Original review posted on The Book SmugglersI am overcome with Imperious Feelings demanding that I find the Right Words to write this review. Fly By Night is Absurdly Brilliant. This is not an overstatement.How else could I possibly qualify a book that features a main character named Mosca1 Mye whose love for words is both impetus and trademark? Whose love for words is the driving force toward a life of High Adventure in the company of a smooth-talking charlatan named Eponymous Clent and a murderous pet Goose named Saracen? Whose journey takes her through completely unpredictable twists and turns in a political game where no one knows who is ally or foe?If not brilliant, what other word could I possibly use to describe a book that is defined by original, unusual worldbuilding as well as Impressive Intellectual Sharpness?With regards to the former: Fly By Night is set in an alternate 18th Century (but not quite) where years ago, after getting rid of its monarchy, the Fractured Realm plunged into a gruesome Civil War when Birdcatchers – a radical religious movement – came to power. Ten years after all Birdcatchers have been killed (or have they?), the Realm is ran by different Guilds of Tradesmen. The Guilds’ power have been growing exponentially, especially that of the Stationers Guild (who control all printing materials, anything without their seal is deemed illegal) ; the Locksmiths Guild (who have the keys to every door) ; and the Watermen Guild (who control all movement along the river). The power balance is precariously held together by a truce between all Guilds and even one small wrong move could start a whole new war. Mosca and Clent (and Saracen) find themselves in the middle of this complex game of power which is complicated by a Duke who is slowly going mad and whose sister has Ideas of Her Own. Not to mention the emergence of an illegal printing press that has been spreading Illegal Radical Words all over the Realm.The latter comes from the fact that this is a book with a main character who loves words in a world that fears them. Being a book about words – their importance, their potential, their beauty – one of the most brilliant things about it is how the author brandishes her words like Weapons of Mass Construction.From the Thought Provoking:Brand a man as a thief and no one will ever hire him for honest labor – he will be a hardened robber within weeks. The brand does not reveal a person’s nature, it shapes it.Via the Utterly Hilarious:(…)Mosca and Saracen shared, if not a friendship, at least the solidarity of the generally despised.All the way to the Extremely Acute: ‘Where is your sense of patriotism?’ ‘I kept it hid away safe, along with my sense of trust, Mr Clent. I don’t use ‘em much in case they get scratched.’And the Plain Beautiful: ‘But in the name of the most holy, Mosca, of all the people you could have taken up with, why Eponymous Clent?’ Because I’d been hoarding words for years, buying them from peddlers and carving them secretly on to bits of bark so I wouldn’t forget them, and then he turned up using words like ‘epiphany’ and ‘amaranth’. Because I heard him talking in the marketplace, laying out sentences like a merchant rolling out rich silks. Because he made words and ideas dance like flames and something that was damp and dying came alive in my mind, the way it hadn’t since they burned my father’s books. Because he walked into Chough with stories from exciting places tangled around him like maypole streamers… Mosca shrugged. ‘He’s got a way with words.’Fly By Night is a book that provokes, incites and invites the reader to participate in a wordily love-fest. Granted that at times, this comes across as slightly heavy-handed especially towards the ending but this was simply not enough to make any damage to the immense love I feel for this book.But that is not all! For Fly By Night is also Coming of Age of the Highest Quality. Mosca’s journey is superbly executed by exploring her loneliness, her perceived uniqueness (which is not true at all, given the truths that she unveils) as well as the connections she forms with other people (especially the Cakes. How could I not love the Cakes?). Her arc has moments of Utter Despair, Sad Mistakes as well as Great Bravery.Most of all, I loved the development of the relationship with Clent and I loved the bond they formed over a shared loved for words (for better or worse). Take this incredible moment where they have a fight:Mosca’s opening offer was a number of cant words she had heard peddlers use, words for the drool hanging from a dog’s jaw, words for the greenish sheen on a mouldering strip of bacon. Eponymous Clent responded with some choice descriptions of ungrateful and treacherous women culled from ballad and classic myth. Mosca countered with some from her secret hoard of hidden words, the terms used by smugglers for tell-alls, and soldiers’ words for the worst kind of keyhole-stooping spy. Clent answered with crushing and high-sounding examples from the best essays on the natural depravity of unguided youth.Isn’t this Staggering Good Writing?I had a lot of fun reading Fly By Night and as you can probably see, a lot of fun writing this review too. I freaking love when that happens, those are the best kind of books. Fly By Night is a Totally Awesome Book and I already got the sequel because one is not enough for me: just like Mosca, I too, want more story.
