Overall, I'd say Malachite was an interesting read, thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time. I loved the writing - strong and highly imaginative.
Despite my issues with some elements in the story, I'm curious how this series will continue and would love read the next book. Oct 04, Francesca rated it it was amazing Shelves: favourites. If I didn't, well then know that I am! Especially her fantasy stories. The world building is flawless, the characters complex and interesting and engaging, the stories flow uninterrupted through flawless plot.
Malachite is no exception to this. I loved it and find myself wanting to know so much more. The world - an echo of Venice and its island - was one of my favourite things about the book. Venice as a background for Fantasy is not a new thing - in this case it's a decaying version of Venice, a world in ruin.
A decay effortlessly paralleled in the characters development. Fave thing number two is the way the Malachan society is structured and the complete absence of women. An absence so blaring that as readers we are left questioning the narrator on how is this going to develop? Can this narrator be trusted with their social views when they don't even know the name for a young female?
It is masterly done I think as hooks go: what will the story reveal about this absence of women? How did it come to be? How has it affected the main players? How will it affect the coming books? At what point will the story told and the story yet to be told merge and give us the full picture?
I found that this was fascinating from a narrative perspective and I cannot wait to read the next books. There is intrigue and twists - the relationship between all of the main characters runs deep and it is delivered through large glimpses into the characters past which let the reader view how complex and related these all are.
I loved Jean and the push and pull between him and Marion and between friendship, camaraderie and romantic ties was, IMO, incredibly well done. Highly recommended for all lovers of intriguing fantasy and fans of exquisite writing. View 1 comment. Jan 04, Fenriz Angelo rated it it was amazing Shelves: lgbt-fiction. What a beautiful and refreshing piece of fantasy this book is! Kirby is well known to create interesting fantasy stories with a lot of worldbuilding and interesting characters.
I think, here, she mastered her crafting. We're thrown into Malachite, an isolated island where only exiled men from Solaris and Cwen live. They get their population by the ritual of Aequora which is the time the Cwen send their exiled men and orphan boys to the island.
The island itself holds a complex estructure that br What a beautiful and refreshing piece of fantasy this book is! The island itself holds a complex estructure that brings order to the place. Although many years ago was ruled by gangs now, they are separated by classes and ruled by the Sessanes. Through the point of view of two former gangers, and the son of the magestros of the city we get to see how people live in Malachite, the struggle of the lower part versus the loose life of the wealthy, also how the sense of peace is rattled by a plot against the Sessanes.
The dynamics of these 3 characters is nothing easy, there's hurt, love, jealousy, a past of violence, and hope for a better future that makes Jean's, Marion's, and Tris' journey a complex one, but their development leads them to choose what is best for them.
The strong worldbuilding, the politics, intrigue, well planned plot and interesting secondary characters make this book an enjoyable read that makes you feel on the edge, wondering in each turn of page what's going to happen and how are the problems going to be resolved.
This is the kind of fantasy books that made me fall for the genre, and I hope to keep stumbleupon others with such quality as the ones i've read so far. View all 12 comments. Sep 07, Xing rated it really liked it.
That was what came to mind after finishing Malachite. Malachite is a high fantasy novel featuring three main characters: Jean, Marion and Tris. The plot alternates between present and past for the first one-third to one-half of the book, before continuing on in the present till the very end. BUT, Kirby did something here — she made all these characters interesting and also vital to one another.
Readers learn about the characters as individuals, but gradually come to understand that they all exist in a triangular relationship — a polygon that can only exist with all three of them. Without one, there is no definition in what they have. Was it a bit confusing how it came to that point? Perhaps a little. In terms of world building, I will give this two thumbs up.
The world of Malachite became richer as I continued reading — a great blend of landscapes, cultures, races with touches of real life influences, and a different approach to the balance of power. Plus, the author has a great writing style that sets the appropriate tone and atmosphere. While there are many things that I absolutely loved with this book, there were a couple of things that bothered me.
One was the pacing — not necessarily with the plot, but with the progression in the relationship s between the characters. The second problem I had was the proofreading. I found myself stumbling over extra words, or misplaced words throughout my readings that made me go over the sentences more slowly. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Malachite. Jan 04, G. Gordon added it.
Once every ten or twenty years a book like this comes along, a book that is exactly what you want it to be. I loved every line, every word of this fantastic, tragic, romantic thriller and political intrigue.
It embroiled me in the lives of its utterly fascinating characters, had me biting my knuckles at times, and then gave me the ending I'd been wishing, hoping, and longing for. Razor-witted, involved, brilliantly planned and executed, emotionally deep and real fiction of the finest. It's only Jan Once every ten or twenty years a book like this comes along, a book that is exactly what you want it to be.
