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Miriam Black #3
The Cormorant
Miriam is on the road again, having transitioned from "thief" to "killer".
Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she's good at, but in her vision she sees him die by another's hand and on the wall written in blood is a message just for Miriam. She's expected...
File Urban Fantasy [ Plying Her Trade | Inevitable | Touch of Death | No More! ]
Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she's good at, but in her vision she sees him die by another's hand and on the wall written in blood is a message just for Miriam. She's expected...
File Urban Fantasy [ Plying Her Trade | Inevitable | Touch of Death | No More! ]
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 29, 2013
110 people are currently reading
2599 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Wendig
182 books7,231 followersChuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
May 16, 2025
Miriam Black hits us up again, but this time we're in Florida, and she may have met her match! You know all that life-saving that Miriam did in Blackbirds and Mockingbird that required well... some life-taking, well it looks like natural forces have been unbalanced, and a need for balance is required. Oops, sounds like bad news for Miriam. Chuck Wendig kept me glued to my seat with a non-linear tale that starts with Miriam captured by an unlikely looking FBI duo, to whom she recounts what she's been up to over the last year and a bit, as well as sharing previously unrevealed snippets of her abusive childhood. I was unable to put this book down!
Miriam Black book No. 3 The Cormorant is another ultra potty mouthed, deathly violent, poorly dyed hair jobbed, bollocks kicked hard ridden, Psychopomp fuelled, shocker of shocking dark underbelly of America-fest with deeds of villainy, callousness, zealotry and also a bit of abusive childhood recall; in effect another utterly original, darkly funny at times, but also darkly horrific ride with the Lizbeth Salander on amphetamines, non-compromising whirlwind that is Miriam Black! Despite one of the most clumsy pieces of foreshadowing possible, this book still gets a firm Four Stars, a 9 out of 12. This series is paranormal urban dark fantasy served up as something truly special.
2025, 2023 and 2020 read
Miriam Black book No. 3 The Cormorant is another ultra potty mouthed, deathly violent, poorly dyed hair jobbed, bollocks kicked hard ridden, Psychopomp fuelled, shocker of shocking dark underbelly of America-fest with deeds of villainy, callousness, zealotry and also a bit of abusive childhood recall; in effect another utterly original, darkly funny at times, but also darkly horrific ride with the Lizbeth Salander on amphetamines, non-compromising whirlwind that is Miriam Black! Despite one of the most clumsy pieces of foreshadowing possible, this book still gets a firm Four Stars, a 9 out of 12. This series is paranormal urban dark fantasy served up as something truly special.
2025, 2023 and 2020 read
October 31, 2013
Miriam Black is lured to Florida by a rich man wanting Miriam to reveal how he dies. This turns out to be a ruse concocted by someone who wants Miriam dead, someone who knows of her gift, and the only person she can turn to is her mother. Can the two angry Black women stop the killer or will they fall prey to the horrors Miriam saw in her vision?
I got this from NetGalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
In the third installment, Miriam Black goes down to Florida and tries to stop a hellish vision. Along the way, she goes through the meat grinder, runs afoul of the law, drinks the contents of a sizeable liquor store, and does some world class swearing. In short, she's still the Miriam we know and love, though she's transitioned from a thief profitting from her gift to someone who's not afraid to kill to prevent the glimpses of the future she's getting.
How do you stop someone who knows your ever move? That's the problem Miriam is up against for almost the entire book, making for a very chilling villain. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with his identity but Wendig did a lot to make me forget about that. The ending was great and I'm hoping to see Miriam explore her abilities a little more in the next installment.
Wendig's writing is as polished as ever, both with the similes and the depictions of torturous violence. Thoughout the series, his love of the Chekov's gun principle is apparent, both with Evelyn Black finally making an appearance in this book and the plot device of the mysterious box that puts a nice cherry on top of the climax of this volume.
The framing sequence with Miriam being help captive by two rogue FBI agents was very nicely done. Since we're all aware Miriam is a series character, we know she'll live and letting her tell the story in her less than linear fashion did a lot to build tension. With all the collateral damage Wendig normally inflicts on the cast, Miriam was the only one we knew would survive, though she's got another batch of hospital bills that we taxpayers will be footing the bill for.
Brutal, hilarious, and a lot of fun. That pretty much sums it up. Four out of five stars!
I got this from NetGalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
In the third installment, Miriam Black goes down to Florida and tries to stop a hellish vision. Along the way, she goes through the meat grinder, runs afoul of the law, drinks the contents of a sizeable liquor store, and does some world class swearing. In short, she's still the Miriam we know and love, though she's transitioned from a thief profitting from her gift to someone who's not afraid to kill to prevent the glimpses of the future she's getting.
How do you stop someone who knows your ever move? That's the problem Miriam is up against for almost the entire book, making for a very chilling villain. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with his identity but Wendig did a lot to make me forget about that. The ending was great and I'm hoping to see Miriam explore her abilities a little more in the next installment.
Wendig's writing is as polished as ever, both with the similes and the depictions of torturous violence. Thoughout the series, his love of the Chekov's gun principle is apparent, both with Evelyn Black finally making an appearance in this book and the plot device of the mysterious box that puts a nice cherry on top of the climax of this volume.
The framing sequence with Miriam being help captive by two rogue FBI agents was very nicely done. Since we're all aware Miriam is a series character, we know she'll live and letting her tell the story in her less than linear fashion did a lot to build tension. With all the collateral damage Wendig normally inflicts on the cast, Miriam was the only one we knew would survive, though she's got another batch of hospital bills that we taxpayers will be footing the bill for.
Brutal, hilarious, and a lot of fun. That pretty much sums it up. Four out of five stars!
November 3, 2020
These books are like a bag of candy, I open it and POOF, before I know it the bag is empty and I’m left satisfied yet regretful that I didn’t savour it. But there is no savouring these books, they just BEG to be devoured. This time around the stakes are even higher because its personal and Miriam will do anything to save those she loves. It’s kind of crazy when you look from the first book to this one, Miriam has grown so much as a person and it’s kind of beautiful to see. She’s still badass and foul mouthed but we begin to see a softer side of her and I’m all for it! The end of this one broke me, I felt like I could actually FEEL my heart breaking and I enjoyed every second of it. That’s the beauty of these books, there’s swearing and gore and mayhem but at the same time they just make you FEEL so much!
July 16, 2018
Dark and gritty as ever, I have to admit that I also had a slight bit of an issue with the first half or so of the read. It jumped all over the place between the present and the past and while it all eventually became obvious why it might have been necessary, it was still slightly off-putting. There were slightly less raunchy/funny descriptive elements than before, too, but that's a grab bag of happy oddities and discoveries that not everyone might enjoy. In other words, I loved them but not everyone would.
What really worked was the cat-and-mouse game between these death-birds. :) Psychopomps? Yes. Absolutely. Psychopomps utterly using and using up their hosts? Absolutely. Poor Miriam. She had it bad before and all of that old dark past becomes clear in this novel. It's quite a big reveal her as a character and despite any issues I might have had with the reading, it all gels together by the end.
It's definitely still one of the grimmest and darkest UF/mysteries with supernatural elements I've ever read. It's hard to like the main character, but she does grow on you like a piece of necrotic flesh. :)
What really worked was the cat-and-mouse game between these death-birds. :) Psychopomps? Yes. Absolutely. Psychopomps utterly using and using up their hosts? Absolutely. Poor Miriam. She had it bad before and all of that old dark past becomes clear in this novel. It's quite a big reveal her as a character and despite any issues I might have had with the reading, it all gels together by the end.
It's definitely still one of the grimmest and darkest UF/mysteries with supernatural elements I've ever read. It's hard to like the main character, but she does grow on you like a piece of necrotic flesh. :)
January 17, 2014
He leans over toward her. She smells his breath. It smells of roadkill ripening in a wet ditch. He taps the end of the feather on the dashboard, click, click, click. "I’m just warning you Miriam Black. Forces have been aligning against you for a while. You’ve been fucking with this Jenga tower for too long, and it ain't long before it all comes clickety-clackety falling down."
