Reviews

La plegaria de la calle by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

hquin's review against another edition

2.0

Honestly, I was so close to DNF'ing this @ 60 pgs but decided to continue (kinda regret it now). This book was confusing - the world and the characters (so many characters). I had to write down each character and who they were to follow through (wish this book had a character list). I was bored half way through and did not care about the plot at all. This book sounded like it was just for me regarding a group of thieves but it just didn't do it for me but it may for someone else.

rachel281's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sylviep's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

elundh's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

emiann2023's review against another edition

5.0

Wow.

Other than one transparently obvious back-stabbijg at the end, this book was a wild ride from page 1. Excited to start book 2.

gumiho0712's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

colourmeread's review against another edition

4.0

The hype surrounding this book before it was even released was unreal. I wasn't sure how I'd like it but a fantasy book with thieves is a pretty easy sell for me. Hanrahan's writing style fits the grimdark genre like a glove with atmospheric descriptions that leave you with the best possible imagery:

"Rain drums on the warehouse roof like fingers on a coffin lid. The world's buried alive by clouds."

"Pipes hiss and gurgle like the intestines of a flayed man. The air is hot and thick with fumes. Through portholes lined with green-tinted glass, she can spy on the things growing inside the vats - embryonic Gullheads, raptequines, disembodied organs. A thing that might be the heart and circulatory system of a man swims past one viewport, like a ghastly jellyfish that squirts blood with every spasm of its artery limbs."

See what I mean?! Add a cast of interesting creatures and characters to the mix and you have The Gutter Prayer. There are ghouls, stone men, tallow men, gods, and other monsters. The worldbuilding is fantastic and one of the most original I've seen. It's the perfect setting for a nightmarish story and Hanrahan delivers. BUT it took me a loooong while to get into The Gutter Prayer, so long I even considered DNFing it. I think the format made it a bit difficult to connect with the characters. While I didn't mind the switch in POVs with each chapter, having many characters made it a little challenging to care about all of them. That being said, I grew attached to a few and their stories hit me harder the more they developed. The Gutter Prayer may be an acquired taste for some readers but it's definitely a must-read debut for fans of grimdark fantasy.

jordandotcom's review against another edition

5.0

i hate miren so fucking much oh my godddddd

mdominiak3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

osboma's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5