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J. W. Wells & Co. #3
Earth, Air, Fire and Custard
J.W. Wells seemed to be a respectable establishment, but the company now paying Paul Carpenter's salary is in fact a deeply sinister organisation with a mighty peculiar management team.
Paul thought he was getting the hang of it (particularly when he fell head over heels for his strangely alluring colleague Sophie), but death is never far away when you work at J.W. Wells. Unlike the stapler - that's always going awol. Our lovestruck hero is about to discover that custard is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And that it really stings.
Tom Holt's exceedingly comic fantasies are populated with evil goblins, annoying sprites and people like us. However, it's not always possible to tell the difference.
The third book to follow the hilarious adventures of Paul Carpenter - Tom Holt at his inventive best.
Paul thought he was getting the hang of it (particularly when he fell head over heels for his strangely alluring colleague Sophie), but death is never far away when you work at J.W. Wells. Unlike the stapler - that's always going awol. Our lovestruck hero is about to discover that custard is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And that it really stings.
Tom Holt's exceedingly comic fantasies are populated with evil goblins, annoying sprites and people like us. However, it's not always possible to tell the difference.
The third book to follow the hilarious adventures of Paul Carpenter - Tom Holt at his inventive best.
416 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2005
About the author
Tom Holt
106 books1,212 followersTom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
December 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this final part of the Paul Carpenter trilogy-within-a-series but what the holy custard was with all the repetitive exposition? I was sitting there thinking ‘he’s told us all this before... twice’ for about a third of the book. I can only assume Holt’s editor was asleep at the wheel. A real shame as, without all the exposition, this would easily have been a 4 star book... maybe even 5... but MAN there was a lot of exposition!
February 8, 2010
Compared to the first two books,this book felt like a bit of a hot mess. There was way too much of a add-as-you-go plotline... seriously like the author was just making it up as he went along, and had to keep stopping in order for some character to take up 2-3 pages of text to explain what was going on. Not fun. I just barely finished it -- it was one of the rare times that I was annoyed enough that I almost just quit reading it.
June 1, 2011
This review is going to sort of cover the previous two books in the series as well -- The Portable Door and In Your Dreams. The main idea of this series is pretty funny -- my summary is, "take Harry Potter and turn it into The Office". Boring bloke gets a sucky job at a corporation that, turns out, is actually all about magic. Hijinks ensue. What more could you want?
Well, it could have been a little better. More Office Space and less The Office would have been nice. The main character's horrible life situation is depressing to someone like me who doesn't have that great a job at the moment either. Still, some fun British humour and crazy situations, and a lot of clever similies.
This third book seemed to drag on longer than usual... there were at least three times when a battle had finished, things seemed to be concluded, and then I looked at the page count and realized I had dozens of pages more to go -- aaaaand suddenly plot twist. I gradually became annoyed with this, noticing all sorts of Plot Holes and Retcons and Fridge Logic problems with the previous books, and things getting Hand Waved because A Wizard Did It. But finally at the end there is a Deus ex Machina, and everything is explained to be an amazing Batman Gambit to stop a Chessmaster who created a Temporal Paradox (also involving Another Dimension). Which is all so cliche, but is done so over the top (and fitting with the series) that it's actually cool again. And the best part is: the fridge logic is explained BY AN ACTUAL FRIDGE. Hahaha! (If this paragraph makes no sense, go look up the capitalized phrases on www.tvtropes.org -- but be warned, you may lose a lot of time and tabs there...)
Well, it could have been a little better. More Office Space and less The Office would have been nice. The main character's horrible life situation is depressing to someone like me who doesn't have that great a job at the moment either. Still, some fun British humour and crazy situations, and a lot of clever similies.
This third book seemed to drag on longer than usual... there were at least three times when a battle had finished, things seemed to be concluded, and then I looked at the page count and realized I had dozens of pages more to go -- aaaaand suddenly plot twist. I gradually became annoyed with this, noticing all sorts of Plot Holes and Retcons and Fridge Logic problems with the previous books, and things getting Hand Waved because A Wizard Did It. But finally at the end there is a Deus ex Machina, and everything is explained to be an amazing Batman Gambit to stop a Chessmaster who created a Temporal Paradox (also involving Another Dimension). Which is all so cliche, but is done so over the top (and fitting with the series) that it's actually cool again. And the best part is: the fridge logic is explained BY AN ACTUAL FRIDGE. Hahaha! (If this paragraph makes no sense, go look up the capitalized phrases on www.tvtropes.org -- but be warned, you may lose a lot of time and tabs there...)
