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Ree Reyes #1
Geekomancy
Clerks
meets Buffy the Vampire the Slayer in this original urban fantasy eBook about Geekomancers—humans that derive supernatural powers from pop culture.
Ree Reyes's life was easier when all she had to worry about was scraping together tips from her gig as a barista and comicshop slave to pursue her ambitions as a screenwriter.
When a scruffy-looking guy storms into the shop looking for a comic like his life depends on it, Ree writes it off as just another day in the land of the geeks. Until a gigantic BOOM echoes from the alley a minute later, and Ree follows the rabbit hole down into her town's magical flip-side. Here, astral cowboy hackers fight trolls, rubber-suited werewolves, and elegant Gothic Lolita witches while wielding nostalgia-powered props.
Ree joins Eastwood (aka Scruffy Guy), investigating a mysterious string of teen suicides as she tries to recover from her own drag-your-heart-through-jagged-glass breakup. But as she digs deeper, Ree discovers Eastwood may not be the knight-in-cardboard armor she thought. Will Ree be able to stop the suicides, save Eastwood from himself, and somehow keep her job?
Ree Reyes's life was easier when all she had to worry about was scraping together tips from her gig as a barista and comicshop slave to pursue her ambitions as a screenwriter.
When a scruffy-looking guy storms into the shop looking for a comic like his life depends on it, Ree writes it off as just another day in the land of the geeks. Until a gigantic BOOM echoes from the alley a minute later, and Ree follows the rabbit hole down into her town's magical flip-side. Here, astral cowboy hackers fight trolls, rubber-suited werewolves, and elegant Gothic Lolita witches while wielding nostalgia-powered props.
Ree joins Eastwood (aka Scruffy Guy), investigating a mysterious string of teen suicides as she tries to recover from her own drag-your-heart-through-jagged-glass breakup. But as she digs deeper, Ree discovers Eastwood may not be the knight-in-cardboard armor she thought. Will Ree be able to stop the suicides, save Eastwood from himself, and somehow keep her job?
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2012
68 people are currently reading
2569 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Underwood
35 books262 followersSupport Mike's writing at https://www.patreon.com/michaelrunder...
Mike's books include:
Genrenauts - a r/Fantasy Stabby Award-finalist science fiction adventure series in novellas. A group of storytellers travel between dimensions to the worlds where genres live to fix broken stories. Starts with The Shootout Solution. Collections available: Genrenauts - The Complete Season One
The Ree Reyes urban fantasy series (Geekomancy, Celebromancy, Attack the Geek, Hexomancy) about magicians who channel the power of popular culture. Starts with Geekomancy.
Born to the Blade, a political action fantasy about duelist diplomats vying for their nation's interests in a world on the brink of war. Co-written with Marie Brennan, Malka Older, and Cassandra Khaw for Serial Box Publishing. Collections available: Born to the Blade Season One.
Shield and Crocus, a superheroes-meets-epic fantasy novel where an aging revolutionary makes a deal with his most deadly foe to turn the tide of a fifty-year-long fight to free his city.
The Younger Gods, a supernatural thriller starring the white-sheep member of a family of demon-worshippers as he tries to stop his big sister from ending the world.
Mike started telling stories when he learned to talk and hasn't seen a reason to stop yet. He grew up playing video games, CCGs, RPGs, and many other delightful games with acronyms. As a teenager, the friendly local game store was his home away from home, and the site of his apprenticeship in geekdom.
Mike earned a B.A. in Creative Mythology and in East Asian Studies from Indiana University, and a M.A. in Folklore Studies from the University of Oregon. Basically, destined to be a novelist. He is also a graduate of the 2007 Clarion West Writers Workshop.
Properly equipped with lots of ways to develop story ideas, Mike has been a barista, a bear builder, a sales representative, and the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books.
Mike lives with his wife and their dog in Baltimore, MD.
Mike's books include:
Genrenauts - a r/Fantasy Stabby Award-finalist science fiction adventure series in novellas. A group of storytellers travel between dimensions to the worlds where genres live to fix broken stories. Starts with The Shootout Solution. Collections available: Genrenauts - The Complete Season One
The Ree Reyes urban fantasy series (Geekomancy, Celebromancy, Attack the Geek, Hexomancy) about magicians who channel the power of popular culture. Starts with Geekomancy.
Born to the Blade, a political action fantasy about duelist diplomats vying for their nation's interests in a world on the brink of war. Co-written with Marie Brennan, Malka Older, and Cassandra Khaw for Serial Box Publishing. Collections available: Born to the Blade Season One.
Shield and Crocus, a superheroes-meets-epic fantasy novel where an aging revolutionary makes a deal with his most deadly foe to turn the tide of a fifty-year-long fight to free his city.
The Younger Gods, a supernatural thriller starring the white-sheep member of a family of demon-worshippers as he tries to stop his big sister from ending the world.
Mike started telling stories when he learned to talk and hasn't seen a reason to stop yet. He grew up playing video games, CCGs, RPGs, and many other delightful games with acronyms. As a teenager, the friendly local game store was his home away from home, and the site of his apprenticeship in geekdom.
Mike earned a B.A. in Creative Mythology and in East Asian Studies from Indiana University, and a M.A. in Folklore Studies from the University of Oregon. Basically, destined to be a novelist. He is also a graduate of the 2007 Clarion West Writers Workshop.
Properly equipped with lots of ways to develop story ideas, Mike has been a barista, a bear builder, a sales representative, and the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books.
Mike lives with his wife and their dog in Baltimore, MD.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
February 6, 2015
Geekomancy has many, many problems, including an extremely superficial world-view reference set and stereotypical characters (which largely come courtesy of the male gaze). By far the most serious offense is its emotional center and core plot concept: a string of teen suicides is occurring and no one knows they are connected. Using teen suicides as the foundation for a glossy, bubble-gum, pop-culture laden urban fantasy negates the seriousness of suicide, the third leading cause of death for youth from 10 to 17, and in the top ten causes of death for everyone over 10 (http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention...). Some authors could use this to create an interesting, thoughtful look at pathos, emotional maturity, and responsibility to people we don't know. Underwood is not one of them.
Carly and I undertook this as a type of challenge-read. Check out her review for a thoughtful analysis of the references and character. I was stuck on my review, until I read this quote as part of research for Leviathan Wakes:
"Connie Willis told Daniel something once in relation to a different project. She said that in a romantic comedy, you could make fun of everything except the love the two main characters have for each other. Once you start making fun of that, you’ve gutted the story." (From Scalzi's Blog.)
Corey went on to discuss authorial "preemptive irony" as taking the position of "Fluffy Bunny" irony, we're-all-in-on-the-joke or in excessive "Solemnity," the idea that everything is very serious and "ripe with scientific accuracy and allegorical and psychological meaning." Geekomancy clearly takes the "Fluffy Bunny" school of storytelling, inviting the reader to be in on the numerous jokes and references, many of which are put there strictly so the audience can feel in the know, and not because they have meaning for the character or story (the Dungeons and Dragons type character stats are a prime example of this).
"But," I can hear naysayers cry, "but she has angst and reconsiders her involvement at the first suicide scene! But, but she " No, no; not good enough. No, it doesn't precisely make fun of suicides, but it does treat them lightly and with moral ambiguity. How lightly? At the first scene she "investigates" she says to herself:
"Note to self: Better passwords so that people can't snoop through my life when I die."
"Fuck, this place is depressing. She promised herself a solid evening of goofing off once this was done, which would have to come at some imagined future after laundry, cooking, cleaning and paying bills."
