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Greeth
Peter Buraku was a wizard until he was tried, convicted, and sentenced for a terrible crime. He could never cast another spell and for eight long years, he begged for the worst jobs, lived in the slums, and worked for humans.
Then a wealthy stranger came into his life with an impossible promise: You can be a wizard again. Too late, Peter discovers an ancient god from another dimension is using human agents to open a portal so it can move into this world, and wizardry soldier Julie Alvarez, the lost love he hasn’t seen in years, is in danger.
Three children are dead. Many more are missing. Something dark and terrible is rising. A breach has opened between worlds and an ancient god will be reborn on fertile Earth. The flesh of humanity will feed its many children.
Peter embarks on a quest for redemption to stop the ancient god from destroying the world.
Will his unique ability to create life be enough to change what he’s done?
Or will guilt from his role in helping to destroy so much life be his undoing?
Then a wealthy stranger came into his life with an impossible promise: You can be a wizard again. Too late, Peter discovers an ancient god from another dimension is using human agents to open a portal so it can move into this world, and wizardry soldier Julie Alvarez, the lost love he hasn’t seen in years, is in danger.
Three children are dead. Many more are missing. Something dark and terrible is rising. A breach has opened between worlds and an ancient god will be reborn on fertile Earth. The flesh of humanity will feed its many children.
Peter embarks on a quest for redemption to stop the ancient god from destroying the world.
Will his unique ability to create life be enough to change what he’s done?
Or will guilt from his role in helping to destroy so much life be his undoing?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2016
6 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 13, 2016
That book was quite a ride! True, it took me a while to finish it, but part of it was that I've started reading it in my I'm-not-really-into-books phase [I do have these sometimes] and another part were some of these creepy scenes - I'm not good with horrors. But the overall impression was that it's a damn good book!
At first, it was rather hard to me to get into the story. Yes, a part of it was the non-reading-mood I mentioned, but also that the story was much darker than what I'm used to. The first few chapters I read as an Amazon sample pulled me in and yet warned me of what might come next.
And I liked it.
I rarely read dark fantasy and even then it's usually in a shape of a short story - something smaller and "easier" to handle. This book might've just changed my mind, maybe I will find another good read similar to this one.
There are plenty of things I liked about this story and pretty much just one that made me read it slower and in smaller portions - the brutality of this world. This is why my rating says 4,5 instead of full 5 stars, but if you're not bothered with some blood here and there - read it!
And the good - let's start with the heroes, shall we? There are few characters we'll follow with Peter being the most important one. They all have their stories that clearly exceed this one book. Past that hunts them or future that awaits them. They are truly alive. When you're reading about them, you can feel they might be real people (or wizards), existing right beside you. Yes, their world had gone through some cruel wars and their lives are far from perfect, but that makes them even more believable.
And the dark creature that's awakening is simply perfectly crafted. It's not something that will be thrown straight at you, it's something that awaits in the shadows for a perfect moment to attack. And it will attack, of that you might be sure.
I loved the creativity of the author. The world seems like a parallel universe to ours - similar yet has many differences. The idea of wizards being another race, some kind of aliens is very curious and original.
The finale was really good. The last 15% of the book is filled with action and tension. It won't let you put the book down for a minute! All the heroes take part in the final action, each of them important, each of them with their special skills and abilities. They will show you what they can do. Will they survive? Read it to find out.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! It's a damn good story, well written and very creative. Oh, and it's set in Japan :).
Curious about the author? Check my interview here: https://maginibooks.wordpress.com/201...
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews and other bookish texts at https://maginibooks.wordpress.com/
At first, it was rather hard to me to get into the story. Yes, a part of it was the non-reading-mood I mentioned, but also that the story was much darker than what I'm used to. The first few chapters I read as an Amazon sample pulled me in and yet warned me of what might come next.
And I liked it.
I rarely read dark fantasy and even then it's usually in a shape of a short story - something smaller and "easier" to handle. This book might've just changed my mind, maybe I will find another good read similar to this one.
There are plenty of things I liked about this story and pretty much just one that made me read it slower and in smaller portions - the brutality of this world. This is why my rating says 4,5 instead of full 5 stars, but if you're not bothered with some blood here and there - read it!
And the good - let's start with the heroes, shall we? There are few characters we'll follow with Peter being the most important one. They all have their stories that clearly exceed this one book. Past that hunts them or future that awaits them. They are truly alive. When you're reading about them, you can feel they might be real people (or wizards), existing right beside you. Yes, their world had gone through some cruel wars and their lives are far from perfect, but that makes them even more believable.
And the dark creature that's awakening is simply perfectly crafted. It's not something that will be thrown straight at you, it's something that awaits in the shadows for a perfect moment to attack. And it will attack, of that you might be sure.
I loved the creativity of the author. The world seems like a parallel universe to ours - similar yet has many differences. The idea of wizards being another race, some kind of aliens is very curious and original.
The finale was really good. The last 15% of the book is filled with action and tension. It won't let you put the book down for a minute! All the heroes take part in the final action, each of them important, each of them with their special skills and abilities. They will show you what they can do. Will they survive? Read it to find out.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! It's a damn good story, well written and very creative. Oh, and it's set in Japan :).
Curious about the author? Check my interview here: https://maginibooks.wordpress.com/201...
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Check my reviews and other bookish texts at https://maginibooks.wordpress.com/
June 23, 2016
Greeth was one of those books that was a little bit outside of my box. I’m not a big fan of wizards, I generally prefer books that are set in the world I know.
Charles LaFave did an excellent job of intriguing me. First off, when he asked me to read Greeth, he compared it to Horns. Even my son said, “Just because Harry Potter played the guy in Horns, doesn’t mean you can compare the two.” While true, Charles LaFave had my attention.
What really grabbed me was the darkness of Greeth. The scenario that was created by the author wasn’t centered on wizards casting spells and defeating mysterious, mystical beasts; Greeth was about a troubled man overcoming loss and challenging a far stronger foe. It was about determination and overcoming hopelessness, the rest was window dressing that enhanced Peter Buraku’s story.
Charles LaFave created a detailed world complete with history and connections between the characters that pulled the story together. When the author’s world weaves seamlessly into our own, it pulls me deeper into the story.
The characters were this author’s greatest strength. He developed a vast cast, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, all of them moving the story forward at a perfect pace.
If you’re not into wizards and magic, but love a dark story with an intricately developed troubled hero, Greeth would be a great book for you. If you love wizards and magic, you’re already there.
*4 Stars
Charles LaFave did an excellent job of intriguing me. First off, when he asked me to read Greeth, he compared it to Horns. Even my son said, “Just because Harry Potter played the guy in Horns, doesn’t mean you can compare the two.” While true, Charles LaFave had my attention.
What really grabbed me was the darkness of Greeth. The scenario that was created by the author wasn’t centered on wizards casting spells and defeating mysterious, mystical beasts; Greeth was about a troubled man overcoming loss and challenging a far stronger foe. It was about determination and overcoming hopelessness, the rest was window dressing that enhanced Peter Buraku’s story.
Charles LaFave created a detailed world complete with history and connections between the characters that pulled the story together. When the author’s world weaves seamlessly into our own, it pulls me deeper into the story.
The characters were this author’s greatest strength. He developed a vast cast, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, all of them moving the story forward at a perfect pace.
If you’re not into wizards and magic, but love a dark story with an intricately developed troubled hero, Greeth would be a great book for you. If you love wizards and magic, you’re already there.
*4 Stars
May 31, 2016
Full disclosure: the author sent me a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair review. He said he had liked my reviews of books by an author to whom he had been compared, an author whom I hold in very high esteem, so I agreed.
I would have given this book one-star but it is obvious that CL went to great lengths to see his work in print. He even self-published the book. I cannot number the times I wanted to just stop reading this collection of words. What kept me going was my agreement to read and review the book and all those five star ratings, one of which said that somehow, in the end, the author tied all the intertwining story lines together.
I beg to differ. What I read was a collection of ideas and scenes, loosely tied together, never making sense in any contiguous way. The author drops the reader into flashbacks without letting the reader know and switches back in the same way.
