Fathomfolk

DNF - PG 33

Why?

Oh, so many, many reasons.

TL;DR
The short answer is because I don't like the characters or the writing style.

The long answer...

WARNING: Minor climax spoilers not hidden. Major climax spoilers hidden.

I went back and forth a lot on whether or not I should just dnf this book and move on. The thing is, I love the idea for it. The concept is so brilliant and inventive and I've just never seen world building like this before.

When I sat down with this book, I was prepared for lots of powerful descriptions and a real melting pot. I thought the book was going to be a fathomfolk diaspora with lots of racial commentary. So, I was admittedly not sure how much I would personally enjoy it, but I was so excited to start reading.

I read the first page or so probably four or five times before I actually started the book - and every single time I was intending to keep reading, but there was just no hook for me. The writing feels very plodding, like a lot of words were just padding and, really, unneeded.

Each extremely short chapter averages under 7 pages and then we have a POV change. Usually this would work for me, at least somewhat, but this isn't a far-flung cast. Mira (MC 1) is dating Kai who is Nami's (MC 2) brother. And Mira and Serena (MC 3) meet before the 30 page mark.

And those three MC's? I'm not even slightly interested in any of them. They are all so narrow minded, bigoted people that I don't want to read about them.

It was such drag-y, slow going for me (I started it June 11th, it is now July 3rd. I managed to read 35 pages) that I went to read reviews and see what people had to say. I found reviews talking about the big ending twist. (I already knew there's to be a second book in the series.) So, out of curiosity, I spoiled myself.

Since then, I have struggled even more with the book because the big twist doesn't work at all for me with what type of book this was purported to be.

On the back cover it says ‘A thrilling, incisive fantasy of diaspora [...].' The diaspora appears (after 35 pages and reading many reviews) to be of the fathomfolk (‘sirens, seawitches, kelpies, and kappas' are also specifically mentioned on the back cover).

The big ending twist is suddenly and completely against their will, all the humans of (at least) Tiankawi (the city) sprout gills to save them from a tsunami because of a wish that Nami makes.

I don't see how this ending works with the story that is apparently being told. To me it totally negates the conflict of the story.

I will be curious to read the reviews for the sequel to see how this ties into the story, but... I just don't get it. (Also this is unwilling body modification which I am kind of squicked out by, especially considering we get this description: 'Almost simultaneously, a woman screamed. Rubbing at her son's neck, at the newly formed gills as if they were dirt stains to be removed. She ran her hands down her own neck, eyes widening in horror at what she found.') (Also, also this seems to be - do note how little I actually read - a case of either ‘magic can do ANYTHING' or meddling gods. Possibly both.)