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Verity Fassbinder #1
Vigil
From award-winning author Angela Slatter comes her first full length novel, VIGIL, where the normal and the 'weyrd' combine on the streets of Brisbane.
Verity Fassbinder has her feet in two worlds. The daughter of one human and one Weyrd parent, she has very little power herself, but does claim unusual strength - and the ability to walk between us and the other - as a couple of her talents. As such a rarity, she is charged with keeping the peace between both races, and ensuring the Weyrd remain hidden from us.
But now Sirens are dying, illegal wine made from the tears of human children is for sale - and in the hands of those Weyrd who hold with the old ways - and someone has released an unknown and terrifyingly destructive force on the streets of Brisbane.
And Verity must investigate - or risk ancient forces carving our world apart.
Verity Fassbinder has her feet in two worlds. The daughter of one human and one Weyrd parent, she has very little power herself, but does claim unusual strength - and the ability to walk between us and the other - as a couple of her talents. As such a rarity, she is charged with keeping the peace between both races, and ensuring the Weyrd remain hidden from us.
But now Sirens are dying, illegal wine made from the tears of human children is for sale - and in the hands of those Weyrd who hold with the old ways - and someone has released an unknown and terrifyingly destructive force on the streets of Brisbane.
And Verity must investigate - or risk ancient forces carving our world apart.
351 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2016
64 people are currently reading
2052 people want to read
About the author
Angela Slatter
190 books821 followersAngela Slatter is the author of the urban fantasy novels Vigil (2016) and Corpselight (2017), as well as eight short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and A Feast of Sorrows: Stories. She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, and six Aurealis Awards.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories.
She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth.
Her novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (from Tor.com), and Ripper (in the Stephen Jones anthology Horrorology, from Jo Fletcher Books) were released in October 2015.
The third novel in the Verity Fassbinder series, Restoration, will be released in 2018 by Jo Fletcher Books (Hachette International). She is represented by Ian Drury of the literary agency Sheil Land for her long fiction, by Lucy Fawcett of Sheil Land for film rights, and by Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Publishing Services for illustrated storybooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
June 1, 2016
This is a dark fantasy crime thriller set in Brisbane and I adored it. Angela Slatter has constructed a detailed world populated by the Weyrds and the Normals who are precariously managing to co-exist thanks to diligent policing by the likes of Bela, Verity and DI Rhoda McIntyre, a normal. We have a kick ass, half blood, PI Verity Fassbinder, whose only weyrd gift is her phenomenal strength, and is blessed with a grumpy and snarky attitude. She has a fraught and complicated relationship with her boss, Bela, and is close to her driver and helper Ziggi. This story hotwired me to my childhood memories of fairytales given the darkest of slants, along with biblical and mythological tales.
In a investigation with connections to Verity's dark personal family history, children are going missing and on the market discreetly is the finest wine made from the tears of the deepest despair of dying children. Verity tracks down the evil Winemaker and in an almighty battle manages to rescue Lizzie, the child of her neighbour, Mel. She kills the Winemaker by pushing her into the oven. She also finds herself gifted with a powerfully magical knife by the boatman who mysteriously tells Verity that they are trying to break the sky.
Verity has her hands full as she attempts to locate Donovan, the missing son of the wealthy Anders Baker. There is the killing of Sirens, a missing infant, a prophecy, questionable dark angels,and a deadly golem controlled by an exceedingly powerful dark weyrd character. Its a wonder that Verity has any time for a private life, but she does and her love interest finds himself in danger. Rhoda is suffering from severe health problems and it seems the weyrd world's liasion to the normals may not make it.
Verity is certainly a charismatic PI with bags of personality. She has the strength to be a strong presence you can trust to keep vigil at the frontier of the weyrd world. The author has drawn on material from a variety of sources to create a unique and intriguing world peopled with eccentric, strange and odd characters that beguile and charm. I look forward to Verity's next outing with anticipation. Loved the book. Thanks to Jo Fletcher and Quercus for an ARC.
In a investigation with connections to Verity's dark personal family history, children are going missing and on the market discreetly is the finest wine made from the tears of the deepest despair of dying children. Verity tracks down the evil Winemaker and in an almighty battle manages to rescue Lizzie, the child of her neighbour, Mel. She kills the Winemaker by pushing her into the oven. She also finds herself gifted with a powerfully magical knife by the boatman who mysteriously tells Verity that they are trying to break the sky.
Verity has her hands full as she attempts to locate Donovan, the missing son of the wealthy Anders Baker. There is the killing of Sirens, a missing infant, a prophecy, questionable dark angels,and a deadly golem controlled by an exceedingly powerful dark weyrd character. Its a wonder that Verity has any time for a private life, but she does and her love interest finds himself in danger. Rhoda is suffering from severe health problems and it seems the weyrd world's liasion to the normals may not make it.
Verity is certainly a charismatic PI with bags of personality. She has the strength to be a strong presence you can trust to keep vigil at the frontier of the weyrd world. The author has drawn on material from a variety of sources to create a unique and intriguing world peopled with eccentric, strange and odd characters that beguile and charm. I look forward to Verity's next outing with anticipation. Loved the book. Thanks to Jo Fletcher and Quercus for an ARC.
July 20, 2016
I know what you're thinking.
I know, because I had the same thoughts prior to reading this book.
You're thinking about the fact that this is another urban fantasy title in a market already flooded with urban fantasy. You're also thinking about whether or not this book will offer anything different to the thousands of other titles released over the past few years. Something that will make it worth checking out.
So let me make this clear from the outset.
Vigil is a stunning and refreshing book, and it is a must read for any fan of the genre.
I loved so many things about Vigil that I'm struggling to keep this review concise and to the point. So let me start with the blindingly obvious. Verity Fassbinder, the main character of this book, is one of best protagonists I've read in years. She is snarky, sardonic in a very Australian manner, smart, and also incredibly normal. I loved her from the moment she was introduced, and adored her growth throughout the book. What made her fresh and unique was her normality. She doesn't have a huge wellspring of hidden power, or a tortured past that plagues and hampers her ability to monitor the boundaries between the normal world and the Weyrd. She just is Verity, a normal (well, as normal as you can be with one human and one Weyrd parent) Australian woman doing her job. The other characters in this book are also incredibly strong, with each playing their part wonderfully as Verity lets her investigations run their course, and all hell breaks loose as horrors are unleashed on the streets.
The backdrop and setting for Vigil is also evocative and wonderful. I was enthralled by Slatter's descriptive and edgy world building, and I loved how a mundane, yet stark and gritty Brisbane, was brought to life and made the norm. This environment added a real noir moodiness and flavour to the story, and made the instances of supernatural activity, where the Weyrd would break through the veil, jarring and incredibly riveting. This is not a book where the supernatural is openly spotted or glamourised. Instead, Slatter roots the supernatural directly within our world, and casts it in a fashion that is more matter of fact and grounded. Your baker literally could be Weyrd, and you wouldn't know unless they wanted you to know.
The plot of Vigil is also incredible, with Slatter weaving a wonderful tapestry of thrilling mystery, jarring twists and turns, and mind bending action sequences. Vigil literally oozes menace and enjoyment, and its fast paced storyline had me hooked from the opening pages. Slatter knows how to structure a story, and I adored trawling through all of the little subplots and threads as they unfolded throughout the book. There are some awesome cultural references that make this story VERY Australian (references to the Brisbane floods for example), and I adored the little nods towards other authors who have set their speculative fiction in Brisbane as well.
If I had one small criticism it would be that some of the little nuances and cultural references may be lost on international readers. For me though, it's wonderful to see another Australian based urban fantasy standing tall and proud of its heritage.
Vigil is an absolute powerhouse of a book. Slatter has taken urban fantasy by the horns, and given it the kick up the arse that it needed. Original, addictive, and a shitload of awesome, Vigil is a must read for all fans of speculative fiction. I for one cannot wait for the next instalment to appear. Let the adventures in 'Brisneyland' continue!
5 out of 5 stars.
I know, because I had the same thoughts prior to reading this book.
You're thinking about the fact that this is another urban fantasy title in a market already flooded with urban fantasy. You're also thinking about whether or not this book will offer anything different to the thousands of other titles released over the past few years. Something that will make it worth checking out.
So let me make this clear from the outset.
Vigil is a stunning and refreshing book, and it is a must read for any fan of the genre.
I loved so many things about Vigil that I'm struggling to keep this review concise and to the point. So let me start with the blindingly obvious. Verity Fassbinder, the main character of this book, is one of best protagonists I've read in years. She is snarky, sardonic in a very Australian manner, smart, and also incredibly normal. I loved her from the moment she was introduced, and adored her growth throughout the book. What made her fresh and unique was her normality. She doesn't have a huge wellspring of hidden power, or a tortured past that plagues and hampers her ability to monitor the boundaries between the normal world and the Weyrd. She just is Verity, a normal (well, as normal as you can be with one human and one Weyrd parent) Australian woman doing her job. The other characters in this book are also incredibly strong, with each playing their part wonderfully as Verity lets her investigations run their course, and all hell breaks loose as horrors are unleashed on the streets.
The backdrop and setting for Vigil is also evocative and wonderful. I was enthralled by Slatter's descriptive and edgy world building, and I loved how a mundane, yet stark and gritty Brisbane, was brought to life and made the norm. This environment added a real noir moodiness and flavour to the story, and made the instances of supernatural activity, where the Weyrd would break through the veil, jarring and incredibly riveting. This is not a book where the supernatural is openly spotted or glamourised. Instead, Slatter roots the supernatural directly within our world, and casts it in a fashion that is more matter of fact and grounded. Your baker literally could be Weyrd, and you wouldn't know unless they wanted you to know.
