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mavisbird's review against another edition
3.0
I'm so happy to finally finish this book. It confused me quite a bit. As in, as I read I enjoyed pretty much everything about it, but I had a hard time coming back to it.
I will say this is one of the coolest modern magic systems I have read about. I like the way they encorrporate it into modern technology and how they use and get away with magic in the modern day.
I think my personal issue with the book is the way it delivered. I felt like the real-estate of pages could have been used better to make a more well built story. I really enjoyed the final battle, but I found it a bit odd that it was hard to gage power levels. I think we could have explored that more in the build up to the battle.
However I enjoyed most of it and found myself having a pretty good time even if it did take me a while to finish it.
I will say this is one of the coolest modern magic systems I have read about. I like the way they encorrporate it into modern technology and how they use and get away with magic in the modern day.
I think my personal issue with the book is the way it delivered. I felt like the real-estate of pages could have been used better to make a more well built story. I really enjoyed the final battle, but I found it a bit odd that it was hard to gage power levels. I think we could have explored that more in the build up to the battle.
However I enjoyed most of it and found myself having a pretty good time even if it did take me a while to finish it.
polarbear2023's review against another edition
Didn't catch me too many stream of consciousness
youraveragedave's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.0
What a unique book, Buehlman writes such interesting premises with great characters. What if a necromancer was living an average life in middle America? Meeting new people, going to AA, having to fight off your old teacher who kept you as a prisoner... So great!
Loved the mix of the old world with the new. There's ancient texts, mermaids, the babayaga. Alongside mundane modern items like VCRs for coming with the dead or bathtubs for quick travel.
The end was fast paced, it felt frantic and hopping between POVs that much was a little too much for my tastes.
I really did enjoy where everyone ended up after all was said and done though. A unique solution indeed.
Loved the mix of the old world with the new. There's ancient texts, mermaids, the babayaga. Alongside mundane modern items like VCRs for coming with the dead or bathtubs for quick travel.
The end was fast paced, it felt frantic and hopping between POVs that much was a little too much for my tastes.
I really did enjoy where everyone ended up after all was said and done though. A unique solution indeed.
emmavonb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This was not my favorite of Buehlman's novels. The concept of modern magic was fascinating (i.e. film necromancy, cyber magic) and was something I never even considered before this novel. But the formatting and pacing were so slow and jumbled that it made it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. Much like all of his other novels, his characters are complex and easy to love and the world he creates is equal parts beautiful and utterly horrifying; the horror elements of this book are unmatched. But the timeline switches, perspective changes in the middle of chapters (sometimes the middle of sentences) and the general mystery of what was even happening made it very difficult to enjoy this book. As with everything I read, I always think that maybe I just don't get it. Maybe there is a hidden meaning or a literary device that I'm just not seeing that would make everything click into place. Regardless of that, however, I think I rate this at about 2.75 stars; excellent idea but not so excellent execution.
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
This is a solid book, mostly character driven, about what it's like to be a magus. And about consequences. Actually, mostly about consequences.
Andrew Blankenship is a user of magic (but not a magic-user, D&D ruined that.) He's also "luminous" - he has an innate sensitivity to and proclivity for magic. He's also an alcoholic.
A large portion of the book is about how Andrew lives his life. How magic helps, and hinders is. How he moves back and forth between the mundane and the occult spheres, and how they affect each other.
Throughout the narrative, we have a thread of Russian folklore. The ultimate reason why doesn't become clear until later in the book, and the measured pace of the revelations keeps the pages turning.
It's difficult to speak too much about this book without spoilers or devolving into a book report.
The prose is tight with moments of beauty and brilliance. The characters are varied, interesting and largely well fleshed out. Relationships between the characters are also quite realistic, fully of messy edges, uncertainties and passions.
The mood of the book is fairly bleak, though there are moments of joy and wonder.
All in all, an excellent book.
