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The Administration #8
Blood & Circuses
It's set to be a busy autumn in New London and beyond. With the ripples of the revolt still running through the European Administration, Val Toreth is slowly settling into the new flat he shares with Keir Warrick. But on orders from the very highest levels of the Administration, Toreth finds himself leaving his regular beat far behind and heading over the Atlantic to Washington D.C. Without his usual team or his authority as a Para-investigator to back him up, Toreth is caught up in a world of politics, diplomacy, and religion far outside his experience. Worst of all, he's stuck with an unexpected and very unwanted companion on his trip. Can he keep his cool and win through when international reputations are on the line?
Back in New London, Investigator Barret-Connor is called on to deal with a case that lies outside the traditional areas of interest of the Investigation and Interrogation Division--the unexpectedly dangerous world of Europe's music corporations. With dark secrets hidden behind the PR-groomed public façade, both his professional skills and conscience will be tested.
The eighth book in the Administration series contains the novellas Innocent Blood and For Your Entertainment, and continues the lives of now partially domesticated Para-investigator Val Toreth and somewhat harried corporate director Keir Warrick.
Back in New London, Investigator Barret-Connor is called on to deal with a case that lies outside the traditional areas of interest of the Investigation and Interrogation Division--the unexpectedly dangerous world of Europe's music corporations. With dark secrets hidden behind the PR-groomed public façade, both his professional skills and conscience will be tested.
The eighth book in the Administration series contains the novellas Innocent Blood and For Your Entertainment, and continues the lives of now partially domesticated Para-investigator Val Toreth and somewhat harried corporate director Keir Warrick.
290 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
9 people are currently reading
792 people want to read
About the author
Manna Francis
46 books635 followersI'm the author of The Administration Series, a near-future SF dystopia published by Casperian Books. You can find the series in paperback, e-book, or (partly) on line at the Mannazone website.
I've been writing original slash since 2002 — or homoerotic fiction, m/m romance, yaoi, as you prefer. Original slash is my personal term of choice because I feel it best represents my writing in terms of style and what readers can expect to find there. Individual stories may or may nor be sexually explicit.
I've been writing original slash since 2002 — or homoerotic fiction, m/m romance, yaoi, as you prefer. Original slash is my personal term of choice because I feel it best represents my writing in terms of style and what readers can expect to find there. Individual stories may or may nor be sexually explicit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 4, 2020
fulfilling book riot's 2018 read harder challenge task #20: a book with a cover you hate
extra points given to me, by me, for choosing a book that i have owned for more than a year. extra-extra points for having posting an excited "look, i got this book!" photo-"review" in 2015 and STILL not reading it until now.
yes, i give myself points for sucking. LGM. and the characters in this series.
*****************************************
i feel good and bad about choosing this book for this particular challenge. good because it made me finally pick up a book i’ve been looking forward to reading for ages, and bad because it feels mean. i love manna francis, but her covers are always so unappealing and sludgy, which makes them difficult to hand-sell, especially since Mind Fuck is a rather provocatively-titled book to hand to a stranger, no matter how much fun the series (usually) is.
however, this 289-page book took me eight days to read. usually, i tumble into her books with ease and a sense of coming home to beloved characters, but this was not my favorite of the series, plus it’s been difficult for me to concentrate lately because of things and stuff, so two strikes were keeping this book at arm’s length from my heart. still, it’s an easy three and a half, and there were some high points.
i’m not going to summarize the seven previous books, so if you’re not into the series, whatever happens next in this review might be confusing, but hopefully also intriguing.
Innocent Blood
this is the first novella in the book, and it sends toreth across the pond from new london to america in order to investigate a delicate matter; doctor rebekah campion is working out of the european administration’s embassy in america, when she is accused of assisting a senator’s daughter with the termination of her pregnancy. this is considered to be murder in francis’ ultra-fundamental vision of future america, but not even slightly criminal in europe. something happened during the procedure that caused the woman to go into a coma, so she’s not able to explain the circumstances or exonerate doctor campion, who swears she had nothing to do with the woman’s predicament, and despite her diplomatic immunity, she might be facing some serious consequences if found guilty. and so, our favorite complicated hero val toreth reluctantly teams up with a socioanalyst with the memorably inappropriate name of Darcy Grimm to get to the bottom of it, coming up against the obstacles of a less-than-helpful police force, limited resources and methods of interrogation because of pesky american laws, plus the culture shock of a whole new set of social cues, political pressures, and a family with many secrets.
first things first - is toreth really the one you want handling your delicate…business? unless you’re warrick? second things second - there are some really wonderful moments here that help round out the world beyond what we’ve seen thus far in the series. america is a very rigid and repressed land that is much less kind to its women and homosexuals than new london, but much kinder to its criminals. and its suspected criminals. it’s interesting to see the world through his eyes, as he tiptoes through the minefield of do’s and don’ts, trying not to cause an international incident between two great nations already a little wary of each other. again - has toreth ever been the best tiptoer? and yet he does, he tiptoes like a pro, and it’s a little confusing, because he’s not naughty either sexually OR professionally, so it’s like some alt-world, well-behaved toreth that’s been in a vault somewhere all this time.
plus, for nearly the entire duration of this 130-plus page story, he and warrick are in different countries and what’s fun about that? i’ve said a million times that sexxytimes in books don’t do anything for me, but i’ve loved watching this relationship evolve over the course of the series, and the absence of this dynamic was deeply disappointing. considering there were 4 years in between the publication of book 7 and book 8, it feels doubly cruel and withholding to keep them apart after not giving fans anything new for so long.
even though this novella is the one that took me the longest to get into and get through, in retrospect, it’s a tidy little mystery with some important culture shock moments and some fun exchanges between toreth and agent ruiz, who returns here to the series, which mostly involve the perception of “deviant behavior.” I&I, and especially toreth, doesn’t often get involved with what consenting adults do in their own bedrooms, but things are different in america, where ruiz helpfully explains,
i didn’t say he was a saint, just a tiptoer. and the toreth/grimm antler-locking is equally entertaining; confrontational, begrudging, occasionally collegiate, but peppered throughout with toreth’s helpful professional observations.
this one is pretty much just an investigation. eventually, there are blowies, but they’re like the end-credit scenes of a marvel movie. in that you gotta wait for them. they in no way involve stan lee.
Weekend Plans
this one is the best of the bunch, but it’s only thirty pages long! boooo! i’m in the minority of really liking sara, so i’m happy she gets a chunk of the story. there’s also a furthering of the continuing story arc involving the resisters and the revolution and warrick’s family involvement. and on top of all that is a third storyline showcasing the very best of warrick and toreth. it’s funny and winky and playful and then very serious indeed. and she does all of this in only thirty pages! it was outstanding.
i love warrick, and i missed him so much in that first story:
Better to be early then late, but early was still an annoying scheduling inefficiency.
i swoon.
Constellation of Falling Stars
this third part is just an under-ten-page teaser-intro to the second novella in the book,For Your Entertainment, in which there is zero warrick and barely any toreth and the whole thing is helmed by barret-friggin’-connor, because WHY? seriously, the biggest problem with this book is how little warrick is in it. who requested that we see more barret-connor? not one person. the story itself is fine, it’s another investigation that widens the scope of the series, focused here on the entertainment industry and its chilling commodification of the boy band, in which young boys are raised up like tender veal-calves and given many surgeries to keep them young and profitable and it is a very ghoulish business model indeed.
the story itself is good, but in a volume with very little of what has been the draw of the series, i wouldn’t have minded one more thirty-pager to close out the book.
and if the internet would see fit to GIF me a photo of julian sands making out with hugo weaving, i would insert it here.
