May is turning into a month of short-and-experimental novels. My last one – Lanny – was a strange but beautiful look at nature, art, family, and childhood. This one – The Seventh Perfection – was … different.
I’m still trying to figure out if it was a good or bad different.
What happens:
First off, can we take a second to appreciate this gorgeous cover?
The reflection … the figures on the bridge … the towers … I spent a good 10 minutes staring at it yesterday.
What about the book?
The story itself is rather straightforward. Manet is a young woman who – in early childhood – was sent to train in the seven perfections: things like music, body mastery, and perfect memory. She’s one of the very few to master the arts, and now serves as the God King’s trusted servant.
… until one day, when Manet comes across a locket containing a picture of a mysterious woman. She becomes obsessed with identifying who the woman is.
The book starts as Manet begins her quest, and follows her as she moves across the city meeting people and trying to uncover the truth of her past.
Standard quest, right? The unique part of this book is the storytelling. Everything – everything – is told in one-sided dialogue. We get zero narration; and we don’t hear Manet’s perspective until the very end.
See! See! Not dead! Only wet! Pim told Pav but Pav did not believe Pim!
Liar! It was Pim wished to eat her!
Pav is the liar! Pav is a teller of untruths! Tell him, Pom!
It’s … very discombobulating.
First lines:
Chilled melon, mistress? The perfect remedy for the afternoon heat! Picked fresh from my orchard and drizzled with honey. Three kel, normally, but in honour of the holiday, I will give it to you for two.
Highs and lows:
✔️ The world building. This is a richly-imagined world. Every time I thought I had it figured out, something would happen that forced me to recalibrate my assumptions. I wish I could spend an afternoon wandering around the city’s markets and alleyways.
✔️ The characters were fascinating. Every chapter features a new character’s perspective, and – for the most part – they all read like unique people. It’s a fascinating tapestry of a cast. You never know what’s going to pop up next.
❓ The story. Not going to lie: this book was hard work. This is not a plainly-laid-out linear YA fantasy. This is a highly abstract puzzle that makes you think, project, question, and scratch your head.
I liked it. Especially as things started to come together. Especially the last 40 pages.
❓ This is a pretty brutal world. I don’t mind gritty storytelling: it adds a human dimension to things. My discomfort with The Seventh Perfection is that the barbaric actions aren’t ever really explored, justified, or contextualized. It felt like gore for the sake of shock, not story.
But the first 100 pages? It took me almost a month to get through. Polansky doesn’t go easy on you. I now understand why the story is told the way it’s told … But, I’m not sure how many readers have the patience to get to that point.
❌ People don’t talk that way. Because the story is told in dialogue, Polansky takes certain liberties with rapport. It’s absolutely necessary for the story to work … though, it add this artificial diatribe-like quality to interactions.
Final thoughts:
I will say this: The Seventh Perfection is sitting with me. I finished last night; and have since started a new book and listened to a couple podcasts. But, I keep returning to this strange world … so, I guess at least from one perspective, the book was masterful.
On the other hand, I’m glad I picked it up from the library. I didn’t get much comfort from it – and probably wouldn’t return to it for a mood read.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. This is a weird book and an intriguing story. Definitely give it a shot – especially if you’re itching for a more-cognitive fantasy.
The details:
- The book: The Seventh Perfection
- Author: Daniel Polansky
- Publication: 2020, Tor
- My copy: Public library
- Read dates: May 2021
- Rating/5: 🌹🌹🌹
The Geeky Jock 
This sounds SUPER interesting, but difficult. I am intrigued about the reason for the decision to write entirely in dialogue–so intrigued that I am going to tentatively add this to my TBR 🧐 Thank you for your review!!
It was SUPER interesting! 😁 Definitely add it to your TBR! It’s only 140 pages, so isn’t a big time commitment – and it’s such a unique style!
Ooooh pretty cover! I’m normally not one for experimental work but you are making me want to pick this one up!
It’s a really, really cool style! (And, it’s short!)