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Blacker than Black
Apparently, my twin and I are two of York’s most notorious criminals. We’ve been Nightwalkers in the blue-light district since the vamps took over the world. Don’t know how many years it’s been. Long enough that a stream of fellow ’walkers have come and gone. Most don’t last long selling their chi. End up face-down in the gutter, or worse.
For us, one night and one sale change everything.
Monsieur Garthelle is the first john to hunt me down. He calls me a chi thief in one breath and offers absolution—servitude—in the next. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I like living and breathing. Strange that such a powerful vamp would show leniency to a mere human. And something’s not right with the chi I took from him. It won’t go away.
Neither will he, and he’s forcing us to spy on his peers. Then a vamp turns up dead, and we go from playing eyes and ears to investigating a murder. This isn’t what I signed up for. All I ever wanted was to sell a little chi, maybe steal some in return. I should’ve kept my damn hands to myself.
This is my story. Look through my eyes.
For us, one night and one sale change everything.
Monsieur Garthelle is the first john to hunt me down. He calls me a chi thief in one breath and offers absolution—servitude—in the next. Maybe I’m a sucker, but I like living and breathing. Strange that such a powerful vamp would show leniency to a mere human. And something’s not right with the chi I took from him. It won’t go away.
Neither will he, and he’s forcing us to spy on his peers. Then a vamp turns up dead, and we go from playing eyes and ears to investigating a murder. This isn’t what I signed up for. All I ever wanted was to sell a little chi, maybe steal some in return. I should’ve kept my damn hands to myself.
This is my story. Look through my eyes.
406 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2012
About the author
Rhi Etzweiler
6 books76 followersRhi is an avid reader and writer of all things speculative fiction. If it's got an otherworldly aspect, they've probably heard of it, read it, reviewed it, and fell in love with one of the characters.
"I love the stuff with a dark edge. Not those cheesy BDSM scenes," Rhi clarifies, "but psycho-thrillers that f*ck with your head. It's like that video of Pyro with a bubble gun. Or Charlie visiting Candy Mountain. Hannibal frying up some guy's frontal lobe and serving it to him. Or, ya know, Deadpool. Yeah, he's my hero."
"I love the stuff with a dark edge. Not those cheesy BDSM scenes," Rhi clarifies, "but psycho-thrillers that f*ck with your head. It's like that video of Pyro with a bubble gun. Or Charlie visiting Candy Mountain. Hannibal frying up some guy's frontal lobe and serving it to him. Or, ya know, Deadpool. Yeah, he's my hero."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
November 27, 2012
Huh. That was kind of messy and confused.
The beginning and the end were stronger than the middle, where the two MCs were endlessly saying "we need to talk, but later", and the sister was endlessly getting sent away so the MCs could be alone. The sex was wildly unbalanced: there was no sexual content at all until half way where suddenly the twins walk into an orgy. The whole was undercooked: I thought it needed a few more drafts, and some editing, with things like "shooting up" with drugs later referred to as pills (no crushing or dissolving was mentioned).
And what's with
I end up with the sneaking suspicion that Etzweiler mistakes the meaning of the word, and really means that all vampires are bisexual. Because here's a weird use of "fecund":
“But how would he predict who I’d go to for pharmaceuticals? And get to them before I did?” “It smells particularly fecund, doesn’t it?” Jhez drawls (loc. 4235-4236).
The context suggests the author means it smells fishy, or suspicious. To say it smells fertile seems highly unusual. Jhez might mean it seems like a productive line of inquiry, but it smells fecund?? Is that like a fish/vagina joke? Because ick. Or should it be that it smells fetid; it smells bad? See, now I end up second-guessing the author the whole way through. Do you guys ever play those hidden object games developed in Eastern Europe, and the list of things to find has been translated into English poorly, so you think you're supposed to be looking for "scissors" but in fact you need to click on the pliers? Well, reading this book at times I felt like that.
I think the author mistaking the meaning of the word is the correct solution, because Leonard tells Black
So, execution poor, but the premise was great. I'd read another by this author.
2.5 stars, rounded down.
The beginning and the end were stronger than the middle, where the two MCs were endlessly saying "we need to talk, but later", and the sister was endlessly getting sent away so the MCs could be alone. The sex was wildly unbalanced: there was no sexual content at all until half way where suddenly the twins walk into an orgy. The whole was undercooked: I thought it needed a few more drafts, and some editing, with things like "shooting up" with drugs later referred to as pills (no crushing or dissolving was mentioned).
And what's with
I end up with the sneaking suspicion that Etzweiler mistakes the meaning of the word, and really means that all vampires are bisexual. Because here's a weird use of "fecund":
“But how would he predict who I’d go to for pharmaceuticals? And get to them before I did?” “It smells particularly fecund, doesn’t it?” Jhez drawls (loc. 4235-4236).
The context suggests the author means it smells fishy, or suspicious. To say it smells fertile seems highly unusual. Jhez might mean it seems like a productive line of inquiry, but it smells fecund?? Is that like a fish/vagina joke? Because ick. Or should it be that it smells fetid; it smells bad? See, now I end up second-guessing the author the whole way through. Do you guys ever play those hidden object games developed in Eastern Europe, and the list of things to find has been translated into English poorly, so you think you're supposed to be looking for "scissors" but in fact you need to click on the pliers? Well, reading this book at times I felt like that.
I think the author mistaking the meaning of the word is the correct solution, because Leonard tells Black
So, execution poor, but the premise was great. I'd read another by this author.
2.5 stars, rounded down.
January 25, 2012
Not your ordinary, bloodthirsty vampires! They are Lyche, beings who feed from the energy of other living creatures - humans, animals, vampires.
Black and Jhez, twins, are Nightwalkers, who sell their chi, their life energy to vampires, but they're also special, because they get from their johns not only their credits, but also their own energy. One night, though, Black steals chi from Monsieur Garthelle, the ruler of York, who demands Black for compensation: Black and Jhez will work for him at one of his gatherings of vampires. During that first night, a powerful vampire, who is connected with the twins too, is killed and Garthelle asks them to help him investigate. Slowly, as they get deeper into the politics, history and rules of Lyche, Black discovers things about their heritage, while the connection with Garthelle - prompted by that fateful first chi-theft - becomes more intimate and dangerous.
This is not an easy read, so if you're in the mood for something fluffy and light, this might not be the book for you, but it might be right if you're looking for a complex and dark story.
The writing, the setting and the protagonists are not only written, they are chiseled in this book. I read another book co-written by the same author, where I loved the imaginative politics ruling that world, and I found the same depth of analysis here. Honestly, the bonds and maneuvers ingrained in the Lyche mentality and Black's complexity sometimes seemed more that the author could chew, so I think the ambition and strive for perfection that are palpable in every single word of the book sometimes weighed on the telling.
The author chose a difficult path. The story is written in the first-person present-tense point of view of Black. It probably couldn't have been written in another way, because we need that kind of immersion in the story to be able to appreciate what Black decides to show or to hide to the reader, what Black understands or misinterprets of what's going on.
In the literal swirl of emotions binding all the characters, I felt I sometimes lost the connection with Black, as if I was being cut off. Maybe it was because Black was often guarded, in a self-protection mode, so I wasn't able to feel close enough. Usually it's the love interest that elicits the most unguarded emotions of the protagonist, but in this story I thought Black was more sincere while reflecting on how the father abandoned their family. It showed the deep hurt that experience caused to Black, especially when Black was trying to hide it, to deflect the attention of other people.
I think the part between the 25% to the 50% of the book was a bit long and I admit I thought the description of the emotional bond between Black and Garthelle was repeated too many times. It's true that it shows the progression of this link, but this paired up with the slow investigation at the beginning made the book drag a bit. After the 50% mark, the book literally flew for me.
Another small complaint.
There is clearly a lot of research in the terminology used. I confess I hadn't used the dictionary in my Kindle so much in a long while, but as I said before, it showed the care the author used to forge every sentence. A fascinating story.
Black and Jhez, twins, are Nightwalkers, who sell their chi, their life energy to vampires, but they're also special, because they get from their johns not only their credits, but also their own energy. One night, though, Black steals chi from Monsieur Garthelle, the ruler of York, who demands Black for compensation: Black and Jhez will work for him at one of his gatherings of vampires. During that first night, a powerful vampire, who is connected with the twins too, is killed and Garthelle asks them to help him investigate. Slowly, as they get deeper into the politics, history and rules of Lyche, Black discovers things about their heritage, while the connection with Garthelle - prompted by that fateful first chi-theft - becomes more intimate and dangerous.
This is not an easy read, so if you're in the mood for something fluffy and light, this might not be the book for you, but it might be right if you're looking for a complex and dark story.
The writing, the setting and the protagonists are not only written, they are chiseled in this book. I read another book co-written by the same author, where I loved the imaginative politics ruling that world, and I found the same depth of analysis here. Honestly, the bonds and maneuvers ingrained in the Lyche mentality and Black's complexity sometimes seemed more that the author could chew, so I think the ambition and strive for perfection that are palpable in every single word of the book sometimes weighed on the telling.
The author chose a difficult path. The story is written in the first-person present-tense point of view of Black. It probably couldn't have been written in another way, because we need that kind of immersion in the story to be able to appreciate what Black decides to show or to hide to the reader, what Black understands or misinterprets of what's going on.
In the literal swirl of emotions binding all the characters, I felt I sometimes lost the connection with Black, as if I was being cut off. Maybe it was because Black was often guarded, in a self-protection mode, so I wasn't able to feel close enough. Usually it's the love interest that elicits the most unguarded emotions of the protagonist, but in this story I thought Black was more sincere while reflecting on how the father abandoned their family. It showed the deep hurt that experience caused to Black, especially when Black was trying to hide it, to deflect the attention of other people.
I think the part between the 25% to the 50% of the book was a bit long and I admit I thought the description of the emotional bond between Black and Garthelle was repeated too many times. It's true that it shows the progression of this link, but this paired up with the slow investigation at the beginning made the book drag a bit. After the 50% mark, the book literally flew for me.
Another small complaint.
There is clearly a lot of research in the terminology used. I confess I hadn't used the dictionary in my Kindle so much in a long while, but as I said before, it showed the care the author used to forge every sentence. A fascinating story.
February 2, 2012
4.5 stars
I absolutely loved this book! I know I say that about quite a few books but this one was amazing, exceptional, just darn right fascinating! It's intense, captivating and I was drawn in from the first paragraph. I just could not put this down.
Twins Black and Jhez are experienced Nightwalkers. They live in a world where vampires, or lyche, feed off anything and everything's energy, or chi. Black and Jhez sell their chi to these lyche and in return they steal a piece of the lyche's chi as well. They've been doing it for decades and never been caught. Until Monsieur Leonard Garthelle, the ruler of York, tricks Black while he's feeding. Now, the twins are in deep trouble. They're not only finding out they're criminals but realizing that Black is somehow, strangely, bonded with Garthelle when he took Garthelle's chi. Stealing chi is a serious crime, though, punishable by death and their only salvation is Garthelle. Either serve Garthelle by helping him spy on his fellow lyche or die for their crimes. It's not hard for them to choose which option. However, while they're helping Garthelle, things take a turn for the worse and now the twins are no longer just spying on the lynche, they're trying to solve a murder of one. Nothing is easy, though, especially with Garthelle's constant lying and holding things back. On top of that, Garthelle and Black's bond seems to be getting stronger not weaker and the intensity between them is scorching while their feelings sky-rocket. The thing is, Black doesn't trust lynche, in general, and can't trust Garthelle either especially with his constant lying. When Black finds out what Gartelle's real plan is, the betrayal might just be more than their fledgling relationship can take.
