It’s so hard for me to articulate how much I loved this book. It’s such a glorious book I never would have read if it wasn't for Pagebound. It’s the sort of book that if it doesn’t grip you quickly, I don’t think it will grip you at all. That first chapter is emotionally devastating. The narrators were perfect, the plot gripping, and the ending on point. The ending is a perfect mix of violence, questioning and set-up for Fevered Star. It suits the promise of Serapio and to be honest, I’m glad Rebecca Roanhorse didn’t hold back. I adoret queernormality of the world. The term that one of Serapio’s tutors uses for the third gender is bayeki, and the accompanying pronoun, xe/xir, used most frequently for Iktan.

The story is told through the eyes of four narrators: Serapio, the Crow God Reborn, sheltered but so intimidating (I referred to him as a Godling); Naranpa, the Sun Priest, the first of her caste to rise to the highest office; Xialam, a Teek captain, passionate and strong; and Okoa, a Carrion Crow, the oldest son and heir to the role of shield (protector of the ruler of the caste). Each narrator has a distinct voice, history and past that influences their actions as the story goes on. Each chapter is introduced by a passage of text related to their background, a quote from their training usually, though the training for the four were all very different (as is only right). There is also a day in there, a countdown; pay attention, it’s important.

The story is all counting down to a convergence, an eclipse when the world will go dark, and things can change. The drama revolves around two things: the revenge Carrion Crow wants for an attack (the Night of Knives) on their people and upheaval in the Celestial Tower of Tova (Nara’s home). They interweave well, though they do, in some narrators' POVs, feel like more of an undercurrent than an active driving force. It’s not unwelcome to have a mix of plot-driven and character-driven POVs.

The entire side of the sea that Tova is on is matriarchal. I love it, so much. I need more matriarchies in my reading life. There is a more-than-matriarchal race too. The Teek who have the most devastating curse for a race of sailors I’ve heard in a long time. “May you drown in shallow water May your song be never heard May you fall in love with a man May your mouth ever fill with salt —Teek curse”

As an aside… for a while there, my mantra became, " Oh, shut up and fck off, Abha”— such an awful mean girl. I appreciate that we couldn’t see the whole game with her because the POV she was relevant to, Nara, couldn’t.

I listened to the audiobook and I was so glad I did. I find stories like this so much easier to follow, to remember who is where All four narrators were so well cast for their roles. Shaun Taylor-Corbett as Serapio was a stunning narrator for me. That voice that sounds like it’s almost rusty but unwavering and almost unnervingly calm. He was a perfect choice. It’s his performance that makes the first chapter so emotionally devastating. Nicole Lewis as Xiala has a passion that suits Xiala to the ocean. Xiala wears her heart on her sleeve that is not an easy role to play and Nicole was such a brilliant choice. Cara Gee as Naranpa. Cara does a calm sort of frustration well, and Nara is nothing is not frustrated for large parts of the book. But the way emotions that are heard during the conversations with Iktan are so well done. Kaipo Schwab as Okoa is a little odd; we don’t hear much of him, not enough. His steadfastness is effective it sounds so much like military precision. There is a pain in that voice that suits the character. Kaipo Schwab isn’t a narrator in book two; I’m assuming he’s been replaced. I can’t see Okoa not being POV in book two (though there is a five, not four, in Fevered Star)

I didn’t expect to listen to this in all but a single sitting. I devoured it. It was fascinating, compelling and not only well written by Pagan Kennedy but also well narrated by Claire Danes.

Pagan Kennedy has created a narrative you want to read to the end of. You want to know what happened to Marty, Marty, who gave us this thing that was not understood at first but now is so, so important. It’s far from the easiest read or listen, but it shouldn’t be. Martha ‘Marty’ Goddard was an amazing woman. So intelligent and aware of the social game she was playing. She didn’t take credit because she knew society (okay, men) wouldn’t accept a woman’s creation. If you are anything like me, you will get to the end and want to help a woman who has done so much for women be recognised for what she created in a time that is ready to recognise her.

I will say, though, I didn’t expect to see Hugh Hefner in this. My generation wasn’t taught what he did for women. He wanted women to have more autonomy. The Playboy Foundation? That did some real good for women that men, on the whole, at the time just wouldn’t do. Playboy had a lot more to do with Marty’s rape kit than I was expecting.

Pagan Kennedy’s look into the potential future of testing, one of the few good things to come out of COVID, is really interesting. It gave me the little hope and the silver lining I needed.

I want to thank Pagan Kennedy for writing not only Marty’s story but her own. Or at least part of her own; Pagan is a survivor (of more than one incident), and she does describe both in here. That takes bravery, bravery that we as readers need to acknowledge. There was a passage that hurt because, you know, things haven’t changed that much… “Like her, I had been a privileged girl who swam at the country club. And like her, I had been the collateral damage. The future presidents, generals, CIA operatives, lobbyists, and justices had to learn how to dominate, how to be ruthless. And so when we were young, they trapped us in a room in a lovely suburb like Bethesda and practiced their craft on girls like us. And there had been no way to defend ourselves against those golden boys, the ones who could do no wrong. Still, we tried.” This is from chapter 1; the her Kennedy is referring to is Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (if you remember, you remember), and this is also so, so relevant to Pagan’s own assault (Fck you, ‘Hunter’).

In a phrase: Oh the horror.

Please note the character rating here is standing in for the anedotes Caroline Criado Perez chooses to use, plot is standing in for the way they are used. In my opinion, the anecdotes are not connected enough.

I fully believe you need to have some tertiary education to read/ listen to and understand this. There is no handholding, you need to have some ability to understand academic writing to understand. So, disclosure: my degree is in Information Science (I'm a Librarian), and I developed an interest in sociology during my studies.

I would have loved to read this earlier, closer to it's publication date. It's 8 years old now and parts of it are feeling dated. I really hope that Perez writes an update or something akin to a coda in a couple of years when it hits 10 years old. So for framing its pre covid and I can only imagine the data we missed there.

I honestly thought we were past a lot of what is in here but oh how wrong I was, because I really can't see things changing over COVID and since then? Politics, and not just in the US, have been a sh!t show.