I grabbed this from Tor’s free download book club and I’m glad that I did.
This was a quick hit of alternate history. The story is set in the early 1900s where an opening to a realm of magic has allowed the Djinn to become part of everyday society in Egypt. The arrival of these powerful magical beings has changed and shaped the way society flows and moves. In this story Hamed is an experience ministry investigator dealing with supernatural and magic related cases. He is called in with his new partner to deal with a haunted tram car. Simple, right?
I loved the setting and the world building on this. It’s a good story that balances the action, the character and the explanation of things well. There were one or two little things I didn’t expect along the way. It was a fun, quick read. If you can get your hands on a copy I would recommend it. Marketing success – I’ll be looking for more from this author!
I brought this review over here because I like to do that when I’m down on a work that I’ve read. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it’s hard to get into the published world. It takes a lot of work. Then, after all that work, it is out there in the world where people will judge it.
Three stars is the best I can do for this… and that’s strength of writing over time.
I always try to be positive about whatever review I’m writing. I try, but I am also honest about how I feel when I read these books. I am a fan too. I had some feelings about this one… and as you may have guessed they were not all positive.
Massive spoilers ahead. Do not read more if you don’t want to know.
I picked up this book on the Tuesday when it was released. I had read the first three chapters when they were released on line, so working and all the day to day things that got in the way of my reading only slowed me down a little. I finished the book by Thursday night, just after dinner. It was a typical reading speed for me when I read a Dresden Files book.
Positive stuff: if you want a master class on how to ramp the power and stakes of your story up over time, this series is it. The growth of both of those things has been steady, clear and understandable over all the novels. This is apocalyptic stuff (small ‘a’) and it hasn’t happened until book seventeen. It’s fantastic. The steady change over time is a great way to keep things fresh and the feel of the characters genuine for the long haul. The comparison that jumped to my mind immediately was the Monster Hunter series from Larry Correia. It’s a ton of fun and there are clear cut good guys and bad guys. The hero of the story saves the entire world in book one. Where do you go from there? What can you do in book two to make the stakes feel real? Dresden stops a drug dealer in book one and solves a murder case, but somehow it still feels like saving the world. I can only hope to emulate this in my own work.
The rest: Some of the speed of my finish was because I skimmed a few of the battle scenes. This book is a war novel. There is a war and there are eight times I can think of that the author used the same description. I get it. These are beyond human size / comprehension monsters and you pop and squish and go all Jackson Pollack when they catch you. There was a lot of that and I think there could have been less of it. I say that as somebody who writes military science fiction stories too – it’s not that I dislike the battle scenes, I don’t. They’re the core of this book. There’s a huge amount of fighting. The last book was the set up punches, this book was the right cross to the jaw. Sometimes the imagination is better than a description. Consider that a quibble.
Most of the time when I finish one of these novels I’m hungry for more. This time, not so much. I’m disappointed and angry. My excitement for the rest of the story is diminished.
Getting booted from the White Council. Not something I saw coming. Long ago (and may books earlier in the series) I predicted that Harry would become the Merlin. Shows you how well predictions tend to work out. The problem with getting booted is that is breaks the rules that have been set up in the series. IF they really thought that Harry broke rule #1 and used magic specifically against humans the penalty was always immediate execution, right? I mean Morgan and the sword thing just doesn’t matter anymore? Harry is not only guilty of this, but he’s got a track record of doing this in the past… and the council just says, “careful or next time we’ll get really angry…”. They’re a toothless bureaucracy at best if this is how it stands. Worst case is that the author has let the rules of his own world bend / break. I doubt this, but it’s something I noticed. I expect that this is a set up for something that happens in the next set of books, but it was a jarring bit of world building that seemed out of place. Sure I can justify it, but I shouldn’t be thinking about it.
I’ve been a fan of the author for a long time. He’s gone and landed himself in the same category as Joss Whedon now. Some will consider that high praise, but I don’t. Wash died, but it was the end of the series and the Dresden files is not over. And what did Butcher do?
He fucking shot Murph.
NO NO NO NO. NO.
From an intellectual point of view I understand. It’s war. War IS death, destruction and chaos. It is not pretty or organized nor does it make any sense at all. People die all the time in just as sad a manner. Not from some heroic action, but from the panic and terror of others.