"Perhaps another pie was in order. Pumpkin. No, maybe apple. Bit by bit, she shook off the feeling of the Moorelys' house."
I didn't notice it much at the time, but I had wondered why I had so much trouble emotionally connecting to Ree. Now that I re-read, I'm pretty certain I know why.
As I mentioned earlier, the emotional juxtaposition between fantasy and reality in dealing with emotional despair/death could be done well (Inspector Glotka the torturer from The Blade Itself comes to mind) but Geekomancy lacks the gravitas to pull it off. I can't honestly recommend it, and I'd especially avoid it if it's a trigger issue.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
December 20, 2012
According to a friend of mine, if you don't love this book then you have to hand in your geek card... so I guess consider my card revoked?
Here's the thing: I can - and do - enjoy geek references and in-jokes and things as a sort of icing on top of a cake, but I still need the cake to be good.
For instance - I enjoy the TV series Castle. It's a pretty standard police procedural, but I like the characters. They have good chemistry and work well together. I already enjoy the show. And when they throw in some geeky reference, with Nathan Fillion's boy-like glee - well, that's icing.
This book, though? Take away the various references, and it's a pretty bog-standard UF kind of book, and I mean that in the "trope-ish, cliche-ridden, and not particularly well-written" kind of way.
It could've been cool. I mean, the magic system is pretty unique and it could've been handled really well. But, instead, I felt it was rather inconsistent and never really fleshed out. (For instance, we do Ree's powers lie dormant until she comes across another Geekomancer? How does that work? How come Ree's powers were genre-emulation from watching shows, but sometimes she could use props without having watched a show? Eastwood's powers were from prop destruction (i.e. to use a power from a comic book, he had to destroy the book), but other times he just uses the powers from a prop.)
And the twists and secret reveals were... well...
Why is it that in some books everyone from someone's life has to get involved? And I don't even mean Or, at least, not just that. More the whole
And, honestly, I just never really clicked with Ree. The same friend who is revoking my card also had some issues with her, but attributed a lot of it to her age - but that just doesn't fly with me. I mean, hell, I read a lot of YA books and wouldn't accept it from them, either. ;)
Ree's just... One minute she's whining that Eastwood had better explain things instead of her just being thrown into the deep end, damnit, and the next minute, when Eastwood offers to explain, she's like, (paraphrased) "No, it's cool, I got this." o_O
When she's told that someone went sort of schizophrenic with the genre-emulation thing she's like "Really? 'Cause I've been doing this for a week and nothing like that's happened to me." (Paraphrasing, again - but you get the gist.)
A few other things bugged me, but just a little:
1) A lot of the fights and stuff came down to Ree's previous martial arts skills - but I would've liked to see more, different kinds of genres at play.
2) It's mentioned early on that Ree wears thick glasses, and then they're never mentioned again. As a glass wearer, I know how much of a pain they can be on a regular basis, let alone running around and fighting for your life with all the dodging and jumping and getting knocked out and shit. Not once were her glasses a problem. Not that I would've wanted any Velma sort of action, but, ya know, something would've been nice.
3) Ree's a bit of an author fantasy, I think. I mean, she's perfect. She has the whole ugly duckling thing, where she doesn't realize how hot/perfect she is. She's a generalized geek, with pretty in-depth knowledge over a whole range of geek fields. But she never really gelled with me as a real person.
4) The introduction of character via role-playing stats was really annoying, to me.
Anyway -
Ok, the other characters were ok, though, again, I never clicked with any of them. Didn't care much for Eastwood even before , and I was really unhappy that he
I did like Drake, but would like to see him developed as more than "funny anachronistic man". Especially if
I will say, though, that one place where this is better than
Ready Player One - a book this gets compared to - is that a) at least some of the references are relevant to the magic and overall world, and in a less stupid kind of way and b) it's much shorter and c) there's a lot less exposition and wiki-dumps. (That said, if you're going to make in-jokes, don't freaking explain them.)
So why two stars instead of one? Um... I forget?
Oh, right...
There were parts that were cute and/or clever. The story, while far from great, wasn't terrible... and if the characters develop and the magical system is ironed out, it could have some potential.
I will not be running out to get the next in the series, though.
Here's the thing: I can - and do - enjoy geek references and in-jokes and things as a sort of icing on top of a cake, but I still need the cake to be good.
For instance - I enjoy the TV series Castle. It's a pretty standard police procedural, but I like the characters. They have good chemistry and work well together. I already enjoy the show. And when they throw in some geeky reference, with Nathan Fillion's boy-like glee - well, that's icing.
This book, though? Take away the various references, and it's a pretty bog-standard UF kind of book, and I mean that in the "trope-ish, cliche-ridden, and not particularly well-written" kind of way.
It could've been cool. I mean, the magic system is pretty unique and it could've been handled really well. But, instead, I felt it was rather inconsistent and never really fleshed out. (For instance, we do Ree's powers lie dormant until she comes across another Geekomancer? How does that work? How come Ree's powers were genre-emulation from watching shows, but sometimes she could use props without having watched a show? Eastwood's powers were from prop destruction (i.e. to use a power from a comic book, he had to destroy the book), but other times he just uses the powers from a prop.)
And the twists and secret reveals were... well...
Why is it that in some books everyone from someone's life has to get involved? And I don't even mean Or, at least, not just that. More the whole
And, honestly, I just never really clicked with Ree. The same friend who is revoking my card also had some issues with her, but attributed a lot of it to her age - but that just doesn't fly with me. I mean, hell, I read a lot of YA books and wouldn't accept it from them, either. ;)
Ree's just... One minute she's whining that Eastwood had better explain things instead of her just being thrown into the deep end, damnit, and the next minute, when Eastwood offers to explain, she's like, (paraphrased) "No, it's cool, I got this." o_O
When she's told that someone went sort of schizophrenic with the genre-emulation thing she's like "Really? 'Cause I've been doing this for a week and nothing like that's happened to me." (Paraphrasing, again - but you get the gist.)
A few other things bugged me, but just a little:
1) A lot of the fights and stuff came down to Ree's previous martial arts skills - but I would've liked to see more, different kinds of genres at play.
2) It's mentioned early on that Ree wears thick glasses, and then they're never mentioned again. As a glass wearer, I know how much of a pain they can be on a regular basis, let alone running around and fighting for your life with all the dodging and jumping and getting knocked out and shit. Not once were her glasses a problem. Not that I would've wanted any Velma sort of action, but, ya know, something would've been nice.
3) Ree's a bit of an author fantasy, I think. I mean, she's perfect. She has the whole ugly duckling thing, where she doesn't realize how hot/perfect she is. She's a generalized geek, with pretty in-depth knowledge over a whole range of geek fields. But she never really gelled with me as a real person.
4) The introduction of character via role-playing stats was really annoying, to me.
Anyway -
Ok, the other characters were ok, though, again, I never clicked with any of them. Didn't care much for Eastwood even before , and I was really unhappy that he
I did like Drake, but would like to see him developed as more than "funny anachronistic man". Especially if
I will say, though, that one place where this is better than
Ready Player One - a book this gets compared to - is that a) at least some of the references are relevant to the magic and overall world, and in a less stupid kind of way and b) it's much shorter and c) there's a lot less exposition and wiki-dumps. (That said, if you're going to make in-jokes, don't freaking explain them.)
So why two stars instead of one? Um... I forget?
Oh, right...
