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Angels Of The Deep by Kirby Crow (2 out of 5 stars)
Why two stars? I am torn about this book. Many of its
merits turn against it, ending up as flaws. For example:
It has extraordinarily beautiful language. Kirby Crow
spins pure magic with her words, making the reader see and feel everything as
if they are present. However, the long descriptions slow the book down, to the
point of halting action and becoming a chore. Much as I loved the details on
decoration and the poetic description of landscapes, the atmosphere etc., from
a point onwards I wanted things to happen and the story to move forward.
The atmosphere is stifling, foreboding, bleak. Crow
captures the very essence of winter, heavy with hopelessness and despair. This
continues relentlessly throughout the story to the point of becoming depressing
and sometimes tiring. I often put the book down because I needed a break.
The protagonist, Becket, is miserable and beating himself
for his failings and incomprehension of his place in the world. It’s very
convincing and it makes you feel for him. You can taste his despair.
Unfortunately, this happens for 240 out of 296 pages. So much angst and
self-loathing desensitises the reader, and finally succeeds in making them
bored and unsympathetic towards Becket. At least that was how I felt.
At one point, another hero thinks of who the protagonist
really is and how the entire story has come to be. For almost five pages, we’re
given all the details neatly wrapped in that person’s internal monologue. Yes,
it is helpful, but I would prefer Crow to give the details through the story
itself, rather than amassing so much info in such a straightforward way.
The romance between the two protagonists is a battle of
wills that frustrated me more than stimulated me. Every time things were about
to heat up, Becket stepped back, drowning in self-denial and shame and plain
stubbornness. Moods and mannerisms changed from playful and skillfully
seductive to aggressive and condescending in a matter of seconds. There isn’t
always a realistic explanation or a smooth transition from intense flirting and
absolute openness to anger, denial and irony. I would have preferred a more
subtle and even approach. Then again, I didn’t write the book, so what I would
have done is a matter of personal preference.
Crow has a very interesting and complex mythology as a
background, but the way this mythology is presented is chaotic and often
unconvincing, statements conflicting with actual happenings. We learn that
Becket belongs to a race that care about themselves only. However, throughout
the book Becket exhibits the exact opposite behaviour. I think Crow found the
idea plausible as an angle, but didn’t present it in a convincing manner. The
other members of the same race appear aloof and uncaring about everything, failing
to ignite even a spark of interest in me. They were figures in the background.
Even their imminent demise failed to stir any feeling. They felt two
dimensional.
To sum up, it is an interesting but uneven read, with
strong merits and equally strong flaws. If you enjoy long, dark, lyrical
descriptions with an anguished, tortured protagonist, mystery and gore thrown
in, you will love it. I struggled through it, loved some moments, hated others.
I would suggest trying it out for yourself.
*My star rating and what it means:
Zero stars: Why me?!? I do come across books that aren't really books, but brain damage in disguise.
For reasons you can all understand, I won't be publishing reviews on
them. I tend to become enraged and say things I later on regret.
One star: Meh... I didn't like it and won't be keeping it. It might be the book, or it might be me. I'll try to clarify in my review.
Two stars: Average/ Okay.
Either the kind of light/ undemanding book you read and don't remember
in a month, or suffering from flaws that prevented it from realising its
potential.
Three stars: Better than average. Good
moments, memorable characters and/ or plot, maybe good sense of
humour... Not to die for, but not feeling like you wasted your time and
money either.
Four stars: Wow, that was good! Definitely keeping it and checking to see what else I can buy from the same writer.
Five stars: Oh. My. Goodness. The
kind of book you buy as a gift to all your friends, praise to random
strangers on the bus, and re-read until the pages fall out and the
corners are no longer corners, but round.