I get it.
I hate it.
I know enough about myself at this point to understand that I tend to prefer classic heroics and happy endings. IF I want gritty, senseless death I’ll watch the fucking news. This is NOT why I come to these books. I don’t want gritty reality, I want escapism. This book took that away. Yes, it’s a world where there are supernatural forces at work. Murph will likely come back in much the same way that Valeria did in the 1982 Conan movie. She will be a glittering warrior that will save Harry from beyond at some point – but it’s not the same. There’s just too much of this kind of crap in the world and I don’t want it in my fiction too.
Disappointed and not enthusiastic for more just now.
I would not have picked this book up if it were not a book club pick. I am glad that I read it. It was an interesting mix of urban fantasy and mystery novel, with a bent toward noir. A non-magic private investigator is called in to figure out the murder of a staff member at a prestigious school for wizards.
It’s a good idea. The characters are a mix of adults and students. It is unlike another, well known wizarding school in that the students aren’t the ones solving the mystery. The students don’t outwit the adults. They don’t “luck” into clues and dash about like a Scooby-Doo cartoon (in one door and out another). There is a real feel of grit in here ~ thus the “noir” part. Kids use their gifts to do the sort of things that kids do – love notes, graffiti, pranks… and it adds to the mix.
Ivy is the main character / non-magical investigator. She makes a lot of bad choices. I would have been on board with her… until. I’m not going to spoil any parts of the plot here in the review, but there’s a singular time in the story that I can point to when I was “bumped away” from this character. Up to that point I was fine, after that I was just disappointed. What it does is show a very real and believable character, so I understand that it’s my own desire to read characters that are somehow slightly more heroic than ordinary folks that caused me to dislike her.
This is also a murder mystery. I don’t read enough of the mystery genre to have figured this one out early on in the book, but there were many clues. There were also a fair number of red herrings along the way – some of which I totally went for, so that part was well done.
In all, I’m glad I read it but I don’t suspect I’d be rushing back for more.
Something I didn’t add to my review over on Goodreads is any commentary about the cover art. Since this was a book club choice I was also aware of imagery in the text. I frequently look for scenes that inspire a look or a view that would make great art. I usually attempt to use that inspiration to create a piece of art that relates to the book that we can use for the cover of our fanzine. This book had very, very little in the way of imagery. There was maybe one scene that could have been used and it was a little bit of a spoiler for the story. I stayed away. I think that lack of image, the dull visual if you will that was a part of making the story less appealing to me than it could have been. I like watching the “movie” of the story in my head while I read and this book just didn’t have as much to offer there as a number of other things we’ve read did.
I had heard a lot about this series and really wanted to get into it and find out what it’s all about. I suspect that my timing could have been better. Reading about a virus that kills thousands in the middle of a global pandemic did not help me finish this book quickly.
The story takes place in an alternate history. Right at the end of WWII an alien virus is released on the population of earth. The virus is sweeping and can’t be escaped. Most of the people caught by the virus die. Those that don’t have their DNA rewritten to give them powers of some degree OR really mess them up. The entire “naming” is based around cards. IF you get a super power, you’re an ace. Get a crippling disability and you’re a joker. There’s no real escape – this changes the world.
I think that last bit was what made this so difficult to read right now. The world of 2020 is changing based on a pandemic. Reading about McCarthyism, Un-American Activities committees, pain, suffering, prejudice, riots… all in the context of this altered history felt like it paralleled the news to a very scary degree. Yes, the stories are fiction BUT the actions and reactions of the people in the stories felt all to real.
This is a shared world anthology. There were a number of really interesting stories – and all were really well done – that all worked with the world and the characters in that setting. I was glad to be able to read authors that I might not have found otherwise. Make no mistake, this book has a lot of grim, dirty and dark mixed in with the alternate history.
I’m on the fence about wanting to see this world / setting / series of characters adapted for the screen. I’ve heard that it’s in process, but I think there are other options that have already done it, maybe better? As for the series of stories – I’m interested enough that I’ll probably start to dig up some of the other books. IF you’re a fan of alternate history, or sort-of super heroes you might just be into this book. I’m glad I read it.
This is a special disclaimer, even as disclaimers go.