There were parts that were cute and/or clever. The story, while far from great, wasn't terrible... and if the characters develop and the magical system is ironed out, it could have some potential.
I will not be running out to get the next in the series, though.
Read
September 28, 2015You will note I didn't rate this book. I was somewhat mislead about it and started thinking it was more of a mainline UF. What I found was a teen romance. I mean the character was a good idea. She's a sort of teen geek/nerd and likes comic books, sci/fi etc. That said while she espouses early on that she really isn't interested in being someone's girlfriend it seems to be all she actually thinks about.
Secondly I downloaded the book from Audible. I've seen this before. I don't know if the fact that the protagonist is a young female made someone think the reader needed to sound like a twelve year old or not but she did. Not just a twelve year old, but a twelve year old who's just learning to read.
I don't know...maybe she was a relative or something.
Anyway I returned the book to Audible and gave up on it. Maybe it's for you, not me. I didn't rate it as I'd be forced to go 1 star and that may not be fair to the book for what it is. It's just not aimed at me.
Secondly I downloaded the book from Audible. I've seen this before. I don't know if the fact that the protagonist is a young female made someone think the reader needed to sound like a twelve year old or not but she did. Not just a twelve year old, but a twelve year old who's just learning to read.
I don't know...maybe she was a relative or something.
Anyway I returned the book to Audible and gave up on it. Maybe it's for you, not me. I didn't rate it as I'd be forced to go 1 star and that may not be fair to the book for what it is. It's just not aimed at me.
July 11, 2014
**edited 11/27/13
~2.5
I recently had a conversation with a non-native-speaker in which I tried to explain that American phrases are not the sum of their parts, and, in particular, that (a) telling a woman that she "really gets around" does not imply admiration of world travel, and (b) to "put out" doesn't mean "put" plus "out." He complained that speaking with Americans was extremely difficult: they speak fast, use colloquialisms, try to turn every remark into a joke based on some obscure reference or other, and are constantly waiting to throw in The Dreaded Pun. He said he found that the best policy was to smile, nod, and hope that the inexplicable laughter wasn't directed at him. After reading this book, I have gained a new sympathy for his point of view.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy, the rest of my (long, rather cranky) review is posted over here at Booklikes.
~2.5
I recently had a conversation with a non-native-speaker in which I tried to explain that American phrases are not the sum of their parts, and, in particular, that (a) telling a woman that she "really gets around" does not imply admiration of world travel, and (b) to "put out" doesn't mean "put" plus "out." He complained that speaking with Americans was extremely difficult: they speak fast, use colloquialisms, try to turn every remark into a joke based on some obscure reference or other, and are constantly waiting to throw in The Dreaded Pun. He said he found that the best policy was to smile, nod, and hope that the inexplicable laughter wasn't directed at him. After reading this book, I have gained a new sympathy for his point of view.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy, the rest of my (long, rather cranky) review is posted over here at Booklikes.
November 12, 2012
A fracking geek explosion for all the Scoobies, Jedis, and Browncoats out there who wish to wield their D20s and replica LoTR swords to do battle against the eternal forces of doom.
While the constant use of geek terms can at points be overmuch, the story of twenty-something barista Ree's journey down the rabbit-hole into a Neverwhere-esque underworld of geek magic is an enchanting blend of adventure, humor, urban fantasy and geek wish-fulfillment.
It also doesn't hurt that I got a digital copy of Underwood's debut novel for $1.99 -- less than a booster pack of MtG cards.
While the constant use of geek terms can at points be overmuch, the story of twenty-something barista Ree's journey down the rabbit-hole into a Neverwhere-esque underworld of geek magic is an enchanting blend of adventure, humor, urban fantasy and geek wish-fulfillment.
It also doesn't hurt that I got a digital copy of Underwood's debut novel for $1.99 -- less than a booster pack of MtG cards.
February 9, 2016
Did Not Finish -- Surrendered @ 50%
There is a market for this book...12 year old boys and 45 year old men who still play with their toy lightsabers.
Not me. I've had enough.
Below are links to two of the better reviews I've read this week. The reviewer gets my gold star for her review of this book and of White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
Geekomancy
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
There is a market for this book...12 year old boys and 45 year old men who still play with their toy lightsabers.
Not me. I've had enough.
Below are links to two of the better reviews I've read this week. The reviewer gets my gold star for her review of this book and of White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
Geekomancy
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
April 1, 2014
Yeah, I am not feeling the warm fuzzies for Eastwood.
Go die in a fire, you deserve it.
Go die in a fire, you deserve it.
August 2, 2012
"Geekomancy" is aiming for the same sort of audience as "Ready Player One" - readers who have soaked deep in SFF culture and to whom half the fun of reading will be in spotting references - to D&D, to comics, to movies. [Presumably to books and computer games as well, but these were far less common.] Part of what made "Ready Player One" work was the straightforward joy in the genre the book conveyed. Even though the main character had soaked himself in 80s/90s culture in order to win a prize, he'd done so with complete dedication, and somehow even the outright infodump passages caught the reader up in the obsessive detail.
Geekomancy takes a slightly different route – rather than lovingly describing nostalgic minutiae, it peppers the reader with a constant barrage of references – unrelenting shotgun pellets of 'cool'.
Ree is a geek girl working in a geek-themed café. In typical Urban Fantasy style, she has an encounter with something out of the ordinary and is drawn into a complex world of magic most people aren't aware of. In this particular universe, however, the 'hidden world' is shaped by the power of current stories – so the creatures Ree encounters reflect popular narrative of the moment – whether they're vampires or daemons, they're generally not very old-fashioned.
On top of this, the mages of this world practice magic based again on current narrative. They can use the memorabilia, costumes, or movies, to briefly invest themselves with the powers out of stories – by watching a Superman movie, for instance, they might become invulnerable. A toy weapon can be invested with the functions of the real thing. It's a fun idea, and Underwood comes up with some original uses, while filling Ree's story with a trillion references to everything SFF under the sun.
It did not work for me at all. I bounced off it, not drawn along by the prose but irritated by it. Particularly at the beginning, with a character running around waving Doctor Who's psychic paper, and a working lightsaber, I felt entirely emotionally distanced by it – it produced no particular affection for the culture, and killed the sensawunda over and over. There were occasional references to how these events make Ree feel, but on the whole the book seemed more interested in taking every possible opportunity to make a pop culture reference rather than tell an engaging story. Fortunately it did pick up toward the end, where Ree has more emotional investment in events, but never enough to draw me in fully.
Ree seems to be a generalist geek – knows lots of geekish stuff, but not majorly invested in a particular sub-culture. She for the most part is sensible, thinks on her feet, has a strong moral compass, and is someone you want to see succeed. . As we got to know her, my eyebrows did get raised more than a few times as geek-girl-who-works-in-coffee-shop-discovering-powers became geek-girl-who-works-in-coffee-shop-with-two-black-belts-in-martial-arts-plus-can-pick-locks-discovering-powers.
On the positive side, nice to see a female lead with solid female friendships going on.
On the negative side, there was a lot of 'that bitch' going on. Both a minor female villain, and then a character's ex-girlfriend are repeatedly referred to as 'that bitch' or 'bitchy'. That got old fast.
Ree also didn't seem to be very engaged with the people of her genre. She has a narrative of "I'm female, and I'm a geek, not overly pretty but not ugly, and thus rare in the geek world and so I get hit on by pathetic unsocialised nerds All The Time. Until they see my hotter not-so-geeky girlfriends, at which point they hit on them instead." There's this odd thread of disdain for nerdish geeks, and (despite the girlfriend who likes steampunk clothing) a strong imbalance in numbers of female geeks v male geeks in the story. Seriously, girls who like SFF are not that rare! [Actually, Ree kind of comes across as a hipster geek.]
