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Dogsland #1
Never Knew Another
J. M. McDermott delivers the stunning new novel, Never Knew Another — a sweeping fantasy that revels in the small details of life.
Fugitive Rachel Nolander is a newcomer to the city of Dogsland, where the rich throw parties and the poor just do whatever they can to scrape by. Supported by her brother Djoss, she hides out in their squalid apartment, living in fear that someday, someone will find out that she is the child of a demon. Corporal Jona Lord Joni is a demon's child too, but instead of living in fear, he keeps his secret and goes about his life as a cocky, self-assured man of the law. The first book in the Dogsland Trilogy, Never Knew Another is the story of how these two outcasts meet.
Never Knew Another is the first book in the Dogsland Trilogy.
Fugitive Rachel Nolander is a newcomer to the city of Dogsland, where the rich throw parties and the poor just do whatever they can to scrape by. Supported by her brother Djoss, she hides out in their squalid apartment, living in fear that someday, someone will find out that she is the child of a demon. Corporal Jona Lord Joni is a demon's child too, but instead of living in fear, he keeps his secret and goes about his life as a cocky, self-assured man of the law. The first book in the Dogsland Trilogy, Never Knew Another is the story of how these two outcasts meet.
Never Knew Another is the first book in the Dogsland Trilogy.
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 2011
19 people are currently reading
1774 people want to read
About the author
J.M. McDermott
37 books78 followersHis first novel was plucked from a slush pile and went on to be #6 on Amazon.com's Year's Best SF/F of 2008, shortlisted for a Crawford Prize, and on Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading List for Debuts. His short fiction has appeared in Weird Tales Magazine, Fantasy Magazine, Apex Magazine, and Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, among other places. He has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an MFA in Popular Fiction from the Stonecoast program of the University of Southern Maine.
By night, he wanders a maze of bookshelves and empty coffee cups, and by day he wanders the streets of San Antonio, where he lives and works.
He tries to write in between.
By night, he wanders a maze of bookshelves and empty coffee cups, and by day he wanders the streets of San Antonio, where he lives and works.
He tries to write in between.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 27, 2011
I had a really hard time with this one. I wanted to like it, I've been looking forward to reading it, and I loved the cover, but it just didn't measure up for me.
First of all, the blurb is pretty misleading. It leads you to believe that you'll be reading about the demon children, and I guess you are, but in a roundabout, convoluted way--it's written in 1st person from the POV of a shapeshifting demon hunter, who has all the personality of a macadamia nut. It is all "must kill all demon children...they are evil evil evil". It got old.
Anyway, she and her fellow shapeshifting, demon hunting hubby find a dead body of a man with demon blood. They proceed to clean the skull and carry it around with them, because it allows the woman (who's name we never learn) to access all the memories of this dead demon child. That way, they can see if he knew others like himself, and they can hunt them down. Said dead demon child/owner of scrubbed-clean skull and his girlfriend are the people mentioned in the blurb. So you get a third person account of their story, told through the memories the demon hunter chick pulls from his skull, but I guess we know he dies, huh? Downer.
Also, this book was extremely slow moving. It took me 5 days to read a 256 page book. Yikes. And I fell asleep almost every time I was reading it. Double yikes. The beginning was slow and a bit confusing, and it picked up slightly after Rachel & Jona (demon children mentioned above) are introduced, but still, it just never grabbed me. I hate when finishing a book becomes a chore. Takes all of the joy out of it.
So if you're a fan of "beautiful prose", you'll probably love this this book. It read very much like "literature" for me. I actually feel like I'm admitting to being a dumbass by giving it 2 stars--if I were a real lover of the written word, I would love this book and it's artfulness. But I guess I'm just an average ole reader--I need fleshed out characters and a bit of action, thankyouverymuch.
First of all, the blurb is pretty misleading. It leads you to believe that you'll be reading about the demon children, and I guess you are, but in a roundabout, convoluted way--it's written in 1st person from the POV of a shapeshifting demon hunter, who has all the personality of a macadamia nut. It is all "must kill all demon children...they are evil evil evil". It got old.
Anyway, she and her fellow shapeshifting, demon hunting hubby find a dead body of a man with demon blood. They proceed to clean the skull and carry it around with them, because it allows the woman (who's name we never learn) to access all the memories of this dead demon child. That way, they can see if he knew others like himself, and they can hunt them down. Said dead demon child/owner of scrubbed-clean skull and his girlfriend are the people mentioned in the blurb. So you get a third person account of their story, told through the memories the demon hunter chick pulls from his skull, but I guess we know he dies, huh? Downer.
Also, this book was extremely slow moving. It took me 5 days to read a 256 page book. Yikes. And I fell asleep almost every time I was reading it. Double yikes. The beginning was slow and a bit confusing, and it picked up slightly after Rachel & Jona (demon children mentioned above) are introduced, but still, it just never grabbed me. I hate when finishing a book becomes a chore. Takes all of the joy out of it.
So if you're a fan of "beautiful prose", you'll probably love this this book. It read very much like "literature" for me. I actually feel like I'm admitting to being a dumbass by giving it 2 stars--if I were a real lover of the written word, I would love this book and it's artfulness. But I guess I'm just an average ole reader--I need fleshed out characters and a bit of action, thankyouverymuch.
January 14, 2018
The Good:
An ambitious, gritty urban fantasy/crime/noir/family drama. While ambition isn’t of itself a good quality, it was interesting seeing all this thrown together. It was a good effort. The setting was very atmospheric, and the story intriguing. The characters were dark, complex and sympathetic. They were well done.
The Bad:
This was so shades-of-grey that there was barely a genuine antagonist. The claustrophobic atmosphere, while effective, doesn’t really work in a fantasy setting. Not for me anyway. Alternative universes need to answer questions and this left far too much unanswered. The ending was also poor, with almost zero closure. Did you know there’s two more books in the series? I’ll never finish all the series I’ve started, and this will be another one.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
Rachel Nolander is Ross. Jona is probably most like Rachel Green, only with a mean streak and the scars from demon wings hacked from his back as an infant.
An ambitious, gritty urban fantasy/crime/noir/family drama. While ambition isn’t of itself a good quality, it was interesting seeing all this thrown together. It was a good effort. The setting was very atmospheric, and the story intriguing. The characters were dark, complex and sympathetic. They were well done.
The Bad:
This was so shades-of-grey that there was barely a genuine antagonist. The claustrophobic atmosphere, while effective, doesn’t really work in a fantasy setting. Not for me anyway. Alternative universes need to answer questions and this left far too much unanswered. The ending was also poor, with almost zero closure. Did you know there’s two more books in the series? I’ll never finish all the series I’ve started, and this will be another one.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
Rachel Nolander is Ross. Jona is probably most like Rachel Green, only with a mean streak and the scars from demon wings hacked from his back as an infant.
May 11, 2012
Quick reaction: http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2012...
Well, this was a unique one. Really hard to put into words what I feel about it, but at the end of it I really loved it. Beautiful prose that contrasted the ugly world it depicted. It's a very short novel, yet quite packed. The story itself is not that complex, but the storytelling technique is. It's easy to get confused since POVs are not always easily identifiable, but that's part of the charm. Part of the story is experienced through a character accessing another's memories. There's switching of POV, as well as the narrative mode, and events are not in chronological order. So be prepared to put some effort.
Themes of loneliness and solitude are explored to its fullest, as well as the pursuit to belong; find someone that understands you. I really loved how the demons were depicted here, how it mixed the humanity with the inhumanity with the inevitability of what they are, and how toxic they are just for being what they are despite of who they are and who they wish to be. I hope that made some sense.
The ending was a bit abrupt for me and the climax was very subtle, really felt like there was none, but with the sequel already out, this is pretty much a none issue. Never Knew Another is the first in the Dogsland Trilogy. McDermott is certainly an author to watch, I have a feeling he'll be producing some compelling and thought provoking reading for years to come.
Well, this was a unique one. Really hard to put into words what I feel about it, but at the end of it I really loved it. Beautiful prose that contrasted the ugly world it depicted. It's a very short novel, yet quite packed. The story itself is not that complex, but the storytelling technique is. It's easy to get confused since POVs are not always easily identifiable, but that's part of the charm. Part of the story is experienced through a character accessing another's memories. There's switching of POV, as well as the narrative mode, and events are not in chronological order. So be prepared to put some effort.
Themes of loneliness and solitude are explored to its fullest, as well as the pursuit to belong; find someone that understands you. I really loved how the demons were depicted here, how it mixed the humanity with the inhumanity with the inevitability of what they are, and how toxic they are just for being what they are despite of who they are and who they wish to be. I hope that made some sense.
The ending was a bit abrupt for me and the climax was very subtle, really felt like there was none, but with the sequel already out, this is pretty much a none issue. Never Knew Another is the first in the Dogsland Trilogy. McDermott is certainly an author to watch, I have a feeling he'll be producing some compelling and thought provoking reading for years to come.
Read
February 11, 2012I usually don’t summarize the books I review because a reader can find a summary on the inside cover flap, on the back cover, or in listings at Goodreads and online bookstores. However, this book requires a summary because the one give in those places is wrong.
This is not a book about Rachel Nolander. She appears only as a minor character in the backstory and mostly through second-hand memories. The book instead is about a couple, part human, part wolf, who track and kill people who, through no fault of their own, have demon ancestry. In this book (the first of a trilogy), she uses the skull of Jona (a demon’s child who has been discovered and murdered) to reconstruct his memories so that she and her husband can find and kill the woman he loved (Rachel Nolander) and a mysterious demon who has lived in the shadows for centuries.
What I didn’t like:
First, the couple finds neither Rachel Nolander nor the mysterious demon. The book ends with no conclusion, as if one book had been split into a trilogy with random breaks.
Second, the demons were far more sympathetic characters than the demon hunter protagonists. I understand that the demons taint everything that their body fluids touch and that if they are not careful, they can injure or kill other people. But Rachel and Jona take great pains to avoid injuring others. They are two very lonely people who are surviving the best they can, always on guard because one tiny slip-up could mean being burned to death. (That’s right: The demon children aren’t killed quickly or painlessly; they are burned alive.)
What I did like:
First, the novel is nicely written and is a pleasure to read.
Second, the core ethical issues in the novel echo some in our own society. What can we do about people with the HIV virus who continue to have sex without telling their partners? What can we do about child molesters who fulfill their sentences but still have overwhelming urges to sexually abuse children? The rough justice in Never Knew Another suggests the answer is to kill them and possibly everyone who may unknowingly have been affected. I reject that solution. Surely there is someway to separate these people (or demons) from the rest of society so that they can have a semi-normal life
.
I understood the protagonists’ mission, but I disliked them anyway. When they hurt people or burned down people’s homes and places of business, I was reminded of the Religious Right and other wacko far right fringe groups in our own society who act against “the other” (black people, gays, independent women, etc.) who are other through no choice of their own. Their cure is worse than the supposed crimes of “the other.”
