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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I wanted to like this book...but about 25% of the way through it, I gave up. I like the creative concepts, but the author keeps the reader too much in the dark on too many aspects for too long. Not a fulfilling light read- moving on.
3.5 stars
This fantasy novel follows the adventures of 19 year old Christopher Buckley in the magical city of Darrington. Since the death of their parents he's been looking after little sister Rosemary, a girl with a special gift.
There used to be many of her kind, people who could bind the elementals such as undines & sylphs to carry out every day tasks. But Darrington City has fallen on hard times & there are unscrupulous men who would do anything to harness her power.
The Buckleys aren't doing so well themselves & Christopher desperately needs to find employment. Jobs are in short supply & he has no choice but to take a position as a secretary/assistant to Olivia Faraday. She's a death sniffer, an agent for the police with a gift for solving murders.
Christopher is soon put to the test when they are hired by a member of the elite to find out who killed her husband. It's a complex case & everyone has something to hide. Worse, it becomes personal after someone threatens to harm Rosemary if Christopher & Olivia don't stop asking questions.
This has been labelled as "dark" fantasy but I'd have to disagree. For me, that implies something edgy or gritty & it reads more like a YA fantasy novel with plenty of personal drama & angst. Christopher comes across as much younger than his years & frets over every decision or action he has to take. Olivia's character can only be described as over the top, from her outlandish clothing to her potty mouth. I have no problem with swearing in any book as long as it fits the setting. In this case, other characters speak with a reserved & formal politeness reminiscent of Victorian times so her frequent outbursts come across as oddly jarring & out of place. Other major characters develop slowly & by the end we feel like we know them only slightly better. It may be this is the start of a series & the author was more concerned with establishing the groundwork, leaving further character development for the next instalment.
What is done very well is the world building. It's an original & well thought out take on a mythical setting where the rich travel in carriages flown by winged hippogryphs, elementals are harnessed to provide your water & power & people are "categorized" into careers based on their talents. All aspects of life are given an alternative spin that is highly imaginative & rich in detail. Big kudos to the author for creating such a unique & inventive world.
The investigation takes up the bulk of the book & pacing drags a bit in the middle before picking up for an action packed finale. It's a relatively "clean" read with no sex or graphic violence so suitable for young teens & up.
As always it's a matter of personal preference so if you're a big fan of light fantasy, give this a try.
This fantasy novel follows the adventures of 19 year old Christopher Buckley in the magical city of Darrington. Since the death of their parents he's been looking after little sister Rosemary, a girl with a special gift.
There used to be many of her kind, people who could bind the elementals such as undines & sylphs to carry out every day tasks. But Darrington City has fallen on hard times & there are unscrupulous men who would do anything to harness her power.
The Buckleys aren't doing so well themselves & Christopher desperately needs to find employment. Jobs are in short supply & he has no choice but to take a position as a secretary/assistant to Olivia Faraday. She's a death sniffer, an agent for the police with a gift for solving murders.
Christopher is soon put to the test when they are hired by a member of the elite to find out who killed her husband. It's a complex case & everyone has something to hide. Worse, it becomes personal after someone threatens to harm Rosemary if Christopher & Olivia don't stop asking questions.
This has been labelled as "dark" fantasy but I'd have to disagree. For me, that implies something edgy or gritty & it reads more like a YA fantasy novel with plenty of personal drama & angst. Christopher comes across as much younger than his years & frets over every decision or action he has to take. Olivia's character can only be described as over the top, from her outlandish clothing to her potty mouth. I have no problem with swearing in any book as long as it fits the setting. In this case, other characters speak with a reserved & formal politeness reminiscent of Victorian times so her frequent outbursts come across as oddly jarring & out of place. Other major characters develop slowly & by the end we feel like we know them only slightly better. It may be this is the start of a series & the author was more concerned with establishing the groundwork, leaving further character development for the next instalment.
What is done very well is the world building. It's an original & well thought out take on a mythical setting where the rich travel in carriages flown by winged hippogryphs, elementals are harnessed to provide your water & power & people are "categorized" into careers based on their talents. All aspects of life are given an alternative spin that is highly imaginative & rich in detail. Big kudos to the author for creating such a unique & inventive world.
