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Daniel Blackland #2
Pacific Fire
Pacific Fire : Another thrilling ride through Greg van Eekhout's wildly imaginative world of California Bones , featuring entertaining new characters and a dangerous magical plot unfolding in Los Angeles.
I'm Sam. I'm just this guy.
Okay, yeah, I'm a golem created from the substance of his own magic by the late Hierarch of Southern California. With a lot of work, I might be able to wield magic myself. I kind of doubt it, though. Not like Daniel Blackland can.
Daniel's the reason the Hierarch's gone and I'm still alive. He's also the reason I've lived my entire life on the run. Ten years of never, ever going back to Los Angeles. Daniel's determined to protect me. To teach me.
But it gets old. I've got nobody but Daniel. I'll never do anything normal. Like attend school. Or date a girl.
Now it's worse. Because things are happening back in LA. Very bad people are building a Pacific firedrake, a kind of ultimate weapon of mass magical destruction. Daniel seemed to think only he could stop them. Now Daniel's been hurt. I managed to get us to the place run by the Emmas. (Many of them. All named Emma. It's a long story.) They seem to be healing him, but he isn't going anyplace soon.
Do I even have a reason for existing, if it isn't to prevent this firedrake from happening? I'm good at escaping from things. Now I've escaped from Daniel and the Emmas, and I'm on my way to LA.
This may be the worst idea I ever had.
I'm Sam. I'm just this guy.
Okay, yeah, I'm a golem created from the substance of his own magic by the late Hierarch of Southern California. With a lot of work, I might be able to wield magic myself. I kind of doubt it, though. Not like Daniel Blackland can.
Daniel's the reason the Hierarch's gone and I'm still alive. He's also the reason I've lived my entire life on the run. Ten years of never, ever going back to Los Angeles. Daniel's determined to protect me. To teach me.
But it gets old. I've got nobody but Daniel. I'll never do anything normal. Like attend school. Or date a girl.
Now it's worse. Because things are happening back in LA. Very bad people are building a Pacific firedrake, a kind of ultimate weapon of mass magical destruction. Daniel seemed to think only he could stop them. Now Daniel's been hurt. I managed to get us to the place run by the Emmas. (Many of them. All named Emma. It's a long story.) They seem to be healing him, but he isn't going anyplace soon.
Do I even have a reason for existing, if it isn't to prevent this firedrake from happening? I'm good at escaping from things. Now I've escaped from Daniel and the Emmas, and I'm on my way to LA.
This may be the worst idea I ever had.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 27, 2015
16 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Greg Van Eekhout
60 books385 followersGreg van Eekhout writes books. Some are for kids, some are for adults. He lives in San Diego.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
February 13, 2015
From my blog at https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2015/...
Water mages. Bounty hunters. Kraken magic. Pirates. Fans of fast paced, fantastical-element thrillers should love Pacific Fire. Clever world-building, a wry dose of humor, and occasional winks at genre conventions all made for an entertaining read.
While connected to events in California Bones, Pacific Fire takes place ten years after the evens in Bones. Sam, magical child of the former ruler of the L.A. Basin, and Daniel, an osteomancer, have been on the run ever since, never in one place for more than a few weeks. It’s a lonely existence, and Sam is desperate for a friend. Or girlfriend. The chief of the L.A. Department of Water and Power tracks them both down to their Salton Sea hideout with a warning. Daniel’s former guardian Otis has a new plan to dominate the magical factions fighting over Los Angeles, and wants Sam to act as the power source. Daniel determines to bring the fight to Otis, but events sideline him, leaving Sam in charge. Sam heads to a safehouse run by some Emmas, clones of one of the more brilliant L.A. osteomancers. From there it is a race to disable Otis’ plans.
Characters were interesting. At least, I felt they were interesting, but I may have been misled by my involvement with the prior book. Told from a third person limited point of view, the book blurb definitely misleads when it quotes Sam’s thoughts in first person. I was actually glad for the change in voice, but be forewarned. The Emmas were particularly stand-out characters, perhaps because Van Eekhout had to take pains to distinguish them. I might have exclaimed, “go, girl” when Em said:
“I didn’t partner up with you because I have a crush on you. I didn’t partner up with you because I was swayed by your charismatic leadership qualities. I’m not interested in being your sidekick while you see redemption, or closure, or trot ahead on a quest to fulfill your destiny. Not everything is about you, Sam.“
It’s a ‘huzzah’ moment of self-awareness, guaranteed to hit most female readers in the feels. I’m a person that’s reasonably willing to follow the yellow brick road of a well-made story, so it was only at the finish that I realized she was the sidekick, even if she had her own motivations for going. Likewise, on reflection, I realized Sam’s voice didn’t make any sense. One of the quotes I highlighted–because I loved it–actually shouldn’t have been thought, because Sam didn’t attend school in any normal sense of the word. I realized VanEekout was taking some shortcuts with Sam’s voice, and that it sounded far more contemporary–and inappropriate–for the child of a thief, and someone who has been on the run for ten years:
“There was something about Em that made him think of high school hallways and solving mysteries. Also, he liked her nose.”
Daniel hasn’t evolved too far from California Bones, except for an increase in paranoia. He still allows guilt to eat at him, but his friendships keep him from getting too far off track. The dialogue between him and his best friend Moth is always entertaining:
“Daniel took another long sip. ‘You know that thing about true friends, how they’re the ones who can tell you anything?’
‘Yeah,’ said Moth, a little puffed up.
‘I hate that thing.'”
The emotional center of the book wobbled midway through and then lost control entirely at the finish. Like The Rook, the story needs to walk the knife’s edge of risk and humor; it needs to take itself seriously enough that the reader worries about the outcome, but not so seriously that we can enjoy a self-aware wink on the way. When the stakes get truly high, with a series of devastating outcomes, the story loses its balance. Not terribly, and potentially saveable in the the third book. I will also add a general note of disapproval for the only technically resolved ending.
Fans of The Rook and The Lies of Locke Lamora will likely enjoy this series by VanEekhout. I’m still looking forward to the third book, but I think I’ll wait on adding this to the library. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the review copy.
Water mages. Bounty hunters. Kraken magic. Pirates. Fans of fast paced, fantastical-element thrillers should love Pacific Fire. Clever world-building, a wry dose of humor, and occasional winks at genre conventions all made for an entertaining read.
While connected to events in California Bones, Pacific Fire takes place ten years after the evens in Bones. Sam, magical child of the former ruler of the L.A. Basin, and Daniel, an osteomancer, have been on the run ever since, never in one place for more than a few weeks. It’s a lonely existence, and Sam is desperate for a friend. Or girlfriend. The chief of the L.A. Department of Water and Power tracks them both down to their Salton Sea hideout with a warning. Daniel’s former guardian Otis has a new plan to dominate the magical factions fighting over Los Angeles, and wants Sam to act as the power source. Daniel determines to bring the fight to Otis, but events sideline him, leaving Sam in charge. Sam heads to a safehouse run by some Emmas, clones of one of the more brilliant L.A. osteomancers. From there it is a race to disable Otis’ plans.
Characters were interesting. At least, I felt they were interesting, but I may have been misled by my involvement with the prior book. Told from a third person limited point of view, the book blurb definitely misleads when it quotes Sam’s thoughts in first person. I was actually glad for the change in voice, but be forewarned. The Emmas were particularly stand-out characters, perhaps because Van Eekhout had to take pains to distinguish them. I might have exclaimed, “go, girl” when Em said:
“I didn’t partner up with you because I have a crush on you. I didn’t partner up with you because I was swayed by your charismatic leadership qualities. I’m not interested in being your sidekick while you see redemption, or closure, or trot ahead on a quest to fulfill your destiny. Not everything is about you, Sam.“
It’s a ‘huzzah’ moment of self-awareness, guaranteed to hit most female readers in the feels. I’m a person that’s reasonably willing to follow the yellow brick road of a well-made story, so it was only at the finish that I realized she was the sidekick, even if she had her own motivations for going. Likewise, on reflection, I realized Sam’s voice didn’t make any sense. One of the quotes I highlighted–because I loved it–actually shouldn’t have been thought, because Sam didn’t attend school in any normal sense of the word. I realized VanEekout was taking some shortcuts with Sam’s voice, and that it sounded far more contemporary–and inappropriate–for the child of a thief, and someone who has been on the run for ten years:
“There was something about Em that made him think of high school hallways and solving mysteries. Also, he liked her nose.”
