Confusing and difficult to read, I was never really sure what was happening in "The Seventh Perfection" by Daniel Polansky because there were simply too many terms, concepts, and world-building lore conversations wrapped up in every page. Some reader out there may enjoy the, uh, complexity of the whole thing but in general it felt like I was simply reading words on a page because I never was really clear what the plot or conflict even were.

Thanks to Tor books for a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy for this novella which comes out September 22! This review is entirely my opinion.

The Quest
Manet is Amanuensis to the GodKing and has attained all Seven Perfections, the last one being a perfect memory; being able to recall everything with perfect clarity. A locket with a faded hologram of a woman has come into her possession. Who is this woman and where did the locket come from? Why is everyone determined she not search for the truth?

The Truth
Manet is asking questions she shouldn’t ask. Why are some people determined she not search for answers? What is the truth really? Turns out the truth is a relative thing. It changes with each perspective and is rewritten by those in power. If Manet continues pulling at this loose string it might unravel the very fabric of her city all the way up to the Godking and even herself, if she is not careful.

A story, altered and added to with every telling, the rough edges evened out. Who is to say that mine is any more accurate than your would be historian’s?

My thoughts

This relatively short read is unlike anything I’ve read. The style is unique and it is one of the things that hooked me. The chapters are mostly composed of people talking to her as she questions them. The style is a bit challenging and fun since you sometimes have to deduce things based on their answers. One thing leads to another like a puzzle as Manet gets closer to the truth, if there is such a thing anymore.

The style, the mystery, the questionable nature of some characters and this quest for the truth had me hooked. It was quite enjoyable although at times I’m not sure I fully grasped certain things and found myself rereading certain passages.

I found this to be a good palate cleanser between books and I highly recommend this if you want something quick and interesting to read with some food for thought.

I’m giving this one 4 out of 5 mortars.

This is the first book I've read by Polansky, and I'm very tempted to expand to read more in the near future. The Seventh Perfection is a little bit challenging, because it's all narrated by various people who are speaking to the main character -- a different one in each chapter. It's a format you have to have a bit of patience with, as these voices don't necessarily know what's on the main character's mind and what they're searching for, and there's plenty of room for red herrings. I hadn't read the blurb recently, so I had very little to guide me going in... and that turned out to be all the more fun, trying to fit the story together and learn about the world from only the hints in the text.

I think that's honestly the most notable thing about this book -- not so much the story, or the world, though there are fascinating bits of that I'd love some more answers to -- but mostly the narration, the clever way things are fed to you a very little at a time. It works so very well, and though I can quite understand other people not getting along with it, I'm very enthused.

This book is innovative! It's told through a brand new perspective each chapter, with each time an additional character chatting with Manet as she tries to uncover secrets that the God-King desires to stay hidden as a result of it destroying him. In this world, there are seven perfections, all things that Manet must master. And Manet is one among those that have mastered all seven. I found this book to be terribly distinctive and really brightly told. It's one which may take additional readings, however it had been a creative adventure. I generally don't care for books with several views as often results in story crowding, however, this book accomplished making all of the various voices distinctive. I would definitely read this again.

"We live in the aftermath of that great tale; we are the happily ever after. What lucky creatures! How blessed! Suppose-- purely as an academic aside, you understand -- suppose that story had been tinkered with at the edges. Suppose that story were only eighty percent true, or seventy-five. What would that change?"

This is a strange little novella, which, by the way, I do not mean in a derogatory way in the slightest. It's a story of a woman seeking information about a woman depicted in a locket. That may not be strange, but the narrative style is. Everything is told in second person through conversations the protagonist has, and the reader only sees what the other party is saying. We are left to fill in the blanks about what our apparently spiraling-out-of-control main character is saying and doing in these interactions. Any setting or action information comes through what these other actors have to say. It takes active thought to follow events as they unfold.

It's a fascinating experiment that perhaps serves more as a philosophical exercise than a story. How is a person framed by our interactions with others? What is truth? What are the implications of power?

