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aceinit's review against another edition
3.0
I am extremely conflicted about how to rate this book. There is a substantial part of me that is still determined to compare it to its preceding series, Griffin's Matthew Swift books. The Swift novels changed the way I thought about urban fantasy, taking it from a very formulaic genre to something I wanted to live and breathe and have a 14-book series about. Griffin's urban magic system, and her equally incredible descriptions of it, was superb; and her incorporation of London as a source of magic with its own rules and powers and patrons and mythic beings was like finding the proverbial oasis in the desert of bland sub-genre fiction.
Compared to the awe I felt for the Swift books, Magicals Anonymous is a huge letdown for me. The short, choppy chapters are made even choppier by stopping without warning for an interlude purposefully reminiscent of a self-help group. Hi, I'm Bob and I'm a werewolf (Hi, Bob). These interludes come at odd intervals, often stopping the plot entirely.
And the writing style itself leaves much to be desired. Most of it is due to the constant use of "um, yeah, like" in the dialogue, and the generally choppy speech structures in general. Particularly those of our intrepid heroine, Sharon Li. I get that it's supposed to add authentic flavor and highlight insecurities and such, but Sharon's lines are so full of a near-constant stammering that I found myself wanting to skip over her dialogue entirely.
And then there is the problem of Matthew Swift, who plays a supporting role in this novel. Seem from outside his own head, he reads like a particularly inept parody of himself, doing little that is useful, less that is impressive, and, in some ways, actually hindering the plot with his vagueness. True, this is not Swift's book, but finding him on these pages felt awkward rather than the absolute treat it should have been.
But it's unfair to judge a book wholly by its predecessors, and Stray Souls is not without its merits. Griffin does conjure up a diverse cast of characters, ranging from almost-druids to vampires who are phobically obsessed with disease and blood to trolls with a love of fine dining and banshees with an appreciation for modern art. She expands upon her established guardian spirits of London with the addition of Greydawn and Dog, and get to meet some truly evil corporations.
Stray Souls has a lot of potential, and it's easy for me to see why some people love it. But, for me, it was too much of a chore to read thanks to the choppy dialogue, choppier chapters, and almost erratic storytelling style.
Compared to the awe I felt for the Swift books, Magicals Anonymous is a huge letdown for me. The short, choppy chapters are made even choppier by stopping without warning for an interlude purposefully reminiscent of a self-help group. Hi, I'm Bob and I'm a werewolf (Hi, Bob). These interludes come at odd intervals, often stopping the plot entirely.
And the writing style itself leaves much to be desired. Most of it is due to the constant use of "um, yeah, like" in the dialogue, and the generally choppy speech structures in general. Particularly those of our intrepid heroine, Sharon Li. I get that it's supposed to add authentic flavor and highlight insecurities and such, but Sharon's lines are so full of a near-constant stammering that I found myself wanting to skip over her dialogue entirely.
And then there is the problem of Matthew Swift, who plays a supporting role in this novel. Seem from outside his own head, he reads like a particularly inept parody of himself, doing little that is useful, less that is impressive, and, in some ways, actually hindering the plot with his vagueness. True, this is not Swift's book, but finding him on these pages felt awkward rather than the absolute treat it should have been.
But it's unfair to judge a book wholly by its predecessors, and Stray Souls is not without its merits. Griffin does conjure up a diverse cast of characters, ranging from almost-druids to vampires who are phobically obsessed with disease and blood to trolls with a love of fine dining and banshees with an appreciation for modern art. She expands upon her established guardian spirits of London with the addition of Greydawn and Dog, and get to meet some truly evil corporations.
Stray Souls has a lot of potential, and it's easy for me to see why some people love it. But, for me, it was too much of a chore to read thanks to the choppy dialogue, choppier chapters, and almost erratic storytelling style.
gavinsteyn's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
It started with a Facebook group; Weird Shit Keeps Happening to Me And I Don’t Know Why But Figure I Need Help. When Sharon Li starts to find herself turning invisible as she walks the streets of London, she has no one to turn to for help. So she starts a support group, with tea and biscuits. But there is something missing in the city and as a shaman, it’s up to Sharon to do something about it. Sharon would just like to keep her crappy job serving coffee, but the Midnight Mayor and the goblin Sammy have different ideas.
