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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
Heraclix & Pomp is a book that feels much older than it is, and that is most definitely a compliment. In reading it, one can't help but wonder if what Forrest Aguirre has really done is uncover a lost masterpiece of the 18th century, edit it, clean it up, and present it for our enjoyment. Yes, there are some very 21st century flourishes to the prose, particularly in the sense of weird humor, but the language, the storyline, and the mythology all hearken back to an earlier era.
What we have here is a story about death, a story about redemption, and a story about justice. There's actually more to it than that - this is a very philosophical read - but those are the three themes that stand out most strongly, and which permeate the entire text.
Heraclix is a golem, an 18th precursor to Frankenstein, crafted not out of clay but out of stolen and scavenged body parts. A magical man without a memory, a man crafted from death, he seeks to learn what life is all about. Pomp, on the other hand, is a fairy or a sprite, a happy go lucky magical being who had no concept of death until the cruelties of Mowler saw their respective moralities cross paths. As for Mowler, he is an evil sorcerer, a repugnant human being who has been bargaining with Beelzebub for centuries to cheat his own death. Beelzebub himself, not to mention the flies over which he is Lord, are another element of death that permeates the text, as are the ghosts who quite literally haunt the tale.
Like I said, this is also a story about redemption, with Heraclix seeking to atone for the crimes of his various body parts, particularly his hand - which tends to have a cruel life of its own. Pomp is also seeking redemption of a sort, having come to regret the cruel tricks of her past, as she comes to understand concepts such as cruelty, death, and the past. The healer being haunted by the ghosts, whose own story is also part of Heraclix's tale, is another man trapped and defined by his efforts to redeem the crimes of his past. Even the poor young errand boy, who did nothing more than deliver that ominous hand, is seeking redemption not for his own evil, but for his association with it, and the cruelties it inflicted on his mother.
Justice, of course, is intimately tied in with the pursuit of redemption, but it also touches on the more banal, political side of the tale. There are alliances, allegiances, and partnerships throughout the book, all of which draw the characters together and ultimately define the beginning and the end of Heraclix & Pomp's epic journey. For, make no mistake, this is very much the tale of a journey, one that descends into the very depths of Hell, before returning to cross the landscape of the known world.
Weirdly humorous and wondrously magical, Heraclix & Pomp is a book that you'll feel like you should have read before, and which you'll be delighted to find you don't in fact remember. Like Pomp herself, learning the concept of remembering along with that of before and yet, the reader is somewhat trapped between expectations and experiences. The narrative is exquisite, the language fantastic, and the physical depictions - particularly of hell and the flies - almost too vivid to endure. It's a book that grabs you from the opening chapter, so grab yourself a copy, introduce yourself to our three main characters, and settle in for an adventure of another age.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
What we have here is a story about death, a story about redemption, and a story about justice. There's actually more to it than that - this is a very philosophical read - but those are the three themes that stand out most strongly, and which permeate the entire text.
Heraclix is a golem, an 18th precursor to Frankenstein, crafted not out of clay but out of stolen and scavenged body parts. A magical man without a memory, a man crafted from death, he seeks to learn what life is all about. Pomp, on the other hand, is a fairy or a sprite, a happy go lucky magical being who had no concept of death until the cruelties of Mowler saw their respective moralities cross paths. As for Mowler, he is an evil sorcerer, a repugnant human being who has been bargaining with Beelzebub for centuries to cheat his own death. Beelzebub himself, not to mention the flies over which he is Lord, are another element of death that permeates the text, as are the ghosts who quite literally haunt the tale.
Like I said, this is also a story about redemption, with Heraclix seeking to atone for the crimes of his various body parts, particularly his hand - which tends to have a cruel life of its own. Pomp is also seeking redemption of a sort, having come to regret the cruel tricks of her past, as she comes to understand concepts such as cruelty, death, and the past. The healer being haunted by the ghosts, whose own story is also part of Heraclix's tale, is another man trapped and defined by his efforts to redeem the crimes of his past. Even the poor young errand boy, who did nothing more than deliver that ominous hand, is seeking redemption not for his own evil, but for his association with it, and the cruelties it inflicted on his mother.
