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Grimm (Novels) #3
Grimm: The Killing Time
A mysterious creature stalks the streets of Portland, looking for a new identity. With one touch it can dissolve its victim, assuming their appearance, personality, and memories. When homicide detectives Nick Burkhardt and Hank Griffin are called in to investigate a bizarre murder, Nick comes face to face with the changeling, but its powers have an unexpected effect on the Grimm, unleashing a deadly Wesen plague and untold chaos.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
48 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
About the author
Tim Waggoner
282 books757 followersTim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then, he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He's written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, The X-Files, Alien, Doctor Who, Conan the Barbarian, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Grimm, and Transformers, among others, and he's written novelizations for films such as Ti West’s X-Trilogy, Halloween Kills, Terrifier 2 and 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He’s also the author of the award-winning guide to horror Writing in the Dark. He’s a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and he’s been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 26, 2015
Well, we can go a couple of ways here so....
First this is a good read. While I found it a little "done that before" it's still well put together and by turns fun, action and just a touch of horror. So for a basic review "bottom line" good read, enjoy.
Now, how about the relation between the TV series it's based on and the book? That's not bad. Timeline wise this takes place That said it's maybe a little jarring for those of us who are sort of "Grimm-aholics" after what happened .
I found that for me the book was a little bit as if the writer had taken elements from some of the Grimm episodes and sort of mixed them together. That said, it wasn't (as noted) a bad read. I like Grimm and it's nice to have a sort of "fix" between episodes (and seasons).
So a little shallow, very "brain candy-ish" but not bad at all. I'll go a low 4.
And I love Grimm.
First this is a good read. While I found it a little "done that before" it's still well put together and by turns fun, action and just a touch of horror. So for a basic review "bottom line" good read, enjoy.
Now, how about the relation between the TV series it's based on and the book? That's not bad. Timeline wise this takes place That said it's maybe a little jarring for those of us who are sort of "Grimm-aholics" after what happened .
I found that for me the book was a little bit as if the writer had taken elements from some of the Grimm episodes and sort of mixed them together. That said, it wasn't (as noted) a bad read. I like Grimm and it's nice to have a sort of "fix" between episodes (and seasons).
So a little shallow, very "brain candy-ish" but not bad at all. I'll go a low 4.
And I love Grimm.
May 17, 2015
I liked the book as it was like reading a new episode of "Grimm." I must say, however, that this book was poorly edited. The editor should have caught things like Renard closing and locking the Spice Shop front door yet a short time later, Nick and Hank open and walk through the locked door. The editor should also have caught missing words in prepositional phrases and repetitive text from one page to the next.
That said, I did enjoy the story and thought the author did a decent job of portraying the characters. Having a duplicate of Nick, or an evil Nick, the new Wesen baddie, was suitably bad and vicious.
That said, I did enjoy the story and thought the author did a decent job of portraying the characters. Having a duplicate of Nick, or an evil Nick, the new Wesen baddie, was suitably bad and vicious.
August 4, 2024
For a huge Grimm TV fan such as myself, this book serves well cater for any Grimm TV withdrawals one may experience as it’s like (reading) a whole new episode that’s not included in the series. The author does well in capturing the characters exactly as they are in the series within a brand new storyline - a wesen we don’t know. Overall a good read! Just beware of gory details of the wesen and wesen attacks.
Want to read
January 4, 2023(scheduled for January 10, 2023)
October 3, 2014
There’s a new wesen in Portland – a shapeshifter that takes the form of its victims. Deadly and hidden, there’s very little known about these creatures and they usually hide even from wesen society
But this wesen is sick, it’s not as careful or as hidden as usual – and is much more dangerous even to begin with. That dangerous grows to a threat that may destroy the entire wesen community of Portland after an encounter between the ill wesen and Nick.
Not only does a killer have to be stopped, but the side effects of its disease must be curtailed before the Wesen Council intervenes.
Obviously, this is a book set in the same world and with the same characters as Grimm. Books of established TV series or films always have some difficulty because they’re trying to capture in print the characters and world that we already know; can they convey a sense of the characters I already know in a completely different medium especially one that offers new opportunities like the ability to see what the characters are thinking. That’s a tough call.
And I think this book largely did it right. These characters feel a lot like the characters from the show. They were in character, nothing was drastically awry from what I expected and the insight into Nick’s head managed to be both revelatory and developing while not jarring my current sense of the character. That takes some doing – to expand the character beyond what we’ve already seen while still keeping him true to what we’d expect from the TV? That’s excellent, I’m impressed.
