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A review by helensbookshelf
Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm
4.0
Written in the 1980's Wizard of the Pigeons is an urban fantasy set in Seattle. Wizard, the title character, is living by his wits on the streets, protecting the pigeons and telling the truth when he Knows it. He has no memory of his previous life before he arrived in Seattle and found his magic.
Megan Lindholm is very, very good at world building and creating atmosphere. She brought Seattle in the 80's to life for me and filled it with such a strong cast of characters. Cassie and Rasputin also have magic - Cassie always has a different appearance and can only be recognised if you have magic and Rasputin is constantly in motion, his hands dancing if he can't.
There are a lot of layers and hidden meanings in the story, and in the end, it leaves you to make up your own mind - is Wizard a Vietnam vet with a mental health problem imagining his magic powers or is he really a wizard? Is he protecting Seattle from the evil Mir or is the greyness in his own mind? Is Cassie real or does Wizard imagine her in the women that he meets?
Normally I don't like books where the plot and the ending are ambiguous but I think it gives you enough to be able to decide for yourself one way or the other. The layers and the ambiguity and hidden meanings seem to add to the story rather than make it murky.
It's a dark and unique urban fantasy story, and I very much enjoyed it. If you like Neil Gainman's dark and inventive style then I think you would get on with this one.
Megan Lindholm is very, very good at world building and creating atmosphere. She brought Seattle in the 80's to life for me and filled it with such a strong cast of characters. Cassie and Rasputin also have magic - Cassie always has a different appearance and can only be recognised if you have magic and Rasputin is constantly in motion, his hands dancing if he can't.
There are a lot of layers and hidden meanings in the story, and in the end, it leaves you to make up your own mind - is Wizard a Vietnam vet with a mental health problem imagining his magic powers or is he really a wizard? Is he protecting Seattle from the evil Mir or is the greyness in his own mind? Is Cassie real or does Wizard imagine her in the women that he meets?
Normally I don't like books where the plot and the ending are ambiguous but I think it gives you enough to be able to decide for yourself one way or the other. The layers and the ambiguity and hidden meanings seem to add to the story rather than make it murky.
It's a dark and unique urban fantasy story, and I very much enjoyed it. If you like Neil Gainman's dark and inventive style then I think you would get on with this one.