Andrew Blankenship is a user of magic (but not a magic-user, D&D ruined that.) He's also "luminous" - he has an innate sensitivity to and proclivity for magic. He's also an alcoholic.
A large portion of the book is about how Andrew lives his life. How magic helps, and hinders is. How he moves back and forth between the mundane and the occult spheres, and how they affect each other.
Throughout the narrative, we have a thread of Russian folklore. The ultimate reason why doesn't become clear until later in the book, and the measured pace of the revelations keeps the pages turning.
It's difficult to speak too much about this book without spoilers or devolving into a book report.
The prose is tight with moments of beauty and brilliance. The characters are varied, interesting and largely well fleshed out. Relationships between the characters are also quite realistic, fully of messy edges, uncertainties and passions.
The mood of the book is fairly bleak, though there are moments of joy and wonder.
All in all, an excellent book.
001's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
2.25
domydoo's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
joshhall13's review against another edition
2.0
The style of writing smacks of an author trying really hard to turn a phrase clever. While there are echoes of Clive Barkeresque imagery, and a really intriguing story lurking underneath its over-stylized word play... It felt like I had to work hard to get through this short book, so couldn't enjoy the story and characters. I especially disliked the first half, where making a cohesive and concise sentence was clearly not a priority.
An extra star for the story and the fact that a main character was gay, and that fact wasn't essential to the story. It just was... Which is nice.
An extra star for the story and the fact that a main character was gay, and that fact wasn't essential to the story. It just was... Which is nice.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure what I wanted to rate this one, but I gave it bonus stars for being one of the strangest, creepiest books I've ever read. Seriously, this was book was messed up. But I'm not saying that in a bad way. On the contrary, its bizareness made it memorable and definitely added to the horror element. The story just started off a little slow for me and it took a while for me to figure out what the plot was going to be. Plus it touched on some highly sensitive issues near the beginning and end that I really didn't feel comfortable with. The descriptions Buehlman used were vivid and unique, and they truly tested my imagination as I tried to decipher what I was supposed to be "seeing." The horror factor was strong and I was definitely creeped out more than a few times. I loved the references to classic Russian folklore and unconventional mythology. And the ending, holy crap THE ENDING!!! It was completely wild. Seriously insane. I've never read a book like this and was glad to have experienced it. Great for horror fans who really want to suspend their beliefs!
impalingheaven's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I would give the book a higher rating, but the first half is so slow and boring I almost gave up. This book is a meandering urban fantasy with wizards in all the worst ways. The first half doesn't really do anything for the plot. Just a bunch if short scenes of the main character, half of which dies very little for the plot. Maybe it was meant to develop the characters, but they're very cardboard all the way through, so it doesn't pay.
I almost gave up. Even when the bad guys reveal themselves to the main character, it takes almost 200 pages to even begin acting upon that plot. I almost gave up. Only halfway through the book did it begin to have the horror scenes Buehlman is famous for. Once that began, the going was better, but felt like a lot of work to get there. The book goes quickly, because each paragraph is only a single sentence on average, so there's actually very few word count numbers.
Plot was unique enough. Very Beuhlman-y. But the characters were pretty staid. With the beginning half, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a passion piece for CB, sort of fantasizing himself as a wizard and unrequited love bit.
2/5, probably won't read ever again. I can see how some people might love this, it just wasn't for me.
I almost gave up. Even when the bad guys reveal themselves to the main character, it takes almost 200 pages to even begin acting upon that plot. I almost gave up. Only halfway through the book did it begin to have the horror scenes Buehlman is famous for. Once that began, the going was better, but felt like a lot of work to get there. The book goes quickly, because each paragraph is only a single sentence on average, so there's actually very few word count numbers.
Plot was unique enough. Very Beuhlman-y. But the characters were pretty staid. With the beginning half, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a passion piece for CB, sort of fantasizing himself as a wizard and unrequited love bit.
2/5, probably won't read ever again. I can see how some people might love this, it just wasn't for me.