The plot of Vigil is also incredible, with Slatter weaving a wonderful tapestry of thrilling mystery, jarring twists and turns, and mind bending action sequences. Vigil literally oozes menace and enjoyment, and its fast paced storyline had me hooked from the opening pages. Slatter knows how to structure a story, and I adored trawling through all of the little subplots and threads as they unfolded throughout the book. There are some awesome cultural references that make this story VERY Australian (references to the Brisbane floods for example), and I adored the little nods towards other authors who have set their speculative fiction in Brisbane as well.
If I had one small criticism it would be that some of the little nuances and cultural references may be lost on international readers. For me though, it's wonderful to see another Australian based urban fantasy standing tall and proud of its heritage.
Vigil is an absolute powerhouse of a book. Slatter has taken urban fantasy by the horns, and given it the kick up the arse that it needed. Original, addictive, and a shitload of awesome, Vigil is a must read for all fans of speculative fiction. I for one cannot wait for the next instalment to appear. Let the adventures in 'Brisneyland' continue!
5 out of 5 stars.
May 18, 2017
I have read a great deal of Angela Slatter's short fiction, and enjoyed it greatly. And by "greatly" I mean, 5-stars, up-to-the-top-of-my-favorite-authors-list, "greatly." When I heard she had a full-length novel coming out, I was shivering with antici... pation. Got the book through ILL since it isn't available in the US.
Soooo... I was disappointed. I really didn't want to be, but I was. "Vigil" is a perfectly competent, supremely marketable, and firmly in-genre entry into the paranormal investigation/urban fantasy oeuvre. It's a fun little adventure, featuring the requisite feisty heroine. It's a nice couple of evening's entertainment, but it doesn't really stand out from other stories in this niche in any memorable way.
If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Kelley Armstrong, &c, you will undoubtedly be delighted to discover Verity Fassbinder, her mixed human/supernatural heritage, her "it's complicated" love life, and to join her on her attempts to unravel murders and plots involving humans and the Weyrd in modern-day Brisbane.
I didn't mind it, but I prefer Slatter's challenging and disturbing yet beautiful and timeless short fiction.
Soooo... I was disappointed. I really didn't want to be, but I was. "Vigil" is a perfectly competent, supremely marketable, and firmly in-genre entry into the paranormal investigation/urban fantasy oeuvre. It's a fun little adventure, featuring the requisite feisty heroine. It's a nice couple of evening's entertainment, but it doesn't really stand out from other stories in this niche in any memorable way.
If you're a fan of Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Kelley Armstrong, &c, you will undoubtedly be delighted to discover Verity Fassbinder, her mixed human/supernatural heritage, her "it's complicated" love life, and to join her on her attempts to unravel murders and plots involving humans and the Weyrd in modern-day Brisbane.
I didn't mind it, but I prefer Slatter's challenging and disturbing yet beautiful and timeless short fiction.
May 28, 2016
This wasn't love at first sight for me. The book felt like kind of a cross between the tv show Grim and Days of Blood & Starlight, with similar characters and mythology. The main character, Verity, was a contradiction. Daughter of a an evil child killer, with super strength-the possibilities are there... but the fear she was supposed to inspire in others fell a bit flat. The idea was that once she's involved in a situation, she barrels round breaking things until she gets answers. At one point she's interviewing a baddie and they purport to be scared of what she might do to them. Yet this girl is as far from scary or edgy as possible to be. She's barely got an attitude problem, though she can be a bit grumpy, and her violent action seemed more accidental than an essential part of her makeup. The plot was engaging enough, but there were lots of pages I skipped through because they added nothing and I didn't care enough to read them.
I really wanted this because the blurb compared it to Butcher's Dresden, but it isn't that. It's more YA than anything else. I don't mean that pejoratively, just that it's rather more sanitised than I expected for an adult PI series.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted this because the blurb compared it to Butcher's Dresden, but it isn't that. It's more YA than anything else. I don't mean that pejoratively, just that it's rather more sanitised than I expected for an adult PI series.
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2018
This was pretty good! I was expecting another UF along the usual lines. Tired tropes, a little paranormal romance thrown in... but the setting in Brisbane is refreshing, the Weyrd are mysterious and there is good world building. It is not corny, there is no silly paranormal romance, Verity is kick-ass and snarky. The sleuthing could be a bit more intense—I like my crime to be a bit more procedural. But bottomline pretty darn good.
This actually seems to be UF for grown-ups, what a nice discovery. I liked the short history lesson, how all the Weyrd happened to end up in Brisbane. Lots and lots of potential.
I would have liked more character development for Ziggi and Bela. I have a pretty good idea, what type of Wyrd Bela is (Tepes, D-oh!), but it is never spelled out or strongly hinted at. His powers also don‘t seem to be quite what I thought. He stays a little too episodic and one-dimensional. And does Ziggy really have a third eye in the back of his head or is that a metaphorical eye?
And how fun is it that she doesn‘t end up with the tall, dark and handsome guy?
The only thing that bugged me a little: It feels as if I missed reading an important prequel. Which doesn‘t exist, as far as I can see. And I really looked. I am a little vexed about this strong feeling of having missed something in the FIRST book of a series.
Anyway, good stuff, the next book of the series is downloaded and ready to go.
This actually seems to be UF for grown-ups, what a nice discovery. I liked the short history lesson, how all the Weyrd happened to end up in Brisbane. Lots and lots of potential.
I would have liked more character development for Ziggi and Bela. I have a pretty good idea, what type of Wyrd Bela is (Tepes, D-oh!), but it is never spelled out or strongly hinted at. His powers also don‘t seem to be quite what I thought. He stays a little too episodic and one-dimensional. And does Ziggy really have a third eye in the back of his head or is that a metaphorical eye?
And how fun is it that she doesn‘t end up with the tall, dark and handsome guy?
The only thing that bugged me a little: It feels as if I missed reading an important prequel. Which doesn‘t exist, as far as I can see. And I really looked. I am a little vexed about this strong feeling of having missed something in the FIRST book of a series.
Anyway, good stuff, the next book of the series is downloaded and ready to go.
September 18, 2016
I do love a good Urban Fantasy me and this one, set in Brisbane, is totally rocking. Excellent setting, brilliant world building and a main character I adored.
Verity Fassbinder is sharp, witty and different – half human half Weyrd she hovers between two worlds sorting out problems, keeping people (and everything else) in line. Well, kind of. She lives in the shadow of her good old Dad, doesnt suffer fools gladly and is impulsive enough to often get into trouble. Loved her.
The layers built into this imaginary world are rich and enticing – I especially enjoyed the politics of the Weyrd world, kind of like our own but with added spells and stuff. Descriptively speaking Vigil is a joy to read, Angela Slatter brings Brisbane to life in a beautifully fascinating way.
The story itself is highly addictive with lots of action and magical mayhem, enough reality to keep you grounded, an often emotional tug on the heartstrings and plenty going on – a near perfect set up to what I hope will be a long running series. The supporting cast of characters are all totally banging (loved The Boatman more of him please) – Vigil will cast its own spell on you as you read and you will be utterly captivated.
This is what I like. Those days where the world we live in gets just a little too much, books like Vigil are exactly what you need to escape the rain. Although watch out for them there Angels. They may be watching and you’d never know it…
Highly Recommended.
December 15, 2018
3.5 stars
This is an excellently written UF story set in Brisbane. I was fortunate to buddy read it with Brisbane resident Lindsay, among others, who kindly posted images of relevant locations as we went along. Brisbane is a city I'm totally unfamiliar with, so it was nice to get this visual accompaniment.
The story is pretty fast paced and there is a lot going on. Verity is the fiesty heroine, a half blood who doesn't quite fit in the world of the Normals or the Weyrd, or supernatural. Slatter has also created a slew of interesting characters, with lots of detail to bring them all to life. Overall, it has a similar feel to the Mercy Thompson books (which I love) and to a lesser extent, the Chronicles of Elantra.
The main downside for me in all of this was that I felt it didn't sufficiently stand out in the UF crowd. It read well, but there is also a sameness to it that disappointed me. That said, I would say if you are a fan of UF this is definitely worth checking out.
This is an excellently written UF story set in Brisbane. I was fortunate to buddy read it with Brisbane resident Lindsay, among others, who kindly posted images of relevant locations as we went along. Brisbane is a city I'm totally unfamiliar with, so it was nice to get this visual accompaniment.
The story is pretty fast paced and there is a lot going on. Verity is the fiesty heroine, a half blood who doesn't quite fit in the world of the Normals or the Weyrd, or supernatural. Slatter has also created a slew of interesting characters, with lots of detail to bring them all to life. Overall, it has a similar feel to the Mercy Thompson books (which I love) and to a lesser extent, the Chronicles of Elantra.
The main downside for me in all of this was that I felt it didn't sufficiently stand out in the UF crowd. It read well, but there is also a sameness to it that disappointed me. That said, I would say if you are a fan of UF this is definitely worth checking out.
July 21, 2016
Welcome to Brisneyland! The story Angela Slatter presents us with in her debut solo-novel Vigil is a departure from her previous work, which I have heard people raving about for the past few years really. As such it was the perfect place for me to start my first Angela Slatter story, since it is the beginning of a series and the start of this new urban fantasy direction for the author. And I loved it. Vigil is a fantastic read, with a heroine who captured my heart.