But I also want to ask someone whether this is canon or not. Because this book does an excellent job of expanding on what it means to be Grimm and even what it means to be various wesen. It even pins down some of the actual abilities of a Grimm while the show has always been so very cagey in actually explaining what being a Grimm means. Can I take that and run with it? I want to run with it, I really do but it’s such an expansion on what the show has been willing to explain that I feel it’s a little extra-cannonical. In particularly, Nick constantly thinks about his Grimm side pushing him to violence which I don’t think the show really backed up – but since it’s a restrained mental impulse, would we see it on the show? I also liked the way it addressed the way Wesen culture in Portland changed with Nick around – how he was having an effect and changing opinions and while many were still afraid of him, equally many were coming to see him as on their side and even a person to call in times of need.
This is what it did really right in a show-to-book-conversion. It also largely accepted that this book is not a stand alone. There is no point in reading this book if you haven’t watched the show – and, really, I don’t think anyone who hasn’t watched the show is likely to pick it up. So, while it has reminders, it has tried to restrain itself on the unnecessary background exposition and world building because we know all that. This is excellent, stand alone stuffing is unnecessary. But it still spends a lot of time physically describing each character in detail which is just kind of weird, especially when words are used to describe characters that I wouldn’t. I get this mental image of the author sitting down with pictures of the Grimm actors and describing them in slightly creepy, gushing terms then shoving those descriptions into the book whether they fit the context or not.
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But this wesen is sick, it’s not as careful or as hidden as usual – and is much more dangerous even to begin with. That dangerous grows to a threat that may destroy the entire wesen community of Portland after an encounter between the ill wesen and Nick.
Not only does a killer have to be stopped, but the side effects of its disease must be curtailed before the Wesen Council intervenes.
Obviously, this is a book set in the same world and with the same characters as Grimm. Books of established TV series or films always have some difficulty because they’re trying to capture in print the characters and world that we already know; can they convey a sense of the characters I already know in a completely different medium especially one that offers new opportunities like the ability to see what the characters are thinking. That’s a tough call.
And I think this book largely did it right. These characters feel a lot like the characters from the show. They were in character, nothing was drastically awry from what I expected and the insight into Nick’s head managed to be both revelatory and developing while not jarring my current sense of the character. That takes some doing – to expand the character beyond what we’ve already seen while still keeping him true to what we’d expect from the TV? That’s excellent, I’m impressed.
But I also want to ask someone whether this is canon or not. Because this book does an excellent job of expanding on what it means to be Grimm and even what it means to be various wesen. It even pins down some of the actual abilities of a Grimm while the show has always been so very cagey in actually explaining what being a Grimm means. Can I take that and run with it? I want to run with it, I really do but it’s such an expansion on what the show has been willing to explain that I feel it’s a little extra-cannonical. In particularly, Nick constantly thinks about his Grimm side pushing him to violence which I don’t think the show really backed up – but since it’s a restrained mental impulse, would we see it on the show? I also liked the way it addressed the way Wesen culture in Portland changed with Nick around – how he was having an effect and changing opinions and while many were still afraid of him, equally many were coming to see him as on their side and even a person to call in times of need.
This is what it did really right in a show-to-book-conversion. It also largely accepted that this book is not a stand alone. There is no point in reading this book if you haven’t watched the show – and, really, I don’t think anyone who hasn’t watched the show is likely to pick it up. So, while it has reminders, it has tried to restrain itself on the unnecessary background exposition and world building because we know all that. This is excellent, stand alone stuffing is unnecessary. But it still spends a lot of time physically describing each character in detail which is just kind of weird, especially when words are used to describe characters that I wouldn’t. I get this mental image of the author sitting down with pictures of the Grimm actors and describing them in slightly creepy, gushing terms then shoving those descriptions into the book whether they fit the context or not.
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July 22, 2019
I would like to congratulate author Tim Waggoner for crafting the best episode of Grimm that no one will ever see. Grimm: The Killing Time could easily be the best hour of the show ever aired, with its excellent plot, intriguing villain, world-scope and enough action to make any fan happy. It would never be filmed though, because to film this novel as written (and each of the Grimm books published by Titan is a standalone story that could serve as an episode and is usually sandwiched between two regular airings chronologically) would be budget-busting to say the least. One of the things that is a hallmark of the show is that they keep the creature display to a minimum (one assumes for budgetary reasons), but The Killing Time has the Wesen working their woge (creature transformation for the uninitiated) overtime.