*****************************************
DANA!!!! DANA!!!! DANA!!!!! LOOK!!! LOOK!!!! LOOK!!!!
now i can finally read book seven without fear of being left with nothing to look forward to!!!
come to my blog!
extra points given to me, by me, for choosing a book that i have owned for more than a year. extra-extra points for having posting an excited "look, i got this book!" photo-"review" in 2015 and STILL not reading it until now.
yes, i give myself points for sucking. LGM. and the characters in this series.
*****************************************
i feel good and bad about choosing this book for this particular challenge. good because it made me finally pick up a book i’ve been looking forward to reading for ages, and bad because it feels mean. i love manna francis, but her covers are always so unappealing and sludgy, which makes them difficult to hand-sell, especially since Mind Fuck is a rather provocatively-titled book to hand to a stranger, no matter how much fun the series (usually) is.
however, this 289-page book took me eight days to read. usually, i tumble into her books with ease and a sense of coming home to beloved characters, but this was not my favorite of the series, plus it’s been difficult for me to concentrate lately because of things and stuff, so two strikes were keeping this book at arm’s length from my heart. still, it’s an easy three and a half, and there were some high points.
i’m not going to summarize the seven previous books, so if you’re not into the series, whatever happens next in this review might be confusing, but hopefully also intriguing.
Innocent Blood
this is the first novella in the book, and it sends toreth across the pond from new london to america in order to investigate a delicate matter; doctor rebekah campion is working out of the european administration’s embassy in america, when she is accused of assisting a senator’s daughter with the termination of her pregnancy. this is considered to be murder in francis’ ultra-fundamental vision of future america, but not even slightly criminal in europe. something happened during the procedure that caused the woman to go into a coma, so she’s not able to explain the circumstances or exonerate doctor campion, who swears she had nothing to do with the woman’s predicament, and despite her diplomatic immunity, she might be facing some serious consequences if found guilty. and so, our favorite complicated hero val toreth reluctantly teams up with a socioanalyst with the memorably inappropriate name of Darcy Grimm to get to the bottom of it, coming up against the obstacles of a less-than-helpful police force, limited resources and methods of interrogation because of pesky american laws, plus the culture shock of a whole new set of social cues, political pressures, and a family with many secrets.
first things first - is toreth really the one you want handling your delicate…business? unless you’re warrick? second things second - there are some really wonderful moments here that help round out the world beyond what we’ve seen thus far in the series. america is a very rigid and repressed land that is much less kind to its women and homosexuals than new london, but much kinder to its criminals. and its suspected criminals. it’s interesting to see the world through his eyes, as he tiptoes through the minefield of do’s and don’ts, trying not to cause an international incident between two great nations already a little wary of each other. again - has toreth ever been the best tiptoer? and yet he does, he tiptoes like a pro, and it’s a little confusing, because he’s not naughty either sexually OR professionally, so it’s like some alt-world, well-behaved toreth that’s been in a vault somewhere all this time.
plus, for nearly the entire duration of this 130-plus page story, he and warrick are in different countries and what’s fun about that? i’ve said a million times that sexxytimes in books don’t do anything for me, but i’ve loved watching this relationship evolve over the course of the series, and the absence of this dynamic was deeply disappointing. considering there were 4 years in between the publication of book 7 and book 8, it feels doubly cruel and withholding to keep them apart after not giving fans anything new for so long.
even though this novella is the one that took me the longest to get into and get through, in retrospect, it’s a tidy little mystery with some important culture shock moments and some fun exchanges between toreth and agent ruiz, who returns here to the series, which mostly involve the perception of “deviant behavior.” I&I, and especially toreth, doesn’t often get involved with what consenting adults do in their own bedrooms, but things are different in america, where ruiz helpfully explains,
”Well, you can get a long way if you keep in mind that the Founding Fathers Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed this is a Christian country, established on Christian principles, and that’s how our laws are framed.”
Unfortunate that Toreth’s knowledge of Christianity was more or less limited to expressing feelings like, “Jesus fucking Christ, this case is a pain in the arse.”
i didn’t say he was a saint, just a tiptoer. and the toreth/grimm antler-locking is equally entertaining; confrontational, begrudging, occasionally collegiate, but peppered throughout with toreth’s helpful professional observations.
”Do you know the basic principle of coercive interrogation?” Toreth asked.
“Hurting people?” Grimm suggested.
Toreth laughed. “No, that’s just an option. Interrogation is about changing priorities. Making people value the things that you control. When someone will swap the information you want for five minutes’ rest, or a sip of water, then you win.”
this one is pretty much just an investigation. eventually, there are blowies, but they’re like the end-credit scenes of a marvel movie. in that you gotta wait for them. they in no way involve stan lee.
Weekend Plans
this one is the best of the bunch, but it’s only thirty pages long! boooo! i’m in the minority of really liking sara, so i’m happy she gets a chunk of the story. there’s also a furthering of the continuing story arc involving the resisters and the revolution and warrick’s family involvement. and on top of all that is a third storyline showcasing the very best of warrick and toreth. it’s funny and winky and playful and then very serious indeed. and she does all of this in only thirty pages! it was outstanding.
i love warrick, and i missed him so much in that first story:
Better to be early then late, but early was still an annoying scheduling inefficiency.
i swoon.
Constellation of Falling Stars
this third part is just an under-ten-page teaser-intro to the second novella in the book,For Your Entertainment, in which there is zero warrick and barely any toreth and the whole thing is helmed by barret-friggin’-connor, because WHY? seriously, the biggest problem with this book is how little warrick is in it. who requested that we see more barret-connor? not one person. the story itself is fine, it’s another investigation that widens the scope of the series, focused here on the entertainment industry and its chilling commodification of the boy band, in which young boys are raised up like tender veal-calves and given many surgeries to keep them young and profitable and it is a very ghoulish business model indeed.
”Investigator, 343 is an enormously profitable brand. We have lifestyle strategies in place for all our product, and that includes their closedown. Ideally, we shift fanbase to another product within our stable, at least until they move out of our demographic. 343 had good long-term projections, but even another year or two would let us complete their cycle in a controlled way, with better fan retention.”
the story itself is good, but in a volume with very little of what has been the draw of the series, i wouldn’t have minded one more thirty-pager to close out the book.
and if the internet would see fit to GIF me a photo of julian sands making out with hugo weaving, i would insert it here.
*****************************************
DANA!!!! DANA!!!! DANA!!!!! LOOK!!! LOOK!!!! LOOK!!!!
now i can finally read book seven without fear of being left with nothing to look forward to!!!
come to my blog!
October 1, 2015
It didn't take me three months to read it, but it did take me three months to decide how to review it.
Firstly, and most importantly, this was a gift from my lovely friend KatieMc; THANK YOU KATIE *hugs*
Secondly, I couldn't put this down. I read it all day and through the night, until I realized the birds were singing. It was a struggle to stay awake for the last ten pages. My eyes burned with fatigue, but still I had to keep going.
Thirdly, it's beautifully written, as you'd expect from Manna Francis. Wonderful world-building; two worlds this time; the US as well as Europe. The dialogue rings true.
Ok, down to the meat now. Fourthly, this book isn't really part of the Administration series. It's set in the same universe, but to me The Administration is about Toreth and Warrick, and these guys get hardly any page time together (or even one undertaking covert surveillance on the other, while apart).
Instead the stories are about the socio-political world; the world in which the Toreth we know and love thrives as a para-investigator for I&I.
In the first story Toreth investigates a crime in America while Warwick stays in New London. In the last two interlinked stories secondary character Investigator Barrett-Connor finally gets his own narrative (in 1st person pov). The second story, while giving us some page time with Toreth and Warrick together, is more about the fallout in Warrick's family after the events of the last book.
So in this aspect, the book was really disappointing. There's practically no sex, no power games: because there's no Toreth/Warwick. Like I say, I don't count this as a book from the Administration series. But as a stand-alone speculative fiction short story collection, related but separate to the others, I loved it.
