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Inspector Paris Mystery #1
Breaking the Lore
A magical, mischievous mystery perfect for fans of Douglas Adams and Ben Aaronovitch
How do you stop a demon invasion... when you don’t believe in magic?
Inspector Nick Paris is a man of logic and whisky. So staring down at the crucified form of a murder victim who is fifteen centimetres tall leaves the seasoned detective at a loss… and the dead fairy is only the beginning.
Suddenly the inspector is offering political asylum to dwarves, consulting with witches, getting tactical advice from elves and taking orders from a chain-smoking talking crow who, technically, outranks him.
With the fate of both the human and magic worlds in his hands Nick will have to leave logic behind and embrace his inner mystic to solve the crime and stop an army of demons from invading Manchester!
How do you stop a demon invasion... when you don’t believe in magic?
Inspector Nick Paris is a man of logic and whisky. So staring down at the crucified form of a murder victim who is fifteen centimetres tall leaves the seasoned detective at a loss… and the dead fairy is only the beginning.
Suddenly the inspector is offering political asylum to dwarves, consulting with witches, getting tactical advice from elves and taking orders from a chain-smoking talking crow who, technically, outranks him.
With the fate of both the human and magic worlds in his hands Nick will have to leave logic behind and embrace his inner mystic to solve the crime and stop an army of demons from invading Manchester!
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2019
22 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Andy Redsmith
2 books15 followersA long time ago in a galaxy not that far away, Andy Redsmith was born. He grew up in Liverpool and Runcorn, went to university in Salford, and has lived in Manchester ever since. He says the people there are great, but we don’t talk about football.
He worked in the computing industry for long enough to remember ALGOL (a language that’s not quite as dead as Latin, but well on the way.) Over the years in IT he has worked with some very clever people and some complete weirdos; none of whom bear any resemblance to the characters in his writing. Honest.
He has a wonderful wife, one grown-up son, and a loft full of old Marvel comics. He says he’ll get round to selling them eventually. That’s the comics, not the family.
He worked in the computing industry for long enough to remember ALGOL (a language that’s not quite as dead as Latin, but well on the way.) Over the years in IT he has worked with some very clever people and some complete weirdos; none of whom bear any resemblance to the characters in his writing. Honest.
He has a wonderful wife, one grown-up son, and a loft full of old Marvel comics. He says he’ll get round to selling them eventually. That’s the comics, not the family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
April 4, 2019
I was attracted to this book by a comment I read somewhere that likened it to Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, a series which is a favourite of mine. Breaking the Lore does indeed have some similarities but it is not quite up there in the same class yet.
Nevertheless it is an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys a lighter urban fantasy - that is fairies, elves and demons living in Manchester and causing trouble for Inspector Paris and his team. Some of the characters are delightful especially the friendly demon, the chain smoking crow and Cassandra the witch. Paris is interesting too and I liked the way he took all the fantastical characters in his stride.
Overall the book leaned towards being cosy crime. It was light hearted and humorous and only bad people (or creatures) died. And speaking of humour - some of it was really funny and some of it tried a bit too hard.
A light, entertaining read which did not require much concentration. I will look out for book two and I hope the Inspector and the witch continue to develop their relationship!
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Nevertheless it is an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys a lighter urban fantasy - that is fairies, elves and demons living in Manchester and causing trouble for Inspector Paris and his team. Some of the characters are delightful especially the friendly demon, the chain smoking crow and Cassandra the witch. Paris is interesting too and I liked the way he took all the fantastical characters in his stride.
Overall the book leaned towards being cosy crime. It was light hearted and humorous and only bad people (or creatures) died. And speaking of humour - some of it was really funny and some of it tried a bit too hard.
A light, entertaining read which did not require much concentration. I will look out for book two and I hope the Inspector and the witch continue to develop their relationship!
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 22, 2019
This was a fun, light and humorous cosy urban fantasy with all sorts of magical creatures from the magic realm popping up into the real world, making the life of Manchester Inspector Paris and his team difficult. It all starts with a dead fairy and features a cigarette smoking talking crow, a rock troll and her guardian elf, a huge friendly demon as well as numerous dwarves and a large number of not so friendly demons called the Vanethria. Sometimes the humour was just a little too trite for me but generally it's all good fun, more Fforde than Aaranovitch or Butcher. The characters are well done, Inspector Paris likes to apply logic all his investigations and deep thinking (usually over a few glasses of whisky) but doesn't seem at all fazed by the sudden appearance of all sorts of magical creatures. His band of helpers includes the stocky stoic Sergent Bonetti and a rather attractive witch called Cassandra. Together they must find out why all theses creatures are turning up in Manchester and what it is the Vanethria are up to. I'll be interested to see where this series goes next.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Canelo for a digital ARC to read.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Canelo for a digital ARC to read.
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May 7, 2019Comic take on police procedural urban fantasy, didn't work for me. It's too easy for people writing comic X to undercut the story with the cliches and gags (as Pratchett comes very close to at points in The Colour of Magic, probably the only one of his I'll never reread.) The world still needs to be properly developed and the magic magical, and that didn't come together for me. Some fantastically terrible puns, though. I do like a terrible pun.
Also, male authors really need to stop writing the beautiful talented female sidekick who inexplicably finds the charmless, socially inept heavy-drinking slob hero attractive. Or to just *once* write a female lead with all the unappealing characteristics and poor grooming of the police procedural series detective and give her a hot young man chasing after her oh is that completely implausible my bad.
DNF @ 54%
Also, male authors really need to stop writing the beautiful talented female sidekick who inexplicably finds the charmless, socially inept heavy-drinking slob hero attractive. Or to just *once* write a female lead with all the unappealing characteristics and poor grooming of the police procedural series detective and give her a hot young man chasing after her oh is that completely implausible my bad.
DNF @ 54%
March 8, 2019
I adore a talking, chain-smoking crow named Malbus. That's not a sentence I'd ever thought I'd be writing, but there it is. He's not the only character in this book that captured my affection, either. Grarf's inroduction made me laugh out loud. Cassandra's deadpan puns were magnificent. As for the king and queen of the fairies... I could go on and on, but you'll just have to read it for yourself. You'll be charmed.
Protagonist Nick Paris is a down-to-earth sort of man, given to good old logic, solitude and whisky. That is, until the magical world comes crashing through his living room wall and asks him for political asylum. Paris struggles to cling to his old logic and manage the absurd new realities of the magical community, all while fighting to save his world and theirs from a demonic invasion.
We all have a friend who is one those insufferable people who can accurately predict what will happen next in a book or during a movie. I'm one of those horrible individuals. This book, however, constantly surprised me. There were so many twists I would never have predicted, and I loved that. I have been waiting for that. I want more of that.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quirkily clever read, especially fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. There are definite traces of the intrepid Sam Vimes about Nick Paris, but they are echoes pleasant to a fan, rather than off-putting. I sincerely hope to read more from Redsmith in the future.
Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Protagonist Nick Paris is a down-to-earth sort of man, given to good old logic, solitude and whisky. That is, until the magical world comes crashing through his living room wall and asks him for political asylum. Paris struggles to cling to his old logic and manage the absurd new realities of the magical community, all while fighting to save his world and theirs from a demonic invasion.
We all have a friend who is one those insufferable people who can accurately predict what will happen next in a book or during a movie. I'm one of those horrible individuals. This book, however, constantly surprised me. There were so many twists I would never have predicted, and I loved that. I have been waiting for that. I want more of that.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quirkily clever read, especially fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. There are definite traces of the intrepid Sam Vimes about Nick Paris, but they are echoes pleasant to a fan, rather than off-putting. I sincerely hope to read more from Redsmith in the future.
Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 13, 2021
The Short Version: Imagine someone dumps an encyclopedia of magical creatures into the typical hard nosed detective story then laces it with the driest humor on the market and that’s Breaking The Lore.