I loved Verity Fassbinder to bits. Verity is a combination of tough as nails, with a huge heart, but vulnerable and also not indestructible. When she gets into scrapes she gets hurt and she needs to recover both physically and mentally. Even if she does receive some magical healing, she can’t magically shrug off trauma. After being seriously hurt in a dark, abandoned house before the start of the narrative, she gets nervous and apprehensive when in similar situations, having to actually take the time to convince herself that this time the situation is different and things will be okay.
I also really appreciated that while Verity is dark and broody and she has a hard time letting down her walls, she is deeply loyal and craves emotional connection as well. This is illustrated by her bond with her young neighbour Lizzie and Lizzie’s mum Mel, as well as her friendship with Ziggi — who is something of a father figure or perhaps more a kindly uncle — and her boss and ex-boyfriend Bela. And of course, her grudging realisation how much she cares for her police contact Rhonda McIntyre.
In a way Lizzie, Mel, Ziggi and Bela form something of a found family for Verity, a family that is completed when she meets David. The way Slatter developed Verity’s relationship with David was wonderful. It is largely in the background, but he becomes deeply ingrained in her life and her heart. Once she finally finds some stability at home, circumstances force her to confront her memories of and her feelings regarding her father. Verity’s relationship to her dad is very complex, where on the one hand she has good memories of him from when she was really young, but he turns out to be a really dark figure in Weyrd society. So much of what Verity does, seems to be motivated by her feeling guilt about who and what her father was; there is an element of atonement to her work as a human/Weyrd peacekeeper.
Slatter’s Weyrd society in Brisbane was fascinating. I loved the concept of a “hidden-in-plain-sight” community of immigrants from the Old World, who fled to Australia to escape prosecution from humans in their countries of origins. The Weyrd community is an amalgamation of various old world monster traditions, ranging from the Nordic to the Slavic and everything in between. The difference between Brisneyland and Brisbane is clear, but the ways the two overlap are very cool.
Vigil’s plot is your basic mystery plot, where Verity has to solve several interlinked cases and basically save the world. I loved the way Slatter build these cases, though my favourite one was the one centring on the murdered sirens. Slatter’s interpretation of the sirens was fabulous and together with the Norn sisters they were my favourite creatures in the book. While the construction of the plot and the interlinkage of the cases was cleverly done, some clues Slatter dropped into the narrative were a bit clunky. On one or two occasions, they were such clear signposts that they felt a little by the nose.
Still, if one or two clunky clues were my only quibbles, I can’t really complain, can I? Vigil is a cracking read. I can’t wait for the next book, Corpselight, and I hope there will be far more books in the series, because I’d love to spend lots more time with Verity and friends in Brisneyland.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
I loved Verity Fassbinder to bits. Verity is a combination of tough as nails, with a huge heart, but vulnerable and also not indestructible. When she gets into scrapes she gets hurt and she needs to recover both physically and mentally. Even if she does receive some magical healing, she can’t magically shrug off trauma. After being seriously hurt in a dark, abandoned house before the start of the narrative, she gets nervous and apprehensive when in similar situations, having to actually take the time to convince herself that this time the situation is different and things will be okay.
I also really appreciated that while Verity is dark and broody and she has a hard time letting down her walls, she is deeply loyal and craves emotional connection as well. This is illustrated by her bond with her young neighbour Lizzie and Lizzie’s mum Mel, as well as her friendship with Ziggi — who is something of a father figure or perhaps more a kindly uncle — and her boss and ex-boyfriend Bela. And of course, her grudging realisation how much she cares for her police contact Rhonda McIntyre.
In a way Lizzie, Mel, Ziggi and Bela form something of a found family for Verity, a family that is completed when she meets David. The way Slatter developed Verity’s relationship with David was wonderful. It is largely in the background, but he becomes deeply ingrained in her life and her heart. Once she finally finds some stability at home, circumstances force her to confront her memories of and her feelings regarding her father. Verity’s relationship to her dad is very complex, where on the one hand she has good memories of him from when she was really young, but he turns out to be a really dark figure in Weyrd society. So much of what Verity does, seems to be motivated by her feeling guilt about who and what her father was; there is an element of atonement to her work as a human/Weyrd peacekeeper.
Slatter’s Weyrd society in Brisbane was fascinating. I loved the concept of a “hidden-in-plain-sight” community of immigrants from the Old World, who fled to Australia to escape prosecution from humans in their countries of origins. The Weyrd community is an amalgamation of various old world monster traditions, ranging from the Nordic to the Slavic and everything in between. The difference between Brisneyland and Brisbane is clear, but the ways the two overlap are very cool.
Vigil’s plot is your basic mystery plot, where Verity has to solve several interlinked cases and basically save the world. I loved the way Slatter build these cases, though my favourite one was the one centring on the murdered sirens. Slatter’s interpretation of the sirens was fabulous and together with the Norn sisters they were my favourite creatures in the book. While the construction of the plot and the interlinkage of the cases was cleverly done, some clues Slatter dropped into the narrative were a bit clunky. On one or two occasions, they were such clear signposts that they felt a little by the nose.
Still, if one or two clunky clues were my only quibbles, I can’t really complain, can I? Vigil is a cracking read. I can’t wait for the next book, Corpselight, and I hope there will be far more books in the series, because I’d love to spend lots more time with Verity and friends in Brisneyland.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
June 14, 2017
3.5*. Good 1st novel into a new urban fantasy set in Australia. Read really easily, but had some YA moments to it. The main character had some questionable decision making but overall still an enjoyable read. Definitely a series to watch.
December 17, 2018
An urban fantasy novel set in my hometown of Brisbane and written by one of my favourite writers who's also a local.
Verity Fassbinder is a half-blood in a city with a large Weyrd population. She's also what passes for the law in the Weyrd community, working indirectly for the local Council of Five and responsible for keeping the Weyrd out of the public eye of the Normal population. All of which gets very difficult with a spate of missing children and the body of a dead winged woman found outside one of the city's most prestigious addresses.
I'm a huge fan of Slatter's other work, most notably her Sourdough stories, so my expectations were quite high coming into this. A little bit too high unfortunately. This is a competent urban fantasy book that features my home city as an almost tangible character, but it never really rises above the ordinary for the genre, and my familiarity with the setting blunts an element that's likely to be a little fantastic in itself.
It's still pretty good, with a compelling main character and I'll most likely continue with the series.
Verity Fassbinder is a half-blood in a city with a large Weyrd population. She's also what passes for the law in the Weyrd community, working indirectly for the local Council of Five and responsible for keeping the Weyrd out of the public eye of the Normal population. All of which gets very difficult with a spate of missing children and the body of a dead winged woman found outside one of the city's most prestigious addresses.
I'm a huge fan of Slatter's other work, most notably her Sourdough stories, so my expectations were quite high coming into this. A little bit too high unfortunately. This is a competent urban fantasy book that features my home city as an almost tangible character, but it never really rises above the ordinary for the genre, and my familiarity with the setting blunts an element that's likely to be a little fantastic in itself.
It's still pretty good, with a compelling main character and I'll most likely continue with the series.
July 17, 2016
This could be UF, but I do not want to group it with that, because it is just so much more and different. The author herself says she writes dark fantasy, so dark urban fantasy mystery then. If you read UF you know how those go, kick-ass, fast etc etc. But this was fiction traced with the weyrd. Read it find out.
First we do have to start with Fassbinder, I had to google it, it means Cooper. What? I had to, mostly to see if it had something do do with her dad's occupation. Ahem. No, but he was a kinderfresser, and if you want to know what that is then you have to read this book. If you are well versed in German myths you might have heard of them.
When I have that out of the way. Verity can walk both worlds, Weyrd and Normal. She is the one the Weyrd sends out to deal with things, she is the one that deals with the cop that knows about them. The two mysteries she has to solve is who is stealing children and who is killing sirens. The first one brings her back to her past, the second one, well who can make a woman with wings fall to her death? Intriguing. It was a good mystery, and it brought us deep into this world. Which was great because I wanted to know more about the Weyrd and I did.
Verity herself was a nice heroine, mostly because even though she has quite the strength inherited from her dad, she was just normal you know. There are those heroines that are all kick-ass, but Verity felt normal. Which is why this book was more fantasy fiction in that aspect. It felt like there are this underworld to the streets of Brisbane. Oh, which I totally loved too.
I lost my train of thought, in the middle of my review!
It was a good book, one that you have to take your time with. Some books should not be rushed, which does not mean that I did not read it in a day. Sure I read it in a day, but I took it slow.
I look forward to more in this world. Great potential there.
First we do have to start with Fassbinder, I had to google it, it means Cooper. What? I had to, mostly to see if it had something do do with her dad's occupation. Ahem. No, but he was a kinderfresser, and if you want to know what that is then you have to read this book. If you are well versed in German myths you might have heard of them.
When I have that out of the way. Verity can walk both worlds, Weyrd and Normal. She is the one the Weyrd sends out to deal with things, she is the one that deals with the cop that knows about them. The two mysteries she has to solve is who is stealing children and who is killing sirens. The first one brings her back to her past, the second one, well who can make a woman with wings fall to her death? Intriguing. It was a good mystery, and it brought us deep into this world. Which was great because I wanted to know more about the Weyrd and I did.
Verity herself was a nice heroine, mostly because even though she has quite the strength inherited from her dad, she was just normal you know. There are those heroines that are all kick-ass, but Verity felt normal. Which is why this book was more fantasy fiction in that aspect. It felt like there are this underworld to the streets of Brisbane. Oh, which I totally loved too.
