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tomlloyd 's review for:
The Vagrant
by Peter Newman
An interesting and ambition story, one that I didn't fully click with but was impressed none the less, all the more so for it being a début. Maybe it suffered from being a bit in-between in terms of approach or style, but it was something out of the ordinary and wins extra points for that. While it lacked the hallucinatory style of the Gunslinger there's a similarity to a new weird fantasy in something approximating a post-apocalyptic setting. It's not that dark, is gently sprinkled with humour but played fairly straight throughout, so maybe not quite committed to any particular sensibility to be really successful - at the same time however an easier, lighter read for all of that which, if you don't want super-dark grimness in everything you read, is good. Throw in three of the four main characters not speaking and use of the present tense, and it's clear Newman set himself quite a challenge. And while the end result isn't perfect, that he pulled it together so well in his first novel kinda pisses me off when by all rights this should have been a godawful mess...
I enjoyed it right to the end, which for me is the main thing. The humour wasn't forced, occasionally a bit too deliberate but never out of place or anything, and the characters showed enough humanity to overcome the lack of speech etc. The plot wasn't exactly complex, but having read similar novels it still compares well, and he balanced the backstory nicely - a deft touch with the world-building when often this sort never gets much explanation. All in all, one I'd recommend others try even if I may not find time for the sequel.
I enjoyed it right to the end, which for me is the main thing. The humour wasn't forced, occasionally a bit too deliberate but never out of place or anything, and the characters showed enough humanity to overcome the lack of speech etc. The plot wasn't exactly complex, but having read similar novels it still compares well, and he balanced the backstory nicely - a deft touch with the world-building when often this sort never gets much explanation. All in all, one I'd recommend others try even if I may not find time for the sequel.