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highlanderajax's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Dude. Daniel. Mr. Abraham. Sir. What the fuck, mate.
Dagger & Coin is great, so I know you can write fantasy. The Expanse is fantastic too, so I know you have a grip on settings other than pure fantasy. You can definitely write amazing characters, crazy-detailed worlds that feel genuinely authentic, smooth fluid plots that keep the reader engaged the whole way through, with things happening all the time, even if they're not big things the world is constantly and realistically in motion.
So what kind of pressures were you under that made this book so shit?
Worldbuilding - slim to none. I have very little idea where the magic in this book comes from, how it works, what the history of the world is, where these things come from, or really how anything going on meshes together. "Hanover" tried to place a story in the actual world, and instead of his usual exceptional detail has just painted a faint sheen of fantasy on top of standard-issue Denver. It's weak. It's flimsy. It's boring. Throwing in Kabbalist and Islamic terms and magic ideas is great - IF you actually have the mythology as a whole playing a half-decent role in the story. Just the terms ain't shit, it feels sloppy and bland. Hell, the Iron Druid series did this better.
Character work - what character work. Outside of the protagonist, the characters are skin-deep at best. Vague suggestions at backstories, motivations, personalities, but almost no actual substance. One or two lines dropped here and there without follow-up. Characters don't even DO much, so they're not even fun cut-outs there to serve the plot by doing cool shit, they just kinda...are. Even the protagonist is pretty bland - half the time spent as an audience surrogate, the other half with the most plain and insipid internal dialog.
Plot - eh. Things happen. There are bad guys. They're bad because they are. Here's some weird shit that should freak you out. No character questions this for more than 5 minutes. Main character has new skills, these are never properly explained and only vaguely described. Conflict is next to zero. Characters stand around and discuss things a little but don't really say much. Eventually there's a climax, without much setup or intrigue. It happens, pretty straightforwardly. The book ends. Done. Meh.
I won't lie, there's not really much positive to say here. It's a weak offering and it doesn't have anything particularly going for it. It beats out my lowest books of the year by virtue of not feeling like I was wading through treacle to read it, I didn't actively dislike it while reading, and I can vaguely see some potential in the wider story, but as it is there's just so little meat to any aspect. Absolutely nothing here is developed or fleshed out - outline characters in a world given a lacklustre urban fantasy paint job, going through a bare-bones plot.
Poor book. Not good. Would not recommend.
Dagger & Coin is great, so I know you can write fantasy. The Expanse is fantastic too, so I know you have a grip on settings other than pure fantasy. You can definitely write amazing characters, crazy-detailed worlds that feel genuinely authentic, smooth fluid plots that keep the reader engaged the whole way through, with things happening all the time, even if they're not big things the world is constantly and realistically in motion.
So what kind of pressures were you under that made this book so shit?
Worldbuilding - slim to none. I have very little idea where the magic in this book comes from, how it works, what the history of the world is, where these things come from, or really how anything going on meshes together. "Hanover" tried to place a story in the actual world, and instead of his usual exceptional detail has just painted a faint sheen of fantasy on top of standard-issue Denver. It's weak. It's flimsy. It's boring. Throwing in Kabbalist and Islamic terms and magic ideas is great - IF you actually have the mythology as a whole playing a half-decent role in the story. Just the terms ain't shit, it feels sloppy and bland. Hell, the Iron Druid series did this better.
Character work - what character work. Outside of the protagonist, the characters are skin-deep at best. Vague suggestions at backstories, motivations, personalities, but almost no actual substance. One or two lines dropped here and there without follow-up. Characters don't even DO much, so they're not even fun cut-outs there to serve the plot by doing cool shit, they just kinda...are. Even the protagonist is pretty bland - half the time spent as an audience surrogate, the other half with the most plain and insipid internal dialog.
Plot - eh. Things happen. There are bad guys. They're bad because they are. Here's some weird shit that should freak you out. No character questions this for more than 5 minutes. Main character has new skills, these are never properly explained and only vaguely described. Conflict is next to zero. Characters stand around and discuss things a little but don't really say much. Eventually there's a climax, without much setup or intrigue. It happens, pretty straightforwardly. The book ends. Done. Meh.
I won't lie, there's not really much positive to say here. It's a weak offering and it doesn't have anything particularly going for it. It beats out my lowest books of the year by virtue of not feeling like I was wading through treacle to read it, I didn't actively dislike it while reading, and I can vaguely see some potential in the wider story, but as it is there's just so little meat to any aspect. Absolutely nothing here is developed or fleshed out - outline characters in a world given a lacklustre urban fantasy paint job, going through a bare-bones plot.
Poor book. Not good. Would not recommend.
kberry513's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this one!! This was one of my round robin book lending thingies and I really enjoyed it. I didn't love the relationship she starts with Aubrey, because he's just a little blah, plus he's married and he somehow gets her to apologize for figuring that out. It's clear the Ex has a thing for her and wanted her to be safe, but I don't love the way he wants her to just stay safe like a good little girl, which I don't love, although to be fair she has very little experience.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
mellhay's review against another edition
3.0
Jayne is a 22 year old college student who finds out her uncle has passed away. Jayne is not all that close to her family, and there was something between her father and uncle-so they didn't talk. Jayne is surprised to learn her uncle, who helped her out a time or two, has left everything to her in his passing. She goes to check out some of his properties and is attacked. To her astonishment she can really kick some butt.
Jayne is clueless as to what her uncle even did for a living. Eventually, she finds his comrades, whom he worked with, and learns there is a demon out there that needs to be stopped. Unaware of what her uncle had planned, besides some notes with rifles and specially made bullets in a storage unit, she needs to decide to take action or leave and let the others tend to it.
I do have to say the scenery descriptions were a little short. All the details are found in the actions and planning of the actions. This book is placed in our world so there is no great new world setup needed here. The character development was a great start to a first book in a series. I love how the characters are real, in they are not perfect in their choices and make mistakes. They are not a Superman who is always doing the right thing at the right time.
Jayne is clueless as to what her uncle even did for a living. Eventually, she finds his comrades, whom he worked with, and learns there is a demon out there that needs to be stopped. Unaware of what her uncle had planned, besides some notes with rifles and specially made bullets in a storage unit, she needs to decide to take action or leave and let the others tend to it.
I do have to say the scenery descriptions were a little short. All the details are found in the actions and planning of the actions. This book is placed in our world so there is no great new world setup needed here. The character development was a great start to a first book in a series. I love how the characters are real, in they are not perfect in their choices and make mistakes. They are not a Superman who is always doing the right thing at the right time.
ianmitchell's review against another edition
4.0
M.L.N. Hanover is one of several pen-names of Daniel Abraham. Under this name he writes "urban fantasy". I don't read a tonne of books in the genre but from what I have read I would consider this above average - though not as good as the Dresden Files.
The story is fairly straightforward - I consider it to be a fun, light read rather than anything mind-blowing or thought-provoking. The protagonist is a reasonably interesting character; most of the secondary characters are only broadly sketched out in this installment.
Overall I'd recommend this for fans of urban fantasy or those looking for a light read.
The story is fairly straightforward - I consider it to be a fun, light read rather than anything mind-blowing or thought-provoking. The protagonist is a reasonably interesting character; most of the secondary characters are only broadly sketched out in this installment.
Overall I'd recommend this for fans of urban fantasy or those looking for a light read.
cacuin's review against another edition
4.0
nice action scenes. Decent story and some characters that I am looking forward to reading more about.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
5.0
I had seen a lot of mixed reviews of this book which I had already bought so I wasn't sure what to expect. I must admit that I really enjoyed it!
Jayne arrives in Denver as heir to her Uncle Eric's estate, the only family member who never disowned him. Now she has become very rich, with lots of properties and storage units to look through. Eric was also up to his eyes in magic a demons, a talent he may have passed to Jayne. Now Eric's team want to continue with his plan to stop evil Randolph Coin, Eric's murderer but have only seven days to plan it.
I very much liked the characters in this book. Jayne had the right level of doubt about the stories she was told but seeing a talking corpse and being attacked, she is willing to believe anything. I'm glad we didn't have the carry on of taking half a book to convince her of the truth. She suffers from fear and insecurity which made her more of a real character to me and the way she flies off the handle over Aubrey's secret was a reasonable reaction given the circumstances. She also takes time to find her courage and her skills, which I also liked instead of just being kickass from day one. I liked Aubrey the scientist, Midian the living corpse, the magic Buddhist Chogyi Jake and former priest Ex who deals now in weapons but still has a moral compass. The group dynamic is excellent and I loved the planning sessions that the team went through to get Coin. The introduction of Kim was also good and added a bit more interest to the group, especially her history with Aubrey and Eric.
Jayne and Aubrey bond on a trip to help a woman whose dog told her to call Eric for help. A demon has possessed her boyfriend, whose own soul is hiding in the family dog. This first field trip together almost ends in disaster and shows Jayne how much she has to learn in the short time before the attack. It also starts the romance between them. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I'm not a fan of urban fantasy romances but this one does not dominate the plot and I think it works nicely. It is more about the emotional side of the relationship and the chemistry that develops between them.
The attack on Coin is the big piece of action, with everyone having to do their part in order for it to succeed. I thought that the way it was written was excellent, as Jayne battles with her fear to do her part, knowing that this man killed her uncle. I can understand her terror and suddenly things are starting to go wrong, endangering the lives of her team. Coin is in the driving seat now and the hunters have become the hunted, hiding in Eric's house to stay safe. Another plan is needed but this time can Jayne follow through and do what needs to be done? The team are starting to fall apart and views are mixed about whether or not to go ahead. The element of planning the second attack was just as interesting to me as the first attempt, and the tension is continually being ramped up.
I'm not going to say much else about the plot. It was full of action, tension, emotion and fear, driven by the well developed characters. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are flawed and have their issues to deal with. Jayne is battling her own morals over her relationship with Aubrey. The action was exciting but it was the tension of the plot as they sneaked around doing their planning, spying and hiding that I really enjoyed. I found it well written and fast paced, with no time to get bored. Even the science bits didn't go over my head as they usually do!
I recommend this to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Jayne arrives in Denver as heir to her Uncle Eric's estate, the only family member who never disowned him. Now she has become very rich, with lots of properties and storage units to look through. Eric was also up to his eyes in magic a demons, a talent he may have passed to Jayne. Now Eric's team want to continue with his plan to stop evil Randolph Coin, Eric's murderer but have only seven days to plan it.
I very much liked the characters in this book. Jayne had the right level of doubt about the stories she was told but seeing a talking corpse and being attacked, she is willing to believe anything. I'm glad we didn't have the carry on of taking half a book to convince her of the truth. She suffers from fear and insecurity which made her more of a real character to me and the way she flies off the handle over Aubrey's secret was a reasonable reaction given the circumstances. She also takes time to find her courage and her skills, which I also liked instead of just being kickass from day one. I liked Aubrey the scientist, Midian the living corpse, the magic Buddhist Chogyi Jake and former priest Ex who deals now in weapons but still has a moral compass. The group dynamic is excellent and I loved the planning sessions that the team went through to get Coin. The introduction of Kim was also good and added a bit more interest to the group, especially her history with Aubrey and Eric.
Jayne and Aubrey bond on a trip to help a woman whose dog told her to call Eric for help. A demon has possessed her boyfriend, whose own soul is hiding in the family dog. This first field trip together almost ends in disaster and shows Jayne how much she has to learn in the short time before the attack. It also starts the romance between them. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I'm not a fan of urban fantasy romances but this one does not dominate the plot and I think it works nicely. It is more about the emotional side of the relationship and the chemistry that develops between them.
The attack on Coin is the big piece of action, with everyone having to do their part in order for it to succeed. I thought that the way it was written was excellent, as Jayne battles with her fear to do her part, knowing that this man killed her uncle. I can understand her terror and suddenly things are starting to go wrong, endangering the lives of her team. Coin is in the driving seat now and the hunters have become the hunted, hiding in Eric's house to stay safe. Another plan is needed but this time can Jayne follow through and do what needs to be done? The team are starting to fall apart and views are mixed about whether or not to go ahead. The element of planning the second attack was just as interesting to me as the first attempt, and the tension is continually being ramped up.
I'm not going to say much else about the plot. It was full of action, tension, emotion and fear, driven by the well developed characters. The bad guys are bad, the good guys are flawed and have their issues to deal with. Jayne is battling her own morals over her relationship with Aubrey. The action was exciting but it was the tension of the plot as they sneaked around doing their planning, spying and hiding that I really enjoyed. I found it well written and fast paced, with no time to get bored. Even the science bits didn't go over my head as they usually do!
I recommend this to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what comes next!
deranged_pegasus's review against another edition
5.0
The story line was excellent and the characters surprising with each aspect revealed. The mind of Jayne was beautifully shown and delved deep into various aspects of the world and life in general as she sought to understand her new world. The final death of Coin was nerve-wracking not only for the location but also his reaction to her identity.
xvicesx's review against another edition
3.0
It didn't rock my socks but it was alright and well written, with witty one-liners and an action-packed storyline. Good enough for a lazy afternoon, I'd say.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot get over how superb this book was to read. The characters, the location, the way Jayne (can't get the accent over the e, sorry) learns how to be a leader in her fight against evil.
patience_rote's review against another edition
Skrivestilen fangede mig aldrig rigtigt, Jayne irriterede mig mest, plottet fangede mig aldrig rigtigt og falder den i nogle troper omkring romance (instalove i ældre fyr, der er gift) som jeg ikke rigtigt kunne med.