The Mirror Empire (Worldbreaker Saga, #1) in Fantasy-Faction.com

Jan 30, 2014 Mogsy rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, netgalley, war, epic, arcs-and-galleys, review-copy

3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/09/05/b...

Needless to say, putting this review together was quite difficult for me, on account of how very different it is from the one I thought I would be writing. I made it no secret I had high hopes for this one, not only because of the buzz the book has gotten since the ramp up to its release or all the glowing reviews it has garnered, but also I was personally very excited to finally read my first Kameron Hurley novel. Truly, 3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/09/05/b...

Needless to say, putting this review together was quite difficult for me, on account of how very different it is from the one I thought I would be writing. I made it no secret I had high hopes for this one, not only because of the buzz the book has gotten since the ramp up to its release or all the glowing reviews it has garnered, but also I was personally very excited to finally read my first Kameron Hurley novel. Truly, I wanted to love this book and was set and prepared to add my praise to the chorus, but as a reviewer I also have to be honest with others and with myself when a book does not meet expectations.

In the end, I think The Mirror Empire is one of those cases in which I can recognize its literary merits and applaud the author’s designs to challenge the conventions of epic fantasy fiction, but the story itself failed to connect with me on any deeper level and I found myself strangely dissatisfied when I completed it.

First, a bit about the book: The world is about to be shaken up by a cataclysm, and as the dark star rises to herald this event, you have an orphan girl named Lilia who would anything to fulfill a promise to her mother, even if it means putting herself in danger and having to face down unspeakable threats. In another place, a new Kai ascends to power after the suspicious death of his sister and fights to keep his place and his land together even as legitimacy of his rule is called into question. Meanwhile, a young boy said to be destined for great things undertakes a journey to discover himself and his loyalties, for one day he ultimately must choose between sides. And on the battlefield, an able but brutal general faces a similar predicament, caught between her heritage and her oaths to the Empress.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of perspectives involved, and many more characters besides. That should have been my first warning sign. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind a big cast of characters (when you’re into epic fantasy, I think that sort of comes with the territory). However, that also means a greater onus on the author to strike a balance when it comes to giving every one of her players enough time to resonate with the reader, and to pace their sections accordingly. Hurley falters in this area by trying to introduce too many characters, both main and supporting, without sufficiently developing them – especially in the beginning. Not only do the odd-sounding names make it harder to remember who’s who, but ironically they also make it all the more obvious when new major to semi-major characters are still being introduced even past the halfway point of the novel. It makes it that much hard to sit back and just enjoy the story when so much effort is going towards trying to keep all the characters straight.

However, to be fair, you should know that I am a “Characters First” kind of reader. Arguably, I place an inordinate amount of emphasis on characters and how effectively I can engage with them. They absolutely don’t have to be admirable or even likeable, but I have to care. Characters are like the foundation of a story – everything else tumbles like a house of cards if I can’t care about them. Naturally, anything they do or anything that happens to them isn’t going to impact me in any meaningful way. The biggest issue I had with this book is the lack of any strong characters, in the sense that none of them were very memorable. Hurley doesn’t develop any of them nearly enough, and her pacing is haphazard and disorganized, so that many long chapters could go by before returning to a perspective character, and then I find myself asking, “Who are you again?” That shouldn’t be happening.

The only one – ONE out of a half dozen or so main characters and at least four times as many supporting characters – that I found myself interested in was Lilia, and that’s likely just because she was the first to be introduced in the prologue. Zezili, Captain General of the Empress, was a close second, and probably because Hurley went to great lengths to make her memorable but did so by taking the easy way, presenting the general as archetypically evil, the cruel mass murderer and an unfeeling lover. Everyone else faded into the background, which unfortunately made me feel very indifferent towards any events of significance, including plot twists or unexpected character deaths.

But look, I’ve gone on for long enough about the negatives, and I don’t want to make it sound like I downright disliked this book, because I didn’t; so I think it’s time to talk about the positives. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, not least of all was the world building. So much praise has been heaped onto this facet of the novel and I have to agree 100% with everything that has been said about originality, spirit and vividness of the universe and cultures of The Mirror Empire.

My favorite thing about this book is that it is bold, it is epic, and it is refreshingly different. I love the idea of two realms clashing together in a catastrophic world-shattering event, and also the more minute details like the sentient flora and giant carnivorous plants. Hurley is a great writer with an incredible imagination, and she’s at her best and in her element when she’s actually not trying so hard to turn things on their head or to be over-the-top. I can’t stress how important it is for both authors and readers to examine and confront the status quo and current state of fantasy, but doing something for the sake of doing it is also rarely interesting. Admittedly, Hurley is not at all subtle when it comes to her attempt at subversion in this novel, but at the same time I still respect her immensely for her steadfast interrogation of the genre.

