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mel_d's review
3.0
This was a nice twist to the fantasy plot. It read much like a noir novel of old (I later read that the author lists Hammett as his inspiration, so that makes sense) complete with the washed ex-police detective, sketchy characters, and troubled past. Overall, a very enjoyable read.
thewashouts's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
nyxshadow's review against another edition
3.0
http://nyx-shadow.blogspot.fr/2014/02/basse-fosse-t1-le-baiser-du-rasoir.html
arthurbdd's review against another edition
1.0
Risible bilge, based around a whodunnit plot where the main twist is utterly obvious, and set in a shallow fantasy world where the depiction of minority cultures comes across as rehashing cheap racial stereotypes about real-world ethnicities. Full review (with spoilers): https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/forget-it-reader-its-low-town/
haversam's review
4.0
A lot fantasy novels can take you visually aesthetic landscapes with dragons and wizards in the background. And some can take you to the grime, gore and dirt of the battlefield. But with Low Town, for me personally being from the Baltimore area, I was transported to an altered Greenmount, Lexington Market, and Charles street. This book definitely had the grime of the city through its pages in a way in which was unique. Far from distracting me from the book, this made me want to read it that much more.
It was a really good read with fully fledged out characters. Dark and flawed like their surroundings, the characters try their best to survive in the rough city. Even the magical system that Polansky brought to life seemed to have it flaws.
It was a really good read with fully fledged out characters. Dark and flawed like their surroundings, the characters try their best to survive in the rough city. Even the magical system that Polansky brought to life seemed to have it flaws.
nlord's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
While I wouldn't usually mind Polansky's brand of cynicism, this one skews way too far into "Dark-and-Gritty", with a lot of the "Grimy Noir flavour" racism and bigotry being seriously unpleasant to read (especially everything about Kirentown and it's crime-boss), beyond that, you would easily guess the culprit way, way to early into the story (If you ever before read a detective story or two), for the rest of it feeling frustrated by how the whole mystery could've been solved in minutes, if only characters exchanged slightly less vague sentences between each other once in a while.
the_lyon_reads_tonight's review against another edition
I really wanted to like this book, it should have worked but in the end, the heavy writing style and the excessively long exposition just made me put it down. This book just felt like it never shifted from exposition to an actual story.
pryme's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
onanotherplanet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
seak's review
4.0
Low Town is Daniel Polasnky's debut novel - a fantasy that's not completely a fantasy. Told in the first person, Low Town is, and I don't think I'm the first to report, a crime noir story in a fantastical setting. It literally is a crime thriller set in a medieval secondary world...and it's works really well.
Warden is your typical bad-A with a heart of gold. His hard exterior comes from the way the system's treated him, his participation not only in the military, but in the police force, neither of which ending on the best of terms.
Throughout most of the book, Warden is extremely mysterious and Low Town was very hard to put down because of this aspect - Warden's always got something new up his sleeve, some talent or contact. This is especially surprising because of his work as a drug dealer.
And that's one of the things that makes Warden so surprising. This drug dealer has already tried everything and this is the field of work he's landed on and stuck with.
As we learn more about Warden's talents and networking skills, certain parts of his past are revealed as well and these were some of the best parts of the book. Not only do they not slow down the fast pace of this book, but they move the plot forward deftly.
Coming from the streets, Warden had it rough, but was able to prove his good nature by helping those less fortunate than himself, those who hadn't found a place for themselves as he had.
This next paragraph is not quite a spoiler, but may spoil the book if you read it, so read at your own risk:
I did figure out the ending pretty early on in the book, and the reason for the warning is because I think it's only because I read a review that mentioned this same thing. But, despite the fact that I knew the ending "whodunit," I still highly enjoyed the ride, exploring the world of Low Town and the character of Warden.
Why Read Low Town?
Are you in the mood for a fast-paced book that's almost impossible to put down? Low Town is a great break from your average fantasy. It certainly has plenty of fantasy elements, but this is its own beast altogether, something I've never seen in a fantasy novel. Highly Recommended.
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it)
Warden is your typical bad-A with a heart of gold. His hard exterior comes from the way the system's treated him, his participation not only in the military, but in the police force, neither of which ending on the best of terms.
Throughout most of the book, Warden is extremely mysterious and Low Town was very hard to put down because of this aspect - Warden's always got something new up his sleeve, some talent or contact. This is especially surprising because of his work as a drug dealer.
And that's one of the things that makes Warden so surprising. This drug dealer has already tried everything and this is the field of work he's landed on and stuck with.
As we learn more about Warden's talents and networking skills, certain parts of his past are revealed as well and these were some of the best parts of the book. Not only do they not slow down the fast pace of this book, but they move the plot forward deftly.
Coming from the streets, Warden had it rough, but was able to prove his good nature by helping those less fortunate than himself, those who hadn't found a place for themselves as he had.
This next paragraph is not quite a spoiler, but may spoil the book if you read it, so read at your own risk:
I did figure out the ending pretty early on in the book, and the reason for the warning is because I think it's only because I read a review that mentioned this same thing. But, despite the fact that I knew the ending "whodunit," I still highly enjoyed the ride, exploring the world of Low Town and the character of Warden.
Why Read Low Town?
Are you in the mood for a fast-paced book that's almost impossible to put down? Low Town is a great break from your average fantasy. It certainly has plenty of fantasy elements, but this is its own beast altogether, something I've never seen in a fantasy novel. Highly Recommended.
4 out of 5 Stars (Loved it)