January 30, 2014
This is the further adventures of Paul Carpenter the hapless hero from both The Portable Door and In Your Dreams. While the first two books were (more or less) kind of straight forward adventures, this one is more nuts. And I say that as a fan of comedy fantasy...I suspect Tom Holt smoked a lot of joints and drank a lot of gin. The plot moves around so fast its hard to keep up.
Who are the bad guys? What's the deal with the fae? If Paul Carpenter is so desperate for love, why doesn't he just join pof? And while we're on the subject of our hero. How many times does one man have to die? And how come he never ever can see a bad situation coming? Because he is a total plank and if anyone deserves to spend eternity is a drawer, it is this man.
And I haven't even finished it yet.
Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying this. Even if I do want to punch Paul Carpenter in the face.
And anyway everyone knows that the real hero of these books is Mr. Tanners Mum - I'm still hoping that they'll get together.
Who are the bad guys? What's the deal with the fae? If Paul Carpenter is so desperate for love, why doesn't he just join pof? And while we're on the subject of our hero. How many times does one man have to die? And how come he never ever can see a bad situation coming? Because he is a total plank and if anyone deserves to spend eternity is a drawer, it is this man.
And I haven't even finished it yet.
Don't get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying this. Even if I do want to punch Paul Carpenter in the face.
And anyway everyone knows that the real hero of these books is Mr. Tanners Mum - I'm still hoping that they'll get together.
October 30, 2014
tom holt always helps me relax. he doesn't disappoint with this one either. in the vein of robert Rankin, Christopher Moore, and hints of Douglas Adams, we reenter the portable door once again for adventure, fun, and silly madness
3.5stars
3.5stars
September 12, 2026
There is something rather satisfying about reaching the end of a trilogy, particularly when the journey has involved magic, ancient powers, impossible situations and the sort of workplace politics that make you grateful your own job is probably considerably less complicated.
Earth, Air, Fire and Custard brings the Paul Carpenter trilogy to a close, and after The Portable Door and In Your Dreams, it feels like a fitting place to pause and take stock of the wonderfully strange world Tom Holt has created around JW Wells & Co.
There are more JW Wells & Co novels after this one, and I have read and enjoyed them. However, I won't be reviewing those at this time. For me, there is something neat about treating these first three books as a complete story, particularly because this final instalment brings Paul's particular journey to a proper conclusion.
And what a journey it has been.
One of the things that becomes increasingly apparent as the trilogy progresses is that beneath all the jokes, absurd situations and supernatural bureaucracy, Holt is playing with some fairly substantial ideas. In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is particularly interested in destiny, free will and the extent to which any of us are actually in control of our own lives.
At the heart of the story is the question of what happens when somebody else has already decided what your future is supposed to look like.
That is a surprisingly weighty idea for a book that is perfectly happy to spend so much time being ridiculous.
Holt has a lot of fun with the concept of higher powers manipulating events from above. There is something deeply unsettling about the idea that the apparently random events of your life might not be random at all. Worse still, what if the decisions you think are your own are simply the decisions somebody else wanted you to make?
That tension between destiny and control gives the story its underlying seriousness.
Paul is faced with circumstances that force him to consider exactly how much agency he possesses. It is one thing to stumble into the magical world of JW Wells & Co and discover that reality is considerably stranger than you thought. It is another thing entirely to discover that there may be forces operating at a level far beyond anything you can see, quietly arranging events and expecting you to play your assigned part.
The obvious response would be to rebel.
Of course, in a Tom Holt novel, rebelling against cosmic forces is never going to be quite as straightforward as simply refusing to cooperate.
This is where Holt's particular style works so well. He can take a philosophical question about free will and put it into a situation involving magic, bureaucracy and people who have their own very practical concerns. The result is a story that can be funny and thought-provoking at the same time without ever becoming too solemn about either.
There is a pleasing contradiction at work here. The story is concerned with some very big questions, but Holt refuses to treat them with the sort of solemnity that might make them feel like a lecture.
Instead, he pokes them with a stick.
Are we really in control of our lives? What does destiny actually mean? If some higher power knows what is going to happen, does that make our choices meaningless? And if somebody is actively manipulating events, can we ever genuinely claim that we are acting freely?
These are questions that have been occupying philosophers, theologians and writers for centuries.
Holt's contribution appears to be, "Yes, but wouldn't it be considerably more irritating if the people doing the manipulating were also incompetent?"
That irreverence is one of the great pleasures of the book.
