"The Gameshouse" Review

The Gameshouse by Claire North

Pages: 406 Genre: fantasy

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Kindle Highlights

The Gameshouse is a place where lives are changed and lost in the hands of the players. At the lower level, you can find every game imaginable. But once you make it to the higher levels, the stakes go up. The games are politics, economies, wars, and empires.

The Gameshouse features 3 stories. The first, "The Serpent," follows a young woman playing a game in ancient Venice. The second, "The Thief," follows a game of hide-and-seek in 1930s Thailand. The third, "The Master," follows a man in the greatest game.

Full disclosure: I started this book forever ago. I first bought it back in February (I'm writing this in December), I read "The Serpent" a few months after, and then I didn't pick it up again until December. Ultimately, while it took a little while to grab me, I'm really glad that I ended up finishing this book. It's such a unique set of story told in a brilliant way. The writing initially comes across very odd, and it took a while to settle in (which is why it took so long to read), but I ended up finding it very engaging.

I wish I would've stuck it through back when I was first reading it, because I think I would've liked the whole thing a little bit better if it was all fresh in my mind.

This book shines in its plot and concept rather than the characters, but I ultimately found them charming. I liked Thene (The Serpent) and was in great support of her as a woman. Remy (The Thief) wasn't much other than a brilliant fool, but I found it easy to root for the underdog. And I really liked Silver (The Master). I found him to be the strongest character, and I thoroughly enjoyed his inner conflict.

The concept of the games and the House and the Players was so, so, SO fascinating and cool. I'm obsessed with the whole thing, and will probably be thinking about it for a long time after the details of the plot drift away. The fantasy of it all fit really well into our reality, and, despite all the other flaws with the stories, I loved watching things play out in the Grand Scheme Of Things.

There were definitely some moments that dragged a bit, particularly in the final story, but I wasn't even that bothered by it. The monotony of lists of pieces being played added to the main characterization of the Players. While there were moments in all stories I didn't love, I can respect how intentional everything felt. It didn't feel like scenes were left in haphazardly. The author had a story to tell, and they told it, and I'm glad they did.

The Gameshouse is not a book I'd recommend to everyone. My friend never really got past the initial narration quirks, and I think that would be a turn off for many readers. I think people should test this book before committing to it. That being said, I think that you'll be pleased it you decide to stick with it.