37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All hail KJ, Bishop of Ashamoil!, June 3, 2003
What a fine book this is! While the world between these pages has been --justly-- compared with M. John Harrison's Viriconium and China Mieville's New Crobuzon, the world of Ashamoil and its environs is uniquely Bishop's own. Bishop's world is every bit as fleshed out as either of the formers', and there's plenty of action and plot to move things along. Ashamoil is not a pretty place, and I found myself immersed in the decadence and savagery of the place.
The author doesn't take the easy path of painting her characters in manichean black-and-white. Gwynn and Raule --the antiheroes and main characters of the story-- are very human in that they are both bad and good, and thus neither completely likeable nor unlikeable. As their paths cross and diverge, and as they confront their respective moral dilemmas, we come to see something of ourselves. In this aspect, she outdoes both Harrison and Mieville.
Should mention that it's written such that you may read it quickly, or linger over it for maximum effect. I chose the latter.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Etched City and plan to return to Ashamoil again soon. Books like this keep me excited about "what's to come" in fiction.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Etched City: a stunning journey of the mind and spirit, February 15, 2003
I cannot recommend 'The Etched City' highly enough. This is an astonishingly good book. As I read it I found myself thinking of Dostoevsky's willingness to tackle spiritual and ethical issues; of Bulgakov's surreal whimsy; of the richness of imagery and fable to be found in books like 'The Dictionary of the Khazars'. They are not writers and works to be invoked lightly, but I believe K J Bishop has written a first novel worthy of the comparisons.
This is a book that resists easy classification. It is a story set in a surreal world with characters that are refreshingly free of easy sentimentality. There is action, violence, murder; passion, lust, love; there is confusion and clarity, magic and pragmatism.
Her main characters, like the book itself, do not fit any recognisable type, beyond the facile one of 'anti-heroes'. Gwynn is a fascinating creation. He is a man of great honesty which he applies to both himself and others, clear-eyed in a murky world. Yet for all his cunning and sharp observational powers, he is capable of being seduced by the intriguing woman who embodies ambiguity. He is paradoxical, amoral; a killer who nonetheless refuses to be callous; an executioner who refuses to be judge, and a realist who embraces the poignancy of love.
Raoule is equally paradoxical, a woman who acts compassionately but feels nothing, a callous caregiver. She searches for truth amongst the monstrous remains of the children she delivers, and her relationship with Gwynn is astringent, to say the least.
There are men who manipulate wars, reaping rewards and destruction in equal measure; there are zealots, lovestruck fools, women and a priest who fumbles towards heaven and Gwynn's soul even as he fumbles in their skirts.
I don't know if time will prove this to be a great book. It certainly has the seeds of greatness within it in its unforgettable scenes and the richness and poetry of its text. If you want to read something that delights, challenges, entertains and moves you, 'The Etched City' is for you.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful characters, April 3, 2004
Bishop is a master of creating strong characters who do not fit easily into normal roles. Gwynn, for instance, who is the main character of The Etched City, is vile and detestable, and commits harsh, cruel acts. Despite this, it is nearly impossible not to root for him at times.
Bishop's imagination soars. She presents vivid pictures of bizarre things and makes them tangible and real. Her descriptions are clear and detailed, allowing the reader to become engrossed in the world she has created.
My only criticism of the book is that its plot is so miniscule that it almost seems absent at times. There are long stretches where you almost feel like it is going nowhere at all, and it seems to meander around from one idea to another. Despite that, however, the characters and scenes are vivid enough to keep one's interest through to the end.
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