So J.M. McDermott did a good job of making me think. I wish that the book had been advertised more accurately and that it didn’t end so arbitrarily. I probably will read the next book in the series, despite my misgivings.
This is not a book about Rachel Nolander. She appears only as a minor character in the backstory and mostly through second-hand memories. The book instead is about a couple, part human, part wolf, who track and kill people who, through no fault of their own, have demon ancestry. In this book (the first of a trilogy), she uses the skull of Jona (a demon’s child who has been discovered and murdered) to reconstruct his memories so that she and her husband can find and kill the woman he loved (Rachel Nolander) and a mysterious demon who has lived in the shadows for centuries.
What I didn’t like:
First, the couple finds neither Rachel Nolander nor the mysterious demon. The book ends with no conclusion, as if one book had been split into a trilogy with random breaks.
Second, the demons were far more sympathetic characters than the demon hunter protagonists. I understand that the demons taint everything that their body fluids touch and that if they are not careful, they can injure or kill other people. But Rachel and Jona take great pains to avoid injuring others. They are two very lonely people who are surviving the best they can, always on guard because one tiny slip-up could mean being burned to death. (That’s right: The demon children aren’t killed quickly or painlessly; they are burned alive.)
What I did like:
First, the novel is nicely written and is a pleasure to read.
Second, the core ethical issues in the novel echo some in our own society. What can we do about people with the HIV virus who continue to have sex without telling their partners? What can we do about child molesters who fulfill their sentences but still have overwhelming urges to sexually abuse children? The rough justice in Never Knew Another suggests the answer is to kill them and possibly everyone who may unknowingly have been affected. I reject that solution. Surely there is someway to separate these people (or demons) from the rest of society so that they can have a semi-normal life
.
I understood the protagonists’ mission, but I disliked them anyway. When they hurt people or burned down people’s homes and places of business, I was reminded of the Religious Right and other wacko far right fringe groups in our own society who act against “the other” (black people, gays, independent women, etc.) who are other through no choice of their own. Their cure is worse than the supposed crimes of “the other.”
So J.M. McDermott did a good job of making me think. I wish that the book had been advertised more accurately and that it didn’t end so arbitrarily. I probably will read the next book in the series, despite my misgivings.
May 31, 2011
Never Knew Another is a haunting little gem of a book, the kind that lingers in your head long after you’ve turned the last page. It reminded me of Gene Wolfe’s novels: while reading, I had that same sense of deep truths hidden between interlocking tales, where words left unspoken hold equal weight to those on the page. The framing story for the novel follows a married pair of shapechanging hunters, whose sacred mission is to seek out and kill the halfbreed children of demons, and cleanse the tainted ground the demon children leave behind. This taint is quite real: the very touch of these halfbreed children can sicken ordinary humans, even kill them. And yet, as one of the hunters experiences the memories of a slain demon child in order to track down more, we learn the halfbreeds are human as the rest of us: afraid, alone, desperate to survive, capable of both cruelty and compassion. In some ways, the hunters are far more Other than the demon children. They view the world with the cool practicality of the wolves whose form they can take, and share a wolf’s disdain for weakness; but they, too, are capable of tenderness and love. All told, the novel is a beautifully written exploration of what it means to be an outcast. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a dark, literary fantasy that’s wonderfully different from most others on the shelf.
February 2, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/never-kn...
“My husband and I arrived in a city that I shall call not Woodsland, but, rather, Dogsland. That is the name for human places in the language of the wolf packs.”
Dogsland is the setting for J. M. McDermott’s Never Knew Another, the first book in the Dogsland Trilogy. In this novel, we follow two of Erin’s Walkers – half wolf, half human, all demon hunter. When they find the skull of a half demon child, they leave their woods to explore the city, following the memories left behind in the skull to chase down other demon children. The story is narrated from the first person viewpoint of one of these Walkers, whose name cannot be uttered in the human tongue. The memories she sees introduce us to Jona, the owner of the memories, and his lover Rachel, also a demon child.
Shades of gray
This two-sided nature of Never Knew Another, exploring both demons and demon hunters, erases all boundaries of right and wrong and takes readers on a dark journey filled with shades of gray. This is not an adventurous story of hunter and prey, but a tragic love story of two lonely and frightened people who know that when their true heritage is discovered, they will be burned alive for it. Neither has ever known another demon child, and when they meet, they are finally able to share who they are.
Weird rhythm
Dark, strange, and poetic, Never Knew Another can be typified as a fourteenth century urban fantasy. The style of writing is very different than anything I’ve read before. It is fast, sharp, creative, and almost philosophic at times. It’s as though McDermott planned every word carefully, creating a book that reads like a page-turner, not for its suspense, but for its weird rhythm and raw emotion, with hints of original magic.
A beautiful city
The city of Dogsland is beautifully crafted. The mud in the streets of the poor district, the stench of dead animals in the pens, and the shallow parties where the noble ladies try to impress each other feel as realistic as walking through a fourteenth century city filled with people with their own stories, fears and dreams. When I read about the rainstorms drenching everything, I felt as though I was sitting in the rain myself. When I read about the hot, stale, windowless rooms, the room around me felt hot. McDermott’s greatest skill is definitely his writing style that makes the world he created come to life for me.
Colliding timelines and stale plots
The characters in Never Knew Another will draw you in and carry you away. The conflicts they face every day and the struggles between doing what’s right and doing what is needed to survive a life as a demon are truly enthralling. At times, though, the number of viewpoints and the randomness of memories and intertwined timelines make this book a bit hard to read. For instance, during some paragraphs set in the past, a random thought from the present is thrown in unexpectedly.
However, the biggest problem I had with this novel was the lack of progress. This is without a doubt a brilliant book, but there aren’t enough events to carry it. Only near the end were a little mystery and political scheming thrown in the spice things up. For me, this came too late.
Why should you read this book?
Any fan of the genre might like McDermott’s novel. Whether you like Steampunk, Epic, Low or Urban Fantasy, or if you enjoy reading something weird and different, you will enjoy this. Never Knew Another is a wonderful story of emotions and conflicts set in an atmosphere that will blow you away. This novel had the potential to push the boundaries of the fantasy genre, becoming a fantasy and perhaps even literary classic, but though it is good, the lack of events and the mere 230 pages of the book aren’t sufficient to make this a classic. I hold high hopes for the sequels, though.
“My husband and I arrived in a city that I shall call not Woodsland, but, rather, Dogsland. That is the name for human places in the language of the wolf packs.”
Dogsland is the setting for J. M. McDermott’s Never Knew Another, the first book in the Dogsland Trilogy. In this novel, we follow two of Erin’s Walkers – half wolf, half human, all demon hunter. When they find the skull of a half demon child, they leave their woods to explore the city, following the memories left behind in the skull to chase down other demon children. The story is narrated from the first person viewpoint of one of these Walkers, whose name cannot be uttered in the human tongue. The memories she sees introduce us to Jona, the owner of the memories, and his lover Rachel, also a demon child.
Shades of gray
This two-sided nature of Never Knew Another, exploring both demons and demon hunters, erases all boundaries of right and wrong and takes readers on a dark journey filled with shades of gray. This is not an adventurous story of hunter and prey, but a tragic love story of two lonely and frightened people who know that when their true heritage is discovered, they will be burned alive for it. Neither has ever known another demon child, and when they meet, they are finally able to share who they are.
Weird rhythm
Dark, strange, and poetic, Never Knew Another can be typified as a fourteenth century urban fantasy. The style of writing is very different than anything I’ve read before. It is fast, sharp, creative, and almost philosophic at times. It’s as though McDermott planned every word carefully, creating a book that reads like a page-turner, not for its suspense, but for its weird rhythm and raw emotion, with hints of original magic.
A beautiful city
The city of Dogsland is beautifully crafted. The mud in the streets of the poor district, the stench of dead animals in the pens, and the shallow parties where the noble ladies try to impress each other feel as realistic as walking through a fourteenth century city filled with people with their own stories, fears and dreams. When I read about the rainstorms drenching everything, I felt as though I was sitting in the rain myself. When I read about the hot, stale, windowless rooms, the room around me felt hot. McDermott’s greatest skill is definitely his writing style that makes the world he created come to life for me.
Colliding timelines and stale plots
The characters in Never Knew Another will draw you in and carry you away. The conflicts they face every day and the struggles between doing what’s right and doing what is needed to survive a life as a demon are truly enthralling. At times, though, the number of viewpoints and the randomness of memories and intertwined timelines make this book a bit hard to read. For instance, during some paragraphs set in the past, a random thought from the present is thrown in unexpectedly.
However, the biggest problem I had with this novel was the lack of progress. This is without a doubt a brilliant book, but there aren’t enough events to carry it. Only near the end were a little mystery and political scheming thrown in the spice things up. For me, this came too late.
Why should you read this book?
Any fan of the genre might like McDermott’s novel. Whether you like Steampunk, Epic, Low or Urban Fantasy, or if you enjoy reading something weird and different, you will enjoy this. Never Knew Another is a wonderful story of emotions and conflicts set in an atmosphere that will blow you away. This novel had the potential to push the boundaries of the fantasy genre, becoming a fantasy and perhaps even literary classic, but though it is good, the lack of events and the mere 230 pages of the book aren’t sufficient to make this a classic. I hold high hopes for the sequels, though.
November 28, 2011
Love the title, love the cover, love the opening:
The nameless narrator is one of Erin's Runners, with a wolfskin that lets her run and chase down the demonspawn whose blood is so potently poison it will cause leaves to wither and men to sicken. I could have read about her all day. Unfortunately, most of the book is occupied with the way she dips into the dead man's memories, trying to find traces of other, living, demon-children so that she can hunt them down too.
Jona, the dead man, is a city guard, and his life is as messily urban as you can expect in a vaguely medieval-scape world. He is careful not to share drinks (his spit, too, is dangerous); he doesn't sleep at night; and at times he has strange moods which lead him to grow dangerous. I didn't care for him but was drawn into his corrupt world anyway.
The structure was strange, too, passing from perspective to perspective and skipping along the timeline. Mostly the prose kept me going.
This is definitely a book with a sequel; very little's wrapped up except for a greater understanding of the dead man's connections to other demon-children. But while the city, with its intrigue and squalor and nighttime crime, became vivid to me, I knew next to nothing about the awesome Runners of Erin; only how relentless their mission was, how sometimes they were vulnerable to frailer human emotions. I will read the next book to find out more about them.
Note to the picky: something went wrong during a production phase of this book, and you'll find repeated sentences and other egregious errors.
My husband and I placed the head from the body we had found upon a rock face at the top of a hill, where the sun and moon would always fall upon it. He had worn the uniform of a king's man in life, but he had demon in his bloodline, and he had stained the earth where he had fallen. My husband and I prayed there, with the head on the stone, to the goddess Erin, and raised our eyes to the sky, to her. We fasted and fasted all day. We drank only water when the moon slipped from behind the clouds. We prayed and we prayed. In the morning twilight, Erin granted me the vision. I cried out in pain. Where is my body? screamed the skull. Where is Rachel?