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here
You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here
August 14, 2019
I thought I would read one of the books I picked up last weekend, The Killing Time by Tim Waggoner. In all honesty I would have loved to see this story made into an episode, because it would have been fantastic.
A new wesen is in town: a Wechselbalg, a shape shifter who takes Nick's form, memories, and abilities as a Grimm. If it weren't bad enough to have an 'evil' Nick running around, the combination of Grimm and Wechselbalg is causing a rare disease called the Ewig Woge, which causes all wesen to stay permanently woged and accentuates their animalistic qualities.
Writing that, I realise how much wouldn't make sense to a person who hadn't seen the show. The book described characters and explained backstories like it hoped a non-fan would be reading it, which is highly doubtful, so the paragraphs of things we already knew made it a little dull. And as with all movie/TV show tie-ins, the author is under strict instructions regarding what they can and can't do, resulting in the characters feeling one-dimensional and without any growth throughout the book.
But as I said, the story behind it was great, and I raced through the book faster than I thought I would. Nick had worked so hard on improving his reputation in the face of centuries of Grimm-hating, so it was great to see that all shaken up by someone going around murdering wesen while wearing his face. Bud was written exceptionally well, and you could practically hear his voice in all of his scenes.
"She looked sick. Her skin was pale, the flesh around her eyes so dark it almost looked bruised. The eyes seemed to have receded into their sockets, too, and her cheeks were sunken in. Her hair looked dry and stiff, like straw. As he watched, several strands detached from her head and fell to the tabletop, where they became mired in melting smears of butter pecan."
A new wesen is in town: a Wechselbalg, a shape shifter who takes Nick's form, memories, and abilities as a Grimm. If it weren't bad enough to have an 'evil' Nick running around, the combination of Grimm and Wechselbalg is causing a rare disease called the Ewig Woge, which causes all wesen to stay permanently woged and accentuates their animalistic qualities.
Writing that, I realise how much wouldn't make sense to a person who hadn't seen the show. The book described characters and explained backstories like it hoped a non-fan would be reading it, which is highly doubtful, so the paragraphs of things we already knew made it a little dull. And as with all movie/TV show tie-ins, the author is under strict instructions regarding what they can and can't do, resulting in the characters feeling one-dimensional and without any growth throughout the book.
But as I said, the story behind it was great, and I raced through the book faster than I thought I would. Nick had worked so hard on improving his reputation in the face of centuries of Grimm-hating, so it was great to see that all shaken up by someone going around murdering wesen while wearing his face. Bud was written exceptionally well, and you could practically hear his voice in all of his scenes.
"She looked sick. Her skin was pale, the flesh around her eyes so dark it almost looked bruised. The eyes seemed to have receded into their sockets, too, and her cheeks were sunken in. Her hair looked dry and stiff, like straw. As he watched, several strands detached from her head and fell to the tabletop, where they became mired in melting smears of butter pecan."
April 4, 2023
I was throughly impressed with this book. It actually would have made a great episode!
I was impressed with the creation of a new Wesen and the history around it. I was impressed at the amount of coverage that all the characters had, it was very accurate to the show. The author obviously did his homework regarding research on the show however I didn’t quite get to grips with the plural terms used for all the Wesen. To begin with he refers to Jagerbars as Jagerbaren - which we all know is incorrect due to the discussion between Nick and Monroe in Season one episode two. It’s a surprising mistake considering how the author refers to other parts of the same episode in the book - which highlighted a great part in the episode that doesn’t seem to be discussed so I was thrilled about that. He then goes on to refer to the majority of Wesen species in the same plural fashion despite never being used this way on the show. It made it a little awkward to read in parts if I’m honest. Couple of spelling mistakes - one left me utterly confused for a few seconds before I realised what the word was supposed to be - my thoughts being ‘why is there glass on the front lawn? A glass pathway makes no sense? He’d hurt his face if it was broken glass so that’s not right either… oh it’s supposed to say grass I see..’.
Aside from those few nitpicks I throughly enjoyed this book and it was outstanding in every way. He could have written even more! The story was fantastic and moved along at a good pace, the history, the characters and the depth of the new Wesen was incredible. There was so much packed into this tiny book I love it! If you like Grimm then you will enjoy this book. It’s like having the show back again!
