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Simon Canderous #4
Dead Waters
Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it's making some people crazy. Literally.
335 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
About the author
Anton Strout
33 books315 followersWhen not plotting against his mortal enemy Patrick Rothfuss, Anton Strout is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for Ace Books including
Dead To Me, Deader Still, Dead Matter and Dead Waters.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series, followed by Stonecast and the upcoming Incarnate .
He is also the host and curator of content for The Once & Future Podcast, a weekly show that focuses on discussions with other working writers.
His other writing has appeared in a variety of anthologies—some of which include Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: Boondocks Fantasy, The Dimension Next Door, A Girl’s Guide to Guns & Monsters, Pandora’s Closet, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, Spells of the City, Boondocks Fantasy, After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, and the upcoming Human For A Day .
He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He also works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series, followed by Stonecast and the upcoming Incarnate .
He is also the host and curator of content for The Once & Future Podcast, a weekly show that focuses on discussions with other working writers.
His other writing has appeared in a variety of anthologies—some of which include Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: Boondocks Fantasy, The Dimension Next Door, A Girl’s Guide to Guns & Monsters, Pandora’s Closet, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, Spells of the City, Boondocks Fantasy, After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, and the upcoming Human For A Day .
He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He also works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 20, 2011
Dead Waters is the 4th book in the Simon Canderous series and the very best of the series so far.
Simon is a psychometrist. He can read the history of an object by touching it. In Dead Waters, Simon is still somewhat impulsive and reckless but he is maturing. He still makes his trademark wise-cracks, but he is growing emotionally as he must deal with some personal issues. I always find that Simon's heart is in the right place... despite the various creatures that want to remove it. Simon is a very likable protagonist.
I adore the supporting characters in this series: Jane Clayton-Forrester (Simon's technomancer girlfriend), Connor Christos (Simon's partner), Inspectre Argyle Quimbley (Simon's and Connor's boss), and Godfrey Candella (the D.E.A. Archivist). While Simon is the main character, the book really feels like an ensemble piece. I love the back and forth between the characters. There is genuine camaraderie.
Simon, Jane, and Connor must solve the mystery surrounding a university professor's unusual death. The murder deeply affects Inspectre Quimbley as he used to know the professor well. The storyline dealing the aging Inspectre is very well done. I really enjoyed learning more about his past.
Anton Strout deftly continues to lampoon bureaucratic red tape with New York City's Department of Extraordinary Affairs. I find the inner workings of the D.E.A. both fascinating and amusing. While the D.E.A. is facing severe budget cuts, fortunately none of my favorite characters lose their jobs. New York City is a great backdrop for this series.
Dead Waters borrows from mythology in an inventive way. I won't reveal which mythology or what was borrowed as it would be a major spoiler.
This is the darkest of the four books. I cried at one part of the story though there are far more moments that brought laughter. The pacing is excellent with a lot of action. The plot is really engaging. The mystery and its conclusion are handled beautifully. Dead Waters is a tasty mélange of murder, mystery, and mythology, with a dash of mayhem thrown in for good measure.
I give Dead Waters 5 Qwills.
Simon is a psychometrist. He can read the history of an object by touching it. In Dead Waters, Simon is still somewhat impulsive and reckless but he is maturing. He still makes his trademark wise-cracks, but he is growing emotionally as he must deal with some personal issues. I always find that Simon's heart is in the right place... despite the various creatures that want to remove it. Simon is a very likable protagonist.
I adore the supporting characters in this series: Jane Clayton-Forrester (Simon's technomancer girlfriend), Connor Christos (Simon's partner), Inspectre Argyle Quimbley (Simon's and Connor's boss), and Godfrey Candella (the D.E.A. Archivist). While Simon is the main character, the book really feels like an ensemble piece. I love the back and forth between the characters. There is genuine camaraderie.
Simon, Jane, and Connor must solve the mystery surrounding a university professor's unusual death. The murder deeply affects Inspectre Quimbley as he used to know the professor well. The storyline dealing the aging Inspectre is very well done. I really enjoyed learning more about his past.
Anton Strout deftly continues to lampoon bureaucratic red tape with New York City's Department of Extraordinary Affairs. I find the inner workings of the D.E.A. both fascinating and amusing. While the D.E.A. is facing severe budget cuts, fortunately none of my favorite characters lose their jobs. New York City is a great backdrop for this series.