He and Rachel were lovers as true as any in the city. She left him. He died chasing her.
I asked my husband if he would die for me. He said no.
The nameless narrator is one of Erin's Runners, with a wolfskin that lets her run and chase down the demonspawn whose blood is so potently poison it will cause leaves to wither and men to sicken. I could have read about her all day. Unfortunately, most of the book is occupied with the way she dips into the dead man's memories, trying to find traces of other, living, demon-children so that she can hunt them down too.
Jona, the dead man, is a city guard, and his life is as messily urban as you can expect in a vaguely medieval-scape world. He is careful not to share drinks (his spit, too, is dangerous); he doesn't sleep at night; and at times he has strange moods which lead him to grow dangerous. I didn't care for him but was drawn into his corrupt world anyway.
The structure was strange, too, passing from perspective to perspective and skipping along the timeline. Mostly the prose kept me going.
This is definitely a book with a sequel; very little's wrapped up except for a greater understanding of the dead man's connections to other demon-children. But while the city, with its intrigue and squalor and nighttime crime, became vivid to me, I knew next to nothing about the awesome Runners of Erin; only how relentless their mission was, how sometimes they were vulnerable to frailer human emotions. I will read the next book to find out more about them.
Note to the picky: something went wrong during a production phase of this book, and you'll find repeated sentences and other egregious errors.
September 3, 2015
When I walked into the library, I was only going to return a book, not get another. You know the story. But it would make no sense to drive all that way and just not take a quick peek. That's how this book came to me. It was propped on a shelf between insipid romances and ignorable high fantasy I don't understand. I looked at it, glanced away, looked back. Thought "What the heck is up with that cover?!" I mean, seriously gorgeous, right?! A badass chick in a wolf skin clutching a skull in a field of sunflowers?!!! Read the blurb. First thought: this book could seriously suck. Second thought: "Damn, it's another trilogy." Third thought: "Oh what the hell, she's coming home with me."
I don't like to summarize books in a review. You're capable, you can do that for yourself and most books have a bazillion reviews that do just that.
This book, which somehow gets ranked as scifi, is not. It is closer to high fantasy, but not exactly. It tends a little toward medieval with strains of post-apocalyptic. There are wolf shifters, but not werewolves. There are demon children, but no one is evil, really. This book meanders like a fever dream, through 3 POV's at different times, which complicates it. It could've used a little tighter editing, but after awhile, you start to wonder if a few of those errors aren't the unique style of the writer and the voices of his characters.
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I cared about the people and the place, "Dogsland", is beautiful in its own bleak, messy, impoverished way. The ending was just meh, but it's a trilogy (*sigh*).
Book 2 is being held for me. Book 3 I will have to buy because neither of my libraries as it, but it's only $5.99 compared to Book 2, which is $9.99, so there's a plus. Yes, I liked it that much.
It will be interesting to see how Rachel Nolander and her hunter, Badass Cover Chick, finally meet. Final thought: overall, some gorgeous stuff in here for the right reader.
I don't like to summarize books in a review. You're capable, you can do that for yourself and most books have a bazillion reviews that do just that.
This book, which somehow gets ranked as scifi, is not. It is closer to high fantasy, but not exactly. It tends a little toward medieval with strains of post-apocalyptic. There are wolf shifters, but not werewolves. There are demon children, but no one is evil, really. This book meanders like a fever dream, through 3 POV's at different times, which complicates it. It could've used a little tighter editing, but after awhile, you start to wonder if a few of those errors aren't the unique style of the writer and the voices of his characters.
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I cared about the people and the place, "Dogsland", is beautiful in its own bleak, messy, impoverished way. The ending was just meh, but it's a trilogy (*sigh*).
Book 2 is being held for me. Book 3 I will have to buy because neither of my libraries as it, but it's only $5.99 compared to Book 2, which is $9.99, so there's a plus. Yes, I liked it that much.
It will be interesting to see how Rachel Nolander and her hunter, Badass Cover Chick, finally meet. Final thought: overall, some gorgeous stuff in here for the right reader.
November 10, 2012
This is a Joe McDermott book so it's hardly going to be anything other than 5 star awesomeness is it? If you've not ready any yet, why not? - you only live once and you don't want to die before experiencing one of the greatest voices in modern fantasy fiction.
As for reviewing Never Knew Another, it became clear to me towards the end that this is more of a first chapter than a self-contained novel and that the reason I was struggling to get a handle on what I'd been reading was that it was far from finished. McDermott is one of those authors whose motives and intent become clearer as a work progresses and to criticise or understand it based on snatches is not a very good idea.
And yet, this is the beginning and I feel compelled to say something about this first of three novels. It's not initially as enticing as Last Dragon, which opened up in a blaze of poetic prose and disorienting narrative devices. The gameplaying is still present, as are themes of memory and understanding one's rich history or the history of others, but Never Knew Another is more straightforwardly written, allowing us to get a clearer peek at the lives of its central protagonists Jonas and Rachel, two lonely individuals who are either chastised, or chastise themselves from society because they are demon-heirs and have a nasty habit of contaminating the people they come into close contact with. There's little more to it - we see them lonely, struggling and finally connecting before tragically realising that the book opened with Jonas already dead. It's wistful, sad, intimate and very engaging once you allow yourself to get lost within it.
But it's the beginning ... so I'll say little more before we get to the end.
As for reviewing Never Knew Another, it became clear to me towards the end that this is more of a first chapter than a self-contained novel and that the reason I was struggling to get a handle on what I'd been reading was that it was far from finished. McDermott is one of those authors whose motives and intent become clearer as a work progresses and to criticise or understand it based on snatches is not a very good idea.
And yet, this is the beginning and I feel compelled to say something about this first of three novels. It's not initially as enticing as Last Dragon, which opened up in a blaze of poetic prose and disorienting narrative devices. The gameplaying is still present, as are themes of memory and understanding one's rich history or the history of others, but Never Knew Another is more straightforwardly written, allowing us to get a clearer peek at the lives of its central protagonists Jonas and Rachel, two lonely individuals who are either chastised, or chastise themselves from society because they are demon-heirs and have a nasty habit of contaminating the people they come into close contact with. There's little more to it - we see them lonely, struggling and finally connecting before tragically realising that the book opened with Jonas already dead. It's wistful, sad, intimate and very engaging once you allow yourself to get lost within it.
But it's the beginning ... so I'll say little more before we get to the end.
November 9, 2017
It's funny - I was a third of the way through when I said, "This reminds me a lot of The Last Dragon," and another third of the way before I connected the dots and realized McDermott wrote them both. It's been ages since I read The Last Dragon but I remember enjoying it a lot more than I enjoyed Never Knew Another, even though both are grim and surreal at times, with prose that flows around you like a fever-dream.
Part of the appeal of The Last Dragon was trying to piece together the chronology of a timeline that started and stopped, fast forwarded and backtracked with each section (and the book is written piecemeal, in tiny sections.)
There's a lot less thinking with Never Knew Another and you're just along for a ride whose conclusion you know is going to be grim because you're reliving the story through the memories of the skull of the dead protagonist. I also remember empathizing a lot more strongly with the characters from The Last Dragon whereas Never Knew Another's cast (with the exception of Rachel, I suppose) is a bunch of rotten fucking apples. To be fair, they are characters fitting of the grim city of Dogsland and I appreciate McDermott's unflinching approach at characterization (some are victims while also being abusers) but it's hard to really root for anyone here.
Honestly, the true hero is the prose which is still as beautiful as Last Dragon's even while describing some truly horrific things. I especially love the Walkers' narration and the introduction to Dogsland itself was a paragraph I re-read multiple times just to savor.
In the end though, I don't think prose alone can carry me through the rest of this trilogy and I'm going to probably call it here, with book 1.
Part of the appeal of The Last Dragon was trying to piece together the chronology of a timeline that started and stopped, fast forwarded and backtracked with each section (and the book is written piecemeal, in tiny sections.)
There's a lot less thinking with Never Knew Another and you're just along for a ride whose conclusion you know is going to be grim because you're reliving the story through the memories of the skull of the dead protagonist. I also remember empathizing a lot more strongly with the characters from The Last Dragon whereas Never Knew Another's cast (with the exception of Rachel, I suppose) is a bunch of rotten fucking apples. To be fair, they are characters fitting of the grim city of Dogsland and I appreciate McDermott's unflinching approach at characterization (some are victims while also being abusers) but it's hard to really root for anyone here.
Honestly, the true hero is the prose which is still as beautiful as Last Dragon's even while describing some truly horrific things. I especially love the Walkers' narration and the introduction to Dogsland itself was a paragraph I re-read multiple times just to savor.
In the end though, I don't think prose alone can carry me through the rest of this trilogy and I'm going to probably call it here, with book 1.
March 2, 2011
I have a weakness for badasses wearing animal skins as hoods. This weakness has led me down many paths, most of them utterly terrible, and yet still I follow the siren song of the badass-with-an-animal-skin-hood...and now, at last, I have found my reward. Yet rest assured--even if you don't give half a puma pelt for the cover art and the promise therein of a badass wearing a wolfskin, this book will rock your socks.
The beautiful writing and perfectly realized characters combine to create a heady brew that is equal parts meditation on humanity and grim adventure, an engrossing, fast-paced tale that should appeal to fans of literary fiction and traditional fantasy alike. McDermott's very first page crackles with style, and he somehow manages to maintain that energy and depth of language throughout the novel. It doesn't even suffer from the dreaded first-book-in-a-series syndrome--the ending will give you some small measure of resolution, yet still leave you salivating for more like one of Erin's own. Unlike anything else out there, and we're fortunate indeed to have two more entries coming down the quay.
A more thorough review is forthcoming in Innsmouth Free Press...
The beautiful writing and perfectly realized characters combine to create a heady brew that is equal parts meditation on humanity and grim adventure, an engrossing, fast-paced tale that should appeal to fans of literary fiction and traditional fantasy alike. McDermott's very first page crackles with style, and he somehow manages to maintain that energy and depth of language throughout the novel. It doesn't even suffer from the dreaded first-book-in-a-series syndrome--the ending will give you some small measure of resolution, yet still leave you salivating for more like one of Erin's own. Unlike anything else out there, and we're fortunate indeed to have two more entries coming down the quay.
A more thorough review is forthcoming in Innsmouth Free Press...
April 9, 2011
Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.
Never Knew Another is the second book by author J.M. McDermott and the first book in the Dogsland trilogy. His first book is called Last Dragon.
Never Knew Another is about a pair of hunters who are trying to rid the world of demon born and the main plot focuses more on the back story of the life of the few demon born who are living in the city. Some subplots follow the lives those living in Dogsland, those who work for the Night King, a couple of love interests, and a few others sprinkled in but would lead to spoilers.
