a fun supernatural female vigilante taking down demons (and regular bad guys too) it was a little confusing to keep track of the people hosting the dea fun supernatural female vigilante taking down demons (and regular bad guys too) it was a little confusing to keep track of the people hosting the demons because the demons hop bodies and also when they've been in a body for a bit, the body just looks all mushy old boozy white man. ...more
Honestly this was going to be a 2 star read at best for at least 60% of the book because - admittedly this is not the genre for me - I kept complaininHonestly this was going to be a 2 star read at best for at least 60% of the book because - admittedly this is not the genre for me - I kept complaining about the stupidity of the MC and that she kinda sorta deserved to die and that the obvious killer is a transparent red herring and that the twist would be one of three unsurprising options. It isn’t helped by the fact that at 60% I was still to reach the crux of the book which is provided all over the book’s byline. But I ended up way off on the twist and found it rather clever and enjoyed the final 30-40ish pages so hats off to the author for entertaining this skeptical reader with what ended up being a swift and fun read!
Read because BOTM sent me the wrong book by accident and it’s October when I like to read something a little scary (and I don’t have a high tolerance) so I shrugged and went ahead!...more
4.5 stars - Happily surprised. I passed over this book so many times, largely in part to the boring cover. The cover is appropriate for a studious mys4.5 stars - Happily surprised. I passed over this book so many times, largely in part to the boring cover. The cover is appropriate for a studious mystery but not at all for the weird dystopian world one finds themself in inside this tale. I only picked it up finally due to a buddy read.
This was a fun mystery that I thought was going to only appear as a mystery only solvable by superhuman leaps of logic (or internal world-knowledge) but that only occurred in the beginning as a way to orient the reader into the world - and it is a vast and interesting world. I've been describing it as steam-punk if instead of steam we have fungi and the 'steam' is both the source of an existential threat to the world and its inhabitants (via contagion and it's monstrous origin) as well as the source (or inspiration) of the world's technology and human augmentation/mutation. As the story passes the opening scenes, one realizes that the mystery can be solved (or at least hunches made) at the same pace the MC absorbs information, even if it isn't as fast as the Sherlock to his Watson. The world is well developed without overshadowing the (many) characters. The best part of the story is the dynamic between the intuitive shut-in Ana and the MC, her new, potential temporary, assistant Din. Ana is vulgar, outspoken, brilliant, erratic and terrifying while uptight, quiet Din serves as her 'engraver' or permanent record of events/clues via his ability to memorize occurrences exactly as he experiences them. Their verbal volleys are full of humor and information about their world and the class system around them, though they often jar with more modern sentiments that can take one out of the moment. All in all, I look forward to the 2nd book while happily appreciating that this entry stands-alone....more
CHECK OUT THE AUDIO!! I think this would qualify as a 'cozy mystery?' Diverse Irish flock of sheep decide to investigate the death of their beloved sheCHECK OUT THE AUDIO!! I think this would qualify as a 'cozy mystery?' Diverse Irish flock of sheep decide to investigate the death of their beloved shepherd using their wits and what little they've learned from the novels he used to read to them. SO delightful - especially with the lightly accented Irish narrator. I love the little callouts to human behavior that the sheep don't understand. And I love that they think the minister's name is "God" and that he talks about himself a LOT
"... they were excited but were being made to hush. It was seldom that humans took the trouble to be quiet. It always meant something." "Forgetting was a tried and true way for sheep to get over their sorrows. The stranger and more disturbing an incident was, the faster you needed to forget it."
I came to this edition unaware of the series that preceded it and it was an interesting AU version of Harley, Joker and Batman that I’d like to see coI came to this edition unaware of the series that preceded it and it was an interesting AU version of Harley, Joker and Batman that I’d like to see continued. Styled as a noir though the actual mystery really didn’t drive the plot or make any new waves. Harley has depth and only glimmers of recklessness and really next-to-no madness except what was needed to stay close to the Joker (per flashbacks, he’s (view spoiler)[ dead by the start of events (hide spoiler)]. It makes her more interesting and a lot less annoying (but perhaps less fun dialogue-wise)!...more