I was impressed with the creation of a new Wesen and the history around it. I was impressed at the amount of coverage that all the characters had, it was very accurate to the show. The author obviously did his homework regarding research on the show however I didn’t quite get to grips with the plural terms used for all the Wesen. To begin with he refers to Jagerbars as Jagerbaren - which we all know is incorrect due to the discussion between Nick and Monroe in Season one episode two. It’s a surprising mistake considering how the author refers to other parts of the same episode in the book - which highlighted a great part in the episode that doesn’t seem to be discussed so I was thrilled about that. He then goes on to refer to the majority of Wesen species in the same plural fashion despite never being used this way on the show. It made it a little awkward to read in parts if I’m honest. Couple of spelling mistakes - one left me utterly confused for a few seconds before I realised what the word was supposed to be - my thoughts being ‘why is there glass on the front lawn? A glass pathway makes no sense? He’d hurt his face if it was broken glass so that’s not right either… oh it’s supposed to say grass I see..’.
Aside from those few nitpicks I throughly enjoyed this book and it was outstanding in every way. He could have written even more! The story was fantastic and moved along at a good pace, the history, the characters and the depth of the new Wesen was incredible. There was so much packed into this tiny book I love it! If you like Grimm then you will enjoy this book. It’s like having the show back again!
March 14, 2020
A Wesen Apocalypse
A rare Wesen comes to Portland. The creature is very old and is suffering from a dementia. The creature can duplicate any human it touches and absorbs the person's memories. However, it is in the twilight of its life and burns through bodies faster. The heart of this story is it encounters Nick. A Grimm and a creature like this had met in the past, and it caused a wholesale massacre of Wesen as their is an "infection" associated with the encounter of Grimm and the Wechselbahg. The final confrontation between the two is awesome. The action is nonstop. The Wesen and the humans who help them are in great danger. The book is excellent, this would have been a phenomenal episode of the tv series.
A rare Wesen comes to Portland. The creature is very old and is suffering from a dementia. The creature can duplicate any human it touches and absorbs the person's memories. However, it is in the twilight of its life and burns through bodies faster. The heart of this story is it encounters Nick. A Grimm and a creature like this had met in the past, and it caused a wholesale massacre of Wesen as their is an "infection" associated with the encounter of Grimm and the Wechselbahg. The final confrontation between the two is awesome. The action is nonstop. The Wesen and the humans who help them are in great danger. The book is excellent, this would have been a phenomenal episode of the tv series.
September 4, 2018
Media tie-ins are often suspect in quality, but this an exception I am happy to have read. This is a faithful Grimm story written by someone who definitely has an appreciation for the show. The characterizations are spot-on (I especially enjoyed Monroe and Bud in this), the villain is interesting and sympathetic despite its monstrous nature, and the plot zips along at a nice pace with no lag.
The only things holding this book back are some unnecessary exposition (for Grimm fans at least) and some editing errors that should have been caught by a publication that is backed by a major studio.
The only things holding this book back are some unnecessary exposition (for Grimm fans at least) and some editing errors that should have been caught by a publication that is backed by a major studio.
May 10, 2017
More please!
Loved the show, love these books! I wish/hope there are more coming in this series. These are as good, perhaps better, than the tv show. I love that when reading these characters come alive which actually gives me more insight into each of them. If you loved the show, you will love these books. If you didn't see the show, but love books about creatures, you will love these books.
Loved the show, love these books! I wish/hope there are more coming in this series. These are as good, perhaps better, than the tv show. I love that when reading these characters come alive which actually gives me more insight into each of them. If you loved the show, you will love these books. If you didn't see the show, but love books about creatures, you will love these books.
December 8, 2023
Definitely a good read. I've watched the series twice now and this is a pretty decent addition to the show. This and the Icy Touch both have been good fillers that help fill out the spaces between episodes. Will continue with the others, but still haven't decided if this was good enough for a re-read quite yet. Maybe eventually when I am in the Grimm mood and can't watch the show for whatever reason.
April 2, 2023
I liked this novel more than the first one.
It was such a pleasure to return to Portland with the Grimm and Wesen. The characters stayed true to their nature as in the series.
I loved the plot, it was intriguing; keeping me glued to the pages.
One if these days I am going to start binging the series again.
It was such a pleasure to return to Portland with the Grimm and Wesen. The characters stayed true to their nature as in the series.
I loved the plot, it was intriguing; keeping me glued to the pages.
One if these days I am going to start binging the series again.
January 4, 2024
A Great Read for Grimm Fans.
