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15rhughes's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
ARC through NetGalley
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
k_doc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
laurenla's review against another edition
4.0
A detective noir/cyberpunk/magic/mythic mashup novel - Graham Edwards is a brilliant writer. So impressed by the "just right" touch he has with the various elements, never over-explaining but expecting the reader to keep up. His inventions and combinations are convincing, and the mix of plot and description perfect. Only let down is the stylized private investigator dialogue and 2D romantic interactions.
hannargh's review against another edition
4.0
Super imaginative and original, String City is the centre of the cosmos, where gods, Titans, robots, sentient entities, humans and hamadryads live in (so-called) harmony.
Our protagonist (unnamed - and none the worse for it) is an old school detective in this hustling metropolis. He walks the dimensions and knows more about characters and their mythologies than anyone else, but is thankfully not omnipotent, even if he has a bizarre gadget for every occasion.
The whole novel has a great Douglas Adams (Dirk Gently) and Terry Pratchett feel to it, whilst making regular references to Greek and other mythologies - something I really enjoyed - in a very film noir context.
I was worried it might be hammy, but, actually, I loved it. Certainly stretched the imagination - just roll with it!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Our protagonist (unnamed - and none the worse for it) is an old school detective in this hustling metropolis. He walks the dimensions and knows more about characters and their mythologies than anyone else, but is thankfully not omnipotent, even if he has a bizarre gadget for every occasion.
The whole novel has a great Douglas Adams (Dirk Gently) and Terry Pratchett feel to it, whilst making regular references to Greek and other mythologies - something I really enjoyed - in a very film noir context.
I was worried it might be hammy, but, actually, I loved it. Certainly stretched the imagination - just roll with it!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I love how it mixes the different genres making hard to understand if you're reading a sci-fi or noir. As it's so good in the end the only answer is that you don't care.
It's a wonderful book, engaging and fascinating, that you cannot put down.
I loved the style of writing and the well developed characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
It's a wonderful book, engaging and fascinating, that you cannot put down.
I loved the style of writing and the well developed characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
sunyidean's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.
Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a little bit excited to see someone nailing that aspect of writing. If you are a world-building junkie, there is a lot to like, and the sheer scope of ambition is impressive. The science that underpins the setting is a good blend of fantastical, fresh, and believable, blending new and familiar elements alike (eg, dimension hopping and a lot of Greek myth). I also enjoyed the voice of the MC, having a fondness for noir (and it is VERY noir in atmosphere, despite the unusual setting.)
The MC is an intriguing character, and because I don't want to get into spoilers I'll avoid giving too many specifics here, but suffice to say he's had a rather colourful life and is in possession of a varied skill set.
However--and this is where my review strays into the realm of the subjective--he verges into being coy, at times. Zephyr, one of two sidekicks throughout the novel, has this to say about the MC:
"Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer."
...And that's often how I felt as well. The MC's past and history start out as a mystery, and usually unveiled in moments of crisis. For example (no spoilers), MC finds himself in a jam--so we dip into a flashback about the time he did X Y Z, which gave him X item or Y skill, which he then promptly utilises.
The reveals were funny/engaging, and well done. But too many of them began to feel like, the MC would always escape every impossible situation even if we as the reader could not see the way out, because he simply had an endless well of past experiences and items to draw on. Every time I thought I knew the limit of the MC's options, he would pull out something fresh, so I began to assume he would *always* do this, for every encounter.
I hope this makes sense, I feel I am not explaining very well! Either way, it's not a huge issue, and is very subjective as I said, but *for me* this meant some the tension didn't run as high as it might have done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, though, and would certainly recommend it when it's out on shelves. Intrigued to see any sequels and what else the author does with the setting.
Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a little bit excited to see someone nailing that aspect of writing. If you are a world-building junkie, there is a lot to like, and the sheer scope of ambition is impressive. The science that underpins the setting is a good blend of fantastical, fresh, and believable, blending new and familiar elements alike (eg, dimension hopping and a lot of Greek myth). I also enjoyed the voice of the MC, having a fondness for noir (and it is VERY noir in atmosphere, despite the unusual setting.)
