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Praised by the Guardian for stories that are “exhilarating . . . powerful and entertaining,” Jeff Somers returns with a darkly original urban fantasy series featuring a cadre of mages operating just under the radar of human society.
Magic uses blood—a lot of it. The more that’s used, the more powerful the effect, so mages find “volunteers” to fuel their spells. Lem, however, is different. Long ago he set up a rule that lets him sleep at night: never use anyone’s blood but your own. He’s grifting through life as a Trickster, performing only small Glamours like turning one-dollar bills into twenties. He and his sidekick, Mags, aren’t doing well, but they’re getting by.
That is, until they find young Claire Mannice— bound and gagged, imprisoned in a car’s trunk, and covered with invisible rune tattoos. Lem turns to his estranged mentor for help, but what they’ve uncovered is more terrifying than anybody could have imagined. Mika Renar, the most dangerous Archmage in the world, is preparing to use an ocean of blood to cast her dreams into reality— and Lem just got in her way.
Magic uses blood—a lot of it. The more that’s used, the more powerful the effect, so mages find “volunteers” to fuel their spells. Lem, however, is different. Long ago he set up a rule that lets him sleep at night: never use anyone’s blood but your own. He’s grifting through life as a Trickster, performing only small Glamours like turning one-dollar bills into twenties. He and his sidekick, Mags, aren’t doing well, but they’re getting by.
That is, until they find young Claire Mannice— bound and gagged, imprisoned in a car’s trunk, and covered with invisible rune tattoos. Lem turns to his estranged mentor for help, but what they’ve uncovered is more terrifying than anybody could have imagined. Mika Renar, the most dangerous Archmage in the world, is preparing to use an ocean of blood to cast her dreams into reality— and Lem just got in her way.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2013
6 people are currently reading
863 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Somers
68 books349 followersJeff Somers (www.jeffreysomers.com) began writing by court order as an attempt to steer his creative impulses away from engineering genetic grotesqueries. He has published nine novels, including the Avery Cates Series of noir-science fiction novels from Orbit Books (www.avery-cates.com) and the Ustari Cycle series of urban fantasy novels. His short story “Ringing the Changes” was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories 2006, his story “Sift, Almost Invisible, Through” appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight edited by Charlaine Harris, and his story “Three Cups of Tea” appeared in the anthology Hanzai Japan. He also writes about books for Barnes and Noble and About.com and about the craft of writing for Writer’s Digest, which will publish his book on the craft of writing Writing Without Rules in 2018. He lives in Hoboken with his wife, The Duchess, and their cats. He considers pants to always be optional.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 19, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
TRICKSTER is a book that has restored my faith in the urban fantasy genre as a whole. Jeff Somers has created a wholly original world that, even with magic, feels incredibly real.
The book centers around Lem – one of the world’s blood mages. And, yep, blood mages are exactly what they sound like. In this world there are two types of mages – those who use bleeders and those who supply their own blood for their magics. Lem is one of the latter.
The title comes from how the low-ranking, barely enough skill for a glamour mages refer to themselves. They are – almost to a man – con artists, thieves and grifters. They survive using little spells like making a crumpled up one dollar bill appear as a twenty. They’re scraping by and for the most part ignore (and are ignored themselves) by the more powerful magic users of the world. At least that’s how it was for Lem before he found Claire Mannice tied up in the trunk of a car. Now Lem’s in the thick of it and fighting just to keep himself and his friends alive.
I understand if right now you’re thinking I was a little hyperbolic in saying how this book restored my faith in urban fantasy. You’re just going to have to trust me and give this book a try. Seriously. It has everything. It has an incredibly well-thought out magic system, wonderful world-building, characters who not just break, but shatter, the cookie-cutter stereotypes so common to the genre and a plot that moves along at breakneck speed. Hell, it even has a dash of kinda-sorta romance in it for those who are in to that sort of thing.
To put it another way: I loved this book so much that even though I received an ARC, I’ve already pre-ordered four copies of it. One copy to put on my shelf (and I almost never buy anything but eBooks anymore) and three copies to let friends borrow. That’s how much I loved this book.
Do yourself a favor and read what should rightfully be one of the biggest urban fantasy releases of the season.
Sexual Content:
N/A
TRICKSTER is a book that has restored my faith in the urban fantasy genre as a whole. Jeff Somers has created a wholly original world that, even with magic, feels incredibly real.
The book centers around Lem – one of the world’s blood mages. And, yep, blood mages are exactly what they sound like. In this world there are two types of mages – those who use bleeders and those who supply their own blood for their magics. Lem is one of the latter.
The title comes from how the low-ranking, barely enough skill for a glamour mages refer to themselves. They are – almost to a man – con artists, thieves and grifters. They survive using little spells like making a crumpled up one dollar bill appear as a twenty. They’re scraping by and for the most part ignore (and are ignored themselves) by the more powerful magic users of the world. At least that’s how it was for Lem before he found Claire Mannice tied up in the trunk of a car. Now Lem’s in the thick of it and fighting just to keep himself and his friends alive.
I understand if right now you’re thinking I was a little hyperbolic in saying how this book restored my faith in urban fantasy. You’re just going to have to trust me and give this book a try. Seriously. It has everything. It has an incredibly well-thought out magic system, wonderful world-building, characters who not just break, but shatter, the cookie-cutter stereotypes so common to the genre and a plot that moves along at breakneck speed. Hell, it even has a dash of kinda-sorta romance in it for those who are in to that sort of thing.
To put it another way: I loved this book so much that even though I received an ARC, I’ve already pre-ordered four copies of it. One copy to put on my shelf (and I almost never buy anything but eBooks anymore) and three copies to let friends borrow. That’s how much I loved this book.
Do yourself a favor and read what should rightfully be one of the biggest urban fantasy releases of the season.
Sexual Content:
N/A
February 4, 2013
For a book that has blood magic, human sacrifices, and explosion scenes, it was not highly exciting as I had expected. A book of master storytelling as blurbed it was not.
The story largely consisted of the good guys running away, from one place to another that made me think poorly of the characters and flashbacks that were so seamlessly written that it took me a few seconds to realize a few of them were flashbacks. The book kept my attention, but it was under a fog of boredom.
The Characters
+ the protagonist
I liked Lem in the beginning but his White Knight Complex quickly wore me down. First, it was annoying; the damsel in distress trope is overused in Urban Fantasy. Second, it was inconsistent with his occupation as a Trickster, a grifter who uses blood magic. I was having a hard time reconciling Lem having ethics with Lem being a grifter.
Overall, the biggest issue I had with Lem was that he was yet another Urban Fantasy protagonist who had great power but didn’t use it because of “reasons” which in this case was Lem’s fear of succumbing to power-hungriness. His reason was valid, but he and his companions were in a desperate situation that strongly called for desperate measures. His reason no longer held water.
It frustrated me how Lem missed many opportunities to be clever or ruthless or showed he was more capable than standing up (foolishly) to bad guys. He should have done something other than running away, or if he was going to be an outright coward, he should have thrown away the White Knight Complex. I hated his noncommittal attitude.
+ the sidekick
Mags as a dimwitted, brawny sidekick was more than stereotypical, it was slightly offensive. The character seemed to have special needs. There was no doubt Lem love Mags like a true brother but that didn’t excuse Lem’s negligence. Many times I was angry at Lem for involving Mags in dangerous matters.
+ the damsel in distress
Surprisingly, Claire wasn’t annoying. I liked how she wasn’t going to let herself become a damsel in distress and took an active part of rescuing herself from her predicament with Lem and co. I give points for the book making the main female character a strong, capable character. I would have given more points if her character wasn’t someone with a bad past like everyone else in the story.
+ the bad guys
While the good guys were found lacking, the bad guys were great. They were somewhat stereotypical but they weren’t flat. Unlike the infamous Countess Bathory of history, Renar has real and powerful magic, and her ritual to immortality would work. Her prodigy, Amir, is equally ruthless and ambitious, though he could work harder at hiding his backstabby streak.
The Writing
+ the pacing
The pacing was too slow for a book full of supposedly exciting things. It wasn’t slow in a mind-numbingly way; it was slow in the “this can be edited further” way.
+ the magic lingo
I didn’t like the magic lingo. I found its usage a tad excessive for an Urban Fantasy, and it was unevenly explained. The vernacular would have been sufficient and made the story an easier read.
+ plot hole
Why did it never occur to Lem to take normal jobs like non-magical people do? It was told many times that being a Trickster was hard and risky, but it was never really explained why anyone would become one. It was strongly suggested to me that being a burger flipper was more lucrative than being a Trickster, not to mention the lack of danger. I can partially understand if an amoral person becomes a Trickster, but Lem was someone with ethics and supposedly with common sense.
+ the worldbuilding
It was gritty as advertised. The book sucked at maintaining a strong sense of suspense, but it did at least maintain a strong sense of place. Lem and his companions moved around a lot, and never once did I get lost as to where they were and where they were going.
In Conclusion
I rate Tricksters 2-stars for it was okay. The good guys were meh, the plot — disappointedly meh, and there was a plot hole. Book 1 was a subpar start of the Ustari Cycle series. If you are up to date on all your favorite Urban Fantasy series and looking for another promising series, try Tricksters.
The story largely consisted of the good guys running away, from one place to another that made me think poorly of the characters and flashbacks that were so seamlessly written that it took me a few seconds to realize a few of them were flashbacks. The book kept my attention, but it was under a fog of boredom.
The Characters
+ the protagonist
I liked Lem in the beginning but his White Knight Complex quickly wore me down. First, it was annoying; the damsel in distress trope is overused in Urban Fantasy. Second, it was inconsistent with his occupation as a Trickster, a grifter who uses blood magic. I was having a hard time reconciling Lem having ethics with Lem being a grifter.
Overall, the biggest issue I had with Lem was that he was yet another Urban Fantasy protagonist who had great power but didn’t use it because of “reasons” which in this case was Lem’s fear of succumbing to power-hungriness. His reason was valid, but he and his companions were in a desperate situation that strongly called for desperate measures. His reason no longer held water.
