Scan barcode
A review by keltondavis
Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley
3.0
Fast-paced action, a promising (if not fully realized) setting, and high-fantasy mystery largely carry Gutter Mage through its moments of weakness.
Gutter Mage is a blend of fantasy and noir mystery where we follow the eponymous Gutter Mage, Rosalind Featherstone, as she attempts to unravel mysteries regarding herself, the kingdom, and magic as a whole. The novel coasts largely on its concept of high-fantasy mystery, a frankengenre which many still can't get enough of, and its strong lead character. Love her or hate her, Roz's internal struggle is deeply connected to the main plot in an effective and compelling way that doesn't divert and conflict the reader's attention between subplots as some novels unintentionally do. To those who like her voice and distinct personality, Roz is a terrific anchor that carries the story through its weaknesses, but those who find her grating or overly edgy will struggle to make it through even the best, most creative parts of the story. It's a dangerous gamble, but for the most part it pays off for Kelley and the story as a whole.
Say what you will regarding the narrative voice and character of the protagonist (which will certainly rub some the wrong way—it took me a while to acclimate to her tonal edginess), but Gutter Mage is as full of strengths as it is weaknesses. Fun side characters and a well fleshed-out world make the narrative shine through the grime, and while the characters can be overly tropey at times and the world has distinct Dungeons & Dragons influences, I read these things more as hallmarks of style rather than outright flaws. They certainly won't appeal to everyone, and will turn some readers off outright, but many others will find charm and comfort in Kelley's flavor of story. It won't redefine fantasy as we know it, but is subversive enough in material at times to offer a pleasant spin on familiar, Forgotten Realms-inspired worlds.
On the subject of worlds, while Kelley crafts a fun and fresh magic system in the sigils of Penador, they seem afraid to outright commit to a direction for worldbuilding. Is this a semi-modern magepunk world of intertwined magic and technology, or is it a traditional swords and sorcery world of kings and bandits? Both, Kelley says, and while this does serve to add to the novel's distinctive flavor, I actually believe that the worldbuilding and setting as a whole are made lesser for the lack of commitment. The society isn't fully explored enough for the plot primarily revolving around it and is forced to resort to (occasionally clashing) setting tropes as a result at times. In a world of powerful mage guilds and spirits, how in the world is a? The setting lacks the exploration of some of its magic-meets-technology counterparts like Brian McClellan's Powder Mage series, which I think is directly responsible for the tropey-ness and subsequent D&D flavor to the world. The setting has great potential that could be well explored in future installations, but as of now it is decidedly lacking in true distinction, originality, and concept beyond the realm of its magic system, in a genre whose juggernauts are increasingly defined by originality of concept.
The novel's greatest strength, and maybe its greatest weakness, is its pace. Gutter Mage is not an exceptionally long novel, especially for fantasy, and in many ways this is a good thing. The action is blistering, and the story rarely gets bogged down in minutiae of world or character as many fantasy novels are prone to do—its clear that the focus is on the mystery and the story first, and that the world and characters (and their exploration) come second. This isn't the worst thing, and offers a nontraditional fantasy experience that many will find extremely refreshing when placed alongside the 200,000+ word behemoths of some lighter fantasy staple series. Though some beats are far less compelling than others, it's still a quick and potent experience and a breath of fresh air in fantasy.
However, this lightning pace also works heavily to the novel's detriment. The world and characters are given just enough detail to serve their functions but lack the exploration required to make them truly memorable or three-dimensional. It seems as though the themes have just begun to emerge when the book slaps to a close, promising to explore them in future installations but displaying unintentional apathy with their postponement. The concept is there, and the conundrums posed toward the end of the novel are interesting, but as a standalone Gutter Mage is distinctly lacking in substance and depth. It's great entertainment but those looking for deeper meaning will find themselves frustratingly teased by the incomplete handling of theme.
The accelerated pace naturally deprive the story of many opportunities not only for character and setting growth but for emotional attachment by the reader, a weakness that is not compensated for by Kelley. Sure, we like Roz because she's spunky and coarse, and we pity her because she's had some messed up things happen to her and is a messed up person as a result, but I never really felt for Roz or truly connected to her. Additionally, Instead of featuring a larger cast of brief, largely inconsequential characters, I would've preferred a tighter cast that I really could have gotten to know and grown attached to. As it stands, I just didn't have that connection, though I could have with a bit more time and development. The story could have used a bit more space to breathe.
