Drinking Midnight Wine

Picked this up in Kindle a while back as it was cheap enough to replace my print edition. Finally finished it - but I did finish it in the end unlike Clive Barker's Weaveworld. It has a similar premise to Weaveworld in that there is a 'otherworld' existing bedside ours, but is rather lighter in execution.

Toby Dexter is a perfectly ordinary wage-slave in Bath commuting every day from Bradford-on-Avon, and falls in love with a woman he sees on his train but doesn't have the courage to talk to her. Leaving the station on the way home one day, they are caught out by unexpected rain and Toby follows her through a door that doesn't exist - into the realm of Mysterie (from Toby's realm of Verite). Things are happening in both worlds - and show more Toby turns out to be a focal point - his actions and decisions will decide the fate of both worlds.

Yes, it's urban fantasy, but it's gritty not the usual sparkly girly fare. Well-written and enjoyable. show less

When Toby Dexter follows a beautiful woman through a door he has never noticed before, he finds that he has moved from Veritie (the real world) into the magical world of Mysterie, and although he is still in Bradford-upon-Avon it is a very different version of the Wiltshire town, peopled by godlings and mythological beings, some of whom are very old and powerful indeed. It becomes clear that he is a focal point, someone who will make a decision at a crucial point in the struggle between good and evil. The inhabitants of Mysterie, however powerful are limited by their mythological roles, whereas Toby, being from Veritie, has free will, and can change the course of events. The hidden identity of the woman Toby loves will not come as a show more surprise to anyone, but Toby doesn't realise even when he meets her sister.

The story was rather slow in the middle, with too much time spent walking around town chatting to various of the inhabitants. However, overall it was very enjoyable; the mice were great, and the thought of the baddie's true identity gave me a shiver - just imagine if it were true! show less

Good read, something like Neverwhere, Mr Ordinary walks through a door that takes him into the world of Mysterie and then finds that he's a pivot point in this world. It took me very little time to read this and I almost feel guilty that I bought it cheap!

This was a great fun book. I enjoyed the main character with the fact that he was a book seller. Also like all other Simon Green books this takes place in the same universe. Strangefellows was mentioned, Jessica the Unbeliever, and the Lamnation were also included. But no mention of the Nightside so Simon probably had ideas for the Nightside but was still a year or two before he wrote it.

If you like funny mystical books this is for you. Also its a standalone novel so its a great one shot with out needing to continue on.

The more Simon Green I read the more I like him.

I like Simon Green. This is another worth reading although not as good as the deathstalker series.

Ordinary Brit follows beautiful woman thru portal to "Mysterie" from "Realitie" and becomes "focus" to foil satan's plan to destroy the world.

Drinking midnight wine was a book that i did not like very much due to its lack of representation of the things that happened in the book.