The Traitor Baru Cormorant is the first novel by veteran short story author Seth Dickinson. The series it kicks off is now a trilogy with rumors of a fourth volume in the works. The novel is a fantasy only in the sense that it is set in an imaginary preindustrial world. No magic. No dragons. Baru, our heroine, grew up on an island where polyandry and same-sex relationships are the norm. She is a math prodigy who grows up to become an accountant for the colonial empire that rules her island. She is ambitious, setting herself to learn the secrets of imperial power. Her quest ensnares her in a Machiavellian world of secrecy, espionage, and betrayal. She uses her analytical skills and her knowledge of logistics to become an unlikely military leader. Asked if she is a general, she says no, but she knows about supply lines. My main complaint is that there are not enough scenes where she uses her mental gifts to solve problems. Nevertheless, Dickinson is a craftsman, and Baru is a tough character in a tough world. 4 stars. ( )

Great read, nothing more to say - discover it yourself. ( )

"This is the truth. You will know because it hurts."

You will think you are warned, but you are not warned.

It hurts. Fuck this earth. ( )

Hard fantasy que não envolve dragões, elfos, magias e provavelmente nada do que você esperava de típico do gênero. A protagonista Baru Cormorant bola estratégias políticas para chegar ao seu objetivo utilizando a moeda e economia, coisas que ela entende muito bem por ter crescido se destacando em matemática e eventualmente virando contadora de Ardwynn. Aqui também tem muito assassinato e, pro final, batalhas sangrentas, mas o que mais me chamou atenção foia profissão da protagonista mesmo.

Se for pra resumir muito basicamente o livro, ele trata muito de colonização e o apagamento da cultura local para estabelecer a cultura e ideologias de quem está colonizando. Vemos isso logo no primeiro capítulo onde Taranoke, a ilha onde Baru nasceu, é tomada aos poucos pela República Imperial de Falcrest.

A protagonista decide que vai se infiltrar nos Masquerade para destruí-los de dentro para fora e libertar Taranoke... porém no desenrolar da história aprendemos que isso tem um custo muito grande. Baru não quer saber de tomar a ilha de volta apenas por meios "bons" - ela está disposta a se tornar uma vilã.

Um pouco fraco no meio, porém com um inicio que te prende fácil e um final que te faz gritar, The Traitor Baru Cormorant é um baita livro que vale muito a pena enfrentar mesmo em inglês. Infelizmente por ser hard fantasy e ainda por cima um hard fantasy sem magia, eu não tenho esperanças que seja publicado no Brasil tão cedo. ( )

DNF at 61%

I guess I am not finishing yet one more book that started really strong. This happened twice this year already.

As I mentioned, I really liked the first chapters of this book. I liked the setting, little Baru and her family and I was intrigued about the colonialism themes. However, as soon as the time jump happens and Baru starts working as an accountant I found myself being less interested with each page. The book suddenly became really boring and I didn't care about anything. I stopped connecting even with Baru and the other characters weren't developed enough.

This is one of my biggest disappointments because so many people praised the characters and plot and were destroyed and in tears by the end of this book. I wanted to cry too, but I am not invested enough so I know that will not happen and if I continue to read this I will just slowly start to hate it like I do every book I force myself to finish. So, it's best to put it down and leave it unrated.