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Craft Sequence #1
Three Parts Dead
A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.
Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.
Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.
When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.
Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.
Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.
Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.
When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.
Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
About the author
Max Gladstone
118 books2,336 followersMax Gladstone is the author of the Craft Sequence: THREE PARTS DEAD, TWO SERPENTS RISE, FULL FATHOM FIVE, and most recently, LAST FIRST SNOW. He's been twice nominated for the John W Campbell Best New Writer award, and nominated for the XYZZY and Lambda Awards.
Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia. Max graduated from Yale University, where he studied Chinese.
Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia. Max graduated from Yale University, where he studied Chinese.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,099 reviews
August 7, 2014
Earlier this year, I met Max Gladstone. We were both attending a convention in Boston.
Simply said, I really liked him. He was funny, articulate, and smart. He'd traveled the world and had interesting stories to show for it.
So I picked up his book. Because when I meet an interesting author, I like to see what they've written.
To be completely honest, this isn't the best way to pick up new books. Someone who is funny in person isn't always funny in print. A person might be delightfully verbally articulate, but that doesn't always transfer onto the page.
But smart.... Well, that's a different matter. Smart people tend to write smart books. I like to read smart books. And Gladstone struck me as being a very clever individual....
So. I bought his books and read them on my trip. They were not merely clever. Not merely good. They were stunningly good. Stupefyingly good.
Let me put it another way.
Twenty-ish years ago, I read Neverwhere and it kinda blew the top off of my head. It was a mix of things I didn't know could be mixed. It was magic and myth and London and faerie all brought together in a clever, cunning, subtle melange.
That's how I feel about these books. They mix magic and science and culture and finance in a way I never considered possible before.
Good language. Good story. Good character. Absolutely stunning world and concept.
Will you have to work a little to get your head around things a first? Yeah. A little. That's the price you pay for something original like this. But it's worth it. So worth it.
If you read fantasy or sci-fi, if you enjoy clever thoughts and unique worldbuilding, if you want something new and fresh and sharp: This is the book for you. Seriously.
Simply said, I really liked him. He was funny, articulate, and smart. He'd traveled the world and had interesting stories to show for it.
So I picked up his book. Because when I meet an interesting author, I like to see what they've written.
To be completely honest, this isn't the best way to pick up new books. Someone who is funny in person isn't always funny in print. A person might be delightfully verbally articulate, but that doesn't always transfer onto the page.
But smart.... Well, that's a different matter. Smart people tend to write smart books. I like to read smart books. And Gladstone struck me as being a very clever individual....
So. I bought his books and read them on my trip. They were not merely clever. Not merely good. They were stunningly good. Stupefyingly good.
Let me put it another way.
Twenty-ish years ago, I read Neverwhere and it kinda blew the top off of my head. It was a mix of things I didn't know could be mixed. It was magic and myth and London and faerie all brought together in a clever, cunning, subtle melange.
That's how I feel about these books. They mix magic and science and culture and finance in a way I never considered possible before.
Good language. Good story. Good character. Absolutely stunning world and concept.
Will you have to work a little to get your head around things a first? Yeah. A little. That's the price you pay for something original like this. But it's worth it. So worth it.
If you read fantasy or sci-fi, if you enjoy clever thoughts and unique worldbuilding, if you want something new and fresh and sharp: This is the book for you. Seriously.
August 30, 2023
It isn’t often that I find a book that hits that fantasy sweet spot. An interesting lead character who rises above gender stereotypes, world-building inventiveness, a storytelling style that keeps me engaged, a clever little mystery, a willingness to poke at authority, and did I mention inventiveness? Three Parts Dead has a few bumps, certainly. But it was one of the better fantasies I’ve read this year, and if you’ve been considering it, I suggest giving it a try. It exceeded my expectations.
No review of mine would be complete without a quick little summary for the memory- impaired. It opens with Abelard, Novice Technician of the god Holy Kas Everburning, who is the unfortunate on temple duty at two-thirty in the morning. His world turns upside-down when he discovers Kas’ Everburning Flame has been extinguished during his watch. Somewhat farther away, Tara Abernathy is cast out of the Hidden Schools. Barely recovering from the fall--literally--she makes her way to her parents and a home she hasn’t seen in eight years. She spends her time recooperating at their rural home, but after an attack leaves her village without guards, she uses her necromancer skills to resurrect the guards. Unfortunately, her actions are misinterpreted by the villagers, and Tara experiences a timely rescue from Elayne, partner at a Craft firm of lawyers who essentially negotiate contracts. The firm has a new job–resurrecting Kas–and Elayne wants to give Tara a position, although she isn’t sure if Tara is assistant or associate material. Complications begin when they discover Elayne’s contact in the city has been murdered.
Elayne plays the traditional role of powerful, enigmatic magical mentor (in the Craft), encouraging Tara to take initiative in solving the case while guiding her through the intricacies of working with gods and their followers. Ever since the God Wars forty years ago, both religion and Craft seem to be viewed with suspicion, and although Tara is book-smart, she hasn’t had much experience outside of school. But Elayne is calculating and controlled; there is no doubt she will have examined probabilities and charted several potential paths to the solution. Despite her formality, she isn’t without a sense of humor and comments after she overhears Tara calling her a ‘witch’:
“‘A witch?’ Ms. Kevarian said, bemused. ‘I’d think you’d give me more credit than that, Ms. Abernathy. Riding broomsticks, consorting with unholy powers. Who has the time for such pleasantries anymore? Why, I haven’t been on a date since the late eighties.‘”
Narrative is third-person omniscient: largely focused on Tara, but also stopping by a judge, Abelard the Novice, and Shale the gargoyle, and later, Cat the vampire-addict, and even Elayne. Personally, I’m usually in favor of limited focal points, but it wasn’t frequent or disruptive enough to annoy. Largely focused on Tara with occasional Abelard inclusions, both provide a similarly human and (mostly) naive viewpoint that the reader appreciates as the two learn. The other perspectives don’t necessarily add insight to the plot, although they do humanize other characters and add both dimension to the world-building, and emotional impact.
Speaking of characters, I rather like them, particularly Tara. She is a very satisfactory main character; determined, smart, self-reliant, and confident. Gladstone avoids all my pet peeves of extraneous wardrobe or boyfriend details, or the classic overcompensation of turning Tara into The Plucky Heroine. Female characters are treated very well in this book, meaning that the majority have complex and possibly conflicting motivations. The men, strangely, seem far more straightforward.
“‘I like this way better.’ Cracking the book open, she inhaled the bouquet of its pages. ‘I can smell the paper.’
‘You’re insane,’ Cat said.
‘Knowledge,’ Tara replied, turning a page as quietly as she could manage, ‘is power. I need all the power I can get.'”
World-building is likely going to be the sticking point for many readers. I happen to love Gladstone’s style. I feel fantasy largely has two main storytelling tradition: the describe-every-detail of Tolkien, or the immersion-experience of Andre Norton. Gladstone follows the immersion style of dropping the reader into the world and building comprehension build gradually (his guest post at Fantasy Book Critic is interesting). I couldn’t help but be reminded of two favorites– P.C. Hodgell‘s God Stalk and Roger Zelazny‘s Lord of Light, so if you like either of those styles, I’d give this a whirl. There are no lengthy discourses on how magic works, and there is no appendix on the types of Craft (cough, cough, Sanderson), maps or casts of characters. The reader needs to be comfortably with world ambiguity while details build, as well as understanding that Gladstone’s focus is not to describe the city or even the world. He focuses primarily on relationships between the characters, their histories, the gods (and thankfully, I don’t mean in the romantic sense) and problem-solving the god’s death as well as the judge’s. Contributing to the magical ambiguity, Tara’s magic seems interestingly of a ‘dark,’ death-like sort–after all, she makes a couple of revanant guards not long after we meet her.
There’s nothing that reminds me of the absolute subjectivity of a read as a book like this, where reviews from friends range from two to four stars. Like taking care of a puppy that piddles on the rug, I just can’t be irritated at something that is so good. Some readers will be bothered by character stumbles or plot points–I wasn’t. I can’t even tell you what they might be. Although I figured out the murderer, it didn’t really bother me because of the complexity of the motivational plotting. The ending was a little rough in the trope-like confrontation between Evil Individual Ambition and Collective Determination to Restore Order, but since there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, I can completely forgive the classic wrap-up. Likewise, while there might have been an eye-roll or two at the classic ‘apprentice-confronts-master’ denouement, I applaud the final determination.
As a side note, Gladstone wrote that he was partially inspired by the U.S. financial crisis in 2007 (on his The Big Idea guest post on Scalzi's blog). I wouldn’t have seen it–I was too struck by the parallels with God Stalk–but it gave me a new level of appreciation as I re-read.
This is seriously creative stuff, classic fantasy storytelling with modern fantasy fusion setting, with a tricky, tricksy ending. Worth reading again, and this is one I’ll be adding to my space-challenged shelves. In hardcover.
Reading again in 2018 as preparation for the final book in the series: still one of the more innovative fantasies I've read this decade. And yes, I did add it to my library. In hardcover.
No review of mine would be complete without a quick little summary for the memory- impaired. It opens with Abelard, Novice Technician of the god Holy Kas Everburning, who is the unfortunate on temple duty at two-thirty in the morning. His world turns upside-down when he discovers Kas’ Everburning Flame has been extinguished during his watch. Somewhat farther away, Tara Abernathy is cast out of the Hidden Schools. Barely recovering from the fall--literally--she makes her way to her parents and a home she hasn’t seen in eight years. She spends her time recooperating at their rural home, but after an attack leaves her village without guards, she uses her necromancer skills to resurrect the guards. Unfortunately, her actions are misinterpreted by the villagers, and Tara experiences a timely rescue from Elayne, partner at a Craft firm of lawyers who essentially negotiate contracts. The firm has a new job–resurrecting Kas–and Elayne wants to give Tara a position, although she isn’t sure if Tara is assistant or associate material. Complications begin when they discover Elayne’s contact in the city has been murdered.
Elayne plays the traditional role of powerful, enigmatic magical mentor (in the Craft), encouraging Tara to take initiative in solving the case while guiding her through the intricacies of working with gods and their followers. Ever since the God Wars forty years ago, both religion and Craft seem to be viewed with suspicion, and although Tara is book-smart, she hasn’t had much experience outside of school. But Elayne is calculating and controlled; there is no doubt she will have examined probabilities and charted several potential paths to the solution. Despite her formality, she isn’t without a sense of humor and comments after she overhears Tara calling her a ‘witch’:
“‘A witch?’ Ms. Kevarian said, bemused. ‘I’d think you’d give me more credit than that, Ms. Abernathy. Riding broomsticks, consorting with unholy powers. Who has the time for such pleasantries anymore? Why, I haven’t been on a date since the late eighties.‘”
Narrative is third-person omniscient: largely focused on Tara, but also stopping by a judge, Abelard the Novice, and Shale the gargoyle, and later, Cat the vampire-addict, and even Elayne. Personally, I’m usually in favor of limited focal points, but it wasn’t frequent or disruptive enough to annoy. Largely focused on Tara with occasional Abelard inclusions, both provide a similarly human and (mostly) naive viewpoint that the reader appreciates as the two learn. The other perspectives don’t necessarily add insight to the plot, although they do humanize other characters and add both dimension to the world-building, and emotional impact.