Responding to a Craigslist ad she wasn't aware had been posted on her behalf, Miriam finds herself travelling to Florida to meet up with a man wishing to know how he will kick the bucket. In exchange for her services, the unknown party is offering up a cool five grand – thus making it an offer she can’t afford to refuse. Of course, the whole thing sounds shady to begin with and when Ms. Black finds out who’s really pulling the strings, you can bet your ass shit is about to hit the fan.
The third book (and thankfully not the last) in the Miriam Black series is an outstanding read. If you've read what I have written about the first two (Blackbirds, Mockingbird) then you’re aware that I’m a huge fan of these books. They’re fast paced, witty and consistently entertaining – a true page turner by the very definition. At this point, I feel like Wendig would need to have been given a frontal lobotomy to screw this up.
If you liked the first two in the series, I can guarantee you’re going to like this. Miriam is still her tried and true self, spewing verbal harpoons at both friend and foe. The road that lies ahead of her is no less bumpy nor is it a straight drive as it’s littered with both twists and turns galore. Wendig explores more of Miriam’s past and what makes her tick by bringing her mother into the present day for the first time in the series. Given their tumultuous past, their back and forth is awkward and rough around the edges. As we all know by now, Miriam isn't one who exactly forgives easily.
While it was touched upon in Mockingbird, The Cormorant kicks down the door on the fact that Miriam isn't alone when it comes to her special “gift”. In fact, it’s known that there are indeed others out there that possess altered versions of what Miriam can do and they aren't always friendly.
Following the acknowledgements, Chuck states that Miriam’s due for a return in the fourth novel of the series, Thunderbird. I was spoiled in being able to read the first three books back to back to back – now I have to wait. And I’m not a man known for patience. Write faster!
Responding to a Craigslist ad she wasn't aware had been posted on her behalf, Miriam finds herself travelling to Florida to meet up with a man wishing to know how he will kick the bucket. In exchange for her services, the unknown party is offering up a cool five grand – thus making it an offer she can’t afford to refuse. Of course, the whole thing sounds shady to begin with and when Ms. Black finds out who’s really pulling the strings, you can bet your ass shit is about to hit the fan.
The third book (and thankfully not the last) in the Miriam Black series is an outstanding read. If you've read what I have written about the first two (Blackbirds, Mockingbird) then you’re aware that I’m a huge fan of these books. They’re fast paced, witty and consistently entertaining – a true page turner by the very definition. At this point, I feel like Wendig would need to have been given a frontal lobotomy to screw this up.
If you liked the first two in the series, I can guarantee you’re going to like this. Miriam is still her tried and true self, spewing verbal harpoons at both friend and foe. The road that lies ahead of her is no less bumpy nor is it a straight drive as it’s littered with both twists and turns galore. Wendig explores more of Miriam’s past and what makes her tick by bringing her mother into the present day for the first time in the series. Given their tumultuous past, their back and forth is awkward and rough around the edges. As we all know by now, Miriam isn't one who exactly forgives easily.
While it was touched upon in Mockingbird, The Cormorant kicks down the door on the fact that Miriam isn't alone when it comes to her special “gift”. In fact, it’s known that there are indeed others out there that possess altered versions of what Miriam can do and they aren't always friendly.
Following the acknowledgements, Chuck states that Miriam’s due for a return in the fourth novel of the series, Thunderbird. I was spoiled in being able to read the first three books back to back to back – now I have to wait. And I’m not a man known for patience. Write faster!
February 10, 2017
He's got the muscle tone of a crumpled jerk off tissue.
The Cormorant is the follow-up to the fantastically raucous Blackbirds & Mockingbird. Are you sensing the theme here? Yes, BIRDS! And we get to meet quite the bird in this instalment, Corie the cormorant. She is sassy & I adore her! And Jerry. The scenes with the two of them are top notch entertainment!
Miriam is on the move, making her way to Florida. She is now a killer.. but a killer that is trying to change the fate of innocent people who she sees die in her visions. Blood for blood. Her story from common thief to killer is quite the journey! Miriam doesn't necessarily find this change in.. profession, an easy one. We get to know our girl Miriam on a deeper level in this novel. You should know by now that not everything is always so black & white with her, but with The Cormorant we get a closer look at her past, what she has gone through. We learn more about her mother. It is just a really tragic story. One that Wendig intersperses throughout.
With The Cormorant, we find out that Miriam's powers are more complicated than we originally thought. There were hints of this in Mockingbird, with the connection to birds displayed more prominently. Wendig teases the reader with what may come in Thunderbirds & I for one am super excited about it!
Like with the previous books, The Cormorant has brutal violence, profanity, mystery, dark humor & a fast paced plot (is there a better paced series than this? I THINK NOT!) Most of all it has heart. This isn't just some stabby stabby gore porn trying to be cutting edge & different. No. This is so much more. Wendig doesn't have to try. He just IS. It is a genuinely badass series. I can see how others may be put off by something like this, but I absolutely cannot get enough of it! Sometimes I feel as though the bearded Wendig is sitting in my head, pulling out my thoughts while drinking whiskey & cackling mischievously!
This is the book that completely outdoes anything else Wendig has put out there with Miriam Black. It is a gloriously weird, gritty, fucked up ride. He keeps punching me in the face with the crazy & I continue to allow him to do it over & over again. He leaves his mark on me, the foul-mouthed deviant that I am!
This series is ridiculously enthralling. I cannot get enough!
The Cormorant is the follow-up to the fantastically raucous Blackbirds & Mockingbird. Are you sensing the theme here? Yes, BIRDS! And we get to meet quite the bird in this instalment, Corie the cormorant. She is sassy & I adore her! And Jerry. The scenes with the two of them are top notch entertainment!
Miriam is on the move, making her way to Florida. She is now a killer.. but a killer that is trying to change the fate of innocent people who she sees die in her visions. Blood for blood. Her story from common thief to killer is quite the journey! Miriam doesn't necessarily find this change in.. profession, an easy one. We get to know our girl Miriam on a deeper level in this novel. You should know by now that not everything is always so black & white with her, but with The Cormorant we get a closer look at her past, what she has gone through. We learn more about her mother. It is just a really tragic story. One that Wendig intersperses throughout.
With The Cormorant, we find out that Miriam's powers are more complicated than we originally thought. There were hints of this in Mockingbird, with the connection to birds displayed more prominently. Wendig teases the reader with what may come in Thunderbirds & I for one am super excited about it!
Like with the previous books, The Cormorant has brutal violence, profanity, mystery, dark humor & a fast paced plot (is there a better paced series than this? I THINK NOT!) Most of all it has heart. This isn't just some stabby stabby gore porn trying to be cutting edge & different. No. This is so much more. Wendig doesn't have to try. He just IS. It is a genuinely badass series. I can see how others may be put off by something like this, but I absolutely cannot get enough of it! Sometimes I feel as though the bearded Wendig is sitting in my head, pulling out my thoughts while drinking whiskey & cackling mischievously!
This is the book that completely outdoes anything else Wendig has put out there with Miriam Black. It is a gloriously weird, gritty, fucked up ride. He keeps punching me in the face with the crazy & I continue to allow him to do it over & over again. He leaves his mark on me, the foul-mouthed deviant that I am!
This series is ridiculously enthralling. I cannot get enough!
January 7, 2014
I like books that make you think. And Cormorant made me think - big time. Cormorant continues the story of Miriam Black. Miriam (for those of you who haven't met her) has a terrible curse. When she touches people she experiences the moment of their death. Worse yet, she knows to the minute and second when they will die. Not surprisingly, Miriam is one messed up woman. In The Cormorant Miriam grapples with her curse.
Miriam is no longer content to be an unwilling witness in the deaths of everyone she meets. In this book Miriam fights against fate. Are people predestined to their fate? Miriam discovers that she can change fate. She can save the people that she meets - sometimes. It gives her a purpose. It also causes some serious bad mojo. There are forces/powers/beings/trespassers out there that don't like Miriam messing with fate. These sinister forces - ill-seen and ill-understood - move against Miriam, resurrecting a person she thought long gone and striking against those that she connects with. The best part is that this nemesis has been gifted/cursed as well. They are able to tell/to know what will happen. If they were to look at you, they would know exactly what you would be doing in the next moment.
