Street Magic: A Review
I've got to say, I almost didn't make it past the first three chapters of this book. It tried too hard, the slang was awkward, and it was so vague on plot as to make a girl want to stop reading. But now that's I've finished it? It's was delightful. Very nearly exactly the same kind of wonderful as Neverwhere and War for the Oaks, as anticipated. It was fluffy, but unafraid to be detailed and gruesome. Though it took a while to frame the setting, the world and the mood were interesting to read. If Harry Potter is read entirely in primary and secondary colors, Street Magic is read though dirty lenses with the colors of a pulp noir movie. The colors would be primary and bright, but they're filtered through ash first, so they've turned grey and sooty. I don't know if that kind of description makes sense to anyone else.
Another thing I really enjoyed was that the main characters, Jack and Pete, weren't unbelievably young. Pete is 28, and Jack is 38. He gets made fun of for being old a lot. Another thing I liked? No one is interested in Pete. There is no inexplicable lust clogging up the book (some demons think she's pretty tasty looking, but there's nothing there that any other girl doesn't get). Jack is clearly the main character, even if the story is told from Pete's perspective. Everyone totally writes her off, usually to their detriment as she's got a pretty good right hook, and the only time someone really brings up having sex with her, they decide they could do it just as easily after they've killed her, so why bother?
The book really turned around from being something-to-read into enjoyable on page 158. Pete (whose full name is fantastic and I won't ruin it for you - read the book) is being irritable and emo about not being able to save all the kidnapped children. Jack Winter, who up until now had been a vaguely git-shaped and gritty character in the book with no real motivation or depth, decides to cheer her up:
Jack cupped her hand, palm upward, and conjured a spurt of witchfire into his fingers. He blew a breath over it and the fire flared and drifted upward, settling like milkweed into Pete's palm.It turned the shape of a daisy, then a tiny, perfect oak tree, and finally a duck.
Pete bit the insides of her cheeks and looked up into his face. Jack was grinning at her. "How can you be dour when you've got a tiny duck?" he asked.
How charming! Most of the book is jerky and sinister, but this was hopelessly whimsical and I loved it. The story rapidly picked up from there, anyway, gaining actual plot and following it (for the most part) to the end.
Oh, also? Jack Winters is the lead singer in a band called the Poor Dead Bastards, which is highly appropriate as the first sentence of the book informs you that he died 12 years ago. Pretty great! Anyway, my general opinion is that you should read it if you've got some time and are feeling down and want cheering, if you liked Neverwhere or War for the Oaks, or if you want to find out Pete's real name. It is not a good book, but it is definitely a fun book. Ta!
Another thing I really enjoyed was that the main characters, Jack and Pete, weren't unbelievably young. Pete is 28, and Jack is 38. He gets made fun of for being old a lot. Another thing I liked? No one is interested in Pete. There is no inexplicable lust clogging up the book (some demons think she's pretty tasty looking, but there's nothing there that any other girl doesn't get). Jack is clearly the main character, even if the story is told from Pete's perspective. Everyone totally writes her off, usually to their detriment as she's got a pretty good right hook, and the only time someone really brings up having sex with her, they decide they could do it just as easily after they've killed her, so why bother?
The book really turned around from being something-to-read into enjoyable on page 158. Pete (whose full name is fantastic and I won't ruin it for you - read the book) is being irritable and emo about not being able to save all the kidnapped children. Jack Winter, who up until now had been a vaguely git-shaped and gritty character in the book with no real motivation or depth, decides to cheer her up:
Jack cupped her hand, palm upward, and conjured a spurt of witchfire into his fingers. He blew a breath over it and the fire flared and drifted upward, settling like milkweed into Pete's palm.It turned the shape of a daisy, then a tiny, perfect oak tree, and finally a duck.
Pete bit the insides of her cheeks and looked up into his face. Jack was grinning at her. "How can you be dour when you've got a tiny duck?" he asked.
How charming! Most of the book is jerky and sinister, but this was hopelessly whimsical and I loved it. The story rapidly picked up from there, anyway, gaining actual plot and following it (for the most part) to the end.
Oh, also? Jack Winters is the lead singer in a band called the Poor Dead Bastards, which is highly appropriate as the first sentence of the book informs you that he died 12 years ago. Pretty great! Anyway, my general opinion is that you should read it if you've got some time and are feeling down and want cheering, if you liked Neverwhere or War for the Oaks, or if you want to find out Pete's real name. It is not a good book, but it is definitely a fun book. Ta!