The book also suffers from the usual deficits of self-publishing – poor editing, missing words, poor grammar and continuity errors. The most egregious continuity error involves one of the lead characters, Buraku, a wizard who has been banned from practicing his art, and gives up an eye in order to get the use of his powers back. In one paragraph, post eye-loss, the character has trouble driving because he has no depth of field with only one eye and wipes his eyes clear of crud in the air. Many times the author refers to Buraku's "eyes". That is forgivable but the ending is not.
The author builds up to a point of impossible to escape situations for all the main "good" characters and then takes the easy way out. He does not ties up nothing. One chapter ends with incredible suspense as to what will happen, then the next and final chapter finds them all okay, living on an island together with everything just fine. No explanation, no exciting denouement, just everybody fine and dandy, healed, hale and hearty. Only Buraku is missing and they hope he returns.
Sorry, all you five star rating people, but this emperor is no great author of the calibre he claimed to me he was compared to, but he has no clothes. This is a jumbled bunch of could be good ideas for story plots or arcs but as it stands it is a VERY LOOOOOOONG group up words full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. This emperor has no clothes.
I would have given this book one-star but it is obvious that CL went to great lengths to see his work in print. He even self-published the book. I cannot number the times I wanted to just stop reading this collection of words. What kept me going was my agreement to read and review the book and all those five star ratings, one of which said that somehow, in the end, the author tied all the intertwining story lines together.
I beg to differ. What I read was a collection of ideas and scenes, loosely tied together, never making sense in any contiguous way. The author drops the reader into flashbacks without letting the reader know and switches back in the same way.
The book also suffers from the usual deficits of self-publishing – poor editing, missing words, poor grammar and continuity errors. The most egregious continuity error involves one of the lead characters, Buraku, a wizard who has been banned from practicing his art, and gives up an eye in order to get the use of his powers back. In one paragraph, post eye-loss, the character has trouble driving because he has no depth of field with only one eye and wipes his eyes clear of crud in the air. Many times the author refers to Buraku's "eyes". That is forgivable but the ending is not.
The author builds up to a point of impossible to escape situations for all the main "good" characters and then takes the easy way out. He does not ties up nothing. One chapter ends with incredible suspense as to what will happen, then the next and final chapter finds them all okay, living on an island together with everything just fine. No explanation, no exciting denouement, just everybody fine and dandy, healed, hale and hearty. Only Buraku is missing and they hope he returns.
Sorry, all you five star rating people, but this emperor is no great author of the calibre he claimed to me he was compared to, but he has no clothes. This is a jumbled bunch of could be good ideas for story plots or arcs but as it stands it is a VERY LOOOOOOONG group up words full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. This emperor has no clothes.
May 31, 2017
Basically, a journey of: a guy with an eye-patch, an old hairy wolf, a trunkless talkative head, a Ninja with a guitar and a 2-dimensional bear. This book is not for the faint of heart.
I received the Review Copy of this book in exchange of an honest review, did I mention I'm brutally honest? Hmm.
Caution: Rant ahead.
You know, while I'm reading a particular book I sometimes go, "Ooh I wonder what goes around this author's mind", and there's always this small meditative smile on my face as I innocently ponder.
And as usual I slipped into that space. But.Then.
I looked down at what I was reading and honest to god, the smile melted right off my face, and my inner voice threatened me with, "Don't go there,woman. Don't even."
It is so gory and not even the portagonist is left outta the 'Nasty Party'.
And I hear my wee-self going all sharp inhalations and hissing while scrunching up my face at those legitimate horrors.
Also, an additional note to the Author: This book has markedly increased my empathies for the Class Reptilia. Because I HATE Arthropoda now, thanks to you.
I mean, why are we even repulsed by those snakes and crocodiles minding their own business, those humbling creatures.
But these bugs, I'm calling out and joining campaigns, you'll see. I can't help seeing insects in my house as Greethlings, it's that bad.
I usually don't read Horror as a genre. After reading Goosebumps series as a child, I only read a few recommended.
You see I'm naturally a very disentangled person and am grateful that it turned out that way and so Horror definitely doesn't work for me.
But somehow this book did! I didn't want it to though. But it did.
Wonder what that says about me.
Anyhoo.
Now breaking it down to:
What I Liked
Badass Female, Genius Male
The perfect combination. Now let me gush about how completely badass and savage our female is here.
Now, y'all would have read The Hunger Games, Divergent series etc. But you haven't seen an Alhiora. They are the beasts.
"They trained me to do jobs, Peter. I go out in the world and I do bad things. You still think you know me?"
A whole star to the book for this woman.
How can she so casually put herself through so much pain! I hissed a lot in these parts, you'll know what I'm talking about. Read the book.
Now let me talk about Peter here, the genius male.
He's a wizard scientist, he screwed up big time, got deranked and ostrascized, lost his female and now is a crybaby.
See, I always used to go for all the big, strong, secure characters. But lately as part of an epiphany, I just understand it all.
He represented all of us at one point or another in our lives. How we use snide remarks just to have an upper hand, how petty and low we could go to survive. The pretentious things we build for ourselves and pretend to be. The defense mechanisms we build when the world disagrees.
This character is our human nature.
I found the Author to be brave really, in this aspect. As a closet writer and just an avid reader, I can understand the hesitance and resistance to show your protagonist's insecurities while being them at their lowest, and most authors don't. Dreading it may reflect upon their own self. That it may as well be true.
Whom this book is dedicated to
Now see, rather infamously I'm called a cold hearted bitch in the matters of Romantic endeavours. Romance as a genre didn't do it for me besides being annoying and so eye-roll worthy.
But the first page for Dedication of this book got to me. Even I could feel the Right Atrium of my heart melting.
Just the Right Atrium though, mind you.
This guy has officially upped his game on marriage proposals. Guys around the world are not happy.
Build Up
Another thing I observed is that while a fantasy novel will give you the whole picture of the plot and setting in one go and in them unravels the whole story, the Author doesn't do that here.
He paints out bits and pieces of the plot while himself remaining in the Protagonist's immediate view point while you in the background, forms the big picture.
I have to admit, I admired it a lot. Some may state it as a flaw, the indecision to view it in a more memoir-like view where you view alongside the character because the Author remains with the immediate view OR to view it from a distance or atop, being with the big picture. This is adopted by the fantasy novels.
But I do feel, only if it was perfected and smoothed out, this would have been such a satisfying click you get when every gear is in its place in a mechanism.
I had this uncanny feeling of incompleteness, till the end like something was missing so I gave myself a few days for my mind to figure it out but it came upto a naught. I don't know how I feel about this.
Some pieces of plot felt very obscure as a whole, a lot of things weren't there or linked to get everything to add up. So till the end, the reader isn't sure why and what happened that transformed their world and relations so much that it is the way it is now.
The Author has to really work on this. If he could just have smoothed out the transition in the view points but also creating a clear picture of the plot while still maintaining the art of feeding the plot in parts, this book would have been a piece unto itself.
All in all as a Debut novel, it surpasses any hurdles and errors expected out of them while providing a very unique cocktail of fantasy and horror. I will be looking forward to his upcoming works.
I received the Review Copy of this book in exchange of an honest review, did I mention I'm brutally honest? Hmm.
Caution: Rant ahead.
You know, while I'm reading a particular book I sometimes go, "Ooh I wonder what goes around this author's mind", and there's always this small meditative smile on my face as I innocently ponder.
And as usual I slipped into that space. But.Then.
I looked down at what I was reading and honest to god, the smile melted right off my face, and my inner voice threatened me with, "Don't go there,woman. Don't even."
It is so gory and not even the portagonist is left outta the 'Nasty Party'.
And I hear my wee-self going all sharp inhalations and hissing while scrunching up my face at those legitimate horrors.
Also, an additional note to the Author: This book has markedly increased my empathies for the Class Reptilia. Because I HATE Arthropoda now, thanks to you.
I mean, why are we even repulsed by those snakes and crocodiles minding their own business, those humbling creatures.
But these bugs, I'm calling out and joining campaigns, you'll see. I can't help seeing insects in my house as Greethlings, it's that bad.
I usually don't read Horror as a genre. After reading Goosebumps series as a child, I only read a few recommended.
You see I'm naturally a very disentangled person and am grateful that it turned out that way and so Horror definitely doesn't work for me.
But somehow this book did! I didn't want it to though. But it did.
Wonder what that says about me.
Anyhoo.
Now breaking it down to:
What I Liked
Badass Female, Genius Male
The perfect combination. Now let me gush about how completely badass and savage our female is here.
