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mbpartlow's review
5.0
This is my kind of urban fantasy. Once you get past the narrator sometimes being "I" and sometimes being "we," you're good. Even figuring that out is a delightful challenge, because you can feel from the beginning it's not some artistic trick the author is trying to be cute with, but rather the only authentic way to tell this story.
Had a hard time putting this book down.
Had a hard time putting this book down.
pseyeyy's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
trin's review
2.0
This book contains one truly fantastic conceit: magician Matthew Swift is brought back from the dead, but he doesn't come back alone; he contains within him entities known as the Blue Electric Angels, and so parts of his story are narrated in the first person singular, I, and parts in the first person plural, we. I love the shifts between Matthew's perspective and that of the otherworldly Angels; I love how throughout the book they start to come together a bit, to merge. There is such a fascinating book to be written with this premise!
Unfortunately, this book isn't it. The actual plot is dull, dull, dull, and the characters didn't entrance me, either. Griffin's magical London is just the kind of fantasy setting I usually adore, in which the urban landscape is infused with the same kind of mysticism the countryside is usually granted in fairy stories. But in this book, I felt more like Griffin had simply chewed up the best aspects of [b:Neverwhere|14497|Neverwhere|Neil Gaiman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256043709s/14497.jpg|16534] and a bunch of [b:Hellblazer|133018|Hellblazer Dangerous Habits|Garth Ennis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172015795s/133018.jpg|128140] comics and spat them out wetly onto the pavement. The novel's opening left me intellectually tantalized but I was never emotionally engaged.
Unfortunately, this book isn't it. The actual plot is dull, dull, dull, and the characters didn't entrance me, either. Griffin's magical London is just the kind of fantasy setting I usually adore, in which the urban landscape is infused with the same kind of mysticism the countryside is usually granted in fairy stories. But in this book, I felt more like Griffin had simply chewed up the best aspects of [b:Neverwhere|14497|Neverwhere|Neil Gaiman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256043709s/14497.jpg|16534] and a bunch of [b:Hellblazer|133018|Hellblazer Dangerous Habits|Garth Ennis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172015795s/133018.jpg|128140] comics and spat them out wetly onto the pavement. The novel's opening left me intellectually tantalized but I was never emotionally engaged.
aml1's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kusine's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aceinit's review against another edition
4.0
I will post a longer review of this when time permits. The short one is as follows
There are no words for my love of Griffin's urban magic system. It is wildly original, wonderfully explained and I love the concept of what are essentialyl man-made creations (cities, technology, industry, etc) being able to fuel magic.
I love how Griffin handled the I/We dynamic of Matthew and the angels and how, though they are technically one, they still have two very distinct personalities.
What I did not like was the formatting of the novel itself. There are no standard chapters, and the book is instead broken into 3 or 4 parts with a few interludes thrown in. The lack of natural stopping points was a distraction.
I am very much looking forward to continuing with this series. It is already one of my favorites.
There are no words for my love of Griffin's urban magic system. It is wildly original, wonderfully explained and I love the concept of what are essentialyl man-made creations (cities, technology, industry, etc) being able to fuel magic.
I love how Griffin handled the I/We dynamic of Matthew and the angels and how, though they are technically one, they still have two very distinct personalities.
What I did not like was the formatting of the novel itself. There are no standard chapters, and the book is instead broken into 3 or 4 parts with a few interludes thrown in. The lack of natural stopping points was a distraction.
I am very much looking forward to continuing with this series. It is already one of my favorites.
breq's review
someone whose book opinions I trust really talked this one up but it is just NOT working for me right now
rosieclaverton's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled to get into this book, but I have difficulty with first person POV and weighty description. However, the style grew on me and the description had a meta element that excused some of the more verbose passages.
Exciting plotting, with good twist elements - I will keep reading!
Exciting plotting, with good twist elements - I will keep reading!
belanna2's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
The author got her degree in English, and she wants everyone to know it! The writing in this book is what drags it down; there's descriptive writing and there's overtly, unnecessary descriptive writing, which this book falls firmly into. Purple Prose galore awaits the reader brave enough to wade through sentences of unneeded dialog--I felt like screaming, just get to the point already; you don't need to over describe every little, minute detail in the book. This book was massive, and if you got rid of all the purple pose, it would be half the size it is. The story was average but okay. I had to force myself to finish this book.