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willowwraithpress's review against another edition
5.0
Partial Function by JCM Berne is dog revenge martial arts extravaganza, and not the John Wick type of dog revenge, moreso in the manner that the main character’s dog is the star of the book. Not really, but Dog is a fantastic character and central to all the humor in this balls-to-the-wall revenge story.
Set in a martial art world of dragon/dinosaur-like beasties, PF follows renowned Wedge hunter/martial artist, Akina as she begins to start all-out chaos because her twin daughters have been captured. Akina is the Spiral Witch, the Azure Dragon, founding member of the legendary Five Fangs, and the last practitioner of the Millenium Qi — a ridiculously powered martial art technique. Her daughters have been taken by the Reaper, a man who believes another great surge of Wedge (the dragon/dinosaur-like beasties) is about to unfold and the only way to beat them is to possess the Millenium Qi. Akina goes all Liam Neeson by using her very particular set of skills, skills she has acquired over a very long career hunting Wedge, to stop at nothing in getting her girls back.
Akina is a wonderful main protagonist. Not only is her drive single-minded, she’s pretty snarky and plucky. She’s also a badass at martial arts, but most of all, she’s middle-aged and full of bones in need of a solid crack. She recruits BFF, Remy, one of the Five Fangs and master of the Bear Clan martial art techniques. Remy is the loyal friend, the voice of reason, and the big cuddly bear of the group who uses two rope darts as weapons. Along the way, Akina captures Zhu, an adept of the Star Clan, who agrees to help Akina for 100 days, creating portals as they traipse across the world starting shit. Finally, there is Dog, the aforementioned pooch. Dog is a simple canine that pretty much humps everybody, licks faces, and urinates on defeated villains. Dog is the bestest boy. 13/10.
If there is one thing that shines in this book, it’s the love letter to Wuxia films. This book is chock full of fight scenes, just one after the other until the big climax, and each fight is amazingly nostalgic of classic films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and Kung Fu Panda. Each character is a master or adept at their own style and during the fights, the character will call out their move. Like Infinity Bagua: Major Wave or Way of the Bear: Greater Den. It seems kinda funny to picture these people announcing their moves while they jump thirty feet in the air before landing in hero pose or creating a force field of silence, but there was a meta joke in the story so I really enjoyed it. Also very cool that Mr. Berne was able to come up with so many different types of techniques. But each was unique and it was fun to witness people flying across the page.
The world was great. I liked the Wedge concept as the species ranged from small to mountain sized and it took Wedge hunters certain skill to kill them. I also liked that Wedge bones were the source of currency. And the Reaver’s fortress was the bony corpse of a massive Wedge killed in the last surge. There are a number of different clans using different techniques and we get to see many of them. Also, there’s griffins.
This story is brisk, going quickly from one location to the next as Akina starts shenanigans to rouse the other clans either into war or as allies. The writing is crisp and the descriptions are very simple, yet concise. If I had one criticism, it’s that while the main trio of characters are great, there isn’t a whole lot of introspection and at times it wasn’t clear who’s POV we were in as this story is told via 3rd Person Omniscient. We are not truly in anyone’s head (except from Akina a handful of times) as it’s more we are following the character as they perform an action. But that certainly never took me out of the scene as the dialogue is top notch, a mix of theory and sarcasm, giving us all the emotional responses we don’t get from being in a character’s head.
Partial Function is an excellent adventure that ends as a solid standalone while also leaving open the possibility of additional stories. I certainly enjoyed the heck out of this story and do hope there is more to come from Akina, Remy, Zhu, and Dog, especially Dog.
Set in a martial art world of dragon/dinosaur-like beasties, PF follows renowned Wedge hunter/martial artist, Akina as she begins to start all-out chaos because her twin daughters have been captured. Akina is the Spiral Witch, the Azure Dragon, founding member of the legendary Five Fangs, and the last practitioner of the Millenium Qi — a ridiculously powered martial art technique. Her daughters have been taken by the Reaper, a man who believes another great surge of Wedge (the dragon/dinosaur-like beasties) is about to unfold and the only way to beat them is to possess the Millenium Qi. Akina goes all Liam Neeson by using her very particular set of skills, skills she has acquired over a very long career hunting Wedge, to stop at nothing in getting her girls back.
Akina is a wonderful main protagonist. Not only is her drive single-minded, she’s pretty snarky and plucky. She’s also a badass at martial arts, but most of all, she’s middle-aged and full of bones in need of a solid crack. She recruits BFF, Remy, one of the Five Fangs and master of the Bear Clan martial art techniques. Remy is the loyal friend, the voice of reason, and the big cuddly bear of the group who uses two rope darts as weapons. Along the way, Akina captures Zhu, an adept of the Star Clan, who agrees to help Akina for 100 days, creating portals as they traipse across the world starting shit. Finally, there is Dog, the aforementioned pooch. Dog is a simple canine that pretty much humps everybody, licks faces, and urinates on defeated villains. Dog is the bestest boy. 13/10.
If there is one thing that shines in this book, it’s the love letter to Wuxia films. This book is chock full of fight scenes, just one after the other until the big climax, and each fight is amazingly nostalgic of classic films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, and Kung Fu Panda. Each character is a master or adept at their own style and during the fights, the character will call out their move. Like Infinity Bagua: Major Wave or Way of the Bear: Greater Den. It seems kinda funny to picture these people announcing their moves while they jump thirty feet in the air before landing in hero pose or creating a force field of silence, but there was a meta joke in the story so I really enjoyed it. Also very cool that Mr. Berne was able to come up with so many different types of techniques. But each was unique and it was fun to witness people flying across the page.