The Long Version: I got to listen to an Audiobook ARC of this title thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio.
To preface this review I have to note, that directly before reading this I read House in The Cerulean Sea, an excellent novel which also happens to be jam-packed with magical creatures. On some level I suspect my listening experience was hindered because this came directly after that title, and House In The Cerulean Sea is just so exquisitely done. To that end, I was a little disappointed in this title. I selected it because I like fantasy and the concept of a logical detective having to reckon with the existence of things he thought were make believe seemed like an interesting concept. Throw in that it had a sarcastic main character (usually a hook I can’t get enough of) and I was all in to listen.
The problem here is execution. Instead of having Detective Paris gradually discover that magic might be real, the premise is just plopped down in the first chapter, and really can’t be argued with. In the next handful of chapters, there’s a parade of different magical creatures introduced at a breakneck pace. All of this created a few drawbacks. First, I didn’t really get to know the inspector because I was busy trying to keep all the backstories straight and it obliterated the character development that could have been presented as Detective Paris has to grapple with what’s in front of him and what he believes to be true in regards to the existence of magic.
Additionally, the humor here was extra dry, and didn’t flow naturally. For example, I only caught on to the pun in the title while writing this review (Breaking the law, but said with an English accent). The jokes in the book are very similar, forced at times, and amusing more than truly funny.
The shame of this is that a lot of the story construction is on point. There a complex narrative and the pacing fails to drag even a little, I just felt bombarded by magical creatures and failed to get invested in any character long enough to root for them,
The brightest spot in the audiobook was the narrator’s performance as he did a very nice job keeping a diverse and sizable cast separated and unique.
Overall a 2.5 out of 5 rounded up because of a strong narrator. It’s not a bad title, but I couldn’t latch onto anything that made it stand out or made me want to recommend it more highly. If you love magical creatures and extremely dry humor then this one is up your alley, but otherwise, this one is a bit of a lull.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Protagonist: 2 out of 5
Antagonist: 3 out of 5
Supporting Characters: 2 out of 5
Character Development: 2.5 out of 5
Plot: 3 out of 5
Pacing: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 2.5 out of 5
Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Ending: 3 out of 5
The Long Version: I got to listen to an Audiobook ARC of this title thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio.
To preface this review I have to note, that directly before reading this I read House in The Cerulean Sea, an excellent novel which also happens to be jam-packed with magical creatures. On some level I suspect my listening experience was hindered because this came directly after that title, and House In The Cerulean Sea is just so exquisitely done. To that end, I was a little disappointed in this title. I selected it because I like fantasy and the concept of a logical detective having to reckon with the existence of things he thought were make believe seemed like an interesting concept. Throw in that it had a sarcastic main character (usually a hook I can’t get enough of) and I was all in to listen.
The problem here is execution. Instead of having Detective Paris gradually discover that magic might be real, the premise is just plopped down in the first chapter, and really can’t be argued with. In the next handful of chapters, there’s a parade of different magical creatures introduced at a breakneck pace. All of this created a few drawbacks. First, I didn’t really get to know the inspector because I was busy trying to keep all the backstories straight and it obliterated the character development that could have been presented as Detective Paris has to grapple with what’s in front of him and what he believes to be true in regards to the existence of magic.
Additionally, the humor here was extra dry, and didn’t flow naturally. For example, I only caught on to the pun in the title while writing this review (Breaking the law, but said with an English accent). The jokes in the book are very similar, forced at times, and amusing more than truly funny.
The shame of this is that a lot of the story construction is on point. There a complex narrative and the pacing fails to drag even a little, I just felt bombarded by magical creatures and failed to get invested in any character long enough to root for them,
The brightest spot in the audiobook was the narrator’s performance as he did a very nice job keeping a diverse and sizable cast separated and unique.
Overall a 2.5 out of 5 rounded up because of a strong narrator. It’s not a bad title, but I couldn’t latch onto anything that made it stand out or made me want to recommend it more highly. If you love magical creatures and extremely dry humor then this one is up your alley, but otherwise, this one is a bit of a lull.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Protagonist: 2 out of 5
Antagonist: 3 out of 5
Supporting Characters: 2 out of 5
Character Development: 2.5 out of 5
Plot: 3 out of 5
Pacing: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 2.5 out of 5
Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Ending: 3 out of 5
August 9, 2021
If I jumped right into describing this kind of book, within a razor's edge of genre, I would almost always say that I'm 100% on board with the attempt, no matter what. I like this kind of thing.
We've got us a UF setup with tons of magical beasties that hop right past the story foreplay stage because we've all seen these origin stories a million times before, mix it with a huge dose of dry humor that reminds me a bit of a cross between Discworld and Ben Aaronovitch, and then give us a modern cop drama.
On paper, this sounds fantastic. Like Bright without the racism angle. Add an alcoholic local cop who must work with dwarves, talking crows, and centaurs, and lead up to opened magical rifts invading our world on a nice huge scale. Demons versus everyone else. Sweet!
So why aren't I squeeing about it?
The setup is pretty great, mind you. And some of the humor was good. But this book is NOT a master of the small details like Aaronovitch's novels, nor is it as charming. It's also missing a lot of the heart of Discworld. My care meter petered out several times as I was reading this.
Basically, it's not the premise or the story. The problem is just the execution. Of course, when we're dealing with UFs in general, the first novels are generally the weakest. I think this has a lot of potential. It just needs to live up to it.
We've got us a UF setup with tons of magical beasties that hop right past the story foreplay stage because we've all seen these origin stories a million times before, mix it with a huge dose of dry humor that reminds me a bit of a cross between Discworld and Ben Aaronovitch, and then give us a modern cop drama.
On paper, this sounds fantastic. Like Bright without the racism angle. Add an alcoholic local cop who must work with dwarves, talking crows, and centaurs, and lead up to opened magical rifts invading our world on a nice huge scale. Demons versus everyone else. Sweet!
So why aren't I squeeing about it?
The setup is pretty great, mind you. And some of the humor was good. But this book is NOT a master of the small details like Aaronovitch's novels, nor is it as charming. It's also missing a lot of the heart of Discworld. My care meter petered out several times as I was reading this.
Basically, it's not the premise or the story. The problem is just the execution. Of course, when we're dealing with UFs in general, the first novels are generally the weakest. I think this has a lot of potential. It just needs to live up to it.
April 12, 2019
Breaking the Lore is the first book in the Inspector Paris Mystery series best defined as a heady mix of fantasy, crime and comedy. This bizarre-sounding amalgamation is what initially attracted me to Breaking the Lore, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. There were a lot of humorous moments throughout this lighthearted read and the characters were original, unique and full of irony, however, this wasn't enough to elevate this beyond three stars.
Inspector Nick Paris felt a lot like a kindred spirit as I am one of those people who also views things logically rather than emotionally and am unable to believe in something without proof of its existence. Here, this worked well making Paris question his long-held beliefs in terms of magical beings when he encountered one first-hand.
The author throws you in at the deep end from the first few pages, but because the worldbuilding is controlled and the world works in a simple, understated manner there was never a feeling of either an information dump or being out of your depth. So, if you fancy a sarcasm-filled mystery featuring magical beings and a cynical, whisky-supping, chain-smoking protagonist then give this a go. It was a fun and relatively entertaining way to pass the time.
Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.
Inspector Nick Paris felt a lot like a kindred spirit as I am one of those people who also views things logically rather than emotionally and am unable to believe in something without proof of its existence. Here, this worked well making Paris question his long-held beliefs in terms of magical beings when he encountered one first-hand.
