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Shadows Fall
Considered by the author to be his finest work yet, this is a novel of realistic detail, heartfelt emotion, and dazzling imagination that builds a world readers won't want to leave and spins a tale they won't want to end. In a town of amazing magicks, where the real and the imagined live side by side and the Faerie of legend know the automatons of the future, Time sees all—but even he cannot escape the prophecy of James Hart's return, which can only mean the death of Shadows Fall.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
August 8, 2024
Нерви не ми останаха, пък и не ме интересува вече, какво ще се случи със Шадоу фолз и обитателите му!
Отказвам се да дочета книгата. :(
Нелош замисъл, но изпълнението е толкова тегаво и разпиляно, че убива всякакво желание у мен да науча края на интригата.
Досадно е, а аз нямам време!
P.S. Истински ми харесаха само елфите.
Отказвам се да дочета книгата. :(
Нелош замисъл, но изпълнението е толкова тегаво и разпиляно, че убива всякакво желание у мен да науча края на интригата.
Досадно е, а аз нямам време!
P.S. Истински ми харесаха само елфите.
February 9, 2008
Another one of my top ten, I think. And a devil to get a hold of.
This is one of Simon's earlier books, and certainly a benchmark for all that has come after. I'm pretty sure that this and Blue Moon Rising are still the best work he's ever done.
So. What is Shadows Fall?
It is where dreams go to die, where legends live when no one believes in them anymore. It's where every toy you've ever lost ends up, where old friends can be found, old gods and monsters can be met, and every other dream and figment that no longer has a place in the minds of humanity ends up before it goes through the Forever Door and passes out of this reality entirely. There is magic and mystery and monsters and everything you've ever forgotten about.
It's a really weird place. But necessary. It's the safety valve for reality, since there's only so much that humanity can believe in at any one time. And under the watchful eye of Father Time, the city - and the Forever Door - fulfill their function with a minimum of fuss.
Until the murders.
Until the return of James Hart.
Until the time of the Wild Childe, the Warriors of the Cross and the prophecy of the end of the city.
The main theme of the book is one that always gets to me - redemption. The idea that no matter how hard you may have screwed up your life, no matter how late you think it is, there's always one more chance to redeem yourself and be the person you've always known you were. Given the nature of the town - the last stop for the hopes and dreams of mankind - redemption is a key issue. Humans and non-humans alike find their chance to make good on their lives and leave the world with their heads held high. I occasionally find myself worrying that I have missed what I am supposed to do in this life, that I missed my chance back when I didn't know what it was. Given that, a book like this resonates pretty hard with me.
Plus it's just a really neat idea - where do those old comic book characters and daytime TV cartoons and gods and monsters go? In their heyday they had fans, followers and believers, but when those people go away, where do the dreams go? And all credit to Simon for coming up with a wonderful, memorable answer.
Also, he has a quality that I really admire in writers - he will kill off characters, no matter how cool and fun and interesting they are. And he makes a lot of cool and interesting characters, it's one of his strong suits. People die in this book. A lot of people, and not all of them die well or heroically. But their deaths serve a greater purpose, and even though you feel sorrow at their parting, you at least know that the death is.... right.
The book was out of print for a long while, but it's been reissued. I highly recommend that you go get it.
This is one of Simon's earlier books, and certainly a benchmark for all that has come after. I'm pretty sure that this and Blue Moon Rising are still the best work he's ever done.
So. What is Shadows Fall?
It is where dreams go to die, where legends live when no one believes in them anymore. It's where every toy you've ever lost ends up, where old friends can be found, old gods and monsters can be met, and every other dream and figment that no longer has a place in the minds of humanity ends up before it goes through the Forever Door and passes out of this reality entirely. There is magic and mystery and monsters and everything you've ever forgotten about.
It's a really weird place. But necessary. It's the safety valve for reality, since there's only so much that humanity can believe in at any one time. And under the watchful eye of Father Time, the city - and the Forever Door - fulfill their function with a minimum of fuss.
Until the murders.
Until the return of James Hart.
Until the time of the Wild Childe, the Warriors of the Cross and the prophecy of the end of the city.
The main theme of the book is one that always gets to me - redemption. The idea that no matter how hard you may have screwed up your life, no matter how late you think it is, there's always one more chance to redeem yourself and be the person you've always known you were. Given the nature of the town - the last stop for the hopes and dreams of mankind - redemption is a key issue. Humans and non-humans alike find their chance to make good on their lives and leave the world with their heads held high. I occasionally find myself worrying that I have missed what I am supposed to do in this life, that I missed my chance back when I didn't know what it was. Given that, a book like this resonates pretty hard with me.
Plus it's just a really neat idea - where do those old comic book characters and daytime TV cartoons and gods and monsters go? In their heyday they had fans, followers and believers, but when those people go away, where do the dreams go? And all credit to Simon for coming up with a wonderful, memorable answer.
Also, he has a quality that I really admire in writers - he will kill off characters, no matter how cool and fun and interesting they are. And he makes a lot of cool and interesting characters, it's one of his strong suits. People die in this book. A lot of people, and not all of them die well or heroically. But their deaths serve a greater purpose, and even though you feel sorrow at their parting, you at least know that the death is.... right.
The book was out of print for a long while, but it's been reissued. I highly recommend that you go get it.
