Multi-POV that slides with ease from one head to another to keep the story flowing. Every character has its own adventure, but the underlying tension comes from the question if and when and how all those heads meet. Liked the heads, some more than others,
Not always on the same page with The Hype about beautiful descriptions, especially of the city I could have done with more. Sometimes I find Newton's prose a bit ... clunky, if that's the word I'm looking for. Or: he makes director's cuts I'm not always agreeing with as a reader, but then, I am merely the reader. Sad to see the "bad guy" prostitute go in little more than a snap of the fingers, but then, story isn't about her. I like the insinuations that this might be a future Earth without explicitly spelling it out.
Not quite addictive but enjoyable. Towards the end there's promises of imperial war, and clash of civilisations with weird aliens and as all the main foci head out towards the same place I find myself looking forward to see how things play out. Doubt I'll ever take pity on lobster again, though.
maandag 4 oktober 2010
dinsdag 21 september 2010
Matthew Sturges: Midwinter
Normally, POV is one of my pet peeves and yet I tagged along, as Midwinter slips and slides from omniscient to singular from one head to another, without going apeshit. Not every slip 'n slide went without a bump; I vaguely remember being confused and somewhat irked when one POV-switch took place at the turn of a page. But that's letter-setting work, and not author skill.
Then, to finish reading, surely the story had to be immensely gripping!
Well, not half as most of the others books I've lately read. The pace was not slow, maybe a bit meandering, but certainly no action-packed story either, not like the blurb seems to promise anyway, but then, whoever reads blurbs, ey? I put it down and picked it up again, at my leisure. No nail biting, no finding myself up in bed trying to read with my eyelids closed, no putting off chores till tomorrow to see what happens next.
There's some rich and less rich language, all in the right places. The characters a bit stereotypical, perhaps, in the sense that you know the heroes, the roles they're supposed to play in the story. But somehow Mauritane became sort of my leader too. I wanted to see where he ended up. I wanted to stick with him.
Something about the voice, the atmosphere called up of the rich history of faerie lore, especially the tie with the land, like real stories about real faeries should be. I liked this faerie world that had evolved parallel with the human world, that it wasn't something that lived in a bubble.
The novel feels somewhat lean, in more than one sense. But somehow losing all the usual fat means that while I wasn't wowed during the reading, I was wooed after: sometimes during the day I still wonder about Mauritane, about Silverdun, about the queens. I think about reading it yet again, now certainly since The Office of Shadow sits sleeping in my to read pile. And in comparison many books I've lately read, that's quite an accomplishment.
Then, to finish reading, surely the story had to be immensely gripping!
Well, not half as most of the others books I've lately read. The pace was not slow, maybe a bit meandering, but certainly no action-packed story either, not like the blurb seems to promise anyway, but then, whoever reads blurbs, ey? I put it down and picked it up again, at my leisure. No nail biting, no finding myself up in bed trying to read with my eyelids closed, no putting off chores till tomorrow to see what happens next.
There's some rich and less rich language, all in the right places. The characters a bit stereotypical, perhaps, in the sense that you know the heroes, the roles they're supposed to play in the story. But somehow Mauritane became sort of my leader too. I wanted to see where he ended up. I wanted to stick with him.
Something about the voice, the atmosphere called up of the rich history of faerie lore, especially the tie with the land, like real stories about real faeries should be. I liked this faerie world that had evolved parallel with the human world, that it wasn't something that lived in a bubble.
The novel feels somewhat lean, in more than one sense. But somehow losing all the usual fat means that while I wasn't wowed during the reading, I was wooed after: sometimes during the day I still wonder about Mauritane, about Silverdun, about the queens. I think about reading it yet again, now certainly since The Office of Shadow sits sleeping in my to read pile. And in comparison many books I've lately read, that's quite an accomplishment.
dinsdag 14 september 2010
Philip Palmer: Debatable Space
Multi-POV, used playfully and with intelligence. The story kicks off as a fun adventure of rogue space pirates, like we're all set for Pirates of the Caribbean in space (but moving safely out of PG-13 areas).
