ianayris's review
5.0
Gerard Brennan is one of those names in the circles I have come to know that oozes quality. Having read his WEE ROCKETS a short while back I was keen to have a look at his next outing - FIREPROOF - as quick as I could.
I was not disappointed.
Mmm . . . 'equal parts crime fiction, dark urban fantasy, and black comedy' - well there's a thing, eh. And I'd have to say it's a pretty accurate description.
FIREPROOF begins with Mike, a former Belfast bad boy, in Hell, being swallowed by his room-mate - a demon of horrific proportions, and somewhat unpleasant odours. Mike is no ordinary denzien of Hell, however. He has . . . powers. A bargain is struck twixt Mike and Lucifer, and Mike returns to life charged with spreading the word of Satansim, as only he can.
Let me say this first. I did not know what to expect from this book. I suppose I expected it to be similar to Wee Rockets, set as it is in Belfast, written by Gerard Brennan, noted for his Crime Fiction. But FIREPROOF is like nothing I've ever read before. Sure, it has it's crime-fiction elements. A vicious torturing gang, revenge killings, bank jobs, and numerous odious characters. But it is also a story of redemption, of hope, of the nature of religion, and of the spirit of man. And any story that includes Cerberus the three-headed dog of Greek mythology, a foul-mouthed imp, and a clairvoyant tramp called Cadbury, has my vote.
FIREPROOF is, like WEE ROCKETS, set in modern day Belfast. Brennan writes Belfast like his heart beats and bleeds for the place in equal measure. FIREPROOF is as much a social statement as anything else; a chilling indictment of the modern day world we live in - a tale of the lost and the dispossessed, the broken and the weary.
But like I said, it is also surreal and hilarious. Amongst the hilarity, however, and the darkness, there is a gentleness that shines through in Brennan's writing. Every character has feelings. Every character is vulnerable - even the imp. The central character, Mike, is brilliantly written, and the way he changes throughout the book, the way his vulnerability is exposed, is so subtle as to be almost imperceptible - until the end.
Just little touches, you know.And little touches make a great writer.
And through it all, beneath the surface, and above it, there is the constant dialogue regarding the very nature of belief itself.
FIREPROOF has many levels. It will make you laugh, it will make you shudder, and it will make you think.
A brilliant, stunningly original, book by a very talented author.
Top stuff, sir.
I was not disappointed.
Mmm . . . 'equal parts crime fiction, dark urban fantasy, and black comedy' - well there's a thing, eh. And I'd have to say it's a pretty accurate description.
FIREPROOF begins with Mike, a former Belfast bad boy, in Hell, being swallowed by his room-mate - a demon of horrific proportions, and somewhat unpleasant odours. Mike is no ordinary denzien of Hell, however. He has . . . powers. A bargain is struck twixt Mike and Lucifer, and Mike returns to life charged with spreading the word of Satansim, as only he can.
Let me say this first. I did not know what to expect from this book. I suppose I expected it to be similar to Wee Rockets, set as it is in Belfast, written by Gerard Brennan, noted for his Crime Fiction. But FIREPROOF is like nothing I've ever read before. Sure, it has it's crime-fiction elements. A vicious torturing gang, revenge killings, bank jobs, and numerous odious characters. But it is also a story of redemption, of hope, of the nature of religion, and of the spirit of man. And any story that includes Cerberus the three-headed dog of Greek mythology, a foul-mouthed imp, and a clairvoyant tramp called Cadbury, has my vote.
FIREPROOF is, like WEE ROCKETS, set in modern day Belfast. Brennan writes Belfast like his heart beats and bleeds for the place in equal measure. FIREPROOF is as much a social statement as anything else; a chilling indictment of the modern day world we live in - a tale of the lost and the dispossessed, the broken and the weary.
But like I said, it is also surreal and hilarious. Amongst the hilarity, however, and the darkness, there is a gentleness that shines through in Brennan's writing. Every character has feelings. Every character is vulnerable - even the imp. The central character, Mike, is brilliantly written, and the way he changes throughout the book, the way his vulnerability is exposed, is so subtle as to be almost imperceptible - until the end.
Just little touches, you know.And little touches make a great writer.
And through it all, beneath the surface, and above it, there is the constant dialogue regarding the very nature of belief itself.
FIREPROOF has many levels. It will make you laugh, it will make you shudder, and it will make you think.
A brilliant, stunningly original, book by a very talented author.
Top stuff, sir.
malkav11's review
3.0
Moment to moment, Fireproof is moderately entertaining. It just never really winds up going anywhere or gelling as a whole experience. Still, despite the deeply questionable cover, you could do worse for devil-related shenanigans.
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