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bethtabler's review against another edition
4.0
Dead Man in a Ditch, Luke Arnold’s second book in the Fetch Phillips Archive, is a devastating and unforgiving story about redemption and regret that will keep you wanting more. It is a story that demonstrates why a single mistake can haunt you for a lifetime.
“I tried to bite my tongue but after years of exercise it had learned to fight back.”
Fetch Phillps, the main protagonist of the story, is a complete contradiction. He is a character that makes you be both repelled by his prickly personality and penchant for self-destruction, and desire to lean in and learn more. In the previous book, The Last Smile in Sunder City, we know a bit of why Fetch, and by extension, the world is the way it is. Eight years ago, Fetch made a mistake, probably the biggest mistake in the history of humans. He betrayed magical creatures and helped humans damn up the magical current that flowed through the world. In one minute, the world went from a vibrant technicolor world full of warlocks, dragons, fairies, and demons to a drab gray where the previously magical creatures now exist perpetually paused. They are neither human nor what they used to be.
Fetch now lives with the acute regret of that moment.
His regret and self-loathing are a constant reminder that he cannot change the past; even with all the shame in the world, some things may be beyond redemption. As a reader, I am sympathetic to his plight, but some mistakes are too big ever to forget. To pass the time, Fetch works as a detective for the “magical” community. And although he will not work with humans, he does enough to survive. The story is structured as a “Sam Spade” type detective story with nods to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. You can tell that Arnold has significantly been influenced heavily by the genre. But unlike Sam Spade, I find Fetch to be a very genuine character. His pain and possible redemption feel realistic and authentic. His pain is real, and he faces the repercussions of it every day. Whether or not Fetch successfully saves his soul is not yet seen, but I feel like the possibility that Fetch might find redemption for himself, however that plays out, brings me back to Arnold’s books. I want Fetch to figure things out and forgive himself however that may look. There might not be any significant saving of the magical races in this series, and Fetch’s cycle of redemption might be a lot quieter and less overt. It might be that he will finally decide that he has done all he could, and that will have to be enough, but I think that is a long way off.
“You still think, after everything that happened, that what you do doesn’t matter? That because you take your orders from someone else, that you’re no longer accountable for your actions? Nothing is just a job, Fetch. Especially now. Not at a time like this.”
The storyline for Dead Man in a Ditch is bleak. A man has been inexplicably murdered, and the only explanation is that magic killed him. But magic is gone, isn’t it? There are moments, particularly one near the end of the story, that were heartbreaking. The raw emotion that Fetch feels is so painful that it was difficult to read. He reaches the bottom. While the storyline starts off following the typical episodic nature of detective stories, pretty quickly, we begin to discern the broader power struggles beyond this case. There are grander ideas involved that will rip Sunder’s very fabric and bring its inhabitants to their knees.
The critical thing to remember about Arnold’s writing is that there is a small, almost intangible glimmer of hope. It flashes in the moments that Fetch has with characters. Whether it is a laugh, quiet companionship, a good meal, or a healthy horse, these moments reveal that not all is lost for Fetch. He is not irredeemable. We have to hold on to these moments for Fetch because he forgets. He wallows in the muck and mire of his past choices.
“We all burn ourselves, Fetch. It’s the best way to learn from our mistakes. It’s only when some part of you freezes that you cut the fucker off.”
My quibble with this book specifically relied solely on pacing. There was a lot of action and a lot of introspection, but it felt uneven at times. We would be catapulted in exciting moments, especially one very visceral one about unicorns, only to be halted in the next scenes with stillness and lack of action. But it was a tiny thing, and on the whole, Arnold kept you moving and interested one scene to the next.
Dead Man in a Ditch is a good book and an even better series. It isn’t a typical urban fantasy story where magical creatures are supernatural power beyond human understanding. They are broken withered things; humans broke them eight years ago. Fetch broke them. Instead of approaching the story like many urban fantasy writers do where humans are weak in the face of magical power, here, humans are almost villainous. Dead Man in a Ditch expands on the ideas of redemption and power that we got tastes of in the first book, The Last Smile in Sunder City. But goes many leagues further and brings Fetch to his knees. Only when Fetch hits absolute rock bottom can he look up and see the proverbial light.