At first this book starts out a bit confusing as I was trying to get used to the narrative. Once I was able to get a handle on that it was easier to read. This one falls more into a literary type of fantasy. It is written well, but to me was very slow. There is not much action to it and has more of a romance feel to the story. The characters were very real and interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. The character development was spot on and fit well with each character. Aside from the grammatical errors that are prevalent throughout this book, the writing itself is wonderful. The feel of being in the city and actually witnessing the events first hand really draws the reader into the story.
Some criticisms:
1. This book is written in the first person POV which is something I don't really care for and with the way this book begins, it was a little confusing at first to follow. Later on it is easier to read as it has more of a third person feel with the main character describing the actions of the other characters and telling their story.
2. There are a lot of grammatical errors in this book and became really frustrating while trying to read this one. It could definitely have used another trip to the editor to correct these. Even on the first page, the last paragraph has a sentence repeated.
3. To me the pacing was slow. There were times I found myself falling asleep while reading and this happened many times throughout the day.
Some positives:
1. I was really drawn towards the characters. They were lifelike and easy to relate to. Even one of the demon born, Rachel, was so perfectly written as to make the reader feel sympathetic towards her. She was actually my favorite character in the whole book.
2. The descriptions of everything were well done without being overly descriptive. The reader is able to add in the missing minor elements to make the story their own and at the same time be able to feel as if they are experiencing it first hand.
Never Knew Another was an average novel which could have used some more action to spice things up a bit. Mostly it felt like a 232 page prologue with no real resolution at the end. Even with the criticisms, I think that I will still continue to read the trilogy as the next books come out. For people who like dark fantasy that is not too gritty and gory, this would be a good book for you. I have even read a review of a person who doesn't read fantasy and they enjoyed it, so if you would like to try a different kind of fantasy or are looking to read this genre for the first time, you may be pleasantly surprised and enjoy this one. Those who like fantasy with a distinguishable hero and an easily separated good vs evil type story, this one may disappoint.
Happy reading.
-dimndbangr
Never Knew Another is the second book by author J.M. McDermott and the first book in the Dogsland trilogy. His first book is called Last Dragon.
Never Knew Another is about a pair of hunters who are trying to rid the world of demon born and the main plot focuses more on the back story of the life of the few demon born who are living in the city. Some subplots follow the lives those living in Dogsland, those who work for the Night King, a couple of love interests, and a few others sprinkled in but would lead to spoilers.
At first this book starts out a bit confusing as I was trying to get used to the narrative. Once I was able to get a handle on that it was easier to read. This one falls more into a literary type of fantasy. It is written well, but to me was very slow. There is not much action to it and has more of a romance feel to the story. The characters were very real and interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. The character development was spot on and fit well with each character. Aside from the grammatical errors that are prevalent throughout this book, the writing itself is wonderful. The feel of being in the city and actually witnessing the events first hand really draws the reader into the story.
Some criticisms:
1. This book is written in the first person POV which is something I don't really care for and with the way this book begins, it was a little confusing at first to follow. Later on it is easier to read as it has more of a third person feel with the main character describing the actions of the other characters and telling their story.
2. There are a lot of grammatical errors in this book and became really frustrating while trying to read this one. It could definitely have used another trip to the editor to correct these. Even on the first page, the last paragraph has a sentence repeated.
3. To me the pacing was slow. There were times I found myself falling asleep while reading and this happened many times throughout the day.
Some positives:
1. I was really drawn towards the characters. They were lifelike and easy to relate to. Even one of the demon born, Rachel, was so perfectly written as to make the reader feel sympathetic towards her. She was actually my favorite character in the whole book.
2. The descriptions of everything were well done without being overly descriptive. The reader is able to add in the missing minor elements to make the story their own and at the same time be able to feel as if they are experiencing it first hand.
Never Knew Another was an average novel which could have used some more action to spice things up a bit. Mostly it felt like a 232 page prologue with no real resolution at the end. Even with the criticisms, I think that I will still continue to read the trilogy as the next books come out. For people who like dark fantasy that is not too gritty and gory, this would be a good book for you. I have even read a review of a person who doesn't read fantasy and they enjoyed it, so if you would like to try a different kind of fantasy or are looking to read this genre for the first time, you may be pleasantly surprised and enjoy this one. Those who like fantasy with a distinguishable hero and an easily separated good vs evil type story, this one may disappoint.
Happy reading.
-dimndbangr
August 5, 2011
Ambitious, but flawed and ultimately unsatisfying.
McDermott has created a compelling and original world rife with conflict, some of which he mines in this book; I'm of the opinion that he could have written one long book rather than a trilogy, considering how short this volume was and how void of anything resembling a solid conclusion. The narrative arc just stops, at an almost arbitrary moment it feels like. I honestly don't know why he separated this into three books, but perhaps the next two volumes will make sense of it.
McDermott's real strength is his prose, though. I don't always like all of his sentences, and he has an unfortunate habit of repetition that drives me up a wall, but that's made up for by the rhythm of his prose, the way the sentences flow together in a deeply evocative way. And there are some simply devastating sentences, truly beautiful turns of phrase that reminded me what words can really do. Unfortunately, this book's copyeditor - if it had one - should be ashamed of himself, because there were so many errors left in, especially egregious with McDermott's poetic sort of prose. The cover is beautiful, but the volume of mistakes makes me question the production values somewhat.
My problem with the story is this: It's a fascinating world, a compelling plot, and a fabulous non-linear storytelling conceit, but none of it quite works in this form. There's a note that rings false to me, partly to do with the flaws of the otherwise gorgeous prose, partly with characters who don't quite ring true, partly with the honest absurdity of calling this a complete story. Maybe it is a koan, as Felix Gilman says in the cover blurb, but it fails to feel like a fully-formed one. I'm going to keep reading, I think, because, despite the dissatisfaction I felt by the end of the tale, I feel like McDermott has ambitions and takes risks, which I appreciate.
He wanted this to be a great book, and though it's not I'm hopeful that he might one day write one (or have written, as I've not read his first novel yet).
McDermott has created a compelling and original world rife with conflict, some of which he mines in this book; I'm of the opinion that he could have written one long book rather than a trilogy, considering how short this volume was and how void of anything resembling a solid conclusion. The narrative arc just stops, at an almost arbitrary moment it feels like. I honestly don't know why he separated this into three books, but perhaps the next two volumes will make sense of it.
McDermott's real strength is his prose, though. I don't always like all of his sentences, and he has an unfortunate habit of repetition that drives me up a wall, but that's made up for by the rhythm of his prose, the way the sentences flow together in a deeply evocative way. And there are some simply devastating sentences, truly beautiful turns of phrase that reminded me what words can really do. Unfortunately, this book's copyeditor - if it had one - should be ashamed of himself, because there were so many errors left in, especially egregious with McDermott's poetic sort of prose. The cover is beautiful, but the volume of mistakes makes me question the production values somewhat.
My problem with the story is this: It's a fascinating world, a compelling plot, and a fabulous non-linear storytelling conceit, but none of it quite works in this form. There's a note that rings false to me, partly to do with the flaws of the otherwise gorgeous prose, partly with characters who don't quite ring true, partly with the honest absurdity of calling this a complete story. Maybe it is a koan, as Felix Gilman says in the cover blurb, but it fails to feel like a fully-formed one. I'm going to keep reading, I think, because, despite the dissatisfaction I felt by the end of the tale, I feel like McDermott has ambitions and takes risks, which I appreciate.
He wanted this to be a great book, and though it's not I'm hopeful that he might one day write one (or have written, as I've not read his first novel yet).
April 24, 2016
J.M. McDermott’s tale, Never Knew Another was both engrossing and frustrating. But I think my frustrations stem from the fact that this book is only Part One in the Dogsland Trilogy.
The tale follows two Walkers (People who can turn into wolves and are servants of the Goddess Erin), whose job it is to find Demon Children and erase their stain on humanity. The books open with the husband and wife Walkers discovering the corpse of a Demon Child. Through her connection to the Goddess Erin, the female walker can access the memories of the dead man/demon child. Now it is their job to sift through the memories and erase the stain the Demon Child, Jona, has left on the city.
The style of this book is clever. The beginning, which feels a little confusing, sets up the story nicely, laying down the world and the characters. As the tale progresses, it becomes more of a story within a story following Jona through his trials and tribulations. For me, it was these characters, accessed only through memories, which made the book. The Walkers see the Demon Children as pure evil, but as the story progress, to me, they just seemed tragically human.
My frustrations lie in the lack of resolution. There are many questions asked and very few are answered. I found myself wanting to know more about Jona, his friends and family, but story was abruptly cut off. The reverse chronology of the story could also mean that I missed a few key details (like why exactly Jona was killed).
All in all, I was entertained and thoroughly enjoyed the world and the plot intricacy created by McDermott. I can’t wait for the next book!
The tale follows two Walkers (People who can turn into wolves and are servants of the Goddess Erin), whose job it is to find Demon Children and erase their stain on humanity. The books open with the husband and wife Walkers discovering the corpse of a Demon Child. Through her connection to the Goddess Erin, the female walker can access the memories of the dead man/demon child. Now it is their job to sift through the memories and erase the stain the Demon Child, Jona, has left on the city.
The style of this book is clever. The beginning, which feels a little confusing, sets up the story nicely, laying down the world and the characters. As the tale progresses, it becomes more of a story within a story following Jona through his trials and tribulations. For me, it was these characters, accessed only through memories, which made the book. The Walkers see the Demon Children as pure evil, but as the story progress, to me, they just seemed tragically human.
My frustrations lie in the lack of resolution. There are many questions asked and very few are answered. I found myself wanting to know more about Jona, his friends and family, but story was abruptly cut off. The reverse chronology of the story could also mean that I missed a few key details (like why exactly Jona was killed).
All in all, I was entertained and thoroughly enjoyed the world and the plot intricacy created by McDermott. I can’t wait for the next book!
January 12, 2011
When you receive a book that is a gift or a prize you never know if you are going to enjoy it or not. Book prizes are often surprising. It is kind of like putting your hand into a bag that you can’t see into. You never know what you are going to pull out.
I won “Never Knew Another” on a little Twitter contest J.M. McDermott posted. When it arrived, I marveled at the wonderful artwork on the cover by Julien Alday. The very subtle use of colors gives you an indication that this is not just another hunters and demon story.
And it isn’t. It begins with the hunters, two skinwalkers who follow an old religion, bound to destroy what they call demons and heal the damage done by these creatures. But it isn’t as straight forward as that. In order to understand, the hunters must delve into the thoughts and memories of the creatures they hunt. The line between the hunter and hunted thins until you know more about the demons than the hunters themselves.
The book leaves you with questions about who and what the demons are and what had happened in the past, but I am sure in other books, those questions will be answered.
This was a great read, wonderfully written and waiting for the next one will be torture. Never Knew Another is available through Night Shade Books
I won “Never Knew Another” on a little Twitter contest J.M. McDermott posted. When it arrived, I marveled at the wonderful artwork on the cover by Julien Alday. The very subtle use of colors gives you an indication that this is not just another hunters and demon story.