Me and my whole family are huge Grimm fans. So since the show is canceled I've been reading the novels to my family between episodes. All three of the novels are good, but I think this is the best out of the three. It would have made a great epic episode to the show.
Me and my whole family are huge Grimm fans. So since the show is canceled I've been reading the novels to my family between episodes. All three of the novels are good, but I think this is the best out of the three. It would have made a great epic episode to the show.
January 17, 2018
Reading this book made me feel like I was watching an episode of Grimm. The pacing of the story was right, the action was solid and the characters were well developed. The author captured the essence of a Grimm episode. Highly recommend if you love the series.
February 28, 2018
I’d have given this book 3 stars for the story itself which was fairly enjoyable but I couldn’t based on the sheer frequency of typos in this book! Frankly one is too many but this book was just embarrassing.
June 30, 2017
An interesting read
This storyline is good. The Grimm is in character. I would like to see more personal interaction between the characters.
This storyline is good. The Grimm is in character. I would like to see more personal interaction between the characters.
September 26, 2017
Another good Grimm book, like watching the show in print. If your a fan of the show you have got to read these books
February 15, 2018
Not as good as the second in the series, but still a good read.
April 16, 2019
Love this 3 books and the tv Series. The books are all written fab, so that you can literally see the charakters before you while reading.
December 10, 2019
Patiently waiting for the Grimm spinoff. 👍👍
April 13, 2021
It's like having another episode to watch. So good.
September 1, 2021
Aangenaam verrast door deze :)
Jammer dat er maar 3 delen van zijn 😔
Jammer dat er maar 3 delen van zijn 😔
July 4, 2023
Good plot, bad writing. Would've DNFed if it wasn't based on one of my fav shows
March 12, 2024
Not enough of Monroe, but Bud made several appearances!
March 17, 2015
Let's face it...all readers have that guilty pleasure that they don't want to admit that they read. It might be romance or cheap sci-fi or YA or erotica. For me, it's these Grimm tie-in novels.
Well, to be fair, it is this Grimm tie-in novel. This is the third one to be released and all three novels are standalone (from each other, not fom the show) and have different authors. I will admit that I chose not to read the first, The Icy Touch, because every single review I read all said that it seemed like the author had never seen the show. I did read the second, The Chopping Block, and it was fine. It could be an episode of the show except the subject matter was over the line for network television. But, it left me with a low bar for the third book.
Well, folks, I was surprised with The Killing Time. This is actually a pretty darn good book! Like The Chopping Block, it is set up like an episode of the show, which is a nice little treat when the show is on hiatus. Waggoner stays true to the characters of the book and uses them all (except Adalind, who is--thankfully--absent from the story) very well--better than the show's own writers frequently use the characters. Every one of the major characters--Nick, Hank, Juliette, Renard, Monroe, and Rosalee--have an important part in the plot and come together in a seamless way. Waggoner also created an interesting new Wesen, a shapeshifter suffering from dementia, that I would love to see in an actual episode.
I did have some tiny nitpicks and one major irritation. There were a number of little details that just seemed, well, silly. We're talking a Wesen phone chain and a hug-fest. Really. But, whatever. As I said, I didn't expect art with this. But, here is my irritation--every time a character was introduced, we had to get their entire backstory. This novel is set between the 3rd and 4th episodes of the 3rd season, so there is one heck of a backstory for every. single. character. I felt that it interrupted the narrative and, well, I already knew all of that. I mean, I get it...if someone who has never watched the show read this book, they'd be lost without that. Yet, how many people who have not seen Grimm are reading this book? (In other words, you should be watching Grimm, it's a heck of a show!) I wish all of the backstory recitations had been cut so hat we could just get on with the story.
So, even with those things that rubbed me the wrong way, I found this book a fun, quick read. No, it wasn't literature, but sometimes you just need fun. If you've enjoyed the show, I highly recommend checking out The Killing Time. If you don't watch the show, you should!
Well, to be fair, it is this Grimm tie-in novel. This is the third one to be released and all three novels are standalone (from each other, not fom the show) and have different authors. I will admit that I chose not to read the first, The Icy Touch, because every single review I read all said that it seemed like the author had never seen the show. I did read the second, The Chopping Block, and it was fine. It could be an episode of the show except the subject matter was over the line for network television. But, it left me with a low bar for the third book.