May 2, 2022
Шадоус Фол облекчава болката на света: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Но сега, като препрочитах книгата, ми направи впечатление друго – колко минорна и всъщност доста депресивна е цялостната атмосфера на романа, далеч не е това лудешко приключение, което някога така ми допадна. Мисля си, че е заради паралелите с нашата реалност – една фанатична армия извършва “специална операция” в Шадоус Фол и извършва звества, които се случват и в реалността наблизо. С повече емпатия проследих как героите се изправят срещу тези откаченяци, дирейки смисъла и на собственото си съществуване – там, в града, който е междинна спирка между реалността и вечното забвение. Отново се ядосах на края и религиозната му символика, но това можеше да се очаква определено, тук разбиранията ми не са се променили.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Но сега, като препрочитах книгата, ми направи впечатление друго – колко минорна и всъщност доста депресивна е цялостната атмосфера на романа, далеч не е това лудешко приключение, което някога така ми допадна. Мисля си, че е заради паралелите с нашата реалност – една фанатична армия извършва “специална операция” в Шадоус Фол и извършва звества, които се случват и в реалността наблизо. С повече емпатия проследих как героите се изправят срещу тези откаченяци, дирейки смисъла и на собственото си съществуване – там, в града, който е междинна спирка между реалността и вечното забвение. Отново се ядосах на края и религиозната му символика, но това можеше да се очаква определено, тук разбиранията ми не са се променили.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
March 4, 2010
Simon Green is probably the best science fiction/fantasy writer going right now and he has said he believes Shadows Fall is his best work. I'm not sure I agree with that, but it is one of his best as well as a fun and engrossing fantasy novel. Shadows Fall tells the story of the city of Shadows Fall; a place where living people who were famous, but died too soon, go to live on for a while until they go through the Forever Door to their final destination. It's also where mythological or fictional characters become living beings when there is no one left who remembers them any more. The characters range from Bruin Bear (who most will recognize as Winnie the Pooh under another name) to a very famous singer who died in Paris while still in his twenties and a hero of the pulp age, Lester Gold, The Mystery Avenger. The problem is that a prophecy predicted that if a former resident named James Hart ever returned Shadow Falls would be destroyed...and James just walked into town.
April 19, 2013
Творенията на човешкото въображение и демоните на фанатичната вяра се сблъскват сред руините на Шадоус Фол: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Някои книги просто не могат да бъдат класифицирани в един или друг жанр – аз си ги наричам шантавелски и “Шадоус Фол” на Саймън Грийн попада точно в тази категория. Та какво може да очакваш от мащабен и сложен роман, в който има литературни, комиксови и анимационни герои, елфи, рок звезди, странни роботи, конструирани от антропоморфното Време, немъртви, динозаври, цяла фанатична армия от тежковъоръжени религиозни кръстоносци, че и едно плашило с неудържима сила, което всява ужас? Просто виждам как повдигате вежди в почуда… Но наистина, какво толкова – това е Шадоус Фол – градът, където се намира Вратата към вечността и където всяко творение на човешката фантазия, в което вече никой не вярва, намира спокоен пристан. Или не съвсем.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Някои книги просто не могат да бъдат класифицирани в един или друг жанр – аз си ги наричам шантавелски и “Шадоус Фол” на Саймън Грийн попада точно в тази категория. Та какво може да очакваш от мащабен и сложен роман, в който има литературни, комиксови и анимационни герои, елфи, рок звезди, странни роботи, конструирани от антропоморфното Време, немъртви, динозаври, цяла фанатична армия от тежковъоръжени религиозни кръстоносци, че и едно плашило с неудържима сила, което всява ужас? Просто виждам как повдигате вежди в почуда… Но наистина, какво толкова – това е Шадоус Фол – градът, където се намира Вратата към вечността и където всяко творение на човешката фантазия, в което вече никой не вярва, намира спокоен пристан. Или не съвсем.
Издателство "Изток-Запад"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
November 29, 2017
"Съществува град, където мечтите отиват, за да умрат. Място, където кошмарите свършват, а надеждата намира покой. Където всички истории стигат до своя край, всички дирения приключват и всяка изгубена душа най-после намира пътя си към дома." Интригуващо въведение? И още как. Но нямате представа колко буквално трябва да разбирате фразата „всички истории”. Наистина... в „Щадоус фол” (изд. „Изток-Запад”) на Саймън Грийн има поне по зрънце от всякакъв тип истории, всевъзможни персонажи, някои дори противоречащи си, но работещи заедно по изключителен начин. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
September 20, 2019
Шедоус Фол - градът в който мечтите и легендите се пенсионират и умират, мястото на което анимационни герои и чудовища от легендите се събират да пият по бира, динозаври бродят нощем в парка а Джим Морисън е кажи-речи жив и пее песни пред елфските крале.
Малко, ама съвсем малко не и стига на книгата за да е наистина добра.
Може би в това че авторът май се е опитал да набута две книги в една. Че не е отделил достатъчно внимание на детайлите, мъчейки се да развие наведнъж всички сюжети. Или че се опитва да развие едновременно 20-на еднакво важни герои в около 500 страници. Знам ли.
Приятна е, но през цялото време си мислех "абе тук нещо липсва".
Малко, ама съвсем малко не и стига на книгата за да е наистина добра.