The supernatural forces at work never completely lose their sense of absurdity, but they are still capable of posing a genuine threat. That balance matters. If everything were simply a joke, the story would have very little emotional weight. If everything were played completely straight, much of what makes Holt's writing enjoyable would disappear.
Instead, he allows the two sides to coexist.
The world can be ridiculous and dangerous at the same time.
That has been one of the defining qualities of the JW Wells & Co books, and In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard brings it together particularly well. The magical and the mundane continue to collide in ways that feel completely natural within Holt's world. People still have ordinary concerns even when extraordinary things are happening around them, and there is something wonderfully British about the idea that the end of reality might be less pressing than whatever immediate problem has landed on your desk.
Holt's humour also comes from the way people deal with power.
The book is full of characters who occupy different positions within various hierarchies, and the idea of authority is constantly being questioned. Who is actually in charge? Who thinks they are in charge? Who has been told they are in charge? And who is quietly manipulating everyone else while pretending to be doing something entirely different?
The answers are rarely as straightforward as they first appear.
That makes the story more interesting than a simple battle between good and evil. There are competing interests, different agendas and plenty of people who have their own ideas about how events should unfold. Paul finds himself having to navigate not only supernatural forces but also the expectations placed upon him by people who believe they know what is best.
That is where the theme of control becomes particularly effective. Destiny can sound almost comforting when it is presented as a grand plan, but Holt explores the darker side of having your future dictated by somebody else. What if the plan isn't yours? What if you don't agree with it? What if you discover that the person holding the map doesn't actually understand where the journey is going either?
Those questions give the comedy something substantial underneath it.
The characters remain another strong part of the book. Paul has come a long way since the beginning of The Portable Door, and watching that development across the trilogy makes this feel like a genuine conclusion rather than simply another adventure that happens to feature the same characters.
There is a sense of accumulated experience here. The events of the previous books matter, and Paul's understanding of the world has changed accordingly. He may not suddenly become a conventional fantasy hero, but he has learned how to cope with a world that refuses to behave according to sensible rules.
And frankly, that is probably the most useful skill anyone can have in the JW Wells universe.
Ray Sawyer's narration once again deserves particular credit. He brings the characters to life and makes the increasingly bizarre events feel real. That is not an easy task with material like this. The story asks the listener to accept some wonderfully strange ideas, and Sawyer's performance provides the grounding needed to make those ideas work.
His characterisation remains strong throughout, with different voices and personalities clearly identifiable without becoming excessive. More importantly, he understands the tone. The comedy is allowed to emerge naturally rather than being overplayed, which makes the more absurd moments considerably funnier.
There is also a sense of continuity across the trilogy. Having Sawyer narrate all three books means that the characters have a consistent presence from beginning to end, and that helps make Paul's journey feel like one extended story rather than three disconnected adventures.
That is particularly valuable here because this really does feel like the conclusion of something.
There are still plenty of questions, plenty of weirdness and plenty of opportunities for further stories in the JW Wells & Co universe. As I mentioned, there are more novels in the series, and I have read and enjoyed them. I simply won't be reviewing them at this time.
For me, In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is the natural stopping point for this particular set of reviews because it completes Paul's trilogy. It gives his story a sense of closure while leaving the wider world open for whatever Holt wants to do with it next.
And that seems appropriate.
Ultimately, In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is another entertaining example of Tom Holt's ability to take enormous ideas and make them feel surprisingly approachable. Destiny, free will, control and the influence of higher powers are serious subjects, but Holt wraps them in a story filled with magic, absurdity, bureaucracy and characters simply trying to work out what is going on.
It is clever without becoming self-important, funny without being entirely frivolous and strange without ever losing its grounding in recognisable human behaviour.
Most importantly, it feels like a conclusion.
After following Paul Carpenter from the beginning of his adventures with JW Wells & Co, there is something satisfying about reaching the end of this particular chapter. His story has travelled a long way from where it started, and Holt has managed to bring the central questions of destiny and control to the forefront without losing the humour that makes the series so enjoyable.
Ray Sawyer's narration is the perfect accompaniment, bringing these characters to life and making even the strangest elements of the story feel real.
There are more JW Wells & Co books waiting beyond this point, and I am glad to know they are there. I have read and enjoyed them, but for now I am happy to leave Paul Carpenter here.
A trilogy completed, a story brought to a satisfying close, and another thoroughly enjoyable trip into the peculiar world of JW Wells & Co.
Not a bad place to stop.
Earth, Air, Fire and Custard brings the Paul Carpenter trilogy to a close, and after The Portable Door and In Your Dreams, it feels like a fitting place to pause and take stock of the wonderfully strange world Tom Holt has created around JW Wells & Co.
