Member-only story
My book review backlog is building ever greater. One series of books I have been reading, that I really must tell you about, is by Gareth L. Powell. So far there are just two books, Embers of War and Fleet of Knives-both space opera of the highest order. There’s a great mix of exploration, politics, and action, similar to that of Long Way to a Small Angry planet by Becky Chambers.
Here are five reasons why you should read Embers of War. But don’t just take my word for it; Embers of War recently won a BSFA award for best novel!
1. Great Characters
The ensemble cast of humans and aliens in Embers of War is excellent: flawed, irritating, heroic, selfless, selfish, and a whole lot more. These books work because of the interplay between the characters. Powell uses multiple first-person perspectives, which is a very interesting device. Each of the voices is rich and strong, and I never felt I wanted one point of view more than another.
One narrator’s account, given by an alien ship’s engineer, Nod, is stark and curiously beautiful. Nod is a “Druff,” and his world view (and that of his kin) is the cement that holds the other stories together, particularly in Fleet of Knives.