These days, one can probably find some degree of social commentary in many works of speculative fiction; however, my favorite ones tend to be those that arrive at their messages organically, part and parcel with compelling storytelling, starting with well-developed characters. Since it’s the characters that fell flat for me in this case, I just couldn’t immerse myself in the story. It certainly wasn’t for the lack of trying, but as I’ve explained, I’m also aware I have some rather nitpicky and particular tastes. Despite my tepid feelings for this novel, I believe the accolades are well-deserved. Sure, I didn’t love it, but then I’m glad so many others did. ...more

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May 22, 2014 Althea Ann rated it really liked it

Hurley goes epic with 'The Mirror Empire'!
Previously, I've read her 'God's War,' and absolutely love it - it's one of those books that I randomly recommend to people looking for groundbreaking new sci-fi. Personally, I think I prefer the more personal, closer focus.
As the title might indicate, this is a tale of Empire - Empires, actually. It's big, sprawling and very, very ambitious.
The main story is one that's definitely in keeping with the epic fantasy genre: One world is at threat from a pa Hurley goes epic with 'The Mirror Empire'!
Previously, I've read her 'God's War,' and absolutely love it - it's one of those books that I randomly recommend to people looking for groundbreaking new sci-fi. Personally, I think I prefer the more personal, closer focus.
As the title might indicate, this is a tale of Empire - Empires, actually. It's big, sprawling and very, very ambitious.
The main story is one that's definitely in keeping with the epic fantasy genre: One world is at threat from a parallel world. Through magic, denizens of one world can cross-over to another - but only if one's doppelganger on the other side has been killed. Cue lots of military action, invasion-planning, and nasty, nasty politicking.
Did I say 'nasty'? Nearly everyone in this book is a horrible, amoral, vicious person. If they haven't actually murdered anyone, it's probably just by coincidence that they haven't gotten around to it, or no one's ordered them to kill anyone yet. This is not one for the people who demand 'likeable,' 'relatable' characters (luckily, I'm not one of those people.)
I have to admit, it even took me a while to get invested in the characters. It takes a while to introduce everyone involved, and to get the scene set. (This is quite a long book.) However, I did feel that the payoff was worth the invested time. I'll also definitely be reading the sequel (no, nothing gets finally settled here - this is definitely first in a series.)
The striking aspect of the book is the worldbuilding. (As I said, the plot, while good, is fairly standard fantasy fare. The setting, however, is bizarre and fascinating - and not like anything you've read before.) The descriptions of poisonous, motile plants and freakish animals are wonderful. There are several very distinct races of people as well, and their cultures and conflicts are painstakingly drawn. Some of the tropes and themes will be familiar to readers of 'God's War,' but many are unique to this book.
Recommended for fans of Glen Cook, Gene Wolfe, and maybe Joe Abercrombie as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. As always, my opinions are my own. ...more

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May 27, 2014 Benni rated it really liked it

Review: http://bennitheblog.com/bookbiters/th...

Especially during its ascendancy, each of four stars lend power to those who are able to channel its power: Para (weather manipulation, including using air as shields), Tira (healing powers, control of plant-based life forms), Sina (unmaking flesh, flame-calling), and Oma (opening gateways. raising the dead).

Oma is rising, and so mirrors formed with blood magic open the gates to an alternate realm. The two connected worlds are at bloody war. Women ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Dee rated it really liked it

Shelves: world-fantasy, loanage, grit, a-kind-of-magic, ninjas-get-chicks, dystopia

This is really excellent, full of amazing imagination and solid characters. It's written with deftness and flair that never get in each others' way, and has big, chewy plot.

It's also almost no fun at all. There is heaps of amazing going on, but very little chance for moments of wonder and delight. And maybe three nice things happens to characters in the entirety of the book. (And a couple of those are sort of subjective or fleeting. Even when one character is saved from the brink of death, I fou ...more

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Aug 18, 2014 A.E. Marling added it

In The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley, an army from one dying world invades another. Legions of soldiers abound, and if you envision them as men marching with swords and tower shields, you’d be wrong. The legionnaires are women. That’s only the beginning of the expectations Kameron Hurley delights in defying in The Mirror Empire.

Read my full review on Fantasy Book Critic:
http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com... ...more

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Dec 11, 2014 Steven Poore rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, angry-robot-books, owned, alternate-history

Grim but interesting. Despite a lack of truly sympathetic characters, a fascinating set of worlds, concepts and conflicts that demand and reward close attention.

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