This is twisted stuff. And I like it. Are we predestined towards a certain fate? Or do we possess free-will? Or is it just the illusion of free will? This is the type of stuff that really sets this whole series apart. So why only four stars? My gripe with this book is Miriam herself. I am growing tired of how caustic she is. Why is she so nasty to everyone she touches? (Yes, the curse, I know). It gets tiring to read. I had hoped after the last book to see a little more development - a little more progression - out of Miriam. I'm not sure she's moved at all and it was a disappointment.
Miriam is no longer content to be an unwilling witness in the deaths of everyone she meets. In this book Miriam fights against fate. Are people predestined to their fate? Miriam discovers that she can change fate. She can save the people that she meets - sometimes. It gives her a purpose. It also causes some serious bad mojo. There are forces/powers/beings/trespassers out there that don't like Miriam messing with fate. These sinister forces - ill-seen and ill-understood - move against Miriam, resurrecting a person she thought long gone and striking against those that she connects with. The best part is that this nemesis has been gifted/cursed as well. They are able to tell/to know what will happen. If they were to look at you, they would know exactly what you would be doing in the next moment.
This is twisted stuff. And I like it. Are we predestined towards a certain fate? Or do we possess free-will? Or is it just the illusion of free will? This is the type of stuff that really sets this whole series apart. So why only four stars? My gripe with this book is Miriam herself. I am growing tired of how caustic she is. Why is she so nasty to everyone she touches? (Yes, the curse, I know). It gets tiring to read. I had hoped after the last book to see a little more development - a little more progression - out of Miriam. I'm not sure she's moved at all and it was a disappointment.
May 20, 2017
I already miss Miriam. Sadly,the library doesn't have the next book yet and it's kinda driving me nuts. I want to know what happens next,and where the journey takes Miriam.
This one started off maybe a bit slower than the previous two. But that changed quickly. I love the pacing of these books. There really isn't a boring moment.
Also,talk about character development! Miriam is constantly learning,developing,changing all the while not losing who she is and who I've come to adore. I have such a respect her. Life throws all the shit at all,but she never gives up. She's a badass,and a tough chick,but she also cares deeply. And while these books are all about her,the other characters are so well written too,they all have distinct voices&personalities.
I've really come to appreciate the writing in this series. It's full of unique sayings&descriptions. It's refreshing!
So,until we meet again Miriam.
This one started off maybe a bit slower than the previous two. But that changed quickly. I love the pacing of these books. There really isn't a boring moment.
Also,talk about character development! Miriam is constantly learning,developing,changing all the while not losing who she is and who I've come to adore. I have such a respect her. Life throws all the shit at all,but she never gives up. She's a badass,and a tough chick,but she also cares deeply. And while these books are all about her,the other characters are so well written too,they all have distinct voices&personalities.
I've really come to appreciate the writing in this series. It's full of unique sayings&descriptions. It's refreshing!
So,until we meet again Miriam.
December 30, 2013
http://www.mybookishways.com/2013/12/...
If you’ve kept up with this series, then you know what Miriam went through in Mockingbird. To say that she’s physically and spiritually exhausted is an understatement, but she’s a survivor, our Miriam. When she saves the lives of two young men at the hands of a deranged homeless man, she finds a temporary home, but not paying rent is not a good thing, and her “work” as a street psychic isn’t bringing in nearly enough cash. Soon it’s eviction time, but it turns out one of her roomies has hooked her up with a job in Florida: a man who will pay her $5,000 to tell him how he dies. So, with reservations, but no other options, to Florida goes Miriam, and when she takes the hand of the man waiting for her, she’s shocked to see a message for her written in the man’s blood. Turns out someone from her past is expecting her, and is out for revenge.
So begins Miriam’s journey through the Florida Keys and beyond, trying to stay one step ahead of a killer that seems to be out to get everyone that Miriam cares for, but staying ahead of him proves to be pretty darn difficult, because he always seems to know what Miriam’s next move is. Also in pursuit is a pair of FBI agents that have suspicions of their own and are determined to interrogate Miriam…off the books.
Miriam is her usual bitingly sarcastic, scrappy self (seriously, the girl is like a Timex), but it’s the underlying layer of seething emotional pain, and the desire to do the right, and good thing, that makes her such a sympathetic girl, in spite of her own efforts to make herself as unlovable as possible. She’s torn and ragged and pushes everyone away, but ultimately is desperate for the love that she doesn’t think she deserves. This is part of what makes her surprising reconnection with her mother, who has relocated to Florida, all the more poignant. On the surface, the Miriam books are, at times, unrelentingly grim, but if you pick back the scabs, they’re the chronicles of a very damaged girl on a constant search for redemption while struggling to stay sane in the face of her unwanted physic “gift.” Cormorant, as is usual for this series, delivers action and creeps in spades, but the dim light at the end of the long dark tunnel of Miriam’s life is now just a little bit brighter. Miriam’s story remains an undeniably addictive one, and I finished this in one sitting. Wendig’s writing is better than ever, and this series continues to surprise and terrify in equal measure.
If you’ve kept up with this series, then you know what Miriam went through in Mockingbird. To say that she’s physically and spiritually exhausted is an understatement, but she’s a survivor, our Miriam. When she saves the lives of two young men at the hands of a deranged homeless man, she finds a temporary home, but not paying rent is not a good thing, and her “work” as a street psychic isn’t bringing in nearly enough cash. Soon it’s eviction time, but it turns out one of her roomies has hooked her up with a job in Florida: a man who will pay her $5,000 to tell him how he dies. So, with reservations, but no other options, to Florida goes Miriam, and when she takes the hand of the man waiting for her, she’s shocked to see a message for her written in the man’s blood. Turns out someone from her past is expecting her, and is out for revenge.
So begins Miriam’s journey through the Florida Keys and beyond, trying to stay one step ahead of a killer that seems to be out to get everyone that Miriam cares for, but staying ahead of him proves to be pretty darn difficult, because he always seems to know what Miriam’s next move is. Also in pursuit is a pair of FBI agents that have suspicions of their own and are determined to interrogate Miriam…off the books.
Miriam is her usual bitingly sarcastic, scrappy self (seriously, the girl is like a Timex), but it’s the underlying layer of seething emotional pain, and the desire to do the right, and good thing, that makes her such a sympathetic girl, in spite of her own efforts to make herself as unlovable as possible. She’s torn and ragged and pushes everyone away, but ultimately is desperate for the love that she doesn’t think she deserves. This is part of what makes her surprising reconnection with her mother, who has relocated to Florida, all the more poignant. On the surface, the Miriam books are, at times, unrelentingly grim, but if you pick back the scabs, they’re the chronicles of a very damaged girl on a constant search for redemption while struggling to stay sane in the face of her unwanted physic “gift.” Cormorant, as is usual for this series, delivers action and creeps in spades, but the dim light at the end of the long dark tunnel of Miriam’s life is now just a little bit brighter. Miriam’s story remains an undeniably addictive one, and I finished this in one sitting. Wendig’s writing is better than ever, and this series continues to surprise and terrify in equal measure.
January 9, 2017
"It is what it is."
This book was *almost* a four star rating as compared to Blackbirds and Mockingbird which were both BIG FAT 5 Stars but then, WHAM, BAM, thank you, Ma'am! The ending just sucker-punched me and earned itself that fifth star.
I was concerned at first. I missed my Louis. I didn't like the beginning. I was disappointed a certain character from a previous book was back. I thought maybe the plot line was becoming formulaic or predictable.
*PLOT TWIST*
Shit got real. Really, real and I loved this side of Miriam. I don't want to give *any* spoilers so I'm just going to say, Miriam evolves yet again. She is constantly growing, learning and with this painful process, her gift/curse adapts and changes too.