And it isn’t. It begins with the hunters, two skinwalkers who follow an old religion, bound to destroy what they call demons and heal the damage done by these creatures. But it isn’t as straight forward as that. In order to understand, the hunters must delve into the thoughts and memories of the creatures they hunt. The line between the hunter and hunted thins until you know more about the demons than the hunters themselves.
The book leaves you with questions about who and what the demons are and what had happened in the past, but I am sure in other books, those questions will be answered.
This was a great read, wonderfully written and waiting for the next one will be torture. Never Knew Another is available through Night Shade Books
April 5, 2011
Completing this book is like coming up from a dream. The layered storytelling is done really well here. What you see on the cover with the person in a wolfskin is the outer layer of the story. It's hard to describe the book without giving too much away. I guess I could say it's about demons and demon children and the sense of isolation they feel from the rest of society.
The world is so rich that even though I was fully invested in some of the character (Rachel and Djoss, for example), I still felt like I was missing a lot of the action in town. I suppose the other books in the series will fill in those holes. In addition to being a fully-realized world, it was also a very grimy, dirty, and smelly world.
I knocked off one star because the ending felt rushed. It wasn't a real ending, but the reveal was completely out of the blue. I kind of forgot what the real plot was because I was so entrenched inside another frame of the story.
The prose is beautiful, the tone is bleak. I can't wait for the next book.
The world is so rich that even though I was fully invested in some of the character (Rachel and Djoss, for example), I still felt like I was missing a lot of the action in town. I suppose the other books in the series will fill in those holes. In addition to being a fully-realized world, it was also a very grimy, dirty, and smelly world.
I knocked off one star because the ending felt rushed. It wasn't a real ending, but the reveal was completely out of the blue. I kind of forgot what the real plot was because I was so entrenched inside another frame of the story.
The prose is beautiful, the tone is bleak. I can't wait for the next book.
Read
May 31, 2012This book is a hallucination caused by snorting demon blood. You think I'm joking? Well, maybe about the snorting part, but it's a frame story from the perspective of two wolfish demon hunters who experience the life of a demon through his bones in order to track down the taint of his blood and sweat. The novel is written in a surreal style, more a piece of modern art than a plot. The content of that blood-and-mud painting surprised me.
Never Knew Another depicts the other, the persecuted demons who are cursed with poisonous blood and deformity. The principal demon had his wings cut off at birth to make him look more human. Another must hide her scales and forked tongue. A third, a master thief, is doomed to forget people after a week. Their sweat eats through their clothing. All would be burned if the city folk knew what they were. All believe demons are corrupt, but they don't act any worse than people living in constant fear. When one of the demons meets another, the relief they feel is overwhelming. Because nothing is more frightening than to believe oneself utterly alone.
Never Knew Another depicts the other, the persecuted demons who are cursed with poisonous blood and deformity. The principal demon had his wings cut off at birth to make him look more human. Another must hide her scales and forked tongue. A third, a master thief, is doomed to forget people after a week. Their sweat eats through their clothing. All would be burned if the city folk knew what they were. All believe demons are corrupt, but they don't act any worse than people living in constant fear. When one of the demons meets another, the relief they feel is overwhelming. Because nothing is more frightening than to believe oneself utterly alone.
August 18, 2017
"These things happened in cities"
The narrator of J. M. McDermott's Never Knew Another (2011) and her husband are Walkers of the goddess Erin, healer-hunter-exorcist-executioner priests who don wolf skins to become super wolves to search out and purify the demon taint of Elishta. At the start of the novel the wife recounts finding the toxic corpse of a demon child dressed in the uniform of a king's man, removing the head to access the mind adhering to the skull. The first thing she heard was the demon spawn (Jona) screaming, "Where is my body?" And "Where is Rachel?" Then the Walkers used ants and flowers to cleanse the skeleton of its tainted flesh and dragged the skull to Jona's city, Dogsland (wolves call all cities that because dogs stink them up)
The wife and husband are at home in forests and mountains. According to their faith, all creatures eat, sleep and love, which tasks are difficult for human beings because Erin cursed them with intelligence, and the people who build cities are those who find the curse a blessing. Nonetheless, the Walkers are staying among the "bellicose monkeys" of Jona's city, because they must purify the places Jona frequented and the people he contaminated. Their task is complicated by the fact that in Dogsland Jona got to know two other demon children, Salvatore Fidelio (an immortal, amoral, amnesiac thief) and Rachel Nolander (a Senta, or nomadic philosopher, fortune teller, and elemental sorceress). Although Jona is dead, Rachel and Salvatore still require extermination and purification, but Rachel has fled the city, while Salvatore is untraceable, thanks to powerful friends in high places.
The Walker wife frames the memories of Jona and his lover Rachel provided by his skull with brief updates on the progress of her and her husband's mission in the present. (She can't access the memories of Salvatore because he forgets everything.). The memories subject the Walker wife to a double consciousness: "his days and sleepless nights, and his great love all floated over the surface of my world." The more memories she writes down, the more sympathetic Jona and Rachel become. Their memories are so vivid that it's easy to forget that they've already met, fallen in love, and separated, resulting in Jona's death. This is a poignant love story, a doomed romance between outsiders in an inimical world. Supposedly demon spawn have been banished underground for 1000 years, and though Rachel always had her protective big human half-brother and Jona his self-sacrificing, protective human mother, they always feared discovery and were lonely and "never knew another" like themselves.
The Walkers believe that the children of Elishta are born evil and cannot escape their demonic natures. Indeed, Salvatore is a self-centered thief and serial lover, destroyer, and forgettor of women, while Jona is both a somewhat dirty king's man (policeman) and a brutal if reluctant "blood monkey" (assassin) for the Night King (crime lord). Yet neither Salvatore nor Jona are as bad as the people they work for. To be sure, demon child blood, sweat, tears, and urine are toxic, acidic, and flammable. To share an apple or a bottle or a bath or a kiss with a human would make the person quite ill. (Given the nature of demonic bodily fluids, I wonder how violent Jona and lothario Salvatore could escape detection for so long and how male demon spawn and human women could make babies!) But it's hard not to sympathize with Jona when he says things like, "I want to know what dreams are like" (because he has never slept). And Rachel! She may have serpentine scales, taloned feet, and a forked tongue and may smell of brimstone and may not cast a shadow or a mirror reflection, but she is a sweetie who says things like, "The seed of my life's flower has landed here. It is my responsibility to bloom," and "I'm just me. I'm not a destroyer of life."
One of the best things about the book is that McDermott writes rounded, real characters. In addition to the complex demon spawn, there are plenty of flawed and sympathetic human characters: Aggie, the stir-crazy convent girl in love with Salvatore; Djoss, Rachel's beloved champion brother who is weak on drugs; Lady Ela Sabacthani, the magician-lord's daughter who is aging and needs to hear she's beautiful; Sergeant Nicola Calipari, Jona's commanding officer, who is wise and compassionate but had to kill Jona.
Dogsland is a vivid city: "The wind smelled of the slaughterhouses of the district, but the stench of death also carried layers of turnips and cabbages and onions and the cloth diapers boiling clean." Whorehouses, temples, bars, cafes, vendors, sewers; night soil, fetid mud, potent stenches; and highly addictive demon weed that makes users sweat blood and turns their brains into "cheese." The nobility live in fine estates on an artificial island separated from the rest of the city, while most of the action occurs in the abattoir slums.
McDermott writes bleak, vivid prose with a dry wit and a lean poetry:
"Everything living had died where the tainted blood pooled. Tiny red mushrooms--all deadly--sprouted like warts. This noxious corpse wore the uniform of a king's man."
"She creased her eyebrows like little hammers."
"Fear becomes normal, like walking with a limp."
"Your blood is eating my sleeve."
Like McDermott's The Last Dragon, this book is a grim, poignant, weird read. He writes compact novels packed with more substance, thought, and emotion than most bloated works of heroic fantasy. He uses genre tropes in merciless, imaginative, and (mostly) convincing ways. People who like bleak, fresh fantasy should try Never Knew Another. However, be advised that the novel needs the next two volumes of the Doglsland trilogy to give closure (and the third book isn't available as an audiobook).
Eileen Stevens reads the audiobook fine.
The narrator of J. M. McDermott's Never Knew Another (2011) and her husband are Walkers of the goddess Erin, healer-hunter-exorcist-executioner priests who don wolf skins to become super wolves to search out and purify the demon taint of Elishta. At the start of the novel the wife recounts finding the toxic corpse of a demon child dressed in the uniform of a king's man, removing the head to access the mind adhering to the skull. The first thing she heard was the demon spawn (Jona) screaming, "Where is my body?" And "Where is Rachel?" Then the Walkers used ants and flowers to cleanse the skeleton of its tainted flesh and dragged the skull to Jona's city, Dogsland (wolves call all cities that because dogs stink them up)
The wife and husband are at home in forests and mountains. According to their faith, all creatures eat, sleep and love, which tasks are difficult for human beings because Erin cursed them with intelligence, and the people who build cities are those who find the curse a blessing. Nonetheless, the Walkers are staying among the "bellicose monkeys" of Jona's city, because they must purify the places Jona frequented and the people he contaminated. Their task is complicated by the fact that in Dogsland Jona got to know two other demon children, Salvatore Fidelio (an immortal, amoral, amnesiac thief) and Rachel Nolander (a Senta, or nomadic philosopher, fortune teller, and elemental sorceress). Although Jona is dead, Rachel and Salvatore still require extermination and purification, but Rachel has fled the city, while Salvatore is untraceable, thanks to powerful friends in high places.
The Walker wife frames the memories of Jona and his lover Rachel provided by his skull with brief updates on the progress of her and her husband's mission in the present. (She can't access the memories of Salvatore because he forgets everything.). The memories subject the Walker wife to a double consciousness: "his days and sleepless nights, and his great love all floated over the surface of my world." The more memories she writes down, the more sympathetic Jona and Rachel become. Their memories are so vivid that it's easy to forget that they've already met, fallen in love, and separated, resulting in Jona's death. This is a poignant love story, a doomed romance between outsiders in an inimical world. Supposedly demon spawn have been banished underground for 1000 years, and though Rachel always had her protective big human half-brother and Jona his self-sacrificing, protective human mother, they always feared discovery and were lonely and "never knew another" like themselves.