There are more JW Wells & Co novels after this one, and I have read and enjoyed them. However, I won't be reviewing those at this time. For me, there is something neat about treating these first three books as a complete story, particularly because this final instalment brings Paul's particular journey to a proper conclusion.
And what a journey it has been.
One of the things that becomes increasingly apparent as the trilogy progresses is that beneath all the jokes, absurd situations and supernatural bureaucracy, Holt is playing with some fairly substantial ideas. In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is particularly interested in destiny, free will and the extent to which any of us are actually in control of our own lives.
At the heart of the story is the question of what happens when somebody else has already decided what your future is supposed to look like.
That is a surprisingly weighty idea for a book that is perfectly happy to spend so much time being ridiculous.
Holt has a lot of fun with the concept of higher powers manipulating events from above. There is something deeply unsettling about the idea that the apparently random events of your life might not be random at all. Worse still, what if the decisions you think are your own are simply the decisions somebody else wanted you to make?
That tension between destiny and control gives the story its underlying seriousness.
Paul is faced with circumstances that force him to consider exactly how much agency he possesses. It is one thing to stumble into the magical world of JW Wells & Co and discover that reality is considerably stranger than you thought. It is another thing entirely to discover that there may be forces operating at a level far beyond anything you can see, quietly arranging events and expecting you to play your assigned part.
The obvious response would be to rebel.
Of course, in a Tom Holt novel, rebelling against cosmic forces is never going to be quite as straightforward as simply refusing to cooperate.
This is where Holt's particular style works so well. He can take a philosophical question about free will and put it into a situation involving magic, bureaucracy and people who have their own very practical concerns. The result is a story that can be funny and thought-provoking at the same time without ever becoming too solemn about either.
There is a pleasing contradiction at work here. The story is concerned with some very big questions, but Holt refuses to treat them with the sort of solemnity that might make them feel like a lecture.
Instead, he pokes them with a stick.
Are we really in control of our lives? What does destiny actually mean? If some higher power knows what is going to happen, does that make our choices meaningless? And if somebody is actively manipulating events, can we ever genuinely claim that we are acting freely?
These are questions that have been occupying philosophers, theologians and writers for centuries.
Holt's contribution appears to be, "Yes, but wouldn't it be considerably more irritating if the people doing the manipulating were also incompetent?"
That irreverence is one of the great pleasures of the book.
The supernatural forces at work never completely lose their sense of absurdity, but they are still capable of posing a genuine threat. That balance matters. If everything were simply a joke, the story would have very little emotional weight. If everything were played completely straight, much of what makes Holt's writing enjoyable would disappear.
Instead, he allows the two sides to coexist.
The world can be ridiculous and dangerous at the same time.
That has been one of the defining qualities of the JW Wells & Co books, and In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard brings it together particularly well. The magical and the mundane continue to collide in ways that feel completely natural within Holt's world. People still have ordinary concerns even when extraordinary things are happening around them, and there is something wonderfully British about the idea that the end of reality might be less pressing than whatever immediate problem has landed on your desk.
Holt's humour also comes from the way people deal with power.
The book is full of characters who occupy different positions within various hierarchies, and the idea of authority is constantly being questioned. Who is actually in charge? Who thinks they are in charge? Who has been told they are in charge? And who is quietly manipulating everyone else while pretending to be doing something entirely different?
The answers are rarely as straightforward as they first appear.
That makes the story more interesting than a simple battle between good and evil. There are competing interests, different agendas and plenty of people who have their own ideas about how events should unfold. Paul finds himself having to navigate not only supernatural forces but also the expectations placed upon him by people who believe they know what is best.
That is where the theme of control becomes particularly effective. Destiny can sound almost comforting when it is presented as a grand plan, but Holt explores the darker side of having your future dictated by somebody else. What if the plan isn't yours? What if you don't agree with it? What if you discover that the person holding the map doesn't actually understand where the journey is going either?
Those questions give the comedy something substantial underneath it.
The characters remain another strong part of the book. Paul has come a long way since the beginning of The Portable Door, and watching that development across the trilogy makes this feel like a genuine conclusion rather than simply another adventure that happens to feature the same characters.
There is a sense of accumulated experience here. The events of the previous books matter, and Paul's understanding of the world has changed accordingly. He may not suddenly become a conventional fantasy hero, but he has learned how to cope with a world that refuses to behave according to sensible rules.
And frankly, that is probably the most useful skill anyone can have in the JW Wells universe.
