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Grimm (Novels) #1
Grimm: The Icy Touch
The first original novel to tie-in with the hit US show inspired by the Grimm Brothers' classic fairy tales.
There once was a man who lived a life so strange, it had to be true. Only he could see what no one else can: the darkness inside, the real monster within. And he’s the one who must stop them..
This is his calling. This is his duty. This is the life of a Grimm.
When a torched body is found in an underground tunnel, Portland Police Captain Sean Renard takes one look at the victim’s burned claws and assigns the case to homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin. They soon discover that a international crime cartel named Le Touche Givre (The Icy Touch) is threatening Wesen into joining their illegal drug-smuggling operation, and brutally murdering those who refuse.
As they close in on the cartel, Nick begins to realise that their charismatic and dangerous leader is just as intent on tracking him down...
There once was a man who lived a life so strange, it had to be true. Only he could see what no one else can: the darkness inside, the real monster within. And he’s the one who must stop them..
This is his calling. This is his duty. This is the life of a Grimm.
When a torched body is found in an underground tunnel, Portland Police Captain Sean Renard takes one look at the victim’s burned claws and assigns the case to homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin. They soon discover that a international crime cartel named Le Touche Givre (The Icy Touch) is threatening Wesen into joining their illegal drug-smuggling operation, and brutally murdering those who refuse.
As they close in on the cartel, Nick begins to realise that their charismatic and dangerous leader is just as intent on tracking him down...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
116 people are currently reading
1407 people want to read
About the author
John Shirley
158 books464 followersJohn Shirley won the Bram Stoker Award for his story collection Black Butterflies, and is the author of numerous novels, including the best-seller DEMONS, the cyberpunk classics CITY COME A-WALKIN', ECLIPSE, and BLACK GLASS, and his newest novels STORMLAND and A SORCERER OF ATLANTIS.
He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
He is also a screenwriter, having written for television and movies; he was co-screenwriter of THE CROW. He has been several Year's Best anthologies including Prime Books' THE YEAR'S BEST DARK FANTASY AND HORROR anthology, and his nwest story collection is IN EXTREMIS: THE MOST EXTREME SHORT STORIES OF JOHN SHIRLEY. His novel BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE telling the story of the creation and undoing of Rapture, from the hit videogame BIOSHOCK is out from TOR books; his Halo novel, HALO: BROKEN CIRCLE is coming out from Pocket Books.
His most recent novels are STORMLAND and (forthcoming) AXLE BUST CREEK. His new story collection is THE FEVERISH STARS. STORMLAND and other John Shirley novels are available as audiobooks.
He is also a lyricist, having written lyrics for 18 songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult (especially on their albums Heaven Forbidden and Curse of the Hidden Mirror), and his own recordings.
John Shirley has written only one nonfiction book, GURDJIEFF: AN INTRODUCTION TO HIS LIFE AND IDEAS, published by Penguin/Jeremy Tarcher.
John Shirley story collections include BLACK BUTTERFLIES, IN EXTREMIS, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY WEIRD STORIES, and LIVING SHADOWS.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 5, 2014
The rating I'm forced to give here breaks my heart...
I saw the other reviews and ratings on this book but decided to give it a shot. If you belong to the Action Adventure Group you may have dropped by the Grimm thread. if you have you may know that while I don't watch a lot of TV I'm a huge fan of Grimm. It is in my opinion a great program.
Now we have some books released by NBC to capitalize on the success of the series.
They might want to realize that for the books to sell...and keep selling they need to be, well readable.
Have you ever listened to a piece of music you know well, but performed by a "different" artist (or different artists) and it starts out just enough off key to set your teeth on edge, then it goes down hill?
That's the way this book is.
Look, I wanted to like this book...really. I like the idea of being able to get a sort of "Grimm fix" between programs in novel form. In a novel the background can be explored more, details can be brought out. BUT they need to be in line with the story-line in the series.
The story here is just off. It's not a huge chasm of difference, but it's a jagged ditch difference. The characters aren't the people we know...at all. They don't react the same, they don't sound the same as they "speak". The book starts out not "ringing true" and slides into totally alien territory.
I'm sorry. This is not Grimm.
I bought the first 2 novels (there are only 2 out for now) and the second is by a different writer. I hope he has famillarized himself more with the subject matter of the book than Mr. Shirley did. Hopefully it's only that this is the first of the Grimm novelizations and they will get better.
This book was more and more difficult for me to read. I kept slogging along set on reading through it. I made it about 3/4s of the way before I finally through in the towel. The last sentence I read before setting it aside was:
"Where's Rosealee at?"
He not only tried to destroy the characters I like, he tried to destroy the English language.
I saw the other reviews and ratings on this book but decided to give it a shot. If you belong to the Action Adventure Group you may have dropped by the Grimm thread. if you have you may know that while I don't watch a lot of TV I'm a huge fan of Grimm. It is in my opinion a great program.
Now we have some books released by NBC to capitalize on the success of the series.
They might want to realize that for the books to sell...and keep selling they need to be, well readable.
Have you ever listened to a piece of music you know well, but performed by a "different" artist (or different artists) and it starts out just enough off key to set your teeth on edge, then it goes down hill?
That's the way this book is.
Look, I wanted to like this book...really. I like the idea of being able to get a sort of "Grimm fix" between programs in novel form. In a novel the background can be explored more, details can be brought out. BUT they need to be in line with the story-line in the series.
The story here is just off. It's not a huge chasm of difference, but it's a jagged ditch difference. The characters aren't the people we know...at all. They don't react the same, they don't sound the same as they "speak". The book starts out not "ringing true" and slides into totally alien territory.