My only criticism is that through this unique storytelling approach, I was logically invested but not emotionally. The protagonist is an intentionally distant figure, as well as the world at large. I recommend it to someone seeking an intriguing and mind-twisting little endeavor.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tordotcom for the opportunity to read and review this novella!

Wow, I'm both so happy and a little shocked that The Seventh Perfection worked for me! Imagine playing one of those older style PC click adventure/mystery games. You know, the ones where you walk up to people and they act as if you have talked to them, but you don't choose your words. The Seventh Perfection is sort of like that.

You (the reader) are Manet, a highly-trained slave of the God-king. And Manet is going through the novel looking for answers about something, and the entire novella is various people talking to Manet. I cannot really tell you much more about the plot without spoiling things. But it's basically a sci-fi(ish) mystery novella that immerses you into the story in a unique and very compelling way.

It is in 2nd person, which I know for some people is pretty much going to be a non-starter, but I really think you should give it a try anyway! I requested the ARC because the premise sounded super interesting. Then I found out about the 2nd person and I kind of freaked out. But it ended up not being like most 2nd person books I've tried.

And, wow, Daniel Polansky has blown me away, because even though you only every get one side of the conversation, there is a fully fleshed-out world and sense of place and atmosphere that is revealed to you by the end. While The Seventh Perfection is only about 120 pages, I really recommend that you take a little time to read this novella, because it will be a much better experience if you allow yourself to question and discover along with Manet, and to fill in those dialogue gaps for yourself.

I think Polansky has done a MASTERFUL job inviting the reader to participate in the story while not sacrifing on ideas, worldbuilding, and nuance. I think really focusing in on the mystery element made it feel more like a game and I was much more invested. No question that this is rather experimental, but The Seventh Perfection is an absolutely immersive reading experience, and I already want more stories like this. 4.5/5 stars.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I skimmed the synopsis of this one: when I saw the number of pages and the length of the synopsis, I felt I would be less surprised if I read it thoroughly! And I was right!

So, if you want to go blind in this novella, just know that it's original, strange to the point of being somewhat fascinating, and really surprising in its ending!


If you want to know more, keep reading!

What surprised me first was the format of this book: it's a multiple-pov novella told exclusively in the answers the narrator, Manet, gets. We never "hear" her voice. And still, as we go on, we get attached to her, to her dangerous quest for truth; we want to understand what she is looking for, who she is, what is really her position in the hierarchy of this government, who is the God King, who is Amata, what's their story, what happened, and why is Manet involved? A lot of questions crowd in the reader's mind; at some points, you just want to keep reading without stopping until you know.

The plot is really just that: Manet's quest for truth. Truth about what? I won't tell you, it would be giving too much!
The novella deals with different topics, notably Manet's role of Amatuensis - a word which won't be explained, but which defines her "job" - and the seven perfections. Little by little, we understand what are the perfections, what is the seventh, even if we don't really understand why it gives the novella its name.

The ending is really the point when the entire novella makes sense, and more: a whole new thought emerges, and it's just SO GOOD!


I won't spoil anything but, just a word to conclude: brilliant!

The Seventh Perfection is a story about a woman called Manet, who has an eidetic memory. Manet sets out to solve a riddle, in doing so, she could bring a whole city crashing down. To become the God-King's Amanuensis (artistic assistant), Manet has to master all seven perfections, developing her body and mind to the peak of human performance. But Manet remembers everything that has happened to her, with absolute clarity. A gift that will surely drive her mad. But before she goes, Manet must unravel a secret which threatens not only the carefully prepared myths of the God-King's ascent but her own identity and the nature of truth itself.

One of the most important points about The Seventh Perfection is the narrative structure. The story is told in the second-person narrative. Each chapter is effectively the other side of someone’s dialogue, At times this felt like having a one-sided conversation with yourself. You pick up on the questions Manet asks, construct an image of her but based entirely on the perceptions of others.

As part of the structure, you start to understand Manet, just not through her own eyes, which can take some getting used to. Equally, you understand the people Manet speaks to through their words, their silences, their pauses, what they fight not to answer and what they divulge freely. This story is told entirely from its dialogue. The world is as richly drawn and real as any other, and it's rather impressive, and this makes it feel unique. It can be challenging but rewarding at the same time. If you can get your head around this narrative structure, you'll be rewarded.

