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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Damn, I started this today and couldn't even make it fifty pages in because I couldn't stand the writing style. I'm bummed because I was in the mood for a quirky story. I can't believe Neil Gaimen praised this author.
I don't even know what to say, my love for this book is so immense. It says 5 up there, but it's a solid 8 stars.
Read the description of the book up above, if it sounds like something you would like, then it probably is. I don't want to say anything else about it here because I will gush and cause spoilers to happen.
For me this book was a master class in How To Tell A Big Story. So here are my notes-to-self:
* There are over 200 chapters, but something amazing happens in almost every single one.
* The chapters are almost uniformly the same size, and it's the perfect length. It feels like this was a conscious decision. A grand novel, fed to the reader in blog post-sized chapters. Very smart.
* There are tons of characters in this book, but you always know where they are in the story and what part of their missions/journeys they're on.
* All of the various side plots and goings-on are totally interesting. There was no one thread that I was dreading the return of or anything.
* Great, great fight scenes.
* Hilarious! A+ for very smart & witty situations. Malveria especially. Possibly one of my favorite characters of all time.
* Good dialogue, esp how he breaks the talkiness up with things characters wonder aloud or to themselves.
I will now go back to writing my list of who I think should play the various characters in my dream movie version. Kat Dennings as Agrivex, RIGHT?
Read the description of the book up above, if it sounds like something you would like, then it probably is. I don't want to say anything else about it here because I will gush and cause spoilers to happen.
For me this book was a master class in How To Tell A Big Story. So here are my notes-to-self:
* There are over 200 chapters, but something amazing happens in almost every single one.
* The chapters are almost uniformly the same size, and it's the perfect length. It feels like this was a conscious decision. A grand novel, fed to the reader in blog post-sized chapters. Very smart.
* There are tons of characters in this book, but you always know where they are in the story and what part of their missions/journeys they're on.
* All of the various side plots and goings-on are totally interesting. There was no one thread that I was dreading the return of or anything.
* Great, great fight scenes.
* Hilarious! A+ for very smart & witty situations. Malveria especially. Possibly one of my favorite characters of all time.
* Good dialogue, esp how he breaks the talkiness up with things characters wonder aloud or to themselves.
I will now go back to writing my list of who I think should play the various characters in my dream movie version. Kat Dennings as Agrivex, RIGHT?
4.5 Stars.
I loved this story, it left me wanting so much more. I mean that in the best way possible. In a genre that is over-saturated with middling writing, vapid characters and fluff, Martin Millar has created something you can really sink your teeth into.
I loved this story, it left me wanting so much more. I mean that in the best way possible. In a genre that is over-saturated with middling writing, vapid characters and fluff, Martin Millar has created something you can really sink your teeth into.
I'm sorry to say that, but this book was the most horrible book i've ever read. I don't even know where to start with all the bad things; let's just say there wasn't one, not ONE, thing I liked about it. It's the first time I am that heavily disappointed in a book.
I really, really wanted to like this book– hell, I really wanted to finish this book. People gave it good reviews! The back read well. Neil Gaiman gave his praises!
But the writing was so horribly abysmal, I gave up after a chapter. It was just too bad, I didn't want to keep going. Maybe some day I'll come back with more patience and want to finish it, but today is not that day.
But the writing was so horribly abysmal, I gave up after a chapter. It was just too bad, I didn't want to keep going. Maybe some day I'll come back with more patience and want to finish it, but today is not that day.
Ragazze lupo vol 1.
Un bel fantasy ambientato nella Londra contemporanea, che ci presenta un'affresco di una strana famiglia di licantropi. La forza del romanzo non sta nella serietà con cui tratta le vicende (è tutto volutamente ironico, e in questo è vincente) ma nella caratterizzazione di alcuni personaggi, soprattutto femminili. Con la loro estrema varietà di caratteri non ci si può proprio annoiare! Indimenticabile Malveria, vera miniera di spezzoni comici che non possono lasciare indifferenti...
27 apr 2010, 19:11:49
Un bel fantasy ambientato nella Londra contemporanea, che ci presenta un'affresco di una strana famiglia di licantropi. La forza del romanzo non sta nella serietà con cui tratta le vicende (è tutto volutamente ironico, e in questo è vincente) ma nella caratterizzazione di alcuni personaggi, soprattutto femminili. Con la loro estrema varietà di caratteri non ci si può proprio annoiare! Indimenticabile Malveria, vera miniera di spezzoni comici che non possono lasciare indifferenti...
27 apr 2010, 19:11:49
Beautiful anorexic depressed teenage runaway werewolf drug addict self-cutter. Do you even need a verb to sell a concept like that?