Speaking of characters, I rather like them, particularly Tara. She is a very satisfactory main character; determined, smart, self-reliant, and confident. Gladstone avoids all my pet peeves of extraneous wardrobe or boyfriend details, or the classic overcompensation of turning Tara into The Plucky Heroine. Female characters are treated very well in this book, meaning that the majority have complex and possibly conflicting motivations. The men, strangely, seem far more straightforward.
“‘I like this way better.’ Cracking the book open, she inhaled the bouquet of its pages. ‘I can smell the paper.’
‘You’re insane,’ Cat said.
‘Knowledge,’ Tara replied, turning a page as quietly as she could manage, ‘is power. I need all the power I can get.'”
World-building is likely going to be the sticking point for many readers. I happen to love Gladstone’s style. I feel fantasy largely has two main storytelling tradition: the describe-every-detail of Tolkien, or the immersion-experience of Andre Norton. Gladstone follows the immersion style of dropping the reader into the world and building comprehension build gradually (his guest post at Fantasy Book Critic is interesting). I couldn’t help but be reminded of two favorites– P.C. Hodgell‘s God Stalk and Roger Zelazny‘s Lord of Light, so if you like either of those styles, I’d give this a whirl. There are no lengthy discourses on how magic works, and there is no appendix on the types of Craft (cough, cough, Sanderson), maps or casts of characters. The reader needs to be comfortably with world ambiguity while details build, as well as understanding that Gladstone’s focus is not to describe the city or even the world. He focuses primarily on relationships between the characters, their histories, the gods (and thankfully, I don’t mean in the romantic sense) and problem-solving the god’s death as well as the judge’s. Contributing to the magical ambiguity, Tara’s magic seems interestingly of a ‘dark,’ death-like sort–after all, she makes a couple of revanant guards not long after we meet her.
There’s nothing that reminds me of the absolute subjectivity of a read as a book like this, where reviews from friends range from two to four stars. Like taking care of a puppy that piddles on the rug, I just can’t be irritated at something that is so good. Some readers will be bothered by character stumbles or plot points–I wasn’t. I can’t even tell you what they might be. Although I figured out the murderer, it didn’t really bother me because of the complexity of the motivational plotting. The ending was a little rough in the trope-like confrontation between Evil Individual Ambition and Collective Determination to Restore Order, but since there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, I can completely forgive the classic wrap-up. Likewise, while there might have been an eye-roll or two at the classic ‘apprentice-confronts-master’ denouement, I applaud the final determination.
As a side note, Gladstone wrote that he was partially inspired by the U.S. financial crisis in 2007 (on his The Big Idea guest post on Scalzi's blog). I wouldn’t have seen it–I was too struck by the parallels with God Stalk–but it gave me a new level of appreciation as I re-read.
This is seriously creative stuff, classic fantasy storytelling with modern fantasy fusion setting, with a tricky, tricksy ending. Worth reading again, and this is one I’ll be adding to my space-challenged shelves. In hardcover.
Reading again in 2018 as preparation for the final book in the series: still one of the more innovative fantasies I've read this decade. And yes, I did add it to my library. In hardcover.
August 24, 2022
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A bland writing style with far too many info dumps for my personal taste
While I'm sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, this book just did not work for me and I ultimately got near the end but couldn't finish it. I enjoyed the overall concept of the story as an idea on paper, but I found that the storytelling and the characters were both quite bland. I'm confident that if you asked me about what this story was all about in a few months I would completely forget it.
I found the start of this book very confusing. There was an enormous info dump, which I personally always dislike in fantasy books. I would much prefer a book to slowly leak out the world to me and the rules of the world, but this book just lays it all out there for you and it ruins a lot of the mystique.
The technical mechanics of the the magic system and and of the gods was very interesting. But the problem for me was that even though there was a huge info dumb, I never fully understood these mechanics because it is all so poorly explained. Each word became a chore in this book, because I could barely keep track of the plot and characters but I desperately needed to do so in order to appreciate the world and the story.
This book very well may work for you - but it missed the mark for me completely.
A bland writing style with far too many info dumps for my personal taste
While I'm sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, this book just did not work for me and I ultimately got near the end but couldn't finish it. I enjoyed the overall concept of the story as an idea on paper, but I found that the storytelling and the characters were both quite bland. I'm confident that if you asked me about what this story was all about in a few months I would completely forget it.
I found the start of this book very confusing. There was an enormous info dump, which I personally always dislike in fantasy books. I would much prefer a book to slowly leak out the world to me and the rules of the world, but this book just lays it all out there for you and it ruins a lot of the mystique.
The technical mechanics of the the magic system and and of the gods was very interesting. But the problem for me was that even though there was a huge info dumb, I never fully understood these mechanics because it is all so poorly explained. Each word became a chore in this book, because I could barely keep track of the plot and characters but I desperately needed to do so in order to appreciate the world and the story.
This book very well may work for you - but it missed the mark for me completely.
November 4, 2018
Imaginative and unique, think of City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett with a little touch of Sanderson’s magic system and you’ll get Three Parts Dead.
Three Parts Dead is Max Gladstone’s debut novel and it’s the first installment in his Craft Sequence series. Ever since I finished and loved The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, I’ve been craving for a similar kind of urban fantasy series to read. Readers and reviewers have directed me towards this series and I’m really glad they did. Three Parts Dead reminded me a lot of the vibe I found in City of Stairs and I highly enjoyed reading this gem.
Kos, the fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb is dead. Without his existence, the city’s steam generators will shut down, stopping the trains, and the millions of citizens in the city will riot. Tara Abernathy, the first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao; together with Abelard, the chain-smoking priest of the dead god, both of them have to resurrect the dead god before chaos erupted. The blurb hinted at an intriguing plotline and the book delivered. Three Parts Dead discussed a lot on faith, justice, and the relationship between humanity and their gods. This is not an uncommon topic in the fantasy genre, a lot of great authors have done this approach and I think with that in mind, Gladstone was still able to deliver a great discussion on the topic.
The characters were well developed, original, and diverse. There were some moments where I thought some of the characters were unimportant compared to the others but by the end, I realized how wrong I am. Gladstone prepared everything for the last chapter and epilogue of the book. You just have to be patient and believe that everything has a reason. Believe me, the actions in the last chapter of the book was surprisingly godlike, especially considering how small the sizes of this book relatively.
During my time of reading, I was continuously fascinated by how imaginative every factor of this book was. Necromancy, Craftsmen flying on lightning bolts, city-ruling gargoyles, floating cities, and Courtroom of Craft (this part was absolutely brilliant) were just a few things on how originally brilliant and well-crafted—see what I did there?—the world-building was. I also loved reading Gladstone’s prose. Although Bennett’s prose in City of Stairs suited my preference more, Gladstone has a clean and engaging prose that really compelled me to continue reading; this book is his debut so I expect that his prose will only get better moving forward.
Admittedly, as much as I loved the magic system, it was also the factor that diminished the quality of the book for me. Don’t get me wrong, Craft was a great magic system. It was complex, highly imaginative, destructive, badass, and original. However, I wish Gladstone spent some more time on explaining the magic system, there were some repercussions to using it but from what happened in the book, there weren’t any proper limitations on its usage. Because of this, fully understanding the mechanism of the magic system became difficult and a lot the usage felt out of the blue, too powerful, and sometimes too convenient. I hope the sequel or the rest of the series will explore more on this because right now, despite how much I enjoyed reading the book, I also feel like I'll be content with stopping with the series here if there's no significant improvement in the sequels. I guess that remains to be seen.
Minor issue aside, I truly enjoyed reading Three Parts Dead. I think Gladstone has created a great debut that melded fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and steampunk together wonderfully. I totally recommend this book to any urban fantasy readers and and anyone who loved City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett like I did will most likely have a great time with this one as well.
You can buy the book with free shipping by clicking this link!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Three Parts Dead is Max Gladstone’s debut novel and it’s the first installment in his Craft Sequence series. Ever since I finished and loved The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, I’ve been craving for a similar kind of urban fantasy series to read. Readers and reviewers have directed me towards this series and I’m really glad they did. Three Parts Dead reminded me a lot of the vibe I found in City of Stairs and I highly enjoyed reading this gem.
Kos, the fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb is dead. Without his existence, the city’s steam generators will shut down, stopping the trains, and the millions of citizens in the city will riot. Tara Abernathy, the first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao; together with Abelard, the chain-smoking priest of the dead god, both of them have to resurrect the dead god before chaos erupted. The blurb hinted at an intriguing plotline and the book delivered. Three Parts Dead discussed a lot on faith, justice, and the relationship between humanity and their gods. This is not an uncommon topic in the fantasy genre, a lot of great authors have done this approach and I think with that in mind, Gladstone was still able to deliver a great discussion on the topic.
The characters were well developed, original, and diverse. There were some moments where I thought some of the characters were unimportant compared to the others but by the end, I realized how wrong I am. Gladstone prepared everything for the last chapter and epilogue of the book. You just have to be patient and believe that everything has a reason. Believe me, the actions in the last chapter of the book was surprisingly godlike, especially considering how small the sizes of this book relatively.
During my time of reading, I was continuously fascinated by how imaginative every factor of this book was. Necromancy, Craftsmen flying on lightning bolts, city-ruling gargoyles, floating cities, and Courtroom of Craft (this part was absolutely brilliant) were just a few things on how originally brilliant and well-crafted—see what I did there?—the world-building was. I also loved reading Gladstone’s prose. Although Bennett’s prose in City of Stairs suited my preference more, Gladstone has a clean and engaging prose that really compelled me to continue reading; this book is his debut so I expect that his prose will only get better moving forward.
“The Craft, young Abelard, is the art and science of using power as the gods do. But gods and men are different. Gods draw power from worship and sacrifice, and are shaped by that worship, that sacrifice. Craftsmen draw power from the stars and the earth, and are shaped by them in turn. We can also use human soulstuff for our ends, of course, but the stars are more reliable than men.”
Admittedly, as much as I loved the magic system, it was also the factor that diminished the quality of the book for me. Don’t get me wrong, Craft was a great magic system. It was complex, highly imaginative, destructive, badass, and original. However, I wish Gladstone spent some more time on explaining the magic system, there were some repercussions to using it but from what happened in the book, there weren’t any proper limitations on its usage. Because of this, fully understanding the mechanism of the magic system became difficult and a lot the usage felt out of the blue, too powerful, and sometimes too convenient. I hope the sequel or the rest of the series will explore more on this because right now, despite how much I enjoyed reading the book, I also feel like I'll be content with stopping with the series here if there's no significant improvement in the sequels. I guess that remains to be seen.
Minor issue aside, I truly enjoyed reading Three Parts Dead. I think Gladstone has created a great debut that melded fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and steampunk together wonderfully. I totally recommend this book to any urban fantasy readers and and anyone who loved City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett like I did will most likely have a great time with this one as well.
You can buy the book with free shipping by clicking this link!
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
February 9, 2017
OMG this really hit the spot. I expected an UF with an interesting premise about the Craft which seemed part witchcraft and part necromancy with something to do with gods, but I didn't expect a sharp exploration of a kind of magic-users who DEFINED and held gods to LAWS. lol
So yeah.
As far as I can tell, it's one part courtroom drama, one part epic necromantic universal magic-struggle, and one part pure awesomeness.
I didn't expect to have the coolness of Gaiman's god-system turned into a crafty legal drama full of nastily powerful peeps pulling loophole tricks to kill immortal gods, but lordy, I had a great time. :)
Easy and fun and very, very compelling. This was pretty much written for me. Just for me. And now I'm giddy. Thanks, Max! :)
So yeah.