Well, folks, I was surprised with The Killing Time. This is actually a pretty darn good book! Like The Chopping Block, it is set up like an episode of the show, which is a nice little treat when the show is on hiatus. Waggoner stays true to the characters of the book and uses them all (except Adalind, who is--thankfully--absent from the story) very well--better than the show's own writers frequently use the characters. Every one of the major characters--Nick, Hank, Juliette, Renard, Monroe, and Rosalee--have an important part in the plot and come together in a seamless way. Waggoner also created an interesting new Wesen, a shapeshifter suffering from dementia, that I would love to see in an actual episode.
I did have some tiny nitpicks and one major irritation. There were a number of little details that just seemed, well, silly. We're talking a Wesen phone chain and a hug-fest. Really. But, whatever. As I said, I didn't expect art with this. But, here is my irritation--every time a character was introduced, we had to get their entire backstory. This novel is set between the 3rd and 4th episodes of the 3rd season, so there is one heck of a backstory for every. single. character. I felt that it interrupted the narrative and, well, I already knew all of that. I mean, I get it...if someone who has never watched the show read this book, they'd be lost without that. Yet, how many people who have not seen Grimm are reading this book? (In other words, you should be watching Grimm, it's a heck of a show!) I wish all of the backstory recitations had been cut so hat we could just get on with the story.
So, even with those things that rubbed me the wrong way, I found this book a fun, quick read. No, it wasn't literature, but sometimes you just need fun. If you've enjoyed the show, I highly recommend checking out The Killing Time. If you don't watch the show, you should!
November 19, 2014
I will pay Tim Waggoner's novel "Grimm: The Killing Time" a compliment and say that it could easily be a two-part episode of the TV show it is based on. This novel is the closest to "real" that I've seen in a media tie-in novel in a long time. So that's why I rounded it up to a four-star rating.
If you're a fan of the "Grimm" TV show and have read the first two tie-in novels, rest assured that "The Killing Time" is the best one by far.
The backstory of the "Grimm" universe is complex and would be difficult to explain to someone who has never seen the show. Basically, there are multiple species of "Wesen" who live among us Humans and blend in. Yet, when anxious or enraged, they reveal a bestial nature. The "Grimms" keep the Wesen from endangering humanity, often through violent and barbaric means.
The story of "Grimm" centers around Nick Burkhardt and his allies. Nick is a new kind of Grimm. He's not a sociopath or a thrill-killer. He's a Portland (Oregon) homicide detective with a generally kind nature. Yet he has the strength and weaponry (as well as Wesen and human friends) to take on any Wesen threat that comes his way.
In "The Killing Time" Nick and his friends encounter a very rare Wesen, a Wechselbalg. This Wesen is a shapeshifter and it consumes its victims memories as well as their appearance and identity, leaving the victim as a puddle of goo. When the Wechselbalg tries to copy Nick, things start to get dangerous. Not only does the Wechselbalg suddenly have the power and appearance of a Grimm, it decides that it actually IS Nick and starts trying to be a Grimm itself. If that wasn't bad enough, the process of the shapeshifter copying a Grimm causes a plague to break out that turns even good Wesen into surly beasts.
The "evil twin" plot is one of the oldest in fiction and drama. The metaphor is about how everyone, heroes and normal folk alike, must eventually face and conquer their dark side. The Wechselbalg is an imperfect copy of Nick. It has his strength and speed, but very little of his compassion. It sees being a Grimm as more of an executioner role than as a guardian of the peace.
So not only do Nick and his allies have to find a way to stop the "Ewig-Woge" Wesen plague, they have to stop an evil shapeshifter with the abilities and partial memories of a Grimm.
Other than a few small typos that made it through the editing process--words spelled correctly but incorrectly used--this is a well-written and enjoyable novel. I'd say it's a must-read for any fans of the "Grimm" TV show, but the average reader who has never seen the TV show might find themselves totally lost in the "Grimm" universe.
If you're a fan of the "Grimm" TV show and have read the first two tie-in novels, rest assured that "The Killing Time" is the best one by far.
The backstory of the "Grimm" universe is complex and would be difficult to explain to someone who has never seen the show. Basically, there are multiple species of "Wesen" who live among us Humans and blend in. Yet, when anxious or enraged, they reveal a bestial nature. The "Grimms" keep the Wesen from endangering humanity, often through violent and barbaric means.
The story of "Grimm" centers around Nick Burkhardt and his allies. Nick is a new kind of Grimm. He's not a sociopath or a thrill-killer. He's a Portland (Oregon) homicide detective with a generally kind nature. Yet he has the strength and weaponry (as well as Wesen and human friends) to take on any Wesen threat that comes his way.