It frustrated me how Lem missed many opportunities to be clever or ruthless or showed he was more capable than standing up (foolishly) to bad guys. He should have done something other than running away, or if he was going to be an outright coward, he should have thrown away the White Knight Complex. I hated his noncommittal attitude.
+ the sidekick
Mags as a dimwitted, brawny sidekick was more than stereotypical, it was slightly offensive. The character seemed to have special needs. There was no doubt Lem love Mags like a true brother but that didn’t excuse Lem’s negligence. Many times I was angry at Lem for involving Mags in dangerous matters.
+ the damsel in distress
Surprisingly, Claire wasn’t annoying. I liked how she wasn’t going to let herself become a damsel in distress and took an active part of rescuing herself from her predicament with Lem and co. I give points for the book making the main female character a strong, capable character. I would have given more points if her character wasn’t someone with a bad past like everyone else in the story.
+ the bad guys
While the good guys were found lacking, the bad guys were great. They were somewhat stereotypical but they weren’t flat. Unlike the infamous Countess Bathory of history, Renar has real and powerful magic, and her ritual to immortality would work. Her prodigy, Amir, is equally ruthless and ambitious, though he could work harder at hiding his backstabby streak.
The Writing
+ the pacing
The pacing was too slow for a book full of supposedly exciting things. It wasn’t slow in a mind-numbingly way; it was slow in the “this can be edited further” way.
+ the magic lingo
I didn’t like the magic lingo. I found its usage a tad excessive for an Urban Fantasy, and it was unevenly explained. The vernacular would have been sufficient and made the story an easier read.
+ plot hole
Why did it never occur to Lem to take normal jobs like non-magical people do? It was told many times that being a Trickster was hard and risky, but it was never really explained why anyone would become one. It was strongly suggested to me that being a burger flipper was more lucrative than being a Trickster, not to mention the lack of danger. I can partially understand if an amoral person becomes a Trickster, but Lem was someone with ethics and supposedly with common sense.
+ the worldbuilding
It was gritty as advertised. The book sucked at maintaining a strong sense of suspense, but it did at least maintain a strong sense of place. Lem and his companions moved around a lot, and never once did I get lost as to where they were and where they were going.
In Conclusion
I rate Tricksters 2-stars for it was okay. The good guys were meh, the plot — disappointedly meh, and there was a plot hole. Book 1 was a subpar start of the Ustari Cycle series. If you are up to date on all your favorite Urban Fantasy series and looking for another promising series, try Tricksters.
April 18, 2013
Years ago I was working an awful job at a supermarket the summer before I went off to college. While there, and while working, I read a lot. Partly to distract from my less than stellar days, and partly because I loved to read. Two of those books which, among others, I dusted off during breaks and deli lunches (I remember I was eating a lot of deli food at the time) were the first two books in Jeff Somers' "Avery Cates" cycle. The Electric Church and The Digital Plague.
While the plots were nothing spectacular Somers had a definite voice and a way with characters that carried and maintained one's interest through both stories. Also he had a way of building up scale that was surprising, especially in the case of the Digital Plague which I find reflected in his latest work 'Trickster'. He conveys a real sense of the world being pulled first gradually, then quickly, into catastrophe.
Lem Vonnegan (great name) is the eponymous Trickster, a low level magician using his powers to con people out of money and trinkets, with his slow witted colossus sidekick Mags. The magic in this world is powered by blood ('gas' as it's referred to here) where most characters either cut themselves to power magic (Lem for most of the novel) or bring designated 'Bleeders' with them, usually chubby or stocky people, whose entire existence is to cut themselves to power the spells of the magic users.
There's an almost 'Highlander' vibe to the world Somers has created here. Of super-powered beings operating just under the radar of normal humans while still affecting the course of human history, the later revelations about blood sacrifices really do ramp up the scale later in the story. But unfortunately, Somers suffers a few missteps.
The story is dirty. It's not dirty due to illicit conduct but rather it's just, at times, an unpleasant read. Everyone is covered in sweat, dirt, and grime. Characters are starving, desperate, and no one seems contented. Also, the basic idea of the magic being powered by blood, while interesting certainly, is very cumbersome when described in text and comes off as more trouble than it's worth.
Also, repetitious use of the word 'fuck' doesn't always a gritty realistic story make. There were too many instances where it felt like Somers was writing this in his notebook between periods in high school.
As the first in a projected series, 'Trickster' is a decent opening installment. But, ideally, even a novel in a series should be able to stand on its own merits, especially the first entry. Though 'Trickster' doesn't deliver on most of its ideas and some of the descriptions and imagery are less than graceful, there's enough good here to warrant a read. Especially towards the end, Somers seems to wake up and bring his talents to bear in creating a rushed, but sufficiently satisfying conclusion. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't say the ending didn't feel like a massive stall for the next work.
So, all in all, it's a decent read. Not a revelation, but there's definite potential for something greater here.
While the plots were nothing spectacular Somers had a definite voice and a way with characters that carried and maintained one's interest through both stories. Also he had a way of building up scale that was surprising, especially in the case of the Digital Plague which I find reflected in his latest work 'Trickster'. He conveys a real sense of the world being pulled first gradually, then quickly, into catastrophe.
Lem Vonnegan (great name) is the eponymous Trickster, a low level magician using his powers to con people out of money and trinkets, with his slow witted colossus sidekick Mags. The magic in this world is powered by blood ('gas' as it's referred to here) where most characters either cut themselves to power magic (Lem for most of the novel) or bring designated 'Bleeders' with them, usually chubby or stocky people, whose entire existence is to cut themselves to power the spells of the magic users.
There's an almost 'Highlander' vibe to the world Somers has created here. Of super-powered beings operating just under the radar of normal humans while still affecting the course of human history, the later revelations about blood sacrifices really do ramp up the scale later in the story. But unfortunately, Somers suffers a few missteps.
The story is dirty. It's not dirty due to illicit conduct but rather it's just, at times, an unpleasant read. Everyone is covered in sweat, dirt, and grime. Characters are starving, desperate, and no one seems contented. Also, the basic idea of the magic being powered by blood, while interesting certainly, is very cumbersome when described in text and comes off as more trouble than it's worth.
Also, repetitious use of the word 'fuck' doesn't always a gritty realistic story make. There were too many instances where it felt like Somers was writing this in his notebook between periods in high school.
As the first in a projected series, 'Trickster' is a decent opening installment. But, ideally, even a novel in a series should be able to stand on its own merits, especially the first entry. Though 'Trickster' doesn't deliver on most of its ideas and some of the descriptions and imagery are less than graceful, there's enough good here to warrant a read. Especially towards the end, Somers seems to wake up and bring his talents to bear in creating a rushed, but sufficiently satisfying conclusion. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't say the ending didn't feel like a massive stall for the next work.
So, all in all, it's a decent read. Not a revelation, but there's definite potential for something greater here.
February 26, 2013
Somers' urban fantasy debut is dark, gritty and suspenseful. The world he has created is filled with dirty magic fueled by blood. Those who can wield this magic, whether they're lowly Tricksters or high Archmages, all use it for their own selfish needs, caring little about the lives that are affected.
Lem is a Trickster who uses his magic for simple cons. He can make one dollar bills appear to be twenties or charm people into becoming more agreeable. But Lem refuses to use other people's blood to gas up his spells, so he was left unable to continue his magical training. As a result, he never reached the full potential of his abilities.
Despite the talents that Lem possesses, he is poor and filthy and drifting from one place to another with nowhere to call home. But he isn't drifting alone. With him is Pitr Mageshkumar, better known as Mags. Lem often describes him as if he's a pet. He's loyal, friendly, and lacking in intelligence. He's also easily amused, easily distracted, and often quick to forget things. But he's all Lem has and he knows Mags would do anything for him without question.
Somers has taken these two very unlikely heroes with essentially nothing positive going for them and manages to write them in a way that has you rooting for them until the very end. Not because defeating the bad guys is the right thing to do and not because they need to save the girl, but because you genuinely like them and would be crushed if they didn't both make it through to the end.
Many of the details of the mystery are revealed fairly quickly and it isn't exactly shocking as much as it is disturbing. But what made this story line so thrilling and intense wasn't the actual mystery of the girls covered in magical glyphs. It was the question of how one lowly Trickster, who couldn't even follow through with his training, could possibly best one of the most feared Archmages alive.
The true bad guys (not just the characters with sticky fingers and loose morals) are as equally well-crafted as our heroes. One is suave, cunning, handsome and wears impeccable suits and a slick smile. The other is ancient and decrepit, practically a mummy, but more terrifying and deadly despite the frail appearance.
By the time the final showdown arrives and Lem's commitment and abilities are put to the test, I was on the edge of my seat and flying through the pages as fast as I could. I knew Lem would make it to the end, but I was desperate to know how many casualties there would be and what magic trick Lem would have to pull off in order to save the day.
Somers has a real talent for world building and crafting unique and colorful characters. For fans of dark urban fantasy and unconventional heroes, Trickster is a must read.
Lem is a Trickster who uses his magic for simple cons. He can make one dollar bills appear to be twenties or charm people into becoming more agreeable. But Lem refuses to use other people's blood to gas up his spells, so he was left unable to continue his magical training. As a result, he never reached the full potential of his abilities.
Despite the talents that Lem possesses, he is poor and filthy and drifting from one place to another with nowhere to call home. But he isn't drifting alone. With him is Pitr Mageshkumar, better known as Mags. Lem often describes him as if he's a pet. He's loyal, friendly, and lacking in intelligence. He's also easily amused, easily distracted, and often quick to forget things. But he's all Lem has and he knows Mags would do anything for him without question.
Somers has taken these two very unlikely heroes with essentially nothing positive going for them and manages to write them in a way that has you rooting for them until the very end. Not because defeating the bad guys is the right thing to do and not because they need to save the girl, but because you genuinely like them and would be crushed if they didn't both make it through to the end.
