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83 reviews for:
Chodząc nędznymi ulicami
S.M. Stirling, Marta Dziurosz, Charlaine Harris, Conn Iggulden, M.L.N. Hanover, Steven Saylor, Bradley Denton, Carrie Vaughn, Simon R. Green, Patricia Briggs, Lisa Tuttle, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Joe R. Lansdale, Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin, John Maddox Roberts, Glen Cook, Laurie R. King, Diana Gabaldon
3.48 AVERAGE
83 reviews for:
Chodząc nędznymi ulicami
S.M. Stirling, Marta Dziurosz, Charlaine Harris, Conn Iggulden, M.L.N. Hanover, Steven Saylor, Bradley Denton, Carrie Vaughn, Simon R. Green, Patricia Briggs, Lisa Tuttle, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Joe R. Lansdale, Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin, John Maddox Roberts, Glen Cook, Laurie R. King, Diana Gabaldon
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is, as the name implies, a strange collection. Its a mish-mash of an urban fantasy collection with the detective/mystery collection I think Martin might have really been shooting for. He even tries to address this to some degree in his introduction, which also includes a much appreciated reference to the fact that the often more-romantasy-than-fantasy current urban fantasy is basically a distinct genre from what we called urban fantasy in the 80s and 90s (I think there's some veiled references to Bull and Windling). I think he may have wanted a more detective noir collection that dabbled in some true or not supernatural events, and I don't think it succeeds at that. There's too much wild variation from noir, to current urban fantasy, to romantasy. Just all over the place. Which is not to say there are some good stories here, just that I don't think its successful as a themed anthology (that cover is also not great). A *lot* of these authors also seemed to have worked with or received accolades from Martin in the past, and I wonder how much of the contributors list ended up being chosen not because the stories fit the theme well but because he just likes these *people* and their work more broadly (like, there's I think three WildCards contributors here??).
I haven't read, nor intended to ever read, any Charlaine Harris and the true blood world story 'Death by Dahlia' definitely didn't change those plans.
Joe Lansdale's 'The Bleeding Shadow' was phenomenal, and quite frankly worth a library check out or a super cheat used copy price all on its own as a weird fiction noir.
As seems usual at this point, Simon R. Green's 'The Hungry Heart' was far more enjoyable than any of his novel length Nightside books. I've yet to try reading anything non-nightside from him, so I'm not sure if its just his writing, or the nature of his nightside setting that seems to make them successful as short stories but fall really flat as novels for me. Probably a combination.
'Styx and Stones' by Steven Saylor was a lot more interesting and fun than I expected, kind of a scooby doo mystery but less silly. Also one of at least three stories set in the ancient world, with a few more historical mysteries chucked in, further kind of muddying up what the overriding theme is supposed to be. Regardless, I'll probably look at some other Saylor stories.
S.M. Stirling's 'Pain and Suffering' was certainly better than probably the last 6 or so ploddingly long Emberverse books I read. Though its set in one of his other series, I recognize some strong similarities in how he writes about his antagonists. If they aren't 900 pages long and I find them cheap it might be enough to make me try one of his books from this world.
'Its Still the same Old Story' is a Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, short story and plugs comfortably into the urban fantasy maybe theme. Better than I would have expected.
I'd never heard of Conn Iggulden before 'The Lady Is a Screamer'...its not much of a detective story/mystery, nor historical, nor really any version of urban fantasy so I'm not 100% sure what its doing here, but it was an interesting change of pace as a ghost hunter story with somewhat of a moral.
'Hellbender' wants to be noir, but overdoes it in parts and fails to achieve it in others. Also sexy salamanders.
I know Glen Cook is supposed to have some great series, and apparently Garrett P.I. is a long running one. But man was 'Shadow Thieves' a rough read. Maybe its because the series is so long and there's too much back story for these seemingly main characters for someone to jump in with a short story this late in the game. But I didn't care about the people, there were lots of references to characters or things that seemed to assume prior knowledge. The dialogue, what wasn't just omitted or hand waived because some characters could read minds, was almost as disjointed as the action scenes.
Snodgrass' 'No Mystery, No Miracle' holds up well enough without knowing anything about her edge of reason series, though again, doesn't feel detective/mystery (though I think the series does focus on a detective). Like others have in the past, I think its trying to shoehorn some of Lovecraft's 'Old Ones' material into a good vs. evil/cosmic battle sort of framework.