Then suddenly Palmer changes the rules and the reader is served the diary of that prissy bitch, Lena. I honestly did not like it at first, even if I had to respect his skill in changing the timbre of voice with the switch. His solid skill kept me reading, and after a while he switches back to the jolly pirate crew. But far too soon he switches back to that c*** of a woman, and I'm even more vexed to have to sit through-- Oh wait, I see what's happening here. I see what Palmer's doing...
This book is riddled with lies; some in the smaller stories between characters, some in the set-up of the pirate's next plan, some in the relationship between character and reader... Simply wonderful.
Addiction levels, once past the first switch, were high. No skippage and good wordspendage, the makings of great storytelling. Very good wordspendage even, considering how well he did the different voices. This one's a keeper, and probably deserves another read or two somewhen in the future.
Then suddenly Palmer changes the rules and the reader is served the diary of that prissy bitch, Lena. I honestly did not like it at first, even if I had to respect his skill in changing the timbre of voice with the switch. His solid skill kept me reading, and after a while he switches back to the jolly pirate crew. But far too soon he switches back to that c*** of a woman, and I'm even more vexed to have to sit through-- Oh wait, I see what's happening here. I see what Palmer's doing...
This book is riddled with lies; some in the smaller stories between characters, some in the set-up of the pirate's next plan, some in the relationship between character and reader... Simply wonderful.
Addiction levels, once past the first switch, were high. No skippage and good wordspendage, the makings of great storytelling. Very good wordspendage even, considering how well he did the different voices. This one's a keeper, and probably deserves another read or two somewhen in the future.
Eric Brown: Necropath
Starts off with main character Vaughan being obviously a guy with a dark past and a chip on his shoulder, just the kind you need to get hooked on an SF thriller. The story develops skilfully enough, and there was no skippage and addiction levels were good.
The novel uses multi-POV, mainly switching between Vaughan and Sukura, giving the reader a lead on Vaughan's past catching up with him. Somehow this ended up making the novel fish nor flesh: the mystery to be solved, which is central to thrillers, was often sidelined to further Sukura's story. Then again, maybe the smuggle of Cthulhu-esque aliens, is not the real mystery to be solved; maybe the story's about Vaughan's past: this fits with Sukura's story and her relationship with Osborne, and how they come closer to Vaughan. But then the tension built up there does not deliver either.
So it's not really a crime thriller, and it's not really a psychological thriller. It was an enjoyable read, but only so-so. So low scores on durability: I might read the next one, or I might not.
The novel uses multi-POV, mainly switching between Vaughan and Sukura, giving the reader a lead on Vaughan's past catching up with him. Somehow this ended up making the novel fish nor flesh: the mystery to be solved, which is central to thrillers, was often sidelined to further Sukura's story. Then again, maybe the smuggle of Cthulhu-esque aliens, is not the real mystery to be solved; maybe the story's about Vaughan's past: this fits with Sukura's story and her relationship with Osborne, and how they come closer to Vaughan. But then the tension built up there does not deliver either.
So it's not really a crime thriller, and it's not really a psychological thriller. It was an enjoyable read, but only so-so. So low scores on durability: I might read the next one, or I might not.
maandag 6 september 2010
China Miéville: The City & The City
Stuck on page 20. Addiction levels 0. Sputtering start-off, and I've got a thing against feeling that I'm struggling through a book. It's not difficult or complex so far, but very very putdownable. I'm sorta waiting to see if Dalziel might show up to shake things up.
Maybe it's the hype. See, I haven't read any Miéville before. Maybe he's some sort of acquired taste. Maybe I need to read his other books to get into this one, like being initiated into a cult. Anyways, decided to read other books and figure somewhere along the line I'll give C&C a second chance.
N.B. even if on that second chance the book remains a dud to me, I should add it will be in illustrious company, together with The Hobbit, and New Grubstreet (required reading for English Lit at university. The struggle left me traumatised.)
Maybe it's the hype. See, I haven't read any Miéville before. Maybe he's some sort of acquired taste. Maybe I need to read his other books to get into this one, like being initiated into a cult. Anyways, decided to read other books and figure somewhere along the line I'll give C&C a second chance.
N.B. even if on that second chance the book remains a dud to me, I should add it will be in illustrious company, together with The Hobbit, and New Grubstreet (required reading for English Lit at university. The struggle left me traumatised.)
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