Now, y'all would have read The Hunger Games, Divergent series etc. But you haven't seen an Alhiora. They are the beasts.
"They trained me to do jobs, Peter. I go out in the world and I do bad things. You still think you know me?"
A whole star to the book for this woman.
How can she so casually put herself through so much pain! I hissed a lot in these parts, you'll know what I'm talking about. Read the book.
Now let me talk about Peter here, the genius male.
He's a wizard scientist, he screwed up big time, got deranked and ostrascized, lost his female and now is a crybaby.
See, I always used to go for all the big, strong, secure characters. But lately as part of an epiphany, I just understand it all.
He represented all of us at one point or another in our lives. How we use snide remarks just to have an upper hand, how petty and low we could go to survive. The pretentious things we build for ourselves and pretend to be. The defense mechanisms we build when the world disagrees.
This character is our human nature.
I found the Author to be brave really, in this aspect. As a closet writer and just an avid reader, I can understand the hesitance and resistance to show your protagonist's insecurities while being them at their lowest, and most authors don't. Dreading it may reflect upon their own self. That it may as well be true.
Whom this book is dedicated to
Now see, rather infamously I'm called a cold hearted bitch in the matters of Romantic endeavours. Romance as a genre didn't do it for me besides being annoying and so eye-roll worthy.
But the first page for Dedication of this book got to me. Even I could feel the Right Atrium of my heart melting.
Just the Right Atrium though, mind you.
This guy has officially upped his game on marriage proposals. Guys around the world are not happy.
Build Up
Another thing I observed is that while a fantasy novel will give you the whole picture of the plot and setting in one go and in them unravels the whole story, the Author doesn't do that here.
He paints out bits and pieces of the plot while himself remaining in the Protagonist's immediate view point while you in the background, forms the big picture.
I have to admit, I admired it a lot. Some may state it as a flaw, the indecision to view it in a more memoir-like view where you view alongside the character because the Author remains with the immediate view OR to view it from a distance or atop, being with the big picture. This is adopted by the fantasy novels.
But I do feel, only if it was perfected and smoothed out, this would have been such a satisfying click you get when every gear is in its place in a mechanism.
I had this uncanny feeling of incompleteness, till the end like something was missing so I gave myself a few days for my mind to figure it out but it came upto a naught. I don't know how I feel about this.
Some pieces of plot felt very obscure as a whole, a lot of things weren't there or linked to get everything to add up. So till the end, the reader isn't sure why and what happened that transformed their world and relations so much that it is the way it is now.
The Author has to really work on this. If he could just have smoothed out the transition in the view points but also creating a clear picture of the plot while still maintaining the art of feeding the plot in parts, this book would have been a piece unto itself.
All in all as a Debut novel, it surpasses any hurdles and errors expected out of them while providing a very unique cocktail of fantasy and horror. I will be looking forward to his upcoming works.
July 9, 2016
I’m a bit torn on how I feel about GREETH.
Structurally I found it kind of confusing. The world appears to be an alternate earth where wizards are real and these different types of wars happened on this earth timeline instead of the wars we know of happening. I had a hard time orienting myself whenever the larger world came into play because the book didn’t explain the past. It just explained things as if the wizard wars in the 13th century were a normal thing that happened in our world (that’s not a specific reference but one like it was made in the book). So alternate history? Wizards came to power at X time? I’m not entirely sure and that kept me from fully settling into the story itself.
Everything else I didn’t have much problem situating myself with, from the magic, to the governing bodies, to the people themselves. They all fell right into place and I didn’t have much of a problem following them around as the story progressed.
It was a pretty interesting story that had my gag reflex running from time to time. All those bugs and the way some people died . . . blech. Skeeved me out, which I’m sure was the point. I did like how all of this stuff surrounding Greeth had to do with an alternate reality, an alternate universe trying to break into the one in the story and in some cases it was driving everyone insane. Literally. It played with the brain a little bit. Had it been something like an alien bug invasion or something I think it would have cheapened the story. But the way it was written and how Greeth came into play I thought was really well done and, at times, thought-provoking. When I wasn’t gagging.
The ending . . . was interesting. It disturbed me, which was probably the point. Even thinking back on it now I find it unsettling how everything was all wrapped up. Again, I’m pretty sure that was the point, especially considering how LaFave mentioned authorities reacting at the end of the book. It makes sense.
So not a bad read, GREETH. I felt all of the characters I read about were compelling and I didn’t have any problems getting behind their stories and watching them maneuver through this life that was thrown in front of them. The story itself was engaging and I found myself turning pages, repulsed but wholly interested in finding out what was going to happen next. It was part character-driven story as this mish-mash of individuals come together to find the Big Bad and part horror story as these bugs try to take over the world. Gross.
GREETH is for a particular type of horror fan. If you really don’t like bugs and get queasy easily I’d recommend you avoid it. If not then it’s not a bad read.
4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Structurally I found it kind of confusing. The world appears to be an alternate earth where wizards are real and these different types of wars happened on this earth timeline instead of the wars we know of happening. I had a hard time orienting myself whenever the larger world came into play because the book didn’t explain the past. It just explained things as if the wizard wars in the 13th century were a normal thing that happened in our world (that’s not a specific reference but one like it was made in the book). So alternate history? Wizards came to power at X time? I’m not entirely sure and that kept me from fully settling into the story itself.
Everything else I didn’t have much problem situating myself with, from the magic, to the governing bodies, to the people themselves. They all fell right into place and I didn’t have much of a problem following them around as the story progressed.
It was a pretty interesting story that had my gag reflex running from time to time. All those bugs and the way some people died . . . blech. Skeeved me out, which I’m sure was the point. I did like how all of this stuff surrounding Greeth had to do with an alternate reality, an alternate universe trying to break into the one in the story and in some cases it was driving everyone insane. Literally. It played with the brain a little bit. Had it been something like an alien bug invasion or something I think it would have cheapened the story. But the way it was written and how Greeth came into play I thought was really well done and, at times, thought-provoking. When I wasn’t gagging.
The ending . . . was interesting. It disturbed me, which was probably the point. Even thinking back on it now I find it unsettling how everything was all wrapped up. Again, I’m pretty sure that was the point, especially considering how LaFave mentioned authorities reacting at the end of the book. It makes sense.
So not a bad read, GREETH. I felt all of the characters I read about were compelling and I didn’t have any problems getting behind their stories and watching them maneuver through this life that was thrown in front of them. The story itself was engaging and I found myself turning pages, repulsed but wholly interested in finding out what was going to happen next. It was part character-driven story as this mish-mash of individuals come together to find the Big Bad and part horror story as these bugs try to take over the world. Gross.
GREETH is for a particular type of horror fan. If you really don’t like bugs and get queasy easily I’d recommend you avoid it. If not then it’s not a bad read.
4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2016
Greeth is a fantasy/horror novel that combines both elements into a well-crafted story. The story blends modern day wizards into a world that still feels retro (ninjas, swords, etc.) and it works really well. The wizards and magic, and Hideo, the ninja, give the book an urban fantasy feel and it does have some fantastic elements in a world that feels both familiar yet alien at times. The story telling is good, as are the characters. The characters are complex and engaging, and they blend perfectly with the story. The horror elements are woven into the plot in the beginning and become more central as the story progresses. Warning, if you are squeamish in any way about bugs, this might not be the best book for you. I think the horror elements are excellent, it plays on a common fear and it really translated well to the story. At times, the story felt a little off track, like it meandered a little too far off base before coming back - but that's minor because the core story and the majority of the writing is very engaging and well-written.
Overall, a solid blend of horror and fantasy. I would certainly read more by this author.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review
Overall, a solid blend of horror and fantasy. I would certainly read more by this author.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review
July 1, 2016
I think the author does a great job with the dark, magical fantasy world he has created. The main character is Peter Buraku was once a wizard. Alas, life doesn't always treat us well and Peter has lost that magic he once possessed. He gets a chance to get his wizardry back, but of course it is at a price. The author adds a lot of suspense and science fiction into this book along with just about every genre making this a great book for readers who enjoy more than one type of book. The writing was really good and this author knows how to tell a dark tale. Is there maybe a follow up? Read the book and see for yourself. Well done.
March 22, 2017
So this is some sort of mix between horror and paranormal and sci-fi. It’s all over the place but in a beautiful way.