I. ABSOLUTELY. LOVED. THESE. CHARACTERS. I'm not kidding. Black and Garthelle (Leonard) are so intense together. Black is snarky and flippant. He's jaded and bitter and does not trust lyche but there's something about Leonard that pulls him in, that makes Black toss his caution to the wind and want to constantly be around Leonard and it's not just the chi bond they formed that's doing it. Black is actually attracted to Leonard. Leonard, on the other hand, is a scheming, sly, deceitful and sometimes violent guy. He'll do anything to get what he wants and while his motives at first are of using Black to get that, it doesn't take long for Leonard's feelings to change into something much deeper.
Seriously, Black and Leonard scorch the pages with how sexually charged their interactions are. They bicker and banter and basically get on each others nerves but the sexual tension is so freaking hot. It's one of the things I loved about this book because there isn't a lot of sex but oh, baby, I still felt like I burst into flames whenever they'd get going. I loved that these characters weren't traditional people. Jhez and Black, when you think about it, are just a different kind of prostitute and Leonard is a manipulative bastard. The story makes it all work, though, and while i didn't like Jhez sometimes (talk about PMSing) I loved how she challenged Leonard constantly.
The plot of the story is great. Just the fact that lyche feed off energy instead of blood is unique in itself but having Leonard blackmail Black and Jhez into helping him, making them become entertainment, all so they can be Leonard's eyes and ears was engaging. When Black and Jhez go from spying to finding the murderer, the book became even more enthralling because we get to see and learn more of the lyche. We see how they view humans and how their society works. It was very mesmerizing to see how this world worked and getting to see these characters developing and learning things about themselves as well. I loved watching it all unravel.
There were a few things I had a problem with. For one, I was confused a time or two about some technically advanced stuff that I didn't really know what they were. I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, that the story was going really good, at a great pace then the ending comes and leaves me with a few questions and a sudden stop after the really big showdown. I was a bit sad because I wanted so much more of Leonard and Black and then they were just.... gone :'( Another thing, while I didn't necessarily have a problem with this, the writing style is a bit strange. Not something I'm used to and that's first person present tense. I believe that's what it's called. It took a little getting used to and even though it felt odd, I still could not put this book down to even sleep.
In the end, I really loved these characters and this world. It's fascinating, bewitching in fact. I really hope this isn't the last we'll see of Black and Leonard but more than that, I really hope there's another book about them that'll come soon because I could never get bored of them. They've become a new favorite couple of mine. Definitely recommended!
I absolutely loved this book! I know I say that about quite a few books but this one was amazing, exceptional, just darn right fascinating! It's intense, captivating and I was drawn in from the first paragraph. I just could not put this down.
Twins Black and Jhez are experienced Nightwalkers. They live in a world where vampires, or lyche, feed off anything and everything's energy, or chi. Black and Jhez sell their chi to these lyche and in return they steal a piece of the lyche's chi as well. They've been doing it for decades and never been caught. Until Monsieur Leonard Garthelle, the ruler of York, tricks Black while he's feeding. Now, the twins are in deep trouble. They're not only finding out they're criminals but realizing that Black is somehow, strangely, bonded with Garthelle when he took Garthelle's chi. Stealing chi is a serious crime, though, punishable by death and their only salvation is Garthelle. Either serve Garthelle by helping him spy on his fellow lyche or die for their crimes. It's not hard for them to choose which option. However, while they're helping Garthelle, things take a turn for the worse and now the twins are no longer just spying on the lynche, they're trying to solve a murder of one. Nothing is easy, though, especially with Garthelle's constant lying and holding things back. On top of that, Garthelle and Black's bond seems to be getting stronger not weaker and the intensity between them is scorching while their feelings sky-rocket. The thing is, Black doesn't trust lynche, in general, and can't trust Garthelle either especially with his constant lying. When Black finds out what Gartelle's real plan is, the betrayal might just be more than their fledgling relationship can take.
I. ABSOLUTELY. LOVED. THESE. CHARACTERS. I'm not kidding. Black and Garthelle (Leonard) are so intense together. Black is snarky and flippant. He's jaded and bitter and does not trust lyche but there's something about Leonard that pulls him in, that makes Black toss his caution to the wind and want to constantly be around Leonard and it's not just the chi bond they formed that's doing it. Black is actually attracted to Leonard. Leonard, on the other hand, is a scheming, sly, deceitful and sometimes violent guy. He'll do anything to get what he wants and while his motives at first are of using Black to get that, it doesn't take long for Leonard's feelings to change into something much deeper.
Seriously, Black and Leonard scorch the pages with how sexually charged their interactions are. They bicker and banter and basically get on each others nerves but the sexual tension is so freaking hot. It's one of the things I loved about this book because there isn't a lot of sex but oh, baby, I still felt like I burst into flames whenever they'd get going. I loved that these characters weren't traditional people. Jhez and Black, when you think about it, are just a different kind of prostitute and Leonard is a manipulative bastard. The story makes it all work, though, and while i didn't like Jhez sometimes (talk about PMSing) I loved how she challenged Leonard constantly.
The plot of the story is great. Just the fact that lyche feed off energy instead of blood is unique in itself but having Leonard blackmail Black and Jhez into helping him, making them become entertainment, all so they can be Leonard's eyes and ears was engaging. When Black and Jhez go from spying to finding the murderer, the book became even more enthralling because we get to see and learn more of the lyche. We see how they view humans and how their society works. It was very mesmerizing to see how this world worked and getting to see these characters developing and learning things about themselves as well. I loved watching it all unravel.
There were a few things I had a problem with. For one, I was confused a time or two about some technically advanced stuff that I didn't really know what they were. I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, that the story was going really good, at a great pace then the ending comes and leaves me with a few questions and a sudden stop after the really big showdown. I was a bit sad because I wanted so much more of Leonard and Black and then they were just.... gone :'( Another thing, while I didn't necessarily have a problem with this, the writing style is a bit strange. Not something I'm used to and that's first person present tense. I believe that's what it's called. It took a little getting used to and even though it felt odd, I still could not put this book down to even sleep.
In the end, I really loved these characters and this world. It's fascinating, bewitching in fact. I really hope this isn't the last we'll see of Black and Leonard but more than that, I really hope there's another book about them that'll come soon because I could never get bored of them. They've become a new favorite couple of mine. Definitely recommended!
December 6, 2013
4.5 stars. This was such a unique story about vampires (they call themsevles "Lyches") who feed off of energy or chi. The story centers around twins Black and Jhez (or "Red" as she is nicknamed), who are half Lyche on their father's side. Their father turned their back on them, their mother died, and they were out on the streets to fend for themselves. They have survived by selling their chi to the vampires, while, unbenownst to the vampires, steal a little chi in the process. The Master of York (Leonard) basically catches Black and manipulates him and Jhez into working for him on an investigation he has undertaken involving Lyche politics.
Black is such a wonderful character. I love his wittyness and skepticism and found his conversations with Leonard very entertaining. They are sizzling together, though they only actually have sex once or twice, I cannot recall. I really would have liked more interactions with them.
Black and Jhez's drug dealer friend, Blue, is interesting as well. Seems like there is a lot we don't know about him, and I kept hoping for more details throughout the story.
The biggest problem I had with this exciting, gripping story was the ending. Things were finally coming to an intense head at the end, but then it felt rushed and ended so abruptly, I felt as though I was left hanging. I really would have liked an epilogue answering some of the lingering questions I had. I hope we see more of these characters in the future.
Black is such a wonderful character. I love his wittyness and skepticism and found his conversations with Leonard very entertaining. They are sizzling together, though they only actually have sex once or twice, I cannot recall. I really would have liked more interactions with them.
Black and Jhez's drug dealer friend, Blue, is interesting as well. Seems like there is a lot we don't know about him, and I kept hoping for more details throughout the story.
The biggest problem I had with this exciting, gripping story was the ending. Things were finally coming to an intense head at the end, but then it felt rushed and ended so abruptly, I felt as though I was left hanging. I really would have liked an epilogue answering some of the lingering questions I had. I hope we see more of these characters in the future.
February 14, 2012
I'm stunned. How could a vampire book be so original? So marvelous... so... perfect???
yes, I know it seems a little exaggerated but let me tell you not always what we think is a cliché will be a cliché!
When I got this book I saw friends saying it was a very well written story (BTW, check the publisher site. There is a free sample, so check it! I'm not kidding, it's really impressive the quality of this book). What I thought?
Oh come on, vampires? It's a very well know theme. It's really that good? It's original?
Folks, I was an asshole. Yes I admit. I wait for so long, to read it and now I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED with myself! Why I wait so long???
The fact is, why I was so skeptical? Because I'm a vampire slut, and I read A LOT of vampire novels. I know it's hard to find something new, original, some story that will catch my attention.
I find it, and I find much more. Black story is not easy, neither predictable. It start with something that already made me VERY curious...
that's how the reader will know Black... that's how the reader will after just one phrase be already hooked.
In an alternative reality, where vampires are the rulers, humans sell their aura (aka "chi") to feed them, our hero and only narrator will tell us... page by page... paragraph by paragraph... word by word, his journey to discover himself, and his world. No one know much about vampires (and let me tell you it's not right... they are "lyche", and be called a vampire is the worst possible offense). In the lynche society a very mysterious influent lyche will take Black and his sister from the streets... it's for his sexual pleasure? It's for his feeding? It's to help solve a mysterious death? It's all the time like that!!! You will be obsessed, never putting it down because you want to know more... you need to know more!
So yes... I think it was a big mistake postpone this reading... I did it because I was thinking it was another vampire story... and I forgot something.
So yes, friends and dear readers of this review
There are vampire books... and... there is this vampire book
I recommend it. It's not just a vampire story, it's the vampire sci-fi story that hold me captive for 4 days... I was him, Black, and I look though his eyes... what you are waiting to do the same?
5 stars
yes, I know it seems a little exaggerated but let me tell you not always what we think is a cliché will be a cliché!
When I got this book I saw friends saying it was a very well written story (BTW, check the publisher site. There is a free sample, so check it! I'm not kidding, it's really impressive the quality of this book). What I thought?
Oh come on, vampires? It's a very well know theme. It's really that good? It's original?
Folks, I was an asshole. Yes I admit. I wait for so long, to read it and now I'm VERY DISAPPOINTED with myself! Why I wait so long???
The fact is, why I was so skeptical? Because I'm a vampire slut, and I read A LOT of vampire novels. I know it's hard to find something new, original, some story that will catch my attention.
I find it, and I find much more. Black story is not easy, neither predictable. It start with something that already made me VERY curious...