I didn’t realise the Magicals Anonymous series was a spin-off from the Matthew Swift one but I don’t think it matters; this is the first of her books I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the idea of the support group and the fact that these mythical creatures embrace the modern world. How often do we read in fantasy that something about their very nature stops them from using mod-cons? It’s refreshing that Sharon googles stuff to find out her answers (even if it’s not always that helpful).
There’s a vampire with a rare condition who can only drink group O blood, a situation only made worse by his obsession with hygiene and screening his victims first. There’s a wonderful banshee who loves modern art and, in order to be polite, writes everything down on a whiteboard instead of wailing like a banshee. A girl who turns into a flock of pigeons and a druid who is allergic to magic. A troll with a taste for human food. And the fate of London in in the hands of this motley crew.
The dialogue is fantastically real. People don’t talk in complete, grammatically correct sentences all the time. The speech is broken, punctuated by uhs and ums. Little snippets of the city filter through to Sharon, presented in incomplete sentences but somehow completely capturing the mood of a city; all the secrets it contains and tableaus of everyday life. The city itself is a character and I love these sorts of fantasy books that are creeping out of the UK recently. Even down to the rubbish; I just adored the scene where they are attacked by plastic bags. Not to mention the evil bankers. Brilliant!
I did find Sharon overly negative. She has a real attitude problem and the tone is a bit snarky in places, but as her tribe rallies around her, she starts to become more likeable. Her anger is her shield. I don’t think it helped that Sammy had a similar personality, so when it was just them it was a bit much to take. When interacting with the other characters, things picked up.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book two this summer, The Glass God, and I might well be tempted to check out her other books for adults. Kate Griffin is the pen-name of children's writer Catherine Webb.
I didn’t realise the Magicals Anonymous series was a spin-off from the Matthew Swift one but I don’t think it matters; this is the first of her books I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the idea of the support group and the fact that these mythical creatures embrace the modern world. How often do we read in fantasy that something about their very nature stops them from using mod-cons? It’s refreshing that Sharon googles stuff to find out her answers (even if it’s not always that helpful).
There’s a vampire with a rare condition who can only drink group O blood, a situation only made worse by his obsession with hygiene and screening his victims first. There’s a wonderful banshee who loves modern art and, in order to be polite, writes everything down on a whiteboard instead of wailing like a banshee. A girl who turns into a flock of pigeons and a druid who is allergic to magic. A troll with a taste for human food. And the fate of London in in the hands of this motley crew.
The dialogue is fantastically real. People don’t talk in complete, grammatically correct sentences all the time. The speech is broken, punctuated by uhs and ums. Little snippets of the city filter through to Sharon, presented in incomplete sentences but somehow completely capturing the mood of a city; all the secrets it contains and tableaus of everyday life. The city itself is a character and I love these sorts of fantasy books that are creeping out of the UK recently. Even down to the rubbish; I just adored the scene where they are attacked by plastic bags. Not to mention the evil bankers. Brilliant!
I did find Sharon overly negative. She has a real attitude problem and the tone is a bit snarky in places, but as her tribe rallies around her, she starts to become more likeable. Her anger is her shield. I don’t think it helped that Sammy had a similar personality, so when it was just them it was a bit much to take. When interacting with the other characters, things picked up.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book two this summer, The Glass God, and I might well be tempted to check out her other books for adults. Kate Griffin is the pen-name of children's writer Catherine Webb.
redinteeth's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
You can read the synopsis in the book description, so I will not be posting a description.
Recommended For: YA Readers, Older-teens, 20-something's feeling too old for YA, but not in the mood for the sex-detective-plotlines of adult paranormal fiction.
Comments:
I actually had this book since early January, but I just didn't have the time I needed to sit down and finish it. I haven't read any of Kate Griffin's other work, so the whole thing about the Midnight Mayor was lost on me.
I found this to be a quirky read, and it gave me exactly what I was looking for: a fast-paced plot in, a paranormal book for adults that wasn't about detectives or romance.
At times, Griffin's stylistic choices frustrated me. At first they were clever and added to the character's voices, but after a while I found myself saying "do you really need to space like that for every character?".
