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shugarpakket's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully imaginative, Lovecraftian world of monsters (man and otherwise) and violence. I don't read much urban fantasy, so my perspective is a bit shallow, but I've never read something quite like this.
My only complaint is in the complexity of the plot and the pace of the story in it's middle third. Many of the peripheral characters, even the ones important to the plot, feel interchangeable and I was often confused as to who was doing what and why I should care. There is A LOT going on throughout the novel, and so done of the main drivers (Mookie and Nora) and emotional through line get lost a bit.
Overall, though, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in gangsters and monsters in a wholly unique world.
My only complaint is in the complexity of the plot and the pace of the story in it's middle third. Many of the peripheral characters, even the ones important to the plot, feel interchangeable and I was often confused as to who was doing what and why I should care. There is A LOT going on throughout the novel, and so done of the main drivers (Mookie and Nora) and emotional through line get lost a bit.
Overall, though, a worthwhile read for anyone interested in gangsters and monsters in a wholly unique world.
jonmhansen's review against another edition
4.0
Woo. Gonzo specnoir. Is that a thing? Cuz I think this is it. Good, action packed reading, with a very strong voice.
ingypingy2000's review against another edition
4.0
A fun and intense read- very dark and drama filled, but fun.
jocelynlindsay's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Couldn't put it down. Loved the world building and the sense of the environment. Had elements of Clive Barker and Jim Butcher and all kinds of urban gritty goodness wrapped with a grim noir bow. Had to find out What Happens Next. The violence and vulgarities may keep some readers from partaking. I had some minor nitpicks, but not enough to ruin the overall read.
old_tim's review against another edition
4.0
By now you’re probably aware of how the bog standard urban fantasy steals its bones from Detective novels. The protagonist is in the role of the classic private eye, trying to unravel some sort of mystery, and the cast is populated with an assortment of vampires/werewolves/whathaveyou. In The Blue Blazes, Wendig sidesteps this generic setup, borrowing instead from the crime novel.
The protagonist, Mookie Pearl, works for the mob (or The Organization, in Wendig’s world). He runs crews who mine Blue Blazes, a powder that makes you feel invincible and lets you see the terrible things that live deep in the Earth below New York City. Unfortunately for Mookie, the head of The Organization is dying, and there’s a succession problem. And oh yeah, his teenage daughter is working on the outside to seize control of the whole thing.
The Blue Blazes was my first experience reading one of Wendig’s books. I was delighted to discover his lean and mean style. Short sharp sentences combined with a propulsive plot push the reader along making the book harder and harder to put down. Great worldbuilding combined with selective usage of tropes from crime and urban fantasy novels make this a unique, fun read.
But what really sets The Blue Blazes apart from the competition is its heart. Sure Mookie is a big lug who does bad things to bad people. That’s not so uncommon to read about. What makes Mookie a great character is the great big heart inside this big scary guy. His loyalty to The Organization and his boss; his love for his daughter; his desire to protect the innocents who get caught in the crossfire of this whole mess; these things give Mookie a depth that make him sympathetic and the story engaging on an emotional level.
It’s not all hugs and kisses, however. Be prepared. If you have problems with offensive language, or violence, this won’t be a book you’ll enjoy. It’s big and bold and profane. But if you can handle that, Mookie will take you on a ride to hell and back.
The protagonist, Mookie Pearl, works for the mob (or The Organization, in Wendig’s world). He runs crews who mine Blue Blazes, a powder that makes you feel invincible and lets you see the terrible things that live deep in the Earth below New York City. Unfortunately for Mookie, the head of The Organization is dying, and there’s a succession problem. And oh yeah, his teenage daughter is working on the outside to seize control of the whole thing.
The Blue Blazes was my first experience reading one of Wendig’s books. I was delighted to discover his lean and mean style. Short sharp sentences combined with a propulsive plot push the reader along making the book harder and harder to put down. Great worldbuilding combined with selective usage of tropes from crime and urban fantasy novels make this a unique, fun read.
But what really sets The Blue Blazes apart from the competition is its heart. Sure Mookie is a big lug who does bad things to bad people. That’s not so uncommon to read about. What makes Mookie a great character is the great big heart inside this big scary guy. His loyalty to The Organization and his boss; his love for his daughter; his desire to protect the innocents who get caught in the crossfire of this whole mess; these things give Mookie a depth that make him sympathetic and the story engaging on an emotional level.
It’s not all hugs and kisses, however. Be prepared. If you have problems with offensive language, or violence, this won’t be a book you’ll enjoy. It’s big and bold and profane. But if you can handle that, Mookie will take you on a ride to hell and back.
monty_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
bookfairy99's review against another edition
1.0
DNF - I had such high hopes for this book, but it just didn't grab me at all. I gave up 50 pages in when I realized I didn't care one bit about what happened, or any of the characters.
greatnate008's review against another edition
4.0
It started off a little slow, but ended up being a pretty great story.
ken_bookhermit's review
2.0
There was something about the latter part of the book that had me exhausted. I'm aware that it's urban fantasy, and the author is known for depictions of gritty and violent scenes. I've evolved from this type of fantasy and into something tamer in terms of action scenes. The Blue Blazes questions the nature of humanity but not so much to the extent that I could appreciate.
The first half of the text allowed me to develop an interest enough to have me reading, but as I mentioned, the latter parts, the climax and the denouement, feels empty. Loaded with scenes, emotional meeting-halfway between Mookie and Nora, but still feels lacking. Maybe it was the sheer abundance of "explosions", so to speak. And I suppose it's supposed to create buildup for the second part of the series, but it fell flat. It gave me too much at once and it overwhelmed. My brain couldn't process and accept in the pace that I read. Which is too bad, but I know for a fact that I won't read the next installment.
The first half of the text allowed me to develop an interest enough to have me reading, but as I mentioned, the latter parts, the climax and the denouement, feels empty. Loaded with scenes, emotional meeting-halfway between Mookie and Nora, but still feels lacking. Maybe it was the sheer abundance of "explosions", so to speak. And I suppose it's supposed to create buildup for the second part of the series, but it fell flat. It gave me too much at once and it overwhelmed. My brain couldn't process and accept in the pace that I read. Which is too bad, but I know for a fact that I won't read the next installment.