The stories are wonderful examples of classic spec fic. Just, go in with your eyes open, and not waiting for dangerous hot sexytimes.
***
OMG IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!!!!!!@#$%^&*#@&*!!
*SKIPS AND TWIRLS*
So happpppppppy.
Firstly, and most importantly, this was a gift from my lovely friend KatieMc; THANK YOU KATIE *hugs*
Secondly, I couldn't put this down. I read it all day and through the night, until I realized the birds were singing. It was a struggle to stay awake for the last ten pages. My eyes burned with fatigue, but still I had to keep going.
Thirdly, it's beautifully written, as you'd expect from Manna Francis. Wonderful world-building; two worlds this time; the US as well as Europe. The dialogue rings true.
Ok, down to the meat now. Fourthly, this book isn't really part of the Administration series. It's set in the same universe, but to me The Administration is about Toreth and Warrick, and these guys get hardly any page time together (or even one undertaking covert surveillance on the other, while apart).
Instead the stories are about the socio-political world; the world in which the Toreth we know and love thrives as a para-investigator for I&I.
In the first story Toreth investigates a crime in America while Warwick stays in New London. In the last two interlinked stories secondary character Investigator Barrett-Connor finally gets his own narrative (in 1st person pov). The second story, while giving us some page time with Toreth and Warrick together, is more about the fallout in Warrick's family after the events of the last book.
So in this aspect, the book was really disappointing. There's practically no sex, no power games: because there's no Toreth/Warwick. Like I say, I don't count this as a book from the Administration series. But as a stand-alone speculative fiction short story collection, related but separate to the others, I loved it.
The stories are wonderful examples of classic spec fic. Just, go in with your eyes open, and not waiting for dangerous hot sexytimes.
***
OMG IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!!!!!!@#$%^&*#@&*!!
*SKIPS AND TWIRLS*
So happpppppppy.
April 18, 2017
To address that big, fat elephant in the room; yes, this is probably the lowest rating I've given a TA book. No, I don't think I rated any of them less than 5 stars before.
And Blood & Circuses is very, very good indeed. Much better than, dare I say it, 99% of what's published in the M/M genre. But then again, this book transcends genres, most obviously in For Your Entertainment, which is also the main reason why I didn’t rate higher.
As it is, I can't ignore my feeling of disappointment over exactly that story, that features the first-person narrative of BC. True to character, as unremarkable as BC is in the former books so bland does his POV manages to stay here. Knowing what Manna can do with her characters - Toreth, Warrick, Carnac, even Sara are all fascinating in their own ways – I’m disgruntled that such a big chunk of this book is dedicated to a bland, forgettable character like BC, whose story is only rescued by an investigation that’s set in the juicy world of boy bands and corporate antics.
I feel that Manna's talent is utterly wasted on BC, who is neither witty, unintentionally amusing, highly intelligent, an evil devil or otherwise quirky. I might have been more favorably disposed towards his POV if it had offered valuable insights into The Administration as a whole and the other characters, but there’s so little of that too.
I can't help but hope that BC rubs Toreth the wrong way somehow, so he will be disposed of in whatever manner Toreth considers appropriate. :p
Thankfully, Weekend Plans is a rich banquet of Toreth and Warrick dynamics and Manna channeling her awesome self into her characters once again. Great to catch up with the boys’ impressively successful attempt at cohabitation, Sara’s love life, and Warrick’s family members – there’s a new plot brewing there.
The first novella, another I&I investigation, is good too. As intricately plotted as the BC one, but thankfully Toreth is the star of the show here. It’s a bit uncomfortable to see the course America has taken in TA, particularly because when taking the current world events into account I have an eerie feeling that Manna might not be far off. Luckily, Toreth gives zero fucks and shows once again why he’s a para (though what was the deal with Grimm tagging along?). Extra kudos for Toreth checking up on Warrick, ha! I wish there were a few more moments like that throughout this book.
Earlier ramblings
Let me just get this off my chest: what a miserable failure of a pub Casperian books is for not making an ebook version of this book available for at least another 6 months. And thus making it impossible for fans to all rave and squee together if they don't want to obtain the paperback too. What a lousy way to run a business in 2000-friggin-15.
-------
July 1. Here we go! Anyone up for a massive buddy read for this one? ;)
-------
Interview with Manna Francis in which she mentions book 8 AND BOOK 9 OMGFAINTSDIES here.
Feel free to join The Administration Zone to discuss.
And Blood & Circuses is very, very good indeed. Much better than, dare I say it, 99% of what's published in the M/M genre. But then again, this book transcends genres, most obviously in For Your Entertainment, which is also the main reason why I didn’t rate higher.
As it is, I can't ignore my feeling of disappointment over exactly that story, that features the first-person narrative of BC. True to character, as unremarkable as BC is in the former books so bland does his POV manages to stay here. Knowing what Manna can do with her characters - Toreth, Warrick, Carnac, even Sara are all fascinating in their own ways – I’m disgruntled that such a big chunk of this book is dedicated to a bland, forgettable character like BC, whose story is only rescued by an investigation that’s set in the juicy world of boy bands and corporate antics.
I feel that Manna's talent is utterly wasted on BC, who is neither witty, unintentionally amusing, highly intelligent, an evil devil or otherwise quirky. I might have been more favorably disposed towards his POV if it had offered valuable insights into The Administration as a whole and the other characters, but there’s so little of that too.
I can't help but hope that BC rubs Toreth the wrong way somehow, so he will be disposed of in whatever manner Toreth considers appropriate. :p
Thankfully, Weekend Plans is a rich banquet of Toreth and Warrick dynamics and Manna channeling her awesome self into her characters once again. Great to catch up with the boys’ impressively successful attempt at cohabitation, Sara’s love life, and Warrick’s family members – there’s a new plot brewing there.
The first novella, another I&I investigation, is good too. As intricately plotted as the BC one, but thankfully Toreth is the star of the show here. It’s a bit uncomfortable to see the course America has taken in TA, particularly because when taking the current world events into account I have an eerie feeling that Manna might not be far off. Luckily, Toreth gives zero fucks and shows once again why he’s a para (though what was the deal with Grimm tagging along?). Extra kudos for Toreth checking up on Warrick, ha! I wish there were a few more moments like that throughout this book.
Earlier ramblings
Let me just get this off my chest: what a miserable failure of a pub Casperian books is for not making an ebook version of this book available for at least another 6 months. And thus making it impossible for fans to all rave and squee together if they don't want to obtain the paperback too. What a lousy way to run a business in 2000-friggin-15.
-------
July 1. Here we go! Anyone up for a massive buddy read for this one? ;)
-------
Interview with Manna Francis in which she mentions book 8 AND BOOK 9 OMGFAINTSDIES here.
Feel free to join The Administration Zone to discuss.
June 26, 2015
This is the first new Manna Francis book in nearly 5 years, being a big fan, I was hungry for this. And...hunger satisfied. The book is mostly made up of two I & I investigative novellas, so if you like that sort of thing, you're in luck. If you want purely T&W domestic shenanigans, you might be left less than completely satisfied.
Innocent Blood. This is the novella where Toreth visits America on a case where a European Administration embassy based doctor is accused of performing an abortion. This America is the puritanical dystopian ying to the Administration's godless bureaucratic yang. They are both oppressive places, each having their own special brand of tyranny. As we all know, Toreth is a survivor who takes his environment as a given and figures out how to work within its parameters. What gives this story its charm is that Toreth is taken out of his environment and finds himself a bit gobsmacked by it all. In this one, Toreth is unwillingly paired with a new socioanalyst named Grimm who poses as Toreth's investigator. I suspect we will meet her again. IMO, watching Toreth work is a thing of beauty, an Innocent Blood gives the reader a front row seat to that show.