The author throws you in at the deep end from the first few pages, but because the worldbuilding is controlled and the world works in a simple, understated manner there was never a feeling of either an information dump or being out of your depth. So, if you fancy a sarcasm-filled mystery featuring magical beings and a cynical, whisky-supping, chain-smoking protagonist then give this a go. It was a fun and relatively entertaining way to pass the time.
Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.
March 29, 2019
There’s something about that English countryside that seems to attract flying saucers 🛸, tardises, Hogwarths, and now an inter dimensional bridge between the magical world and ours. It’s perhaps something about the prim and proper British that perhaps juxtaposes well with magical worlds. Through that bridge are bounding by the bushel fairies, taking crows, elves, dwarves,trolls, centaurs, and demons. And to do battle with the fell hordes of demonic evil beings is Inspector Paris and a handful of enlightened creatures. And, Paris scarcely believed in magic. But, he’s got no choice but to save his world from certain destruction.
Don’t take this one for high fantasy or epic fantasy and you’ll do okay. It’s half farcical and half fantasy adventure. Look, the princess is a giant smelly rock troll. Hiding a giant demon from a curious public can be downright nasty. And centaurs and demons doing battle can waste to half of Birmingham. It’s filled with quips and asides and stuff like that.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
Don’t take this one for high fantasy or epic fantasy and you’ll do okay. It’s half farcical and half fantasy adventure. Look, the princess is a giant smelly rock troll. Hiding a giant demon from a curious public can be downright nasty. And centaurs and demons doing battle can waste to half of Birmingham. It’s filled with quips and asides and stuff like that.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.
May 1, 2019
“How do you stop a demon invasion… when you don’t believe in magic?”
Synopsis
Nick Paris is a police inspector in Manchester with a reputation for closing cases. His days are filled with solving crimes, while his nights are filled with whisky. A bit of a loner, he is plodding through life quite grumpily until he is called to the most unbelievable murder scene of his career: a crucified fairy.
Pathology quickly determines that the fairy is no hoax. It’s tiny, but it’s real. Yet fairies simply don’t exist… right?
Then a chain smoking crow, an elf, and a rock troll come literally barreling into his living room. Soon he discovers there is a lot more going on here than fairi-cide. As more mythical beings come out of the woodwork, his precinct becomes the de-facto headquarters against a demon invasion pouring in from the very real mythical realm. The portal to which just happens to be behind a shed in suburban Manchester.
Review
All the elements for an awesome urban fantasy were there: magical creatures crossing into our world, a dry sense of humor, and a couple of quirky mysteries to boot. Yet it just didn’t quite get there for me. It was a fun and quick read and I did enjoy it, just not nearly as much as I’d hoped.
My main problem with Breaking the Lore was that it felt like the author was incessantly trying to be clever. Several times I felt as if I was reading a 300+ page book of Dad Jokes. All the other characters were delightful, it was just the internal monologue of Nick Paris where the author seemed to never stop trying to be clever.
Paris is the only reason this wasn't rated higher. He was so rude to everyone around him, especially poor Sgt. Bonetti who was nothing but loyal and sweet. I get having characters who are unlikable, but for me Inspector Paris had no redeeming qualities till the end. I have no idea why everyone around him put up with him for so long.
That aside, all the other characters were fantastic. I mean, who wouldn’t love a demon with a heart of gold or a crow who does wicked Queen covers? The magical cast in this were endearing and hilarious, so it was a shame they were all brought down by a certain inspector’s grumpiness. I would love to see more of the motley crew of elves, dwarfs, demons, and fairies that filled this story.
Final Thoughts
Breaking the Lore was a charming and fun urban fantasy that I definitely enjoyed reading even if I had some problems with it. It’s a great pick if you’re looking for something light with a bit of whimsy this summer, although the constant snide jokes did get very tedious very fast.
Still, there were some truly hilarious moments that had me chuckling out loud. I also absolutely fell in love with the wacky mythical beings that scampered around the pages of this novel.
I already miss that chain smoking crow.
Read my full review here! Breaking the Lore by Andy Redsmith (A Little Nerd Told Me)
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo publishing for a copy of this in exchange for a review.
Synopsis
Nick Paris is a police inspector in Manchester with a reputation for closing cases. His days are filled with solving crimes, while his nights are filled with whisky. A bit of a loner, he is plodding through life quite grumpily until he is called to the most unbelievable murder scene of his career: a crucified fairy.
Pathology quickly determines that the fairy is no hoax. It’s tiny, but it’s real. Yet fairies simply don’t exist… right?
Then a chain smoking crow, an elf, and a rock troll come literally barreling into his living room. Soon he discovers there is a lot more going on here than fairi-cide. As more mythical beings come out of the woodwork, his precinct becomes the de-facto headquarters against a demon invasion pouring in from the very real mythical realm. The portal to which just happens to be behind a shed in suburban Manchester.
Review
All the elements for an awesome urban fantasy were there: magical creatures crossing into our world, a dry sense of humor, and a couple of quirky mysteries to boot. Yet it just didn’t quite get there for me. It was a fun and quick read and I did enjoy it, just not nearly as much as I’d hoped.
My main problem with Breaking the Lore was that it felt like the author was incessantly trying to be clever. Several times I felt as if I was reading a 300+ page book of Dad Jokes. All the other characters were delightful, it was just the internal monologue of Nick Paris where the author seemed to never stop trying to be clever.
Paris is the only reason this wasn't rated higher. He was so rude to everyone around him, especially poor Sgt. Bonetti who was nothing but loyal and sweet. I get having characters who are unlikable, but for me Inspector Paris had no redeeming qualities till the end. I have no idea why everyone around him put up with him for so long.
That aside, all the other characters were fantastic. I mean, who wouldn’t love a demon with a heart of gold or a crow who does wicked Queen covers? The magical cast in this were endearing and hilarious, so it was a shame they were all brought down by a certain inspector’s grumpiness. I would love to see more of the motley crew of elves, dwarfs, demons, and fairies that filled this story.
Final Thoughts
Breaking the Lore was a charming and fun urban fantasy that I definitely enjoyed reading even if I had some problems with it. It’s a great pick if you’re looking for something light with a bit of whimsy this summer, although the constant snide jokes did get very tedious very fast.
Still, there were some truly hilarious moments that had me chuckling out loud. I also absolutely fell in love with the wacky mythical beings that scampered around the pages of this novel.
I already miss that chain smoking crow.
Read my full review here! Breaking the Lore by Andy Redsmith (A Little Nerd Told Me)
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo publishing for a copy of this in exchange for a review.
April 14, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Breaking the Lore is Andy Redsmith's clever debut novel and it's the first book in his Inspector Paris Mystery series. Nick Paris is a seasoned detective in Manchester, England who is all about logic on the job (and he drinks more than he ought to), so when finds himself investigating the murder of a 15cm tall fairy he's at a total loss. Nick doesn't believe in magic, but if he wants to solve this case and save both Manchester and the magic world he's going to have to adapt to his new reality. I don't know about you, but that description totally hooked me and luckily the novel reeled me in right from the start. Redsmith's writing style is addicting and I love his sense of humor. The magic system and the cast of characters are pretty cool as well. I love that we're thrown right into the middle of everything alongside Nick. The twists and turns of the central mystery kept me right on the edge of my seat turning the pages as quickly as possible. By the way, I didn't expect my favorite character to be a chainsmoking crow but what can I say. I have a feeling you'll like this debut urban fantasy if you're a fan of Ben Aaronovitch, Terry Pratchett, and Douglas Adams. I can't wait to see where this series goes next. Thanks again, NetGalley.