I got to hear this book as read by the author. It’s a fantastic way to experience a book. You get all the tidbits, almost like a “DVD commentary” for the work. IF you have a chance to hear a reading, go do that.
That aside, what about the book you say?
The start of the book is startling in it’s clarity. The question in my mind as it was being read was, “when did this happen to you?”. It was that kind of clear and shocking. Really, really strong start. Once you’re in ~ you’re going along for the whole journey.
What bothered me about it? It took me a while to really get to the heart of what it was that bugged me. I finally figured it out. This story put me in a mindset similar to the story of “Mazes and Monsters”. I will say that’s strong writing BUT that’s also something that came up again and again during the dark ages of my youth and the Satanic panic of the 80s. It’s a totally unfair thing for the author, but that’s where it stuck in and suffered (in my mind at least) for it.
For you? Oh, for you ~ go out and buy this book. It’s a fun ride!
As with so many of Mr. Butcher’s books, I read this very quickly. I think I was actually finished within the first day or two after buying it.
It’s been a long wait to get here. I jumped in and went along for the ride with Harry. I kind of expected things to fit a certain mold that I could see for him. He’d be trying to have a regular day, something would go wrong. Harry would say something that wouldn’t sit right with someone or something powerful. He’d then doggedly keep pushing forward while finding no help and no resources while stretching himself nearly to the end of all his resources…
And we sort of got that? And then.
And then the author did something that any truly excellent author will do – sets your expectations out on their collective ears and does something that makes you say, “Oh, wow… did not expect that”. I will not spoil any of the plot points here. If you’re on board with Harry at book 16 you’re on for the whole ride.
Go, read this. Then wait with the rest of us for September and the next book so we can find out what happens!
I finished this book a few weeks ago and have held off on writing the review. I wanted to see how much of this story stuck with me as opposed to how much would simply fade. I have to say that a fair amount of the detail has faded, but the general ideas of the story have stayed.
I got the general gist of the whole plot as soon as I read the letter at the very start of the book. I think there was some disappointment at that, but the story concept felt vaguely familiar to me. A massive shift in social power structure and what that does to society in general is an excellent science fiction theme. Knowing that at the start should not detract from the story itself.
The story of the women involved and how their lives entwined was gripping. These were very real and relatable characters. You could sense that you might know somebody like them… and that ultimately was the point.
I would definitely feel confident recommending this book.
I actually finished reading this book within a couple of days of starting it. I’ve held off writing my review until I had time to give it some thought. I also wanted to put this review here on my own web site. There are a couple of reasons for this – but mainly because I’m going to own what I say and putting that here feels like it makes a difference to me.
This book was a gift to me – I was asked to give it a review.
There are going to be lots of spoilery parts in here – so if you don’t want to have the story spoiled for you, read it first then come back.
Let me start by saying that I also write. I don’t like to give reviews like this because I know how difficult it is to get a good book both finished and published. I also fully intend to be honest about how I feel about the books I read. It’s the only thing that gives a reviewer any credibility or integrity in their reviews. I know I’m not much of a reviewer, but I do try to be consistent about these things.
I gave this book one star. The one star setting in Goodreads is “Did not like it”. Clearly, I did not like it. It was very hard to read. I think I skimmed a lot toward the 2/3 mark. I did finish it. I could have walked away early, but it was a gift and a request so I didn’t.
At least it’s not the tramp stamp view.
So – first – the author generally has no control over cover art related things, but the character portrayed on the cover looks like an urban fantasy knock off, holds the wrong weapon and is dressed like she could have just walked off the street next to you. I think those things tie together with the world building things I had trouble with.
World building – there’s no clear definition of the world. There’s very little description of the in, the outfits, the stadium, or any of the atmosphere that would surround a world wide event. Consider something like the Olympics by comparison. When the Olympic games happen you hear about everything from the stadiums new and amazing features all the way down to the villages where the competitors are to be housed. There’s a little something about everything that goes on surrounding the games. In this book there’s one part that describes a paved road, but walking or wizardly teleportation are the only modes of transportation ever mentioned. Why would the road be specifically “paved” if not for automobile traffic? IF it is for autos of some kind – where are they? Where is the structure that supports them? There is literally no description for this. The main stadium where all the action takes place is described like this, “It was a beautiful stadium about the size of a large city within any kingdom. The outside was made from grey stone and was carved with the intricate details of battles that had taken place centuries ago.” That’s it. The main location for a large amount of the story and that’s the whole description. No other places in the story fare better. BUT for those people that have followed my other reviews you may know that I tend to be big into world building as part of a good story. Fair enough.
