This was really, really interesting and well-done. It's also hard to write a review about this without getting spoilery, so spoilers follow.

This book is a pretty good antidote for all the vampire-romance lovers out there (yours truly included). Brust does the Hemingway thing where he refers to a lot of things obliquely and insinuates, and you have to piece it all together yourself. For instance, never once does he say the word vampire, nor does the narrator actually talk about drinking blood.

So when you take away some of the vampireness of the vampire, you start to really see how much the "seduction" of the vampire is like rape, and what sociopaths vampires really are. The romance disappears.

I also really love the theme in the book of the experience and process of writing, and how when you're reading it you feel like you're there with the narrator typing. You're present in the meta-narrative. And I love, love that when you go back to read the first passage of the book, it has a completely different significance and meaning than it did when you first read it.

Excellent plotting, excellent writing. I'm definitely going to read more Brust in the future.

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Wow, this took a little getting into but it sneaks up on you and grabs the back of your neck. If you're going to read this, DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT. It wouldn't be as fun without the slow realization of what is really going on. ( )

This is one of those odd books that when I started it I realized right off the bat it would be really different than anything I've read recently and thought I would like it, only to get a bit further in and start to have a bit of trouble pushing through. This lasted a bit until the last part of the story where I became used to the writing style and the plot as a whole picked up to where I can ultimately say this was an enjoyable book.

In this we get a man by the name of ____ Agyar (he uses a variety of first names). We learn almost immediately there is something unusual about him, he seems young on the outside but thinks old. Agyar as a character provides an interesting dichotomy as an anti-hero. We see him both as a monster, as he does monstrous things but also as a sympathetic creature as he loves, regrets and struggles against unnatural bonds. I felt like I wanted to root for him but often times his dreadful deeds made me feel that he should get what he deserves. In addition to the odd first person POV there is much which we must extrapolate from between the lines to get a full view of what is going on. Agyar does not tell us what he is or even precisely about the act that is what makes him what he is. We watch and consider and ultimately it does become clear. Certainly a different way of going about telling a tale. Although not overwhelmingly violent or particularly romantic it did contain elements of each plot device despite not exploring them in any sort of a traditional way.

Although I don't often talk about the cover, this particular one (the one with the roses) struck me at first as rather ridiculous until we learn about the pivotal role of this particular imagery later in the story. It made it a much more interesting picture to me.

On the whole this was a pretty unusual book, but it is also probably one that will stick out in my memory because of it. I'd recommend it to those who like monster tales that break the mold of what we're used to. ( )

I like vampire novels & this isn't one nor is it horror or romance, yet it's all 3. The word 'vampire' is never once mentioned in the book, yet you're left with no doubt as to what Brust means. I really can't say more, maybe shouldn't have said that much. The process of discovery is one of the things that makes this book so well done. Each word is crafted with a precision that leads to inescapable conclusions, yet almost made me want to re-read it to see if I could have misunderstood.The world is ours, with a slight twist, requiring very little suspension of belief for a fantasy. The characters are well done & I understood their motivations well, even when I didn't like them. There is a sense of predestination permeating the book, which I don't normally care for, but was pulled off in a masterful manner.I really like Brust's writing, especially his Taltos series, but this book may well be the best that he's written. I don't LIKE it the best, don't re-read it as often as the Taltos books, but I think the writing & plot were the best he's ever done. It's just not as fun & relaxing as the others. Still, it isn't work. It's a fairly quick read. ( )

A good read, for anybody: I picked this book up for my girlfriend 2 Christmas' ago. I try to get her to read 'Sci-fi/fantasy' since it is typically the genre I read, in hopes of having a little in house book club. She burned through this book fairly quickly and recommended I read this. So I gave it a try.

The story unfolds easily, without a quickly draws you in, and Agyar (the title character) is a very interesting and realistic character. If you are a Die Hard vampire junkie, this probably isn't for you. You will not find the overly brooding, standard fare that pervades most of the genre. It is a love story told through the memoirs of Agyar as he is going through his life, which happens to be the life of a vampire integrating with the world. Because the book is told through these memoirs, the story unfolds in a very subtle way. He tells of things and events and we don't realize the extent of what is actually occurring until later. But the writing keeps you interested. Keeps you going page after page.

Recommended for anyone looking to try something a little different, to broaden your horizons.