I don’t think this book is that amazing on its own. I haven’t read the second book but I feel like depending on how good that book is, it will change my opinion on the first.
Everyone compares the book to dune and the name of the wind. But I think it’s really similar to Cormac McCarthy’s style. They both are written in a really similar style as if trying to paint a picture in your head instead of describing a scene as accurately as possible.
But the issue I had, was that McCarthy’s prose are poetic while this book’s were purple. In blood meridian, (the only McCarthy book I read so far) the descriptions were genuinely stunning. I never felt as if I was reading the author write but as if some god of art was painting a picture in my mind with words. Empire of silence’s prose, while beautiful, feel forced and heavy handed at times.
And I feel like the author keeps trying to give excuses for this by making the main character constantly repeat that he is melodramatic.
Another thing about the prose was that it interrupted the dialogue and the plot so much. Two characters can be having a conversation but the author stops the conversation for large chunks just to describe something mundane. It’s irritating because there’s like 3-4 lines of dialogue on the page and the rest is just mundane descriptions.
Another issue I had were that the side characters were so flat. And some are introduced but are never expanded on. Or some characters are introduced and are propped up to play a larger role in the story but disappear after 2-3 appearances.
I feel like if the book had more progression, it would feel more satisfying. But the ending leaves you thinking: “that’s it?” And it’s not helped by the fact that the marketing for the book compares it so much to red rising. (A series known for the climactic endings and amazing action)
At the end of the day, it feels bloated and unsatisfying and makes you wanting more, but not in a good way. But in the sense that you’re hungry, you have one bite of your food, and someone yanks the plate away.
by Feisty-Treacle3451