The basic, boiled down plot is about something ugly coming to life and a few of our protagonist need to figure out what it is.
Honestly, I don’t know where to even begin with this review. I think this book is smarter than I am. I can’t even sort through all the stuff going on. Wizards from another world. Others from another world. Humans. Bugs. Golems. Ninjas. Werewolves. Wars upon wars. I mean, I think there’s more, but at some point my mind kinda ignored all the history and crazy stuff going on and just focused in on the characters and boiled down plot.
For people that love a detailed world, you might really enjoy this. I never felt like I got bogged down by info dumps, and we’re fed a pretty steady stream of history that kept building and building this incredible world. The story takes place in Japan, mostly, I think. It follows three PoV’s: Julie, Hideo, and Peter. I can’t really say much else about the world. I’m not sure I have a good enough grasp of it to do so.
Characters, on the other hand, were very interesting to me. We’ll start with Peter because I view him as the main protagonist. Right off the bat you feel for him. He’s poor, a wizard outcast, has a crazy mom, dead dad, werewolf best friend, and he lost his girlfriend. He’s down on his luck and desperate, so when a mysterious man offers him a job to figure out what’s happened to three children, he takes the money and life goes upside down, immediately. Peter’s a scientist most of all, not a fighter, so he gets put in some crazy situations that he has to escape. It makes him all the more likable. Plus he has insanely fun magic. He can make golems.
Julie is his lost girlfriend and a total badass. She might be human, but boy can she take a beating. She’s got a soft side that is very understated. I’d say she’s less emotional than all the characters on the outside, but inside she’s got the same heart.
Hideo wasn’t explored as much as Julie and Peter, but he was an interesting character nonetheless. He’s a ninja, so plus there, and a wizard, so double points, and he’s estranged from his ninja brotherhood and sister. His magic was incredibly fun. He uses sound and music. Regardless of not being as fleshed out as the others, he’s still a great character, though I’m not sure he’s needed. Of everything, his storyline made the least sense to me.
Now, I love me some gore, and this book had loads of it and loads of creepy crawly insects. It’s fast paced, relentlessly so, and the writing is smooth and addictive. Honestly, it was a whirlwind of a read. There are some flashbacks as well that can come out of nowhere, but after a sentence or two I got it. Then we’re back in current time. Just be aware of them and you shouldn’t have a problem hopping around.
So overall, if you like horror and paranormal, I highly recommend this book. If you like crazy worlds, you might enjoy this book. I certainly did.
The basic, boiled down plot is about something ugly coming to life and a few of our protagonist need to figure out what it is.
Honestly, I don’t know where to even begin with this review. I think this book is smarter than I am. I can’t even sort through all the stuff going on. Wizards from another world. Others from another world. Humans. Bugs. Golems. Ninjas. Werewolves. Wars upon wars. I mean, I think there’s more, but at some point my mind kinda ignored all the history and crazy stuff going on and just focused in on the characters and boiled down plot.
For people that love a detailed world, you might really enjoy this. I never felt like I got bogged down by info dumps, and we’re fed a pretty steady stream of history that kept building and building this incredible world. The story takes place in Japan, mostly, I think. It follows three PoV’s: Julie, Hideo, and Peter. I can’t really say much else about the world. I’m not sure I have a good enough grasp of it to do so.
Characters, on the other hand, were very interesting to me. We’ll start with Peter because I view him as the main protagonist. Right off the bat you feel for him. He’s poor, a wizard outcast, has a crazy mom, dead dad, werewolf best friend, and he lost his girlfriend. He’s down on his luck and desperate, so when a mysterious man offers him a job to figure out what’s happened to three children, he takes the money and life goes upside down, immediately. Peter’s a scientist most of all, not a fighter, so he gets put in some crazy situations that he has to escape. It makes him all the more likable. Plus he has insanely fun magic. He can make golems.
Julie is his lost girlfriend and a total badass. She might be human, but boy can she take a beating. She’s got a soft side that is very understated. I’d say she’s less emotional than all the characters on the outside, but inside she’s got the same heart.
Hideo wasn’t explored as much as Julie and Peter, but he was an interesting character nonetheless. He’s a ninja, so plus there, and a wizard, so double points, and he’s estranged from his ninja brotherhood and sister. His magic was incredibly fun. He uses sound and music. Regardless of not being as fleshed out as the others, he’s still a great character, though I’m not sure he’s needed. Of everything, his storyline made the least sense to me.
Now, I love me some gore, and this book had loads of it and loads of creepy crawly insects. It’s fast paced, relentlessly so, and the writing is smooth and addictive. Honestly, it was a whirlwind of a read. There are some flashbacks as well that can come out of nowhere, but after a sentence or two I got it. Then we’re back in current time. Just be aware of them and you shouldn’t have a problem hopping around.
So overall, if you like horror and paranormal, I highly recommend this book. If you like crazy worlds, you might enjoy this book. I certainly did.
July 17, 2016
What an adventure in human life and decay, potential and waste !
Don’t believe I am going to tell you the story. I would just not be able to do so. It is too complicated with too many layers, both time and space layers, if not even existential layers between any two of the others. You can get lost in that labyrinth, underground and over ground, caves and jungle. Charles Lafave is telling us the end of humanity the way it has been forever and the birth of another humanity that is not even described apart from being in continuity and yet waiting for the return of that Peter Buraku who disappeared from the surface of the earth and yet …
The Japanese inspiration is obvious from the very start. We are beyond some war that enabled humans allied to wizards to defeat the negative forces of the water wizards who were exterminated and apparently to provide a strange fate to the Others who are supposed to be the scientific freaks of our world. The general idea is that every single category of beings has to come from another dimension through some portals that open only for a short period of time and then close. The whole story is about that other deeper dimension where life existed before the life we know, the mammals and the beings who wear their flesh onto of their skeleton.
This primeval and deeper layer is the realm of the exoskeleton, hence all bugs with carapaces. It is there a primal god exists, still exists and wants to come out to re-conquer the earth and the stake is for the humans who occupy that world after the war that exterminated the water wizards to stop this upcoming reinstatement of Greeth on earth, hence to keep it locked up behind its portals, though this underground life has reached the point when bugs are getting bipedal and of human size. To achieve that the supreme government, the Praesidium, is bringing together several people who will end up self-quarantined.
All of them except one, Peter, who has completely disappeared and they are all waiting for him, including the media.
We are the only one to know where he is. But I cannot reveal it.
What is important is that this novel is a cosmic and geological love affair and by love affair I mean a full intercourse between one being seen as male and one being seen as female. This world is dominated by women. The head of the Praesidium is a woman, Par Parabba. The primeval and primal geological original divinity is a goddess of some sort and the whole story is how this banned goddess of a long long time ago can be brought back to the surface of the earth without causing the end of human life. This Greeth has to be pacified and it can only be pacified with the sacrifice of one man who is going to be the male she is going to milk for ever in the underground lair where she will be kept. This intercourse will be the exchange for peace. You then understand the name of that Peter who has to be sacrificed for Humanity to build their temples and houses and societies on that stone he is in so many languages, and even in Peter that is built of the Latin root for stone (Pierre in French for example: petra for the stone and Petrus for the apostle).
The human world we see, confronted to the menace from Greeth, is a human world of total control, totalitarian dictatorship, assassinations, ninjas, wizards and sorcerers. Scientists of the Other species or not are nothing but manipulators of deadly procedures and materials with the sole aim to establish full control of life, not seeing that this full control of life kills life that can only survive with all kinds of wizardry and healing charms or fluids or whatever these wizards can invent. At the same time this dictatorial system under the “guidance” of Par Parabba and an army of ninjas, wizards and soldiers who are absolutely all supposed to obey first and think if they have time between their final fight and their death, is under the menace of all discontents who try to find an alliance with Greesh, though in vain. If the rank and file of ,this Par Parabba thinks too early they are put to death in one nanosecond, without even thinking or wondering about the finality and purpose of these deaths.
We must understand the male wizard captured by Greeth and becoming her milking mate accepts his mission and his fate because his love was swarted and rejected by the woman he loved. His only way to compensate for his frustration is to copulate with this archaic old goddess and become a god himself, the god of life at the geological, cosmic and primal life level, the life of insects, exoskeletal beings.
