Paul Krueger (2)
Author of Steel Crow Saga
For other authors named Paul Krueger, see the disambiguation page.
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On the positive side, the plot moves along, makes sense, and comes to a reasonable conclusion in a single book. On the negative side, it's mostly very derivative - anime, pokemon, stereotypes of Asian countries, with a bit of Mistborn throw in. It also has the simplicity of a young adult book, though the characters are mostly around 20, and there are mentions of sex.
This was not a quick read for me due to some lag in the middle. But, I've given it a perfectly respectable three stars because it's an entertaining idea, I enjoyed our protagonist and her band of weirdos well enough, and the conflicts were good to scary. I adored how smart Bailey is when she isn't getting in her own way. I'm glad I read it, and if you like mixed drinks, diversity just because it's human, and magic and monsters, you'll probably enjoy this one, too.
This was amazingly fun; I sped through this in practically one sitting. I love the idea of bartenders being the defense against supernatural monsters (tremens) that prey on inebriated humans, and use perfectly mixed cocktails to give themselves magical abilities - different abilities based on the drink and the base liquor. The story telling was interspersed with pages from the The Devil's Water Dictionary, the handbook-slash-recipe book-slash-history book for magical bartending. I thought it was a really neat way to give worldbuilding backstory and flair, and it introduced me to some new drinks as well.
This isn't a serious book. It's supposed to be light and funny, and it delivered. Yes, the plot was ridiculous. Yes, the characters were also ridiculous. But it was incredibly fun and I smiled throughout. I'm really looking forward to any further adventures of the Alechemists.
Also, huge cheers to the author for having an Asian protagonist and not devolving into Orientalistic mystic stereotypical claptrap.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)
This isn't a serious book. It's supposed to be light and funny, and it delivered. Yes, the plot was ridiculous. Yes, the characters were also ridiculous. But it was incredibly fun and I smiled throughout. I'm really looking forward to any further adventures of the Alechemists.
Also, huge cheers to the author for having an Asian protagonist and not devolving into Orientalistic mystic stereotypical claptrap.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)
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The crown prince of Tomoda is returning from captivity to ascend the throne, but multiple factions are interested in intercepting him before he reaches the capital. Thus goes Steel Crow Saga, with loads of banter and parallels to imperialism in Asian history (Sanbu::Philippines, Shang::China, Dahal::India, Jeongson::Korea, Tomoda:: Japan and with all the culture & baggage from those relationships). The elevator pitch is Pokemon meets Avatar: the Last Airbender, which maybe works in describing the world building kinda (Asian inspired world and magical animal partners bound to a person), but the scope isn't quite so wide as either comparison (just remembered the elite metal police use cables like in Korra). There's a fair amount of influence fun Fullmetal Alchemist, too. I love the characters and while Krueger has indicated this is a standalone, I'd love to revisit the world in the future!… (more)