Michael S Roberti

The Needlemaker and His Son

Revisado: 11-11-22

I was immediately drawn to Thrice when I saw a write-up for it that a friend did during SPFBO. The idea that the main characters could be a needlesmith and his adopted son seemed like a breath of fresh air. That coupled with the amalgamation of Slavic and original folklore really produced a book that kept on giving.

Let me start by really saying even though this is a short book, it feels dense. At the beginning it took a little bit for me to get my bearings, but I was glad I did. So much of this book feels longer than it is and only in the best ways.

To me, this is an ambitious book. It takes a lot of the things I love about fantasy and literature and really commits to them: juxtapositions, internal logic, moral and societal messages, and heart.

I found myself questioning a lot of different elements of the book and always enjoying the life it had in my head. The characters both fit and subvert tropes as well as live their own lives where there is always a little bit more you don’t know.

I found myself most often comparing it to books like Stardust or The Buried Giant. Even though those books didn’t work for me very well, Thrice takes that magical dream-like narrative and runs with it.

And I found myself running alongside it.

***my full review will be up later this week on my website along with a Q+A with the author!

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Beauty in a Grim World

Revisado: 10-31-22

This is the sort of book that sneaks up on you. The kind of book where it is very easy to lose yourself to the flow of words and plot and how it all tangles together. Krystle Matar’s prose and characters shine through the dimly-lit streets of the Dominion, and it makes every twist and turn hurt all that much more.

First, I’ve got to say, I heard this book would break me, and it’s probably the closest I’ve been to broken over a book since The Road by Cormac McCarthy. There was one moment when I was listening to the audiobook on the way home from work that I could feel the tears starting to form, and I just barely held it together.

From the moment in Day 1 where we are introduced to Tashúe and get to see who he is and what he’s about, I knew I was reading something special. Even the meandering plot, one that switches focus between characters and events from the loosely connected to the essential, kept me focused and wanting more. I didn’t care if they were only baking or drinking good (or bad whiskey) or fighting or whatever. These characters were my people, and I loved them for every moment good and bad.

I love that it defies easy classification and that it alternates between the soft and charming and the gritty and unspeakable. That’s what makes it feel so true.

I can’t wait until I’m back in the Dominion learning and breaking and healing with Tashúe and the others!

*A more detailed review will be on my website shortly after this review with a brief Q&A with the author!

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Essential Listening!

Revisado: 09-18-22 El oyente recibió este título gratis

Westgate made the Urban Fantasy Genre, not something I usually seek out, accessible and interesting to me. He used a diverse group of characters to create a dysfunctional found family that will keep you coming back for more.

My only other foray into Urban Fantasy that I can recall was the Dresden Files, and I feel like this compares favorably to that series. A bit less self-serious with more tongue-in-cheek humor and heart than that series. The characters in this book are just more human and vulnerable than Harry Dresden and co.

The pacing was fast and kept the various obstacles and antagonists coming at our cast and it made me wonder how they could ever get out of these situations alive. The danger was there and you could tell the characters were always moments away from tragedy. This sort of pacing is clearly intentional and the sign of a well-crafted narrative.

Some of the trappings of this genre still aren’t my favorite things in the world: quipiness, detailed wardrobes, and other little nit-picky things, but Westgate makes them palatable. Besides, how can I worry about those things when the fate of Portland, Maine and more are on the line?

I encourage you to give this series a chance, even if you don’t like Urban Fantasy. I wouldn’t consider myself an Urban Fantasy convert, but I am a fan of what Westgate is putting out there!

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