Many of the details of the mystery are revealed fairly quickly and it isn't exactly shocking as much as it is disturbing. But what made this story line so thrilling and intense wasn't the actual mystery of the girls covered in magical glyphs. It was the question of how one lowly Trickster, who couldn't even follow through with his training, could possibly best one of the most feared Archmages alive.
The true bad guys (not just the characters with sticky fingers and loose morals) are as equally well-crafted as our heroes. One is suave, cunning, handsome and wears impeccable suits and a slick smile. The other is ancient and decrepit, practically a mummy, but more terrifying and deadly despite the frail appearance.
By the time the final showdown arrives and Lem's commitment and abilities are put to the test, I was on the edge of my seat and flying through the pages as fast as I could. I knew Lem would make it to the end, but I was desperate to know how many casualties there would be and what magic trick Lem would have to pull off in order to save the day.
Somers has a real talent for world building and crafting unique and colorful characters. For fans of dark urban fantasy and unconventional heroes, Trickster is a must read.
dnf
February 8, 2017I remember I tried to read this when I first downloaded the ARC, but the language really turned me away.
It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't a "Lyn Book."
No Rating/DNF
It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't a "Lyn Book."
No Rating/DNF
March 1, 2013
The beginning of an amazing, gritty noir with remarkably likable low-lifes.
February 26, 2013
For a book that promises lots of action and is full of this much bloodshed the first half was surprisingly slow going! I found it really hard to get into the book actually. The second half- once it was all set up and the action was unraveling was more fun to read. This is one of these books that left me totally divided- some parts are awesome, others just meh!
The story line while definitely interesting, was also quite predictable.
I didn't really mind that actually. It's in many ways your classic urban fantasy.
As I said earlier I struggled to get into the book for the first half.. I think there were a coupe of reasons for this
First was the whole magic language- while I think it is cool, and a plus in the world building- it came over as too complicated and was introduced awkwardly. As a result I ended up highlighting the different words attaching notes with their meanings to it, thus creating my own cheat sheet. Armed with that it made my reading experience much more pleasant. Hence I would suggest that there would be a little dictionary added in the appendix or something.
The second reason: It took me a while to get invested into the characters, I still kinda can't care about Mags though. I found his character way to much of a caricature. A pet as Lem called him and that's about how much I cared for him The fact that Lem was so condescending was a real source annoyance, especially in the first half of the book. I guess in the second part I just couldn't be bothered any more
Claire, was definitely my favorite character. And while the whole book is written from Lem's POV, so one only gets to see Claire through his eyes, I was totally charmed by her. She is the victim, but she is brave and kickass! And I loved how she handled everything!
I want to know what happens to her- I do hope very much that she is in the next book, she would be one of the main reasons for me to read the next installment
Lem, the MC, was interesting and irritating at first. I found his flippant way he spoke about his friends annoying. But as I read on, he grew on me. I love the way he took on the situation, and stepped up his game. The reluctant hero in many ways, he is also aware of the fact that he, as he says, is not good people. But there is a line he doesn't wanna cross. While he has these principles he on the other side doesn't mind being a trickster which is kinda at odd with each other... his excuse - we not good people. Amazingly enough he did explain it and I was cool with that.
The thing I appreciated most about Lem, is that he realizes that he has to step up and make a mark (as he says) -Take a stand. And more than anything that he does. And afterwards he looks at others who didn't, and isn't judgmental. He doesn't know why he did, just that in that moment he had to.
The scenes between Lem and Claire are really beautiful. And honestly I am so rooting for them. Not sure that it will actually happened. But their relationship moved me. It felt real
And Somer's description of the bus ride- evoke memories of me sitting up and talking, connecting and spilling secrets in the middle of the night... I married that dude. Guess I am slightly biased, still it has a realness and solidity to it, that touched me. In general Somer did subtly weave and build their relationship- no big bang or anything. But there was loads of chemistry there. I think this shows great writing potential!
The language used in the book is rather crass. I really didn't mind- since I think a guy like Lem would talk and think like that. The f-word is used extremely liberally!But if you have an aversion against it- It might pose a problem.
The world building is great. I love the idea of the different magical abilities. The fact that it needs blood for casting it, its own language- all that set in a modern urban setting. Superb!
Would I read the next installment? During the first half- I would have said no. But after finishing it. Yes! I definitely will! In fact I am wondering if many of the flaws couldn't been avoided by harsher editing.
I enjoyed the grittiness and the whole primeval fell to Trickster. While it didn't deliver what it could have, there is huge potential for this series!
The story line while definitely interesting, was also quite predictable.
I didn't really mind that actually. It's in many ways your classic urban fantasy.
As I said earlier I struggled to get into the book for the first half.. I think there were a coupe of reasons for this
First was the whole magic language- while I think it is cool, and a plus in the world building- it came over as too complicated and was introduced awkwardly. As a result I ended up highlighting the different words attaching notes with their meanings to it, thus creating my own cheat sheet. Armed with that it made my reading experience much more pleasant. Hence I would suggest that there would be a little dictionary added in the appendix or something.
The second reason: It took me a while to get invested into the characters, I still kinda can't care about Mags though. I found his character way to much of a caricature. A pet as Lem called him and that's about how much I cared for him The fact that Lem was so condescending was a real source annoyance, especially in the first half of the book. I guess in the second part I just couldn't be bothered any more
Claire, was definitely my favorite character. And while the whole book is written from Lem's POV, so one only gets to see Claire through his eyes, I was totally charmed by her. She is the victim, but she is brave and kickass! And I loved how she handled everything!
I want to know what happens to her- I do hope very much that she is in the next book, she would be one of the main reasons for me to read the next installment
Lem, the MC, was interesting and irritating at first. I found his flippant way he spoke about his friends annoying. But as I read on, he grew on me. I love the way he took on the situation, and stepped up his game. The reluctant hero in many ways, he is also aware of the fact that he, as he says, is not good people. But there is a line he doesn't wanna cross. While he has these principles he on the other side doesn't mind being a trickster which is kinda at odd with each other... his excuse - we not good people. Amazingly enough he did explain it and I was cool with that.
The thing I appreciated most about Lem, is that he realizes that he has to step up and make a mark (as he says) -Take a stand. And more than anything that he does. And afterwards he looks at others who didn't, and isn't judgmental. He doesn't know why he did, just that in that moment he had to.
The scenes between Lem and Claire are really beautiful. And honestly I am so rooting for them. Not sure that it will actually happened. But their relationship moved me. It felt real
And Somer's description of the bus ride- evoke memories of me sitting up and talking, connecting and spilling secrets in the middle of the night... I married that dude. Guess I am slightly biased, still it has a realness and solidity to it, that touched me. In general Somer did subtly weave and build their relationship- no big bang or anything. But there was loads of chemistry there. I think this shows great writing potential!
The language used in the book is rather crass. I really didn't mind- since I think a guy like Lem would talk and think like that. The f-word is used extremely liberally!But if you have an aversion against it- It might pose a problem.
The world building is great. I love the idea of the different magical abilities. The fact that it needs blood for casting it, its own language- all that set in a modern urban setting. Superb!
Would I read the next installment? During the first half- I would have said no. But after finishing it. Yes! I definitely will! In fact I am wondering if many of the flaws couldn't been avoided by harsher editing.
I enjoyed the grittiness and the whole primeval fell to Trickster. While it didn't deliver what it could have, there is huge potential for this series!
February 26, 2013
Lem is a trickster, which means that he uses his own blood to perform magic. This usually amounts to conning the non magical around him. He is always looking for the next big score but when he follows up on a tip, Lem ends up on the magical radar of an archmage, who is far more powerful than him. Suddenly, Lem finds himself in way over his head. The archmage is planning a massive spell for which much blood must be spilled but Lem's interference, which led to the escape of Claire, one of the intended victims, has put everything in jeopardy. Lem must now balance his need to stick to his magical morals and his desire to stay alive. Will he turn Claire over to save his life?
I am going to admit that I didn't get very far in this book. After reading one hundred pages, in which women essentially were either whores or dead victims and Lem's sidekick person of colour reduced to a simpleton, I simply could not read another page. Though it is obvious that Claire's character is meant to evolve into something more, the treatment of the women who had appeared thus far in Trickster, simply didn't give me hope for a good portrayal. It felt like Claire was being set up to be a heroine that Lem saved.
Lem said repeatedly that he is different from the other mages because he only uses his own blood. It's clear that this a moral choice but at least as far as I had read in Trickster, no explanation was offered. We were told repeatedly that Lem's way of life is extremely difficult and it is clear that he is barely surviving and so I could not help but wonder why he remained involved at all? Would it really have been that bad to get a job? I think that question needs to be answered, especially because Lem outright refused to go any further in his training despite being told he is capable of so much more than the cheap tricks he engages in to survive.
Lem's side kick is Mags - an indigenous person. It's absolutely not original to have a person of colour reduced to a sidekick to a White protagonist. From Somers description, it's clear that Mags is meant to be viewed as neurologically atypical, yet throughout the book, he is described as a simpleton, who seems to be lucky be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Throughout the novel, Mags is only praised for his strength and is continually attacked for his lack of intelligence. This is absolutely racist, abelist and offensive. In fact, Mags is essentially led around by Lem and seems to do his bidding like a helpless puppy.
This novel has been described as gritty, but from my understanding, all that makes it so, are the dead women and the disgusting treatment of Mags. Lem is drawn as a sort of anti-hero, but there is nothing that about him that is even remotely compelling. His constant treatment of Mag made him unlikeable.
Read more
I am going to admit that I didn't get very far in this book. After reading one hundred pages, in which women essentially were either whores or dead victims and Lem's sidekick person of colour reduced to a simpleton, I simply could not read another page. Though it is obvious that Claire's character is meant to evolve into something more, the treatment of the women who had appeared thus far in Trickster, simply didn't give me hope for a good portrayal. It felt like Claire was being set up to be a heroine that Lem saved.
