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malberto's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A very enjoyable read. Quite a bit different in setting from the author's other Urban Fantasy series (ONSET).
There are some minor annoyances though, the main character suffers from a little from Chronicle Hero Syndrome. The pace is a little bit too fast at times. It is also some confusion on how much time it has passed during the story, which makes some of relationships seem to have developed too fast.
But as mentioned these are all minor things, it did not affect my overall enjoyment of the story.
Ah, one last thing. The foreshadowing is very heavy handed, the author seems to love to make some "wink wink, nod nod" moments that end up completely telegraphing the twists. It would be nice to throw some convincing red herrings in the mix to keep the reader surprised with the reveals.
There are some minor annoyances though, the main character suffers from a little from Chronicle Hero Syndrome. The pace is a little bit too fast at times. It is also some confusion on how much time it has passed during the story, which makes some of relationships seem to have developed too fast.
But as mentioned these are all minor things, it did not affect my overall enjoyment of the story.
Ah, one last thing. The foreshadowing is very heavy handed, the author seems to love to make some "wink wink, nod nod" moments that end up completely telegraphing the twists. It would be nice to throw some convincing red herrings in the mix to keep the reader surprised with the reveals.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse and Gun violence
Minor: Rape
themanfromdelmonte's review against another edition
2.0
I think it must be ordering books for my then adolescent daughter (Sarah J Maas etc) that makes Amazon think I have a predilection for YA fiction. And, of course, Kindle Unlimited makes it far too easy to pick it up. However.
The author is quite prodigious with 10 (ten!) series, some with more than a dozen titles plus assorted other works so he’s a busy boy. Another 300 words by teatime! This likely explains the workmanlike feel and the occasional clumsiness to the prose. Gets very much ‘and they went and they went’ after a while.
The author is Canadian and the story is set in Calgary. You wouldn’t know it because, other than the references to the temperature, there’s precious little description of the protagonist’s adopted home city.
There’s a slightly fetishistic attention to the weaponry. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s a Glock 8, an AK47 or Jupiter X9000 Deathstick. And since when did powers like Greater Fae bother with mundane weapons? At the Boss battle at the end we get a hint of how powerful entities might do combat, but it’s all been guns, guns, guns up to that point.
There’s not much in the way of character development, not even for the protagonist. Most of the supporting cast have names but no personalities. And the hero? Well, he’s a mild mannered delivery driver by day, and by night, a changeling (oh, and changelings are fae and humans exchanged at birth, not fae half-breeds ...) one-man army. He rescues pretty damsels in distress, faces down vampires, uncovers treacherous plots, casts green fire with his mind. That kind of thing.
I wearied of this style of, err… content generation a long time ago. When I was a teenager it was Perry Rhodan (still going I believe) or John Norman’s Gor series. Essentially the same story told over and over again. YA fiction doesn't have to be prosaic. Earthsea, Citizen of the Galaxy, Elidor are all excellent examples of SF & Fantasy for younger readers.
The author is quite prodigious with 10 (ten!) series, some with more than a dozen titles plus assorted other works so he’s a busy boy. Another 300 words by teatime! This likely explains the workmanlike feel and the occasional clumsiness to the prose. Gets very much ‘and they went and they went’ after a while.
The author is Canadian and the story is set in Calgary. You wouldn’t know it because, other than the references to the temperature, there’s precious little description of the protagonist’s adopted home city.
There’s a slightly fetishistic attention to the weaponry. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s a Glock 8, an AK47 or Jupiter X9000 Deathstick. And since when did powers like Greater Fae bother with mundane weapons? At the Boss battle at the end we get a hint of how powerful entities might do combat, but it’s all been guns, guns, guns up to that point.
There’s not much in the way of character development, not even for the protagonist. Most of the supporting cast have names but no personalities. And the hero? Well, he’s a mild mannered delivery driver by day, and by night, a changeling (oh, and changelings are fae and humans exchanged at birth, not fae half-breeds ...) one-man army. He rescues pretty damsels in distress, faces down vampires, uncovers treacherous plots, casts green fire with his mind. That kind of thing.
I wearied of this style of, err… content generation a long time ago. When I was a teenager it was Perry Rhodan (still going I believe) or John Norman’s Gor series. Essentially the same story told over and over again. YA fiction doesn't have to be prosaic. Earthsea, Citizen of the Galaxy, Elidor are all excellent examples of SF & Fantasy for younger readers.
shonari's review against another edition
3.0
Stewart's foray into Fantasy was a bit too cliche for me.
thinde's review against another edition
2.0
DNF 58%
I can believe Fae magic, vampires, Were's and the between, but I can't believe the level of stupidity displayed by the characters in this novel. The entire plot depends on none of the main characters talking to each other. The author doesn't even try to veil this by having surprising events interrupt people before they can talk. Apparently they just don't think of it.
To make matters worse, the author appears well aware of this weakness and deliberately tries to fool the reader into ignoring it. The mechanism he uses is to have Jason think about the things he should say. If you're not paying attention, it seems like he actually said these obvious things. It's just weak.
In general, I've enjoyed many of Stewart's other books. I can't explain why he dropped the ball so badly here. Perhaps he thinks that fantasy readers are already suspending so much disbelief that anything goes. In reality, the opposite is true. It is because of the unreal setting that the writer must work harder to provide a sense of verisimilitude.
I can believe Fae magic, vampires, Were's and the between, but I can't believe the level of stupidity displayed by the characters in this novel. The entire plot depends on none of the main characters talking to each other. The author doesn't even try to veil this by having surprising events interrupt people before they can talk. Apparently they just don't think of it.
Spoiler
I'll overlook it, with a wince, when Jason's purported boss seemingly has him beaten very near to death for breaking a minor prohibition to visit his friends during a funeral. Although that's not an organisation I'd like to work for. But no one thinks to talk to the boss to confirm his orders, even after the fact... that doesn't sound right. One of your allies murders the head of one of your other allies. Is it worth setting up a meeting to discuss? No. How about we declare war on a powerful wizard, without even the courtesy of a phone call to try to sort things out... um.To make matters worse, the author appears well aware of this weakness and deliberately tries to fool the reader into ignoring it. The mechanism he uses is to have Jason think about the things he should say. If you're not paying attention, it seems like he actually said these obvious things. It's just weak.
In general, I've enjoyed many of Stewart's other books. I can't explain why he dropped the ball so badly here. Perhaps he thinks that fantasy readers are already suspending so much disbelief that anything goes. In reality, the opposite is true. It is because of the unreal setting that the writer must work harder to provide a sense of verisimilitude.
maeve_spry's review
5.0
excellent beginning
Excellent introduction to an interesting and unique urban fantasy world, and a captivating story set in it. Couldn’t stop reading, now looking forward to the next book.
Excellent introduction to an interesting and unique urban fantasy world, and a captivating story set in it. Couldn’t stop reading, now looking forward to the next book.
janettedv's review
4.0
Impressed by the speed in which Glynn Stewart produces his books. They maybe aren't great epics but they are very readable and this one was no exception. An interesting take on the urban fantasy genre with faeries and vampires. Echoes of other books that I have read, in particular Rivers of London but an entertaining read nonetheless.