Book
The unfinished land : a novel / Greg Bear.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781328589903
- Physical Description: 365 pages : map ; 24 cm
- Publisher: Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.
- Copyright: ©2021
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "A John Joseph Adams book." |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Fishers > Fiction. Shipwreck survival > Fiction. Islands > Fiction. Magic > Fiction. Southwold Bay, Battle of, England, 1672 > Fiction. Southwold (England) > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Fairy tales. Sea fiction. Historical fiction. Fantasy fiction. |
Available copies
- 4 of 4 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Terrace Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 4 total copies.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace Public Library | BEA (Text) | 35151001114206 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2020 December #2
In this Elizabethan historical fantasy, a young apprentice fisherman finds himself pushed north by strange currents to a ring of magic islands. After his uncle's fishing boat is commandeered by Queen Elizabeth to help the English fleet defend the island against King Philip's Spanish Armada, Reynard Shotwood finds himself the sole survivor on the floating ruins of his uncle's boat. Close to death after having spent days adrift at sea, he's pulled from the water by the crew of a Spanish war ship, itself severely damaged. Lost and in desperate need of food, the crew members are powerless to do anything as a current pushes them inexplicably north toward a ring of seven islands. Once on land, the men find themselves assailed during the night by vampiric creatures that consume time from their lives. Attempting to stay alive in a land of mythical creatures, Reynard discovers his arrival heralds great change for the islands' inhabitants. The premiseâa boy fatefully finding a mysterious land and beginning a magic-filled journey of self-discoveryâhas an undeniable hook. Additionally, Bear's exploration of various mythologies is a strength, and the fusion of folklore and fantasy creates a dreamlike sense of wonder in many sequences. Sadly, though, the story has no real power or sense of immediacy. Reynardâwho has no idea who or what he isâis reluctantly pulled along through the story, which is lacking in clarity and focus. This narrative murkiness, coupled with an overall lack of intensity, makes for a flat reading experience. Persistent readers, however, will be rewarded with an action-packed conclusion filled with bombshell revelations. Well conceived but deeply flawed. Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2020 October #3
With this apocalyptic Elizabethan fantasy, Hugo and Nebula award-winner Bear (
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly.Blood Music ) combines Irish myth, Shakespeare'sThe Tempest , and Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series into a circuitous trudge that neglects plot for prophecy. Fisherman Reynard Shotwood, 15, the sole survivor of a battle with the Spanish Armada, is rescued from his wrecked boat by a Spanish warship and lands on the mythic, monster-festooned islands of Tir Na Nog. Tir Na Nog's warring factions recognize Reynard as the bearer of a mysterious destiny central to their survivalâthough he must remain ignorant of his fate. To fulfill his purpose, Reynard searches the islands for the alien Craftersâeven as colonizing Spanish forces and slaving Eastern queens work to destroy the Crafters' technologically advanced works. Bear's prose is impressive, but readers may struggle to make sense of his surrealist dreamscapes and inconsistently applied Early Modern English. When the stylistic layers are peeled back, they reveal a disappointingly trope-ridden core: an overskilled young white man fighting against women and people of color to defend the technological wonders of Western civilization. This parable's expired punch line proves not worth the journey.Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Assoc. (Jan.)
