Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Wasby Angélica Gorodischer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
As with many books which are basically compilations of short stories, this had it's highs and lows. Mostly I found the stories interesting but not "page turners" in the strictest sense (in fact, sometimes I was a bit bored, hence the rating not being higher).
One thing I definitely enjoyed was the way the stories pulled together as tales from the history of an empire, at times alluding to other stories in the book. I can't think of another sci-fi/fantasy book I've read that takes on that particular method.
I also enjoyed that this was written as if it were being told to you in person by a storyteller. This was another unusual element in my reading experience and added another layer to the text. For certain my favorite story by far was "Portrait of the Empress," followed closely by "The Old Incense Road" which was actually quite funny in parts.
Overall a unique and interesting book worth reading.
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