The Walkers believe that the children of Elishta are born evil and cannot escape their demonic natures. Indeed, Salvatore is a self-centered thief and serial lover, destroyer, and forgettor of women, while Jona is both a somewhat dirty king's man (policeman) and a brutal if reluctant "blood monkey" (assassin) for the Night King (crime lord). Yet neither Salvatore nor Jona are as bad as the people they work for. To be sure, demon child blood, sweat, tears, and urine are toxic, acidic, and flammable. To share an apple or a bottle or a bath or a kiss with a human would make the person quite ill. (Given the nature of demonic bodily fluids, I wonder how violent Jona and lothario Salvatore could escape detection for so long and how male demon spawn and human women could make babies!) But it's hard not to sympathize with Jona when he says things like, "I want to know what dreams are like" (because he has never slept). And Rachel! She may have serpentine scales, taloned feet, and a forked tongue and may smell of brimstone and may not cast a shadow or a mirror reflection, but she is a sweetie who says things like, "The seed of my life's flower has landed here. It is my responsibility to bloom," and "I'm just me. I'm not a destroyer of life."
One of the best things about the book is that McDermott writes rounded, real characters. In addition to the complex demon spawn, there are plenty of flawed and sympathetic human characters: Aggie, the stir-crazy convent girl in love with Salvatore; Djoss, Rachel's beloved champion brother who is weak on drugs; Lady Ela Sabacthani, the magician-lord's daughter who is aging and needs to hear she's beautiful; Sergeant Nicola Calipari, Jona's commanding officer, who is wise and compassionate but had to kill Jona.
Dogsland is a vivid city: "The wind smelled of the slaughterhouses of the district, but the stench of death also carried layers of turnips and cabbages and onions and the cloth diapers boiling clean." Whorehouses, temples, bars, cafes, vendors, sewers; night soil, fetid mud, potent stenches; and highly addictive demon weed that makes users sweat blood and turns their brains into "cheese." The nobility live in fine estates on an artificial island separated from the rest of the city, while most of the action occurs in the abattoir slums.
McDermott writes bleak, vivid prose with a dry wit and a lean poetry:
"Everything living had died where the tainted blood pooled. Tiny red mushrooms--all deadly--sprouted like warts. This noxious corpse wore the uniform of a king's man."
"She creased her eyebrows like little hammers."
"Fear becomes normal, like walking with a limp."
"Your blood is eating my sleeve."
Like McDermott's The Last Dragon, this book is a grim, poignant, weird read. He writes compact novels packed with more substance, thought, and emotion than most bloated works of heroic fantasy. He uses genre tropes in merciless, imaginative, and (mostly) convincing ways. People who like bleak, fresh fantasy should try Never Knew Another. However, be advised that the novel needs the next two volumes of the Doglsland trilogy to give closure (and the third book isn't available as an audiobook).
Eileen Stevens reads the audiobook fine.
November 6, 2012
Well, it sounded very promising but unfortunately is the sort of stream of consciousness that falls in the verbal diarrhea category. Ok, fine, you want to write a book with shifting points of view that results from minds melding. Ok, it's supposed to be about memory, and sifting through another's memory to find clues. All of those are really interesting things, and the world is an interesting world and yet. I kept wondering when the story would start. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen -- shapechangers! politics! demons! religion! plague! steampunky weirdness! -- seriously, all of that and.... amazingly boring story presented in an incredibly irritating manner. *sigh* I'm sorry. I really wanted to like your book.
January 31, 2013
This book left me filled with emotional attachment for the characters. I can only remember feeling this attached to a character (or characters) in a novel twice before, with A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry and Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis.
Refreshing and different from normal fantasy, if you are a lover of fantasy, you will love this. If you are a lover of fiction but not a regular fantasy reader, I suggest this book even more to you, it is a good example of how great the genre can be while keeping away from some of the more stereotypical aspects that may keep you away.
Refreshing and different from normal fantasy, if you are a lover of fantasy, you will love this. If you are a lover of fiction but not a regular fantasy reader, I suggest this book even more to you, it is a good example of how great the genre can be while keeping away from some of the more stereotypical aspects that may keep you away.
April 23, 2012
I don't have much to say. I enjoyed this book but I did not find myself in love with it. Just me though and I would recommend the book to others if it were in line with their interests.
January 29, 2020
With a title like Never Knew Another, I imagined life deep in the woods, far from other human beings. It’s amazing what another writer can imagine when looking at a book cover—and how different the actual story turns out to be. Never Knew Another by J.M. McDermott reads like a noir crime thriller set in inner city Chicago. But this is fantasy, so the plot revolves around people born of demon parentage. With some effort, demon kin can pass for human, which reminded me of the many Twilight knockoffs weighing bookshelves these days. Themes of alienation and prejudice abound, but unlike vampires, there is nothing attractive or romantic about these demon kin. Their blood and sweat burns like acid, wipes out vegetation for years, and sickens people like the black plague.
About halfway through the novel’s 240 pages, I almost decided not to review the book. McDermott offers a new depth of meaning to the term dark. Everything in this dark, dank setting revolves around slaughterhouses, sewage, whorehouses, and of course, murder. Things bleed and ooze and drip, and there are so many references to bad odors I have to give the author credit for his attention to the so often ignored sense of smell. The writing style is modern to a fault. Sentences are short and choppy, mostly beginning with subject-verb. On the plus side, you won’t find any passive voice here. The book is narrated by two characters we learn nothing about. Even their names are withheld, as they are referred to only as “I” and “my husband” throughout. I and my husband are either wolves than turn into humans, or humans that turn into wolves. The story never makes it clear. They are also clerics, in a very Dungeons & Dragons way, so they have the power of clairvoyance. By touching the body of another creature, even a dead skull, they absorb its memories. McDermott uses this technique to great effect. As the wolf people search the memories of a dead demon-spawn named Jona, Jona’s story gradually unfolds.
Most of the book focuses on Jona, as the wolf priests search his memories for other demon-kin he may have known. Despite having acid blood and an inclination toward violence, Jona comes across as a sympathetic protagonist, at first. He is a loner alienated by his heritage, who doesn’t want to be evil. He wanders the city, terrified of being burned for what he is, and the story wanders with him, like a demonic version of Catcher in the Rye. The problem is that—despite sympathizing with his situation, Jona comes across as a horrible person. Perhaps McDermott was trying to say something about how a person’s inner nature is inescapable, but it’s hard to care about a guy who murders indiscriminately on a nightly basis. I almost gave up reading then, but a little further on, the another comes to town, Rachel, who suffers from the same malady of birth. Seventy percent into the novel (according to my Kindle) and Never Knew Another finds its focus in a love story. McDermott here does an excellent job of grounding these characters in reality. I found myself genuinely caring about Jona and Rachel, and I eagerly anticipated a great deal of drama between them. Unfortunately, the author seems to have run out of paper, because the book simply stops (a frustrating trend these days). Nothing is resolved, except for a mystery of minor importance.
Overall, I applaud McDermott’s efforts for writing something that takes the fantasy genre into new territory. I was also impressed by the level of emotion, the sense of alienation and fear you end up sharing with these demonic characters. I almost feel that Never Knew Another was a missed opportunity. The plight of individuals born to demon parents might have made an interesting commentary on social prejudices. After all, non-demon humans inflict much more pain and suffering. On the other hand, Jona is no Frankenstein. Sympathizing with demons in McDermott’s world is like having pity for the Ebola virus. By the end of the book, it’s hard not to come to the same conclusion as the narrator, that it’d be better to destroy them all, despite any redeeming values. But then again, maybe that was the author’s point all along. McDermott does not offer easy answers. He challenges the reader to evaluate his or her own conceptions of good and evil, and in fiction that is always a good thing.
About halfway through the novel’s 240 pages, I almost decided not to review the book. McDermott offers a new depth of meaning to the term dark. Everything in this dark, dank setting revolves around slaughterhouses, sewage, whorehouses, and of course, murder. Things bleed and ooze and drip, and there are so many references to bad odors I have to give the author credit for his attention to the so often ignored sense of smell. The writing style is modern to a fault. Sentences are short and choppy, mostly beginning with subject-verb. On the plus side, you won’t find any passive voice here. The book is narrated by two characters we learn nothing about. Even their names are withheld, as they are referred to only as “I” and “my husband” throughout. I and my husband are either wolves than turn into humans, or humans that turn into wolves. The story never makes it clear. They are also clerics, in a very Dungeons & Dragons way, so they have the power of clairvoyance. By touching the body of another creature, even a dead skull, they absorb its memories. McDermott uses this technique to great effect. As the wolf people search the memories of a dead demon-spawn named Jona, Jona’s story gradually unfolds.
Most of the book focuses on Jona, as the wolf priests search his memories for other demon-kin he may have known. Despite having acid blood and an inclination toward violence, Jona comes across as a sympathetic protagonist, at first. He is a loner alienated by his heritage, who doesn’t want to be evil. He wanders the city, terrified of being burned for what he is, and the story wanders with him, like a demonic version of Catcher in the Rye. The problem is that—despite sympathizing with his situation, Jona comes across as a horrible person. Perhaps McDermott was trying to say something about how a person’s inner nature is inescapable, but it’s hard to care about a guy who murders indiscriminately on a nightly basis. I almost gave up reading then, but a little further on, the another comes to town, Rachel, who suffers from the same malady of birth. Seventy percent into the novel (according to my Kindle) and Never Knew Another finds its focus in a love story. McDermott here does an excellent job of grounding these characters in reality. I found myself genuinely caring about Jona and Rachel, and I eagerly anticipated a great deal of drama between them. Unfortunately, the author seems to have run out of paper, because the book simply stops (a frustrating trend these days). Nothing is resolved, except for a mystery of minor importance.
Overall, I applaud McDermott’s efforts for writing something that takes the fantasy genre into new territory. I was also impressed by the level of emotion, the sense of alienation and fear you end up sharing with these demonic characters. I almost feel that Never Knew Another was a missed opportunity. The plight of individuals born to demon parents might have made an interesting commentary on social prejudices. After all, non-demon humans inflict much more pain and suffering. On the other hand, Jona is no Frankenstein. Sympathizing with demons in McDermott’s world is like having pity for the Ebola virus. By the end of the book, it’s hard not to come to the same conclusion as the narrator, that it’d be better to destroy them all, despite any redeeming values. But then again, maybe that was the author’s point all along. McDermott does not offer easy answers. He challenges the reader to evaluate his or her own conceptions of good and evil, and in fiction that is always a good thing.
July 18, 2025
Klasyka na krajowym rynku wydawniczym, czyli cykl porzucony przez wydawcę zaraz po wydaniu pierwszego tomu, w dodatku byle jak przetłumaczonego. A w sumie szkoda, bo ponure, chropawe i brudne fantasy nie jest aż tak częstym gościem na półkach naszych księgarń.
Pozornie bohaterami opowieści jest para ludzi-wilków, którzy tropią potomków siedzących gdzieś w czeluściach ziemi demonów. Kontakt z takim demonim pomiotem - notabene wyglądającym jak przeciętny człowiek, tyle że mającym np. zamiast krwi coś w rodzaju łatwopalnego kwasu - jest groźny dla zdrowia zwykłych ludzi, ludzie-wilki mają więc za zadanie nie tylko łapać takie istoty i oddawać w ręce świątynnych wysłanników, ale i palić miejsca ich pobytu, bowiem ich krew i pot wsiąkając w ściany i podłogi i zatruły je. Faktycznym bohaterem jest jednak jeden z takich właśnie pomiotów, królewski strażnik z dużego miasta. Kobieta-wilk próbuje odtworzyć jego życie - i to z najdrobniejszymi detalami - po to, by dopaść dwa pozostałe pomioty, z którymi miał do czynienia.
