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nickmasters's review
3.0
In essence Butterfly on the Storm is a great book. It's based on a complex plot that is well thought out and well delivered (although saying that I couldn't help but think that maybe things tied up a little too well at times, although I don't begrudge this as Walter sold it pretty convincingly).
I must admit that early on I battled a little with how certain scenes were narrated (one example was the wet t-shirt scene), and I tended to attribute these to translation intricacies. Regardless, this played on my mind a little too often, and I couldn't help but question what was lost (or at least not as great) because of the translation.
I really enjoyed getting a feel for Netherlands and a bit of its culture.
Additionally I enjoyed the characters and their interactions.
Walter Lucius also had a tendency to describe a scene from multiple aspects and through numerous view points and interactions which was very enjoyable.
All in all an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for a copy in exchange for an honest review
I must admit that early on I battled a little with how certain scenes were narrated (one example was the wet t-shirt scene), and I tended to attribute these to translation intricacies. Regardless, this played on my mind a little too often, and I couldn't help but question what was lost (or at least not as great) because of the translation.
I really enjoyed getting a feel for Netherlands and a bit of its culture.
Additionally I enjoyed the characters and their interactions.
Walter Lucius also had a tendency to describe a scene from multiple aspects and through numerous view points and interactions which was very enjoyable.
All in all an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for a copy in exchange for an honest review
leelee77's review
2.0
I really struggled to enjoy this book. The plot sounded interesting, a young Afghan boy is found abandoned on a road following a hit & run and the links to international crime seemed intriguing. The comparison to the Millenium trilogy was another thing which tempted me to read - but it was way off the mark.
There are quite a lot of characters to try and keep track of which got kind of confusing. One of the main characters Farah was a bit of a cold bitch, she cheated on her partner and showed no remorse at all. A whole bunch of tedious name dropping every time she drove her car somewhere and parked "the Carrera" - yawn, I'd rather she was driving a Citroen 2CV!
I think the book as a whole would be far better with a couple hundred pages shaved off it, to me it felt like I read something and got nothing relevant out of what I just read. I won't be going on to read the other 2 books when they come out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Michael Joseph for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are quite a lot of characters to try and keep track of which got kind of confusing. One of the main characters Farah was a bit of a cold bitch, she cheated on her partner and showed no remorse at all. A whole bunch of tedious name dropping every time she drove her car somewhere and parked "the Carrera" - yawn, I'd rather she was driving a Citroen 2CV!
I think the book as a whole would be far better with a couple hundred pages shaved off it, to me it felt like I read something and got nothing relevant out of what I just read. I won't be going on to read the other 2 books when they come out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Michael Joseph for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
A young child is found in the middle of a road in the Amsterdam Bos, the apparent victim of a hit and run accident. However the child is a boy dresses as a girl and the doctor who finds him is concerned. An exiled Afghan journalist, Farah, happens upon the boy in the hospital and is able to comfort him as she speaks the language, she believes that he was involved in a Afghan ritual of child abuse. Meanwhile Detectives Calvino and Diba are trying to find out what happened. All signs point to corruption and abuse at the highest levels in Dutch politics and business, and links with Russia to boot.
This book is the first in a series of novels which have been likened to Stieg Larsson in that they feature mavericks looking into crime in the higher echelons of business and politics. In that way there is a similarity however I think there are major dissimilarities as well. Whilst this book is entertaining it is also quite confusing. That may be that because it is the first in a trilogy and a lot of background has to be put in place but I found the action jumped around a lot and the protracted ending in the last quarter just seemed to be a series of set pieces following one after the next. Having said all that the story is interesting, particularly around the links between the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan and the Russian involvement in Chechnya. I would not discount following this series as I think it will improve in subsequent volumes.
