Man, this is a great book.

Anne Leckie writes wonderful plots and characters but it is in the sheer skill of her technical writing that she really shines. The words and how she uses them impacts the reader and makes them think about what they’re reading. For example, in her Ancillary trilogy she made the interesting choice to refer to everyone by female pronouns, as the language of the culture it was set in didn’t have multiple sets of pronouns. It was astonishing how such a small change really emphasised how different this culture was and made you think more closely about what you were reading. And The Raven Tower does a similar thing.

This is a story narrated by a being whose every word is correct. And that’s really all I can say about it because anything else risks spoiling the amazing conclusion. So let me just say that, like her previous books, this is a fantastic piece of technical writing and was a joy to read.

The rest of it was good as well, of course. The world is interesting, filled with gods that perform various services for one reason or another. The plot itself is based in the town Vastai and the rest of the world we only see though stories. It’s deceptively simple and familiar, the heir to a position of power returns to find that their inheritance has been usurped and they and their faithful retainer must discover the heart of a plot of intrigue and deception. But what makes this more interesting is that there are some rules that must be, agreements that have been made with gods and so are inviolable and words that must be the truth. And yet nothing makes sense and the mystery gets ever deeper.

As this is faithfully narrated from a single point of view you don’t get to know the different characters thoughts on matters, only what they do and that too is part of the charm of the story. Which leads me back to just how technically sound this book is.

I apologise. Whenever I read this book, and I’ve read it a few times, all I can see is the sheer skill on show and wonder at that usually overshadows the interesting characters, fascinating world and excellent plot. But this really is a book all writers should read. Every time I do I find some new neat trick that I haven’t noticed before and my respect for the writer grows.