Matt Edwards

Stopped reading after a few pages, bit of a shame actually I was looking forward to it, having seen many positive reviews. The writing is simply bad in the prologue and put me off. It's so contrived, so laborious. "The Vane's silence announced the sudden falling off of the sea breeze that came clambering over the ragged walls of Mock's Hold, then it creaked back into life as the hot, spark-scattered and smoke-filled breath of the Mouse Quarter reached across the city to sweep the promontory's heights." If you like that sort of writing you'll love this. For me, it's a load of twaddle. What are we to take from this? A vane stops creaking when a sea breeze simultaneously stops *and* clambers over walls? What it is, is simultaneously overblown and, frankly, dull. Reminded me of Dean Koontz at his worst. Then there's the character's name: "Ganoes Stabro Padan". Remember the intro to The Blade Itself? Or AGOT? So gripping! This is literally a load of hot air.

Spoilers! An excellent and prophetic work. Corporate interests create an endless series of disasters for economic and political gain, all the while telling the public that their impoverishment and disempowerment is what's best for the planet. It's also funny.