Guns of the Dawn
Dec. 2nd, 2020 08:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearI've loved a lot of the Adrian Tchaikovsky books I've read - but not all. I decided to give Guns of the Dawn a go, since it sounded interesting - and the premise is excellent. It's set in a fantasy world (with a small amount of magic wielded by a select few people) but it's basically a Napoleonic-era style conflict between two neighbouring kingdoms.
What makes it stand out is that, once all the men have been drafted to the war, each household on one side has to provide one woman to join the armed forces. The protagonist is Emily, a young woman from a titled family that has fallen on hard times and is struggling to maintain their previously luxurious lifestyle.
The first half of the book is excellent, following Emily as she tries to keep her family together and her home in good order, and battles with the local governor over various things. When she is then drafted to join the army and go to the front, the narrative remains compelling as she undergoes training, has difficulty connecting to the other women, and faces the attitude of the men who have varying reactions to women joining their ranks.
The second half dips a bit, with too much repetitive fighting for my tastes, though there are some excellent sections along the way. And the romantic developments are well done and engaging.
But the ending let it down in my view. What actually happened was really interesting, but not given nearly enough time to be set up properly or for the consequences to be explored fully. The last few pages were extremely abrupt and, after 658 pages, left me wanting a lot more. But, for the most part, it was an entertaining read, with great characters and an interesting premise.
What makes it stand out is that, once all the men have been drafted to the war, each household on one side has to provide one woman to join the armed forces. The protagonist is Emily, a young woman from a titled family that has fallen on hard times and is struggling to maintain their previously luxurious lifestyle.
The first half of the book is excellent, following Emily as she tries to keep her family together and her home in good order, and battles with the local governor over various things. When she is then drafted to join the army and go to the front, the narrative remains compelling as she undergoes training, has difficulty connecting to the other women, and faces the attitude of the men who have varying reactions to women joining their ranks.
The second half dips a bit, with too much repetitive fighting for my tastes, though there are some excellent sections along the way. And the romantic developments are well done and engaging.
But the ending let it down in my view. What actually happened was really interesting, but not given nearly enough time to be set up properly or for the consequences to be explored fully. The last few pages were extremely abrupt and, after 658 pages, left me wanting a lot more. But, for the most part, it was an entertaining read, with great characters and an interesting premise.
