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Norylska Groans
Norylska Groans...
with the weight of her crimes. In a city where winter reigns amid the fires of industry and war, soot and snow conspire to conceal centuries of death and deception.
Norylska Groans...
and the weight of a leaden sky threatens to crush her people. Katyushka Leonova, desperate to restore her family name, takes a job with Norylska's brutal police force. To support his family, Genndy Antonov finds bloody work with a local crime syndicate.
Norylska Groans...
with the weight of her dead. As bodies fall, the two discover a foul truth hidden beneath layers of deception and violence: Come the thaw, what was buried will be revealed.
with the weight of her crimes. In a city where winter reigns amid the fires of industry and war, soot and snow conspire to conceal centuries of death and deception.
Norylska Groans...
and the weight of a leaden sky threatens to crush her people. Katyushka Leonova, desperate to restore her family name, takes a job with Norylska's brutal police force. To support his family, Genndy Antonov finds bloody work with a local crime syndicate.
Norylska Groans...
with the weight of her dead. As bodies fall, the two discover a foul truth hidden beneath layers of deception and violence: Come the thaw, what was buried will be revealed.
Paperback
First published May 10, 2021
64 people are currently reading
1312 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Fletcher
51 books1,324 followersMichael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
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Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
Instagram: fletcher_michael_r
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
March 13, 2023
Norylska Groans is a tour de force from two of the top authors in grimdark fantasy. The story is set in the Russia-inspired industrial city of Norylska, the perfect setting for an urban grimdark novel, bathed in filth and constantly groaning from its brutal cold and wind.
As an avid fan of both classic Russian literature and grimdark fantasy, I loved every aspect of this book. With an assortment of pseudo-Russian slang and an ultraviolent cast of characters, there is also a clear inspiration from A Clockwork Orange.
Much of the book revolves around memory stones, which store memories and even personality traits from the individuals who wear them. Dostoevsky would be impressed with the depth of psychological analysis in this book, as the traits from the memory stones fight against the personality (and often sanity) of those who wear them.
The concept of this book is so creative, combining some of my favorite literary elements from across multiple genres. It's the type of book that makes me think: "I wish I had thought of this."
But is it grimdark enough? Ummmm...yes. Fletcher and Snyder cranked the grimdark knob up to eleven, and then kept turning it up until the knob broke off and sank into a pool of blood. This book is manna from hell for grimdark lovers.
If you love grimdark, you need to read this book. 'Nuff said.
As an avid fan of both classic Russian literature and grimdark fantasy, I loved every aspect of this book. With an assortment of pseudo-Russian slang and an ultraviolent cast of characters, there is also a clear inspiration from A Clockwork Orange.
Much of the book revolves around memory stones, which store memories and even personality traits from the individuals who wear them. Dostoevsky would be impressed with the depth of psychological analysis in this book, as the traits from the memory stones fight against the personality (and often sanity) of those who wear them.
The concept of this book is so creative, combining some of my favorite literary elements from across multiple genres. It's the type of book that makes me think: "I wish I had thought of this."
But is it grimdark enough? Ummmm...yes. Fletcher and Snyder cranked the grimdark knob up to eleven, and then kept turning it up until the knob broke off and sank into a pool of blood. This book is manna from hell for grimdark lovers.
If you love grimdark, you need to read this book. 'Nuff said.
July 1, 2021
I'm a huge fan of both Clayton Snyder and Michael Fletcher's books. So when I heard that they were collaborating on a novel together, well there were two things that I was certain of. One, it would be super dark with a "bit of the old ultraviolence", to coin a phrase from A Clockwork Orange. Two, it would be a mesmerizing read that I wouldn't want to put down. Now having read NORYLSKA GROANS, I'm happy to say that I was correct on both counts.
This is a low-fantasy story that takes place in a sort of Industrial Russia setting. Life is bleak for many of the inhabitants of Norylska, as just to survive many of them join up with the local crime syndicates that rule the city with a merciless vigor. It's really quite simple, if you are weak here, you die. And mostly a very painful and slow death if you end up crossing the wrong people. You can just feel the hopelessness dripping from the pages in the first few chapters as we are introduced to the two main characters Kat and Gen.
Kat is determined to reclaim a life that was once hers and that she wants to have again. Stuck in a bad situation with a ineffectual boyfriend, she is tired of walking through dangerous neighborhoods and risking her life just to get groceries. When she is approached by someone in local law enforcement offering her a job, she sees it as a way out of the malaise that has trapped her all these years. But this is Norylska, and even those claiming to uphold the law are dirty in their own way and have motivations that go way beyond simply helping people.
Gen is very similar to Kat in that he is desperate to provide a better life for his family. After losing his job he sinks into a quick depression that leads him to a place where he is also offered an opportunity. An opportunity to escape the squalor and filth that he and the love of his life Irina exist in every day. With a new baby on the way, his desperation is even that much greater. The difference is, those who wish to employ the services of Gen are the most ruthless and violet criminals that you would ever not want to meet.
As the story begins to take hold, we get to experience each individual POV as its own separate storyline but at a certain point, as you would assume, they do converge and become different viewpoints of the same story. Once that happens, this book goes from great to overwhelmingly extraordinary in my opinion. And when all is said and done I was left shaking my head at the brilliance of this story and how superbly Fletcher and Snyder wove those threads into a smash-mouth, full throttle, INSANE thriller of a book that I won't soon forget.
I loved, loved, loved this book so much. The magic is on the light side, but what an awesome magic system it is. It is primarily based in what are called memory stones that are worn around the neck. Many of the stones are infused with the memories of those who had worn them previously and died. Some are even infused with attributes of aggressive animals. The purpose of wearing the stones is to improve certain traits of the wearer that they may be short on. Like courage, or patience, or compassion. The problem is those who are weak of mind may also run the risk of those memories or attributes in the stones taking over and possibly changing them in some very unpleasant ways. It really is one of the cooler magic systems that I have read.
This book is about the two main characters though and how in attempting to better their individual situations, get sucked deeper and deeper into things that they can't get out of. To the point where they actually risk losing it all for the final endgame. The book shines when these characters are deep in the muck and doing what they have to do to survive, by any means possible, most incredibly brutal and violent. Yes, I have to warn you that this is a dark book and if you are triggered by violence and some intense torture scenes, this probably won't be your type of read. However, I thought that the violence aspect was in perfect proportion to the dreary setting and plot of the story, so it really worked for me.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the dialogue, which is just top notch. The amount of incredibly intense verbal exchanges and killer quotes in this book are too numerous to mention. I started writing them down and just gave up because I couldn't pick just one or two to include in the review. Just read the book and you'll see what I mean. I also loved that sometimes right in the middle of a brutal scene, a character will drop a zinger of a funny line. It was a brilliant way to totally break the tension, if only for a few seconds before the bones began to break. Simply brilliant I thought and a hallmark of two of the best dialogue writers in the business. I expect no less from these guys.
This was such a different read from the usual fantasy for me, and I think that is why I ripped through it so quickly. I read it first thing in the morning, I read it while I was cooking, I stole minutes to read it when I was supposed to be working, I mean, I was transfixed by this book so much. I can't yell enough about it honestly. I hope that it gets the readership that it deserves because it would be a crime otherwise. Think Robert J. Bennett's Divine Cities trilogy crossed with a little Philip Kerr and Dostoevsky and you are in the general neighborhood of NORYLSKA GROANS. This is an amazing read that should garner praise from every corner of the fantasy universe. It certainly gets mine, that's for sure.
This is a low-fantasy story that takes place in a sort of Industrial Russia setting. Life is bleak for many of the inhabitants of Norylska, as just to survive many of them join up with the local crime syndicates that rule the city with a merciless vigor. It's really quite simple, if you are weak here, you die. And mostly a very painful and slow death if you end up crossing the wrong people. You can just feel the hopelessness dripping from the pages in the first few chapters as we are introduced to the two main characters Kat and Gen.
Kat is determined to reclaim a life that was once hers and that she wants to have again. Stuck in a bad situation with a ineffectual boyfriend, she is tired of walking through dangerous neighborhoods and risking her life just to get groceries. When she is approached by someone in local law enforcement offering her a job, she sees it as a way out of the malaise that has trapped her all these years. But this is Norylska, and even those claiming to uphold the law are dirty in their own way and have motivations that go way beyond simply helping people.
Gen is very similar to Kat in that he is desperate to provide a better life for his family. After losing his job he sinks into a quick depression that leads him to a place where he is also offered an opportunity. An opportunity to escape the squalor and filth that he and the love of his life Irina exist in every day. With a new baby on the way, his desperation is even that much greater. The difference is, those who wish to employ the services of Gen are the most ruthless and violet criminals that you would ever not want to meet.
As the story begins to take hold, we get to experience each individual POV as its own separate storyline but at a certain point, as you would assume, they do converge and become different viewpoints of the same story. Once that happens, this book goes from great to overwhelmingly extraordinary in my opinion. And when all is said and done I was left shaking my head at the brilliance of this story and how superbly Fletcher and Snyder wove those threads into a smash-mouth, full throttle, INSANE thriller of a book that I won't soon forget.
I loved, loved, loved this book so much. The magic is on the light side, but what an awesome magic system it is. It is primarily based in what are called memory stones that are worn around the neck. Many of the stones are infused with the memories of those who had worn them previously and died. Some are even infused with attributes of aggressive animals. The purpose of wearing the stones is to improve certain traits of the wearer that they may be short on. Like courage, or patience, or compassion. The problem is those who are weak of mind may also run the risk of those memories or attributes in the stones taking over and possibly changing them in some very unpleasant ways. It really is one of the cooler magic systems that I have read.
This book is about the two main characters though and how in attempting to better their individual situations, get sucked deeper and deeper into things that they can't get out of. To the point where they actually risk losing it all for the final endgame. The book shines when these characters are deep in the muck and doing what they have to do to survive, by any means possible, most incredibly brutal and violent. Yes, I have to warn you that this is a dark book and if you are triggered by violence and some intense torture scenes, this probably won't be your type of read. However, I thought that the violence aspect was in perfect proportion to the dreary setting and plot of the story, so it really worked for me.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the dialogue, which is just top notch. The amount of incredibly intense verbal exchanges and killer quotes in this book are too numerous to mention. I started writing them down and just gave up because I couldn't pick just one or two to include in the review. Just read the book and you'll see what I mean. I also loved that sometimes right in the middle of a brutal scene, a character will drop a zinger of a funny line. It was a brilliant way to totally break the tension, if only for a few seconds before the bones began to break. Simply brilliant I thought and a hallmark of two of the best dialogue writers in the business. I expect no less from these guys.
This was such a different read from the usual fantasy for me, and I think that is why I ripped through it so quickly. I read it first thing in the morning, I read it while I was cooking, I stole minutes to read it when I was supposed to be working, I mean, I was transfixed by this book so much. I can't yell enough about it honestly. I hope that it gets the readership that it deserves because it would be a crime otherwise. Think Robert J. Bennett's Divine Cities trilogy crossed with a little Philip Kerr and Dostoevsky and you are in the general neighborhood of NORYLSKA GROANS. This is an amazing read that should garner praise from every corner of the fantasy universe. It certainly gets mine, that's for sure.
September 20, 2021
In Norylska Groans Michael R Fletcher and Clayton W Snyder have concocted a sharply honed tale that twists and coils like a hissing rattlesnake. Rich in bone crunching violence and a grimly convincing sense of place and character, I found this an addictive mix of gangland intrigue and historical fantasy. More please.
November 14, 2021
Another absolute ripper of a grimdark read from my new favourite author, Michael R. Fletcher and new-to-me Clayton W. Snyder.