For me...the most interesting aspect of this book is the idea of who writes history, who benefits from history when does history become a myth. what are the consequences of pursuing the truth to its bitter end? A unique and utterly compelling story, and a book I would read again!

Thanks to #Tor and #NetGalley for providing this free eARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own

What an absolutely fascinating construction for a tale! A woman made by the God-King and blessed with a perfect memory, Manet, hunts down the mystery of the woman she doesn't know in a locket she received. This epic fantasy mystery is entirely told via the conversations that she has with everyone she encounters, but only them. Manet's reactions and half of the dialogue are implied or referenced, but the only words on the page are those of her interlocutor.

This results in a strange feeling of both being and watching Manet, where everything from her personality tot he city she walks through is built by interpretation, reference, and implication. This means that the tension of Manet's persecution ends up being more personal, more heart-stopping, more dangerous. It means that you learn about the world -- culture, society, history -- from the voices of the people directly, without even Manet's filter, or the editorializing of narration.

Polansky uses this to his advantage to make sure to bring in many of the things that we recognize from today: tyranny, student protests and massacres, gentrification, and so on, And it is the fact that they are addressed that makes the world of the Seventh Perfection feel more lived in, bloodier and deeper. The Seventh Perfection is a wonderfully weird tale and world, intriguing from the beginning to learn who, exactly, is the woman?

It is been a few days since I haver finished the reading of "The Seventh Perfection", but I had to organize my feelings about It before writing this review.

The style of narrative was something entirely new to me, and it took me a while to get used to it, but at the end I not only liked it, but felt it makes sense with the story too.

I was unable to relate to Manet, what kind of bothered me a little, but I understand that this is a plot-driven more than a character-driven book. The most amazing thing is that, even being full of blanks spaces, I was able to build that world in my mind.

It's a good depiction of the political system: people in power change, but nothing else really changes. I highly recommend the book, this reading was a great experience.

I want to thank the author, the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted on GR.

First I would like to thank netgalley and the publishers!

This was... Something else. I recommend to anyone who says SFF is all the same. The format is unlike anything I have ever read before and though that made a little hard to get into, once I understood enough, I managed to get through a lot of chapters just because i wanted to know what happened next . It's confusing at first but then It becomes really interesting to read.

And for the most of it, i thought it was a 4 star book. Because of the limitations of a the one person narrative, there is a limit on world building and character development( which there isnt a lot of fyi) but the style was enough for me to get invested to keep going.

The final chapters were really good. Really good and interesting to read and they start out to close some of the many threads, but then Very final chapters ends and I was like wait thats it? We are not going to get anymore? And there wasnt.

Have you ever felt a book ended a chapter or two too early? The fact that a book this short failed to have a satisfying end was what made it go from a 4 star to a 3.5 stars at most.

Still a very unique read and I would be in the look out for other books the author writes.

This is going to be a difficult book to review.

To start, I enjoyed this. Yes, different styles appeal to me, but Polansky has written something engaging and intriguing that kept pulling me back, despite not having a central narrator. To elaborate; The Seventh Perfection is a tale of revolution, of revisionism, of mystery. We have a central view point, a woman who investigating a strange hologram locket. The story is told by the people she interviews, their dialogue like a stream of consciousness. They respond to her questions, yet we never see them, never can tell what our view point is doing or saying. And so it goes, one interviewee leading to the next, dropping hints for who to seek out, who might have an answer.

Seventh Perfection tells two stories really. The first is our present, the investigation. The second is the past, of a revolution to overthrow the previous ruler. A God, supposedly. Whether there were or not, who can say. They fell and were replaced at the end of the day. And like all good revolutions, there are always those who lament what is lost, of a glorious past. And these too our investigator talks to.

Impressions, impressions. The first few chapters threw me; who wouldn't? It's a strange choice in narrative voice, and not one I'd come across before. Quickly I found myself reading chapter after chapter, curious to see who would come next. By and large, each of these interactions felt separate; while some were so strange it would be hard to mistake, I never felt like the voices were too close for different characters.

