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dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
Miriam Black is lured to Florida by a rich man wanting Miriam to reveal how he dies. This turns out to be a ruse concocted by someone who wants Miriam dead, someone who knows of her gift, and the only person she can turn to is her mother. Can the two angry Black women stop the killer or will they fall prey to the horrors Miriam saw in her vision?
I got this from NetGalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
In the third installment, Miriam Black goes down to Florida and tries to stop a hellish vision. Along the way, she goes through the meat grinder, runs afoul of the law, drinks the contents of a sizeable liquor store, and does some world class swearing. In short, she's still the Miriam we know and love, though she's transitioned from a thief profitting from her gift to someone who's not afraid to kill to prevent the glimpses of the future she's getting.
How do you stop someone who knows your ever move? That's the problem Miriam is up against for almost the entire book, making for a very chilling villain. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with his identity but Wendig did a lot to make me forget about that. The ending was great and I'm hoping to see Miriam explore her abilities a little more in the next installment.
Wendig's writing is as polished as ever, both with the similes and the depictions of torturous violence. Thoughout the series, his love of the Chekov's gun principle is apparent, both with Evelyn Black finally making an appearance in this book and the plot device of the mysterious box that puts a nice cherry on top of the climax of this volume.
The framing sequence with Miriam being help captive by two rogue FBI agents was very nicely done. Since we're all aware Miriam is a series character, we know she'll live and letting her tell the story in her less than linear fashion did a lot to build tension. With all the collateral damage Wendig normally inflicts on the cast, Miriam was the only one we knew would survive, though she's got another batch of hospital bills that we taxpayers will be footing the bill for.
Brutal, hilarious, and a lot of fun. That pretty much sums it up. Four out of five stars!
I got this from NetGalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
In the third installment, Miriam Black goes down to Florida and tries to stop a hellish vision. Along the way, she goes through the meat grinder, runs afoul of the law, drinks the contents of a sizeable liquor store, and does some world class swearing. In short, she's still the Miriam we know and love, though she's transitioned from a thief profitting from her gift to someone who's not afraid to kill to prevent the glimpses of the future she's getting.
How do you stop someone who knows your ever move? That's the problem Miriam is up against for almost the entire book, making for a very chilling villain. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with his identity but Wendig did a lot to make me forget about that. The ending was great and I'm hoping to see Miriam explore her abilities a little more in the next installment.
Wendig's writing is as polished as ever, both with the similes and the depictions of torturous violence. Thoughout the series, his love of the Chekov's gun principle is apparent, both with Evelyn Black finally making an appearance in this book and the plot device of the mysterious box that puts a nice cherry on top of the climax of this volume.
The framing sequence with Miriam being help captive by two rogue FBI agents was very nicely done. Since we're all aware Miriam is a series character, we know she'll live and letting her tell the story in her less than linear fashion did a lot to build tension. With all the collateral damage Wendig normally inflicts on the cast, Miriam was the only one we knew would survive, though she's got another batch of hospital bills that we taxpayers will be footing the bill for.
Brutal, hilarious, and a lot of fun. That pretty much sums it up. Four out of five stars!
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
I'm officially hooked on this series now, this was just something really special. Real gritty and intense and intriguing characters. Looking forward the next book!
philibin's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 Stars)
This was my least favorite so far, but I still liked it. It didn't seem to come together as well as the first two books. And was a definite cliff-hanger to get you on to the next book... Don't get me wrong, the story was completely stand-alone and didn't leave you hanging on to see what happens... It just ended in such a way that was like mid-sentence, and will be continued in the next book.
If you like paranormal horror fiction you should like this book.
This was my least favorite so far, but I still liked it. It didn't seem to come together as well as the first two books. And was a definite cliff-hanger to get you on to the next book... Don't get me wrong, the story was completely stand-alone and didn't leave you hanging on to see what happens... It just ended in such a way that was like mid-sentence, and will be continued in the next book.
If you like paranormal horror fiction you should like this book.
_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
3.0
I'm still enjoying these - but also I'm starting to have questions:
Like what is actually going on here?
And does Chuck Wendig know what is going on here?
And now that Miriam isn't suicidal anymore is she actually just a crappy person who I don't care about?
Like what is actually going on here?
And does Chuck Wendig know what is going on here?