I'm sorry. This is not Grimm.
I bought the first 2 novels (there are only 2 out for now) and the second is by a different writer. I hope he has famillarized himself more with the subject matter of the book than Mr. Shirley did. Hopefully it's only that this is the first of the Grimm novelizations and they will get better.
This book was more and more difficult for me to read. I kept slogging along set on reading through it. I made it about 3/4s of the way before I finally through in the towel. The last sentence I read before setting it aside was:
"Where's Rosealee at?"
He not only tried to destroy the characters I like, he tried to destroy the English language.
March 9, 2018
I rarely know how to rate or review the TV shows based books. All I can say is that I really liked the show. I loved, loved the characters (except Juliette, but it's normal to have a couple of those too).
If I can think of what to say about this, I'll come back and review it properly.
For now, I'll leave it at I liked it.
If I can think of what to say about this, I'll come back and review it properly.
For now, I'll leave it at I liked it.
March 27, 2014
Let me start by listing the good thing about this book.
1. The plot of the story was good.
That's it! That is the ONLY good thing I can possibly think of to say about it.
Now for the BAD! (There are quite a few bad things I had issues with, so bear with me.)
1. Grammar
The author has a very poor understanding of grammar and construction of sentences including punctuation. I would have thought his editor would have corrected his errors, but NO! If it had been one, two or a few errors, I could have overlooked it. No, I'm talking about the entire book being written that way. If that is considered to be his "style" of writing, then he has a HORRIBLE style of writing. There were fragmented sentences ( i.e. Something serious.), run on sentences (i.e. He snarled, hands balling into fists, he started to woge—but rough scaly fingers jerked his prison shirt up from behind and, before he could turn, fangs sank into the meat of his back, between his shoulder blades.), incorrect use of different types of punctuation (i.e. see previous example) and misuse of quotation marks when indicating someone was speaking (i.e. there was a large section where Monroe was speaking to Rosalee and he didn't bother to put any quotation marks).
2. Portrayal of Characters
The author obviously doesn't watch the series because the characters' personalities were not like the ones in the series we've all come to know and love. The women of the book are all pretty much portrayed as second classed citizens. That is, when they are even mentioned in the book, which isn't very often. Below are just a few characteristics I had issue with in the portrayal.
3. Timeline of events
I couldn't tell exactly when this story was supposed to take place.
These are just a few things I had issues with in this book. Other than the plot of the story having potential if told by a different author, it's a HORRIBLE book, especially if you are an avid fan of the show. If you've never seen the show, you might enjoy it if you can get past the grammatical errors.
1. The plot of the story was good.
That's it! That is the ONLY good thing I can possibly think of to say about it.
Now for the BAD! (There are quite a few bad things I had issues with, so bear with me.)
1. Grammar
The author has a very poor understanding of grammar and construction of sentences including punctuation. I would have thought his editor would have corrected his errors, but NO! If it had been one, two or a few errors, I could have overlooked it. No, I'm talking about the entire book being written that way. If that is considered to be his "style" of writing, then he has a HORRIBLE style of writing. There were fragmented sentences ( i.e. Something serious.), run on sentences (i.e. He snarled, hands balling into fists, he started to woge—but rough scaly fingers jerked his prison shirt up from behind and, before he could turn, fangs sank into the meat of his back, between his shoulder blades.), incorrect use of different types of punctuation (i.e. see previous example) and misuse of quotation marks when indicating someone was speaking (i.e. there was a large section where Monroe was speaking to Rosalee and he didn't bother to put any quotation marks).
2. Portrayal of Characters
The author obviously doesn't watch the series because the characters' personalities were not like the ones in the series we've all come to know and love. The women of the book are all pretty much portrayed as second classed citizens. That is, when they are even mentioned in the book, which isn't very often. Below are just a few characteristics I had issue with in the portrayal.
3. Timeline of events
I couldn't tell exactly when this story was supposed to take place.
These are just a few things I had issues with in this book. Other than the plot of the story having potential if told by a different author, it's a HORRIBLE book, especially if you are an avid fan of the show. If you've never seen the show, you might enjoy it if you can get past the grammatical errors.
April 20, 2017
I had hoped this novel would fill the Grimm-sized hole in my heart following the series finale, but alas I was mistaken. While it began with a Napoleon flashback, the stuff I live for, that proved to be the highlight. Unfortunately I felt like this adaptation from screen to page missed a good deal of the tone of the show and the characterization of some of the main players was very uneven. I was further disappointed to see that while the author managed to tell me exactly what sort of gun was being used at every point, he could not find a way to better integrate Rosalee and Juliette into the plot. It was more like reading a stereotypical drug cartel story (yawn) than experiencing a fantastical Grimm episode.
September 30, 2015
There’s a new threat in Portland – the Icy Touch, a criminal cartel made entirely out of brutal Wesen. The leader of which has a long standing grudge against Nick and his family
But how can the police face a criminal gang when they cannot be told about the wesen? And how can Nick fight as a Grimm when he is also bound by his work as a cop – and his own fear of what he is becoming?
This is a book based on a TV series which means it’s pretty much impossible to read it without contrasting to its source material. Not only that, I don’t think it’s intended for us to do so – especially with Grimm having so many seasons of world building and character development means that I don’t think you could read any of these books without having watched the show. There’s too much to recap and include to make this book stand alone
Though, I will say this book does a decent job of trying (albeit not very well) but I think it would be much smoother if it just expected all of its readers to watch the show – because I found some of the elements to make it stand alone to be… off. Like Nick can see Wesen as Wesen, including their type, even when they’re not woged which is a bit of a deviation. There’s also a lot more emphasis on some weird Grimm instincts. I did like how they managed to greatly explore the conflict between Nick the cop (often through Hank’s eyes) and Nick the Grimm. How he is often stepping outside the law and a lot of unsanctioned violence. This also couples with his own moral conflict since his actions are not only not ok for a cop, but are generally not acceptable anyway. I also liked how there was more of Juliette’s discomfort and distrust being analysed than we’ve really seen on the show
So, there are elements of moving above and beyond the show that do work and why have books of the show if you’re not going to develop them further?
