Green by Jay Lake

Green by Jay Lake

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book very much, despite some initial trepidation about its origins. I picked it up from the library after seeing it reviewed at John Scalzi's blog, Whatever, as well as at The Hathor Legacy, where it was reviewed most favorably. Books that pass the Bechdel Test can be pretty rare, even in genre fiction, but this book passed with flying colors. I had to try it.

The book was written by Jay Lake as a gift for his daughter. That gave me pause. I was worried it would be a little paen to Mary Sue Lake, and the twee would overwhelm the potential for a good story. I was wrong. This story, full of adventure, is also a story with plot advancing casual sex, torture, and a heroine who makes devastating mistakes that she has to live with. It wasn't EVER saccharine or sentimental, and I found myself thinking Jay Lake's daughter is a pretty lucky girl, to have been given such a gift.

The world is marvelous, particularly the theology, and I found myself hoping that Lake plans to return to this world again. I would certainly read anything he wrote that further explores this world or its gods, and I plan to pick up his other series as soon as I clear out my library queue a bit.

ETA: Left purposefully vague, because I think I would hate to spoil any of the plot twists.

View all my reviews >>