"This is my story. Look though my eyes"
that's how the reader will know Black... that's how the reader will after just one phrase be already hooked.
In an alternative reality, where vampires are the rulers, humans sell their aura (aka "chi") to feed them, our hero and only narrator will tell us... page by page... paragraph by paragraph... word by word, his journey to discover himself, and his world. No one know much about vampires (and let me tell you it's not right... they are "lyche", and be called a vampire is the worst possible offense). In the lynche society a very mysterious influent lyche will take Black and his sister from the streets... it's for his sexual pleasure? It's for his feeding? It's to help solve a mysterious death? It's all the time like that!!! You will be obsessed, never putting it down because you want to know more... you need to know more!
So yes... I think it was a big mistake postpone this reading... I did it because I was thinking it was another vampire story... and I forgot something.
There are cute things we can see...
and There are cute things we can see
There are Tv shows that can catch our attention
and There are Tv shows that can catch our attention
There are things to scary us
and There are things to scary us
So yes, friends and dear readers of this review
There are vampire books... and... there is this vampire book
I recommend it. It's not just a vampire story, it's the vampire sci-fi story that hold me captive for 4 days... I was him, Black, and I look though his eyes... what you are waiting to do the same?
5 stars
February 8, 2012
This is one of those books it's impossible to forget. The world is very interesting and the story is full of twists and turns, I was instantly captivated and fully engaged with it. The characters are complex and with multiple layers, I was fascinated by all of them, although my favorite one is absolutely Black.
What else can I say? I'm sorry I've finished it, I wish there was more.
On a side note, I find the cover absolutely amazing. I loved it.
What else can I say? I'm sorry I've finished it, I wish there was more.
On a side note, I find the cover absolutely amazing. I loved it.
January 26, 2012
This is one of the few times I wish I spoke Elvish, because the English language does NOT have words strong enough to describe the superiority of this story. "Awesome," "fabulous," "amazing," or "brilliant" just do not have enough oomph or ring of truth to how I feel. "Breath-taking" is only marginally closer to what I want to express. "Utterly perfect" might work.
Now, to be fair, I've been following the Riptide Opening Blog Tour, including interviews with Rhi and Rhi's views on gender fluidity. Rhi likes to write "genderfuck," so I couldn't help looking at the story with those eyes. But while it's in the story, it's so not the point of the story. At least, not overtly.
Black and Jhez make their living as Nightwalkers, selling their life-force, or chi, to (and stealing some in return from) low-level energy vampires, or lyche, but they are careful and use their finely honed skills to stay alive for over a decade, a very long time for Nightwalkers to not become used up gutter trash. They are particularly disenchanted with their father, who left them to rot in the gutter just before the Disclosure [of the existence of lyche to the human populace], at which point the structure of society changed.
Black thinks he's been entrapped by the local lyche leader after he nips a bit of the vampire's chi, not realizing that it is illegal or that it will create a link between the two that neither of them wants or can control. Monsieur Garthelle uses that link to coerce Black and his twin Jhez to spy for him on lyche politics, only then to become embroiled in the mystery of a murder under his roof. Figuring out lyche society and politics on short notice is impossible, and they don't have much time to unravel the intrigues, alliances, and politics before someone comes knocking on their door expecting... something. Payment? Retribution? Power?
But working for and having an aural link to Monsieur Garthelle slowly causes Black to realize that not all of the lyche are the monsters they're made out to be. We readers experience Black's distrust, distaste, and fear slowly evolve into confusion into grudging respect into trust. And the pull between them is magnetic, even when it's not there. I've rarely read more well-written turns of phrase where seething disgust at a forced, completely unacceptable situation is gradually and acceptably not only desired, but eventually impossible to live without. AND it doesn't come across as some flavor of Stockholm Syndrome either. Where other authors I've read struggled to make such a scenario believable, Rhi had no troubles at all in creating a truly believable and enjoyable slow build and deep burn. It was incredible.
Black is the real-time narrator of the story, so everything the reader experiences is as Black experiences it. There are no flashbacks and very few memories even. We find out fairly early on that Black and his twin are not entirely human, but only through the course of the story and Black's (and Jhez's) discoveries do we come to understand what that means. The lines between what is lyche, what is human, and what is between the two are solidly blurred, just as the gender lines are blurred. (Though this is never an overt thought or an outright comparison, I couldn't help but make it.)
The politics can be thick at times, and most definitely confusing, but that's intentional because it's all unfamiliar to Black. But just as it takes time for Black to understand, it takes the reader that same time. I was very immersed in the mystery along with Jhez and Black, so it was very well done in my opinion.
I recommend this to everyone, but I suspect this will be a "love it or hate it" book. This story has so many complex layers that it will be very thought-provoking or cause hemorrhaging for those who don't want to look deeper. It's dark and deep, but it has quite a bit of humor in it as well. While you're reading, think about the underlying truths interwoven into the story which aren't blatantly stated but are there. It's worth it.
One note about the cover: I like the cover, but it made me think that Black is much younger than he actually is.
Now, to be fair, I've been following the Riptide Opening Blog Tour, including interviews with Rhi and Rhi's views on gender fluidity. Rhi likes to write "genderfuck," so I couldn't help looking at the story with those eyes. But while it's in the story, it's so not the point of the story. At least, not overtly.
Black and Jhez make their living as Nightwalkers, selling their life-force, or chi, to (and stealing some in return from) low-level energy vampires, or lyche, but they are careful and use their finely honed skills to stay alive for over a decade, a very long time for Nightwalkers to not become used up gutter trash. They are particularly disenchanted with their father, who left them to rot in the gutter just before the Disclosure [of the existence of lyche to the human populace], at which point the structure of society changed.
Black thinks he's been entrapped by the local lyche leader after he nips a bit of the vampire's chi, not realizing that it is illegal or that it will create a link between the two that neither of them wants or can control. Monsieur Garthelle uses that link to coerce Black and his twin Jhez to spy for him on lyche politics, only then to become embroiled in the mystery of a murder under his roof. Figuring out lyche society and politics on short notice is impossible, and they don't have much time to unravel the intrigues, alliances, and politics before someone comes knocking on their door expecting... something. Payment? Retribution? Power?
But working for and having an aural link to Monsieur Garthelle slowly causes Black to realize that not all of the lyche are the monsters they're made out to be. We readers experience Black's distrust, distaste, and fear slowly evolve into confusion into grudging respect into trust. And the pull between them is magnetic, even when it's not there. I've rarely read more well-written turns of phrase where seething disgust at a forced, completely unacceptable situation is gradually and acceptably not only desired, but eventually impossible to live without. AND it doesn't come across as some flavor of Stockholm Syndrome either. Where other authors I've read struggled to make such a scenario believable, Rhi had no troubles at all in creating a truly believable and enjoyable slow build and deep burn. It was incredible.
Black is the real-time narrator of the story, so everything the reader experiences is as Black experiences it. There are no flashbacks and very few memories even. We find out fairly early on that Black and his twin are not entirely human, but only through the course of the story and Black's (and Jhez's) discoveries do we come to understand what that means. The lines between what is lyche, what is human, and what is between the two are solidly blurred, just as the gender lines are blurred. (Though this is never an overt thought or an outright comparison, I couldn't help but make it.)
The politics can be thick at times, and most definitely confusing, but that's intentional because it's all unfamiliar to Black. But just as it takes time for Black to understand, it takes the reader that same time. I was very immersed in the mystery along with Jhez and Black, so it was very well done in my opinion.
I recommend this to everyone, but I suspect this will be a "love it or hate it" book. This story has so many complex layers that it will be very thought-provoking or cause hemorrhaging for those who don't want to look deeper. It's dark and deep, but it has quite a bit of humor in it as well. While you're reading, think about the underlying truths interwoven into the story which aren't blatantly stated but are there. It's worth it.
One note about the cover: I like the cover, but it made me think that Black is much younger than he actually is.
January 24, 2012
Although Rhi's novel has a different take on vampires than I expected, I still enjoyed it just the same. The vampires in this world live on chi - life force - rather than blood, and they have had an uprising where humans no longer rule the world, the vampires - or rather, lyche - do.
The new world that Black and his twin sister is different from their childhood, but they have adapted as best they can by becoming nightwalkers - those who sell their chi rather than their body. All is running fairly smoothly until Black chooses a client who turns their world upside down, changing all that they knew about lyche, their past and themselves.
The story is written from Black's POV, and while we get to understand Black's responses (mostly) and experience his confusion, it does limit our knowledge of the other characters, particularly Leonard. While this reinforces how confusing and uncertain the whole situation is for Black, as the reader, I would have appreciated knowing more about Leonard than what Black knows.
This is not a romantic story in many ways, but there is a romance that develops between Black and Leonard, almost in spite of themselves. In the place of a true romance, this is much more of an urban fantasy/political drama/murder-mystery. Much of the interaction between the 2 MC's is by way of the investigation, while the political situation dictates many of Leonard's responses.
The writing is tight with the pacing pretty even throughout. While it's not quite the novel I was expecting, I did enjoy this different vision of vampires and world in which they live.
The new world that Black and his twin sister is different from their childhood, but they have adapted as best they can by becoming nightwalkers - those who sell their chi rather than their body. All is running fairly smoothly until Black chooses a client who turns their world upside down, changing all that they knew about lyche, their past and themselves.
The story is written from Black's POV, and while we get to understand Black's responses (mostly) and experience his confusion, it does limit our knowledge of the other characters, particularly Leonard. While this reinforces how confusing and uncertain the whole situation is for Black, as the reader, I would have appreciated knowing more about Leonard than what Black knows.
This is not a romantic story in many ways, but there is a romance that develops between Black and Leonard, almost in spite of themselves. In the place of a true romance, this is much more of an urban fantasy/political drama/murder-mystery. Much of the interaction between the 2 MC's is by way of the investigation, while the political situation dictates many of Leonard's responses.
The writing is tight with the pacing pretty even throughout. While it's not quite the novel I was expecting, I did enjoy this different vision of vampires and world in which they live.
April 11, 2013
4.75
Blacker than Black was a trip. From the very first page, Black, the first-person present tense narrator, shows you a world that is so unique, twisted, and complex that you either have to dive in deep or not go there at all.
Black and his twin sister Jhez are Nightwalkers - walking the Blue District and selling their chi (energy) to vampires - lyche. They know how to take care of themselves and they have a long track record to prove it. One day, though, Black encounters a lyche he sorely underestimates. The Monsieur of York, Leonard Garthelle, buys his services and suddenly everything spirals out of control. A connection between them has been forged and neither is prepared for or even understands all implications. At the same time the careful, peace-keeping balance in lyche politics, testy, complex, and fragile in the best of circumstances, threatens to evaporate and the Monsieur of York is right at the centre of those events - and with him Black and Jhez. Unspoken secrets come to light, concepts are overturned, and Black and Jhez have to relearn their understanding of the world in which they live every day anew. Or, as they know, they won't live for much longer.