I lost my train of thought, in the middle of my review!
It was a good book, one that you have to take your time with. Some books should not be rushed, which does not mean that I did not read it in a day. Sure I read it in a day, but I took it slow.
I look forward to more in this world. Great potential there.
December 29, 2018
I totally enjoyed this urban fantasy about half-Weyrd Verity Fassbinder, who investigates incidents of Weyrd misbehaviour and misconduct and makes sure humans never hear about the Weyrd sharing their city.
The plot moves along well, and I liked Verity as she works on three different cases involving murder of a Siren, disappearing children, and the sudden disappearance of another half-Weyrd. Verity only Weyrd ability is her super strength, and her human curiosity, tenacity and strong moral code.
The cases were interesting, and I liked the small picture we got of Brisbane's Weyrd community. I also liked Verity's relationship with Inspector Rhonda McIntyre, a police officer who's had unusual cases dumped on her. I liked the interactions also between Verity and Ziggy, her driver and friend.
My only thought on finishing this book was, bring on more Verity!
The plot moves along well, and I liked Verity as she works on three different cases involving murder of a Siren, disappearing children, and the sudden disappearance of another half-Weyrd. Verity only Weyrd ability is her super strength, and her human curiosity, tenacity and strong moral code.
The cases were interesting, and I liked the small picture we got of Brisbane's Weyrd community. I also liked Verity's relationship with Inspector Rhonda McIntyre, a police officer who's had unusual cases dumped on her. I liked the interactions also between Verity and Ziggy, her driver and friend.
My only thought on finishing this book was, bring on more Verity!
June 10, 2023
A number of years ago, Angela Slatter wrote "Brisneyland by Night" for Twelfth Planet Press' anthology Sprawl. It was excellent. Vigil is that story grown-up and turned into a novel, with at least two (I believe) more stories about Verity Fassbinder scheduled.
This novel was sent to me by the publisher, as an uncorrected bound proof. Also, I had the enormous privilege of reading it in draft form, which I just can't tell you how awesome that was. I have re-read it now partly because I have a bad memory and I knew the details had escaped me but that I loved it; partly because it's Angela Slatter and she always withstands re-reading; and partly because it was sent as a review copy, so of course I had to. It was mostly the first two, though.
Verity Fassbinder "has her feet in two worlds" - that of the Normal, where there is definitely no magic and the only things that go bump in the night are trees in the wind and possums in the bins, and that of the Weyrd. With the Weyrd, things going bump in the night may well be very old, very cranky, and very powerful. Also, weird. Her father was Weyrd; he could change shape and he was a criminal, against both Normal laws and Weyrd customs.
Verity is a wonderfully attractive heroine. She inherited strength from her father but violence is not (always) her first recourse in a dangerous situation; she's got a pretty short temper and little patience with bureaucracy and authority; she's a fierce friend and protector of her neighbours, single mum Mel and daughter Lizzie; she lives in a clapped-out old house in Brisbane's suburbs. She has little interest in fashion, she's stubborn and determined, she's willing to compromise and admit when she's wrong. Basically she's human, with flaws and problems and the sorts of characteristics I would absolutely love in a friend.
Slatter's plot is not at all straightforward. She starts with the scenario from "Brisneyland" - children going missing - and builds layer upon layer of Weyrd problems that may or may not be connected. The death of a siren (hence the cover image), the disappearance of a young man, possibly random other deaths - all of which Fassbinder must solve, with varying levels of help and hindrance from a range of friends, acquaintances, enemies and bystanders. It's a detective story with paranormal elements, and while that's not a unique proposition it's the setting and the side characters (and of course Verity herself) that make this wonderful.
Brisbane is by no means a fast-paced city. Slatter has jokes about the places that do or do not get flooded; there's jokes and having to eat out before 8.30pm; there's a distinctly slow-paced, I guess Australian feel to the whole situation. Moving this to an American city would make it very different, and lose a lot of its charm; I hope that translates to non-Australian readers.
Verity is aided by Ziggi, driving an entirely disreputable taxi and watching her with his third eye; she's employed, kind of, by a Weyrd ex-boyfriend, Bela, who has some hidden depths and unexpected shallows. She's helped and hindered in sometimes equal proportions by the Norn sisters - home of an addictive caramel marshmallow log that I wonder whether Slatter has actually made - and has all-too-frequent dealings with (Normal) Detective Inspector McIntyre, who may very well be my favourite of all the side characters (sorry Ziggi) for her 'whisky-and-cigarettes voice' and her even lower interest in putting on a good appearance than Verity. I really hope she continues to turn up throughout the series. I would swap her for Bela any day.
Vigil is fast-paced, quirky, full of twists, and thoroughly grounded in Brisbane (even if it is a somewhat imaginary Brisbane) and the reality of immigrant Australia. I love it and I want more Verity.
This novel was sent to me by the publisher, as an uncorrected bound proof. Also, I had the enormous privilege of reading it in draft form, which I just can't tell you how awesome that was. I have re-read it now partly because I have a bad memory and I knew the details had escaped me but that I loved it; partly because it's Angela Slatter and she always withstands re-reading; and partly because it was sent as a review copy, so of course I had to. It was mostly the first two, though.
Verity Fassbinder "has her feet in two worlds" - that of the Normal, where there is definitely no magic and the only things that go bump in the night are trees in the wind and possums in the bins, and that of the Weyrd. With the Weyrd, things going bump in the night may well be very old, very cranky, and very powerful. Also, weird. Her father was Weyrd; he could change shape and he was a criminal, against both Normal laws and Weyrd customs.
Verity is a wonderfully attractive heroine. She inherited strength from her father but violence is not (always) her first recourse in a dangerous situation; she's got a pretty short temper and little patience with bureaucracy and authority; she's a fierce friend and protector of her neighbours, single mum Mel and daughter Lizzie; she lives in a clapped-out old house in Brisbane's suburbs. She has little interest in fashion, she's stubborn and determined, she's willing to compromise and admit when she's wrong. Basically she's human, with flaws and problems and the sorts of characteristics I would absolutely love in a friend.
Slatter's plot is not at all straightforward. She starts with the scenario from "Brisneyland" - children going missing - and builds layer upon layer of Weyrd problems that may or may not be connected. The death of a siren (hence the cover image), the disappearance of a young man, possibly random other deaths - all of which Fassbinder must solve, with varying levels of help and hindrance from a range of friends, acquaintances, enemies and bystanders. It's a detective story with paranormal elements, and while that's not a unique proposition it's the setting and the side characters (and of course Verity herself) that make this wonderful.
Brisbane is by no means a fast-paced city. Slatter has jokes about the places that do or do not get flooded; there's jokes and having to eat out before 8.30pm; there's a distinctly slow-paced, I guess Australian feel to the whole situation. Moving this to an American city would make it very different, and lose a lot of its charm; I hope that translates to non-Australian readers.
Verity is aided by Ziggi, driving an entirely disreputable taxi and watching her with his third eye; she's employed, kind of, by a Weyrd ex-boyfriend, Bela, who has some hidden depths and unexpected shallows. She's helped and hindered in sometimes equal proportions by the Norn sisters - home of an addictive caramel marshmallow log that I wonder whether Slatter has actually made - and has all-too-frequent dealings with (Normal) Detective Inspector McIntyre, who may very well be my favourite of all the side characters (sorry Ziggi) for her 'whisky-and-cigarettes voice' and her even lower interest in putting on a good appearance than Verity. I really hope she continues to turn up throughout the series. I would swap her for Bela any day.
Vigil is fast-paced, quirky, full of twists, and thoroughly grounded in Brisbane (even if it is a somewhat imaginary Brisbane) and the reality of immigrant Australia. I love it and I want more Verity.
August 11, 2018
I love a dark gritty fantasy and Vigil delivered this with a witty, cynical heroine, Verity Fassbinder at its helm. With a displaced childhood where her father betrayed her and his community, she's extremely protective of kids going missing, which is where the plot of the book is centred.
As a PI with the superpower of strength, thanks to her dad's Weyrd heritage, she reminds me a lot of Jessica Jones without the PTSD. As she navigates the supernatural underworld of Brisbane, she encounters a range of magical creatures, from golems, to witches, angels and sirens. I loved seeing my city transformed into this gritty underworld and it was interesting seeing landmarks that I know dearly, which enraptured me to the story further.
There's a lot packed in here with a mystery surrounding a missing child leading Verity all over the supernatural city, and some of the politics of the Weyrd committee kind of went over my head at times. Overall, I ended up enjoying this darker urban fantasy reminiscent of some of my favourite shows combined (Angel, Jessica Jones and Veronica Mars).
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
As a PI with the superpower of strength, thanks to her dad's Weyrd heritage, she reminds me a lot of Jessica Jones without the PTSD. As she navigates the supernatural underworld of Brisbane, she encounters a range of magical creatures, from golems, to witches, angels and sirens. I loved seeing my city transformed into this gritty underworld and it was interesting seeing landmarks that I know dearly, which enraptured me to the story further.
There's a lot packed in here with a mystery surrounding a missing child leading Verity all over the supernatural city, and some of the politics of the Weyrd committee kind of went over my head at times. Overall, I ended up enjoying this darker urban fantasy reminiscent of some of my favourite shows combined (Angel, Jessica Jones and Veronica Mars).
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
July 1, 2016
4.5 stars!
I didn't realise how much I would enjoy this book, otherwise I would've picked up this proof a lot sooner! It was a tantalising mixture of crime combined with the supernatural and I loved it! Verity is sarcastic and driven, and often I'd find myself laughing aloud at her observations or comments.
