- Hardcover: 102 pages
- Publisher: Subterranean Press; Deluxe edition (January 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1596063548
- ISBN-13: 978-1596063549
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13.7 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 272 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #369,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
4.5 stars, Feb 1 2011
By Katherine Hooper "Kat at FanLit" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Executioness (Hardcover)
I've reviewed both The Alchemist by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Executioness by Tobias Buckell here since they are being published together as novellas set in the same world. The audio version contains both stories. Please note that these are short novels.Paolo Bacigalupi and Tobias Buckell offering linked fantasy novellas that take place in a shared world? What could be more promising?
In this shared world, the use of magic causes the growth of bramble, a fast-growing, pervasive, and deadly plant that has taken over cities, making them uninhabitable. Crews of workers must fight back the bramble daily, burning it and collecting its seeds. Magic is forbidden and those who are found using it are executed, yet some citizens are willing to risk their lives if a bit of magic might help them. Who cares if a patch of bramble sprouts in a stranger's garden if a magic spell might heal their only child?
The Alchemist is about a metal and glass worker who has given up all of his riches and is building an instrument which he hopes will destroy the bramble, restore his fortune, and give him the license to use magic to cure his daughter's wasting cough. When he presents his invention to the city government, things start to go wrong.
I liked Bacigalupi's characters -- the focused scientist who's so task-oriented that he misses important social cues and the strong woman whose support is crucial but mostly goes unnoticed -- and I enjoyed the laboratory setting because it reminded me of my own frustrating days at "the bench." It was intriguing to explore the idea that small and secret lawbreaking, even for a good cause, can accumulate to destroy a nation or, as one of Bacigalupi's characters says: "If we grant individual mercies, we commit collective suicide." That got me thinking of all sorts of current political, economic, and social parallels.
With The Executioness, Tobias Buckell becomes the hero of middle-aged mothers everywhere. Since I'm now one of those, I loved this story about a mom who loses her family and finds herself. Tana is a desperate woman who just does what any mother would do in the same circumstances. It's hard for me to imagine becoming a hero, but Tana's story is completely believable and after hearing it, now I wonder if maybe I could be...
I can highly recommend The Alchemist and The Executioness to fantasy lovers of all ages. I wish they had been longer.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reluctant Heroine, Feb 9 2011
By M. Lafferty - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Executioness (Hardcover)
Very slightly the better of the two in The Alchemist and The Executioness pairing, we follow the adventures of a woman who takes on the role of a reluctant executioness - who then must build an army. Buckell wanted to explore a story with a middle-aged mother as the protag, as that character is rarely featured in genre work, and does so beautifully. Perhaps my favorite part about the book was its exploration on how you view yourself vs how the world sees you, and the power that can sometimes create.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Refreshing!, Jan 2 2012
By Mark Abrams "Mark" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
So much of the fantasy genre lately is written for and about 12-year-olds, but this is different. The main character is a middle aged woman thrust into a job she'd rather not do and the unexpected predicaments that follow. It's a very enjoyable read that I certainly recommend!
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