The investigation takes up the bulk of the book & pacing drags a bit in the middle before picking up for an action packed finale. It's a relatively "clean" read with no sex or graphic violence so suitable for young teens & up.
As always it's a matter of personal preference so if you're a big fan of light fantasy, give this a try.
Kate McIntyre has created a world powered by a variety of enslaved elemental spirits, and peopled by individuals who are Categorized with some sort of power, such as the ability to know when someone is telling the truth, or to be able to sing and sooth the elemental spirits. The town in which the story's action occurs has a slight Victorian feel. Other than that, I don't really have a good sense of the story's setting.
Main character Christopher Buckley takes on work with Deathsniffer (really good at determining when someone is lying) Olivia O'Faraday. Olivia works with the police investigating murders, and Christopher is her new assistant, rapidly transcribing her interviews and other interactions during an investigation into the death of one of members of a rich, old family. Olivia gets a sense almost immediately that there's more going on in the family than she's being told, while Christopher has his own family issues to deal with, as he's trying to keep the authorities from discovering just how powerful his younger sister Rosemary is at keeping elemental spirits calm.
The mystery takes Olivia and Christopher around in circles, though I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on. I think the somewhat prickly interactions between Olivia and Christopher intrigued me, and both characters seem to complement the other's abilities and shortcomings during the investigation. I'm sufficiently interested that I may continue on to the next book in the series.
Main character Christopher Buckley takes on work with Deathsniffer (really good at determining when someone is lying) Olivia O'Faraday. Olivia works with the police investigating murders, and Christopher is her new assistant, rapidly transcribing her interviews and other interactions during an investigation into the death of one of members of a rich, old family. Olivia gets a sense almost immediately that there's more going on in the family than she's being told, while Christopher has his own family issues to deal with, as he's trying to keep the authorities from discovering just how powerful his younger sister Rosemary is at keeping elemental spirits calm.
The mystery takes Olivia and Christopher around in circles, though I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on. I think the somewhat prickly interactions between Olivia and Christopher intrigued me, and both characters seem to complement the other's abilities and shortcomings during the investigation. I'm sufficiently interested that I may continue on to the next book in the series.
I think that it's such a pity when a book is so full of potential but it doesn't use it, like this one. The situation of the city and the story of the people was great and even the two orphans trying to survive was not bad, but, my God, Olivia was so insufferable that I cannot stand her, if she weren't one of the main character I would have skipped all the pages about her or wherever she appears. Plus Rosemary is an idiot. That said the book is not bad, but it could have been much better.
Io penso che sia un vero peccato quando un libro é pieno di potenziale ma poi non lo sfrutta, come questo qui. L'ambientazione é fantastica e anche i poteri della gente, persino i due orfani che devono sopravvivere, per quanto super giá visti, sono intriganti, ma.....MIO DIO Olivia non si sopporta proprio, se non fosse stato deleterio ai fini della comprensione avrei saltato tutte le pagine dove appare. Oltretutto Rosemary é proprio scema. Detto questo, il libro non é male, ma sarebbe potuto essere molto meglio.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND CURIOSITY QUILLS PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Io penso che sia un vero peccato quando un libro é pieno di potenziale ma poi non lo sfrutta, come questo qui. L'ambientazione é fantastica e anche i poteri della gente, persino i due orfani che devono sopravvivere, per quanto super giá visti, sono intriganti, ma.....MIO DIO Olivia non si sopporta proprio, se non fosse stato deleterio ai fini della comprensione avrei saltato tutte le pagine dove appare. Oltretutto Rosemary é proprio scema. Detto questo, il libro non é male, ma sarebbe potuto essere molto meglio.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND CURIOSITY QUILLS PRESS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Fresh plot, or three? Lots going on in this book and I was glad for the exciting ride. I'm looking forward to the next book to close up some of the remaining questions left unanswered, but strongly hinted at.