Daniel hasn’t evolved too far from California Bones, except for an increase in paranoia. He still allows guilt to eat at him, but his friendships keep him from getting too far off track. The dialogue between him and his best friend Moth is always entertaining:
“Daniel took another long sip. ‘You know that thing about true friends, how they’re the ones who can tell you anything?’
‘Yeah,’ said Moth, a little puffed up.
‘I hate that thing.'”
The emotional center of the book wobbled midway through and then lost control entirely at the finish. Like The Rook, the story needs to walk the knife’s edge of risk and humor; it needs to take itself seriously enough that the reader worries about the outcome, but not so seriously that we can enjoy a self-aware wink on the way. When the stakes get truly high, with a series of devastating outcomes, the story loses its balance. Not terribly, and potentially saveable in the the third book. I will also add a general note of disapproval for the only technically resolved ending.
Fans of The Rook and The Lies of Locke Lamora will likely enjoy this series by VanEekhout. I’m still looking forward to the third book, but I think I’ll wait on adding this to the library. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the review copy.
September 8, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/09/08/a...
The bulk of this story takes place years after the first book, following the lives of osteomancer Daniel Blackland and his adopted son Sam, the golem created from the essence of the late Hierarch. The two have stayed under the radar for the last ten years, constantly staying on the move in order to keep Sam out of the wrong hands. That is until one day, word reaches them that some very bad people are attempting to build the ultimate weapon of mass magical destruction — a real, live, honest-to-goodness Pacific firedrake.
The premise behind these novels has got to be one of the most original and creative I’ve ever encountered in an urban fantasy series. The magic system of osteomancy – wizards who ingest creature bones and other body parts to absorb their essence and gain their power — is as cool as it is disturbing. I’m also a sucker for heist stories, which is why I loved the first book. However, this sequel, while also featuring a caper aspect, is more of character study and coming-of-age tale centered around Sam. Daniel on the other hand is still a major presence in the story, but it does feel like at times he is taking a step back to let the character of Sam shine.
In my eyes, the classic heist plot of California Bones still gives the first book the edge, but admittedly not by much; Pacific Fire is just as fun and full of thrills as its predecessor, and I do appreciate the differences in the two books’ structure because it definitely made things more interesting.
The bulk of this story takes place years after the first book, following the lives of osteomancer Daniel Blackland and his adopted son Sam, the golem created from the essence of the late Hierarch. The two have stayed under the radar for the last ten years, constantly staying on the move in order to keep Sam out of the wrong hands. That is until one day, word reaches them that some very bad people are attempting to build the ultimate weapon of mass magical destruction — a real, live, honest-to-goodness Pacific firedrake.
The premise behind these novels has got to be one of the most original and creative I’ve ever encountered in an urban fantasy series. The magic system of osteomancy – wizards who ingest creature bones and other body parts to absorb their essence and gain their power — is as cool as it is disturbing. I’m also a sucker for heist stories, which is why I loved the first book. However, this sequel, while also featuring a caper aspect, is more of character study and coming-of-age tale centered around Sam. Daniel on the other hand is still a major presence in the story, but it does feel like at times he is taking a step back to let the character of Sam shine.
In my eyes, the classic heist plot of California Bones still gives the first book the edge, but admittedly not by much; Pacific Fire is just as fun and full of thrills as its predecessor, and I do appreciate the differences in the two books’ structure because it definitely made things more interesting.
April 3, 2018
Sam is a golem. (Which I think is really cool!) Daniel adopted Sam ten years ago. Since then they’ve been running from basically everyone. The high magical concentration in Sam means everyone wants him.
Gabriel contacts Daniel, the powers in Los Angeles are uniting to create a living Pacific Firedrake. (Gigantic dragon of doom) Daniel is the only one with enough power to destroy it. He plans to leave Sam where it’s safe, but teenagers sometimes don’t do as they’re told.
While book one was heist oriented Pacific Fire is more of a journey novel.
We get to see more of Southern California outside Los Angeles, but it wasn’t anything special, dirty motels, old trucks, and desert.
The atmosphere that made the first book is present again. I’d say this is a darker fantasy, but there are still lighter moments.
The characters remain very real and flawed. (None of them are described as beautiful!) I enjoyed getting to know Sam and Em. Both were great characters, particularly Em. Sam falls in love easily (he knows this) and he hasn’t had many friends because he never stays in one place. It was nice watching him becoming friends with Em and attempting to flirt.
We also met a couple of new bad guys Mistress Cauldron and Madam Tooth. I liked how the characters from the first book appeared again and we got to see how they’ve grown over the past decade.
The best part of the books remains the magic. Here there’s new social uses and magical bombs and tools.
The plot was just as good as the first book, but it was even less predictable! All I can say about the ending is that I never saw it coming. I’m so glad the last one will be coming out later this year, because again I needed more!
Point of View: Third (Sam, Daniel & Gabriel)
Predictability: 2 out of 5
Gabriel contacts Daniel, the powers in Los Angeles are uniting to create a living Pacific Firedrake. (Gigantic dragon of doom) Daniel is the only one with enough power to destroy it. He plans to leave Sam where it’s safe, but teenagers sometimes don’t do as they’re told.
While book one was heist oriented Pacific Fire is more of a journey novel.
We get to see more of Southern California outside Los Angeles, but it wasn’t anything special, dirty motels, old trucks, and desert.
The atmosphere that made the first book is present again. I’d say this is a darker fantasy, but there are still lighter moments.
The characters remain very real and flawed. (None of them are described as beautiful!) I enjoyed getting to know Sam and Em. Both were great characters, particularly Em. Sam falls in love easily (he knows this) and he hasn’t had many friends because he never stays in one place. It was nice watching him becoming friends with Em and attempting to flirt.
We also met a couple of new bad guys Mistress Cauldron and Madam Tooth. I liked how the characters from the first book appeared again and we got to see how they’ve grown over the past decade.
The best part of the books remains the magic. Here there’s new social uses and magical bombs and tools.
The plot was just as good as the first book, but it was even less predictable! All I can say about the ending is that I never saw it coming. I’m so glad the last one will be coming out later this year, because again I needed more!
Point of View: Third (Sam, Daniel & Gabriel)
Predictability: 2 out of 5
December 15, 2017
have not been reading as much as I usually do the last little while. I'm not really sure why, except for the extreme busyness of the world, and the temptations of playing on an iPad when I get home instead of curling up with a book because my brain is just done. We'll see if it changes in the new year. However, I still manage to read on my lunch hours, and it didn't take very many of those for me to devour Pacific Fire.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
October 24, 2015
Received to review via Netgalley
Originally received to review, anyway, but I bought it as well after being a terrible person and not getting round to the ARC. Now I’m regretting that, because I liked this more than the first book — it takes all that background, and gives us some more emotional stuff. I’m always a sucker for loyalty stories, so the relationship between Daniel and Sam — gah. And the dilemma of them realising that Daniel’s actually harming him — double gah. And then the ending! Triple gah.
I know, I’m very coherent.
We see some characters from the previous book: we find out a touch more about Daniel’s mother and his golem; we see Otis again, Cassandra, Moth; there are parts featuring Gabriel and Max… I love that Moth is casually gay and has a guy; I love that Gabriel is really powerful but still doesn’t seem to want it, only to use it because he has to and no one else will do so responsibly. I want more of Max, really — I want to know what drives him, what’s going on in his head. It’s exactly as fast-paced as the first book: my Kindle started out by calculating I’d take three hours, and then quickly halved that as I raced on through.
And, after that ending? I want Dragon Coast right now.
Originally posted here.
Originally received to review, anyway, but I bought it as well after being a terrible person and not getting round to the ARC. Now I’m regretting that, because I liked this more than the first book — it takes all that background, and gives us some more emotional stuff. I’m always a sucker for loyalty stories, so the relationship between Daniel and Sam — gah. And the dilemma of them realising that Daniel’s actually harming him — double gah. And then the ending! Triple gah.
I know, I’m very coherent.
We see some characters from the previous book: we find out a touch more about Daniel’s mother and his golem; we see Otis again, Cassandra, Moth; there are parts featuring Gabriel and Max… I love that Moth is casually gay and has a guy; I love that Gabriel is really powerful but still doesn’t seem to want it, only to use it because he has to and no one else will do so responsibly. I want more of Max, really — I want to know what drives him, what’s going on in his head. It’s exactly as fast-paced as the first book: my Kindle started out by calculating I’d take three hours, and then quickly halved that as I raced on through.
And, after that ending? I want Dragon Coast right now.
Originally posted here.