Pros:
- Diverse and humorous cast of characters. I was able to keep all but two separate.
- Understandable use of magic, and just the right amount of it.
- Griffin discretely and casually made fun of romance in the genre and I found that amusing.
Cons:
- The Villain felt sort of...eh. While I liked that was different, he sort of flip-flopped between stereotypical evil-guy-in-suite to confused, which was probably her choice, but it just made the end fight seem haphazard.
- I get that the Midnight Mayor is a character from another book series, and that this is supposed to be a tie-in, but he felt like of useless.
Overall, this book gave me what I expected it to. I enjoyed it and will pass my copy on to a few people who might enjoy it.Though I'll probably read any sequels if I come across them in a library, I won't be urgently following this series.
theaurochs's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you once again Catherine Webb/Kate Griffin/Claire North, for reminding me just how much sheer fun reading can be. After struggling through a few ‘heavy’ classics recently it’s such a delight to read a book that just oozes joy; from the deep love of the setting that you can’t help but get swept up in, to the delightfully over-the-top characters, to the laugh-out-loud jokes and tongue-in-cheek humour that suffuses the whole thing.
We find ourselves back in the magical London of the Matthew Swift series, but the man himself takes a step out of the spotlight for this tale. Metaphorically, and moreso than in previous books also literally, London really is one of the main characters of the book. The thesis of earlier books in the series, that magic is life and life is magic, really shines through. We are treated to lush descriptions of the environments of London, its peoples and its practices. There is such an intensely strong sense of place present in these books, it’s hard not to be drawn completely in, and visualise everything from the dirty alleyways to the gleaming skyscrapers, from the bustling downtown to the neglected suburbs and everything inbetween. The great knack of Webb/Griffin/North is that they really treat these things as if they are magic, with deep reverence and wonder- it holds things in a new light whilst feeling deeply real and familiar. Beneath this brilliantly authentic and wondrous vision of London she layers modern interpretations of classic fantasy tropes- again though in ways that feel deeply authentic and build this magnificently coherent world. She’s asking, in-universe, how would the classic bridge-trolls have adapted to modern infrastructure? What would druids look like if they’ve followed the patterns of life of modernity? How would something like the AIDS epidemic have affected vampires? This all adds up to a world that feels deeply real, almost inevitably real. Like, if vampires and shapeshifters and goblins did exist in our modern world, then of course this is how they’d find themselves.
The cast of characters is really a major part of the joy of this book. The main character Sharon is a newly minted shaman and struggling with exactly what that means- especially as her tutor is an ornery little goblin who lacks some interpersonal skills to say the least. We’ve got a druid with bad allergies, who can’t complete a smell for sneezing, an OCD vampire, a girl who turns into pigeons, a banshee with a taste for modern art, a grumpy necromancer and the whole host of other magically-challenged individuals. It’s the kind of book where I’m shocked that it hasn’t been made into a TV show, as some of the banter between the group is genuinely hilarious and feels like it would be perfect on the screen. It does have to be said that the larger-than-life nature of the characters is also a bit of a drawback, and part of what stops this book from being a full 5 stars. They are for the most part denied the opportunity to either grow or be anything more than fun cameos, and even if they are really fun cameos, this is a bit of a shame. Sharon herself does at least get a bit of a character arc over the course of the book, but it is admittedly fairly perfunctory.
The plot itself is also nothing to really write home about and is unlikely to surprise anyone with an understanding of narrative. Sharon sets up a support group for magically-challenged individuals, and we get the great group scenes of everyone meeting up. She is soon told that things are going awry in the city; the souls of places are going missing, and as a new shaman its up to her to try and sort this out. After a bit of investigating and discovering that a big financial firm are the baddies, led by a distinctly creepy wendigo in more-or-less human form, she finds herself in over her head a bit. Before too long though, we get the realisation that the various members of the magical support group, despite their problems, have the skills needed to work together and take down the big bad as a team. It’s pretty rote, and mainly serves as a vehicle to explore the setting and characters, and furthers the central themes of self-acceptance. It might even be twee if it wasn’t done with such an obvious tongue in the cheek. Interestingly, the villain actually has a really cool motivation that is sort-of foreshadowed throughout the book and really ties the themes together; it would have been great to see this explored earlier or in a little more detail. At the same time though it’s great to see such a scenery-chewing villain having fun playing the part, and it would have been a shame to be deprived of that.