This is a story so full of turns and twists that it leaves you breathless sometimes. Nothing is as it first seems, and the author doesn't put a lot of effort in explaining the details - so we see and learn what Black sees and learns and maybe that's the best thing about this book yet. Because of this, quite a few things are only alluded to, there isn't a resolution for all story threads and not all questions, secrets, details are satisfyingly answered. But that is one of this book's strength rather than a weakness, because it catapults you into the story instead of leaving you safely and allknowingly outside. When has anyone ever understood all ramifications of every detail of any event while experiencing it? And that is just it, you don't only read, you EXPERIENCE this story. The present tense, first-person narration makes sure of that.
There seemed to be a few minor inconsistencies in the story, but that didn't diminish my pleasure in reading it. The only problem I had was this: while the ending was very good, it wasn't monumentally GREAT! Now, that seems like a weird thing to bemoan, but the thing is, this story was so great that it just deserved the most satisfying and best showdown ever. And for some reason , it just didn't reach these heights. I realise how absolutely insane these expectations are, though, and therefore only detract 0.25 stars for this ;-D
Overall: definitely an amazing, unique, dark, twisted, fascinating, and captivating read. Not light and easy, but with brilliant world building, interesting characters, and an insane story plot. Not for everyone, but if you think you could like it: get something to eat and drink for the next few hours, close your door, shut off your mobile, make yourself comfy and READ.
Blacker than Black was a trip. From the very first page, Black, the first-person present tense narrator, shows you a world that is so unique, twisted, and complex that you either have to dive in deep or not go there at all.
Black and his twin sister Jhez are Nightwalkers - walking the Blue District and selling their chi (energy) to vampires - lyche. They know how to take care of themselves and they have a long track record to prove it. One day, though, Black encounters a lyche he sorely underestimates. The Monsieur of York, Leonard Garthelle, buys his services and suddenly everything spirals out of control. A connection between them has been forged and neither is prepared for or even understands all implications. At the same time the careful, peace-keeping balance in lyche politics, testy, complex, and fragile in the best of circumstances, threatens to evaporate and the Monsieur of York is right at the centre of those events - and with him Black and Jhez. Unspoken secrets come to light, concepts are overturned, and Black and Jhez have to relearn their understanding of the world in which they live every day anew. Or, as they know, they won't live for much longer.
This is a story so full of turns and twists that it leaves you breathless sometimes. Nothing is as it first seems, and the author doesn't put a lot of effort in explaining the details - so we see and learn what Black sees and learns and maybe that's the best thing about this book yet. Because of this, quite a few things are only alluded to, there isn't a resolution for all story threads and not all questions, secrets, details are satisfyingly answered. But that is one of this book's strength rather than a weakness, because it catapults you into the story instead of leaving you safely and allknowingly outside. When has anyone ever understood all ramifications of every detail of any event while experiencing it? And that is just it, you don't only read, you EXPERIENCE this story. The present tense, first-person narration makes sure of that.
There seemed to be a few minor inconsistencies in the story, but that didn't diminish my pleasure in reading it. The only problem I had was this: while the ending was very good, it wasn't monumentally GREAT! Now, that seems like a weird thing to bemoan, but the thing is, this story was so great that it just deserved the most satisfying and best showdown ever. And for some reason , it just didn't reach these heights. I realise how absolutely insane these expectations are, though, and therefore only detract 0.25 stars for this ;-D
Overall: definitely an amazing, unique, dark, twisted, fascinating, and captivating read. Not light and easy, but with brilliant world building, interesting characters, and an insane story plot. Not for everyone, but if you think you could like it: get something to eat and drink for the next few hours, close your door, shut off your mobile, make yourself comfy and READ.
July 3, 2016
The world as been taken over by lyche, chi-draining vampires. Black and his twin sister are Nightwalkers, selling their chi to any lyche willing to pay the price. But during the vamp's post-feeding thrall, the twins steal an equal measure of the vamp's chi. That is until Black meets a new client, Leonard Garthelle, the Monsieur of York. When Black steals some of Garthelle's chi life gets complicated very fast.
The first 300 pages were great and I was really enjoying it. Then it almost seemed like whoever edited the book stopped there. Don't get me wrong I still liked the book but it went from a book I was loving to one that I simply liked.
February 14, 2015
3.5 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the writing was great and I love the way the story is narrated through Black. I also like the orginality because I haven't come across any story which manages to combine vampires with sci fi so well.
My only problem was the pace. The story was too slow for me and too long and it only really started to pick up for me half way through. I thought there was a lot of preamble before it really got to the meat of things. So I kind of enjoyed it but I wouldn't read it again.
I did like the writing though and will definitely read other books by this author. I enjoyed the world she created and the society and way in which Black and his sister discover who they are and the power they have. I just think it would have been much better if it was much shorter.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought the writing was great and I love the way the story is narrated through Black. I also like the orginality because I haven't come across any story which manages to combine vampires with sci fi so well.
My only problem was the pace. The story was too slow for me and too long and it only really started to pick up for me half way through. I thought there was a lot of preamble before it really got to the meat of things. So I kind of enjoyed it but I wouldn't read it again.
I did like the writing though and will definitely read other books by this author. I enjoyed the world she created and the society and way in which Black and his sister discover who they are and the power they have. I just think it would have been much better if it was much shorter.
January 24, 2012
I didn't really like this one. It was a so-so story at best, the editing could have been better, and I wasn't a fan of the cover. May come back later to elaborate on the not liking it, but it just didn't work for me.
Edit: Actually, Lisa's review points out some of the major problems I had with this. It was winding, unnecessarily so, I think, and the hermaphrodite aspect of things seemed downright pointless. The choice of first person present tense narration also was hard to navigate. I didn't connect to the story or the world, and I just think the author and publisher dropped the ball. I'm actually kind of angry I paid $9.99 for it. It will make me leery of this author and this publisher in the future.
Edit: Actually, Lisa's review points out some of the major problems I had with this. It was winding, unnecessarily so, I think, and the hermaphrodite aspect of things seemed downright pointless. The choice of first person present tense narration also was hard to navigate. I didn't connect to the story or the world, and I just think the author and publisher dropped the ball. I'm actually kind of angry I paid $9.99 for it. It will make me leery of this author and this publisher in the future.
February 17, 2013
What just happened here? I'm still blinking in confusion. I think this author who is new to me thinks in a different pattern than my brain follows. Throughout the story, I'm was constantly frustrated because I felt as if I was walking around blind. It's as if this was the second book where I completely missed both the world building and the explanation of characters. For the most part, I felt as if Ms. Etzweiler stingily doled out information while keeping the bulk of it in her head.
Even after the ending of this book, I was left a bit bemused and befuddled. It could be written this way on purpose because we are seeing this from Black's point of view. Since he's just as clueless, we will remain the same. There were many questions brought up which were never fully answered. This makes the book feel as if it were more a stream of consciousness rather than a tightly woven and thought out story.
Here are a few examples of points brought up. Are Black and Red really lycae or are they half breeds? Why exactly are they so different? Did Blue really do what he was accused of? And if so, how and why? What really happened to Vincent Noire? The story was confusing in how it presented him. It's almost as if this story was really like Star Wars between Luke and his father, Darth Vader. Has anyone else mentioned this eery parallel? I mean, we have twins. Sure they aren't separated here. We have a father who left them. A mother who is dead or disappeared but we don't know what exactly happened. A new mentor type who becomes a protector of the twins. An aunt who does her best to try and shield them abet poorly.
The concept of this story is quite interesting. If only the world building was better explained perhaps it would be more enjoyable. If there weren't so many loose ends that would give a reader a better feeling of closure. I don't need a happily ever after. I do like to have questions raised answered. I mean, why the hell are antibiotics no longer available? And how is this relevant to the story overall? Specifically the lack of easily purchased antibiotics or aspirin had to have some point to be mentioned twice, non? And if it had no point, then this author needs to learn how to cut out extraneous information during editing or at least not accidentally focus on details that do not drive the story forward. This book is recommended to m/m readers who love vampire stories.
Even after the ending of this book, I was left a bit bemused and befuddled. It could be written this way on purpose because we are seeing this from Black's point of view. Since he's just as clueless, we will remain the same. There were many questions brought up which were never fully answered. This makes the book feel as if it were more a stream of consciousness rather than a tightly woven and thought out story.
Here are a few examples of points brought up. Are Black and Red really lycae or are they half breeds? Why exactly are they so different? Did Blue really do what he was accused of? And if so, how and why? What really happened to Vincent Noire? The story was confusing in how it presented him. It's almost as if this story was really like Star Wars between Luke and his father, Darth Vader. Has anyone else mentioned this eery parallel? I mean, we have twins. Sure they aren't separated here. We have a father who left them. A mother who is dead or disappeared but we don't know what exactly happened. A new mentor type who becomes a protector of the twins. An aunt who does her best to try and shield them abet poorly.
The concept of this story is quite interesting. If only the world building was better explained perhaps it would be more enjoyable. If there weren't so many loose ends that would give a reader a better feeling of closure. I don't need a happily ever after. I do like to have questions raised answered. I mean, why the hell are antibiotics no longer available? And how is this relevant to the story overall? Specifically the lack of easily purchased antibiotics or aspirin had to have some point to be mentioned twice, non? And if it had no point, then this author needs to learn how to cut out extraneous information during editing or at least not accidentally focus on details that do not drive the story forward. This book is recommended to m/m readers who love vampire stories.
February 12, 2015
Espectacular. Este libro es una obra de arte.
Creo igual que es sólo para aquellos que puedan abandonar sus estructuras y simplemente sentir. Y no, no soy bilingüe ni de cerca, pero de ninguna manera coincido con muchos de los comentarios que leí por aquí y por allá respecto de ciertas cuestiones aparentemente no claras o mal ejecutadas, o incoherentes. De ninguna manera, sino todo lo contrario. Lo que sucede es que no es un libro que se sostenga simplemente gracias a una secuencia lógica de hechos, que derivan en un resultado esperado. Si como lector te has detenido sólo en eso, te has perdido de disfrutar de un verdadero festival para los sentidos.
Además, Rhi Etzweiler no es alguien que se detenga a traducirle al lector lo que quiere decir en su relato, no apela a la literalidad ni te facilita la comprensión. Es decir, es un autor/a que no busca tratarte como un completo idiota. Y yo lo agradezco a viva voz. Detesto cuando los escritores suponen que deben sobreinterpretar cada paso de la trama, que intentan complacerte suponiendo lo que probablemente no vayas a entender. El libro te hace trabajar para comprender ciertas cosas que suceden, sobre todo aquellas relacionadas con la trama más policial. Pero todo se explica con percepciones y detalles.
Rhi despliega una variedad de recursos literarios tan amplia, tan compleja, tan sutil, y tan difícil de encontrar en la literatura actual, que honestamente no creo tener palabras suficientes para expresarlo con claridad y como se lo merece. Blacker than Black es un viaje de percepciones, de sensaciones, de conciencia, y es factible vivirlo en carne propia, si se está lo suficientemente abierto de mente y sentidos. Tan bien armado está que es posible "oler", "escuchar", "vivir" los cambios en el chi, en las energías, en las fuerzas vitales. Y nada está dicho de manera unilateral por lo que requiere cierto compromiso por parte del lector, cierta atención, y sobre todo, mucha apertura de mente. Si esperás que a A), le siga B) para llegar a C), no es tu libro.