February 24, 2015
(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
While I still enjoyed reading about some of the characters I had got to know in the first book, California Bones, I was a little less thrilled this time.
I really like the world and magic developed here: dark, treacherous, tricky... Leeching power off dead animals' bones? Check. Taking it a notch higher and killing other osteomancers to devour their bodies and steal their magic? Check. Dangerous sabotage-type jobs and being pursued bycrime lords' goons? Check. The triumvirate, their plan to regain the control the Hierarch used to have, the sacrifice it required. The worm in the apple, the intent to sabotage, playing a dangerous game. Yes, I'm never going to get tired of these, I think.
The relationship between Daniel and Sam was touching in many ways. Daniel could've killed Sam, done to him what he had done to his predecessor, yet he didn't: on the contrary, he did his best to raise him, protect him, and help him turn into a decent being, instead of the monster he could've become. Sam was a likeable boy, too: with teenage-angsty reactions at times, yet also with the budding maturity to understand what they were, and that he had to go past those. This story is definitely one of coming of age, more than of thwarting the bad guys' plans. Of coming of age, and of realising what family means: does the blood count more than time spent together, and what exactly, in the end, make people "family"?
What saddened me here is that the novel offered several interesting plots in that regard, but never really got deep enough with them. The reason why Sam was weak at magic was somewhat obvious, in retrospect, yet it would've deserved more screentime in terms of relationships. What happened to Sofia was recalled a few times, but since she hadn't been there for long, it didn't have the impact it could've had. Carson could've been more than just a glimpse into another side of Los Angeles, instead of a device to move the plot forward. And there would've been so much more to tell about Sam...
I liked the story, I liked seeing the plot unfurl; however, I also kept thinking "I want more, more, more". Every time I got to see another aspect of this character or of that relationship, it was left dangling after some point. Although those threads may be picked up in the third book, I'm somewhat afraid that not enough was told here (especially considering the cliffhanger we're left with at the end), and that this lack of depth will come back to haunt the series later.
Partly because of this, the last third of the novel seemed rushed on some points. A couple of bombshells were dropped (Daniel's past coming back full-force, for instance), and it was difficult to see where they came from. Not uninteresting; just events that would have warranted a few more bricks paving their way. Here, too, I kept wanting more, and wondering if the author had to work with a set amount of words, forced to cram as much as he could before the end.
This said, I still liked the book and its characters well enough to be more than willing to grab the next one once it comes out. If only to find out whether the threads I mentioned previously will be tied.
While I still enjoyed reading about some of the characters I had got to know in the first book, California Bones, I was a little less thrilled this time.
I really like the world and magic developed here: dark, treacherous, tricky... Leeching power off dead animals' bones? Check. Taking it a notch higher and killing other osteomancers to devour their bodies and steal their magic? Check. Dangerous sabotage-type jobs and being pursued bycrime lords' goons? Check. The triumvirate, their plan to regain the control the Hierarch used to have, the sacrifice it required. The worm in the apple, the intent to sabotage, playing a dangerous game. Yes, I'm never going to get tired of these, I think.
The relationship between Daniel and Sam was touching in many ways. Daniel could've killed Sam, done to him what he had done to his predecessor, yet he didn't: on the contrary, he did his best to raise him, protect him, and help him turn into a decent being, instead of the monster he could've become. Sam was a likeable boy, too: with teenage-angsty reactions at times, yet also with the budding maturity to understand what they were, and that he had to go past those. This story is definitely one of coming of age, more than of thwarting the bad guys' plans. Of coming of age, and of realising what family means: does the blood count more than time spent together, and what exactly, in the end, make people "family"?
What saddened me here is that the novel offered several interesting plots in that regard, but never really got deep enough with them. The reason why Sam was weak at magic was somewhat obvious, in retrospect, yet it would've deserved more screentime in terms of relationships. What happened to Sofia was recalled a few times, but since she hadn't been there for long, it didn't have the impact it could've had. Carson could've been more than just a glimpse into another side of Los Angeles, instead of a device to move the plot forward. And there would've been so much more to tell about Sam...
I liked the story, I liked seeing the plot unfurl; however, I also kept thinking "I want more, more, more". Every time I got to see another aspect of this character or of that relationship, it was left dangling after some point. Although those threads may be picked up in the third book, I'm somewhat afraid that not enough was told here (especially considering the cliffhanger we're left with at the end), and that this lack of depth will come back to haunt the series later.
Partly because of this, the last third of the novel seemed rushed on some points. A couple of bombshells were dropped (Daniel's past coming back full-force, for instance), and it was difficult to see where they came from. Not uninteresting; just events that would have warranted a few more bricks paving their way. Here, too, I kept wanting more, and wondering if the author had to work with a set amount of words, forced to cram as much as he could before the end.
This said, I still liked the book and its characters well enough to be more than willing to grab the next one once it comes out. If only to find out whether the threads I mentioned previously will be tied.
March 17, 2021
3/16/2021 Notes:
Rating Raised from 3.5 to 4 Stars
I just finished #3. My guess about the two books being a whole was correct. The story arc has a nice finish in #3. That made me appreciate the setup in #2 more. I'm glad I read the books and hope there will be more! Daniel is a fun character & I like his chosen family.
3/15/2021 Notes:
Enjoyable but sort of misleading. I accidentally started #3 before #2. It took a bit to realize I was dropped into the middle of who knows what plot. #2 & 3 are more like one large book that's cut in half.
I recommend having access to both books before starting #2. Events in Pacific Fire start 10 years after California Bones.
Rating Raised from 3.5 to 4 Stars
I just finished #3. My guess about the two books being a whole was correct. The story arc has a nice finish in #3. That made me appreciate the setup in #2 more. I'm glad I read the books and hope there will be more! Daniel is a fun character & I like his chosen family.
3/15/2021 Notes:
Enjoyable but sort of misleading. I accidentally started #3 before #2. It took a bit to realize I was dropped into the middle of who knows what plot. #2 & 3 are more like one large book that's cut in half.
I recommend having access to both books before starting #2. Events in Pacific Fire start 10 years after California Bones.
February 6, 2015
As a rule, I don’t like gambling. I don’t like taking chances on things that aren’t almost guaranteed to go my way, and I’m not especially fond of risking things that are important to me when the odds of me keeping them aren’t as close to a hundred percent as possible. I’ve played card games, of course, as a way of whiling away the time when I’m with family, but those were never for really high stakes: potato chips and candy, mostly, never money—no one likes losing money on something so risky as hand of cards, at least amongst my cousins, and when they choose to do so, it’s always in a very conservative, circumspect manner, the allowable risk already measured and minimised before the bets are placed and the cards dealt or the dice thrown.
The only gambling game I play, and on a fairly regular basis, is with books. Most of the time, I try to minimise the risks: I only read books that are recommended by my close friends and favourite authors, for instance, or try to look for reviews and ratings before deciding to settle on a book and forking out the money for it. But sometimes, a cover catches my eye, or something implied in the blurb on the back of a book makes me want to take a gamble, just go for it and see where and how I come out on the other side. I’ve made some fantastic discoveries this way, and I’ve also encountered some really terrible reads.
In the case of California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout, the first in his Daniel Blackland series, I took a risk because I’d heard some vague buzz on the Internet to the effect that it was really good, and because the concept looked interesting. It was, as it turned out, a risk well worth taking: California Bones turned out to be a really good read, with great characters, excellent world-building, and some very fine prose: dry and spare in a way that I hadn’t encountered in other urban fantasy books before. The fact that it was darker than a lot of other urban fantasy books, not because of the characters, but because of the nature of the magic itself, helped a lot too, as did the fact that it was, at its core, a heist novel.
So when I learned that the next book in the series, Pacific Fire, was going to come out in the last week of January 2015, I was extremely excited. I waited impatiently to finally get a copy and when I did I immediately tore into it, wanting to find out just what had happened since the events in the first book.
Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be exactly what I hoped it would be. I had gambled on Pacific Fire being an exciting continuation of what happened in California Bones, but that’s not quite what I got, and as a result, some of the shine that I’d seen in this series has worn off.
Pacific Fire is set ten years after the events of California Bones. Daniel is on the run with Sam, the Hierarch’s golem, protecting what is probably the most powerful source of osteomantic magic in the entire Southern Kingdom of California—a source who has grown into a young man, and whom Daniel cares for as if he were his own son. Sam, for his part, is grateful to Daniel for saving his life, for continuing to keep him safe, and for being the father he never had, but he’s beginning to chafe under Daniel’s restrictions, and at his own inability to be the osteomancer Daniel says he should be: that is, powerful and deadly enough to be even better than Daniel. But when they receive word from Gabriel Argent that old enemies are building an osteomantic super-weapon that could spell war and death for both Californias and maybe the rest of the world, they both know that they have to do something to stop it from happening. But the question is: will Daniel go it alone, or will Sam be able to make him see sense, and take him along?
