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tshim's review against another edition
3.0
This author shows a heckuva lot of promise, but the book's a swing and a miss and a baseball to the eye.
The best way I can put it is this: If you've ever read a China Mieville book, you're familiar with one of my favorite aspects of the New Weird movement, which is the stage of the book where you start to get your bearings in the slightly skew world the book creates, and your puzzlement transitions smoothly into a simultaneous horror and wonder. This book forgot the wonder, and didn't make me care about the characters enough to offset the grimdark turn.
The Gutter Prayer combines an amazing amount of stuff I really really like in books, but puts it together in an unfortunate way. I loved lots of small things about the author's writing style, I enjoyed the plotting, I adored the world, but this is a painful book for me as a reader. I hope the author takes another crack at it, because I'd love to see his vision realized well.
The best way I can put it is this: If you've ever read a China Mieville book, you're familiar with one of my favorite aspects of the New Weird movement, which is the stage of the book where you start to get your bearings in the slightly skew world the book creates, and your puzzlement transitions smoothly into a simultaneous horror and wonder. This book forgot the wonder, and didn't make me care about the characters enough to offset the grimdark turn.
The Gutter Prayer combines an amazing amount of stuff I really really like in books, but puts it together in an unfortunate way. I loved lots of small things about the author's writing style, I enjoyed the plotting, I adored the world, but this is a painful book for me as a reader. I hope the author takes another crack at it, because I'd love to see his vision realized well.
cbroderick226's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jess_readingjournal's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this series because I love Bloodborne and I heard this book had some of the vibes, and it does! The city of Guerdon is as much of a character here as Yharnam is in Bloodborne and there are nods here and there to the game and other media, but I appreciate how this book took all those Lovecraftian ideas and did something different and original with them.
Unfortunately I never quite loved the main character and one of the subplots just seemed like a waste of time that ended up going nowhere.
But overall I enjoyed this book enough to continue reading the series, and book 2, which I'm currently reading, is a huge improvement.
Unfortunately I never quite loved the main character and one of the subplots just seemed like a waste of time that ended up going nowhere.
But overall I enjoyed this book enough to continue reading the series, and book 2, which I'm currently reading, is a huge improvement.
mankan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lorelie's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Decent read, a bit slow and I had a hard time following all of the different characters.
If I read the series it will be in the future.
If I read the series it will be in the future.
bookish_satty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
A great and unique read. Awesome world building and fast paced plot with tons of action and suspense. Truly an epic ending which left me shocked and speechless for quite sometime. Hoping to read Book 2 soon.
thereadingstray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
loslibrosdelosdragones's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 estrellas.
Este libro me gustó muchísimo, aunque al finalizarlo siento que me quedé con una sensación rara. Sobrecogedora. Cuando pienso en lo que leí, en la experiencia, se siente extraño.
Es un libro lleno de worldbuilding y, por eso, muchas veces tiene demasiados párrafos de info-dump. Todos ellos van construyendo el mundo y a los personajes, pero en varias ocasiones se vuelve demasiado abrumador. Páginas y páginas de cosas que podrían haber sido mostradas de otra manera mucho más... dinámica.
Eso fue lo que, más que nada, me dejó esa extraña sensación.
Los personajes y el mundo me gustaron muchísimo. La fantasía épica es un género "limitado" (entre comillas, porque en realidad no lo es, sino que nosotros mismos le damos esa apariencia). Generalmente está lleno de los mismos elementos, las mismas temáticas y los mismos mundos. Sin embargo, el autor le da un giro en este libro. Hay criaturas muy interesantes, diferentes, que no se limitan en los humanos, protagonistas, y los "otros". Hay criaturas que son enemigos, criaturas que son aliados y criaturas que son protagonistas.
La idea de un mundo rodeado de Dioses que son reales y de verdad intervienen me pareció interesante y funciona muy bien acá. La introducción de los "santos" como personajes activos, que realmente son un "canal" entre los Dioses y sus fieles me pareció genial. Es una vuelta de tuerca a algo que existe en nuestro mundo, pero vuelto "real".
La historia se va desarrollando con un poco de lentitud también, principalmente por la cantidad de worldbuilding que hay a lo largo del libro. Sin embargo, los personajes nos van llevando por este mundo extraño, lleno de misterios y de secretos. Plantea un millón de preguntas y resuelve algunas, pero la mayoría quedan inconclusas, probablemente para los siguientes libros.
Es una historia oscura, repleta de personajes interesantes, pero deshechos y un mundo tan deshecho como ellos. Se va construyendo, como dije, de a poco. Con una introducción un poco larga, un desarrollo que va construyendo la tensión poco a poco hasta que llega el final, donde todo explota. La historia termina de una manera que no tengo ni idea de cómo va a seguir o qué va a suceder en el siguiente, lo cual me da mucha intriga y ganas de leerlo.
