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    Full Fathom Five
    Full Fathom Five
    Full Fathom Five
    Audiobook13 hours

    Full Fathom Five

    Written by Max Gladstone

    Narrated by Natalie Naudus

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    On the island of Kavekana, Priestess Kai builds gods to order-sort of. Kai's creations are perfect vehicles for Craftsmen and Craftswomen operating in the Old World. For beyond the ocean, true deities still thrive, untouched by the God Wars that transformed the city-states of Alt Coulumb and Dresediel Lex.

    When Kai tries to save a friend's dying idol, she's graveley injured-then sidelined from the business, her near-suicidal rescue attempt offered up as proof of her instability. But when Kai gets tired of hearing her boss, her coworkers, and her ex-boyfriend call her crazy, and digs into the cause of the idol's death, she uncovers a conspiracy of silence and fear that will break her if she can't break it first.

    Set in a phenomenally built world in which lawyers ride lightning bolts, souls are currency, and cities are powered by the remains of fallen gods, Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence introduces listeners to a modern fantasy landscape and an epic struggle to build a just society.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateFeb 19, 2019
    ISBN9781977344045
    Full Fathom Five
    Author

    Max Gladstone

    Max Gladstone is the author of the Hugo-nominated Craft Sequence, which Patrick Rothfuss called “stupefyingly good.” The sixth book, Ruin of Angels, was released September 2017. Max’s interactive mobile game Choice of the Deathless was nominated for the XYZZY Award, and his critically acclaimed short fiction has appeared on Tor and in Uncanny Magazine, and in anthologies such as XO Orpheus: Fifty New Myths and The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales. John Crowley described Max as “a true star of 21st-century fantasy.” Max has sung in Carnegie Hall and was once thrown from a horse in Mongolia.

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    Reviews for Full Fathom Five