This book is the first in a series of novels which have been likened to Stieg Larsson in that they feature mavericks looking into crime in the higher echelons of business and politics. In that way there is a similarity however I think there are major dissimilarities as well. Whilst this book is entertaining it is also quite confusing. That may be that because it is the first in a trilogy and a lot of background has to be put in place but I found the action jumped around a lot and the protracted ending in the last quarter just seemed to be a series of set pieces following one after the next. Having said all that the story is interesting, particularly around the links between the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan and the Russian involvement in Chechnya. I would not discount following this series as I think it will improve in subsequent volumes.
samarazhl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.0
missmesmerized's review against another edition
3.0
Ein Unfall im Amsterdamer Wald, ein junges Mädchen wird dabei schwer verletzt, der Verursacher begeht Fahrerflucht. Die Ärztin Danielle kämpft um das Leben des Mädchens, doch schnell stellt sich heraus, dass es gar kein Mädchen, sondern ein Junge ist, in einem Kleid, mit Schmuck und geschminkt, fremdländischer Herkunft und der Sprache nicht mächtig. In der Klinik stößt die Journalistin Farah Hafez zufällig hinzu, sie spricht Dari und weiß auch, um welchen grausamen Kult es sich handeln könnte: ein Tanzjunge, der älteren Männern zu Diensten ist und offenbar flüchten konnte. Farah beginnt mit den Recherchen, im Gegensatz zur Ärztin will sie jedoch erst intensiv nachforschen, bevor sie damit an die Öffentlichkeit geht. Danielle dauert das zu lange, mit Hilfe einer Sensationsreporterin breitet sie den Fall des Jungen vorm großen Publikum aus und bringt damit nicht nur das Kind in Gefahr, sondern auch sich selbst.
Der Roman hat einen spannenden Grundplot, der um die Geschichte des Jungen angesiedelt ist. Auch die Figur der Farah Hafez ist komplex und mit Brüchen gestaltet, so dass sie durch den Thriller tragen kann. Allerdings wird schnell klar, dass der Autor sich nicht entscheiden konnte, welche Geschichte er erzählen möchte und immer mehr Nebenschauplätze eröffnet. Farahs komplexe Familiengeschichte in Afghanistan, die Flucht nach der Machtübernahme der Sowjets, ein schlechter Journalist, der in Südafrika dem Ansehen seines Vaters nachjagt, ein korrupter Polizist, dessen Ehe in die Brüche geht und der sich für die falsche Seite entscheidet, eine Ärztin geplagt von alten Geistern, russische Oligarchen, die die Wirtschaft bestimmen, Kinderpornographie und Missbraucht, schwarze Witwen – die Liste ließe sich noch länger fortsetzen, so dermaßen verzettelt sich Walter Lucius in seiner Story. Je mehr er hineinpackt, desto flacher werden dabei die Figuren, ihr Handeln lässt kaum mehr Logik erkennen, Plausibilität zum dem zuvor geschilderten fehlt gänzlich.
Die unsäglichen Actionszenen, die in sich völlig überflüssig sind und urplötzlich wie durch einen magischen Zufall alle Figuren auf derselben Stelle erscheinen lassen, entbehren jeder Nachvollziehbarkeit. Auch die sich im Laufe der Handlung steigernden übermenschlichen Fähigkeiten der Figuren - die ins Koma geprügelt fröhlich pfeifend aufstehen, natürlich wie aus den Ei gepellt daherschreiten und offenbar keinerlei Schmerzen verspüren – es fällt schwer das Buch noch ernst zu nehmen, je weiter man liest. Der blutende Himmel, der auf wenigen Seiten stark überstrapaziert wird, ist mein persönlicher Tiefpunkt auf sprachlicher wie auch der Handlungsebene.
Nach starkem Anfang ein böser Absturz, der in einem erzählerischen Fiasko endet, das man als Leser nicht mehr glauben kann. Viel gewollt und wenig erreicht.
Der Roman hat einen spannenden Grundplot, der um die Geschichte des Jungen angesiedelt ist. Auch die Figur der Farah Hafez ist komplex und mit Brüchen gestaltet, so dass sie durch den Thriller tragen kann. Allerdings wird schnell klar, dass der Autor sich nicht entscheiden konnte, welche Geschichte er erzählen möchte und immer mehr Nebenschauplätze eröffnet. Farahs komplexe Familiengeschichte in Afghanistan, die Flucht nach der Machtübernahme der Sowjets, ein schlechter Journalist, der in Südafrika dem Ansehen seines Vaters nachjagt, ein korrupter Polizist, dessen Ehe in die Brüche geht und der sich für die falsche Seite entscheidet, eine Ärztin geplagt von alten Geistern, russische Oligarchen, die die Wirtschaft bestimmen, Kinderpornographie und Missbraucht, schwarze Witwen – die Liste ließe sich noch länger fortsetzen, so dermaßen verzettelt sich Walter Lucius in seiner Story. Je mehr er hineinpackt, desto flacher werden dabei die Figuren, ihr Handeln lässt kaum mehr Logik erkennen, Plausibilität zum dem zuvor geschilderten fehlt gänzlich.