El universo vampírico también me resultó de lo más original. He leído mi buena cuota de textos con critaturas succionadoras, y de los buenos ejemplos, y algunas características que tienen acá son novedosas, o fuera de lo tradicional, y una buena variante frente a tanto bastardeo del género. Sobre todo me gustó la idea de la energía como principal recurso alimenticio y de poder para los vampiros o lyche,de qué manera se obtiene e intercambia, la idea de los nightwalkers, y la enorme telaraña de relaciones y rivalidades.
Es un libro único, que no me esperaba y me arrasó como un huracán. Conocí a Rhi gracias a Aleksandr Voinov y al libro que escribieron juntos (Dark Edge of Honor, otra joyita) y noté algo diferente en esa ocasión que no me había sucedido con otros libros coescritos por Voinov. Tenía una corazonada de que la compleja cabeza de Rhi iba a deleitarme en solitario. Y vaya si lo hizo. Me has dejado completamente sin palabras.
Creo igual que es sólo para aquellos que puedan abandonar sus estructuras y simplemente sentir. Y no, no soy bilingüe ni de cerca, pero de ninguna manera coincido con muchos de los comentarios que leí por aquí y por allá respecto de ciertas cuestiones aparentemente no claras o mal ejecutadas, o incoherentes. De ninguna manera, sino todo lo contrario. Lo que sucede es que no es un libro que se sostenga simplemente gracias a una secuencia lógica de hechos, que derivan en un resultado esperado. Si como lector te has detenido sólo en eso, te has perdido de disfrutar de un verdadero festival para los sentidos.
Además, Rhi Etzweiler no es alguien que se detenga a traducirle al lector lo que quiere decir en su relato, no apela a la literalidad ni te facilita la comprensión. Es decir, es un autor/a que no busca tratarte como un completo idiota. Y yo lo agradezco a viva voz. Detesto cuando los escritores suponen que deben sobreinterpretar cada paso de la trama, que intentan complacerte suponiendo lo que probablemente no vayas a entender. El libro te hace trabajar para comprender ciertas cosas que suceden, sobre todo aquellas relacionadas con la trama más policial. Pero todo se explica con percepciones y detalles.
Rhi despliega una variedad de recursos literarios tan amplia, tan compleja, tan sutil, y tan difícil de encontrar en la literatura actual, que honestamente no creo tener palabras suficientes para expresarlo con claridad y como se lo merece. Blacker than Black es un viaje de percepciones, de sensaciones, de conciencia, y es factible vivirlo en carne propia, si se está lo suficientemente abierto de mente y sentidos. Tan bien armado está que es posible "oler", "escuchar", "vivir" los cambios en el chi, en las energías, en las fuerzas vitales. Y nada está dicho de manera unilateral por lo que requiere cierto compromiso por parte del lector, cierta atención, y sobre todo, mucha apertura de mente. Si esperás que a A), le siga B) para llegar a C), no es tu libro.
El universo vampírico también me resultó de lo más original. He leído mi buena cuota de textos con critaturas succionadoras, y de los buenos ejemplos, y algunas características que tienen acá son novedosas, o fuera de lo tradicional, y una buena variante frente a tanto bastardeo del género. Sobre todo me gustó la idea de la energía como principal recurso alimenticio y de poder para los vampiros o lyche,de qué manera se obtiene e intercambia, la idea de los nightwalkers, y la enorme telaraña de relaciones y rivalidades.
Es un libro único, que no me esperaba y me arrasó como un huracán. Conocí a Rhi gracias a Aleksandr Voinov y al libro que escribieron juntos (Dark Edge of Honor, otra joyita) y noté algo diferente en esa ocasión que no me había sucedido con otros libros coescritos por Voinov. Tenía una corazonada de que la compleja cabeza de Rhi iba a deleitarme en solitario. Y vaya si lo hizo. Me has dejado completamente sin palabras.
September 6, 2015
This isn't one of my easier reads. The author does a wonderful job of using first person present tense to tell the story. This is not normally a style I like. I always feel I lose so much of the story when the writing is done in this style. In this case the story is told by Black. Black and his sister, Jhez, are "nightwalkers". They sell their Chi to the Lyche, or energy vampires. They are also Chi thieves. What they sell they steal as well. But they haven't gotten away unnoticed. The Monsieur of York, Leonard Garthelle, is after them and finds and unknowingly binds himself with Black. Black and Jhez are drawn into the Lyche society with all it's various politics.
Through Black and his experiences we see the rest of the people involved in this world. The author expertly gives you the details and emotions through Black to interpret the character and possible motives of those around him. I really did enjoy this a bit more than expected. It really fit the feel of the story. It deepened the story and added a complexity to it it wouldn't have gained any other way.
I really look forward to more by this author:)
Through Black and his experiences we see the rest of the people involved in this world. The author expertly gives you the details and emotions through Black to interpret the character and possible motives of those around him. I really did enjoy this a bit more than expected. It really fit the feel of the story. It deepened the story and added a complexity to it it wouldn't have gained any other way.
I really look forward to more by this author:)
January 23, 2012
I'm not sure what to say about Black really. I've tried for a while now to form some kind of comprehensive review, and just can't quite get one to come out like I want.
Bottom line... I loved it. I've read several things by Rhi Etzweiler now, and I just love Rhi's writing style. In this one, although written in First person POV, which rarely works for me, it really works for me with Black. The world Rhi has created is wonderful, the vampires are like none I've ever read before, a whole new take on it with chi vamps (Energy sucking vampires of win). The characters I loved as well. Black is wonderful and I love the secondary characters; Jhez and Blue are fabulous and Garthelle... oh my, how I love Garthelle.
I think what I loved most about this book is how Rhi gave me much to think about in the way it bends gender and perceptions of gender. Kudo's to the author.
Summed up in a few words... Genderbending and energy sucking vampires for the win.
Bottom line... I loved it. I've read several things by Rhi Etzweiler now, and I just love Rhi's writing style. In this one, although written in First person POV, which rarely works for me, it really works for me with Black. The world Rhi has created is wonderful, the vampires are like none I've ever read before, a whole new take on it with chi vamps (Energy sucking vampires of win). The characters I loved as well. Black is wonderful and I love the secondary characters; Jhez and Blue are fabulous and Garthelle... oh my, how I love Garthelle.
I think what I loved most about this book is how Rhi gave me much to think about in the way it bends gender and perceptions of gender. Kudo's to the author.
Summed up in a few words... Genderbending and energy sucking vampires for the win.
March 9, 2012
Brilliant read!!!
My only complain is the use of german words, which was not needed for the story.
I couldn't put this down. Black and his twin sister work the street as Streetwalkers, they don't sell their bodies but their life energy to the lyche(leech is a pretty ampt description for these energy vampires). They have the unnique ability to take back from their john's and managed to survive like that on the streets for longer than any other Streetwalker. Not all are unawere of the twins abilities and one night Black is caught red handed and forced to play by the rules of the race he hates and which has destroyed his family.
Great story, plot-driven, slow burn on the romance part, which makes it actually work for me, an interesting world and not the typical chliché vampires!
My only complain is the use of german words, which was not needed for the story.
I couldn't put this down. Black and his twin sister work the street as Streetwalkers, they don't sell their bodies but their life energy to the lyche(leech is a pretty ampt description for these energy vampires). They have the unnique ability to take back from their john's and managed to survive like that on the streets for longer than any other Streetwalker. Not all are unawere of the twins abilities and one night Black is caught red handed and forced to play by the rules of the race he hates and which has destroyed his family.
Great story, plot-driven, slow burn on the romance part, which makes it actually work for me, an interesting world and not the typical chliché vampires!
January 2, 2013
Wow! This was good. There's nothing better than a book that sucks you in from the start and doesn't let go. The author guides you into a world of lyche and nightwalkers, where Black and his sister find themselves confused and searching for the truth about their heritage. I loved Black and the slow build of his relationship with Garthelle was perfect. I would have liked to know a little bit more about Blue because he was one of the most fascinating characters in the story.
January 22, 2012
3.5 stars
Interesting book about professional lyche (vampire) feeders that get caught up in murder and political intrigue in the lyche community. The interaction between chi-thief Black and the lyche Leonard is what is making this book worth reading, the political intrigue less so. It is also nice to see a strong female character, even though I feel her involvement was dimmed to limit her role and make the overall storyline simpler.
Interesting book about professional lyche (vampire) feeders that get caught up in murder and political intrigue in the lyche community. The interaction between chi-thief Black and the lyche Leonard is what is making this book worth reading, the political intrigue less so. It is also nice to see a strong female character, even though I feel her involvement was dimmed to limit her role and make the overall storyline simpler.
January 25, 2012
A BRILLIANT book
Beautiful characters, great story, and a breathless reading experience.
Etzweiler knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
A definite re-read.
Beautiful characters, great story, and a breathless reading experience.
Etzweiler knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.
A definite re-read.
June 22, 2014
A Better Book Than Its Cover
Black knows all about the dark underbelly of life. He should. He lives it every night. He and his twin sister were little more than children when circumstances forced them to the streets. Now they're Nightwalkers, selling themselves to survive.
Not sex...or blood, for that matter. Their vampire johns - Lyche, they call themselves - don't drink blood, and sex has never been one of the services the siblings offer. Besides, vampires have other needs. What Black and his sister sell is their chi, their life energy.
Hey, it's a renewable resource, and vampires pay well for it. Not that the transaction is risk-free. Quite the contrary, especially as he and his sister don't just sell their chi. They steal vampire chi for themselves in the process.
Turns out, their johns don't appreciate that much, a fact that becomes painfully clear when Black taps the very last vampire he should have anything to do with, Monsieur Garthelle. Not only is Garthelle the top vampire in the city and the law of the land, but the chi tap Black did on the guy goes wrong in a way that no other has.
Now he's got two choices. Either he lets Garthelle turn him and his sister into his two pet spies during some swanky party thing the vampire is holding for his nearest and dearest not-exactly-friends, or Garthelle will end them both.
Which really isn't any choice at all, is it?
~*~
With a fresh and original twist on vampire mythos and a complex and intricate story, Etzweiler's Blacker than Black was a much more entertaining read than I was expecting based on the cover alone. No offense to the art designer, but wow - that cover does this book no favors at all. Fortunately, both the atmospheric world and Black's travails after biting off more of Garthelle's chi than he could handle made up for it nicely.
I loved the mystery and investigation surrounding the murdered Lyche, and the world that Black and his sister are surviving in has just enough of a touch of slightly futuristic dystopian nightmare to give it a seedy, humans-are-second-class-citizens-at-best flavor but not so much that it turned me off (I'm not normally a fan). It was a nice balance, and all the meatiest plot threads were woven together in a way that slowly revealed more and more pertinent details about the characters and the Lyche culture.
It wasn't love at first chapter for me, though. I have to admit, I had to work at it a bit in the beginning. Black is narrating his story in first person perspective. Nothing unusual about that; a good majority of urban fantasy fiction is the same. What was unique...and, for me, off-putting, was the present tense in the telling. It made the beginning of the book in particular feel a bit odd and jarring, and I was well into the story before I realized I was no longer getting jerked out of the read every few minutes by the style of the narration.