Lem said repeatedly that he is different from the other mages because he only uses his own blood. It's clear that this a moral choice but at least as far as I had read in Trickster, no explanation was offered. We were told repeatedly that Lem's way of life is extremely difficult and it is clear that he is barely surviving and so I could not help but wonder why he remained involved at all? Would it really have been that bad to get a job? I think that question needs to be answered, especially because Lem outright refused to go any further in his training despite being told he is capable of so much more than the cheap tricks he engages in to survive.
Lem's side kick is Mags - an indigenous person. It's absolutely not original to have a person of colour reduced to a sidekick to a White protagonist. From Somers description, it's clear that Mags is meant to be viewed as neurologically atypical, yet throughout the book, he is described as a simpleton, who seems to be lucky be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Throughout the novel, Mags is only praised for his strength and is continually attacked for his lack of intelligence. This is absolutely racist, abelist and offensive. In fact, Mags is essentially led around by Lem and seems to do his bidding like a helpless puppy.
This novel has been described as gritty, but from my understanding, all that makes it so, are the dead women and the disgusting treatment of Mags. Lem is drawn as a sort of anti-hero, but there is nothing that about him that is even remotely compelling. His constant treatment of Mag made him unlikeable.
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January 24, 2013
3,5/5
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was curious to read this novel when I discovered the cover. I did not really understand that Lem was a man, so it took me a moment to realize that in my reading. It was actually pretty funny to follow this wizard throughout the novel. I mostly used to read stories featuring women, or those where they always have a prominent place. This is not the case here. It is true that Claire is an important character in the story but she is still very much in the background compared to Lem and his apprentice Mags. It was a book quite different and enjoyable to read.
Mags and Lem are two persons well matched but they live in a fairly precarious way. I must say it is quite difficult to grow as a Trickster, especially when Lem refuses to cast any spells that are more powerful than what he can do. However, they live pretty quietly until they meet Claire, a young woman they save from a kidnapping. But strangely enough, she is tattooed all over her body with magic runes and they do not understand the meaning. But saving this woman has a significant impact on both their lives. Indeed, the most powerful mage needs her and she will do anything she can to get her back. Something that is not really to the taste of our heroes who decide to do their best to save her, especially good Lem who has a soft spot for Claire.
I liked all the characters we discover as they are all very complex. It is true that I may have loved to have more information about Claire, because we finally learn little about her. She only makes a few appearances here. Mags is cute, and we see that he would for Lem and only waits for him to ask. We understand that Lem has a concern without really knowing what it is, but they thus form a perfect duo together.
The story and plot are quite interesting although we expect the purpose and there are several lengths. Okay I admit it, I skipped a few passages when the action did not move enough for me. But then I think it’s something personal. Everything is offset by the world and the original characters that the author was able to feature.
This novel is rather an introduction to something bigger for the next one, allowing us to understand what is happening and why. A beautiful opening is announced in the last chapter. To be continued!
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was curious to read this novel when I discovered the cover. I did not really understand that Lem was a man, so it took me a moment to realize that in my reading. It was actually pretty funny to follow this wizard throughout the novel. I mostly used to read stories featuring women, or those where they always have a prominent place. This is not the case here. It is true that Claire is an important character in the story but she is still very much in the background compared to Lem and his apprentice Mags. It was a book quite different and enjoyable to read.
Mags and Lem are two persons well matched but they live in a fairly precarious way. I must say it is quite difficult to grow as a Trickster, especially when Lem refuses to cast any spells that are more powerful than what he can do. However, they live pretty quietly until they meet Claire, a young woman they save from a kidnapping. But strangely enough, she is tattooed all over her body with magic runes and they do not understand the meaning. But saving this woman has a significant impact on both their lives. Indeed, the most powerful mage needs her and she will do anything she can to get her back. Something that is not really to the taste of our heroes who decide to do their best to save her, especially good Lem who has a soft spot for Claire.
I liked all the characters we discover as they are all very complex. It is true that I may have loved to have more information about Claire, because we finally learn little about her. She only makes a few appearances here. Mags is cute, and we see that he would for Lem and only waits for him to ask. We understand that Lem has a concern without really knowing what it is, but they thus form a perfect duo together.
The story and plot are quite interesting although we expect the purpose and there are several lengths. Okay I admit it, I skipped a few passages when the action did not move enough for me. But then I think it’s something personal. Everything is offset by the world and the original characters that the author was able to feature.
This novel is rather an introduction to something bigger for the next one, allowing us to understand what is happening and why. A beautiful opening is announced in the last chapter. To be continued!
February 1, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Pocket Books and Edelweiss.)
Lem is a trickster – someone who uses blood to perform magic. Lem’s magic is pretty basic – making dollar bills appear to be larger bills, and cheating at cards. He does have limits though, while others use other peoples blood – bleeders, to fuel their magic, Lem will only use his own, which often leaves him woozy, and limits how much magic he can do.
One day Lem and his best mate Mags find themselves in a sticky situation. Not only do they have a dead body to dispose of, a priceless super-powerful artefact to deal with, and a missing marked-up naked girl on the run, but as it turns out, all three of these belong to the most powerful woman alive, who is, oh yeah… a serial killer.
Now Lem must figure out what to do next. He’s usually more concerned with finding some way to pay for breakfast rather than searching for a missing girl and trying not to get killed, but needs must.
Can Lem find the missing girl? Can he return her and the artefact without getting himself killed? And what sort of spell is the girl to be used for?
This book was pretty gritty, and although Lem could do magic he was known to be one of the lesser mages, and his magic was nothing compared to the stuff he’s inadvertently found himself mixed up in.
There were some moments I found odd in this book, right at the beginning Lem finds a dead girl in a bathtub and wonders how he can make money out of this discovery – what? And later, Mags comes back from the grocery store with bourbon, Lem comments how ‘liquor is not food’, and Mags says that he didn’t want to waste their last $40 on food!
The use of magic, and the environment that this book was set in kind-of reminded me of drug users – they stayed in some really nasty places, never had any money, and Lem was constantly cutting himself for blood to power his magic. They seemed to be always scared of those who had more magic than them, and after landing themselves in the mess they were in, they had the threat of this most powerful woman hanging over their heads too.
The ending left an opening for further books following this one, but I don’t think I’d want to read them to be honest, this was a little too gritty for me. It’s the sort of thing that I would expect my older brother to enjoy though.
Overall; gritty urban fantasy about blood magic.
6.5 out of 10.
Lem is a trickster – someone who uses blood to perform magic. Lem’s magic is pretty basic – making dollar bills appear to be larger bills, and cheating at cards. He does have limits though, while others use other peoples blood – bleeders, to fuel their magic, Lem will only use his own, which often leaves him woozy, and limits how much magic he can do.
One day Lem and his best mate Mags find themselves in a sticky situation. Not only do they have a dead body to dispose of, a priceless super-powerful artefact to deal with, and a missing marked-up naked girl on the run, but as it turns out, all three of these belong to the most powerful woman alive, who is, oh yeah… a serial killer.
Now Lem must figure out what to do next. He’s usually more concerned with finding some way to pay for breakfast rather than searching for a missing girl and trying not to get killed, but needs must.
Can Lem find the missing girl? Can he return her and the artefact without getting himself killed? And what sort of spell is the girl to be used for?
This book was pretty gritty, and although Lem could do magic he was known to be one of the lesser mages, and his magic was nothing compared to the stuff he’s inadvertently found himself mixed up in.
There were some moments I found odd in this book, right at the beginning Lem finds a dead girl in a bathtub and wonders how he can make money out of this discovery – what? And later, Mags comes back from the grocery store with bourbon, Lem comments how ‘liquor is not food’, and Mags says that he didn’t want to waste their last $40 on food!
The use of magic, and the environment that this book was set in kind-of reminded me of drug users – they stayed in some really nasty places, never had any money, and Lem was constantly cutting himself for blood to power his magic. They seemed to be always scared of those who had more magic than them, and after landing themselves in the mess they were in, they had the threat of this most powerful woman hanging over their heads too.
The ending left an opening for further books following this one, but I don’t think I’d want to read them to be honest, this was a little too gritty for me. It’s the sort of thing that I would expect my older brother to enjoy though.
Overall; gritty urban fantasy about blood magic.
6.5 out of 10.
January 28, 2013
See this mini review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!
Jeff Somers created a very unique world full of blood magic in Trickster, but I had issues with the pacing of the story. The beginning of the novel is filled to the brim with world-building. It is almost all necessary because Mr. Somers world is intricately crafted, but it does drag the flow of the action down and delays the readers’ entry into the actual meat of the story. Once we learn the history behind the world of the idimustari and Lem and Mags find themselves on Mika Renar’s radar, the plot picks up quickly and becomes really fascinating. Lem was an interesting character — almost an anti-hero in the vein of Stacia Kane’s Chess Putnam. You want to root for him, but you want to smack him for doing stupid things at the same time. Mags was a 100% sympathetic character; you couldn’t do anything but hope someone was watching out for him. Cal Amir was a fairly straight-forward villain character, and his gasam Mika Renar was very, very evil, but she also had a fascinating character psyche. She was so powerful that she developed a fear of aging and death, and would stop at nothing to avoid it. The plot lines and magic usage did get a little convoluted sometimes, but it was still easy to follow the main story and the last few chapters read like a whirlwind. I was a little unhappy with the ending; it wasn’t a cliffhanger, but it was very abrupt. Trickster is just the first in an unnamed new series from Mr. Somers and that is probably why it ended like it did, but I still would have liked to have a little more closure on a few issues. All in all, Mr. Somers has created a uniquely fascinating world and I became really engrossed when the plot took off. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of his books in the future and do hope we will see more of Mags and Lem in the near future. Mr. Somers is currently signed for one more book in this series which is set to release later this year.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!