I love the new characters we got to meet: Gabby, Jerry & Corie, (not the FBI agents, I didn't care for their personalities at all) and Sugar. I liked Sugar a lot and it proved that Wendig is good at making very distinct, unique voices for his characters--none of them blend in together or sound the same like in so many other books with a strong protagonist. Sugar was light and ethereal and refreshing--like a drink of crisp, clean water when you've been slopping around in the gutter.
I loved this third installment of the series and I'm excited for where the story is going. Thunderbirds, is going to be BAD ASS!
This book was *almost* a four star rating as compared to Blackbirds and Mockingbird which were both BIG FAT 5 Stars but then, WHAM, BAM, thank you, Ma'am! The ending just sucker-punched me and earned itself that fifth star.
I was concerned at first. I missed my Louis. I didn't like the beginning. I was disappointed a certain character from a previous book was back. I thought maybe the plot line was becoming formulaic or predictable.
*PLOT TWIST*
Shit got real. Really, real and I loved this side of Miriam. I don't want to give *any* spoilers so I'm just going to say, Miriam evolves yet again. She is constantly growing, learning and with this painful process, her gift/curse adapts and changes too.
I love the new characters we got to meet: Gabby, Jerry & Corie, (not the FBI agents, I didn't care for their personalities at all) and Sugar. I liked Sugar a lot and it proved that Wendig is good at making very distinct, unique voices for his characters--none of them blend in together or sound the same like in so many other books with a strong protagonist. Sugar was light and ethereal and refreshing--like a drink of crisp, clean water when you've been slopping around in the gutter.
I loved this third installment of the series and I'm excited for where the story is going. Thunderbirds, is going to be BAD ASS!
February 22, 2017
With the forthcoming publication of the 4th Miriam Black novel Thunderbird next week, I thought it high time to read the 3rd one. Unfortunately, I did not like it as much as the first two. Miriam is lured to Florida, with the promise of a $5,000 fee for using her special power of seeing someone's death by touching them. It turns out to be a fraud, as one of her nemeses who has his own equally impressive talent is out for retribution against Miriam and all she holds dear. The story's timeline bounces around with periodic interludes, which were not distracting. My favorite character is the fortune teller, Sugar, who tells you what you want to know and what you need to know in tandem. The old geezer with the cormorant is also well done. I guess I thought there was too much foretelling of deaths and I did not care for the two FBI agents, whose mission was always unclear.
July 28, 2017
"It's like asking John Wayne Gacy, 'what have you been up to?' And he says, 'entertaining children'" Miriam Black
Full of hilarious comebacks & sarcastic comments throughout. Miriam just does not give a fuck, if I were to be a character in a book I'd be Miriam. I read this one in two sittings these books are just so addictive! so much goes wrong for her, she's a complete mess but you can't help but love her!
I loved this one as much as the first.
I can't guess where it's going & it's pointless trying to guess, because Mariam doesn't go by the same rules as everyone else.
"Ah. I like my coffee like I like my men. Hot, black, and coming down my throat."
This made me burst out laughing and if you love books that make you laugh out loud, full of violence, sarcasm and foul language Get this series!
Full of hilarious comebacks & sarcastic comments throughout. Miriam just does not give a fuck, if I were to be a character in a book I'd be Miriam. I read this one in two sittings these books are just so addictive! so much goes wrong for her, she's a complete mess but you can't help but love her!
I loved this one as much as the first.
I can't guess where it's going & it's pointless trying to guess, because Mariam doesn't go by the same rules as everyone else.
"Ah. I like my coffee like I like my men. Hot, black, and coming down my throat."
This made me burst out laughing and if you love books that make you laugh out loud, full of violence, sarcasm and foul language Get this series!
June 15, 2014
The Cormorant is a damn clever book and the most personnel of Miriam Black’s stories to date, it’s told through multiple timelines, one of my favourite story telling methods and highly effective when done right. Thankfully Chuck Wendig does it right and The Cormorant is arguably the best of the series yet.
This time Miriam goes up against someone who has powers not to dissimilar from her own curse, someone she knows all too well and they’re sending messages through the lives they take, as Miriam in turn reads their final moments, the game changes as she is taunted by messages written in the blood of those about to die.
Hired by a wealthy businessman she’s off to Florida to earn a hefty pay packet and to tell this guy when he’s going to die, also gives her an opportunity to drop in on her Mother. She goes skin to skin with said businessman and is absolutely stunned to see his death, I mean she knows it’s coming but the vision shows a hooded figure, he stabs the guy with her knife and the message he writes in blood ‘Hello Miriam‘ and it’s about to get much worse.
The personnel aspect of this story is the relationship with her Mother, with a chequered history there is unease but things have tempered off, they can talk and it’s devastating when she sees the vision of her death.
In the second timeline Miriam is being interviewed by two dubious looking FBI agents, as if she’s a serial killer and she tells her story after the events have taken place.
As I’ve said before Miriam Black is my favourite hard as nails female protagonist, she smokes like there’s no tomorrow, swears like crazy, drinks like a fish and is not too shy in the sexual liaisons department. She tries to do the right thing, tries to save people but the grim reaper always wants his cut and she knows if she attempts to prevent a death, there has to be a replacement.
The Cormorant is loud, brash and a barrel of laughs, plot and pacing are exceptional, a great addition to the series.
A 4.5 Rating rounded up.
Recommended.
This time Miriam goes up against someone who has powers not to dissimilar from her own curse, someone she knows all too well and they’re sending messages through the lives they take, as Miriam in turn reads their final moments, the game changes as she is taunted by messages written in the blood of those about to die.
Hired by a wealthy businessman she’s off to Florida to earn a hefty pay packet and to tell this guy when he’s going to die, also gives her an opportunity to drop in on her Mother. She goes skin to skin with said businessman and is absolutely stunned to see his death, I mean she knows it’s coming but the vision shows a hooded figure, he stabs the guy with her knife and the message he writes in blood ‘Hello Miriam‘ and it’s about to get much worse.
The personnel aspect of this story is the relationship with her Mother, with a chequered history there is unease but things have tempered off, they can talk and it’s devastating when she sees the vision of her death.
In the second timeline Miriam is being interviewed by two dubious looking FBI agents, as if she’s a serial killer and she tells her story after the events have taken place.
As I’ve said before Miriam Black is my favourite hard as nails female protagonist, she smokes like there’s no tomorrow, swears like crazy, drinks like a fish and is not too shy in the sexual liaisons department. She tries to do the right thing, tries to save people but the grim reaper always wants his cut and she knows if she attempts to prevent a death, there has to be a replacement.
The Cormorant is loud, brash and a barrel of laughs, plot and pacing are exceptional, a great addition to the series.
A 4.5 Rating rounded up.
Recommended.
March 12, 2017
Full Review: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2013/1...
I this may have taken seat as my favorite of Chuck Wendig’s books and put the fourth Miriam Black one on my must read list (please tell me there will be a fourth!). So, yeah, go read it. Miriam once again kicks ass.
I this may have taken seat as my favorite of Chuck Wendig’s books and put the fourth Miriam Black one on my must read list (please tell me there will be a fourth!). So, yeah, go read it. Miriam once again kicks ass.
June 20, 2019
Excellent series. I really feel for Miriam. What a great anti-hero!
January 20, 2014
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/01/....
“Chuck Wendig once again excels with another awesome look into the kickass character that is Miriam Black – delivering a page-turning thriller that is a must buy for any readers who enjoyed the first two books. Wendig has created a compelling read here, and The Cormorant might just be one of the best books in the series yet.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"Miriam is on the road again, having transitioned from “thief”… to “killer”.
Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she’s good at. But in her vision she sees her client die by another’s hand – and on the wall, written in blood, is a message just for Miriam.
She’s expected…"
Before we begin I just want to touch on the Cover Art for the Miriam Black series. It’s something that I don’t normally do – bring up cover art in reviews, but I can’t help but do so here – mainly because all covers in this series have been utterly phenomenal. Seriously – each cover is amazing – and The Cormorant just screams as a must-read. If I saw any of these books in a bookstore having no knowledge of what they were about – I would probably snap them up based on the covers alone. Joey Hi-Fi is an incredible artist and each new cover from him is exceptional. Now with that out of the way, let’s get started with the review.