Може би в това че авторът май се е опитал да набута две книги в една. Че не е отделил достатъчно внимание на детайлите, мъчейки се да развие наведнъж всички сюжети. Или че се опитва да развие едновременно 20-на еднакво важни герои в около 500 страници. Знам ли.
Приятна е, но през цялото време си мислех "абе тук нещо липсва".
September 7, 2010
This is an impressive book, made with vivid imagination, very weirds and in the same time very epic. I have to say, however, that I am a bit disappointed with the ending, bit too preachy for me. Why create such wonderful and complicated world, only ti simplify it at the end? Still, as this con might be due to my personal convictions, I still give 4 stars to the author.
September 28, 2016
Stopped Reading !!!
When explanations go like...
"That's how it works"
"No one knows why it's like that"
" blah blah blah that's how it is but I can't be sure"
Weird book .. too many strange stuff mixed together without logic or explanation or explanation-tat-gives-you-a-wtf-headache.
Glad to have dropped it. Now re-reading Dresden Files completely.
When explanations go like...
"That's how it works"
"No one knows why it's like that"
" blah blah blah that's how it is but I can't be sure"
Weird book .. too many strange stuff mixed together without logic or explanation or explanation-tat-gives-you-a-wtf-headache.
Glad to have dropped it. Now re-reading Dresden Files completely.
November 21, 2008
Better than his other paranormal books. Less off-plot stories about weird creatures, more plot development and action. Weak ending.
July 4, 2024
Overall I enjoyed this book and I found the ideas and characters both interesting and fun. However, this book might just have the single most unsatisfying ending that I've ever read.
February 6, 2022
I may just have a new favorite book. I haven't done much of anything else for the last three days because there is no good place in this book to stop and put it down. Such an incredible blend of the concrete and the abstract that the characters, storyline, and pretty much every detail of the book require your full uninterrupted attention. The movement between human characteristics and life or community as a functioning machine is accented with the mythological worlds fantasy fans live for. I really don't think there is any place quite like Shadows Fall anywhere else in literature. With an almost childlike representation of concepts such as "the forever door," the animal court, and "the wild child" this novel is accessible, fun, and complex all at the same time. I will most definitely be reading more Simon R. Green.
September 14, 2024
This has to be the Greeniest, Green book he ever wrote.
The side characters are alive and different and thr story feels fresh even after all these years.
I don't have any of my later complaints in his stories.
The side characters are alive and different and thr story feels fresh even after all these years.
I don't have any of my later complaints in his stories.
January 6, 2014
Скъпи читатели. Изключително огромно удоволствие за мен е да ви представя едно литературно събитие, което не бива да бъде подминавано от никой ценител на добрата литература като цяло. Авторът е един от фаворитите ми - Саймън Ричард Грийн, а романът - "Шадоус Фол", книгата, за която самият той казва, че е личният му Magnum Opus.
Това е шестата книга, която излиза на български на Саймън Грийн - другите са Хоук и Фишер, Победителят печели всичко (съответно първа и втора от фентъзи поредицата за двамата стражи на Хейвън), Светът на мъглите, Светът на призраците и Адския свят (трилогията "Twilight of the Empire") Саймън Грийн е машина за бестселъри, носител на куп литературни награди и трудолюбив писател, притежаващ богато въображение и завидна творческа дисциплина.
Какво е Шадоус Фол... "Съществува град, където мечтите отиват, за да умрат. Място, където кошмарите свършват, а надеждата намира покой. Където всички истории стигат до своя край, всички дирения приключват и всяка изгубена душа най-после намира пътя си към дома."
Това е Шадоус Фол - изумителен и магичен, невидим за простосмъртните град, където предания, хора, вещи и всякакви твари отиват, за да изживеят дните си, след като никой вече не вярва в тях. Град, в който шериф Ричард Ериксон бди за реда, а Времето - достолепен старец наглежда всичко с помощта на безбройните си роботи. Град, нерядко огласян от музиката на непокорния рокаджия Шон Морисън.
Внезапно обаче нещо става. Могъщата армия на Воините на Кръста - ултрарадикална свръхрелигиозна организация решава да атакува града, за да сложи ръка на Вратата на Вечността - подозират, че тя води към Рая, при Бог... Изключително свирепи и силни, тренирани с години, разполагащи с мощни оръжия, Воините на Кръста са армия, която може да срази всичко по пътя си.
Ала Шадоус Фол не бива да се подценява. Тук е пълно с комиксови, анимационни и литературни герои, които могат да бъдат много опасни. Роботите на Времето щъкат навсякъде, нощно време из парка бродят динозаври. Тук са и елфите - могъщи и страховити... Тук е любимецът ми Джак Феч - безсмъртното ужасяващо плашило, което абсолютно никой не може да възпре. Борбата ще е чудовищна - кой ще победи?
Други ревюта на книгата може да прочетете при Александър Драганов, Владо Ангелов, Христо Блажев и др.
Без съмнение Шадоус Фол е едно от най-добрите неща, които съм чел не просто през календарната година, а въобще досега. Ако харесвате фантастика, фентъзи, ужаси и комбинациите между тези жанрове, ако ви допада как пишат автори като Кинг, Геймън, Конъли, Баркър и други в подобен шантавелски стил - моята препоръка е да прочетете Шадоус Фол. Саймън Грийн ще ви покаже, че макар да не ви е известен толкова не отстъпва по нищо на изброените и Силата е неотменно с него.