Also, for a girl who is legally blind without her glasses, and who engages in whole heaps of combat, and running away, and falling, and unconsciousness and so forth – she never seems to have much issue with seeing things.
In the mildly spoilerish realm of things,
Geekomancy takes a slightly different route – rather than lovingly describing nostalgic minutiae, it peppers the reader with a constant barrage of references – unrelenting shotgun pellets of 'cool'.
Ree is a geek girl working in a geek-themed café. In typical Urban Fantasy style, she has an encounter with something out of the ordinary and is drawn into a complex world of magic most people aren't aware of. In this particular universe, however, the 'hidden world' is shaped by the power of current stories – so the creatures Ree encounters reflect popular narrative of the moment – whether they're vampires or daemons, they're generally not very old-fashioned.
On top of this, the mages of this world practice magic based again on current narrative. They can use the memorabilia, costumes, or movies, to briefly invest themselves with the powers out of stories – by watching a Superman movie, for instance, they might become invulnerable. A toy weapon can be invested with the functions of the real thing. It's a fun idea, and Underwood comes up with some original uses, while filling Ree's story with a trillion references to everything SFF under the sun.
It did not work for me at all. I bounced off it, not drawn along by the prose but irritated by it. Particularly at the beginning, with a character running around waving Doctor Who's psychic paper, and a working lightsaber, I felt entirely emotionally distanced by it – it produced no particular affection for the culture, and killed the sensawunda over and over. There were occasional references to how these events make Ree feel, but on the whole the book seemed more interested in taking every possible opportunity to make a pop culture reference rather than tell an engaging story. Fortunately it did pick up toward the end, where Ree has more emotional investment in events, but never enough to draw me in fully.
Ree seems to be a generalist geek – knows lots of geekish stuff, but not majorly invested in a particular sub-culture. She for the most part is sensible, thinks on her feet, has a strong moral compass, and is someone you want to see succeed. . As we got to know her, my eyebrows did get raised more than a few times as geek-girl-who-works-in-coffee-shop-discovering-powers became geek-girl-who-works-in-coffee-shop-with-two-black-belts-in-martial-arts-plus-can-pick-locks-discovering-powers.
On the positive side, nice to see a female lead with solid female friendships going on.
On the negative side, there was a lot of 'that bitch' going on. Both a minor female villain, and then a character's ex-girlfriend are repeatedly referred to as 'that bitch' or 'bitchy'. That got old fast.
Ree also didn't seem to be very engaged with the people of her genre. She has a narrative of "I'm female, and I'm a geek, not overly pretty but not ugly, and thus rare in the geek world and so I get hit on by pathetic unsocialised nerds All The Time. Until they see my hotter not-so-geeky girlfriends, at which point they hit on them instead." There's this odd thread of disdain for nerdish geeks, and (despite the girlfriend who likes steampunk clothing) a strong imbalance in numbers of female geeks v male geeks in the story. Seriously, girls who like SFF are not that rare! [Actually, Ree kind of comes across as a hipster geek.]
Also, for a girl who is legally blind without her glasses, and who engages in whole heaps of combat, and running away, and falling, and unconsciousness and so forth – she never seems to have much issue with seeing things.
In the mildly spoilerish realm of things,
February 17, 2013
What a mess... I'm wavering between one and two stars, but I'll give it two simply because it's not outright offensively bad, and there is some potential in the story and universe - albeit largely wasted.
The book is crammed with nerdspeak, but instead of making the world feel genuine and setting a tone it feels incredibly forced and tiring. There is an overlay of "nerd" on the surface (like a throwaway discussion on the wonders of Community - which certainly is a great show but listing well written episodes does nothing for the book's story or characters) but it's really just for show. Like how the author introduces new characters with a stat card (strength, stamina, dexterity, etc) but then never uses these stats for anything - or even revisits it at all. It's not cute, funny, or clever; it's pointless and attention seeking. I probably caught around 90% of the various references, so the problem isn't that it's confusing or difficult to follow - it's that it serves no purpose other than to distance the reader from the story.
The characters are poorly defined and their traits vary to serve the needs of the story in the moment. The main character, Ree, is so afraid of heights she nears a panic attack at the thought of climbing a ladder - and then battles a flying spirit by climbing around in a high ceiling, hanging from her feet and leaping around... Another character is displaced in time and is supposed to be quite archaic in speech and behaviour, but his stilted language is more strange than old fashioned (at a restaurant he recommends she "ask for a canine box" for example)and while his sense of propriety makes it very difficult to call Ree by her first name he'll easily hug her for... I don't know, comfort?
The main character is a chronic observer. She will observe and reflect on other characters, but not react. Not once in the book can I recall another character's actions or appearance sparking a response in her. This creates a strong emotional disconnect - the reader defaults to observing the story and characters as well, since we have no reference for immersion.
The ideas for the universe seem like another missed opportunity. After using a steampunk device to "cross the veil" Ree and Drake find themselves in the spirit world. Which turns out to be pretty much identical to this world, save some glowing rivers of energy. They have transport waiting rooms, use machines and have a service industry... And fighting them results in the same injuries as in a battle with mortals. Why create the setting, honestly?
There are also some incredibly frustrating characters in the story. And be warned, the following contains a couple of BIG SPOILERS! Firstly, Ree's mother chose to abandon her family (causing a deep trauma which is only told, not shown) because it would be too cruel to tell them she couldn't watch TV any more. That is some weak sauce right there. Secondly, Ree's mentor turns out to be selling teenagers' souls to a demon, after he's caused them to commit suicide! Nonetheless, the worst he apparently deserves is a punch in the face and some scolding? I don't think so.
You know what, I've changed my mind. One star it is.
The book is crammed with nerdspeak, but instead of making the world feel genuine and setting a tone it feels incredibly forced and tiring. There is an overlay of "nerd" on the surface (like a throwaway discussion on the wonders of Community - which certainly is a great show but listing well written episodes does nothing for the book's story or characters) but it's really just for show. Like how the author introduces new characters with a stat card (strength, stamina, dexterity, etc) but then never uses these stats for anything - or even revisits it at all. It's not cute, funny, or clever; it's pointless and attention seeking. I probably caught around 90% of the various references, so the problem isn't that it's confusing or difficult to follow - it's that it serves no purpose other than to distance the reader from the story.
The characters are poorly defined and their traits vary to serve the needs of the story in the moment. The main character, Ree, is so afraid of heights she nears a panic attack at the thought of climbing a ladder - and then battles a flying spirit by climbing around in a high ceiling, hanging from her feet and leaping around... Another character is displaced in time and is supposed to be quite archaic in speech and behaviour, but his stilted language is more strange than old fashioned (at a restaurant he recommends she "ask for a canine box" for example)and while his sense of propriety makes it very difficult to call Ree by her first name he'll easily hug her for... I don't know, comfort?
The main character is a chronic observer. She will observe and reflect on other characters, but not react. Not once in the book can I recall another character's actions or appearance sparking a response in her. This creates a strong emotional disconnect - the reader defaults to observing the story and characters as well, since we have no reference for immersion.
