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A review by branch_c
Gutter Mage by J.S. Kelley
3.0
Okay, my first impression was not great - it turns out that the snarky and humorously crude first person protagonist is not my favorite style. I mean, unless it’s done with a quirky cleverness that comes across as original, and in this case it really wasn’t. Roz’s voice just struck me as foul mouthed and vaguely obnoxious for no real reason.
Having said that, this one grew on me, and I ended up being fairly impressed - the plot is original and well-constructed, and the solid world building came through more clearly as the story progressed. The magic system and supernatural components in particular were nicely developed, and managed to be a believable background detail while also playing an integral part in the plot. And the pacing is ideal - there's a lot of info to convey, but the action never slows down, and the plot keeps moving forward, making this a quick read.
With the somewhat gritty character interactions and underlying mystery elements, it reminded me quite a bit of Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora and sequels - not as intricate or as fully fleshed-out as those books, in my opinion, but the feeling was there.
In the end, I’m still not a fan of the harsh delivery, but the plot lived up to its promise and the ending was well done. I give it a three point something.
Having said that, this one grew on me, and I ended up being fairly impressed - the plot is original and well-constructed, and the solid world building came through more clearly as the story progressed. The magic system and supernatural components in particular were nicely developed, and managed to be a believable background detail while also playing an integral part in the plot. And the pacing is ideal - there's a lot of info to convey, but the action never slows down, and the plot keeps moving forward, making this a quick read.
With the somewhat gritty character interactions and underlying mystery elements, it reminded me quite a bit of Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora and sequels - not as intricate or as fully fleshed-out as those books, in my opinion, but the feeling was there.
In the end, I’m still not a fan of the harsh delivery, but the plot lived up to its promise and the ending was well done. I give it a three point something.