As far as development goes, there's still a lot of work to be done, and the novel acknowledges this with, but whether Kelley can improve on the novel's shortcomings in future installments will need to be seen. On its own, Gutter Mage is a fun and fast-paced (if a little shallow) fantasy mystery that will captivate many who give it a shot, and an excellent rebirth for J.S. Kelley that hints at much promise in both series and author.
Gutter Mage is a blend of fantasy and noir mystery where we follow the eponymous Gutter Mage, Rosalind Featherstone, as she attempts to unravel mysteries regarding herself, the kingdom, and magic as a whole. The novel coasts largely on its concept of high-fantasy mystery, a frankengenre which many still can't get enough of, and its strong lead character. Love her or hate her, Roz's internal struggle is deeply connected to the main plot in an effective and compelling way that doesn't divert and conflict the reader's attention between subplots as some novels unintentionally do. To those who like her voice and distinct personality, Roz is a terrific anchor that carries the story through its weaknesses, but those who find her grating or overly edgy will struggle to make it through even the best, most creative parts of the story. It's a dangerous gamble, but for the most part it pays off for Kelley and the story as a whole.
Say what you will regarding the narrative voice and character of the protagonist (which will certainly rub some the wrong way—it took me a while to acclimate to her tonal edginess), but Gutter Mage is as full of strengths as it is weaknesses. Fun side characters and a well fleshed-out world make the narrative shine through the grime, and while the characters can be overly tropey at times and the world has distinct Dungeons & Dragons influences, I read these things more as hallmarks of style rather than outright flaws. They certainly won't appeal to everyone, and will turn some readers off outright, but many others will find charm and comfort in Kelley's flavor of story. It won't redefine fantasy as we know it, but is subversive enough in material at times to offer a pleasant spin on familiar, Forgotten Realms-inspired worlds.
On the subject of worlds, while Kelley crafts a fun and fresh magic system in the sigils of Penador, they seem afraid to outright commit to a direction for worldbuilding. Is this a semi-modern magepunk world of intertwined magic and technology, or is it a traditional swords and sorcery world of kings and bandits? Both, Kelley says, and while this does serve to add to the novel's distinctive flavor, I actually believe that the worldbuilding and setting as a whole are made lesser for the lack of commitment. The society isn't fully explored enough for the plot primarily revolving around it and is forced to resort to (occasionally clashing) setting tropes as a result at times. In a world of powerful mage guilds and spirits, how in the world is a
Spoiler
non-mage king with no particular affinity for mages still on the throneThe novel's greatest strength, and maybe its greatest weakness, is its pace. Gutter Mage is not an exceptionally long novel, especially for fantasy, and in many ways this is a good thing. The action is blistering, and the story rarely gets bogged down in minutiae of world or character as many fantasy novels are prone to do—its clear that the focus is on the mystery and the story first, and that the world and characters (and their exploration) come second. This isn't the worst thing, and offers a nontraditional fantasy experience that many will find extremely refreshing when placed alongside the 200,000+ word behemoths of some lighter fantasy staple series. Though some beats are far less compelling than others, it's still a quick and potent experience and a breath of fresh air in fantasy.
However, this lightning pace also works heavily to the novel's detriment. The world and characters are given just enough detail to serve their functions but lack the exploration required to make them truly memorable or three-dimensional. It seems as though the themes have just begun to emerge when the book slaps to a close, promising to explore them in future installations but displaying unintentional apathy with their postponement. The concept is there, and the conundrums posed toward the end of the novel are interesting, but as a standalone Gutter Mage is distinctly lacking in substance and depth. It's great entertainment but those looking for deeper meaning will find themselves frustratingly teased by the incomplete handling of theme.
The accelerated pace
Spoiler
(and in particular the rushed ending)Spoiler
the rushed status of the conclusion was lacking in emotional punch—I knew what I was supposed to feel, but I felt like I just hadn't spent enough time getting to know anyone besides Roz and Lye beyond the first dimension to be really emotionally impacted. I still cared about the fate and conclusion of the story, but I wasn't choked up, and I'm normally a very easy crier.As far as development goes, there's still a lot of work to be done, and the novel acknowledges this with