Breaking the Lore is Andy Redsmith's clever debut novel and it's the first book in his Inspector Paris Mystery series. Nick Paris is a seasoned detective in Manchester, England who is all about logic on the job (and he drinks more than he ought to), so when finds himself investigating the murder of a 15cm tall fairy he's at a total loss. Nick doesn't believe in magic, but if he wants to solve this case and save both Manchester and the magic world he's going to have to adapt to his new reality. I don't know about you, but that description totally hooked me and luckily the novel reeled me in right from the start. Redsmith's writing style is addicting and I love his sense of humor. The magic system and the cast of characters are pretty cool as well. I love that we're thrown right into the middle of everything alongside Nick. The twists and turns of the central mystery kept me right on the edge of my seat turning the pages as quickly as possible. By the way, I didn't expect my favorite character to be a chainsmoking crow but what can I say. I have a feeling you'll like this debut urban fantasy if you're a fan of Ben Aaronovitch, Terry Pratchett, and Douglas Adams. I can't wait to see where this series goes next. Thanks again, NetGalley.
March 17, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4.0
Magical creatures interrupt Inspector Paris’s normal police investigations.
This was pure fun and a highly enjoyable read. One drawback -the author was very heavy handed with the puns, which detracted from the overall calibre of the story.
I look forward to the next one in the series.
Magical creatures interrupt Inspector Paris’s normal police investigations.
This was pure fun and a highly enjoyable read. One drawback -the author was very heavy handed with the puns, which detracted from the overall calibre of the story.
I look forward to the next one in the series.
July 13, 2021
The Short Version: Imagine someone dumps an encyclopedia of magical creatures into the typical hard nosed detective story then laces it with the driest humor on the market and that’s Breaking The Lore.
The Long Version: I got to listen to an Audiobook ARC of this title thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio.
To preface this review I have to note, that directly before reading this I read House in The Cerulean Sea, an excellent novel which also happens to be jam-packed with magical creatures. On some level I suspect my listening experience was hindered because this came directly after that title, and House In The Cerulean Sea is just so exquisitely done. To that end, I was a little disappointed in this title. I selected it because I like fantasy and the concept of a logical detective having to reckon with the existence of things he thought were make believe seemed like an interesting concept. Throw in that it had a sarcastic main character (usually a hook I can’t get enough of) and I was all in to listen.
The problem here is execution. Instead of having Detective Paris gradually discover that magic might be real, the premise is just plopped down in the first chapter, and really can’t be argued with. In the next handful of chapters, there’s a parade of different magical creatures introduced at a breakneck pace. All of this created a few drawbacks. First, I didn’t really get to know the inspector because I was busy trying to keep all the backstories straight and it obliterated the character development that could have been presented as Detective Paris has to grapple with what’s in front of him and what he believes to be true in regards to the existence of magic.
Additionally, the humor here was extra dry, and didn’t flow naturally. For example, I only caught on to the pun in the title while writing this review (Breaking the law, but said with an English accent). The jokes in the book are very similar, forced at times, and amusing more than truly funny.
The shame of this is that a lot of the story construction is on point. There a complex narrative and the pacing fails to drag even a little, I just felt bombarded by magical creatures and failed to get invested in any character long enough to root for them,
The brightest spot in the audiobook was the narrator’s performance as he did a very nice job keeping a diverse and sizable cast separated and unique.
Overall a 2.5 out of 5 rounded up because of a strong narrator. It’s not a bad title, but I couldn’t latch onto anything that made it stand out or made me want to recommend it more highly. If you love magical creatures and extremely dry humor then this one is up your alley, but otherwise, this one is a bit of a lull.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Protagonist: 2 out of 5
Antagonist: 3 out of 5
Supporting Characters: 2 out of 5
Character Development: 2.5 out of 5
Plot: 3 out of 5
Pacing: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 2.5 out of 5
Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Ending: 3 out of 5
The Long Version: I got to listen to an Audiobook ARC of this title thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio.
To preface this review I have to note, that directly before reading this I read House in The Cerulean Sea, an excellent novel which also happens to be jam-packed with magical creatures. On some level I suspect my listening experience was hindered because this came directly after that title, and House In The Cerulean Sea is just so exquisitely done. To that end, I was a little disappointed in this title. I selected it because I like fantasy and the concept of a logical detective having to reckon with the existence of things he thought were make believe seemed like an interesting concept. Throw in that it had a sarcastic main character (usually a hook I can’t get enough of) and I was all in to listen.
The problem here is execution. Instead of having Detective Paris gradually discover that magic might be real, the premise is just plopped down in the first chapter, and really can’t be argued with. In the next handful of chapters, there’s a parade of different magical creatures introduced at a breakneck pace. All of this created a few drawbacks. First, I didn’t really get to know the inspector because I was busy trying to keep all the backstories straight and it obliterated the character development that could have been presented as Detective Paris has to grapple with what’s in front of him and what he believes to be true in regards to the existence of magic.
Additionally, the humor here was extra dry, and didn’t flow naturally. For example, I only caught on to the pun in the title while writing this review (Breaking the law, but said with an English accent). The jokes in the book are very similar, forced at times, and amusing more than truly funny.
The shame of this is that a lot of the story construction is on point. There a complex narrative and the pacing fails to drag even a little, I just felt bombarded by magical creatures and failed to get invested in any character long enough to root for them,
The brightest spot in the audiobook was the narrator’s performance as he did a very nice job keeping a diverse and sizable cast separated and unique.
Overall a 2.5 out of 5 rounded up because of a strong narrator. It’s not a bad title, but I couldn’t latch onto anything that made it stand out or made me want to recommend it more highly. If you love magical creatures and extremely dry humor then this one is up your alley, but otherwise, this one is a bit of a lull.
Component Ratings
Concept/Idea: 3.5 out of 5
Protagonist: 2 out of 5
Antagonist: 3 out of 5
Supporting Characters: 2 out of 5
Character Development: 2.5 out of 5
Plot: 3 out of 5
Pacing: 4 out of 5
Dialogue: 2.5 out of 5
Narrator’s Performance: 4 out of 5
Ending: 3 out of 5
April 28, 2019
This light-hearted, almost cozy, urban fantasy was a good end-of-semester read. My thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review!
Nick Paris, a Manchester Police Inspector, is shocked to see his newest victim is a crucified woman who is only fifteen centimeters tall. But this is only the tip of the iceburg - apparantly the world is full of mythical creatures who have previously been keeping out of sight - and it is rumored demons are coming. I enjoyed discovering what was happening, and I liked Nick, and I especially liked his expert advisor Cassandra, who was just so happy and interested to see magic in the world. The book was full of puns and humor - some were a little corny, but many made me laugh, especially since it was never taking itself too seriously. I also like that this is a fantasy book that I can recommend to even my more sensitive family members that don't like a lot of blood and gore in their books.
Nick Paris, a Manchester Police Inspector, is shocked to see his newest victim is a crucified woman who is only fifteen centimeters tall. But this is only the tip of the iceburg - apparantly the world is full of mythical creatures who have previously been keeping out of sight - and it is rumored demons are coming. I enjoyed discovering what was happening, and I liked Nick, and I especially liked his expert advisor Cassandra, who was just so happy and interested to see magic in the world. The book was full of puns and humor - some were a little corny, but many made me laugh, especially since it was never taking itself too seriously. I also like that this is a fantasy book that I can recommend to even my more sensitive family members that don't like a lot of blood and gore in their books.
January 9, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
Breaking the Lore.
Nick Paris is a detective who believes in solving crimes with logic and rational deductions.
But when a strange case involving a crucified fairy ends up on his docket, he realizes that there is more to the world than what he sees.
As he tries to prevent a war instigated by demons against the human species, Paris must relinquish all his prejudices and biases about what he knows and open his mind to the possibilities that we don't know everything...and that's not a bad thing.
I like Nick Paris; he's a standard cop cliche; he drinks too much, he smokes too much, he's single, he's in rotten shape but, he's a decent guy. You can't argue with that.
As members of the supernatural world enter the human world, Nick teams up with an elf, a dwarf, a demon (the nice kind), a witch, and a Queen-singing crow with a cockney accent.