As far as I can tell, it's one part courtroom drama, one part epic necromantic universal magic-struggle, and one part pure awesomeness.
I didn't expect to have the coolness of Gaiman's god-system turned into a crafty legal drama full of nastily powerful peeps pulling loophole tricks to kill immortal gods, but lordy, I had a great time. :)
Easy and fun and very, very compelling. This was pretty much written for me. Just for me. And now I'm giddy. Thanks, Max! :)
November 30, 2012
I read and discussed this one with a couple friends, and though all three of us have very different reading personalities, we pretty much all felt the same way about this book: It had potential, but was ultimately just a mess.
There was just too much going on in this book, and not nearly enough story to support it. It felt manic, like the author tried to cram every cool idea he had into it, but didn't explain anything in a way that felt natural or even coherent. Everything was just presented, world-building, magic system, characters, plot, investigation, resolution... All just told, and the reader has to accept it because we have nothing else to go on. Everything that happened in the book was like this and it was frustrating.
We don't get to know why something happens, or the significance of an event, or how anything works, or what the point is, or even what IS happening until after the fact, or until the very end when the epilogue tells us everything that couldn't be followed in the story, point by point. One of my friends said it felt Holmesian, except that Sherlock Holmes will explain HOW he came to the conclusions he did, not just that he came to them.
There was a lot of cool stuff in this book. A lot of fantastic ideas that, more carefully formed and better presented, could be amazingly good. But this book felt unfinished. Just when I'd expect to learn something, about the magic system, for instance, I'd see WHAT it can do, but not how or why, which is the basic building block of creating something that feels real. You can tell me something until the cows come home, but until it's presented in a way that allows me to KNOW it, it doesn't stick - it's not real.
I'll give you two examples:
1) Alt Couloumb(sp?): (The fact that I'm not even sure how to spell the setting even after finishing the book, is a bad sign.) As I was reading this, I kept picturing AC as a kind of old gothic town, lots of high and dark church steeples, narrow alleyways, cobbled streets, a port, steam-powered... You get the picture. There were centers of activity - the church of Kos Everburning, and the vampire/Craftsperson's club, but otherwise, this city in my head was practically empty. In my head it was population 5,000 maybe.
So imagine my surprise when I read the book description after finishing and see that this city, this "metropolis" actually has 4 million residents. FOUR MILLION. I don't know where they all were. The city I live in has less than a million residents, but I see people all the time. Walking down the streets, going about their business, doing what they do. I see them. I am one of them. But Alt Couloumb was filled with driverless carriages and not much else from what I could tell.
It just wasn't real. It was like an impressionist painting where the onlooker can get the idea of what's being presented, but the detail isn't there. In art, I'm OK with that. In world-building for a book series, I'm not. If I'm going to invest my time and energy into a series of books, I want to LIVE in that world.
Tolkien is a master world-builder. I'm not just reading about Middle Earth, I'm there. That is how a fictional world should be. I shouldn't have to fill in an author's gaps to make it work.
2) Craft: This is the magic system in the story, and from the little that I learned of how it works (regarding starlight and soulstuff), I will admit that it was pretty cool. However, and this is a BIG however, there was no rule set or limitations to the way it could be used that I ever saw. Craftspeople learn how to use it, and then they're off! Apparently anything they can imagine is possible. I can't recall seeing a single limitation. Not one thing that couldn't be done with Craft. Yet at the end of the book, one of the characters mentions that she's surprised that an engineer wouldn't cotton to the rules of Craft...
Which left me a little mind-boggled, because it doesn't seem that there were any until it was convenient to say there were to tell another character (and the reader) how certain things happened.
Blah. I need structure. I don't enjoy "Anything Goes" magic systems. It's uninteresting to me... there's no danger if all you have to do is imagine your way out of a pickle. "Anything Goes" magic systems are built in deus ex machina devices, and that's just unimaginative.
I don't want to see a character succeed at everything simply by using magic. Which is exactly what happens in this book.
No really. Our main character is newly-graduated/evicted from school (no idea why the eviction, though), and is hired on a trial basis for a hugely important trial regarding deicide, and then she's made responsible for the investigation, the trial proceedings, and other stuff besides. Yup. This untried rookie is made lead in a murder case for a GOD. Nopressure.
But never fear, Tara's here! There's never any chance she'll fail, because she'll always just Craft her way out of anything. She's got a backdoor or a trick up her sleeve, or the perfect solution for every fucking situation imaginable.
Gah. This is getting long. I'll wrap this up quickly.
The first trial: Ridiculous. Evidence? Who needs evidence! This is a cage-match.
The second trial: No need for proof or evidence here either. Pure conjecture allowed.
Pronouns when dealing with default or unknown persons: This was really annoying to me throughout the entire book. Almost always, the pronoun used for someone whose gender or identity is unknown was feminine. Being a woman, you'd think that this would be refreshing, but instead it was just baffling, because there seemed to be no reason for it. This wasn't a matriarchal society. There wasn't anything feminist that I could tell. There wasn't even a greater number of women in the story. The only thing I can think is that the author was trying to score brownie points with female readers.
But it was inconsistent. ALMOST always it was feminine, but not every time, and not consistently depending on whose POV we were seeing either. Likewise with Craftswoman (usually), Craftsman (sometimes), Craftsperson (occasionally). It was just random.
The Plot: I really have no idea. I asked my co-readers what the firm was even hired for (still can't remember the name of the firm either, despite seeing it maybe 20 times), and that's just really not good. The plot was just so convoluted, and there was so much that the reader just had to accept and keep track of, that what seemed straightforward in the beginning ended up just wandering around for a while until everything just magically (Craftily?) came together at the end, and then the reader was told the missing pieces we couldn't know.
*sigh*
Like I said at the beginning... This had potential to be great. But it wasn't anywhere close. The execution just wasn't good enough to make this a coherent, enjoyable story. Maybe the second book will fill in more of the history and world-building and magic system rules and character personality... but I need that stuff to draw me into the series.
It's not enough to try to hook me with mysteriousness. I need substance, not smoke and mirrors.
There was just too much going on in this book, and not nearly enough story to support it. It felt manic, like the author tried to cram every cool idea he had into it, but didn't explain anything in a way that felt natural or even coherent. Everything was just presented, world-building, magic system, characters, plot, investigation, resolution... All just told, and the reader has to accept it because we have nothing else to go on. Everything that happened in the book was like this and it was frustrating.
We don't get to know why something happens, or the significance of an event, or how anything works, or what the point is, or even what IS happening until after the fact, or until the very end when the epilogue tells us everything that couldn't be followed in the story, point by point. One of my friends said it felt Holmesian, except that Sherlock Holmes will explain HOW he came to the conclusions he did, not just that he came to them.
There was a lot of cool stuff in this book. A lot of fantastic ideas that, more carefully formed and better presented, could be amazingly good. But this book felt unfinished. Just when I'd expect to learn something, about the magic system, for instance, I'd see WHAT it can do, but not how or why, which is the basic building block of creating something that feels real. You can tell me something until the cows come home, but until it's presented in a way that allows me to KNOW it, it doesn't stick - it's not real.
I'll give you two examples:
1) Alt Couloumb(sp?): (The fact that I'm not even sure how to spell the setting even after finishing the book, is a bad sign.) As I was reading this, I kept picturing AC as a kind of old gothic town, lots of high and dark church steeples, narrow alleyways, cobbled streets, a port, steam-powered... You get the picture. There were centers of activity - the church of Kos Everburning, and the vampire/Craftsperson's club, but otherwise, this city in my head was practically empty. In my head it was population 5,000 maybe.
So imagine my surprise when I read the book description after finishing and see that this city, this "metropolis" actually has 4 million residents. FOUR MILLION. I don't know where they all were. The city I live in has less than a million residents, but I see people all the time. Walking down the streets, going about their business, doing what they do. I see them. I am one of them. But Alt Couloumb was filled with driverless carriages and not much else from what I could tell.
It just wasn't real. It was like an impressionist painting where the onlooker can get the idea of what's being presented, but the detail isn't there. In art, I'm OK with that. In world-building for a book series, I'm not. If I'm going to invest my time and energy into a series of books, I want to LIVE in that world.
Tolkien is a master world-builder. I'm not just reading about Middle Earth, I'm there. That is how a fictional world should be. I shouldn't have to fill in an author's gaps to make it work.
2) Craft: This is the magic system in the story, and from the little that I learned of how it works (regarding starlight and soulstuff), I will admit that it was pretty cool. However, and this is a BIG however, there was no rule set or limitations to the way it could be used that I ever saw. Craftspeople learn how to use it, and then they're off! Apparently anything they can imagine is possible. I can't recall seeing a single limitation. Not one thing that couldn't be done with Craft. Yet at the end of the book, one of the characters mentions that she's surprised that an engineer wouldn't cotton to the rules of Craft...
Which left me a little mind-boggled, because it doesn't seem that there were any until it was convenient to say there were to tell another character (and the reader) how certain things happened.
Blah. I need structure. I don't enjoy "Anything Goes" magic systems. It's uninteresting to me... there's no danger if all you have to do is imagine your way out of a pickle. "Anything Goes" magic systems are built in deus ex machina devices, and that's just unimaginative.
I don't want to see a character succeed at everything simply by using magic. Which is exactly what happens in this book.
No really. Our main character is newly-graduated/evicted from school (no idea why the eviction, though), and is hired on a trial basis for a hugely important trial regarding deicide, and then she's made responsible for the investigation, the trial proceedings, and other stuff besides. Yup. This untried rookie is made lead in a murder case for a GOD. Nopressure.
But never fear, Tara's here! There's never any chance she'll fail, because she'll always just Craft her way out of anything. She's got a backdoor or a trick up her sleeve, or the perfect solution for every fucking situation imaginable.
Gah. This is getting long. I'll wrap this up quickly.
The first trial: Ridiculous. Evidence? Who needs evidence! This is a cage-match.
The second trial: No need for proof or evidence here either. Pure conjecture allowed.
Pronouns when dealing with default or unknown persons: This was really annoying to me throughout the entire book. Almost always, the pronoun used for someone whose gender or identity is unknown was feminine. Being a woman, you'd think that this would be refreshing, but instead it was just baffling, because there seemed to be no reason for it. This wasn't a matriarchal society. There wasn't anything feminist that I could tell. There wasn't even a greater number of women in the story. The only thing I can think is that the author was trying to score brownie points with female readers.
But it was inconsistent. ALMOST always it was feminine, but not every time, and not consistently depending on whose POV we were seeing either. Likewise with Craftswoman (usually), Craftsman (sometimes), Craftsperson (occasionally). It was just random.
The Plot: I really have no idea. I asked my co-readers what the firm was even hired for (still can't remember the name of the firm either, despite seeing it maybe 20 times), and that's just really not good. The plot was just so convoluted, and there was so much that the reader just had to accept and keep track of, that what seemed straightforward in the beginning ended up just wandering around for a while until everything just magically (Craftily?) came together at the end, and then the reader was told the missing pieces we couldn't know.
*sigh*
Like I said at the beginning... This had potential to be great. But it wasn't anywhere close. The execution just wasn't good enough to make this a coherent, enjoyable story. Maybe the second book will fill in more of the history and world-building and magic system rules and character personality... but I need that stuff to draw me into the series.
It's not enough to try to hook me with mysteriousness. I need substance, not smoke and mirrors.
