The Cloud Roads
By Martha Wells
Review by Alethea
The Cloud Roads tells the story of a winged shapeshifter trying to find a home amongst a people and culture he does not remember nor fit in with, after a lifetime spent travelling as an outcast craving companionship but having to hide who he was from a world terrified of him. The setting is fascinating, with a world inhabited by a vast number of unique and disparate creatures, peoples, and cultures, which along with the scattered ruins and mouldering megastructures gives an intense feeling of colossal age and constant habitation of this world. This inspires a wonderful sense of mystery and discovery. Wells has managed to strike a great balance between detailed and whimsical world building, the strong character-focused story, and a riveting action-packed plot. I absolutely loved this book, and the series as a whole.