Daniel Abraham, writing under his romantasy non de plume M.L.N. Hanover, contributes a piece so interesting I was shocked that was supposed to be part of his romantasy series. One of the better characterization of cops as well.
The last big chunk of the book is equally hit and miss, but Lord John was an interesting historical piece set in Jamaica, an In Red, With Pearls was a Patricia Briggs/Mercy Thompson urban fantasy that was readable.
All in all, I think this is a good example of what angers Martin fans when he does yet another project of dubious quality instead of finishing his own work. Maybe pick it up at the library if there are some stories by folks you already like, or just read a couple of the ones that catch your eye and skip the others.
I haven't read, nor intended to ever read, any Charlaine Harris and the true blood world story 'Death by Dahlia' definitely didn't change those plans.
Joe Lansdale's 'The Bleeding Shadow' was phenomenal, and quite frankly worth a library check out or a super cheat used copy price all on its own as a weird fiction noir.
As seems usual at this point, Simon R. Green's 'The Hungry Heart' was far more enjoyable than any of his novel length Nightside books. I've yet to try reading anything non-nightside from him, so I'm not sure if its just his writing, or the nature of his nightside setting that seems to make them successful as short stories but fall really flat as novels for me. Probably a combination.
'Styx and Stones' by Steven Saylor was a lot more interesting and fun than I expected, kind of a scooby doo mystery but less silly. Also one of at least three stories set in the ancient world, with a few more historical mysteries chucked in, further kind of muddying up what the overriding theme is supposed to be. Regardless, I'll probably look at some other Saylor stories.
S.M. Stirling's 'Pain and Suffering' was certainly better than probably the last 6 or so ploddingly long Emberverse books I read. Though its set in one of his other series, I recognize some strong similarities in how he writes about his antagonists. If they aren't 900 pages long and I find them cheap it might be enough to make me try one of his books from this world.
'Its Still the same Old Story' is a Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, short story and plugs comfortably into the urban fantasy maybe theme. Better than I would have expected.
I'd never heard of Conn Iggulden before 'The Lady Is a Screamer'...its not much of a detective story/mystery, nor historical, nor really any version of urban fantasy so I'm not 100% sure what its doing here, but it was an interesting change of pace as a ghost hunter story with somewhat of a moral.
'Hellbender' wants to be noir, but overdoes it in parts and fails to achieve it in others. Also sexy salamanders.
I know Glen Cook is supposed to have some great series, and apparently Garrett P.I. is a long running one. But man was 'Shadow Thieves' a rough read. Maybe its because the series is so long and there's too much back story for these seemingly main characters for someone to jump in with a short story this late in the game. But I didn't care about the people, there were lots of references to characters or things that seemed to assume prior knowledge. The dialogue, what wasn't just omitted or hand waived because some characters could read minds, was almost as disjointed as the action scenes.
Snodgrass' 'No Mystery, No Miracle' holds up well enough without knowing anything about her edge of reason series, though again, doesn't feel detective/mystery (though I think the series does focus on a detective). Like others have in the past, I think its trying to shoehorn some of Lovecraft's 'Old Ones' material into a good vs. evil/cosmic battle sort of framework.
Daniel Abraham, writing under his romantasy non de plume M.L.N. Hanover, contributes a piece so interesting I was shocked that was supposed to be part of his romantasy series. One of the better characterization of cops as well.
The last big chunk of the book is equally hit and miss, but Lord John was an interesting historical piece set in Jamaica, an In Red, With Pearls was a Patricia Briggs/Mercy Thompson urban fantasy that was readable.
All in all, I think this is a good example of what angers Martin fans when he does yet another project of dubious quality instead of finishing his own work. Maybe pick it up at the library if there are some stories by folks you already like, or just read a couple of the ones that catch your eye and skip the others.
Only read Gabaldon, Martin and Harris - decent stories not fantastic but entertaining.
A bit of a mixed collection--there were quite a few stories I didn't care for, but also quite a few that I loved. Overall there were more that I liked, and the ones I loved I really loved, so I'm giving it 4, though I waffled a little on that.
The Bastard Stepchild by George R. R. Martin - This introduction to the genre manages to throw in an undercurrent of misogyny, which is admittedly not out of place for the genre, but I was hoping for something a bit more groundbreaking. Oh well.