The ideas for the universe seem like another missed opportunity. After using a steampunk device to "cross the veil" Ree and Drake find themselves in the spirit world. Which turns out to be pretty much identical to this world, save some glowing rivers of energy. They have transport waiting rooms, use machines and have a service industry... And fighting them results in the same injuries as in a battle with mortals. Why create the setting, honestly?
There are also some incredibly frustrating characters in the story. And be warned, the following contains a couple of BIG SPOILERS! Firstly, Ree's mother chose to abandon her family (causing a deep trauma which is only told, not shown) because it would be too cruel to tell them she couldn't watch TV any more. That is some weak sauce right there. Secondly, Ree's mentor turns out to be selling teenagers' souls to a demon, after he's caused them to commit suicide! Nonetheless, the worst he apparently deserves is a punch in the face and some scolding? I don't think so.
You know what, I've changed my mind. One star it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2015
Geekomany by Michael Underwood is a love letter to pop culture. I read it in a weekend, and now two weeks later, I’m writing this review and I don’t know how to encapsulate its brilliance in just a few hundred words. It’s a fantastic romp that’s as exhilarating as it is mind-bending for all the references and the way they all meld into each other. It’s like the ultimate crossover on steroids to the nth degree.
The rest on my blog:
https://tieryas.wordpress.com/2015/03...
The rest on my blog:
https://tieryas.wordpress.com/2015/03...
December 14, 2015
I’ve never really been able to get into Fantasy too well but occasionally I find an Urban Fantasy novel that I really enjoy. Geekomancy tells the story of Ree who discovers that she is a Geekomancer; a human that derive supernatural powers from pop culture. One day she is a struggling screen writer work as a barista at a comic shop the next she is discovering the town’s magical flip-side as well as her own abilities. Ree needs to help Eastwood in solving the mysterious increase of teen suicides while discovering who she is.
While this is a typical Urban Fanstasy novel this offers so much more; I would say a must read for any geeks out there is a lot of references to The Princess Bride, Buffy, Firefly, Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Doctor Who, Sherlock and the list goes on and on. Many people talk about this book as a book that Kevin Smith would write if he wrote Urban Fantasy; while I see the homage towards Kevin Smith, I also feel like this is a homage to Joss Whedon as well.
In some parts I think Michael R. Underwood did step into the realm of the clique but overall I think this book was a fast pace geek-out and any predictability was overshadowed by the millions of pop culture references. This is the kind of book I would recommend to anyone looking for another nerdfest after finishing Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This book would have been so much fun researching and Michael R. Underwood said he has been researching this book his whole life but let’s face it; it would be a good excuse to watch the entire series of Buffy or Sherlock again or to play some more video games like Crimson Skies.
Geekomancy had a nice balance between pop culture and urban fantasy to satisfy a read like myself who is a little wary of reading fantasy novels. This novel is the beginning of what seems like a great series and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. While the plot is fairly standard, what Michael R. Underwood has done with the pop culture references and blending humour and fantasy elements into this book has resulted in a fast paced enjoyable nerdfest.
While this is a typical Urban Fanstasy novel this offers so much more; I would say a must read for any geeks out there is a lot of references to The Princess Bride, Buffy, Firefly, Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, Doctor Who, Sherlock and the list goes on and on. Many people talk about this book as a book that Kevin Smith would write if he wrote Urban Fantasy; while I see the homage towards Kevin Smith, I also feel like this is a homage to Joss Whedon as well.
In some parts I think Michael R. Underwood did step into the realm of the clique but overall I think this book was a fast pace geek-out and any predictability was overshadowed by the millions of pop culture references. This is the kind of book I would recommend to anyone looking for another nerdfest after finishing Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. This book would have been so much fun researching and Michael R. Underwood said he has been researching this book his whole life but let’s face it; it would be a good excuse to watch the entire series of Buffy or Sherlock again or to play some more video games like Crimson Skies.
Geekomancy had a nice balance between pop culture and urban fantasy to satisfy a read like myself who is a little wary of reading fantasy novels. This novel is the beginning of what seems like a great series and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. While the plot is fairly standard, what Michael R. Underwood has done with the pop culture references and blending humour and fantasy elements into this book has resulted in a fast paced enjoyable nerdfest.
August 28, 2012
As someone else wrote, this is full of Geek-fu. If you get the world of d20 dice and played D&D until dawn, you buy both the monthly AND trade paperback versions of your favorite comics, you watched the DVDs of Buffy and Battlestar Galactica with the directors' voice-over (twice), AND you know the difference between Boba and Jango Fett, you'll have a blast reading this. OK-- I don't play games with d20 dice and I only watched a few episodes of BG, but I once had hundreds of comics and I took my son to Episode Six when he was but an infant proto-Geek. I found Geekomancy consistently hilarious, the narrative speedy and fun, the suspense .... suspense-y, and the action-scenes a blast. If you are a geek, or geek friendly or, shall we say 'in geekus parentus' I think you will really enjoy this.
It is eBook only, so please go to the website of your favorite bookstore (you know, the one where you walk in on a Friday night and browse the shelves to find something good to read) and find the BUY eBOOKS button. No, you don't have to buy it from the company that sold you your eReader.
As you might have guessed, I am Michael's dad, (and no, I didn't teach him all those, shall we say....colloquial euphemisms for intimate behavior and genetic origination ------------at least not on purpose).
Read it! It's fun!
It is eBook only, so please go to the website of your favorite bookstore (you know, the one where you walk in on a Friday night and browse the shelves to find something good to read) and find the BUY eBOOKS button. No, you don't have to buy it from the company that sold you your eReader.
As you might have guessed, I am Michael's dad, (and no, I didn't teach him all those, shall we say....colloquial euphemisms for intimate behavior and genetic origination ------------at least not on purpose).
Read it! It's fun!
July 29, 2012
I was very sceptical when I first saw this. Was someone trying to make a quick buck from geek society? Was it someone just trying to ram as many references into a book as they could? Well it might be a bit of both but it's also a fun, entertaining action-adventure read.
The magic system is great, something fresh and different to most fantasy. The characters were enjoyable but a tad cliché though as this is all about references and tropes the characters fit the story. The story wasn't the strongest. It was predictable and if it wasn't for the setting wouldn't have been worth reading.
The first half of the book is a bit slow. There is a lot of introductory sections that are needed but at times it trips itself up trying to fit too many references in. Once the book gets moving and the references slip back to being more necessary it becomes a lot more enjoyable.
All in all though it's a great debut book, with lots of fun moments and a lot of places it could go from here. I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
The magic system is great, something fresh and different to most fantasy. The characters were enjoyable but a tad cliché though as this is all about references and tropes the characters fit the story. The story wasn't the strongest. It was predictable and if it wasn't for the setting wouldn't have been worth reading.
The first half of the book is a bit slow. There is a lot of introductory sections that are needed but at times it trips itself up trying to fit too many references in. Once the book gets moving and the references slip back to being more necessary it becomes a lot more enjoyable.
All in all though it's a great debut book, with lots of fun moments and a lot of places it could go from here. I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.
May 29, 2022
That was a LOT of Fun! Talk about Pop Culture Nirvana; especially for the Fantasy and SciFi set!!
Admittedly, some of the references were over my head and above my pay grade, but I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing. The sheer amount of geekiness could easily have turned into overkill.
Ree is funny, smart, incredibly lucky and occasionally, quite unbelievable, but, the reader really doesn't care about that last part. You just want her to succeed, kick butt, win, and stay alive.
I think my favorite character, so far, however, is Drake. I love Drake! His wits, charm, and genuinely antiquated ways speak to the hidden romantic in me.