This is the second Polansky I've read, the first being The Builders, and his writing style I quite like. I should probably try and hunt down some longer form fiction of his at some point. It's not overly descriptive, but at the same time doesn't stray into overly workmanlike. Again, it's hard to really describe his writing, for we're not given anything that you could consider traditional. There's no real description of the world, just brief glimpses we get as people recollect history. There's barely any description of characters, unless we double back onto another who knows a previous speaker. Frustratingly, I can't tell you more.

I end on the ending. I'm not sure what happened, not really. There are hints, but how Polansky wants us to interpret them, I'm at a bit of a loss. Was it deliberate? Would it have benefited from another chapter or two? I can't say, and considering the stylistic choices, it's hard to see how more would have achieved anything else. I want to know more, and that's always a good hook.

I was given a copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my introduction to Daniel Polansky. It was beautifully written, and a different format than I am use to. However, it work, as Manet unravels the everything that has happened. Will need to read more of Polansky.

Well, this was a unique reading experience. The entire story is told through dialogue with other characters, albeit one side of the dialogue as we don't know what the protagonist, Manet, thinks of the whole matter. We learn of her character through her interactions with other characters, the things she goes through (and she goes through quite a bit). It's fun in its uniqueness, the cast of characters she encounters quite colourful with their own voices and personalities.

Having said that, it does requite quite a bit of concentration to read through this, to get your bearings; by no means is this a light book you can quickly read through. And trying to understand what Manet was trying to do and understand what was happening to her was quite the road of twists and turns, of mysteries about herself and what it means to ascent. I'm not entirely I understood what happened myself.

This certainly will require a second read but overall I thought <i>The Seventh Perfection</i> was a unique read with a different narrative approach. Readers of fantasy looking for a different read will want to check this title out.

Rating: 3.5/5

I finished this one yesterday and I'm still trying to put into words what I felt while I read it.

The book has a unique point of view presenting a series of conversation between Manet and a series of characters while she investigates about about the image of a woman in a locker: who is she and is she in some way related to Manet?

What is unique about the book is that it is written as the reader is the main character and we only read the other part of the conversation.

It may seem confusing at first but the strangeness fades as your reading advances.

I read it slowly because I didn't have the time to do differently but I think it is a one sitting king of book.

A woman with a perfect memory. A series of conversations. A mystery at the heart of an ancient city, that could bring the central Spire and the God King on its top crumbling down. Manet remembers everything that happens to her, ever since she has achieved the seventh perfection--perfect Memory. As she tries to unravel the true story of the God King's ascent, she finds out more and more hidden secrets about her past, secrets that could drive her mad...

It is very rare to find a book as utterly original as this one. Written in second person, in a series of one-sided conversations, it makes you pay attention and concentrate from the very first page. This is such an interesting story that grips you tightly as the mystery at its centre is slowly unravelled. It manages to brilliantly characterize the main character, (almost) without ever hearing her speak at all. Due to the nature of the storytelling, it is told by a wild array of different narrative voices, one more interesting than the other.

And of course we have to mention the cover! God, the cover! I would buy it as a poster if I could, that's how gorgeous it is.

Every single time I pick up a tor.com book, I wonder whether they'll be able to pull it off again, and they never disappoint. This, too, is such a massive success--probably very different from the other books you'll read this year, but in a brilliant way. A plot that is never fully revealed, that makes you think, and figure things out yourself. I enjoyed this book so much!

The Seventh Perfection is written in a very unique way. It's written as if you are Manet having conversations with a different person in each chapter as you/she are/is on a quest. This style was a new reading experience; however I felt disconnected from all the characters and the environment. Some areas were described, but in conversations about the past or directions to another place. It was confusing when there was more than one character in a scene because it didn't say which one was talking to Manet and I didn't have a "voice" in my head for the different characters since they weren't described.

I think the style of you being the main character is very unique and intriguing. I just wish there was more details to help imagine the surroundings and experience. I'll be very interested in a book that goes through Manet's quest of mastering the seven perfections.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Note: I will post the review on the release day.