So, this novel is a genial mixture of several trendy influences. On one hand it is a horror Harry Potter who does not practice sorcery to do anything good, or bad as for that, but just to fulfill some kind of existential need to control and have power even if he has to submit to a bigger being to get that power that is nothing but an illusionary dream. On the other hand it is a magnified X-files adventure that does not state extraterrestrial beings but extra-human super-beings that are the living force in rocks and all kinds of bugs and insects that are seen as direct descendants from rock in fusion that still boils at the heart of this earth. The Fox Mulder of this story is a wizard for sure but also a dreamer who is trying to think he is responsible for all evil things happening to his friends and the people around him. He is paranoid and self-centered to the acme of egotistic selfish selflessness: what a vain fool!
And of course we have to think of Supernatural and the Leviathan and other monsters from before the creation of the world that existed in that something before it was created in a state of totally inexistent pre-creational non-existence. That discourse of Supernatural is just as irritating with Supernatural as it is with this book: how can the existence of god be asserted, though they are nothing but the life of minerals in the cosmos before real life appears, before these minerals are ever created, that is to say before life with flesh on top of the skeleton. These gods are not stated as creators. They certainly are not our human gods of our human religions. But they are gods all the same that are strictly useless since they do not create anything. They are another name for life, what’s more mineral life, and the only objective of this mineral life is to have permanent intercourse with a male human wizard. In other words that very ancient goddess wants to have her play toy or play thing in her own bed or rockbottom, and she will keep peaceful as long as she gets her cup of male milk every so often.
When I have said that I just wonder if the dedication of the book is not the real meaning of it. In other words the author is inventing a conflictual love affair with the basic geological and chemical elements that compose life as a sublimation, a compensation, a frustration and even a schizophrenic delirium to have in his pages what he will never have with his life partner, note we are strictly defined as straight in this story, though quite often we could doubt it and think it is as straight as my elbow when I am blowing my nose.
If you like extreme action, that’s you nest. Just come the way your are.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Don’t believe I am going to tell you the story. I would just not be able to do so. It is too complicated with too many layers, both time and space layers, if not even existential layers between any two of the others. You can get lost in that labyrinth, underground and over ground, caves and jungle. Charles Lafave is telling us the end of humanity the way it has been forever and the birth of another humanity that is not even described apart from being in continuity and yet waiting for the return of that Peter Buraku who disappeared from the surface of the earth and yet …
The Japanese inspiration is obvious from the very start. We are beyond some war that enabled humans allied to wizards to defeat the negative forces of the water wizards who were exterminated and apparently to provide a strange fate to the Others who are supposed to be the scientific freaks of our world. The general idea is that every single category of beings has to come from another dimension through some portals that open only for a short period of time and then close. The whole story is about that other deeper dimension where life existed before the life we know, the mammals and the beings who wear their flesh onto of their skeleton.
This primeval and deeper layer is the realm of the exoskeleton, hence all bugs with carapaces. It is there a primal god exists, still exists and wants to come out to re-conquer the earth and the stake is for the humans who occupy that world after the war that exterminated the water wizards to stop this upcoming reinstatement of Greeth on earth, hence to keep it locked up behind its portals, though this underground life has reached the point when bugs are getting bipedal and of human size. To achieve that the supreme government, the Praesidium, is bringing together several people who will end up self-quarantined.
All of them except one, Peter, who has completely disappeared and they are all waiting for him, including the media.
We are the only one to know where he is. But I cannot reveal it.
What is important is that this novel is a cosmic and geological love affair and by love affair I mean a full intercourse between one being seen as male and one being seen as female. This world is dominated by women. The head of the Praesidium is a woman, Par Parabba. The primeval and primal geological original divinity is a goddess of some sort and the whole story is how this banned goddess of a long long time ago can be brought back to the surface of the earth without causing the end of human life. This Greeth has to be pacified and it can only be pacified with the sacrifice of one man who is going to be the male she is going to milk for ever in the underground lair where she will be kept. This intercourse will be the exchange for peace. You then understand the name of that Peter who has to be sacrificed for Humanity to build their temples and houses and societies on that stone he is in so many languages, and even in Peter that is built of the Latin root for stone (Pierre in French for example: petra for the stone and Petrus for the apostle).
The human world we see, confronted to the menace from Greeth, is a human world of total control, totalitarian dictatorship, assassinations, ninjas, wizards and sorcerers. Scientists of the Other species or not are nothing but manipulators of deadly procedures and materials with the sole aim to establish full control of life, not seeing that this full control of life kills life that can only survive with all kinds of wizardry and healing charms or fluids or whatever these wizards can invent. At the same time this dictatorial system under the “guidance” of Par Parabba and an army of ninjas, wizards and soldiers who are absolutely all supposed to obey first and think if they have time between their final fight and their death, is under the menace of all discontents who try to find an alliance with Greesh, though in vain. If the rank and file of ,this Par Parabba thinks too early they are put to death in one nanosecond, without even thinking or wondering about the finality and purpose of these deaths.
We must understand the male wizard captured by Greeth and becoming her milking mate accepts his mission and his fate because his love was swarted and rejected by the woman he loved. His only way to compensate for his frustration is to copulate with this archaic old goddess and become a god himself, the god of life at the geological, cosmic and primal life level, the life of insects, exoskeletal beings.
So, this novel is a genial mixture of several trendy influences. On one hand it is a horror Harry Potter who does not practice sorcery to do anything good, or bad as for that, but just to fulfill some kind of existential need to control and have power even if he has to submit to a bigger being to get that power that is nothing but an illusionary dream. On the other hand it is a magnified X-files adventure that does not state extraterrestrial beings but extra-human super-beings that are the living force in rocks and all kinds of bugs and insects that are seen as direct descendants from rock in fusion that still boils at the heart of this earth. The Fox Mulder of this story is a wizard for sure but also a dreamer who is trying to think he is responsible for all evil things happening to his friends and the people around him. He is paranoid and self-centered to the acme of egotistic selfish selflessness: what a vain fool!
And of course we have to think of Supernatural and the Leviathan and other monsters from before the creation of the world that existed in that something before it was created in a state of totally inexistent pre-creational non-existence. That discourse of Supernatural is just as irritating with Supernatural as it is with this book: how can the existence of god be asserted, though they are nothing but the life of minerals in the cosmos before real life appears, before these minerals are ever created, that is to say before life with flesh on top of the skeleton. These gods are not stated as creators. They certainly are not our human gods of our human religions. But they are gods all the same that are strictly useless since they do not create anything. They are another name for life, what’s more mineral life, and the only objective of this mineral life is to have permanent intercourse with a male human wizard. In other words that very ancient goddess wants to have her play toy or play thing in her own bed or rockbottom, and she will keep peaceful as long as she gets her cup of male milk every so often.
When I have said that I just wonder if the dedication of the book is not the real meaning of it. In other words the author is inventing a conflictual love affair with the basic geological and chemical elements that compose life as a sublimation, a compensation, a frustration and even a schizophrenic delirium to have in his pages what he will never have with his life partner, note we are strictly defined as straight in this story, though quite often we could doubt it and think it is as straight as my elbow when I am blowing my nose.
If you like extreme action, that’s you nest. Just come the way your are.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
August 28, 2019
For a self-published book with a whopping 40 reviews on goodreads, I was blown away. Great world building, characters needed a bit of work (but I still loved them), and the story was freakishly weird, but good. I can't imagine how great this would have been with an excellent editor.
June 30, 2016
Putting down Greeth, by Charles LaFave, a 380-page mammoth of a novel, I'm still trying to comprehend how I feel. I spent a lot of time with this dark fantasy, gory horror, noir-style novel, and I am left with many questions left unanswered. The creature called Greeth, for one, what is she? Who/what are those beings called the Others and why are they so important that they are mentioned many times throughout the novel? What exactly is the conflict of the novel? Is it that Greeth threatens to come back to the human realm? Things happen to the characters in this novel, but it's rarely clear why they happen that way. Having finished reading Greeth, however, one can't deny that there is a certain charm to LaFave's writing style, and the way he rushes confidently headlong towards an unknown destination.