I am looking forward to the second book!
Admittedly, some of the references were over my head and above my pay grade, but I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing. The sheer amount of geekiness could easily have turned into overkill.
Ree is funny, smart, incredibly lucky and occasionally, quite unbelievable, but, the reader really doesn't care about that last part. You just want her to succeed, kick butt, win, and stay alive.
I think my favorite character, so far, however, is Drake. I love Drake! His wits, charm, and genuinely antiquated ways speak to the hidden romantic in me.
I am looking forward to the second book!
March 30, 2018
I enjoyed all of the geek culture references.
November 8, 2012
I picked up the Kindle version of Geekomancy to read on a trip a couple of months ago. I had seen a lot of positive reviews comparing it to Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, which I really liked, and I thought a fun, lighthearted novel would be perfect for travelling. Unfortunately, for me, Geekomancy didn't live up to my expectations.
Geekomancy is Michael Underwood's first published novel. I hate to say it, but you can tell. Although I liked the concept of the novel, it lacked the polish of novels by more experienced writers.
One of the biggest problems with Underwood's writing was the overwhelming geek culture references. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge geek and I appreciate a good Star Wars reference or what have you, but there were just too many. I mean, as much as I like the show, when you are making Warehouse 13 references, I think you might be reaching a bit. Frankly, the sheer number of references was distracting.
I also had some major problems with the pacing. There were times when the action was ramping up and our protagonist, Ree, had some major butt to kick and she would stop for coffee or make a phone call. What? Why?
Perhaps my biggest issue with the novel though was the magic system. It just didn't make much sense. I understand that we're talking about fantasy here, but a good magic system has rules to govern it. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn is a great example of a unique magic system that works because it has concrete rules.
There are just so many questions. Why don't all geeks gain magic powers by watching the Matrix? If the power is limited to only some people, how did Ree NOT know about it before Eastwood told her? I mean, it's not like he really gave her instruction and she didn't seem to do anything special to absorb the power. Why did Eastwood have to destroy memorabilia when Ree could just watch a movie? How does the magic choose what power you get if you watch something like The Avengers?
On top of all that, the plot really just wasn't that great. Eastwood's character in particular was a problem. His motivations were definitely shaky and I just didn't like how his story played out.
I could continue to poke holes in the novel, but I think I've said enough on that front. Really, the novel wasn't all bad. It was actually pretty fun at times and pretty creative. If you're willing to look past the issues, there's a good chance that you'll actually enjoy the novel.
Geekomancy is Michael Underwood's first published novel. I hate to say it, but you can tell. Although I liked the concept of the novel, it lacked the polish of novels by more experienced writers.
One of the biggest problems with Underwood's writing was the overwhelming geek culture references. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge geek and I appreciate a good Star Wars reference or what have you, but there were just too many. I mean, as much as I like the show, when you are making Warehouse 13 references, I think you might be reaching a bit. Frankly, the sheer number of references was distracting.
I also had some major problems with the pacing. There were times when the action was ramping up and our protagonist, Ree, had some major butt to kick and she would stop for coffee or make a phone call. What? Why?
Perhaps my biggest issue with the novel though was the magic system. It just didn't make much sense. I understand that we're talking about fantasy here, but a good magic system has rules to govern it. Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn is a great example of a unique magic system that works because it has concrete rules.
There are just so many questions. Why don't all geeks gain magic powers by watching the Matrix? If the power is limited to only some people, how did Ree NOT know about it before Eastwood told her? I mean, it's not like he really gave her instruction and she didn't seem to do anything special to absorb the power. Why did Eastwood have to destroy memorabilia when Ree could just watch a movie? How does the magic choose what power you get if you watch something like The Avengers?
On top of all that, the plot really just wasn't that great. Eastwood's character in particular was a problem. His motivations were definitely shaky and I just didn't like how his story played out.
I could continue to poke holes in the novel, but I think I've said enough on that front. Really, the novel wasn't all bad. It was actually pretty fun at times and pretty creative. If you're willing to look past the issues, there's a good chance that you'll actually enjoy the novel.
July 31, 2012
If you love all things geek--video game, movie, comic book--if you have brown coat and aren't afraid to use it--if you succeed at a task and hear the Final Fantasy victory music play in your head--this book is for you. Geekomancy blends urban fantasy with the awesomeness of Ready Player One, though I found Geekomancy much more accessible. Ready Player One was all about the 1980s; Geekomancy isn't confined to any decade or media.
Ree is a great heroine--strong, yet vulnerable, completely at ease with her inner geek and not ashamed. She discovers that by tapping her media knowledge she can channel magic. That's right, the magic is derived of pop culture. Watch Princess Bride, and you're suddenly an expert swordsman. Watch an episode of the new Sherlock, and you see things with his incredible attention to detail, complete with text overlaying reality (this scene is one of the funniest in the book and had me giggling out loud).
It's easy to love Ree. Heck, it's easy to want to BE Ree. Most urban fantasies drop you in a world that is so dark that you would never want to exist there. That's not the case here. The book ended and I felt that cozy melancholy of enjoying another world and wanting it to linger a while longer.
Ree is a great heroine--strong, yet vulnerable, completely at ease with her inner geek and not ashamed. She discovers that by tapping her media knowledge she can channel magic. That's right, the magic is derived of pop culture. Watch Princess Bride, and you're suddenly an expert swordsman. Watch an episode of the new Sherlock, and you see things with his incredible attention to detail, complete with text overlaying reality (this scene is one of the funniest in the book and had me giggling out loud).
It's easy to love Ree. Heck, it's easy to want to BE Ree. Most urban fantasies drop you in a world that is so dark that you would never want to exist there. That's not the case here. The book ended and I felt that cozy melancholy of enjoying another world and wanting it to linger a while longer.
July 13, 2012
What if Kevin Smith wrote an urban fantasy novel?*
If that question intrigues you, this book should shoot straight to the top of your TBR pile. If that sounds like it might be a little too heavy or meta, "Geekomancy" is still worth the read--but it might yield diminished returns if you're not highly fluent in geek culture. Since geek culture has gone pretty far mainstream, however, I doubt there will be many readers scratching their heads over lines such as "You *are* the droid they're looking for."
The pop culture references come at you fast and furious, and -- here's the kicker -- they're actually integral to the plot (which you can read in the synopsis, so I won't recap here...). The plot is pretty standard for urban fantasy--mentor trains a young heroine how to use her "powers." I can't wait to see what directions Underwood takes the premise in the future...
*Although I guess "Dogma" was technically urban fantasy.
If that question intrigues you, this book should shoot straight to the top of your TBR pile. If that sounds like it might be a little too heavy or meta, "Geekomancy" is still worth the read--but it might yield diminished returns if you're not highly fluent in geek culture. Since geek culture has gone pretty far mainstream, however, I doubt there will be many readers scratching their heads over lines such as "You *are* the droid they're looking for."
The pop culture references come at you fast and furious, and -- here's the kicker -- they're actually integral to the plot (which you can read in the synopsis, so I won't recap here...). The plot is pretty standard for urban fantasy--mentor trains a young heroine how to use her "powers." I can't wait to see what directions Underwood takes the premise in the future...
*Although I guess "Dogma" was technically urban fantasy.
August 3, 2013
This book was mentioned in passing by someone on a MobileReads forum. The title was just too intriguing. How could I not look up a book called Geekomancy? I had never heard of the author, but it and Celebromancy, the sequel, had very good reviews on Amazon, so why not?