Justice, of course, is intimately tied in with the pursuit of redemption, but it also touches on the more banal, political side of the tale. There are alliances, allegiances, and partnerships throughout the book, all of which draw the characters together and ultimately define the beginning and the end of Heraclix & Pomp's epic journey. For, make no mistake, this is very much the tale of a journey, one that descends into the very depths of Hell, before returning to cross the landscape of the known world.
Weirdly humorous and wondrously magical, Heraclix & Pomp is a book that you'll feel like you should have read before, and which you'll be delighted to find you don't in fact remember. Like Pomp herself, learning the concept of remembering along with that of before and yet, the reader is somewhat trapped between expectations and experiences. The narrative is exquisite, the language fantastic, and the physical depictions - particularly of hell and the flies - almost too vivid to endure. It's a book that grabs you from the opening chapter, so grab yourself a copy, introduce yourself to our three main characters, and settle in for an adventure of another age.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
Heraclix was dead and Pomp was immortal. The emphasis is on was, because now, neither is as they were. Heraclix is now alive, a reanimated man sewn together from numerous other parts, but with no memory of his former life he finds himself wondering what kind of person he could have been. And Pomp who believed herself immortal, finds herself questioning that status after being nearly killed by a rather nasty necromancer.
Quite literally thrown together by the necromancer, the two set off to find new meaning in their lives. Heraclix wants to know how and why this was done to him and what kind of man he was before. With her new found mortality, Pomp tries to wrestle with the language and the meaning behind that word. As they travel across Europe, with a side trip to Hell, the two discover the necromancer they thought dead is very much alive and has plans to ensure his own immortality.
Though the premise was interesting and the summary on the flap of the book drew me in; it pains me to say, dear reader, that I did not enjoy this book. It has glowing reviews on Amazon as well as other sites, but alas it does not have one from me. Perhaps it is because this is a very dense book, it became quite complex at times. Or perhaps it was because several of the characters had similar or near identical names which made it difficult to keep track of who was who.
Whatever it was, I found myself slogging through this book and not liking it. Several times I wanted to put it down and not finish it, yet I persevered. I only finished the book because I wanted to know if I was correct in guessing how certain plot points would be resolved – I was correct in my thoughts and what I surmised would happen did happen.
I never enjoy giving a negative review on anything, whether it be a book, music, etc. You, dear reader, might enjoy it despite my words. I however, will not be returning to this particular fictional world.
Heraclix was dead and Pomp was immortal. The emphasis is on was, because now, neither is as they were. Heraclix is now alive, a reanimated man sewn together from numerous other parts, but with no memory of his former life he finds himself wondering what kind of person he could have been. And Pomp who believed herself immortal, finds herself questioning that status after being nearly killed by a rather nasty necromancer.
Quite literally thrown together by the necromancer, the two set off to find new meaning in their lives. Heraclix wants to know how and why this was done to him and what kind of man he was before. With her new found mortality, Pomp tries to wrestle with the language and the meaning behind that word. As they travel across Europe, with a side trip to Hell, the two discover the necromancer they thought dead is very much alive and has plans to ensure his own immortality.
Though the premise was interesting and the summary on the flap of the book drew me in; it pains me to say, dear reader, that I did not enjoy this book. It has glowing reviews on Amazon as well as other sites, but alas it does not have one from me. Perhaps it is because this is a very dense book, it became quite complex at times. Or perhaps it was because several of the characters had similar or near identical names which made it difficult to keep track of who was who.
Whatever it was, I found myself slogging through this book and not liking it. Several times I wanted to put it down and not finish it, yet I persevered. I only finished the book because I wanted to know if I was correct in guessing how certain plot points would be resolved – I was correct in my thoughts and what I surmised would happen did happen.
