The Library At Mount Char

390 pages

English language

Published Sept. 20, 2016

ISBN:: 9780553418620
Goodreads:: 26892110

View on Inventaire

(2 reviews)

2 editions

benwerd@bookwyrm.social reviewed The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

Don’t lose your heart coal

4 stars

I really struggled with the first third of this book - it felt like nightmare after nightmare with no obvious reason. Horror and gore for kicks. But the back half really justifies the first: this is a story about remembering your humanity in the face of dark times, and a little about how power corrupts. If you squint, there’s maybe something here about how terrible things are sometimes needed to maintain peace and stability, but I’m going to choose to ignore this thread. The first half of this book was harrowing; I enjoyed the second half very much.

enne📚 reviewed The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

4 stars

I was hooked by the setup in this book of a group of adopted children, partially pulled out of time by a god-like Father, and each set to learn one specific branch of knowledge and ancient power. My favorite part of this book was the slow unfurling of background machinations and scheming that all paid off in the end. The characters somehow manage to be somewhat relatable even as the book continually demonstrated how extreme power alienates them from their own humanity.

Parts of this book reminded me of Charles Stross's Merchant Princes series, especially around the US government attempting to "negotiate" with people who have fantastical power.

I will say also that this book goes to some very dark places, so content warning for abuse and violence and and torture and trauma. To put it one way, when somebody has enough power to read minds, bring people back from …

I was hooked by the setup in this book of a group of adopted children, partially pulled out of time by a god-like Father, and each set to learn one specific branch of knowledge and ancient power. My favorite part of this book was the slow unfurling of background machinations and scheming that all paid off in the end. The characters somehow manage to be somewhat relatable even as the book continually demonstrated how extreme power alienates them from their own humanity.

Parts of this book reminded me of Charles Stross's Merchant Princes series, especially around the US government attempting to "negotiate" with people who have fantastical power.

I will say also that this book goes to some very dark places, so content warning for abuse and violence and and torture and trauma. To put it one way, when somebody has enough power to read minds, bring people back from the dead, or go back in time to manipulate the past, there's very little escape from their will and manipulation.