Devices and Desires

by K.J. Parker

Paperback

Published January 1, 2010

About the author

K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.

According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.

Reviews

[Binka V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to really explain this book… it has the makings of some really deep, theatrical themes - love, law, and the fallibility of the human condition - but it is also oddly dispassionate. The writing flows out like a stream of consciousness, strangely contemporary language and thought woven throughout in a decidedly fantasy setting, almost dissociative. I enjoyed it because it was so devoid of any real fear or pain, but at the same time I noticed the lack of really feeling emotionally attached to any of the characters. If you have the time to spend ambling along long, well written chapters of internal dialogue, and don’t mind journeying into a place that transports you but doesn’t really put you there, it’s totally worth it. There is a bit of a twist at the end that definitely puts the next book in the series into my queue.