Die unsäglichen Actionszenen, die in sich völlig überflüssig sind und urplötzlich wie durch einen magischen Zufall alle Figuren auf derselben Stelle erscheinen lassen, entbehren jeder Nachvollziehbarkeit. Auch die sich im Laufe der Handlung steigernden übermenschlichen Fähigkeiten der Figuren - die ins Koma geprügelt fröhlich pfeifend aufstehen, natürlich wie aus den Ei gepellt daherschreiten und offenbar keinerlei Schmerzen verspüren – es fällt schwer das Buch noch ernst zu nehmen, je weiter man liest. Der blutende Himmel, der auf wenigen Seiten stark überstrapaziert wird, ist mein persönlicher Tiefpunkt auf sprachlicher wie auch der Handlungsebene.
Nach starkem Anfang ein böser Absturz, der in einem erzählerischen Fiasko endet, das man als Leser nicht mehr glauben kann. Viel gewollt und wenig erreicht.
jennamorrison's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
The premise of this book was really interesting, and initially I was engrossed in the book. However, each chapter is narrated by different characters who give their thoughts on every action. This slows the story down unnecessarily which meant it wasn't the thrilling page turner I had expected.
The plot is by far the best thing about this book. The story is interesting and very well written, so it is a little disappointing that the characters and their narrative distracts from what could be a great, gripping story.
I would read more of this author's work as I think he is a great storyteller.
The premise of this book was really interesting, and initially I was engrossed in the book. However, each chapter is narrated by different characters who give their thoughts on every action. This slows the story down unnecessarily which meant it wasn't the thrilling page turner I had expected.
The plot is by far the best thing about this book. The story is interesting and very well written, so it is a little disappointing that the characters and their narrative distracts from what could be a great, gripping story.
I would read more of this author's work as I think he is a great storyteller.
cate_ninetails's review
1.0
Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I have to say that it's the writing style that put me off, I just wasn't able to enjoy it at all, which is disappointing because there were a few glimmers of promise in the story. I understand perhaps not wanting to give information to the reader in a straightforward way to create interest, but the writing seemed almost gimmicky to me with the constant fragmented stylings. The complexity of the plot was impressive and I did think the protagonist was a strong heroine type but for me, presentation is everything and I just didn't personally get on very well with the tone.
keeperofpages's review against another edition
3.0
I think this may be my first thriller set in the Netherlands, I enjoy reading books set in different locations as it provides a pleasant change of scenery and through books, I get to travel the globe.
Butterfly on the Storm is a complex and layered story that follows investigative journalist, Farah Hafez, as she investigates the events that led to the hit-and-run of a little boy. The first medic on the scene, Danielle, works to save the little boy, but in a misguided effort to use this boy’s story to raise awareness of children’s suffering everywhere, she places the boy in further danger. Police officers, Calvino and Diba, are assigned to the case. Everyone involved soon realises this case is bigger than any of them ever thought – this is crime on an international level, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia and Afghanistan, this crime spans continents. Is Farah up to the task of cracking this case? She’s up against some extremely powerful and dangerous people who will do anything to keep their keep their secrets safe.
“Some people carry death in their eyes. Establish contact with them and you run the risk of contamination.”
The plot is extremely well detailed, the characters are plenty but the story is so well told, in the sense that you are able to follow it without becoming confused. Surprisingly, I didn’t really feel drawn to any of the characters, despite the backstory of the main characters being shared with us, and I think, at times, my lack of connection to any particular character made this story lose its momentum in places. It’s really hard when in a book of this length you don’t have a character to root for, something to push you on with the read.