The Deathsniffer’s Assistant by Kate McIntyre is a novel set in a Victorian-type world where people have unique abilities (they also have flying carriages and salamanders that provide electricity). Everyone (except the very rich) are categorized (to see what their abilities are and have them registered). Christopher Buckley (just nineteen) has been raising his sister, Rosemary since the death of their parents six years earlier (with the help of their financier, Fernand Spencer). Their parents died in the notorious Floating Castle incident.
Christopher has been classified as a word weaver (one of the lowest classifications) and has been desperately trying to find a job (their family money is nearly gone). Christopher responds to an advertisement as an assistant to O. Faraday, Deathsniffer (which is a truthsniffer who deals with murder investigations). Most people look down upon deathsniffer’s, but beggars cannot be choosers. Christopher arrives at the interview and meets Olivia (he does not put it together that she is O. Faraday). She likes him and agrees to hire him (that is when he finds out that she is the deathsniffer). Olivia is quite flamboyant, energetic, and intelligent. She does not hold with all the conventions of society (politeness, etiquette, and rules) which Christopher (and most of society) like to follow.
Their first case together is the murder of Duke Viktor val Daren. His wife, Evelyn wants to find out who killed her husband (deathsniffer’s work with the police to solve crimes). Olivia dives immediately into the investigation. They interview the wife, the daughter (Lady Analaae val Daren), the current mistress (Vanessa Caldwell), and the daughter’s boyfriend (Ethan Grey) as well as the man to whom the val Daren’s owe money. Things are pointing one direction, but Olivia feels that something is off. She is determined to figure it out. However, the killer is now threatening Christopher and Rosemary (his sister). Then Lady Analaae is found murdered in a brutal fashion. Olivia and Christopher need to solve this case quickly. Who is the killer and will they find him/her in time?
Christopher is also having to deal with his sister, Rosemary and her talents. Rosemary is a binder as well as a wizard (a strong one). Talents are decreasing in people, so someone with strong talents is desperately needed. Rosemary is only thirteen and Christopher wants to protect her. If the wrong person gets ahold of his sister, they will use her up (and toss her away). Christopher employs a governess, Rachel Albany to educate his sister and help keep her safe. Will they succeed or will Rosemary get into the wrong hands (of course, they also have to keep her safe from the killer)?
I liked The Deathsniffer’s Assistant (especially the murder mystery), but did not love it. It is a very confusing story and it is lacking in explanations (about the magic, the time period, and the different categories). Olivia is an over-the-top character (though I do enjoy some of her phrases) and goes into long detailed speeches (we also get extremely detailed information on each and every outfit she wears). I believe the book could do with some editing (eliminating many paragraphs). It has the makings of a great book and the beginning of a delightful series (just needs a little tweaking). I give The Deathsniffer’s Assistant 3.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery (despite some misleading clues) is very easy to solve. Follow your instinct on who the killer really is and you will probably be right (the deathsniffer may not always be right)!
I received a complimentary copy of The Deathsniffer’s Assistant from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-deathsniffers-assistant.html
Christopher has been classified as a word weaver (one of the lowest classifications) and has been desperately trying to find a job (their family money is nearly gone). Christopher responds to an advertisement as an assistant to O. Faraday, Deathsniffer (which is a truthsniffer who deals with murder investigations). Most people look down upon deathsniffer’s, but beggars cannot be choosers. Christopher arrives at the interview and meets Olivia (he does not put it together that she is O. Faraday). She likes him and agrees to hire him (that is when he finds out that she is the deathsniffer). Olivia is quite flamboyant, energetic, and intelligent. She does not hold with all the conventions of society (politeness, etiquette, and rules) which Christopher (and most of society) like to follow.
Their first case together is the murder of Duke Viktor val Daren. His wife, Evelyn wants to find out who killed her husband (deathsniffer’s work with the police to solve crimes). Olivia dives immediately into the investigation. They interview the wife, the daughter (Lady Analaae val Daren), the current mistress (Vanessa Caldwell), and the daughter’s boyfriend (Ethan Grey) as well as the man to whom the val Daren’s owe money. Things are pointing one direction, but Olivia feels that something is off. She is determined to figure it out. However, the killer is now threatening Christopher and Rosemary (his sister). Then Lady Analaae is found murdered in a brutal fashion. Olivia and Christopher need to solve this case quickly. Who is the killer and will they find him/her in time?
