Author picture

Martin Davey

Author of Blood of the Land

11 Works 30 Members 7 Reviews

Series

Works by Martin Davey

Tagged

Common Knowledge

There is no Common Knowledge data for this author yet. You can help.

Members

Reviews

Why did I buy 'Judas The Hero'? Well, the publisher's summary said "If you like Rivers of London, the Dresden Files and the Kings Watch, you will like this ", the reviews on GoodReads were mostly four or five stars, and the phrase 'DCI Judas Iscariot' hooked me.

Why did I abandon it at 20%?

Mostly it was because of the writing. Some of the scenes were vividly written and pulled me into them completely, especially the ones where there was some action going on, but then the tone would change into the passive voice when the exposition of the plot or the backstory of a character was needed and all the colour leached out of the text. Then there were the proofreading errors - missing words that had to be guessed at to make sense of a paragraph and misspellings that shouldn't have made it past the final edit. They distracted me like a scratch on a vinyl record. These were compounded by occasional glaring inconsistencies. For example, in the space of a few paragraphs, I was told that this team of ex-apostles working for John The Baptist are scary because they're unkillable immortals and then I was told that they follow their crazy leader's orders because disagreeing with him could be fatal. How can both of those things be true?

The first chapter read like the text version of a graphic novel. I could image the image of the U-Boat on the water at dawn: all the dramatic straight lines, presented in a sharply contrasting palette, heavy on blacks and reds and dark blues but with the orange of a sunrise and the yellow of a dingy for contrast. Unfortunately, the same chapter also characterised the Germans in World War II using the same simplistic clichés I remember from 1970s comic books.

The plot was original and I wanted to be convinced but little things nagged at me. For example, I liked the idea of the Second Fall in the Twenty-First Century, with more angels being kicked out of Heaven but I couldn't see why they'd all want to come to live in England and especially in London.

It was when I met Judas Iscariot that I finally set the book aside. He's the character the whole series hangs on and I found him unconvincing. Most of that was because the writing felt mechanical - like the bones of a first draft - a pencil sketch that needs colour to bring it to life - but some of it was because I couldn't see in this man someone who had lived for more than two millennia and whose mind was first formed in Judea during the Roman occupation.

I know that the things that spoil this book for me won't spoil it for others and I can see that there's a lot of fun to be had with this series if you can relax and roll with it. I'm just too much of a pedant for that. I guess that's my loss.
… (more)
 
Flagged
MikeFinnFiction | 1 other review | Apr 12, 2023 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is the third Black Museum novel that I've read. Each one has been an absolute pleasure to read. Davey's prose is light, fast, and well-written. For an indie author that is relatively unknown, he writes far better than you would imagine. If you like urban fantasy in the vein of Felix Castor, Rivers of London, or any of the other myriad of popular investigative/mystery urban fantasies, then you will love this entire series.
 
Flagged
murfman | 3 other reviews | Nov 15, 2022 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
In London Underneath the Underground dwell figures from British myth and folklore. There is also DCI Judas Iscariot, keeper of Scotland Yard's Black Museum where the worst criminals are confined. Yes, that Judas Iscariot -- biblical figures abound in this tale. Someone is setting up a war between the various clans who live and work on the Thames with brutal murder. Add to that a couple of giants, a woman scorned and seeking revenge, a sin-eater on the run, and a very opportunistic cat, and DCI Iscariot and his new assistant are very busy.

The story is fast-paced, with multiple plot lines and a lot of characters to keep track of.

This is the first book I read, although it's the sixth in the series. The author also sent along copies of two of the other books, which I will definitely be reading.
… (more)
 
Flagged
casamoomba | 3 other reviews | Oct 27, 2022 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Loved it! Lots of very interesting and unexpected characters, some a bit hard to keep track of, but surprisingly different nonetheless. Good story that goes in magical and mundane places. Excellent editing if that matters to you. I loved the main character, he was flawed but tough and intelligent. A joy to read. Looking forward to reading his other books. Did remind me of 'Rivers of London' but in the best way.
 
Flagged
suebaldwin12 | 3 other reviews | Oct 26, 2022 |

Statistics

Works
11
Members
30
Popularity
#449,942
Rating
½ 4.3
Reviews
7
ISBNs
5