И Светлата, и Тъмната й страна.
Това е шестата книга, която излиза на български на Саймън Грийн - другите са Хоук и Фишер, Победителят печели всичко (съответно първа и втора от фентъзи поредицата за двамата стражи на Хейвън), Светът на мъглите, Светът на призраците и Адския свят (трилогията "Twilight of the Empire") Саймън Грийн е машина за бестселъри, носител на куп литературни награди и трудолюбив писател, притежаващ богато въображение и завидна творческа дисциплина.
Какво е Шадоус Фол... "Съществува град, където мечтите отиват, за да умрат. Място, където кошмарите свършват, а надеждата намира покой. Където всички истории стигат до своя край, всички дирения приключват и всяка изгубена душа най-после намира пътя си към дома."
Това е Шадоус Фол - изумителен и магичен, невидим за простосмъртните град, където предания, хора, вещи и всякакви твари отиват, за да изживеят дните си, след като никой вече не вярва в тях. Град, в който шериф Ричард Ериксон бди за реда, а Времето - достолепен старец наглежда всичко с помощта на безбройните си роботи. Град, нерядко огласян от музиката на непокорния рокаджия Шон Морисън.
Внезапно обаче нещо става. Могъщата армия на Воините на Кръста - ултрарадикална свръхрелигиозна организация решава да атакува града, за да сложи ръка на Вратата на Вечността - подозират, че тя води към Рая, при Бог... Изключително свирепи и силни, тренирани с години, разполагащи с мощни оръжия, Воините на Кръста са армия, която може да срази всичко по пътя си.
Ала Шадоус Фол не бива да се подценява. Тук е пълно с комиксови, анимационни и литературни герои, които могат да бъдат много опасни. Роботите на Времето щъкат навсякъде, нощно време из парка бродят динозаври. Тук са и елфите - могъщи и страховити... Тук е любимецът ми Джак Феч - безсмъртното ужасяващо плашило, което абсолютно никой не може да възпре. Борбата ще е чудовищна - кой ще победи?
Други ревюта на книгата може да прочетете при Александър Драганов, Владо Ангелов, Христо Блажев и др.
Без съмнение Шадоус Фол е едно от най-добрите неща, които съм чел не просто през календарната година, а въобще досега. Ако харесвате фантастика, фентъзи, ужаси и комбинациите между тези жанрове, ако ви допада как пишат автори като Кинг, Геймън, Конъли, Баркър и други в подобен шантавелски стил - моята препоръка е да прочетете Шадоус Фол. Саймън Грийн ще ви покаже, че макар да не ви е известен толкова не отстъпва по нищо на изброените и Силата е неотменно с него.
И Светлата, и Тъмната й страна.
December 4, 2019
This book started off as an unusual premise and it was interesting to explore, with a curious and diverse array of characters, especially the in-universe fictional characters living among real humans (the poor cartoon character crying because he couldn't function independently anymore, due to awareness of him fading in the outside world, was heartbreaking)... And then the book devolved into nonstop violence. The latter 200 pages, just an endless series of battles and life-and-death struggles... and the ENDING was horrific. The violence turned slasher-film-sick, with gory ends and disturbing imagery, and with a final wrap-up that was too quick and did not justify the endless carnage (did I mention 200 pages of it??). This book was so horrible I swore I'd never read another Simon Greene book again (and this was my first of his!). Lately I've had friends recommend Blue Moon Rising to me, and I confess the first Nightside book sounds like a fun premise - certainly the titles of the Nightside series sound funny, and funny always gets my attention. But Shadows Fall? Not only is it not funny, it is way too dark for my tastes. The darkness is frankly gratuitous and sickening in how its presented and it goes on way, waaaay too long without any relief whatsoever.
December 13, 2007
Shadow's Fall, the town where things (legends, fictional characters, even normal people) go to die, or, much more commonly, to put off dying, is a fascinating place. Although a good portion of the book could be dismissed as name-dropping and trying to be clever by referencing everything under the sun, it still has a certain charm and is well worth a visit.
According to me, Simon Green's biggest strength is his ability to write banter. Unfortunately, that means that many of his plots, and characters, start running together (probably because they're all basically the same). Shadow's Fall stands apart from his other works (well, it did until he started to write the Nightside books) and, as an added bonus, is a self-contained story with absolutely no possibility of a sequel ever being written ever. (unless one counts the Nightside books, which I don't)
According to me, Simon Green's biggest strength is his ability to write banter. Unfortunately, that means that many of his plots, and characters, start running together (probably because they're all basically the same). Shadow's Fall stands apart from his other works (well, it did until he started to write the Nightside books) and, as an added bonus, is a self-contained story with absolutely no possibility of a sequel ever being written ever. (unless one counts the Nightside books, which I don't)
April 2, 2012
If you like fantasy, comic books and science fiction, you will love Shadows Fall. The tagline is, "Shadows Fall, where legends go to die." Any character real or fictional that became a legend in his or her own time lives in Shadows Fall, a land in the crossroads of the middle of nowhere. Green does an amazing job with detail and making you feel like you can see the place and the characters all come to life. He doesn't just droan on with detail either. He facilitates the imagination in an easy-to-read way. There are so many fantastic characters that he gives you a list to refer to. There is a lot of dialouge among them which as you can imagine, makes for some funny, compelling and at times scary reading. He provides us with a depiction of Father Time that is probably one of my favorites to date.