Fear not the big book, they say, at 528 pages, I feel like I read the entire trilogy in one book! That was especially true in the last 10% of the story, where it really seemed to drag, which unfortunately leaves me little incentive to pick up book two, however, I can be persuaded if it’s not so long in length! If you struggle with books of a longer length, it may be wise to steer clear of this one but it you enjoy getting stuck in a complex case that spans continents with strong themes of corruption and bribery, give this book a read.
Overall, this book wasn’t as fast-paced and thrilling as I’d hoped; here I can’t help but wonder if anything was lost in translation, creating the thrill is all about how you use words and a particular phrase may read as extremely thrilling in Dutch, but lose its thrill in translation. This story reminded me a little of the TV crime drama, Homeland, so if you enjoy a political crime mystery, this may be the book for you; having said that, this book would make a great book to TV series adaptation.
*My thanks to the author and publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
Butterfly on the Storm is a complex and layered story that follows investigative journalist, Farah Hafez, as she investigates the events that led to the hit-and-run of a little boy. The first medic on the scene, Danielle, works to save the little boy, but in a misguided effort to use this boy’s story to raise awareness of children’s suffering everywhere, she places the boy in further danger. Police officers, Calvino and Diba, are assigned to the case. Everyone involved soon realises this case is bigger than any of them ever thought – this is crime on an international level, Netherlands, South Africa, Russia and Afghanistan, this crime spans continents. Is Farah up to the task of cracking this case? She’s up against some extremely powerful and dangerous people who will do anything to keep their keep their secrets safe.
“Some people carry death in their eyes. Establish contact with them and you run the risk of contamination.”
The plot is extremely well detailed, the characters are plenty but the story is so well told, in the sense that you are able to follow it without becoming confused. Surprisingly, I didn’t really feel drawn to any of the characters, despite the backstory of the main characters being shared with us, and I think, at times, my lack of connection to any particular character made this story lose its momentum in places. It’s really hard when in a book of this length you don’t have a character to root for, something to push you on with the read.
Fear not the big book, they say, at 528 pages, I feel like I read the entire trilogy in one book! That was especially true in the last 10% of the story, where it really seemed to drag, which unfortunately leaves me little incentive to pick up book two, however, I can be persuaded if it’s not so long in length! If you struggle with books of a longer length, it may be wise to steer clear of this one but it you enjoy getting stuck in a complex case that spans continents with strong themes of corruption and bribery, give this book a read.
Overall, this book wasn’t as fast-paced and thrilling as I’d hoped; here I can’t help but wonder if anything was lost in translation, creating the thrill is all about how you use words and a particular phrase may read as extremely thrilling in Dutch, but lose its thrill in translation. This story reminded me a little of the TV crime drama, Homeland, so if you enjoy a political crime mystery, this may be the book for you; having said that, this book would make a great book to TV series adaptation.
*My thanks to the author and publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*
deearr's review against another edition
3.0
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.
This had all the elements to be a great story. Regrettably, the author continually got in the way of the presentation. Here’s a rundown on the book, without spoilers:
Author Walter Lucius has crafted a world that is filled with interesting characters. The plot is woven with care, and the cast of characters aid in the telling of the tale. Some of the characters are brilliant. Detective Marouan Diba, part of the supporting cast, reveals much of what drives him, and the mysterious, regular caller to his cell phone is a fantastic and scary creation.
You can tell the author has taken great care to understand his characters. Readers are allowed deep glimpses into their thoughts and actions, which is a positive. Understanding the motivations help to drive this book forward. The problem, though, is in the method Mr. Lucius presents this information. We are not given the chance to see how the characters are affected by viewing their actions. Instead, we are taken into that person’s thoughts, and given lengthy explanations on every tiny facet of a reaction. While informative, this is more telling than showing, and adds pages and pages unnecessarily to the book. More pages, more opportunities to slow down the conversations and the plot.
Mr. Lucius also tends to rely on a particular writing technique, and uses it over and over and over. There are constant instances in the book where a point is made, and then it is emphasized with a partial sentence. Numerous chapters end this way, and the method is employed throughout the book. Additionally, the habit of using incomplete sentences pops up a lot. Employed sparingly, this technique can be powerful. Used habitually, it becomes an annoyance.