Sam pomysł na fabułę jest ciekawy. Narracja - nawet jeśli chwilami dziwna - potrafi przyciągnąć uwagę czytelnika i utrzymać ją do ostatniej strony. Na pochwałę zasługuje też dość mroczny klimat i sposób, w jaki zostało odmalowane duże, pełne tajemnic i niebezpiecznych zakamarków miasto. Lekturę psują jednak dwie rzeczy - sporych rozmiarów dziury w kreacji świata i tłumaczenie.
To pierwsze - jak choćby nie wytłumaczony w żaden sposób brak cienia u pomiotów, niska szkodliwość ich śliny przy jednocześnie mocno żrącym pocie, a także wątpliwa możliwość zapłodnienia ludzkiej kobiety, która musi nie tylko przetrwać żrącą spermę, ale i późniejsze dziewięć miesięcy ciąży z dzieckiem z kwasem zamiast krwi - być może zostało załatane w kolejnych tomach. Choć pociecha to marna, skoro do Polski pewnie nigdy one nie dotrą.
To drugie - czyli tłumaczenie - odstręcza natomiast od lektury już pierwszym akapitem: "Mój mąż i ja umieściliśmy głowę z ciała, które znaleźliśmy, na wysokiej skale, gdzie zawsze będzie na nią padało światło słońca i księżyca. Za życia nosił mundur ludzi króla, lecz wśród przodków miał demona i splamił ziemię w miejscu, gdzie umarł." Czy można zrobić głowę z ciała? KTO nosił mundur? I do ilu ludzi pierwotnie należał? A to przecież sam początek. Potem jest jeszcze "obracanie w palcach" skrzyni z czaszką, "wbijanie mieczy w skrzynie" przez strażników miejskich na rogatkach, zielony szlam "pachnący jak śmiertelna trucizna" oraz wykoślawione opisy ludzi-wilków, dzięki którym wizja autorska - i tak niejasna, bo nie wiadomo, jak te istoty wyglądają (niby chodzą i mówią jak ludzie, ale niekiedy opadają na czworaki i... biegną tak szybko, jak wilki) - została dodatkowo zaciemniona (niezbyt wysoka kobieta podczas rozmowy ze strażnikiem miejskim, zapewne dryblasem, "pochyliła się nieco, by napotkać jego spojrzenie").
Do ideału więc daleko, ale trzeba przyznać, że przedstawiony świat zaczepia się w głowie na jakiś czas.
(Esensja.pl)
Pozornie bohaterami opowieści jest para ludzi-wilków, którzy tropią potomków siedzących gdzieś w czeluściach ziemi demonów. Kontakt z takim demonim pomiotem - notabene wyglądającym jak przeciętny człowiek, tyle że mającym np. zamiast krwi coś w rodzaju łatwopalnego kwasu - jest groźny dla zdrowia zwykłych ludzi, ludzie-wilki mają więc za zadanie nie tylko łapać takie istoty i oddawać w ręce świątynnych wysłanników, ale i palić miejsca ich pobytu, bowiem ich krew i pot wsiąkając w ściany i podłogi i zatruły je. Faktycznym bohaterem jest jednak jeden z takich właśnie pomiotów, królewski strażnik z dużego miasta. Kobieta-wilk próbuje odtworzyć jego życie - i to z najdrobniejszymi detalami - po to, by dopaść dwa pozostałe pomioty, z którymi miał do czynienia.
Sam pomysł na fabułę jest ciekawy. Narracja - nawet jeśli chwilami dziwna - potrafi przyciągnąć uwagę czytelnika i utrzymać ją do ostatniej strony. Na pochwałę zasługuje też dość mroczny klimat i sposób, w jaki zostało odmalowane duże, pełne tajemnic i niebezpiecznych zakamarków miasto. Lekturę psują jednak dwie rzeczy - sporych rozmiarów dziury w kreacji świata i tłumaczenie.
To pierwsze - jak choćby nie wytłumaczony w żaden sposób brak cienia u pomiotów, niska szkodliwość ich śliny przy jednocześnie mocno żrącym pocie, a także wątpliwa możliwość zapłodnienia ludzkiej kobiety, która musi nie tylko przetrwać żrącą spermę, ale i późniejsze dziewięć miesięcy ciąży z dzieckiem z kwasem zamiast krwi - być może zostało załatane w kolejnych tomach. Choć pociecha to marna, skoro do Polski pewnie nigdy one nie dotrą.
To drugie - czyli tłumaczenie - odstręcza natomiast od lektury już pierwszym akapitem: "Mój mąż i ja umieściliśmy głowę z ciała, które znaleźliśmy, na wysokiej skale, gdzie zawsze będzie na nią padało światło słońca i księżyca. Za życia nosił mundur ludzi króla, lecz wśród przodków miał demona i splamił ziemię w miejscu, gdzie umarł." Czy można zrobić głowę z ciała? KTO nosił mundur? I do ilu ludzi pierwotnie należał? A to przecież sam początek. Potem jest jeszcze "obracanie w palcach" skrzyni z czaszką, "wbijanie mieczy w skrzynie" przez strażników miejskich na rogatkach, zielony szlam "pachnący jak śmiertelna trucizna" oraz wykoślawione opisy ludzi-wilków, dzięki którym wizja autorska - i tak niejasna, bo nie wiadomo, jak te istoty wyglądają (niby chodzą i mówią jak ludzie, ale niekiedy opadają na czworaki i... biegną tak szybko, jak wilki) - została dodatkowo zaciemniona (niezbyt wysoka kobieta podczas rozmowy ze strażnikiem miejskim, zapewne dryblasem, "pochyliła się nieco, by napotkać jego spojrzenie").
Do ideału więc daleko, ale trzeba przyznać, że przedstawiony świat zaczepia się w głowie na jakiś czas.
(Esensja.pl)
July 21, 2018
An excellent fantasy book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series when I can. There’s such a depth of world building and yet it never once felt like a word dump. The characters are realistic, despite the supernatural elements to almost all of the main characters. Only once or twice did I stumble with the transitions (the book swaps between perspectives of Jona, Rachel, and the female walker, a type of werewolf/shapeshifter). But otherwise, it was such a seamless switch that I often lost time reading it. The writing is lean but it also manages to delve into such deep ness that you find yourself a part of that world.
September 20, 2020
I'm not sure what I even read....I thought I was following a girl named Rachel and her struggle to survive.... yeah no. Nope. Not even close. She was mentioned but you weren't following her. The story is told in broken memories which are not in order. With groups and titles that I felt like the author just expected you to know what they were without any explanation. And i found myself more confused than anything else.
I do think that it was an interesting way of story telling but just not executed properly. And this book didn't really have any sort of conclusion. None at all. It just kind of stops.
I do think that it was an interesting way of story telling but just not executed properly. And this book didn't really have any sort of conclusion. None at all. It just kind of stops.
July 4, 2020
Mcdermott's fantasy engages the usual tropes from a different angle, concentrating first on the characters and then on the world. Giving his works depth while keeping the world mysterious and hinting at a complex history.
For a relatively short book it did sometimes feel like it could have been a bit shorter though.
Note that this is definitely a first book in a trilogy and has a clear, to be continued ending.
For a relatively short book it did sometimes feel like it could have been a bit shorter though.
Note that this is definitely a first book in a trilogy and has a clear, to be continued ending.
February 26, 2019
I have not, will not finish this book. I am not sure what I was expecting, but zealot demon hunters with an underpinning of mythology wasn't it. The writing is technically good, a shame about the story or characters...
February 12, 2013
Θα παραθέσω πρώτα το κείμενο του οπισθόφυλλου:
[quote]
Fugitive Rachel Nolander is a newcomer to the city of Dogsland, where the rich throw parties and the poor just do whatever they can to scrape by. Supported by her brother Djoss, she hides out in their squalid apartment, living in fear that someday, someone will find out that she is the child of a demon. Corporal Jona Lord Joni is a demon's child too, but instead of living in fear, he keeps his secret and goes about his life as a cocky, self-assured man of the law. The first book in the Dogsland Trilogy, Never Knew Another is the story of how these two outcasts meet.
[/quote]
Απλό έτσι;
Και τώρα διαβάστε, αν έχετε την καλοσύνη, τις πρώτες παραγράφους του βιβλίου: (σε σπόιλερ για όσους θέλουν να φάνε την κατατραπακιά αυθεντική)
[spoiler]
My husband and I placed the head from the body we had found upon a rock face at the top of a hill, where the sun and moon would always fall upon it. He had worn the uniform of a king's man in life, but he had demon in his bloodline, and he had stained the earth where he had fallen. My husband and I prayed there, with the head on the stone, to the goddess Erin, and raised our eyes to the sky, to her. We fasted and fasted all day. We drank only water when the moon slipped from behind the clouds. We prayed and prayed. In morning twilight, Erin granted me the vision. I cried out in pain. Where is my body? screamed the skull. Where is Rachel?
He and Rachel were lovers as good as any in the city. She left him. He died chasing her.
I asked my husband if he would die for me. He said no.
Jona would have said the same until the moment he realized what he had done.
[/spoiler]
Άρπα την στα μούτρα, έτσι; Μετά από αυτό ξέρεις ότι δεν ξέρεις τι πρόκειται να διαβάσεις τελικά. Αν και τα πράγματα έχουν μια ροή, η ροή αυτή είναι μη-γραμμική,
[spoiler]
παρελθόν, παρόν και διάφορες οπτικές γωνίες, στις οποίες ο υποκειμενισμός είναι αναπόφευκτός. Η ανώνυμη ιέρεια -η οποία παρεμπιπτόντως είναι λυκάνθρωπος σαν τον άντρα της- έχει τη δική της άποψη γύρω από τα γεγονότα, έχει επίσης στο κεφάλι της την άποψη του Τζόνα για τα γεγονότα και τέλος έχει και την άποψη της Ρέιτσελ όπως η Ρέιτσελ την περιέγραψε στον Τζόνα κι όπως τελικά ο Τζόνα τη θυμάται.
[/spoiler]
Μπέρδεμα. Αλλά ωραίο μπέρδεμα!
