The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

[lightreads]

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Fantasy about Moon the orphan finding his reluctant way back to his people, a mostly-winged hive species.

Fun, but I suspect this one will stand or fall on whether it's emotionally kinked right for the reader. For me it was halfway there. This is a 'coming in from the cold' story, and a 'finding out you're special' story, and a 'proving your worth to everyone' story. All with bonus matriarchal sexual politics. So if you like any of that sort of thing, go to it, because this is competent and well-built and unashamed of its indulgences (which, by the way, good for it). If none of that appeals, eh, give it a pass.




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Comments

[ecaterin]

.....totally not about the book, but very much about 'unashamed of its indulgences' - TY!

I was just in (yet another) discussion in which I'm trying to explain LACK OF SHAME ABOUT CHOSEN INDULGENCES and what that MEANS to this generation of writers and readers who've grown up within fandom.

Stomping about and saying, "Yes, but that book/story/fic is WALLOWING in it's unashamed enjoyment of its own indulgences!" is like...the literary/artistic version of slut shaming, for goodness sake. There are plenty of times and places that you can expect Ahhht to be Puuuure. But only very very seldom is that purity genuine and without intent to wallow in ITS indulgences. Arrrgh!

*makes seriously aggravated face* I'll go away now. This is one of those few issues that I become inarticulate about - not with anger, but because I'm so fucking far INSIDE this issue that I can't write about it with nearly the clarity with which I PERCEIVE it. Other people say it so well - I just wave my hands around a lot and growl.

As always, your reviews make me want to go check things out!

And I'll go wave my hands around elsewhere :P

[lightreads]

Not for nothing, but Martha Wells the author here has a long history in slash fandom. Which actuallly explains a lot about her writing, I think, and what I liked about this book and its lack of shame.

Also, flail at me all you like. <3

[ecaterin]

Aaah - another author coming out of the fic tradition....and we get refreshing lack of shame BS :D

AND THIS IS WHY THE AWESOME IS THINGY THAT I CAN'T GET ARTICULATE ABOUT! AND THUSLY!

Your steadfast support of the occasional outburst of flail is always most graceful :D