Seriously.
These original and kind characters lend Breaking the Lore a whimsical, often hilarious tone that becomes almost too jokey at times.
There were moments I would not have minded some serious darkness but that's just me.
Toward the end, the story felt a bit...long. I mean, there's only so much fairies and talking centaurs you can take before you get bored with it all.
I did like Paris and his motley crew, and the way he saves the world; it was amusing and in keeping with the whole tone of the book.
I'd be interested to know what the author has in store for Paris in the second book.
Nick Paris is a detective who believes in solving crimes with logic and rational deductions.
But when a strange case involving a crucified fairy ends up on his docket, he realizes that there is more to the world than what he sees.
As he tries to prevent a war instigated by demons against the human species, Paris must relinquish all his prejudices and biases about what he knows and open his mind to the possibilities that we don't know everything...and that's not a bad thing.
I like Nick Paris; he's a standard cop cliche; he drinks too much, he smokes too much, he's single, he's in rotten shape but, he's a decent guy. You can't argue with that.
As members of the supernatural world enter the human world, Nick teams up with an elf, a dwarf, a demon (the nice kind), a witch, and a Queen-singing crow with a cockney accent.
Seriously.
These original and kind characters lend Breaking the Lore a whimsical, often hilarious tone that becomes almost too jokey at times.
There were moments I would not have minded some serious darkness but that's just me.
Toward the end, the story felt a bit...long. I mean, there's only so much fairies and talking centaurs you can take before you get bored with it all.
I did like Paris and his motley crew, and the way he saves the world; it was amusing and in keeping with the whole tone of the book.
I'd be interested to know what the author has in store for Paris in the second book.
April 10, 2019
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Inspector Nick Paris is your all too typical cynical, bitter, hard-drinking, chain-smoking police detective, and his world is being rocked. The latest corpse he's been brought out to see and investigate the circumstances around the death is that of a fairy. The tiny, impossibly good looking, humanoid with wings kind of fairy. While still trying to wrap his mind around how that was possible, a crow (named Malbus) flies into his house demanding, demanding a smoke and talking to him about the murdered fairy. Not long after this, he's visited by an elf and a rock troll (Tergil and Rocky).
And that's just Day One of his new reality.
Essentially, there's a connection between our world and the world of all these magical beings -- a portal of sorts that those who desire to can travel between the two (or people and animals can stumble through unintentionally). For all sorts of great reasons, the magical creatures/folk kept their existence from humanity -- and let what humans know fade into myth and legend. But something's happened in their world, and those who are over here have to come seeking help (in terms of political asylum) and possibly even letting humanity in on what's going on around them.
This is a little beyond Paris' typical caseload, but he and his Superintendent, a no-nonsense woman named Thorpe, respond very well to these new challenges -- dragging other officers and even the army along with them. They are obviously relying on the advice and guidance of the magical creatures -- Tergil in particular (although Malbus makes sure his input is heard, too). They also recruit a local supernatural expert -- Cassandra, a self-styled witch that no one in the police would've given any credence to if not for this new reality.
As fun as Paris, Tergil and Malbus are, Cassandra is a delight. She's wise, insightful, and has a fantastic sense of humor -- she might be harder for Paris to cope with than fairies, dwarves, and trolls. I shouldn't forget Paris' Sergeant Bonetti -- he's loyal, strong, brave and probably not as mentally quick as he should be. He's also the target of near-constant mockery from his superior. I'm not sure why he puts up with the abuse, but I found myself laughing at it. When the fate of multiple worlds is on the line, it's these few who will stand strong in Manchester, England to keep everyone safe.
I can think of as many reasons that this is a lousy comparison to make as I can to make it -- but throughout Breaking the Lore I kept thinking about Chrys Cymri's Penny White books. There'll be a big overlap in the Venn diagram of Fans of Penny White and Fans of Inspector Paris. I'm sure there are other comparisons that are as apt, or more so -- but this is the one that I kept coming back to for some reason.
I had so much fun reading this book, Redsmith has a way with words that makes me think it really doesn't matter what story he decided to tell -- I'd want to read it. He was able to express the seriousness of the situation, while never stopping (either narratively or through the characters) the quips, jokes and sense of fun. There's an infectious charm to the prose and characters that easily overcomes whatever drawbacks the novel has. I'm not saying this is a novel filled with problems, it's just that I woudn't care about most of them thanks to the voice.
Now, Redsmith's wit does have an Achilles' heel -- puns. Redsmith is an inveterate punster, and will hit you with them when you least expect it. Now me? I love a good pun -- and I hate them at the same time. Maybe you know what I mean. I cackled at pretty much all of them (frequently audibly), but I hated both myself and Redsmith for it. You know those, Pearls Before Swine strips where Rat beats up Stephan Pastis because of the very carefully constructed pun? Yeah, this book is a series of those moments (but he rarely gives the setup Pastis does, usually it's a quick sucker punch).
There are many other points I'd intended to make, but I think I've gone on long enough. This novel is silly, goofy, intelligent, charming -- with a fresh take on a great idea. You'll find yourself enjoying Paris, Cassandra, Malbus, Tergil and the rest. I can see a few different ways that Redsmith takes Book Two, and I'm looking forward to seeing which one he picks (probably none of my ideas). But before that happens, I'm just going to relish the fun that Breaking the Lore was and encourage you all to go buy and read it for yourself.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Canelo via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.
---
Inspector Nick Paris is your all too typical cynical, bitter, hard-drinking, chain-smoking police detective, and his world is being rocked. The latest corpse he's been brought out to see and investigate the circumstances around the death is that of a fairy. The tiny, impossibly good looking, humanoid with wings kind of fairy. While still trying to wrap his mind around how that was possible, a crow (named Malbus) flies into his house demanding, demanding a smoke and talking to him about the murdered fairy. Not long after this, he's visited by an elf and a rock troll (Tergil and Rocky).
And that's just Day One of his new reality.
Essentially, there's a connection between our world and the world of all these magical beings -- a portal of sorts that those who desire to can travel between the two (or people and animals can stumble through unintentionally). For all sorts of great reasons, the magical creatures/folk kept their existence from humanity -- and let what humans know fade into myth and legend. But something's happened in their world, and those who are over here have to come seeking help (in terms of political asylum) and possibly even letting humanity in on what's going on around them.
This is a little beyond Paris' typical caseload, but he and his Superintendent, a no-nonsense woman named Thorpe, respond very well to these new challenges -- dragging other officers and even the army along with them. They are obviously relying on the advice and guidance of the magical creatures -- Tergil in particular (although Malbus makes sure his input is heard, too). They also recruit a local supernatural expert -- Cassandra, a self-styled witch that no one in the police would've given any credence to if not for this new reality.
As fun as Paris, Tergil and Malbus are, Cassandra is a delight. She's wise, insightful, and has a fantastic sense of humor -- she might be harder for Paris to cope with than fairies, dwarves, and trolls. I shouldn't forget Paris' Sergeant Bonetti -- he's loyal, strong, brave and probably not as mentally quick as he should be. He's also the target of near-constant mockery from his superior. I'm not sure why he puts up with the abuse, but I found myself laughing at it. When the fate of multiple worlds is on the line, it's these few who will stand strong in Manchester, England to keep everyone safe.
I can think of as many reasons that this is a lousy comparison to make as I can to make it -- but throughout Breaking the Lore I kept thinking about Chrys Cymri's Penny White books. There'll be a big overlap in the Venn diagram of Fans of Penny White and Fans of Inspector Paris. I'm sure there are other comparisons that are as apt, or more so -- but this is the one that I kept coming back to for some reason.