While undeniably lower in quality and depth than some of their other work, it is still an absolute delight to read a book by an author of such great talent who is just having a blast writing. The joy really comes across and its hard not to be infected by it. Add to this the great humour and wry insights, as well as the snappy pace, make this a great read.
We find ourselves back in the magical London of the Matthew Swift series, but the man himself takes a step out of the spotlight for this tale. Metaphorically, and moreso than in previous books also literally, London really is one of the main characters of the book. The thesis of earlier books in the series, that magic is life and life is magic, really shines through. We are treated to lush descriptions of the environments of London, its peoples and its practices. There is such an intensely strong sense of place present in these books, it’s hard not to be drawn completely in, and visualise everything from the dirty alleyways to the gleaming skyscrapers, from the bustling downtown to the neglected suburbs and everything inbetween. The great knack of Webb/Griffin/North is that they really treat these things as if they are magic, with deep reverence and wonder- it holds things in a new light whilst feeling deeply real and familiar. Beneath this brilliantly authentic and wondrous vision of London she layers modern interpretations of classic fantasy tropes- again though in ways that feel deeply authentic and build this magnificently coherent world. She’s asking, in-universe, how would the classic bridge-trolls have adapted to modern infrastructure? What would druids look like if they’ve followed the patterns of life of modernity? How would something like the AIDS epidemic have affected vampires? This all adds up to a world that feels deeply real, almost inevitably real. Like, if vampires and shapeshifters and goblins did exist in our modern world, then of course this is how they’d find themselves.
The cast of characters is really a major part of the joy of this book. The main character Sharon is a newly minted shaman and struggling with exactly what that means- especially as her tutor is an ornery little goblin who lacks some interpersonal skills to say the least. We’ve got a druid with bad allergies, who can’t complete a smell for sneezing, an OCD vampire, a girl who turns into pigeons, a banshee with a taste for modern art, a grumpy necromancer and the whole host of other magically-challenged individuals. It’s the kind of book where I’m shocked that it hasn’t been made into a TV show, as some of the banter between the group is genuinely hilarious and feels like it would be perfect on the screen. It does have to be said that the larger-than-life nature of the characters is also a bit of a drawback, and part of what stops this book from being a full 5 stars. They are for the most part denied the opportunity to either grow or be anything more than fun cameos, and even if they are really fun cameos, this is a bit of a shame. Sharon herself does at least get a bit of a character arc over the course of the book, but it is admittedly fairly perfunctory.
The plot itself is also nothing to really write home about and is unlikely to surprise anyone with an understanding of narrative. Sharon sets up a support group for magically-challenged individuals, and we get the great group scenes of everyone meeting up. She is soon told that things are going awry in the city; the souls of places are going missing, and as a new shaman its up to her to try and sort this out. After a bit of investigating and discovering that a big financial firm are the baddies, led by a distinctly creepy wendigo in more-or-less human form, she finds herself in over her head a bit. Before too long though, we get the realisation that the various members of the magical support group, despite their problems, have the skills needed to work together and take down the big bad as a team. It’s pretty rote, and mainly serves as a vehicle to explore the setting and characters, and furthers the central themes of self-acceptance. It might even be twee if it wasn’t done with such an obvious tongue in the cheek. Interestingly, the villain actually has a really cool motivation that is sort-of foreshadowed throughout the book and really ties the themes together; it would have been great to see this explored earlier or in a little more detail. At the same time though it’s great to see such a scenery-chewing villain having fun playing the part, and it would have been a shame to be deprived of that.
While undeniably lower in quality and depth than some of their other work, it is still an absolute delight to read a book by an author of such great talent who is just having a blast writing. The joy really comes across and its hard not to be infected by it. Add to this the great humour and wry insights, as well as the snappy pace, make this a great read.
claire_loves_books's review against another edition
2.0
DNF @50%
I tried so hard with this book, I kept picking it up reading a few chapters and then getting bored/annoyed and putting it down, it took me over a week to get half way through! I really enjoyed the Matthew Swift books (I read them straight through in a day or two each and couldn't put them down) but this book really didn't work for me.