Death by Dahlia, by Charlaine Harris - This was okay. Interesting, but not super engaging or memorable. It definitely felt like it was part of a broader story that I would care about if I already knew the characters, but I didn't. Don't know if that's true. I didn't like Dead Until Dark, so it's clear Charlaine Harris isn't an author for me.
The Bleeding Shadow, by Joe R. Lansdale - I say this with the deepest respect: what the fuck? A mind-bending and creepy story that I can't say I enjoyed but was definitely excellent. I think I'll check out more of this author's work, but... carefully.
Hungry Heart, by Simon R. Green - This one was interesting, with a world I'd like to know some more about, though the characters are rather forgettable. Enjoyable and with a few memorable moments, but not one of my favorites.
Styx and Stones, by Steven Saylor - Eh. The prose was interesting, and I enjoyed the setting, but the plot and characters were overall forgettable. Also, not urban fantasy.
Pain and Suffering, by S. M. Stirling - I loved seeing an urban fantasy story from the perspective of a normal person who isn't in on it at all. Watching the main character try to piece together what we knew to be supernatural was great. The ending seemed really out of left field, though, and didn't actually explain or wrap anything up like I expected it to. So, mixed response to this one.
It's Still the Same Old Story, by Carrie Vaughn - This one was one of my favorites. Loved the concept, the back-and-forth structure worked extremely well, and the characters were ones I was invested in and wanted to know more about. I'll definitely be checking out more of Vaughn's work.
The Lady is a Screamer, by Conn Iggulden - Loved this one too. Interesting and unique premise and characters, overall fun with a darker, more heartfelt note at the end.
Hellbender, by Laurie R. King - This one was definitely unique, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I can't say any of the characters were particular memorable, but it definitely gets points on concept and for tying into real-world issues in a way that makes sense.
Shadow Thieves, by Glen Cook - I had no idea what the fuck was going on in this story, probably because it was from a broader universe and just didn't do a good job of explaining itself to people who aren't already familiar. It seemed like it could have been an interesting world but I was really just lost and didn't care about anything happening.
No Mystery, No Miracle, by Melinda M. Snodgrass - Oh I loved this one. Excellent concept and execution, perfectly paced mystery, an engaging main character, and some heartfelt moments. Excellent overall except for the ableism, which I understand fits for the time but seemed excessive for the story.
The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery, by M. L. N. Hanover - This was fun. I could really feel the character the author was presenting, and it had a fun twist of an ending that also made sense.
The Curious Affair of the Deodand, by Lisa Tuttle - Also loved this one. Loved the characters and would enjoy reading more about them. The concept was great and I found the story engaging throughout. The edge of creepiness was also quite fun.
Lord John and the Plague of Zombies, by Diana Gabaldon - I didn't read this one because I wasn't interested in reading about zombies or slavery.
Beware the Snake, by John Maddox Roberts - Interesting world and concept. I enjoyed it but wasn't one of my favorites. Also not urban fantasy.
In Red, with Pearls, by Patricia Briggs - This was my absolute favorite out of the entire collection. Engaging, memorable characters that I quickly became a little too invested in. A mystery that unfolded such that I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen, but which still felt fresh anyway. It was much clearly more about the emotions and characters than the plot, and I really enjoyed that. Briggs has been on my TBR for a while but I think she just moved up. Also, always appreciate some good queer rep.
The Adakian Eagle, by Bradley Denton - This one was... interesting. Not the typical kind of story I would read, even with the fantasy elements. I think it was well done. I'm not sure if I really enjoyed it, but I could appreciate the craft.
Looking at the list of authors I have to check out now (Joe. R Lansdale, Carrie Vaugn, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Melinda M. Snodgrass, M. L. N. Hanover, Lisa Tuttle, Patricia Briggs), I'll call this an overall success.
The Bastard Stepchild by George R. R. Martin - This introduction to the genre manages to throw in an undercurrent of misogyny, which is admittedly not out of place for the genre, but I was hoping for something a bit more groundbreaking. Oh well.
Death by Dahlia, by Charlaine Harris - This was okay. Interesting, but not super engaging or memorable. It definitely felt like it was part of a broader story that I would care about if I already knew the characters, but I didn't. Don't know if that's true. I didn't like Dead Until Dark, so it's clear Charlaine Harris isn't an author for me.
The Bleeding Shadow, by Joe R. Lansdale - I say this with the deepest respect: what the fuck? A mind-bending and creepy story that I can't say I enjoyed but was definitely excellent. I think I'll check out more of this author's work, but... carefully.