This is the kind of grimdark that brings a psychological component into your usual grimdark staples of violence and damaged characters doing wrong but that we're rooting for anyway, all with a backdrop of miserable, cold, ugliness.
The story revolves around stones being able to absorb memories or personality traits from one person and pass them on to another person when they wear the stone. The magic system is stellar, the way the State (Flintlock Russia) uses the stones is devious and the ramifications to the wearer are a solid gold mind-fuck. So much good in so much bad.
The grimdark seemed kind of tame for the first half of the book, but don't get too comfortable because it turns absolutely ghastly and you find yourself trying to look away in horror while still trying to continue reading. Overall, it's seriously high-grade grimdark, not for the faint of heart.
The first few chapters read like they were obviously written by different people, Gen's sounding very Fletcher-esk and Kat's seeming good but different. I don't know if that's how they did it but it sounded that way to me and I was almost disappointed it wasn't all Fletcher-esk. But at some point early on they managed to smooth out the differences and it all flowed much better from one PoV to the next.
I would highly recommend this to anyone confident in their love of grimdark.
This is the kind of grimdark that brings a psychological component into your usual grimdark staples of violence and damaged characters doing wrong but that we're rooting for anyway, all with a backdrop of miserable, cold, ugliness.
The story revolves around stones being able to absorb memories or personality traits from one person and pass them on to another person when they wear the stone. The magic system is stellar, the way the State (Flintlock Russia) uses the stones is devious and the ramifications to the wearer are a solid gold mind-fuck. So much good in so much bad.
The grimdark seemed kind of tame for the first half of the book, but don't get too comfortable because it turns absolutely ghastly and you find yourself trying to look away in horror while still trying to continue reading. Overall, it's seriously high-grade grimdark, not for the faint of heart.
The first few chapters read like they were obviously written by different people, Gen's sounding very Fletcher-esk and Kat's seeming good but different. I don't know if that's how they did it but it sounded that way to me and I was almost disappointed it wasn't all Fletcher-esk. But at some point early on they managed to smooth out the differences and it all flowed much better from one PoV to the next.
I would highly recommend this to anyone confident in their love of grimdark.
Want to read
October 28, 2021I haven't read this yet, but it has been chosen as one of 10 finalists from 300 entries to the 7th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off ... so it must be good!
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Check it out.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year mailing list #prizes
July 21, 2022
Read this hot on the heels of Swarm and Steel and quickly fell in love yet again. I was kinda curious with having a co-author how this one would hold up. Rest assured, the grim, the dark, it's all there.
For me, it says a lot about Fletcher having the ability to draw me into a story like this. At its core, this is a cop drama/mystery. But the way Fletcher and company are able to present this, while making the setting unique yet identifiable as pre-revolutionary Russia, is excellent. I'm not huge on cop drama/mysteries, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.
The story is told through two main character perspectives, and the mystery/twist was, splendid, as is the weaving of the two perspectives into one as they encounter each other. All in all, another great read by Fletcher.
For me, it says a lot about Fletcher having the ability to draw me into a story like this. At its core, this is a cop drama/mystery. But the way Fletcher and company are able to present this, while making the setting unique yet identifiable as pre-revolutionary Russia, is excellent. I'm not huge on cop drama/mysteries, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.
The story is told through two main character perspectives, and the mystery/twist was, splendid, as is the weaving of the two perspectives into one as they encounter each other. All in all, another great read by Fletcher.
April 16, 2022
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Read this as a guest judge (With FanFiAddict) for SPFBO 7.
Actual Rating: 8.5/10
I usually feel skittish around books that are co-authored because it means there should be a high level of understanding between the authors in order for the reader not to feel that they were reading two books and I am glad to say Fletcher and Snyder did a great job at that! I have read one book by Fletcher before and enjoyed it and haven’t read any books by Snyder so I did not know what to expect but I was very satisfied by the end of this book.
The story follows two main characters: Katyusha and Genndy. Kat finds herself working with the police force and Gen is working with a criminal group. The book has multiple POVs and both were very well written -I enjoyed Kat’s chapter a little more and to be honest I don’t know who wrote her- The writing is very atmospheric, I felt that the world was cold and dark and both authors were great at showing rather than telling.
I really loved the prose, I highlighted a ton of quotes and paragraphs and I specially liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The writing is gritty and there was a great level of synchronization between the authors that just made the story flow!
The world-building is also top notch. As I mentioned before, it was very atmospheric but I also loved the magic system which is simple but very creative. There are stones that can store people’s memories and some attributes and when people wear them, they get the memories of whoever had them before. You can imagine the potential of twists and turns that this system allows and which the authors put to good use! It kind of gave me Sanderson vibes!
I thought the story would take me much more time to go through but I finished it in 3 days which just shows how addicting it really was. I loved the focus on grey characters and grey morals which was reflected in many quotes and scenes through the book.
Summary: Snyder and Fletcher both did a great job in writing this with a killer prose, a very smart and creative magical systems, a cold and dark world-building and a story that kept me on my tip toes till the end. I really hope they get to collaborate more in the future!
Read this as a guest judge (With FanFiAddict) for SPFBO 7.
Actual Rating: 8.5/10
“If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
I usually feel skittish around books that are co-authored because it means there should be a high level of understanding between the authors in order for the reader not to feel that they were reading two books and I am glad to say Fletcher and Snyder did a great job at that! I have read one book by Fletcher before and enjoyed it and haven’t read any books by Snyder so I did not know what to expect but I was very satisfied by the end of this book.
The story follows two main characters: Katyusha and Genndy. Kat finds herself working with the police force and Gen is working with a criminal group. The book has multiple POVs and both were very well written -I enjoyed Kat’s chapter a little more and to be honest I don’t know who wrote her- The writing is very atmospheric, I felt that the world was cold and dark and both authors were great at showing rather than telling.
I really loved the prose, I highlighted a ton of quotes and paragraphs and I specially liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The writing is gritty and there was a great level of synchronization between the authors that just made the story flow!
“If a man is a book, as Lavrenti wrote, then war rewrote it from page one. ”
The world-building is also top notch. As I mentioned before, it was very atmospheric but I also loved the magic system which is simple but very creative. There are stones that can store people’s memories and some attributes and when people wear them, they get the memories of whoever had them before. You can imagine the potential of twists and turns that this system allows and which the authors put to good use! It kind of gave me Sanderson vibes!
I thought the story would take me much more time to go through but I finished it in 3 days which just shows how addicting it really was. I loved the focus on grey characters and grey morals which was reflected in many quotes and scenes through the book.
All Kievan’s greatest philosophers are from Norylska because Norylska teaches us the one truth: Life is grey.
There are moments of black, when the dust from the smelting furnaces blanket the city in soot.
There are moments of white, after a fresh snow fall.
But they are moments.
Grey is the natural state.
Summary: Snyder and Fletcher both did a great job in writing this with a killer prose, a very smart and creative magical systems, a cold and dark world-building and a story that kept me on my tip toes till the end. I really hope they get to collaborate more in the future!
May 11, 2021
https://www.bookwormblues.net/2021/05...
Norylska Groans was a book I was delighted to work on. I love working on all of Fletcher’s stuff, and I know Snyder well enough to know I’d love working on something he wrote. The idea of the two of them working together really pleased me. I thought they’d probably complement each other style-wise quite well, and I wasn’t wrong.
This book was basically made for me for several reasons. First, I’m a bit of a Russian history geek so any book based on that region of the world instantly appeals to me. I love it. Especially if it’s so well-crafted I can immediately tell what it’s based on. Secondly, I enjoy dark character-driven journeys. Furthermore, I love magic systems that are a good balance of risk and reward, and friends, this book had one of my favorite magic systems I’ve run across in a long time.
Norilsk is Russia’s northernmost city. I highly advise you to go look up documentaries on this place on Youtube because it’s fascinating (again, I totally geek out over stuff like this). The city itself relies heavily on mining for its existence, and is one of the most polluted cities in Russia. As you can see from the title of the book, and the name of this city, one uses the other largely for its fantasy inspiration.
And the authors do quite well bringing this place to life. The city itself is clearly based on the real world location, but under Fletcher and Snyder’s careful ministrations, it becomes a city that is purely its own animal, reliant on itself for its existence. In fact, the city is so real, it feels like a place I could visit (though I don’t want to, to be honest). The streets come to life, as do the people who live there. It is messy, and cold, and steeped in misery, and yet despite all that, the city itself determinedly persists, existing in a climate that seems nearly impossible to live in, in a world that is too brutal, raw, and messy to lead to any real happiness or satisfaction.
I could feel the dirt, the cold, in my bones as I read. It became part of me.
Factory work, war, tsars and industry haunt the periphery of this book, some more present and prevalent than others, though all of them play a role in making Norylska what it is, and the personal price paid for these things is, at times, high. Flashbacks of war, of brutal times, pepper this novel, not only showing the agony of what some people must endure, but also give tantalizing hints of the wider world, while showing just how actions and consequences can fracture a person’s psyche, and shatter their soul.
This isn’t a book about happy people making choices. Right away, readers will be thrust into the lives of two protagonists, each of whom has been tarnished and dinged by their own lives. Each of whom, are scarred. Genndy Antonov, an ex-soldier from the war, struggles with a mixing and merging of past horrors and current dark deeds. Finding himself steeped in organized crime, he seems to lose a bit more of himself in each paragraph. The slow bleeding away of this man was fascinating to watch, and while his hopes and desires are burning embers lighting the horizon of his life, they gradually move further and further out of reach. He is forced to make impossible decisions, in impossible situations, and finds himself capable of terrible things.
What makes him different than most other grimdark slumlords I’ve read about was how divided he was between his yearning for family, happiness, security, and the things he has been forced to do in his past, and is forced to do in his present. The authors never shy away from showing not just how torn he is, but how personally painful that rupture within himself actually is.
On the other side, we’ve got Katyushka Leonova, a woman who likewise is tarnished, dinged, and a bit lost though in different way. In a bad relationship, poor, and desperate, she ends up taking a job she thinks will be one thing, and ends up being another entirely. Soon, she’s steeped in a situation she can’t understand, and doesn’t really want to be part of. Her life changes in unpredictable ways, and the physical and emotional toll on her are likewise not glossed over, or prettied up.
It’s this staggering realism, the messy complexities of both the city and the people who inhabit it that make Norylska Groans so damn addictive. Here, we are not just thrust into a dark world, but we live it. We see characters who have already been irreversibly marked by the simple act of surviving this long in this place, slowly fray, crack and shatter. The pressure is enormous, the action is nonstop, the slow slide from one dark well to another is so agonizingly detailed, it is impossible to ignore, to not feel.
The magic system, as I’ve mentioned above, is one of my favorites I’ve come across in a while. It’s both subtle and extremely powerful. Dealing with something as fundamental as personality and memory, this magic system has the capabilities to alter the bedrock of a person’s personhood, and it can be flipped on and off like a light. Once I understood the magic system, and the ramifications of something like this, both for good and ill, I was basically obsessed. A good magic system needs to have an even balance of positives and negatives, and the ones the authors thought of here were nothing short of genius, and fit so well in a world this complex, real, and gritty.
I’m afraid to say more about it lest I spoil the book for others. Suffice it to say, it’s amazing. Trust me.
So, where does this leave us?
Norylska Groans is a book that hits you like a sucker punch to your solar plexus. Then, it sort of wraps one fist around your throat and one around your heart and squeezes just enough to make you pay attention. It’s uncomfortable, dark, and more real than real. Reader, this book hurts, but it’s the kind of pain I just couldn’t get enough of.
