celestialwillow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I read this in lunchtimes over MONTHS, which is unlike me. I was determined to finish it and find out if anything would make sense in the end. It didn’t, and I should’ve DNFd it weeks ago.
Just not enough to love about the characters especially the detective and his attitude to women. Even spider women. Nope.
Just not enough to love about the characters especially the detective and his attitude to women. Even spider women. Nope.
read_me_up_scotty's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Interesting concept but the delivery just doesn’t work. Too many diversions and subplots that don’t add anything to the story. The ending has practically nothing to do with most of the book. Struggled to will myself to get to the end.
kjaro's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Not gonna lie, I'm glad I finally managed to end this book. Not because it was bad, but because it was, indeed, a lot.
Which is to say: I enjoyed almost everything that went on. Even if it was incredibly overwhelming in the beginning, and a few times along the way.
But what can I say, I'm a sucker for weird and quirky character design, more or less emotional storylines and big mysteries that want to be unraveled. And there's more than enough of all those things in this book.
The only real downside for me would be the relation the story has with its female characters. All of them have to be saved at some point, all of them are reffered to as "Dame", "Honey" and "darling" by the strong Mister Detective-man. That's not how that works anymore.
Not gonna lie, I'm glad I finally managed to end this book. Not because it was bad, but because it was, indeed, a lot.
Which is to say: I enjoyed almost everything that went on. Even if it was incredibly overwhelming in the beginning, and a few times along the way.
But what can I say, I'm a sucker for weird and quirky character design, more or less emotional storylines and big mysteries that want to be unraveled. And there's more than enough of all those things in this book.
The only real downside for me would be the relation the story has with its female characters. All of them have to be saved at some point, all of them are reffered to as "Dame", "Honey" and "darling" by the strong Mister Detective-man. That's not how that works anymore.
liacooper's review
4.0
3.75 rounded up to 4*
I received an ARC copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was both exactly what I expected and also quite surprising. It follows the turbulent ups and downs of our protagonist, a stringwalker private detective working String City, as his city faces the apocalypse. From the first page the style evokes the spare narrative style of Hammett's Maltese Falcon or Cain's Double Indemnity. The worldbuilding is...well...weird but also seems totally normal because it's so fundamental to the universe that it exists within.
we've got Titans, we've got Thanes, we've got sentient sewer sludge, undead angels, kingfishers, spiders, sort of vampires, alternate realities, weather gods, and hungry ghosts. this world is jam packed full of just about every weird myth or folk type character you could wish for, all of it co-existing alongside one another.
Told in 7 parts, the structure of the novel is particularly interesting because the chapters are excessively short. This both works for and against the book. For the first 70-100 pgs i really struggled to get into it simply because of these short chapters. A chapter break is a signal to the reader that they can rest here, and theres a natural tendency to end my reading session at the end of the chapter. this becomes a problem when chapters are only 2-4 pgs. I found myself unconsciously setting the book down almost as soon as i started reading it. I also found that the plot really began to pick up in Part 2 with the addition of several side characters who helped buoy up the protagonist's narrative. Once i hit this part of the story, i flew through the last 300 or so pages.
unsettling and interesting, and i think the readers it clicks with in just the right way will enjoy it immensely. I think this book will shine for that specific cross section of noir fans who also love weird SFF/speculative fiction.
I received an ARC copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was both exactly what I expected and also quite surprising. It follows the turbulent ups and downs of our protagonist, a stringwalker private detective working String City, as his city faces the apocalypse. From the first page the style evokes the spare narrative style of Hammett's Maltese Falcon or Cain's Double Indemnity. The worldbuilding is...well...weird but also seems totally normal because it's so fundamental to the universe that it exists within.
we've got Titans, we've got Thanes, we've got sentient sewer sludge, undead angels, kingfishers, spiders, sort of vampires, alternate realities, weather gods, and hungry ghosts. this world is jam packed full of just about every weird myth or folk type character you could wish for, all of it co-existing alongside one another.
Told in 7 parts, the structure of the novel is particularly interesting because the chapters are excessively short. This both works for and against the book. For the first 70-100 pgs i really struggled to get into it simply because of these short chapters. A chapter break is a signal to the reader that they can rest here, and theres a natural tendency to end my reading session at the end of the chapter. this becomes a problem when chapters are only 2-4 pgs. I found myself unconsciously setting the book down almost as soon as i started reading it. I also found that the plot really began to pick up in Part 2 with the addition of several side characters who helped buoy up the protagonist's narrative. Once i hit this part of the story, i flew through the last 300 or so pages.
unsettling and interesting, and i think the readers it clicks with in just the right way will enjoy it immensely. I think this book will shine for that specific cross section of noir fans who also love weird SFF/speculative fiction.
quiraang's review
3.0
Certainly offbeat with some complex and unusual world building. The Chandleresque dialog is a little corny, but hey, I enjoyed it!
15rhughes's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
ARC through NetGalley
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
k_doc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
laurenla's review against another edition
4.0
A detective noir/cyberpunk/magic/mythic mashup novel - Graham Edwards is a brilliant writer. So impressed by the "just right" touch he has with the various elements, never over-explaining but expecting the reader to keep up. His inventions and combinations are convincing, and the mix of plot and description perfect. Only let down is the stylized private investigator dialogue and 2D romantic interactions.