In the wondrous city of Serenissima, a strange shadow of Venice, time evades understanding and many species live in not-so-perfect harmony. A laborer’s dream unmasks a prophesy that promises to change a world that seems to defy change.
Hm, okay, how do I feel. Well, first of all, I’m absolutely obsessed with the premise of this world building. Serenissima is another world (or seemingly a nexus between many worlds) with a gate to Venice on Earth, though its existence is kept secret. Beings from many worlds all live in Serenissima, and on the occasion that they visit Venice their alien features are mistakes for Carnevale/Commedia Dell’Arte costumes. That last bit is so cool to me and I just love the concept but the rest of the book…I can take it or leave it.
The book is split into nine chapters, each with a different character POV. Usually I love multiple POVs and an ensemble cast, but the satisfaction comes from the ways that the POVs meaningfully interweave to create this more complex story. In this book we don’t really get that. I guess the POVs overlap, but there isn’t the sense that one is building on the other. It really drags the plot down as well because each POV involves a very lengthy explanation of the character’s backstory and info dumping about their species. By the time they’re done, I’ve lost the main plot line. I also think there’s very little distinction between each of the character’s narrative voices. They all kind of sound the same, and considering they’re entirely different species that really doesn’t make sense.
The plot is ultimately kind of anticlimactic. We’re told that this is a paradigm shift, but the dreamlike nature of Serenissima really deprives it of any stakes. It’s sad to see such a unique and magical world kind of fall flat, but the author would have had to go in a completely different direction for it to have worked.
This is definitely the book for someone, but I have some trouble recommending it. Never hurts to give it a shot, but if you aren’t into it pretty quick I don’t think you should try to stick it out.
Thank you to Jo Walton and Tor Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
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