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A review by branch_c
Babayaga by Toby Barlow
5.0
Edit: Reread six years later, still as impressive as the first time. A bit grittier than I remembered, and more emphasis on sex. But the construction of the story is fantastic; as noted below, recommended for fans of Powers, Blaylock, Moore, and I'll add Michael Gruber (most similar to Tropic of Night and its sequels, with the exception that this one is historical rather than contemporary). I was interested to see that Barlow is primarily an advertising executive, among other things, and this no doubt informed his writing of Will and his agency; I also took note on this reading the fairly strong criticism of advertising due to its negative effects on the human condition. I'm quite sympathetic to this view, although in the book, it's all part of the fun, same as with the murderous supernatural activities.
Original review follows.
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First, I have to admit that I read this as a result of the Goodreads giveaway program - having read about it there and failed to win it, I spotted it in the library and picked it up. So I guess the giveaway accomplished its purpose. Although they probably would prefer that I'd bought it.
Well, I still may buy a copy, because this book is one of my favorites this year, and definitely good enough for a re-read at some point. A wonderful historical fantasy, it had the realistic treatment of the supernatural that reminded me of Powers (if at times more graphic); the flashes of absurdity that reminded me of Blaylock (though a bit less silly) and especially the humor (and setting) of Moore's Sacré Bleu (though much more serious). The characters were perfectly drawn, the setting immersive, and the plot managed to be both clear and frequently surprising. This story was thoroughly enjoyable, with many brilliant turns of events and several moments of laugh out loud cleverness. The writing was confident and polished, and for a few stretches it seemed Barlow was reaching into the realm of the "literary" - and while that's not always a good thing for me, here it worked well, and was ultimately a true pleasure to read.
Original review follows.
------------------------------
First, I have to admit that I read this as a result of the Goodreads giveaway program - having read about it there and failed to win it, I spotted it in the library and picked it up. So I guess the giveaway accomplished its purpose. Although they probably would prefer that I'd bought it.
Well, I still may buy a copy, because this book is one of my favorites this year, and definitely good enough for a re-read at some point. A wonderful historical fantasy, it had the realistic treatment of the supernatural that reminded me of Powers (if at times more graphic); the flashes of absurdity that reminded me of Blaylock (though a bit less silly) and especially the humor (and setting) of Moore's Sacré Bleu (though much more serious). The characters were perfectly drawn, the setting immersive, and the plot managed to be both clear and frequently surprising. This story was thoroughly enjoyable, with many brilliant turns of events and several moments of laugh out loud cleverness. The writing was confident and polished, and for a few stretches it seemed Barlow was reaching into the realm of the "literary" - and while that's not always a good thing for me, here it worked well, and was ultimately a true pleasure to read.