Absolutely brilliant.
Norylska Groans was a book I was delighted to work on. I love working on all of Fletcher’s stuff, and I know Snyder well enough to know I’d love working on something he wrote. The idea of the two of them working together really pleased me. I thought they’d probably complement each other style-wise quite well, and I wasn’t wrong.
This book was basically made for me for several reasons. First, I’m a bit of a Russian history geek so any book based on that region of the world instantly appeals to me. I love it. Especially if it’s so well-crafted I can immediately tell what it’s based on. Secondly, I enjoy dark character-driven journeys. Furthermore, I love magic systems that are a good balance of risk and reward, and friends, this book had one of my favorite magic systems I’ve run across in a long time.
Norilsk is Russia’s northernmost city. I highly advise you to go look up documentaries on this place on Youtube because it’s fascinating (again, I totally geek out over stuff like this). The city itself relies heavily on mining for its existence, and is one of the most polluted cities in Russia. As you can see from the title of the book, and the name of this city, one uses the other largely for its fantasy inspiration.
And the authors do quite well bringing this place to life. The city itself is clearly based on the real world location, but under Fletcher and Snyder’s careful ministrations, it becomes a city that is purely its own animal, reliant on itself for its existence. In fact, the city is so real, it feels like a place I could visit (though I don’t want to, to be honest). The streets come to life, as do the people who live there. It is messy, and cold, and steeped in misery, and yet despite all that, the city itself determinedly persists, existing in a climate that seems nearly impossible to live in, in a world that is too brutal, raw, and messy to lead to any real happiness or satisfaction.
I could feel the dirt, the cold, in my bones as I read. It became part of me.
Factory work, war, tsars and industry haunt the periphery of this book, some more present and prevalent than others, though all of them play a role in making Norylska what it is, and the personal price paid for these things is, at times, high. Flashbacks of war, of brutal times, pepper this novel, not only showing the agony of what some people must endure, but also give tantalizing hints of the wider world, while showing just how actions and consequences can fracture a person’s psyche, and shatter their soul.
This isn’t a book about happy people making choices. Right away, readers will be thrust into the lives of two protagonists, each of whom has been tarnished and dinged by their own lives. Each of whom, are scarred. Genndy Antonov, an ex-soldier from the war, struggles with a mixing and merging of past horrors and current dark deeds. Finding himself steeped in organized crime, he seems to lose a bit more of himself in each paragraph. The slow bleeding away of this man was fascinating to watch, and while his hopes and desires are burning embers lighting the horizon of his life, they gradually move further and further out of reach. He is forced to make impossible decisions, in impossible situations, and finds himself capable of terrible things.
What makes him different than most other grimdark slumlords I’ve read about was how divided he was between his yearning for family, happiness, security, and the things he has been forced to do in his past, and is forced to do in his present. The authors never shy away from showing not just how torn he is, but how personally painful that rupture within himself actually is.
On the other side, we’ve got Katyushka Leonova, a woman who likewise is tarnished, dinged, and a bit lost though in different way. In a bad relationship, poor, and desperate, she ends up taking a job she thinks will be one thing, and ends up being another entirely. Soon, she’s steeped in a situation she can’t understand, and doesn’t really want to be part of. Her life changes in unpredictable ways, and the physical and emotional toll on her are likewise not glossed over, or prettied up.
It’s this staggering realism, the messy complexities of both the city and the people who inhabit it that make Norylska Groans so damn addictive. Here, we are not just thrust into a dark world, but we live it. We see characters who have already been irreversibly marked by the simple act of surviving this long in this place, slowly fray, crack and shatter. The pressure is enormous, the action is nonstop, the slow slide from one dark well to another is so agonizingly detailed, it is impossible to ignore, to not feel.
The magic system, as I’ve mentioned above, is one of my favorites I’ve come across in a while. It’s both subtle and extremely powerful. Dealing with something as fundamental as personality and memory, this magic system has the capabilities to alter the bedrock of a person’s personhood, and it can be flipped on and off like a light. Once I understood the magic system, and the ramifications of something like this, both for good and ill, I was basically obsessed. A good magic system needs to have an even balance of positives and negatives, and the ones the authors thought of here were nothing short of genius, and fit so well in a world this complex, real, and gritty.
I’m afraid to say more about it lest I spoil the book for others. Suffice it to say, it’s amazing. Trust me.
So, where does this leave us?
Norylska Groans is a book that hits you like a sucker punch to your solar plexus. Then, it sort of wraps one fist around your throat and one around your heart and squeezes just enough to make you pay attention. It’s uncomfortable, dark, and more real than real. Reader, this book hurts, but it’s the kind of pain I just couldn’t get enough of.
Absolutely brilliant.
November 24, 2021
Norylska is the city that hates you. A twisted maze of streets and houses that reek of piss and decay. Forget about happiness or fulfillment; they rarely occur here. The state hammers propaganda into people and the state is never wrong. You disagree? You either die or end up in a gulag. Norylska fouls everything.
Genndy Antonov and Katyushka Leonova try to survive in Norylska and remain human. Survival is an option. Staying human? Less so. The appeal of the story lies in its handling of characters’ interactions and discovering how their arcs converge and diverge as they try to stay alive and solve the mystery.
Gen starts as a terrible person, traumatized by war and the atrocities he has committed to survive. He wants to become a better man and provide for his family. After being laid off, he accepts the one job offer he should never accept. He joins a Shkut crime family that uses his penchant for violence to achieve their goals. War and hunger turn people into monsters and Gen does many monstrous things throughout the book.
Katyushka grew up in a wealthy family, but lost everything and now barely scrapes by in Norylska. Her manipulative boyfriend doesn’t make it any easier for her. She takes a job as a secretary, but ends up in the militsia as a peace enforcer. Kat starts as a rather nice person, but it doesn’t last. Peace enforcers carry magical stones that twist their memories and personality traits. The stones she gets warp her perception of herself and others, and give her memories of a murder and treachery in the precinct. Soon her choices get limited to getting skinned alive by a crime family or shot in the head by the government.
It’s nice to have options.
In Norylska Groans, Fletcher & Snyder explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and describe monstrosities and desires in an explicit and graphic way. Ultra-violence and depth rarely go hand in hand, but I found Norylska both thoughtful, emotionally engaging, and unsettling. Parts of the story will give me nightmares but I’ll deal with them. Somehow.
The authors spiced up the crime and survival story with an intriguing magic system. Veneficums draw memories and personality traits from people and store them in stones. Anyone who touches the stone can access everything it stores (memories, abilities, temperament, knowledge). The personality stored in a stone can be stronger than the host and sometimes dominates the shared body. The story revolves around the stones, and the ways in which memories define our identity. It’s one theme that regularly appears in Fletcher’s oeuvre and I find it fascinating.
Norylska Groans is, probably, the darkest book I’ve ever read. It’s disturbing, brutal, and bleak. It contains scenes of extreme violence but it also feels deep and thoughtful. I won’t forget it soon. The extreme content will polarise readers so think twice before starting it. There is context to the brutality but the authors’ unflinching approach to it won’t sit well with everyone. Personally, I think Norylska Groans is a fantastic and unforgettable book but I’ll understand why others will DNF it shortly after starting it.
Genndy Antonov and Katyushka Leonova try to survive in Norylska and remain human. Survival is an option. Staying human? Less so. The appeal of the story lies in its handling of characters’ interactions and discovering how their arcs converge and diverge as they try to stay alive and solve the mystery.
Gen starts as a terrible person, traumatized by war and the atrocities he has committed to survive. He wants to become a better man and provide for his family. After being laid off, he accepts the one job offer he should never accept. He joins a Shkut crime family that uses his penchant for violence to achieve their goals. War and hunger turn people into monsters and Gen does many monstrous things throughout the book.
Katyushka grew up in a wealthy family, but lost everything and now barely scrapes by in Norylska. Her manipulative boyfriend doesn’t make it any easier for her. She takes a job as a secretary, but ends up in the militsia as a peace enforcer. Kat starts as a rather nice person, but it doesn’t last. Peace enforcers carry magical stones that twist their memories and personality traits. The stones she gets warp her perception of herself and others, and give her memories of a murder and treachery in the precinct. Soon her choices get limited to getting skinned alive by a crime family or shot in the head by the government.
It’s nice to have options.
In Norylska Groans, Fletcher & Snyder explore the darkest corners of the human psyche and describe monstrosities and desires in an explicit and graphic way. Ultra-violence and depth rarely go hand in hand, but I found Norylska both thoughtful, emotionally engaging, and unsettling. Parts of the story will give me nightmares but I’ll deal with them. Somehow.
The authors spiced up the crime and survival story with an intriguing magic system. Veneficums draw memories and personality traits from people and store them in stones. Anyone who touches the stone can access everything it stores (memories, abilities, temperament, knowledge). The personality stored in a stone can be stronger than the host and sometimes dominates the shared body. The story revolves around the stones, and the ways in which memories define our identity. It’s one theme that regularly appears in Fletcher’s oeuvre and I find it fascinating.
Norylska Groans is, probably, the darkest book I’ve ever read. It’s disturbing, brutal, and bleak. It contains scenes of extreme violence but it also feels deep and thoughtful. I won’t forget it soon. The extreme content will polarise readers so think twice before starting it. There is context to the brutality but the authors’ unflinching approach to it won’t sit well with everyone. Personally, I think Norylska Groans is a fantastic and unforgettable book but I’ll understand why others will DNF it shortly after starting it.
November 10, 2021
Blimey, I think I’ve just experienced mental trauma for the first time, reading a book! And I quite enjoyed it. This is Grimdark with knobs on…
It’s a gritty fantasy in a country modelled on a sort of pre-revolutionary Russia/Ukraine. The story is set within winter, so everything about life is cold and grey; Norylska is a dirty, sooty, smelly industrial city, full of shanty towns, with brutal gangs and plenty of ex-soldiers from a now concluded but recent war, all apparently suffering from PTSD.
I think you can get the idea why this is a dark, grim story.
Two main POVs. One, a mousey woman, from a respectable background but in a controlling relationship. Her story centres on her attempt to become a secretary in the local, seedy, police force. Boy, does that turn out weirder than she planned. The other is an ex-soldier, a big, hard man, attempting to live a better life with a woman he deeply loves.
Each chapter alternately tells the story of one of these two characters. Both characters are excellent and their growth is the core of the story.
There is a magic system based upon Stones, imbued with the traits, talents, memories, or personalities fed into them from previous wearers or via specific shaman-like characters. Wearing these stones can change you from a mouse to a lion or whatever the stones are designed to do to you. You become a dual personality depending on whether you wear these stones or not. This can make the characters seem a little confusing initially, as you’re exposed to their attempts to adjust to this life, but bear with it as it works.
So far, so good. But it’s also a very violent tale, especially when the gangs are involved or there are flashbacks to the war that some have experienced. Descriptions of graphic torture on 2-3 occasions too. I found it hard to read them and then find that I was still enjoying the story! Time to find that therapist phone number…!
I’m not sure if it’s the start of a series as that’s not indicated but it very much reads like one. The ending is a decent conclusion to the events in this volume, but does also set the scene for a future unfolding of the story.
Really, a very well told story, good writing style, great characters. But you’d better be a fully paid up member of the Grimdark Guild to enjoy it - it’s as dark as anything I’ve read in recent years.
An SPFBO finalist for 2021. It’ll be a really good book that beats this one in the final.
