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esop's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first foray into the Ordshaw universe, and it was quite a fun ride!
I appreciated the book's brisk pace, which is to be expected of a novella. Despite the fast clip this book runs at, I still totally got a sense of the main character Tova and her personality and backstory, as well as the personalities of all her friends and her relationships to them. Williams does a good job of expressing a lot through a little--just one quick line of dialogue is often enough for us to get a clear picture of the history between these characters.
The mystery that unfolds throughout gripped me from the start and never let up. I did get the feeling that the author was purposely holding back a lot of key information that likely is unveiled in the main book series, but it never felt cheap, as if he were saying "Haha, you'll have to buy more books to figure it out!" Instead, it felt like a natural extension of the story. Tova is clueless and wandering around in the dark, unable to grasp any answers with certainty, and it makes sense that we are right there alongside her never fully understanding what's going on or why.
While that aspect might be unsatisfying to some, I appreciated the realism it added to the tale, although I did somewhat think it ended abruptly, and there were other parts of the story and one character in particular's characterization that I found to be odd and unexplained in a way that made it seem like I was missing something, rather than it being intentionally obtuse.
But overall, those minor nitpicks barely detracted from my enjoyment of the book, which kept me hooked for its duration. The City Screams is a fast, exciting thriller with hints of the larger Ordshaw mythos that has me eager to begin the main series.
I appreciated the book's brisk pace, which is to be expected of a novella. Despite the fast clip this book runs at, I still totally got a sense of the main character Tova and her personality and backstory, as well as the personalities of all her friends and her relationships to them. Williams does a good job of expressing a lot through a little--just one quick line of dialogue is often enough for us to get a clear picture of the history between these characters.
The mystery that unfolds throughout gripped me from the start and never let up. I did get the feeling that the author was purposely holding back a lot of key information that likely is unveiled in the main book series, but it never felt cheap, as if he were saying "Haha, you'll have to buy more books to figure it out!" Instead, it felt like a natural extension of the story. Tova is clueless and wandering around in the dark, unable to grasp any answers with certainty, and it makes sense that we are right there alongside her never fully understanding what's going on or why.
While that aspect might be unsatisfying to some, I appreciated the realism it added to the tale, although I did somewhat think it ended abruptly, and there were other parts of the story and one character in particular's characterization that I found to be odd and unexplained in a way that made it seem like I was missing something, rather than it being intentionally obtuse.
But overall, those minor nitpicks barely detracted from my enjoyment of the book, which kept me hooked for its duration. The City Screams is a fast, exciting thriller with hints of the larger Ordshaw mythos that has me eager to begin the main series.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
4.0
The City Screams was my introduction to the Ordshaw world and after finishing it I want more. Tova is deaf since childhood. We meet her in Tokyo where she’s just about to undergo revolutionary ear surgery that will allow her to get her hearing back. In theory, surgeons succeeded. Except, instead of hearing people, Tova hears things she shouldn’t. Are those voices from another dimension? Or is the city screaming?
Willis does a good job of telling this twisting tale with excellent pace. The set-up has so much going for it that the plot could definitely have been stretched out into a much more sizable book, but the author opted for making it a fast, high-impact read. With less than 50 000 words, it’s probably the shortest book in the contest. Despite my lack of knowledge of the Ordshaw series, I never felt lost or confused.
The story has plenty of action mixed with horror elements and the final twist is brilliant and hilarious. Just wait and see what was the goal of agents of elsewhere :) We can debate if it doesn’t change the tone of the book, but I loved it.
Tova is a relatable lead character, one that could definitely carry future novels, so hopefully, there is more in store for this compelling protagonist.
Willis does a good job of telling this twisting tale with excellent pace. The set-up has so much going for it that the plot could definitely have been stretched out into a much more sizable book, but the author opted for making it a fast, high-impact read. With less than 50 000 words, it’s probably the shortest book in the contest. Despite my lack of knowledge of the Ordshaw series, I never felt lost or confused.
The story has plenty of action mixed with horror elements and the final twist is brilliant and hilarious. Just wait and see what was the goal of agents of elsewhere :) We can debate if it doesn’t change the tone of the book, but I loved it.