Christopher is also having to deal with his sister, Rosemary and her talents. Rosemary is a binder as well as a wizard (a strong one). Talents are decreasing in people, so someone with strong talents is desperately needed. Rosemary is only thirteen and Christopher wants to protect her. If the wrong person gets ahold of his sister, they will use her up (and toss her away). Christopher employs a governess, Rachel Albany to educate his sister and help keep her safe. Will they succeed or will Rosemary get into the wrong hands (of course, they also have to keep her safe from the killer)?
I liked The Deathsniffer’s Assistant (especially the murder mystery), but did not love it. It is a very confusing story and it is lacking in explanations (about the magic, the time period, and the different categories). Olivia is an over-the-top character (though I do enjoy some of her phrases) and goes into long detailed speeches (we also get extremely detailed information on each and every outfit she wears). I believe the book could do with some editing (eliminating many paragraphs). It has the makings of a great book and the beginning of a delightful series (just needs a little tweaking). I give The Deathsniffer’s Assistant 3.5 out of 5 stars. The mystery (despite some misleading clues) is very easy to solve. Follow your instinct on who the killer really is and you will probably be right (the deathsniffer may not always be right)!
I received a complimentary copy of The Deathsniffer’s Assistant from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-deathsniffers-assistant.html
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have had wildly variable luck with steampunk. So perhaps it's just as well that The Deathsniffer's Assistant wasn't deep-dyed steampunk. There was a lot to like about the setting and writing, magic and the way it was used. But I couldn't warm to any of the characters. The young hero, Christopher, was timid and insecure, and being inside his head could be almost stressful with that level of quaveryness. It was also uncomfortable watching him react sexually to … just about everyone (mainly because it made him so uncomfortable. He was a very confused young man). His extremely gifted sister, Rosemary, was intriguing, part of which being the fact that she did not react as I expected her to very often, but she was a) too young and b) not 'on stage' enough to become attached to. The victim's family were kind of hideous. And as for Olivia Faraday … I don't get it. She wore a different unsuitable outfit every day; she was abrasive and inappropriate and outright aggressively rude in ways that I found hard to fathom. "Too far!" she challenged as she spun Olivia around to face her. "Too damned far, Faraday!..." There was nothing to make any sense of it.
The book description includes the line, "It is about the relationships between broken people who clash more often than not, but manage to shape and learn from one another in spite of this." I didn't get that out of it. Olivia didn't strike me as broken so much as determinedly eccentric; by the time any evidence appeared of past trauma causing her behavior, it was too late: I was already settled into a distaste for her. And unfortunately Christopher's brokenness was not calculated to elicit any sympathy either.
What really distanced me from this book, though, was a sort of nauseous horror at the way magic was harnessed. Actually, there were two magical systems going on in this world: one was fascinating, in which each individual was sorted as a child into a sort of a guild based on his innate gifts (if any). Christopher was a wordweaver. "Some wordweavers performed well enough as fiction writers, but it was at the bottom of the authorized profession list – and tended to pay abysmally when it paid at all." Heh. It was all very strictly controlled, and strictly enforced. Olivia was Rosemary showed early signs of a very strong gift in the whole aspect of magic in this world which made me uncomfortable: binding.
While I enjoyed the exposition of what I've just described, this part was less successfully explained, in my mind. The picture that finally emerged was one of humans binding elementals and such creatures to perform largely mundane tasks. Lighting, a sort of Skype using mirrors, freezing water and washing dishes, making trains and flying cabs go … running ferris wheels … and (here's the one that made me queasy) electrocuting criminals. Problem was, the reason the creatures had to be bound was because (er, duh) they were unwilling. And, being unwilling, they constantly tried to break loose. And when they broke loose … Very Bad Things happened.
