Fetcher’s Song
Lian Tanner
Gwin’s mama is dead, and her papa has been captured. With the new children she has met, it might finally be time for the elimination of the Devouts but first a bloodthirsty battle must occur.
I found myself confused by the swaps in perspective between chapters, because I was most interested in Gwin’s story. As I continued reading, I realised why it was done this way, and it eventually all settled into place. If I hazard a guess, this seems to have been a plot driven story, but it was over too quickly even almost for me to form an opinion.
I put off reading this novel because I knew it was the final in a trilogy. I think I have had it at least a year, and thus this review is anything but timely. Today I picked it up anyway, because I want to clear my bookshelves. Low and behold, on GoodReads there are only 3 reviews, so I am at least adding to the space.
I missed out on a lot of this novel because I had no idea on any of the background. I recommend you under no circumstances read this without having read the first two in the series. I struggled to even write a synopsis, not knowing anything about what came before (and what not to give away).
I’ll give this three stars. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing outstanding either.
Allen & Unwin | 4th January 2016 | AU $18.99 | Paperback
This is a nifty concept that takes advantage of social media’s continual encroachment into our lives. Why not take it one more step so it hangs around after your death? After all, you’ll be gone and not able to see the inevitable fallout! But how do you sustain money into the business when all your users die?
This is told in the style of a fairy tale, which I appreciated. The novel is bookended by short sections that tell us what happened when we aren’t looking from Feo’s perspective. There is a hint of Russian culture, although there could have been more of this. I honestly can say I’m interested in Russia and it has a unique environment that I like (maybe it’s the snow?).
I liked Henry’s self-awareness and his relationships with his friends. His friends are always willing to pick him up (unless they are also lying down) and there is a happy dynamic that makes the plot feel more real. Sure, the ‘Australian’ bloke is bloody caricaturish, but that’s pretty typical.
This is a more gritty version of 
I don’t know what drew me to this novel, or what kept me reading. In any other case, I think I would have gotten frustrated with the glacial pacing, with very little action. However this novel had the right protagonist for me to keep reading. How could I not love Billi? Talk about the underdog (pun intended). I really enjoyed the unassuming and thoughtful dialogue inside Billi’s brain.
What I liked about this novel was that there was plenty of Grim time. I love Grim as a character because he is so real and flawed and fantastic! Don’t get me wrong, I also like Blackthorn, but it’s nice to have a counterpoint to the somewhat traditional role of ‘Grumpy Healer’.
I felt somewhat frustrated by the ending. Nate, why? Anon, why? This made no sense at all. Sure, they’ll fix things somehow, but why did they do that? Perhaps someone else who has read it can give me a more informed opinion for why on earth the ending worked.
I find it very difficult to give an objective assessment of this novel. It’s told from Jess’ perspective, which granted is rather limited. Jess is basically a book stealer by trade, and so he looks at everything with a certain degree of detachment, which is actually very useful. He could do better with hiding his emotions though!
Libby connected with me really strongly and left a lasting impression for me. She’s a strong female protagonist that nevertheless needs support from her family, friends and a counsellor. No woman is an island, and Libby is no exception.