Despite being 558 pages, this was a quick read. It was fun, but I expected a lot more given the praise lavished on the author from the likes of Neil Gaiman and the Guardian. The plot was its greatest strength, quite entertaining. The premise: werewolves exist, and while there are numerous "lone wolves" spread across the world (set in the present), most belong to clans that ladder up to a royal family of werewolves in Scotland. The royal werewolves are also the most powerful fighters and can control their transformation regardless of the state of the moon. Our main character, Kalix, who was a rebellious teenager of the royal family, had sex (frequently) with a non-royal werewolf at the age of 14, which lead to her lover being banished and a subsequent fight with her father, the top dog. And by fight, I mean a physical dog fight. Kalix, being insanely vicious in battle, nearly killed him and ran off before she could be captured for the crime. The rest of the story involves Shakespearean intrigue to become head of the royal clan, numerous battles between werewolves and with the society of werewolf hunters, werewolf alienation, depression, anxiety, trust issues, communication issues, suicide attempts, laudanum use, elementals from other realms, magic, and high fashion. That’s right, high fashion. One of Kalix’s sisters is the head of a design firm in London and her best friend is a Fire Elemental who conquered her plane of existence and so instead of fighting wars, obsesses over showing up at Elemental Balls as the most fashionable mage.
Probably the most interesting element thematically was the struggle between the more traditional werewolves of the clan and those who modernize and want to assimilate with modern society.
Sounds fun, right? Why only three stars?
1. I found the language to be slightly juvenile. At first, I thought this might be a YA novel, particularly because as Millar develops the characters he often repeatedly mentions certain attributes or characteristics in different scenes. This redundancy dumbs it down. However, the drug use, sex, and violence contradict the YA language.
2. All the werewolves are just. so. gorgeous. It’s hard to keep track of the hierarchy of beauty because each one seems more beautiful than the next. Oh, as well as the Fire Elemental. Bohhhh-ring.
3. One main character, Daniel, a non-werewolf college student, who is supposed to be both a partial love interest and comic relief, is a bit of a whiny bitch. It’s not obvious why anyone likes him.
4. The humor of the fashion obsessed Fire Elemental wears a bit thin. It’s a rather shallow joke. Overall, the funny was just not as funny as it seemed to want to be. At times, it tonally reminded me of Christopher Moore but lacked the meaty payoffs.
5. Typos! I marked fifteen typos, which is inexcusable from now corporate press Soft Skull.
When I bought this, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. So the question is, will I read the sequel? The answer is, yes, I probably will. Despite the weaknesses, it was fun, and it made me curious to find out what happens to the main characters next.
Despite being 558 pages, this was a quick read. It was fun, but I expected a lot more given the praise lavished on the author from the likes of Neil Gaiman and the Guardian. The plot was its greatest strength, quite entertaining. The premise: werewolves exist, and while there are numerous "lone wolves" spread across the world (set in the present), most belong to clans that ladder up to a royal family of werewolves in Scotland. The royal werewolves are also the most powerful fighters and can control their transformation regardless of the state of the moon. Our main character, Kalix, who was a rebellious teenager of the royal family, had sex (frequently) with a non-royal werewolf at the age of 14, which lead to her lover being banished and a subsequent fight with her father, the top dog. And by fight, I mean a physical dog fight. Kalix, being insanely vicious in battle, nearly killed him and ran off before she could be captured for the crime. The rest of the story involves Shakespearean intrigue to become head of the royal clan, numerous battles between werewolves and with the society of werewolf hunters, werewolf alienation, depression, anxiety, trust issues, communication issues, suicide attempts, laudanum use, elementals from other realms, magic, and high fashion. That’s right, high fashion. One of Kalix’s sisters is the head of a design firm in London and her best friend is a Fire Elemental who conquered her plane of existence and so instead of fighting wars, obsesses over showing up at Elemental Balls as the most fashionable mage.
Probably the most interesting element thematically was the struggle between the more traditional werewolves of the clan and those who modernize and want to assimilate with modern society.
Sounds fun, right? Why only three stars?
1. I found the language to be slightly juvenile. At first, I thought this might be a YA novel, particularly because as Millar develops the characters he often repeatedly mentions certain attributes or characteristics in different scenes. This redundancy dumbs it down. However, the drug use, sex, and violence contradict the YA language.
2. All the werewolves are just. so. gorgeous. It’s hard to keep track of the hierarchy of beauty because each one seems more beautiful than the next. Oh, as well as the Fire Elemental. Bohhhh-ring.
3. One main character, Daniel, a non-werewolf college student, who is supposed to be both a partial love interest and comic relief, is a bit of a whiny bitch. It’s not obvious why anyone likes him.
4. The humor of the fashion obsessed Fire Elemental wears a bit thin. It’s a rather shallow joke. Overall, the funny was just not as funny as it seemed to want to be. At times, it tonally reminded me of Christopher Moore but lacked the meaty payoffs.
5. Typos! I marked fifteen typos, which is inexcusable from now corporate press Soft Skull.
When I bought this, I didn’t realize it was part of a series. So the question is, will I read the sequel? The answer is, yes, I probably will. Despite the weaknesses, it was fun, and it made me curious to find out what happens to the main characters next.
This is the story of a drug-addicted outcast werewolf teenage girl who had to take to the streets after an attempt on her abusive father's life made her living situation at her Scottish home unbearable. It's it's surprisingly funny in places, though extremely forced in others.