Because of the nature of the book, it is imperative for the writer to have a solid understanding of the different professions he assigns to his characters. Some of the events that happen in the hospital appear melodramatic and staged, as well as clashing with the reality of how doctors are assigned their tasks within the daily operations of a large medical facility. The police procedures described are not what are usually followed in an early investigation (for instance, allowing the public to walk around in a crime scene area, to allow a forensic expert to ignore their important tasks and instantly fall into a conversation with the crime scene intruder, or to completely ignore the obvious and cordon off or at least investigate the possibility of a larger crime scene area). I recognize that by disregarding the usual procedures the heroine is seen as a strong character with incredible investigative skills, but ignoring standard police procedure in order to create this character drops a powerful, realistic story down to the level of a fantasy.
The strongest part of the book is the plot itself. Mr. Lucius winds first this way, then that, twisting all the different strands until you wonder how he will be able to bring them all together. The author effortlessly drives the story to its conclusion, managing to do this without dropping a single strand.
For those who like to know, there are profanities in the book (including f-bombs), although the profanities are not used by all the characters.
Bottom line: Strong, well-designed plot, with an interesting story and motivated characters to go along with it, weakened by constant partial sentences and a disregard for basic police (and possibly hospital) procedures. Even so, I was leaning toward three-and-a-half stars rounded to four until I reached the final page and discovered this long book ends with a cliffhanger. Authors should rely on the strength of their finished product to bring readers back rather than force them to buy the next book to find out the ending. Three stars.
This had all the elements to be a great story. Regrettably, the author continually got in the way of the presentation. Here’s a rundown on the book, without spoilers:
Author Walter Lucius has crafted a world that is filled with interesting characters. The plot is woven with care, and the cast of characters aid in the telling of the tale. Some of the characters are brilliant. Detective Marouan Diba, part of the supporting cast, reveals much of what drives him, and the mysterious, regular caller to his cell phone is a fantastic and scary creation.
You can tell the author has taken great care to understand his characters. Readers are allowed deep glimpses into their thoughts and actions, which is a positive. Understanding the motivations help to drive this book forward. The problem, though, is in the method Mr. Lucius presents this information. We are not given the chance to see how the characters are affected by viewing their actions. Instead, we are taken into that person’s thoughts, and given lengthy explanations on every tiny facet of a reaction. While informative, this is more telling than showing, and adds pages and pages unnecessarily to the book. More pages, more opportunities to slow down the conversations and the plot.
Mr. Lucius also tends to rely on a particular writing technique, and uses it over and over and over. There are constant instances in the book where a point is made, and then it is emphasized with a partial sentence. Numerous chapters end this way, and the method is employed throughout the book. Additionally, the habit of using incomplete sentences pops up a lot. Employed sparingly, this technique can be powerful. Used habitually, it becomes an annoyance.
Because of the nature of the book, it is imperative for the writer to have a solid understanding of the different professions he assigns to his characters. Some of the events that happen in the hospital appear melodramatic and staged, as well as clashing with the reality of how doctors are assigned their tasks within the daily operations of a large medical facility. The police procedures described are not what are usually followed in an early investigation (for instance, allowing the public to walk around in a crime scene area, to allow a forensic expert to ignore their important tasks and instantly fall into a conversation with the crime scene intruder, or to completely ignore the obvious and cordon off or at least investigate the possibility of a larger crime scene area). I recognize that by disregarding the usual procedures the heroine is seen as a strong character with incredible investigative skills, but ignoring standard police procedure in order to create this character drops a powerful, realistic story down to the level of a fantasy.
The strongest part of the book is the plot itself. Mr. Lucius winds first this way, then that, twisting all the different strands until you wonder how he will be able to bring them all together. The author effortlessly drives the story to its conclusion, managing to do this without dropping a single strand.
For those who like to know, there are profanities in the book (including f-bombs), although the profanities are not used by all the characters.
Bottom line: Strong, well-designed plot, with an interesting story and motivated characters to go along with it, weakened by constant partial sentences and a disregard for basic police (and possibly hospital) procedures. Even so, I was leaning toward three-and-a-half stars rounded to four until I reached the final page and discovered this long book ends with a cliffhanger. Authors should rely on the strength of their finished product to bring readers back rather than force them to buy the next book to find out the ending. Three stars.
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