“You’ve touched the pistol. Nobody needs to show you how to hold it or the way to make it work. It is the most elegantly designed piece of evil I have ever seen. From the moment you pick it up, you want to use it, don’t you think? It’s almost impossible not to.”
I believe that if you loved The Last Smile in Sunder City, you would be very moved by Dead Man in a Ditch. It is a worthy second installment in this series, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
“I tried to bite my tongue but after years of exercise it had learned to fight back.”
Fetch Phillps, the main protagonist of the story, is a complete contradiction. He is a character that makes you be both repelled by his prickly personality and penchant for self-destruction, and desire to lean in and learn more. In the previous book, The Last Smile in Sunder City, we know a bit of why Fetch, and by extension, the world is the way it is. Eight years ago, Fetch made a mistake, probably the biggest mistake in the history of humans. He betrayed magical creatures and helped humans damn up the magical current that flowed through the world. In one minute, the world went from a vibrant technicolor world full of warlocks, dragons, fairies, and demons to a drab gray where the previously magical creatures now exist perpetually paused. They are neither human nor what they used to be.
Fetch now lives with the acute regret of that moment.
His regret and self-loathing are a constant reminder that he cannot change the past; even with all the shame in the world, some things may be beyond redemption. As a reader, I am sympathetic to his plight, but some mistakes are too big ever to forget. To pass the time, Fetch works as a detective for the “magical” community. And although he will not work with humans, he does enough to survive. The story is structured as a “Sam Spade” type detective story with nods to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. You can tell that Arnold has significantly been influenced heavily by the genre. But unlike Sam Spade, I find Fetch to be a very genuine character. His pain and possible redemption feel realistic and authentic. His pain is real, and he faces the repercussions of it every day. Whether or not Fetch successfully saves his soul is not yet seen, but I feel like the possibility that Fetch might find redemption for himself, however that plays out, brings me back to Arnold’s books. I want Fetch to figure things out and forgive himself however that may look. There might not be any significant saving of the magical races in this series, and Fetch’s cycle of redemption might be a lot quieter and less overt. It might be that he will finally decide that he has done all he could, and that will have to be enough, but I think that is a long way off.
“You still think, after everything that happened, that what you do doesn’t matter? That because you take your orders from someone else, that you’re no longer accountable for your actions? Nothing is just a job, Fetch. Especially now. Not at a time like this.”
The storyline for Dead Man in a Ditch is bleak. A man has been inexplicably murdered, and the only explanation is that magic killed him. But magic is gone, isn’t it? There are moments, particularly one near the end of the story, that were heartbreaking. The raw emotion that Fetch feels is so painful that it was difficult to read. He reaches the bottom. While the storyline starts off following the typical episodic nature of detective stories, pretty quickly, we begin to discern the broader power struggles beyond this case. There are grander ideas involved that will rip Sunder’s very fabric and bring its inhabitants to their knees.
The critical thing to remember about Arnold’s writing is that there is a small, almost intangible glimmer of hope. It flashes in the moments that Fetch has with characters. Whether it is a laugh, quiet companionship, a good meal, or a healthy horse, these moments reveal that not all is lost for Fetch. He is not irredeemable. We have to hold on to these moments for Fetch because he forgets. He wallows in the muck and mire of his past choices.
“We all burn ourselves, Fetch. It’s the best way to learn from our mistakes. It’s only when some part of you freezes that you cut the fucker off.”
My quibble with this book specifically relied solely on pacing. There was a lot of action and a lot of introspection, but it felt uneven at times. We would be catapulted in exciting moments, especially one very visceral one about unicorns, only to be halted in the next scenes with stillness and lack of action. But it was a tiny thing, and on the whole, Arnold kept you moving and interested one scene to the next.
