I did feel his initial relationship with Jissavet was a bit too slight given their later closeness, and the pacing is sometimes uneven.
Characterisation is strong, I always had an excellent sense of Jevick's motivations and, through his eyes, those of the characters he meets. The novel's quiet, thoughtful prose is erudite and at times beautiful. Later in the book he embarks on teaching his own community to read, and sharing the joy that comes from his experiences with them. Jevick's early distrust of books, which do not exist on his home island and where people do not read, gives way to almost drowning in the stories and ideas he finds on the pages of his tutor's collection. The book is also a love letter to the idea of reading stories and collecting books, which will no doubt warm the hearts of almost all book readers. He does have his own character arc though: Jevick's status as an outsider to Olondria gives him a fresh perspective on the empire and its complex royal and religious politics, but also makes him a pawn in the game between the two sides, one of whom imprisons him for insanity and the other liberates him as a symbol of resistance. Jevick's function is sometimes less that of a protagonist than a sounding board or sponge, soaking up other characters' stories. There are very occasional bursts of action (a brief brawl, a confused flight through the countryside) but the book reveals its story and intentions through dialogue, thoughts and smaller short stories which are inset through the narrative. Le Guin, but with a unique atmosphere that is the author's own. The novel's writing reminded me in turn of Guy Gavriel Kay and Ursula K. An unusual book, the novel is not a traditional epic or secondary world fantasy, despite a vividly composed world with well thought-out histories, customs and geography, but a tone and mood piece hinging on themes such as learning, regret, language and the essence of story. Soon civil war threatens the country and Jevick embarks on a journey to rid himself of his spiritual discomfort, unaware of the events that will be set in motion.įirst published in 2013, A Stranger in Olondria is the debut novel by the poet Sofia Samatar. Circumstances lead Jevick to Bain, Olondria's cultured capital, where he fills his days with parties and books, but he is also haunted by an encounter with a dying girl from his own land.
He is given a tutor from the far-off empire of Olondria, who teaches him to read and fills his head with stories of that distant land. Jevick of Tyom has grown up on an isolated island.
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