5
Weekend Plans. This is a 'meanwhile, back at the ranch' type of story where we get caught up with Toreth, Warrick and Sara. There is some new business and some old business, and a very special moment between T&W.
4
Constellation of Falling Stars. I almost think it could have been an editing error that this made it as a standalone story. Technically, it served as a prologue to the next novella, For Your Entertainment, and featured all new characters. It was fewer than 10 pages. Of course, it's possible that I totally missed something important.
no rating
For Your Entertainment. This was another I&I procedural that featured B-C, with Toreth and Sara making cameo appearances. I mentioned in my updates that it might have been inspired by 1D fanfics. I really don't know much about 1D other than they are a popular boy band and that shipping the various band mates is a global pastime. Let me be clear, I don't think this is 1D fanfic, but I do think the idea of an uber popular boy band group makes a fertile plot bunny. I can only imagine how these bands have handlers and minders and endure a good bit of exploitation, all for their art, fame and fortune. Now imagine such a group controlled by corporates in the bureaucratic Administration, add in some futurology and you have some interesting reading.
4.5 stars
Some general thoughts... (not really spoilers but you may want to save till after you read...)
Overall, this book seemed to have more world building than all of the previous 7 TA books combined. I don't know about you, but it took me a few books to figure out the corporates and administration and their delicate balancing act for power and control. Manna Francis has always been a show-don't-tell type of writer, so it never bothered me that I didn't get it off the bat. Setting the first novella in America made it easy to include descriptive information via comparisons of the two cultures. It also gave a small kernel of insight into how this fictional world order came to be. The second novella illustrated some of the absurdities relating to celebrity culture in a futuristic society, and again the visual of what life is like in New London became a bit clearer.
One last note, this is the first physical book that I have read in a few years. Boy oh boy did I miss the ability to jack up the typeface size. Reading this was a humbling experience to my old lady eyes.
Lastly, please stop by The Administration Zone for general discussions, or the book discussion thread Blood & Circuses *spoilers*
Innocent Blood. This is the novella where Toreth visits America on a case where a European Administration embassy based doctor is accused of performing an abortion. This America is the puritanical dystopian ying to the Administration's godless bureaucratic yang. They are both oppressive places, each having their own special brand of tyranny. As we all know, Toreth is a survivor who takes his environment as a given and figures out how to work within its parameters. What gives this story its charm is that Toreth is taken out of his environment and finds himself a bit gobsmacked by it all. In this one, Toreth is unwillingly paired with a new socioanalyst named Grimm who poses as Toreth's investigator. I suspect we will meet her again. IMO, watching Toreth work is a thing of beauty, an Innocent Blood gives the reader a front row seat to that show.
5
Weekend Plans. This is a 'meanwhile, back at the ranch' type of story where we get caught up with Toreth, Warrick and Sara. There is some new business and some old business, and a very special moment between T&W.
4
Constellation of Falling Stars. I almost think it could have been an editing error that this made it as a standalone story. Technically, it served as a prologue to the next novella, For Your Entertainment, and featured all new characters. It was fewer than 10 pages. Of course, it's possible that I totally missed something important.
no rating
For Your Entertainment. This was another I&I procedural that featured B-C, with Toreth and Sara making cameo appearances. I mentioned in my updates that it might have been inspired by 1D fanfics. I really don't know much about 1D other than they are a popular boy band and that shipping the various band mates is a global pastime. Let me be clear, I don't think this is 1D fanfic, but I do think the idea of an uber popular boy band group makes a fertile plot bunny. I can only imagine how these bands have handlers and minders and endure a good bit of exploitation, all for their art, fame and fortune. Now imagine such a group controlled by corporates in the bureaucratic Administration, add in some futurology and you have some interesting reading.
4.5 stars
Some general thoughts... (not really spoilers but you may want to save till after you read...)
Overall, this book seemed to have more world building than all of the previous 7 TA books combined. I don't know about you, but it took me a few books to figure out the corporates and administration and their delicate balancing act for power and control. Manna Francis has always been a show-don't-tell type of writer, so it never bothered me that I didn't get it off the bat. Setting the first novella in America made it easy to include descriptive information via comparisons of the two cultures. It also gave a small kernel of insight into how this fictional world order came to be. The second novella illustrated some of the absurdities relating to celebrity culture in a futuristic society, and again the visual of what life is like in New London became a bit clearer.
One last note, this is the first physical book that I have read in a few years. Boy oh boy did I miss the ability to jack up the typeface size. Reading this was a humbling experience to my old lady eyes.
Lastly, please stop by The Administration Zone for general discussions, or the book discussion thread Blood & Circuses *spoilers*
Want to read
June 11, 2014Positive the beloved Manna Francis & C.S. Pacat have retired to the same mother-f'ing island w/no mother-f'ing cell service.
February 12, 2018
The first novella, Toreth is sent to America. Future America is pretty fundie, so he is on his best behavior. Francis does a really good job portraying the future culture of the US from the point of view of someone whose nation has headed in a very different direction, and these future changes and cultural contrasts are both relevant to the mystery plot, rather than merely color. So kudos for that, good story. However, as part of the overall series it was kind of disappointing to have so little Warrick, banter, or crazy misbehavior.
The second novella was also interesting, told from the point of view of Toreth's adjutant B-C and exploring the extremes to which people will go for fame and how the industry exploits them. Quite a different feel from most of the series. B-C is nice but not that interesting as narrator. Again, good but not what I expected.
That really sums up this installment in the Administration: good, but not what I wanted. No significant criticism, it just didn't fill my need for more of what I love about the series.
The second novella was also interesting, told from the point of view of Toreth's adjutant B-C and exploring the extremes to which people will go for fame and how the industry exploits them. Quite a different feel from most of the series. B-C is nice but not that interesting as narrator. Again, good but not what I expected.
That really sums up this installment in the Administration: good, but not what I wanted. No significant criticism, it just didn't fill my need for more of what I love about the series.
Want to read
March 15, 2016Edit 12/2/15: Is this damned thing ever being released in ebook format? It's been over 6 months! This publisher sucks ass.
The ebook version won't be out until next year sometime, which I think is ridiculous in this day and age and a poor business model. I refuse to buy the paperback because then I'll never get around to reading it.
Hopefully I don't forget to buy it when it does finally come out.
Edited to add: scrolled down through some reviews and noticed that there are only a few legit reviews and some of them are outraged at the ebook situation because they live out of the U.S, and don't even have the option to buy the paperback. I'm even more annoyed now, seeing as (as someone mentioned) this series gained a huge following online and the only reason this author is able to publish this book and make money off of it is because of these online followers. Don't get me wrong! I don't mind paying for it at all, I'm just annoyed at the situation.
I wonder how many people even bought the paperback? I feel as if I would be seeing a lot more reviews if it had been released in the usual way.
The ebook version won't be out until next year sometime, which I think is ridiculous in this day and age and a poor business model. I refuse to buy the paperback because then I'll never get around to reading it.
Hopefully I don't forget to buy it when it does finally come out.
Edited to add: scrolled down through some reviews and noticed that there are only a few legit reviews and some of them are outraged at the ebook situation because they live out of the U.S, and don't even have the option to buy the paperback. I'm even more annoyed now, seeing as (as someone mentioned) this series gained a huge following online and the only reason this author is able to publish this book and make money off of it is because of these online followers. Don't get me wrong! I don't mind paying for it at all, I'm just annoyed at the situation.
I wonder how many people even bought the paperback? I feel as if I would be seeing a lot more reviews if it had been released in the usual way.
May 1, 2017
Re-read 04/2017
As always I loved being in Manna's world. She continues to intrigue me with her new plot lines.
The only drawback was that I wanted more Warrick! I missed him. I know I'm being greedy, but I want it all.
Innocent Blood: 4.5 Stars. This was Toreth at his best. Once again he's put into an impossible situation where he has to find a way out. Add in the possibility of a mysterious new plot direction and you get one hell of a story.
