I'd like to start this review off by talking about how much I love Memer because she's so great, omg. I've only read A Wizard of Earthsea and Gifts, but from what I've seen of them, Le Guin's worlds are always richly detailed. Ansul especially is really brought to life by Memer and her resentment and revolutionary zeal.
I love how Memer, half-Ansul and half-Ald, child of war, always feels the weight of difference. I love how her magic powers literally scare her, and how much she loves words. I love how she never really comes to terms with the Alds as an occupying force, because why should she? She has every right to hate them and she does: the force of her righteous fury is lovely to behold, but at the same time she never allows it to consume her entirely. Even when she's emotionally all for killing all the Alds, she doesn't push the political situation in Ansul into full-on slaughter.
Part of that is because Memer, for all her greatness, is an incredibly passive character. Throughout the novel she does what the adults and big political players tell her to do (run messages, hang around places, talk to Alds). She may affect the events of the novel, but not consciously. Decisions are made, but none of them are hers. She may be a teenager among adults, but she's in a position where she can enact great change. Give her the Waylord's moment; hell, give her Orrec's, but don't let her languish ineffective in the background.
The problem, I think, is that Le Guin loves her characters too much to let the new ones have some say. Orrec and Gry feel like walking Deus Ex Machinas, taking over the political show from the characters of Voices, who (perhaps because they weren't so perfect) I found much more compelling. Ioratth the Gand is fascinating as the governor/poet who does not read, his wife Tirio a charming cipher and Simme (the pathetic, hormonal teen conqueror who just wants to get laid) is funny as hell. I wish I could've read Voices sans Orrec, and seen what these characters could do on their own.
Rating: Four out of five. Le Guin's an excellent writer, and this is still a very good book.
Turd rating: Three out of five, for the Alds in general and Ioratth's asshole son in particular.
Part of that is because Memer, for all her greatness, is an incredibly passive character. Throughout the novel she does what the adults and big political players tell her to do (run messages, hang around places, talk to Alds). She may affect the events of the novel, but not consciously. Decisions are made, but none of them are hers. She may be a teenager among adults, but she's in a position where she can enact great change. Give her the Waylord's moment; hell, give her Orrec's, but don't let her languish ineffective in the background.
The problem, I think, is that Le Guin loves her characters too much to let the new ones have some say. Orrec and Gry feel like walking Deus Ex Machinas, taking over the political show from the characters of Voices, who (perhaps because they weren't so perfect) I found much more compelling. Ioratth the Gand is fascinating as the governor/poet who does not read, his wife Tirio a charming cipher and Simme (the pathetic, hormonal teen conqueror who just wants to get laid) is funny as hell. I wish I could've read Voices sans Orrec, and seen what these characters could do on their own.
Rating: Four out of five. Le Guin's an excellent writer, and this is still a very good book.
Turd rating: Three out of five, for the Alds in general and Ioratth's asshole son in particular.