Jade Sky is a fast, action-packed read. It will appeal to trans-humanists, fans of spy novels, conspiracy theorists and super-naturalists.
I greatly enjoyed the characters, though I wish they were more fully-developed. I kept wondering if I was reading a sequel.
The complexity of the fight scenes left me wishing there was a movie in the works, as I know I missed some details and had difficulty putting all the imagery into a fully-realized mental scene. Guillermo del Toro would be the obvious director.
Having said this, I would read a sequel or a prequel and hope to hear more from Matt Rowley.
I greatly enjoyed the characters, though I wish they were more fully-developed. I kept wondering if I was reading a sequel.
The complexity of the fight scenes left me wishing there was a movie in the works, as I know I missed some details and had difficulty putting all the imagery into a fully-realized mental scene. Guillermo del Toro would be the obvious director.
Having said this, I would read a sequel or a prequel and hope to hear more from Matt Rowley.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The world of Ink isn't far away enough from reality to be just another dystopia...
While brown-skinned peoples are tattooed and targeted, stripped of their rights and their children, their ancestral spirits are literally working with and for them, even when the characters themselves are not aware of the power they wield.
The story feels disjointed at times, so the reader needs to stay hyper-aware. This magical realism does not flow uninterrupted, but the tale is timely and the characters beautiful enough to forgive the difficulties of narrative.
While brown-skinned peoples are tattooed and targeted, stripped of their rights and their children, their ancestral spirits are literally working with and for them, even when the characters themselves are not aware of the power they wield.
The story feels disjointed at times, so the reader needs to stay hyper-aware. This magical realism does not flow uninterrupted, but the tale is timely and the characters beautiful enough to forgive the difficulties of narrative.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
The Devil of Echo Lake is a classic rock&roll tale, quoting Robert Johnson and the Beatles. But even with these elder gods' influence the original lyrics of the narcissistic rock star protagonist are really very bad.
Luckily the story itself is an engaging read mixing the artistic process with supernatural elements and Jung in a cloud of smoke, violence and sleep-deprivation. Definitely worth the read.
Be careful what you wish for...
Luckily the story itself is an engaging read mixing the artistic process with supernatural elements and Jung in a cloud of smoke, violence and sleep-deprivation. Definitely worth the read.
Be careful what you wish for...
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Giving Up the Ghost: A Story About Friendship, 80s Rock, a Lost Scrap of Paper, and What It Means to Be Haunted by Eric Nuzum
Eric Nuzum's personal history as described in "Giving up the Ghost" is so familiar to me, in such concrete ways, it would be a shame if I didn't appreciate the book. But, I do...
He carefully describes his teenage lives/dreams in a small Ohio town and the cast of characters and events that make it simultaneously rich and barren. He deals honestly with the ghosts that remain.
The gain and loss in his relationship with Laura and the quest it soon embodies are engrossing and ultimately haunting.
But like Eric, I want answers. I want to know if his experiences are real, or if there's a reason to all the comings and goings of people and events in his life. While he gives the journey a good faith effort, the lack of explanation for it all does drive one a bit mad. Perhaps that's the point.
I don't find his conclusions fulfilling, but I know that they are all he can provide... One can't always give a satisfying ending to a true story. I'm sending the book on to be read by other haunted people. That's a good enough recommendation.
He carefully describes his teenage lives/dreams in a small Ohio town and the cast of characters and events that make it simultaneously rich and barren. He deals honestly with the ghosts that remain.
The gain and loss in his relationship with Laura and the quest it soon embodies are engrossing and ultimately haunting.
But like Eric, I want answers. I want to know if his experiences are real, or if there's a reason to all the comings and goings of people and events in his life. While he gives the journey a good faith effort, the lack of explanation for it all does drive one a bit mad. Perhaps that's the point.
I don't find his conclusions fulfilling, but I know that they are all he can provide... One can't always give a satisfying ending to a true story. I'm sending the book on to be read by other haunted people. That's a good enough recommendation.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Audition was a fast read, and I set it down feeling fairly unfulfilled, as I was undisturbed. Unlike during reading Coin Locker Babies and Piercing, I had no, "Get me out of this person's head/universe" moment.
But I was still thinking of the story the next day...and the next. The disturbance was an aftershock. One that started off small and swelled. What if we are irrevocably damaged by the horrors of our childhoods? Forced to recreate the scenario inbto more than memory? And do we then become instant karma for those who we attract? So the story does continue and become in the end satisfying, at least to the Ryu Murakami fan. Dip your toe into Murakami's world here, and then wade out a little farther, if you like the chilly water.
But I was still thinking of the story the next day...and the next. The disturbance was an aftershock. One that started off small and swelled. What if we are irrevocably damaged by the horrors of our childhoods? Forced to recreate the scenario inbto more than memory? And do we then become instant karma for those who we attract? So the story does continue and become in the end satisfying, at least to the Ryu Murakami fan. Dip your toe into Murakami's world here, and then wade out a little farther, if you like the chilly water.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Black Dogs is a fast and amusing read. It's not too deep, and not too shallow. Perfect for a summer afternoon as one can love it and leave it... While it might increase the joy to know a little something about Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and maybe even the Blues, the story is accessible to anyone who's ever known a 19-23 year old male. Enjoy!
Phend provides an interesting and fascinating premise of the Queen of Dreams, her consorts, enemies and their adventures but doesn't fully develop the stories or the characters. I wanted more of everything. It's a lovely seed of a story, though.
While it's taken me quite a while to review The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, it certainly didn't take me long to read it cover to cover, and then back to some parts in-between. In retrospect it's difficult to believe I initially shunned my affection for Web, like he was some slacker boyfriend I left in college... I was pretty sure I'd outgrown his type. The unfolding of his character's true nature, or natures really, was the most wonderful ride. And the supporting cast of unique characters surrounding him makes one realize honest, true friends are your best defense.
Huston's unique "dialogue grammar" consisting of dashes versus quotes, does take a bit of time to warm up to, but once one does it really is this great visual shorthand drawing the vague line between the internal and external conversation that all the books characters are dancing between.
By the end of the story I do believe the reader can conclude that there are mystical arts which can erase all signs of death, but they are messy to perform, they cost you dear, and you should probably keep them to yourself.
Huston's unique "dialogue grammar" consisting of dashes versus quotes, does take a bit of time to warm up to, but once one does it really is this great visual shorthand drawing the vague line between the internal and external conversation that all the books characters are dancing between.
By the end of the story I do believe the reader can conclude that there are mystical arts which can erase all signs of death, but they are messy to perform, they cost you dear, and you should probably keep them to yourself.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.