Dead Man in a Ditch is a good book and an even better series. It isn’t a typical urban fantasy story where magical creatures are supernatural power beyond human understanding. They are broken withered things; humans broke them eight years ago. Fetch broke them. Instead of approaching the story like many urban fantasy writers do where humans are weak in the face of magical power, here, humans are almost villainous. Dead Man in a Ditch expands on the ideas of redemption and power that we got tastes of in the first book, The Last Smile in Sunder City. But goes many leagues further and brings Fetch to his knees. Only when Fetch hits absolute rock bottom can he look up and see the proverbial light.
“You’ve touched the pistol. Nobody needs to show you how to hold it or the way to make it work. It is the most elegantly designed piece of evil I have ever seen. From the moment you pick it up, you want to use it, don’t you think? It’s almost impossible not to.”
I believe that if you loved The Last Smile in Sunder City, you would be very moved by Dead Man in a Ditch. It is a worthy second installment in this series, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
loslibrosdelosdragones's review against another edition
3.0
3,5/5 estrellas.
La verdad que disfruté mucho este libro.
En un mundo acostumbrado a la magia, el hecho de que esta haya desaparecido por completo es un golpe bajo. Deja a todos nostálgicos, tristes y a las ciudades a mitad de su funcionar, ya que, básicamente, todo era manejado por la magia. Las personas, las ciudades, el mundo sigue su camino y hace lo posible por sobrevivir en este mundo nuevo. Sin embargo, de una manera u otra, se aferran a la gloria del pasado, a lo que conocían, a las comodidades que alguna vez tuvieron y harán todo lo posible por volver a eso.
Cuando el progreso se presenta a la puerta de Sunder City, muchos lo abrazan con alegría. Otros, en cambio, no están tan de acuerdo.
Este es un libro en donde se chocan dos cosas: el pasado y el futuro. La lucha entre lo "medieval" y la tecnología. Personas que se aferran al pasado y no quieren cambiar y personas que quieren seguir adelante, instaurar el progreso. Sin embargo, creo que eso no es lo importante, sino lo que pasa en el medio. Lo que se tiene que hacer para permanecer en ese pasado o llegar a ese futuro. No es sobre el destino, es sobre el camino. Los fines no justifican los medios. Creo que es una historia que nos lleva a reflexionar y pensar un poco sobre esto: los tiempos viejos eran buenos, pero ya han desaparecido; los tiempos futuros son buenos, pero vienen con cosas "malas". ¿Qué es lo mejor? Se plantea un dilema en donde darle una vida digna a las personas, restaurar el calor, las fábricas, el trabajo significa la corrupción. Sin embargo, la otra alternativa no es mucho mejor que esta.
El final no me convenció del todo por las implicancias que tiene. Casi al final la historia da un giro un poco brusco y convierte en enemigos a personas que no tienen nada que ver con lo que está sucediendo, dando lo que puede parecer un mensaje confuso.
Todo el mensaje del medio me pareció muy interesante. Se presta a debatir, a pensarlo, reflexionarlo y se queda dando vueltas en la cabeza, que es lo que más valoro en los libros.
Me gustó el hecho de que es una fantasía urbana que no sucede en nuestro mundo, sino en uno completamente inventado. Los héroes en esta historia no son caballeros de armadura brillante, ni princesas con una magia poderosa. Son personas comunes y corrientes que tienen empleos mundanos. Es refrescante poder ver el otro lado de la fantasía, el de las personas comunes que también viven en el mundo, a pesar de que la trama sea mucho más heroica y no enfocada en sus "vidas mundanas".
El personaje principal me pareció muy interesante. Un pobre hombre que no se detiene a reflexionar mucho, simplemente avanza, mueve un pie delante del otro para poder seguir vivo. No vive, pasa por la vida. Y entre medio la vida lo golpea de lleno y lo obliga a abrir los ojos. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de Fetch y la forma en que finalmente puede consolidarse, de alguna manera, con su pasado, su presente, su futuro y sus propias ideas.
Porque es muy fácil seguir órdenes, hacer lo que otros te dicen y cargar las consecuencias sobre sus hombros. Pero es muy difícil tomar las propias decisiones y hacerse cargo de lo que sea que venga después.