January 21, 2019
Best I can tell, much of the dispute as to how good the book is comes down to how much one likes the author. I can entirely understand someone disliking Simon R. Green's writing. He's not everybody's bag of peanuts. I happen to enjoy his writing, and Shadows Fall is by far the most Simon R. Green book I've read yet.
It is beautiful. It is grim. It is weird. It is so, so weird.
I found myself especially concerned with the well being of a certain anthropomorphic teddy bear I earlier encountered in Nightside. Who knew anthropomorphic teddy bears could experience character development?
It is beautiful. It is grim. It is weird. It is so, so weird.
I found myself especially concerned with the well being of a certain anthropomorphic teddy bear I earlier encountered in Nightside. Who knew anthropomorphic teddy bears could experience character development?
May 11, 2014
Let me start by saying Simon R Green is one of my favorite authors. His Deathstalker books are just epic and his Nightside books are great fun. However, I just could not make myself like this book at all. The only way I can sum it up is that it is a kids book, written for teenagers, but with a lot of very adult themes. Which of course, makes no sense.
It makes it worse that the description says it is the book the author believes is his best work, which I strongly disagree with
It makes it worse that the description says it is the book the author believes is his best work, which I strongly disagree with
January 17, 2009
This Book is a stellar example of what writer of fantasy and sci-fi can do when putting there mids to the task.
I read this book on the request of a friend. I was astounded at how good of a book this was, I have not seen one book contain so many diffrent myths and legends incorporated so seamlessly into a cohesive story line before or since.
I read this book on the request of a friend. I was astounded at how good of a book this was, I have not seen one book contain so many diffrent myths and legends incorporated so seamlessly into a cohesive story line before or since.
June 20, 2015
So disappointing. Green is a good writer, and this book is well written. But if you are looking for some of the lighthearted, witty banter and characters of his other books - this is not that book. Instead prepare yourself for hours of torture, murder, and an unbelievably unsatisfying conclusion.
Disappointed, because I love his other books. I highly recommend his other series!
Disappointed, because I love his other books. I highly recommend his other series!
February 2, 2010
The wonders of a world there the beautiful things of your childhood go when you no longer believe in them anymore...
The best single fantasy book I have ever read!
The best single fantasy book I have ever read!
March 5, 2016
super meh
November 25, 2016
Terrible, terrible book! Simon Green must live in Shadows Fall, because nobody believe in him!
July 26, 2019
Just as brilliant as when I first read it - a great stand alone book with a mythos all of it's own.
November 18, 2010
The world of Shadows Fall, has some interesting characters, and is well written.
June 4, 2012
Variety is something I heartily approve of (which explains why I teach and am not working a nine-to-five job), and this is especially true with my reading. While it's true I stick to a handful of very specific genres, I like to think that the genres I go for are extremely rich in variety despite working within certain bounds (or questioning them, as is often the case), and I am in the happy position of knowing I'll never run out of new, shiny things to read.
This is why, although I've given up maintaining any kind of reading list (because lists have endings, and really, there is never going to be an end to the books I'll read throughout my lifetime), I do try to mix things up a little so I don't get genre fatigue. Say I just finished reading a non-fiction book; that means I will reach for a fantasy or at the very least an urban fantasy novel as opposed to another non-fiction book. This helps keep things fresh for me, and I rather like to think that the sudden shift in perspective (from sci-fi to fantasy to historical fiction, for instance) helps to produce perspectives I wouldn't have had if I'd just read books from one genre one after the other.
This was why I'd decided to pick up Shadows Fall by Simon R. Green. The cover, featuring what I thought was a mechanical android of some sort, looked so sci-fi I thought it would be the perfect thing to read after coming off Kevin Hearne's Hounded, which is urban fantasy. I had never heard of Simon R. Green, so I didn't know what genre he operated in, but as usual I merely shrugged and dove right in.
Now I think I should have checked, because despite the distinctly sci-fi feel of the cover, Shadows Fall is actually another example of the urban fantasy genre. Despite finding this out right at the beginning of the book, though, I decided to just shrug it off and continue reading. After all, that android on the cover had me sufficiently intrigued to want to keep on reading, if only to find out what sort of connection it had to the story.
Shadows Fall, as it turns out, is not only the title of novel, but also of the town where the events of the story take place. Shadows Fall is the place where "legends go to die," where characters from mythology, fiction, and even actual people, to a degree, go when they've faded and been forgotten by the world's collective consciousness. The town itself has a life of its own, likely because of all the strange entities that inhabit it, and the ever-shifting nature of it is something the residents must cope with as a part of everyday life. Strange as Shadows Fall is, though, its residents are generally happy, for the most part - until a rash of murders breaks out in the town. And even more frightening, in a town where the dead come back to life, the victims pretty much stay dead.
Adding to this confusion is James Hart, a man whose family left Shadows Fall when he was ten years old, but who is now coming back after the death of his parents. His return, however, heralds a great shift in Shadows Fall, and these changes, tied in with the murders, leads up to an earth-shattering (or town-shattering, really) event, where both Heaven and Hell themselves get involved.