However, I mainly think the adaption failed. There are some elements like Nick’s new powers that were just wrong.
But the most jarring to me is the voice of every character. All of them sound wrong to me. Hank sounds extremely whiny. Sergeant Wu has been written by someone with much less sense of humour but is still desperately trying to force his wit – so he keeps popping in, making bad jokes, then going away. But the worst are Renard – who is grossly autocratic and high handed and alien to everything on the show. And Monroe who… just bemuses me. This is not Monroe. It doesn’t even come close to resembling Monroe. My gods why would anyone write Monroe like this?!
This means that Monroe’s conflicts over being a Blutbad and his morality all kind of fall flat as well because I just can’t connect them to the character because his characterisation is just so terrible.
Read More
But how can the police face a criminal gang when they cannot be told about the wesen? And how can Nick fight as a Grimm when he is also bound by his work as a cop – and his own fear of what he is becoming?
This is a book based on a TV series which means it’s pretty much impossible to read it without contrasting to its source material. Not only that, I don’t think it’s intended for us to do so – especially with Grimm having so many seasons of world building and character development means that I don’t think you could read any of these books without having watched the show. There’s too much to recap and include to make this book stand alone
Though, I will say this book does a decent job of trying (albeit not very well) but I think it would be much smoother if it just expected all of its readers to watch the show – because I found some of the elements to make it stand alone to be… off. Like Nick can see Wesen as Wesen, including their type, even when they’re not woged which is a bit of a deviation. There’s also a lot more emphasis on some weird Grimm instincts. I did like how they managed to greatly explore the conflict between Nick the cop (often through Hank’s eyes) and Nick the Grimm. How he is often stepping outside the law and a lot of unsanctioned violence. This also couples with his own moral conflict since his actions are not only not ok for a cop, but are generally not acceptable anyway. I also liked how there was more of Juliette’s discomfort and distrust being analysed than we’ve really seen on the show
So, there are elements of moving above and beyond the show that do work and why have books of the show if you’re not going to develop them further?
However, I mainly think the adaption failed. There are some elements like Nick’s new powers that were just wrong.
But the most jarring to me is the voice of every character. All of them sound wrong to me. Hank sounds extremely whiny. Sergeant Wu has been written by someone with much less sense of humour but is still desperately trying to force his wit – so he keeps popping in, making bad jokes, then going away. But the worst are Renard – who is grossly autocratic and high handed and alien to everything on the show. And Monroe who… just bemuses me. This is not Monroe. It doesn’t even come close to resembling Monroe. My gods why would anyone write Monroe like this?!
This means that Monroe’s conflicts over being a Blutbad and his morality all kind of fall flat as well because I just can’t connect them to the character because his characterisation is just so terrible.
Read More
June 26, 2014
I really loved this book! I started watching the tv series a few weeks ago and have enjoyed watching it. Can't wait to read the next book!
February 10, 2016
3.75 stars. Enjoyable read, like an extended episode but marred by some moments when character voices don't feel right. Otherwise fairly good.
August 30, 2018
I don't think I've really mentioned it here, since this blog is for books and not shows, but I really love Grimm. Enough that I've watched it twice and I introduced my brother to it. So when I (very belatedly) realised that there were novels to accompany the TV series, I decided to pick it up.
The Icy Touch is set sometime after season two of Grimm - after the Coins, after Juliette has recovered her memories and Hank is aware of the Wesen world. Captain Renard notices that the victim of the latest 'weird' murder is a Drang Zorn and gets Nick and Hank to investigate. But obviously, this is no ordinary Wesen murder and Nick and Hank quickly get pulled into a centuries-old feud and a Wesen criminal ring.
Now, I read this after finishing the whole series so I'm probably a bit biased, but this is what I liked:
First, being able to find out more about Monroe. Monroe is one of my favourite characters and I appreciated the chance to learn more of his backstory and why he's a reformed Blutbad.
Second, knowing more about the history of the Grimms. There are short interludes which take place in the past and it was cool seeing the Grimms of history.
Third, the relative absence of Juliette. Sorry, but I'm not a Juliette fan.
That said, some things were weird. Hank was actually quite irritating in the book, with his inability to understand how the Wesen world works. I mean, Renard was actually more helpful and reasonable compared to him and that's saying a lot. He's still got Nick's back, though, and I guess that's what's important.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was a short and easy read, and there was enough of a cliffhanger (or perhaps it was a reference to Diana? But that would be quite off the mark) that I'm interested in reading Book 2 of the series.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
The Icy Touch is set sometime after season two of Grimm - after the Coins, after Juliette has recovered her memories and Hank is aware of the Wesen world. Captain Renard notices that the victim of the latest 'weird' murder is a Drang Zorn and gets Nick and Hank to investigate. But obviously, this is no ordinary Wesen murder and Nick and Hank quickly get pulled into a centuries-old feud and a Wesen criminal ring.
Now, I read this after finishing the whole series so I'm probably a bit biased, but this is what I liked:
First, being able to find out more about Monroe. Monroe is one of my favourite characters and I appreciated the chance to learn more of his backstory and why he's a reformed Blutbad.