Lamentablemente, encontré bastantes errores de edición en el libro y, principalmente, de traducción. Algo que me sorprendió bastante viniendo de Gamon, una editorial con la que tuve muy buenas experiencias.
La verdad que me dejó unas expectativas muy altas y muchísimas ganas de saber qué viene después. Aunque la historia termina y cierra acá, deja muchas preguntas y muchas ramas que expero que puedan ser exploradas (y resueltas) en el próximo libro. Me muero de ganas de leerlo y saber cuál es la próxima aventura de Fetch.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: abuso y crueldad de animales, muerte de animales, muerte, asesinatos, sangre, violencia explícita, prostitución, adicciones, tortura, depresión, profanación.
La verdad que disfruté mucho este libro.
En un mundo acostumbrado a la magia, el hecho de que esta haya desaparecido por completo es un golpe bajo. Deja a todos nostálgicos, tristes y a las ciudades a mitad de su funcionar, ya que, básicamente, todo era manejado por la magia. Las personas, las ciudades, el mundo sigue su camino y hace lo posible por sobrevivir en este mundo nuevo. Sin embargo, de una manera u otra, se aferran a la gloria del pasado, a lo que conocían, a las comodidades que alguna vez tuvieron y harán todo lo posible por volver a eso.
Cuando el progreso se presenta a la puerta de Sunder City, muchos lo abrazan con alegría. Otros, en cambio, no están tan de acuerdo.
Este es un libro en donde se chocan dos cosas: el pasado y el futuro. La lucha entre lo "medieval" y la tecnología. Personas que se aferran al pasado y no quieren cambiar y personas que quieren seguir adelante, instaurar el progreso. Sin embargo, creo que eso no es lo importante, sino lo que pasa en el medio. Lo que se tiene que hacer para permanecer en ese pasado o llegar a ese futuro. No es sobre el destino, es sobre el camino. Los fines no justifican los medios. Creo que es una historia que nos lleva a reflexionar y pensar un poco sobre esto: los tiempos viejos eran buenos, pero ya han desaparecido; los tiempos futuros son buenos, pero vienen con cosas "malas". ¿Qué es lo mejor? Se plantea un dilema en donde darle una vida digna a las personas, restaurar el calor, las fábricas, el trabajo significa la corrupción. Sin embargo, la otra alternativa no es mucho mejor que esta.
El final no me convenció del todo por las implicancias que tiene. Casi al final la historia da un giro un poco brusco y convierte en enemigos a personas que no tienen nada que ver con lo que está sucediendo, dando lo que puede parecer un mensaje confuso.
Spoiler
Los dos puntos de vista eran extremistas y exagerados, llevando a la ciudad a la destrucción. Sin embargo, creo que hacer malos a los revolucionarios que no quieren entregar la ciudad a los corruptos, abusivos, a los que están por encima de la ley simplemente por tener más dinero, no es el mejor mensaje de todos.Todo el mensaje del medio me pareció muy interesante. Se presta a debatir, a pensarlo, reflexionarlo y se queda dando vueltas en la cabeza, que es lo que más valoro en los libros.
Me gustó el hecho de que es una fantasía urbana que no sucede en nuestro mundo, sino en uno completamente inventado. Los héroes en esta historia no son caballeros de armadura brillante, ni princesas con una magia poderosa. Son personas comunes y corrientes que tienen empleos mundanos. Es refrescante poder ver el otro lado de la fantasía, el de las personas comunes que también viven en el mundo, a pesar de que la trama sea mucho más heroica y no enfocada en sus "vidas mundanas".
El personaje principal me pareció muy interesante. Un pobre hombre que no se detiene a reflexionar mucho, simplemente avanza, mueve un pie delante del otro para poder seguir vivo. No vive, pasa por la vida. Y entre medio la vida lo golpea de lleno y lo obliga a abrir los ojos. Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de Fetch y la forma en que finalmente puede consolidarse, de alguna manera, con su pasado, su presente, su futuro y sus propias ideas.
Porque es muy fácil seguir órdenes, hacer lo que otros te dicen y cargar las consecuencias sobre sus hombros. Pero es muy difícil tomar las propias decisiones y hacerse cargo de lo que sea que venga después.