Jeff Somers created a very unique world full of blood magic in Trickster, but I had issues with the pacing of the story. The beginning of the novel is filled to the brim with world-building. It is almost all necessary because Mr. Somers world is intricately crafted, but it does drag the flow of the action down and delays the readers’ entry into the actual meat of the story. Once we learn the history behind the world of the idimustari and Lem and Mags find themselves on Mika Renar’s radar, the plot picks up quickly and becomes really fascinating. Lem was an interesting character — almost an anti-hero in the vein of Stacia Kane’s Chess Putnam. You want to root for him, but you want to smack him for doing stupid things at the same time. Mags was a 100% sympathetic character; you couldn’t do anything but hope someone was watching out for him. Cal Amir was a fairly straight-forward villain character, and his gasam Mika Renar was very, very evil, but she also had a fascinating character psyche. She was so powerful that she developed a fear of aging and death, and would stop at nothing to avoid it. The plot lines and magic usage did get a little convoluted sometimes, but it was still easy to follow the main story and the last few chapters read like a whirlwind. I was a little unhappy with the ending; it wasn’t a cliffhanger, but it was very abrupt. Trickster is just the first in an unnamed new series from Mr. Somers and that is probably why it ended like it did, but I still would have liked to have a little more closure on a few issues. All in all, Mr. Somers has created a uniquely fascinating world and I became really engrossed when the plot took off. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of his books in the future and do hope we will see more of Mags and Lem in the near future. Mr. Somers is currently signed for one more book in this series which is set to release later this year.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!
February 18, 2013
Trickster follows two down on their luck minor magicians, Lem, who has a lot of potential but doesn't believe in stealing "gas" from others, and his "nonbreeding lifepartner" Mags. The two met in their late teens when Lem apprenticed and the giant, slow-witted Mags imprinted on him like a baby duck and started following him everywhere. Including out into the streets where the two of them owned only the clothes on their backs and have to resort to glamour and charm just to stay alive.
Enter the damsel in distress. The kind of damsel who has no problem with destroying private property and strangling police officers.
I truly enjoyed the magic system in this story. Power doesn't come easily, and the price for it is blood. A lot of blood. Want to cast even a minor spell? You better be willing to open a vein, yours or someone else's. Which leaves us with some severely scarred heroes, with Lem especially anemic for most of the story.
The story is quite gritty as advertised, which I liked. Explosions. Blood sacrifice. Magical birds made of light. All good stuff.
At parts it felt a little repetitive in the magical explanation department. I understood the theory the first time around, I don't need it explained to me again three chapters later. What I did have trouble with was the vernacular used for describing the different levels of magic user. The words are too similar and without a better context of what they mean, I read the entire story and still can't remember which is which. But it doesn't really matter, the distraction was a small thing.
Not gonna lie, I was drawn in by the cover. I like that the first thing you see is the giant, hulking mags, and then Lem looks kind of like an escaped mental patient and, oh, look, there's a girl too. It's pretty much how I am going to remember the story. Loyal to a fault Mags was my favourite, Lem was morally dodgy and, oh, look, there's a girl too.
Enter the damsel in distress. The kind of damsel who has no problem with destroying private property and strangling police officers.
I truly enjoyed the magic system in this story. Power doesn't come easily, and the price for it is blood. A lot of blood. Want to cast even a minor spell? You better be willing to open a vein, yours or someone else's. Which leaves us with some severely scarred heroes, with Lem especially anemic for most of the story.
The story is quite gritty as advertised, which I liked. Explosions. Blood sacrifice. Magical birds made of light. All good stuff.
At parts it felt a little repetitive in the magical explanation department. I understood the theory the first time around, I don't need it explained to me again three chapters later. What I did have trouble with was the vernacular used for describing the different levels of magic user. The words are too similar and without a better context of what they mean, I read the entire story and still can't remember which is which. But it doesn't really matter, the distraction was a small thing.
Not gonna lie, I was drawn in by the cover. I like that the first thing you see is the giant, hulking mags, and then Lem looks kind of like an escaped mental patient and, oh, look, there's a girl too. It's pretty much how I am going to remember the story. Loyal to a fault Mags was my favourite, Lem was morally dodgy and, oh, look, there's a girl too.
February 26, 2013
This was definitely an interesting read if nothing else. The use of blood magic and using bleeders isn't exactly new but Somers used it well.
Our main character is a guy, which was a nice change of pace from all those 'kick-ass chicks' out there. I liked his quick thinking and taking action. He always had something to use or do. He always had at least one next step. He has morals as well which of course come to bite him in the ass and has to finally bend a little to really do anything. He is talented but his very strict moral code would have never allowed him to accomplish much of anything.
I didn't see the need to portray all bleeders as big fat dudes. Just cause you are fat doesn't mean you have more blood nor are you healthy enough to be able to recover that blood faster. That kind of bothered me. Mags was an interesting character. I still don't know what to really make of him and I'm sure there will be some secrets regarding him that will start popping up. Then there is Claire. Now there is one kick-ass chick. She had no magic but she was a fighter through and through. Maybe a little too much towards the end and just bails on Lem. Understandable but doesn't mean I have to like it.
Plot wise and in regards to world-building it was all done well and pretty straightforward. I'm not 100% clear still on the Words but I can live with that. The whole plot was obvious. Interrupted the end of the world spell and then fighting to keep it that way.
Now the language...It didn't exactly bothered me, but I in my opinion I thought it was a little too over used. I know everyone curses, I sure do, but not that often and not everyone does either. It seemed like every time we came across someone they would be cursing a lot as well.
In the end, this was an entertaining read, but I don't think I'll be reading the squeal.
Our main character is a guy, which was a nice change of pace from all those 'kick-ass chicks' out there. I liked his quick thinking and taking action. He always had something to use or do. He always had at least one next step. He has morals as well which of course come to bite him in the ass and has to finally bend a little to really do anything. He is talented but his very strict moral code would have never allowed him to accomplish much of anything.
I didn't see the need to portray all bleeders as big fat dudes. Just cause you are fat doesn't mean you have more blood nor are you healthy enough to be able to recover that blood faster. That kind of bothered me. Mags was an interesting character. I still don't know what to really make of him and I'm sure there will be some secrets regarding him that will start popping up. Then there is Claire. Now there is one kick-ass chick. She had no magic but she was a fighter through and through. Maybe a little too much towards the end and just bails on Lem. Understandable but doesn't mean I have to like it.
Plot wise and in regards to world-building it was all done well and pretty straightforward. I'm not 100% clear still on the Words but I can live with that. The whole plot was obvious. Interrupted the end of the world spell and then fighting to keep it that way.
Now the language...It didn't exactly bothered me, but I in my opinion I thought it was a little too over used. I know everyone curses, I sure do, but not that often and not everyone does either. It seemed like every time we came across someone they would be cursing a lot as well.
In the end, this was an entertaining read, but I don't think I'll be reading the squeal.
February 9, 2013
What do you say about a novel that was gritty, well told, hooked you into the story with characters you were not really sure you even liked? This is Trickster by Jeff Somers.
The book starts slow and gritty, the characters border on disgusting and pathetic. Then miraculously the story gets better, the characters get a bit of personality and you are reading for the big ending. You got it all the big "evil thing" , the girl, the heroic sacrifice, impossible odds, tragedy ..... I mean , what could go wrong here?
Here is what, the author tells a compelling story and raises the characters out of the dirt and makes them into something much more than themselves...... then he leaves you with no real ending, no real accomplishment, no satisfaction, this is not even a decent cliffhanger.
Call me selfish but if I take the time to read your book I expect just a bit of respect for me as a reader for you not to waste my time and that is EXACTLY how I felt when I finished this book. The author is a veteran author, his writing credentials are not in doubt but this must have been some great transcendental awakening for him to have written such a good story with such an ending (or non-ending), I have had good ending and bad ones but this was more like nothing the characters had done throughout this story made any real difference. Perhaps he was setting up a series but what he did was piss me off and I have serious doubts I will revisit this world/series/author anytime in the near future since there are a LOT of great books to read that don't play mind games.
3 Stars more for the fact this could have been a 5 Star effort than for any lasting entertainment it gave me in reality.
The book starts slow and gritty, the characters border on disgusting and pathetic. Then miraculously the story gets better, the characters get a bit of personality and you are reading for the big ending. You got it all the big "evil thing" , the girl, the heroic sacrifice, impossible odds, tragedy ..... I mean , what could go wrong here?
Here is what, the author tells a compelling story and raises the characters out of the dirt and makes them into something much more than themselves...... then he leaves you with no real ending, no real accomplishment, no satisfaction, this is not even a decent cliffhanger.
Call me selfish but if I take the time to read your book I expect just a bit of respect for me as a reader for you not to waste my time and that is EXACTLY how I felt when I finished this book. The author is a veteran author, his writing credentials are not in doubt but this must have been some great transcendental awakening for him to have written such a good story with such an ending (or non-ending), I have had good ending and bad ones but this was more like nothing the characters had done throughout this story made any real difference. Perhaps he was setting up a series but what he did was piss me off and I have serious doubts I will revisit this world/series/author anytime in the near future since there are a LOT of great books to read that don't play mind games.
3 Stars more for the fact this could have been a 5 Star effort than for any lasting entertainment it gave me in reality.
July 22, 2013
Blood, Words, and Power
In it lies power.
A power untold.
Words do wonders.
Which ones are wove?
With a blade or knife I nick.
Extinguishing life in a flick.
More blood bled, stronger indeed.
More bodies will fall before I succeed.
There is power, then there is greed.
I need.
I need.
To Bleed.
by Nikki
These characters were losers, bottom of the totem pole, down and out magic users. I'm all for blood magic, cussing, and all sorts of nasty things, but when you can't connect with the main characters, something is wrong. The Renfield (surprised he didn't eat bugs), Mags, was the muscle with no brains which, I am finding, I do not like. Lem, the MC, had a rule to only use his own blood for any magics he practiced. Hello? Is anybody home? The bad guys have homeless dudes bleeding for them, you plan to stick to your one good moral. Um, nope.