Dead Waters borrows from mythology in an inventive way. I won't reveal which mythology or what was borrowed as it would be a major spoiler.
This is the darkest of the four books. I cried at one part of the story though there are far more moments that brought laughter. The pacing is excellent with a lot of action. The plot is really engaging. The mystery and its conclusion are handled beautifully. Dead Waters is a tasty mélange of murder, mystery, and mythology, with a dash of mayhem thrown in for good measure.
I give Dead Waters 5 Qwills.
February 1, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
I get stupidly excited by acronyms in Urban Fantasy. Covert, or otherwise, organizations that deal with the supernatural and have names like the IS (Inderland Security) from the Rachel Morgan series, the UDA (Underworld Detection Agency) from the upcoming series of the same name by Hannah Jayne, or the ITF (Integration Task Force) from the Charlie Madigan series. I’m fascinated by the bureaucratic side of paranormal worlds. It’s that little element of order in a world that breaks all the rules that draws me in every time.
In this case it’s the DEA (Department Of Extraordinary Affairs) from the Simon Canderous series. Other Worldly Division field agent Simon is a bit of a head scratcher for me. He’s a capable early 20’s psychometric (meaning he has the ability to ‘read’ the history of an object by touching it), he has a longtime girlfriend in the form of fellow agent Jane Clayton-Forrester with whom he’s considering taking a big relationship step with, and he’s often the go to guy for jobs no one else can--or wants--to handle. Given all that, I was really caught off guard by how immature he was. It probably didn’t help that most of the other men in DEAD WATERS kept calling him ‘Kid’ or ‘Son.’ I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t reading about some fourteen year old.
I also had some issues with the pacing and plot. There’s always a whole lot of talking around an issue before someone cuts in with a ‘so the real issue is…’ or ‘so here’s what we know…’ It was frustrating and severely stunted the pace. On top of that, the basic plot was just not compelling until the very end. Simon and Jane spend most of of DEAD WATERS running around Manhattan trying to solve a supernatural murder and track down a water nymph.
There was a nice twist at the end that involved some Greek mythology which I always love, and the relationship issues between Simon and Jane provided a few nice occasional breaks, but overall I found myself just treading water through most of this book. Jumping in mid series is always a gamble as you never know how much backstory you’re missing, or if you’re lacking some vital piece of information that’s integral to the enjoyment of the latest book. Maybe that’s the case with DEAD WATERS. If not, I’m sorry to say that the potential of this book was wasted on me.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
I get stupidly excited by acronyms in Urban Fantasy. Covert, or otherwise, organizations that deal with the supernatural and have names like the IS (Inderland Security) from the Rachel Morgan series, the UDA (Underworld Detection Agency) from the upcoming series of the same name by Hannah Jayne, or the ITF (Integration Task Force) from the Charlie Madigan series. I’m fascinated by the bureaucratic side of paranormal worlds. It’s that little element of order in a world that breaks all the rules that draws me in every time.
In this case it’s the DEA (Department Of Extraordinary Affairs) from the Simon Canderous series. Other Worldly Division field agent Simon is a bit of a head scratcher for me. He’s a capable early 20’s psychometric (meaning he has the ability to ‘read’ the history of an object by touching it), he has a longtime girlfriend in the form of fellow agent Jane Clayton-Forrester with whom he’s considering taking a big relationship step with, and he’s often the go to guy for jobs no one else can--or wants--to handle. Given all that, I was really caught off guard by how immature he was. It probably didn’t help that most of the other men in DEAD WATERS kept calling him ‘Kid’ or ‘Son.’ I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t reading about some fourteen year old.
I also had some issues with the pacing and plot. There’s always a whole lot of talking around an issue before someone cuts in with a ‘so the real issue is…’ or ‘so here’s what we know…’ It was frustrating and severely stunted the pace. On top of that, the basic plot was just not compelling until the very end. Simon and Jane spend most of of DEAD WATERS running around Manhattan trying to solve a supernatural murder and track down a water nymph.