February 20, 2017
quick review of TPD: this novel meets my expectation for mystery/thriller dark urban fantasy. The mystery is still good enough to fool me in a fair game, with an excellent fantasy setting.
===========
I can't help myself comparing this debut novel with another novel with similar theme: City of Stairs (COS)*. Both novels combine mysteries and untraditional fantasy universe with dead gods. Both are excellent reads with well thought setting (I believe both authors care with the settings, both are the winners). The storytelling approach of both are gripping my attention.
The small different that make TPD better than COS is the mystery plot twists. The TPD has better surprises. After learning the world, as mystery reader, some of you maybe (unconsciously) eliminating suspects and try to guess whodunit. TPD is better than COS to keep the mystery fun and fair until the end.
* I am grateful that Thomas pointed my mistake by saying COS is a debut on my previous review. COS is not a debut.
===========
I can't help myself comparing this debut novel with another novel with similar theme: City of Stairs (COS)*. Both novels combine mysteries and untraditional fantasy universe with dead gods. Both are excellent reads with well thought setting (I believe both authors care with the settings, both are the winners). The storytelling approach of both are gripping my attention.
The small different that make TPD better than COS is the mystery plot twists. The TPD has better surprises. After learning the world, as mystery reader, some of you maybe (unconsciously) eliminating suspects and try to guess whodunit. TPD is better than COS to keep the mystery fun and fair until the end.
* I am grateful that Thomas pointed my mistake by saying COS is a debut on my previous review. COS is not a debut.
December 27, 2012
This is a weird book that some people may not like, but I REALLY liked it, so there. It's not romance-y, it's steampunk/religious/thriller/alt-verse/fantasy. It's gritty and a bit complicated but I enjoyed it a LOT because it was DIFFERENT.
I love the idea of Living/Dead Gods (PC HODGELL'S GOD STALK is one of my faves) and this book really is intriguing in its dealing of the subject, and immense magical power harnessed by humans. I dunno, I just really liked it, the lead woman was ruthless and driven, which I was into, and not overly "sympathetic".
I think the only negative I could see is the sense of PLACE was vague for me, I didn't feel like I understood how the city looked and felt. Everything else was stellar. Definitely on board for another!
I love the idea of Living/Dead Gods (PC HODGELL'S GOD STALK is one of my faves) and this book really is intriguing in its dealing of the subject, and immense magical power harnessed by humans. I dunno, I just really liked it, the lead woman was ruthless and driven, which I was into, and not overly "sympathetic".
I think the only negative I could see is the sense of PLACE was vague for me, I didn't feel like I understood how the city looked and felt. Everything else was stellar. Definitely on board for another!
December 21, 2015
This book has a fantastic and highly imaginative world-building. If you're a fan of "sense of wonder", like I am, this is the book for you.
It reads a bit like Robert Jackson Bennett's "City of Stairs", although Bennett's prose flows a bit more organically. But for a debut novel, this is a very well written and constructed book.
The world is a colorful mix of traditional fantasy ideas with Steampunk elements set against the backdrop of an urban metropolis filled with gargoyles, vampires and skeletons, who perform shady deals in skyscrapers.
You have the feeling that behind every corner there lurks a new story and a new possibility.
The plot follows Tara Abernathy, a young and talented craftswoman (read necromancer/mage) who gets hired by a powerful crafts firm to help in the ressurection of the fire god Kos, before his followers actually realize that their god is dead.
A mysterious murder of a judge and an attempt on Tara's life later shows that the job is way more complicated than she and her boss Elayne Kavarian thought.
The characters are well-build, not overly complex, but believeable in their actions.
The book also offers a lot of questions to ponder about the relationship of man vs. god without loosing itself or being too philosophical.
For readers who aren't that much into world-building as I am, the novel might bounce more between 3 and 4 stars, but for me Max Glastones world envoked the feeling of being a kid locked in over night in a toy store. It's a bit dark and a bit scary, but it has more toys than you can ever play with. Therefore it was a 5 star read for me and I can't wait to see what Max Gladstone has in store for me with his 3 sequels.
It reads a bit like Robert Jackson Bennett's "City of Stairs", although Bennett's prose flows a bit more organically. But for a debut novel, this is a very well written and constructed book.
The world is a colorful mix of traditional fantasy ideas with Steampunk elements set against the backdrop of an urban metropolis filled with gargoyles, vampires and skeletons, who perform shady deals in skyscrapers.
You have the feeling that behind every corner there lurks a new story and a new possibility.
The plot follows Tara Abernathy, a young and talented craftswoman (read necromancer/mage) who gets hired by a powerful crafts firm to help in the ressurection of the fire god Kos, before his followers actually realize that their god is dead.
A mysterious murder of a judge and an attempt on Tara's life later shows that the job is way more complicated than she and her boss Elayne Kavarian thought.
The characters are well-build, not overly complex, but believeable in their actions.
The book also offers a lot of questions to ponder about the relationship of man vs. god without loosing itself or being too philosophical.
For readers who aren't that much into world-building as I am, the novel might bounce more between 3 and 4 stars, but for me Max Glastones world envoked the feeling of being a kid locked in over night in a toy store. It's a bit dark and a bit scary, but it has more toys than you can ever play with. Therefore it was a 5 star read for me and I can't wait to see what Max Gladstone has in store for me with his 3 sequels.
December 16, 2017
I wasn't sure on what shelf to put it on. World reminds me of steampunk and gunpowder fantasy except there are little of steam engines and no gunpowder. I'm calling it urban high fantasy and rolling with it. Big reason for that are modern corporations and corporate etiquette built into high fantasy settings but instead of inflow of money they are fighting for inflow of divine power with gods, deathless kings and great craftsman (mages) as CEOs.
Sounds weird but it's well crafted world and despite it's weirdness it works as cohesive whole.
Story starts with young and promising heroine who is taken by mentor after finishing her magic school. Sounds like standard YA stuff but with one key difference. Tara isn't clueless girl unknowing of her potential but already formed young craftswoman confidant in her abilities and aware of her limitations. She uses her deduction skills as well as her magic in her work with for a company that is part layer's office and part mages guild.
Story works like murder mistery thriller and from there comes biggest flaw and reason book didn't get 5 stars. Like all thrillers it takes while for pieces to start fitting and with unusual world that takes a while to make sense results in not so interesting first half.
Overall solid 4 (that comes very close to 5 in last third) for one unique and very fun book.
Sounds weird but it's well crafted world and despite it's weirdness it works as cohesive whole.
Story starts with young and promising heroine who is taken by mentor after finishing her magic school. Sounds like standard YA stuff but with one key difference. Tara isn't clueless girl unknowing of her potential but already formed young craftswoman confidant in her abilities and aware of her limitations. She uses her deduction skills as well as her magic in her work with for a company that is part layer's office and part mages guild.
Story works like murder mistery thriller and from there comes biggest flaw and reason book didn't get 5 stars. Like all thrillers it takes while for pieces to start fitting and with unusual world that takes a while to make sense results in not so interesting first half.
Overall solid 4 (that comes very close to 5 in last third) for one unique and very fun book.
March 18, 2024
A really original fantasy read . The author has built a fantastic world including living breathing gargoyles and the ability to steal a face! It was a story that compelled me to carry on reading and where I needed to concentrate to figure the world out. I believe the next one has a whole set of different characters which will be interesting too..I've read a few great 'living Gods' fantasies this year and this is just as good.
April 4, 2022
Fun, sometimes edgy. At first glance, I wasn't sure how legal urban fantasy was going to be exciting, but then I remembered all of the legal thrillers I've seen over the years. After reading, now it seems like a perfect match. Looking forward to the next in the series.
March 22, 2023
The city stretched there, a teeming metropolis beneath slate-gray skies, beating heart of commerce, bridge between the god-benighted Old World and the Deathless Kingdoms of the West. Millions breathed, worked, prayed, copulated in those palaces, parks, and tenements, sure in the knowledge that Kos Everburning watched over them. If their faith was strong, they could feel the constant presence of his love, sustaining and aiding them in a thousand ways, breaking fevers and checking accidents and powering their city.
Millions of people, unaware that Kos's ever-beating heart had been still for days.
Another one saved from the TBR of doom - and another one I could happily kick myself for ignoring for so long.
There's just so much to love with this book - it's almost completely overcome any kind of coherency I could ever hope to bring to a review. I've forced bullet points on myself to try and make this any kind of readable!
- The mix of fantasy with the urban setting, skyscrapers and cabs and rural medievalism existing side by side. It results in an aesthetic that I haven't seen anywhere near enough of, and I love it. It reminded me a little of Perdido St Station in places despite being absolutely nothing like it, which brings me to:
- The edge of Weird; it's not quite peripheral but there's things hinted at here that have me extremely excited for the next 5 books. The club of multiple stories, each a new Hell; things from the Outside fleetingly worried about between beats of an action sequence; the pyramid of decidedly non-Euclidean geometry.
- Those little flashes of humour were delightful.
- The phrase "extracurricular violence"
- The way tropes were defied in a way that paid homage to them even as the author used them as a springboard to surprise his readers. It felt like being in on the joke, rather than laughing at either the reader or the tropes - I've read authors who didn't hit that sweet spot, and it can be tiresome.
This was a book I really got into, so good on my past self for picking up the omnibus rather than opting for a book at a time. I've been looking for a new universe recently and this one promises to be a truly diverting vacation.
Millions of people, unaware that Kos's ever-beating heart had been still for days.
Another one saved from the TBR of doom - and another one I could happily kick myself for ignoring for so long.
There's just so much to love with this book - it's almost completely overcome any kind of coherency I could ever hope to bring to a review. I've forced bullet points on myself to try and make this any kind of readable!
- The mix of fantasy with the urban setting, skyscrapers and cabs and rural medievalism existing side by side. It results in an aesthetic that I haven't seen anywhere near enough of, and I love it. It reminded me a little of Perdido St Station in places despite being absolutely nothing like it, which brings me to:
- The edge of Weird; it's not quite peripheral but there's things hinted at here that have me extremely excited for the next 5 books. The club of multiple stories, each a new Hell; things from the Outside fleetingly worried about between beats of an action sequence; the pyramid of decidedly non-Euclidean geometry.
- Those little flashes of humour were delightful.
- The phrase "extracurricular violence"
- The way tropes were defied in a way that paid homage to them even as the author used them as a springboard to surprise his readers. It felt like being in on the joke, rather than laughing at either the reader or the tropes - I've read authors who didn't hit that sweet spot, and it can be tiresome.
This was a book I really got into, so good on my past self for picking up the omnibus rather than opting for a book at a time. I've been looking for a new universe recently and this one promises to be a truly diverting vacation.
June 8, 2016
I have for a while wanted to read this book so when I found it one Scribd I just had to read it.
Tara has been thrown out from her the Hidden School, fallen to the earth. You don't get to know why, at least not yet. She returns home to her family and resumes her life there until the chance comes to her in the form of Elayne Kevarian who hires her to work for the necromantic firm: Kelethres, Albrecht and Ao and her first job is to bring the God Kos Everburning back to life. Together with Elayne and Abelard, the chain-smoking priest of Kos she must now resurrect Kos before His city falls apart.
Max Gladstone has created a wonderful and interesting world where ordinary people have discovered that they also can have the power of Gods, or at least some of it with led to the Gods War and the world that Tara is living in now is the result of the war. Tara has the Craft, she can bring people back from the dead. Now one of the last great Gods have died, and it's up to Tara to bring him back, but she must also figure out how he died because it's not very easy thing to kill a God...