The fact that Black wasn't my favorite character didn't help matters, either. I didn't dislike him. He had several good points. I just didn't think he was all that strong as the lead character - especially in comparison to his sister, who I loved. Black tended to focus too much on the fallout of his tap of Garthelle's chi for my taste, shortchanging the story's potential for more comprehensive world building and additional plot depth.
And because the story is being told by Black, who is almost completely ignorant of Lyche culture and all the labyrinthian politics, obfuscated loyalties, and seemingly cross-purpose agendas, he didn't serve as a very good source of information about them as the story progressed. I was forced to learn what I could as Black did, around his obsession with fighting off the effect of Garthelle's chi. There just wasn't sufficient explanation for me to be able to fully immerse myself in the world, or be consistently solid on was going on in it.
I liked what there was, don't get me wrong, and some of it I liked a whole lot. There just wasn't quite enough of it for me.
Black's sister would have made a stronger protagonist, I think (though that would obviously have put the kibosh on the M/M leanings). She was brash, cagey, independent, and showed no fear, even when she felt it. And she loved the hell out of her brother, which softened her roughest edges nicely. I was saddened to see her so underutilized in the story, but every moment of page time she got improved whichever scene that included her.
Garthelle was the other character that really worked for me. I can't say I feel like I knew him all that well by the end, and I still don't completely buy his motives or the wisdom of the decision to bring Black and his sister into his situation, but I loved his inscrutable, stoic exterior, especially when it was so clearly covering up a much more vulnerable side of himself. His machinations were deliciously Machiavellian, but those moments when he let his guard down around Black were some of my favorites of the book.
It all set a nice foundation for the personal conflict between him and Black, but as most of Black's best efforts were made with the hopes of getting out from under Garthelle's influence, it threw a monkey wrench into the arc of the romantic relationship between them. I just never felt they were ever on equal footing - neither in Lyche culture nor in the relationship that slowly develops between them. That put a serious crimp on the romance-flavored aspects and made some stuff at the end of the book not quite as satisfying as I would have preferred.
If this was a first book in a series, I think most of my other issues with parts of the story - an abrupt ending, the odd relationship jump between Black and Garthelle, and the myriad questions that lingered after the final page - would have been largely mitigated. Plus, I'm greedy. When I'm impressed by the originality of a book's world or the freshness of the plot, I can only want more.
This book begs a sequel. Or a series. As a stand alone it was entertaining, if not always consistently so, and I liked it. If it was the start of something bigger, it may have been love by the end. For now, I can only hope to see more of Black and Garthelle...and Red and Blue, for that matter...at some point in the future.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Black knows all about the dark underbelly of life. He should. He lives it every night. He and his twin sister were little more than children when circumstances forced them to the streets. Now they're Nightwalkers, selling themselves to survive.
Not sex...or blood, for that matter. Their vampire johns - Lyche, they call themselves - don't drink blood, and sex has never been one of the services the siblings offer. Besides, vampires have other needs. What Black and his sister sell is their chi, their life energy.
Hey, it's a renewable resource, and vampires pay well for it. Not that the transaction is risk-free. Quite the contrary, especially as he and his sister don't just sell their chi. They steal vampire chi for themselves in the process.
Turns out, their johns don't appreciate that much, a fact that becomes painfully clear when Black taps the very last vampire he should have anything to do with, Monsieur Garthelle. Not only is Garthelle the top vampire in the city and the law of the land, but the chi tap Black did on the guy goes wrong in a way that no other has.
Now he's got two choices. Either he lets Garthelle turn him and his sister into his two pet spies during some swanky party thing the vampire is holding for his nearest and dearest not-exactly-friends, or Garthelle will end them both.
Which really isn't any choice at all, is it?
~*~
With a fresh and original twist on vampire mythos and a complex and intricate story, Etzweiler's Blacker than Black was a much more entertaining read than I was expecting based on the cover alone. No offense to the art designer, but wow - that cover does this book no favors at all. Fortunately, both the atmospheric world and Black's travails after biting off more of Garthelle's chi than he could handle made up for it nicely.
I loved the mystery and investigation surrounding the murdered Lyche, and the world that Black and his sister are surviving in has just enough of a touch of slightly futuristic dystopian nightmare to give it a seedy, humans-are-second-class-citizens-at-best flavor but not so much that it turned me off (I'm not normally a fan). It was a nice balance, and all the meatiest plot threads were woven together in a way that slowly revealed more and more pertinent details about the characters and the Lyche culture.
It wasn't love at first chapter for me, though. I have to admit, I had to work at it a bit in the beginning. Black is narrating his story in first person perspective. Nothing unusual about that; a good majority of urban fantasy fiction is the same. What was unique...and, for me, off-putting, was the present tense in the telling. It made the beginning of the book in particular feel a bit odd and jarring, and I was well into the story before I realized I was no longer getting jerked out of the read every few minutes by the style of the narration.
The fact that Black wasn't my favorite character didn't help matters, either. I didn't dislike him. He had several good points. I just didn't think he was all that strong as the lead character - especially in comparison to his sister, who I loved. Black tended to focus too much on the fallout of his tap of Garthelle's chi for my taste, shortchanging the story's potential for more comprehensive world building and additional plot depth.
And because the story is being told by Black, who is almost completely ignorant of Lyche culture and all the labyrinthian politics, obfuscated loyalties, and seemingly cross-purpose agendas, he didn't serve as a very good source of information about them as the story progressed. I was forced to learn what I could as Black did, around his obsession with fighting off the effect of Garthelle's chi. There just wasn't sufficient explanation for me to be able to fully immerse myself in the world, or be consistently solid on was going on in it.
I liked what there was, don't get me wrong, and some of it I liked a whole lot. There just wasn't quite enough of it for me.
Black's sister would have made a stronger protagonist, I think (though that would obviously have put the kibosh on the M/M leanings). She was brash, cagey, independent, and showed no fear, even when she felt it. And she loved the hell out of her brother, which softened her roughest edges nicely. I was saddened to see her so underutilized in the story, but every moment of page time she got improved whichever scene that included her.
Garthelle was the other character that really worked for me. I can't say I feel like I knew him all that well by the end, and I still don't completely buy his motives or the wisdom of the decision to bring Black and his sister into his situation, but I loved his inscrutable, stoic exterior, especially when it was so clearly covering up a much more vulnerable side of himself. His machinations were deliciously Machiavellian, but those moments when he let his guard down around Black were some of my favorites of the book.
It all set a nice foundation for the personal conflict between him and Black, but as most of Black's best efforts were made with the hopes of getting out from under Garthelle's influence, it threw a monkey wrench into the arc of the romantic relationship between them. I just never felt they were ever on equal footing - neither in Lyche culture nor in the relationship that slowly develops between them. That put a serious crimp on the romance-flavored aspects and made some stuff at the end of the book not quite as satisfying as I would have preferred.
If this was a first book in a series, I think most of my other issues with parts of the story - an abrupt ending, the odd relationship jump between Black and Garthelle, and the myriad questions that lingered after the final page - would have been largely mitigated. Plus, I'm greedy. When I'm impressed by the originality of a book's world or the freshness of the plot, I can only want more.
This book begs a sequel. Or a series. As a stand alone it was entertaining, if not always consistently so, and I liked it. If it was the start of something bigger, it may have been love by the end. For now, I can only hope to see more of Black and Garthelle...and Red and Blue, for that matter...at some point in the future.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
April 16, 2012
A fascinating take on vampires in an elaborately constructed dark fantasy, that left me feeling bored and unconnected at times.
What I liked: Excellent and elaborate construction of the world and the characters that inhabit it. Free-flowing writing style that's easy to read. Lovely velvety darkness of style.
What I didn't like: I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters at any point, so I never felt overwhelmingly invested in what happened to them. Plenty of plot tension, but little emotional tension. Even at their most dramatic, the characters felt a little cold. The writing style was a little overwrought. Not in a purple-prose kind of way, but it seemed like the author danced around the edges instead of cutting cleanly through to the heart of the story. Scenes dragged on too long, and many conversations went round and round without any real resolution.
Overall I liked this book. Based on the strength of this one, I'll check out future offerings from the author. There's no question that Etzweiler knows how to write. But I hope that next time, the author can put a little more work into hooking me into the characters.
What I liked: Excellent and elaborate construction of the world and the characters that inhabit it. Free-flowing writing style that's easy to read. Lovely velvety darkness of style.
What I didn't like: I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters at any point, so I never felt overwhelmingly invested in what happened to them. Plenty of plot tension, but little emotional tension. Even at their most dramatic, the characters felt a little cold. The writing style was a little overwrought. Not in a purple-prose kind of way, but it seemed like the author danced around the edges instead of cutting cleanly through to the heart of the story. Scenes dragged on too long, and many conversations went round and round without any real resolution.
Overall I liked this book. Based on the strength of this one, I'll check out future offerings from the author. There's no question that Etzweiler knows how to write. But I hope that next time, the author can put a little more work into hooking me into the characters.
October 9, 2013
I was very impressed with this author's unique world-building. It was complex and intricately explained and required my full attention. The story grabbed me from the beginning and I had trouble putting it down.
This story of twin chi-thieves, Black and Jhez, and Black's attraction to the Monsieur of York, Leonard Garthelle was one of the best I've read in the paranormal genre.
Other reviewers have given details so I'm not going to here but I want to remind myself to read this again in the near future. It was so complex that I think I'll benefit from a re-read, not to mention the fact that it was so enjoyable, another visit with these MCs right away would be easily justified.
Highly recommend.
This story of twin chi-thieves, Black and Jhez, and Black's attraction to the Monsieur of York, Leonard Garthelle was one of the best I've read in the paranormal genre.
Other reviewers have given details so I'm not going to here but I want to remind myself to read this again in the near future. It was so complex that I think I'll benefit from a re-read, not to mention the fact that it was so enjoyable, another visit with these MCs right away would be easily justified.
Highly recommend.
January 28, 2012
First of all, I have to say that is definitely not what I expected. Absolutely not what I hoped or feared about this book. Second: It's brilliant. The story is perfect, the writing style amazing. I just couldn't lift my eyes from the book. Certainly better than what I thought, and surprised me in a very good way.
I'm aware I should stop saying how amazing, awesome, perfect and incredible the book is but I just cannot find better words. Even the characters that were not exactly my cup of tea, like Black, did not annoy me or made me grit my teeth.
And finally...Garthelle...where can I order one?
I'm aware I should stop saying how amazing, awesome, perfect and incredible the book is but I just cannot find better words. Even the characters that were not exactly my cup of tea, like Black, did not annoy me or made me grit my teeth.
And finally...Garthelle...where can I order one?
February 7, 2012
This was truly well developed complex story and I simply loved it all. The plot developed slowly and pulling with each step. I liked the main characters. The twins were funny, energetic, sarcastic and well developed. All the emotions Black felt for Leonard, were twisted and deep. I liked this pair. In general I enjoyed the mystery which was huge part of this story. The main path was the fact that everything developed with grace and time. As a reader I never felt as being rushed. But I did miss an epilogue at the end.
