Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jillheather's review against another edition
3.0
I like a lot of Pratt's recent stuff, so I am giving this an extra star because I think his writing skill has improved and I'm going to continue with the series.
julieputty's review against another edition
Wow, these characters are not people I want to spend any time around.
ninjamuse's review against another edition
3.0
In brief: Marla Mason, sorceress of Freeport, is in San Francisco to find the one magical artifact that can stop a plot to delete her from reality. Unfortunately, someone has killed its guardian in their own bid for it—and Marla just can’t let that happen. First in a series.
Thoughts: Thoroughly enjoyable, which is how I tend to like my urban fantasy! Like a lot of mid-2000s urban fantasy, it’s solid on plot and character and setting and magic system without doing anything more than is strictly necessary, but it’s also not like I pick up this genre when I wanted to be challenged, and if Pratt is anything, it’s entertaining.
I’m not sure I’ve seen another protagonist like Marla, though. She definitely operates in grey areas and often for entirely selfish reasons, but she also understands karma and has the greater good in the back of her mind. She’s got this air of mystery too, in that we only get glimpses of her past and her life in Freeport and are left trying to piece everything together. I liked that. Kept me on my toes.
And I liked the world-building! There are all kinds of magical traditions and foci, everything from Chinese medicine to computers to sexual energy. Powerful artifacts turn up with no provenance in thrift stores. There are seers and ghosts and doppelgangers and parallel dimensions and gods. It should feel like a hodgepodge of stuff but Pratt somehow makes it work, and it all felt cool and helped to keep the story fresh.
The plot’s fairly predictable for the genre—they talk to people, go places, get clues, etc.—with just enough in it to stay not-boring, but it’s also got some deeply hinky stuff. I’m not talking about the gay sexual sorcerer who hosts kink nights, who was pretty well handled. I’m talking about the nasty Chinese sorcerer and the actual villain, who is Aztec and doing his darnedest to conform to stereotype. Few clothes, obsidian knives, desire to feed his gods with blood, the whole bit. I side-eyed whenever he was mentioned, which, given that he’s the bad guy, was reasonably often.
But, like I’ve said, I had fun burning through this! It was pretty satisfying, as urban fantasies go, and I can absolutely see myself picking up the next book in the series. Someday. Maybe at a book sale or in a fit of “no book in my bag” desperation, which is what prompted me picking this one up in the first place. It’s not great shakes but you can do (and I’ve done) a lot worse.
To bear in mind: Questionable use of poison dart frogs. Questionable biology of poison dart frogs. Extremely questionable use of indigenous Aztec sorcerer in a villainous role. Slightly less questionable use of Chinese sorcerer as a more minor villain. Mention of cannibalism. Surprisingly good about mental illness and queer people, though not perfect. Harm to animals.
6/10
Thoughts: Thoroughly enjoyable, which is how I tend to like my urban fantasy! Like a lot of mid-2000s urban fantasy, it’s solid on plot and character and setting and magic system without doing anything more than is strictly necessary, but it’s also not like I pick up this genre when I wanted to be challenged, and if Pratt is anything, it’s entertaining.
I’m not sure I’ve seen another protagonist like Marla, though. She definitely operates in grey areas and often for entirely selfish reasons, but she also understands karma and has the greater good in the back of her mind. She’s got this air of mystery too, in that we only get glimpses of her past and her life in Freeport and are left trying to piece everything together. I liked that. Kept me on my toes.
And I liked the world-building! There are all kinds of magical traditions and foci, everything from Chinese medicine to computers to sexual energy. Powerful artifacts turn up with no provenance in thrift stores. There are seers and ghosts and doppelgangers and parallel dimensions and gods. It should feel like a hodgepodge of stuff but Pratt somehow makes it work, and it all felt cool and helped to keep the story fresh.
The plot’s fairly predictable for the genre—they talk to people, go places, get clues, etc.—with just enough in it to stay not-boring, but it’s also got some deeply hinky stuff. I’m not talking about the gay sexual sorcerer who hosts kink nights, who was pretty well handled. I’m talking about the nasty Chinese sorcerer and the actual villain, who is Aztec and doing his darnedest to conform to stereotype. Few clothes, obsidian knives, desire to feed his gods with blood, the whole bit. I side-eyed whenever he was mentioned, which, given that he’s the bad guy, was reasonably often.
But, like I’ve said, I had fun burning through this! It was pretty satisfying, as urban fantasies go, and I can absolutely see myself picking up the next book in the series. Someday. Maybe at a book sale or in a fit of “no book in my bag” desperation, which is what prompted me picking this one up in the first place. It’s not great shakes but you can do (and I’ve done) a lot worse.
To bear in mind: Questionable use of poison dart frogs. Questionable biology of poison dart frogs. Extremely questionable use of indigenous Aztec sorcerer in a villainous role. Slightly less questionable use of Chinese sorcerer as a more minor villain. Mention of cannibalism. Surprisingly good about mental illness and queer people, though not perfect. Harm to animals.
6/10
will_sargent's review against another edition
4.0
I like how Marla is not, in any way shape or form, a good person.
aoutrance's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, I like Marla. Practical, realist heroines are always going to be my favorite. Marla is also an older woman, already experienced in her own powers. This is something new too; usually they are young and green.
A snippet of my favorite scene:
A snippet of my favorite scene:
[Marla is infiltrating a sex party in search of the ~pornomancer~. She is followed.]
"My name’s Jared,” he said. “I want you to whip me.”
“As much as I’d like to see you whipped,” Marla said, “I’m busy.”
[after she is unsuccessful at getting rid of him]
She took the bullwhip to the far end of the room. Marla cracked her knuckles.
"It’s been a long time,” she said, “but let’s see if I can still write my name in somebody’s ass.” She let the whip fly.
viiu's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, fun read.
Good for fans of Richard Kadrey and those that read 'Harry Dresden' and got dang sick of his epic martyr, "saving damsels and all women are damsels" complex.
Good for fans of Richard Kadrey and those that read 'Harry Dresden' and got dang sick of his epic martyr, "saving damsels and all women are damsels" complex.
avalinahsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Lately I've been reading more short stories - a thing I never do - and mainly because of some of my friends around here. But I think that's a welcome development.
This short story was unconvincing at first, okay by the middle, wonderful at the end. The ending was both interesting, exhilarating, puzzling and eventually calming. I loved it. I do recommend it to everyone because it's really short (over 600 words, if I'm not mistaken). It's got some symbolism jumbled up with some fantasy, I think you're mainly supposed to treat it as a metaphor, but you're free not to, if you choose to rather read it as fantasy. Funny that it's only the second short story I've read online - but it does resemble the only other one - Jemisin's [b:The City Born Great|31115639|The City Born Great|N.K. Jemisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468437333s/31115639.jpg|51720170].
To those who want to read it, you'll find it here:
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-wilderness-within/
This short story was unconvincing at first, okay by the middle, wonderful at the end. The ending was both interesting, exhilarating, puzzling and eventually calming. I loved it. I do recommend it to everyone because it's really short (over 600 words, if I'm not mistaken). It's got some symbolism jumbled up with some fantasy, I think you're mainly supposed to treat it as a metaphor, but you're free not to, if you choose to rather read it as fantasy. Funny that it's only the second short story I've read online - but it does resemble the only other one - Jemisin's [b:The City Born Great|31115639|The City Born Great|N.K. Jemisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468437333s/31115639.jpg|51720170].
To those who want to read it, you'll find it here:
http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-wilderness-within/
mythicgeek's review against another edition
3.0
It took a really long time to get going, but I liked the battle and resolution. I'll be reading the next one when I can get my hands on it.