I liked this book very much. It was not always an easy book to read, I had to get to know a new world and its history, but as the story progressed and I learned more about the world and characters the more I liked the story. Max Gladstone has written a fascinating book, and I loved how the story progressed and you got a greater insight into the world he has created. Also, the ending, it was great. I never that coming and I love getting surprised when I read a book!
A truly great first book in a new series!
Tara has been thrown out from her the Hidden School, fallen to the earth. You don't get to know why, at least not yet. She returns home to her family and resumes her life there until the chance comes to her in the form of Elayne Kevarian who hires her to work for the necromantic firm: Kelethres, Albrecht and Ao and her first job is to bring the God Kos Everburning back to life. Together with Elayne and Abelard, the chain-smoking priest of Kos she must now resurrect Kos before His city falls apart.
Max Gladstone has created a wonderful and interesting world where ordinary people have discovered that they also can have the power of Gods, or at least some of it with led to the Gods War and the world that Tara is living in now is the result of the war. Tara has the Craft, she can bring people back from the dead. Now one of the last great Gods have died, and it's up to Tara to bring him back, but she must also figure out how he died because it's not very easy thing to kill a God...
I liked this book very much. It was not always an easy book to read, I had to get to know a new world and its history, but as the story progressed and I learned more about the world and characters the more I liked the story. Max Gladstone has written a fascinating book, and I loved how the story progressed and you got a greater insight into the world he has created. Also, the ending, it was great. I never that coming and I love getting surprised when I read a book!
A truly great first book in a new series!
March 8, 2013
When your god has died, who ya gonna call? Why, the thaumaturgical firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, of course.
At least that's what the priesthood of Alt Coulumb does when their fire deity, Kos, snuffs it (a rather embarrassing turn of events for a god billed as "Kos the Everburning"). Without his power driving the steam engines of the city, Alt Coulumb will eventually come to a grinding halt, so it is up to Tara Abernathy (the newest recruit of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao) to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Kos and determine if there is enough of the deity left to resurrect a remnant of his power to keep Alt Coulumb moving. To complicate matters, Tara suspects that Kos did not just die--he was murdered.
Welcome to Three Parts Dead, a novel set in an unclear time and an unclear place populated by Stone Men (gargoyles that can shift into human form), vampire pirates, Justice personified, fallen gods, deified humans and all other manner of weird and wonderful things held together by the Craft, the magic of starlight and earth wielded by Craftspeople like Tara. It's a world where gods use their power to barter with other cities and other gods, and where the death of one god can leave the whole world in a precarious position indeed. It's also a world still feeling the effects of the God Wars, a war between gods and Craftspeople that took place decades before and led to deep distrust between religious factions and practitioners of the Craft. All of this creates a complex mythology and political structure that hopefully author Max Gladstone has just begun to dip into as there's enough at work here to keep a well-written series going for several more books.
Gladstone's inventiveness is impressive and, despite a sometimes baroque attention to detail, the narrative never gets bogged down and moves along at a brusque pace. Unlike many fantasy novels, he largely avoids the "infodump" in favor of just dunking your ass into the deep end of the pool and seeing if you can swim, a method of storytelling I much prefer as it leaves the reader to assimilate himself while exploring the world he has created.
If I have one complaint with the novel, it's that there is a lot going on, with a lot of people involved, and all at a breakneck speed. Frankly, I could have done with 50 more pages if it would have slowed things down a bit as a whole lot goes on over the span of what is apparently two days. The ultimate villain is also a little obvious, but the manner in which the villain is discovered and dealt with more than makes up for it.
Overall, this was one weird little ride that I enjoyed the hell out of. So much so that his next book, Two Serpents Rise is already on my pre-order list.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder and at Shelf Inflicted
At least that's what the priesthood of Alt Coulumb does when their fire deity, Kos, snuffs it (a rather embarrassing turn of events for a god billed as "Kos the Everburning"). Without his power driving the steam engines of the city, Alt Coulumb will eventually come to a grinding halt, so it is up to Tara Abernathy (the newest recruit of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao) to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Kos and determine if there is enough of the deity left to resurrect a remnant of his power to keep Alt Coulumb moving. To complicate matters, Tara suspects that Kos did not just die--he was murdered.
Welcome to Three Parts Dead, a novel set in an unclear time and an unclear place populated by Stone Men (gargoyles that can shift into human form), vampire pirates, Justice personified, fallen gods, deified humans and all other manner of weird and wonderful things held together by the Craft, the magic of starlight and earth wielded by Craftspeople like Tara. It's a world where gods use their power to barter with other cities and other gods, and where the death of one god can leave the whole world in a precarious position indeed. It's also a world still feeling the effects of the God Wars, a war between gods and Craftspeople that took place decades before and led to deep distrust between religious factions and practitioners of the Craft. All of this creates a complex mythology and political structure that hopefully author Max Gladstone has just begun to dip into as there's enough at work here to keep a well-written series going for several more books.
Gladstone's inventiveness is impressive and, despite a sometimes baroque attention to detail, the narrative never gets bogged down and moves along at a brusque pace. Unlike many fantasy novels, he largely avoids the "infodump" in favor of just dunking your ass into the deep end of the pool and seeing if you can swim, a method of storytelling I much prefer as it leaves the reader to assimilate himself while exploring the world he has created.
If I have one complaint with the novel, it's that there is a lot going on, with a lot of people involved, and all at a breakneck speed. Frankly, I could have done with 50 more pages if it would have slowed things down a bit as a whole lot goes on over the span of what is apparently two days. The ultimate villain is also a little obvious, but the manner in which the villain is discovered and dealt with more than makes up for it.
Overall, this was one weird little ride that I enjoyed the hell out of. So much so that his next book, Two Serpents Rise is already on my pre-order list.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder and at Shelf Inflicted
January 9, 2022
A surprise, a pleasant surprise. I was lured in by the urban-fantasy-ness and blown away by the setting, fantastical elements, and world building. As a rule, I have low expectations for all urban fantasies, regardless of hype. So I went into this book expecting it to be average at best, but the depth and scope of Gladstone’s world and the war that ravished the land won me over. Looking forward to continuing this series.
* * * * *
The actual order of these books according to the author: http://www.tor.com/2014/05/26/this-is...
*involuntary twitching*
*grumbling noises*
Why.
* * * * *
So the chronological order goes something like this?
1. Last First Snow
2. Two Serpents Rise
3. Three Parts Dead
4. (not yet written)
5. Full Fathom Five
Clever. That's making me twitch less.
* * * * *
The actual order of these books according to the author: http://www.tor.com/2014/05/26/this-is...
*involuntary twitching*
*grumbling noises*
Why.
* * * * *
So the chronological order goes something like this?
1. Last First Snow
2. Two Serpents Rise
3. Three Parts Dead
4. (not yet written)
5. Full Fathom Five
Clever. That's making me twitch less.
July 29, 2016
CAUTION: Long Review
Three Parts Dead defied my expectation. I took a risk on this seemingly boring book and it paid off!
I thought it was Urban Fantasy because of the blurb and cover.... Okay, mostly because of the cover. And technically it wouldn't be inaccurate to say it is because there were vampires and Craftsman (mages), a kick-ass heroine and a chain-smoking hero among many parts of the book.
However, the book was Fantasy. TDP was set in a completely different world where gods and godly Craftsman rule. From the world-building to the plot to the character, everything was intricately and deftly developed. This book wasn't a typical fantasy, it had layers enough to arguably proclaim it as epic.
Fantasy. Urban Fantasy. However you personally classify it, TDP was a damn good book.
Slow Beginning
The beginning was slow and sort of confusing; the book relied on action and dialogue for the world building. Truth be told, I would have liked some info-dumping even though that is lazy writing. Scenes didn't connect, their purpose wasn't revealed, till the characters met and gathered in one place, the city of Alt Coulumb, where the story took place.
Multiple PoVs
The multiple 3rd PoV was another big reason for the slow beginning. Just when things started getting interesting, the story switched to another PoV to another part of the plot. Fortunately, the switching ceased to be annoying once I grasped the plot and I warmed up to the characters.
The Characters
+++ the protagonists
Tara and Abelard’s PoV were the dominant PoVs, and I enjoyed reading their side. Tara was everything I want in a kickass heroine: confident but not conceited, courageous not foolish, smart but not a know-it-all. Tara had none of those negative traits so frequently inflicted on Urban Fantasy heroines to make them flawed and real. Not to say Tara was perfect, but she was refreshing to follow.
I expected Abelard to depress and annoy me because his god died at his watch. Talk about a crisis of faith, especially when Abelard is fresh into the priesthood as a novice. The man had all the wrapping of a self-tormented, emo hero thrust into a situation beyond his capability. In short, a typical Urban Fantasy hero. Yet Abelard took actions on his own initiative. He helped Tara; he learned about the world beyond and the things in his city he never noticed before; he fought the bad guys when the bad guys ambushed the good guys.
+++ the side characters
It wasn't just Abelard; everyone had the potential to be emo. There was the pirate dude who didn't became a vampire by choice, the junkie who was addicted to the rapturous bite of a vampire because she was supernatural police for a pale imitation of dead Goddess, the Cardinal whose God died and religious order was dying. Apparently, the loss of the connection to the divine messed up most of the characters in the book.
The one character I didn't care for was Shale. His PoV could have been done without because it was confusing and seemed to be mere filler. Not that his role in the plot wasn't important, but his part would have made the same impact if it was observed or discovered by one of the dominant PoVs.
My favorite character was Kevarian, Tara’s boss, because, beside being a powerful Craftsman, she was one of those people who plan many steps ahead and well.... Suffice to say I was very glad she was one of the good guys. She is not a person to trifle with. If you think you won against her, think again... that is if you even have the luxury of minutes to reflect on where you failed before you die a horrible horrible death.
+++ the bad guys
The book had two villains. One villain was unknown and our protagonists had to discover who it was. And it wasn't a big surprise when I found out at the end. That villain was a cliché.
The other villain was introduced in the middle of the story and he was scarier and more powerful than the unknown villain. He was a manipulative deceitful megalomaniac who wanted to be the ruler of everyone and everything he could grasp. No surprise that it was Kevarian’s ex-boyfriend and present nemesis.
The Writing
The writing was little too elaborate for my liking because sometimes the imagery was overwhelming and I skimmed to get to the action or dialogue part of the scene. Thankfully, the prose was pretty clear so I always knew what the characters were doing even if I didn't know why they were doing it.
+++ the pacing
The pacing eventually picked up by a third of the story. Once Tara and Abelard started their investigation, I had a good grip on the plot. The story picked up more speed once the Megalomaniac Mage (my nickname for him) came in and the characters were in a rush to solve the mystery before Megalomaniac Mage thoroughly trapped them in his schemes.
+++ the ending
The story didn't fail to give me a satisfactory ending after an awesome climax. No sireee. It was satisfactory. Very satisfactory. I especially loved what Kevarian did to the Megalomanic Mage in the end. Let’s just say there were no loose ends left to be resolved.
Smorgasbord of Genres
When Tara and Abelard examined the fire god’s body, they gave me the impression that the story was CSI, an American TV crime show. Then in the middle of the story, it became like a lawyer show, except everyone could use magic and play underhandedly. It was essentially a fight for survival.
