Tread of Angels
Rebecca Roanhorse
A short story with a long prolog
My reaction on beginning to read Tread of Angels was "Wow! Roanhorse just leaps right into the action without any exposition. That's an unusual way to begin a new fantasy novel." In truth I was a little disoriented at first.
However, I soon noticed that the plot was designed so as propel Celeste, our heroine and first-person narrator, around the town of Goetia, and to meetings with the most important and colorful of Goetia's citizens. So then I realized I had been mistaken: Roanhorse didn't leap into the action without exposition -- this was the exposition. Unfortunately, as plot it was pretty dry. I literally found it difficult to stay awake through this part. (One advantage a kindle has over a paperback is that you don't lose your place when you doze off and drop it.)
So then, I thought, "This is the introduction to a new series. I'll probably have to read the next book to get to the good stuff." OK, fine. But then, at about the 85% mark, I was startled when things suddenly got much more interesting. At that point, with 15% left to go, Roanhorse leapt into a story. It's a very good story, in which lots of interesting and unexpected stuff happens that deepens ones understanding of the characters. Staying awake was no longer difficult. Since Tread of Angels is short, a novella, really, and the really satisfying story is only 15% of it, it's basically a short story.
It is not uncommon to begin a novel with a short chapter describing events that happen before the main story and set it up. That short chapter is called a prolog. The first 85% of Tread of Angels seems like a long prolog for the short story with which it ends.
Thus, Tread of Angels is a three-star vanilla sundae with a four-star cherry on top.
I still have a question about Tread of Angels. Is it the start of a new series, or is it a standalone? It certainly feels like the start of a series. It introduces a new world and new characters and leaves them in ambiguous, unstable positions, with lots of open questions. If there's a sequel, I will read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reader's copy of Tread of Angels.