Ray Sawyer's narration once again deserves particular credit. He brings the characters to life and makes the increasingly bizarre events feel real. That is not an easy task with material like this. The story asks the listener to accept some wonderfully strange ideas, and Sawyer's performance provides the grounding needed to make those ideas work.
His characterisation remains strong throughout, with different voices and personalities clearly identifiable without becoming excessive. More importantly, he understands the tone. The comedy is allowed to emerge naturally rather than being overplayed, which makes the more absurd moments considerably funnier.
There is also a sense of continuity across the trilogy. Having Sawyer narrate all three books means that the characters have a consistent presence from beginning to end, and that helps make Paul's journey feel like one extended story rather than three disconnected adventures.
That is particularly valuable here because this really does feel like the conclusion of something.
There are still plenty of questions, plenty of weirdness and plenty of opportunities for further stories in the JW Wells & Co universe. As I mentioned, there are more novels in the series, and I have read and enjoyed them. I simply won't be reviewing them at this time.
For me, In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is the natural stopping point for this particular set of reviews because it completes Paul's trilogy. It gives his story a sense of closure while leaving the wider world open for whatever Holt wants to do with it next.
And that seems appropriate.
Ultimately, In Earth, Air, Fire and Custard is another entertaining example of Tom Holt's ability to take enormous ideas and make them feel surprisingly approachable. Destiny, free will, control and the influence of higher powers are serious subjects, but Holt wraps them in a story filled with magic, absurdity, bureaucracy and characters simply trying to work out what is going on.
It is clever without becoming self-important, funny without being entirely frivolous and strange without ever losing its grounding in recognisable human behaviour.
Most importantly, it feels like a conclusion.
After following Paul Carpenter from the beginning of his adventures with JW Wells & Co, there is something satisfying about reaching the end of this particular chapter. His story has travelled a long way from where it started, and Holt has managed to bring the central questions of destiny and control to the forefront without losing the humour that makes the series so enjoyable.
Ray Sawyer's narration is the perfect accompaniment, bringing these characters to life and making even the strangest elements of the story feel real.
There are more JW Wells & Co books waiting beyond this point, and I am glad to know they are there. I have read and enjoyed them, but for now I am happy to leave Paul Carpenter here.
A trilogy completed, a story brought to a satisfying close, and another thoroughly enjoyable trip into the peculiar world of JW Wells & Co.
Not a bad place to stop.
October 10, 2021
My second one star of the year... the first sadly went to another Tom Holt book (Donut, the first in his youspace series).
I reserve one stars for books so broken they shouldn't be on the shelves... this one isn't just broken but actively punishes you for paying attention!
Not only is the plot convoluted it actually shifts gears and restarts a few time trying to pretend that this is the real story, no this is the actual story, no the one previously was it lets pick up were we left of there, I changed my mind Norse mythology is still cool right? nope, nope I tell a lie here is the actual and on, and on.
Then you have exposition dumps, first it's 2-3 pages of a side character just standing there spewing it every other chapter, then it becomes an entire chapter of exposition with 2-3 pages of actual story. Trouble is it's so boring the writer himself changes his mind mid way during the exposition and goes "oh you know that bit I talked about 5 pages back? I tell a lie, here is what really happened." which will get contradicted in the next few pages if not the same paragraph!
Meandering and around midway goes back to using snark and simile after every word alienating both the character and the reader.
This one is hot mess. Leave it!
I reserve one stars for books so broken they shouldn't be on the shelves... this one isn't just broken but actively punishes you for paying attention!
Not only is the plot convoluted it actually shifts gears and restarts a few time trying to pretend that this is the real story, no this is the actual story, no the one previously was it lets pick up were we left of there, I changed my mind Norse mythology is still cool right? nope, nope I tell a lie here is the actual and on, and on.
Then you have exposition dumps, first it's 2-3 pages of a side character just standing there spewing it every other chapter, then it becomes an entire chapter of exposition with 2-3 pages of actual story. Trouble is it's so boring the writer himself changes his mind mid way during the exposition and goes "oh you know that bit I talked about 5 pages back? I tell a lie, here is what really happened." which will get contradicted in the next few pages if not the same paragraph!
Meandering and around midway goes back to using snark and simile after every word alienating both the character and the reader.
This one is hot mess. Leave it!
January 4, 2012
This book is an okay read but quite a dis pointing ending to the series involving Paul Carpenter at J.W. Wells & Co. I loved the two previous instalments and I think that this book lacked Holt's usual wackiness, as well as a "punchier" style. Still, it was an entertaining enough read:)
February 8, 2022
After a couple of years, Paul is starting to think he's got the hang of things at J.W.W. Wells & co. He's even managed to get a promotion! Just as he's starting to settle in, things become weird, and yet again Paul is left feeling like he has to save the world, and totally out of his depth doing so.