It's only January, but if anyone strives to kick this one off the top of my list, they'll have their work cut out for them. Oct 08, Karen Wellsbury added it Shelves: buddy-read-fra-aleks-tara , fantasy , favourite-writer , dnf. For reasons I'm not totally sure of I couldn't get on with this book, and I have loved everything that Kirby Crow has written that I've read. The world building was as expected terrific and detailed enough to suck one in, but not so complicated that there was a need to check back or desperately need an index.
However I didn't like Jean or Marion very much, and the romance felt a little contrived. Sad For reasons I'm not totally sure of I couldn't get on with this book, and I have loved everything that Kirby Crow has written that I've read. Dec 18, Daniel Mitton rated it really liked it. I knew, just from reading the blurb, this book was going to be a complicated read. As with any first book in a fantasy series, there are lot of world building descriptors.
There are a lot of characters, background characters, inter-related stories and plots jammed into one book.
Within a couple more chapters, I was hooked solidly. I really enjoyed the way the author provided us with the history of the characters through flashbacks that moved forward through time as we read further. Marion Casterline and Jean Rivard are the products of their pasts having grown up in the worst slum of the island city of Malachite.
During their youth, they were taken in by the leader of a gang who then acted almost as a father figure to them…but a father figure with issues and an agenda. Those years in their past, their actions, and their joint history, have a lot to do with where they are currently. Now both men are adults, Marion is the highwarden of the city, and Jean is the southwarden of the city. This book has a ton of stuff going on within its pages.
We have nefarious sea pirates. We have a city named Malachite inhabited only by men and partially ruled by gangs. All love and sex is between men only. Females rule everywhere outside the island city and most of the world looks down on Malachite as an island of perversion. The story intrigued me, and drew me in. I liked where the story ended, but there are a bunch of open storylines that carry into the next installment. Was it an alternate world?
Kind of. Was it a romance? Not really, although there were some romance aspects. Overall, I would have to say it kept me confused, but in a good way. Nov 06, Elisa Rolle rated it it was amazing. The world of this story drew me in right away.
A rousing and thoroughly enjoyable read. An intriguing setting based on ancient Venice, lost princes and lost love, intrigue and power play both political and personal The three main character's paths were wonderfully convoluted and intertwined, nothing was quite as it seemed in the beginning, and the plot twists kept me on the edge with tension all through the story.
Loved it and will definitely reread. My only issue was the tedious beginning; actually not all too surprising with that much worldbuilding to take care of, but still a bit tough to get through. Living in a culture of murder and robbery some men rise to the top and find love and honor while others lead lives of chaos and mindless sex. A dark but never depressing story of power struggles and a desperate need for happiness in a world gone mad. Jan 10, Alison rated it it was amazing Shelves: queer , sff , my-e-things , lgbtq.
I absolutely loved this. It's awesome! It's a gripping and vivid fantasy set in a place that makes me think of an AU Renaissance Venice and it's so cool. The characters are amazing, the plot is exciting, the world-building is thorough, and the writing is snappy.
The characters are spectacularly well done and wonderfully complex. These people are full of depth and life and flaws and realism and it's fantastic. I absolutely loved the main characters--Marion, Jean, and Tris. They are very endearing I absolutely loved this.
They are very endearing and their adventures completely took over my brain. The relationships in this story are so captivating and complicated and completely fascinating. The romance is very satisfying and I loved the unexpected ending.
There's gorgeous emotion here, both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Marion and Jean's youth and I thought they worked really well to expand on the story. This is an all-male island nation, made up of exiles from other lands, and it's a really interesting basis for a society. This book is full of political intrigue, action, mystery, pining, secrets, daring heroics, epic love, and great dialogue. I think there's way more story here to be told and I am so excited for the sequel.
May it come soon. Jan 02, Nova rated it it was amazing Shelves: mm , fantasy , dark-violence-horror , i-want-more. I loved this book!
It's cleverly written, with fantastic characters and some surprising twists and turns. At the beginning I maybe felt a bit lost. A new world, new rules and so many secrets. Marion Casterline is the highwarden of Malachite, an ancient, beautiful city floating in a shallow sea. In the aftermath of a brutal gang war, there is finally peace in the city, and new life every year through the sacred ritual of Aequora.
Through Aequora, exiles, outlaws, and orphans can become citizens of Malachite. This ritual is vital to the city's survival, because Malachite is populated only by males.
We're going to see the fathers at the Villa Merlo. The fathers are very fat, but we must never say so, yes? Marion left Yves to his job. He found the dark twins with Val fifty feet down the seawall, almost beyond the light thrown by the torches. Lody was struggling with a skinny, pale-faced youth with a shaven head, obviously trying very hard to hold onto the boy without hurting him. Kell stood nearby, ready to grab the boy if he fled.
Lody murmured to the gasping boy in low tones, trying to calm him. Val lifted his shoulders in a shrug while picking his teeth with a reed.
The mottled burns that marred his features on one side from cheek to chin were almost invisible in the flickering light. He looked much younger without them. Lody grabbed him before he threw himself over the wall.
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