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emrodav's review against another edition
2.0
After more than two months of trying (and only 160 pages read), I had to just give up on this book. It just wasn’t working for me.
The premise sounds so cool - a human guide book author manages to get involved in writing a guide to New York aimed at all manner of supernatural creatures. It sounds like a fun, and probably funny, premise for a book, right?
But unfortunately The Shambling Guide never actually delivered that. The writing is pretty dull, Zoë isn’t that interesting of a character, and we get more information about publishing and office culture than anything supernatural.
Add that with some creepy dudes sexually harassing our heroine at work, and a horrifying description of monsters eating hedgehogs at a restaurant, and what you get is a book that I just didn’t enjoy. Maybe this will appeal to some people, and I wanted to be one of them, but it just didn’t work for me.
The premise sounds so cool - a human guide book author manages to get involved in writing a guide to New York aimed at all manner of supernatural creatures. It sounds like a fun, and probably funny, premise for a book, right?
But unfortunately The Shambling Guide never actually delivered that. The writing is pretty dull, Zoë isn’t that interesting of a character, and we get more information about publishing and office culture than anything supernatural.
Add that with some creepy dudes sexually harassing our heroine at work, and a horrifying description of monsters eating hedgehogs at a restaurant, and what you get is a book that I just didn’t enjoy. Maybe this will appeal to some people, and I wanted to be one of them, but it just didn’t work for me.
mrkknick's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
arkayanon's review against another edition
5.0
The Shambling Guide to New York was an immensely fun read. I found that I enjoyed just about every character which is a strength of Mur Lafferty's work that I've found with other works by the author that I've read or heard via podcast.
The one scene in the club was a bit of a surprise and nothing I was expecting but fit with the characters involved so my feelings are mixed.
The snippets from the eponymous guide are a lovely inclusion, sometimes touching on events before or after the excerpt, or placing a moment of calm just after something hectic.
The climax is a wonderful spectacle which should not be missed.
I don't know if it was intentional, but in my head-canon this story exists in the same universe as Mrs. Lafferty's Escape Pod story "Citytalkers," found here: http://escapepod.org/2007/12/21/ep137-citytalkers/
The one scene in the club was a bit of a surprise and nothing I was expecting but fit with the characters involved so my feelings are mixed.
The snippets from the eponymous guide are a lovely inclusion, sometimes touching on events before or after the excerpt, or placing a moment of calm just after something hectic.
The climax is a wonderful spectacle which should not be missed.
I don't know if it was intentional, but in my head-canon this story exists in the same universe as Mrs. Lafferty's Escape Pod story "Citytalkers," found here: http://escapepod.org/2007/12/21/ep137-citytalkers/
cmaree88's review
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-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
4.5
mellhay's review against another edition
4.0
Zoe has moved back to her home city, New York City, after a terrible incident with her last boss and...his unbeknownst to her, wife. She has some money to live off of, but needs a job. She is a wiz at travel guides and the book store and coffee shop she stumbles into has the perfect add on it's board:
Underground Publishing
LOOKING FOR WRITERS
Underground Publishing is a new company writing travel guides for people like you. Since we're writing for people like you, we need people like you to write for us.
Pluses: Experience in writing, publishing, or editing (in this life or any other), and knowledge of New York City.
Minuses: A life span shorter than an editorial cycle. (in this case, nine months).
Zoe feels she's a perfect fit. The owner...not so much. Zoe learns of the special employees and that she might be in mortal danger from them. These beings are all through the city. Then the danger she comes upon with the city as a whole. Zoe tries to balance the attacks on her, find out who and why they are after New York City, and finish a layout for the new Travelers guide all at the same time.
Mur takes New York City and twists what we know to the supernatural lives as well. What we know as one meaning also has another to the supernatural world. We start with the implications and feelings there is something off with a few places. We are human and the supernatural do hide themselves rather well, but we the readers are looking for it and see the small flickers in their glamour. ;)
The first chapter left me wanting more. I was curious to what the world is like behind the curtains we don't know are there. I did get the feel there were some supernatural in the world. And when Zoe was talking about the publishing company; on yes, something was going on.
