The synopsis of this story is what pulled me in but it was the characters that made me leave. It took far too long for the story to start explaining itself and the characters i didn't feel for at all..

*This review is based upon a sample only*
I found this a really intriguing glimpse into a very interesting world. Khiam has been overrun by a terrible bramble, a plant which has the power to kill and feeds on magical energy. The Alchemist believes that he has found a way to kill the bramble, and this novella tells his story. This particular story is told by Paolo Bacigalupi and it is a shame that the sample didn't have a Tobias S Buckell chapter too, but as you would expect, the prose is great and the world building is very evocative. There is a wonderful exoticism to the tale and it has a real 1001 nights feel about it. Nefarious wizards, plants that kill and family strife all mesh well together to create a very satisfying whole. I look forward to reading the finished article.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Alchemist made for a most tantalising introduction to this book, which will contain four novellas upon release.
We're introduced to a country where magic carries more immediate consequences than are usually shown - free use has resulted in a plague of almost-indestructible bramble sweeping across the country to choke whole cities out of existence. Our titular alchemist may have been able to forge a solution; but if it was that easy, there wouldn't be a story to begin with.
The writing is extraordinary, and the story it's telling is original and drew me in in a heartbeat. I'll eagerly be awaiting the release of the full novel..

The Tangled Lands comprises of four parts which I guess you could call short stories/novellas which are interconnected to form the story.

It is a tale of magic and the environmental consequences that result from the use of it and the lengths people go to stop said use as well as the growth of the bramble.

I received a sample of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I obtained the first part of the book which is called The Alchemist written by Paolo Bacigalupi. This book is a collaboration with Tobias S Buckell so I'm guessing that some of the other parts are written by him as opposed to the whole book being jointly written by the two. I could be wrong though. I guess I'll find out when I read the rest of the book. And I will be reading the rest of it. This sample really whet my whistle.

I very much liked the tale of The Alchemist and the way it introduced us to the world, the magic system and the political structure of the place. It was well thought out and written and I very much warmed to the characters. Whether those characters will appear again later in the book I do not know but I felt that their tale was wrapped up nicely anyway by the end of this part.

Bacigalupi is one of my favourite authors so I was very excited about the release of this book and especially excited to receive this sample. I'm only wishing I had received the whole book as now I have to wait for it's release before finishing what promises to be an excellent fantasy story.