In "The Killing Time" Nick and his friends encounter a very rare Wesen, a Wechselbalg. This Wesen is a shapeshifter and it consumes its victims memories as well as their appearance and identity, leaving the victim as a puddle of goo. When the Wechselbalg tries to copy Nick, things start to get dangerous. Not only does the Wechselbalg suddenly have the power and appearance of a Grimm, it decides that it actually IS Nick and starts trying to be a Grimm itself. If that wasn't bad enough, the process of the shapeshifter copying a Grimm causes a plague to break out that turns even good Wesen into surly beasts.
The "evil twin" plot is one of the oldest in fiction and drama. The metaphor is about how everyone, heroes and normal folk alike, must eventually face and conquer their dark side. The Wechselbalg is an imperfect copy of Nick. It has his strength and speed, but very little of his compassion. It sees being a Grimm as more of an executioner role than as a guardian of the peace.
So not only do Nick and his allies have to find a way to stop the "Ewig-Woge" Wesen plague, they have to stop an evil shapeshifter with the abilities and partial memories of a Grimm.
Other than a few small typos that made it through the editing process--words spelled correctly but incorrectly used--this is a well-written and enjoyable novel. I'd say it's a must-read for any fans of the "Grimm" TV show, but the average reader who has never seen the TV show might find themselves totally lost in the "Grimm" universe.
June 17, 2016
At StokerCon last month, I attended a panel on character development in which Tim Waggoner was part of the panel. Since I hadn't read any novels by Waggoner and I saw this book at the conference bookseller table, I picked it up.
Briefly, a dangerous creature arrives in Portland whose chance encounter with Nick while he is investigating a crime scene, leads to a high alert situation for the wesen community in the city. The wesen and humans have to come together and fight the creature that has taken on a familiar face in the community.
Because the creature threatened the entire wesen community, there were references to many different wesen animals, which were mentioned in passing. It was difficult to keep track of all the different types. I felt like I was missing something, as though I did not come to the book with some information about the world already. When I found out this was actually the third book in the series, then I understood the gap in world knowledge I was experiencing.
Nick was the most developed of all the characters. And with the doppelgänger aspect of the creature, readers were treated to a "bad" Nick opposite, which was interesting. The banter between Nick and Hank provided the comedic release when the main storyline needed it. I did feel as though the relationship between Nick and Juliette was not touched on much, so I inferred they were not a couple, until Nick went to their shared home. I wish that there could have been more scenes with Renard as he seemed liked a fascinating character and one I would like to know more about.
Having visited Portland a number of times, I did like that the setting of the story was in that city. Of what I learned in this novel, I think it is a world I would like to further explore with the other novels. And, now I'm interested in the television series.
My biggest disappointment is that I wish had started with the first book of the series. I don't like starting a few books into the series because I have missed back story.
Briefly, a dangerous creature arrives in Portland whose chance encounter with Nick while he is investigating a crime scene, leads to a high alert situation for the wesen community in the city. The wesen and humans have to come together and fight the creature that has taken on a familiar face in the community.
Because the creature threatened the entire wesen community, there were references to many different wesen animals, which were mentioned in passing. It was difficult to keep track of all the different types. I felt like I was missing something, as though I did not come to the book with some information about the world already. When I found out this was actually the third book in the series, then I understood the gap in world knowledge I was experiencing.
Nick was the most developed of all the characters. And with the doppelgänger aspect of the creature, readers were treated to a "bad" Nick opposite, which was interesting. The banter between Nick and Hank provided the comedic release when the main storyline needed it. I did feel as though the relationship between Nick and Juliette was not touched on much, so I inferred they were not a couple, until Nick went to their shared home. I wish that there could have been more scenes with Renard as he seemed liked a fascinating character and one I would like to know more about.
Having visited Portland a number of times, I did like that the setting of the story was in that city. Of what I learned in this novel, I think it is a world I would like to further explore with the other novels. And, now I'm interested in the television series.
My biggest disappointment is that I wish had started with the first book of the series. I don't like starting a few books into the series because I have missed back story.
February 6, 2017
When you are reading a TV novelisation, graphic novel or watching an animated version of a TV series you are expecting two things - one for it to be faithful to the source material, and two for it to show us something that couldn't be done on screen in terms of special effects (either due to cost or it not being technically feasible).