Tova is a relatable lead character, one that could definitely carry future novels, so hopefully, there is more in store for this compelling protagonist.
stephbookshine's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this novella with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The City Screams is a standalone novella set in the Ordshaw universe, but specifically in Tokyo rather than Ordshaw (although there are links and references).
In this story we meet Tova and immediately join her on her journey, not just from Ordshaw to Tokyo, but from hope to joy, to disappointment, horror, hope again and so on. Phil Williams has really captured the roller-coaster of emotions here and the reader experiences it all right alongside with Tova. We also experience her confusion and lack of knowledge – not every question has an answer here.
There is a running theme of trust in the story. Not only is Tova unsure of WHO to trust when things begin to get a bit…odd, but she cannot even trust her own senses. There is a real horror there, in the knowledge that she has to live with the results of whatever happens with her hearing. Worse was the slowly dawning realisation that no longer hearing a scream does not mean that the sound (or what was causing it) has gone away. That one kept me up at night for quite a while afterwards!
With quite a simple premise and a relatively short number of pages, this story manages to take a couple of unexpected turns and leave the reader anxious to know more about what lurks beneath the city streets and above the audible threshold. Good job there are more Ordshaw books to explore the world further…!
The flight attendants had been unfaltering in their attention. She’d got through the airport to a taxi here without trouble. The surly driver might not have even realised she was deaf, since he lost interest in conversation once she showed him the apartment’s address. And the city through the car windows looked infinitely cleaner and better organised than Ordshaw. This building, and those strange men, were nothing. The only real danger, the thing she was avoiding thinking about, was the surgery. Mogami industries promised to achieve the impossible. It wasn’t scary because it might fry her brain; it was terrifying to think it might work.
– Phil Williams, The City Screams
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/the-city-screams-phil-williams/
The City Screams is a standalone novella set in the Ordshaw universe, but specifically in Tokyo rather than Ordshaw (although there are links and references).
In this story we meet Tova and immediately join her on her journey, not just from Ordshaw to Tokyo, but from hope to joy, to disappointment, horror, hope again and so on. Phil Williams has really captured the roller-coaster of emotions here and the reader experiences it all right alongside with Tova. We also experience her confusion and lack of knowledge – not every question has an answer here.
There is a running theme of trust in the story. Not only is Tova unsure of WHO to trust when things begin to get a bit…odd, but she cannot even trust her own senses. There is a real horror there, in the knowledge that she has to live with the results of whatever happens with her hearing. Worse was the slowly dawning realisation that no longer hearing a scream does not mean that the sound (or what was causing it) has gone away. That one kept me up at night for quite a while afterwards!
With quite a simple premise and a relatively short number of pages, this story manages to take a couple of unexpected turns and leave the reader anxious to know more about what lurks beneath the city streets and above the audible threshold. Good job there are more Ordshaw books to explore the world further…!
The flight attendants had been unfaltering in their attention. She’d got through the airport to a taxi here without trouble. The surly driver might not have even realised she was deaf, since he lost interest in conversation once she showed him the apartment’s address. And the city through the car windows looked infinitely cleaner and better organised than Ordshaw. This building, and those strange men, were nothing. The only real danger, the thing she was avoiding thinking about, was the surgery. Mogami industries promised to achieve the impossible. It wasn’t scary because it might fry her brain; it was terrifying to think it might work.
– Phil Williams, The City Screams
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/the-city-screams-phil-williams/
its_justine's review against another edition
4.0
The City Screams is my initiation into Williams' work, and what an incredible introduction it has been! An urban fantasy set in Japan that pulls in a healthy dose of lore from the area, this story perfectly portrays the concepts of courageousness and resolve, that not everything of consequence need be witnessed only through sight, and that there is always more to be discovered beneath the surface. Conspiracies, strange organizations, mysterious ongoings, peril, and hope, it's a genuinely fun read that keeps you guessing until the very end - and that twist! Excellently realized characters and a plot where nothing is at it seems, there's no shortage of surprises along the way. It's length smartly strips all the fluff, resulting in a fast-paced adventure where every word matters, and honestly, I finished this book craving more of the Ordshaw world.