The MC is an intriguing character, and because I don't want to get into spoilers I'll avoid giving too many specifics here, but suffice to say he's had a rather colourful life and is in possession of a varied skill set.
However--and this is where my review strays into the realm of the subjective--he verges into being coy, at times. Zephyr, one of two sidekicks throughout the novel, has this to say about the MC:
"Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer."
...And that's often how I felt as well. The MC's past and history start out as a mystery, and usually unveiled in moments of crisis. For example (no spoilers), MC finds himself in a jam--so we dip into a flashback about the time he did X Y Z, which gave him X item or Y skill, which he then promptly utilises.
The reveals were funny/engaging, and well done. But too many of them began to feel like, the MC would always escape every impossible situation even if we as the reader could not see the way out, because he simply had an endless well of past experiences and items to draw on. Every time I thought I knew the limit of the MC's options, he would pull out something fresh, so I began to assume he would *always* do this, for every encounter.
I hope this makes sense, I feel I am not explaining very well! Either way, it's not a huge issue, and is very subjective as I said, but *for me* this meant some the tension didn't run as high as it might have done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, though, and would certainly recommend it when it's out on shelves. Intrigued to see any sequels and what else the author does with the setting.
cheyannelepka's review against another edition
3.0
The biggest thing I can say about this book is that the world-building is fascinating, intricate and detailed. There is so much going on, that it’s easy to get lost in it. Unfortunately, that’s also where this one fell short for me. The plot was great, interesting and I generally liked the characters, but there was so much going on. I kind of feel like I did a whirlwind tour of String City, and I’m still sitting here with culture shock.
One of the strengths of this book, is how it stays fairly true to what I would expect from a hard-boiled PI book, while adding in a whole lot of strange. Definitely makes for an interesting twist on a classic, and I definitely think I would read another book set in String City (I mean, I might be acclimatized?)
That’s about all I have to say about it, it just didn’t strike the right chord with me, it was a bit of a struggle to get through the entire book, though there wasn’t anything wrong with it per say, it was just one of those books that I really had to be in the right mood to read.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel, but looking for a dose of strange!
Like this review? Check out my others at:
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s-reviews
One of the strengths of this book, is how it stays fairly true to what I would expect from a hard-boiled PI book, while adding in a whole lot of strange. Definitely makes for an interesting twist on a classic, and I definitely think I would read another book set in String City (I mean, I might be acclimatized?)
That’s about all I have to say about it, it just didn’t strike the right chord with me, it was a bit of a struggle to get through the entire book, though there wasn’t anything wrong with it per say, it was just one of those books that I really had to be in the right mood to read.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel, but looking for a dose of strange!
Like this review? Check out my others at:
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s-reviews
jrenee's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sevenacrebooks's review against another edition
3.0
String City is unlike any book I have ever read. If you’re a fan of China Mieville and like a strong dose of weird to your books, pick this one up.
String City, home to a rough and downtrodden gumshoe detective, is the center of a complicated knot of cosmic strings. Here, dimensions fold together allowing for stringwalking, the crossing of dimensions by using the cosmic strings as a type of roadway. Add in some mythological creatures, gods, demigods, and a world falling apart and you’ll have the most basic understanding of one of the most complicated worlds I have ever read about.
String City follows an unnamed detective and his series of sidekicks as they solve dangerous cases involving gods, Greek Titans, and other mysterious and powerful creatures. Witty dialogue and the incredibly complicated world building provide an entertaining read that is full of twists and turns.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
String City, home to a rough and downtrodden gumshoe detective, is the center of a complicated knot of cosmic strings. Here, dimensions fold together allowing for stringwalking, the crossing of dimensions by using the cosmic strings as a type of roadway. Add in some mythological creatures, gods, demigods, and a world falling apart and you’ll have the most basic understanding of one of the most complicated worlds I have ever read about.
String City follows an unnamed detective and his series of sidekicks as they solve dangerous cases involving gods, Greek Titans, and other mysterious and powerful creatures. Witty dialogue and the incredibly complicated world building provide an entertaining read that is full of twists and turns.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.