The unnamed masses - soldiers, peasants, etc. The common point is that, while both are acutely sensitive to the cruelties of empire, eager to show atrocities of war… the world of empire they portray is one that ultimately hinges on things that are surprisingly personal, full of brilliant generals and nigh omnipotent (but evil) technocrats and spies, who expertly play games of intrigue against each other while everyone else awaits whichever sorry fate they will be assigned.

In part, it is that both books seem to suffer a similar limitation. Yoon Ha Lee’s Machineries of Empire seems much more apt as a comparison on almost every level. Despite my initial impression, I think the parallels between Baru Cormorant and Mission Child are slimmer than I first thought. I don’t know if i have it in me to finish the Gelderloos state-formation book before I write about this. The lesbian’s qualm aside (look this is extremely funny if you’ve read the book ok), this book brings a ton to talk about. I can say unequivocally that it does not pull its punches on that promise.

In any case it’s about the narrative of ‘doomed gay romance’ - but I’m still undecided if the handling of it was successful.Īt the beginning of the book, there is ‘a promise’: ‘This is the truth. Since writing the review, I've confirmed the author is neither straight nor cis, though I'm not sure what name they now use, but at the time they went by Seth Dickinson. I understand the thematic purpose, but in some ways it feels not so different in result, if not intent, from the end of Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law. I can’t say I wasn’t warned, in quite explicit terms, by and before i read it. It contains extensive plot spoilers, so beware! I'm uploading this initial reaction for the sake of posterity. Note from April 2020: Since publishing this review and sitting with the ending, I have warmed considerably to both this book and this series and become very sympathetic to the author.

The traitor baru cormorant