From one of the most imaginative writers of her generation comes an extraordinary vision of the future.
Ven was once a holy man, a keeper of ancient archives. It was his duty to interpret archaic texts, sorting useful knowledge from the heretical ideas of the Burning Age – a time of excess and climate disaster. For in Ven’s world, such material must be closely guarded, so that the ills that led to that cataclysmic era can never be repeated.
But when the revolutionary Brotherhood approaches Ven, pressuring him to translate stolen writings that threaten everything he once held dear, his life will be turned upside down. Torn between friendship and faith, Ven must decide how far he’s willing to go to save this new world, and how much he is willing to lose.
Notes from the Burning Age is the remarkable and captivating new novel from the award-winning Claire North that puts dystopian fiction in a whole new light.
My thoughts: this was a really interesting take on the post-apocalyptic novel. After the destruction humanity wrought, people have found new ways to live, new beliefs to follow. Ven was a monk, trained to decipher the left behind clues of a vanished world. But some of those clues are dangerous.
Conflicting beliefs bring war and Ven is sent to spy on the kingmaker and power behind the throne. There’s a leak, can he find it?
The only thing that grated a tiny bit was the place names – Vien instead of Vienna, for example. I can’t imagine future generations not knowing the names of places – if not from maps, then passed down.
I also didn’t fully understand what the kakuy were – they’re described as giant creatures, but it’s not entirely clear what they are and why they appeared. But maybe that’s to make us as foolish as the people and even the Temple in their ignorance.
I was completely invested in Ven’s adventures and his work hunting for the mole – I missed the clues completely. A truly fascinating, intelligent read.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 