Greeth takes place on an alternate Earth, one where wizards live amongst humans. The action centers on Japan, where wizard-exile Peter Buraku tries to eke out a meager living. Peter is no longer allowed to use magic because he attempted the dark art of returning the dead back to life. The image of his father, an image of a man with no skin, haunts him. How does one prevent a wizard from using magic? Well, a wizard has two hearts, so all one has to do is put a ring made of a metal called palladium around the two hearts so they can't beat enough to cast magic. Peter can use some magic, but not a lot. For example, he still has the ability to heal like a wizard, and he can still create lesser golem creatures.
Peter is probably the main character, though the novel seems to have no allegiance to anybody. Chapters sometimes switch to other characters, such as Julie Alvarez, Peter's one-time girlfriend, and now a human who does service for the wizards as a sort of wizard-killer. There is also Nigel, Peter's best friend, who is a werewolf (so, do vampires exist? Zombies? Ghosts and ghouls?). Thirdly, and perhaps most inexplicably, is an ex-ninja wizard named Hideo, who uses sound magic and spends his time strumming his guitar. He has some nifty abilities, but even by the end of the story I wasn't clear about his purpose. Or that of his sister, whose immaturity and bratty behavior seems to go against her ninja training.
While reading this, I was reminded of the great film noirs that have stories that make no sense, but they're great fun to watch. Greeth feels like that some of the time, and some of the time it feels gratuitous. LaFave is definitely combining genres, but at its heart Greeth is a fantasy, and as a fantasy would have done well to spend some time world-building instead of plotting. LaFave reminds me of a Ursula K. Le Guin, with some mixes of Clive Barker/Stephen King, but he lacks the clarity of Le Guin's world-building. Le Guin allows her omniscient narrator to fill the reader in on details about her world, answering questions and building reader interest. LaFave chooses to allow questions to remain unanswered. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. But I think as a whole it would have gone a long ways to create a more believable, real world to give readers a greater sense of how it works.
Secondarily, Greeth is a horror novel. Not only does it involve bugs and creepy-crawly things that are haunting the visions of characters, but it contains plenty of gore. Numerous times, characters have guts split open, teeth knocked out, and limbs chopped off, but rarely do they die. Wizards can only die by weapons made of palladium. Humans, however, have the benefit of healing spells cast into capsules that can heal all wounds. But LaFave doesn't keep his horror just to the gory variety, but also uses psychological horror. People see insects crawling all over them and inside them one moment and find the next that it was nothing more than a realistic hallucination. As a horror novel, Greeth is less effective than as a fantasy-noir, but the horror aspects nonetheless add to the story's charms.
So, by the end of this review, I know I haven't given a very solid opinion on the work. There is something enjoyable in LaFave's writing style, the enigmatic way he edges forth his story. Yet it's a story as slippery as its hallucinogenic insects, with an unclear conflict, unknown villain, and underdeveloped world. It's a work I wasn't dying to read, but it wasn't a work I dreaded reading. In the end I would like to give it praise but also a warning - if you need certainty and clarity in your stories, you won't find it here. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
***The author provided me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.***
Greeth takes place on an alternate Earth, one where wizards live amongst humans. The action centers on Japan, where wizard-exile Peter Buraku tries to eke out a meager living. Peter is no longer allowed to use magic because he attempted the dark art of returning the dead back to life. The image of his father, an image of a man with no skin, haunts him. How does one prevent a wizard from using magic? Well, a wizard has two hearts, so all one has to do is put a ring made of a metal called palladium around the two hearts so they can't beat enough to cast magic. Peter can use some magic, but not a lot. For example, he still has the ability to heal like a wizard, and he can still create lesser golem creatures.
Peter is probably the main character, though the novel seems to have no allegiance to anybody. Chapters sometimes switch to other characters, such as Julie Alvarez, Peter's one-time girlfriend, and now a human who does service for the wizards as a sort of wizard-killer. There is also Nigel, Peter's best friend, who is a werewolf (so, do vampires exist? Zombies? Ghosts and ghouls?). Thirdly, and perhaps most inexplicably, is an ex-ninja wizard named Hideo, who uses sound magic and spends his time strumming his guitar. He has some nifty abilities, but even by the end of the story I wasn't clear about his purpose. Or that of his sister, whose immaturity and bratty behavior seems to go against her ninja training.
While reading this, I was reminded of the great film noirs that have stories that make no sense, but they're great fun to watch. Greeth feels like that some of the time, and some of the time it feels gratuitous. LaFave is definitely combining genres, but at its heart Greeth is a fantasy, and as a fantasy would have done well to spend some time world-building instead of plotting. LaFave reminds me of a Ursula K. Le Guin, with some mixes of Clive Barker/Stephen King, but he lacks the clarity of Le Guin's world-building. Le Guin allows her omniscient narrator to fill the reader in on details about her world, answering questions and building reader interest. LaFave chooses to allow questions to remain unanswered. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. But I think as a whole it would have gone a long ways to create a more believable, real world to give readers a greater sense of how it works.
Secondarily, Greeth is a horror novel. Not only does it involve bugs and creepy-crawly things that are haunting the visions of characters, but it contains plenty of gore. Numerous times, characters have guts split open, teeth knocked out, and limbs chopped off, but rarely do they die. Wizards can only die by weapons made of palladium. Humans, however, have the benefit of healing spells cast into capsules that can heal all wounds. But LaFave doesn't keep his horror just to the gory variety, but also uses psychological horror. People see insects crawling all over them and inside them one moment and find the next that it was nothing more than a realistic hallucination. As a horror novel, Greeth is less effective than as a fantasy-noir, but the horror aspects nonetheless add to the story's charms.
So, by the end of this review, I know I haven't given a very solid opinion on the work. There is something enjoyable in LaFave's writing style, the enigmatic way he edges forth his story. Yet it's a story as slippery as its hallucinogenic insects, with an unclear conflict, unknown villain, and underdeveloped world. It's a work I wasn't dying to read, but it wasn't a work I dreaded reading. In the end I would like to give it praise but also a warning - if you need certainty and clarity in your stories, you won't find it here. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
***The author provided me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.***
June 18, 2017
The world building in this novel could have been better. While it is a world set within our own, there are many elements that are unfamiliar. The reader is thrown into the story without any background knowledge and it leaves you a little confused. There is an entire culture of wizards, a ruling body called the Praesidium and wars that we learn very little about. Some knowledge is given to you in the form of flashbacks, unfortunately, they’re not specifically shown that way (for example, saying 3 years earlier or one month ago) and you start reading for a bit before you realize you’re not in the present anymore. It takes a little to adjust and could have been written more fluidly. But the flashbacks are important because they are filling in story holes and information about the world that the reader needs. While you don’t want to give the reader an info dump, when you’re creating an entirely new wizard culture with past wars, abilities and phrases it’s important to familiarize the reader with that world before throwing them headfirst into the story.
You immediately want to know – what types of powers do the wizards have? Are they all-encompassing or does each individual specialize in something like water or necromancy? Is the Praesidium in charge of all wizards around the world, or just in Japan and what exactly is the Praesidium? You encounter a few different wizards during the course of the novel, but those questions are never satisfyingly answered. The premise is unique and interesting enough to prompt the reader to want to know more. Unfortunately, the world building isn’t quite as expansive and detailed as I hoped that it would be. Locations are painted in beautifully, vivid detail and materialize in the reader’s mind even if they are unfamiliar with Japan.
Despite those concerns, I was intrigued by the story and by the time I was around 15% off the way through it I was really curious about what was going to happen. The main character had been approached by a mysterious man and offered a large sum of money if he would offer his expertise. His former girlfriend, Julie, was the more curious story as she had an unusual connection to her rapier and was potentially under attack by water wizards (who were believed to all be dead). The main character, Peter, is a wizard whose abilities have been taken away from him but must go on this harrowing journey.
** Warning: There is mature language and imagery. ** Curse words are used throughout the novel. The writing can be very gruesome and morbidly descriptive at times, so I would not recommend this book to younger (teen) readers or people who are squeamish. The author vividly describes the decomposed state of a hallucinated body a number of times, details horrifying destruction of bodies and other events that I would caution certain readers against. There is also a moment in the last few pages of the book that is a little unnecessary, in my opinion, and absolutely should not be read by teens. But that level of detail is also afforded to the people, places and events in the book which is definitely a positive overall even if it’s sometimes a little much. I would also warn you away from this book if you have a fear of insects and wish to sleep well tonight.