There was a nice twist at the end that involved some Greek mythology which I always love, and the relationship issues between Simon and Jane provided a few nice occasional breaks, but overall I found myself just treading water through most of this book. Jumping in mid series is always a gamble as you never know how much backstory you’re missing, or if you’re lacking some vital piece of information that’s integral to the enjoyment of the latest book. Maybe that’s the case with DEAD WATERS. If not, I’m sorry to say that the potential of this book was wasted on me.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
December 18, 2010
and chalk another good read into the simon canderous series by anton strout. this one finds simon and his girlfriend jane fighting a ghost for their recently made vampire friends. then things get fishy...literally. a woman appears to have killed a professor from the inside out, by drowning him. plus, she's made of water! thus starts off a very good novel and the two of them (as well as simon's mentor, connor) looking for clues into the death of this professor and also to the identity of their water woman. i definitely recommend this for anyone into urban fantasy...a very good read!
April 8, 2011
The only bad thing about this book is that I've finally caught up with the publication schedule and now I'm going to have to wait a long time for the next installment in the series! That and the fact that although the book featured one of my favorite characters, Inspectre Quimbley, quite a bit, he was portrayed as a bit older than I imagined him; to me he's still quite the dashing fellow. Nevertheless, it was a typical Simon, Jane and Connor adventure; if you like the series, you'll like this book. Action, banter, magic, and heart.
May 11, 2012
I really liked this Simon is his normal trouble attracting self! The ending was a bit of a shock! I hope this series continues!
July 13, 2019
Excellent book. However, wouldn't you know that I would pick it up and read it before realizing there are 3 other books before this one in this series? Still, the author put in enough background information so that I wasn't completely lost.
Simon is a great hero. He doesn't know everything (even after three books) and he's still learning. I also learned something about mythology that I didn't know so that was also a plus. The characters are well fleshed out, even the undead non-essential characters (or what we who used to play Dungeons and Dragons would call them "non-player characters or NPC's). There were enough thrills and "OMG" moments that the story never got old or boring. Simon is a bit bloodthirsty but given the situations he was in, nobody should wonder why. Simon also has no clue about romance and love or the least bit of understanding about females. I felt really bad for his girlfriend at times but they managed to make it work so there's hope yet. :)
I'm very sad that the one character who died for real has to stay dead (or at least at this point he does). Maybe with the next book, he might come back, but I don't really think so.
I hope the author has another book or two in him cause after I read the first three, I'm sure I will want to find out how it all turns out in the final end.
Simon is a great hero. He doesn't know everything (even after three books) and he's still learning. I also learned something about mythology that I didn't know so that was also a plus. The characters are well fleshed out, even the undead non-essential characters (or what we who used to play Dungeons and Dragons would call them "non-player characters or NPC's). There were enough thrills and "OMG" moments that the story never got old or boring. Simon is a bit bloodthirsty but given the situations he was in, nobody should wonder why. Simon also has no clue about romance and love or the least bit of understanding about females. I felt really bad for his girlfriend at times but they managed to make it work so there's hope yet. :)
I'm very sad that the one character who died for real has to stay dead (or at least at this point he does). Maybe with the next book, he might come back, but I don't really think so.
I hope the author has another book or two in him cause after I read the first three, I'm sure I will want to find out how it all turns out in the final end.
August 29, 2019
The overall plot was interesting but the book as a whole was tedious.
I get that the idea of a bunch of magic users having to deal with bureaucracy is funny but the never
ending descriptions of the literal stacks of paperwork is annoying.
The attempt at character building with the relationship issues concerning a dresser was just silly.
So I won't be reading any other of the books.
I get that the idea of a bunch of magic users having to deal with bureaucracy is funny but the never
ending descriptions of the literal stacks of paperwork is annoying.
The attempt at character building with the relationship issues concerning a dresser was just silly.
So I won't be reading any other of the books.
September 4, 2021
When I finished the first book in this series, I thought it was a little childish, but inventive. The latter is still true as this series grows on me, but I now know it is merely overloaded with 20-something testosterone. This was fun to read. I had to finish it last night before I could sleep--and I was really tired. So, pretty good book.
July 10, 2017
Oh, the series ends on a cliffhanger. No good.
July 30, 2017
After the poor showing in the last book, this returns to the form that makes this series enjoyable.I am not a fan of the ending it seems a bit cliche but still a solid effort.
February 4, 2011
Dead Waters is the fourth Simon Canderous novel from Anton Strout and when I first started reading it, I was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be as good at the third novel, Dead Matter. And it isn’t, at first. The book takes a little time before it kicks into gear, so if you’re reading Anton Strout for the first time, I’d say give it some time. Because when the book DOES kick into gear, it gets good.