Weekend Plans: 4 Stars. Fun, fun, fun. We get to see what everyone's been doing since the last book.
Constellation of Falling Stars: 2.5 - 3.0 Stars This threw me off because I didn't know what was going on at first. There should have been some link to the next story.
For Your Entertainment: 4 Stars. I was worried about reading this because I always thought B-C was kind of flat, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the many different facets of his personality come out. I enjoyed being inside his head. There's this boyish charm about him that you can't help but like. He's sensitive and is constantly questioning himself. I kept comparing his decisions to what Toreth would do and how he'd react to what B-C was thinking. This made it all the more fun :D
As always I loved being in Manna's world. She continues to intrigue me with her new plot lines.
The only drawback was that I wanted more Warrick! I missed him. I know I'm being greedy, but I want it all.
Innocent Blood: 4.5 Stars. This was Toreth at his best. Once again he's put into an impossible situation where he has to find a way out. Add in the possibility of a mysterious new plot direction and you get one hell of a story.
Weekend Plans: 4 Stars. Fun, fun, fun. We get to see what everyone's been doing since the last book.
Constellation of Falling Stars: 2.5 - 3.0 Stars This threw me off because I didn't know what was going on at first. There should have been some link to the next story.
For Your Entertainment: 4 Stars. I was worried about reading this because I always thought B-C was kind of flat, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the many different facets of his personality come out. I enjoyed being inside his head. There's this boyish charm about him that you can't help but like. He's sensitive and is constantly questioning himself. I kept comparing his decisions to what Toreth would do and how he'd react to what B-C was thinking. This made it all the more fun :D
July 4, 2015
Whaaaaat?
The book isn't available in ebook form? Maybe in 2016?
And even if I would buy the paperback, Amazon.it (I live in Italy) say that for now they haven't it?
...............
....................
This is a very sad day for me. First, the procrastination of the release date for Captive prince 3, and now this?
I was expecting a great start for my July, and now I'm feeling like a kicked puppy :(
The book isn't available in ebook form? Maybe in 2016?
And even if I would buy the paperback, Amazon.it (I live in Italy) say that for now they haven't it?
...............
....................
This is a very sad day for me. First, the procrastination of the release date for Captive prince 3, and now this?
I was expecting a great start for my July, and now I'm feeling like a kicked puppy :(
Read
June 29, 2015I'm going to have to reread this at a later date. The America written here made me very, very uncomfortable. It was as bad as church, but also blindingly white, which ofc makes it worse (I kept wondering, where are the PoC in this America? Where are the immigrant PoC who are not black or Latin@? As an Asian, I feel keenly that Americans' idea of racial representation is looking beyond white to black, and sometimes brown (Hispanic/Latin@), but generally no further). In short, it seemed like a veritable Republican wet dream, which often translates to hell for anyone who is not a white cisgender, heterosexual male.
It, as I said in a status update, does not help that I've had a surfeit of church-flavored heteronormativity these past few days/weeks, being as I'm home from school now. I suppose in a way this view of a hyper-religious America, as opposed to the way the European Administration works, is interesting, but I kept taking everything too personally. It was like watching every worst nightmare unfold in front my eyes. A lot of what I learned of American society was especially hard in the face of the Supreme Court's decision recently. And also personal things were happening in my life these past two days that had been exacerbating my resentment of female gender roles and the way being female-socialized informs the way I tend to react to things as opposed to how my brother does, because he wasn't socialized to remain quiet and keep it in and fade into the woodworks. Plus, I hadn't read Coming from America before, and found out the plot when I got curious and looked it up and saw that one review on its GR entry. What really gave me the nudge to take a mental step back was paramorin on Tumblr's overview of how America became the way it did. It was that they approached it as purely theoretical/fictional that made me consider the purpose of these dynamics beyond personal affront.
The above-described impression, unfortunately, colored my reading. I also have developed a fondness for Carnac in my rereading, and all of the references to him, but no actual appearance, compounded with my personal resentment of this Republican-wet-dream-America, seemed especially cruel. Warrick also does not feature in this volume. He does appear in Weekend Plans, though.
I have not yet read the shorts, given that I do not give a shit about the characters, and as Grimm so helpfully pointed out, "humans are predisposed to make snap decisions and blow them out of proportion," and "first impressions may or may not happen to coincide with reality, but they're rarely helpful." Francis' America in Innocent Blood unfortunately made a poor first impression with me and the rest of the story became guilty by association and never quite recovered from that. I'd need more distance and time to process before I feel like I can even begin to actually read the story for the story.
It, as I said in a status update, does not help that I've had a surfeit of church-flavored heteronormativity these past few days/weeks, being as I'm home from school now. I suppose in a way this view of a hyper-religious America, as opposed to the way the European Administration works, is interesting, but I kept taking everything too personally. It was like watching every worst nightmare unfold in front my eyes. A lot of what I learned of American society was especially hard in the face of the Supreme Court's decision recently. And also personal things were happening in my life these past two days that had been exacerbating my resentment of female gender roles and the way being female-socialized informs the way I tend to react to things as opposed to how my brother does, because he wasn't socialized to remain quiet and keep it in and fade into the woodworks. Plus, I hadn't read Coming from America before, and found out the plot when I got curious and looked it up and saw that one review on its GR entry. What really gave me the nudge to take a mental step back was paramorin on Tumblr's overview of how America became the way it did. It was that they approached it as purely theoretical/fictional that made me consider the purpose of these dynamics beyond personal affront.
The above-described impression, unfortunately, colored my reading. I also have developed a fondness for Carnac in my rereading, and all of the references to him, but no actual appearance, compounded with my personal resentment of this Republican-wet-dream-America, seemed especially cruel. Warrick also does not feature in this volume. He does appear in Weekend Plans, though.
I have not yet read the shorts, given that I do not give a shit about the characters, and as Grimm so helpfully pointed out, "humans are predisposed to make snap decisions and blow them out of proportion," and "first impressions may or may not happen to coincide with reality, but they're rarely helpful." Francis' America in Innocent Blood unfortunately made a poor first impression with me and the rest of the story became guilty by association and never quite recovered from that. I'd need more distance and time to process before I feel like I can even begin to actually read the story for the story.
December 3, 2017
Reread 2017. Still just as good as the first time.
---
I'm going to be really naughty and tell you guys something: I only read two of the four stories in this book. I knew a good chunk of Blood & Circuses will be dedicated to BC, whom I have no interest in really reading (more) about. I'll probably read Constellation of Falling Stars and For Your Entertainment sometime in the future, but my interests in The Administration really lies with Toreth and Warrick (and to some extent, Sara).
So Innocent Blood is 100% police procedural story featuring Toreth in America. While this kind of story would have been very boring in the beginning of the series (i.e. Quid Pro Quo) when Toreth wasn't very fleshed out to readers, it's actually entertaining to be able to sit back with all we know at this point. The mystery itself is interesting on its own, but is helped by the world building and cultural shock of America versus Europe. There were also little gold nuggets of Toreth's insecurities when it comes to his "relationship" with Warrick, which I think will lead to some interesting points in later books.
Following Innocent Blood is Weekend Plans. As the name implies, this is just a "day in the life" of Toreth, Warrick and Sara in the aftermath of the previous book. Nothing ground shattering here, but it allows us to see more of the character dynamics.
So I didn't go into this book expecting to be sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time, and my expectations were kind of low despite this being Manna Francis and The Administration. That, and the fact that a huge chunk of the book is dedicated to a character that kind of bored me in the past. But I actually found myself enjoy the first two stories despite the lack of Toreth x Warrick interactions. I think if you go into this with the idea that Blood & Circuses is more of an "interlude" between major events, then you should be fine. This wasn't a giant splash back into the world of The Administration, but more of dipping a toe into the cold water first. The world building continues to astound me, and I just love these guys to bits.
