Kadomi reviewed The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
Review of 'The Cloud Roads' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
What a lovely surprise this book was! Few fantasy books are very creative when it comes to races in world-building. Not so in this series. The Three Worlds felt different and very distinctive. Our protagonist is Moon who has moved from groundling tribe to groundling tribe in hopes of fitting in. But he is not a groundling. He can shift to be a creature with wings and claws similar to the most hated race of the world, the Fell, which inevitably gets him kicked out of settlements once people find out he shifts. When he gets kicked out again from his latest home, he is rescued from certain death by a member of his own race that he didn't even know existed. Stone brings him back to his tribe of the Raksura, where it turns out that not only Moon is a Raksura, but one of the rare consorts who …
What a lovely surprise this book was! Few fantasy books are very creative when it comes to races in world-building. Not so in this series. The Three Worlds felt different and very distinctive. Our protagonist is Moon who has moved from groundling tribe to groundling tribe in hopes of fitting in. But he is not a groundling. He can shift to be a creature with wings and claws similar to the most hated race of the world, the Fell, which inevitably gets him kicked out of settlements once people find out he shifts. When he gets kicked out again from his latest home, he is rescued from certain death by a member of his own race that he didn't even know existed. Stone brings him back to his tribe of the Raksura, where it turns out that not only Moon is a Raksura, but one of the rare consorts who can breed with a queen. But as Moon tries to figure out if he can fit in with his own people, an attack of the vilest sort is imminent from the Fell.
We have great world-building, with mysterious islands in the sky full of ruins, flying ships, and a race full of kickass-women like Jade, Flower and Pearl. Greatly enjoyed, will definitely read on.