I never enjoy giving a negative review on anything, whether it be a book, music, etc. You, dear reader, might enjoy it despite my words. I however, will not be returning to this particular fictional world.
Geo-political setting. Sorcery and summoning of demons. A quest to find answers. Swords and invisibility. What more can one want?
When his creator is killed, a golem named Heraclix leaves Vienna with a fairy named Pomp in tow in search of answers. Heraclix seeks the former life (or lives) of his constituent body parts and Pomp wants only to understand the human way of life. They travel to the Near East and back again with a short detour to hell. Will they ever find the answers they seek and will they like the answers they get?
Forrest Aguirre has proven himself to be a hoopy frood in recent years so when he asked if I'd read an ARC of his first novel, I could hardly say no.
Heraclix and Pomp brings a lot of different elements to the table. It's part historical fiction, part fantasy, with some political intrigue thrown in. Forrest Aguirre's prose feels like a mix of Peter S. Beagle and Gene Wolfe to me, dense but with a certain poetic beauty to it.
Heraclix, the dour golem, and Pomp, the curious fairy, go from one European locale to the next in their search for answers, encountering ghosts, demons, Turks, Romani, necromancers, as Heraclix slowly pieces together who his body parts used to belong to. Intrigued yet?
Forrest's depiction of Hell was one of my favorite parts of the book. The Lord of the Flies and his minions were pretty grotesque. I wasn't a fan of the political intrigue at first but I was sucked in eventually.
If you're looking for some beautifully-written fantasy that doesn't trod along all the familiar paths, you'll enjoy Heraclix and Pomp. Four out of five stars.
Forrest Aguirre has proven himself to be a hoopy frood in recent years so when he asked if I'd read an ARC of his first novel, I could hardly say no.
Heraclix and Pomp brings a lot of different elements to the table. It's part historical fiction, part fantasy, with some political intrigue thrown in. Forrest Aguirre's prose feels like a mix of Peter S. Beagle and Gene Wolfe to me, dense but with a certain poetic beauty to it.
Heraclix, the dour golem, and Pomp, the curious fairy, go from one European locale to the next in their search for answers, encountering ghosts, demons, Turks, Romani, necromancers, as Heraclix slowly pieces together who his body parts used to belong to. Intrigued yet?
Forrest's depiction of Hell was one of my favorite parts of the book. The Lord of the Flies and his minions were pretty grotesque. I wasn't a fan of the political intrigue at first but I was sucked in eventually.
If you're looking for some beautifully-written fantasy that doesn't trod along all the familiar paths, you'll enjoy Heraclix and Pomp. Four out of five stars.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A Novel of the Fabricated and the Fey
That's what this little book is being marketed as. Heraclix is a Golem. Who for the life of me I pictured as a cross between Frankenstein's monster and Shrek.
Pomp (my favorite character) is a fairy who Heraclix saves as his creator tries to kill her.
They begin their journey to find out their real life stories. Forrest Aguirre writes beautifully-bringing alive all the destinations that these two characters take you to.
My favorite site in the story and one he writes well is our heroes trip to hell.
They walked up out of the sharp-ridged maze that they had been in since their introduction to Hell, up a smoldering mountainside, black with ash and white with smoke. An occasional burnt skeletal hand emerged, groped around, then disappeared again under the ash.
Yeah..I don't think I want a trip there anytime soon.
I'm giving it a three star because I did get lost at times in the politics of the story.
I did receive an arc copy of this book from the author-who is my Goodreads friend. In no way did that affect my review of this book. An honest review was done.
That's what this little book is being marketed as. Heraclix is a Golem. Who for the life of me I pictured as a cross between Frankenstein's monster and Shrek.
Pomp (my favorite character) is a fairy who Heraclix saves as his creator tries to kill her.