It's really hard to review these, mainly because it's hard to really say what the books are about!
I found I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous two in the series, even though it is a lot more nuts and jumps around a bit. Paul seems to have grown a pair (sort of), and so although he's still not the stereotypical hero, he's a bit less hapless and useless.
The underlying plot for this one is quite complicated. There's a bit of time travel involved, and a sort of creation story, and an ongoing viking battle. Aspects of it really appealed to me - the idea of someone messing with time to suit their own ends is right up my street for a plotline. I did find this one a bit long though, and it felt like there were a few times when things seemed to be just about ready to wrap up and then another plot twist ensued followed by more battles and craziness. I got a bit lost towards the end, but helpfully Holt does give us a summary of what has actually happened over the course of the book.
It definitely feels like this is a sort of end to the series, so I'm interested to see where we go in book 4.
It's really hard to review these, mainly because it's hard to really say what the books are about!
I found I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous two in the series, even though it is a lot more nuts and jumps around a bit. Paul seems to have grown a pair (sort of), and so although he's still not the stereotypical hero, he's a bit less hapless and useless.
The underlying plot for this one is quite complicated. There's a bit of time travel involved, and a sort of creation story, and an ongoing viking battle. Aspects of it really appealed to me - the idea of someone messing with time to suit their own ends is right up my street for a plotline. I did find this one a bit long though, and it felt like there were a few times when things seemed to be just about ready to wrap up and then another plot twist ensued followed by more battles and craziness. I got a bit lost towards the end, but helpfully Holt does give us a summary of what has actually happened over the course of the book.
It definitely feels like this is a sort of end to the series, so I'm interested to see where we go in book 4.
September 16, 2023
Another fairly decent Tom Holt book, fairly similar to the previous 2 in the series in that it has some great ideas but is somewhat let down by the pacing and plotting.
Generally I enjoy the daftness for about 2 thirds of the book and then it becomes a bit of a grind as the plot is explained repeatedly. This one is a bit longer and probably a bit better than the previous two and the plot is probably a bit better but they all have a very similar feeling and stall towards the end. I think maybe part of it is that things are so much focussed on the one character and he's a bit of a cretin and most of the other characters are somewhat 1 dimensional/caricatures rather than actual characters so the books can become a bit claustrophobic.
Having said that I still enjoyed it enough to continue reading the other books I have in the series although they might all go to the charity shop at the end, not quite decided yet!
Generally I enjoy the daftness for about 2 thirds of the book and then it becomes a bit of a grind as the plot is explained repeatedly. This one is a bit longer and probably a bit better than the previous two and the plot is probably a bit better but they all have a very similar feeling and stall towards the end. I think maybe part of it is that things are so much focussed on the one character and he's a bit of a cretin and most of the other characters are somewhat 1 dimensional/caricatures rather than actual characters so the books can become a bit claustrophobic.
Having said that I still enjoyed it enough to continue reading the other books I have in the series although they might all go to the charity shop at the end, not quite decided yet!
September 9, 2021
This is the third one of the trilogy about Paul Carpenter and the magical company he works for. I thought it was the weakest of the three and I got a little bored a few times. The plot was quite complex (or convoluted).
I also had a problem with the character of Sophie, Paul's on/off girlfriend. She seemed a pretty passive character, things only happened to her, she never made any decisions of her own. I also found it hard to believe in their relationship. I thought this was the weakest part of the novel.
It does have some great characters in it although I was disappointed that Mr Tanner's Mum didn't feature much in this one. Tom Holt is also great at funny one liners especially with his similes and metaphors.
I also had a problem with the character of Sophie, Paul's on/off girlfriend. She seemed a pretty passive character, things only happened to her, she never made any decisions of her own. I also found it hard to believe in their relationship. I thought this was the weakest part of the novel.
It does have some great characters in it although I was disappointed that Mr Tanner's Mum didn't feature much in this one. Tom Holt is also great at funny one liners especially with his similes and metaphors.
November 20, 2017
The author tried to complicate the story and make it interesting and he was partially successful.
The complexity of the story was quite fascinating but there wasnt much substance behind it.
Has "Magic" that does not seem to have any boundaries. Makes the weak because anything can happen with magic. So the question is why was there a story to begin with, why couldnt the magic just fix everything. That part was very week.
On the other the complexity of the time travel and traveling through dimensions and the depth of different characters, especially the protagonist in his multiple version throughout the book was absolutely amazing.