Second, knowing more about the history of the Grimms. There are short interludes which take place in the past and it was cool seeing the Grimms of history.
Third, the relative absence of Juliette. Sorry, but I'm not a Juliette fan.
That said, some things were weird. Hank was actually quite irritating in the book, with his inability to understand how the Wesen world works. I mean, Renard was actually more helpful and reasonable compared to him and that's saying a lot. He's still got Nick's back, though, and I guess that's what's important.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was a short and easy read, and there was enough of a cliffhanger (or perhaps it was a reference to Diana? But that would be quite off the mark) that I'm interested in reading Book 2 of the series.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
February 11, 2014
I stopped reading this at 100 pages and decided to skim the rest in case there was anything good to come. (There wasn't.) By page 100, I was sick of the bad characterization and the constant use of ellipses. (Where in the hell was this "author's" editor? Asleep at the printing press, or the computer screen, apparently.) At page 100, I realized that the "author" didn't know the characters at all. I guess, writing this "novelized fanfiction" stuff might be a "hard sell", especially when it comes to us loyal fans who have been getting to know the characters since day one, episode one. Loyal fans KNOW when a characters is acting out of character. (Sometimes, it's just better to go with actual fanfiction, if you can find any that's more attuned to the show's version of characters.)
As it was, I had a hard enough time focusing on the prologue, which is set in 18-something in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and a German Grimm named Kessler (where Nick can apparently trace his line), but I kept with it, thinking that it was good to have some background (which we don't really get on the show except via the books kept by Nick's Grimm ancestors). It was okay, it introduced the use of the Coins and Kessler's apparently awful mercy of letting the son of Denswoz, a Wesen (can't recall what kind) live—because this son vowed revenge on all Grimms—after killing the father.
Cut to the present. Or rather, an alternate reality Portland, where Nick is some "super Grimm" who has "magical powers" that are never stated or explored on the show, where he can "sense" when an ordinary looking person is actually Wesen, and "goes red" with that "Grimm instinct" to kill all of any kind of Wesen. (These are quotes or paraphrased quotes from the book.) Not to mention, he's also some rabid borderline serial killer, inventing police related emergencies so he can explore underground tunnels and randomly kill Wesen who might happen to attack. This Nick also insists that Monroe, who might happen to be in the underground tunnel with him and Hank, "woge" and put himself in imminent danger and expose himself to a Wesen-only organized crime syndicate known as "The Icy Touch".... (the ellipses are basically ripped straight from the book, either for "dramatic pause" or just the author's lack of passion for the story-telling, I'm not exactly sure).
Then there's Hank, who, at one point, argues viciously and passionately with Renard about letting the FBI in on the secret world of Wesen, so that "they know what they are dealing with" (because "The Icy Touch" organization is all about Wesen-on-Wesen violence and murder, especially when it comes to those coerced Wesen unwilling to help out when asked so politely). The whole time I was reading this section, I noticed that Nick was eerily silent, except for brief protestations at the beginning of the argument that exposing the Wesen world is unwise.
(The plot is set sometime in Season 2/Season 3, pretty much glossing over the fact that Juliette was in a coma and that Hank got his hasty initiation into the world of Wesen. Juliette also apparently "knows" about Wesen, but she and Nick are not back to being a couple; it's implied they are still living apart and not connected MAINLY because of "Nick's lying to Juliette about his 'Grimm powers'" [again, paraphrasing from the ACTUAL PLOT]. Not even to mention that there's an awkward scene between Nick and Juliette at some cafe again glossing over their disconnection, yet mentioning a necklace that Juliette happens to be wearing, a CAT pendent that Nick apparently gave her because of her "SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF SAVING A CAT". I'm sorry, but I'm absolutely NOT buying this. At the end of Season 1, Juliette is scratched by Adelind's cat and falls into a coma, where she loses all of her memories of Nick. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL SHE WOULD HAVE A PENDENT OF A CAT, LET ALONE THAT NICK ACTUALLY GAVE IT TO HER.)
Anyway, back to the Hank-Renard argument. It was absolutely insane and way beyond anything that would ever come out of Hank's mouth regarding the Wesen world. Hank, even still in Season Three, defaults to Nick or even Renard when it comes to how to handle anything Wesen—anything he considers unknown. There's a point in the argument when Hank threatens to resign over Renard's decision to keep the FBI "in the dark" over the whole Wesen/woge thing. That would never happen, at least, not at a point when Hank has barely more than found out about the Wesen world. At that point, he's still pretty freaked out himself, and still thinking himself almost "crazy" for believing in it, so how could he do a complete 180 and try to convince others that it's "all real"? Not buying it.
The absolute last straw for me was the point when Monroe flips out over Rosalee's well-being after an offhand comment from Nick. Instead of calling Rosalee on, say, his cellphone, Monroe runs off dramatically and histrionically in his truck (which, in the show, he doesn't drive a truck, he drives a vintage yellow Beetle looking car) to the spice shop to make certain Rosalee hasn't been attacked by The Icy Touch....
After that, I skimmed the book. At some point, after some early cryptic chapter where Monroe is spying on some fatherless family, the teenage daughter of this family is kidnapped by The Icy Touch.... and then, much later on, Nick is suspended pending an IAB investigation for, likely, his underground tunnel killing spree, and ends up at some bar off the beaten path. He's attacked by Wesen from The Icy Touch... and kidnapped and imprisoned and intended to be killed by a direct descendant of Denswoz (the Wesen that Kessler let live all those many years ago) in some ritual.
Well, that doesn't happen. Nick escapes, Hank and Renard find him, and teenage girl and eventually Nick kills more Wesen. And somewhere after that Juliette starts to warm up to Nick for some reason.