Now I'm ready for some man pain! Bring it on, Manna Francis.
---
I'm going to be really naughty and tell you guys something: I only read two of the four stories in this book. I knew a good chunk of Blood & Circuses will be dedicated to BC, whom I have no interest in really reading (more) about. I'll probably read Constellation of Falling Stars and For Your Entertainment sometime in the future, but my interests in The Administration really lies with Toreth and Warrick (and to some extent, Sara).
So Innocent Blood is 100% police procedural story featuring Toreth in America. While this kind of story would have been very boring in the beginning of the series (i.e. Quid Pro Quo) when Toreth wasn't very fleshed out to readers, it's actually entertaining to be able to sit back with all we know at this point. The mystery itself is interesting on its own, but is helped by the world building and cultural shock of America versus Europe. There were also little gold nuggets of Toreth's insecurities when it comes to his "relationship" with Warrick, which I think will lead to some interesting points in later books.
Following Innocent Blood is Weekend Plans. As the name implies, this is just a "day in the life" of Toreth, Warrick and Sara in the aftermath of the previous book. Nothing ground shattering here, but it allows us to see more of the character dynamics.
So I didn't go into this book expecting to be sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time, and my expectations were kind of low despite this being Manna Francis and The Administration. That, and the fact that a huge chunk of the book is dedicated to a character that kind of bored me in the past. But I actually found myself enjoy the first two stories despite the lack of Toreth x Warrick interactions. I think if you go into this with the idea that Blood & Circuses is more of an "interlude" between major events, then you should be fine. This wasn't a giant splash back into the world of The Administration, but more of dipping a toe into the cold water first. The world building continues to astound me, and I just love these guys to bits.
Now I'm ready for some man pain! Bring it on, Manna Francis.
February 19, 2018
This novel by Manna Francis takes the form of a collection of short stories. The first and the last parts are investigations: the first by Toreth in America, the last by Sarah about a band of 3 musicians and singers named 343. As for the central parts, there is one that concerns Warrick and his family.
I liked the two extreme parts (the very first and the last ones), as well as the life description of the 343 members and their doubles. The rest, blah!
I would have liked to see more interaction between Toreth and Warrick or with people with whom Toreth might have had an attraction. I would have also liked to see him interviewing people in an interrogation room, but that did not happen.
I still give 4 stars to this book because the three parts I liked really hooked me.
I liked the two extreme parts (the very first and the last ones), as well as the life description of the 343 members and their doubles. The rest, blah!
I would have liked to see more interaction between Toreth and Warrick or with people with whom Toreth might have had an attraction. I would have also liked to see him interviewing people in an interrogation room, but that did not happen.
I still give 4 stars to this book because the three parts I liked really hooked me.
August 30, 2015
The Administration series is that rare kind of series where the latter books are even better than the earlier books. Blood and Circuses is book 8 in the series, and rumor has it that it was written after Manna Francis finished writing the as yet unpublished book 9. I am looking forward to that one, because this one was good, but it wasn’t as great as book 5, 6 and 7 (which are my favorites). The main reason is that this book lacks tension. Manna is a fantastic author. She is great at writing tension. She has managed to keep the overarching plot line of Toreth and Warrick’s developing relationship full of subtle and not so subtle tension over the space of seven books, gradually upping the stakes, without ever allowing either of the main characters to become twisted or sugary versions of their earlier selves. There have also been plenty of books with external tension, due to Toreth’s job, the realities of living a dystopian bureaucracy and, of course, the shenanigans of the Socioanalyst we all love to hate, Jean-Baptiste Carnac.
This book has none of that. There is no tension -or further development- between Warrick and Toreth in the only story that really features them both and there is no outside threat. The first story is an interesting case that requires Toreth to travel to the USA. Which is not a dystopian bureaucracy, like Europe, but it has its own nasty flavor of a future gone bad. It’s a good story, but there is not much at stake for Toreth and he kind of breezes through it. The last story is told from Barret-Connor’s POV and, once again, it’s good, but that is all. I like B-C and I like the look into the underbelly of the entertainment industry, but it doesn’t translate into a a story that makes me teeter on the edge of my seat. Not like the last few books did, anyway.
So, this one looks good in my book case, next to its seven brothers and sisters, but it won’t be the one I will be rereading several times.
Also: I am not pleased that the ebook version of this book did not come out at the same time as the paperback. Especially with the font of the paperback as small as it is. As if only people with perfect eyesight deserve to read it right away.
This book has none of that. There is no tension -or further development- between Warrick and Toreth in the only story that really features them both and there is no outside threat. The first story is an interesting case that requires Toreth to travel to the USA. Which is not a dystopian bureaucracy, like Europe, but it has its own nasty flavor of a future gone bad. It’s a good story, but there is not much at stake for Toreth and he kind of breezes through it. The last story is told from Barret-Connor’s POV and, once again, it’s good, but that is all. I like B-C and I like the look into the underbelly of the entertainment industry, but it doesn’t translate into a a story that makes me teeter on the edge of my seat. Not like the last few books did, anyway.
So, this one looks good in my book case, next to its seven brothers and sisters, but it won’t be the one I will be rereading several times.
Also: I am not pleased that the ebook version of this book did not come out at the same time as the paperback. Especially with the font of the paperback as small as it is. As if only people with perfect eyesight deserve to read it right away.
January 30, 2016
I have been waiting for this book for many, many moons. Breathless with anticipation. Then the release date came and went. And I was angry. Released as a paperback a full six months before the e-version, there was no easy way to get my hands on it - living at the southern tip of Africa, as I do. So I put it out of my mind and carried on with life. But it hovered around my consciousness, taunting me with its existence. So when I finally managed to get my hands on the ebook, imagine my delight! Then imagine my disappointment when Warrick and Toreth are barely on page together, and never naked! What even is this book? Sure, it's a fairly well-written police-procedural set in a well-realised dystopian future. But it is also my hopes and dreams shattered and burned. Should I keep the flame alive for book 9? Or maybe I should just manage my expectations better.
January 31, 2016
It took me way too long to get to this book. I blame the small print in the paperback, and the fact that I’m too lazy to go and buy the new glasses I obviously need....
But finally the ebook came, and it is so great to be back in the world of The Administration!
After having read the short story Coming from America, I really enjoyed getting a closer look on how the American Administration has developed, in comparison to the European, in the first story.
The stories in this book also left questions unanswered for me, and I look SO MUCH forward to the next book, however long it will take to get out, and hope to get some answers:-)
nh-0-gate
July 1, 2017Waiting for ebook format release :(
August 27, 2022
didn't see much of warrick here but the way everything reminded toreth of warrick and the fact that he didn't even seem to notice it was beyond satisfying😌.
now for BC's part of of the book- I've got to say BC is one of my favorite characters from toreth's team but i need more toreth and warrick😭.
and kit😔. i knew from the starting that kit didn't really have anything to live for now that jase left 343 but I'd hoped that after the investigation he might find something because weirdly enough i did like him as a character. well maybe i pitied him more like. i half thought it would be BC he'd latch onto next because of the whole 'I'm protective' and 'he does look like someone's kid brother' thing.
now for BC's part of of the book- I've got to say BC is one of my favorite characters from toreth's team but i need more toreth and warrick😭.
and kit😔. i knew from the starting that kit didn't really have anything to live for now that jase left 343 but I'd hoped that after the investigation he might find something because weirdly enough i did like him as a character. well maybe i pitied him more like. i half thought it would be BC he'd latch onto next because of the whole 'I'm protective' and 'he does look like someone's kid brother' thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2015
Innocent Blood: I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this plot-heavy novella. But it was such fun to see Toreth out of his element but still successfully navigate his way through this version of a super repressed and thoroughly scary America. The mystery was engaging and I was wholly immersed in the twists and turns it took. Plus Toreth's spying attempts on Warrick amused me greatly.