There was a religious element to the story but it wasn't overbearing. It was, however, a cliché that a big religious order was suffering corruption and opulence. But then again so was every big organization that existed in the story. From the magic school that didn't do expulsion so it graduated Tara and kicked her ass out literally from the sky, to the powerful firm of cutthroat Craftsman who handled cases of god-related matters. The book had themes of power, bureaucracy, and corruption.
In Conclusion
I rate Three Parts Dead 3-stars for I liked it. I’m glad I kept reading the book despite its slow and confusing beginning. The ending left me with a glow of joy. I would look forward reading a sequel if there was one.
Recommended for readers who want an urban fantasy to be heavy and epic on the fantasy side.
Three Parts Dead defied my expectation. I took a risk on this seemingly boring book and it paid off!
I thought it was Urban Fantasy because of the blurb and cover.... Okay, mostly because of the cover. And technically it wouldn't be inaccurate to say it is because there were vampires and Craftsman (mages), a kick-ass heroine and a chain-smoking hero among many parts of the book.
However, the book was Fantasy. TDP was set in a completely different world where gods and godly Craftsman rule. From the world-building to the plot to the character, everything was intricately and deftly developed. This book wasn't a typical fantasy, it had layers enough to arguably proclaim it as epic.
Fantasy. Urban Fantasy. However you personally classify it, TDP was a damn good book.
Slow Beginning
The beginning was slow and sort of confusing; the book relied on action and dialogue for the world building. Truth be told, I would have liked some info-dumping even though that is lazy writing. Scenes didn't connect, their purpose wasn't revealed, till the characters met and gathered in one place, the city of Alt Coulumb, where the story took place.
Multiple PoVs
The multiple 3rd PoV was another big reason for the slow beginning. Just when things started getting interesting, the story switched to another PoV to another part of the plot. Fortunately, the switching ceased to be annoying once I grasped the plot and I warmed up to the characters.
The Characters
+++ the protagonists
Tara and Abelard’s PoV were the dominant PoVs, and I enjoyed reading their side. Tara was everything I want in a kickass heroine: confident but not conceited, courageous not foolish, smart but not a know-it-all. Tara had none of those negative traits so frequently inflicted on Urban Fantasy heroines to make them flawed and real. Not to say Tara was perfect, but she was refreshing to follow.
I expected Abelard to depress and annoy me because his god died at his watch. Talk about a crisis of faith, especially when Abelard is fresh into the priesthood as a novice. The man had all the wrapping of a self-tormented, emo hero thrust into a situation beyond his capability. In short, a typical Urban Fantasy hero. Yet Abelard took actions on his own initiative. He helped Tara; he learned about the world beyond and the things in his city he never noticed before; he fought the bad guys when the bad guys ambushed the good guys.
+++ the side characters
It wasn't just Abelard; everyone had the potential to be emo. There was the pirate dude who didn't became a vampire by choice, the junkie who was addicted to the rapturous bite of a vampire because she was supernatural police for a pale imitation of dead Goddess, the Cardinal whose God died and religious order was dying. Apparently, the loss of the connection to the divine messed up most of the characters in the book.
The one character I didn't care for was Shale. His PoV could have been done without because it was confusing and seemed to be mere filler. Not that his role in the plot wasn't important, but his part would have made the same impact if it was observed or discovered by one of the dominant PoVs.
My favorite character was Kevarian, Tara’s boss, because, beside being a powerful Craftsman, she was one of those people who plan many steps ahead and well.... Suffice to say I was very glad she was one of the good guys. She is not a person to trifle with. If you think you won against her, think again... that is if you even have the luxury of minutes to reflect on where you failed before you die a horrible horrible death.
+++ the bad guys
The book had two villains. One villain was unknown and our protagonists had to discover who it was. And it wasn't a big surprise when I found out at the end. That villain was a cliché.
The other villain was introduced in the middle of the story and he was scarier and more powerful than the unknown villain. He was a manipulative deceitful megalomaniac who wanted to be the ruler of everyone and everything he could grasp. No surprise that it was Kevarian’s ex-boyfriend and present nemesis.
The Writing
The writing was little too elaborate for my liking because sometimes the imagery was overwhelming and I skimmed to get to the action or dialogue part of the scene. Thankfully, the prose was pretty clear so I always knew what the characters were doing even if I didn't know why they were doing it.
+++ the pacing
The pacing eventually picked up by a third of the story. Once Tara and Abelard started their investigation, I had a good grip on the plot. The story picked up more speed once the Megalomaniac Mage (my nickname for him) came in and the characters were in a rush to solve the mystery before Megalomaniac Mage thoroughly trapped them in his schemes.
+++ the ending
The story didn't fail to give me a satisfactory ending after an awesome climax. No sireee. It was satisfactory. Very satisfactory. I especially loved what Kevarian did to the Megalomanic Mage in the end. Let’s just say there were no loose ends left to be resolved.
Smorgasbord of Genres
When Tara and Abelard examined the fire god’s body, they gave me the impression that the story was CSI, an American TV crime show. Then in the middle of the story, it became like a lawyer show, except everyone could use magic and play underhandedly. It was essentially a fight for survival.
There was a religious element to the story but it wasn't overbearing. It was, however, a cliché that a big religious order was suffering corruption and opulence. But then again so was every big organization that existed in the story. From the magic school that didn't do expulsion so it graduated Tara and kicked her ass out literally from the sky, to the powerful firm of cutthroat Craftsman who handled cases of god-related matters. The book had themes of power, bureaucracy, and corruption.
In Conclusion
I rate Three Parts Dead 3-stars for I liked it. I’m glad I kept reading the book despite its slow and confusing beginning. The ending left me with a glow of joy. I would look forward reading a sequel if there was one.
Recommended for readers who want an urban fantasy to be heavy and epic on the fantasy side.
October 29, 2018
4.5 stars. Fingers crossed I get the review out this time lmao
RTC later!
LMAO that review really never came, huh? Hopefully I'll actually write one out after I finish this re-read. I ordered Ruin of Angels a week or so ago, can't wait to finally finish this series.
3.75-4 stars, I think!
RTC.... hopefully, lmao
RTC later!
3.75-4 stars, I think!
RTC.... hopefully, lmao
November 2, 2017
Fascinating plot. Great worldbuilding. Excellent audio performance by Claudia Alick. Very entertaining!
4 plus Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Excellent!!
4 plus Stars
Listened to the audiobook. Excellent!!
February 4, 2018
Executive Summary: I'm not much of a fan of urban fantasy, but this one was different enough than many I've read such that I'll be happy to pick up the next one. 3.5 stars rounded up for its uniqueness.
Full Review
One of my reading goals the last few years has been to not get suckered in by daily deals and continue to add books to my owned and unread shelf. So of course I bought 5 books in this series when they were on sale last year based on the strength of some of my friend's reviews of this book.
I read this book pretty much in two sittings (a rarity for me) while I was sitting on cross-country plane rides. That can sometimes make a bad book seem better than it really is, but this year I had my Nintendo Switch as a backup if I was really bored. The fact that I didn't think about picking it up until after I finished the book is a good sign.
Many of these Urban fantasy books have a magical private eye or cop who wields magic behind the scenes in a world most people are blind to its existence. Not so here. This is a world where the power of gods is used to power cities and have resulted in wars. Power is traded like a stock-market carefully balanced to keep the obligations made. Then suddenly one of the gods dies.
So of course here come the magical lawyers, ready to carve everything apart, dig into the magical contracts and fight it out in court. Wait, what? As a kid I was a big fan of John Grisham novels and the TV show JAG. I must admit the idea of combining fantasy and law drama really appealed to me.
At times this book does read more like your typical Urban Fantasy mystery novel than it does a law-room drama, but overall the world Mr. Gladstone has built feels like truly his own. I wouldn't have minded if seemily prerequisite vampires didn't play a role in the story, but thankfully that was fairly minimal.
I really enjoyed Tara as a protagonist, and spent much of the book wondering how exactly she ended up where she was. I was glad that we found it all out in this book rather than rationing it out over several books. Then again I've been told she's either not in the next book, or at least not the main protagonist, which I find unfortunate. I hope that she'll make a return later in the series (especially since I own so many of them already).
The magic system was pretty interest/unique to me, especially the ways in which it seems to be combined with the law as well as the powers of gods. I will say however it's not as well-defined as I generally prefer in my magic systems so I hope we get more refinement as the series goes on.
Overall I thought this was a pretty good light read, that was perfect entertainment for passing time on a long plane ride. I plan to pick up the second book at some point later this year.
Full Review
One of my reading goals the last few years has been to not get suckered in by daily deals and continue to add books to my owned and unread shelf. So of course I bought 5 books in this series when they were on sale last year based on the strength of some of my friend's reviews of this book.
I read this book pretty much in two sittings (a rarity for me) while I was sitting on cross-country plane rides. That can sometimes make a bad book seem better than it really is, but this year I had my Nintendo Switch as a backup if I was really bored. The fact that I didn't think about picking it up until after I finished the book is a good sign.
Many of these Urban fantasy books have a magical private eye or cop who wields magic behind the scenes in a world most people are blind to its existence. Not so here. This is a world where the power of gods is used to power cities and have resulted in wars. Power is traded like a stock-market carefully balanced to keep the obligations made. Then suddenly one of the gods dies.
So of course here come the magical lawyers, ready to carve everything apart, dig into the magical contracts and fight it out in court. Wait, what? As a kid I was a big fan of John Grisham novels and the TV show JAG. I must admit the idea of combining fantasy and law drama really appealed to me.
At times this book does read more like your typical Urban Fantasy mystery novel than it does a law-room drama, but overall the world Mr. Gladstone has built feels like truly his own. I wouldn't have minded if seemily prerequisite vampires didn't play a role in the story, but thankfully that was fairly minimal.
I really enjoyed Tara as a protagonist, and spent much of the book wondering how exactly she ended up where she was. I was glad that we found it all out in this book rather than rationing it out over several books. Then again I've been told she's either not in the next book, or at least not the main protagonist, which I find unfortunate. I hope that she'll make a return later in the series (especially since I own so many of them already).
The magic system was pretty interest/unique to me, especially the ways in which it seems to be combined with the law as well as the powers of gods. I will say however it's not as well-defined as I generally prefer in my magic systems so I hope we get more refinement as the series goes on.
Overall I thought this was a pretty good light read, that was perfect entertainment for passing time on a long plane ride. I plan to pick up the second book at some point later this year.
April 17, 2021
This is an entertaining and refreshing read, and a book which is difficult to classify within a specific subgenre... perhaps "Secondary World Urban Fantasy" would be the closest fit, if I were hard-pressed to do so. But truly, there are elements of everything from epic fantasy (gods! monsters!) to legal thriller (no, I'm not kidding, and it's certainly an intense bit of courtroom drama!). Regardless of what we call it, it's an interesting story.
The characters are well-written, each with unique quirks and personality traits, even if the emotional depth isn't quite as strong as I usually prefer (although it did have its moments). I also appreciated the dry humor that popped up from time to time, which served to balance out an otherwise very dark story.
The greatest strength of this novel, I think, is the worldbuilding. Gladstone is clearly a brilliant fantasist, and here he has conjured up a world that really feels unique, imbued with both the weight of history and an authentic sense of place.
But, with the depth of worldbuilding comes my only real complaint, which is that the novel sometimes feels incredibly dense, which slowed down its pace for me. Even though the book is relatively short, it actually felt like a much longer novel. There are just so many details of the world and the magic system thrown at the reader, it can start to feel exhausting at times. Of course, the good thing about this is that it means the story would likely hold up well on a re-read, for someone already familiar with the setting.