    4/5

    192 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Full Fathom Five ist der dritte Teil aus dem Zyklus Craft Sequence von Autor Max Gladstone. Wie auch schon die beiden bisherigen Teile Three Parts Dead und Two Serpents Rise steht der Roman für sich alleine und kann ohne Kenntnis der Vorgänger gelesen werden.Max Gladstone widmet sich bisher in jedem seiner Romane einer anderen Kultur und Region auf der Weltkarte. Die Insel Kavekana in Full Fathom Five ist Hawaii nachempfunden und stellt einen neutralen Ort dar, der sich selbst verwaltet und weder unter dem Einfluss von Göttern noch von Skelettkönigen steht. Neben dem eindeutig tropischen Flair und einem ruhenden Vulkan als Zentrum der Insel, sorgen vor allem die ”Penitents“ – die Büßerstatuen – für ein beeindruckendes und gleichzeitig erschreckendes Bild. Bevor Kavekanas Götter in den Krieg gezogen sind, haben sie diese steinernen Statuen zum Schutz der Insel geschaffen. Sie dienen als polizeiliche Patrouille und gleichzeitig als Bestrafung für allerlei Straftaten. Das Besondere an ihnen ist, dass in jeder Statue ein straffällig gewordener Mensch steckt um zu büßen und reformiert zu werden. Die weiteren Details darüber sollte man lieber durch lesen des Buches entdecken, denn die sind einfach so cool, dass ich niemandem die Freude sie selbst zu entdecken nehmen möchte.Full Fathom Five folgt wechselweise den beiden Hauptfiguren Kai und Izza, stellt aber auch einige Nebencharaktere auf, deren Bedeutsamkeit für die Handlung erst spät gelüftet wird. Kai ist eine Priesterin auf Kavekana. Die Priesterschaft verwaltet die Insel von der Spitze des Vulkans aus, während sie auf die Rückkehr der Götter warten. Zu den Aufgaben von Kai und ihren Kollegen gehört es Idole für Kunden zu erschaffen, die anstelle von Göttern und im Auftrag der Kunden von ihr angebetet werden. Anders als echte Götter besitzen die Idole kein Bewusstsein und keine Fähigkeiten, sie sind eher wie Bankkonten zu betrachten. Doch genau daran bekommt Kai plötzlich Zweifel, was neben ihrer impulsiven Art dazu führt, dass sie ihren Job verliert und degradiert wird.Kai ist ein recht vielschichtiger Charakter mit einer interessanten Vergangenheit, denn sie wurde eigentlich als Mann geboren und hat sich währenend einer Zeremonie im heiligen Becken als Frau erneuern lassen. Der Autor hat auch schon in den früheren Büchern seine Liebe zur Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter und sexuellen Orientierung bewiesen, diesmal findet mit Kai also das Thema Transgender seinen Platz im Roman. Wie vom Autor gewohnt, behandelt er das Thema mit erfrischender Normalität als Teil seiner Welt. So führt Kai ein ganz normales Leben als Frau, die sich kürzlich von ihrem Partner getrennt hat (der selbst interessante Geschichten zu bieten hat). Sie ist ein wenig zu risikofreudig und glaubt oft alles im Alleingang machen zu müssen, was ihr in vielerlei Hinsicht das Leben erschwert.Straßenmädchen Izza ist aus ihrer alten Heimat geflohen und schlägt sich auf Kavekana als Diebin durch. Nachdem ihre Göttin verstorben ist, glaubt sie die Zeit sei gekommen um die Insel zu verlassen. Auch kommt sie langsam in das Alter wo sie sich fürchten muss in einer Büßerstatue zu enden, sollte man sie beim Stehlen erwischen. Dieses Schicksal fürchtet sie beinahe mehr als den Tod. Während Kai auf der Sonnenseite des Insellebens steht, befindet sich Izza am unteren Ende der Nahrungskette und sie ist es daher, die den Lesern die Intensität der Büßerstatuen verdeutlicht. Izza wäre gerne eine Einzelgängerin, doch sie schafft es nicht so recht ihr Herz zu ignorieren und riskiert ihr eigenes Leben, um das der jüngeren Straßenkinder zu schützen. Selbst als sie eine völlig Fremde trifft die gerade von zwei Statuen bedrängt wird, kann sie nicht anders, als der Frau zu helfen und sich damit selbst in Gefahr zu bringen. Am Ende hilft sie sogar einem Poeten mit Schreibblockade.Neben diesen beiden und anderen Figuren treffen wir am Rande auch auf alte Bekannte aus den vorherigen Büchern wieder. Teo aus Dresediel Lex interessiert sich hier z.B. für ein Idol, Cat aus Alt Coloumb möchte eine Entziehungskur von ihrer Göttin machen und Ms. Kevarian ist auf der Insel um den Verlust des Idols zu untersuchen. Wie eingangs schon gesagt muss man die Vorgängerbände aber nicht kennen, es ist aber ein nettes Gimmick für diejenigen, die die Bücher in chronologischer Reihenfolge gelesen haben.Es gibt Geheimnisse, verbotene Entdeckungen, Mord, Intrigen, humorvolle Szenen, ernsthafte Gedanken und viele tolle Ideen. Eigentlich ist Full Fathom Five also wieder ein Buch das man lesen muss. Für mich hat sich die Handlung lediglich zu stark durch wirtschaftliche Details in die Länge gezogen und man weiß ewig nicht worauf die ganze Sache eigentlich hinaus will. Im Grunde wäre das wahrscheinlich nicht so tragisch, wenn ich ein größerer Fan von Intrigen und Komplotten zwischen Konzernen und Investoren wäre. Es gibt aber immerhin einen temporeichen Endteil, der nicht nur die ersehnten Antworten liefert sondern zudem faszinierende Einblicke in die volle Bedeutung der Büßerstatuen erlaubt.
    • 5/5
      I'm really enjoying these novels! Life is good. I've got a few contemporary authors who keep 'em coming fresh and regular.
    • 4/5
      I find the world that Max Gladstone has created extremely fascinating. Its a world of hypercapitalism, but with gods, both living and dead, liches, the undead, and all manner of other fantasy creatures and humans vying for space in this complicated world. This book focuses on one small corner of this world, a place where priests manage idols for clients from all over the world, but something strange is happening here with the idols. They aren't supposed to be actual, living gods, but what happens when one dies? This premise is fascinating, but its the characters who carry the book. Kai is a priest who goes too deep into the mystery to find an easy way out, and Izza is a street kid thief, trying to decide whether to stay or go, but she plays a larger role than she realizes....I like how these books are standalone stories, but they also have characters who link them together. It makes the world a little more cohesive. This book has appearances of characters from other books, but they don't steal the spotlight from new characters. The way Max Gladstone constructs his stories is superb, every detail is just so. I savor these books when I read them.
    • 4/5
      Good continuation of the craft sequence. Read 5th, made sense and was quite enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      An Island Nation in the world of the Craft Sequence. A Priestess gets into trouble for trying to save an Idol...which is LIKE a God, but Less. It's a construct. But a Construct that is built upon Belief-- and Belief can be measured in Souls-- which can filled ledger sheets and be Loaned out to other financial concerns......Or a bad debt that can be call in...Who really loses when cold corporate interests are willing to snuff out a Gods and Idols to balance the Ledgers...or pay off unsavory interests?Complicated... and a joy to read.
    • 5/5
      UGH now I'm caught up so I have to wait for the 4th one :(((((
    • 1/5
      This book took me way longer than it should have to finish it, because it was very hard for me to get into it. Every time I put the book down, I just didn't have the desire to pick it back up again. There is an interesting story here, but I just can't connect with any of the characters. I have no feeling or sympathy for any of them with maybe a small exception for Ms. Kevarian, who is barely involved here.

