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A review by criminolly
A Dark and Subtle Light: Machiavelli The Immortal: Book One by Mark Hodder
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
4.0
This was a supremely enjoyable adventure. A kind of alternative history fantasy that sees an immortal Niccolo Machiavelli infiltrating a fascist commune in 19th century Europe. The presence of brain altering mind worms as well as proto-Nazis only adds to the fun.
It's all somewhat bonkers in an infectiously fun way. Da Vinci makes an appearance (on the side of the heroes), as does Nietzsche (for the villains). There's a kickass female warrior, some great action, nicely handled humour and a fevered pulpy inventiveness to it all that I found completely addictive. The bad guys are utterly despicable, making the twists and turns of the book even more compelling. It has a satisfying vintage feel to it, the page turning excitement of a 70s thriller, but also manages to feel current.
The fact that Mark Hodder weaves a lot of historical reality into his fantastical tale is impressive and makes for an even more satisfying tale.
This was the first book I've read by him. I'm very confident it won't be the last.
It's all somewhat bonkers in an infectiously fun way. Da Vinci makes an appearance (on the side of the heroes), as does Nietzsche (for the villains). There's a kickass female warrior, some great action, nicely handled humour and a fevered pulpy inventiveness to it all that I found completely addictive. The bad guys are utterly despicable, making the twists and turns of the book even more compelling. It has a satisfying vintage feel to it, the page turning excitement of a 70s thriller, but also manages to feel current.
The fact that Mark Hodder weaves a lot of historical reality into his fantastical tale is impressive and makes for an even more satisfying tale.
This was the first book I've read by him. I'm very confident it won't be the last.