The Traitor Baru Cormorant
by Seth Dickinson · first published 2016
50% recommend33% neutral17% critical
Baru Cormorant is 7 years old when the Empire of Masks conquers her home country and irrevocably tears her three-parent family apart. As she grows up, Baru hones her genius to become an accountant, and the empire sends her to a politically fraught country. While she pretends to serve the empire, Baru has one goal in mind — revenge. However, her growing attraction to the Duchess Tain Hu puts her plans for revenge against the empire at risk. This dark political fantasy is the first book in a complex and enthralling trilogy.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2026Rendezvous with Rama
Arthur C. Clarke
Recommended by 51 · mentioned by 9651 recommend · 96 mention51 recommend · 9651 recommend
2007–2026Book of the New Sun
Gene Wolfe
Recommended by 64 · mentioned by 9364 recommend · 93 mention64 recommend · 9364 recommend
2007–2026A Fire upon the Deep
Vernor Vinge
Recommended by 227 · mentioned by 405227 recommend · 405 mention227 recommend · 405227 recommend
2008–2026Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick
Recommended by 66 · mentioned by 19566 recommend · 195 mention66 recommend · 19566 recommend
2009–2026Blindsight
Peter Watts
Recommended by 214 · mentioned by 294214 recommend · 294 mention214 recommend · 294214 recommend
I've been mainly reading sci-fi & fantasy series. On the fiction side I can strongly recommend Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, Seth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant & sequels, and Robert Jackon Bennett's The Tainted Cup & sequels (fantasy murder mystery series). On the non fiction side, I'm slowly chipping away at Joe Studwell's book How Asia Works, about East Asian…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗…science fiction from a different culture. Ignition!: An informal history of liquid rocket propellants - A history of things that go boom. Engaging writing and I learned things about chemistry. The Traitor Baru Cormorant - I'm nominating this for a Hugo. It tells you it's going to stab you in the gut but when it does you don't see it coming. Plus high quality scheming and speculation on economics, society, and empire.…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗…Seth Dickinson, who wrote some of the lore for Destiny, including the Book of Sorrow and Marasenna in-game lore books, which are IMO some of the best parts of the universe. He then went on to write The Traitor Baru Cormorant, which I enjoyed a lot, and more recently Exordia - which is amusingly similar in themes and specific plot elements to the Book of Sorrow and really feels like Seth went "wait I wasn't done with that…
on “Some novelists are becoming video game writers and vice-versa” ↗…often try reading new releases and New York Times best sellers and they often leave me frustrated because they are never as good as people hype them to be. One recent example that I read was called "The Traitor Baru Cormorant" where I actually skipped closed to 60 pages of the book near the end and still managed to finish it without missing any plot related details. That book has a 4/5 on goodreads...
on “I have forgotten how to read” ↗…fi books w/ these themes: finance currency economics math money power Some common reccomendations I've seen are anything by Neal Stephenson The other recommendations Ive seen are fantasy like The Traitor Baru Cormorant The Dagger and Coin series Making Money Going Postal Does anyone have any similar recommendations?
on “Ask HN: What are the best Sci-Fi books you've ever read?” ↗…Deep Childhood's End The City and the Stars Rendezvous with Rama The Tales of Dying Earth Of Men And Monsters Midworld The Invincible Fiasco Eden Wool Maiden Voyage of the Destiny Unknown The Traitor Baru Cormorant The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle The Electric State The Malazan Book of the Fallen
on “Ask HN: Which fantasy and/or SF literary works you would like to see on screen?” ↗