The main premise is that Simon and friends must investigate the murder of one of the department’s head honcho friends, who apparently drowned while in the middle of his apartment. Getting that investigation started is the part of the novel that’s slow. But once Simon gets a lead, the plot picks WAY up and things kick into action. And the plot has many, many twists and turns, more so than in any other Canderous novel in my opinion. I also feel that the plot is more tightly woven here. Most of the "looseness" that I had issues with in previous books is gone. And while this book doesn’t have as much of the character development as the previous one (it was more focused on plot), there are some good character issues here, mostly dealing with Simon and his girlfriend Jane. Again, those issues are rocky at the beginning, but I felt that they were handled well once the book took off.
One of the aspects of Simon Canderous novels that I’ve liked is the use of some of the New York City setting and history. We got glimpses of this in the previous books, with one of them even using Bryant Park and its history to great effect. Here, though, I think Anton has upped the ante, bringing in the Hell Gate Bridge and its history and actually using it for a significant portion of the book and the plot. And then there’s the slew of characters and creatures that feature in this book. I’d mention some of them, but each is discovered as the plot progresses, and I don’t want to spoil anything.
THEN there’s the major twist at the end . . . which I also can’t mention. *grin*
So, a good book, definitely one of the best in the Simon Canderous series so far, with a few minor drawbacks: it takes a while to really get the plot moving, and I didn’t really need to be reminded over and over and over again that some of Simon’s actions were being influenced by the experience with the ghost in the first chapter. But those things aside, much tighter plotting here, and some interesting bad guys all around.
The main premise is that Simon and friends must investigate the murder of one of the department’s head honcho friends, who apparently drowned while in the middle of his apartment. Getting that investigation started is the part of the novel that’s slow. But once Simon gets a lead, the plot picks WAY up and things kick into action. And the plot has many, many twists and turns, more so than in any other Canderous novel in my opinion. I also feel that the plot is more tightly woven here. Most of the "looseness" that I had issues with in previous books is gone. And while this book doesn’t have as much of the character development as the previous one (it was more focused on plot), there are some good character issues here, mostly dealing with Simon and his girlfriend Jane. Again, those issues are rocky at the beginning, but I felt that they were handled well once the book took off.
One of the aspects of Simon Canderous novels that I’ve liked is the use of some of the New York City setting and history. We got glimpses of this in the previous books, with one of them even using Bryant Park and its history to great effect. Here, though, I think Anton has upped the ante, bringing in the Hell Gate Bridge and its history and actually using it for a significant portion of the book and the plot. And then there’s the slew of characters and creatures that feature in this book. I’d mention some of them, but each is discovered as the plot progresses, and I don’t want to spoil anything.
THEN there’s the major twist at the end . . . which I also can’t mention. *grin*
So, a good book, definitely one of the best in the Simon Canderous series so far, with a few minor drawbacks: it takes a while to really get the plot moving, and I didn’t really need to be reminded over and over and over again that some of Simon’s actions were being influenced by the experience with the ghost in the first chapter. But those things aside, much tighter plotting here, and some interesting bad guys all around.
February 14, 2011
Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous' growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors -- which works out great for me, because I've enjoyed all four of them.
The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.
The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn't forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.
Simon's partner, Connor, still doesn't get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around -- and Connor's character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor's family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it's just the nature of the case. Doesn't matter, it's a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon's girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I'd love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she's putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship -- which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).
The ending of Dead Waters is one I should've seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I'd spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I'm not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I'm afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout's gonna pull this off right and show me I'm worrying for nothing.
I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout's way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who'll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.
The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.
The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn't forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.
Simon's partner, Connor, still doesn't get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around -- and Connor's character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor's family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it's just the nature of the case. Doesn't matter, it's a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon's girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I'd love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she's putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship -- which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).
The ending of Dead Waters is one I should've seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I'd spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I'm not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I'm afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout's gonna pull this off right and show me I'm worrying for nothing.
I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout's way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who'll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.
June 9, 2011
I've been reading Anton Strout's Simon Canderous series since the very beginning (this fourth entry in the series follows "Dead To Me," "Deader Still," and "Dead Matter"). Based on the evidence here, I expect to be following it for the forseeable future. Mr. Strout has come up with a perfect balance of excellent stories, a strong supporting case, and an abundance of humor.