Really, it's a god awful read. The writing itself isn't bad but the characterization is so off that it will make any loyal fan sick. Read at your own risk.
As it was, I had a hard enough time focusing on the prologue, which is set in 18-something in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte and a German Grimm named Kessler (where Nick can apparently trace his line), but I kept with it, thinking that it was good to have some background (which we don't really get on the show except via the books kept by Nick's Grimm ancestors). It was okay, it introduced the use of the Coins and Kessler's apparently awful mercy of letting the son of Denswoz, a Wesen (can't recall what kind) live—because this son vowed revenge on all Grimms—after killing the father.
Cut to the present. Or rather, an alternate reality Portland, where Nick is some "super Grimm" who has "magical powers" that are never stated or explored on the show, where he can "sense" when an ordinary looking person is actually Wesen, and "goes red" with that "Grimm instinct" to kill all of any kind of Wesen. (These are quotes or paraphrased quotes from the book.) Not to mention, he's also some rabid borderline serial killer, inventing police related emergencies so he can explore underground tunnels and randomly kill Wesen who might happen to attack. This Nick also insists that Monroe, who might happen to be in the underground tunnel with him and Hank, "woge" and put himself in imminent danger and expose himself to a Wesen-only organized crime syndicate known as "The Icy Touch".... (the ellipses are basically ripped straight from the book, either for "dramatic pause" or just the author's lack of passion for the story-telling, I'm not exactly sure).
Then there's Hank, who, at one point, argues viciously and passionately with Renard about letting the FBI in on the secret world of Wesen, so that "they know what they are dealing with" (because "The Icy Touch" organization is all about Wesen-on-Wesen violence and murder, especially when it comes to those coerced Wesen unwilling to help out when asked so politely). The whole time I was reading this section, I noticed that Nick was eerily silent, except for brief protestations at the beginning of the argument that exposing the Wesen world is unwise.
(The plot is set sometime in Season 2/Season 3, pretty much glossing over the fact that Juliette was in a coma and that Hank got his hasty initiation into the world of Wesen. Juliette also apparently "knows" about Wesen, but she and Nick are not back to being a couple; it's implied they are still living apart and not connected MAINLY because of "Nick's lying to Juliette about his 'Grimm powers'" [again, paraphrasing from the ACTUAL PLOT]. Not even to mention that there's an awkward scene between Nick and Juliette at some cafe again glossing over their disconnection, yet mentioning a necklace that Juliette happens to be wearing, a CAT pendent that Nick apparently gave her because of her "SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF SAVING A CAT". I'm sorry, but I'm absolutely NOT buying this. At the end of Season 1, Juliette is scratched by Adelind's cat and falls into a coma, where she loses all of her memories of Nick. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL SHE WOULD HAVE A PENDENT OF A CAT, LET ALONE THAT NICK ACTUALLY GAVE IT TO HER.)
Anyway, back to the Hank-Renard argument. It was absolutely insane and way beyond anything that would ever come out of Hank's mouth regarding the Wesen world. Hank, even still in Season Three, defaults to Nick or even Renard when it comes to how to handle anything Wesen—anything he considers unknown. There's a point in the argument when Hank threatens to resign over Renard's decision to keep the FBI "in the dark" over the whole Wesen/woge thing. That would never happen, at least, not at a point when Hank has barely more than found out about the Wesen world. At that point, he's still pretty freaked out himself, and still thinking himself almost "crazy" for believing in it, so how could he do a complete 180 and try to convince others that it's "all real"? Not buying it.
The absolute last straw for me was the point when Monroe flips out over Rosalee's well-being after an offhand comment from Nick. Instead of calling Rosalee on, say, his cellphone, Monroe runs off dramatically and histrionically in his truck (which, in the show, he doesn't drive a truck, he drives a vintage yellow Beetle looking car) to the spice shop to make certain Rosalee hasn't been attacked by The Icy Touch....
After that, I skimmed the book. At some point, after some early cryptic chapter where Monroe is spying on some fatherless family, the teenage daughter of this family is kidnapped by The Icy Touch.... and then, much later on, Nick is suspended pending an IAB investigation for, likely, his underground tunnel killing spree, and ends up at some bar off the beaten path. He's attacked by Wesen from The Icy Touch... and kidnapped and imprisoned and intended to be killed by a direct descendant of Denswoz (the Wesen that Kessler let live all those many years ago) in some ritual.
Well, that doesn't happen. Nick escapes, Hank and Renard find him, and teenage girl and eventually Nick kills more Wesen. And somewhere after that Juliette starts to warm up to Nick for some reason.
Really, it's a god awful read. The writing itself isn't bad but the characterization is so off that it will make any loyal fan sick. Read at your own risk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
As a HUGE fan of the TV Series, I immersed myself in this book to manage my Grimm withdrawals after watching the final episode ever. I did enjoy this book and I found I was able to relive the series and the characters. What I loved most was the historical backstory taking us back to the Grimm’s ancestors which we didn’t get to see on TV. The underlying storyline of the Grimm being the centrepiece in a world of kersheite and wesen however I found the dialogue was different than what I was used to on TV – I found some of the way the characters conversed in the book was very different from the TV but you have to expect that when you read a novel that is inspired by TV and film (and vice versa). I enjoyed the story – the mystery – the action.. I don’t believe this book ruins anything if anything it helps you enjoy the Grimm story a little differently.
- Annie
- Annie
March 19, 2017
Taking 6 weeks to read a book must be a new record for me, and that was after skip reading the last third of it just to get it out of the way. So what was wrong with it? Basically it committed the cardinal sin of being boring.