Where do I even start?You'd think that after so many years of devouring books that I wouldn't be reduced to the speechless mess that I am right now, marveling at how Fly by Night manages to keep getting better with every page, how it keeps surprising me with a new wonderful way of wording something as it paints so many vivid pictures of its characters with a few deft strokes. From the first few pages I was in love, and it's hard not to because here is a book that loves words just as much as you do, and brings out the power they have in a way that's nothing short of amazing. As it went on I only fell harder as the world really came to life with all its intricate details and god, that plot. There are so many different threads going on at once, but they're layered in a way that seems effortless. Small hints and details come back and the stakes keep rising as conspiracies, motives, schemes, and factions collide. It's wonderfully unpredictable, and a major reason for that is because the characters are always surprising me.The characters aren't merely likable, they're tricky and clever, angry and frightened but resilient and entertaining as hell. And that's just a few words for Mosca, our lead, who has 'the keen instincts of the unloved', and the first time she feels like someone wants her around, it was a feeling 'too strange and new to be thrown away lightly.' The fact that that someone is a con man of questionable character keeps things from getting sappy. I don't think I can describe the characters better than Hardinge can, so here's a few snippets."When he smiled, his eyebrows rose into two neat chestnut crescents, as if they knew the world was destined to surprise them again and again, and were determined to believe in pleasant surprises.""Sometimes fear made you angry. Perhaps after years anger cooled, like a sword taken from the forge. Perhaps in the end you were left with something very cold and very sharp.""But in the name of the most holy, Mosca, of all the people you could have taken up with, why Eponymous Clent?"Because I’d been hoarding words for years, buying them from pedlars and carving them secretly on to bits of bark so I wouldn’t forget them, and then he turned up using words like ‘epiphany’ and ‘amaranth’. Because I heard him talking in the marketplace, laying out sentences like a merchant rolling out rich silks. Because he made words and ideas dance like flames and something that was damp and dying came alive in my mind, the way it hadn’t since they burned my father’s books. Because he walked into Chough with stories from exciting places tangled around him like maypole streamers . . .Mosca shrugged."He’s got a way with words."I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a book so dedicated to the love of reading and words captivated me because I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. But this book doesn't try to play off those feelings, it takes them and makes the most of all the potential and power that words can have. It's brimming with ideas, rich world-building, lovely moments, and whenever I think about it I can't help smiling. I think I forgot to mention that it's hilarious too. Just.... read this book, stat.
What do You think about Fly By Night (2006)?
Review originally posted here.Fly by Night has a very Dickensian feel to it. Mosca Mye is a clever orphan with an instinct for survival and she has to survive in a world of shady adults and dangers. Adults with names like Eponymous Clent, Linden Kohlrabi, Lady Tamarind and Captain Blythe. This book is a word lovers delight. Hardinge plays with names and is a master of figurative language. The descriptions in the book bring the world of The Fractured Realm to life. The realm is a fully realized one with a detailed history that is revealed in clever turns of phrase and dropped hints. The artistry of this is important because it is, essentially, a book about the power of words."Words were dangerous when loosed. They were more powerful than cannon and more unpredictable than storms. They could turn men's heads inside out and warp their destinies. They could pick up kingdoms and shake them until they rattled. And this was a good thing, a wonderful thing."Hardinge has such a way with words it is easy to forgive her for the sometimes ridiculous twists the plot takes. It all fits in with the quirky world and characters she has created. One small quibble I had with Mosca was that she sounded like a street urchin. I find it hard to believe with everything you discover about Quillam Mye that he would have allowed his daughter to talk in such ways. She was educated by him and lived with him until she was 8, her speech patterns would have already been set and they certainly wouldn't have devolved so greatly over four years working as a bookkeeper in her uncle's mill. That being said, Mosca does think like a genuine 12 year old. She makes impulsive decisions and jumps to conclusions that are very natural for a 12 year old mind.The book says for ages 10 and up and I think that is a good suggestion to go by. There is a very sinister feel to the book and it explores many themes most younger readers simply lack the maturity and critical thinking skills to understand. It tackles the dark side of politics, economics, crime war and social unrest. The religion of the Realm is also explored in detail as is Mosca's response to it. There is a very definite condescending atheism that develops in Mosca by the end that would make for an interesting discussion.I really thought the book wrapped up well in the end. I was surprised because I knew going in there was a sequel, but you could read just this one volume and have a complete story. Depending on where you live the sequel is called Twilight Robbery (UK) or Fly Trap (US). Guess which version has the better cover?