Probably my favorite 'character' in the series is Simon's employer, the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Being employed by a government-based bureaucracy myself, I find Strout's endless skewering of all things bureaucratic to be an unending delight. Of course that means that I also find the talk of budget cuts, employee lay-offs and increased workloads strewn throughout this book slightly more painful than others might, as well!
I have to admit that I really would have rated this book as a 4.75, if such a thing was possible. The minor deduction would be because of something in the ending that was less than a favorite of mine. Don't worry - no spoilers, here. The part I didn't like isn't some left-field last minute insertion; the plot twist is well-supported by the story, and will doubtless bring new possibilities to future books. I just wasn't crazy about it.
Read the book yourself, and if you can't figure out what I'm talking about...well...maybe I'm wrong.
March 14, 2011
Dead Waters by Anton Strout is the best of the series so far. Strout’s comedic writing style has matured, though his main character still has a way to go, which is part of the fun. Simon is a wise-cracking machine—and a zombie skull crushing machine, with his telescoping metal bat. Add in his psychometry powers, he can tell an object’s history by touching it, and you have a very fascinating character.
I really enjoyed this book was surprised at all the twists and turns as the murder investigation unfolded. The interaction between Simon and his girlfriend, Jane was highly entertaining. The side characters delivered as well, plus this book had crazy mythology, ass kicking, romance, and during the finale, the most unique use of a Ghostbusters lunch box ever.
For a fun urban fantasy romp, take a dip into Dead Waters, just watch out for the floating zombies . . . they’ll bite your ankles off.
Paul Genesse
Editor The Crimson Pact anthology
I really enjoyed this book was surprised at all the twists and turns as the murder investigation unfolded. The interaction between Simon and his girlfriend, Jane was highly entertaining. The side characters delivered as well, plus this book had crazy mythology, ass kicking, romance, and during the finale, the most unique use of a Ghostbusters lunch box ever.
For a fun urban fantasy romp, take a dip into Dead Waters, just watch out for the floating zombies . . . they’ll bite your ankles off.
Paul Genesse
Editor The Crimson Pact anthology
February 4, 2011
In this fourth installment of the Simon Canderous adventures readers will be pleased to find that author Anton Strout has brought his A-game! With all the supernatural going ons in the Canderous world the action picks up in Chapter 1 and doesn't relent until the last page!
Dead Waters is darker than the previous books in this series, but it is full of great dialogue and snarky wise cracks from the fantastic array of characters that lighten the tone. The story is well written and thoroughly engrossing. With all the page-turning action, Strout even manages to show his softer side in some rather poignant moments that were surprisingly moving. And the ending...well let's just say I was completely satisfied with how things went down.
For the FULL review please visit: http://paperbackdolls.blogspot.com/20...
Dead Waters is darker than the previous books in this series, but it is full of great dialogue and snarky wise cracks from the fantastic array of characters that lighten the tone. The story is well written and thoroughly engrossing. With all the page-turning action, Strout even manages to show his softer side in some rather poignant moments that were surprisingly moving. And the ending...well let's just say I was completely satisfied with how things went down.
For the FULL review please visit: http://paperbackdolls.blogspot.com/20...
February 24, 2011
In this fourth installment of the Simon Canderous series, Simon and Connor are called to a murder scene. It may have been that I have spring fever, or it may have been the book, but I did have a hard time reading the first half of the book. It was a regurgitation of facts from the first three books that include unlikely dialog. Simon spends a lot of pages getting teased whether he understands the cohabitation hints Jane is giving him. The second half of the book, I read in two days. It was a page turner, but not as good as the first three books, which I rave about. The ending does bring more problems that will be answered in a fifth book. Best dialog regrading budget cuts in the Department of Extraordinary Affairs:
"Are you, like the Men in Black"....
No, they're fictional. You know that, don't you... Because they have a huge budget and unlimited resources."
"Are you, like the Men in Black"....
No, they're fictional. You know that, don't you... Because they have a huge budget and unlimited resources."
January 11, 2012
I started this with some misgivings. The pacing at first was really off, to the point I was worried this series had already hit its high point. Luckily, after some drawn out relationship drama between Simon and Jane, things get more paranormal and interesting as the main plot takes over.