And the ending. Really?!? There was no reward for the reader. There was no prize behind the curtain. There was a big, fat, to-be-continued.
I wasn't feeling this read. Maybe I wasn't in the mood.
In it lies power.
A power untold.
Words do wonders.
Which ones are wove?
With a blade or knife I nick.
Extinguishing life in a flick.
More blood bled, stronger indeed.
More bodies will fall before I succeed.
There is power, then there is greed.
I need.
I need.
To Bleed.
by Nikki
These characters were losers, bottom of the totem pole, down and out magic users. I'm all for blood magic, cussing, and all sorts of nasty things, but when you can't connect with the main characters, something is wrong. The Renfield (surprised he didn't eat bugs), Mags, was the muscle with no brains which, I am finding, I do not like. Lem, the MC, had a rule to only use his own blood for any magics he practiced. Hello? Is anybody home? The bad guys have homeless dudes bleeding for them, you plan to stick to your one good moral. Um, nope.
And the ending. Really?!? There was no reward for the reader. There was no prize behind the curtain. There was a big, fat, to-be-continued.
I wasn't feeling this read. Maybe I wasn't in the mood.
September 30, 2013
From page 1, you can tell this is a Jeff Somers novel. And no, that is in no way--for me, anyway--a bad thing. I love Jeff's voice, and the voices of his characters. This is a gritty, fun, kickass read, reminiscent of the feeling of Somers's Avery Cates series, but definitely not a repeat. Everything in this book seemed to work together: the setting, the magic, the language, the characters were all very consistent to create a world I was instantly drawn into. The setting details especially brought everything together. There were plenty of laugh out loud funny lines--one of my favorite parts of Somers's writing--even as you are wincing at the self-deprecation of his character and the painful situations he finds himself in. This novel has a genuine, honest feel to it. Somers is not afraid to tell it like it is in his world. Not a book for mom (well, maybe MY mom might like it, but not yours), but hell, who wants to share it anyway?
Good job, Jeff--you didn't disappoint :).
Good job, Jeff--you didn't disappoint :).
didnt-finish
November 4, 2012I didn't finish this one. The writing was pretty good, but I stopped after three chapters when I realized that though we had already encountered a TON of characters, only four of them were female and they were, respectively: a naked dead girl in a bathtub, a hungover bartender who doesn't even get a line, a random poker player extra who likewise doesn't get any lines, and a naked girl tied up in the trunk of a car. There were also a few prostitutes wandering around, but they were mostly scenery so I didn't count them. The summary of the book implies that tied-up-in-trunk girl was going to become a significant character, but when our intrepid protagonist duo not only LEFT HER IN THE TRUNK but TOSSED THE BODY OF HER CAPTOR IN ON TOP OF HER, I'd had enough. No, thanks.
April 3, 2013
BEST BOOK EVER!!!
August 3, 2021
I considered making this book a DNF, as the first several chapters were pretty bad. The middle section wasn't great, but much better than the first part - it made me roll my eyes every couple pages, but I knew I was going to finish it. The last 100 pages or so were pretty good and worth trekking through the sludge of earlier chapters. The characters were very 1 dimensional and flat - they seemed to be mostly there to serve the plot, more than be people. The plot wasn't exactly nuanced either. It's saving grace was that it was a quick read, which made me get to the good stuff faster, so I give it a "it was half-decent" review - I'm sure there will be people who really enjoy it.
March 11, 2018
Great magic system and twist the main character pulls at the end. Cool street characters. However, the villain walking away from a nuke and failure when she was wheelchair bound annoyed me. Seemed like a blatant last minute tack on for let's make a sequel. As did the love interest leaving when she had been planning how she was going to thank hi for e rescue. He should have stayed true to the rules he set up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2018
Disoriented, unfocused and disorganized
Like a roofied college girl
Like a roofied college girl
November 18, 2019
Interesting story. Extremely foul language throughout; disappointed at that.
June 3, 2021
DNF after 10 pages.
January 17, 2013
I've got to start with the obvious, the cover art for Trickster is, imho, atrocious. Shallow, I know, but it does the book no favours whatsoever, and makes it look so very YA that this isn't one I could read at work without ridicule. Sulky emo teens and a muscle man? Not something you'd expect to see a serious Fantasy reader curled up with. The daft thing is that it's such a surprisingly good read that I can't help but wonder why it didn't get some proper cover love. Maybe that's how it goes with UF, I mean, take the pretty covers of someone like Benedict Jacka, they're hugely eye-catching but what's inside is massively disappointing, and with Somers it's the other way around. I'm whittering, I know, I just think it's a shame as I would imagine a lot of people who would potentially adore this will skip over it on the shelves. You'll just have to take my word for it that it's not a tale of sulky teens. And of course this is a perfect lesson in not judging a book by its cover.
I adored this book. It's intelligently written, pacey, action-packed, and the magic system is fantastic. That was by far the biggest win for me, I love how Somers has developed the concept of Blood Mages, I always enjoy reading Fantasy where the Magic system has a true and immediate cost, and that couldn't be more the case here. The characters are hugely endearing, and anyone who enjoys a Lenny/George style relationship will appreciate Lem and Mags. I really like how flawed Lem is, it made him so readable, so interesting. "We were not Good People", Lem says it more times than I can remember, despite his high moral ground on the subject of bleeding others for his own gain. Because on the flip side of that morality he scams people day in, day out. He's a complicated soul, and complex always makes for an interesting read.
As well as the physical aspect to the Magic, I also really like the accompanying language system, and Lem's approach to it. Any kind of scientific approach to language always fascinates me, and Lem cutting through language to pare it down as much as possible whist still retaining the essential meaning, like a programmer developing the most efficient program with a minimum amount of code, was brilliant. There are just 2 rules to the Magic here, the Rule of Perception and the Rule of Volume, it doesn't matter how good you are with words unless you have a lot of blood on hand to fire them. So for all of Lem's skill, he's going to be stuck running tiny scam spells with only his own blood to use. I thought that was pretty original, it doesn't matter how talented you are, unless you're properly ruthless you're not going to get anywhere. That said, Lem can pull off some pretty big wins with just the tiniest of spells, when he uses them wisely. It's very David and Goliath, and who doesn't love that? I thought it was a beautifully developed system, and definitely one I'd like to spend more time with. And I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the system devised to 'power' the spell at the heart of the storyline is a seriously terrifying work of disturbed genius.
If that isn't enough to convince you, the other great thing about Trickster is that it's really, really light on the romance angle, which is so refreshing in a genre full of endless Sexy Warlock-riddled Mills & Boon tat. Well played Mr Somers Sir, well played. I can't recommend this highly enough, especially if, like me, you're sick of the ongoing PNR contamination of UF. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...
I adored this book. It's intelligently written, pacey, action-packed, and the magic system is fantastic. That was by far the biggest win for me, I love how Somers has developed the concept of Blood Mages, I always enjoy reading Fantasy where the Magic system has a true and immediate cost, and that couldn't be more the case here. The characters are hugely endearing, and anyone who enjoys a Lenny/George style relationship will appreciate Lem and Mags. I really like how flawed Lem is, it made him so readable, so interesting. "We were not Good People", Lem says it more times than I can remember, despite his high moral ground on the subject of bleeding others for his own gain. Because on the flip side of that morality he scams people day in, day out. He's a complicated soul, and complex always makes for an interesting read.
As well as the physical aspect to the Magic, I also really like the accompanying language system, and Lem's approach to it. Any kind of scientific approach to language always fascinates me, and Lem cutting through language to pare it down as much as possible whist still retaining the essential meaning, like a programmer developing the most efficient program with a minimum amount of code, was brilliant. There are just 2 rules to the Magic here, the Rule of Perception and the Rule of Volume, it doesn't matter how good you are with words unless you have a lot of blood on hand to fire them. So for all of Lem's skill, he's going to be stuck running tiny scam spells with only his own blood to use. I thought that was pretty original, it doesn't matter how talented you are, unless you're properly ruthless you're not going to get anywhere. That said, Lem can pull off some pretty big wins with just the tiniest of spells, when he uses them wisely. It's very David and Goliath, and who doesn't love that? I thought it was a beautifully developed system, and definitely one I'd like to spend more time with. And I don't want to spoil anything for you, but the system devised to 'power' the spell at the heart of the storyline is a seriously terrifying work of disturbed genius.
If that isn't enough to convince you, the other great thing about Trickster is that it's really, really light on the romance angle, which is so refreshing in a genre full of endless Sexy Warlock-riddled Mills & Boon tat. Well played Mr Somers Sir, well played. I can't recommend this highly enough, especially if, like me, you're sick of the ongoing PNR contamination of UF. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...
March 1, 2013
Lem and Mags are not your usual all powerful, masters of the universe type of magicians. They’re Tricksters, grifters, the lowest of the low. They scrape by, gasing up dollar bills to look like twenties, and spending those twenties on booze and cheap hotel rooms. In the world Jeff Somers created, blood is the currency for magic, and unlike others, Lem made a vow to use only his own blood.
I can’t think of many characters that would willingly describe themselves like that! I’d also describe Lem as an anti-hero. As he says throughout the book, Tricksters aren’t good people. “We all preyed on regular people, people who didn’t believe in magic (p. 20, ARC).” But Lem does have one rule: he refuses to use the blood of others to power his spells, which makes him weak, but also lets him sleep at night. Most mages have no trouble bleeding others, and the most powerful ones take Bleeders with them everywhere, like living batteries.
The most powerful mage in the world, Mika Renar, is prepared to sacrifice thousands of women to power a spell. And that’s where Lem and Mags come in. After stumbling over a dead girl in a bathtub, and then finding a live girl in the trunk of a car, they get mixed up in Renar’s business. Notice I didn’t say rescue -- Claire, the girl in the car, is a spitfire. Whenever she gets a chance, she’s on the run or beating someone up. She’s not a damsel in distress that waits for the prince to rescue her, which is good, because Lem and Mags aren’t princes, or even very good magicians.
