Robert Joseph Levy

When Blue's grandmother dies, she leaves behind a legacy for him. He has lived his life in America, and doesn't even remember the five years he spent in an isolated Canadian community, his, mother a, member of an artist's commune and his grandmother a God-fearing pillar of Starling Cove. When he travels back to look at the property she has left him, he takes his friends Gave, Elisa, and her husband Jason. When they arrive however, nothing is as it seems and their lies begin to unravel.

This show more book has earned comparisons to Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane. While I can understand that, it is not the first book of which I was reminded. It put me much more in mind of Keith Donahue's The Stolen Child. The themes were incredibly similar, and cannot help but invite comparison. Unfortunately, beyond the themes and the underlying darkness, the comparison to both stop there. While those books were dazzling and grabbed me right from the beginning, I found this one to be nothing more than average, and ultimately forgettable. It was an entertaining enough way to pass the time, but I cannot remember more than basics of this novel. It had so much potential, and while I wish I could recommend it more highly, it just wasn't anything special. show less

A beautiful book touching on the fair-folk myths of old. We are introduced to changelings; sickly fey constructs substituted for stolen human children. This is done somewhat by way of Quatermass and the Pit; these are not your typical winged fairies; they more closely resemble grasshoppers or praying mantids mixed with nature spirits. Their chitinous bones are like branches, multifaceted eyes like precious stones, their hearts like stones. A clever blend of strange and familiar horrors show more really make this a stand-out story. Highly recommended. show less

I enjoy it when a book presents a challenge; when some intrinsic part of a novel makes it difficult to review. Glittering World by Robert Levy does that, and in the best kind of way. I am going to try and give you an idea about the feel of this novel, and what makes it so good, without dropping spoilers like bombs.

Michael “Blue” Whitley is a young chef with a hot restaurant, and some financial difficulties. He takes three of his friends to the remote Canadian community where he was show more born, to sell an inherited house. Starling Cove seems like a wonderful place, the location of a former artist’s colony where Blue was born. Once there, however, Blue discovers that he and another child had disappeared into the woods for weeks, an incident that he does not remember. Slowly, his memory starts to return, and he realizes that his past is a lie. His former life starts to intrude upon his present, with startling results. Soon Blue and Elisa disappear, and Jeremy and Gabe try to find them, and become ensnared in the plots and plans of various locals.

That sounds like it might be a solid plot for a thriller, but Mr. Levy has a loftier ambition. Blue’s past is full of supernatural events, and this is one of the places where Mr. Levy truly shines. There is a sense of true otherworldliness in the way he both imagines and relays this part of the novel. It is rare to see such a fresh and surprising take on some of the oldest legends and myths that we have.

The characters are also first rate. From Blue to his best friend Elisa, her husband Jeremy, and Gabe, a young and admiring co-worker are all etched with care. They all take their turns telling the story, and each has a distinctive and realistic voice. All of them bring a different angle to the story, and we can see them change as the story unfolds. The sub-plots and smaller storylines are dovetailed with the main story, and all bring complexity and tension to the characters. These characters have a life outside of the main story line, and the ways that they interact with each adds depth to the story. Even in smaller roles, the local characters are real as well.

Mr. Levy’s prose is at once sharp, yet dreamy, and it goes hand-in-hand with the background. The landscape and the atmosphere are vivid and lush, and is brought to life with an eye for detail. I could smell the flowers and feel the grass, and while that is an accomplishment in its own right, it really pays off by acting as an anchor to the story’s more hallucinatory moments. That is one of the keys to this novel, because so much of the power and magic in this story is related to the environment.

Finally, this is one of those rare books where the final is apt, and telling. This novel, and the world that is created in it, is truly glittering. It is a dark, romantic, and sometimes scary place, and Mr. Levy brings it to life. I know that I have kept most of the plot to myself, but trust me, Glittering World is worth keeping.

Review by: Mark Palm
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com show less

Media-tie in works are often a tricky thing. They're heavily controlled by those that control the franchise so usually don't have much opportunity to go beyond some very carefully drawn lines and have to be careful to reset to canon, which can make it very hard to allow characters to grow. This story however, manages to transcend the usual media-tie-in book.

The Faith voice in this diary narrative is pitch perfect; having read this book, I'm never going to forget it and consider it part of show more my personal canon for Faith. I felt that, yes, this is the character--these events explain the girl we met in Season Three of Buffy. The book made me feel for Faith, made her real to me as this young Bostonian teen from a rough neighborhood who would have good reason to feel envy and disdain for a Buffy. Wonderful backstory and read, a novel that is genuinely moving. show less