Max Gladstone

originally posted at www.csdaley.com

It is really hard to do something completely fresh and original in fantasy for me these days. I have been reading fantasy for a long time. I read a lot of books. So when something jumps out at me as different I tend to take notice. Three Parts Dead is different. While on its surface it is an Urban Fantasy set in a world that looks a little like ours. Underneath it is a mash up of many different genres. By many different genres I am not frakking around. There is a bang up legal procedure that culminates in one of the most interesting court room dramas I have ever read.

I am not even sure I know how to describe this book. The main story revolves around the murder of a god and a young lawyer's search for justice. There are gargoyles and vampires and magic (called the craft). The story is gritty and reads like a great mystery novel. The world building is fantastic and the characters pop off the page. I was a little sad to find out that this is a series that will not center around any one character, although I am hopeful that we will see a few of our favorites from book to book.

The writing is smooth and moves at a brisk pace. I like how Gladstone gives us a little bit of the world. Lets our assumptions take hold and then blows it up and goes somewhere surprising. The book had me constantly wondering where it was going next. It is a pretty rare book that does this to me. I don't think I have read a more enjoyable book this last year. When I finished it was everything I could do to delay gratification and not jump into the next book. Three Parts Dead will keep you reading and smiling. You will love the world and how Gladstone peels it back a little at a time. I love that the book ends. Fantasy has become dominated by massive series. It was refreshing to get to the end of the novel and have a conclusion. Gladstone lets his writing and his world draw you into the series. Go buy this book right now and prepare to be entertained.
… (més)