Lamentablemente, encontré bastantes errores de edición en el libro y, principalmente, de traducción. Algo que me sorprendió bastante viniendo de Gamon, una editorial con la que tuve muy buenas experiencias.
La verdad que me dejó unas expectativas muy altas y muchísimas ganas de saber qué viene después. Aunque la historia termina y cierra acá, deja muchas preguntas y muchas ramas que expero que puedan ser exploradas (y resueltas) en el próximo libro. Me muero de ganas de leerlo y saber cuál es la próxima aventura de Fetch.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: abuso y crueldad de animales, muerte de animales, muerte, asesinatos, sangre, violencia explícita, prostitución, adicciones, tortura, depresión, profanación.
borninexile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
what 4 seasons of being long john silver in prestige tv show black sails will do to a mf
henrymarlene's review against another edition
4.0
"But damn my soul if it wasn't magic. "
Reunited with Fetch Phillips for another installment from @longlukearnold in 'Dead Man in a Ditch'. A lot more gritter and action packed, Fetch once again walks the streets and towns alone, yet has so many still supporting him in one way or another. When magic is gone and a new murder mystery emerges, Fetch is the one to call when magic is found as the weapon. There is less reliance on the past to tell this story, with a lot more redemptive action by Fetch in trying to make amends (consciously and subconsciously) and focus on now and the future. This slowed the story to reflect Sunder City in real-time, and it was the unfolding of and intertwining of plot lines and characters. It probably brought out the human in Fetch much more than in the first book. Fetch has lived a miserable life until this point, constantly self-hating and melancholy. This book brings him face to face with a lot of truths and a glimpse of hope for tomorrow, as the right man for hire for the return of magic to Sunder City. The hope he had in others is also tested, but this is also a test for Fetch and his perserverence in what he truly believed in.
"All the best memories have music. "
Reunited with Fetch Phillips for another installment from @longlukearnold in 'Dead Man in a Ditch'. A lot more gritter and action packed, Fetch once again walks the streets and towns alone, yet has so many still supporting him in one way or another. When magic is gone and a new murder mystery emerges, Fetch is the one to call when magic is found as the weapon. There is less reliance on the past to tell this story, with a lot more redemptive action by Fetch in trying to make amends (consciously and subconsciously) and focus on now and the future. This slowed the story to reflect Sunder City in real-time, and it was the unfolding of and intertwining of plot lines and characters. It probably brought out the human in Fetch much more than in the first book. Fetch has lived a miserable life until this point, constantly self-hating and melancholy. This book brings him face to face with a lot of truths and a glimpse of hope for tomorrow, as the right man for hire for the return of magic to Sunder City. The hope he had in others is also tested, but this is also a test for Fetch and his perserverence in what he truly believed in.
"All the best memories have music. "
seang81's review against another edition
5.0
Now, I wasn't enamored with the first book in this series - in my review I wrote it was okay. Well, this one blows that out of the water! A fantastic read, with intrigue, great world building, brilliant characters and an ending that left me wanting more. An urban-fantasy with a great cast and I definitely recommend this one.
pilebythebed's review against another edition
5.0
Hot on the heels of his debut The Last Smile in Sunder City, Luke Arnold has delivered a sequel Dead Man in a Ditch. Arnold returns to his post-magical-apocalypse world and Man for Hire Fetch Phillips. Once again Arnold manages to deliver a pitch perfect mix of high fantasy, urban fantasy and noir detective elements that also shines a light on the darker side of human nature.
In the world of Sunder City the magic is six years gone, destroyed by decidedly non-magical humans, helped much to his eternal shame by turncoat Fetch Phillips. That story was told in detail in The Last Smile in Sunder City, including Fetch’s decision to only work for non-humans. While this volume contains more heartbreaking backstory, it is really just providing some additional colour and depth to that tale. It is a dark premise which Arnold plumbs to even darker places as the consequences of the loss of magic on formerly majestic creatures like dragons and unicorns are confronted.