The complexity of the story was quite fascinating but there wasnt much substance behind it.
Has "Magic" that does not seem to have any boundaries. Makes the weak because anything can happen with magic. So the question is why was there a story to begin with, why couldnt the magic just fix everything. That part was very week.
On the other the complexity of the time travel and traveling through dimensions and the depth of different characters, especially the protagonist in his multiple version throughout the book was absolutely amazing.
July 26, 2020
I struggled with this as the plot became so complex that I’m still not sure I really understood it all. I therefore felt that it dragged a bit in the middle as a result of the fact that I really didn’t have a clue what was going on. The ending redeemed it for me a bit though, bringing together the ends and mostly seeming to make sense of all the various narrative threads. Definitely the weakest of the series so far though, but as overall I’m enjoying the JW Wels & Co series I will continue on to read the next one.
April 22, 2021
Okay, so there's no explaining taste, right? I see a bunch of reviews expressing various levels of frustration, disappointment, or just plain 'meh' RE: this installment vs. the first two. Not for me.
#1 was maybe more like 3.5-rounded-up, #2 was a solid 4, this was another 3.5-rounded-up. I will grant you that I am binge-reading these, so this is probably getting a positive halo-effect boost from the first two.
Anyway, sounds from reviews like this is it for Paul Carpenter. Have fun in New Zealand, buddy.
#1 was maybe more like 3.5-rounded-up, #2 was a solid 4, this was another 3.5-rounded-up. I will grant you that I am binge-reading these, so this is probably getting a positive halo-effect boost from the first two.
Anyway, sounds from reviews like this is it for Paul Carpenter. Have fun in New Zealand, buddy.
January 15, 2022
I was disappointed by this book it has to be said. Very confusing and not particularly funny (though there were moments). Tom Holt's dry wit was dry to the point of bursting into flames... so perhaps it is me and my reading of it as I've enjoyed the dry wit in his other books. Or perhaps I was concentrating so hard on following the plot that seems to tie itself in knots and offer at least three endings two chapters before the book finishes, that I couldn't see past my own confusion to the humour.
July 10, 2023
Emotional roller coaster ride! I love Tom Holt!
DISCLAIMER
I wrote this review AFTER reading the ENTIRE book.
I appreciate the countless people in the Goodreads community who give their time to write HONEST reviews.
To the people posting 1 star reviews as political sabotage because you HEARD that a book poses a view you oppose, I say: what sad, small lives you must lead to have the time to waste on petty harassment, and what sad, small minds you must have to waste your lives when there are books to read.
DISCLAIMER
I wrote this review AFTER reading the ENTIRE book.
I appreciate the countless people in the Goodreads community who give their time to write HONEST reviews.
To the people posting 1 star reviews as political sabotage because you HEARD that a book poses a view you oppose, I say: what sad, small lives you must lead to have the time to waste on petty harassment, and what sad, small minds you must have to waste your lives when there are books to read.
May 13, 2025
It was okay
This will be my last book I read in the series. For two reasons. First, this the last book with the same characters, it becomes more of an anthology after this. And second, the author is great, but I am growing to be less of a fan of his writing. 75% of this book you are incredibly confused. It's for good reason, the main character is intentionally left in the dark, but it does make for a bit of a hard read.
If you have made it this far in the series might as well read it. Does have a decent ending for the characters
This will be my last book I read in the series. For two reasons. First, this the last book with the same characters, it becomes more of an anthology after this. And second, the author is great, but I am growing to be less of a fan of his writing. 75% of this book you are incredibly confused. It's for good reason, the main character is intentionally left in the dark, but it does make for a bit of a hard read.
If you have made it this far in the series might as well read it. Does have a decent ending for the characters
February 20, 2018
To quote from the book, "The whole business was as crazy as a blenderful of blind ferrets."
I didn't like this book as much as I did the first two books in the series, mostly because it was too unstructured and chaotic. Being confused while reading is fine, Holt is good at that stuff, but it's not great when you're wondering if the author was confused as well while writing the stuff, because he didn't know where he was going - and this book felt that way at times.
I didn't like this book as much as I did the first two books in the series, mostly because it was too unstructured and chaotic. Being confused while reading is fine, Holt is good at that stuff, but it's not great when you're wondering if the author was confused as well while writing the stuff, because he didn't know where he was going - and this book felt that way at times.
March 31, 2025
Christ, that was a long winded, increasingly weird and complex book.
It sure had its moments, Holt is a virtuoso in language similar to Pratchett, but it felt like a drag that went on and on..