TRICKSTER is a dark and gritty urban fantasy. I think guys will like it, as the main characters are male, and it read like a guy’s book to me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I’m saying that, because I can’t say for sure what a guy would like or not, but I just had that feeling. I didn’t mind, though, because it was quite nice to have a supernatural book where romance wasn’t the focus!
The world of TRICKSTER is easy to understand, and I thought the concept of blood magic was neat. I like when there’s a cost for magic, and with blood magic, that cost is immediate and has consequences. If you use so much blood that you’re ready to faint, what are you going to do when another fight comes hard on hard on the heels of the first?
The ending did disappoint me, because after all the buildup, I expected … more. However, the author did capture my attention with the story and conflict, so I will be continuing the Ustari Cycle when the next book comes out.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Review on my blog.
See more of my reviews:
“We were fucking incompetent. In all things, we’d failed. We were wallowing in a nice, comfy pit of fucking spectacular failure, deep black and hermetically sealed, me and Mags bound together forever and ever with deep fishhooked ties of ruin (p. 4, ARC).”
I can’t think of many characters that would willingly describe themselves like that! I’d also describe Lem as an anti-hero. As he says throughout the book, Tricksters aren’t good people. “We all preyed on regular people, people who didn’t believe in magic (p. 20, ARC).” But Lem does have one rule: he refuses to use the blood of others to power his spells, which makes him weak, but also lets him sleep at night. Most mages have no trouble bleeding others, and the most powerful ones take Bleeders with them everywhere, like living batteries.
The most powerful mage in the world, Mika Renar, is prepared to sacrifice thousands of women to power a spell. And that’s where Lem and Mags come in. After stumbling over a dead girl in a bathtub, and then finding a live girl in the trunk of a car, they get mixed up in Renar’s business. Notice I didn’t say rescue -- Claire, the girl in the car, is a spitfire. Whenever she gets a chance, she’s on the run or beating someone up. She’s not a damsel in distress that waits for the prince to rescue her, which is good, because Lem and Mags aren’t princes, or even very good magicians.
TRICKSTER is a dark and gritty urban fantasy. I think guys will like it, as the main characters are male, and it read like a guy’s book to me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I’m saying that, because I can’t say for sure what a guy would like or not, but I just had that feeling. I didn’t mind, though, because it was quite nice to have a supernatural book where romance wasn’t the focus!
The world of TRICKSTER is easy to understand, and I thought the concept of blood magic was neat. I like when there’s a cost for magic, and with blood magic, that cost is immediate and has consequences. If you use so much blood that you’re ready to faint, what are you going to do when another fight comes hard on hard on the heels of the first?
The ending did disappoint me, because after all the buildup, I expected … more. However, the author did capture my attention with the story and conflict, so I will be continuing the Ustari Cycle when the next book comes out.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Review on my blog.
See more of my reviews:
March 11, 2014
In today’s world there are lots of movies, like at least four, and thousands upon thousands of books and comics. So this brings up a big issue – what do I read and/or watch?
Simple answers: Homeland and Brooklyn Nine-Nine while reading Game of Thrones.
But if you want to break away from what you’ve already read and watched, and want to dive into something new, that’s where our skills (having way too much time on your hand is a skill) come in. We have searched the depths of the interwebs and bookstores to bring you examples of good reads.
Today I am talking about Trickster by Jeff Somers.
Trickster is an Urban Fantasy novel about magic in today’s society but unlike the rose coloured world of Harry Potter or Harry Dresden or Harry Houdini (wow – what is it with magicians named Harry?) Jeff’s world of magic is a tad more severe.
Magic requires blood – fresh blood.
For every spell you cast you cast you have to cut yourself for the blood, or cut somebody else. As long as fresh blood is being spilled you can cast a spell. It could use a prick of blood for a cantrip or all the blood from a person to teleport and the price just keeps on jumping. The more blood you have the stronger your spell. Lem, our hero, has one rule – never bleed anybody else for a spell. He’s in the minority with that philosophy.
Now the mages range from the all powerful Archmages, a rare breed, to the common low-level tricksters. Lem is a Trickster. He scams rich people with charm spells, uses their greed to make $1 bills look like $20s and $100, and he woos you with his looks, his charm and his magic to get food, money and secrets.
Truth is he’s barely staying afloat.
Tricksters are not good people. They are scam artist, beggars, drunks (when they can afford it) and thieves – but the mages are worse. So when Lem find a girl, bound and gagged, imprisoned in a car’s trunk, and covered with invisible rune tattoos he turns to his mentor only to find out how screwed he really is. Mika Renar, the most dangerous Archmage in the world, is preparing to use an ocean of blood to cast her dreams into reality— and Lem just got in her way.
Well crap!
I love urban fantasy, I blame The Dresden Files for that, and I love the wonder that could be hiding in the shadows of the streets we walk every day. But everything always seems to stay in the shadows. There is rarely any consequences when the Vampire declare war or when the Fae revolt. UF also seems to have, despite its dark atmosphere, a rosy feel to it. Everything will always work out. Jeff Somers seems to ignore both of those statements. When shit starts to explode it takes millions of ‘normals’ with them. Jeff’s UF world is dark and gritty. It’s full of backstabbing and horrifying people and that’s before the cutting starts.
This is a brilliant book that takes a dark look at the urban mage worlds of literature and is definitely one that cannot be missed.
Simple answers: Homeland and Brooklyn Nine-Nine while reading Game of Thrones.
But if you want to break away from what you’ve already read and watched, and want to dive into something new, that’s where our skills (having way too much time on your hand is a skill) come in. We have searched the depths of the interwebs and bookstores to bring you examples of good reads.
Today I am talking about Trickster by Jeff Somers.
Trickster is an Urban Fantasy novel about magic in today’s society but unlike the rose coloured world of Harry Potter or Harry Dresden or Harry Houdini (wow – what is it with magicians named Harry?) Jeff’s world of magic is a tad more severe.
Magic requires blood – fresh blood.
For every spell you cast you cast you have to cut yourself for the blood, or cut somebody else. As long as fresh blood is being spilled you can cast a spell. It could use a prick of blood for a cantrip or all the blood from a person to teleport and the price just keeps on jumping. The more blood you have the stronger your spell. Lem, our hero, has one rule – never bleed anybody else for a spell. He’s in the minority with that philosophy.
Now the mages range from the all powerful Archmages, a rare breed, to the common low-level tricksters. Lem is a Trickster. He scams rich people with charm spells, uses their greed to make $1 bills look like $20s and $100, and he woos you with his looks, his charm and his magic to get food, money and secrets.
Truth is he’s barely staying afloat.
Tricksters are not good people. They are scam artist, beggars, drunks (when they can afford it) and thieves – but the mages are worse. So when Lem find a girl, bound and gagged, imprisoned in a car’s trunk, and covered with invisible rune tattoos he turns to his mentor only to find out how screwed he really is. Mika Renar, the most dangerous Archmage in the world, is preparing to use an ocean of blood to cast her dreams into reality— and Lem just got in her way.
Well crap!
I love urban fantasy, I blame The Dresden Files for that, and I love the wonder that could be hiding in the shadows of the streets we walk every day. But everything always seems to stay in the shadows. There is rarely any consequences when the Vampire declare war or when the Fae revolt. UF also seems to have, despite its dark atmosphere, a rosy feel to it. Everything will always work out. Jeff Somers seems to ignore both of those statements. When shit starts to explode it takes millions of ‘normals’ with them. Jeff’s UF world is dark and gritty. It’s full of backstabbing and horrifying people and that’s before the cutting starts.
This is a brilliant book that takes a dark look at the urban mage worlds of literature and is definitely one that cannot be missed.
September 6, 2013
This was the first book I picked up in a (delightful) slew of neo-noir novels, and perhaps my favorite thing about it is something that's lacking from many of the urban fantasy novels I've read: in this world, the magic has consequences.
In Trickster, all magic is blood magic, and how much blood you use directly determines the power available for every spell. The main character, Lem, is a Trickster - the novel's parlance essentially for a magical grifter. A low-level talent with just enough ability to exclude him from the "real" world, but not enough clout to make it big among the magical muscle. Unlike most other magic users, Lem refuses to use anyone else's blood to perform his spells. The result is a narrator who is constantly drained - literally - dragging himself from scene to scene on the brink of total self destruction, as he becomes more and more deeply involved in the power plays of people who are completely out of his league. People who, unlike him, have no qualms about draining anyone and everyone dry for their own benefit.
This novel is gritty and exhausting in the best kind of way, a David up against an impossible Goliath, only without the conviction or faith. If conventional noir is about man discovering the depths of their own depravity, Lem's quest is, perhaps, to find some shred of goodness in himself that he doesn't really believe is there. The refrain "we were not good people" is repeated throughout the book - sometimes you believe it, sometimes you don't, and sometimes you start to wonder what exactly that means. As with traditional noir, Lem is constantly pressed to his moral limits, forced to decide again and again how far he'll go given the right impetus. What I love about this book is that nothing is easy. The choices are hard, and the cost is always high, especially for a character that doesn't really see himself as a hero. Having magic doesn't make Lem's life easier, it doesn't make him powerful, and the few moral rules he clings to continually complicate matters and undermine his efforts.
Trickster is not, as is often said of male-POV urban fantasy novels, a spiritual successor to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, but it's own exploration of a much darker, grittier (perhaps, more urban?) fantasy world. You won't find much wisecracking, but you will find some superb, intricate writing as well as deft and elegantly written characters that are, if not conventionally likeable, unflinchingly true.