When the book opens, Fetch is doing a protection job for a dwarf who has been promised unicorn horn in what turns out to be a scam. Being a sequel, Arnold does not have to spend time scene setting which allows the early action to rattle along. Before long Phillips has been brought in by the police to help investigate a murder that looks an awful lot like it was committed by magic. Fetch does find a warlock who has found a gruesome way to weaponise some remnant magic, but along the way also uncovers a deeper plot connected to the future of Sunder City and the world.
Fetch Phillips narrates in a world-weary, pessimistic tone familiar to those who also read noirish detective stories in the Marlowe or Hammett tradition. Phillips carries an impossible weight on his shoulders and he has a code but is constantly being challenged to question that code and asked to choose what side of history he is going to be on. But no matter how dark things get, Phillips continues to strive towards some kind of light, or at least his conception of where the light should be.
Arnold’s world, while dark and a little depressing, is unique, underpinned by a unique and inventive deconstruction of fantasy tropes and creatures. The story and setting feels like a cross between Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with its eclectic mix of fantasy creatures (ogres, elves, vampires, werecats, unicorns etc) and the noir tone and sensibility of Chinatown or The Big Sleep. As with the previous book, the reader, much like Phillips himself, is likely to spend their time hoping that the magic will come back, even while knowing that life is not going to be that easy.
This series shows how modern fantasy is constantly reinventing itself. Using classic sources as a jumping off point to draw in other genres and create original takes on formerly staid strait-jacketed material. All in all Dead Man in a Ditch is another great entry in what is shaping up to be an ongoing and continually intriguing series
In the world of Sunder City the magic is six years gone, destroyed by decidedly non-magical humans, helped much to his eternal shame by turncoat Fetch Phillips. That story was told in detail in The Last Smile in Sunder City, including Fetch’s decision to only work for non-humans. While this volume contains more heartbreaking backstory, it is really just providing some additional colour and depth to that tale. It is a dark premise which Arnold plumbs to even darker places as the consequences of the loss of magic on formerly majestic creatures like dragons and unicorns are confronted.
When the book opens, Fetch is doing a protection job for a dwarf who has been promised unicorn horn in what turns out to be a scam. Being a sequel, Arnold does not have to spend time scene setting which allows the early action to rattle along. Before long Phillips has been brought in by the police to help investigate a murder that looks an awful lot like it was committed by magic. Fetch does find a warlock who has found a gruesome way to weaponise some remnant magic, but along the way also uncovers a deeper plot connected to the future of Sunder City and the world.
Fetch Phillips narrates in a world-weary, pessimistic tone familiar to those who also read noirish detective stories in the Marlowe or Hammett tradition. Phillips carries an impossible weight on his shoulders and he has a code but is constantly being challenged to question that code and asked to choose what side of history he is going to be on. But no matter how dark things get, Phillips continues to strive towards some kind of light, or at least his conception of where the light should be.
Arnold’s world, while dark and a little depressing, is unique, underpinned by a unique and inventive deconstruction of fantasy tropes and creatures. The story and setting feels like a cross between Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with its eclectic mix of fantasy creatures (ogres, elves, vampires, werecats, unicorns etc) and the noir tone and sensibility of Chinatown or The Big Sleep. As with the previous book, the reader, much like Phillips himself, is likely to spend their time hoping that the magic will come back, even while knowing that life is not going to be that easy.
This series shows how modern fantasy is constantly reinventing itself. Using classic sources as a jumping off point to draw in other genres and create original takes on formerly staid strait-jacketed material. All in all Dead Man in a Ditch is another great entry in what is shaping up to be an ongoing and continually intriguing series
pilebythebed's review against another edition
5.0
Hot on the heels of his high fantasy meets urban fantasy meets noir detective debut The Last Smile in Sunder City, Luke Arnold has delivered its sequel Dead Man in a Ditch. Arnold returns to his post-magical-apocalypse world and in particular Man for Hire Fetch Phillips. Once again Arnold manages to deliver a pitch perfect mix of fantasy and crime elements while also shining a light on the darker side of human nature.
In the world of Sunder City the magic is six years gone. The source of the world’s magic was estroyed by decidedly non-magical humans helped, much to his eternal shame, by turncoat Fetch Phillips. That story was told in detail in The Last Smile in Sunder City, including Fetch’s subsequent decision to only work for non-humans. While this volume contains more of his heartbreaking backstory, it is really just providing some additional colour and depth to that tale. It is a dark premise which Arnold plumbs to even darker places as the consequences of the loss of magic on formerly majestic creatures like dragons and unicorns are confronted.
When the book opens, Fetch is doing a protection job for a dwarf who has been promised unicorn horn in what turns out to be a scam. Being a sequel, Arnold does not have to spend time scene setting which allows the early action to rattle along. Before long, Fetch has been brought in by the police to help investigate a murder that looks an awful lot like it was committed by magic. Fetch does find a warlock who has found a gruesome way to weaponise some remnant magic, but along the way also uncovers a deeper plot connected to the future of Sunder City and the world.
Fetch Phillips narrates in a world-weary, pessimistic tone familiar to those who also read noir detective stories in the Marlowe or Hammett tradition. Phillips carries an impossible weight on his shoulders and he has a code but is constantly being challenged to question that code and asked to choose what side of history he is going to be on. But no matter how dark things get, Phillips continues to strive towards some kind of light, or at least his conception of where the light should be.
Arnold’s world, while dark and a little depressing, is unique, underpinned by a unique and inventive deconstruction of fantasy tropes and creatures. The story and setting feels like a cross between Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with its eclectic mix of fantasy creatures (ogres, elves, vampires, werecats, unicorns etc) and the noir tone and sensibility of Chinatown or The Big Sleep. As with the previous book, the reader, much like Phillips himself, is likely to spend their time hoping that the magic will come back, even while knowing that life is not going to be that easy.
Dead Man in a Ditch is another great entry in what is shaping up to be an ongoing and continually intriguing series. This series shows how modern fantasy is constantly reinventing itself. Arnold uses classic sources as a jumping off point to draw in other genres and create an original take on formerly staid strait-jacketed material.
In the world of Sunder City the magic is six years gone. The source of the world’s magic was estroyed by decidedly non-magical humans helped, much to his eternal shame, by turncoat Fetch Phillips. That story was told in detail in The Last Smile in Sunder City, including Fetch’s subsequent decision to only work for non-humans. While this volume contains more of his heartbreaking backstory, it is really just providing some additional colour and depth to that tale. It is a dark premise which Arnold plumbs to even darker places as the consequences of the loss of magic on formerly majestic creatures like dragons and unicorns are confronted.
When the book opens, Fetch is doing a protection job for a dwarf who has been promised unicorn horn in what turns out to be a scam. Being a sequel, Arnold does not have to spend time scene setting which allows the early action to rattle along. Before long, Fetch has been brought in by the police to help investigate a murder that looks an awful lot like it was committed by magic. Fetch does find a warlock who has found a gruesome way to weaponise some remnant magic, but along the way also uncovers a deeper plot connected to the future of Sunder City and the world.
Fetch Phillips narrates in a world-weary, pessimistic tone familiar to those who also read noir detective stories in the Marlowe or Hammett tradition. Phillips carries an impossible weight on his shoulders and he has a code but is constantly being challenged to question that code and asked to choose what side of history he is going to be on. But no matter how dark things get, Phillips continues to strive towards some kind of light, or at least his conception of where the light should be.
Arnold’s world, while dark and a little depressing, is unique, underpinned by a unique and inventive deconstruction of fantasy tropes and creatures. The story and setting feels like a cross between Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with its eclectic mix of fantasy creatures (ogres, elves, vampires, werecats, unicorns etc) and the noir tone and sensibility of Chinatown or The Big Sleep. As with the previous book, the reader, much like Phillips himself, is likely to spend their time hoping that the magic will come back, even while knowing that life is not going to be that easy.
Dead Man in a Ditch is another great entry in what is shaping up to be an ongoing and continually intriguing series. This series shows how modern fantasy is constantly reinventing itself. Arnold uses classic sources as a jumping off point to draw in other genres and create an original take on formerly staid strait-jacketed material.
joyelbe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.0