Plus, the supporting characters Bela, David, Ziggi, Mel and Lizzie (and a whole host of others) were incredible; all had their own quirks and personalities, I could visualise them alongside Verity without a problem.
It was also refreshing to read about mythological creatures like sirens, especially the way they're conveyed in Vigil: they're arrogant and private, with sharp claws and teeth. Not romanticised at all, especially by Verity's blatant, sarcastic voice.
Overall I was thoroughly captured by this! I loved the mythology, the writing was excellent and engaging, and the story twisted in ways I didn't expect. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out, but for now it looks like I'll have to wait!! Vigil is out this month! If you enjoy crime, urban fantasy, or the supernatural, I am positive you will love this.
I didn't realise how much I would enjoy this book, otherwise I would've picked up this proof a lot sooner! It was a tantalising mixture of crime combined with the supernatural and I loved it! Verity is sarcastic and driven, and often I'd find myself laughing aloud at her observations or comments.
Plus, the supporting characters Bela, David, Ziggi, Mel and Lizzie (and a whole host of others) were incredible; all had their own quirks and personalities, I could visualise them alongside Verity without a problem.
It was also refreshing to read about mythological creatures like sirens, especially the way they're conveyed in Vigil: they're arrogant and private, with sharp claws and teeth. Not romanticised at all, especially by Verity's blatant, sarcastic voice.
Overall I was thoroughly captured by this! I loved the mythology, the writing was excellent and engaging, and the story twisted in ways I didn't expect. I'll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out, but for now it looks like I'll have to wait!! Vigil is out this month! If you enjoy crime, urban fantasy, or the supernatural, I am positive you will love this.
August 14, 2018
I used be a huge reader of urban fantasy and paranormal fiction, but I’m a tad fussy on what I do and don’t like when it comes to the genre, so it’s dropped back a bit for me in recent years. I don’t like it if it’s YA focussed, and let’s face it, more of this type of fiction is geared to the YA market, more’s the pity. When it comes to urban fantasy for adults, it often seems to cross over into the romance/erotic zone, and I’m not into that either. But this! The Verity Fassbinder series! I haven’t had as much fun with an urban fantasy series since reading JR Ward’s Fallen Angels.
Verity Fassbinder is the bomb! She’s quickly become one of my favourite urban fantasy characters of all time. With her sarcastic wit, her deadpan humour and her sharp as a tack intuition, not to mention her resilience in the face of injury, near death and disgusting encounters, well, she really is a heroine worthy of some serious book stalking. The interactions between her and the other characters she deals with in the Weyrd world were all so on point and effortlessly entertaining. I liked the little bit of romance that wove its way in for Verity, nothing too steamy, just meaningful and nice. Her relationship with Ziggi, her driver/bodyguard/cake eating and thinking out loud companion, along with the whole my ex-boyfriend is now my boss angle, provided many chuckle worthy moments.
There is a lot going on in this novel, events occurring that are all seemingly unconnected until all at once they’re not. My attention never wavered, this is one novel that held me captive from beginning to end and I am so keen to get cracking on the second instalment. The setting of Brisbane really grounded this novel for me, with the familiar landmarks and local lingo. I just felt like I was able to connect so much more to the characters and the story than what I ever have before in an urban fantasy novel. If Vigil is anything to go by, this is a series I am going to willingly lose myself in. Fingers crossed Angela has plans to keep it going beyond book three.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Vigil for review.
Verity Fassbinder is the bomb! She’s quickly become one of my favourite urban fantasy characters of all time. With her sarcastic wit, her deadpan humour and her sharp as a tack intuition, not to mention her resilience in the face of injury, near death and disgusting encounters, well, she really is a heroine worthy of some serious book stalking. The interactions between her and the other characters she deals with in the Weyrd world were all so on point and effortlessly entertaining. I liked the little bit of romance that wove its way in for Verity, nothing too steamy, just meaningful and nice. Her relationship with Ziggi, her driver/bodyguard/cake eating and thinking out loud companion, along with the whole my ex-boyfriend is now my boss angle, provided many chuckle worthy moments.
There is a lot going on in this novel, events occurring that are all seemingly unconnected until all at once they’re not. My attention never wavered, this is one novel that held me captive from beginning to end and I am so keen to get cracking on the second instalment. The setting of Brisbane really grounded this novel for me, with the familiar landmarks and local lingo. I just felt like I was able to connect so much more to the characters and the story than what I ever have before in an urban fantasy novel. If Vigil is anything to go by, this is a series I am going to willingly lose myself in. Fingers crossed Angela has plans to keep it going beyond book three.
Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing me with a copy of Vigil for review.
April 29, 2017
This isn't a genre that I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is well-crafted and tightly written, with a good dose of humour. Exposition of the other-worldly aspects is integrated well into the story. The central character of Verity is believable and likeable, and other characters are also well-drawn. I'll certainly be seeking out the next book in this series.
August 2, 2017
3 1/2
First, let me thank Linda who recommended this book to me. I owe it to her for a new and exciting UF. Please read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I agree to the word to what she says. A good story, a better heroine, uneven pacing. To me there were some plot points that weren't that clear, mostly the reason why she keeps working for them (a degree in art isn't a good excuse....), and what exactly went wrong in the past. Plus some side characters were a bit too shallow, namely her boss and past lover.
I'm keen to read the next.
First, let me thank Linda who recommended this book to me. I owe it to her for a new and exciting UF. Please read her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I agree to the word to what she says. A good story, a better heroine, uneven pacing. To me there were some plot points that weren't that clear, mostly the reason why she keeps working for them (a degree in art isn't a good excuse....), and what exactly went wrong in the past. Plus some side characters were a bit too shallow, namely her boss and past lover.
I'm keen to read the next.
July 2, 2021
3.5 stars
It's hard to stand out in an overcrowded field of UF books, but Slatter's first book in the Verity Fassbinder series manages to do just that. It's set in Brisbane, a welcome departure from the usual US-based stories. Rather than the stock weres/vampires/witches world, this one features the Weyrd, basically mythical and fairytale creatures brought to life, with a few more familiar types thrown in.
Verity, the protagonist, is a mixed blood, half Normal and half Weyrd. The fact that her Weyrd father was a child-eating monster makes her a bit of a pariah in both worlds. Well, it's more the fact that her father got caught and that she's half-Normal that damns her on the Weyrd side. She's brave and pretty kick-ass but has no real powers other than an unusual strength inherited from her father. So when her ex-lover and now boss sends her to investigate a series of disappearances and the murder of a siren, Verity has to use her smarts and some standard investigating techniques rather than any woo woo powers .
Verity is quite likeable and smart. Add to that the fact that the book is well-written (I do enjoy an author who correctly uses words like puissance) and I'm well on my way to giving it four stars. The pacing was uneven at times but not enough to detract much from my enjoyment. I look forward to reading the next book, coming out later this month.
It's hard to stand out in an overcrowded field of UF books, but Slatter's first book in the Verity Fassbinder series manages to do just that. It's set in Brisbane, a welcome departure from the usual US-based stories. Rather than the stock weres/vampires/witches world, this one features the Weyrd, basically mythical and fairytale creatures brought to life, with a few more familiar types thrown in.
Verity, the protagonist, is a mixed blood, half Normal and half Weyrd. The fact that her Weyrd father was a child-eating monster makes her a bit of a pariah in both worlds. Well, it's more the fact that her father got caught and that she's half-Normal that damns her on the Weyrd side. She's brave and pretty kick-ass but has no real powers other than an unusual strength inherited from her father. So when her ex-lover and now boss sends her to investigate a series of disappearances and the murder of a siren, Verity has to use her smarts and some standard investigating techniques rather than any woo woo powers .
Verity is quite likeable and smart. Add to that the fact that the book is well-written (I do enjoy an author who correctly uses words like puissance) and I'm well on my way to giving it four stars. The pacing was uneven at times but not enough to detract much from my enjoyment. I look forward to reading the next book, coming out later this month.
August 8, 2016
A superb urban fantasy with wonderful characters and a unique Australian voice. The setting of Brisbane is great and a really refreshing change. The first of a potential trilogy, I'm really looking forward to more.
July 7, 2022
Vigil introduces us to the Weyrd community of modern-day Brisbane, all those creatures of myth and nightmare from around the world who gave humans a reason to be afraid of the dark, who, over the past two centuries, sought refuge in Brisbane to escape the threats of whatever 'old country' they'd left behind. They stay mostly hidden from human eyes by disguising their physical shape behind a glamour (humans tend to find claws, wings, tails and fangs tend disturbing in creatures that talk, especially when the creatures view humans as snack food) and by giving up some of the old ways, like hunting and killing the humans who they share the city with. The Council enforces the suppression of the old ways, with limited unofficial cooperation from the local authorities.
If things start to get out of hand, they call in Verity Fassbinder. Half Weyrd, half human, Verity is best placed to walk the line between the Wyrd and the Human communities without being fully accepted by either She has no special powers beyond being extraordinarily strong but she is an obsessive, tenacious investigator/enforcer who will do whatever it takes to find and stop the bad guys. Not surprisingly, she has almost no friends, has lots and lots of enemies and she gets injured a lot.
'Vigil' is structured around Verity's investigations of several problems that may or may not be related: street kids going missing in large numbers, winged beings with crushed hearts falling from the sky, a strange swirling entity sweeping through the streets and swallowing anyone it touches and rumours of a supernatural plot to 'Break The Sky'. As Verity investigates these problems, we get a tour of Weyrd Brisbane and come to understand Verity's backstory.
