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Jun. 17th, 2013 01:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yagathaiRead the Matthew Swift books by Kate Griffin, all four currently in circulation. It was recommended to me by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
incandescens, whose opinion in these matters is trustworthy (and who, incidentally, should be congratulated on her book deal. The series is highly anticipated in certain circles, especially but not exclusively those named supertailz).
Quite enjoyed the first one, an urban fantasy that occupies a space much closer to Rivers of London and Neverwhere than Sookie Stackhouse or Anita Blake. There's a generous dollop of Unknown Armies in its bones, too. And by generous dollop, I mean, well, if you draw two buckets of water out of the same well, it's not fair to say that the second bucket of water is derivative of the first exactly, but at the same time they will taste very similar and be difficult to tell apart and after all one of them did come first by over a decade. Also, and though it's done quite well this time around, the angelic-force-trapped-within-and-at-odds-with-a-mortal-protagonist gimmick has been done at least twice in urban fantasy series I've read in the last couple of years.
But, those issues aside, it was well written and engaging and I quite liked it.
Second one was still pretty good, but edging away from Rivers of London and Neverwhere towards someplace Harry Dresdenish, with Sandman Slim's faint gravity tugging, tugging, soft but insistent.
Third one was kind of crap. Sorry. Some compelling passages and fascinating imagery occasionally, but crap all the same. There was a sharp turn towards Simon R. Green doing a terrible Clive Barker impression and it was just No Fun At All.
Fourth one, though, was actually quite good. It took a leisurely swing back towards the style and quality of the first novel, though perhaps a bit clumsier and less polished, with a lot of Raymond Chandlerish "our hero gets knocked out and Wakes Up Elsewhere". Also the last chapter or so is obviously setting up a series-arc with cryptic and ominous portents that seem just a little cliche. Still, quibbles aside, quite entertaining and a welcome return to form.
incandescens, whose opinion in these matters is trustworthy (and who, incidentally, should be congratulated on her book deal. The series is highly anticipated in certain circles, especially but not exclusively those named supertailz).Quite enjoyed the first one, an urban fantasy that occupies a space much closer to Rivers of London and Neverwhere than Sookie Stackhouse or Anita Blake. There's a generous dollop of Unknown Armies in its bones, too. And by generous dollop, I mean, well, if you draw two buckets of water out of the same well, it's not fair to say that the second bucket of water is derivative of the first exactly, but at the same time they will taste very similar and be difficult to tell apart and after all one of them did come first by over a decade. Also, and though it's done quite well this time around, the angelic-force-trapped-within-and-at-odds-with-a-mortal-protagonist gimmick has been done at least twice in urban fantasy series I've read in the last couple of years.
But, those issues aside, it was well written and engaging and I quite liked it.
Second one was still pretty good, but edging away from Rivers of London and Neverwhere towards someplace Harry Dresdenish, with Sandman Slim's faint gravity tugging, tugging, soft but insistent.
Third one was kind of crap. Sorry. Some compelling passages and fascinating imagery occasionally, but crap all the same. There was a sharp turn towards Simon R. Green doing a terrible Clive Barker impression and it was just No Fun At All.
Fourth one, though, was actually quite good. It took a leisurely swing back towards the style and quality of the first novel, though perhaps a bit clumsier and less polished, with a lot of Raymond Chandlerish "our hero gets knocked out and Wakes Up Elsewhere". Also the last chapter or so is obviously setting up a series-arc with cryptic and ominous portents that seem just a little cliche. Still, quibbles aside, quite entertaining and a welcome return to form.
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Date: 2013-06-17 09:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-06-17 01:42 pm (UTC)By the way, I took your advice and started lurking on the literature forum of the ASOIAF board. It's awesome. Thank you!
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