Curiousity about Paul's fate kept me going and I made it untill the end but just barely.
It will be a while before I will pick up another Holt. I need some decompression.
3.5 stars
"something uncomfortable was slowly taking shape in her mind, like a square egg inside a small chicken"
It sure had its moments, Holt is a virtuoso in language similar to Pratchett, but it felt like a drag that went on and on..
Curiousity about Paul's fate kept me going and I made it untill the end but just barely.
It will be a while before I will pick up another Holt. I need some decompression.
3.5 stars
"something uncomfortable was slowly taking shape in her mind, like a square egg inside a small chicken"
January 29, 2020
I've been enjoy this series. Just so you know, you don't have to read them in order, but it helps.
An adult Harry Potter where Paul ends up in a job involving magic in a world that is ignorant of it, lays the foundations for you.
But this one takes on other dimensions and twists in time, it took away from the humour and fun that were prevalent in the first two.
Enjoy.
An adult Harry Potter where Paul ends up in a job involving magic in a world that is ignorant of it, lays the foundations for you.
But this one takes on other dimensions and twists in time, it took away from the humour and fun that were prevalent in the first two.
Enjoy.
March 11, 2021
Tom Holt is one of my fav British authors
Have been reading his fiction for almost three decades. Entertaining, gentle British humor. Very good character development as well. And if you want to know more about Greek history in a very digestible manner try his Greek series with Walled Orchard and others.
Have been reading his fiction for almost three decades. Entertaining, gentle British humor. Very good character development as well. And if you want to know more about Greek history in a very digestible manner try his Greek series with Walled Orchard and others.
January 13, 2024
I’m not sure why other readers didn’t enjoy this as much as the others. I found it entertaining, very fun. There were times when I was confused feeling that we’d hit the climax of the book but it wasn’t even halfway done. The fact that I kept reading it speaks a lot to how well written it was.
I’d love a short story follow up to what Paul and Sophie are up to now.
I’d love a short story follow up to what Paul and Sophie are up to now.
October 28, 2024
I don't know about this one.
The last 50 pages is basically just an explanation (which was direly needed though) and I felt like that was a bit of a cop out.
It felt like a whodunnit - basically a whathappenit.
Some things were funny, some things weren't. Paul who I originally deemed somewhat likable (and even relatable) has become somewhat annoying to me. What a dunce.
The last 50 pages is basically just an explanation (which was direly needed though) and I felt like that was a bit of a cop out.
It felt like a whodunnit - basically a whathappenit.
Some things were funny, some things weren't. Paul who I originally deemed somewhat likable (and even relatable) has become somewhat annoying to me. What a dunce.
September 2, 2021
Wacky, wonderful, and wordy.
Wacky: finally, we learn what’s the fifth element (earth, air, 🔥, water, and…).
Wonderful: ingenious storytelling along with wit.
Wordy: fire the editor! Could’ve been 4 ⭐️
Wacky: finally, we learn what’s the fifth element (earth, air, 🔥, water, and…).
Wonderful: ingenious storytelling along with wit.
Wordy: fire the editor! Could’ve been 4 ⭐️
November 11, 2021
Very funny. It reminded me of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books with all the comings and goings to the Bank of the Dead.
That one thing got a little old. But he book moved much faster than the other 2.
That one thing got a little old. But he book moved much faster than the other 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2022
This is the third in a series about a magical establishment set in contemporary London. I'm going to keep on buying and reading them.
The usual bit of Tom Holt tomfoolery, which is to say a good amusing, somewhat complicated bit of British Humour disguised as modern fantasy.
The usual bit of Tom Holt tomfoolery, which is to say a good amusing, somewhat complicated bit of British Humour disguised as modern fantasy.
May 7, 2023
Only 3 stars as I like the concept! But this book needs a good edit and a lot less mansplaining of the plot by all the characters. The amount of “let me tell you the reason this happened” monologues was wild!
September 26, 2023
As with others in this series, sheer unadulterated, mind bending chaos rules the plot. In this book, chaos is turned inside out, tumbled over the falls of incomprehensibility and back up again. While amusing, it’s almost too much insanity.
February 6, 2024
I love the characters in this series, however, this particular installment was insufferably slow to wrap up. And confusing. The story went up, down and sideways far too many times. Just when you thought the loose ends were tying up, the whole bit seemed to start over again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2024
This was a frustrating read because Holt is purposefully obtuse about what's happening, to the point of keeping information that the protagonist knows/realizes from the reader, until the very end, where you're slammed with pages of exposition that don't even make sense.
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