Review of Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory
Yaroslav Barsukov’s Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory (CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, 2024) is an expansion of his novella, “Tower of Mud and Straw,” which I reviewed previously. Now as a full length novel, the story expands beyond its earlier constraints and plays more with the theme of memories in this fantastical world!
The original novella is encompassed in this novel, but it now includes a secondary point-of-view character in Brienne, the architect of the eponymous tower of the novella. The insights into how she came to be an architect greatly expand her character, making the events even more heart-rending. Beyond that, the novel sees Shea Ashcroft in a new location, as he deciphers cryptic clues from others’ memories to understand the tower and what it might mean for his world and the countries within.
Much like in the original novella, Baruskov skillfully blends fantasy and otherworldly technology while increasing the political intrigue and introducing several new characters. The book skillfully weaves together darkness and light, injecting bits of humor here and there, even while dealing with the impacts of civil unrest and war on a populace. Memories underlie every inch of the novel, a fact that will keep many readers thinking about the topic for some time.
If you’d like a taste of Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory, you can still read the original novella, “Tower of Mud and Straw,” serialized at Metaphorosis Magazine (part 1 is here). But if you’d prefer to read the entire story, Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory will be out on November 12, 2024!
The author provided me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for review consideration.
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