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gavreads's review against another edition
He’s back. Actually Joe’s been back since I wrote the last review in February 2008. Now this might sound a little strange seeing as I enjoyed the last one so much. And you might be right but before I started blogging about books my usual way of reading was to always have the next one in reserve. The next one, Every Last Drop, has just been released so on this occasion I’ve fallen into my old habits and now I’m back to having Every Last Drop to look forward to.
Half the Blood of Brooklyn changes the game for Joe Pitt in lots of ways and from what I can tell none of them are that positive.
It seems a war is coming. Manhattan is getting crowded. New alliances are needed. So Joe Pitt’s next assignment is to escort someone over the bridge to Brooklyn to see a Clan called The Freaks. This is very much alien territory for both the series and Pitt.
Huston introduces another aspect of religion to the series which is a surprising twist for a series based on the fact that the Vampires here are infected with vyrus, which is seen as something that science can cure but at the same time seen by some as something that has a more spiritual base.
So there is a strange clash going on between science and religion. Pitt’s status quo is tested severely and he has some choices to make.
For a novel of 221 pages of mostly dialogue and sparse description it’s denser and more packed than novels of 3 or 4 times its size. Huston has a mastery of dialogue, storytelling and atmosphere that a lot of other writers could learn a lot form when creating lean and crisp prose.
I’m sorry that I waited so long to read this but the great news is that Every Last Drop is out now and I’m not waiting that long again before reading more Charlie Huston.
Half the Blood of Brooklyn changes the game for Joe Pitt in lots of ways and from what I can tell none of them are that positive.
It seems a war is coming. Manhattan is getting crowded. New alliances are needed. So Joe Pitt’s next assignment is to escort someone over the bridge to Brooklyn to see a Clan called The Freaks. This is very much alien territory for both the series and Pitt.
Huston introduces another aspect of religion to the series which is a surprising twist for a series based on the fact that the Vampires here are infected with vyrus, which is seen as something that science can cure but at the same time seen by some as something that has a more spiritual base.
So there is a strange clash going on between science and religion. Pitt’s status quo is tested severely and he has some choices to make.
For a novel of 221 pages of mostly dialogue and sparse description it’s denser and more packed than novels of 3 or 4 times its size. Huston has a mastery of dialogue, storytelling and atmosphere that a lot of other writers could learn a lot form when creating lean and crisp prose.
I’m sorry that I waited so long to read this but the great news is that Every Last Drop is out now and I’m not waiting that long again before reading more Charlie Huston.
ellisgoldstein's review
1.0
Extended fantasy of murdering an entire orthodox Jewish community, a Jewish woman says she’d rather die than rejoin any Jewish community before helping murder said Jews, weird psychosexual fixation on trans women, all around yikes
knallen's review
4.0
This guy really is one of my favorite authors. he keeps the story moving from beginning to end. You're never sure what to expect from him and he's got characters that are interesting, easy to root for and likable despite all of their flaws.
This book delivers all of that along with a twisted plot where everyone is playing everyone and you're never sure how it's going to turn out except you know it won't be good for Joe. It never is. He's definitely the underdog. Always.
This book delivers all of that along with a twisted plot where everyone is playing everyone and you're never sure how it's going to turn out except you know it won't be good for Joe. It never is. He's definitely the underdog. Always.
verkisto's review
3.0
Do I need to go into Charlie Huston’s brutal, compelling, post-noir world of fiction again? Probably not. This is the seventh book of his I’ve read, and the seventh that I’ve reviewed here. Regardless, I shouldn’t gloss over the most important point whenever I talk about his novels: Don’t read them if you’re squeamish. The graphic violence is one thing, but the cruelty is another. I think a lot of people would be put off by the terrible, awful things that happen to people for (sometimes) no good reason.
That being said, though, if you’ve read his previous works, and can tolerate the content, then by all means, read this one, too. This is the third book in the Joe Pitt series, the vampire-slash-hitman-slash-boyfriend-slash-sociopath who’s the titular, sympathetic character of the series. It doesn’t break any new ground, either in the vampire or post-noir genres, but it’s a good, compelling story nonetheless.
My biggest complaint? That stupid cover. I’m not sure which graphic artist thought that some pudgy dude with fangs painted on his lips and holding his gun sideways screamed “ultra noir,” but he needs to be fired. It looks like something you might find on the Cracked Website.
That being said, though, if you’ve read his previous works, and can tolerate the content, then by all means, read this one, too. This is the third book in the Joe Pitt series, the vampire-slash-hitman-slash-boyfriend-slash-sociopath who’s the titular, sympathetic character of the series. It doesn’t break any new ground, either in the vampire or post-noir genres, but it’s a good, compelling story nonetheless.
My biggest complaint? That stupid cover. I’m not sure which graphic artist thought that some pudgy dude with fangs painted on his lips and holding his gun sideways screamed “ultra noir,” but he needs to be fired. It looks like something you might find on the Cracked Website.
joelipsett's review
3.0
The basic plot isn't as interesting as the first two books, although by the end it's clearly been in service of setting up more significant plot developments to come in future books. I'm definitely excited to see what comes next.
melissamilazzo's review
3.0
Not my favorite of the Joe Pitt series, but I'm still totally in love with the world that Huston created.
jmeston's review
4.0
I like the storytelling by dialogue and scarcity of expository passages. The Brooklynites turn out to be very memorable. I wish I could get my husband to read these but vamp novels are not his thing.
zachb's review
adventurous
dark
fast-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? Yes
4.5
peterseanesq's review
4.0
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/review/R2QM3CSYII16OU/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Urban Fantasy - Gritty Noire - Rogue Vampire
Joe Pitt is a vampire, or, rather, a vampyre. The "y" is because vampirism - the desire/need for blood, the strength and durability, the eternal youth - is caused by a virus, called the "vyrus." In Manhattan, the infected live in the shadows and are organized into "clans" that police their territories, making sure that the human herd is not over-exploited and that the secret of the vyrus does not get out where it can panic normal humans.