A lot of that comes down to the plot - if you are a fan of the Grimm TV series you know that a Wesen - based criminal gang that needs to be taken down is a plot that's been used many times. This book is the equivalent of a filler episode - nothing wrong with that per se, but nothing we need to spend much time on either.
When you have so few books written around a TV series you like, it's a shame that something as dull as this is the one to get published. Books set in a TV or film universe needs to show us something different, and this doesn't manage it.
A lot of that comes down to the plot - if you are a fan of the Grimm TV series you know that a Wesen - based criminal gang that needs to be taken down is a plot that's been used many times. This book is the equivalent of a filler episode - nothing wrong with that per se, but nothing we need to spend much time on either.
When you have so few books written around a TV series you like, it's a shame that something as dull as this is the one to get published. Books set in a TV or film universe needs to show us something different, and this doesn't manage it.
February 23, 2018
This was the best of the Grimm Novels, and all of them were good. I wish there were more, because I would read them. With this book, the author sets up a not only a suspenseful modern day adventure, but also gives us some Grimm history. If you loved the shows, you'll love this book, and you won't be able to stop reading it until the last page.
April 23, 2021
I really enjoyed this. I’m not really big on mystery detective books. But it was very believable for going along with the tv snow. It was constant with action and the ending was the best part with them coming in and eliminating all of the Icy Touch. It was brutal and amazing.
My only complaint is I don’t think Juliet took Nick back like that. Aka at all.
My only complaint is I don’t think Juliet took Nick back like that. Aka at all.
February 28, 2024
I guess I’m just having a bad track record this year with reading books from TV shows I love 😭😭😭
FRTC
FRTC
February 1, 2014
I am only partly through the book but have several serious problems with it.
I don't consider this one a spoiler, since it's on the second page.
(5) I like to think the last name Grimm – like Carter or Smith – began as a job description (but whose meaning was forgotten by most), and therefore Wilhelm and Jacob were not mere inspiration, but actual Grimms. Regardless of the last names’ origins, Monroe said in the pilot ‘you guys began profiling us 200 years ago’ strongly implying , if not outright stating, that Wilhelm and Jacob were actual Grimms. But that last is more a pet peeve.
And I'm only on page 204. Yeesh.
That said, the author did some things right.
(1) Grammar. I haven't spotted anything wrong yet.
(2) The author brought home to me that while Monroe mostly makes being Weider look effortless, it really is a sacrifice, a struggle and a ceaseless temptation to chuck it aside.
(3) The author did do his research on Portland, regarding real stuff the police department was doing at the time (new cars and uniforms), and probably other stuff I don't know about. It's too bad he didn't do equal research on Grimm. Oops. This was supposed to be what he got right, or at least what I liked. And speaking of liked...
(4) I liked Lily being smart and (minor spoiler) .
(5) I liked Johann Kessler being merciful. Not all Grimms have genocidest tendencies, and Nick can't be the first decent one. It's just too bad they are all tarred with the same brush.
Regards,
J
I don't consider this one a spoiler, since it's on the second page.
(5) I like to think the last name Grimm – like Carter or Smith – began as a job description (but whose meaning was forgotten by most), and therefore Wilhelm and Jacob were not mere inspiration, but actual Grimms. Regardless of the last names’ origins, Monroe said in the pilot ‘you guys began profiling us 200 years ago’ strongly implying , if not outright stating, that Wilhelm and Jacob were actual Grimms. But that last is more a pet peeve.
And I'm only on page 204. Yeesh.
That said, the author did some things right.
(1) Grammar. I haven't spotted anything wrong yet.
(2) The author brought home to me that while Monroe mostly makes being Weider look effortless, it really is a sacrifice, a struggle and a ceaseless temptation to chuck it aside.
(3) The author did do his research on Portland, regarding real stuff the police department was doing at the time (new cars and uniforms), and probably other stuff I don't know about. It's too bad he didn't do equal research on Grimm. Oops. This was supposed to be what he got right, or at least what I liked. And speaking of liked...
(4) I liked Lily being smart and (minor spoiler) .
(5) I liked Johann Kessler being merciful. Not all Grimms have genocidest tendencies, and Nick can't be the first decent one. It's just too bad they are all tarred with the same brush.
Regards,
J
February 20, 2014
The overall plot is good, but the author got a lot of the details wrong. For example, he goes against established show canon in having the bad Wesen leader steal the coins from Nick's mom. The show has established that the coins were in her possession and there was never an issue with their security. That whole angle was a bunch of crap. I get why the author did it, but don't go against established canon just to make your story better.
Another of the incorrect details was Nick and Hank wearing suits to work. Really? Has the author never seen this show? Also, Hank's attitude in the book bugged me. If anyone has issues with keeping the two worlds, human and Wesen, separate, it's Nick, not Hank. That was just sloppy characterization, in my opinion.
Something else that I had a hard time with was where in the overall arc of the show this book fits. It's clearly not season one, as Hank and Juliette both know about Nick and about Wesen. But I don't remember the Captain revealing himself as a Hexenbiest in season two, so is this set during the current season? The part about Nick losing control of himself and going all "Grimm" on the dying suspect made me think this was at least post-zombie episode, as Nick seems to have less control of himself since his run in with the Cracher-Mortel, Baron Samedi. It's as if the author cherry picked ideas from various seasons and combined them in the plot for this novel.
I read the Kindle version of this book, so I don't know if the paperback has the same issues, but the Kindle edition has missing punctuation and it's glaringly obvious that the punctuation is missing. Does no one proofread their work anymore? That sort of thing drives me nuts because it says to me that the work was sloppily done to begin with.