First of all, I would like to say that I don’t particularly like the blurb the publishers chose to summarise the plot of the novel. It’s deceptive, in that it makes the reader assume that the novel will be told in first-person perspective with Sam telling the story, which is most certainly not the case: it’s still told from third-person limited, like California Bones was, and changes perspective from character to character, with a focus on Daniel and Sam. I also don’t like how the blurb gives away the fact that Daniel’s life is put in extreme danger in this novel: that’s just not something one spoils for the reader, in my opinion.
Another thing that didn’t help was how slow this book was to start. It might be argued that California Bones was slow to start as well, but at least there was a lot of other things going on in terms of character development and world-building. That’s not the case in Pacific Fire: Van Eekhout doesn’t really add more to the reader’s knowledge of the world as he’s envisioned it for his series, aside from perhaps expanding the landscape a little to include parts of California outside L.A., as well as including some interesting questions about what osteomancy can and can’t do.
It also doesn’t help that Van Eekhout’s prose doesn’t really work very well for the first three-fourths of the novel, when the action is slowest. It worked marvellously well in California Bones, keeping the action and descriptions sharp and clear and giving the book an overall cinematic feel, but none of that works in Pacific Fire. Instead, Van Eekhout’s style makes the entire first three-fourths of the novel feel draggy and unformed, doing nothing more than shoving the plot bodily forward in order to get to the more exciting bits in the latter fourth.
This slowness also doesn’t do much to cover for the fact that there’s not a lot of really good, in-depth characterisation being done. Never mind the already-established ones: characters like Daniel, Gabriel Argent, and Max were already fleshed out in the first book, and so there’s really not a lot of need to get to know them and develop them in this second novel. However, new characters like Sam definitely need to be developed, and while some work is done in that regard, I don’t think it’s quite enough. I didn’t feel any real attachment to Sam, which is a pity, because the reader should grow attached to him, should care about what happens to him, not because of his connection to Daniel, but because he is a character worth caring about in his own right. It wasn’t for want to trying: he has all the potential for being a really interesting character, given his background and the fact that he’s a young adult, but it’s really hard to feel anything more than mild interest in him and his activities, which is a pity, since he’s supposed to be one of the major characters of this novel.
As for the remaining one-fourth of the novel—the part that’s actually fun—that, at least, is a throwback to all that was good about the first novel: exciting, fast-paced, dangerous, and always that genuine feeling that nobody is really safe. It also revisits the gruesome nature of osteomancy, as well as throws the reader some interesting twists and revelations about Daniel, Sam, and the nature of the super-weapon being created. The ending is also pretty explosive, and leaves the reader dangling on a cliffhanger that promises a great deal of action in the next novel—one that will, hopefully, actually live up to the promises made in the latter fourth of this one.
Overall, Pacific Fire is something of a letdown: there is a lot of slogging the reader needs to get through in order to reach the properly exciting parts—the parts that bear a greater resemblance to the exceptional quality of the first novel. This is rather unfortunate, because the elements that make up that first three-fourths should, by rights, make for a really great read, but the writing feels muddled and slow and generally just half-baked. Characters with great potential are wasted, and plot points that could have been really exciting aren’t handled right at all. None of this is helped by Van Eekhout’s style, which just doesn’t work with the slower pace of the first three-fourths of this novel, making it feel sketched-out as opposed to cinematic. Hopefully the next book in the series sets everything to rights, because it would be a really great waste of a great concept and story if it didn’t.
The only gambling game I play, and on a fairly regular basis, is with books. Most of the time, I try to minimise the risks: I only read books that are recommended by my close friends and favourite authors, for instance, or try to look for reviews and ratings before deciding to settle on a book and forking out the money for it. But sometimes, a cover catches my eye, or something implied in the blurb on the back of a book makes me want to take a gamble, just go for it and see where and how I come out on the other side. I’ve made some fantastic discoveries this way, and I’ve also encountered some really terrible reads.
In the case of California Bones by Greg Van Eekhout, the first in his Daniel Blackland series, I took a risk because I’d heard some vague buzz on the Internet to the effect that it was really good, and because the concept looked interesting. It was, as it turned out, a risk well worth taking: California Bones turned out to be a really good read, with great characters, excellent world-building, and some very fine prose: dry and spare in a way that I hadn’t encountered in other urban fantasy books before. The fact that it was darker than a lot of other urban fantasy books, not because of the characters, but because of the nature of the magic itself, helped a lot too, as did the fact that it was, at its core, a heist novel.
So when I learned that the next book in the series, Pacific Fire, was going to come out in the last week of January 2015, I was extremely excited. I waited impatiently to finally get a copy and when I did I immediately tore into it, wanting to find out just what had happened since the events in the first book.
Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be exactly what I hoped it would be. I had gambled on Pacific Fire being an exciting continuation of what happened in California Bones, but that’s not quite what I got, and as a result, some of the shine that I’d seen in this series has worn off.
Pacific Fire is set ten years after the events of California Bones. Daniel is on the run with Sam, the Hierarch’s golem, protecting what is probably the most powerful source of osteomantic magic in the entire Southern Kingdom of California—a source who has grown into a young man, and whom Daniel cares for as if he were his own son. Sam, for his part, is grateful to Daniel for saving his life, for continuing to keep him safe, and for being the father he never had, but he’s beginning to chafe under Daniel’s restrictions, and at his own inability to be the osteomancer Daniel says he should be: that is, powerful and deadly enough to be even better than Daniel. But when they receive word from Gabriel Argent that old enemies are building an osteomantic super-weapon that could spell war and death for both Californias and maybe the rest of the world, they both know that they have to do something to stop it from happening. But the question is: will Daniel go it alone, or will Sam be able to make him see sense, and take him along?
First of all, I would like to say that I don’t particularly like the blurb the publishers chose to summarise the plot of the novel. It’s deceptive, in that it makes the reader assume that the novel will be told in first-person perspective with Sam telling the story, which is most certainly not the case: it’s still told from third-person limited, like California Bones was, and changes perspective from character to character, with a focus on Daniel and Sam. I also don’t like how the blurb gives away the fact that Daniel’s life is put in extreme danger in this novel: that’s just not something one spoils for the reader, in my opinion.
Another thing that didn’t help was how slow this book was to start. It might be argued that California Bones was slow to start as well, but at least there was a lot of other things going on in terms of character development and world-building. That’s not the case in Pacific Fire: Van Eekhout doesn’t really add more to the reader’s knowledge of the world as he’s envisioned it for his series, aside from perhaps expanding the landscape a little to include parts of California outside L.A., as well as including some interesting questions about what osteomancy can and can’t do.
It also doesn’t help that Van Eekhout’s prose doesn’t really work very well for the first three-fourths of the novel, when the action is slowest. It worked marvellously well in California Bones, keeping the action and descriptions sharp and clear and giving the book an overall cinematic feel, but none of that works in Pacific Fire. Instead, Van Eekhout’s style makes the entire first three-fourths of the novel feel draggy and unformed, doing nothing more than shoving the plot bodily forward in order to get to the more exciting bits in the latter fourth.
This slowness also doesn’t do much to cover for the fact that there’s not a lot of really good, in-depth characterisation being done. Never mind the already-established ones: characters like Daniel, Gabriel Argent, and Max were already fleshed out in the first book, and so there’s really not a lot of need to get to know them and develop them in this second novel. However, new characters like Sam definitely need to be developed, and while some work is done in that regard, I don’t think it’s quite enough. I didn’t feel any real attachment to Sam, which is a pity, because the reader should grow attached to him, should care about what happens to him, not because of his connection to Daniel, but because he is a character worth caring about in his own right. It wasn’t for want to trying: he has all the potential for being a really interesting character, given his background and the fact that he’s a young adult, but it’s really hard to feel anything more than mild interest in him and his activities, which is a pity, since he’s supposed to be one of the major characters of this novel.
As for the remaining one-fourth of the novel—the part that’s actually fun—that, at least, is a throwback to all that was good about the first novel: exciting, fast-paced, dangerous, and always that genuine feeling that nobody is really safe. It also revisits the gruesome nature of osteomancy, as well as throws the reader some interesting twists and revelations about Daniel, Sam, and the nature of the super-weapon being created. The ending is also pretty explosive, and leaves the reader dangling on a cliffhanger that promises a great deal of action in the next novel—one that will, hopefully, actually live up to the promises made in the latter fourth of this one.
Overall, Pacific Fire is something of a letdown: there is a lot of slogging the reader needs to get through in order to reach the properly exciting parts—the parts that bear a greater resemblance to the exceptional quality of the first novel. This is rather unfortunate, because the elements that make up that first three-fourths should, by rights, make for a really great read, but the writing feels muddled and slow and generally just half-baked. Characters with great potential are wasted, and plot points that could have been really exciting aren’t handled right at all. None of this is helped by Van Eekhout’s style, which just doesn’t work with the slower pace of the first three-fourths of this novel, making it feel sketched-out as opposed to cinematic. Hopefully the next book in the series sets everything to rights, because it would be a really great waste of a great concept and story if it didn’t.
February 25, 2015
Nastavak izvanrednog California Bones, ovaj roman je zacementirao Ikauta (ili kako se već izgovara) na mestu najboljeg pisca urbane fantastike. Istini za volju, čovek iza sebe ima nekoliko romana, što za odrasle što za omladinu, ali i u prethodnom romanu u ovom serijalu (California Bones) pokazao je vanredno vladanje ne samo jezikom, već i strukturom romana i pripovedačkim zanatom. Danas najpopularniji UF pisac, Džim Bučer, nije ni blizu Ikautovog spisateljskog umeća - čak ni nakon dvadeset i kusur objavljenih knjiga.
Ikautov worldbuilding je na zavidnoj ravni. Premda se svet njegovih romana vrti oko osteomantije, odnosno ceđenja magije iz kostiju i tkiva živih stvorenja, Ikaut je svoj svet posejao fosilima raznih mitoloških bića, poput hidri, krakena i grifina, ali i drugačijim vrstama magije - pa se tako već u prvom romanu upoznajemo sa vodenom magijom, koja funkcioniše potpuno drugačije od osteomantije.
Ikautov magic system donekle podseća na Sandersonovu alomantiju i teško je oteti se utisku da je California Bones makar u nekoj meri nadahnut trilogijom Mistborn, naročito zbog "Ocean's 11" zapleta romana, ali sve i da jeste tako, Ikaut se dovoljno potrudio da ova sličnost ne bude vulgarna i da ne odvlači pažnju od radnje i od likova. To na stranu, ali Ikaut je takođe daleko bolji psiholog od Sandersona i njegovi likovi su odlično izvajani, dopadljivi i realni - što je inače najveća zamerka koja bi se mogla uputiti Sandersonu.
I u Pacific Fire karakterizacija je vrhunska. Dobrim delom romana čitalac u ulozi protagoniste prati lika koji se u prvom romanu pojavio na samom kraju, ali se u poslednjoj trećini stvari vraćaju u ravnotežu i svetlost reflektora opet pada na starog protagonistu.
Budući da je između dva romana prošlo deset godina, vidimo kako se svet u kojem naši junaci žive promenio - i to nagore - pa tako postepeno postajemo svesni piščevog suptilnog društvenog komentara da sloboda od tiranije počesto ume da bude samo sloboda gladovanja i nemaštine. Makar dok se ne pojavi novi tiranin.
Pacific Fire zaslužuje detaljniji prikaz, za kakav nemam vremena. Zato ću se zadovoljiti iskrenom preporukom.
Pacific Fire by Greg van Eekhout 5/5 & Nightflier's Seal of Approval
Ikautov worldbuilding je na zavidnoj ravni. Premda se svet njegovih romana vrti oko osteomantije, odnosno ceđenja magije iz kostiju i tkiva živih stvorenja, Ikaut je svoj svet posejao fosilima raznih mitoloških bića, poput hidri, krakena i grifina, ali i drugačijim vrstama magije - pa se tako već u prvom romanu upoznajemo sa vodenom magijom, koja funkcioniše potpuno drugačije od osteomantije.
Ikautov magic system donekle podseća na Sandersonovu alomantiju i teško je oteti se utisku da je California Bones makar u nekoj meri nadahnut trilogijom Mistborn, naročito zbog "Ocean's 11" zapleta romana, ali sve i da jeste tako, Ikaut se dovoljno potrudio da ova sličnost ne bude vulgarna i da ne odvlači pažnju od radnje i od likova. To na stranu, ali Ikaut je takođe daleko bolji psiholog od Sandersona i njegovi likovi su odlično izvajani, dopadljivi i realni - što je inače najveća zamerka koja bi se mogla uputiti Sandersonu.
I u Pacific Fire karakterizacija je vrhunska. Dobrim delom romana čitalac u ulozi protagoniste prati lika koji se u prvom romanu pojavio na samom kraju, ali se u poslednjoj trećini stvari vraćaju u ravnotežu i svetlost reflektora opet pada na starog protagonistu.
Budući da je između dva romana prošlo deset godina, vidimo kako se svet u kojem naši junaci žive promenio - i to nagore - pa tako postepeno postajemo svesni piščevog suptilnog društvenog komentara da sloboda od tiranije počesto ume da bude samo sloboda gladovanja i nemaštine. Makar dok se ne pojavi novi tiranin.
Pacific Fire zaslužuje detaljniji prikaz, za kakav nemam vremena. Zato ću se zadovoljiti iskrenom preporukom.
Pacific Fire by Greg van Eekhout 5/5 & Nightflier's Seal of Approval
February 4, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/02/0...
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: January 2015
ISBN: 9780765328564
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.2/5
Publisher Description: I’m Sam. I’m just this guy. Okay, yeah, I’m a golem created from the substance of his own magic by the late Hierarch of Southern California. With a lot of work, I might be able to wield magic myself. I kind of doubt it, though. Not like Daniel Blackland can. Daniel’s the reason the Hierarch’s gone and I’m still alive. He’s also the reason I’ve lived my entire life on the run. Ten years of never, ever going back to Los Angeles. Daniel’s determined to protect me. To teach me.
Review: Em and Sam are Golems that are on the run and on a mission: to save L.A. from the recreation of an ancient beast.
This was great read with good characters and a fast pace. Was kind of sad to come to an end as the world building was not only entertaining but engrossing as well. This was one of my rare forays into the world of urban fantasy of a parallel sort and am wondering why it took me so long. Maybe because there is not a lot of it out there. Every scene embodies secondary characters that build the story line around the main characters. The only hiccup was that hideous cover. WTF is that anyway, the top of a hiking boot?
Anyway, really well crafted. Have fun with this one!
Publisher: Tor
Publishing Date: January 2015
ISBN: 9780765328564
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.2/5
Publisher Description: I’m Sam. I’m just this guy. Okay, yeah, I’m a golem created from the substance of his own magic by the late Hierarch of Southern California. With a lot of work, I might be able to wield magic myself. I kind of doubt it, though. Not like Daniel Blackland can. Daniel’s the reason the Hierarch’s gone and I’m still alive. He’s also the reason I’ve lived my entire life on the run. Ten years of never, ever going back to Los Angeles. Daniel’s determined to protect me. To teach me.
Review: Em and Sam are Golems that are on the run and on a mission: to save L.A. from the recreation of an ancient beast.
This was great read with good characters and a fast pace. Was kind of sad to come to an end as the world building was not only entertaining but engrossing as well. This was one of my rare forays into the world of urban fantasy of a parallel sort and am wondering why it took me so long. Maybe because there is not a lot of it out there. Every scene embodies secondary characters that build the story line around the main characters. The only hiccup was that hideous cover. WTF is that anyway, the top of a hiking boot?
Anyway, really well crafted. Have fun with this one!
February 20, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
A very satisfying follow-up to Greg van Eekhout's CALIFORNIA BONES, PACIFIC FIRE picks up ten years later when a collective of loosely allied osteomancers finally decide to fill the power vacuum created by the death of the Los Angeles Hierarch. Unfortunately for Daniel Blackland, former thief-turned-fugitive, their plan for mass destruction requires the sacrifice of the boy Daniel has spent a decade trying to protect. PACIFIC FIRE opens van Eekhout's world of bone magic a little wider, and is still populated by the sorts of characters that made the first book so much fun to read. Once again, it's a slow build leading into a hurried ending, but it's a ride definitely worth taking.
I compared the first book in this series to Brandon Sanderson's MISTBORN, and PACIFIC FIRE seems to confirm my impression that van Eekhout is creating a contemporary take on the trilogy about magic via ingestion. Like MISTBORN's Vin, who is left without her mentor and teacher to find her way in the new world, protagonist Sam spends most of this novel separated from his father-figure, Daniel. Their relationship is one of my favorite things about this book; though they're not blood-related, they are related by magic that's bone-deep, pun intended. Daniel gave up everything in his life to keep Sam, a living embodiment of magic, safe, and though Sam is grateful, he's also a teenage boy, ready for his coming of age story. He starts to discover that his magic is stronger the longer he's away from Daniel, and begins to wonder if maybe Daniel wasn't holding him back.
Despite segments from Daniel and the ever-intriguing Gabriel Argent's PoVs this is very much Sam's story, but so much happens in the last fifty pages without the time to really savor it, that once again I'm left wanting more. That's not a terrible thing for an ongoing series - and the end of this book seems to promise another - but it can be frustrating when something so intriguing is dropped at the end and left unresolved. This mostly seems to be a trend with Daniel's part of the story - his history is scattered here and there in the beginning until some bombshell from his past almost overshadows the climax. Sam's arc, however, which is the main thrust of the plot this time, feels complete with a proper beginning, middle, and end, more 'spirit of adventure' than 'planning a crime.' I look forward to returning to this world again, hopefully adding another piece to the map.
A very satisfying follow-up to Greg van Eekhout's CALIFORNIA BONES, PACIFIC FIRE picks up ten years later when a collective of loosely allied osteomancers finally decide to fill the power vacuum created by the death of the Los Angeles Hierarch. Unfortunately for Daniel Blackland, former thief-turned-fugitive, their plan for mass destruction requires the sacrifice of the boy Daniel has spent a decade trying to protect. PACIFIC FIRE opens van Eekhout's world of bone magic a little wider, and is still populated by the sorts of characters that made the first book so much fun to read. Once again, it's a slow build leading into a hurried ending, but it's a ride definitely worth taking.
I compared the first book in this series to Brandon Sanderson's MISTBORN, and PACIFIC FIRE seems to confirm my impression that van Eekhout is creating a contemporary take on the trilogy about magic via ingestion. Like MISTBORN's Vin, who is left without her mentor and teacher to find her way in the new world, protagonist Sam spends most of this novel separated from his father-figure, Daniel. Their relationship is one of my favorite things about this book; though they're not blood-related, they are related by magic that's bone-deep, pun intended. Daniel gave up everything in his life to keep Sam, a living embodiment of magic, safe, and though Sam is grateful, he's also a teenage boy, ready for his coming of age story. He starts to discover that his magic is stronger the longer he's away from Daniel, and begins to wonder if maybe Daniel wasn't holding him back.
Despite segments from Daniel and the ever-intriguing Gabriel Argent's PoVs this is very much Sam's story, but so much happens in the last fifty pages without the time to really savor it, that once again I'm left wanting more. That's not a terrible thing for an ongoing series - and the end of this book seems to promise another - but it can be frustrating when something so intriguing is dropped at the end and left unresolved. This mostly seems to be a trend with Daniel's part of the story - his history is scattered here and there in the beginning until some bombshell from his past almost overshadows the climax. Sam's arc, however, which is the main thrust of the plot this time, feels complete with a proper beginning, middle, and end, more 'spirit of adventure' than 'planning a crime.' I look forward to returning to this world again, hopefully adding another piece to the map.
June 18, 2015
Not quite as excitingly new as the first one, but still has zip. I'll read the third one!
September 19, 2020
I wound up liking this much more than I thought I would. The first book, California Bones, is a tough act to follow.
The first book centers around Daniel, the son of Sebastian Blackland, one of the most powerful osteomancers around. Everything changed when his father was murdered and Daniel grew up in the streets and turned to crime to survive. This book is about Sam, a golem created from the most powerful wizard ever known to live. In the wrong hands, Sam could be misused at best, or killed for his magic at worst. Daniel takes Sam to live with him when he was only 6 or 7, and now it's ten years later. Sam's whole life has been running and hiding, never going to school, never staying anywhere for more than a few weeks. He may be a golem, but he's also a lonely teenager. The pair are attacked and Daniel is incapacitated, and Sam realizes this may be his one chance to strike out on his own and test his abilities - and his independence.
Whereas California Bones was about a heist, this is more of a coming-of-age action story. Very different from the first, but the new characters are entertaining and the story is good. Is it perfect? No, but it's weird and different, and refreshing for all that. I look forward to finishing out the trilogy soon with Dragon Coast.
The first book centers around Daniel, the son of Sebastian Blackland, one of the most powerful osteomancers around. Everything changed when his father was murdered and Daniel grew up in the streets and turned to crime to survive. This book is about Sam, a golem created from the most powerful wizard ever known to live. In the wrong hands, Sam could be misused at best, or killed for his magic at worst. Daniel takes Sam to live with him when he was only 6 or 7, and now it's ten years later. Sam's whole life has been running and hiding, never going to school, never staying anywhere for more than a few weeks. He may be a golem, but he's also a lonely teenager. The pair are attacked and Daniel is incapacitated, and Sam realizes this may be his one chance to strike out on his own and test his abilities - and his independence.
Whereas California Bones was about a heist, this is more of a coming-of-age action story. Very different from the first, but the new characters are entertaining and the story is good. Is it perfect? No, but it's weird and different, and refreshing for all that. I look forward to finishing out the trilogy soon with Dragon Coast.
December 26, 2018
This ending destroyed me!!! I’m so sad 😭
December 28, 2018
6.5/7 -- Daniel was a minor character in this book. Sam's character needed....something....development? Now I'm deciding whether or not to read book3.
May 9, 2019
Great continuation of the last book. Looking forward to the next installment.
June 5, 2019
Another wild ride through the Daniel Blackland series. Fast paced and thrilling. Oh Sam!
October 15, 2015
I loved the first book in this series and was really hyped to read this. It was not a bad book, but it threw me off right from the start. 10 years had passed since the last book and the focus moved from Daniel Blackland to Sam, his adopted son. That's all I'm going to call him for now for those that didn't read the first book.
This jumping ahead 10 years and changing character focus is something chancy for an author to do. Wesley Chu did that in his Lives of Tao series and it jarred me with each book. The first one jumped ahead several years and had Roen married and seperated with a young child. The next one moved another 10 years or so and shifted focus partly to his son. That said, I got over it on those and loved it.
Back to Pacific Fire. The story is solid and the writing is good. I still love this world Greg Van Eekhout has built, but overall the shift in focus threw me enough that I never really felt truly engaged with the story.
This jumping ahead 10 years and changing character focus is something chancy for an author to do. Wesley Chu did that in his Lives of Tao series and it jarred me with each book. The first one jumped ahead several years and had Roen married and seperated with a young child. The next one moved another 10 years or so and shifted focus partly to his son. That said, I got over it on those and loved it.
Back to Pacific Fire. The story is solid and the writing is good. I still love this world Greg Van Eekhout has built, but overall the shift in focus threw me enough that I never really felt truly engaged with the story.
January 31, 2016
For the ten years since California Bones, Daniel Blackland has been on the move - avoiding the magicians of LA. However, events in LA draw him back, and action packed adventures ensue... In Pacific Fire Van Eekhout revisits his fabulously imaginative version of a magic infused Los Angeles, where magic from the bones of the creatures of the La Brea Tar Pits have infused the entire city and its people. If you've never visited the tar pits, they are definitely a source of wonder - bones of fantastic creatures emerging from bubbling tar. One can easily imagine griffins and wyverns emerging alongside the saber-tooth cats and mammoths. One could skip Califonia Bones and start with this book (this one has more of a cliffhanger for book 3), but you'd be missing out.
October 13, 2016
Hard to write a follow-up to a story in which your protag. defeated the big bad and consumed his power. Eekhout manages by having him unconscious for the first third so that he's playing catch-up. Most of the story follows his son's attempt to live an independent life, which unfortunately he interprets as "defeat supervillains using blind luck, and own superpowers (tbd)."
Sam does a decent job of carrying the book, although he is not quite as likeable as Daniel. I mean, teenagerhood is a difficult stage. It happens to us all.
Sam does a decent job of carrying the book, although he is not quite as likeable as Daniel. I mean, teenagerhood is a difficult stage. It happens to us all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2016
Great stuff again, less of a heist book though. It is 10 years later and Daniel has to deal with that same guy again. Pretty gruesome at times, it is dark but a wild ride! I would read them in order, lots of relationships that answer questions about why someone is doing something that you learn in book 1.
September 11, 2015
Super cool and creepy bone magic, and alternate California, and a heist novel... What more could you ask for?
May 22, 2015
Sequel to California Bones
This was the second in a series and was not as good as the first. There is a third, but I haven't decided if it will be worth my time.
This was the second in a series and was not as good as the first. There is a third, but I haven't decided if it will be worth my time.
August 10, 2017
Man, okay. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first. The Daniel sections were good. I liked Sam as a character, but I was deeply distracted during his segments of the plot by wondering if Em was ever going to evolve past the Strong Female Character in a Blockbuster Film archetype, and she just... didn't. I feel like I know nothing about her as a person aside from the fact that she's more together than Sam, she's tough and she shrugs off his attempts to flirt while secretly liking him deep down, like every Strong Female Character saddled with a less competent man in media. She had no real depth.
I don't know. That sounds like I really didn't like the book, but I enjoyed most of it. There was just this glaring cardboard cutout character, and it didn't help that we saw other female characters (Daniel's ex, for one) who were written to be real, complicated people.
The story picks up a lot in the last quarter, where
The book moves fast and I devoured the last half in one night, so it's definitely got its charms. It's just Em that threw me out of it.
I don't know. That sounds like I really didn't like the book, but I enjoyed most of it. There was just this glaring cardboard cutout character, and it didn't help that we saw other female characters (Daniel's ex, for one) who were written to be real, complicated people.
The story picks up a lot in the last quarter, where
The book moves fast and I devoured the last half in one night, so it's definitely got its charms. It's just Em that threw me out of it.
July 19, 2020
Pacific Fire is the second and penultimate book in Daniel Blackland series written by Greg van Eekhout. It centers on Sam, a clone-golem created by the Hierarch, but was defeated by Daniel Blackland, an osteomancer.
Daniel Blackland, a powerful osteomancer, killed the Hierarch of Los Angeles and took possession of the Hierarch's clone-golem, Sam. Ten years later, the morally ambiguous Gabriel Argent, now chief water mage, allies with bone sorcerer Sister Tooth and crime lord Otis to form a triumvirate that rules over Los Angeles. Otis plans to resurrect a Pacific firedrake, but he needs a vast source of osteomantic power – such as Sam. When Daniel is incapacitated, Sam teams up with another golem, Em, to stop the evildoers.
Pacific Fire is written rather well. Van Eekhout has expanded on the universe that he had created in the first installment. The narrative flowed rather smoothly and rather gripping. However, in an attempt to build tension, van Eekhout repeatedly changes the rules of the dragon's resurrection, along with almost every other plot point with an all-too-convenient occurrence, questionable character motivations, and other inconsistencies, which undermine the rich and amazing setting.
All in all, Pacific Fire is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Daniel Blackland, a powerful osteomancer, killed the Hierarch of Los Angeles and took possession of the Hierarch's clone-golem, Sam. Ten years later, the morally ambiguous Gabriel Argent, now chief water mage, allies with bone sorcerer Sister Tooth and crime lord Otis to form a triumvirate that rules over Los Angeles. Otis plans to resurrect a Pacific firedrake, but he needs a vast source of osteomantic power – such as Sam. When Daniel is incapacitated, Sam teams up with another golem, Em, to stop the evildoers.
Pacific Fire is written rather well. Van Eekhout has expanded on the universe that he had created in the first installment. The narrative flowed rather smoothly and rather gripping. However, in an attempt to build tension, van Eekhout repeatedly changes the rules of the dragon's resurrection, along with almost every other plot point with an all-too-convenient occurrence, questionable character motivations, and other inconsistencies, which undermine the rich and amazing setting.
All in all, Pacific Fire is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
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April 17, 2015originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2015...
Last year a really exciting book was published, California Bones, which was the first book in the Daniel Blackland series. I praised this book heavily for its creativity, it was something completely different. Luckily for me Greg van Eekhout doesn't only publish one new book in the series but two! Pacific Fire was published back in January already and the third book (finger crossed not the final one, Dragon Coast, will be published by Tor later in September this year). That is enough babble though, onto Pacific Fire. Is it any good? Yes it is!
There is quite a cap between California Bones and Pacific Fire as the story picks up about 10 years of the events that happened in California Bones. The first book introduced Daniel Blackland as the main protagonist and his rather eventful past, and lets not forget his mission to take down the Hierarch of Southern California. In which he eventually succeeded. Well this time around the focus on the story is not necessarily on Daniel but on Sam. A golem that Daniel rescued from the Hierarch of Southern California. With adopting Sam, Daniel got himself in a precarious situation. As the golem of the former Hierarch, Sam has a lot of magical power, magical power that a lot of people want to use, well lets say abuse. It can fuel a lot of things, lets say also a Pacific Firedrake. An extinct being that Otis (do you remember this guy) would love to bring back, to bring peace in the form of him ruling Los Angeles (deposing all the other warring factions). Of course when Daniel finds out that Otis is after Sam, it gets serious. Daniel is sick and tired of constantely on the run and decides to go to Otis himself and making sure that his plans don;t succeed, because the power that a Pacific Firedrake holds is unimaginable... it is a weapon of mass destruction. Daniel, master thief and skilled planner, does stumble upon some unfortunate events where he gets incapacitated himself and which forces Sam to take the lead. Sam is unknown with many things yet... also the plans that people have with his power. Now the friends get seperated and a race is on for Daniel when he recovers, that of saving Sam who he holds dear and that of the fate of many because if Otis succeeds in unleashing the Pacific Firedrake is will not only end badly for L.A.... AND there is a major twist in the end.... (which I won't spoil other to say that some other relatives of Daniel aren't really gone or just "normal")...
I have to be honest and say that the tone of the story is quite something different that what I had read in California Bones. That first book in the series had something of Ocean's Eleven, something heisty. The events that happen in Pacific Fire, is more of a coming of age and coming to terms kind of story of Sam. I already mentioned that the focus is heavily on Sam, which also gives a compeltely new perspective to the story. I am totally not saying that it is a bad thing at all, I liked this change of pace and it soon became to show that Greg van Eekhout made a very interesting choice. I liked the storyline and the ending also left a nice introduction for a pick up of the third book.
So far we have seen a various cast of human characters, Daniel and his friends were all human, some with osteomantic abilities but well considered normal. Sam on the contrary is something different. He is golem, constructed out of the magic of another person, however he is a complete being, thinking being with feelings. From the synopsis you can see that Sam wants to do things but he can't as he is on the run with Daniel just to stay alive. From the start I got the feeling that Sam wanted to be and do more but it was impossible. With Daniel getting incapacitated, Sam takes the lead. For the better of his character development. As he is now running free and has to take point making decisions, granted not always for the better but he learns. Sam also learns something much more striking. He gains power the longer he is separated from Daniel... Does this mean that Daniel only used him for his own strength? Sam is a powerful well... he comes to realize a lot. I really liked Sam's character and to be honest the naming a golem Sam, isn't making him dimwitted but it makes him innocent, and this is precisely the feeling I got from him. He just wants to play.
As for some recurrent characters, Daniel makes takes a step back putting Sam in more of a spotlight position which is ok, Daniel still has an interesting development going on, he also comes to realize that he did something unwittingly... not for the better. Next to Daniel, you also see Moth and Cassandra who make an striking and impressive appearance. The same counts for Otis, though it is short but long lasting. Some other character that I actually don't want to mention are very cool to read about. Cauldron and Tooth. Very cool and very clever thought out.
The Daniel Blackland series utilizes an awesome magic system. You ingest bones of animals or even mythical creatures and you gain their powers. How cool is that! It was a piece of attention in the first book. Now with the focusing shifting towards Sam, the magical golem, don't think you will see less of the osteomantic powers. Greg van Eekhout gives just as a fiery magic show as before!
With the second book in the Daniel Blackland series, Pacific Fire, Greg van Eekhout continues his amazing series. I loved Pacific Fire from the start just as with California Bones. The emphasis this time around isn't on Daniel but on the Hierarch's golem Sam, which is a very good thing, the story picks up with a different direction and Greg van Eekhout keeps moving very strongly in the right direction with it. There are a lot of itneresting developments going on and I really liked the emphasis on character development and the coming-of-age part of Sam. Don't get me wrong I like the heavy osteomantic displays as well, I praised the series for it, but with the focus on the characters, the story and world becomes much more diverse. A great development overall. I think there is something intentionally going on with the 10 year gap in between California Bones and Pacific Fire. The third book is published later this year, could a fourth be in the offing in between one and two?