Hungry Heart, by Simon R. Green - This one was interesting, with a world I'd like to know some more about, though the characters are rather forgettable. Enjoyable and with a few memorable moments, but not one of my favorites.
Styx and Stones, by Steven Saylor - Eh. The prose was interesting, and I enjoyed the setting, but the plot and characters were overall forgettable. Also, not urban fantasy.
Pain and Suffering, by S. M. Stirling - I loved seeing an urban fantasy story from the perspective of a normal person who isn't in on it at all. Watching the main character try to piece together what we knew to be supernatural was great. The ending seemed really out of left field, though, and didn't actually explain or wrap anything up like I expected it to. So, mixed response to this one.
It's Still the Same Old Story, by Carrie Vaughn - This one was one of my favorites. Loved the concept, the back-and-forth structure worked extremely well, and the characters were ones I was invested in and wanted to know more about. I'll definitely be checking out more of Vaughn's work.
The Lady is a Screamer, by Conn Iggulden - Loved this one too. Interesting and unique premise and characters, overall fun with a darker, more heartfelt note at the end.
Hellbender, by Laurie R. King - This one was definitely unique, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I can't say any of the characters were particular memorable, but it definitely gets points on concept and for tying into real-world issues in a way that makes sense.
Shadow Thieves, by Glen Cook - I had no idea what the fuck was going on in this story, probably because it was from a broader universe and just didn't do a good job of explaining itself to people who aren't already familiar. It seemed like it could have been an interesting world but I was really just lost and didn't care about anything happening.
No Mystery, No Miracle, by Melinda M. Snodgrass - Oh I loved this one. Excellent concept and execution, perfectly paced mystery, an engaging main character, and some heartfelt moments. Excellent overall except for the ableism, which I understand fits for the time but seemed excessive for the story.
The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery, by M. L. N. Hanover - This was fun. I could really feel the character the author was presenting, and it had a fun twist of an ending that also made sense.
The Curious Affair of the Deodand, by Lisa Tuttle - Also loved this one. Loved the characters and would enjoy reading more about them. The concept was great and I found the story engaging throughout. The edge of creepiness was also quite fun.
Lord John and the Plague of Zombies, by Diana Gabaldon - I didn't read this one because I wasn't interested in reading about zombies or slavery.
Beware the Snake, by John Maddox Roberts - Interesting world and concept. I enjoyed it but wasn't one of my favorites. Also not urban fantasy.
In Red, with Pearls, by Patricia Briggs - This was my absolute favorite out of the entire collection. Engaging, memorable characters that I quickly became a little too invested in. A mystery that unfolded such that I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen, but which still felt fresh anyway. It was much clearly more about the emotions and characters than the plot, and I really enjoyed that. Briggs has been on my TBR for a while but I think she just moved up. Also, always appreciate some good queer rep.
The Adakian Eagle, by Bradley Denton - This one was... interesting. Not the typical kind of story I would read, even with the fantasy elements. I think it was well done. I'm not sure if I really enjoyed it, but I could appreciate the craft.
Looking at the list of authors I have to check out now (Joe. R Lansdale, Carrie Vaugn, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Melinda M. Snodgrass, M. L. N. Hanover, Lisa Tuttle, Patricia Briggs), I'll call this an overall success.
I didn't make it through the entire collection because some where just not appealing but I did enjoy the stories I read. An interesting collection that allowed me to read some authors I've not read but had wondered about. I'm going to check out the Kitty books now for sure.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fun, nothing really jumped out at me as phenomenal. My favorite was probably the Patrica Briggs story.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
not sure why I continue to pick up these anthologies. most of the stories in them don't interest me. I liked the ones by Patricia Briggs and Charlene Harris. skipped most of the others.
I liked Death by Dahlia by Charliane Harris. It was ok. The rating here was for Patricia Briggs short story.
In Red with Pearls By Patricia Briggs:
Wow, did I love Warren's short story! Maybe its because I miss the Columbia Basin pack so much (we wont have a Mercy Thompson novel until 2013 grrr).
Only read the Sookieverse story "Death by Dahlia" and the introduction by George R.R. Martin. I enjoy the Dahlia stories because they are from the vampire's perspective, not Sookie's. They seem to have more going on in their heads than Sookie does!
See all of my reviews here: https://guenevol.wixsite.com/novelmaven
See all of my reviews here: https://guenevol.wixsite.com/novelmaven