I'm just glad this writer won't be writing the next Grimm series novel.
Another of the incorrect details was Nick and Hank wearing suits to work. Really? Has the author never seen this show? Also, Hank's attitude in the book bugged me. If anyone has issues with keeping the two worlds, human and Wesen, separate, it's Nick, not Hank. That was just sloppy characterization, in my opinion.
Something else that I had a hard time with was where in the overall arc of the show this book fits. It's clearly not season one, as Hank and Juliette both know about Nick and about Wesen. But I don't remember the Captain revealing himself as a Hexenbiest in season two, so is this set during the current season? The part about Nick losing control of himself and going all "Grimm" on the dying suspect made me think this was at least post-zombie episode, as Nick seems to have less control of himself since his run in with the Cracher-Mortel, Baron Samedi. It's as if the author cherry picked ideas from various seasons and combined them in the plot for this novel.
I read the Kindle version of this book, so I don't know if the paperback has the same issues, but the Kindle edition has missing punctuation and it's glaringly obvious that the punctuation is missing. Does no one proofread their work anymore? That sort of thing drives me nuts because it says to me that the work was sloppily done to begin with.
I'm just glad this writer won't be writing the next Grimm series novel.
Want to read
June 2, 2013i so love this show now we get a book series and there also a comic book series now as well :)
December 8, 2013
Characterizations are off, especially for Monroe & Burkhardt. I agree with a previous review, has the author even seen the show ?
November 20, 2013
I gave up. This book is just not good at all. Has the author even seen the series?
July 30, 2017
Dostal jsem se do strany 145, načež jsem se rozhodl zbytek jen prolistovat - na víc jsem neměl.
Jsem velký fanoušek Grimma, je to má srdcovka, ačkoliv lehce guilty pleasure. Každopádně když Grimm skončil, chtěl jsem víc, proto jsem si objednal z Bookdepository první dva díly trilogie doplňkových knih zasazené do známého příběhu, využívající všechny seriálové postavy, prostředí a Weseny. Proto nechápu proč mám dojem, že John Shirley viděl maximálně polovinu první série...
Postavy se chovají šíleně, téměř ničím nepřipomínají své seriálové originály. Zpočátku se to zdá být jen zlehka, tak snesitelně, ale každou stránku to narůstá, až do fáze kdy vám prostě přijdou jako mutantní odnože seriálových předchůdců. Pro pána krále, co to udělali s Monroem?!
Navíc se to velmi, velmi špatně čte. Autorův styl psaní je prapodivný, a ačkoliv se čtením v angličtině problémy nemám, v tomto případě jsem se každou stránkou musel téměř doslova prokousat. Postavy dostávají do úst neustále rádoby "Cool" slova, jež by normálně nikdy z pusy nevypustily.
Ve skutečnosti jediné části, kdy ta knížka funguje a baví, tak je při "flashbacích" do minulosti - ale dočkáme se toho jen v prologu a jedné krátké kapitole, bohužel. Přesto si myslím, že kdyby se rozhodli sepsat jakýsi prequel ke Grimmovi z určité historické etapy, bylo by to mnohem lepší. Bohužel, těch pár stránek, na nichž se do minulosti podíváme, nezachrání dojem z celé knížky.
Ani se mi do toho druhého dílu nechce, ale vzhledem k tomu, že autor je jiný, někdy v budoucnu to risknu. Teď ale potřebuju od Grimma pauzu, aby se mi nezprotivil i seriál.
Jsem velký fanoušek Grimma, je to má srdcovka, ačkoliv lehce guilty pleasure. Každopádně když Grimm skončil, chtěl jsem víc, proto jsem si objednal z Bookdepository první dva díly trilogie doplňkových knih zasazené do známého příběhu, využívající všechny seriálové postavy, prostředí a Weseny. Proto nechápu proč mám dojem, že John Shirley viděl maximálně polovinu první série...
Postavy se chovají šíleně, téměř ničím nepřipomínají své seriálové originály. Zpočátku se to zdá být jen zlehka, tak snesitelně, ale každou stránku to narůstá, až do fáze kdy vám prostě přijdou jako mutantní odnože seriálových předchůdců. Pro pána krále, co to udělali s Monroem?!
Navíc se to velmi, velmi špatně čte. Autorův styl psaní je prapodivný, a ačkoliv se čtením v angličtině problémy nemám, v tomto případě jsem se každou stránkou musel téměř doslova prokousat. Postavy dostávají do úst neustále rádoby "Cool" slova, jež by normálně nikdy z pusy nevypustily.
Ve skutečnosti jediné části, kdy ta knížka funguje a baví, tak je při "flashbacích" do minulosti - ale dočkáme se toho jen v prologu a jedné krátké kapitole, bohužel. Přesto si myslím, že kdyby se rozhodli sepsat jakýsi prequel ke Grimmovi z určité historické etapy, bylo by to mnohem lepší. Bohužel, těch pár stránek, na nichž se do minulosti podíváme, nezachrání dojem z celé knížky.
Ani se mi do toho druhého dílu nechce, ale vzhledem k tomu, že autor je jiný, někdy v budoucnu to risknu. Teď ale potřebuju od Grimma pauzu, aby se mi nezprotivil i seriál.
August 8, 2017
This is a 3.5-4 star read. As a HUGE fan of the TV Series, I immersed myself in this book to manage my Grimm withdrawals after watching the final episode ever. I did enjoy this book and I found I was able to relive the series and the characters. What I loved most was the historical backstory taking us back to the Grimm's ancestors which we didn't get to see on TV. The underlying storyline of the Grimm being the centrepiece in a world of kersheite and wesen however I found the dialogue was different than what I was used to on TV - I found some of the way the characters conversed in the book was very different from the TV but you have to expect that when you read a novel that is inspired by TV and film (and vice versa). I enjoyed the story - the mystery - the action.. I don't believe this book ruins anything if anything it helps you enjoy the Grimm story a little differently..