And I can't say I blamed them at all. Kind of cheered them on, actually. If I were bound by some idiot to keep a freaking ferris wheel turning, I'd do my level best to break loose and roll that thing into the nearest river or roadway, with as many shrieking humans aboard as possible.
As mentioned, while the aspect of individuals' abilities was well enough explained to get me through, I got a bit lost when cloudlings and 'binders and such were spoken of with no explanation, and when creatures I'm familiar with – like salamanders and water sprites – were handled in a completely unfamiliar way. More exposition would have helped. Background. Something.
The murder mystery itself was … fine. It was another one that reminded me of a prime time cop show, where a suspect is dragged in, interrogated, turns out to have a solid alibi, and is kicked to the curb without apology ... and then another … and another … Wait, now we're back to one of the earlier suspects …
There were small problems with the writing which I can but hope will be taken care of (like "innervated exhileration" … insert Princess Bride quote here), but overall it was well phrased. If the decent writing could have extended to better character development and exposition, it could have been a lot of fun.
I received this from Netgalley for an honest review - thanks!
The book description includes the line, "It is about the relationships between broken people who clash more often than not, but manage to shape and learn from one another in spite of this." I didn't get that out of it. Olivia didn't strike me as broken so much as determinedly eccentric; by the time any evidence appeared of past trauma causing her behavior, it was too late: I was already settled into a distaste for her. And unfortunately Christopher's brokenness was not calculated to elicit any sympathy either.
What really distanced me from this book, though, was a sort of nauseous horror at the way magic was harnessed. Actually, there were two magical systems going on in this world: one was fascinating, in which each individual was sorted as a child into a sort of a guild based on his innate gifts (if any). Christopher was a wordweaver. "Some wordweavers performed well enough as fiction writers, but it was at the bottom of the authorized profession list – and tended to pay abysmally when it paid at all." Heh. It was all very strictly controlled, and strictly enforced. Olivia was Rosemary showed early signs of a very strong gift in the whole aspect of magic in this world which made me uncomfortable: binding.
While I enjoyed the exposition of what I've just described, this part was less successfully explained, in my mind. The picture that finally emerged was one of humans binding elementals and such creatures to perform largely mundane tasks. Lighting, a sort of Skype using mirrors, freezing water and washing dishes, making trains and flying cabs go … running ferris wheels … and (here's the one that made me queasy) electrocuting criminals. Problem was, the reason the creatures had to be bound was because (er, duh) they were unwilling. And, being unwilling, they constantly tried to break loose. And when they broke loose … Very Bad Things happened.
And I can't say I blamed them at all. Kind of cheered them on, actually. If I were bound by some idiot to keep a freaking ferris wheel turning, I'd do my level best to break loose and roll that thing into the nearest river or roadway, with as many shrieking humans aboard as possible.
As mentioned, while the aspect of individuals' abilities was well enough explained to get me through, I got a bit lost when cloudlings and 'binders and such were spoken of with no explanation, and when creatures I'm familiar with – like salamanders and water sprites – were handled in a completely unfamiliar way. More exposition would have helped. Background. Something.
The murder mystery itself was … fine. It was another one that reminded me of a prime time cop show, where a suspect is dragged in, interrogated, turns out to have a solid alibi, and is kicked to the curb without apology ... and then another … and another … Wait, now we're back to one of the earlier suspects …
There were small problems with the writing which I can but hope will be taken care of (like "innervated exhileration" … insert Princess Bride quote here), but overall it was well phrased. If the decent writing could have extended to better character development and exposition, it could have been a lot of fun.
I received this from Netgalley for an honest review - thanks!
It's very readable, but I found it very aggravating. Very obvious things were overlooked because reasons. There was a VERY unnecessary death at the end that made me very mad. It's clearly dragging some things out for a series, and I'm unimpressed about that.
Posted on Powder & Page
This is another book that I received from NetGalley, published by Curiosity Quills Press. I admit, I was intrigued by the title of the book and the whole reason I requested it was so I could figure out what a “Deathsniffer” was. I found out in short order what that ominous title meant and how it fit into the scope of the story.