Weekend Plans: Yay! Warrick and Toreth for us fans! As much as I enjoyed the plot heavy novella before, I absolutely love it when it's just those two together. The ending had me grinning. Toreth is such a sly bastard.
For Your Entertainment: Wow. This was the most messed up and saddest case ever. I felt so, so sorry for K....It was definitely inspired by 1D and boy bands, but of course, this being the Administration universe, the whole thing was taken to the extreme limits, turned sideways and upside down. It presents a very distorted reflection of our current pop culture, just like how Innocent Blood was a reflection upon religion and oppression. I never cared about BC, but being in his head and seeing his POV of the Administration (and of Toreth!) was very interesting.This whole case was thoroughly unsettling and haunting. Excellent!!
Weekend Plans: Yay! Warrick and Toreth for us fans! As much as I enjoyed the plot heavy novella before, I absolutely love it when it's just those two together. The ending had me grinning. Toreth is such a sly bastard.
For Your Entertainment: Wow. This was the most messed up and saddest case ever. I felt so, so sorry for K....It was definitely inspired by 1D and boy bands, but of course, this being the Administration universe, the whole thing was taken to the extreme limits, turned sideways and upside down. It presents a very distorted reflection of our current pop culture, just like how Innocent Blood was a reflection upon religion and oppression. I never cared about BC, but being in his head and seeing his POV of the Administration (and of Toreth!) was very interesting.This whole case was thoroughly unsettling and haunting. Excellent!!
April 27, 2016
The only part of the book that I really enjoyed was the story in it that had Toreth and Warrick together, after Toreth got back from America. The part where Toreth was in America wasn't all the interesting to me and I especially wasn't interested in BC's POV story with the boy band group. I am glad that another Administration book had been written and I do look forward to the 9th book that will be coming out sometime.
March 17, 2017
Was so glad to have a new book in The Administration series. I read A LOT, and there really isn't anything else quite like this out there. The characters are so complex, and the world-building is multi-layered and multifaceted. Wish there had been more Warrick in this one, but got some great insight to yet another level of insecurity that Toreth possesses. That guy is headed for some kind of emotional meltdown in the future. Sure does paint a bleak future for the USA. Scary....
September 9, 2015
I like well written police procedurals and in this loooong awaited volume, one of my fav authors gives me not one but two procedural vignettes set in that fascinating dystopian future belonging to Val Toreth and Keir Warwick.
Val gets sent to that scarily too-awful-to-be-real-but-can-see-how-it-could-become-so land of the brave and true controlled by the religious fanatical right-wingnuts. The issue is a political one – how to extricate an European embassy doctor from being prosecuted for a botched abortion on the daughter of a prominent politician. Val plays his usual cat-n-mouse investigation games (which he does with such panache and aplomb) with the local police investigative teams, whilst staying one step ahead of the embassy minders and one tag-along socio-analyst side-kick. Suspects and motives come thick and fast. Interspersed between the interviewing etc is Toreth spying on Keir (back home) all the while denying any jealous motivations – and managing to keep his own cavalier sexual conquests in check. The very dense plot with quite a lot of procedural details may lose some readers wanting the hawt-n-heavy action we so come to expect from Val and Keir, but I liked it.
The other novella bookending the two smaller chapter stories in between gives a procedural entirely from a popular secondary character’s POV, none other than the stoic and methodical B-C himself! It was lovely getting to see inside Barret-Connor’s mind, his way of thinking, his musings, doubts, quiet humorous snarks, his thoughts of his boss (Val) and other co-workers, his family life and background – all of these proved even more interesting than his very first solo investigation case into threats made against a boy band called ‘343’. B-C gets to see some hard-hitting action (shootings , sabotage, blackmail) in a mega-buck music industry world set in New London, where musicians and artists are sacrificed on the altar of profit by faceless/nameless corporate kings.
I really enjoyed the refreshing change in reading from B-C’s POV.
Sandwiched between these two are slightly more domestic concerns for all of our favourite MCs. Keir and Val gets some playtime into their settling down into a domicile together. Something as mundane as re-wallpapering a room provides readers with the emotional and psychological power play between our two guys – a dynamic Ms Francis’ fans have come to love very much and she didn’t let me down here. There’s a minimum of sex-action but what there is – is smokin’. The wonderful Sara also gets some ‘screen-time’, indicating how she is adjusting back to life post the horrors of the revolt and some progress on her love-life.
Lastly, there’s some continuation storylines to Warwick’s family members – half-brother, sister, niece, aunt are all engaged in short family conferences/conversations and some anxious musings by Keir. Frustratingly, little progress is made on key issues such as the fate of Warwick’s parents but I’m hoping more will be forthcoming in the next volume; the author promises greater focus on our MCs in that book. I for one am very keen on more domestic friction between our guys as well as extended (and no doubt reluctant) interaction between Toreth and his ‘in-laws’. More Sara and B-C would be nice too. This was a four and half star read – rounded up to 5, from me.
Val gets sent to that scarily too-awful-to-be-real-but-can-see-how-it-could-become-so land of the brave and true controlled by the religious fanatical right-wingnuts. The issue is a political one – how to extricate an European embassy doctor from being prosecuted for a botched abortion on the daughter of a prominent politician. Val plays his usual cat-n-mouse investigation games (which he does with such panache and aplomb) with the local police investigative teams, whilst staying one step ahead of the embassy minders and one tag-along socio-analyst side-kick. Suspects and motives come thick and fast. Interspersed between the interviewing etc is Toreth spying on Keir (back home) all the while denying any jealous motivations – and managing to keep his own cavalier sexual conquests in check. The very dense plot with quite a lot of procedural details may lose some readers wanting the hawt-n-heavy action we so come to expect from Val and Keir, but I liked it.
The other novella bookending the two smaller chapter stories in between gives a procedural entirely from a popular secondary character’s POV, none other than the stoic and methodical B-C himself! It was lovely getting to see inside Barret-Connor’s mind, his way of thinking, his musings, doubts, quiet humorous snarks, his thoughts of his boss (Val) and other co-workers, his family life and background – all of these proved even more interesting than his very first solo investigation case into threats made against a boy band called ‘343’. B-C gets to see some hard-hitting action (shootings , sabotage, blackmail) in a mega-buck music industry world set in New London, where musicians and artists are sacrificed on the altar of profit by faceless/nameless corporate kings.
I really enjoyed the refreshing change in reading from B-C’s POV.
Sandwiched between these two are slightly more domestic concerns for all of our favourite MCs. Keir and Val gets some playtime into their settling down into a domicile together. Something as mundane as re-wallpapering a room provides readers with the emotional and psychological power play between our two guys – a dynamic Ms Francis’ fans have come to love very much and she didn’t let me down here. There’s a minimum of sex-action but what there is – is smokin’. The wonderful Sara also gets some ‘screen-time’, indicating how she is adjusting back to life post the horrors of the revolt and some progress on her love-life.
Lastly, there’s some continuation storylines to Warwick’s family members – half-brother, sister, niece, aunt are all engaged in short family conferences/conversations and some anxious musings by Keir. Frustratingly, little progress is made on key issues such as the fate of Warwick’s parents but I’m hoping more will be forthcoming in the next volume; the author promises greater focus on our MCs in that book. I for one am very keen on more domestic friction between our guys as well as extended (and no doubt reluctant) interaction between Toreth and his ‘in-laws’. More Sara and B-C would be nice too. This was a four and half star read – rounded up to 5, from me.
August 29, 2016
Some fans might be disappointed with this book because there are few interactions between Toreth and Warwick, but after 7 books i think in this one we get something better: more worldbuilding.