The world was great. I liked the Wedge concept as the species ranged from small to mountain sized and it took Wedge hunters certain skill to kill them. I also liked that Wedge bones were the source of currency. And the Reaver’s fortress was the bony corpse of a massive Wedge killed in the last surge. There are a number of different clans using different techniques and we get to see many of them. Also, there’s griffins.
This story is brisk, going quickly from one location to the next as Akina starts shenanigans to rouse the other clans either into war or as allies. The writing is crisp and the descriptions are very simple, yet concise. If I had one criticism, it’s that while the main trio of characters are great, there isn’t a whole lot of introspection and at times it wasn’t clear who’s POV we were in as this story is told via 3rd Person Omniscient. We are not truly in anyone’s head (except from Akina a handful of times) as it’s more we are following the character as they perform an action. But that certainly never took me out of the scene as the dialogue is top notch, a mix of theory and sarcasm, giving us all the emotional responses we don’t get from being in a character’s head.
Partial Function is an excellent adventure that ends as a solid standalone while also leaving open the possibility of additional stories. I certainly enjoyed the heck out of this story and do hope there is more to come from Akina, Remy, Zhu, and Dog, especially Dog.
nclcaitlin's review against another edition
3.25
You know you’re in for a fun ride when the books starts with the opening chapter: Dog? Witch Dog?
”Girl, did you think I was the hero of this story? Or the villain?"
Akina Azure, Heiress to the Azure Dragon Clan, the Spiral Witch, Master of Infinity Bagua is out for revenge. back from retirement.
The Reaver has kidnapped her two daughters to get the Millennium Qi, her grandfather's legacy. With a weapon like that the Reaver could rule the martial world for a hundred years. But for him to get it, Akina would have to die. Which means it’s a trap. Kidnap the girls, draw her in, capture her, steal the Qi.
It’s cringy and over the top - I’d compare it to popcorn. It’s not the most incredible pierce of literature out there, it’s not filling or dense, but it’s enjoyable and over way too soon.
”Doctor says you need a week to rest, so I assume we'll move on tomorrow.”
This would make one heck on an audiobook. It’s definitely more dialogue heavy with battle sequences being shouted out-loud and constant snarky one-liners.
I know Berne’s other series is available on audible, so I’m hoping later on, there will be opportunity for this to be narrated too!
The last part of the book became more philosophical which was quite refreshing after such an action-packed novel!
How do we justify our own actions if we’re acting in our best interests?
Overall, slightly too light and action heavy for me, but I know this is a perfect book to read in between longer books or series!
Thank you to the author for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
”Girl, did you think I was the hero of this story? Or the villain?"
Akina Azure, Heiress to the Azure Dragon Clan, the Spiral Witch, Master of Infinity Bagua is out for revenge. back from retirement.
The Reaver has kidnapped her two daughters to get the Millennium Qi, her grandfather's legacy. With a weapon like that the Reaver could rule the martial world for a hundred years. But for him to get it, Akina would have to die. Which means it’s a trap. Kidnap the girls, draw her in, capture her, steal the Qi.
It’s cringy and over the top - I’d compare it to popcorn. It’s not the most incredible pierce of literature out there, it’s not filling or dense, but it’s enjoyable and over way too soon.
”Doctor says you need a week to rest, so I assume we'll move on tomorrow.”
This would make one heck on an audiobook. It’s definitely more dialogue heavy with battle sequences being shouted out-loud and constant snarky one-liners.
I know Berne’s other series is available on audible, so I’m hoping later on, there will be opportunity for this to be narrated too!
The last part of the book became more philosophical which was quite refreshing after such an action-packed novel!
How do we justify our own actions if we’re acting in our best interests?
Overall, slightly too light and action heavy for me, but I know this is a perfect book to read in between longer books or series!
Thank you to the author for providing an arc in exchange for a review!
kayshiddenshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
4/5 Stars
I received an eARC form the author in exchange for an honest review.
JCM Berne has become my go to author for fast-paced, action packed stories with heart, memorable characters, and humor.
Partial Function is a Wuxia-inspired epic fantasy that follows a retired monster hunter and mother, Akina Azure. When her daughters are kidnapped, Akina will do anything to get them back and remind any who stand in her way exactly why she was one of the legendary Five. With her loyal dog at her side, Akina sets out on an epic rescue mission.
As a mom, I completely felt for Akina and was fully invested in her efforts to get her daughters back. Something I appreciated was how Akina handles the entire situation from beginning to end. While she does care for those around her, there is a coldness to her character as she focuses on her mission. How this is portrayed in her character work and the impacts it had to the side cast added a layer of complexity I wasn’t anticipating.
The side cast, including the adorable dog (named Dog) were also thoughtfully done. They each had a distinct personality, brought something meaningful to the plot and their banter was spot on. Speaking of; with the stakes involved, the banter helped to lighten the tone and balance the overall pacing. This felt instrumental in making this a fun read that still packs a punch.
Something JCM Berne consistently excels at is action scenes and Partial Function is no exception. This is packed with action featuring the Bagua fighting style. It felt cinematic and often reminded me of the comic books I loved to read growing up.
Let’s talk about the worldbuilding as it showcased a unique setting with undead dinosaurs, martial artists, empires, and artifacts. There are familiar elements used within the worldbuilding and just enough of the world is explained to allow readers to fall into it easily. There were even recognizable elements for fans of JCM Berne’s other series The Hybrid Helix. While I was swept away with the characters and plot, I would have loved a deeper look into the world as it felt like we only scratched the surface.
I also appreciated the balance between action, fun and engaging storytelling and the deeper themes explored throughout the book. I can’t forget to mention the found family, heists, plotting, sassy characters, unexpected developments, and wit that goes into making this story stand out.
Partial Function is also a standalone that has potential to continue but remains a satisfying story on its own.
I’d recommend picking up Partial Function if you’re looking for your next action-packed fantasy read with heart.
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