While a lot of these books fail one or both of these criteria, this one managed to succeed though at times it was a close run thing. It started out as a fairly typical Grimm Monster of the week story but ended up as much more than that as we get a scene at the end with virtually every Wesen in Portland appearing together and in their bestial "Woged" forms. What's more, this is a scene witnessed by the only two humans that know about Wesen, namely Hank and Juliette (this was set during season 3 so predates Juliette's current state).
The story is pretty well told for the most part, stays in continuity with the series and makes good use of the whole of the series back story. The stakes are consistently raised throughout the story and the characterizations are pretty spot on, especially with supporting characters like Bud.
It's by no means perfect though, and my biggest criticism is with the writing, which comes across as pretty stiff at times, which I will have to ascribe to the author having to write in another universe. I have read a few of his own books, and didn't come across this issue when he writes for himself. What was also annoying was the tendency to over explain absolutely everything, as if the readership would not be familiar with descriptions of each character or what each Wesen face looks like. I would be surprised if anybody who read this book would not be a fan of the series, so the descriptions end up being superfluous and could even hurt the plot by breaking up the action at crucial moments.
For all that, I enjoyed the story and fills in a Grimm shaped hole whilst waiting for the new series to start.
While a lot of these books fail one or both of these criteria, this one managed to succeed though at times it was a close run thing. It started out as a fairly typical Grimm Monster of the week story but ended up as much more than that as we get a scene at the end with virtually every Wesen in Portland appearing together and in their bestial "Woged" forms. What's more, this is a scene witnessed by the only two humans that know about Wesen, namely Hank and Juliette (this was set during season 3 so predates Juliette's current state).
The story is pretty well told for the most part, stays in continuity with the series and makes good use of the whole of the series back story. The stakes are consistently raised throughout the story and the characterizations are pretty spot on, especially with supporting characters like Bud.
It's by no means perfect though, and my biggest criticism is with the writing, which comes across as pretty stiff at times, which I will have to ascribe to the author having to write in another universe. I have read a few of his own books, and didn't come across this issue when he writes for himself. What was also annoying was the tendency to over explain absolutely everything, as if the readership would not be familiar with descriptions of each character or what each Wesen face looks like. I would be surprised if anybody who read this book would not be a fan of the series, so the descriptions end up being superfluous and could even hurt the plot by breaking up the action at crucial moments.
For all that, I enjoyed the story and fills in a Grimm shaped hole whilst waiting for the new series to start.
March 23, 2015
The story apparently takes place somewhere in season 3, between the 3rd and 4th episode.
Here we meet a nasty wesen, a Wechselbalg, who has the ability of shapeshifting, which enables him to take the appearance of a person whose essence he just stole. Usually the victim would die in the process, however when the Wechselbad attacked Nick, a grimm, well let’s just say that Nick survived.
So now we have two Nicks walking the streets of Portland, none of them knowing that the other exists, at least for a while.
Having read the book, I have to say it did a decent job of setting the story in the world of Grimm. I could easily see Nick and his friends fight the evil wesen, each of them acting just the way we know them from TV.
I could also imagine a Nick double on the streets doing what he thought was cleaning them of wesen, while the real Nick would try to figure out just what was he really dealing with, why some of his wesen friends started to be really afraid of him.
The only annoying thing was all that extra background info on each character. The book is based on the TV series, and its main readers will be folks who are actually watching the TV series.
Overall, for a TV show novelization, it was not bad, not bad at all. Every Grimm fan should pick up this book, it's a good read.
More indepth review at http://mysterysequels.com/grimm-the-k...
Here we meet a nasty wesen, a Wechselbalg, who has the ability of shapeshifting, which enables him to take the appearance of a person whose essence he just stole. Usually the victim would die in the process, however when the Wechselbad attacked Nick, a grimm, well let’s just say that Nick survived.
So now we have two Nicks walking the streets of Portland, none of them knowing that the other exists, at least for a while.
Having read the book, I have to say it did a decent job of setting the story in the world of Grimm. I could easily see Nick and his friends fight the evil wesen, each of them acting just the way we know them from TV.
I could also imagine a Nick double on the streets doing what he thought was cleaning them of wesen, while the real Nick would try to figure out just what was he really dealing with, why some of his wesen friends started to be really afraid of him.
The only annoying thing was all that extra background info on each character. The book is based on the TV series, and its main readers will be folks who are actually watching the TV series.
Overall, for a TV show novelization, it was not bad, not bad at all. Every Grimm fan should pick up this book, it's a good read.
More indepth review at http://mysterysequels.com/grimm-the-k...
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