Robins, Madeleine E. - The Stone War

[oyceter]

A fantasy (despite the future setting, I think it's fantasy) of post-apocalyptic New York. Starts out good and atmospheric, ends with some plot points that make me want to spork things, most notably those having to do with the two women of color and the one older woman.

Points given for having more than one woman of color, and even more points for having a woman over 50, but still.

Also, I was rather unsatisfied with the conclusion; I think I wanted more of an explanation than there was.

Comments

[cofax7]

Huh. I got 3/4 of the way through this last month (up to the point where the kid decides he hates Tinjien and starts tormenting him), and then put it down. Not sure why, actually. I have been a bit cranky about the relationship stuff with the older woman (Margaret?), although I rather liked the tough young black woman and her no-nonsense attitudes.

... why have I forgotten everyone's names?

Also, I thought it likely that this novel could not have been published after September 2001.

[oyceter]

Oh good! You put it down just when it started to get sporky!

I thought the kid suddenly hating Tietjen felt like authorial plot-moving instead of something natural, and then everything sort of went downhill from there. I liked the young black woman a lot too, which is why I am irritated at what happened to her.

[cofax7]

So perhaps I don't need to finish it? Because Alan Furst is calling me...

[oyceter]

Yeah, I don't think you really need to -- you got to all the good parts, and I suspect the ending will just annoy you. There's a lot of accidents and death, and then a very quick resolution that feels tacked on.