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Phantom Pains
May. 23rd, 2019 11:50 amPhantom Pains is the second in the Arcadia Project series by Mishell Baker. It revolves around Millie Roper, a complex and flawed heroine, struggling to manage her physical and mental difficulties alongside her responsibilities in helping maintain good relations with the fae community.
It's a heady mix of both mundane and fantastical obstacles for a character to navigate, and I like the world portrayed in this series. I'm still not that keen on Millie herself, but I really like various of the other characters, especially Carol, who gets a lot more of a look-in here. I also like the continued dual meaning of the title, referencing both Millie's loss of both her legs and also the suffering of the spirits who are intrinsically linked to the casting of fae magic.
I didn't find the book particularly compelling to begin with, but it drew me in more as it progressed. There are certain aspects of the world-building that don't make a lot of sense to me (it seems very unfair if the immortal fae only ever have one human echo who is sure to die possibly long before they even find them). It all got a lot more interesting towards the end, though, with a fascinating exploration of conflicting ideologies and the blurring of the lines between good and evil.
I wasn't intending to carry on with the third of the series, but thinking about it while writing this review prompted me to buy the audiobook, so I expect I'll get round to it at some point.
It's a heady mix of both mundane and fantastical obstacles for a character to navigate, and I like the world portrayed in this series. I'm still not that keen on Millie herself, but I really like various of the other characters, especially Carol, who gets a lot more of a look-in here. I also like the continued dual meaning of the title, referencing both Millie's loss of both her legs and also the suffering of the spirits who are intrinsically linked to the casting of fae magic.
I didn't find the book particularly compelling to begin with, but it drew me in more as it progressed. There are certain aspects of the world-building that don't make a lot of sense to me (it seems very unfair if the immortal fae only ever have one human echo who is sure to die possibly long before they even find them). It all got a lot more interesting towards the end, though, with a fascinating exploration of conflicting ideologies and the blurring of the lines between good and evil.
I wasn't intending to carry on with the third of the series, but thinking about it while writing this review prompted me to buy the audiobook, so I expect I'll get round to it at some point.