Last year a really exciting book was published, California Bones, which was the first book in the Daniel Blackland series. I praised this book heavily for its creativity, it was something completely different. Luckily for me Greg van Eekhout doesn't only publish one new book in the series but two! Pacific Fire was published back in January already and the third book (finger crossed not the final one, Dragon Coast, will be published by Tor later in September this year). That is enough babble though, onto Pacific Fire. Is it any good? Yes it is!
There is quite a cap between California Bones and Pacific Fire as the story picks up about 10 years of the events that happened in California Bones. The first book introduced Daniel Blackland as the main protagonist and his rather eventful past, and lets not forget his mission to take down the Hierarch of Southern California. In which he eventually succeeded. Well this time around the focus on the story is not necessarily on Daniel but on Sam. A golem that Daniel rescued from the Hierarch of Southern California. With adopting Sam, Daniel got himself in a precarious situation. As the golem of the former Hierarch, Sam has a lot of magical power, magical power that a lot of people want to use, well lets say abuse. It can fuel a lot of things, lets say also a Pacific Firedrake. An extinct being that Otis (do you remember this guy) would love to bring back, to bring peace in the form of him ruling Los Angeles (deposing all the other warring factions). Of course when Daniel finds out that Otis is after Sam, it gets serious. Daniel is sick and tired of constantely on the run and decides to go to Otis himself and making sure that his plans don;t succeed, because the power that a Pacific Firedrake holds is unimaginable... it is a weapon of mass destruction. Daniel, master thief and skilled planner, does stumble upon some unfortunate events where he gets incapacitated himself and which forces Sam to take the lead. Sam is unknown with many things yet... also the plans that people have with his power. Now the friends get seperated and a race is on for Daniel when he recovers, that of saving Sam who he holds dear and that of the fate of many because if Otis succeeds in unleashing the Pacific Firedrake is will not only end badly for L.A.... AND there is a major twist in the end.... (which I won't spoil other to say that some other relatives of Daniel aren't really gone or just "normal")...
I have to be honest and say that the tone of the story is quite something different that what I had read in California Bones. That first book in the series had something of Ocean's Eleven, something heisty. The events that happen in Pacific Fire, is more of a coming of age and coming to terms kind of story of Sam. I already mentioned that the focus is heavily on Sam, which also gives a compeltely new perspective to the story. I am totally not saying that it is a bad thing at all, I liked this change of pace and it soon became to show that Greg van Eekhout made a very interesting choice. I liked the storyline and the ending also left a nice introduction for a pick up of the third book.
So far we have seen a various cast of human characters, Daniel and his friends were all human, some with osteomantic abilities but well considered normal. Sam on the contrary is something different. He is golem, constructed out of the magic of another person, however he is a complete being, thinking being with feelings. From the synopsis you can see that Sam wants to do things but he can't as he is on the run with Daniel just to stay alive. From the start I got the feeling that Sam wanted to be and do more but it was impossible. With Daniel getting incapacitated, Sam takes the lead. For the better of his character development. As he is now running free and has to take point making decisions, granted not always for the better but he learns. Sam also learns something much more striking. He gains power the longer he is separated from Daniel... Does this mean that Daniel only used him for his own strength? Sam is a powerful well... he comes to realize a lot. I really liked Sam's character and to be honest the naming a golem Sam, isn't making him dimwitted but it makes him innocent, and this is precisely the feeling I got from him. He just wants to play.
As for some recurrent characters, Daniel makes takes a step back putting Sam in more of a spotlight position which is ok, Daniel still has an interesting development going on, he also comes to realize that he did something unwittingly... not for the better. Next to Daniel, you also see Moth and Cassandra who make an striking and impressive appearance. The same counts for Otis, though it is short but long lasting. Some other character that I actually don't want to mention are very cool to read about. Cauldron and Tooth. Very cool and very clever thought out.
The Daniel Blackland series utilizes an awesome magic system. You ingest bones of animals or even mythical creatures and you gain their powers. How cool is that! It was a piece of attention in the first book. Now with the focusing shifting towards Sam, the magical golem, don't think you will see less of the osteomantic powers. Greg van Eekhout gives just as a fiery magic show as before!
With the second book in the Daniel Blackland series, Pacific Fire, Greg van Eekhout continues his amazing series. I loved Pacific Fire from the start just as with California Bones. The emphasis this time around isn't on Daniel but on the Hierarch's golem Sam, which is a very good thing, the story picks up with a different direction and Greg van Eekhout keeps moving very strongly in the right direction with it. There are a lot of itneresting developments going on and I really liked the emphasis on character development and the coming-of-age part of Sam. Don't get me wrong I like the heavy osteomantic displays as well, I praised the series for it, but with the focus on the characters, the story and world becomes much more diverse. A great development overall. I think there is something intentionally going on with the 10 year gap in between California Bones and Pacific Fire. The third book is published later this year, could a fourth be in the offing in between one and two?
May 30, 2018
This is the second book in the Daniel Blackland series by Greg Van Eekhout. This book is an Urban Fantasy/Alternative History novel . It is set in a world where California is no longer a part of the United States. California is divided into two Kingdoms, The Kingdom Of Northern California and The Kingdom of Southern California. Both Kingdoms are ruled by powerful mages whose magic derives from eating the bones of ancient magical animals. Magic can also be gained from eating the bones of other powerful mages. In this one Daniel has been on the run with Sam. Sam is a golem created from the essence of the late Hierarch of Southern California. Many powerful people are after them because the magic in Sam's bones would give them great power. Daniel and Sam learn that a Pacific Firedrake is being created by some of the unscrupulous mages of L.A. They decide they must put a stop to this because a Firedrake would be unstoppable and many people would be killed. With the help of former friends and some new friends they will make the attempt. This book is a very good read in a unique fantasy world. I recommend it.
December 17, 2018
I really like the author's alternate southern California (though I'm glad that I don't have to live there).
This is the second book in a trilogy. Daniel Blackland has rescued the golem of the SoCal Hierarch (after he kills him), a creature named Sam, and protects him from those left behind who would "harvest" the golem for his osteomantic value.
Three people who were in the tier below the hierarch form a shaky treaty to work together to raise a Pacific firedrake, the most fearsome of creatures: Otis Roth, Gabriel Argent, and Sister Tooth. They want the Hierarch's golem to power the animation of the Pacific firedrake. Daniel is on the run east and north of the alternate L.A., trying to protect Sam.
The author uses enough familiar landmarks, transported and transformed appropriately for his world, that movement is pleasant and recognizable.
Meanwhile, Daniel discovers that the driving force behind bringing back a Pacific firedrake isn't Otis and his triumvirate but someone from his past.
Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to moving onto the third and final book in the trilogy. It's sad to thing that the next book is the *final* book in the series.
This is the second book in a trilogy. Daniel Blackland has rescued the golem of the SoCal Hierarch (after he kills him), a creature named Sam, and protects him from those left behind who would "harvest" the golem for his osteomantic value.
Three people who were in the tier below the hierarch form a shaky treaty to work together to raise a Pacific firedrake, the most fearsome of creatures: Otis Roth, Gabriel Argent, and Sister Tooth. They want the Hierarch's golem to power the animation of the Pacific firedrake. Daniel is on the run east and north of the alternate L.A., trying to protect Sam.
The author uses enough familiar landmarks, transported and transformed appropriately for his world, that movement is pleasant and recognizable.
Meanwhile, Daniel discovers that the driving force behind bringing back a Pacific firedrake isn't Otis and his triumvirate but someone from his past.
Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to moving onto the third and final book in the trilogy. It's sad to thing that the next book is the *final* book in the series.
October 12, 2018
Like many follow-ups to tightly-focused first novels, Pacific Fire expands the story started in California Bones into a larger landscape and a larger problem. To avoid telling the same story again, escalation is necessary. Unlike many sequels in the bigger-and-better tradition, Pacific Fire doesn't get too large and unwieldy. It keeps an intimate focus on a small number of characters, and keeps the scope of the plot reigned in on the objective.
Sam is a great character, his arc very different from Daniel's, and I enjoyed following his story. However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first. Sabotage stories are good, but heist stories are better. California Bones is suffused with a kind of wicked joy, where everyone in Pacific Fire is weighed down by guilt and the feeling that time is too short.
I'm intrigued to see how book three's con job stands out in the line-up.
Sam is a great character, his arc very different from Daniel's, and I enjoyed following his story. However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first. Sabotage stories are good, but heist stories are better. California Bones is suffused with a kind of wicked joy, where everyone in Pacific Fire is weighed down by guilt and the feeling that time is too short.
I'm intrigued to see how book three's con job stands out in the line-up.
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