—Brandy Painter
Tadinya pesimis dengan buku ini. Narasinya ditulis dengan bahasa berbunga-bunga ala cerita sastra, dan usaha menyelesaikan buku ini begitu besar, hampir sebulan, dan baru menarik dan bersemangat begitu tokoh utama buku, Mosca Mye, mulai mengambil jalan berbeda dari "teman jalan"-nya, Eponymous Clent. Yah, sekitar lewat lebih dari separo buku lah. Mosca Mye lahir ke dunia yang takut kepada buku atau jenis cetakan apa pun yang ilegal (ilegal = tidak mempunyai cap legal dari Serikat Ahli Cetak). Ayahnya sendiri, Quillam Mye, harus melarikan diri karena terlalu banyak menulis menentang pemerintah saat itu. Kerajaan terpecah-pecah menjadi kekuasaan raja-raja kecil yang memperebutkan tahta, Parlemen tidak bisa memutuskan raja mana yang akan dipilih, sementara Serikat-Serikat Pekerja menjadi semakin kuat, mengendalikan kekuasaan dari latar belakang. Sesudah ayahnya meninggal, Mosca tinggal dengan paman dan bibinya, namun ketertarikannya pada buku membuatnya melarikan dari Chough, bersama angsanya yang sadis, Saracen, sekaligus melepaskan dan melakukan perjalanan bersama "penjahat" Eponymous Clent yang sangat ahli dengan kata-kata, menuju Mandelion, dimana Duke Avourlace yang gila berkuasa. Tanpa sadar, Mosca yang terlalu ingin tahu kemudian terlibat dalam intrik politik di Mandelion dan membuatnya dirinya notorious dengan kecerdasanya, sehingga dikejar-kejar oleh tentara Duke, anggota Serikat Ahli Cetak, anggota Serikat Perajin Kunci, kapten kapal yang ditumpanginya waktu ke Mandelion, anak-anak Sekolah Terapung. Siapa yang bisa dipercayainya? Clent? Lady Tamarind, saudara Duke? Mr Kohlrabi, penyelamatnya dari kejaran anggota-anggota Serikat Pekerja? Atau malah para Serikat Pekerja? Sayang ceritanya tidak bersambung. Dan omong-omong, di mana aku bisa mendapat angsa sesadis Saracen ini?
—mina
Ok, I admit it: I basically read this book because of the Brett Helquist art on the cover. I was disappointed to discover that was all he contributed: no interior illustrations. At any rate, the book has a very interesting and unique (to me, at least) premise. It uses the English Revolution as a sort of starting point, the main divergence being that, revolution over, Parliament is given half a dozen or so contenders to become the new monarch and twenty years later, they still haven't decided. Individual cities are ruled by the trade guilds and by whatever lord holds the territory. Strict censorship is in effect: only books approved by the Stationers Guild can be read. The main character is a girl named Mosca (that's her and her stolen goose, Saracen on the cover). She finds herself mixed up in political machinations in the city of Mandelion. And that's about the best I can do with a fairly complicated plot. I'll probably read more by the author, since it was well-written. And I'll certainly be reading the book she used as reference: 1700: Scenes from London Life. You know, someday. The one issue that I had with it was that Mosca was at least somewhat irritating through most of the book. By the end, I felt like she'd redeemed herself to me, and I ended up liking her more than not. I also wasn't entirely satisfied with how the central mystery was solved. The solution, yes, but not how the characters arrived there.
—Sesana