I'm glad I took a chance on Underwood's work. Ree's tale is highly entertaining, and absolutely hilarious at times. I didn't catch every reference, as I don't do video games or CCGs, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I look forward to reading more in the series.
I'm glad I took a chance on Underwood's work. Ree's tale is highly entertaining, and absolutely hilarious at times. I didn't catch every reference, as I don't do video games or CCGs, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. I look forward to reading more in the series.
July 10, 2012
Blurb: "Geeks rejoice! This is your new favorite book. A frakking clever, funny, engaging novel that toes a surprisingly perfect line between meta and unabashedly delightful storytelling. There is a reference for everyone and even the unwashed masses of non-geeks can enjoy it and hopefully learn a thing or two about being awesome." - Leanna Renee Hieber, award winning, nationally bestselling author
April 9, 2014
Prelim Review: I won't lie this book may have been too pop culture laden even for me to handle. I like it as much as the next obsessive person--Whedon is my God and shows like Buffy, Farscape and Eureka top my list of favs, but Underwood packed so much pop culture ('geek') knowledge into this book it too often distracted from the plot.
I believe there is not a single 'page' (as this is an e-book, your page may vary dependent on your device) that goes by without half a dozen geek references. I can proudly say I got a good deal of them, but while my mind was saying 'awesome reference!' I lost the plot, so I'd have to re-read. That's a problem with a fast paced, everything changed in a second book like GEEKOMANCY.
I liked Ree, I'd doubtless be friends with her in RL (I doubtless have friends like her in RL) and I appreciated that she didn't immediately buy into what Eastwood was selling. She was, for the most part, a level-headed person who didn't see a reason to take crap from anyone. And for that I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality
I believe there is not a single 'page' (as this is an e-book, your page may vary dependent on your device) that goes by without half a dozen geek references. I can proudly say I got a good deal of them, but while my mind was saying 'awesome reference!' I lost the plot, so I'd have to re-read. That's a problem with a fast paced, everything changed in a second book like GEEKOMANCY.
I liked Ree, I'd doubtless be friends with her in RL (I doubtless have friends like her in RL) and I appreciated that she didn't immediately buy into what Eastwood was selling. She was, for the most part, a level-headed person who didn't see a reason to take crap from anyone. And for that I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality
September 21, 2013
I made it 20% of the way through this book and gave up. It had a fun premise: certain people can channel geek magic; e.g., watch a couple of TV episodes or read a comic book and gain powers. And sure, geek references are fun, but this was just overload. No subtlety at all, no working the references into the story in a natural way, just a geek reference every paragraph or two to show the author's geek cred. The main character didn't grab me either--after interviewing the grief stricken parents of a teenage girl who committed suicide, we get:
"Fuck, this place is depressing. She promised herself a solid evening of goofing off once this was done..."
Yeah, I'm overwhelmed by your compassion.
This book has gotten a lot of good reviews so I'm in the minority, but for me, it takes more than gratuitous pandering to the geek contingent to make a good story.
"Fuck, this place is depressing. She promised herself a solid evening of goofing off once this was done..."
Yeah, I'm overwhelmed by your compassion.
This book has gotten a lot of good reviews so I'm in the minority, but for me, it takes more than gratuitous pandering to the geek contingent to make a good story.
July 19, 2012
I'm having a hard time trying to say something coherent about this story.
On the one hand, it was completely illogical, nonsensical and crazy.
On the other hand, it had good characters and was lots of fun. It was so fun I wanted to give it four stars. But then I remembered the nonsensical stuff and the sleight of hand used to hide the plot holes.
So, while I mostly enjoyed it and will probably check out the next book in the series because I liked the characters enough to care about what happens next - I felt that it could have been better and I hope that the second is much tighter but just as much fun.
On the one hand, it was completely illogical, nonsensical and crazy.
On the other hand, it had good characters and was lots of fun. It was so fun I wanted to give it four stars. But then I remembered the nonsensical stuff and the sleight of hand used to hide the plot holes.
So, while I mostly enjoyed it and will probably check out the next book in the series because I liked the characters enough to care about what happens next - I felt that it could have been better and I hope that the second is much tighter but just as much fun.
July 16, 2019
To me, this book is Buffy meets Ready Player One done well. As I discussed in my RPO review, it was just way too overhyped for me vs what it delivered. This one, on the other hand, seemed to come from a more genuine place and fit in better into the story. Also, I love Buffy while dystopias (which I've been reading since middle school are starting to really bum me out). Anyway, this isn't an RPO trash session, let's get to this book.
Really quickly about my rating in case you're new to my ratings or forgot - I go by what the mouseover says for each star. 3/5 is "liked it" while 4/5 is "really liked it". I feel like I'm more in the first camp than the second one. So it's not a bad book, just about average for me.
While the whole "first slayer" thing in Buffy was kind of neat, I think it eventually suffered from Whedon, et al trying to hard to explain what should have just remained ineffable. Just let this lady be kick-ass because she's "chosen" somehow and let's have fun. Geekomancy accomplishes this through the magic system that Underwood has developed. Why does it exist? Who knows! Why is our character special? Doesn't matter! Instead he just has a magic system that allows him to have good reasons to have random nerd trivia littering the book. It's also flexible enough to allow an evolving power set for Ree Reyes.
Ree seems to me to be a pretty well written female-bodied geek in her 20s. ('course, I'm a dude in his 30s...so what do I know? Maybe her behavior, dialogue, etc are horribly silly and unlikely) She seems to have a good amount of conflict about her place in this new world she's thrust into and what she should do with her powers - reminds me a bit more of Peter Parker's Spider-Man than Buffy in that respect. But to me it made things more realistic. She isn't some perfect do-gooder and she wasn't raised to be a hero. She also has to live in the real world. Again more like Spidey and Buffy than Batman, Superman, or The Fantastic Four - she's not set for life. The work she does takes a toll on her civilian life and her ability to pay bills, survive, and have friends.
Plot-wise, I don't know if this is Mr. Underwood's first book, but if I go by the ads at the back of the book, it's either his first or second and I think, based on that, his plot is quite mature. While the nature of the narrative does mean there is some plot armor for some characters, every encounter (and the story as a whole) doesn't tie up everything neatly and perfectly for Ree. There are negatives to everything she does and she ends the book in a relatively realistic place given what happened. There are stakes and I think you feel like some of the side characters are potentially at risk.
Overall, I think you could hand this book to anyone middle school or older. There isn't any explicit sexual stuff - although there is mention of burlesque shows. And if profanity turns you off or makes it off limits to minors - there's a fair amount of that - but it's mostly of the exclamatory type - "(profanity) I hit my toe!".
I thought about going to the next book and wavered a lot. The reviews seem to mostly be 5/5 or 1/5. And Miss. Robinette-Kowal did the audible version and really enjoyed it. I even put it on my to-read list. But I ended up taking it off. This book was good enough and I enjoyed reading it, but I have SOOOO many books I want to read, including sequels to books I really liked so I removed it.
Really quickly about my rating in case you're new to my ratings or forgot - I go by what the mouseover says for each star. 3/5 is "liked it" while 4/5 is "really liked it". I feel like I'm more in the first camp than the second one. So it's not a bad book, just about average for me.
