AK Alliss

Dark, but beautifully written and performed

Revisado: 01-15-20

If you like your fantasy dark, unrepentant and well written, this is the book for you. A psychopath God King and his merry men set out to murder an Emperor with unexpected results.

The story can meander, but the writing and performances are so good it's not a chore. The violence does get a bit tedious, but I do feel it's meant to underpin the central protagonists exposure to it and what it has all cost them.

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The start of the end of the world

Revisado: 11-28-19

John Birmingham delivers a convincing end of the civilised world scenario, with memorable characters and good narrative thrust. Starting simple, he builds upon this foundation to layer in the starting of an interesting premise. Instead of things going to hell immediately, the story is given time to breathe and hook the reader into the action. The narrator gave a great performance, although I did find the two male protagonists a bit samey in voice. My only niggle is that now I have to wait for book two! Luckily I'm part of John Birmingham's Patreon page, which gives an opportunity to get a front row seat to a story under development.

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Dystopian Law - Trial by History

Revisado: 10-30-19

A well crafted legal thriller, taking place in future Texas, with an oppressed wiseass lawyer, a tough talking freelance journalist with a big secret, and a cast of Machiavellian autocrats out to protect the state.

Brown never wavers in his commitment to the story. As the plot descends into a labyrinthine, Chinatown-seque territory, we are shown a great deal of detail on the legal process. It's a fascinating documentarian approach that caters to a reader who likes to think. Initially, I was thinking of comparing this to Grisham. While I chard those novels up in my early twenties, they now feel like a simpler precursor to this tale. The thrills are matched by the foundations of a devastatingly real glimpse of what could be. Without revealing too much, my favourite invention was the passport app.

The narrator does a fine job, preforming each character with verve and bringing the Browns wit to life. For heavy subject matter, the combination of the writer's and the narrator's skill really make it easy to digest. A sharp right turn of a plot twist at the end completely solidifies the realism of the tale and helps underpin how corrupt the system is.

All up, I greatly enjoyed this further foray into Brown's world, which started in companion piece, Tropic of Kansas. I would recommend starting there if you haven't already read it as it greatly enhances this novel.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Cheap Lessons / Valuable Life

Revisado: 08-21-19

Superfan here.

Spending just under 8 hours with Mr. Folds was just great. From the conversational style, to the entertaining interludes and impersonations, it was like having a private one on one with the man himself. At the end you understood, even our heroes are just like us. I've grown up listening to Ben Folds' music since I was 17. Here's what stands out for me; being 17, alone and unloved, but happy when I heard one of his songs for the first time. Being 30, alone and unloved, but still kept company by the music of this talented and committed man. Being 43 and now not alone and with a full heart, and he's still there, reminding me that the peaks and troughs of life are meant to be there, because without them, we'd just have barren and empty flatness.

It was a great book and I'd highly recommend it to anyone, whether you've found your path or not.

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