Each chapter seems to be written in a different style and from a different point of view, we keep coming back to Sharon's POV but it's also interspersed with chapters from the POV's of everyone we meet, with Monologues from the magical anonymous group, and everything is written in a different style, some of it's 1st person like they are talking to you, some of it's just 1st person, some 3rd person (both close 3rd person and distant 3rd person) and sometimes it's just about the city and wasn't particularly connected to any character. Personally I found this made the story feel disjointed and jumpy, every chapter seemed to break up the narrative flow.
It was slow going, the jumpy chapters that didn't move the plot forward (so many of them were providing background information without any sort of plot development), the characters have no idea what's going on and Sharon just seems to fall from one situation into the next, she's lost and doesn't seem to have a plan (neither did Matthew n the Matthew Swift series, but he was explosive, if he didn't know and didn't like what was going on he'd just get destructive, Sharon just seems to get more confused)
Sharon also isn't Matthew, both books are set in the same world- a slightly grubby London but where Matthew found beauty and majesty in the life of the city Sharon doesn't. Matthew is in a slightly dreamy state of wonder at the humans as they go through their life (both as a sorcerer and as a semi-non-human) but Sharon is human and without that sense of wonder the city just seems a bit bleaker, a bit grubbier and less magical.
Perhaps it's not fair to compare to another series but I really loved Matthew Swift and this was just such a let down for me in comparison.
I tried so hard with this book, I kept picking it up reading a few chapters and then getting bored/annoyed and putting it down, it took me over a week to get half way through! I really enjoyed the Matthew Swift books (I read them straight through in a day or two each and couldn't put them down) but this book really didn't work for me.
Each chapter seems to be written in a different style and from a different point of view, we keep coming back to Sharon's POV but it's also interspersed with chapters from the POV's of everyone we meet, with Monologues from the magical anonymous group, and everything is written in a different style, some of it's 1st person like they are talking to you, some of it's just 1st person, some 3rd person (both close 3rd person and distant 3rd person) and sometimes it's just about the city and wasn't particularly connected to any character. Personally I found this made the story feel disjointed and jumpy, every chapter seemed to break up the narrative flow.
It was slow going, the jumpy chapters that didn't move the plot forward (so many of them were providing background information without any sort of plot development), the characters have no idea what's going on and Sharon just seems to fall from one situation into the next, she's lost and doesn't seem to have a plan (neither did Matthew n the Matthew Swift series, but he was explosive, if he didn't know and didn't like what was going on he'd just get destructive, Sharon just seems to get more confused)
Sharon also isn't Matthew, both books are set in the same world- a slightly grubby London but where Matthew found beauty and majesty in the life of the city Sharon doesn't. Matthew is in a slightly dreamy state of wonder at the humans as they go through their life (both as a sorcerer and as a semi-non-human) but Sharon is human and without that sense of wonder the city just seems a bit bleaker, a bit grubbier and less magical.
Perhaps it's not fair to compare to another series but I really loved Matthew Swift and this was just such a let down for me in comparison.
jodiehanley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ngoldie's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love this book. The story and ideas are well-done, as well the descriptions of London. But it was the execution of the characters that unnerved me, specifically the dialogue. The voice's weren't very distinct and all sounded a like whiny teenagers - making it difficult to distinguish one from another - or even build any attachment to them. This is what bothers me when trying to create 'world-shattering' events that occur over a few day period- it doesn't give sufficient time to build your characters or let them change with the events.
brassduke's review against another edition
3.0
A different way of framing a story in the already established world of Matthew Swift. In large parts it works. A lot of the new characters are very likeable and it's fun to read about more of an ensemble of people rather than it become more infeasible as to how Matthew Swift could be so powerful and important and still be surprised by so much. Sharon is brilliant as are most of Magicals Anonymous, it's a ludicrous idea, their support group, but it is acknowledged as being as such. Very likeable book. Very easy reading.
ewalrath's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series. I love her, I love the Magicals Anonymous crowd I love her mentor, all of it. Mostly though, I love her. This is set in the Midnight Mayor world but is slightly less dark. Still high stakes and derring-do but, Sharon is just so much less depressed than Matthew.