They begin their journey to find out their real life stories. Forrest Aguirre writes beautifully-bringing alive all the destinations that these two characters take you to.
My favorite site in the story and one he writes well is our heroes trip to hell.
They walked up out of the sharp-ridged maze that they had been in since their introduction to Hell, up a smoldering mountainside, black with ash and white with smoke. An occasional burnt skeletal hand emerged, groped around, then disappeared again under the ash.
Yeah..I don't think I want a trip there anytime soon.
I'm giving it a three star because I did get lost at times in the politics of the story.
I did receive an arc copy of this book from the author-who is my Goodreads friend. In no way did that affect my review of this book. An honest review was done.
I classic adventure through a nontraditionally represented magical tale. If you ever wanted the very best parts of all your favorite fairy tales smashed together, here's what you're needing. Heraclix and pomp are a delightful duo who entertain you as they open your eyes to universal questions you never though to think: "How do you communicate with people who don't have a language of their own?" "What does it meant to have a past where you're the only one who can't remember it?"
A good read, for sure.
I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity to read this!
A good read, for sure.
I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity to read this!
There are some books that are just magical, that are written in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into a new world even if it's set against our own. Neil Gaiman writes this way and so does Susanna Clark in Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
Forrest Aguirre, World Fantasy Award winner for his editorial work in the Leviathan 3 anthology, has created such a tale. The story of Heraclix and Pomp is magical before the magic even begins, or possibly just at the same time.
Because this is the story about a golem, who has been fabricated by a magician, and Pomp, a faery.
They go on a journey to find out what exactly Heraclix is made of ... in more ways than one. Being a golem, he's been formed from different parts of various bodies and some behave abnormally to say the least.
I knew I would enjoy this tale right away, however, my main problem actually has nothing to do with the writing or the story itself, it's the audio narration.
I almost put the book down because the narration was just plain hard to listen to. Brandon Massey's narration was dull and monotone, almost robotic even, with words over-pronounced so that each letter is sounded out. I don't like listening to audiobooks on faster speeds, because I like to appreciate the acting and the reading itself, but 1.75 speed actually made this much better to listen to. At least there was a reason for the robot-sounding voice.
As much as I wanted to love every moment of the book, I was so off-put by the narration that it made it really hard to enjoy the story. I didn't look forward to my car rides and sadly I don't have the time to go back and read, which I'm sure I will enjoy much more.
Despite these facts, I could still see the glimmer of lyrical beauty in the narrative. It's a great story and wonderfully written and my reduced rating is mainly a factor of the audio presentation.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended, but not on audio)
Forrest Aguirre, World Fantasy Award winner for his editorial work in the Leviathan 3 anthology, has created such a tale. The story of Heraclix and Pomp is magical before the magic even begins, or possibly just at the same time.
Because this is the story about a golem, who has been fabricated by a magician, and Pomp, a faery.
They go on a journey to find out what exactly Heraclix is made of ... in more ways than one. Being a golem, he's been formed from different parts of various bodies and some behave abnormally to say the least.
I knew I would enjoy this tale right away, however, my main problem actually has nothing to do with the writing or the story itself, it's the audio narration.
I almost put the book down because the narration was just plain hard to listen to. Brandon Massey's narration was dull and monotone, almost robotic even, with words over-pronounced so that each letter is sounded out. I don't like listening to audiobooks on faster speeds, because I like to appreciate the acting and the reading itself, but 1.75 speed actually made this much better to listen to. At least there was a reason for the robot-sounding voice.
As much as I wanted to love every moment of the book, I was so off-put by the narration that it made it really hard to enjoy the story. I didn't look forward to my car rides and sadly I don't have the time to go back and read, which I'm sure I will enjoy much more.
Despite these facts, I could still see the glimmer of lyrical beauty in the narrative. It's a great story and wonderfully written and my reduced rating is mainly a factor of the audio presentation.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended, but not on audio)