This book does not give Joe Pitts' origin story. That story was provided in the previous books - this the third book in the "Joe Pitts, the two prior being "Already Dead" and "No Dominion." I strongly recommend that you start with the beginning. If you start here you will probably spend a lot of time wondering what is going on. Author Charlie Huston has layered his world with detail, and some of the details are going to make more sense if you know what's going. For example, there is a subplot about Amanda and Sela that we can figure out the background of in this book, but knowing the background is probably more satisfying. I read this book around seven years ago. I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten. I remembered the key points, but there were large parts I didn't remember at all. So, I had some of the experience of a new reader. I, obviously, need to go back and fill in the first two books.
This book starts with Joe ensconced as Security Chief for the Society. The Society is an extremely left-wing clan occupying southern Manhattan, which has a hippy leader, Terry Bird, and a large faction of LGBTQ vampyres led by Lydia. Joe has a longstanding relationship with Terry and we are given to understand that in a prior book Joe took over the position of the previous Security Chief. Joe also has a relationship with the Enclave - a clan of warrior-monk vampyres - and the Dusters - a motorcycle gang. The Society is opposed to the Coalition, which seems to be the mafia of the vampyre world, as well as being the heavy hitters of this world.
The story opens with a blood dealer murdered and cut into pieces. At the same time, clans from Brooklyn are desperately trying to flee Brooklyn into Manhattan. Joe gets tasked by Terry to take Lydia and negotiate with a Brooklyn clan known as the Freaks to amalgamate with the Society. Joe and Lydia enter darkest Brooklyn by night and deal with the Freaks - literal circus freaks - and are kidnapped by vampire Orthodox Jews, the Chosen. From there the story is a cycle of violence involving revenge and settling scores. Through it all, Joe mostly wants to take care of his girlfriend Evie, who is dying of AIDS.
The story is exciting and fast-moving. I didn't find Joe to be a particularly engaging character. He is mostly monosyllabic and conceals most of his thinking in classic pulp noir style. Huston has a James Joyce style of indicating dialogue with dash marks and no tags, so we get a telegraphic style without a lot of information being provided. All in all, I thought it worked.
I particularly liked the character of the Rebbe. I mostly liked the world that Huston created. As I said, it is complicated and layered. Huston's plot keeps a lot of balls in the air and I enjoyed watching his performance. The story is gritty, grim and bloody, far more like Hammett than the nice and safe urban fantasy that floods the market. So be advised if you are looking for a nicer version of urban fantasy, you may find this to be disturbing.
Urban Fantasy - Gritty Noire - Rogue Vampire
Joe Pitt is a vampire, or, rather, a vampyre. The "y" is because vampirism - the desire/need for blood, the strength and durability, the eternal youth - is caused by a virus, called the "vyrus." In Manhattan, the infected live in the shadows and are organized into "clans" that police their territories, making sure that the human herd is not over-exploited and that the secret of the vyrus does not get out where it can panic normal humans.
This book does not give Joe Pitts' origin story. That story was provided in the previous books - this the third book in the "Joe Pitts, the two prior being "Already Dead" and "No Dominion." I strongly recommend that you start with the beginning. If you start here you will probably spend a lot of time wondering what is going on. Author Charlie Huston has layered his world with detail, and some of the details are going to make more sense if you know what's going. For example, there is a subplot about Amanda and Sela that we can figure out the background of in this book, but knowing the background is probably more satisfying. I read this book around seven years ago. I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten. I remembered the key points, but there were large parts I didn't remember at all. So, I had some of the experience of a new reader. I, obviously, need to go back and fill in the first two books.
This book starts with Joe ensconced as Security Chief for the Society. The Society is an extremely left-wing clan occupying southern Manhattan, which has a hippy leader, Terry Bird, and a large faction of LGBTQ vampyres led by Lydia. Joe has a longstanding relationship with Terry and we are given to understand that in a prior book Joe took over the position of the previous Security Chief. Joe also has a relationship with the Enclave - a clan of warrior-monk vampyres - and the Dusters - a motorcycle gang. The Society is opposed to the Coalition, which seems to be the mafia of the vampyre world, as well as being the heavy hitters of this world.
The story opens with a blood dealer murdered and cut into pieces. At the same time, clans from Brooklyn are desperately trying to flee Brooklyn into Manhattan. Joe gets tasked by Terry to take Lydia and negotiate with a Brooklyn clan known as the Freaks to amalgamate with the Society. Joe and Lydia enter darkest Brooklyn by night and deal with the Freaks - literal circus freaks - and are kidnapped by vampire Orthodox Jews, the Chosen. From there the story is a cycle of violence involving revenge and settling scores. Through it all, Joe mostly wants to take care of his girlfriend Evie, who is dying of AIDS.
The story is exciting and fast-moving. I didn't find Joe to be a particularly engaging character. He is mostly monosyllabic and conceals most of his thinking in classic pulp noir style. Huston has a James Joyce style of indicating dialogue with dash marks and no tags, so we get a telegraphic style without a lot of information being provided. All in all, I thought it worked.
I particularly liked the character of the Rebbe. I mostly liked the world that Huston created. As I said, it is complicated and layered. Huston's plot keeps a lot of balls in the air and I enjoyed watching his performance. The story is gritty, grim and bloody, far more like Hammett than the nice and safe urban fantasy that floods the market. So be advised if you are looking for a nicer version of urban fantasy, you may find this to be disturbing.