I had so much fun reading this book, Redsmith has a way with words that makes me think it really doesn't matter what story he decided to tell -- I'd want to read it. He was able to express the seriousness of the situation, while never stopping (either narratively or through the characters) the quips, jokes and sense of fun. There's an infectious charm to the prose and characters that easily overcomes whatever drawbacks the novel has. I'm not saying this is a novel filled with problems, it's just that I woudn't care about most of them thanks to the voice.
Now, Redsmith's wit does have an Achilles' heel -- puns. Redsmith is an inveterate punster, and will hit you with them when you least expect it. Now me? I love a good pun -- and I hate them at the same time. Maybe you know what I mean. I cackled at pretty much all of them (frequently audibly), but I hated both myself and Redsmith for it. You know those, Pearls Before Swine strips where Rat beats up Stephan Pastis because of the very carefully constructed pun? Yeah, this book is a series of those moments (but he rarely gives the setup Pastis does, usually it's a quick sucker punch).
There are many other points I'd intended to make, but I think I've gone on long enough. This novel is silly, goofy, intelligent, charming -- with a fresh take on a great idea. You'll find yourself enjoying Paris, Cassandra, Malbus, Tergil and the rest. I can see a few different ways that Redsmith takes Book Two, and I'm looking forward to seeing which one he picks (probably none of my ideas). But before that happens, I'm just going to relish the fun that Breaking the Lore was and encourage you all to go buy and read it for yourself.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Canelo via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.
July 20, 2019
Very good read a solid 3 and a half stars, good start to the series nicely done with the interaction with the characters and the humour is nicely written and enjoyable to read.
Not as good as the Peter Grant series but I can believe the author will get better with time.
Not as good as the Peter Grant series but I can believe the author will get better with time.
August 4, 2021
"Sometimes brave deeds were done for fame or fortune, sometimes it was merely for a smoke."
This is undoubtedly one of the funniest books I've ever read in my life. I expected a usual police investigation murder mystery but what I got from this book was magical creatures wreaking havoc in Manchester and police trying to manage the chaos. Violence and hilarity ensues when a dead fairy is discovered by the police, which opens up the world of magic and mystique in thr everyday life of Inspector Paris. The fantasy part is very fun to read. The characters as well as the writing is hilarious. I really enjoyed the witty dialogues and British humour, as these bland police officers meet the other-worldly people. My only qualm is that there is less of mystery and more of fantasy, especially in the second half.
5/5 stars for the audiobook narrator! They were fantastic in their job and produced different voices for various characters. Their narration and dialogue delievery was so good and damn funny.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for providing me a digital copy of this book.
This is undoubtedly one of the funniest books I've ever read in my life. I expected a usual police investigation murder mystery but what I got from this book was magical creatures wreaking havoc in Manchester and police trying to manage the chaos. Violence and hilarity ensues when a dead fairy is discovered by the police, which opens up the world of magic and mystique in thr everyday life of Inspector Paris. The fantasy part is very fun to read. The characters as well as the writing is hilarious. I really enjoyed the witty dialogues and British humour, as these bland police officers meet the other-worldly people. My only qualm is that there is less of mystery and more of fantasy, especially in the second half.
5/5 stars for the audiobook narrator! They were fantastic in their job and produced different voices for various characters. Their narration and dialogue delievery was so good and damn funny.
Thank you netgalley and publishers for providing me a digital copy of this book.
August 27, 2021
Even though this book came out in 2019, it appeared on Netgalley recently. They didn’t want to give me the e-book version, but I did get the audiobook. Which for me was probably a better medium to read this anyway.
The blurb compares it to Ben Aaronovitch’s books, which it really isn’t. Yes we follow a police officer and a bunch of magical creatures. But that is where the comparison ends really. This one is a lot… lighter?
What really stood out in this book for me was the humour. It is filled to the brim with puns, ridiculous characters and absurd situations. And it works! For me at least, though it definitely needs to be something you are in the mood for. (). But if you are you will have a blast with the knight demon, Eric the dwarf (also known as… Eric), chain-smoking crow, and the flirty witch. Yes there are also fairies, elfes, centaurs, trolls…
I really don’t know what else to say. If you are in the mood for some fun, light, urban fantasy… maybe pick this one up?
The blurb compares it to Ben Aaronovitch’s books, which it really isn’t. Yes we follow a police officer and a bunch of magical creatures. But that is where the comparison ends really. This one is a lot… lighter?
What really stood out in this book for me was the humour. It is filled to the brim with puns, ridiculous characters and absurd situations. And it works! For me at least, though it definitely needs to be something you are in the mood for. (). But if you are you will have a blast with the knight demon, Eric the dwarf (also known as… Eric), chain-smoking crow, and the flirty witch. Yes there are also fairies, elfes, centaurs, trolls…
I really don’t know what else to say. If you are in the mood for some fun, light, urban fantasy… maybe pick this one up?
July 27, 2021
3.5 stars
This is a fun book with dry humor, that kept me entertained.
With a good narrator that did great voices for the different characters.
A police inspector that suddenly has to deal with the existence of a magical world with a lot of magical creatures.
And those creatures might or might not tell the truth or maybe they just leave out a few details.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is a fun book with dry humor, that kept me entertained.
With a good narrator that did great voices for the different characters.
A police inspector that suddenly has to deal with the existence of a magical world with a lot of magical creatures.
And those creatures might or might not tell the truth or maybe they just leave out a few details.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read
July 20, 2022DNF @ 45%
It’s slow and not very entertaining.
It’s slow and not very entertaining.
July 15, 2021
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Great narrator, really captured the spirit and humour of the book. Overall an entertaining audio book.
Book Review: This started off as a solid threes stars for me. Which basically means I liked it but may or may not seek out the sequel. By the end of the book Paris and crew had won me over. There was a feel of Good Omens (though not like that book in any quantifiable way). It had a touch of Aaronovitch's Rivers of London but lighter in tone. Overall this is a humorous, fun police procedural/ urban fantasy.
Inspector Paris is rudely introduced to the presence of magic when he is called to a crime scene and discovers the victim is a six inch high fairy with real wings, who has been crucified at the bottom of a residential garden. From there, all the mythical creatures start to crawl out of the dark and Paris finds himself caught in up in a potential diplomatic incident/ possible invasion. I won't add anything further on the story to avoid spoilers. While the plot never strays far from familiar beats, they are always delivered with a certain charm. By the mid way point of the book, I was regularly laughing out loud.
Highly recommend for those who want a lighter urban fantasy. Best of all it's set in UK, so you get the UK police procedural rolled in for free.
Great narrator, really captured the spirit and humour of the book. Overall an entertaining audio book.
Book Review: This started off as a solid threes stars for me. Which basically means I liked it but may or may not seek out the sequel. By the end of the book Paris and crew had won me over. There was a feel of Good Omens (though not like that book in any quantifiable way). It had a touch of Aaronovitch's Rivers of London but lighter in tone. Overall this is a humorous, fun police procedural/ urban fantasy.
Inspector Paris is rudely introduced to the presence of magic when he is called to a crime scene and discovers the victim is a six inch high fairy with real wings, who has been crucified at the bottom of a residential garden. From there, all the mythical creatures start to crawl out of the dark and Paris finds himself caught in up in a potential diplomatic incident/ possible invasion. I won't add anything further on the story to avoid spoilers. While the plot never strays far from familiar beats, they are always delivered with a certain charm. By the mid way point of the book, I was regularly laughing out loud.
Highly recommend for those who want a lighter urban fantasy. Best of all it's set in UK, so you get the UK police procedural rolled in for free.
September 19, 2019
"Breaking The Lore" is... well really quite unusual. It's a sort of humorous supernatural detective story that is serious about world-building and providing a puzzle-to-solve-plot and keeps its tongue pushed firmly into its cheek for everything else.