Initially, I was rather disappointed with the opening of the novel. I thought it was starting off too slow for my tastes, especially when I was hoping for something far more exciting than what I'd gotten at the beginning. The characters were very bland, and though I expected blandness from James Hart, I wasn't expecting it from the town's inhabitants themselves. Since Shadows Fall is supposed to be the place where legends go to die, I was hoping that I'd get a glimpse of the more colorful characters in all their glory. Still, I kept on reading because I'd had experience with this kind of book before: the kind of book that started out very slowly, but then built up to really, really interesting and fun events. I hoped that, if I kept going, I'd get some kind of payoff.
And to be fair, I did. By the midway point of the novel things started really picking up steam, specifically at the point when the Faerie and their spokesperson, Sean Morrison, are introduced. From that point the story picks up speed, until by the latter third it's become a wild and frightening war being fought in the middle of the town itself - a war between Christian fanatics and all the denizens of Shadows Fall.
The inclusion of a militarized group of fanatic Christians was something I found intriguing. Given how this book first came out in 2005, when the events of 9/11 were still very fresh in the collective consciousness and the West was embroiled in a war in the Middle East, I rather liked the use of Christian terrorists, out to "purify" the town of Shadows Fall. It was a great reminder that, no matter how you slice it, fanaticism is still fanaticism, and there's no getting around that.
At this point, however, things started getting a little heavy-handed - so heavy-handed, in fact, that it was kind of hard to miss exactly what Green was trying to emphasize in this portion of the novel. His description of how the fanatics sacked the town, of how they acted towards the townsfolk, was gruesome - no surprise there - but there was something gratuitous about the whole thing. Now, the author attempting to express some "lesson" in their novel is nothing new; it's just that I don't particularly like it when the lesson is so obvious as it was in Shadows Fall. It's like Green is trying to say "Fanaticism is bad!" and is doing so in as loud a voice as possible. The only problem, though, is that there really was no need to shout it from the rooftops; any reader would have figured that out from the get-go, no slaughtering of innocents necessary - or, all right, maybe with minimal slaughtering of innocents, just to emphasize how truly dreadful the whole thing is. But the rest of it was, I think, unnecessary.
I could, however, overlook that part, to a degree. There was a lot going on in this part of the book that I found absolutely heart-wrenching - - but there was one scene in particular that got me all choked up and made the entire slog up until this point of the book absolutely worth it.
One of the characters the reader meets early in the novel is Sean Morrison, described as some kind of musician and bard to the Faerie. In fact, he's the Faerie's contact with the rest of Shadow's Fall, and it is Sean who reminds the Faerie of their ancient duty to protect the town in its time of need. As it turns out, though, Sean Morrison isn't quite as ordinary as he seems. After all, it's legends that go to Shadows Fall, and Sean is a legend himself.
That scene, that one scene was worth the whole slog from the beginning to get to that point. It choked me up, made the hairs on my arms stand on end, because it's the perfect illustration of the power of art and creativity and music, of how immediately it speaks to the heart, and if one is unaffected by it, then one is no longer human at all.
Unfortunately, after that wonderful high point, things started to slide back down. The war was over, and I would have been content with it, to see how the town rebuilt itself, but there were still those murders that needed resolving. Unfortunately, the direction they take struck me as rather absurd, and the novel, which could have ended on a fantastic, resounding thunderclap (or maybe a rip-roaring guitar chord?) ended with something similar to a whimper - or someone clearing their throat, which is what literally happens at the end of the novel. And while I'm all for happy endings, the happy ending of this particular story just didn't ring true for me at all. It screamed of wish fulfillment, as if the author was trying to apologize for all the losses earlier on in the story - especially those folks who died during the course of the battle - and in attempting to make everyone happy wound up creating an ending that rings entirely false.
Shadows Fall is confusing, to say the least. The buildup is really, really slow, but then suddenly it hits its stride and gets really, ridiculously epic, before winding down into something that the author probably thought would be epic, but just falls flat on its face - especially after that concert scene. It also doesn't help that it gets kind of didacting in the middle of a battle, when subtlety would have gotten the point across better. I would read this just to get to that epic concert scene, but that's the novel's only redeeming factor. Otherwise, it's a thoroughly mediocre read.
This is why, although I've given up maintaining any kind of reading list (because lists have endings, and really, there is never going to be an end to the books I'll read throughout my lifetime), I do try to mix things up a little so I don't get genre fatigue. Say I just finished reading a non-fiction book; that means I will reach for a fantasy or at the very least an urban fantasy novel as opposed to another non-fiction book. This helps keep things fresh for me, and I rather like to think that the sudden shift in perspective (from sci-fi to fantasy to historical fiction, for instance) helps to produce perspectives I wouldn't have had if I'd just read books from one genre one after the other.
This was why I'd decided to pick up Shadows Fall by Simon R. Green. The cover, featuring what I thought was a mechanical android of some sort, looked so sci-fi I thought it would be the perfect thing to read after coming off Kevin Hearne's Hounded, which is urban fantasy. I had never heard of Simon R. Green, so I didn't know what genre he operated in, but as usual I merely shrugged and dove right in.
Now I think I should have checked, because despite the distinctly sci-fi feel of the cover, Shadows Fall is actually another example of the urban fantasy genre. Despite finding this out right at the beginning of the book, though, I decided to just shrug it off and continue reading. After all, that android on the cover had me sufficiently intrigued to want to keep on reading, if only to find out what sort of connection it had to the story.