The story itself was a complex and gruesome murder mystery layered in with Christopher Buckley’s personal troubles. You see, Mr. Buckley is the guardian of his younger sister Rosemary, who happens to be a powerful spiritbinder. Spiritbinders (or wizards) are a hot commodity because the foundations of society depend upon them to keep functioning (lighting, plumbing, infrastructure) and binding wizards are becoming extremely rare. Christopher is having a really difficult time because he’s broke and Rosemary keeps getting into situations where her rare power is shown to the public. In order to keep them financially afloat, he takes a job as an assistant to the Deathsniffer, Olivia Faraday who is just a little crazy, but also really good at finding murderers. Ms. Faraday gets put on a dreadful case involving a noble family that just keeps getting more and more horrific and complicated as the story goes along. Her bright, eccentric personality and tenacity made Olivia Faraday my favorite out of all the characters.
The crime solving part of the book was my favorite part because it was incredibly well done. I had guesses about who committed the crime and their motives behind it, but at the beginning I was very wrong. About halfway through I had another hunch, and in the end I was right about it but I was very surprised about the motive and the exact method of the crime. I was happy to have placed my suspicions correctly, but it was really awesome to have been unaware of so many other factors and have that big surprise at the end.
The society and the politics of the story world were both dynamic and magical. The spirits that power so much of the cities were reminiscent of the furies in Jim Butcher’s Codex of Alera series. The elemental aspect was a clear parallel, but in most other respects they were vastly different. The society was clearly written in a way that suggested great changed were in the making and the two political factions were creating upheaval. At first, I thought that the politics was unnecessary and used for filler, but as the plot progressed, it became apparent that it was actually there for a reason.
All in all, the Deathsniffer’s Assistant was a fun and different read that kept me guessing throughout. I would love to see fan art of the characters and the elementals because they were written beautifully and deserve to be made into art.
This is another book that I received from NetGalley, published by Curiosity Quills Press. I admit, I was intrigued by the title of the book and the whole reason I requested it was so I could figure out what a “Deathsniffer” was. I found out in short order what that ominous title meant and how it fit into the scope of the story.
The story itself was a complex and gruesome murder mystery layered in with Christopher Buckley’s personal troubles. You see, Mr. Buckley is the guardian of his younger sister Rosemary, who happens to be a powerful spiritbinder. Spiritbinders (or wizards) are a hot commodity because the foundations of society depend upon them to keep functioning (lighting, plumbing, infrastructure) and binding wizards are becoming extremely rare. Christopher is having a really difficult time because he’s broke and Rosemary keeps getting into situations where her rare power is shown to the public. In order to keep them financially afloat, he takes a job as an assistant to the Deathsniffer, Olivia Faraday who is just a little crazy, but also really good at finding murderers. Ms. Faraday gets put on a dreadful case involving a noble family that just keeps getting more and more horrific and complicated as the story goes along. Her bright, eccentric personality and tenacity made Olivia Faraday my favorite out of all the characters.
The crime solving part of the book was my favorite part because it was incredibly well done. I had guesses about who committed the crime and their motives behind it, but at the beginning I was very wrong. About halfway through I had another hunch, and in the end I was right about it but I was very surprised about the motive and the exact method of the crime. I was happy to have placed my suspicions correctly, but it was really awesome to have been unaware of so many other factors and have that big surprise at the end.
The society and the politics of the story world were both dynamic and magical. The spirits that power so much of the cities were reminiscent of the furies in Jim Butcher’s Codex of Alera series. The elemental aspect was a clear parallel, but in most other respects they were vastly different. The society was clearly written in a way that suggested great changed were in the making and the two political factions were creating upheaval. At first, I thought that the politics was unnecessary and used for filler, but as the plot progressed, it became apparent that it was actually there for a reason.
All in all, the Deathsniffer’s Assistant was a fun and different read that kept me guessing throughout. I would love to see fan art of the characters and the elementals because they were written beautifully and deserve to be made into art.