And let me tell you, Manna Francis really knows how to build a dystopian world. The first story, Innocent Blood, focuses on Toreth going to America to solve a case and this North America is an interesting take of a dystopic view of USA you barely get to see on other kind of books of the genre. A north america deep in christianity, thus with a lot of conservative ideas and where women have no power over themselves. Just a conservative party wet dream, right?. So, I liked how Toreth explores this foreign country and we get to see the differences between America and New London, also get to know a bit more about New London's history.
Then we have Weekend Plans, which is basically about Sara, Warwick, and Toreth's weekend. Is great to see Sara little by little overcome her trauma after the incident at I&I with Carnac. There's some business Warwick has to attend to, meanwhile we have a Toreth changing the wallpaper of his room. A thing I liked about this book regarding Toreth and Warwick's relationship is how the few interactions they had they were suffice to show us how at ease they are with eachother living in the same place.
Then Constellation of Falling Stars. At first i didn't know what was i reading, then I started For Your Entertainment and understood it was a prologue to the case leaded by B-C. This is another piece of worldbuilding from the point of view of the entretainment industry. It totally seems plausible in a social structure like New London and i believe Manna Francis got inspired by Korean and Japanese idol culture when he created the 434 band. I found many parallels to the way the artists are controled by their managers. I'm not very fond of B-C but i liked this short story and it was nice to see things in his POV, the difference with Toreth's is evident.
And let me tell you, Manna Francis really knows how to build a dystopian world. The first story, Innocent Blood, focuses on Toreth going to America to solve a case and this North America is an interesting take of a dystopic view of USA you barely get to see on other kind of books of the genre. A north america deep in christianity, thus with a lot of conservative ideas and where women have no power over themselves. Just a conservative party wet dream, right?. So, I liked how Toreth explores this foreign country and we get to see the differences between America and New London, also get to know a bit more about New London's history.
Then we have Weekend Plans, which is basically about Sara, Warwick, and Toreth's weekend. Is great to see Sara little by little overcome her trauma after the incident at I&I with Carnac. There's some business Warwick has to attend to, meanwhile we have a Toreth changing the wallpaper of his room. A thing I liked about this book regarding Toreth and Warwick's relationship is how the few interactions they had they were suffice to show us how at ease they are with eachother living in the same place.
Then Constellation of Falling Stars. At first i didn't know what was i reading, then I started For Your Entertainment and understood it was a prologue to the case leaded by B-C. This is another piece of worldbuilding from the point of view of the entretainment industry. It totally seems plausible in a social structure like New London and i believe Manna Francis got inspired by Korean and Japanese idol culture when he created the 434 band. I found many parallels to the way the artists are controled by their managers. I'm not very fond of B-C but i liked this short story and it was nice to see things in his POV, the difference with Toreth's is evident.
June 2, 2015
i'm not even feeling guilty to rate it 5 stars, it's to be expected from Manna Francis, and it's out the 1st july, the best birthday gift ever (even though my birthday is 18 days later, but who's complaining)
isn't life beautiful ?
isn't life beautiful ?
Want to read
June 3, 2015Ahahaha!!! Best birthday present EVER! Can't wait!
December 9, 2016
Damn it's so good to read Manna Francis again--really enjoyed the first story--I had read the shorts when published on Manna Francis's website--never got into the last stories--
May 18, 2024
Like some of the reviewers have said, this volume focuses more on word-building than on the relationship, so, if you dive into this book expecting quality time with Toreth & Warrick, you'd be disappointed. Fortunately, I lowered my expectations and was surprised to find that the first two stories did spend some page-space updating us on how Toreth was coping with his new 'domestic bliss' with Warrick, and how they managed to squeeze some play time into their busy schedule. Also, I found the main mystery plot quite entertaining, as I've always loved the way Manna weaves word-building into the mystery. The third one is a teaser to the fourth story about how young talents are exploited by corporations under the Administration regime which I skipped because I was not in the mood for reading B-C's first person narrative voice, and I couldn't wait to move on to the final book.
One of my favourite scenes: (forgive me, I'm twisted)
“Why on earth do you do it?” Warrick asked.
Exhaustion made him tactless and the spiking headache put a petulant edge on his voice. “Why the fuck do you think? Because I might feel like shit now, but I fucked three guys—four—oh, Christ knows. But it was fun.” His tongue felt thick and uncooperative. “What the hell has it got to do with you, anyway?”
“Normally, nothing. You’re free to abuse your body in any way you see fit. And mine too, of course.” The sheet over him shifted and Toreth tensed for a moment until Warrick’s hand stroked gently and hotly up his inner thigh. He must’ve warmed it on the mug. “If you can manage to squeeze me onto your busy schedule,” Warrick added.
One of my favourite scenes: (forgive me, I'm twisted)
“Why on earth do you do it?” Warrick asked.
Exhaustion made him tactless and the spiking headache put a petulant edge on his voice. “Why the fuck do you think? Because I might feel like shit now, but I fucked three guys—four—oh, Christ knows. But it was fun.” His tongue felt thick and uncooperative. “What the hell has it got to do with you, anyway?”
“Normally, nothing. You’re free to abuse your body in any way you see fit. And mine too, of course.” The sheet over him shifted and Toreth tensed for a moment until Warrick’s hand stroked gently and hotly up his inner thigh. He must’ve warmed it on the mug. “If you can manage to squeeze me onto your busy schedule,” Warrick added.
January 27, 2023
I loved the part with Toreth, but the second part just wasn't all that interesting.
I always thought that the Administration is super messed up. But wow, America in that world is also very messed up. In fact, I would not want to live there as a woman. Women are hardly considered citizens I think. Men have absolute control. The saddest part is that I bet there are people right now living who think that would be a more than an OK way to treat women.
Although there wasn't all that much of Warrick, but I still loved that part of the story. I wonder if Warrick ever finds out about the wallpaper :D
I wasn't really interested in the story about the pop stars. There were moments like when Toreth was there and I got my hopes up, then he was off doing others things.
I always thought that the Administration is super messed up. But wow, America in that world is also very messed up. In fact, I would not want to live there as a woman. Women are hardly considered citizens I think. Men have absolute control. The saddest part is that I bet there are people right now living who think that would be a more than an OK way to treat women.
Although there wasn't all that much of Warrick, but I still loved that part of the story. I wonder if Warrick ever finds out about the wallpaper :D
I wasn't really interested in the story about the pop stars. There were moments like when Toreth was there and I got my hopes up, then he was off doing others things.
March 7, 2016
I'm a bit torn about this book. On the one hand this is a book by Manna Francis and that woman knows her shit. It's good writing - what can I say?
On the other hand I wanted more Warrick but there was only a tiny little glimpse in how the relationship works out.
The rest was super-interesting with regard to world-building (and that is so, so good!) but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I knew there were more to come from this universe.
Regardless, this author stays on auto-buy for me. So, dear Manna Francis, please write more books.
On the other hand I wanted more Warrick but there was only a tiny little glimpse in how the relationship works out.
The rest was super-interesting with regard to world-building (and that is so, so good!) but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I knew there were more to come from this universe.
Regardless, this author stays on auto-buy for me. So, dear Manna Francis, please write more books.
January 8, 2019
“Well, you can get a long way if you keep in mind that the Founding Fathers Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed this is a Christian country, established on Christian principles, and that’s how our laws are framed.”
Unfortunate that Toreth’s knowledge of Christianity was more or less limited to expressing feelings like, “Jesus fucking Christ, this case is a pain in the arse.”
Unfortunate that Toreth’s knowledge of Christianity was more or less limited to expressing feelings like, “Jesus fucking Christ, this case is a pain in the arse.”
July 28, 2015
Too much anticipation + too little Warwick = not the book I really wanted, sadly. The stars are mostly for "Innocent Blood" and "Weekend Plans". I liked the B-C story well enough but not enough to make up for the Warwick shortfall.
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