All the Birds in the Sky

I selected this book because I found it on a 2016 year-end “best of list.” While I enjoyed it, I don't think it earns a “best of” for my library. The characters - Patricia (the magic-based woman) and Laurence (the science-focused man) are compelling and likable. Yet, I think it would be a far more interesting novel if the somewhat stereotypical gender roles were flipped - he as the witch (warlock?) and she as the scientific genius. Regardless, the plot is engaging, but I'd have liked a more brisk pacing to the story. It kept my interest throughout, but I wouldn't call it a page turner. And the narrative seemed odd in places, e.g. something significant to the plot would be described in just a sentence which felt out of the flow of the story. In the end, I'm glad I read it, but I don't think it lives up to the hype of a “best of designation” nor the ecstatic praise given by the reviewers quoted on the flap and back of the book.