The pace is fast, the violence is frequent and the body count is high but there's more to this book than action. There's a lot about difference and exclusion and privilege and what it takes to make a new start. Verity is not soft and fluffy but she's not a stormtrooper either. She's a sort of PI to the Wyrd who is also willing to mete out justice to those she thinks deserve it.
I had a lot of fun with this book. The mysteries were well-crafted and skilfully revealed. The Weyrd, while not being entirely new, felt both fresh and plausible and Verity was an appealing mix of grit, sass, compassion and vulnerability. The supporting cast was well-drawn and the foundations have been laid for a good series. I'm already looking forward to the next book, Corpselight.
June 7, 2016
This book had the potential to end up as just another cookie-cutter urban fantasy, with a kickass heroine of mixed human and magical descent in the noir PI role, getting beaten up by monsters and eventually making the city safe for the innocent again. Fortunately, the author is skilled enough to lift this classic formula to a new level, not just executing it flawlessly but adding a layer of depth that the thousands of UF clones out there seldom achieve.
Primarily, I think, she achieves this by making the characters' relationships rich, varied, powerful, and fundamental to the plot. The protagonist's mother was missing from her life, and her father got arrested for the (literal) monster he was when she was still very young; she was raised by her grandparents. So far, nothing we haven't seen before. But then we get the solo mother next door and her daughter, who's a kind of niece to the protagonist, and whose actual aunt is toxic and crazy, and then we meet people who have dysfunctional families, who have happy families, who are alienated from their families, who have no families but have people they love who aren't genetic relatives... Family, in all its many forms and manifestations, ties the whole story together and drives the plot, along with a theme of caring for and protecting the young, and what happens when you don't.
I did feel that the protagonist's own romantic relationship was underdeveloped, as was her love interest; he ended up, for me, being a genderflipped damsel in distress (though the protagonist, to the author's credit, is not just an example of the Man With Boobs trope; far from it). I noticed in the afterword that he shares a name with the author's husband, so perhaps she has fallen into the trap of introducing someone she knows into her book and, therefore, not making them sufficiently real to the reader, who doesn't know them and can't fill in all the details for themselves.
That's a minor flaw, though, more than made up for by the book's many virtues. For example, it has a strong sense of place, as urban fantasy should. It's set in Brisbane, where I lived for most of a year (albeit more than 25 years ago), so I have some sense of the city; the centrality of the river, the history of flooding, the different suburbs and their character all come through strongly. Not only that, but the tough, no-nonsense protagonist feels somehow Australian to me. I've met a number of Australian women like her, and she comes across as fully authentic and real.
All of this is conveyed through excellent prose, too. I received an advance copy via Netgalley for review, which often means wading through multiple typos and a swamp of homonym errors that haven't yet been through final copy edit, but I spotted very few issues indeed. And the author is capable of a sentence like this: "the horrent twists of a most abhorrent shade of bright orange". I had to look up "horrent" (which means "like hair standing on end"), so this is an example of an author using a word I don't know (rare), using an obscure word correctly (also rare, sadly) and doing so with a touch of clever wordplay.
Overall, this is a fine start to a new urban fantasy series, which I'll be following with great interest. Highly recommended.
Primarily, I think, she achieves this by making the characters' relationships rich, varied, powerful, and fundamental to the plot. The protagonist's mother was missing from her life, and her father got arrested for the (literal) monster he was when she was still very young; she was raised by her grandparents. So far, nothing we haven't seen before. But then we get the solo mother next door and her daughter, who's a kind of niece to the protagonist, and whose actual aunt is toxic and crazy, and then we meet people who have dysfunctional families, who have happy families, who are alienated from their families, who have no families but have people they love who aren't genetic relatives... Family, in all its many forms and manifestations, ties the whole story together and drives the plot, along with a theme of caring for and protecting the young, and what happens when you don't.
I did feel that the protagonist's own romantic relationship was underdeveloped, as was her love interest; he ended up, for me, being a genderflipped damsel in distress (though the protagonist, to the author's credit, is not just an example of the Man With Boobs trope; far from it). I noticed in the afterword that he shares a name with the author's husband, so perhaps she has fallen into the trap of introducing someone she knows into her book and, therefore, not making them sufficiently real to the reader, who doesn't know them and can't fill in all the details for themselves.
That's a minor flaw, though, more than made up for by the book's many virtues. For example, it has a strong sense of place, as urban fantasy should. It's set in Brisbane, where I lived for most of a year (albeit more than 25 years ago), so I have some sense of the city; the centrality of the river, the history of flooding, the different suburbs and their character all come through strongly. Not only that, but the tough, no-nonsense protagonist feels somehow Australian to me. I've met a number of Australian women like her, and she comes across as fully authentic and real.
All of this is conveyed through excellent prose, too. I received an advance copy via Netgalley for review, which often means wading through multiple typos and a swamp of homonym errors that haven't yet been through final copy edit, but I spotted very few issues indeed. And the author is capable of a sentence like this: "the horrent twists of a most abhorrent shade of bright orange". I had to look up "horrent" (which means "like hair standing on end"), so this is an example of an author using a word I don't know (rare), using an obscure word correctly (also rare, sadly) and doing so with a touch of clever wordplay.
Overall, this is a fine start to a new urban fantasy series, which I'll be following with great interest. Highly recommended.
November 28, 2016
These days urban fantasy does very little for me. I blame Jim Butcher and Laurell K. Hamilton. Back in the 90s I found the magic and violence blended together with an urban / noir setting, a fair dash of supernatural beastie on human romance and some latent (and not so latent) misogyny for the cheap seats new and exciting. Twenty years later and we've well and truly reached peak urban fantasy to the point that calling the elements that make up the sub genre cliched is, in itself, a cliche. In fact remarking that you're not keen on urban fantasy is a bit of a critical yawn.
Angela Slatter's Vigil - a follow up to the short story Brisneyland by Night - does not pretend to reinvigorate or subvert the genre. Most of the familiar tropes are present - a cynical, take no shit protagonist with a fucked up childhood, sexual attraction to a powerful, enigmatic creature of the night, a reworking of some well worn myths, a tour guide of the shadier parts of the city, the magical living side by side with the normal. But if that all sounds a tad too familiar, a tad too cut and paste, fear not because while Vigil doesn't upset the urban fantasy apple cart there's still quite a bit going on under the engine (apologies for the mixed metaphor).
For one: what's great about Slatter's take no shit protagonist, Verity Fassbinder, is that she isn't broken. Oh her early childhood was awful - even if she never experienced personal abuse, retroactively discovering what her father was taints how she was brought up - but Verity is still someone who can love and laugh and not dwell on the past. When her friends are under threat she forgoes the woe-is-me attitude of so many hard bitten heroes and goes out and saves their arses.
For two: her sexual attraction - actually marriage - to a creature of the night is not the beginning of a wearisome will they / won't they get back together sub plot with added love triangle. Because while Verity might care for Bela she knows that together they don't work. And her relationship with the very non magical David is a delight as a result.
For three: her reworking of well worn myths. Look - I loved the golem. Nuff said.
For four: yes Slatter's Brisbane is a bit dark and moody, all alleyways and secret nooks and crannies, but it's not just a sketched out setting fit for purpose but a breathing, living place.
And amongst all this smart subtlety is a plot that moves like the clappers, that does that neat thing where two unrelated investigations somehow link together and is written in a version of Angela's gorgeous prose that's been pared back to capture the noir elements but not so much that Slatter's distinct touch is missing. Her sense of humour is certainly present. If all urban fantasy was written like this I'm sure I'd be a fan.
Angela Slatter's Vigil - a follow up to the short story Brisneyland by Night - does not pretend to reinvigorate or subvert the genre. Most of the familiar tropes are present - a cynical, take no shit protagonist with a fucked up childhood, sexual attraction to a powerful, enigmatic creature of the night, a reworking of some well worn myths, a tour guide of the shadier parts of the city, the magical living side by side with the normal. But if that all sounds a tad too familiar, a tad too cut and paste, fear not because while Vigil doesn't upset the urban fantasy apple cart there's still quite a bit going on under the engine (apologies for the mixed metaphor).
For one: what's great about Slatter's take no shit protagonist, Verity Fassbinder, is that she isn't broken. Oh her early childhood was awful - even if she never experienced personal abuse, retroactively discovering what her father was taints how she was brought up - but Verity is still someone who can love and laugh and not dwell on the past. When her friends are under threat she forgoes the woe-is-me attitude of so many hard bitten heroes and goes out and saves their arses.
For two: her sexual attraction - actually marriage - to a creature of the night is not the beginning of a wearisome will they / won't they get back together sub plot with added love triangle. Because while Verity might care for Bela she knows that together they don't work. And her relationship with the very non magical David is a delight as a result.
For three: her reworking of well worn myths. Look - I loved the golem. Nuff said.
For four: yes Slatter's Brisbane is a bit dark and moody, all alleyways and secret nooks and crannies, but it's not just a sketched out setting fit for purpose but a breathing, living place.
And amongst all this smart subtlety is a plot that moves like the clappers, that does that neat thing where two unrelated investigations somehow link together and is written in a version of Angela's gorgeous prose that's been pared back to capture the noir elements but not so much that Slatter's distinct touch is missing. Her sense of humour is certainly present. If all urban fantasy was written like this I'm sure I'd be a fan.