Oh, and the ending? The way everything was explained and wrapped up came down to a detail which was so clever, that I never would have guessed it in a million years, even though it's pretty much staring the reader in the face for the entire length of the book. That definitely put a smile on my face.
This is the first published in a series, although it is the third book in terms of in-world chronology; and while it leaves you wanting more, it also definitely works well as a stand-alone.
The characters are well-written, each with unique quirks and personality traits, even if the emotional depth isn't quite as strong as I usually prefer (although it did have its moments). I also appreciated the dry humor that popped up from time to time, which served to balance out an otherwise very dark story.
The greatest strength of this novel, I think, is the worldbuilding. Gladstone is clearly a brilliant fantasist, and here he has conjured up a world that really feels unique, imbued with both the weight of history and an authentic sense of place.
But, with the depth of worldbuilding comes my only real complaint, which is that the novel sometimes feels incredibly dense, which slowed down its pace for me. Even though the book is relatively short, it actually felt like a much longer novel. There are just so many details of the world and the magic system thrown at the reader, it can start to feel exhausting at times. Of course, the good thing about this is that it means the story would likely hold up well on a re-read, for someone already familiar with the setting.
Oh, and the ending? The way everything was explained and wrapped up came down to a detail which was so clever, that I never would have guessed it in a million years, even though it's pretty much staring the reader in the face for the entire length of the book. That definitely put a smile on my face.
This is the first published in a series, although it is the third book in terms of in-world chronology; and while it leaves you wanting more, it also definitely works well as a stand-alone.
April 10, 2013
Three Parts Dead is a fantasy novel that teases at the senses and perceptions of the reader. Gladstone takes some fantasy concepts and weaves them into a creation that has its own flavor and feel. It's not urban fantasy in the common sense. It's not epic fantasy, either. It's a novel that forges its own path.
Gladstone takes the sticky territory of faith and belief in a deity and asks the reader to trust him and to follow where he's going. For those readers who are believers in God and who consider themselves religious, it will take some trust not to assume that Gladstone is attacking the system of belief and devaluing it. In fact, he gives the reader something to ponder and does not do this at all. While I don't believe that my God needs my faith to keep him alive, I did like how Gladstone examines the intrinsic relationship aspect of faith. Faith requires trust in your God. Faith requires a commitment to keep believing despite what circumstances may show. In the case of this book, the character of Abelard acts as a stand-in for a person who lives a life of faith. The struggle that is inherent in living in a world in which belief in God is steadily becoming an oddity and many have rejected such an idea and consider it irrelevant. With Abelard, he faces that crisis of faith and that anguish of being confronted with the idea that his god doesn't live anymore, and the hole within that comes from that lack of communion with him. At the crux of faith is that understanding that what one believes does benefit that person, even when others lack an understanding of how this happens.
Tara represents the skeptic. The person who has trained herself not to subscribe to a faith-based way of life. Tara feels that she has it together, and has all the power within to make prescribing to faith in God unnecessary to her life. She feels with her education and her life, she is above having faith in a deity, and almost has a smug way of looking at Abelard because she sees things on a higher intellectual level and outside of his faith-based worldview. While Tara treats Abelard kindly, underneath there is a smug attitude that she'll show him that he doesn't need God. That the concept of a deity is just something that can be used to achieve some sort of end-goal. Look how well she's done. I'm not picking on Tara here. I'm just commenting on how her character acts initially in this book.
Both Abelard and Tara are younger people, who have a ways to go in their life experiences, although what they have experienced is not to be dismissed. Both have a lot to bring to the table, and I feel they learn a lot from each other, and working together, they can achieve an important purpose in this novel.
And then there is Cat. Cat's character is not as well developed as Abelard and Tara. I felt that she is in transition and hasn't learned who she is as a person, what her identity is. But in that, she is a stand-in for that person who is searching for something to ground them in their lives. Who they are and what they stand for in this life. How does faith or lack thereof tie into this?
The world-building is its own character. Gladstone doesn't give much of a frame of reference, because Alt Coulomb, the home of Kos The Everburning feels modern and ancient. The city's very machinery is powered by the god they pay homage to. You have touches of modernity, and even with Tara's agrarian origins, it feels as though the story is set in the present, but in a different world. The idea of Justice and the Blacksuits was another concept that was both alluring and unsettling. I have to say that with the teasing touches that I get in this book, I end up with more questions and wanting more of this world-building. This world that Gladstone created could easily sustain several books.
I absolutely loved the idea of the gargoyles. How they had made their mark both literally and figuratively on the city. The buildings were scarred by their talons. The descriptions of their unworldly and intimidating beauty spoke to me as a visual artist.
The concept of craft and magic was also alluring in this story. The manner in which Tara used her powers. The concept of altering reality through the use of craft. The idea of the God Wars, a background piece of history which proves integral to the plot, but is not described in great detail. This is another area that could easily be picked up if the author chooses to write more stories in this world.
It's so hard to condense my thoughts into a review because this book had my mind running. Some aspects lost me a bit and I would find my mind wondering. But then another scene or concept would grab my attention and refuse to let go of it. I guess that's why I couldn't give this five stars. Part of me wasn't fully satisfied with the story. I felt like there were two many goals with this story and the author wasn't sure what kind of novel he wanted to write. Part mythical fiction, part occult detective novel, with some probing insights into human psychology and the power of belief. What I was glad about was that he didn't take this opportunity to attack organized religion. That just gets old. I think that there is so much more to probe into when it comes to matters of faith than just beating the drum about how the church manipulates and takes advantage of believers. I think we know that this is possible and happens more than any believer would like. Let's put that aside and explore other aspects of belief and how this can clash with other worldviews, or how belief is not as foreign and unfruitful as we might assume. While Gladstone only scratches the surface here (since this book isn't 1000 pages), he delivers something thought-provoking that I could appreciate.
Three Parts Dead has something to offer the genre of Fantasy. I would recommend it.
Gladstone takes the sticky territory of faith and belief in a deity and asks the reader to trust him and to follow where he's going. For those readers who are believers in God and who consider themselves religious, it will take some trust not to assume that Gladstone is attacking the system of belief and devaluing it. In fact, he gives the reader something to ponder and does not do this at all. While I don't believe that my God needs my faith to keep him alive, I did like how Gladstone examines the intrinsic relationship aspect of faith. Faith requires trust in your God. Faith requires a commitment to keep believing despite what circumstances may show. In the case of this book, the character of Abelard acts as a stand-in for a person who lives a life of faith. The struggle that is inherent in living in a world in which belief in God is steadily becoming an oddity and many have rejected such an idea and consider it irrelevant. With Abelard, he faces that crisis of faith and that anguish of being confronted with the idea that his god doesn't live anymore, and the hole within that comes from that lack of communion with him. At the crux of faith is that understanding that what one believes does benefit that person, even when others lack an understanding of how this happens.
Tara represents the skeptic. The person who has trained herself not to subscribe to a faith-based way of life. Tara feels that she has it together, and has all the power within to make prescribing to faith in God unnecessary to her life. She feels with her education and her life, she is above having faith in a deity, and almost has a smug way of looking at Abelard because she sees things on a higher intellectual level and outside of his faith-based worldview. While Tara treats Abelard kindly, underneath there is a smug attitude that she'll show him that he doesn't need God. That the concept of a deity is just something that can be used to achieve some sort of end-goal. Look how well she's done. I'm not picking on Tara here. I'm just commenting on how her character acts initially in this book.
Both Abelard and Tara are younger people, who have a ways to go in their life experiences, although what they have experienced is not to be dismissed. Both have a lot to bring to the table, and I feel they learn a lot from each other, and working together, they can achieve an important purpose in this novel.
And then there is Cat. Cat's character is not as well developed as Abelard and Tara. I felt that she is in transition and hasn't learned who she is as a person, what her identity is. But in that, she is a stand-in for that person who is searching for something to ground them in their lives. Who they are and what they stand for in this life. How does faith or lack thereof tie into this?
The world-building is its own character. Gladstone doesn't give much of a frame of reference, because Alt Coulomb, the home of Kos The Everburning feels modern and ancient. The city's very machinery is powered by the god they pay homage to. You have touches of modernity, and even with Tara's agrarian origins, it feels as though the story is set in the present, but in a different world. The idea of Justice and the Blacksuits was another concept that was both alluring and unsettling. I have to say that with the teasing touches that I get in this book, I end up with more questions and wanting more of this world-building. This world that Gladstone created could easily sustain several books.
I absolutely loved the idea of the gargoyles. How they had made their mark both literally and figuratively on the city. The buildings were scarred by their talons. The descriptions of their unworldly and intimidating beauty spoke to me as a visual artist.
The concept of craft and magic was also alluring in this story. The manner in which Tara used her powers. The concept of altering reality through the use of craft. The idea of the God Wars, a background piece of history which proves integral to the plot, but is not described in great detail. This is another area that could easily be picked up if the author chooses to write more stories in this world.
It's so hard to condense my thoughts into a review because this book had my mind running. Some aspects lost me a bit and I would find my mind wondering. But then another scene or concept would grab my attention and refuse to let go of it. I guess that's why I couldn't give this five stars. Part of me wasn't fully satisfied with the story. I felt like there were two many goals with this story and the author wasn't sure what kind of novel he wanted to write. Part mythical fiction, part occult detective novel, with some probing insights into human psychology and the power of belief. What I was glad about was that he didn't take this opportunity to attack organized religion. That just gets old. I think that there is so much more to probe into when it comes to matters of faith than just beating the drum about how the church manipulates and takes advantage of believers. I think we know that this is possible and happens more than any believer would like. Let's put that aside and explore other aspects of belief and how this can clash with other worldviews, or how belief is not as foreign and unfruitful as we might assume. While Gladstone only scratches the surface here (since this book isn't 1000 pages), he delivers something thought-provoking that I could appreciate.
Three Parts Dead has something to offer the genre of Fantasy. I would recommend it.
April 15, 2019
3-1/2 stars, rounded down because even though this book was set in an interesting, well-developed fantasy world that was just familiar enough for me to settle into it comfortably and just different enough to keep me intrigued and on my toes, and had a terrific idea for a mystery (a god has disappeared/been murdered), I found myself putting it down and not caring if I picked it up again. This was entirely my problem, stemming from the multiple POV's, which change every few paragraphs or so, pretty consistently throughout the entire book. They were really well done, and provided insight into every character, but they prevented me from feeling as engaged with the story as I would have liked and kept throwing my concentration off.
Still, this was an unusual and well thought-out combination fantasy/mystery, with many twists and turns and plenty of backstabbing, so I do intend to look into the third and fourth books in this series (Book 2 seems to be universally described as "disappointing"). I think I might enjoy them better if I head into them in the proper state of mind.
Still, this was an unusual and well thought-out combination fantasy/mystery, with many twists and turns and plenty of backstabbing, so I do intend to look into the third and fourth books in this series (Book 2 seems to be universally described as "disappointing"). I think I might enjoy them better if I head into them in the proper state of mind.
February 5, 2016
Amazing!!
August 23, 2015
This book will make many readers happy, particularly those who enjoy plot-driven, worldbuilding-heavy fantasy. Three Parts Dead has an alternate-world, urban steampunk setting, and features a murder mystery surrounding a dead god, seemingly limitless magic, some paranormal elements (including vampires, but no romance) and a megalomaniacal villain. If this sounds like your dreams come true, don’t let me discourage you from reading this book. But those, like me, who enjoy character-driven fiction may be left dissatisfied.
