misskrislm's review against another edition
3.0
I classic adventure through a nontraditionally represented magical tale. If you ever wanted the very best parts of all your favorite fairy tales smashed together, here's what you're needing. Heraclix and pomp are a delightful duo who entertain you as they open your eyes to universal questions you never though to think: "How do you communicate with people who don't have a language of their own?" "What does it meant to have a past where you're the only one who can't remember it?"
A good read, for sure.
I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity to read this!
A good read, for sure.
I won an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity to read this!
seak's review against another edition
4.0
There are some books that are just magical, that are written in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into a new world even if it's set against our own. Neil Gaiman writes this way and so does Susanna Clark in Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
Forrest Aguirre, World Fantasy Award winner for his editorial work in the Leviathan 3 anthology, has created such a tale. The story of Heraclix and Pomp is magical before the magic even begins, or possibly just at the same time.
Because this is the story about a golem, who has been fabricated by a magician, and Pomp, a faery.
They go on a journey to find out what exactly Heraclix is made of ... in more ways than one. Being a golem, he's been formed from different parts of various bodies and some behave abnormally to say the least.
I knew I would enjoy this tale right away, however, my main problem actually has nothing to do with the writing or the story itself, it's the audio narration.
I almost put the book down because the narration was just plain hard to listen to. Brandon Massey's narration was dull and monotone, almost robotic even, with words over-pronounced so that each letter is sounded out. I don't like listening to audiobooks on faster speeds, because I like to appreciate the acting and the reading itself, but 1.75 speed actually made this much better to listen to. At least there was a reason for the robot-sounding voice.
As much as I wanted to love every moment of the book, I was so off-put by the narration that it made it really hard to enjoy the story. I didn't look forward to my car rides and sadly I don't have the time to go back and read, which I'm sure I will enjoy much more.
Despite these facts, I could still see the glimmer of lyrical beauty in the narrative. It's a great story and wonderfully written and my reduced rating is mainly a factor of the audio presentation.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended, but not on audio)
Forrest Aguirre, World Fantasy Award winner for his editorial work in the Leviathan 3 anthology, has created such a tale. The story of Heraclix and Pomp is magical before the magic even begins, or possibly just at the same time.
Because this is the story about a golem, who has been fabricated by a magician, and Pomp, a faery.
They go on a journey to find out what exactly Heraclix is made of ... in more ways than one. Being a golem, he's been formed from different parts of various bodies and some behave abnormally to say the least.
I knew I would enjoy this tale right away, however, my main problem actually has nothing to do with the writing or the story itself, it's the audio narration.
I almost put the book down because the narration was just plain hard to listen to. Brandon Massey's narration was dull and monotone, almost robotic even, with words over-pronounced so that each letter is sounded out. I don't like listening to audiobooks on faster speeds, because I like to appreciate the acting and the reading itself, but 1.75 speed actually made this much better to listen to. At least there was a reason for the robot-sounding voice.
As much as I wanted to love every moment of the book, I was so off-put by the narration that it made it really hard to enjoy the story. I didn't look forward to my car rides and sadly I don't have the time to go back and read, which I'm sure I will enjoy much more.
Despite these facts, I could still see the glimmer of lyrical beauty in the narrative. It's a great story and wonderfully written and my reduced rating is mainly a factor of the audio presentation.
3.5 out of 5 Stars (recommended, but not on audio)
jeffhall's review against another edition
4.0
Heraclix and Pomp is a genuinely fun read, mixing up elements of fantasy, historical fiction, and the occult into a heady brew that gallops along at a brisk pace. The titular characters are richly developed, and the contrast between them gives the book much of its comedic edge. Which is not to say that this is solely a work of comedy, but rather that Forrest Aguirre uses humor to prevent the darker aspects of his story (including a trip to Hell) from taking over completely.
In many ways, this novel reminds me of Susanna Clarke's excellent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, given that both works are set a few centuries back in grand European locations, and both works assume that magic is very real. Even better, both works feature members of the fair folk amongst their cast of characters, and traffic between our human world and the worlds of fairy is key to both narratives. This is not to suggest that Aguirre copied anything from Clarke, but rather that a reader who enjoyed one of these two books will almost certainly like them both.
In many ways, this novel reminds me of Susanna Clarke's excellent Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, given that both works are set a few centuries back in grand European locations, and both works assume that magic is very real. Even better, both works feature members of the fair folk amongst their cast of characters, and traffic between our human world and the worlds of fairy is key to both narratives. This is not to suggest that Aguirre copied anything from Clarke, but rather that a reader who enjoyed one of these two books will almost certainly like them both.
thejanewayprotocol's review against another edition
4.0
***I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway***
Wow, Heraclix & Pomp... such great timing reading this book, just when I though I had no Hallowe'en type books to read this year!
Heraclix is a golem. A creature with body parts from different people sown together, and magically reanimated. Pomp is a fairy of the tallest definition; she likes pranks and doesn't really understand wrong from right, or even what the concept of being mortal means.
They are brought together by a wizard, who requires Pomp for a complicated spell. Heraclix, freshly reborn, and terrified of his maker, seizes his chance when the wizard is most vulnerable, and rescues Pomp. The wizards wayward spell attracts a lot of attention from the public outside, and soon Heraclix and Pomp are running for their lives.
The new friends set off on an adventure; where does Heraclix come from? Well, where do parts of Heralix come from? They managed to save a few of the wizards documents that gets them going on this little adventure, which takes us across middle Europe and even to the depths of Hell itself. (That chapter, not gonna lie, made me lose my appetite for a bit. And want to sleep with the lights on....)
I loved this book! Both Heraclix and Pomp are great characters that you love right from the get-go, something that doesn't happen to me all that much. Even though both of them have a lot of growing to do (ahem, mostly Pomp) their loyalty to one another is so endearing, you almost forget why they are together.
There are not a lot of books like this out there, and that's a shame. Books of this particular style usually end up being a little too intense for me, and little too Olde English. For me this book was a great story, beautifully written, and everyone needs to check it out!
Wow, Heraclix & Pomp... such great timing reading this book, just when I though I had no Hallowe'en type books to read this year!
Heraclix is a golem. A creature with body parts from different people sown together, and magically reanimated. Pomp is a fairy of the tallest definition; she likes pranks and doesn't really understand wrong from right, or even what the concept of being mortal means.
They are brought together by a wizard, who requires Pomp for a complicated spell. Heraclix, freshly reborn, and terrified of his maker, seizes his chance when the wizard is most vulnerable, and rescues Pomp. The wizards wayward spell attracts a lot of attention from the public outside, and soon Heraclix and Pomp are running for their lives.
The new friends set off on an adventure; where does Heraclix come from? Well, where do parts of Heralix come from? They managed to save a few of the wizards documents that gets them going on this little adventure, which takes us across middle Europe and even to the depths of Hell itself. (That chapter, not gonna lie, made me lose my appetite for a bit. And want to sleep with the lights on....)
I loved this book! Both Heraclix and Pomp are great characters that you love right from the get-go, something that doesn't happen to me all that much. Even though both of them have a lot of growing to do (ahem, mostly Pomp) their loyalty to one another is so endearing, you almost forget why they are together.
There are not a lot of books like this out there, and that's a shame. Books of this particular style usually end up being a little too intense for me, and little too Olde English. For me this book was a great story, beautifully written, and everyone needs to check it out!
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