February 1, 2012
I loved the book. OK, I am a brilliant reader, a bibliohead-not a brilliant review writer. My bad. It was a great story, well told. Concise. Well written. I read an earlier draft. Wow, you came a long way. I loved the idea of chi thievery.
I still want to know more about the world and how it got that way. I wanted more. Will there be more? I hope so.
I still want to know more about the world and how it got that way. I wanted more. Will there be more? I hope so.
February 1, 2013
This is definitely a must-read!! I loved Black!! He is total smart ass, which makes his point of view even better to listen to. Not to mention all the other characters and back drop in the story. I really didn't want it to end. :(
February 14, 2012
cue: I Don't Know How to Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar.
So many lines in that song reflect my feelings about Blacker than Black. I know it requires a bit of a stretch, but let me paraphrase this classic song with my impressions of BtB.
I don't know how to love Blacker than Black , what to do, how to move it from my consciousness .
I've been changed, yes really changed (mostly because this was the sixth vampire book I read in a row) .
In these past few days when I see myself, I seem like someone else (that kitty over there looks like a yummy snack) .
I don't know how to take this, I don't see why BtB moves me
It's a book , it's just a book .
And I've had so many books before in very many ways, it's just one more
Should I bring it down, should I scream and shout (and believe me, I felt like doing that for the first 52% of the book)
Should I speak of love, let my feelings out
I never thought I'd come to this, what's it all about...
Ok, enough of JCS. If I go any further I'll have to send a royalty check to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Read the damn blurb and/or book if you want the rest of this to make any sense to you.
I requested to review Blacker than Black ages ago-- like mid-November, even. I didn't get my hands on it until just before Rhi Etzweiler visited my Bitch Factor 10 blog in January. While I waited for BtB to finish edits, I busied myself with several other books I needed to review. It just so happens, though, that I had a string of vampire books to read-- with BtB being the last in my to-be-read pile. Some of those six books were amazing. Some were pretty good. BtB falls in the pretty good category.
Blacker than Black was a hard book for me to get into. It's not that I minded that Etzweiler's vampires were of a different breed (genus: non-blood-sucking lyche)-- I liked her take on psychic vampires. Black, the MC, does have his charms. But Black did not make a good narrator for me. Black was often clueless and fretful about the things going on around him. Sometimes it can be fun to grow in knowledge, along with the narrator-- but here, it was a bit torturous for me. And, for most of the book, Black does not have the lyche overlord (please don't call him a vampire) Leonard Garthelle figured out, so I, as a somewhat-interested reader, did not learn enough about him-- and Leonard was my fave character in the book! I can't explain my attraction to Garthelle-- is it his aloofness? Is it his possessiveness? Is it his untrustworthiness? Hey, Mary Magdalene had trouble figuring out JC, so I guess BtB has me in the same boat where Leonard is concerned.
Can I tell you something that was kinda meh for me? The whole mystery that Leonard uses Black and his sister, Jhez, to "solve." I used to have a thing for mysteries, back in the day. But I think my middle-aged muddled brain has such issues keeping up with clues that I no longer enjoy who-dun-its. And in BtB I didn't really give a fuck about that part of the book-- and the fact that it takes up so much of the first half of BtB left me wanting...wanting to get to the sex! But oh boy, when we get our first taste of the sex it's um... orgy-rific...but perhaps without the "rific" part. I didn't care about any of the characters that were involved in the fuckfest-- and I might have been more interested in it if it had been more detailed or humorous...or relevant? It just seemed like a very odd thing.
Oh yeah, speaking of odd...
*whispers cryptically* Etzweiler includes a "genderfuck"-- and I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I will say, it wasn't enough genderfuck-y for me. This particular issue seems almost like an afterthought or an unnecessary twist, because in the end, this issue doesn't seem to have much bearing on the story. There is more significance in the mention of the color and drape of Castle Dragulhaven's furnishings than in revelations about lyche sexual biology, which could have explored what the differences mean for procreation or psycho/social sexual expression. If Etzweiler wasn't going to make this issue more central to the relationship between Black and Leonard, I would have preferred for that part to be left out.
Just one more odd thing before I move on to my likes in Blacker than Black. It chafes my hide that the word "chafe" (or related derivations) appears at least 14 times in the text. Just as bad is the "keying" of voices-- usually lower. I know it's totally anal that I actually use my Kindle to count the number of times words and phrases get used, but sheesh! The overuse of these words drove me bonkers!
Ok, what I liked about Blacker than Black. I love the snarky sister, Jhez. I think I would have liked their friend Blue more if I had had more exposure to him. I'm always intrigued by vampire social structure and politics, and for the most part I like the way Etzweiler has constructed this topsy-turvy world where lyches are more prominent and powerful than humans.
Let's wrap it up. I was rather ambivalent about Blacker than Black until reaching just past the half-way mark. The beginning of the book is a slow build as Black discovers the draw of the lyches, their world and how he fits in it. Most of the characters are interesting, to say the least-- Leonard, though, takes the cake, the pie, and the red velvet cupcakes. The romance (when we finally, finally get to it) is just steamy enough, and mostly believable-- Black may be a prostitute-of-sorts, but he's not an easy lay, especially with all his trust issues.
I do think that Rhi Etzweiler is a talented writer. I think Blacker than Black, though, could have used a tauter narrative and better editing. I didn't know how to love it, in the beginning, but eventually Blacker than Black won me over. I am interested in a sequel, if there's going to be one. But I'm going to be royally chafed and my voice will key immeasurably screechy if we do not learn more about Black, Jehz, Blue and Leonard in the sequel. Leonard, especially!
So many lines in that song reflect my feelings about Blacker than Black. I know it requires a bit of a stretch, but let me paraphrase this classic song with my impressions of BtB.
I don't know how to love Blacker than Black , what to do, how to move it from my consciousness .
I've been changed, yes really changed (mostly because this was the sixth vampire book I read in a row) .
In these past few days when I see myself, I seem like someone else (that kitty over there looks like a yummy snack) .
I don't know how to take this, I don't see why BtB moves me
It's a book , it's just a book .
And I've had so many books before in very many ways, it's just one more
Should I bring it down, should I scream and shout (and believe me, I felt like doing that for the first 52% of the book)
Should I speak of love, let my feelings out
I never thought I'd come to this, what's it all about...
Ok, enough of JCS. If I go any further I'll have to send a royalty check to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Read the damn blurb and/or book if you want the rest of this to make any sense to you.
I requested to review Blacker than Black ages ago-- like mid-November, even. I didn't get my hands on it until just before Rhi Etzweiler visited my Bitch Factor 10 blog in January. While I waited for BtB to finish edits, I busied myself with several other books I needed to review. It just so happens, though, that I had a string of vampire books to read-- with BtB being the last in my to-be-read pile. Some of those six books were amazing. Some were pretty good. BtB falls in the pretty good category.
Blacker than Black was a hard book for me to get into. It's not that I minded that Etzweiler's vampires were of a different breed (genus: non-blood-sucking lyche)-- I liked her take on psychic vampires. Black, the MC, does have his charms. But Black did not make a good narrator for me. Black was often clueless and fretful about the things going on around him. Sometimes it can be fun to grow in knowledge, along with the narrator-- but here, it was a bit torturous for me. And, for most of the book, Black does not have the lyche overlord (please don't call him a vampire) Leonard Garthelle figured out, so I, as a somewhat-interested reader, did not learn enough about him-- and Leonard was my fave character in the book! I can't explain my attraction to Garthelle-- is it his aloofness? Is it his possessiveness? Is it his untrustworthiness? Hey, Mary Magdalene had trouble figuring out JC, so I guess BtB has me in the same boat where Leonard is concerned.
Can I tell you something that was kinda meh for me? The whole mystery that Leonard uses Black and his sister, Jhez, to "solve." I used to have a thing for mysteries, back in the day. But I think my middle-aged muddled brain has such issues keeping up with clues that I no longer enjoy who-dun-its. And in BtB I didn't really give a fuck about that part of the book-- and the fact that it takes up so much of the first half of BtB left me wanting...wanting to get to the sex! But oh boy, when we get our first taste of the sex it's um... orgy-rific...but perhaps without the "rific" part. I didn't care about any of the characters that were involved in the fuckfest-- and I might have been more interested in it if it had been more detailed or humorous...or relevant? It just seemed like a very odd thing.
Oh yeah, speaking of odd...
*whispers cryptically* Etzweiler includes a "genderfuck"-- and I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I will say, it wasn't enough genderfuck-y for me. This particular issue seems almost like an afterthought or an unnecessary twist, because in the end, this issue doesn't seem to have much bearing on the story. There is more significance in the mention of the color and drape of Castle Dragulhaven's furnishings than in revelations about lyche sexual biology, which could have explored what the differences mean for procreation or psycho/social sexual expression. If Etzweiler wasn't going to make this issue more central to the relationship between Black and Leonard, I would have preferred for that part to be left out.
Just one more odd thing before I move on to my likes in Blacker than Black. It chafes my hide that the word "chafe" (or related derivations) appears at least 14 times in the text. Just as bad is the "keying" of voices-- usually lower. I know it's totally anal that I actually use my Kindle to count the number of times words and phrases get used, but sheesh! The overuse of these words drove me bonkers!
Ok, what I liked about Blacker than Black. I love the snarky sister, Jhez. I think I would have liked their friend Blue more if I had had more exposure to him. I'm always intrigued by vampire social structure and politics, and for the most part I like the way Etzweiler has constructed this topsy-turvy world where lyches are more prominent and powerful than humans.
Let's wrap it up. I was rather ambivalent about Blacker than Black until reaching just past the half-way mark. The beginning of the book is a slow build as Black discovers the draw of the lyches, their world and how he fits in it. Most of the characters are interesting, to say the least-- Leonard, though, takes the cake, the pie, and the red velvet cupcakes. The romance (when we finally, finally get to it) is just steamy enough, and mostly believable-- Black may be a prostitute-of-sorts, but he's not an easy lay, especially with all his trust issues.
I do think that Rhi Etzweiler is a talented writer. I think Blacker than Black, though, could have used a tauter narrative and better editing. I didn't know how to love it, in the beginning, but eventually Blacker than Black won me over. I am interested in a sequel, if there's going to be one. But I'm going to be royally chafed and my voice will key immeasurably screechy if we do not learn more about Black, Jehz, Blue and Leonard in the sequel. Leonard, especially!
January 29, 2012
This is Rhi Etzweiler's first solo novel and considering it's nice flow, intriguing characters, vivid world imagery, and fresh take on the vampire mythos it definitely won't be the last we hear from her. Etzweiler has created a future world that is dark and bleak where a hierarchy of vampires (lyche is her term) rule the cities and humans are left to struggle to survive anyway they can. For many, that means selling their souls on the streets as Nightwalkers to any lyche who chooses them. For Black and his sister Jhez they've lasted much longer than the usual Nightwalker and as the story unfolds the reader discovers there's more to them than meets the eye. As they become entwined in lyche politics their lives are put in danger and the truth about them comes to light and changes their future forever. Throw in a sexy yet conflicted lyche by the name of Leonard Garthelle and you have a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the final page is turned.
