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And Now, my Fangasm is Complete!
Jun. 26th, 2010 08:23 pmI owe sovay a post on The Shout, which is definitely coming. But in the meantime:
"Rue Morgue #102
by Justine Warwick
Graced with an absolutely beautiful cover by designer Erik Mohr, Gemma Files’ first novel, A Book of Tongues, is a “weird West” tale set in 1867. It tells the story of Pinkerton detective Ed Morrow, who is sent to infiltrate a brutal gang of outlaws led by the Reverend Asher Rook, ex-Confederate chaplain and dark magician, in order to learn more about Rook’s strange abilities for the government cause. Morrow becomes increasingly entangled in Rook’s world—one of sorcery, gods, visions and blood—and his only hope of escape, or of completing his task, lies with Rook’s lover, Chess Pargeter, a violent man with a bloody past and, if Rook has his way, a dreadful future.
Files’ poetic prose is pitch-perfect: languid, precise and full of dark imagery. While the plot is sedately paced, the author takes the time to build up the universe in which her characters exist: a pitiless world in which death and destruction are commonplace, loyalties are always shifting and magic flows through ever aspect like a kind of perverse electricity, with the potential to destroy everything it touches. Files’ characters are complicated and profound, motivated largely by lust, both for power and for Chess Pargeter, who becomes a catalytic figure for Morrow and his quest when the two begin an affair. The sexuality of the three central players is as violent as their lives in the desert, the pioneer towns and the slums of San Francisco, and underscores not only their marginalization but their power to destabilize the world they live in—whether through magic or by their very existence.
It’s a brooding and deeply sinister novel, which will undoubtedly be a challenging read for some, but Files has definitely managed to create a world complex enough to sustain the series that this book initiates. A Book of Tongues closes, if not quite with a cliffhanger ending, with a revelation that sets up the reader for the events of a sequel, the upcoming A Rope of Thorns; it will be intriguing to see where the twists and coils of Files’ imagination take us next."
Whoo-HOO!, as Cal would say. Plus this slightly less unreservedly positive review from A Wild Book Chase, here (http://wildbookchase.blogspot.com/2010/06/major-karnage-chapter-1-and-other.html). I've never "overheard" somebody debating whether or not they're going to review me before; still, he has some valid complaints, although I think I may have to write something exploring exactly how much "porn" equals porn, these days.
And a crazy yet incredibly flattering link, first found through Steve, who haunts the place: Somebody at RPG.net who calls themselves “radiant song” is reading my book, and posting color commentary as they go! (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=12389764) I like (his? her?) analysis of why Chess is such a damn homme fatale, which is…pretty spot-on, actually.;) I’ll be following this one with increasing interest.
Finally, I note that Monica Kuebler mentioned my blog in the same issue of Rue Morgue, which may well cause a slight influx of new eyes. I'll therefore point out that if all you want is professional stuff, the best place to go is here (http://musicatmidnight-gfiles.blogspot.com), because I set it up just for that purpose. Stick around here and you will indeed get (some) insight into my "process". You'll also hear far more than you might want to about my roily insides, my "exceptional" kid, my petty annoyances. I have opinions that may not be yours. I also talk a lot about music and films and crap. Sometimes I seem to go for weeks doing nothing but clocking word-counts. I'm depressive and angry and full of weird impulses; then again, maybe so are you. Wilkommen!
"Rue Morgue #102
by Justine Warwick
Graced with an absolutely beautiful cover by designer Erik Mohr, Gemma Files’ first novel, A Book of Tongues, is a “weird West” tale set in 1867. It tells the story of Pinkerton detective Ed Morrow, who is sent to infiltrate a brutal gang of outlaws led by the Reverend Asher Rook, ex-Confederate chaplain and dark magician, in order to learn more about Rook’s strange abilities for the government cause. Morrow becomes increasingly entangled in Rook’s world—one of sorcery, gods, visions and blood—and his only hope of escape, or of completing his task, lies with Rook’s lover, Chess Pargeter, a violent man with a bloody past and, if Rook has his way, a dreadful future.
Files’ poetic prose is pitch-perfect: languid, precise and full of dark imagery. While the plot is sedately paced, the author takes the time to build up the universe in which her characters exist: a pitiless world in which death and destruction are commonplace, loyalties are always shifting and magic flows through ever aspect like a kind of perverse electricity, with the potential to destroy everything it touches. Files’ characters are complicated and profound, motivated largely by lust, both for power and for Chess Pargeter, who becomes a catalytic figure for Morrow and his quest when the two begin an affair. The sexuality of the three central players is as violent as their lives in the desert, the pioneer towns and the slums of San Francisco, and underscores not only their marginalization but their power to destabilize the world they live in—whether through magic or by their very existence.
It’s a brooding and deeply sinister novel, which will undoubtedly be a challenging read for some, but Files has definitely managed to create a world complex enough to sustain the series that this book initiates. A Book of Tongues closes, if not quite with a cliffhanger ending, with a revelation that sets up the reader for the events of a sequel, the upcoming A Rope of Thorns; it will be intriguing to see where the twists and coils of Files’ imagination take us next."
Whoo-HOO!, as Cal would say. Plus this slightly less unreservedly positive review from A Wild Book Chase, here (http://wildbookchase.blogspot.com/2010/06/major-karnage-chapter-1-and-other.html). I've never "overheard" somebody debating whether or not they're going to review me before; still, he has some valid complaints, although I think I may have to write something exploring exactly how much "porn" equals porn, these days.
And a crazy yet incredibly flattering link, first found through Steve, who haunts the place: Somebody at RPG.net who calls themselves “radiant song” is reading my book, and posting color commentary as they go! (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=12389764) I like (his? her?) analysis of why Chess is such a damn homme fatale, which is…pretty spot-on, actually.;) I’ll be following this one with increasing interest.
Finally, I note that Monica Kuebler mentioned my blog in the same issue of Rue Morgue, which may well cause a slight influx of new eyes. I'll therefore point out that if all you want is professional stuff, the best place to go is here (http://musicatmidnight-gfiles.blogspot.com), because I set it up just for that purpose. Stick around here and you will indeed get (some) insight into my "process". You'll also hear far more than you might want to about my roily insides, my "exceptional" kid, my petty annoyances. I have opinions that may not be yours. I also talk a lot about music and films and crap. Sometimes I seem to go for weeks doing nothing but clocking word-counts. I'm depressive and angry and full of weird impulses; then again, maybe so are you. Wilkommen!