This is one of those "what the hell did I just read??" books. Told entirely in one-sided dialogue (think how in Legend of Zelda games, Link never speaks, though there are occasional gaps where his dialogue would go and people talk to him as though he's talking back - it's like that) and each chapter a different person speaks to Manet (our MC, our eyes, ourself), with a few people being visited twice.

When I first started this novella, I was worried that I was missing something, that there was some previous work I needed to have read in order to understand what was going on, but the style was fascinating and so I kept at it. And I couldn't stop. There are so many interesting themes: obsession, victim blaming, who writes history, public justice, sacrifice, truth... Also, this would make an amazing full-cast audiobook. Seriously.

Alas it only gets a four because I still feel confused and vaguely unsettled, feeling like this is some kind of lengthy introduction to something else - or maybe a conclusion? But I'm absolutely going to be seeking out other works by this author. Because this was brilliant.

TL;DR

Daniel Polansky’s The Seventh Perfection was the right story at the right time for me. It’s fantasy that pushes stylistically and pulls with intriguing characters. Highly recommended.

Review: The Seventh Perfection

As a reader, there’s no better feeling than finding the right book at the right time. It’s as if the world has aligned to let us experience a sublime moment that sadly is all too fleeting. Daniel Polansky’s The Seventh Perfection found me at the right time. In short, I loved this book.

The Seventh Perfection is about the Amanuensis’s quest to solve a mystery. She has mastered the seven bodily perfections to achieve service to the ruler, and as such she receives a certain deference – better described as fear – from the people she interviews. The Amanuensis acts as the God King’s memory. She sees and she remembers. The reader soon finds out that she’s on an investigation that if solved could rock the city to its foundation. What happens a servant of the state looks into the originating myths of the state?

This story takes place over three days, and each chapter is an interview with an inhabitant of the city. The conceit is that each interview is a memory, I think. The Amanuensis is trained with perfect recall; so, we are reading what she remembers. (This brings up interesting questions whether the narrator is unreliable or not?) With its worldbuilding, I’d place The Seventh Perfection into the category of weird fantasy. There’s magic and machinery, humans and creatures, gods and mortals. It’s a beautiful world, and I’d like to see more of it.

Monologue or Dialogue?

Each chapter is an interview. But the reader only gets the interviewee’s side of the conversation. We can infer her questions based on the answers. The story is told entirely through dialogue; actually, it’s told entirely through a series of monologues. This requires effort on the part of the reader, but adjustment to style is quick.

Each interview read as a unique individual. Action and movement all are conveyed through these interviews, and it was compelling. The Seventh Perfection’s style propelled me from one page to the next. The mystery is quickly solved if paying attention, but the mystery isn’t the book’s strongest point. The characters are. Meeting the next interviewee was enough to keep me glued to the pages. Hopefully, an audiobook is made because I’d love to hear a reading of this. Much like Catherynne Valente’s Space Opera is excellent on the page and enhanced in the audio edition, I think The Seventh Perfection would be enhanced with the right narrator.

The World

The fantasy world of The Seventh Perfection was limited to the city. It was much more modern than the typical medieval based fantasy. It could have been Victorian equivalent, even a much altered version of today, or a society that had fallen from its technological greatness and recovered to a post-apocalyptic version of itself. The reader only gets bits and pieces of the world through the Amanuensis’s interviews. This story is much less concerned about that the world and intensely focused on the people in it. That said, enough slips through to make me curious about the larger setting.

In the book, there’s a group labeled Halflings. My image of a Halfling comes from the Dragonlance series. But in this book, Halfling means something different. They are genetically half human and half something else. Polansky even gives us a chapter with three Halflings, and it was really well done. They were distinct, fun, and not quite human. I liked how it shifted my image of Halflings to something more broad.

The Political World

The Seventh Perfection like any other world has its own politics. I liked picking up clues here and there about them. For example, slavery plagues the world, as the God King’s servants are called slaves. The city-state is obviously a theocracy with all the authoritarian trappings. The reader learns about book burnings and propaganda, measures to keep the citizens faithful. And fearful. There are student rebellions and disgraced military leaders. One chapter featured a rebel who became a functionary in the new government. He became the person his younger self fought against.

