
And I found that aspect fascinating and really well done as a background piece to the larger story. I'm also glad I just happened to read Persepolis the week before because I don't think I would have caught all the historical connections otherwise, and that really enriched the story for me.
The first half has more of a day-in-the-life feel, and I liked that much more than when the focus shifted to the medical mystery that becomes the plot-driver of the book. I didn't like the direction that plot took, and I think things got a little confusing in the big villain reveal scene. I'm still not 100% sure what the "villain" was actually doing, and before that reveal every aspect of this magic system had been really well thought out and clearly described. And then suddenly I didn't have a clue what was supposed to be happening. It was incredibly frustrating, but I would love to read more from this world or this author some day. And I think I'm going to have to seek out some more Persian-inspired fantasy in general, especially if it explores this region's cultural diaspora in such nuanced ways.