Being a story of this size, there are a few concepts that, while possessing excellent backbones, lack just a bit of fleshing out. I know The City Screams can be read as a completely independent standalone within the series, but I feel reading Under Ordshaw and Blue Angel prior to diving into this one could've been beneficial, and most likely would've answered all of my lingering questions. The story itself ties up nicely, however, everything is left open-ended, so I'm really hoping this isn't the last we see of Tova. I'm excited to experience the events that paved the way for this great story, and also see where Williams takes us in the future.
Being a story of this size, there are a few concepts that, while possessing excellent backbones, lack just a bit of fleshing out. I know The City Screams can be read as a completely independent standalone within the series, but I feel reading Under Ordshaw and Blue Angel prior to diving into this one could've been beneficial, and most likely would've answered all of my lingering questions. The story itself ties up nicely, however, everything is left open-ended, so I'm really hoping this isn't the last we see of Tova. I'm excited to experience the events that paved the way for this great story, and also see where Williams takes us in the future.
alanadcr's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this novella with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The City Screams is a standalone novella set in the Ordshaw universe, but specifically in Tokyo rather than Ordshaw (although there are links and references).
In this story we meet Tova and immediately join her on her journey, not just from Ordshaw to Tokyo, but from hope to joy, to disappointment, horror, hope again and so on. Phil Williams has really captured the roller-coaster of emotions here and the reader experiences it all right alongside with Tova. We also experience her confusion and lack of knowledge – not every question has an answer here.
There is a running theme of trust in the story. Not only is Tova unsure of WHO to trust when things begin to get a bit…odd, but she cannot even trust her own senses. There is a real horror there, in the knowledge that she has to live with the results of whatever happens with her hearing. Worse was the slowly dawning realisation that no longer hearing a scream does not mean that the sound (or what was causing it) has gone away. That one kept me up at night for quite a while afterwards!
With quite a simple premise and a relatively short number of pages, this story manages to take a couple of unexpected turns and leave the reader anxious to know more about what lurks beneath the city streets and above the audible threshold. Good job there are more Ordshaw books to explore the world further…!
The flight attendants had been unfaltering in their attention. She’d got through the airport to a taxi here without trouble. The surly driver might not have even realised she was deaf, since he lost interest in conversation once she showed him the apartment’s address. And the city through the car windows looked infinitely cleaner and better organised than Ordshaw. This building, and those strange men, were nothing. The only real danger, the thing she was avoiding thinking about, was the surgery. Mogami industries promised to achieve the impossible. It wasn’t scary because it might fry her brain; it was terrifying to think it might work.
– Phil Williams, The City Screams
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/the-city-screams-phil-williams/
The City Screams is a standalone novella set in the Ordshaw universe, but specifically in Tokyo rather than Ordshaw (although there are links and references).
In this story we meet Tova and immediately join her on her journey, not just from Ordshaw to Tokyo, but from hope to joy, to disappointment, horror, hope again and so on. Phil Williams has really captured the roller-coaster of emotions here and the reader experiences it all right alongside with Tova. We also experience her confusion and lack of knowledge – not every question has an answer here.
There is a running theme of trust in the story. Not only is Tova unsure of WHO to trust when things begin to get a bit…odd, but she cannot even trust her own senses. There is a real horror there, in the knowledge that she has to live with the results of whatever happens with her hearing. Worse was the slowly dawning realisation that no longer hearing a scream does not mean that the sound (or what was causing it) has gone away. That one kept me up at night for quite a while afterwards!
With quite a simple premise and a relatively short number of pages, this story manages to take a couple of unexpected turns and leave the reader anxious to know more about what lurks beneath the city streets and above the audible threshold. Good job there are more Ordshaw books to explore the world further…!
The flight attendants had been unfaltering in their attention. She’d got through the airport to a taxi here without trouble. The surly driver might not have even realised she was deaf, since he lost interest in conversation once she showed him the apartment’s address. And the city through the car windows looked infinitely cleaner and better organised than Ordshaw. This building, and those strange men, were nothing. The only real danger, the thing she was avoiding thinking about, was the surgery. Mogami industries promised to achieve the impossible. It wasn’t scary because it might fry her brain; it was terrifying to think it might work.
– Phil Williams, The City Screams
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/the-city-screams-phil-williams/
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