Overall, the book would fare better with a good editor who could cull the extraneous parts. While the plot was fascinating, some parts of the story dragged and could have been cut or shortened to help the flow of an otherwise engaging story. I would recommend this novel to fans of magic and horror, as the author seems to blend these two ideas together into his creation – Greeth. Again, I would not recommend to young adult/teen readers.
You immediately want to know – what types of powers do the wizards have? Are they all-encompassing or does each individual specialize in something like water or necromancy? Is the Praesidium in charge of all wizards around the world, or just in Japan and what exactly is the Praesidium? You encounter a few different wizards during the course of the novel, but those questions are never satisfyingly answered. The premise is unique and interesting enough to prompt the reader to want to know more. Unfortunately, the world building isn’t quite as expansive and detailed as I hoped that it would be. Locations are painted in beautifully, vivid detail and materialize in the reader’s mind even if they are unfamiliar with Japan.
Despite those concerns, I was intrigued by the story and by the time I was around 15% off the way through it I was really curious about what was going to happen. The main character had been approached by a mysterious man and offered a large sum of money if he would offer his expertise. His former girlfriend, Julie, was the more curious story as she had an unusual connection to her rapier and was potentially under attack by water wizards (who were believed to all be dead). The main character, Peter, is a wizard whose abilities have been taken away from him but must go on this harrowing journey.
** Warning: There is mature language and imagery. ** Curse words are used throughout the novel. The writing can be very gruesome and morbidly descriptive at times, so I would not recommend this book to younger (teen) readers or people who are squeamish. The author vividly describes the decomposed state of a hallucinated body a number of times, details horrifying destruction of bodies and other events that I would caution certain readers against. There is also a moment in the last few pages of the book that is a little unnecessary, in my opinion, and absolutely should not be read by teens. But that level of detail is also afforded to the people, places and events in the book which is definitely a positive overall even if it’s sometimes a little much. I would also warn you away from this book if you have a fear of insects and wish to sleep well tonight.
Overall, the book would fare better with a good editor who could cull the extraneous parts. While the plot was fascinating, some parts of the story dragged and could have been cut or shortened to help the flow of an otherwise engaging story. I would recommend this novel to fans of magic and horror, as the author seems to blend these two ideas together into his creation – Greeth. Again, I would not recommend to young adult/teen readers.
May 8, 2016
This is a lyrical novel that takes place somewhere in a magical apocalyptic Japan.
The book is narrated from the third person point of view of its main characters: Peter Buraku - a wizard until he was tried, convicted, and sentenced for a terrible crime and could never cast another spell. For eight long years, he begged for the worst jobs, lived in the slums, and worked for humans. Then a wealthy stranger (Hector Álvarez) came into his life and restored his powers; Julie Álvarez - a soldier of the Praesidium, or the council of Wizards, Peters's ex-girlfriend and Hector's daughter; Nigel Appelby, an alchemist, scientist and Peter's friend; Hideo Takada, a ninja turned musician; and the Greeth - a monster who lives in another dimension and has been following Peter's career so it can be born again.
Apparently there was a war: between wizards and humans. During this war, wealthy businessmen like Hector Álvarez - Julie's father - were bribed by the Akuma - a ten thousand year old demon - who later turned the executives to the dark side to procured an apocalypse. There is something dark and terrible rising (The Greeth). A breach has opened between worlds and the ancient god will be reborn on fertile Earth. The flesh of humanity will feed its many children. Peter embarks on a quest for redemption to stop the ancient god from destroying the world. Will his unique ability to create life be enough to change what he’s done? Or will guilt from his role in helping to destroy so much life be his undoing? Greeth did know. Across eons and vast starless spaces it felt the presence of someone who could grant the wish it held for so long. Not to invade the earth. To return. To come home.
Peter's crime had been trying to bring his father, Genjiro Busako back from the dead. For that he had rings of palladium - the wizards kryptonite - inserted in his two hearts - and that had made him lose his magical powers. Unbeknownst to Peter, the day he was in his lab, trying to bring his father back, Greeth was out in the universe, half a door away, listening. It remembered hearing the shocking sound of doors sliding open, hearing the song of Peter’s magic across the eons. Greeth kept calling Peter back, showed him the memory from its point of view so as to invite him to his new universe.
This is Charles LaFave debut novel. The book is very well written - the prose is lyrical. The plot is a wonder of the magical fantasy realm. The characters come to life immediately and the points of view are used very well. It was a wonderful and easy read. Highly recommended!
The book is narrated from the third person point of view of its main characters: Peter Buraku - a wizard until he was tried, convicted, and sentenced for a terrible crime and could never cast another spell. For eight long years, he begged for the worst jobs, lived in the slums, and worked for humans. Then a wealthy stranger (Hector Álvarez) came into his life and restored his powers; Julie Álvarez - a soldier of the Praesidium, or the council of Wizards, Peters's ex-girlfriend and Hector's daughter; Nigel Appelby, an alchemist, scientist and Peter's friend; Hideo Takada, a ninja turned musician; and the Greeth - a monster who lives in another dimension and has been following Peter's career so it can be born again.
Apparently there was a war: between wizards and humans. During this war, wealthy businessmen like Hector Álvarez - Julie's father - were bribed by the Akuma - a ten thousand year old demon - who later turned the executives to the dark side to procured an apocalypse. There is something dark and terrible rising (The Greeth). A breach has opened between worlds and the ancient god will be reborn on fertile Earth. The flesh of humanity will feed its many children. Peter embarks on a quest for redemption to stop the ancient god from destroying the world. Will his unique ability to create life be enough to change what he’s done? Or will guilt from his role in helping to destroy so much life be his undoing? Greeth did know. Across eons and vast starless spaces it felt the presence of someone who could grant the wish it held for so long. Not to invade the earth. To return. To come home.
Peter's crime had been trying to bring his father, Genjiro Busako back from the dead. For that he had rings of palladium - the wizards kryptonite - inserted in his two hearts - and that had made him lose his magical powers. Unbeknownst to Peter, the day he was in his lab, trying to bring his father back, Greeth was out in the universe, half a door away, listening. It remembered hearing the shocking sound of doors sliding open, hearing the song of Peter’s magic across the eons. Greeth kept calling Peter back, showed him the memory from its point of view so as to invite him to his new universe.
This is Charles LaFave debut novel. The book is very well written - the prose is lyrical. The plot is a wonder of the magical fantasy realm. The characters come to life immediately and the points of view are used very well. It was a wonderful and easy read. Highly recommended!
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June 5, 2016I had been looking for a new book to read and when the author, Charles Lafave, asked me to review his book, I figured why not. I have to admit, I probably wouldn't have bought this book if he hadn't offered to it to me. I'm really glad he did though. This book had fantastic pacing, easy reading, but a world with a depth that is only touched upon in this book.
There are a few things going on with this story that really need to be called out. First, this is a book that if you've read Harry Potter or the Magicians, but were disappointed by the way wizards and regular people interact, you need to read this story. It set in an alternative earth, where Wizards are a separate species, but behave similarly as humans. They are capable of casting spells and have their wizarding schools. However, they don't remain hidden or experience existential dread because that's all their is in life. They get out there and they make things. With this being an alternate earth, basically at the same point in time as ours (including major historical events like Hiroshima - but modified to adjust for the differences in the worlds), the wizards must interact with technology and enhance it or avoid it. It's pretty interesting.
The villain has a completely alien feel about it, that other fantasy series don't really capture when there's an "ultimate" evil. In this case, it truly is alien in just about every way, it was never a humanoid and never will be. It's desires are completely unknowable throughout the story, which makes it a lot more interesting.
Lafave does a great job of creating a few compelling story lines that he ultimately pulls together at various points in the book. This helps create a depth of characters and story that would have ultimately damaged the story. During the final scenes I do wish there was more elaboration with some of the characters as they kind of disappeared mid-way during the final battles.
I'm looking forward to reading more about Peter.
There are a few things going on with this story that really need to be called out. First, this is a book that if you've read Harry Potter or the Magicians, but were disappointed by the way wizards and regular people interact, you need to read this story. It set in an alternative earth, where Wizards are a separate species, but behave similarly as humans. They are capable of casting spells and have their wizarding schools. However, they don't remain hidden or experience existential dread because that's all their is in life. They get out there and they make things. With this being an alternate earth, basically at the same point in time as ours (including major historical events like Hiroshima - but modified to adjust for the differences in the worlds), the wizards must interact with technology and enhance it or avoid it. It's pretty interesting.