Shadows Fall, as it turns out, is not only the title of novel, but also of the town where the events of the story take place. Shadows Fall is the place where "legends go to die," where characters from mythology, fiction, and even actual people, to a degree, go when they've faded and been forgotten by the world's collective consciousness. The town itself has a life of its own, likely because of all the strange entities that inhabit it, and the ever-shifting nature of it is something the residents must cope with as a part of everyday life. Strange as Shadows Fall is, though, its residents are generally happy, for the most part - until a rash of murders breaks out in the town. And even more frightening, in a town where the dead come back to life, the victims pretty much stay dead.
Adding to this confusion is James Hart, a man whose family left Shadows Fall when he was ten years old, but who is now coming back after the death of his parents. His return, however, heralds a great shift in Shadows Fall, and these changes, tied in with the murders, leads up to an earth-shattering (or town-shattering, really) event, where both Heaven and Hell themselves get involved.
Initially, I was rather disappointed with the opening of the novel. I thought it was starting off too slow for my tastes, especially when I was hoping for something far more exciting than what I'd gotten at the beginning. The characters were very bland, and though I expected blandness from James Hart, I wasn't expecting it from the town's inhabitants themselves. Since Shadows Fall is supposed to be the place where legends go to die, I was hoping that I'd get a glimpse of the more colorful characters in all their glory. Still, I kept on reading because I'd had experience with this kind of book before: the kind of book that started out very slowly, but then built up to really, really interesting and fun events. I hoped that, if I kept going, I'd get some kind of payoff.
And to be fair, I did. By the midway point of the novel things started really picking up steam, specifically at the point when the Faerie and their spokesperson, Sean Morrison, are introduced. From that point the story picks up speed, until by the latter third it's become a wild and frightening war being fought in the middle of the town itself - a war between Christian fanatics and all the denizens of Shadows Fall.
The inclusion of a militarized group of fanatic Christians was something I found intriguing. Given how this book first came out in 2005, when the events of 9/11 were still very fresh in the collective consciousness and the West was embroiled in a war in the Middle East, I rather liked the use of Christian terrorists, out to "purify" the town of Shadows Fall. It was a great reminder that, no matter how you slice it, fanaticism is still fanaticism, and there's no getting around that.
At this point, however, things started getting a little heavy-handed - so heavy-handed, in fact, that it was kind of hard to miss exactly what Green was trying to emphasize in this portion of the novel. His description of how the fanatics sacked the town, of how they acted towards the townsfolk, was gruesome - no surprise there - but there was something gratuitous about the whole thing. Now, the author attempting to express some "lesson" in their novel is nothing new; it's just that I don't particularly like it when the lesson is so obvious as it was in Shadows Fall. It's like Green is trying to say "Fanaticism is bad!" and is doing so in as loud a voice as possible. The only problem, though, is that there really was no need to shout it from the rooftops; any reader would have figured that out from the get-go, no slaughtering of innocents necessary - or, all right, maybe with minimal slaughtering of innocents, just to emphasize how truly dreadful the whole thing is. But the rest of it was, I think, unnecessary.
I could, however, overlook that part, to a degree. There was a lot going on in this part of the book that I found absolutely heart-wrenching - - but there was one scene in particular that got me all choked up and made the entire slog up until this point of the book absolutely worth it.
One of the characters the reader meets early in the novel is Sean Morrison, described as some kind of musician and bard to the Faerie. In fact, he's the Faerie's contact with the rest of Shadow's Fall, and it is Sean who reminds the Faerie of their ancient duty to protect the town in its time of need. As it turns out, though, Sean Morrison isn't quite as ordinary as he seems. After all, it's legends that go to Shadows Fall, and Sean is a legend himself.
That scene, that one scene was worth the whole slog from the beginning to get to that point. It choked me up, made the hairs on my arms stand on end, because it's the perfect illustration of the power of art and creativity and music, of how immediately it speaks to the heart, and if one is unaffected by it, then one is no longer human at all.
Unfortunately, after that wonderful high point, things started to slide back down. The war was over, and I would have been content with it, to see how the town rebuilt itself, but there were still those murders that needed resolving. Unfortunately, the direction they take struck me as rather absurd, and the novel, which could have ended on a fantastic, resounding thunderclap (or maybe a rip-roaring guitar chord?) ended with something similar to a whimper - or someone clearing their throat, which is what literally happens at the end of the novel. And while I'm all for happy endings, the happy ending of this particular story just didn't ring true for me at all. It screamed of wish fulfillment, as if the author was trying to apologize for all the losses earlier on in the story - especially those folks who died during the course of the battle - and in attempting to make everyone happy wound up creating an ending that rings entirely false.
Shadows Fall is confusing, to say the least. The buildup is really, really slow, but then suddenly it hits its stride and gets really, ridiculously epic, before winding down into something that the author probably thought would be epic, but just falls flat on its face - especially after that concert scene. It also doesn't help that it gets kind of didacting in the middle of a battle, when subtlety would have gotten the point across better. I would read this just to get to that epic concert scene, but that's the novel's only redeeming factor. Otherwise, it's a thoroughly mediocre read.
July 19, 2025
I cannot in good earnest believe that the 4 & 5 star reviews for this book are real.
The premise of the book is fantastical and I can accept that things won’t make sense in Shadows Fall.