Of course, any book that involves a senior police officer stumbling across the existence of large numbers of supernatural creates in Manchester is bound to be unconventional. Add in demons as the supernatural creature all the other supernaturals hate and then set up the possibility of a demon war in Manchester's leafy suburbs and you have something decidedly odd.
I was encouraged by the first two sentences of "Breaking The Lore". They're up there at the top of my "set the bar high" quotes for starting a book:
Discovering fairies at the bottom of the garden is supposed to be good luck. Except when the fairy has been crucified.
This kind of humour by juxtaposition is one of the things the book does well, constantly appearing to lead you in one direction and while really heading in another. It's also not above corny jokes, over-elaborate groan-making puns and character names that take the piss - a troll princess called Rocky - really?.
Some of the humour comes from playing off almost-clichéd characters against each other in unexpected ways. The core human team is a clever but not sociable Detective Inspector who "lubricates" his problem-solving by drinking large amounts of whiskey while alone, a Detective Sargeant who is big, strong, enthusiastic and seems too stupid ever to have passed the Sargeant's exam and a young (at least by comparison to the middle-aged Detective Inspector) Witch who is unflappable, may or may not be able to do magic but definitely gives great banter and dry wit.
The supernaturals include just about every race you can think of but the core team consists or an elf, a troll, a demon, a talking crow and a bunch of dwarfs.
"Breaking The Lore" was light, fast fun with some original twists, humour that will make you laugh or groan and some methods of combat that I've never seen used before. Probably best enjoyed on a sunny day with a beer in your hand and your favourite comfort food / snacks nearby.
Of course, any book that involves a senior police officer stumbling across the existence of large numbers of supernatural creates in Manchester is bound to be unconventional. Add in demons as the supernatural creature all the other supernaturals hate and then set up the possibility of a demon war in Manchester's leafy suburbs and you have something decidedly odd.
I was encouraged by the first two sentences of "Breaking The Lore". They're up there at the top of my "set the bar high" quotes for starting a book:
Discovering fairies at the bottom of the garden is supposed to be good luck. Except when the fairy has been crucified.
This kind of humour by juxtaposition is one of the things the book does well, constantly appearing to lead you in one direction and while really heading in another. It's also not above corny jokes, over-elaborate groan-making puns and character names that take the piss - a troll princess called Rocky - really?.
Some of the humour comes from playing off almost-clichéd characters against each other in unexpected ways. The core human team is a clever but not sociable Detective Inspector who "lubricates" his problem-solving by drinking large amounts of whiskey while alone, a Detective Sargeant who is big, strong, enthusiastic and seems too stupid ever to have passed the Sargeant's exam and a young (at least by comparison to the middle-aged Detective Inspector) Witch who is unflappable, may or may not be able to do magic but definitely gives great banter and dry wit.
The supernaturals include just about every race you can think of but the core team consists or an elf, a troll, a demon, a talking crow and a bunch of dwarfs.
"Breaking The Lore" was light, fast fun with some original twists, humour that will make you laugh or groan and some methods of combat that I've never seen used before. Probably best enjoyed on a sunny day with a beer in your hand and your favourite comfort food / snacks nearby.
May 6, 2019
Creating a fantasy world that appeals to readers is difficult, everyone has their own preconceptions of what should be in this world, what the creatures look like, and how they behave. The key is perhaps to hold back on the descriptions of your fantasy creatures and let your reader imagine them. This is what I like to do, but in this mystery the creatures are so well defined, it leaves little to the imagination.
Once you've achieved this, the next obstacle is how to create a story that fits in with the world you've created, and entertains your reader. I have no problem believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden, or another world running parallel to ours, but largely unseen by humans. However, some of the descriptions of the creatures living in this fantasy world didn't resonate. Believable characters or ones you can empathise, are important for the reader to connect to the story. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that connection with any of the characters in this story.
Inspector Paris is amusing, but his addiction to cigarettes and whiskey, apparently supported by his employers didn't ring true. A functioning alcoholic for a detective is not a new concept, but this didn't fit with his almost naive belief in the supernatural. unless of course, they are part of his drunken haze?
The story fits into the cozy mystery genre, but the supernatural elements, if any, are usually implied rather than implict.as in this case. I admire the courage to merge genres but maybe the fantasy needs taming a little and the mystery deepening for it to work effectively.
The pacing and plot are good. The dynamics between the main players believable, and often amusing, If you are looking for a lighthearted read, and enjoy this type of urban fantasy, this is worth a read.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Once you've achieved this, the next obstacle is how to create a story that fits in with the world you've created, and entertains your reader. I have no problem believing in fairies at the bottom of the garden, or another world running parallel to ours, but largely unseen by humans. However, some of the descriptions of the creatures living in this fantasy world didn't resonate. Believable characters or ones you can empathise, are important for the reader to connect to the story. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that connection with any of the characters in this story.
Inspector Paris is amusing, but his addiction to cigarettes and whiskey, apparently supported by his employers didn't ring true. A functioning alcoholic for a detective is not a new concept, but this didn't fit with his almost naive belief in the supernatural. unless of course, they are part of his drunken haze?
The story fits into the cozy mystery genre, but the supernatural elements, if any, are usually implied rather than implict.as in this case. I admire the courage to merge genres but maybe the fantasy needs taming a little and the mystery deepening for it to work effectively.
The pacing and plot are good. The dynamics between the main players believable, and often amusing, If you are looking for a lighthearted read, and enjoy this type of urban fantasy, this is worth a read.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 28, 2021
***Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Egmont audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook. This review is given freely in my own words***
This was a fun take on a modern “fairy” tale. Detective Paris has a dead fairy on his hands but everyone knows those things don’t exist, except he’s finding out that they do! It’s rather funny how everyone sort of takes everything in stride in this book. It’s a light and easy mystery with a fun mythological twist. All sorts of creatures of lore come out of the woodwork here and it’s up to DI Parris to figure out what’s going on. I enjoyed the characters, the playfulness and the world building, despite it being urban fantasy.
Somethings that I didn’t love was the author is a bit heavy handed with the metaphors. They are overused and a little clunky. Bordering on campy. In addition, the main character has a lot of repetition in his thought processes. The number of times he said he “didn’t know if he could trust” a certain character or that another character “was crazy” or “took everything in stride” as though that was a new discovery each time was bordering on distracting. He said it or thought it almost every-time the characters interacted, and they were major characters, so it was often.
The narrator did a great job differentiating the characters and they were very easy to listen to an understand! They made it interesting!
This was a fun take on a modern “fairy” tale. Detective Paris has a dead fairy on his hands but everyone knows those things don’t exist, except he’s finding out that they do! It’s rather funny how everyone sort of takes everything in stride in this book. It’s a light and easy mystery with a fun mythological twist. All sorts of creatures of lore come out of the woodwork here and it’s up to DI Parris to figure out what’s going on. I enjoyed the characters, the playfulness and the world building, despite it being urban fantasy.
Somethings that I didn’t love was the author is a bit heavy handed with the metaphors. They are overused and a little clunky. Bordering on campy. In addition, the main character has a lot of repetition in his thought processes. The number of times he said he “didn’t know if he could trust” a certain character or that another character “was crazy” or “took everything in stride” as though that was a new discovery each time was bordering on distracting. He said it or thought it almost every-time the characters interacted, and they were major characters, so it was often.
The narrator did a great job differentiating the characters and they were very easy to listen to an understand! They made it interesting!
July 24, 2021
Let’s start with this, the narrator, John Last, is brilliant!
Tl;dr: an inspector that doesn’t believe in magic, an elf, a rock troll named Rocky, demons, and a lot of jokes.
So what’s this book about? Breaking the Lore is about an inspector who doesn’t believe in magic investigating the death of a fairy. It sounds interesting right? What could go wrong?