It’s a gritty fantasy in a country modelled on a sort of pre-revolutionary Russia/Ukraine. The story is set within winter, so everything about life is cold and grey; Norylska is a dirty, sooty, smelly industrial city, full of shanty towns, with brutal gangs and plenty of ex-soldiers from a now concluded but recent war, all apparently suffering from PTSD.
I think you can get the idea why this is a dark, grim story.
Two main POVs. One, a mousey woman, from a respectable background but in a controlling relationship. Her story centres on her attempt to become a secretary in the local, seedy, police force. Boy, does that turn out weirder than she planned. The other is an ex-soldier, a big, hard man, attempting to live a better life with a woman he deeply loves.
Each chapter alternately tells the story of one of these two characters. Both characters are excellent and their growth is the core of the story.
There is a magic system based upon Stones, imbued with the traits, talents, memories, or personalities fed into them from previous wearers or via specific shaman-like characters. Wearing these stones can change you from a mouse to a lion or whatever the stones are designed to do to you. You become a dual personality depending on whether you wear these stones or not. This can make the characters seem a little confusing initially, as you’re exposed to their attempts to adjust to this life, but bear with it as it works.
So far, so good. But it’s also a very violent tale, especially when the gangs are involved or there are flashbacks to the war that some have experienced. Descriptions of graphic torture on 2-3 occasions too. I found it hard to read them and then find that I was still enjoying the story! Time to find that therapist phone number…!
I’m not sure if it’s the start of a series as that’s not indicated but it very much reads like one. The ending is a decent conclusion to the events in this volume, but does also set the scene for a future unfolding of the story.
Really, a very well told story, good writing style, great characters. But you’d better be a fully paid up member of the Grimdark Guild to enjoy it - it’s as dark as anything I’ve read in recent years.
An SPFBO finalist for 2021. It’ll be a really good book that beats this one in the final.
March 3, 2021
8.75/10
Read a super early iteration of this novel and I'm sure much has changed, but Fletcher and Snyder play off each other brilliantly. Low fantasy with a pitch black edge, a super intriguing magic system, and a story that I crave more of.
Definite grab if you enjoyed Peter McLean's "War for the Rose Throne" or are looking for a gritter "Gentleman Bastards".
Read a super early iteration of this novel and I'm sure much has changed, but Fletcher and Snyder play off each other brilliantly. Low fantasy with a pitch black edge, a super intriguing magic system, and a story that I crave more of.
Definite grab if you enjoyed Peter McLean's "War for the Rose Throne" or are looking for a gritter "Gentleman Bastards".
June 4, 2021
Arc provided by the authors. My thoughts are my own.
Norylska Groans is a Russian inspired low fantasy that follows the lives of Katyushka Leonova and Genndy Antonov. In a world where warmth can only be found at the bottom of a vodka glass, Norylska spurts blood, soot, and butchery. This book fanfares the collaborative dark minds from Snyder and Fletcher.
Veneficum masters created stones that provide the bearer with key memories and personality traits. It is a magic that is concealed at the heart of every Militsya and Crime boss. It is the key to producing human weapons. Never boasted about, it is kept secret. My mind scattered about how these stones influenced free will and a person's accountability. When you are implanted with memories that are not your own, are you still yourself?
Grimdark has always been about the anti-hero's perspective. This book takes that concept and makes it disturbingly familiar. Norylska Groans isn't a grand tale about fighting kings, but rather a novel about enduring abusive relationships, and the risks we take to ensure that our families are provided for. It is about surviving harsh winters when jobs and food are scarce.
When the hands of refuge extend solely from crime families, there is sure to be violence.
Norylska Groans is a Russian inspired low fantasy that follows the lives of Katyushka Leonova and Genndy Antonov. In a world where warmth can only be found at the bottom of a vodka glass, Norylska spurts blood, soot, and butchery. This book fanfares the collaborative dark minds from Snyder and Fletcher.
Veneficum masters created stones that provide the bearer with key memories and personality traits. It is a magic that is concealed at the heart of every Militsya and Crime boss. It is the key to producing human weapons. Never boasted about, it is kept secret. My mind scattered about how these stones influenced free will and a person's accountability. When you are implanted with memories that are not your own, are you still yourself?
Grimdark has always been about the anti-hero's perspective. This book takes that concept and makes it disturbingly familiar. Norylska Groans isn't a grand tale about fighting kings, but rather a novel about enduring abusive relationships, and the risks we take to ensure that our families are provided for. It is about surviving harsh winters when jobs and food are scarce.
When the hands of refuge extend solely from crime families, there is sure to be violence.
December 31, 2023
An insanely dark, bloody, and utterly bleak noir in a fantasy setting replete with an atmospheric and immersive world.
These are the words that come to mind when trying to describe the world-building here. I loved it.
Interesting plot, complex characters with violent scenes that has been well written. I would like to see another story set within, maybe a sequel.
Highly recommend, Fletcher does no wrong!
2022 Read
These are the words that come to mind when trying to describe the world-building here. I loved it.
Interesting plot, complex characters with violent scenes that has been well written. I would like to see another story set within, maybe a sequel.
Highly recommend, Fletcher does no wrong!
2022 Read
October 22, 2021
This tale is for the grimdark reader, that enjoys something original. Seems I've been picking the formula fantasy lately with cookie cutter characters. Loved this book, with it's gray characters struggling in a dark and desperate world.
The story focuses on two such people just wanting to maintain, or should I say obtain a "normal life's existence". However, they find themselves thrust onto a rollercoaster, and where that ride will end, is what compels the reader to keep the pages turning.
The setting was descriptive, the characters were believable, the story was one of corruption, all tied up in this dark and magical tale.
The story focuses on two such people just wanting to maintain, or should I say obtain a "normal life's existence". However, they find themselves thrust onto a rollercoaster, and where that ride will end, is what compels the reader to keep the pages turning.
The setting was descriptive, the characters were believable, the story was one of corruption, all tied up in this dark and magical tale.
April 24, 2022
Tee-hee, so lesser known fact about me: one of my favorite genres of film is horror, especially B-horror and slasher flicks, which tend to be a bit more liberal with splatter. I would say my threshold for fantasy splatter is quite high. So believe you me when I say there is blood, that Norylska Groans puts both the grim and dark in grimdark. It's a short read, but not a light one. Seriously, if you don't like violence in your books, don't pick this one up.
Now that that's out of the way, Norylska Groans is pretty brutal, lol. But outside the splatter, it's a beautifully crafted story that cradles a small spark of humanity in such a bleak world. The POV characters are driven to do terrible things, but I certainly felt for them. I felt hopes that were raised, dashed, and reborn. Sometimes mutilated. The characters, their hopes and stories, fell together like pieces of a puzzle. It was fun to read.
The fantasy aspect a very clever, creative use of memory stones. It works with manipulated memories in a way I found really refreshing, especially since it goes into the rules of memory stones (some speculated) without going overboard on the details. So if you like a solid, defined magic system that doesn't get pedantic on rules, this works well. I spent an absurd amount of the book hoping a soldier beast would pop out from behind an alley, lol.
The world is bleak and the humor is black. I found myself cackling at a lot of the gems sprinkled throughout the book. Again, there is a lot of splatter, and sometimes a LOT of splatter, but I thought Norylska Groans was gorgeously written, and at no point did I want to put it down.
Check it out if you like reeeeally grim, reeeeally dark, grimdark! Incidentally, I will find a way to work "You smell like the ass-end of a rancid potato" into my next insult.
Key words to help you decide: grimdark fantasy, noir fantasy, two POVs, hard-hitting, memory manipulation, revenge fantasy, down-with-the-system
Now that that's out of the way, Norylska Groans is pretty brutal, lol. But outside the splatter, it's a beautifully crafted story that cradles a small spark of humanity in such a bleak world. The POV characters are driven to do terrible things, but I certainly felt for them. I felt hopes that were raised, dashed, and reborn. Sometimes mutilated. The characters, their hopes and stories, fell together like pieces of a puzzle. It was fun to read.
The fantasy aspect a very clever, creative use of memory stones. It works with manipulated memories in a way I found really refreshing, especially since it goes into the rules of memory stones (some speculated) without going overboard on the details. So if you like a solid, defined magic system that doesn't get pedantic on rules, this works well. I spent an absurd amount of the book hoping a soldier beast would pop out from behind an alley, lol.
The world is bleak and the humor is black. I found myself cackling at a lot of the gems sprinkled throughout the book. Again, there is a lot of splatter, and sometimes a LOT of splatter, but I thought Norylska Groans was gorgeously written, and at no point did I want to put it down.
Check it out if you like reeeeally grim, reeeeally dark, grimdark! Incidentally, I will find a way to work "You smell like the ass-end of a rancid potato" into my next insult.
Key words to help you decide: grimdark fantasy, noir fantasy, two POVs, hard-hitting, memory manipulation, revenge fantasy, down-with-the-system
Read
January 6, 2022Read this book entry finalist for the SPFBO7 contest as part of the last remaining ten novels for phase two to be read.
My review will be part of the judges panel when we post it on THE FANTASY HIVE in a few weeks.
My review will be part of the judges panel when we post it on THE FANTASY HIVE in a few weeks.
August 20, 2021
I read this for SPFBO. More about the contest and links at the bottom.
Norylska Groansis a collab between Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder. I have read a few things by Fletcher and knew what to expect on the dark o’meter, and despite my not being that huge of a fan of grimdark, I do admire his writing.
Snyder is new to me, and I have to say, I think his writing may be even darker than Fletchers. His character Genndy Antonov was the most depressing man I have ever read and his chapters were quite disturbing at times. It doesn’t help that his headspace is pretty bleak too as he is struggling with his own demons of self-worth and ptsd. Also, we have no snarky-humor buffer here, like there is a lot of times with these kinds of characters. I had a hard time liking the man, even if I could find him somewhat relatable in his self-sabotaging hatred of himself.
Katyushka Leonova’s chapters could be dark too, but I don’t think they matched the violence in Genndy’s (*particularly that umbrella hook thing they swallow…good grief! What maniac thought of that?).
I did prefer Kat’s chapters but she also gets to do what a lot of people wish they could do, and that’s throw off their weaknesses and be someone else for the day; someone that’s stronger and doesn’t give a hoot about what everyone thinks of them. So, liking her pov is understandable.
**
I love the idea behind the memory stones- they’re the equivalent of a Matrix download with a Memento twist. They give the wearer access to previous user’s memories while wearing them but any memories made during this time are stored so when you remove the stones you have no idea what you did during that time, until you put them back on. The whole thing is just kind of wild with the shared-memories and a very cool way of broadening the cast of a narrowly-focused book.
**
I also really like how the story worked in two halves to create a single whole.
Gen’s show us the city and the gangs, and Kat’s sections the magic and, the militants, etc. The biggest difference though is shown in their personal journeys- his was about fighting against his weaknesses and potentially losing that battle within himself, as the bleed from the stone overcomes his personality. Kat’s journey was about gaining strength and becoming a stronger person despite that bleed. (Another reason why I liked hers better- no one wants to think they may not be strong enough to keep the inner demons away.)
When I realized what Snyder and Fletcher did here, my estimation of the story as a whole, went up quite a bit. I really liked the smart way they showcased these character’s journeys in contrast to each other.
I loved the noir detective feel. Gen’s darker headspace and the setting suited the narration. (Though I could have done with a few less similes)
The tone stayed even across both pov’s - if I hadn’t of read Fletcher’s work before I may not have been able to pick out who did which scenes.
***
A few of the style choices didn’t work for me.
The overlapping povs repeat scenes- this is a huge pet-peeve for me, especially on an ending chapter scene where there is no chance of forgetting what just happened.
Some of the fight scenes had these short sentences in present tense, to give them a real-time kind of feel. It does add to the brutalness of the fights but I found it a bit distracting and it threw off the flow.
**
One of the things I did love though, was the abrupt change when Kat removes the stones (especially that first time). The story stops and its disorientating as all hell, but it works, and I have to admire that little bit of genius.
The setting is unique- I can think of maybe two books I have read with a Russian setting, it’s gritty, cold and desperate feeling.
The mystery was decent and it kept you wondering to the last, but the story is so character-focused the mystery is really secondary to the everything else, and I would forget about it sometimes, until Kat put on the stones and we had Kosta’s thoughts again. (Considering the story, that could have been a choice)
I had a hard time staying invested throughout the story. I was managing only a couple chapters at a time and would need a break. To be fair this is pretty dark and grimdark isn’t my go-to reading. So likely this was more to do with content than the writing itself and probably won’t bother the general grimdark readers.
All in all, a solid story, a little darker than I normally would read but the interesting narrative and setting and the very cool memory stone angle makes it worth checking out.
Other notes-
*I am joking here and mean no disrespect to the authors.
SPFBO score- 7 or 4 stars
4 stars (6.5-8/10)
Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Team reviews at Fantasy Book Critic
https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.co...
Norylska Groansis a collab between Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder. I have read a few things by Fletcher and knew what to expect on the dark o’meter, and despite my not being that huge of a fan of grimdark, I do admire his writing.
Snyder is new to me, and I have to say, I think his writing may be even darker than Fletchers. His character Genndy Antonov was the most depressing man I have ever read and his chapters were quite disturbing at times. It doesn’t help that his headspace is pretty bleak too as he is struggling with his own demons of self-worth and ptsd. Also, we have no snarky-humor buffer here, like there is a lot of times with these kinds of characters. I had a hard time liking the man, even if I could find him somewhat relatable in his self-sabotaging hatred of himself.
Katyushka Leonova’s chapters could be dark too, but I don’t think they matched the violence in Genndy’s (*particularly that umbrella hook thing they swallow…good grief! What maniac thought of that?).
I did prefer Kat’s chapters but she also gets to do what a lot of people wish they could do, and that’s throw off their weaknesses and be someone else for the day; someone that’s stronger and doesn’t give a hoot about what everyone thinks of them. So, liking her pov is understandable.
**
I love the idea behind the memory stones- they’re the equivalent of a Matrix download with a Memento twist. They give the wearer access to previous user’s memories while wearing them but any memories made during this time are stored so when you remove the stones you have no idea what you did during that time, until you put them back on. The whole thing is just kind of wild with the shared-memories and a very cool way of broadening the cast of a narrowly-focused book.
**
I also really like how the story worked in two halves to create a single whole.
Gen’s show us the city and the gangs, and Kat’s sections the magic and, the militants, etc. The biggest difference though is shown in their personal journeys- his was about fighting against his weaknesses and potentially losing that battle within himself, as the bleed from the stone overcomes his personality. Kat’s journey was about gaining strength and becoming a stronger person despite that bleed. (Another reason why I liked hers better- no one wants to think they may not be strong enough to keep the inner demons away.)
When I realized what Snyder and Fletcher did here, my estimation of the story as a whole, went up quite a bit. I really liked the smart way they showcased these character’s journeys in contrast to each other.
I loved the noir detective feel. Gen’s darker headspace and the setting suited the narration. (Though I could have done with a few less similes)
The tone stayed even across both pov’s - if I hadn’t of read Fletcher’s work before I may not have been able to pick out who did which scenes.
***
A few of the style choices didn’t work for me.
The overlapping povs repeat scenes- this is a huge pet-peeve for me, especially on an ending chapter scene where there is no chance of forgetting what just happened.
Some of the fight scenes had these short sentences in present tense, to give them a real-time kind of feel. It does add to the brutalness of the fights but I found it a bit distracting and it threw off the flow.
**
One of the things I did love though, was the abrupt change when Kat removes the stones (especially that first time). The story stops and its disorientating as all hell, but it works, and I have to admire that little bit of genius.
The setting is unique- I can think of maybe two books I have read with a Russian setting, it’s gritty, cold and desperate feeling.
The mystery was decent and it kept you wondering to the last, but the story is so character-focused the mystery is really secondary to the everything else, and I would forget about it sometimes, until Kat put on the stones and we had Kosta’s thoughts again. (Considering the story, that could have been a choice)
I had a hard time staying invested throughout the story. I was managing only a couple chapters at a time and would need a break. To be fair this is pretty dark and grimdark isn’t my go-to reading. So likely this was more to do with content than the writing itself and probably won’t bother the general grimdark readers.
All in all, a solid story, a little darker than I normally would read but the interesting narrative and setting and the very cool memory stone angle makes it worth checking out.
Other notes-
*I am joking here and mean no disrespect to the authors.
SPFBO score- 7 or 4 stars
4 stars (6.5-8/10)
Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Phase one is here-
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Team reviews at Fantasy Book Critic
https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.co...
March 23, 2021
Got a free advanced copy in exchange for shutting the hell up about it. "Why don't you just shut the hell up Tom, it will be released when we're ready for f*ck's sake - go bother Dyrk or Galley, you know they aren't F'ing busy." But I digress.
This book starts off slow but I could tell early on it was working its way up to something really good.
A lot of work was put into letting the reader know just how fucked up life in (Russian industrial age analog-type city) Norylska really is.
Initially you think, fuck, why don't they just kill themselves and get it over with. 20 pages more and you are thinking about killing yourself instead.
The dark, dour, filthy backdrop of icy Russia adjacent seeps into your pores, but once all the scene setting is done, the good stuff begins.
Fletcher and Snyder write differently, but their irreverence for publishing norms mesh well and while there wasn't as much humor in this one as have become accustomed to for these 2 guys, I enjoyed the story so much I didn't care.
The aforementioned worldbuilding was solid, the character development was well-done (if a little confusing initially due to the magic system).
It all clicked for me about 1/2 - 2/3rds of the way through though.
After that it moved quickly and was over way too fast.
Note: I would give this between 4 and 5 stars if there was an option for that.
Also, thank you for the ARC gentlemen.
Cheers! 🥃🥃
This book starts off slow but I could tell early on it was working its way up to something really good.
A lot of work was put into letting the reader know just how fucked up life in (Russian industrial age analog-type city) Norylska really is.
Initially you think, fuck, why don't they just kill themselves and get it over with. 20 pages more and you are thinking about killing yourself instead.
The dark, dour, filthy backdrop of icy Russia adjacent seeps into your pores, but once all the scene setting is done, the good stuff begins.
Fletcher and Snyder write differently, but their irreverence for publishing norms mesh well and while there wasn't as much humor in this one as have become accustomed to for these 2 guys, I enjoyed the story so much I didn't care.
The aforementioned worldbuilding was solid, the character development was well-done (if a little confusing initially due to the magic system).
It all clicked for me about 1/2 - 2/3rds of the way through though.
After that it moved quickly and was over way too fast.
Note: I would give this between 4 and 5 stars if there was an option for that.
Also, thank you for the ARC gentlemen.
Cheers! 🥃🥃
May 24, 2021
Review live at Grimdark Magazine
Grimdark steampunk Russian influenced fantasy set within an industrial city in a Russian flavored fantasy world with mob families competing over magical memory stones? I’m in! Norylska Groans is a fine fantasy collaboration between Snyder and Fletcher, mixing these great story elements together and creating a story that’s unique.
“The city moaned, the creak of shrinking wood. Off to the north the furnaces rumbled like sleeping dragons. Never silent. Noryslka groans.”
Norylska Groans is told through the perspectives of two characters, with the chapters alternating between their views. Genndy Antonov is an ex-soldier, struggling to acclimate to life after his military service, becoming disgruntled with the feeling that he’s been discarded by the system he served. He’s currently making ends meet with his heavily taxed pension and his current job as a cutter in a butchery. He has a pregnant wife at home and is just getting by when he is suddenly laid off.
Katyushka Leonova is a young woman that had grown up with money, but her family had fallen on hard times with her father’s disgrace. She is engaged to an up-and-coming young attorney, but he’s not there yet so she’s taking on extra secretarial work with the militsiya, which is Norylska’s police force. Kat soon learns that she has “volunteered” for a new program within the militsiya to bring women into active military duty.
The cold is almost a character itself in this story. Ever a concern, all facets of life have to be planned with the bone chilling deadly cold and wind in mind.
“The wind cut through his coat like teeth of ice as he trod the streets, however, so he forgave the vodka its trespass in exchange for false warmth.”
Gen is approached by Arkady, a member of the Shkut crime family, just after being laid off. He is promised work and good pay, which Gen is in no position to refuse if he wants to keep his family warm and fed.
Kat is partnered with Maks, an old veteran of the militsiya, to investigate the Filth, a neighborhood of Norylska that is rougher and more dangerous than the average, as it’s controlled by the Shkut family. She is equipped with memory stones, which are imbued with the experiences she’ll need to be an effective member of the militsiya. These stones also contain personality traits that she’ll have to give her the bravery and determination necessary to get the job done.
Memory stones are at the heart of this story, as they are valuable and powerful. It is while using these stones that Kat discovers some dark secrets about the militsiya and her partner, including the disturbing realization that they contain the memories of Maks’s former partner, who was tortured and killed by the Shkut.
“Digging was slow in the permafrost, but still the men made good time. The earth may have been frozen, but these men were colder.”
As one can imagine, there are surprises and twists and turns all through the story. The city of Norylska casts a gloomy (and cold) shadow over everything, setting the tension at a high level throughout. I’m not sure if this is a standalone novel or the first in a series, but it works either way. Norlyska Groans is an exciting read and a good way to spend a few evenings, but you might want to make sure you have plenty of blankets to keep you warm, and maybe a good bit of vodka as well.
Grimdark steampunk Russian influenced fantasy set within an industrial city in a Russian flavored fantasy world with mob families competing over magical memory stones? I’m in! Norylska Groans is a fine fantasy collaboration between Snyder and Fletcher, mixing these great story elements together and creating a story that’s unique.
“The city moaned, the creak of shrinking wood. Off to the north the furnaces rumbled like sleeping dragons. Never silent. Noryslka groans.”
Norylska Groans is told through the perspectives of two characters, with the chapters alternating between their views. Genndy Antonov is an ex-soldier, struggling to acclimate to life after his military service, becoming disgruntled with the feeling that he’s been discarded by the system he served. He’s currently making ends meet with his heavily taxed pension and his current job as a cutter in a butchery. He has a pregnant wife at home and is just getting by when he is suddenly laid off.
Katyushka Leonova is a young woman that had grown up with money, but her family had fallen on hard times with her father’s disgrace. She is engaged to an up-and-coming young attorney, but he’s not there yet so she’s taking on extra secretarial work with the militsiya, which is Norylska’s police force. Kat soon learns that she has “volunteered” for a new program within the militsiya to bring women into active military duty.
The cold is almost a character itself in this story. Ever a concern, all facets of life have to be planned with the bone chilling deadly cold and wind in mind.
“The wind cut through his coat like teeth of ice as he trod the streets, however, so he forgave the vodka its trespass in exchange for false warmth.”
Gen is approached by Arkady, a member of the Shkut crime family, just after being laid off. He is promised work and good pay, which Gen is in no position to refuse if he wants to keep his family warm and fed.
Kat is partnered with Maks, an old veteran of the militsiya, to investigate the Filth, a neighborhood of Norylska that is rougher and more dangerous than the average, as it’s controlled by the Shkut family. She is equipped with memory stones, which are imbued with the experiences she’ll need to be an effective member of the militsiya. These stones also contain personality traits that she’ll have to give her the bravery and determination necessary to get the job done.
Memory stones are at the heart of this story, as they are valuable and powerful. It is while using these stones that Kat discovers some dark secrets about the militsiya and her partner, including the disturbing realization that they contain the memories of Maks’s former partner, who was tortured and killed by the Shkut.
“Digging was slow in the permafrost, but still the men made good time. The earth may have been frozen, but these men were colder.”
As one can imagine, there are surprises and twists and turns all through the story. The city of Norylska casts a gloomy (and cold) shadow over everything, setting the tension at a high level throughout. I’m not sure if this is a standalone novel or the first in a series, but it works either way. Norlyska Groans is an exciting read and a good way to spend a few evenings, but you might want to make sure you have plenty of blankets to keep you warm, and maybe a good bit of vodka as well.
May 10, 2021
You know how sometimes you start reading a book and it's so good you just can't stop turning pages, but then you think to yourself 'the faster I read, the quicker it will be over', so you make an effort to slow down a little and savour the words? Well, I couldn't be forced to pace myself with this one – I flew through it and have no regrets.
Norylska Groans has a gritty noir feel with a fairly laconic style – lots of short, sharp sentences – that somehow manages to deliver bone-jarring descriptions that literally made me shudder (before this book I thought shuddering was some abstract description, not a thing that people actually do). There is a lot of violence, but there is also a truly great story that will take you to unexpected places.
This story is totally immersive and amazing. It's extremely dark and incredibly wicked in one of the bleakest settings I've ever read. It's thoroughly grim to the core. There are no heroes and almost every character, is some degree of messed up – and not always by their 'own' actions. At times, I found myself wishing for death for some of the characters, as horrid as they are I couldn't help but feel empathy given their circumstances and surroundings.
That said, there is also a kind of beauty in this book, not just in its cleverness but in its completeness and realism (oddly enough). There's a lot of truth in the emotions that are being tossed around, and quite a few of them hit pretty close to home.
Oh and the magic, WOW, it's unique and brilliant and . . . . . just wow.
Norylska Groans has a gritty noir feel with a fairly laconic style – lots of short, sharp sentences – that somehow manages to deliver bone-jarring descriptions that literally made me shudder (before this book I thought shuddering was some abstract description, not a thing that people actually do). There is a lot of violence, but there is also a truly great story that will take you to unexpected places.
This story is totally immersive and amazing. It's extremely dark and incredibly wicked in one of the bleakest settings I've ever read. It's thoroughly grim to the core. There are no heroes and almost every character, is some degree of messed up – and not always by their 'own' actions. At times, I found myself wishing for death for some of the characters, as horrid as they are I couldn't help but feel empathy given their circumstances and surroundings.
That said, there is also a kind of beauty in this book, not just in its cleverness but in its completeness and realism (oddly enough). There's a lot of truth in the emotions that are being tossed around, and quite a few of them hit pretty close to home.
Oh and the magic, WOW, it's unique and brilliant and . . . . . just wow.
August 16, 2021
This is one of those books that I have been meaning to read for ages as I have had it recommended to me on a number of occasions, and I have to say that I found this book to be exceptionally good.
Now the story is billed as fantasy, but for me I didn’t feel that it was fantasy per se, but there does seem to be fantasy elements running through it, but they do see to be there, intrinsically wrapped up in the very essence of the rich and detailed world that Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have developed. At this point in time, the world reminded me more of something set in a nightmarish gaslamp Gibsonian world.
The book is set in a Russian inspired world, which I have to say that I found totally unique, and this is something that I have not come across before. It’s a bleak setting, full of grime and smoke, filth and slush. Nothing is clean in the industrualised town of Norylska. There might be nice parts of it, but the story sets itself in the downtrodden slums of the town and we only get a glimpse of the ostentatious part of the town.
Added to this, there is an oppressive state-run political system that seems to be akin to the early years of communist rule. Everything is run around ‘The Party’, and there are partisan politics running through the whole of the book. From how the inhabitants of Norylska live their lives to what type of employment that they are suited to.
As I said, it is a pretty grim book, and Michael Fletcher and Clayton capture the essence of the bleakness perfectly. In the past, I have read some Russian literature, and for the most part I found it to be quite dark, and similarly with Norlyska Groans, there is that oppressive feeling that I got when reading this type of literature, and the book is as harsh as the environment that it is set in.
That is not to say that it is totally devoid of light and hope, because it is not, and this seems to be a driving force to the characters motivations. Both Gen & Kat are motivated by their hopes that their choices can lead to a better life, although it is this hope which leads them down the individual paths that they go down.
The story revolves around two main protagonists, Genndy Antonov and Katyushka Leonova, and the book tells their stories separately, even though their paths do collide at various points in the book.
Genndy, or Gen for short is a factory worker who is initially laid off from his job as a factory worker in the early stages in the book. Following this, he is approached by local crime lord Akady Vetrov to come and work for the resident crime family, especially as Gen is ex-military and has a propensity for violence. As he as a wife and the imminent birth of a child to provide for, he sees this as the only viable option to solving his problems.
Katyushka, otherwise known as Kat, on the other hand is a woman that is in an unsatisfying relationship with a turd of a man. She initially takes up a job as a secretary in the local police force. However, she is side-lined into ‘volunteering’ for an experimental project to introduce women to the police force and is subsequently teamed with suave Maks Tkatchenko.
What follows is the descent of both protagonists into their respective worlds. One, a police officer and the other a criminal and how their lives fall apart, intersect and dissect again.
Like I said earlier, I liked this book immensely. Whilst it is not a hard book to read as both Snyder’s and Fletcher’s prose drive the story along with addictive precision, it is a dark book! There are no shreds of light and each of the protagonists find themselves enfolded in an increasingly violent and stygian world.
There are loads of things going on this book and lots of aspects of the book that caught my attention. One of these being the magic system. And whilst it is not a conventional fantasy magic system as such, you get hints that it derives from fantastical elements in its inception and that it has been modified altered and transmuted into something new through the ages of the world. It is a totally intriguing concept that bears a resemblance to say something like the computerised alterations of a William Gibson book, but that it has been pared back to fit into a prehistoric concept ad subsequently updated to the industrialised setting. Let me explain! The system revolves around stones that the wearer places next to their skin. The stones are imbued with the characteristics, personalities, and memories of the previous wearers, and these can instil these same memories, personality traits and characteristics into the individual that is wearing them. The personality can wear one or more stones and they will each enhance certain properties in the wearer, like bravery for instance. However, there is a catch that the wearer will lose time and memories when wearing the stones, which again leads to some brilliant scenarios in which the wearers will forget everything they have done throughout the day when they revert to their original personalities. Totally fascinating! And whilst initially, the magic system seems to be such a small part of the narrative, it is so intricately woven into the plot that you do not realise how much an effect that the magic system does have on the narrative.
In addition to this, the world building is so rich and vividly detailed that you can actually feel the soot and grime on your fingertips as you turn the page. Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have created a fully realised world that has a history and all the other things that make the environment that the characters inhabit a living and breathing entity that makes you feel like you are actually ensconces in the surroundings of the book when you are reading it.
The story falls very definitely into the hard-boiled category of violence and there are some graphic scenes of violence and torture throughout the book. However, I did not feel that this was violence for violence’s sake, but that it matched the tone and narrative of the book, and on top of that it always felt like it was controlled with Fletcher and Snyder reining in the violence when it wasn’t necessary.
One of the things that I had a little trepidation over, was the fact that two authors had done the book. You always wonder what the styles, different ideas and different approaches will have on the story. However, both Snyder and Fletcher mesh their differences seamlessly, and each differing approach compliments, interacts and bounces off each other perfectly.
I have to say, that this is one of those books that has stayed with me as I will find myself mulling over some aspect of the book, days and weeks after I have finished it.
Now the story is billed as fantasy, but for me I didn’t feel that it was fantasy per se, but there does seem to be fantasy elements running through it, but they do see to be there, intrinsically wrapped up in the very essence of the rich and detailed world that Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have developed. At this point in time, the world reminded me more of something set in a nightmarish gaslamp Gibsonian world.
The book is set in a Russian inspired world, which I have to say that I found totally unique, and this is something that I have not come across before. It’s a bleak setting, full of grime and smoke, filth and slush. Nothing is clean in the industrualised town of Norylska. There might be nice parts of it, but the story sets itself in the downtrodden slums of the town and we only get a glimpse of the ostentatious part of the town.
Added to this, there is an oppressive state-run political system that seems to be akin to the early years of communist rule. Everything is run around ‘The Party’, and there are partisan politics running through the whole of the book. From how the inhabitants of Norylska live their lives to what type of employment that they are suited to.
As I said, it is a pretty grim book, and Michael Fletcher and Clayton capture the essence of the bleakness perfectly. In the past, I have read some Russian literature, and for the most part I found it to be quite dark, and similarly with Norlyska Groans, there is that oppressive feeling that I got when reading this type of literature, and the book is as harsh as the environment that it is set in.
That is not to say that it is totally devoid of light and hope, because it is not, and this seems to be a driving force to the characters motivations. Both Gen & Kat are motivated by their hopes that their choices can lead to a better life, although it is this hope which leads them down the individual paths that they go down.
The story revolves around two main protagonists, Genndy Antonov and Katyushka Leonova, and the book tells their stories separately, even though their paths do collide at various points in the book.
Genndy, or Gen for short is a factory worker who is initially laid off from his job as a factory worker in the early stages in the book. Following this, he is approached by local crime lord Akady Vetrov to come and work for the resident crime family, especially as Gen is ex-military and has a propensity for violence. As he as a wife and the imminent birth of a child to provide for, he sees this as the only viable option to solving his problems.
Katyushka, otherwise known as Kat, on the other hand is a woman that is in an unsatisfying relationship with a turd of a man. She initially takes up a job as a secretary in the local police force. However, she is side-lined into ‘volunteering’ for an experimental project to introduce women to the police force and is subsequently teamed with suave Maks Tkatchenko.
What follows is the descent of both protagonists into their respective worlds. One, a police officer and the other a criminal and how their lives fall apart, intersect and dissect again.
Like I said earlier, I liked this book immensely. Whilst it is not a hard book to read as both Snyder’s and Fletcher’s prose drive the story along with addictive precision, it is a dark book! There are no shreds of light and each of the protagonists find themselves enfolded in an increasingly violent and stygian world.
There are loads of things going on this book and lots of aspects of the book that caught my attention. One of these being the magic system. And whilst it is not a conventional fantasy magic system as such, you get hints that it derives from fantastical elements in its inception and that it has been modified altered and transmuted into something new through the ages of the world. It is a totally intriguing concept that bears a resemblance to say something like the computerised alterations of a William Gibson book, but that it has been pared back to fit into a prehistoric concept ad subsequently updated to the industrialised setting. Let me explain! The system revolves around stones that the wearer places next to their skin. The stones are imbued with the characteristics, personalities, and memories of the previous wearers, and these can instil these same memories, personality traits and characteristics into the individual that is wearing them. The personality can wear one or more stones and they will each enhance certain properties in the wearer, like bravery for instance. However, there is a catch that the wearer will lose time and memories when wearing the stones, which again leads to some brilliant scenarios in which the wearers will forget everything they have done throughout the day when they revert to their original personalities. Totally fascinating! And whilst initially, the magic system seems to be such a small part of the narrative, it is so intricately woven into the plot that you do not realise how much an effect that the magic system does have on the narrative.
In addition to this, the world building is so rich and vividly detailed that you can actually feel the soot and grime on your fingertips as you turn the page. Michael Fletcher and Clayton Snyder have created a fully realised world that has a history and all the other things that make the environment that the characters inhabit a living and breathing entity that makes you feel like you are actually ensconces in the surroundings of the book when you are reading it.
The story falls very definitely into the hard-boiled category of violence and there are some graphic scenes of violence and torture throughout the book. However, I did not feel that this was violence for violence’s sake, but that it matched the tone and narrative of the book, and on top of that it always felt like it was controlled with Fletcher and Snyder reining in the violence when it wasn’t necessary.
One of the things that I had a little trepidation over, was the fact that two authors had done the book. You always wonder what the styles, different ideas and different approaches will have on the story. However, both Snyder and Fletcher mesh their differences seamlessly, and each differing approach compliments, interacts and bounces off each other perfectly.
I have to say, that this is one of those books that has stayed with me as I will find myself mulling over some aspect of the book, days and weeks after I have finished it.
June 26, 2022
Noriļska - baisa, apokaliptiska pilsēta, kur, lai nopelnītu iztiku, ir tikai divi ceļi, kļūt par milicijas darbinieku vai bandītu (tik tāl grāmata attēlo reālo situāciju RUS). Grāmatas galvenie varoņi arī izvēlas šos divus ceļus un ir spiesti sadzīvot ar sekām. Laikam definētu šo grāmatu kā trilleri ar fantastikas elementiem, drūmiem un naturālistiskiem vardarbības un iznīcības aprakstiem.
December 15, 2021
Dark, Grimdark, yet, delightfully engaging, satisfying.
Violent, virulently so, this book drives hard, reads smoothly, always seeming to promise more, and delivers...powerfully. Completely original. Solid writing, smoothly paced with intense world building, deadly characters developed to be dispatched. Fascinating, totally unpredictable, well done, fellas, very well done. I am a fan, highly recommend, looking for more asap! Thank you, Michael and Clayton, nice work.
Violent, virulently so, this book drives hard, reads smoothly, always seeming to promise more, and delivers...powerfully. Completely original. Solid writing, smoothly paced with intense world building, deadly characters developed to be dispatched. Fascinating, totally unpredictable, well done, fellas, very well done. I am a fan, highly recommend, looking for more asap! Thank you, Michael and Clayton, nice work.
February 22, 2022
I read 'Norylska Groans’ for the SPFBO7 contest as part of the last batch of remaining finalists (10!) My review will be part of FanFiAddict's. This reflects only my personal rating and opinion and is not the final score for FFA.
8/10.
I think this may have been the darkest book I have ever read. It truly captured the heart of grimdark.
Norylska Groans hit the ground running right from the first chapter. I greatly enjoyed the two main POVs yet found myself looking forward to one over the other. The arcs for each character were wonderfully developed and I enjoyed the evolution of each.
The setting was grim - I felt the desolation and pain. I found the majority of the book to be very well written with clearly defined motives. I did find the last 15% to become a little muddied and confusing when threads were tieing together. It felt like I had missed some key information or motives because I wasn't fully understanding why things were suddenly happening. The ending was sort of a bit too abrupt for me - I haven't heard anything yet but it left it open for a sequel.
Overall, a brutal and dark story that kept me turning the pages well into the night.
8/10.
I think this may have been the darkest book I have ever read. It truly captured the heart of grimdark.
Norylska Groans hit the ground running right from the first chapter. I greatly enjoyed the two main POVs yet found myself looking forward to one over the other. The arcs for each character were wonderfully developed and I enjoyed the evolution of each.
The setting was grim - I felt the desolation and pain. I found the majority of the book to be very well written with clearly defined motives. I did find the last 15% to become a little muddied and confusing when threads were tieing together. It felt like I had missed some key information or motives because I wasn't fully understanding why things were suddenly happening. The ending was sort of a bit too abrupt for me - I haven't heard anything yet but it left it open for a sequel.
Overall, a brutal and dark story that kept me turning the pages well into the night.
August 8, 2022
Wonderfully grim, dank and nasty and that’s just the city of Norylska. Very visceral violence, one of the scene’s really turned my stomach, I had to put the book down and take a minute and a chug of beer. Very interesting magic system using stones.
Norylska Groans would be fantastic as a Sin City style film or a graphic novel.
Norylska Groans would be fantastic as a Sin City style film or a graphic novel.
Read
June 10, 2021This narrative and its characters just wasn’t drawing me in, so after struggling to make myself continue on with this book, I’ve decided to put it to the decide.
July 3, 2021
Norylska Groans was a book that hopped immediately onto my TBR as soon as I heard about it, for one I just loved the sound of it, and two I had just finished Black Stone Heart and needed more of Fletcher’s writing. I haven’t read any of Snyder’s other books (YET – that will soon be changing), but I’d heard enough to have really high hopes for this book, so when the chance to participate in this tour came around it was the perfect excuse to bump it up to the top of the TBR and I’m so glad I did because oh god I loved every moment of this book.
The title had intrigued me from the start, but I wasn’t prepared for how it really cut to the heart of this book and the spirit of the titular city itself. The worldbuilding throughout was fantastic, but the standout aspect for me was the realisation of Norylska. There was a discussion on Twitter the other week about how the world or a set location can and perhaps should be a character in and of itself, and this was that, but dialled up to another level, to the point where you didn’t need to close your eyes to imagine yourself on the streets of the city or surrounded by the people eking out an existence there. It was so vivid, that it came to life between the pages – and while I have to say it’s certainly never going to be on my holiday destination list – it feels as though for a time at least, I did live there amongst the snow and the dirt, and the messiness of life on the edge.
Norylska is a crucible.
It’s a cold, brutal place that feeds on the lives of those who call it home, it demands strength – with the penalty being death if you show weakness, and it takes everything warm and human and twists it into barbs that can be used against those who manage to survive. It was also our gateway to the wider world of the book, and it showed the indelible stains and influence of that world – of war and industry and politics, of choices made by individuals and the state, have come together both in the city and in the individuals that lived there. I also liked that we were given a real sense of history because of this, and through combining the present and the past, and the use of flashbacks to aid in this was masterfully done.
The other standout from the worldbuilding is the magic system. Norylska Groans is a low fantasy, and the magic system reflects that in its subtlety, and that in no way detracts from just how potent this system is. It was also, in my opinion, a wonderful reflection of everything that Norylska is because this magic deals primarily with personality and memory, something that is woven into the very fabric of the city and the story. The idea of a system that through the use of stones imbued with memories or attributes, to alter something as fundamental to the concept of self was terrifying in its own right, and that was before we are shown the risks of using those stones. It’s a system that you cannot fully appreciate until you read for yourself because it is so interwoven with the rest of the story, but it is a wonderfully unique system, that will enthral you and have shivers running down your spine.
The city, the world, the past and the present are all messy and gritty, and fighting just to survive, and it is in this crucible Fletcher and Snyder deliver a powerful character-driven story. This isn’t a world of black and white mentalities, or even shades of grey really, because shades indicate choice – and our two main protagonists are not in situations where there is the luxury of ‘choice’, at least not beyond surviving or choosing to lay down and die. Genndy and Katyushka are the embodiment of everything Norylska and the world represents, they’re scarred by it, shaped by it, and forced to play its game just to survive one day more, and in many ways, this is where this book is it’s most brutal because these are characters that we get to know. We’re shown their scars and gaping wounds, we know what they yearn for, the hopes that make the reality all the starker – and we see what Norylska does to them, and it’s not quick and it’s not gentle. It breaks them, shatters them, and it’s not quick, but slow and brutal and violent, and this perhaps is where the darkness might become too much for some readers. However, it is proportionate to the world that has been created, and it was in those moments, in the moments furthest from the light, that the characters shone the brightest, and it’s impossible not to become invested in their stories, to feel their slow destruction, to bleed with them.
What I really adored about Norlyska Groans, and what made it so compelling from page one was the writing. It was the layers upon layers that were woven into each scene, the details that brought Norlyska off the page until you were shivering in the snow with the characters, and tasting ash and blood, and feeling as though part of you might be consumed too. I was hooked before I’d even finished the first page, and each word – no matter how shocking or brutal, just drew me further in. The tension was a knife-edge that we’re drawn along, adding to the atmosphere. And it could have been too much. The tension. The brutal nature of this world. Yet it wasn’t because it was balanced beautifully, with moments where the sparks of something close to hope would shine through, or a clever line or touch of humour would give you a moment to breathe before plunging back into the deep end – and honestly I would probably quote the entire book if I can because there are so many wonderful lines, of description and dialogue that will do more than can to show you just how fantastic this book is.
It’s been a while since I had a book hangover this strong, and I think Norylska Groans is a book that takes you by the throat and gives you a good shake while your reading, and then lingers in the back of your mind, haunting you and demanding your attention long beyond that final page. It’s one I already want to reread, just to soak in the atmosphere and the writing, and to look for all the little details that I might have overlooked this first time. Dark. Brutal. Engrossing. I couldn’t get enough of this book and I am delighted that there is more in the works, and you can bet it will be an auto-read from me, and I will be checking out more of Fletcher and Snyder’s works in the interim. If you don’t mind delving into the depths of an unforgiving world, then this is the book for you and I honestly cannot recommend Norylska Groans highly enough. You need to read this book.
The title had intrigued me from the start, but I wasn’t prepared for how it really cut to the heart of this book and the spirit of the titular city itself. The worldbuilding throughout was fantastic, but the standout aspect for me was the realisation of Norylska. There was a discussion on Twitter the other week about how the world or a set location can and perhaps should be a character in and of itself, and this was that, but dialled up to another level, to the point where you didn’t need to close your eyes to imagine yourself on the streets of the city or surrounded by the people eking out an existence there. It was so vivid, that it came to life between the pages – and while I have to say it’s certainly never going to be on my holiday destination list – it feels as though for a time at least, I did live there amongst the snow and the dirt, and the messiness of life on the edge.
Norylska is a crucible.
It’s a cold, brutal place that feeds on the lives of those who call it home, it demands strength – with the penalty being death if you show weakness, and it takes everything warm and human and twists it into barbs that can be used against those who manage to survive. It was also our gateway to the wider world of the book, and it showed the indelible stains and influence of that world – of war and industry and politics, of choices made by individuals and the state, have come together both in the city and in the individuals that lived there. I also liked that we were given a real sense of history because of this, and through combining the present and the past, and the use of flashbacks to aid in this was masterfully done.
The other standout from the worldbuilding is the magic system. Norylska Groans is a low fantasy, and the magic system reflects that in its subtlety, and that in no way detracts from just how potent this system is. It was also, in my opinion, a wonderful reflection of everything that Norylska is because this magic deals primarily with personality and memory, something that is woven into the very fabric of the city and the story. The idea of a system that through the use of stones imbued with memories or attributes, to alter something as fundamental to the concept of self was terrifying in its own right, and that was before we are shown the risks of using those stones. It’s a system that you cannot fully appreciate until you read for yourself because it is so interwoven with the rest of the story, but it is a wonderfully unique system, that will enthral you and have shivers running down your spine.