And it’s a review that I could literally just stop after saying “It’s Awesome.” I mean, what more is there to tell about Miriam Black that hasn’t been said already? Chuck Wendig’s unique, engaging and daring take on Urban Fantasy is not for the faint of heart and if you’re familiar with Blackbirds and Mockingbirds then chances are you will know by now what to expect. Wendig’s writing takes no prisoners, pulling you along at an incredibly fast pace and the end result is always unpredictable. You never feel like you’re getting the same book twice with a Miriam Black novel and you can always count on Wendig to entertain you – three books in and the series shows no sign of losing its quality just yet, instead feeling fresh and exciting and another welcome break from all the standard, run of the mill urban fantasy stories that we’ve seen from female and male authors alike. The Cormorant and the preceding books are different – and if you think Urban Fantasy can’t surprise you then look no further than this series. It’s captivating, engaging – and if you’re reading this review without knowledge of the previous two books then I strongly recommend you buy them as soon as you can. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
In the third installment of the series, Wendig takes Miriam Black to Florida, where she’s trying to stop a nightmarish vision of the future from becoming reality. Of course, it’s never as easy as it sounds – and she’s in pretty much over her head with the Law Enforcement, Gangs and Old Friends. It’s an action packed book that’s very well written with a unique voice, one that’s particularly foul-mouthed. However fans of the series should be by now familiar with Miriam’s swearing and this is something that really didn’t bother me at all, having already gotten used to the character in the past three outings and it was welcome to return to the strong, independent and kickass female character that is the driving force behind the three books so far. It’s always great returning to Miriam’s life, even if Wendig drags her literally through hell and back with a gritty narrative that’s unpredictable far from disappointing.
Each book in the Miriam Black series has been exceptional and The Cormorant is another excellent addition to that list. It’s clever, engaging and unputdownable – I’ve been saying that a lot about Angry Robot’s novels lately but this is very true on pretty much every one. If there’s one thing that can be guaranteed when picking up an Angry Robot novel, it’s that I won’t be able to stop reading it. This was very much the case with The Cormorant - which was helped by its fast pace and short chapters allowing me to speed through the book like I was reading a much more awesome version of a novel by James Patterson. It’s just so good, and I can’t help but heap praise after praise upon this novel.
Chuck Wendig’s The Cormorant then, is another great success from the author. I’ve yet to read a book that I didn’t like from him and each has been very good indeed. I hope that we return to the Miriam Black Universe soon – because I can’t wait to read more. Miriam is a badass and an incredibly strong female character who is just as awesome as the more popular female characters in literature. She certainly can leave an impression on the reader, and is easily one of the strongest parts of an excellent novel. Highly Recommended, but only if you’ve read the other two first.
VERDICT: 4.5/5
“Chuck Wendig once again excels with another awesome look into the kickass character that is Miriam Black – delivering a page-turning thriller that is a must buy for any readers who enjoyed the first two books. Wendig has created a compelling read here, and The Cormorant might just be one of the best books in the series yet.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"Miriam is on the road again, having transitioned from “thief”… to “killer”.
Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she’s good at. But in her vision she sees her client die by another’s hand – and on the wall, written in blood, is a message just for Miriam.
She’s expected…"
Before we begin I just want to touch on the Cover Art for the Miriam Black series. It’s something that I don’t normally do – bring up cover art in reviews, but I can’t help but do so here – mainly because all covers in this series have been utterly phenomenal. Seriously – each cover is amazing – and The Cormorant just screams as a must-read. If I saw any of these books in a bookstore having no knowledge of what they were about – I would probably snap them up based on the covers alone. Joey Hi-Fi is an incredible artist and each new cover from him is exceptional. Now with that out of the way, let’s get started with the review.
And it’s a review that I could literally just stop after saying “It’s Awesome.” I mean, what more is there to tell about Miriam Black that hasn’t been said already? Chuck Wendig’s unique, engaging and daring take on Urban Fantasy is not for the faint of heart and if you’re familiar with Blackbirds and Mockingbirds then chances are you will know by now what to expect. Wendig’s writing takes no prisoners, pulling you along at an incredibly fast pace and the end result is always unpredictable. You never feel like you’re getting the same book twice with a Miriam Black novel and you can always count on Wendig to entertain you – three books in and the series shows no sign of losing its quality just yet, instead feeling fresh and exciting and another welcome break from all the standard, run of the mill urban fantasy stories that we’ve seen from female and male authors alike. The Cormorant and the preceding books are different – and if you think Urban Fantasy can’t surprise you then look no further than this series. It’s captivating, engaging – and if you’re reading this review without knowledge of the previous two books then I strongly recommend you buy them as soon as you can. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
In the third installment of the series, Wendig takes Miriam Black to Florida, where she’s trying to stop a nightmarish vision of the future from becoming reality. Of course, it’s never as easy as it sounds – and she’s in pretty much over her head with the Law Enforcement, Gangs and Old Friends. It’s an action packed book that’s very well written with a unique voice, one that’s particularly foul-mouthed. However fans of the series should be by now familiar with Miriam’s swearing and this is something that really didn’t bother me at all, having already gotten used to the character in the past three outings and it was welcome to return to the strong, independent and kickass female character that is the driving force behind the three books so far. It’s always great returning to Miriam’s life, even if Wendig drags her literally through hell and back with a gritty narrative that’s unpredictable far from disappointing.
Each book in the Miriam Black series has been exceptional and The Cormorant is another excellent addition to that list. It’s clever, engaging and unputdownable – I’ve been saying that a lot about Angry Robot’s novels lately but this is very true on pretty much every one. If there’s one thing that can be guaranteed when picking up an Angry Robot novel, it’s that I won’t be able to stop reading it. This was very much the case with The Cormorant - which was helped by its fast pace and short chapters allowing me to speed through the book like I was reading a much more awesome version of a novel by James Patterson. It’s just so good, and I can’t help but heap praise after praise upon this novel.
Chuck Wendig’s The Cormorant then, is another great success from the author. I’ve yet to read a book that I didn’t like from him and each has been very good indeed. I hope that we return to the Miriam Black Universe soon – because I can’t wait to read more. Miriam is a badass and an incredibly strong female character who is just as awesome as the more popular female characters in literature. She certainly can leave an impression on the reader, and is easily one of the strongest parts of an excellent novel. Highly Recommended, but only if you’ve read the other two first.
VERDICT: 4.5/5
March 27, 2019
The foul speaking, butt kicking heroine, Miriam Black, cursed with the ability to peel back the curtain of the future to witness the death of anyone she has physical skin-to-skin contact with, returns for a third and very gratifying installment in The Cormorant.
After a violent encounter by which she tries to save a man from a street kid’s gun, Miriam’s hired by a mystery man from an ad on Craigslist. Miriam is naturally guarded and is skeptical of the man’s advert – 5K to know how he dies – but she needs the cash so she heads for the Florida Keys hoping for an easy injection of wealth. It’s not.
Author Chuck Wendig employs and interesting approach to telling Miriam’s tale of murder, vengeance, and, to a degree, heroism by alternating chapters between present day and past events. It helps to formulate a well articulated and multi dimensional look at Miriam’s life, her trials, and tribulations.
The traumatic events of the previous books still haunt Miriam, only this time round; they try to kill her too. Additionally, her growing arsenal of abilities are further expanded upon and put to good use within the context of the story. The Cormorant relates more to Miriam’s journey as a person, as it does the progression of identifying and nullifying her curse.
*reread March 2019.
After a violent encounter by which she tries to save a man from a street kid’s gun, Miriam’s hired by a mystery man from an ad on Craigslist. Miriam is naturally guarded and is skeptical of the man’s advert – 5K to know how he dies – but she needs the cash so she heads for the Florida Keys hoping for an easy injection of wealth. It’s not.
Author Chuck Wendig employs and interesting approach to telling Miriam’s tale of murder, vengeance, and, to a degree, heroism by alternating chapters between present day and past events. It helps to formulate a well articulated and multi dimensional look at Miriam’s life, her trials, and tribulations.
The traumatic events of the previous books still haunt Miriam, only this time round; they try to kill her too. Additionally, her growing arsenal of abilities are further expanded upon and put to good use within the context of the story. The Cormorant relates more to Miriam’s journey as a person, as it does the progression of identifying and nullifying her curse.
*reread March 2019.
January 13, 2014
3 Stars
I am giving this 3 stars even though it was a major let down for me. I absolutely loved the first two Miriam Black books and love her equally. My expectations as a result were quite high for The Cormorant.
Chuck Wendig is a fantastic writer and that is evident from the very first page through the closing words. This book is well paced, well structured, and a lot of fun to read. The first third of this book was top notch. I loved the scenes and the banter between Miriam and the FBI agents. The backstories were all great and I loved seeing the tragedy and the confusion behind the beginnings of Miriam’s gift.
““I think I might kill myself some day,” she says suddenly. The words just fall out of her. Like rocks out of a sack.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m young but I’m tired. I close my eyes at night and it’s just – my dreams are like a boat anchor, man. The things I see. It’s like, it’s not just the traumatic deaths – the car crashes and fires and stabbings. It’s the slow deaths. AIDS and diabetes and kidney failure and liver failure and kid’s cancer and rectal cancer and breast cancer and cancer cancer cancer. “
Unfortunately, around 33% into this book the plot takes it’s true shape and direction. When this happened, I felt cheated, played, and thought, damn it here we go again. For the first time, I felt that Wendig took the easy way out. Things get worse from here. Without spoilers, I hated the direction that the antagonist took this story. Talk about corny and cheesy. It made me quite mad.
The book comes to a very obvious conclusion with an ending that I did like despite my misgivings. I love Miriam, I love Wendig, unfortunately, I did not love this book. It felt like a cheap version of the first two.
If you have not read Chuck Wendig than I implore you to go and pick up one of his books. He is amazing. This book will have to be read to continue the series but it is a let down…
I am giving this 3 stars even though it was a major let down for me. I absolutely loved the first two Miriam Black books and love her equally. My expectations as a result were quite high for The Cormorant.
Chuck Wendig is a fantastic writer and that is evident from the very first page through the closing words. This book is well paced, well structured, and a lot of fun to read. The first third of this book was top notch. I loved the scenes and the banter between Miriam and the FBI agents. The backstories were all great and I loved seeing the tragedy and the confusion behind the beginnings of Miriam’s gift.
““I think I might kill myself some day,” she says suddenly. The words just fall out of her. Like rocks out of a sack.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m young but I’m tired. I close my eyes at night and it’s just – my dreams are like a boat anchor, man. The things I see. It’s like, it’s not just the traumatic deaths – the car crashes and fires and stabbings. It’s the slow deaths. AIDS and diabetes and kidney failure and liver failure and kid’s cancer and rectal cancer and breast cancer and cancer cancer cancer. “
Unfortunately, around 33% into this book the plot takes it’s true shape and direction. When this happened, I felt cheated, played, and thought, damn it here we go again. For the first time, I felt that Wendig took the easy way out. Things get worse from here. Without spoilers, I hated the direction that the antagonist took this story. Talk about corny and cheesy. It made me quite mad.
The book comes to a very obvious conclusion with an ending that I did like despite my misgivings. I love Miriam, I love Wendig, unfortunately, I did not love this book. It felt like a cheap version of the first two.
If you have not read Chuck Wendig than I implore you to go and pick up one of his books. He is amazing. This book will have to be read to continue the series but it is a let down…
December 27, 2015
When you want your most hated character in the book to die the worst death possible and he fucking does. Amen.
This book, though. So fucked up and awesome.
This book, though. So fucked up and awesome.
August 13, 2016
Review to come.
Release date: December 31st, 2013
Release date: December 31st, 2013
April 7, 2014
A lot of writers try to do this. Write in a tumbling, stumbling, flood of images, sound, and sensations. Not just tell a story but make you hear it and feel it and damn near live it. Very few succeed.
Hell, a lot of daredevils try to walk on a wire but only Philip Petit managed to make it between the Twin Towers--back when there were Twin Towers.
Chuck Wendig is a Philip Petit of novelists.: one of the very few who can pull off a flow of descriptions, obscenities, emotions, and imagery without suddenly making the reader stop and say "Hey, that didn't work." I know I can't do it and I'm smart enough not to try. I swear there were only one--maybe two times when I was reading "The Cormorant" when I even noticed the individual words going by--where he'd lost the rhythm, He's like a jazz drummer who just keeps riffing...it all comes tumbling out as if he was Jack Kerouac, cranked up on Benzedrine and writing "On the Road" on a single roll of paper without stopping from beginning to end.
Is it clear yet that I think he's a really good writer? Just checking.
OK, I haven't read either of the first two books about Miriam Black: the anti-heroine heroine of "The Cormorant," so you Wendig addicts will just have to bear with me. Miriam is a uber-Goth runaway who dresses in ripped black and sunglasses. She has lived on the street for years and is comfortable with the stealing, lying, cheating, and the casually-cruel people who surround her. Miriam has a Gift/Curse--if she touches a person, she will instantly know all the details of their death. I gather that in the earlier books, she mostly used this to show up right after the Big Blowoff and rob the Dearly Departed. Lately, she's been trying out killing people to see if she can break the inexorable process of the future she's forced to witness but in Cormorant, she is hired to meet this guy in Florida who wants to know how he kicks off and is willing to pay for it.
It's weird but it's a lot of money so off she goes. Everything around Miriam is either already broken or she breaks it--her cars are old junkers with busted air conditioning, the places she stays are dumps, the places she eats are diners. She reaches the client deep in the Florida Keys and then ... well, then the plot begins.
The plot is strong and weird and fits Miriam like a black leather glove with the fingers cut off. It turns and twists and dives--I sat up all night reading this damn book on my cell phone, for Pete's sake. It's well put together, nuanced, and in the end, satisfying--with no easy outs.
Now, what interested me about The Cormorant was that everything I've just written is completely true and yet, it's only about half of what's really going on. The writing is a scary, wild, obscene crash of sound and yet there are elements and overtones of Shakespeare and Rimbaud and Dante hidden deep inside. Miriam Black is a solid taut block of arrogance, anger, and screaming rage--except that when you look back at what she's actually done, you see a very different person. Someone who wants others to be happy, hates the death that washes around her, and never, ever stops fighting. (The descriptions of the muscular, desperate, physicality of her battles are worth the entire book alone). She isn't a fake bad person nor a fake good person--she's really both..
It's the same with a great deal of the world she inhabits and, I suspect, with Wendig himself. Yes, it's angry and obscene and burned and broken but it's not flimsy or disappointing. There are good people hiding all around--they look like people you'd cross the street to avoid--but you'd have made a mistake. With Wendig, I suspect that he puts out an image of uncaring obscenity and brash idol-smashing but it's like good modern artists. They need to learn how to paint a Vermeer or a Winslow Homer before they can throw it away and dribble paint like Jasper Johns.
OK, enough. Read his books. Read this book. It's like going over a waterfall, you'll be blinded in the foam, smashed against rocks, twisted and bent and changed and come out smiling and saying, "Hell, let's do that again!" - See more at: http://tiredoftalkingaboutmyself.blog...
Hell, a lot of daredevils try to walk on a wire but only Philip Petit managed to make it between the Twin Towers--back when there were Twin Towers.
Chuck Wendig is a Philip Petit of novelists.: one of the very few who can pull off a flow of descriptions, obscenities, emotions, and imagery without suddenly making the reader stop and say "Hey, that didn't work." I know I can't do it and I'm smart enough not to try. I swear there were only one--maybe two times when I was reading "The Cormorant" when I even noticed the individual words going by--where he'd lost the rhythm, He's like a jazz drummer who just keeps riffing...it all comes tumbling out as if he was Jack Kerouac, cranked up on Benzedrine and writing "On the Road" on a single roll of paper without stopping from beginning to end.
Is it clear yet that I think he's a really good writer? Just checking.
OK, I haven't read either of the first two books about Miriam Black: the anti-heroine heroine of "The Cormorant," so you Wendig addicts will just have to bear with me. Miriam is a uber-Goth runaway who dresses in ripped black and sunglasses. She has lived on the street for years and is comfortable with the stealing, lying, cheating, and the casually-cruel people who surround her. Miriam has a Gift/Curse--if she touches a person, she will instantly know all the details of their death. I gather that in the earlier books, she mostly used this to show up right after the Big Blowoff and rob the Dearly Departed. Lately, she's been trying out killing people to see if she can break the inexorable process of the future she's forced to witness but in Cormorant, she is hired to meet this guy in Florida who wants to know how he kicks off and is willing to pay for it.
It's weird but it's a lot of money so off she goes. Everything around Miriam is either already broken or she breaks it--her cars are old junkers with busted air conditioning, the places she stays are dumps, the places she eats are diners. She reaches the client deep in the Florida Keys and then ... well, then the plot begins.
The plot is strong and weird and fits Miriam like a black leather glove with the fingers cut off. It turns and twists and dives--I sat up all night reading this damn book on my cell phone, for Pete's sake. It's well put together, nuanced, and in the end, satisfying--with no easy outs.
Now, what interested me about The Cormorant was that everything I've just written is completely true and yet, it's only about half of what's really going on. The writing is a scary, wild, obscene crash of sound and yet there are elements and overtones of Shakespeare and Rimbaud and Dante hidden deep inside. Miriam Black is a solid taut block of arrogance, anger, and screaming rage--except that when you look back at what she's actually done, you see a very different person. Someone who wants others to be happy, hates the death that washes around her, and never, ever stops fighting. (The descriptions of the muscular, desperate, physicality of her battles are worth the entire book alone). She isn't a fake bad person nor a fake good person--she's really both..
It's the same with a great deal of the world she inhabits and, I suspect, with Wendig himself. Yes, it's angry and obscene and burned and broken but it's not flimsy or disappointing. There are good people hiding all around--they look like people you'd cross the street to avoid--but you'd have made a mistake. With Wendig, I suspect that he puts out an image of uncaring obscenity and brash idol-smashing but it's like good modern artists. They need to learn how to paint a Vermeer or a Winslow Homer before they can throw it away and dribble paint like Jasper Johns.
OK, enough. Read his books. Read this book. It's like going over a waterfall, you'll be blinded in the foam, smashed against rocks, twisted and bent and changed and come out smiling and saying, "Hell, let's do that again!" - See more at: http://tiredoftalkingaboutmyself.blog...
March 16, 2017
3.5 stars that I'm rounding up because I love this series so much. I'm so curious to see where the series is going.
November 7, 2013
4.5 stars
I've decided not to do conventional reviews anymore. I could tell you what happens in this and where the last book left off, but seeing I didn't have time to read Mockingbird before this, the impossibility of telling you where the second book finished, cleared a path to this opportunity. Telling you how book 3 compared to book 1, and how it affected me. I'm selfish that way
Blackbird
When I read book 1, so here we are talking about Blackbird, I was angry with myself. I wanted to give it 5 stars. ( And I gave it 4.5, so really, we are splitting hairs, and seeing this is Miriam, its probably the short and curlies) And the reason why I didnt? Up until the half way point I was transfixed. It was all new and shiny and my mouth was agape as I marveled at how brave this author was. How he didn't just give us a quick flash, he unabashedly showed us the whole kit and caboodle for the whole book.
By the time the book ended though I was exhausted. I had very little light to run towards. I felt like I needed a good wash afterwards. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I expected dark, crass and gruesome and it delivered.
Cormorant
Ironically, the Miriam Black series is a breath of fresh air, where you are rewarded when you take the time to stop and smell the roses. Descriptions are gritty and disturbing, but reflect the tone of the book as well as the overall environment in which Miriam is exposed to.
Miriam has become my go to girl. When I feel my own characters are playing with too many puppies, I'm going to picture Miriam as my characters sorority sister. As I was reading this, the authors style was bleeding into my project, and I had to pull back a little to find my own happy place. I hope this is considered a compliment.
I would have like more opportunities to breathe. There are so many clever metaphors and such ( ok i took the easy road here), that I felt that the really poignant ones were lost in the sheer quantity and depth of her musings.
I also noticed that the way the characters interacted, were very closely aligned with how Miriam thought, and would have liked a bit more of a reprieve from how everyone had just the right comeback, and it was as colorful and quick witted as the next person. A bit more of a balance.
I loved how Miriam grew. She made decisions, not only paying the piper, but slipping him an extra $50, when she needed to deal with the ramifications of her actions. There is a softer side to Miriam here. And I don't know if I was meant to, but I got a little lump in my throat at times.
I need that. Its what makes me pick up another book. I feel clean again.
Bring on the next one!
I've decided not to do conventional reviews anymore. I could tell you what happens in this and where the last book left off, but seeing I didn't have time to read Mockingbird before this, the impossibility of telling you where the second book finished, cleared a path to this opportunity. Telling you how book 3 compared to book 1, and how it affected me. I'm selfish that way
Blackbird
When I read book 1, so here we are talking about Blackbird, I was angry with myself. I wanted to give it 5 stars. ( And I gave it 4.5, so really, we are splitting hairs, and seeing this is Miriam, its probably the short and curlies) And the reason why I didnt? Up until the half way point I was transfixed. It was all new and shiny and my mouth was agape as I marveled at how brave this author was. How he didn't just give us a quick flash, he unabashedly showed us the whole kit and caboodle for the whole book.
By the time the book ended though I was exhausted. I had very little light to run towards. I felt like I needed a good wash afterwards. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I expected dark, crass and gruesome and it delivered.
Cormorant
Ironically, the Miriam Black series is a breath of fresh air, where you are rewarded when you take the time to stop and smell the roses. Descriptions are gritty and disturbing, but reflect the tone of the book as well as the overall environment in which Miriam is exposed to.
Miriam has become my go to girl. When I feel my own characters are playing with too many puppies, I'm going to picture Miriam as my characters sorority sister. As I was reading this, the authors style was bleeding into my project, and I had to pull back a little to find my own happy place. I hope this is considered a compliment.
I would have like more opportunities to breathe. There are so many clever metaphors and such ( ok i took the easy road here), that I felt that the really poignant ones were lost in the sheer quantity and depth of her musings.
I also noticed that the way the characters interacted, were very closely aligned with how Miriam thought, and would have liked a bit more of a reprieve from how everyone had just the right comeback, and it was as colorful and quick witted as the next person. A bit more of a balance.
I loved how Miriam grew. She made decisions, not only paying the piper, but slipping him an extra $50, when she needed to deal with the ramifications of her actions. There is a softer side to Miriam here. And I don't know if I was meant to, but I got a little lump in my throat at times.
I need that. Its what makes me pick up another book. I feel clean again.
Bring on the next one!
January 15, 2016
Although Mockingbird is still my favorite in the series so far, The Cormorant did not disappoint. Chuck Wendig plays with words like no one else, and Miriam Black is as badass as ever. Now if only the next book weren't coming out in 2017...
Favorite quotes [note - quotes contain language that some will find offensive]:
Favorite quotes [note - quotes contain language that some will find offensive]:
"You thought what? That because you're a nice guy my panties will just drop because you deserve to have my thighs around your ears? Fuck you, dude. Being a nice person is a thing you just do, not a price you pay for poonani. I'm not a tollbooth. A kind word and a favor don't mean I owe you naked fun time."
"Too skinny. Too severe. You're all corners. Anybody who hugs you must come away bleeding."
"You have no idea.
"Don't act surprised that I have this cyanide cocktail in my heart. Like they say on that old dumb-ass drug commercial: I learned it by watching you.
"Let's just agree that I disappoint you and you disappoint me. OK? And you want to know why I'm glad I can't have kids? Because I'm afraid I'd turn into you and my kid would turn into me."
"The truth is a hammer, but I lie is a screwdriver. A more elegant tool. Sometimes you just want to pick a lock, not break a window. Even though breaking a window is always more fun.
"Forces have been aligning against you for a while. You've been fucking with this Jenga tower for too long, and it ain't long before it all comes clickety-clackety falling down."