What I cannot make sense of is the rapid progression of ridiculousness and non sense that comes out as the story progresses. You would think that a town where everything is nearly make believe would explain plot holes, but it does not. The ridiculousness comes from lengthy exposition and character building only for it to mean next to nothing, and an ending that I would have assumed an edgy teenager wrote.
I can’t honestly believe in a world where masterful authors of fiction exist, that this can be anywhere near the top 10.
The buildup was meaningless and ridiculous, the plot points and main antagonists are hilariously unrealistic (not in a fictional sense, but a logical sense. Their actions simply make no sense and the only explanation is simply that is the way it is)
The main protagonists which seem to change between viewpoints in the book all quite literally have plot armor so thick they simply leave every encounter with no explanation as to why or how they are capable of such (entirely new) feats.
And in the ending things turn unnecessarily gory, only for it all to come back to the realm of unexplained ridiculousness simply because that’s the way it is.
I’ve never in my life felt the need to review a book, simply because I can accept not everything will be to my liking. But this book is the first time I’ve felt the need to step away from fiction because I’ve become inundated with the mediocrity I forced myself to read through.
The premise of the book is fantastical and I can accept that things won’t make sense in Shadows Fall.
What I cannot make sense of is the rapid progression of ridiculousness and non sense that comes out as the story progresses. You would think that a town where everything is nearly make believe would explain plot holes, but it does not. The ridiculousness comes from lengthy exposition and character building only for it to mean next to nothing, and an ending that I would have assumed an edgy teenager wrote.
I can’t honestly believe in a world where masterful authors of fiction exist, that this can be anywhere near the top 10.
The buildup was meaningless and ridiculous, the plot points and main antagonists are hilariously unrealistic (not in a fictional sense, but a logical sense. Their actions simply make no sense and the only explanation is simply that is the way it is)
The main protagonists which seem to change between viewpoints in the book all quite literally have plot armor so thick they simply leave every encounter with no explanation as to why or how they are capable of such (entirely new) feats.
And in the ending things turn unnecessarily gory, only for it all to come back to the realm of unexplained ridiculousness simply because that’s the way it is.
I’ve never in my life felt the need to review a book, simply because I can accept not everything will be to my liking. But this book is the first time I’ve felt the need to step away from fiction because I’ve become inundated with the mediocrity I forced myself to read through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2021
Шадоус Фол е град, където комиксовите герои, анимационните животни и рокзвездите отиват да живеят, когато вече никой не си спомня за тях. Тайнствен убиец жестоко пребива до смърт невинните жители, а оракулите предсказват края на града с идването на нещо зло, което дори елфите не смеят да назоват.
Подходих с опасения, щом видях списъка с герои в началото на книгата - възкръснали мъртъвци, елфи, Времето (с главна буква, защото е антропоморфна персонификация), динозаври, светци и т.н., и т.н. Страхувах се да не е някакъв тюрлюгювеч, който не става за четене, но авторът ме изненада много приятно. Не на последно място с появата на рокаджията Шон Морисън, починал твърде млад от свръхдоза и чието първо име не е Шон ;), който елфите са признали за свой бард. С китарата и песните си той твори магия и както сам казва: "Добре е да знам, че още мога да разпаля огъня, ако се наложи."(отново намигване от автора), след като е накарал армия от фанатизирани Воини на кръста да хвърли оръжия и да се разплаче.
За някои краят е разочароващ и претупан, но аз го харесах. Обичам хепиендите.
Ако харесвате шантави книги като тези на Нийл Геймън и "Библиотеката на Въглен връх" от Скот Хокинс, не се колебайте да прочетете и тази.
Подходих с опасения, щом видях списъка с герои в началото на книгата - възкръснали мъртъвци, елфи, Времето (с главна буква, защото е антропоморфна персонификация), динозаври, светци и т.н., и т.н. Страхувах се да не е някакъв тюрлюгювеч, който не става за четене, но авторът ме изненада много приятно. Не на последно място с появата на рокаджията Шон Морисън, починал твърде млад от свръхдоза и чието първо име не е Шон ;), който елфите са признали за свой бард. С китарата и песните си той твори магия и както сам казва: "Добре е да знам, че още мога да разпаля огъня, ако се наложи."(отново намигване от автора), след като е накарал армия от фанатизирани Воини на кръста да хвърли оръжия и да се разплаче.
За някои краят е разочароващ и претупан, но аз го харесах. Обичам хепиендите.
Ако харесвате шантави книги като тези на Нийл Геймън и "Библиотеката на Въглен връх" от Скот Хокинс, не се колебайте да прочетете и тази.
June 19, 2019
This was obviously Green's first, imperfectly successful stab at his glorious Nightside setting, https://www.goodreads.com/series/4094.... So for us English majors, more interesting to read after that series than before.
The existing reviews call the ending weak. I believe it's more accurately called cheap. A character should have needed to work for the eucatastrophe--not necessarily at the level of a woman giving birth, but at least at the level of a labour coach--and/or the description should have been more gorgeous (of which Green is certainly capable). Failing that, I've subtracted a star because the novel doesn't quite hit its target.
The existing reviews call the ending weak. I believe it's more accurately called cheap. A character should have needed to work for the eucatastrophe--not necessarily at the level of a woman giving birth, but at least at the level of a labour coach--and/or the description should have been more gorgeous (of which Green is certainly capable). Failing that, I've subtracted a star because the novel doesn't quite hit its target.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews