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jasonsweirdreads's review against another edition
5.0
Michael Griffin is fast becoming a well-known writer within the contemporary weird fiction movement. His first collection, The Lure of Devouring Light, made waves back in 2016, and his next collection is due out in June 2018, which will include his novella An Ideal Retreat. It's exciting times for Michael Griffin, and especially so for his fans.
Hieroglyphs of Blood and Bone tells the tale of Guy, whose marriage of two decades ends suddenly and he's living with a co-worker, Karl who is much younger. As one would expect when living with a younger bachelor, Karl is trying to get Guy laid, to experience life beyond the chain of his broken marriage and emotionally abusive ex-wife. It's not working out so well.
Hieroglyphs of Blood and Bone, I think, is about how we, in our lives, live in different chapters. One chapter can be completely alien to the next. This book is a character study that asks what happens when a person changes chapters abruptly and without any real choice in the matter. How does one find their way after living a life for 20 years of smooth transitions between chapters, and how does our protagonist find peace amongst the emotional chaos while finding a new rhythm. How does one survive while facing what is perhaps the most frightening aspect of all, yourself? Along the way, Guy meets a mysterious woman, Lily, who completely captures his attention and somehow manages to warp time and thought.
This story is a Journey down the literary rabbit hole that questions reality and sanity, time and place. It is, in the end, a piece of art that had me guessing and thinking about the story throughout the entire process. It also managed to scratch the proverbial itch I have been having lately to read something on the literary end. A full five stars on this one. Recommended.
Hieroglyphs of Blood and Bone tells the tale of Guy, whose marriage of two decades ends suddenly and he's living with a co-worker, Karl who is much younger. As one would expect when living with a younger bachelor, Karl is trying to get Guy laid, to experience life beyond the chain of his broken marriage and emotionally abusive ex-wife. It's not working out so well.
Hieroglyphs of Blood and Bone, I think, is about how we, in our lives, live in different chapters. One chapter can be completely alien to the next. This book is a character study that asks what happens when a person changes chapters abruptly and without any real choice in the matter. How does one find their way after living a life for 20 years of smooth transitions between chapters, and how does our protagonist find peace amongst the emotional chaos while finding a new rhythm. How does one survive while facing what is perhaps the most frightening aspect of all, yourself? Along the way, Guy meets a mysterious woman, Lily, who completely captures his attention and somehow manages to warp time and thought.
This story is a Journey down the literary rabbit hole that questions reality and sanity, time and place. It is, in the end, a piece of art that had me guessing and thinking about the story throughout the entire process. It also managed to scratch the proverbial itch I have been having lately to read something on the literary end. A full five stars on this one. Recommended.
sarrie's review against another edition
I'm not going to star rate it because it was just not for me in anyway. Not at all what I thought I was buying based on the description. The writing was well done but the story and the point are just a hard no.
bloodinthesigil's review against another edition
4.0
I'm giving this book a 4 (though if we're honest it's more of a 3.5 but I like to aim high instead of low). I really enjoyed it, though clearly it is not what is being presented to us via the cover and the synopsis. This is not a horror story at all. It is weird fiction, but it is more steam of consciousness. A character study of a man who loses all sense of self as his marriage ends. This story is being given to us in a framework of Pagan symbols and Eldritch dread. It's a beautiful book but do not come in expecting a strong plot-line and mystery.
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