Zoe's personality is perfect. One that takes things in stride, and what she learns about what's been in New York City all these years, and everywhere, trips her up for a heartbeat but she goes on. She needs the job to badly and finds it all interesting at the same time. I love her thinking process on the monsters in the city. They'd been here for some time, so why was it different from last week? I love seeing Zoe interact with the "monsters" and all that is present in the world. The connections of Zoe's life to what's happening around the Coterie is not viewed as a coincidence by the Coterie. There is more to it. Then we meet Zoe's neighbor, nice young man, Arthur. But Arthur has a secret as well.
I love that we get Zoe's story and clips from her guide book at the end of each chapter. The clips give an insight to what we've already learned, places we've visited, and what's to come.
This story has a blend of everything here. Fun. Supernatural. Story that grows as we get more and more acquainted with the world. And a spark of relationships. Definitely a must buy series for me! Mur is wonderful at weaving fun into a story. She has a great cast of characters and twists things with a supernatural element along with her quick one liners that make me chuckle. Mur weaves a whole system to the supernatural world. One that keeps it secret to the human world as well.
Thank you Mur, and Orbit, for podcasting this book. I loved every minute of listening to it and HAD to get the book! I want this to show off and go back through.
This fun humored read and story is one I'll suggest to many for the fun and world. You'll be flipping the pages to learn what next is in this world and the humor that will come with it. Then, you'll find you are sucked in to a story that you didn't see coming.
Underground Publishing
LOOKING FOR WRITERS
Underground Publishing is a new company writing travel guides for people like you. Since we're writing for people like you, we need people like you to write for us.
Pluses: Experience in writing, publishing, or editing (in this life or any other), and knowledge of New York City.
Minuses: A life span shorter than an editorial cycle. (in this case, nine months).
Zoe feels she's a perfect fit. The owner...not so much. Zoe learns of the special employees and that she might be in mortal danger from them. These beings are all through the city. Then the danger she comes upon with the city as a whole. Zoe tries to balance the attacks on her, find out who and why they are after New York City, and finish a layout for the new Travelers guide all at the same time.
Mur takes New York City and twists what we know to the supernatural lives as well. What we know as one meaning also has another to the supernatural world. We start with the implications and feelings there is something off with a few places. We are human and the supernatural do hide themselves rather well, but we the readers are looking for it and see the small flickers in their glamour. ;)
The first chapter left me wanting more. I was curious to what the world is like behind the curtains we don't know are there. I did get the feel there were some supernatural in the world. And when Zoe was talking about the publishing company; on yes, something was going on.
Zoe's personality is perfect. One that takes things in stride, and what she learns about what's been in New York City all these years, and everywhere, trips her up for a heartbeat but she goes on. She needs the job to badly and finds it all interesting at the same time. I love her thinking process on the monsters in the city. They'd been here for some time, so why was it different from last week? I love seeing Zoe interact with the "monsters" and all that is present in the world. The connections of Zoe's life to what's happening around the Coterie is not viewed as a coincidence by the Coterie. There is more to it. Then we meet Zoe's neighbor, nice young man, Arthur. But Arthur has a secret as well.
I love that we get Zoe's story and clips from her guide book at the end of each chapter. The clips give an insight to what we've already learned, places we've visited, and what's to come.
This story has a blend of everything here. Fun. Supernatural. Story that grows as we get more and more acquainted with the world. And a spark of relationships. Definitely a must buy series for me! Mur is wonderful at weaving fun into a story. She has a great cast of characters and twists things with a supernatural element along with her quick one liners that make me chuckle. Mur weaves a whole system to the supernatural world. One that keeps it secret to the human world as well.
Thank you Mur, and Orbit, for podcasting this book. I loved every minute of listening to it and HAD to get the book! I want this to show off and go back through.
This fun humored read and story is one I'll suggest to many for the fun and world. You'll be flipping the pages to learn what next is in this world and the humor that will come with it. Then, you'll find you are sucked in to a story that you didn't see coming.
nikshelby's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for any fun Urban Fantasy book. Strong female lead. Magic. Mystery. Zombies. Werewolves. ETC. Carry on, Mur Lafferty, carry on.
sylvatica's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
ksonney's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book. Bringing her own twists to the Urban Fantasy, Mur crafts a story that kept me guessing, laughing, and engaged. Zoe is caught between two worlds, the one we know, and the one she has recently found employment in. The boss is a vampire, her co-workers include zombies, sprites, an incubus, a death goddess, and more. As if that weren't enough, someone has it out for her and her boss - and maybe even the city itself. Can Zoe save New York and still hit her deadline?
c4ssandr4's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5