What first impressed me about this story was its vivid depiction of a world on edge. Where Black and Jhez live is a forlorn city reeking of no hope, amongst other smells. It's dark and depressing and those who struggle to cope there have to do many unsavory things to survive, often losing their emotions along the way. Black and Jhez show a strong bond with one another though. They often hug and will do anything to keep the other safe. They're all that's left of their family and the only other person allowed in is Blue. Blue has plenty of issues of his own with a cloud of mystery surrounding him. He's the local drug dealer and has seen plenty of bad things in his life barely hinted at. The three of them are interesting to see together and the strong bond of love they have. Black and Blue (the Bruise Brothers) appear weak throughout the story with momentary flashes of raw unexpected power. Jhez is badass to the core though with her flippant words and cocky attitude and I greatly enjoyed seeing her cope in the new world they find themselves in amongst lyche royalty. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future and the man strong enough to take her on. Blue also greatly intrigued me. He suffers so with the constant barragement of noise in his head and the reasons behind this will have my mind whirling until his story is told.
Monsieur Garthelle of York, Leonard to a very few, is in charge of the city and is looking for chi thieves who are stealing energy from his fellow lyche. He finds Black and is immediately drawn to him. Once they share chi he blackmails Black and Jhez into helping him with an even bigger problem in the lyche hierarchy and those trying to usurp the balance. Leonard is extremely sexy and mysterious and the sexual tension between him and Black is off the charts. The few sexual interludes they had made my heart pound and left me wanting more. Leonard's kept secrets for so long and been alone forever that it's hard for him to deal truthfully with Black who he's really starting to care for. Seeing him struggle to admit his feelings and be open with Black made me ache for him. Having him not only accept Black into his heart and family but Jhez too made me like him even more, since others of his ilk would have nothing to do with Mutts like them.
I enjoyed the fresh take on vampirism that Rhi presents. Having individuals share energy instead of blood felt more dangerous to me. Being drained dead like a battery and having your soul drained completely spoke volumes to the kind of world these characters live in. Sharing chi also makes for a stronger bond and felt more sexual to me since it's through touch that the transfer occurs. The more skin exposed the more chi can be transferred.
From start to finish I was fully invested in this story. While I could have done with a bit less political intrigue and had more focus put on the relationship between Black and Leonard, I still found the flow to be pleasant. The ending section is a bit hurried with a very open ending that I hope gets picked up from again soon. The sexual tension is palpable throughout but with very few blatant sexual interludes, which I would have liked to have had more of. The secondary characters of Jhez and Blue really grabbed my attention and I so hope we have their stories told soon since the anticipation is killing me. Blacker Than Black was an entertaining story with a memorable world that I look forward to visiting again soon and recommend you do too.
What first impressed me about this story was its vivid depiction of a world on edge. Where Black and Jhez live is a forlorn city reeking of no hope, amongst other smells. It's dark and depressing and those who struggle to cope there have to do many unsavory things to survive, often losing their emotions along the way. Black and Jhez show a strong bond with one another though. They often hug and will do anything to keep the other safe. They're all that's left of their family and the only other person allowed in is Blue. Blue has plenty of issues of his own with a cloud of mystery surrounding him. He's the local drug dealer and has seen plenty of bad things in his life barely hinted at. The three of them are interesting to see together and the strong bond of love they have. Black and Blue (the Bruise Brothers) appear weak throughout the story with momentary flashes of raw unexpected power. Jhez is badass to the core though with her flippant words and cocky attitude and I greatly enjoyed seeing her cope in the new world they find themselves in amongst lyche royalty. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future and the man strong enough to take her on. Blue also greatly intrigued me. He suffers so with the constant barragement of noise in his head and the reasons behind this will have my mind whirling until his story is told.
Monsieur Garthelle of York, Leonard to a very few, is in charge of the city and is looking for chi thieves who are stealing energy from his fellow lyche. He finds Black and is immediately drawn to him. Once they share chi he blackmails Black and Jhez into helping him with an even bigger problem in the lyche hierarchy and those trying to usurp the balance. Leonard is extremely sexy and mysterious and the sexual tension between him and Black is off the charts. The few sexual interludes they had made my heart pound and left me wanting more. Leonard's kept secrets for so long and been alone forever that it's hard for him to deal truthfully with Black who he's really starting to care for. Seeing him struggle to admit his feelings and be open with Black made me ache for him. Having him not only accept Black into his heart and family but Jhez too made me like him even more, since others of his ilk would have nothing to do with Mutts like them.
I enjoyed the fresh take on vampirism that Rhi presents. Having individuals share energy instead of blood felt more dangerous to me. Being drained dead like a battery and having your soul drained completely spoke volumes to the kind of world these characters live in. Sharing chi also makes for a stronger bond and felt more sexual to me since it's through touch that the transfer occurs. The more skin exposed the more chi can be transferred.
From start to finish I was fully invested in this story. While I could have done with a bit less political intrigue and had more focus put on the relationship between Black and Leonard, I still found the flow to be pleasant. The ending section is a bit hurried with a very open ending that I hope gets picked up from again soon. The sexual tension is palpable throughout but with very few blatant sexual interludes, which I would have liked to have had more of. The secondary characters of Jhez and Blue really grabbed my attention and I so hope we have their stories told soon since the anticipation is killing me. Blacker Than Black was an entertaining story with a memorable world that I look forward to visiting again soon and recommend you do too.
September 5, 2012
Here's an unusual vampire story: Blacker Than Black features vampires, called lyche, that feed on the energy ("chi") of living things. Black and Jhez are twins who work as Nightwalkers in the Blue Light District, selling their chi to the lyche that prowl the city they live in. One night while with a client, Black steals a bit of the vampire's own chi and the two are accidentally bonded together. Even worse, the vampire turns out to be Monsieur Garthelle, the lyche mayor of the city, who uses the bond to force Black and Jhez into working for him.
One of the first things I noticed about Blacker Than Black was its intricate, meditative writing style which tells the story in present tense, first person perspective. Normally first person present POV is meant to pull you right into the character's head and offers an immediacy to the story, but Black's narration had the effect of distancing the reader, making it difficult to get into the story. The writing is strangely very fluid at times but then the flow is abruptly stopped by sentence fragments littered through out. It's also very dense-- there is a ton of detailed and sensual description which helps to set the mood and atmosphere of the book, yet it also caused me a lot of frustration as it was often extremely overwrought. I really struggled to keep my attention focused while reading because the writing style had the effect of shutting me out of the story. Not to say that it is bad; there's no doubt that the author can write-- Etzweiler uses some truly beautiful turns of phrase-- but much of it felt needlessly extravagant. Considering that Black and Jhez are orphans who have been living on the streets since they were children, it also seems strange that the narration from Black's point of view would employ such complex language.
The story opens in an alley at night in the Blue Light District, setting the dark atmosphere of the book. There is little explanation for how the world came to be the way it is, with vampires in positions of power after revealing their existence to humans some time ago. Instead, the worldbuilding focuses on developing the intricate political and social relationships of the lyche. The structure of lyche society is complex and layered, with many rules and social customs, and it is clear that the author has put a lot of effort into fleshing it out. It's a big part of the story but the explanations were confusing and difficult to follow, and the writing style certainly didn't help things. I already had trouble connecting to the characters so I couldn't really get invested in the vampire politics of the story.
In terms of the actual plot, there is a mystery that the main characters are trying to solve, but it isn't a mystery that readers can actually participate in. Since the entire book is told from Black's perspective, we are only given the very limited knowledge that he has, and as the book goes on, it becomes clear that a lot of information is deliberately hidden from him. The plot seems to move forward only when previously hidden information comes to light. Conversations are sometimes repetitive and often move very slowly-- one character says something, then a paragraph of dense description about his tone of voice, the light bouncing off his face, the ambiance of the room they're in, wondering about this or that; then the character spoken to replies and there is another paragraph of similar descriptions and inner dialogue. All this gives the book a meandering tone, and gave me the impression that Etzweiler was just writing in circles sometimes.
All in all, there are some interesting things in Blacker Than Black but between the molasses-slow plot and the distractingly overwrought writing style, I found it a difficult and often boring book to read. I know it isn't meant to be a light read but I can't help but think Etzweiler overcomplicated many things unnecessarily. On the other hand, the lyche worldbuilding is a unique departure from traditional vampire lore, and I like that the relationship between Black and Garthelle moves slowly, with the author trying to establish a believable emotional connection between them before taking it any further. I just wish it was written differently.
One of the first things I noticed about Blacker Than Black was its intricate, meditative writing style which tells the story in present tense, first person perspective. Normally first person present POV is meant to pull you right into the character's head and offers an immediacy to the story, but Black's narration had the effect of distancing the reader, making it difficult to get into the story. The writing is strangely very fluid at times but then the flow is abruptly stopped by sentence fragments littered through out. It's also very dense-- there is a ton of detailed and sensual description which helps to set the mood and atmosphere of the book, yet it also caused me a lot of frustration as it was often extremely overwrought. I really struggled to keep my attention focused while reading because the writing style had the effect of shutting me out of the story. Not to say that it is bad; there's no doubt that the author can write-- Etzweiler uses some truly beautiful turns of phrase-- but much of it felt needlessly extravagant. Considering that Black and Jhez are orphans who have been living on the streets since they were children, it also seems strange that the narration from Black's point of view would employ such complex language.
The story opens in an alley at night in the Blue Light District, setting the dark atmosphere of the book. There is little explanation for how the world came to be the way it is, with vampires in positions of power after revealing their existence to humans some time ago. Instead, the worldbuilding focuses on developing the intricate political and social relationships of the lyche. The structure of lyche society is complex and layered, with many rules and social customs, and it is clear that the author has put a lot of effort into fleshing it out. It's a big part of the story but the explanations were confusing and difficult to follow, and the writing style certainly didn't help things. I already had trouble connecting to the characters so I couldn't really get invested in the vampire politics of the story.
In terms of the actual plot, there is a mystery that the main characters are trying to solve, but it isn't a mystery that readers can actually participate in. Since the entire book is told from Black's perspective, we are only given the very limited knowledge that he has, and as the book goes on, it becomes clear that a lot of information is deliberately hidden from him. The plot seems to move forward only when previously hidden information comes to light. Conversations are sometimes repetitive and often move very slowly-- one character says something, then a paragraph of dense description about his tone of voice, the light bouncing off his face, the ambiance of the room they're in, wondering about this or that; then the character spoken to replies and there is another paragraph of similar descriptions and inner dialogue. All this gives the book a meandering tone, and gave me the impression that Etzweiler was just writing in circles sometimes.
All in all, there are some interesting things in Blacker Than Black but between the molasses-slow plot and the distractingly overwrought writing style, I found it a difficult and often boring book to read. I know it isn't meant to be a light read but I can't help but think Etzweiler overcomplicated many things unnecessarily. On the other hand, the lyche worldbuilding is a unique departure from traditional vampire lore, and I like that the relationship between Black and Garthelle moves slowly, with the author trying to establish a believable emotional connection between them before taking it any further. I just wish it was written differently.
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