Review: so good!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 30, 2014
This is the second piece I've read by Maryna Dyachenko and Serhiy Dyachenko. The first being Vita Nostra, which I loved (or I did once I'd sat on it long enough to figure out what the heck was going on). The Burned Tower didn't disappoint either. It's a creepy, modern folk tale using familiar mythical creatures to tell a thought provoking story of redemption and forgiveness.There is a fairly lyrical quality to the writing that only has a tendency to fall apart on occasion. However, I strongly suspect this lies at the feet of the translator or is simply a failure of two languages to smoothly transition from one to another. Either way, it's a pleasure to read.My only real complaint is that a lot was left unsaid. The reader is given enough hints to suspect things, but not always enough to know things. No doubt, this is purposeful on the authors' part, but as a reader it can feel a little unsatisfying.I'm fast becoming a committed fan of this duo. The only English translation of their work that I haven't read yet is The Scar, but you can bet it's on my To Be Read list (toward the top even).