Characters – Melanie Atax (from the guild Inferno Serpents) has no adjectives. I don’t know what she looks like, perhaps beyond the cover. I went back and checked – after 4 chapters there’s still not any mention of hair length, skin color, eye color, scars, crooked teeth… nothing. There’s not much more about the other players in the wizard games either… but back to Mel. She states at the start of the book that it’s this super lofty goal to reach an elite guild. Awesome. Hard work and having your foes underestimate you based on a lower guild I get. She puts all this effort in to these battles, yet gives zero thoughts to what happens if she wins. Zero. When she does actually win a spot at an elite guild it’s an afterthought. The stated goal has NO impact on her. None. She doesn’t grow, she doesn’t change, she never loses. That is not a character (lack of) arc that works for me.
So it’s got to be about the action, right? I mean, wizard game would be just like the Tri-wizard tournament or something like that, right?
No.
It’s human wizard Pokemon. Fire-whip lady I choose you!
It took me a while to figure out the pattern. The fights, the tournament, the battles and duels are exactly the sort of thing you see in anime shows where the names and statistics of the brawlers in question get displayed on the screen. You know them in the same way you know or recognize the queen of spades. These wizards (and dragons!) hurl the devastation of lightning and tornadoes, fire and acid along with whippings, dagger slashes and sword cuts… to zero lasting effect. There’s not a single bit of danger to the competition here – or to Mel. Everything is healed when the “round” is over. Go team magic healer! The impact of these massive weapons amounted to a cool light show. No danger, nothing other than missing some points on the scoreboard.
Speaking of the scoreboard, there’s a mystery of two of the top players in the games being kidnapped for a day or two right in the middle of the tournament week, but that doesn’t seem to really impact their chances of winning and didn’t really grab my attention. It felt like a distraction. There’s a cult and another dragon and I don’t even remember her name.
The dragons really bother me the most of all this. There’s a seed of a great story there. Dragons were hunted to the point where they disguised themselves as humans, then lost the knowledge or ability to change back into dragons. That could be such a cool story – and it’s a side note… until the very end of the book. That’s when we suddenly switch from Mel to the second dragon and get “set up” for the next book. Ugh. NO.
Long sigh. In all, I struggled with this. I did not like it. I think that if you’re a fan of Pokemon or anime battle type shows that you might actually enjoy this. Maybe. It might also be something that could be turned into an anime to great effect. I’m not sure – but I am sure I’m not moving on with the series.
I picked this book up as part of a reading group list. It’s not a book that I would have picked up on my own I don’t think. A story about a retired time cop (yes, I’m stuck on old Jean Claude movies) that gets dragged back into active service and the mystery that ensues…
I understand why this book was recommended by the person that brought it to the group. There is an awful lot of talk about stitching, fabrics, research and practical application of clothing. This is decidedly not my thing. I get it. It’s important – I just don’t see it working long term for stories.
I found all the characters in this novel to be understandable and have a real feel to them. I was happy to see a protagonist that doesn’t fit neatly into a standard publishing pigeon hole. I was also happy to see secondary characters with thoughts and feelings that mattered to the line of the story.
The world building was a teeny bit problematic, but then I find any kind of time travel story to have issues relating to paradox and changing the past. The author took pains to add explanations about this to the story, but there still seemed to be holes in certain aspects for me. The action parts of the story were all but glossed over and I had a number of logistical issues with that.
The story of a young girl given extensive and dangerous powers as part of an experimental weapons program – creating a void witch… I could have really been on board with this. There were a number of things that pulled me out of the story. This definitely fits into space opera territory and I could see this becoming a series on a network like Netflix.
There were holes and world building gaps that didn’t work for me. The main character’s power level seemed out of balance. The fact that the program is supposedly secret but everyone seems to know a void witch when they see one didn’t sit right with me. The character does have a well developed sense of not wanting to be close to people.
I’m very middle of the road on this title. It’s interesting, but I don’t know if I can actively recommend it.