And now that Miriam isn't suicidal anymore is she actually just a crappy person who I don't care about?
kadomi's review against another edition
4.0
Good ol' Miriam Black is still as filthy-mouthed as ever in this third book of the Miriam Black series. Quality is still as good as in the first two books, if you like the style at all, but the story about Miriam fighting against someone who willingly lured her to Florida didn't quite grab me as the ritualistic serial murders from the previous book.
All in all, this book felt a bit rushed to me, a bit too short. I would have preferred more details, but it's all a mad dash to the end, with some characters feeling just like a backdrop instead of being a fully-fleshed character. Still, I liked it quite fine, just not as much as the first two books in the series.
Spoiler
I had high hopes when it came to Miriam being reunited with her mother, seeing as most of her issues stem back to her childhood, but alas, that fell flat. I would have liked to learn more about Evelyn Black.All in all, this book felt a bit rushed to me, a bit too short. I would have preferred more details, but it's all a mad dash to the end, with some characters feeling just like a backdrop instead of being a fully-fleshed character. Still, I liked it quite fine, just not as much as the first two books in the series.
cherithe's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful as expected: dark, gritty, mouthy and quick. Left me wanting more, so Thunderbird best be on its way.
smkean's review against another edition
5.0
Miriam rocks my world once again, another kick ass adventure. I love how she is evolving and we are getting more into the how and why of her powers.
marklpotter's review against another edition
4.0
Miriam is back and in my opinion this is the best book in the series so far. We get see Miriam really deal with her gift and it's consequences. Couple that with the large amount of backstory and our heroine becomes so much more than she was in the other books. I really like the serial killer aspect in this one, the way Miriam's gift is used against her, and how helpless the whole situation feels. My only complaint is that the abuse that Miriam takes in this, and hell the other books, would incapacitate just about anyone. But that's it, the sum total of my complaint.
I like the setting moving to Florida for this one and think that Wendig captures that FL feel. Well, at least based on other fiction I've read that's based in Florida. So I guess Wendig captures that Florida fiction feel really well, which is all I could really ask for.
Using Miriam's visions and killing people she's going to come in to contact with is a genius move on the part of Wendig. It plays well in to the grit he does so well. I don't always like the way this story was framed. The whole FBI interrogation being the basis for the story doesn't always play well. The trope was alright here but it did feel superfluous through most of the book. But I think Wendig would win "Best Of Use Of Chekhov's Gun" if that were a category.
I was going to talk more about the story but I'm tired, supposed to be working, and this is third book in a series. If you're this far in to the series then you should read it based on sheer bloody mindedness. If you're not then talking about the story here isn't going to convince you one way or another, but you should at least read Blackbird and give this series a shot!
I like the setting moving to Florida for this one and think that Wendig captures that FL feel. Well, at least based on other fiction I've read that's based in Florida. So I guess Wendig captures that Florida fiction feel really well, which is all I could really ask for.
Using Miriam's visions and killing people she's going to come in to contact with is a genius move on the part of Wendig. It plays well in to the grit he does so well. I don't always like the way this story was framed. The whole FBI interrogation being the basis for the story doesn't always play well. The trope was alright here but it did feel superfluous through most of the book. But I think Wendig would win "Best Of Use Of Chekhov's Gun" if that were a category.
I was going to talk more about the story but I'm tired, supposed to be working, and this is third book in a series. If you're this far in to the series then you should read it based on sheer bloody mindedness. If you're not then talking about the story here isn't going to convince you one way or another, but you should at least read Blackbird and give this series a shot!
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
Wendig takes pitch black fantasy noir and makes it art. With a trail of bodies behind her--more and more of them killed by her own hand--Miriam Black is trying to escape the supernatural conflict closing in around her. But there's another killer out there, and this time, it's personal. Wendig captures the grit and grime, the violence and despair of Miriam's tortured life, but run through with moments of hope and glimmers of light, this third book in the series is never just shock value. Visceral brutality sits side by side with moments of beautiful imagery in this newest chapter of one woman cursed with death and knowledge, and her journey to maybe find something good in a world that rarely wants her.
storyman's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed
Enjoyed the book a little less than the previous two, but still a good ride. Wendig has a rat-a-tat-tat style I like, but here he uses the word “like” a bit too much (such and such happened “like” a beetle rolling a dung ball up a pyramid - a few too many of them).
Will read the next.
Enjoyed the book a little less than the previous two, but still a good ride. Wendig has a rat-a-tat-tat style I like, but here he uses the word “like” a bit too much (such and such happened “like” a beetle rolling a dung ball up a pyramid - a few too many of them).
Will read the next.