August 30, 2018
As much as I was looking forward to reading these novels based on the TV series Grimm, I was... somewhat disappointed. The story was interesting and fit the Grimm universe, but the characters sometimes felt a little out of character, compared to their TV counterparts. In addition, the novel got quite a few things wrong that were established in the series (such as the fact that male Hexenbiests are called Zauberbiests and not Hexenbiests) and - my personal pet peeve - I caught a number of spelling mistakes, such as 'breaches' instead of 'breeches' and 'too' instead of 'two'. It also took a long time for the story to really get going; it was rather slow in the beginning and it took me a lot of time to really get into it. I'm hoping the next novel, written by a different author, works better for me.
February 15, 2019
3.5/5
I actually really enjoyed this book! Despite it being adapted into a novel after the TV series was released, I feel like it still somewhat was able to rely the information of the storyline well and has me interested to watch the TV series. In saying that, I definitely feel like as the reader you were thrown into the deep end of this fantasy world without enough detailed explanation as to how things worked. The story also played into the trope that I hated, 'Police officer/detective who knows the most about the case is suspended and no longer allowed to work on the case and is then kidnapped,' which put a slight downer on it. Otherwise, very interesting story/concept that had me flying through this book.
I actually really enjoyed this book! Despite it being adapted into a novel after the TV series was released, I feel like it still somewhat was able to rely the information of the storyline well and has me interested to watch the TV series. In saying that, I definitely feel like as the reader you were thrown into the deep end of this fantasy world without enough detailed explanation as to how things worked. The story also played into the trope that I hated, 'Police officer/detective who knows the most about the case is suspended and no longer allowed to work on the case and is then kidnapped,' which put a slight downer on it. Otherwise, very interesting story/concept that had me flying through this book.
September 24, 2023
I LOVE the television series, and have seen it through more than once. When I saw the books, I purchased the first one and immediately began reading it. I started out with such high hopes, and was very quickly let down. The story is very slow moving and the character are stale. The interaction between the characters, human to human or human to wesen, is simply not believable. There is also a huge inaccuracy. About half way through, the author writes that Kelly Kessler married a Grimm by the name of Burkhardt. No, she doesn't. Kelly, Nick's mother, is the Grimm. I'm glad I didn't purchase all the books from the series, because I will definitely not be reading the next. Very disappointed.
March 20, 2020
No, just no.
I'm writing this before I've finished reading it because it's driving me crazy! I will finish it anyway but all of the 1-2 star reviews are correct, there is so much wrong with this book if you're a fan of the series.
There's things mentioned that come from later in the series than it appears to be set and yet it gets basic things wrong. The characters aren't recognisable, which to me is the most important thing.
The average fanfic writer puts far more effort into respecting characters (head canon may vary but at least they care), this felt phoned in.
I'm writing this before I've finished reading it because it's driving me crazy! I will finish it anyway but all of the 1-2 star reviews are correct, there is so much wrong with this book if you're a fan of the series.
There's things mentioned that come from later in the series than it appears to be set and yet it gets basic things wrong. The characters aren't recognisable, which to me is the most important thing.
The average fanfic writer puts far more effort into respecting characters (head canon may vary but at least they care), this felt phoned in.
February 2, 2018
I have to admit I was a little hesitant about reading this book because I liv3d the series so much and didn't want the book to destroy it, but I was wrong the book is a really good read the events appear to happen in between season 1 and Juliett knowing about the wesen. Great storyline and I loved the in between story of Nicks Grimm family tree and the wesen family tree it made for a very good twist.
March 8, 2020
Grimm Modern with Past History
A nice novelization of the tv series. Provides additional insight into Grimm history. Allows fans of the show to have further adventures. Deals with the origins of artifacts through various major historical events. Captures the partnership of Nick and Hank in a more complete way. A good book. Characters are well known to tv show fans. Alot of action. A story complete on it's own. I would recommend the book.
A nice novelization of the tv series. Provides additional insight into Grimm history. Allows fans of the show to have further adventures. Deals with the origins of artifacts through various major historical events. Captures the partnership of Nick and Hank in a more complete way. A good book. Characters are well known to tv show fans. Alot of action. A story complete on it's own. I would recommend the book.
April 1, 2023
I enjoyed this novel very much. It felt like an episode of Grimm and gave me the urge to rewatch the series.
Yes, there were a few mistakes here and there, but the characters were true to their nature which is portrayed in the tv series.
The story kept me nailed, and I loved how they give more information about the Grimm bloodline.
Yes, there were a few mistakes here and there, but the characters were true to their nature which is portrayed in the tv series.
The story kept me nailed, and I loved how they give more information about the Grimm bloodline.
January 9, 2018
Not a great book. I think I wouldn't have read it if I didn't know the show. Doesn't stick to the source material. Also, I thought I would start to scream if I'd read one more "with his Grimm abilities" or "his Grimm instincts"... I hope the next book will be better.
August 15, 2018
This was fine. It was fun to visit the Grimm universe again and I'll likely read the next book (The Chopping Block), which I already own.
This relies heavily on your knowledge -- and liking -- of the Grimm world, so it might not be best for those who didn't watch the show at least casually.
This relies heavily on your knowledge -- and liking -- of the Grimm world, so it might not be best for those who didn't watch the show at least casually.
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