      I generally don't like taking breaks in the middle of a series, but in this case, I think I have to. Maybe I'll give it another shot somewhere down the line.
    • 5/5
      Is it just me, or is Max Gladstone's writing becoming completely awesome? In this book about gods and poets, his prose is poetry. It's tasty, satisfying, glorious to read out loud. And it is so well-suited to the story. As to the story, every time I thought I had it figured out, he added another layer.

      The world of the Craft Sequence is so well thought out, and it seems as if Gladstone keeps expanding it, or at least expanding the tiny parts of it we as readers had not yet noticed.

      This book was especially cool because it brought in two minor characters, one from each of the previous books, and made them important to this story.

      Loved it. Cannot wait for the next one.
    • 5/5
      This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. It is an urban fantasy but it is way out of the box and I love the risks and the writing that Gladstone takes.
    • 5/5
      I think this is my favorite book of the series so far - I love the theology of the pool and the developing religion of the children.
    • 3/5
      Interesting idea of creating icons to store soul-stuff.
    • 4/5
      An excellent addition to this series - this time, a priesthood for hire his an unexpected deaths of their many Idols, created Gods, that are gods, but have many aspects of them.When Kai, a high priest in this organization, jumps into a pool to save Seven Alpha, it sets a string of events that includes a street urchin who worship strange, unknown Gods, and a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top.The writing is tight, with the plot always moving forward. The characters are interesting, acting in ways that make sense. Even the conflict at the end includes human motivation, no grand schemes here, well maybe a little.Last, this book is a stand alone story, although there are a few characters that make an appearance from the previous book.This a great world, that combines the best of the modern world and the best of a traditional fantasy world, to make something that is completely new, but entirely familiar.
    • 4/5
      This book is awesome. The main characters are compelling and interesting. There's a trans character whose trans-ness is relevant but her plot isn't about coming out or transitioning. The setting is interesting and well-built.
    • 5/5
      This novel introduces a whole new set of protagonists, focusing on a priest who works at what is essentially a bank for psychic power produced by worship—allowing depositors to use icons rather than less-controllable gods to store their power—and a street kid trying to keep out of the clutches of the enforcers who stuff criminals into painful, mind-altering stone suits. A few characters we know already show up, and have important roles in resolving the plot, but mostly it’s a romp through yet another system of magic, with the characters once again having to choose which kinds of suffering they’re willing to inflict to survive. I’m very interested to see where Gladstone goes next with this series.
    • 5/5
      Pros: complex plot, interesting characters, fascinating worldCons:Kavekana is an island with no gods of its own, where offshore interests can purchase an idol to store soulstuff. When the priestess Kai jumps into the sacred pool to try to save her co-worker’s created idol, Seven Alpha, her actions have many unforeseen consequences. Izza is a thief. When the Blue Lady she worships dies, she realizes it’s time to leave the island before her age makes her eligible for her crimes’ punishment: being placed inside one of the stone Penitents that guard the island. But she’s soon pulled into the mystery surrounding a poet who’s lost his inspiration, and Kai’s investigation.This is the third book published in Gladstone’s Craft Sequence series. While it stands alone, like the others, this one uses characters from the first two books and shows some aftermath from what’s come before. It’s storytelling that doesn’t alienate newcomers while giving more depth to those who’ve read the other books.The world-building, as with the previous books - is top notch. Gladstone’s created a world of interconnected everything: trade, tourism, religion, law, war, history, etc. There’s always the sense that there’s more to know, that each book is only scratching the surface, and with each book more of the world and its past and people are uncovered. Because the protagonists are from very different social strata, we get to see a lot of the island - security, police, tourism, slums, offices, etc. The characters are interesting. Kai and Izza are both challenged by what’s going on, attempting to solve several mysteries, if from different sides. The Penitents are a chilling - if effective - punishment, that evolves into a police force that’s 100% loyal. Even the poet has his moments. The plot weaves around and eventually comes to a satisfying conclusion, though one that takes place in a world that continues on after the book ends.These are fantastic books that take place in a fantasy realm with all the complexity of the real world. If you like well written fantasy with some mystery thrown in, and diverse characters, these are for you.