The Amanuensis seeks answers to her mystery that conflicts with official propaganda. There’s a powerful message here about memory controlled by or resisting the state. Some share their stories out of defiance, some due to fear, and some out of pride. Each is a study in how people cope to survive. Throughout, the reader sees the people warning the Amanuensis about learning the truth. In a nation where truth means different things to diffent political groups, I found a lot to think about here. Because there’s the official “truth” of the God King, and then there’s the “truth” of what people saw and experienced. The state may be able to force them to spout the official story, but it can’t make them forget their lived experience.

Conclusion

Daniel Polansky’s The Seventh Perfection was perfect. While everyone’s mileage may vary and while someone out there in the lovely internets is waiting to tell me why I’m wrong, I’ll double down. The Seventh Perfection was perfect; it was the right story at the right time for me. The stars aligned; Jupiter was in retro-retrograde; the sun was shining, and all was right with the world for the times I sat down to read it. I know reviews are supposed to be objective, weighing the material in judgment. Usually, I try to do this, but for now, I’m skipping that. Art and fiction are meant to be so much more than just weighed and measured. For now, I’m going to bask in the feeling that The Seventh Perfection left me with and be subjective as all hell. I hope when you read Daniel Polansky’s The Seventh Perfection, you have an equally wonderful experience.

Daniel Polansky’s The Seventh Perfection is available from Tor.com on September 22nd, 2020.

9 out of 10!

In a sense, this book is told entirely through dialogue. Each chapter is in the first-person POV from a different character, in conversation with the main character Manet. Manet is the God-King’s Amanuensis, one of the rare few who has mastered all seven perfections of body and mind. The last of these gave her an eidetic memory, and a locket she’s received torments her with a memory of the woman whose picture is inside. She travels around the city seeking to uncover the woman’s identity, and in so doing speaks with people ranging from the downtrodden tenders of seaweed vats to the God-King’s Patriarch.

The unique format of this novella gives the story a sense of immediacy. Instead of being told a story that reached its completion sometime in the past, we’re watching the events as they happen. However, the format also has some drawbacks. One of these is “white room syndrome,” in which the author doesn’t give any information about what’s going on around the characters, so that they seem to be acting out their scenes in a featureless white room. Because The Seventh Perfection doesn’t have any narration, we don’t see anything of the city aside what would be natural for the characters to mention in conversation. In addition to rendering the book almost devoid of vivid imagery, this also hinders worldbuilding. For example, we know that the Fettered are some kind of cybernetic beings, but we’re given very little idea of what they look like, how long they’ve been around, and how many there are. Similarly, the Spire is presumably some sort of tower, but is it cylindrical or obelisk-shaped? Is it made of stone, wood, or metal? It’s ancient, but does it have any connection to other old powers like the entity known as Sweetness or the External?

The other issue with telling the whole story through dialogue is that we have no idea what happens when Manet is alone. This results in the narrative skipping over some scenes that would otherwise provide action, worldbuilding details, or character development. For example, at one point, Manet has to jump out of a boat that’s being shot at with cannons. Later, she washes up on shore and is found by the seaweed-tenders. Because she’s alone in struggling to shore, we don’t see anything of that presumably riveting fight against the elements. Does Manet use her perfections of body to swim against the current, or to hold her breath for a long time so she doesn’t have to expose herself to the artillerymen? Is she confident of reaching shore, or does she have to push through a moment of despair? We have no idea.

The fact that all the characters are talking to Manet means that we only see her through other people’s eyes. This may be part of the point of the story. We’re told that there’s a serious risk of someone who masters all seven perfections losing their sense of self as they become overwhelmed by sensations and experiences that will never fade. Perhaps Polansky is telling us that Manet has become more of a vessel for her memories than a full person. But this makes it harder to empathize with her and root for her. At the end of the book, I felt like I still didn’t know its main character.

All that said, I think Polansky is a skilled writer. It’s clear that he consciously chose to write the book this way, and while it didn’t work for me, I’d be interested to read other things he’s written.

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.