Some real interesting infusion of mythology in here. The ending did feel super abrupt, however, but during the climatic battle it was nice to see Jane take such charge of things. It's always refreshing to see an author allow the female love interest to have more of a purpose than to spur the male lead into action. I still wish there'd been more development at the end, as things are a bit cliffhanger ish, especially with how much the beginning of the book felt like some filler.
Looking forward to the next.
Some real interesting infusion of mythology in here. The ending did feel super abrupt, however, but during the climatic battle it was nice to see Jane take such charge of things. It's always refreshing to see an author allow the female love interest to have more of a purpose than to spur the male lead into action. I still wish there'd been more development at the end, as things are a bit cliffhanger ish, especially with how much the beginning of the book felt like some filler.
Looking forward to the next.
January 12, 2011
DUDE. Anton's writing has improved SO much over the course of this series, and this installment cements my belief that Simon ain't going away any time soon. The banter, of course, is phenomenal, and the characters very enthralling. However, the plot is what sold me on this one. It's trippy. It's very much like a pinball ride, as the reviews state. The antagonists are many, subtle, and deceiving. And the ending... well. It was a thrill to finish. And leave me craving more. WANT NEXT ONE NOW PLEASE.
Oh.
And Anton TOTALLY stole an idea I had for my own dabblings in writing. Just fyi. :)
Oh.
And Anton TOTALLY stole an idea I had for my own dabblings in writing. Just fyi. :)
November 18, 2011
I'm really enjoying this series. Simon Canderous, a former thief, is now working for an agency called Department of Extraordinary Affairs. He has the gift of psychometry. You'd think a gift like that would be kind of cool. But, as this series shows, a talent like psycomtry could be a real pain in the butt when it comes to forming relationships. Simon is the snarky kind of character I enjoy reading.
This story begins with Simon investigating a mysterious case of a man found drowned in his very dry apartment. The story moves along at a cracking pace and has a surprising twist at the end.
This story begins with Simon investigating a mysterious case of a man found drowned in his very dry apartment. The story moves along at a cracking pace and has a surprising twist at the end.
June 16, 2012
Actually listened to the Audible version of this book. I haven't been that big a fan of Simon having a girlfriend (Jane) but must say (without spoiling) that I was surprised by the ending and hope there will be another book following this one. The plot for this book was pretty interesting, so it helped with the relationship aspect that sometimes I got tired hearing about. Although I gave 4 stars, I would say it's more of a 3 1/2 stars instead.
April 20, 2011
Loved this book, one of my favorites overall in the series. I'm giving it five stars, however, I have to note that I pretty much HATED the way it ended for one of the main characters in this book. But! I have faith in the author to bring this around and make it good as opposed to it being a "jump the shark" kind of thing for the series. Here's hoping!
March 24, 2012
Dead waters is actually ok urban fantasy novel. My only problem is their cutesy-cutesy names for their department. It kept me from taking the story seriously. I don't know, the cutesy names work for percy jackson and harry potter series but i don't think it works with this books. Also the ending feels kinda rushed. I'll give the series onother go, Simon Canderous seem interesting enough.
August 28, 2011
Generally quite imaginative and satisfying, I thought the ending was a little too pat. It seemed to easy in the end and I think if it had gone another way, I might have actually sobbed a little and felt for Simon.
September 25, 2011
I picked this up without reading the other books so it was probably a 2.5 stars book but I might find the rest of the series if I remember it. It was entertaining enough for me to finish it but I did find Simeon and Jane's relationship to be a little annoying.
April 16, 2015
I enjoyed this one, although I'm not sure I liked the ending. I think Simon would probably grow more as a person if the ending that didn't happen had happened, but hey-ho, we'll just have to see how things pan out.
December 19, 2016
A very interesting series. I loved the Main Character. The action scenes are well done, the characters stay as they should, Unique situations and sometimes unique ways to solve them.
I recommend it to all.
I recommend it to all.
July 7, 2010
Between Scylla and Charybds and ghosts...a fun and amusing read.
September 9, 2010
Anton has not failed to [please.
November 8, 2010
This is one "DUDE!" phone call from beginning to end.
March 21, 2011
I liked this book as well as all the rest:) keep my attention:)can't wait for his next one.
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