    • 4/5
      I've thoroughly enjoyed the previous two volumes in the series and anxiously awaited the third. It lived up to expectations, even though it didn't quite have the flow of #2 (Two Serpents Rise). Gladstone has a knack for writing books where characters feel contemporary even though they live in another world, one with magic, gods, undead kings, and all sorts of peculiarities. Sometimes the weirdness makes it hard to follow, but it's so much fun that I keep on reading. The two principal POVs were quite engaging: Kai, a transgender priestess and creator of idols for mass investment, and Izza, a street-wise girl whose goddess has died. The setting is inspired by Hawaii and felt brilliant and fresh with a secondary-world fantasy take.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comFrom the titles to the page, the first three books in the Craft Sequence marry numbers with magic. The stories themselves explore different parts of society, but always on the bedrock of a spiritual economy where soul stuff is traded and bartered to power the world. FULL FATHOM FIVE weaves together new and old characters on an island of idols and mysteries, infusing this broken world with a slowly building hope that is impossible to resist.As with THREE PARTS DEAD, this story starts in the clinical mechanics of a spiritual economy, and builds to aspirations of a more balanced world, if no better or “perfect” than the good intentions that preceded it. Having familiar faces from prior books working in the background added particular weight to the job of unraveling motives and mysteries in this book, as Cat and Teo and Ms. Kevarian effortlessly add tension to the background every time they appear. The Craft Sequence series works best when grounded in the more accessible elements of this exotic world, and the flowing character perspectives of FULL FATHOM FIVE give a gorgeous human weight to events as they unfold. With Kai, a priestess of the idols once born in the body of a man, and Izza, an orphaned refugee living in the cracks and shadows of society, the story presents both the center and fringes of this island in alternating chapters.All of the characters in this book slowly ratchet up the tension as you wait for them to intersect. Often times there is both the potential to join forces or collide, with no assurance of how the dominoes will fall. Gladstone is a master at building contagious emotions, and FULL FATHOM FIVE takes readers from wonder to despair to the most delicate of hopes. As deeply as I loved Alt Coulumb, now I find myself so hopeful and starry eyed for the island of Kevekana. Max Gladstone has done it again.Sexual Content: Non-explicit sex scenes.
    • 5/5
      Contrary to what the name might suggest, Full Fathom Five is the third book in Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence. However, if you haven’t read the first two, don’t worry. Each story in the series stands on its own, and you can easily read them in any order. I’d highly suggest doing so, for Full Fathom Five left me with a wild grin on my face. This isn’t a book to miss.The ladies on the cover are the two main protagonists of Full Fathom Five. Kai’s a priestess in her firm, which creates idols to store clients belief. When Kai takes a dangerous risk to save a dying idol, she’s removed from her position and sent to work in sales. But something doesn’t add up – when she was rescuing the idol, she could swear she heard it speak, which is impossible. Also noteworthy about Kai is that she’s a trans woman - she was born into a body that didn’t fit. When she was initiated into the priesthood, she was able to change her body to match her soul.Izza is a refugee living as a street child, but she’s getting older. Soon, she’ll be old enough that if she’s caught stealing, she’ll be forced into a Penitent – a stone body that acts as an enforcer for the police. Izza is desperate to leave before this happens, but she’s reluctant to leave behind the younger children, whom view her as a high priestess of sorts to their Blue Lady.One of the things I really loved about Full Fathom Five was the presence of multiple awesome female characters. There’s four different women in this book who are portrayed as strong and capable, and they work together to save the day!Besides the amazing female protagonists, my favorite thing about the book would have to be the world building. The entire story takes place upon the island of Kavekana, a setting reminiscent of Hawaii. Kavekana is an independent country that relies upon the Order, the firm to which Kai belongs, and their tourism sector to support their economy and keep their island independent. Times are changing around Kavekana. Fifty years ago, their gods rowed off to fight in the God Wars, and since then, nothing has been the same.Full Fathom Five is a fun, rollicking ride that I’d recommend to anyone accustomed to the fantasy genre – the intense world building might be a bit hard on beginners, but is perfect for anyone looking for something outside of the usual medieval European fare. With an awesome group of female leads, a diverse cast, an intriguing plot line, and some really beautiful writing, Full Fathom Five is a must read.