July 10, 2016
3,7/5
Creo que Angela se maneja mejor en distancias cortas. Tengo la sensación que su estilo es brutal para un relato, pero para una novela resulta cargante. Es cierto que la narrativa es buenísima, pero no me ha enganchado tanto como sus trabajos cortos.
Respecto a la trama, iba con pies deplomo. Fantasía urbana y con una sinopsis que llama poco o nada, pero creo que ha conseguido sacarle jugo a su propuesta, más cercana a un Gaiman o Miéville (salvando las distancias enormes entre estos autores), que a un Butcher, por decir otro. Interesante y seguiré con la segunda de la trilogía.
Quizá cambie mi puntuación más adelante.
Creo que Angela se maneja mejor en distancias cortas. Tengo la sensación que su estilo es brutal para un relato, pero para una novela resulta cargante. Es cierto que la narrativa es buenísima, pero no me ha enganchado tanto como sus trabajos cortos.
Respecto a la trama, iba con pies deplomo. Fantasía urbana y con una sinopsis que llama poco o nada, pero creo que ha conseguido sacarle jugo a su propuesta, más cercana a un Gaiman o Miéville (salvando las distancias enormes entre estos autores), que a un Butcher, por decir otro. Interesante y seguiré con la segunda de la trilogía.
Quizá cambie mi puntuación más adelante.
July 31, 2016
Verity is a Brisbane investigator who focuses on magical crimes. But this was a very mature urban fantasy as we have a lead character a lot more in tune with her emotions and skills than a certain Mr Dresden. The world building from one book is packed with depth to explore and I loved how even minor characters and settings stood out. Also a huge number of different female characters used across the story. Looking forward to book 2 now!
July 24, 2016
Cracker of a read with kick-ass half-breed heroine Verity Fassbinder protecting the humans of Brisbane from the unseen Weyrd that dwell amongst us. Not sure if it's destined for cult or classic status, but it's smart, sassy and wickedly funny and I can't wait for the next in the triology.
April 8, 2016
Rich and heady as honey mead, potent and earthy as great Scotch, the sublimely dark tales of Angela Slatter are an addictive delight. Take a sip and let the pleasant buzz enhance your world, or guzzle the lot and get drunk. The only hangover you might feel will be the disappointment of returning to the real world… and the hankering for more.
I first discovered Angela’s work in THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES, edited by the inimitable Mark Morris (whose novella ALBION FAY was one of the best things I read last year, and about which I’ll post in the future), her story ‘The October Wife’ had a very particular tone to it that I responded to. A very earthy take on magic and fairy tales that reminded me of Neil Gaiman in his Sandman stories, mixed with Angela Carter circa The Company Of Wolves. Indeed, of the way I processed the world when I was young – where the tangible reality of my day to day and the imaginative world through which I filtered it, bled together into something that made each one… more…
As ever when I find a new voice that excites me, I went on a spree.
Right now I think that Angela is one of the finest writers working in the world today. Master of the short story and novella – OF SORROW AN SUCH packs an incredible punch and is as good a place as any to start if you’ve not read her yet – her ‘collections’ SOURDOUGH & OTHER STORIES and THE BITTERWOOD BIBLE & OTHER RECOUNTINGS (Which won a World Fantasy Award) represent something much, much more…
Published in to die for editions by Tartarus Press, they are more than just ‘short story collections’. They are, by design, ‘novels in mosaic’. Each and every story a tile in a bigger picture, each and every story unique; but chosen and placed in careful sequence to compliment and juxtapose in such a manner that they enlarge upon the stories before and after them. Individually, the stories tell of characters and situations, of lives lived and loved and lost… but stepping back, we see the bigger picture. As in life, individual lives interact with others. A collection of individuals becomes a society; a community; and the totality of the mosaic becomes the story of a world. The cumulative effect is immersive, and sometimes overwhelming.
To delve into these books is to venture deep into the forest of classic fairy tale, but experience those primal, archetypal stories, with an emotional and psychological depth that is by turns, breathtaking, delightful, painful, shocking, hilarious and true. The stories enrapture and enlighten, embolden and hurt as only recognisably ‘real’ actions and emotions can: as G.K. Chesterton once said about Dragons, they are ‘more than true’.
Now Slatter has written a novel, and it’s something different again. A different form, a different shape, a different voice.
And I admit that, having felt so in sync with the narrative voice and world of her short fiction – SOURDOUGH and BITTERWOOD especially – it took me a few pages to adjust. As readers I think we get used to an author speaking in a certain way, we can’t help but bring expectations.
It took a few pages to stop seeing the words and fall into the story beyond. But when I did I fell hard. It was the tears that did it (no spoilers from me, you’ll understand when you read it)… why – to some – they taste so good, and how they aquire their flavour…
After that, with apologies to my family, it was like the old days. I disappeared.
Understand, that I’m a husband and father, and I have a day job. I no longer get the time to just curl up with a book and get lost whenever I feel like it (a four year old child is a merciless boss). As inveterate bibliophiles I don’t think my wife and I had ever realised just what a luxury that was until we had the spectacular child who demands that we live RIGHT HERE IN THIS WORLD NOW! A gift in it’s own way, but addictions die hard, and the times when we can let a book simply take us away from ourselves (lead us astray?) are rare, and come only when the pull of voice and narrative is so strong that we cannot resist.
This then is VIGIL. I was enjoying the book from page 1 – it’s the characters that get you first, oh, the characters! – but from page 21 the world outside disappeared. I took a vacation in Brisneyland, and I had a ball.
VIGIL is a contemporary set Urban Fantasy, told in 1st person by protagonist Verity Fassbinder, as such the language is looser, vernacular, it has the seeming simplicity that you might find in an Elmore Leonard or Joe Lansdale novel; a rhythm and flow that is as telling of character as what’s being said or done. It feels natural and effortless (which is fucking hard to do believe me, I’ve tried), so that the characters don’t know when they’re being poetic, but it means a stand out turn of phrase, an image or idea, lands all the harder. It’s unforced. You don’t see it coming. And more often than not in this kind of story it makes you catch your breath, gets your heart pumping, tightens the scalp or makes you snort on the bus so that everyone stares at you.
It also makes you love these characters. Feel as if you know them, because they’ve got no airs about them. Verity talks to you like you’re already a friend. A confident. And for all that she can be a grumpy cow, she’s still a charmer.
Maybe the greatest compliment that I can pay the book is that I wanted to read the sequel straight away, because I know that there’s one coming (it’s called CORPSELIGHT by the way). Already, I’m impatient. If this were a box set, I would have binged on it. I want to hang out with these characters, eating pancakes and syrup, having coffee and cake while they explain how they came to be so battered and scuffed, praying they let me in on their next job, to join their adventures.
I love Verity, our grumpy mixed race heroine (part Human part ‘Weyrd’) who’s main super powers (apart from freakish strength) are that she won’t keep her mouth shut and she WILL NOT LET IT LIE. What’s more, I think you will too. VIGIL is the start of what I hope will be a very long series. It’s published on 7th July by Jo Fletcher Books. Get in on the ground floor and act smug when the rest of the world catches on. This is going to be BIG.
I first discovered Angela’s work in THE SPECTRAL BOOK OF HORROR STORIES, edited by the inimitable Mark Morris (whose novella ALBION FAY was one of the best things I read last year, and about which I’ll post in the future), her story ‘The October Wife’ had a very particular tone to it that I responded to. A very earthy take on magic and fairy tales that reminded me of Neil Gaiman in his Sandman stories, mixed with Angela Carter circa The Company Of Wolves. Indeed, of the way I processed the world when I was young – where the tangible reality of my day to day and the imaginative world through which I filtered it, bled together into something that made each one… more…
As ever when I find a new voice that excites me, I went on a spree.
Right now I think that Angela is one of the finest writers working in the world today. Master of the short story and novella – OF SORROW AN SUCH packs an incredible punch and is as good a place as any to start if you’ve not read her yet – her ‘collections’ SOURDOUGH & OTHER STORIES and THE BITTERWOOD BIBLE & OTHER RECOUNTINGS (Which won a World Fantasy Award) represent something much, much more…
Published in to die for editions by Tartarus Press, they are more than just ‘short story collections’. They are, by design, ‘novels in mosaic’. Each and every story a tile in a bigger picture, each and every story unique; but chosen and placed in careful sequence to compliment and juxtapose in such a manner that they enlarge upon the stories before and after them. Individually, the stories tell of characters and situations, of lives lived and loved and lost… but stepping back, we see the bigger picture. As in life, individual lives interact with others. A collection of individuals becomes a society; a community; and the totality of the mosaic becomes the story of a world. The cumulative effect is immersive, and sometimes overwhelming.
To delve into these books is to venture deep into the forest of classic fairy tale, but experience those primal, archetypal stories, with an emotional and psychological depth that is by turns, breathtaking, delightful, painful, shocking, hilarious and true. The stories enrapture and enlighten, embolden and hurt as only recognisably ‘real’ actions and emotions can: as G.K. Chesterton once said about Dragons, they are ‘more than true’.
Now Slatter has written a novel, and it’s something different again. A different form, a different shape, a different voice.
And I admit that, having felt so in sync with the narrative voice and world of her short fiction – SOURDOUGH and BITTERWOOD especially – it took me a few pages to adjust. As readers I think we get used to an author speaking in a certain way, we can’t help but bring expectations.
It took a few pages to stop seeing the words and fall into the story beyond. But when I did I fell hard. It was the tears that did it (no spoilers from me, you’ll understand when you read it)… why – to some – they taste so good, and how they aquire their flavour…
After that, with apologies to my family, it was like the old days. I disappeared.
Understand, that I’m a husband and father, and I have a day job. I no longer get the time to just curl up with a book and get lost whenever I feel like it (a four year old child is a merciless boss). As inveterate bibliophiles I don’t think my wife and I had ever realised just what a luxury that was until we had the spectacular child who demands that we live RIGHT HERE IN THIS WORLD NOW! A gift in it’s own way, but addictions die hard, and the times when we can let a book simply take us away from ourselves (lead us astray?) are rare, and come only when the pull of voice and narrative is so strong that we cannot resist.
This then is VIGIL. I was enjoying the book from page 1 – it’s the characters that get you first, oh, the characters! – but from page 21 the world outside disappeared. I took a vacation in Brisneyland, and I had a ball.
VIGIL is a contemporary set Urban Fantasy, told in 1st person by protagonist Verity Fassbinder, as such the language is looser, vernacular, it has the seeming simplicity that you might find in an Elmore Leonard or Joe Lansdale novel; a rhythm and flow that is as telling of character as what’s being said or done. It feels natural and effortless (which is fucking hard to do believe me, I’ve tried), so that the characters don’t know when they’re being poetic, but it means a stand out turn of phrase, an image or idea, lands all the harder. It’s unforced. You don’t see it coming. And more often than not in this kind of story it makes you catch your breath, gets your heart pumping, tightens the scalp or makes you snort on the bus so that everyone stares at you.
It also makes you love these characters. Feel as if you know them, because they’ve got no airs about them. Verity talks to you like you’re already a friend. A confident. And for all that she can be a grumpy cow, she’s still a charmer.
Maybe the greatest compliment that I can pay the book is that I wanted to read the sequel straight away, because I know that there’s one coming (it’s called CORPSELIGHT by the way). Already, I’m impatient. If this were a box set, I would have binged on it. I want to hang out with these characters, eating pancakes and syrup, having coffee and cake while they explain how they came to be so battered and scuffed, praying they let me in on their next job, to join their adventures.
I love Verity, our grumpy mixed race heroine (part Human part ‘Weyrd’) who’s main super powers (apart from freakish strength) are that she won’t keep her mouth shut and she WILL NOT LET IT LIE. What’s more, I think you will too. VIGIL is the start of what I hope will be a very long series. It’s published on 7th July by Jo Fletcher Books. Get in on the ground floor and act smug when the rest of the world catches on. This is going to be BIG.
July 30, 2018
This novel has reminded me of how much I enjoy good paranormal mystery. Now on to book 2 in this series.
May 29, 2017
At first I felt this was brilliant, but things only went downhill from there. So here is my verdict.
In Brisbane the supernatural underground is as crazy as everywhere else. Which, of course means there is need for someone to untangle all of it, to make things work out a bit better and to solve the crime the normal police is not going to be able to touch. Verity, half Normal and half Weyrd is the perfect candidate.
This time things so particularly crazy; someone is making wine from the tears of children while sirens are getting murdered. It all needs to be solved and fast. Verity is having a shit time.
While this is actually not as ridiculously verbose as A Madness of Angels, which was a mess of endlessly ridiculous sentences about the subtle condensation shining in the twilight on a piece of city garbage, but.... still. Sometimes the unnecessary adjectives made me wonder if there is some algorithm that throws one at your face that you have to incorporate. Here phones buzz like vaguely annoyed bees. Not properly annoyed, just meh annoyed. Because of reasons.
The book being Australian didn't help with it, as I'm an English-as-a-foreign-language pleb, who knows nothing at all about Australia, except for drop bears, Crocodile Dundee and the Australian Masterchef show being awesome. Some of the references and slang words were totally above my knowledge.
My other big issue was how everyone was a shit and constantly judged by Verity. Seriously, not perfect characters are fine, but the heroine constantly sneering at everyone being a jerk is just something that gets old really fast.
But then she goes home and has this ridiculous, super fast insta love, where she meets a dude, then three days later he is in all of the supernatural, knows everything and isn't phased the slightest bit. RIGHT.
Now I have to say, it was easy to read, it flows well, action happens constantly. But I am just not particularly in love with the whole thing. So many things that could have been done better. I love detective urban fantasy, though. I love both, it's just exciting.
I think I'm going to read the next, because it could be a lot better if we get attached. That was another thing. They mentioned old events, previous cases and such, but you couldn't really care, as you were not invested. At one point a character's old friend dies, which upsets him, but I couldn't feel all that sorry for him, as I have no emotional connection. All I know is what the protagonist said about him and that is not much.
The book ended with one little element that made me roll my eyes, though.
All in all, not exactly convincing. I was kind of undecided about this series.
Good night and stay vigil-ant! (see what I did there, kill me now)
In Brisbane the supernatural underground is as crazy as everywhere else. Which, of course means there is need for someone to untangle all of it, to make things work out a bit better and to solve the crime the normal police is not going to be able to touch. Verity, half Normal and half Weyrd is the perfect candidate.
This time things so particularly crazy; someone is making wine from the tears of children while sirens are getting murdered. It all needs to be solved and fast. Verity is having a shit time.
While this is actually not as ridiculously verbose as A Madness of Angels, which was a mess of endlessly ridiculous sentences about the subtle condensation shining in the twilight on a piece of city garbage, but.... still. Sometimes the unnecessary adjectives made me wonder if there is some algorithm that throws one at your face that you have to incorporate. Here phones buzz like vaguely annoyed bees. Not properly annoyed, just meh annoyed. Because of reasons.
The book being Australian didn't help with it, as I'm an English-as-a-foreign-language pleb, who knows nothing at all about Australia, except for drop bears, Crocodile Dundee and the Australian Masterchef show being awesome. Some of the references and slang words were totally above my knowledge.
My other big issue was how everyone was a shit and constantly judged by Verity. Seriously, not perfect characters are fine, but the heroine constantly sneering at everyone being a jerk is just something that gets old really fast.
But then she goes home and has this ridiculous, super fast insta love, where she meets a dude, then three days later he is in all of the supernatural, knows everything and isn't phased the slightest bit. RIGHT.
Now I have to say, it was easy to read, it flows well, action happens constantly. But I am just not particularly in love with the whole thing. So many things that could have been done better. I love detective urban fantasy, though. I love both, it's just exciting.
I think I'm going to read the next, because it could be a lot better if we get attached. That was another thing. They mentioned old events, previous cases and such, but you couldn't really care, as you were not invested. At one point a character's old friend dies, which upsets him, but I couldn't feel all that sorry for him, as I have no emotional connection. All I know is what the protagonist said about him and that is not much.
The book ended with one little element that made me roll my eyes, though.
All in all, not exactly convincing. I was kind of undecided about this series.
Good night and stay vigil-ant! (see what I did there, kill me now)
September 22, 2016
I'll admit the only reason I managed to finish this book was because it's loosely based in my place of residence (Brisbane) and I was intrigued. It was interesting to see how the author views the place we both live so differently to me, clearly a city girl who spends a lot of time at Kangaroo Point (which does have a beautiful view).
Anywho even though I did at times struggle with finishing Vigil I can't say it was a bad book as I did enjoy it. I think the reason why it was so easy to put down is more due to the pacing, there were times when there was a clear pause in the story, like a mini-finish where I could easily put the book down or would be bored enough to go off and do other things, plus the descriptions were a bit long for my taste, I prefer the minimalist amount. I have a good imagination my brain will do the rest.
The creatures where great, loved how they were dark and deadly. Characters were alright, I didn't really care for any of them or click with them. The main character had the maturity of someone in their late teens/early twenties even though it was obvious her character was meant to be older, this I find is a pet-peeve of mine. Really bugs me.
The book being based in brissy was trippy, some places were easily identified others not (though I did wonder if I'd be able to look up some places or people and see a real life version). The idea of so many people disappearing here is a bit ludicrous. It's not a very big city and we have a fairly good homeless community service programs here, even if they can't find a spot in a home they have access to food for free a few times a week by different groups, so the regulars are well known. Still not a bad idea if the city was bigger or if I hadn't lived here for a few years I'd be totally behind the idea.
I really enjoyed how everything came together nice and neatly in the end. I had no clue as to whom the bad guy was masquerading as so that was a nifty little surprises.
Anyways based on everything I decided to rate this book 2.5/3 stars.
Anywho even though I did at times struggle with finishing Vigil I can't say it was a bad book as I did enjoy it. I think the reason why it was so easy to put down is more due to the pacing, there were times when there was a clear pause in the story, like a mini-finish where I could easily put the book down or would be bored enough to go off and do other things, plus the descriptions were a bit long for my taste, I prefer the minimalist amount. I have a good imagination my brain will do the rest.
The creatures where great, loved how they were dark and deadly. Characters were alright, I didn't really care for any of them or click with them. The main character had the maturity of someone in their late teens/early twenties even though it was obvious her character was meant to be older, this I find is a pet-peeve of mine. Really bugs me.
The book being based in brissy was trippy, some places were easily identified others not (though I did wonder if I'd be able to look up some places or people and see a real life version). The idea of so many people disappearing here is a bit ludicrous. It's not a very big city and we have a fairly good homeless community service programs here, even if they can't find a spot in a home they have access to food for free a few times a week by different groups, so the regulars are well known. Still not a bad idea if the city was bigger or if I hadn't lived here for a few years I'd be totally behind the idea.
I really enjoyed how everything came together nice and neatly in the end. I had no clue as to whom the bad guy was masquerading as so that was a nifty little surprises.
Anyways based on everything I decided to rate this book 2.5/3 stars.
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