Miriam doesn't belong here. (Doesn't belong anywhere.) She's a black buzzard in the land of pretty, pretty peacocks. A dirty fingerprint on a colorful dress.
Miriam tries not to panic as she drives, but her emotions are like that poor gull: wings broken, legs twisted from the body, beak snapped. Flopping around and pumping blood.
"Time is always your enemy. Have you noticed that? It's chasing you, and you're chasing it. A dog and her tail."
How you die is who you are.
March 3, 2019
Another excellent installment in a series that has rapidly become one of my favourites. Even darker than the first two books, this is another fast paced, blood soaked thrill ride. I'll definitely be picking up the fourth book.
September 6, 2016
Great addition to the series where the genre that is called "Miriam Black" turns it up yet another notch, to tell you anything more would be to ruin the adventure!
February 8, 2019
Fantastic continuation of the series. It gets darker by the book, and the series starts dark enough! I love that the supernatural aspect gets more attention. And messy things just keep on heaping up, Miriam does not hold back!
February 11, 2016
I believe it is impossible for Chuck Wendig to write a bad book. His prose, characters, and story will drive anyone crazy after reading the first page. Not to mention the fact he still finds the time to provide his readers with the most insightful advice on writing and the industry as a whole on his blog at http://terribleminds.com/ramble/blog/ , so go check it out. You have no idea what you’re missing.
Miriam Black is back and better than ever in the third installment of the series titled The Cormorant. In this book Miriam Black, a street-wise psychic, travels to Florida for a job to tell a wealthy businessman how he is going to die for the price of five thousand dollars. With no money to her name, she accepts the offer and drives off to Florida Keys, where the man resides. As she touches the man and see his death she is shocked to not only discover his brutal murder at the hands of a mysterious man, but also to see that the man has left a message for her written in blood. It’s a game of cat and mouse as Miriam desperately searches for the killer before he finds her first. All the while she is being “interviewed” by a pair of FBI agents who accuse her of being a serial killer, which isn’t too far from the truth.
Wendig’s imagery is as greatly detailed as ever with more blood and gore to add to the mix. Not to mention that Miriam is flat out funny to read about, even with all the grim features of it.
Not only is this book, hilarious, grim, and brutal, but it also has a softer side to it. In this book Miriam is pushed to her limit as she battles a person who somehow knows how to use her ability against her; a method she never thought possible. This person who is after her is always one step ahead, but the thing I loved about this is that Miriam never gave up. She’s a stubborn, snide, woman that I love and was happily surprised as I watched her grow as a character as she confronts her mother; the woman who ridiculed her as a child and made Miriam the woman she is today.
This confrontation was significant to Miriam’s growth as she comes to grip with what she is and what she wants out of her grim existence. This aspect made the book shine in my eyes, so much so I am practically blinded by it!
I have no gripes to speak of in this book. It was phenomenal in each and every way. It’s an engaging story about a damaged girl who strives to do good by those she has come to know. What’s not to love?
Final Verdict: This is without a doubt, my FAVORITE Miriam Black book! The action, the twists, and more importantly Miriam’s growth in this book made it great. You are a cruel man Mr.Wendig, but a damn good storyteller! Please do yourself a favor and buy this book immediately.
5 stars out of 5
Miriam Black is back and better than ever in the third installment of the series titled The Cormorant. In this book Miriam Black, a street-wise psychic, travels to Florida for a job to tell a wealthy businessman how he is going to die for the price of five thousand dollars. With no money to her name, she accepts the offer and drives off to Florida Keys, where the man resides. As she touches the man and see his death she is shocked to not only discover his brutal murder at the hands of a mysterious man, but also to see that the man has left a message for her written in blood. It’s a game of cat and mouse as Miriam desperately searches for the killer before he finds her first. All the while she is being “interviewed” by a pair of FBI agents who accuse her of being a serial killer, which isn’t too far from the truth.
Wendig’s imagery is as greatly detailed as ever with more blood and gore to add to the mix. Not to mention that Miriam is flat out funny to read about, even with all the grim features of it.
Not only is this book, hilarious, grim, and brutal, but it also has a softer side to it. In this book Miriam is pushed to her limit as she battles a person who somehow knows how to use her ability against her; a method she never thought possible. This person who is after her is always one step ahead, but the thing I loved about this is that Miriam never gave up. She’s a stubborn, snide, woman that I love and was happily surprised as I watched her grow as a character as she confronts her mother; the woman who ridiculed her as a child and made Miriam the woman she is today.
This confrontation was significant to Miriam’s growth as she comes to grip with what she is and what she wants out of her grim existence. This aspect made the book shine in my eyes, so much so I am practically blinded by it!
I have no gripes to speak of in this book. It was phenomenal in each and every way. It’s an engaging story about a damaged girl who strives to do good by those she has come to know. What’s not to love?
Final Verdict: This is without a doubt, my FAVORITE Miriam Black book! The action, the twists, and more importantly Miriam’s growth in this book made it great. You are a cruel man Mr.Wendig, but a damn good storyteller! Please do yourself a favor and buy this book immediately.
5 stars out of 5
November 11, 2013
First of all, you need to know something about me, I read damn near everything, it is a curse upon my house, my pocketbook, and my brain which boils like a stewed lamprey in a pot(where that came from, I haven't the damnedest idea.) Secondly, I think Chuck Wendig is a hell of a writer, The Blue Blazes was one of my favorite books of 2013. OK, here is where it gets tricky..
I don't like Miriam Black. Then you go, "Kevin, you just gave this book four stars, but you don't like the main character?, Are you functionally retarded as well as insanely handsome?" Probably, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, where was I? The writing is top notch, the dialogue crackles like a thing possessed, and it is bold and dangerous in a world where not every writer is willing to step out and play in the road, because you know, cars and stuff might hit you. I respect those things, just for the first two books I could NOT get over my dislike of the main character.
Then, Chuck...(can I call you Chuck?) he had the bait set and he was dangling the hook in the water waiting on me to get it, I finally realized why I didn't like Miriam and then my reasons were no longer valid, I felt that tug, the tug in the old heart that made me realize the humanity of the situation and I was hooked.
If you like urban fantasy, screw that, if you like great storytelling, pick up this series.
thank you to the crew of Angry Robot for the ARC and indulging my fantasies of being a writer (even a stoopid book reviewer)
I don't like Miriam Black. Then you go, "Kevin, you just gave this book four stars, but you don't like the main character?, Are you functionally retarded as well as insanely handsome?" Probably, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, where was I? The writing is top notch, the dialogue crackles like a thing possessed, and it is bold and dangerous in a world where not every writer is willing to step out and play in the road, because you know, cars and stuff might hit you. I respect those things, just for the first two books I could NOT get over my dislike of the main character.
Then, Chuck...(can I call you Chuck?) he had the bait set and he was dangling the hook in the water waiting on me to get it, I finally realized why I didn't like Miriam and then my reasons were no longer valid, I felt that tug, the tug in the old heart that made me realize the humanity of the situation and I was hooked.
If you like urban fantasy, screw that, if you like great storytelling, pick up this series.
thank you to the crew of Angry Robot for the ARC and indulging my fantasies of being a writer (even a stoopid book reviewer)
January 10, 2015
The 3rd installment in the Miriam Black series finds our psychic anti-hero on the road to Florida where, once again, her power - the ability to see when and how a person dies - reveals a little too much, and she is forced into a cat-and-mouse style race against time to save someone close to her.
Any other author might end up boring a reader to tears revisiting a similar plot as the 2 two previous books in a series, but Chuck Wendig has an unmatchable gift for highly addictive prose that is unrelentingly brutal and entertaining, and damned near impossible to stop reading. I love this series. Can't wait until he publishes the next one. Highly recommended.
Any other author might end up boring a reader to tears revisiting a similar plot as the 2 two previous books in a series, but Chuck Wendig has an unmatchable gift for highly addictive prose that is unrelentingly brutal and entertaining, and damned near impossible to stop reading. I love this series. Can't wait until he publishes the next one. Highly recommended.
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