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A review by jeffhall
Heraclix & Pomp by Forrest Aguirre
4.0
Heraclix and Pomp is a genuinely fun read, mixing up elements of fantasy, historical fiction, and the occult into a heady brew that gallops along at a brisk pace. The titular characters are richly developed, and the contrast between them gives the book much of its comedic edge. Which is not to say that this is solely a work of comedy, but rather that Forrest Aguirre uses humor to prevent the darker aspects of his story (including a trip to Hell) from taking over completely.
In many ways, this novel reminds me of Susanna Clarke's excellent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, given that both works are set a few centuries back in grand European locations, and both works assume that magic is very real. Even better, both works feature members of the fair folk amongst their cast of characters, and traffic between our human world and the worlds of fairy is key to both narratives. This is not to suggest that Aguirre copied anything from Clarke, but rather that a reader who enjoyed one of these two books will almost certainly like them both.
In many ways, this novel reminds me of Susanna Clarke's excellent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, given that both works are set a few centuries back in grand European locations, and both works assume that magic is very real. Even better, both works feature members of the fair folk amongst their cast of characters, and traffic between our human world and the worlds of fairy is key to both narratives. This is not to suggest that Aguirre copied anything from Clarke, but rather that a reader who enjoyed one of these two books will almost certainly like them both.