Scan barcode
jhstack's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting approach to supernatural urban fiction - namely 1) co-written by 4 authors and serialized like a TV series but flows rather well, and 2) Vatican secret society that protects the world from evil demons trapped in magical books. I need Season 2 ASAP!
theybedax's review against another edition
4.0
Not every book is meant to be read; for the magic within can corrupt and erase everything that once was you. Each episode builds upon the characters and their stories but it is written by a new author each time. So, prepare for surprises and twisted fun!
trike's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a sucker for stories about secret histories and secret worlds hiding behind our mundane reality, so this was right in my wheelhouse. This tome about magic books and the Vatican team tasked to retrieve them is great fun from start to finish.
The fact that this was written by four different authors each taking turns in serial format and yet it hangs together in terms of tone and style is a kind of magic all its own. After a while I could kind of see slightly different styles here and there (Lafferty's comma-spliced compound sentences, Gladstone's syncopation) but the vast majority's melds so astoundingly well that the seams are virtually invisible.
This is a long-running idea used before: John Steakley's [b:Vampire$|843588|Vampire$|John Steakley|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309212607s/843588.jpg|98664] hinted at other groups hunting different supernatural critters, the tales of modern Templar knight Peter Crossman and his kickass nun comrade by James D. Macdonald in [b:The Apocalypse Door|1277155|The Apocalypse Door|James D. Macdonald|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312018241s/1277155.jpg|1266132] used this idea offscreen, and, more recently, the TV series Supernatural adding a new international secret society of monster hunters called The Men of Letters has revitalized that show. And, of course, the Watchers who pulled strings (mostly) behind the scenes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
But now we finally have a terrific, pure version of the concept, complete with cool characters, smashing action, holy crosses and unholy double-crosses, plus moral conundrums.
I really enjoyed how they set us up with the apparently typical Five Man Band situation and then subverted expectations. The Smart Guy (Liam Doyle) who is the computer hacker also happens to be handy in a fight, because he regularly spars with the River Tam "action girl" analogue (Grace), and so on. This also sports one of the smoothest integrations of the Audience Avatar (aka Audience Surrogate) into the secret world that I've seen in a while, when NYPD detective Sally Brooks gets swept into the demon-hunting world because her brother is into some shady shenanigans. She meets the team, led by a priest, and discovers there's some spooky shit going down. It flows like water.
There are twists and turns which feel natural, but best of all everyone is smart. I can't stress that part enough. The good guys are smart. The demons are smart. The bad guys are smart. The people in charge are smart. The hired help is smart. No one does something dumb just because the plot demands it.
People get caught unawares because they experience things beyond their comprehension or because they didn't have all the information, but once they acclimatize and adjust, it's full speed ahead.
Despite the 800 page length, this was also a fast read. Everything entertainment should be: smart, fast and fun.
The fact that this was written by four different authors each taking turns in serial format and yet it hangs together in terms of tone and style is a kind of magic all its own. After a while I could kind of see slightly different styles here and there (Lafferty's comma-spliced compound sentences, Gladstone's syncopation) but the vast majority's melds so astoundingly well that the seams are virtually invisible.
This is a long-running idea used before: John Steakley's [b:Vampire$|843588|Vampire$|John Steakley|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309212607s/843588.jpg|98664] hinted at other groups hunting different supernatural critters, the tales of modern Templar knight Peter Crossman and his kickass nun comrade by James D. Macdonald in [b:The Apocalypse Door|1277155|The Apocalypse Door|James D. Macdonald|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312018241s/1277155.jpg|1266132] used this idea offscreen, and, more recently, the TV series Supernatural adding a new international secret society of monster hunters called The Men of Letters has revitalized that show. And, of course, the Watchers who pulled strings (mostly) behind the scenes in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
But now we finally have a terrific, pure version of the concept, complete with cool characters, smashing action, holy crosses and unholy double-crosses, plus moral conundrums.
I really enjoyed how they set us up with the apparently typical Five Man Band situation and then subverted expectations. The Smart Guy (Liam Doyle) who is the computer hacker also happens to be handy in a fight, because he regularly spars with the River Tam "action girl" analogue (Grace), and so on. This also sports one of the smoothest integrations of the Audience Avatar (aka Audience Surrogate) into the secret world that I've seen in a while, when NYPD detective Sally Brooks gets swept into the demon-hunting world because her brother is into some shady shenanigans. She meets the team, led by a priest, and discovers there's some spooky shit going down. It flows like water.
There are twists and turns which feel natural, but best of all everyone is smart. I can't stress that part enough. The good guys are smart. The demons are smart. The bad guys are smart. The people in charge are smart. The hired help is smart. No one does something dumb just because the plot demands it.
People get caught unawares because they experience things beyond their comprehension or because they didn't have all the information, but once they acclimatize and adjust, it's full speed ahead.
Despite the 800 page length, this was also a fast read. Everything entertainment should be: smart, fast and fun.
nawog_reads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
jzacsh's review against another edition
3.0
Silly, fun, fast. Makes for a great audiobook. Serialbox does a really nice job recording these. The app is terrible, but it works (haltingly) enough to finish this book.
chukg's review against another edition
Abandoned this part way through, the Serial Box situation just doesn't really work for me. It was enjoyable to read the first 4 sections.
rafinator23's review against another edition
4.0
The book and audio are pretty good. If you are interested in reading or listening to this series, you will need to dedicate a serious amount of time to focus on it. The chapters are over an hour long if you’re listening, which means there are a lot of pages to read.
That said, I really enjoyed it! The story is very immersive, and I enjoyed the nuances and details that were given. I will definitely be reading/listening to the next season, but I need a break!
That said, I really enjoyed it! The story is very immersive, and I enjoyed the nuances and details that were given. I will definitely be reading/listening to the next season, but I need a break!
britterization's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up Bookburners because I needed a huge paperback, and I was kind of intrigued by the format - the series is released serially as episodes contained in a season. As such, it was a bit like reading a TV show, but as I enjoy TV, I didn't find that to be a bad thing at all. I actually really like the format because it allowed me to read and episode or 2, and then put the book down and not return to it for a few weeks (because OTHER BOOKS) and be fine picking right up where you left off.
The Bookburners are a bit of a secret society/demon & book retrieval team housed at the Vatican, and at first, the church stuff was off putting (if you want me to run screaming from a book, just say the word "angels"), but overall, the series does a pretty decent job of not jumping too far down the churchy rabbit hole.
The authors did a really good job of keeping the tone and writing style consistent - it was pretty impressive, actually. Still, I did have my favorite episodes, and most of them were written by Margaret Dunlop. Hers tended to be the most madcap and whimsical.
Overall, there was a lot of fun to be had here, and I'll be purchasing the second season. I think I'll listen to it on long runs. 3 stars - I liked it!
The Bookburners are a bit of a secret society/demon & book retrieval team housed at the Vatican, and at first, the church stuff was off putting (if you want me to run screaming from a book, just say the word "angels"), but overall, the series does a pretty decent job of not jumping too far down the churchy rabbit hole.
The authors did a really good job of keeping the tone and writing style consistent - it was pretty impressive, actually. Still, I did have my favorite episodes, and most of them were written by Margaret Dunlop. Hers tended to be the most madcap and whimsical.
Overall, there was a lot of fun to be had here, and I'll be purchasing the second season. I think I'll listen to it on long runs. 3 stars - I liked it!