While the whole "first slayer" thing in Buffy was kind of neat, I think it eventually suffered from Whedon, et al trying to hard to explain what should have just remained ineffable. Just let this lady be kick-ass because she's "chosen" somehow and let's have fun. Geekomancy accomplishes this through the magic system that Underwood has developed. Why does it exist? Who knows! Why is our character special? Doesn't matter! Instead he just has a magic system that allows him to have good reasons to have random nerd trivia littering the book. It's also flexible enough to allow an evolving power set for Ree Reyes.
Ree seems to me to be a pretty well written female-bodied geek in her 20s. ('course, I'm a dude in his 30s...so what do I know? Maybe her behavior, dialogue, etc are horribly silly and unlikely) She seems to have a good amount of conflict about her place in this new world she's thrust into and what she should do with her powers - reminds me a bit more of Peter Parker's Spider-Man than Buffy in that respect. But to me it made things more realistic. She isn't some perfect do-gooder and she wasn't raised to be a hero. She also has to live in the real world. Again more like Spidey and Buffy than Batman, Superman, or The Fantastic Four - she's not set for life. The work she does takes a toll on her civilian life and her ability to pay bills, survive, and have friends.
Plot-wise, I don't know if this is Mr. Underwood's first book, but if I go by the ads at the back of the book, it's either his first or second and I think, based on that, his plot is quite mature. While the nature of the narrative does mean there is some plot armor for some characters, every encounter (and the story as a whole) doesn't tie up everything neatly and perfectly for Ree. There are negatives to everything she does and she ends the book in a relatively realistic place given what happened. There are stakes and I think you feel like some of the side characters are potentially at risk.
Overall, I think you could hand this book to anyone middle school or older. There isn't any explicit sexual stuff - although there is mention of burlesque shows. And if profanity turns you off or makes it off limits to minors - there's a fair amount of that - but it's mostly of the exclamatory type - "(profanity) I hit my toe!".
I thought about going to the next book and wavered a lot. The reviews seem to mostly be 5/5 or 1/5. And Miss. Robinette-Kowal did the audible version and really enjoyed it. I even put it on my to-read list. But I ended up taking it off. This book was good enough and I enjoyed reading it, but I have SOOOO many books I want to read, including sequels to books I really liked so I removed it.
September 2, 2017
What happens if you give a geek a book about geeks having powers? A geekasm of course!!!
This fantastical book has a lot to give. I kind of got thrown at the beginning by the stats but luckily it did not have to be memorized to enjoy the story!
Ree is a seemingly normal girl with a larger than normal knowledge of anything geek and then it turns out it can do more then give you great quotes.
I can't say a lot more without giving away spoilers, but it's surely not something for "just women" to read. It is really kickass!
Read this via XOXO after dark website.
This fantastical book has a lot to give. I kind of got thrown at the beginning by the stats but luckily it did not have to be memorized to enjoy the story!
Ree is a seemingly normal girl with a larger than normal knowledge of anything geek and then it turns out it can do more then give you great quotes.
I can't say a lot more without giving away spoilers, but it's surely not something for "just women" to read. It is really kickass!
Read this via XOXO after dark website.
Read
December 27, 2019Fun magic system (and i really liked the expanded world— Drake was fantastic and the stuff in Spirit was a joy) but unfortunately the plot hits several of my “nope” buttons. I’m not a fan of “must do these evil things to bring back a loved one” as it turns out, and the “evil things” being pushing some teenagers to suicide is a FULL ON no from me.
September 26, 2016
Imagine that any TV show, book, or comic that you see, you can then pull a power (or ability) from said thing; and use it in the real world. Ree is a young woman who wants more out of life. She learns of her powers from a veteran “geekomancer” Eastwood. She helps investigate the string of suicides that are effecting young kids.
The story about the suicides feels original and helped carry the book despite many of the problems. It was exciting and the reveal was rewarding and worth the read. The fighting is fun and with all the interesting powers that are used, there is some cool variety. The many nerd references are catchy and are supposed to draw the reader in. Unfortunately by the end of the book, the constant use of said references can get old quick. We get it. We are all nerds here. Move on from the Star Wars jokes and continue with the awesome fight scene.
While the powers that are used are interesting, they are not well explained. One guy has to tear up books and melt a disc to use his powers. Then our main character just watches a show and she can use it. Is she special? Why? Can anyone do this? Since this isn’t made clear then it causes confusion.
I am having a really hard time not comparing this book to Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz. Mostly because Flex is better and darker, which is interesting to say since the plot of this book revolved somewhat around a monster that went around persuading teenagers to commit suicide.
One of the things that bothered me the most about this book was that there seemed to be nothing to the main character, Ree, except for her love of all things geek. Which is great, I’m a geek myself so of course I enjoyed all the references made during the course of the story.
Whereas in Flex, the comparable character would be Valentine (who would kick Ree’s ass in about 3 seconds flat, just sayin’). Valentine is usually making some reference some video game or another but Steinmetz takes the time to go deeper into her personality. Because the thing is, no person is just one thing. I am not just a geek, I am many other things as well that add up to make me. There are many things about a person that makes them who they are and I really didn’t feel like we saw anything else about Ree so she was really one-dimensional.
I feel like this author relied too heavily on the geeky references to create Ree’s character and this annoys not only because it produces a very flat character but because it is kind of cheap. This author relied on his audience’s knowledge of dozens of other stories to create his character and to attempt to develop a connection to that character.
The rest of the story was just meh. It was original, I have to give it that. But I just could not get very into it.
The story about the suicides feels original and helped carry the book despite many of the problems. It was exciting and the reveal was rewarding and worth the read. The fighting is fun and with all the interesting powers that are used, there is some cool variety. The many nerd references are catchy and are supposed to draw the reader in. Unfortunately by the end of the book, the constant use of said references can get old quick. We get it. We are all nerds here. Move on from the Star Wars jokes and continue with the awesome fight scene.
While the powers that are used are interesting, they are not well explained. One guy has to tear up books and melt a disc to use his powers. Then our main character just watches a show and she can use it. Is she special? Why? Can anyone do this? Since this isn’t made clear then it causes confusion.
I am having a really hard time not comparing this book to Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz. Mostly because Flex is better and darker, which is interesting to say since the plot of this book revolved somewhat around a monster that went around persuading teenagers to commit suicide.
One of the things that bothered me the most about this book was that there seemed to be nothing to the main character, Ree, except for her love of all things geek. Which is great, I’m a geek myself so of course I enjoyed all the references made during the course of the story.
Whereas in Flex, the comparable character would be Valentine (who would kick Ree’s ass in about 3 seconds flat, just sayin’). Valentine is usually making some reference some video game or another but Steinmetz takes the time to go deeper into her personality. Because the thing is, no person is just one thing. I am not just a geek, I am many other things as well that add up to make me. There are many things about a person that makes them who they are and I really didn’t feel like we saw anything else about Ree so she was really one-dimensional.
I feel like this author relied too heavily on the geeky references to create Ree’s character and this annoys not only because it produces a very flat character but because it is kind of cheap. This author relied on his audience’s knowledge of dozens of other stories to create his character and to attempt to develop a connection to that character.
The rest of the story was just meh. It was original, I have to give it that. But I just could not get very into it.
January 18, 2019
3,5-4/5
October 17, 2016
You need to be a scifi geek to really appreciate this book! I know I didn't catch of all the references to books and movies, but while it was confusing at times I did enjoy it! Ree has found an occult underground world of magic and geekomancy!
July 20, 2020
This book was ok - probably ok enough for me to read the rest of the series as a bit of light fluff. It felt a bit try hard to me, like the author was trying to fit in as many pop culture references as humanly possible. Also it felt very obvious that the author was male.
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