The city, the world, the past and the present are all messy and gritty, and fighting just to survive, and it is in this crucible Fletcher and Snyder deliver a powerful character-driven story. This isn’t a world of black and white mentalities, or even shades of grey really, because shades indicate choice – and our two main protagonists are not in situations where there is the luxury of ‘choice’, at least not beyond surviving or choosing to lay down and die. Genndy and Katyushka are the embodiment of everything Norylska and the world represents, they’re scarred by it, shaped by it, and forced to play its game just to survive one day more, and in many ways, this is where this book is it’s most brutal because these are characters that we get to know. We’re shown their scars and gaping wounds, we know what they yearn for, the hopes that make the reality all the starker – and we see what Norylska does to them, and it’s not quick and it’s not gentle. It breaks them, shatters them, and it’s not quick, but slow and brutal and violent, and this perhaps is where the darkness might become too much for some readers. However, it is proportionate to the world that has been created, and it was in those moments, in the moments furthest from the light, that the characters shone the brightest, and it’s impossible not to become invested in their stories, to feel their slow destruction, to bleed with them.
What I really adored about Norlyska Groans, and what made it so compelling from page one was the writing. It was the layers upon layers that were woven into each scene, the details that brought Norlyska off the page until you were shivering in the snow with the characters, and tasting ash and blood, and feeling as though part of you might be consumed too. I was hooked before I’d even finished the first page, and each word – no matter how shocking or brutal, just drew me further in. The tension was a knife-edge that we’re drawn along, adding to the atmosphere. And it could have been too much. The tension. The brutal nature of this world. Yet it wasn’t because it was balanced beautifully, with moments where the sparks of something close to hope would shine through, or a clever line or touch of humour would give you a moment to breathe before plunging back into the deep end – and honestly I would probably quote the entire book if I can because there are so many wonderful lines, of description and dialogue that will do more than can to show you just how fantastic this book is.
It’s been a while since I had a book hangover this strong, and I think Norylska Groans is a book that takes you by the throat and gives you a good shake while your reading, and then lingers in the back of your mind, haunting you and demanding your attention long beyond that final page. It’s one I already want to reread, just to soak in the atmosphere and the writing, and to look for all the little details that I might have overlooked this first time. Dark. Brutal. Engrossing. I couldn’t get enough of this book and I am delighted that there is more in the works, and you can bet it will be an auto-read from me, and I will be checking out more of Fletcher and Snyder’s works in the interim. If you don’t mind delving into the depths of an unforgiving world, then this is the book for you and I honestly cannot recommend Norylska Groans highly enough. You need to read this book.
May 30, 2024
If ever a book was a great example of the setting being like a character, it’s Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton Snyder.
There are many things to admire and enjoy about this fantasy collaboration and right up there among them is the immersive and sometimes claustrophobic depiction of the city of Norylska.
It oozes atmosphere, the grime getting under your fingernails and the soot coating your throat with disgust and fascination.
The setting crushes the bodies and spirits of its denizens in a pincer movement of merciless nature and greedy, corrupt humanity. The brutal natural environment is a hammer to the anvil of even more brutal industrial excesses as people suffer in the factories and slums.
It’s a city which shapes the lives and outlook of the folk unfortunate enough to call it home. Or, rather, it deconstructs those lives as the vast majority of people struggle to survive, never mind thrive. Just keeping your head above the slurry of Norylska is an achievement.
The authors have fleshed out so much of the nitty, gritty detail of city lowlife and created such a multi-sensory reading experience that you can almost see the pain, feel the desolation, smell the misery, taste the despair and hear the beating of Norylska’s cold heart. I loved the immersion of it.
However, it’s not all about location, location, location when it comes to the desirability of reading this novel. Most of the inhabitants of Norylska are as cold and unforgiving as the most brutal of Siberian winters and make for a riveting cast of main and secondary characters.
The two POVs provide interesting duality throughout the story, sharing some similar goals but from opposing sides of the city’s system of law and order.
Both are trying to do their best for their loved ones but find themselves in unlooked-for situations which challenge their morals, desires and capabilities.
Genndy is a war veteran who suffers trauma-induced flashbacks to episodes of berserker-style mayhem. It eats away at his self-worth and this is confounded when he loses his job at a meat rendering plant. Joining a crime syndicate as a killer beefcake is the only way he can see of protecting his pregnant wife from starving and freezing in winter’s grip.
Katyushka is from a more privileged background but has found herself in the dismal city as the girlfriend of a man who shows her little love and even less respect. When she ends up as a police officer instead of landing the clerical role she was expecting, her life takes an unexpected turn on a violent journey of self-discovery.
The pair make for an interesting contrast on each side of the law and it’s fascinating to see how their brutal worlds intertwine and collide as they combat the murder and deceit which is rotting the city from the inside out.
I’d wager two vodkas and a pivo that this is police procedural as you’ve never witnessed before. It’s the grimmest and darkest of grimdark, the blackest of noir. Brutal with a capital brute.
But it’s not all muscle and knuckles. There’s an ingenious magic system which is an integral part of the plot.
Police officers like Kat are given magical stones at the start of their shifts which can provide their wearers with the memories and traits of others. There’s a science and logic to it and different stones are given to specific law enforcement officers depending on their perceived needs.
When the stones are taken off at the end of a shift, so too are the “borrowed” memories or traits removed. It’s such an interesting concept, with all sorts of ethical considerations and psychological impacts on the wearers.
The writers use this plot device to explore themes of identity through the characters and there was a surprising amount of humanity buried deep within all the inhumanity of this dark, bleak book.
That bleakness, and all the suffering and depression, is relentlessly drummed into the reader through prose which is to die for.
It’s laced with imaginative imagery to keep instilling in us how tough this city and world is but there are also moments of fun snark and laugh-out-loud humour (particularly a library scene about three-quarters of the way through) to punctuate the dark with some light.
It’s all the more welcome for being sandwiched by lots of extreme violence and torment which keeps the grimdark-ometer almost constantly maxed out.
I can understand some readers needing to take breaks from the onslaught but, for me, the quality of the writing, the pull of the characters and the intrigue of the mystery at the core of this book had me racing through the pages. The novel hits the ground running right from the off and the pacing never lets up. It grabs you by the throat and drags you through the stench, filth and blood.
If you like grime and crime, death and destruction, moral ambiguity and realism so gritty it could ruin your teeth, I reckon you’ll love this.
There are many things to admire and enjoy about this fantasy collaboration and right up there among them is the immersive and sometimes claustrophobic depiction of the city of Norylska.
It oozes atmosphere, the grime getting under your fingernails and the soot coating your throat with disgust and fascination.
The setting crushes the bodies and spirits of its denizens in a pincer movement of merciless nature and greedy, corrupt humanity. The brutal natural environment is a hammer to the anvil of even more brutal industrial excesses as people suffer in the factories and slums.
It’s a city which shapes the lives and outlook of the folk unfortunate enough to call it home. Or, rather, it deconstructs those lives as the vast majority of people struggle to survive, never mind thrive. Just keeping your head above the slurry of Norylska is an achievement.
The authors have fleshed out so much of the nitty, gritty detail of city lowlife and created such a multi-sensory reading experience that you can almost see the pain, feel the desolation, smell the misery, taste the despair and hear the beating of Norylska’s cold heart. I loved the immersion of it.
However, it’s not all about location, location, location when it comes to the desirability of reading this novel. Most of the inhabitants of Norylska are as cold and unforgiving as the most brutal of Siberian winters and make for a riveting cast of main and secondary characters.
The two POVs provide interesting duality throughout the story, sharing some similar goals but from opposing sides of the city’s system of law and order.
Both are trying to do their best for their loved ones but find themselves in unlooked-for situations which challenge their morals, desires and capabilities.
Genndy is a war veteran who suffers trauma-induced flashbacks to episodes of berserker-style mayhem. It eats away at his self-worth and this is confounded when he loses his job at a meat rendering plant. Joining a crime syndicate as a killer beefcake is the only way he can see of protecting his pregnant wife from starving and freezing in winter’s grip.
Katyushka is from a more privileged background but has found herself in the dismal city as the girlfriend of a man who shows her little love and even less respect. When she ends up as a police officer instead of landing the clerical role she was expecting, her life takes an unexpected turn on a violent journey of self-discovery.
The pair make for an interesting contrast on each side of the law and it’s fascinating to see how their brutal worlds intertwine and collide as they combat the murder and deceit which is rotting the city from the inside out.
I’d wager two vodkas and a pivo that this is police procedural as you’ve never witnessed before. It’s the grimmest and darkest of grimdark, the blackest of noir. Brutal with a capital brute.
But it’s not all muscle and knuckles. There’s an ingenious magic system which is an integral part of the plot.
Police officers like Kat are given magical stones at the start of their shifts which can provide their wearers with the memories and traits of others. There’s a science and logic to it and different stones are given to specific law enforcement officers depending on their perceived needs.
When the stones are taken off at the end of a shift, so too are the “borrowed” memories or traits removed. It’s such an interesting concept, with all sorts of ethical considerations and psychological impacts on the wearers.
The writers use this plot device to explore themes of identity through the characters and there was a surprising amount of humanity buried deep within all the inhumanity of this dark, bleak book.
That bleakness, and all the suffering and depression, is relentlessly drummed into the reader through prose which is to die for.
It’s laced with imaginative imagery to keep instilling in us how tough this city and world is but there are also moments of fun snark and laugh-out-loud humour (particularly a library scene about three-quarters of the way through) to punctuate the dark with some light.
It’s all the more welcome for being sandwiched by lots of extreme violence and torment which keeps the grimdark-ometer almost constantly maxed out.
I can understand some readers needing to take breaks from the onslaught but, for me, the quality of the writing, the pull of the characters and the intrigue of the mystery at the core of this book had me racing through the pages. The novel hits the ground running right from the off and the pacing never lets up. It grabs you by the throat and drags you through the stench, filth and blood.
If you like grime and crime, death and destruction, moral ambiguity and realism so gritty it could ruin your teeth, I reckon you’ll love this.
April 23, 2022
Sadly my least favourite Fletcher book so far. It is the grimmest of Grimdark, and while I obviously do not mind blood and gore, this was just quite a tad over the top for me.
I absolutely loved the setting, which was almost a character of it's own, and the bleakness really bled from the pages. The idea with the stones giving different character traits and memories was brilliant, and the main thing keeping me intrigued.
However, I just didn't really engage much with the characters. Just enough to keep me reading to the end, but never realing caring about any of them. The one I found most intriguing was the one already dead...
While I enjoyed the female main characters growth, overall the cast just weren't really compelling to me, and the way they just keep going with the most horrendous wounds was annoying.
I absolutely loved the setting, which was almost a character of it's own, and the bleakness really bled from the pages. The idea with the stones giving different character traits and memories was brilliant, and the main thing keeping me intrigued.
However, I just didn't really engage much with the characters. Just enough to keep me reading to the end, but never realing caring about any of them. The one I found most intriguing was the one already dead...
While I enjoyed the female main characters growth, overall the cast just weren't really compelling to me, and the way they just keep going with the most horrendous wounds was annoying.
June 1, 2021
Wow! If anything can be considered grimdark this one certainly can, no doubt about it.
Norylska is a gritty and brutal world that will knock you down at every turn, then kick you in the ribs and leave you in a broken heap waiting for the harsh snow to fall in hopes it’ll soothe your aching wounds.
As a fantasy fan I found the fantasy aspects very light, but Fletcher and Snyder have created such an engrossing tale I didn’t mind one bit, and was thoroughly entertained. Hoping for either a sequel or something to explore more of this world.
Norylska is a gritty and brutal world that will knock you down at every turn, then kick you in the ribs and leave you in a broken heap waiting for the harsh snow to fall in hopes it’ll soothe your aching wounds.
As a fantasy fan I found the fantasy aspects very light, but Fletcher and Snyder have created such an engrossing tale I didn’t mind one bit, and was thoroughly entertained. Hoping for either a sequel or something to explore more of this world.
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