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I have waited too long to review this book since I finished it over 3 weeks ago so I'll be brief give you six reasons why you should read this book if you're a fantasy fan: Where to begin? Okay, let me start by discussing the narrative style and world building, because this was exactly what drew me into the novel. Williams’ writing feels instantly like a classic fantasy; it’s elaborate, sophisticated and richly atmospheric, and I have always found this style comforting to read. So, naturally I became immersed from the outset. For example, throughout the book, almost every chapter begins with an extract from the character Vintage’s journal or private letters. Through these mini preludes the reader is slowly given pieces to the puzzle regarding the history of the Eboran race, the Jure’lia, the Winnowry and Ygseril. We discover, we question and make presumptions, much in the fashion of Vintage. Personally, this style reminded me of an Indiana Jones type of plot, mixed with a Victorian-esque setting and elegant prose and mystery, which I found was similar to Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft. I loved the way tension was slowly built up throughout The Ninth Rain and the sense of foreboding. This was fascinating, captivating and truly made the book unputdownable! While a huge victory for humans and Eborans, the fallout from the battle was disastrous. Wherever the ships of the Jure’lia violently met their end, some device or other machination of the defeated force caused a sort of infection or disease that corrupted the very place these vessels found their final resting place in. This ever-spreading corruption not only tainted vegetation, but also animals, resulting in monstrous abominations.
Hello, my name is Sarah and I'm a bloody shrimping idiot who should be slightly (if mercilessly) skewered for thinking about DNFing this book. Yes, my Little Flimsy Barnacles, it is indeed very shameful and sad and disgraceful and stuff, but it is nonetheless (and quite dramatically) true: I read the prologue and the first two chapters of this book and thought, " please kill me somebody I'm outta here puny humans to chop into pieces places to invade and all that crap," and bloody hellish fish what a complete, utter, tremendously brain-dead nitwit that makes me. This is one of those big, classical style fantasy books that could so easily have been lost to cliche and repetition if not for the skill and direction of the author.
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The synopsis of this book is really really confusing. I read it several times yet couldn't grasp on what it's supposed to mean...Therefore, you can say I started it blindly, knowing almost nothing about the trilogy. I only knew that our main character is 40 years old and possibly queer. That's it. And I really had no difficulties getting into it. The writing is very accessible. The book is fast paced. Explains the vast world and the magic system thoroughly. Just be patient and enjoy the company of the characters. The information will come to you by themselves. At it’s heart, I feel that The Ninth Rain’s excels in its wondrous characters. The three main protagonists significantly felt human; they each had flaws, vulnerabilities and complexities. Vintage was perhaps my favourite. Her lust for adventure; to learn all that she could, her obsessions, even though they often blindsided her, they were qualities to admire. Her sweet mannerisms and affectionate phrases, also made her extremely charming. She’s the kind of character that I just wanted as a best friend! Then we meet Fell-Noon, who was heartbreakingly vulnerable. Denied all human touch for most of her life, the mere hint of affection and kindness was something alien to her but something she treasured too. I wanted to hug her so badly. Tormalin, our more aristocratic, lighthearted character, was also a delight to read. His inability to watch his race slowly wither away, catalysts his journey away from Ebora, and consequently Tor grows in leaps and bounds. I could easily see myself bantering with Tor! Have you ever read a book where you love so much about it, you don’t even know where to begin explaining? Where you simply want to endlessly gush? If so, then you’ll know exactly how I feel right now. So, bear with me whilst I try to be coherent, and not keep on repeating, ‘I loved this book, now go read it, folks!!’, which basically sums up this entire review.
Hive Mind: The hive mind of the Jure'lia is explicitly compared to a spider's web, with the queen at the centre, and anyone connected to that web can experience the thoughts and feelings of anyone else also connected. Hestillion and Celaphon are willingly joined to the hive mind, while Bern is joined by force. Vintage is probably my favourite character as she’s an older lady with a distinct passion for discovery and treasure-hunting on the form of old artefacts. She is determined to find out the source of the Wild, massively overgrown or warped plants which seem to be spreading through their world, and she needs Tor to help her defend against the nasties in the world as she does so. She reminded me of a natural historian and I very much liked her sass, her entitlement, and her kind streak. She was easy to enjoy as a character and I really wish there were more like her shown in more fantasy books. It's not that I hate the characters, it's that Williams doesn't do anything at all to make me relate to them. I guess we're supposed to sympathize with Noon via the hardship and persecution she faces at the beginning of the book, but she just doesn't have anything you can call a personality trait unless being slightly more defiant than most of the other Winnowry prisoners counts, and that's just Day 1 fantasy protagonist fodder.The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams is the first book in The Winnowing Flame trilogy. This was my first novel by Williams, and I dived into it with high expectations, as many friends of mine have expressed much love for her books. I can firmly say I will now be joining other reviewers in singing Jen Williams’ praises too, as this book was simply spectacular. The Ninth Rain skilfully blends fantasy with sci-fi and mystery, it contains a grand Tolkien-esque world, and characters that feel incredibly real and fresh. This is very much high fantasy at the top of its game. Because it is such a fascinating history and I think this serves as an excellent hook for a story by an author that is not yet widely read, but should be.
Fell Noon is a winnow witch(a witch that can conjure green flames by taking energy from living things). She recently escaped from the winnorry, where they imprison women with magic. She ran into Vintage, who hired her to work with her. At its heart, The Ninth Rain excels in its wondrous characters. The three main protagonists felt significantly human; they each had flaws, vulnerabilities and complexities. Vintage was perhaps my favourite. Her lust for adventure; to learn all that she could, her obsessions, even though they often blindsided her, they were qualities to admire. Her sweet mannerisms and affectionate phrases, also made her extremely charming. She’s the kind of character that I just wanted as a best friend! Then we meet Fell-Noon, who was heartbreakingly vulnerable. Denied all human touch for most of her life, the mere hint of affection and kindness was something alien to her but something she treasured too. I wanted to hug her so badly. Tormalin, our more aristocratic, lighthearted character, was also a delight to read. His inability to watch his race slowly wither away, catalysts his journey away from Ebora, and consequently Tor grows in leaps and bounds. I could easily see myself bantering with Tor! Bittersweet Ending: By the end of The Poison Song, the Jure'lia are destroyed for good and Sarn is at peace at long last, but not without cost. All of Jarlsbad, and countless other settlements through Sarn, have been destroyed during the Ninth Rain, and the land is still covered with the worm people's varnish, poisoning it for generations to come. Noon is dead, having destroyed herself along with the Jure'lia, and all of her friends and loved ones feel her loss acutely - particularly Tormalin. However, the trilogy ends on an ultimately positive note: She Who Laughs restores Ygseril enough for it to produce its healing sap once again, thereby curing Ebora of the crimson flux at last. Furthermore, she decides to devote herself to removing the varnish from the land with her fire, thereby cleansing Sarn of the Jure'lia once and for all. The world building is great, It is a mix of fantasy with a bit of sci-fi, I think the word “”Weird” fits this book perfectly because I did not expect the enemies to be giant bug like creatures. At one point, I got strong Studio Ghibli vibes from this one and I started seeing it in my mind in that style and I mean this in the best possible way! The book is written in the third person, with multiple POVs, the writing is fun and easy to get through, and the POV switch was very well done.Tor, on the other hand, fled from Ebora a long time ago and has been largely making his money as a mercenary with particularly frequent missions for an older lady called Vintage. He is clearly very talented at fighting, being Eboran, and he is a loyal and honest man.
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