The writing style wasn’t for me though. Personally it felt a bit too bland. I can’t see myself reading this book without DNFing it, but the narrator did an AMAZING job in making it more interesting (accents and distinct characters and all that, the narrator gets five stars from me)
It’s a good start if you don’t read much urban fantasy.
The first few jokes were funny, the whole diverting expectations thing, like a crow that sounds like an East End gangster, that’s not expected! I liked that! But then overuse this and our expectations would be “nothing can be taken seriously, we can already tell a joke is coming” (which might be enjoyable, it just didn’t work for me)
Oh and I LOVED Cassandra
Overall: alright story with enjoyable narration
- thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review-
Tl;dr: an inspector that doesn’t believe in magic, an elf, a rock troll named Rocky, demons, and a lot of jokes.
So what’s this book about? Breaking the Lore is about an inspector who doesn’t believe in magic investigating the death of a fairy. It sounds interesting right? What could go wrong?
The writing style wasn’t for me though. Personally it felt a bit too bland. I can’t see myself reading this book without DNFing it, but the narrator did an AMAZING job in making it more interesting (accents and distinct characters and all that, the narrator gets five stars from me)
It’s a good start if you don’t read much urban fantasy.
The first few jokes were funny, the whole diverting expectations thing, like a crow that sounds like an East End gangster, that’s not expected! I liked that! But then overuse this and our expectations would be “nothing can be taken seriously, we can already tell a joke is coming” (which might be enjoyable, it just didn’t work for me)
Oh and I LOVED Cassandra
Overall: alright story with enjoyable narration
- thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review-
July 8, 2021
The concept of this book was so intriguing - Paris, a copper from Manchester, unwittingly stumbling across the mythical and supernatural world and getting pulled into all the drama that ensued, fighting creatures and beings in fairytales. Fairies, talking crows, elves and dwarves, I mean, what more could you want?!
I really enjoyed listening to this. The audiobook was great and I loved how the author wrote this. It was witty, funny, light hearted and very entertaining. A great book to curl up with in the evening, with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. It was really enjoyable and the hours flew by listening to it!
It was a definite laugh out loud read, with plenty to keep you listening (or reading). The plot kept you engaged and intrigued to find out how it would all conclude and how it would end. I had no idea what was going to happen and it was great to navigate this world with Paris and all the mystical world and creatures had to offer.
It’s one of those books that you can’t fall out with and I can’t wait for more in this series in the future!
Thank you to the authors and publishers via NetGalley for this audiobook, in return for my honest thoughts and review.
I really enjoyed listening to this. The audiobook was great and I loved how the author wrote this. It was witty, funny, light hearted and very entertaining. A great book to curl up with in the evening, with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. It was really enjoyable and the hours flew by listening to it!
It was a definite laugh out loud read, with plenty to keep you listening (or reading). The plot kept you engaged and intrigued to find out how it would all conclude and how it would end. I had no idea what was going to happen and it was great to navigate this world with Paris and all the mystical world and creatures had to offer.
It’s one of those books that you can’t fall out with and I can’t wait for more in this series in the future!
Thank you to the authors and publishers via NetGalley for this audiobook, in return for my honest thoughts and review.
September 12, 2021
Are you looking for humour and mystery? Creatures from myth and folklore in modern society? You've found the right book then. Inspector Nick Paris works for the Manchester police, and has a penchant for solving complicated crimes by having a glass or two of whisky and reaching a conclusion as he reaches the bottom of the glass. But what do you do when an honest-to-god fairy is found crucified? Six inches tall, bewinged little creature, stone dead and nailed to two crossed pieces of wood? Paris doesn't believe in mythological creatures, but he has no choice it seems. Especially when an elf appears to help him solve the mystery... and then a whole gaggle of dwarves, a stone troll and some demons. Who may, or may not, be planning to invade our world?
I had lots of fun reading this book. Giggling, sometimes laughing hysterically, and somehow feeling the author had just as much fun writing it as I had reading it. I left a couple of bookmarks so I can easily find my favourite quotes. Things like "These are not the druids you are looking for." or "hoist by his own pet aardvark".
Now to see if there are more books about Nick Paris... I certainly hope so!
I had lots of fun reading this book. Giggling, sometimes laughing hysterically, and somehow feeling the author had just as much fun writing it as I had reading it. I left a couple of bookmarks so I can easily find my favourite quotes. Things like "These are not the druids you are looking for." or "hoist by his own pet aardvark".
Now to see if there are more books about Nick Paris... I certainly hope so!
April 11, 2019
I requested this book because I'm a fan of Douglas Adams and Ben Aaronovitch. Somebody forgot to add Terry Pratchett, Jim Butcher or Kevin Hearne.
Because there are echoes of all these writers in this book, a book that is amazing.
I can use some more adjective it's funny, entertaining, engaging, enthralling. Choose one, all can be used to define how I feel about this book.
I think that characters like Malbus are a stroke of genius, just like nearly all characters in this book.
I read it as fast as I could, I laughed out loud and couldn't put it down.
I can also say that the plot was great and full of great ideas.
As far as I understand this is the first in a series and this makes me happy because it means I just discovered a new amazing series and I hope there will be a lot of installment as funny as this one.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Because there are echoes of all these writers in this book, a book that is amazing.
I can use some more adjective it's funny, entertaining, engaging, enthralling. Choose one, all can be used to define how I feel about this book.
I think that characters like Malbus are a stroke of genius, just like nearly all characters in this book.
I read it as fast as I could, I laughed out loud and couldn't put it down.
I can also say that the plot was great and full of great ideas.
As far as I understand this is the first in a series and this makes me happy because it means I just discovered a new amazing series and I hope there will be a lot of installment as funny as this one.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
May 30, 2020
This first book of the Inspector Paris Mysteries was funny and surprising. The story was rather farcical* and I laughed out loud when yet another magical creature appeared throught the portal. A good and funny read without much effort needed to follow the storyline.
* I had to look up this term, because of my limited knowledge of English terms for different types of humor. I used the websit https://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-t... and found the description for 'farcical' most appropriate. If you have any suggestions as to different terms: please let me know!
* I had to look up this term, because of my limited knowledge of English terms for different types of humor. I used the websit https://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-t... and found the description for 'farcical' most appropriate. If you have any suggestions as to different terms: please let me know!
July 31, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.
Breaking the Lore begins a new series of fantasy adventure for Inspector Nick Paris. After finding the body of a crucified fairy, Inspector Paris is pulled into a world filled with all magical sorts in an attempt to prevent demons from overrunning the world via a portal in Manchester. Silliness and hyginks ensue.
This was a fun and light read. It gave me Douglas Adams vibes right from the start, with hilarious inner monologue as well as fulfilling dialog. The characters were all a hoot to get to know better, even if it did seem the mystery itself took a backseat to comedy. This was a solid novel that opens a new world for exploration in the future, I just don't think it was the right book for me as I found it a bit "middle of the road" quality.
If you love Hitchhikers or Good Omens, give this a read as it will be right up your alley. I recommend this for all readers of all ages as there is nothing inappropriate and it is a good time.
Breaking the Lore begins a new series of fantasy adventure for Inspector Nick Paris. After finding the body of a crucified fairy, Inspector Paris is pulled into a world filled with all magical sorts in an attempt to prevent demons from overrunning the world via a portal in Manchester. Silliness and hyginks ensue.
This was a fun and light read. It gave me Douglas Adams vibes right from the start, with hilarious inner monologue as well as fulfilling dialog. The characters were all a hoot to get to know better, even if it did seem the mystery itself took a backseat to comedy. This was a solid novel that opens a new world for exploration in the future, I just don't think it was the right book for me as I found it a bit "middle of the road" quality.
If you love Hitchhikers or Good Omens, give this a read as it will be right up your alley. I recommend this for all readers of all ages as there is nothing inappropriate and it is a good time.
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