The villain has a completely alien feel about it, that other fantasy series don't really capture when there's an "ultimate" evil. In this case, it truly is alien in just about every way, it was never a humanoid and never will be. It's desires are completely unknowable throughout the story, which makes it a lot more interesting.
Lafave does a great job of creating a few compelling story lines that he ultimately pulls together at various points in the book. This helps create a depth of characters and story that would have ultimately damaged the story. During the final scenes I do wish there was more elaboration with some of the characters as they kind of disappeared mid-way during the final battles.
I'm looking forward to reading more about Peter.
May 23, 2016
5/5 for a truly masterful tale of loss, hope and redemption.
Greeth is set in what is presumed to be an alternate earth (Japan), in a world almost indistinguishable from our own— except for the wizards and demons and otherworldly races, that is. For the majority of the book we follow Peter, the protagonist, but we also switch perspectives several times and witness flashbacks to fill in some of the details of the main character’s past.
From the beginning to the end, complex characters are invested with true depth and granted distinct personas that underscore the author’s seemingly supernaturally ability to breathe life into them. In that sense, Charles LaFave has something in common with the main character of the story (***hint hint***).
As a self-published, indie title, the book is startlingly free of grammatical errors, and so there’s nothing to jar the reader from the truly gripping story being told. The dark elements of the action, plot, story and character all serve to heighten the reading experience and leave you with fists clenched and heart pounding in anticipation. In this no holds barred book, you can expect to enjoy every minute of the wild ride you’re taken on.
Is something lost, lost forever? Greeth is a tale of hope, of clawing one’s way back to redemption. Peter lived a facsimile of a life for eight years, but he can’t be kept down by the loss of his magic and everything he cared about— not forever, at least. If you’re looking for a good dark fantasy with good characters all around and fantastic writing that will draw you in, look no further. You'll find it here.
Greeth is set in what is presumed to be an alternate earth (Japan), in a world almost indistinguishable from our own— except for the wizards and demons and otherworldly races, that is. For the majority of the book we follow Peter, the protagonist, but we also switch perspectives several times and witness flashbacks to fill in some of the details of the main character’s past.
From the beginning to the end, complex characters are invested with true depth and granted distinct personas that underscore the author’s seemingly supernaturally ability to breathe life into them. In that sense, Charles LaFave has something in common with the main character of the story (***hint hint***).
As a self-published, indie title, the book is startlingly free of grammatical errors, and so there’s nothing to jar the reader from the truly gripping story being told. The dark elements of the action, plot, story and character all serve to heighten the reading experience and leave you with fists clenched and heart pounding in anticipation. In this no holds barred book, you can expect to enjoy every minute of the wild ride you’re taken on.
Is something lost, lost forever? Greeth is a tale of hope, of clawing one’s way back to redemption. Peter lived a facsimile of a life for eight years, but he can’t be kept down by the loss of his magic and everything he cared about— not forever, at least. If you’re looking for a good dark fantasy with good characters all around and fantastic writing that will draw you in, look no further. You'll find it here.
August 13, 2016
Like many other reviewers, the author contacted me after seeing reviews posted on books he thought were similar, and asked if I review it publicly. He offered me a free copy, but I declined and bought the book because a) I believe in paying artists for their work, and b) my review would probably be skewed and no one wants that.
Straight up, this book contains a hell of a lot of body horror, and loads of hallucinatory bugs - both under skins and coming out of unlikely orifices. There are also armies of labrador to horse sized bugs, and gruesome centipede dingbats at the start of chapters.
Greeth is set in I guess alternate universe Japan a few hundred years in the future, and follows Peter Buraku a wizard who raised the dead a little bit eight years ago and had his magic suppressed as punishment. In this universe, wizards bleed black, have two hearts, and came to Earth from a wormhole some time in the Upper Palaeolithic era.
The book follows Peter as he uncovers an ancient evil (probably) who is going to destroy the world (likely), and stands against it for the good of humanity (???? maybe).
Everyone in this book has an ulterior motive -- one that ultimately serves themselves as an individual, which when put in the context of the end turns much of the book into a clumsy, "needs of the many" morality tale.
Having said all of that, it was still a good story. Self-published, and a debut novel, the effort the author has out in to get it this far is admirable. I enjoyed reading it, and would probably pick up whatever the author puts out next out of curiosity.
I'd give Greeth three centipedes out of five
Straight up, this book contains a hell of a lot of body horror, and loads of hallucinatory bugs - both under skins and coming out of unlikely orifices. There are also armies of labrador to horse sized bugs, and gruesome centipede dingbats at the start of chapters.
Greeth is set in I guess alternate universe Japan a few hundred years in the future, and follows Peter Buraku a wizard who raised the dead a little bit eight years ago and had his magic suppressed as punishment. In this universe, wizards bleed black, have two hearts, and came to Earth from a wormhole some time in the Upper Palaeolithic era.
The book follows Peter as he uncovers an ancient evil (probably) who is going to destroy the world (likely), and stands against it for the good of humanity (???? maybe).
Everyone in this book has an ulterior motive -- one that ultimately serves themselves as an individual, which when put in the context of the end turns much of the book into a clumsy, "needs of the many" morality tale.
Having said all of that, it was still a good story. Self-published, and a debut novel, the effort the author has out in to get it this far is admirable. I enjoyed reading it, and would probably pick up whatever the author puts out next out of curiosity.
I'd give Greeth three centipedes out of five
July 2, 2016
Of Wizards, God's and Men...
Greeth exists in an alternate dimension of Earth and it's trying to come -- home. But Greeth is not your cuddly house pet. In fact, Greeth has an army of millions and human-like spies. I gave this 4-stars because I stumbled here and there with the timeline. Once or twice I had to go back a few paragraphs to keep up with the context. Author Lafave has built an exciting world full of magic and wizardry he calls Earth. Peter is our hero. He is a disgraced and magically defrocked wizard who rises to the call of duty. Greeth has excellent demons, cruel bad guys, dark and misunderstood heroes, strong female characters and a werewolf. As I read, I kept wanting to find out what happens next. At the end, I was awaiting Peter's next move. Will there be a sequel? Older fantasy loving teens and adults will connect with this tale. Oh BTW, Larvae also tucked in a surprise for his sweetheart in the first few pages - sweet.
Greeth exists in an alternate dimension of Earth and it's trying to come -- home. But Greeth is not your cuddly house pet. In fact, Greeth has an army of millions and human-like spies. I gave this 4-stars because I stumbled here and there with the timeline. Once or twice I had to go back a few paragraphs to keep up with the context. Author Lafave has built an exciting world full of magic and wizardry he calls Earth. Peter is our hero. He is a disgraced and magically defrocked wizard who rises to the call of duty. Greeth has excellent demons, cruel bad guys, dark and misunderstood heroes, strong female characters and a werewolf. As I read, I kept wanting to find out what happens next. At the end, I was awaiting Peter's next move. Will there be a sequel? Older fantasy loving teens and adults will connect with this tale. Oh BTW, Larvae also tucked in a surprise for his sweetheart in the first few pages - sweet.
September 29, 2016
Superb!
Man,I couldn't put this book down once I started. I'd love to read more books by this author, really talented writer. Doing pass this one up, you will miss a good book.
Man,I couldn't put this book down once I started. I'd love to read more books by this author, really talented writer. Doing pass this one up, you will miss a good book.
December 30, 2017
The survival of the entire world is in the hands of a disgraced Wizard who has the ability to create life in inanimate objects. Can Peter Buraku, and his former lover beat, the God who wants to consume this world? Or will all the possessed bugs on earth devour everything? You will just have to read this unusual book to find out. The characters in this book are all well thought out and believable the pain and frustration of Peter comes across very well. There are a lot of times where there is so much action going on that the basic story line becomes a bit hard to follow, but, this does not affect the overall enjoyment of the story. The author's underlying message seems to be that, people's greed for material things in our world is literally eating us alive and he portrays this idea masterfully in this sci-fi fantasy adventure filled with wizards, assassins, monsters and Gods. This is a must read for any science fiction or fantasy lover who likes non stop action, deeper meaning and, a bit of heart thrown in just to keep you on your toes.
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