TW: descripciones explícitas de sangre, violencia, canibalismo, body horror, discusiones de esclavitud sexual, esclavitud, asesinatos, muerte, gusanos, privación de la libertad.
Este libro me gustó muchísimo, aunque al finalizarlo siento que me quedé con una sensación rara. Sobrecogedora. Cuando pienso en lo que leí, en la experiencia, se siente extraño.
Es un libro lleno de worldbuilding y, por eso, muchas veces tiene demasiados párrafos de info-dump. Todos ellos van construyendo el mundo y a los personajes, pero en varias ocasiones se vuelve demasiado abrumador. Páginas y páginas de cosas que podrían haber sido mostradas de otra manera mucho más... dinámica.
Eso fue lo que, más que nada, me dejó esa extraña sensación.
Los personajes y el mundo me gustaron muchísimo. La fantasía épica es un género "limitado" (entre comillas, porque en realidad no lo es, sino que nosotros mismos le damos esa apariencia). Generalmente está lleno de los mismos elementos, las mismas temáticas y los mismos mundos. Sin embargo, el autor le da un giro en este libro. Hay criaturas muy interesantes, diferentes, que no se limitan en los humanos, protagonistas, y los "otros". Hay criaturas que son enemigos, criaturas que son aliados y criaturas que son protagonistas.
La idea de un mundo rodeado de Dioses que son reales y de verdad intervienen me pareció interesante y funciona muy bien acá. La introducción de los "santos" como personajes activos, que realmente son un "canal" entre los Dioses y sus fieles me pareció genial. Es una vuelta de tuerca a algo que existe en nuestro mundo, pero vuelto "real".
La historia se va desarrollando con un poco de lentitud también, principalmente por la cantidad de worldbuilding que hay a lo largo del libro. Sin embargo, los personajes nos van llevando por este mundo extraño, lleno de misterios y de secretos. Plantea un millón de preguntas y resuelve algunas, pero la mayoría quedan inconclusas, probablemente para los siguientes libros.
Es una historia oscura, repleta de personajes interesantes, pero deshechos y un mundo tan deshecho como ellos. Se va construyendo, como dije, de a poco. Con una introducción un poco larga, un desarrollo que va construyendo la tensión poco a poco hasta que llega el final, donde todo explota. La historia termina de una manera que no tengo ni idea de cómo va a seguir o qué va a suceder en el siguiente, lo cual me da mucha intriga y ganas de leerlo.
TW: descripciones explícitas de sangre, violencia, canibalismo, body horror, discusiones de esclavitud sexual, esclavitud, asesinatos, muerte, gusanos, privación de la libertad.
bibliosquire's review against another edition
4.0
I had been looking for a book that would give off the same feel as Bloodborne, and this is exactly what I was looking for! Set in a fantastical city that is inhabited by thieves, religious zealots, worms, the undead, and even men made of wax, Gutter Prayer follows a cast of characters in the dark happenings of Guerdon as they also uncover the secrets of the city. The book switches POV from a cast of characters that includes Carrilon, a girl who recently just came back to Guerdon, Spar is the son of a famous thief, Rat is a ghoul, and many other inhabitants of the city.
I really liked this book and how loved how atmospheric it was. Traveling from the churches to the underground cities to the various other locations was probably my favorite part of it all. The characters all had really interesting arcs and anytime Aleena the Saint showed up, I was most likely cheering because she was easily my favorite character to read about. The dialogue was probably my least favorite aspect of the book. Sometimes it took me out of the world completely, so it may have just been me. I still loved the writing style overall and I’m excited to see where the author’s writing goes in the sequels.
I’m excited to read the rest of this series now and see where it goes! This really felt like it could’ve been a stand-alone, but there are definitely some questions that still need answered. I'm hoping that the world and mythology continue to grow along with the characters!
I really liked this book and how loved how atmospheric it was. Traveling from the churches to the underground cities to the various other locations was probably my favorite part of it all. The characters all had really interesting arcs and anytime Aleena the Saint showed up, I was most likely cheering because she was easily my favorite character to read about. The dialogue was probably my least favorite aspect of the book. Sometimes it took me out of the world completely, so it may have just been me. I still loved the writing style overall and I’m excited to see where the author’s writing goes in the sequels.
I’m excited to read the rest of this series now and see where it goes! This really felt like it could’ve been a stand-alone, but there are definitely some questions that still need answered. I'm hoping that the world and mythology continue to grow along with the characters!
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
3.0
This was quiet enjoyable once I got into it. I found the beginning a bit slow, but that could just as well have been me and not the book. The imagery evoked Fallen London (the game) in my mind and that added a whole layer of fun to it. For the first in a series, it wraps up tidily - which is always a plus in my mind. Cari, Rat, and Aleena were probably my favorite characters. It'll be interesting to see where the series goes next.