Man, am I glad I pushed through the beginning of this wild book.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the reader, Joel De la Fuente, deserves a massive raise or something.
This was the most unique, ambitious, and challenging story I think I will ever encounter. The first part is 3 hours long and I was incredibly lost and confused for the majority of it. I just remember constantly saying “what is happening???” I nearly DNFed so many times, but my lack of motivation to look for a replacement made me push through just long enough for me to meet the main main characters near the end. Got a grasp for what and who the heck this story was going to be about. After that, I started having fun.
Why was this a challenge?
Okay, so it starts off boldly in SECOND PERSON POV. I mean, that was unusual enough. But! It does not stay there. The only place this story stays is everywhere, all at once (and probably everything too). It constantly flows between the present (second person POV, past AND present tense with commentary, exposition, and more), the distant past (third person POV, our main story, past tense), and the, uh, recent past (memories of things “you” were told by family members and how they reacted to each other telling those stories).
Now, when I say commentary, I mean in real time, essentially NPC side character type people will comment on the distant past story being told, as if they are interjecting ghosts standing beside you as you watch it unfold (you are watching a dreamscape play perform the story too). They comment on what they were doing or thinking at the time that certain things happen and any other reader would have made this so confusing to hear, but Joel De la Fuente tells this story so effortlessly and expertly. I actually really enjoyed this device because it enriched the story and the world. How easily Simon Jimenez brought people to life with a single comment!
The world building is cosmic. That’s the best word I can think of to describe it. You’ve got a goddess, her ignored duties, consequences of her choices, a government that needs to die, commoners, the future (where “you” live), the place that acts as a bridge between times, two separate missions that become one, and magical creatures that play starkly important roles. And yes, the flow between POV and time is woven surprisingly together into one single story! It’s incredible, the experience.
I’m also an aromantic asexual person who is tired of seeing romance stories everywhere. I almost want to burn them. 😆This is a slow burn love story that I cried with. I gasped with. I hugged my phone during the ending (minus certain parts 😅🙃). I want a tangible copy of this book for my shelf.
10/10, this author and this reader are experts at their crafts. What a ride.
N. K. Valek: Author 