In Trickster, all magic is blood magic, and how much blood you use directly determines the power available for every spell. The main character, Lem, is a Trickster - the novel's parlance essentially for a magical grifter. A low-level talent with just enough ability to exclude him from the "real" world, but not enough clout to make it big among the magical muscle. Unlike most other magic users, Lem refuses to use anyone else's blood to perform his spells. The result is a narrator who is constantly drained - literally - dragging himself from scene to scene on the brink of total self destruction, as he becomes more and more deeply involved in the power plays of people who are completely out of his league. People who, unlike him, have no qualms about draining anyone and everyone dry for their own benefit.
This novel is gritty and exhausting in the best kind of way, a David up against an impossible Goliath, only without the conviction or faith. If conventional noir is about man discovering the depths of their own depravity, Lem's quest is, perhaps, to find some shred of goodness in himself that he doesn't really believe is there. The refrain "we were not good people" is repeated throughout the book - sometimes you believe it, sometimes you don't, and sometimes you start to wonder what exactly that means. As with traditional noir, Lem is constantly pressed to his moral limits, forced to decide again and again how far he'll go given the right impetus. What I love about this book is that nothing is easy. The choices are hard, and the cost is always high, especially for a character that doesn't really see himself as a hero. Having magic doesn't make Lem's life easier, it doesn't make him powerful, and the few moral rules he clings to continually complicate matters and undermine his efforts.
Trickster is not, as is often said of male-POV urban fantasy novels, a spiritual successor to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, but it's own exploration of a much darker, grittier (perhaps, more urban?) fantasy world. You won't find much wisecracking, but you will find some superb, intricate writing as well as deft and elegantly written characters that are, if not conventionally likeable, unflinchingly true.
July 29, 2016
"Of Mice and Men" Meets Magic, and it's a Gas
This is a sneaky book and it doesn't really amp up until a quarter of the way through. Allow me to explain.
Our two heroes are Lem and Mags, two small time Tricksters. Lem is George to hulking slow witted Mags' Lenny. They just get by on small time magics, (glamouring ones into twenties), because real magic takes blood, (the "gas" that fuels the magical spells), and Lem has a hard and fast rule to never use any blood for magic except his own blood.
We follow the two around the fringes of the magic community, watching their small time antics, learning about how magic works and who the major players are, and every now and then glancing off of an unsettling clue or suggestion that big things may be in the works. You might be tempted to drift away from the book because it sometimes feels like it will just be a sad, (although often wryly funny), tale of marginal magical losers working some hustle. Wait.
A quarter of the way through, (MILD SPOILER ALERT), Lem and Mags stumble across the path of a major magical player, unintentionally mess up a big time magical scheme, and find themselves running from powerful enemies, trying to save innocent players, and calling in favors from trustworthy and not so trustworthy members of the magical community. This is a thriller that takes off like a rocket, and lots of little things you learned in the first part of the book start falling into place to form a larger and very involving picture.
The book has a realistic, gritty feel. It's urban noir, but it doesn't feel forced or arch. There is a natural feel to the magic and a realistic feel to the grifters who float around the edges. Small time losers feel right, the villains are merciless, and our heroes are from the classic hard-boiled decent school. It's dark and bloody and violent, but only in service to the magic that fuels the plot. It's a gas.
Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
This is a sneaky book and it doesn't really amp up until a quarter of the way through. Allow me to explain.
Our two heroes are Lem and Mags, two small time Tricksters. Lem is George to hulking slow witted Mags' Lenny. They just get by on small time magics, (glamouring ones into twenties), because real magic takes blood, (the "gas" that fuels the magical spells), and Lem has a hard and fast rule to never use any blood for magic except his own blood.
We follow the two around the fringes of the magic community, watching their small time antics, learning about how magic works and who the major players are, and every now and then glancing off of an unsettling clue or suggestion that big things may be in the works. You might be tempted to drift away from the book because it sometimes feels like it will just be a sad, (although often wryly funny), tale of marginal magical losers working some hustle. Wait.
A quarter of the way through, (MILD SPOILER ALERT), Lem and Mags stumble across the path of a major magical player, unintentionally mess up a big time magical scheme, and find themselves running from powerful enemies, trying to save innocent players, and calling in favors from trustworthy and not so trustworthy members of the magical community. This is a thriller that takes off like a rocket, and lots of little things you learned in the first part of the book start falling into place to form a larger and very involving picture.
The book has a realistic, gritty feel. It's urban noir, but it doesn't feel forced or arch. There is a natural feel to the magic and a realistic feel to the grifters who float around the edges. Small time losers feel right, the villains are merciless, and our heroes are from the classic hard-boiled decent school. It's dark and bloody and violent, but only in service to the magic that fuels the plot. It's a gas.
Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
February 25, 2013
Trickster is dark, brutal, gritty, and not for everyone. That said if you’re willing or able to look past these qualities then I say give it a shot.
At first Trickster was to much for me. The system of magic is a neat combination of language puzzles that are fueled by blood. It doesn’t matter who’s but from the way the story goes, it comes a lot from junkies, prostitutes, and people will to bleed themselves for a life of riches. The aspect that makes the protagonist, Lem, different from everyone else is that he’s a gifted crafter of the language with almost no schooling, but he refuses to bleed anyone else but himself. This tends to leave him with a lifestyle of poverty, low blood levels, and pretty much mass unhappiness. There is a hierarchy in the magic system and it comes as a surprise to no one considering he wont bleed himself to get to larger more complex magics that Lem is at the bottom.
Talking about the story, it took me a bit of time to warm up to the gritty nature of the book itself. That said, once the action started kicking up, I couldn’t put it down. Somers’ shows some real promise in the action scenes and in the story after Hiram’s stand, it was at this point that the story and Lem felt like things could finally progress past the duck and cover stage of the book.
All in all, while some of the characters were a bit rough and the story a bit gritty and disturbing, I liked Trickster. About half way through the book there were action scenes galore, because of the events of Trickster Somers has set in motion some potential storylines that could be very interesting in future books. I feel like Lem might have evolved a bit as a character, and all in all there’s a lot of potential for future books in the series. So look for me when the next book comes out, because I’ll certainly be giving it a read.
http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspo...
At first Trickster was to much for me. The system of magic is a neat combination of language puzzles that are fueled by blood. It doesn’t matter who’s but from the way the story goes, it comes a lot from junkies, prostitutes, and people will to bleed themselves for a life of riches. The aspect that makes the protagonist, Lem, different from everyone else is that he’s a gifted crafter of the language with almost no schooling, but he refuses to bleed anyone else but himself. This tends to leave him with a lifestyle of poverty, low blood levels, and pretty much mass unhappiness. There is a hierarchy in the magic system and it comes as a surprise to no one considering he wont bleed himself to get to larger more complex magics that Lem is at the bottom.
Talking about the story, it took me a bit of time to warm up to the gritty nature of the book itself. That said, once the action started kicking up, I couldn’t put it down. Somers’ shows some real promise in the action scenes and in the story after Hiram’s stand, it was at this point that the story and Lem felt like things could finally progress past the duck and cover stage of the book.
All in all, while some of the characters were a bit rough and the story a bit gritty and disturbing, I liked Trickster. About half way through the book there were action scenes galore, because of the events of Trickster Somers has set in motion some potential storylines that could be very interesting in future books. I feel like Lem might have evolved a bit as a character, and all in all there’s a lot of potential for future books in the series. So look for me when the next book comes out, because I’ll certainly be giving it a read.
http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspo...
October 22, 2013
Wow! Well, Mr. Somers, I am very glad to say that you have, however temporarily, REDEEMED YOURSELF!!! <33. I was so in absolute Thrall/Love with your Kates Series, best Fiction I had read in _years_, and best Contemporary Fiction ( Besides Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, and Iain M. Banks, of course ) I have possibly ever read. But you crapped all over it, starting in book four and crapulently crapping out in crap five. I was saddened. Did Mr. Somers get drunk of his own Success? I just didn't know...
But finally I picked up "Trickster" and again I am BACK IN LOVE!
Not only does Somers have a GENIUS for expressing what it FEELS like, to live in constant agony, with things always getting worse (as with Kates, and Myself), but in this Series he has tapped into something quite Profound and Serious, though I doubt he even *realizes* it. As an Academic Anthropologist I have studied and witnessed many Historical (& even Contemporary) Indigenous (& Upper Class Cosmopolitan ) Rituals involving the Primary Ingredient of BLOOD. Not always human blood, but blood non-the-less.
In this Series I see Somers' as someone connecting to the Collective Unconscious of Humanity, downloading Information he has No Idea what to do with, and Thus writes us these Magickal Stories. In an attempt, as it were, not only to try to come to grips with whatever information he has received, but also to Play with it, Expand upon it, Learn more about it THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WRITING, rather than simply " just trying to write an Entertaining book."
Well done, Jeff, well done AGAIN, and THANK YOU TRULY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! These books have been my sole Companions through many difficult, difficult, Times, and NOONE, not even Bukowski (any more), could COMFORT ME MORE, than Your Miserable Characters ;)
But finally I picked up "Trickster" and again I am BACK IN LOVE!
Not only does Somers have a GENIUS for expressing what it FEELS like, to live in constant agony, with things always getting worse (as with Kates, and Myself), but in this Series he has tapped into something quite Profound and Serious, though I doubt he even *realizes* it. As an Academic Anthropologist I have studied and witnessed many Historical (& even Contemporary) Indigenous (& Upper Class Cosmopolitan ) Rituals involving the Primary Ingredient of BLOOD. Not always human blood, but blood non-the-less.
In this Series I see Somers' as someone connecting to the Collective Unconscious of Humanity, downloading Information he has No Idea what to do with, and Thus writes us these Magickal Stories. In an attempt, as it were, not only to try to come to grips with whatever information he has received, but also to Play with it, Expand upon it, Learn more about it THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WRITING, rather than simply " just trying to write an Entertaining book."
Well done, Jeff, well done AGAIN, and THANK YOU TRULY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! These books have been my sole Companions through many difficult, difficult, Times, and NOONE, not even Bukowski (any more), could COMFORT ME MORE, than Your Miserable Characters ;)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews