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nnecatrix's review
2.0
Book #32 for 2011.
I had expected to like this book much more than I actually did. It was certainly imaginative enough, but at times it felt a bit too much so. I found that, ultimately, I just couldn't "buy" Inspector Chen's world, its heaven, its hell, or any of its inhabitants. Though I did like the characters. I just couldn't believe in them. I will give Williams credit for an appealing sense of humor that helped to make the grimness of the imagery bearable, so two stars seems a bit miserly. More like 2.5, I suppose.
I had expected to like this book much more than I actually did. It was certainly imaginative enough, but at times it felt a bit too much so. I found that, ultimately, I just couldn't "buy" Inspector Chen's world, its heaven, its hell, or any of its inhabitants. Though I did like the characters. I just couldn't believe in them. I will give Williams credit for an appealing sense of humor that helped to make the grimness of the imagery bearable, so two stars seems a bit miserly. More like 2.5, I suppose.
bhalpin's review
5.0
This book completely kicked my ass. Just a fantastic read from start to finish. Supernatural science fiction police procedural buddy comedy--what's not to love? Williams does a fantastic job of creating a world that's complex without being overly complicated--after about twenty pages, I was totally immersed, and when I finished the book, all I wanted was to start the next one so I could spend more time in this world with these characters. I loved it!
carol26388's review
5.0
Really loved it, but more like four and a half stars. I haven't read many books in an Asian setting, much less urban fantasy. Detective Chen is the familiar world-weary but still hopeful police officer who does his best to help people. Williams took that and turned it sideways in a most enjoyable way.
The world is something like modern Asia, only cities have been franchised, and Heaven and Hell are real stops on the reincarnation wheel. By the end, I could see how the other facets of the world-weary detective were going to come into play, including the somewhat challenged but staid sidekick, and the uneasy alliance with the criminal (demon) element that is acting with honor in it's own way, and the unobtrusively supportive superior who will throw him to the wolves if the Detective fails.
The book was filled with rich detail that created a vivid image of the environment--particularly the humidity and the desperately functioning air-conditioners--without so much world-building that readers will feel bogged by endless detail. Williams did use one of my unfavorite ploys of starting with a scene plucked out of the near end of the book that foreshadowed problems to come, but I forgive her, as the rest was so much fun. My only real criticism is the set-up of the book; we initially meet Chen in third person view, then his wife ("meanwhile, back at the ranch..."), then the demon Zhu Irzh, and then adds in a further perspective or two as the story progresses, which I felt might have jumbled the narrative unnecessarily. It would have been more fun seeing Zhu gain humanity through others' perspective, rather than reading him thinking about it.
But really, what can you say about a book that contains lines such as "Passers-by took one look at Detective Inspector Chen hastening down the road with a lobster on a string, like one of the more eccentric French surrealists, and gave him a very wide berth" or "You have my full and total support, as long as I don't actually have to go any nearer to this supernatural shit than I can help, and as long as you sort it out," followed by a discussion of how a Ministry of Hell uses pharmaceutical companies? Love it.
cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/snake-agent-by-liz-williams/
The world is something like modern Asia, only cities have been franchised, and Heaven and Hell are real stops on the reincarnation wheel. By the end,
The book was filled with rich detail that created a vivid image of the environment--particularly the humidity and the desperately functioning air-conditioners--without so much world-building that readers will feel bogged by endless detail. Williams did use one of my unfavorite ploys of starting with a scene plucked out of the near end of the book that foreshadowed problems to come, but I forgive her, as the rest was so much fun. My only real criticism is the set-up of the book; we initially meet Chen in third person view, then his wife ("meanwhile, back at the ranch..."), then the demon Zhu Irzh, and then adds in a further perspective or two as the story progresses, which I felt might have jumbled the narrative unnecessarily. It would have been more fun seeing Zhu gain humanity through others' perspective, rather than reading him thinking about it.
But really, what can you say about a book that contains lines such as "Passers-by took one look at Detective Inspector Chen hastening down the road with a lobster on a string, like one of the more eccentric French surrealists, and gave him a very wide berth" or "You have my full and total support, as long as I don't actually have to go any nearer to this supernatural shit than I can help, and as long as you sort it out," followed by a discussion of how a Ministry of Hell uses pharmaceutical companies? Love it.
cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/01/08/snake-agent-by-liz-williams/
dlbvenice's review
3.0
An innovative and fascinating universe with characters and a story that didn't quite live up to the possibilities inherent in it. The concepts of a Heaven and Hell folded together with reincarnation and the ability of being to move between the mortal and eternal worlds - with bureaucracies in any and all realms - provides a fertile field for the imagination. The hero is a humble detective with a backstory involving sponsorship by a goddess and a demon wife. Paired with a demon detective from Hell, who seems more good-adjacent than evil, he unwinds a conspiracy that starts with the single thread of a missing girl. Or rather, with the girl's soul, which was supposed to be in heaven but has somehow ended up in the other place.
All this makes for an entertaining story, but little or no character development. Yes, the hero learns a valuable lesson at the end, but it feels as though little or no growth was involved. He might as well have read the lesson off a chalkboard. The detective's wife is a potentially interesting character, placed in some potentially interesting situations, but does little except to escape, hide, follow others, or proclaim her willingness to sacrifice herself for her husband. There are some promising conflicts set up for the demon detective, but they go nowhere.
As for the plot, the ending ties up a large number of loose threads, but it resembles a hasty knot more than a neatly tailored garment. Without providing details, I'll simply note that there are enough character entrances and exits for farce, but many lack any discernible dramatic (or comedic) intent. The heroes make a dramatic escape via means that lack internal consistency and appear to violate what natural laws exist in the author's universe. And major catastrophes in the mortal realm are simply announced to have been resolved within the space of a sentence or two.
As a book for the beach or to curl up and read during a snow day (or sick day), this is fine entertainment. But if you're looking for something a bit more, keep searching.
All this makes for an entertaining story, but little or no character development. Yes, the hero learns a valuable lesson at the end, but it feels as though little or no growth was involved. He might as well have read the lesson off a chalkboard. The detective's wife is a potentially interesting character, placed in some potentially interesting situations, but does little except to escape, hide, follow others, or proclaim her willingness to sacrifice herself for her husband. There are some promising conflicts set up for the demon detective, but they go nowhere.
As for the plot, the ending ties up a large number of loose threads, but it resembles a hasty knot more than a neatly tailored garment. Without providing details, I'll simply note that there are enough character entrances and exits for farce, but many lack any discernible dramatic (or comedic) intent. The heroes make a dramatic escape via means that lack internal consistency and appear to violate what natural laws exist in the author's universe. And major catastrophes in the mortal realm are simply announced to have been resolved within the space of a sentence or two.
As a book for the beach or to curl up and read during a snow day (or sick day), this is fine entertainment. But if you're looking for something a bit more, keep searching.
octavietullier's review
4.0
La série du "Détective inspecteur Chen" a pour trame de fond une Singapour futuriste, à la croisée des traditions bouddhistes et d'une technologisation violente de la société. Pour un lecteur qui connaît très peu cette culture, l'inspiration extra-européenne apporte une véritable originalité à un roman d'urban fantasy dont l'intrigue reste, somme toute, relativement classique, et nourrie par les archétypes du genre.
Au contraire, la qualité et les détails du monde construit par Liz Williams sont particulièrement riches. J'ai vraiment apprécié cette vision d'une cosmogonie où les strates surnaturelles, les Enfers et le Paradis, sont des espaces concrets qui reflètent le monde des humains, organisation sociale et politique politicienne comprises. Ce qui m'est aussi resté, après avoir refermé ce livre, c'est le thème de l'inflexibilité des dieux et l'impossibilité, pour ceux qui les servent, d'atteindre l'exemplarité de leurs standards. C'est une chouette adaptation du trope du héros blasé, en quête de rédemption.
J'ai beaucoup moins apprécié la seconde partie du roman, qui est moins forte. La narration y est fractionnée entre les différents personnages, ce qui, honnêtement, a peut-être influencé ma baisse d'intérêt ; les narrations fractionnées m'exaspèrent.
missmarketpaperback's review
4.0
I enjoyed this so much! Reminiscent of the Dresden Files and I love the world the author built so much! I will definitely track down the others.
brownbetty's review
5.0
Basically, the sort of book that justifies entire genres. Love, love, love. First off, the prologue was genuinely interesting, and made me want to read the book. In general, I automatically skip prologues. Secondly, this marries myth and science in truly satisfying and creative ways. Thirdly, it has everything: Gods and demons in disguise, police procedure, uneasy alliances that turn to uneasy friendship, a man trapped between love and duty, but not in a stupid way.
The setting is the Singapore of the future, or rather, a Singapore of the future: Singapore III, of a current five. The protagonist is Detective Inspector Chen, a man who is currently somewhat in his patron goddess's bad-graces for marrying a demon against Kuan Yin wishes. It comes to the attention of the police department that certain heaven-bound souls are not arriving there, and Chen is assigned the case. This probably gives you a fair idea of what to expect.
Several minor things threw me. One, Chen's wife is named Inari, which I kept reading as "Inara." This is my own fault, but did interfere a bit in the beginning. Two, the illustration on the cover made me immediately check to see if the artist was a man, and lo, he was. [http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/515u6B7Ws7L._SS500_.jpg]See if you can spot what pinged for me. Three, I have no idea to what extent the Chinese culture and myth depicted is accurate, but it's certainly detailed enough that if it's made up, it's a master-piece of world-building. Fourth, there was the occasional bizarre intrusion of Western culture, as when Chen reflects on the applicability of the Western aphorism, "Between the Devil and the deep blue sea," to his situation. It's my experience that figures of speech from one language/culture generally make no sense whatsoever when removed from that context, and besides, surely "the Devil" would be nonsense to Chen?
These minor points aside, (and despite how I harp on them, they were very minor to my enjoyment,) this is an excellent book. It made me kick my feet in delight. Highly recommended.
The setting is the Singapore of the future, or rather, a Singapore of the future: Singapore III, of a current five. The protagonist is Detective Inspector Chen, a man who is currently somewhat in his patron goddess's bad-graces for marrying a demon against Kuan Yin wishes. It comes to the attention of the police department that certain heaven-bound souls are not arriving there, and Chen is assigned the case. This probably gives you a fair idea of what to expect.
Several minor things threw me. One, Chen's wife is named Inari, which I kept reading as "Inara." This is my own fault, but did interfere a bit in the beginning. Two, the illustration on the cover made me immediately check to see if the artist was a man, and lo, he was. [http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/515u6B7Ws7L._SS500_.jpg]See if you can spot what pinged for me. Three, I have no idea to what extent the Chinese culture and myth depicted is accurate, but it's certainly detailed enough that if it's made up, it's a master-piece of world-building. Fourth, there was the occasional bizarre intrusion of Western culture, as when Chen reflects on the applicability of the Western aphorism, "Between the Devil and the deep blue sea," to his situation. It's my experience that figures of speech from one language/culture generally make no sense whatsoever when removed from that context, and besides, surely "the Devil" would be nonsense to Chen?
These minor points aside, (and despite how I harp on them, they were very minor to my enjoyment,) this is an excellent book. It made me kick my feet in delight. Highly recommended.
eak1013's review
3.0
Such a wonderful, intriguing concept - non-Western SF/mystery blended with non-Christian religious archetypes! - hampered by Williams's weirdly bloodless characters. I felt the same way about the other, non-Detective Inspector Chen novel I read of hers, and there's just nothing for me to grasp with the characters. They slip through my head and disappear into her really fascinating worldbuilding. I almost aggressively don't care about any of them, either like or dislike, and wanting to know more about the world she has constructed is what keeps the page turning for me, not the plot or the characters. Alas.