The plot is simple enough: Tara, a recent magic school graduate, is hired by a necromantic firm to help unravel the mystery of the death of Kos, a fire god who powered the metropolis of Alt Coulumb. Gods in this world owe their existence to an intricate system of faith and contract law, and by all rights Kos should not be dead. Also involved are a small number of other people, including Abelard, a novice priest; Elayne Kevarian, Tara’s boss; Cat, an addict who moonlights as an avatar of Justice; Alexander Denovo, a creepy professor; and a bunch of angry gargoyles.
It’s hard to find fault with the writing or pacing of the novel; its failure to truly engage me lies with the characters. They are people of action, drawn with a broad brush: Tara loves working magic; Abelard is devoted to his god; there’s little more to say. What are their flaws, who are the important people in their lives, what do they do when they aren’t working? The reader doesn’t know. Compounding this problem is the fact that the success or failure of Tara’s mission means little to most of the characters. She’s just doing her job; the author tries to raise the stakes by suggesting she must succeed to be permanently hired, but it’s an opportunity that simply fell into her lap and she’s clearly resourceful enough to find another one. Abelard is the only major character deeply invested in Kos’s death and revival, and his devotion seems largely due to the fact that he hasn’t gotten out much. Elayne Kevarian revives gods all the time, apparently. How can I invest in a story of minimal importance to its own protagonists, who themselves aren’t even fully fleshed out?
That’s the crux of the problem, though there are other plotting issues. The author tries to write the characters as renegades when it makes no sense (in an especially odd scene, Tara and Cat blackmail a librarian into handing over documents, although they are the official investigation). A key segment of the plot rests on a gambit of the “I knew that if I did X, Person A would do Y, and I did Z so that Person B wouldn't blurt out the truth until C showed up…” variety, which sounds clever on paper and is thus beloved of fantasy authors, but would never survive contact with real people in chaotic situations. And the “court” scenes are actually cage matches with magic and/or standard villain confrontations, in which case, why call it court?
All that said, the book does get points for originality in its worldbuilding. It feels fresh, with its own take on gods, vampires, and the like. Also interestingly, it is a world where neither race nor gender seems to have any cultural significance whatsoever. Information about the world is generally not spelled out for the reader; you jump in and figure it out as you go. I’m taking this up to 3 stars because it was reasonably entertaining, but I don’t plan to read the sequel.
The plot is simple enough: Tara, a recent magic school graduate, is hired by a necromantic firm to help unravel the mystery of the death of Kos, a fire god who powered the metropolis of Alt Coulumb. Gods in this world owe their existence to an intricate system of faith and contract law, and by all rights Kos should not be dead. Also involved are a small number of other people, including Abelard, a novice priest; Elayne Kevarian, Tara’s boss; Cat, an addict who moonlights as an avatar of Justice; Alexander Denovo, a creepy professor; and a bunch of angry gargoyles.
It’s hard to find fault with the writing or pacing of the novel; its failure to truly engage me lies with the characters. They are people of action, drawn with a broad brush: Tara loves working magic; Abelard is devoted to his god; there’s little more to say. What are their flaws, who are the important people in their lives, what do they do when they aren’t working? The reader doesn’t know. Compounding this problem is the fact that the success or failure of Tara’s mission means little to most of the characters. She’s just doing her job; the author tries to raise the stakes by suggesting she must succeed to be permanently hired, but it’s an opportunity that simply fell into her lap and she’s clearly resourceful enough to find another one. Abelard is the only major character deeply invested in Kos’s death and revival, and his devotion seems largely due to the fact that he hasn’t gotten out much. Elayne Kevarian revives gods all the time, apparently. How can I invest in a story of minimal importance to its own protagonists, who themselves aren’t even fully fleshed out?
That’s the crux of the problem, though there are other plotting issues. The author tries to write the characters as renegades when it makes no sense (in an especially odd scene, Tara and Cat blackmail a librarian into handing over documents, although they are the official investigation). A key segment of the plot rests on a gambit of the “I knew that if I did X, Person A would do Y, and I did Z so that Person B wouldn't blurt out the truth until C showed up…” variety, which sounds clever on paper and is thus beloved of fantasy authors, but would never survive contact with real people in chaotic situations. And the “court” scenes are actually cage matches with magic and/or standard villain confrontations, in which case, why call it court?
All that said, the book does get points for originality in its worldbuilding. It feels fresh, with its own take on gods, vampires, and the like. Also interestingly, it is a world where neither race nor gender seems to have any cultural significance whatsoever. Information about the world is generally not spelled out for the reader; you jump in and figure it out as you go. I’m taking this up to 3 stars because it was reasonably entertaining, but I don’t plan to read the sequel.
May 18, 2016
Now that was a surprising read! There are so many bad fantasy/urban fantasy books being published lately that I have come to dread picking the next one to read. I decided to give Three Parts Dead a try after reading a friend’s review here on Goodreads and I must say I wasn’t disappointed!
The premise of the book is both original and promising (a young magician investigates a god’s unexpected death) and the development of the story doesn’t disappoint. Gladstone’s writing is enjoyable and he keeps the reader interested throughout the book. The world he created is particularly inventive (did I mention original?) and I really like the lead female character (who is nothing like the usual stereotypical characters in other fantasy novels).
The book isn’t perfect but it is still very enjoyable and probably one of the best fantasy novels I have read so far this year.
The premise of the book is both original and promising (a young magician investigates a god’s unexpected death) and the development of the story doesn’t disappoint. Gladstone’s writing is enjoyable and he keeps the reader interested throughout the book. The world he created is particularly inventive (did I mention original?) and I really like the lead female character (who is nothing like the usual stereotypical characters in other fantasy novels).
The book isn’t perfect but it is still very enjoyable and probably one of the best fantasy novels I have read so far this year.
September 11, 2020
Wow, a fun mystery/crime procedural in a New Weird world where law and contracts are fueled by magic rather than mere culture.
Forgot to add that it is an SFFBC Reed-All-the-Books entry and a step forward on my Monopoly board for New Weird (it's on a goodreads New Weird list, yes it is!)
Forgot to add that it is an SFFBC Reed-All-the-Books entry and a step forward on my Monopoly board for New Weird (it's on a goodreads New Weird list, yes it is!)
October 4, 2017
No one is more surprised than me at this four-star rating, because I got off to a rocky start. I ended up really liking the world - which is inventive, unique, and interesting - but I found the first quarter of the book difficult because of the amount of information jammed into it. I prefer books that immerse you in a world, rather than spending time spelling it out, but I vividly remember reading the scene where Tara multiple times on a San Francisco bus and just being like ...
And yet, I liked this so much! By the end of the book I was nodding sagely about the because I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, particularly the gods of Alt Coulumb and their intertwined fates. This is the rare book with multiple protagonists that comes together with a very satisfying and surprising conclusion. If you like science fiction, fantasy, or the mixture of the two, and you can persevere through momentary confusion, you should definitely try this series out. It feels ambitious and innovative in a way that many other books in this genre don't.
I still have a problem with Craft as a magic system. The multiple explanations sprinkled through the book might have made the whole thing more confusing. There aren't any limitations, as far as I can tell - there's just whatever Tara wants or needs to do in the moment. Also, what's up with stuffing pieces of your soul into money? Is that what everyone does? I thought most people had trouble even lighting candles using their souls (lazy bums).
Anyway, I'm intrigued by the sequels and my brain feels exercised, so this may also be the rare book that is enjoyable AND good for you.
And yet, I liked this so much! By the end of the book I was nodding sagely about the because I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, particularly the gods of Alt Coulumb and their intertwined fates. This is the rare book with multiple protagonists that comes together with a very satisfying and surprising conclusion. If you like science fiction, fantasy, or the mixture of the two, and you can persevere through momentary confusion, you should definitely try this series out. It feels ambitious and innovative in a way that many other books in this genre don't.
I still have a problem with Craft as a magic system. The multiple explanations sprinkled through the book might have made the whole thing more confusing. There aren't any limitations, as far as I can tell - there's just whatever Tara wants or needs to do in the moment. Also, what's up with stuffing pieces of your soul into money? Is that what everyone does? I thought most people had trouble even lighting candles using their souls (lazy bums).
Anyway, I'm intrigued by the sequels and my brain feels exercised, so this may also be the rare book that is enjoyable AND good for you.
July 30, 2018
I love this book. I love the characters, world-building, magic, plot, lore, and well, pretty much everything. Be prepared for gushing review.
Tara Abernathy is a necromancer/lawyer that has been hired by the firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao to resurrect Kos Everburning, the dead god of Alt Coulumb. There's so much to love about Tara. She's intelligent, resourceful, talented, and self-reliant. Better yet: she's a female protagonist of color. Her boss is Craftswoman Elayne Kevarian (another women in a position of power! Yay!) who pairs her up with chain-smoking monk Abelard. Tara and Abelard make for an interesting pair. Tara is sort of an atheist whereas Abelard is trying to define his faith in the wake of Kos's death.
The world-building is sophisticated and well-paced. Max Gladstone adheres to the Iceberg Theory of writing: he knows all but only shows 10%. He got me hooked and now I want to delve deeper into the Craft Sequence's world. I never felt overwhelmed by the history of Alt Coulumb. He left me wanting more and more, like a bad junkie.
There's a nice theme of faith throughout the novel. As I said above, Abelard has to come to terms with Kos's death and the fact that Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao might not be able to resurrect Kos. We meed Abelard's old friend Catherine who is a Blacksuit - a cop of Alt Coulumb. She answers only to Justice but Justice serves a dead god. Cat has to deal with her own issues of abandonment.
The plot comes together quite nicely. I didn't see how all the pieces fit together but being surprised was satisfying and it all made sense. I loved all the different themes and genres that were mashed up - courtroom drama, urban fantasy, religion. It all works so well and it's a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to dive into Two Serpents Rise.
A
Tara Abernathy is a necromancer/lawyer that has been hired by the firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao to resurrect Kos Everburning, the dead god of Alt Coulumb. There's so much to love about Tara. She's intelligent, resourceful, talented, and self-reliant. Better yet: she's a female protagonist of color. Her boss is Craftswoman Elayne Kevarian (another women in a position of power! Yay!) who pairs her up with chain-smoking monk Abelard. Tara and Abelard make for an interesting pair. Tara is sort of an atheist whereas Abelard is trying to define his faith in the wake of Kos's death.
The world-building is sophisticated and well-paced. Max Gladstone adheres to the Iceberg Theory of writing: he knows all but only shows 10%. He got me hooked and now I want to delve deeper into the Craft Sequence's world. I never felt overwhelmed by the history of Alt Coulumb. He left me wanting more and more, like a bad junkie.
There's a nice theme of faith throughout the novel. As I said above, Abelard has to come to terms with Kos's death and the fact that Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao might not be able to resurrect Kos. We meed Abelard's old friend Catherine who is a Blacksuit - a cop of Alt Coulumb. She answers only to Justice but Justice serves a dead god. Cat has to deal with her own issues of abandonment.
The plot comes together quite nicely. I didn't see how all the pieces fit together but being surprised was satisfying and it all made sense. I loved all the different themes and genres that were mashed up - courtroom drama, urban fantasy, religion. It all works so well and it's a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to dive into Two Serpents Rise.
A
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October 4, 2014God I'm really enjoying this.
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