Γενικά η ιδέα του βιβλίου είναι να σε κάνει να δεις και τα δύο μέρη της ζυγαριάς και τους κυνηγούς και τους κυνηγημένους. Έχεις από τη μία
[spoiler]
δύο ανώνυμους λυκάνθρωπους που προσπαθούν με νύχια και με δόντια να καθαρίσουν ένα "λεκέ" (stain το ονομάζει ο συγγραφέας) από την επιφάνεια της γης. Όποιος έ��χεται σε επαφή με δαιμονοσπαρμένους σιγά-σιγά αρρωσταίνει. Τα σωματικά τους υγρά καίνε, καταστρέφουν και μολύνουν ανθρώπους, ζώα, φυτά, ακόμα και το ίδιο το χώμα. Αλλάζουν ρούχα τακτικά, γιατί ο ιδρώτας τους τα τρώει, σαν οξύ. Αν πιεις από το ίδιο ποτήρι σε λίγες μέρες αρρωσταίνεις, σαν από φυματίωση, με εξάντληση και αιμοπτύσεις, που επίσης μολύνουν το χώρο που βρίσκεσαι. Είναι αναγκαίο όπως το βλέπεις ως αναγνώστης, αυτά τα άτομα να καταστρέφονται.
Κι όμως, οι δύο αυτοί ανώνυμοι κυνηγοί δεν είναι άγιοι. Το ότι είναι λυκάθρωποι δεν τους κάνει λιγότερο Ιεροεξεταστές. Καίνε σπίτια, σκοτώνουν ανθρώπους, καταστρέφουν ζωές. Είναι αδίστακτοι, κι η έλλειψη ενδιασμών σχετικά με την αποστολή τους έρχεται σαν κεραυνός, γιατί τους δείχνει νωρίτερα να φέρονται τρυφερά στους αρρώστους και τους μολυσμένους. Η ζωώδης φύση τους δεν κάνεις τις πράξεις τους λιγότερο σοκαριστικές.
[/spoiler]
Κι από την άλλη,
[spoiler]
οι δαιμονοσπαρμένοι δεν είναι φύσει κακοί, τουλάχιστον όχι περισσότερο από οποιονδήποτε άλλον άνθρωπο. Ο Τζόνα έγινε king's man, ένα είδος στρατιωτικού/αστυνομικού, για να μπορεί να κυκλοφορεί χωρίς τον αγγίζει κανείς. Η μητέρα του είναι ξεπεσμένη αριστοκράτισσα που βγάζει το ψωμί της ως μοδίστρα κι ένα από τα άγχη της είναι να του έχει έτοιμες ραμμένες ολόιδιες στολές για να πετάει τις παλιές όταν ο ιδρώτας του τις καίει. Όταν κάποιος βλέπει κάτι, άσχετα με το αν το συνειδητοποιεί ότι προέρχεται από δαιμονοσπαρμένο, ο Τζόνα φροντίζει να του δώσει να πιει από το ποτήρι του, ή τον φτύνει στα μούτρα ή απλά και καθαρά τον σκοτώνει. Είναι θέμα επιβίωσης. Κι ύστερα γίνεται και θέμα μοναξιάς.
[/spoiler]
Γενικά, η παλάντζα είναι ισορροπημένη με επισφαλή ισορροπία. Ανά πάσα στιγμή, μπορεί να γύρει προς τα δω ή προς τα κεί, όμως ο McDermott καταφέρνει -ο άτιμος!- να την κρατάει εκεί στο σημείο ισορροπίας της, να μην γέρνει η συμπάθεια ποτέ προς τη μεριά των δαιμόνων ή προς τη μεριά των διωκτών τους.
Σε αυτό προσθέστε παρακαλώ ότι το βιβλίο δεν είναι και κρύσταλλο από πλευράς editing. Υπάρχουν γραμματικά λάθη (εγώ τα ψυλλιάστικα, γιατί δεν το έχω και πολύ με τα αγγλικά, τελικά, αλλά όλο το ίντερνετ βουίζει σχετικά), κενά κι ίσως και επαναλήψεις κάποιες φορές. Κι όμως έχει 4,2/5 αστέρια στο Άμαζον (σε 22 κριτικές) και 3,71/5 αστέρια στο Goodreads (σε 182 κριτικές).
Έχω ήδη παραγγείλει το When We Were Executioners (4,3 στο Άμαζον, 3,83 στο Goodreads) και αναρωτιέμαι τι θα κάνω μέχρι να εκδοθεί και το τρίτο...
[quote]
Fugitive Rachel Nolander is a newcomer to the city of Dogsland, where the rich throw parties and the poor just do whatever they can to scrape by. Supported by her brother Djoss, she hides out in their squalid apartment, living in fear that someday, someone will find out that she is the child of a demon. Corporal Jona Lord Joni is a demon's child too, but instead of living in fear, he keeps his secret and goes about his life as a cocky, self-assured man of the law. The first book in the Dogsland Trilogy, Never Knew Another is the story of how these two outcasts meet.
[/quote]
Απλό έτσι;
Και τώρα διαβάστε, αν έχετε την καλοσύνη, τις πρώτες παραγράφους του βιβλίου: (σε σπόιλερ για όσους θέλουν να φάνε την κατατραπακιά αυθεντική)
[spoiler]
My husband and I placed the head from the body we had found upon a rock face at the top of a hill, where the sun and moon would always fall upon it. He had worn the uniform of a king's man in life, but he had demon in his bloodline, and he had stained the earth where he had fallen. My husband and I prayed there, with the head on the stone, to the goddess Erin, and raised our eyes to the sky, to her. We fasted and fasted all day. We drank only water when the moon slipped from behind the clouds. We prayed and prayed. In morning twilight, Erin granted me the vision. I cried out in pain. Where is my body? screamed the skull. Where is Rachel?
He and Rachel were lovers as good as any in the city. She left him. He died chasing her.
I asked my husband if he would die for me. He said no.
Jona would have said the same until the moment he realized what he had done.
[/spoiler]
Άρπα την στα μούτρα, έτσι; Μετά από αυτό ξέρεις ότι δεν ξέρεις τι πρόκειται να διαβάσεις τελικά. Αν και τα πράγματα έχουν μια ροή, η ροή αυτή είναι μη-γραμμική,
[spoiler]
παρελθόν, παρόν και διάφορες οπτικές γωνίες, στις οποίες ο υποκειμενισμός είναι αναπόφευκτός. Η ανώνυμη ιέρεια -η οποία παρεμπιπτόντως είναι λυκάνθρωπος σαν τον άντρα της- έχει τη δική της άποψη γύρω από τα γεγονότα, έχει επίσης στο κεφάλι της την άποψη του Τζόνα για τα γεγονότα και τέλος έχει και την άποψη της Ρέιτσελ όπως η Ρέιτσελ την περιέγραψε στον Τζόνα κι όπως τελικά ο Τζόνα τη θυμάται.
[/spoiler]
Μπέρδεμα. Αλλά ωραίο μπέρδεμα!
Γενικά η ιδέα του βιβλίου είναι να σε κάνει να δεις και τα δύο μέρη της ζυγαριάς και τους κυνηγούς και τους κυνηγημένους. Έχεις από τη μία
[spoiler]
δύο ανώνυμους λυκάνθρωπους που προσπαθούν με νύχια και με δόντια να καθαρίσουν ένα "λεκέ" (stain το ονομάζει ο συγγραφέας) από την επιφάνεια της γης. Όποιος έ��χεται σε επαφή με δαιμονοσπαρμένους σιγά-σιγά αρρωσταίνει. Τα σωματικά τους υγρά καίνε, καταστρέφουν και μολύνουν ανθρώπους, ζώα, φυτά, ακόμα και το ίδιο το χώμα. Αλλάζουν ρούχα τακτικά, γιατί ο ιδρώτας τους τα τρώει, σαν οξύ. Αν πιεις από το ίδιο ποτήρι σε λίγες μέρες αρρωσταίνεις, σαν από φυματίωση, με εξάντληση και αιμοπτύσεις, που επίσης μολύνουν το χώρο που βρίσκεσαι. Είναι αναγκαίο όπως το βλέπεις ως αναγνώστης, αυτά τα άτομα να καταστρέφονται.
Κι όμως, οι δύο αυτοί ανώνυμοι κυνηγοί δεν είναι άγιοι. Το ότι είναι λυκάθρωποι δεν τους κάνει λιγότερο Ιεροεξεταστές. Καίνε σπίτια, σκοτώνουν ανθρώπους, καταστρέφουν ζωές. Είναι αδίστακτοι, κι η έλλειψη ενδιασμών σχετικά με την αποστολή τους έρχεται σαν κεραυνός, γιατί τους δείχνει νωρίτερα να φέρονται τρυφερά στους αρρώστους και τους μολυσμένους. Η ζωώδης φύση τους δεν κάνεις τις πράξεις τους λιγότερο σοκαριστικές.
[/spoiler]
Κι από την άλλη,
[spoiler]
οι δαιμονοσπαρμένοι δεν είναι φύσει κακοί, τουλάχιστον όχι περισσότερο από οποιονδήποτε άλλον άνθρωπο. Ο Τζόνα έγινε king's man, ένα είδος στρατιωτικού/αστυνομικού, για να μπορεί να κυκλοφορεί χωρίς τον αγγίζει κανείς. Η μητέρα του είναι ξεπεσμένη αριστοκράτισσα που βγάζει το ψωμί της ως μοδίστρα κι ένα από τα άγχη της είναι να του έχει έτοιμες ραμμένες ολόιδιες στολές για να πετάει τις παλιές όταν ο ιδρώτας του τις καίει. Όταν κάποιος βλέπει κάτι, άσχετα με το αν το συνειδητοποιεί ότι προέρχεται από δαιμονοσπαρμένο, ο Τζόνα φροντίζει να του δώσει να πιει από το ποτήρι του, ή τον φτύνει στα μούτρα ή απλά και καθαρά τον σκοτώνει. Είναι θέμα επιβίωσης. Κι ύστερα γίνεται και θέμα μοναξιάς.
[/spoiler]
Γενικά, η παλάντζα είναι ισορροπημένη με επισφαλή ισορροπία. Ανά πάσα στιγμή, μπορεί να γύρει προς τα δω ή προς τα κεί, όμως ο McDermott καταφέρνει -ο άτιμος!- να την κρατάει εκεί στο σημείο ισορροπίας της, να μην γέρνει η συμπάθεια ποτέ προς τη μεριά των δαιμόνων ή προς τη μεριά των διωκτών τους.
Σε αυτό προσθέστε παρακαλώ ότι το βιβλίο δεν είναι και κρύσταλλο από πλευράς editing. Υπάρχουν γραμματικά λάθη (εγώ τα ψυλλιάστικα, γιατί δεν το έχω και πολύ με τα αγγλικά, τελικά, αλλά όλο το ίντερνετ βουίζει σχετικά), κενά κι ίσως και επαναλήψεις κάποιες φορές. Κι όμως έχει 4,2/5 αστέρια στο Άμαζον (σε 22 κριτικές) και 3,71/5 αστέρια στο Goodreads (σε 182 κριτικές).
Έχω ήδη παραγγείλει το When We Were Executioners (4,3 στο Άμαζον, 3,83 στο Goodreads) και αναρωτιέμαι τι θα κάνω μέχρι να εκδοθεί και το τρίτο...
abandoned
September 8, 2019Why I didn't finish this: There was something about the writing and the premise that just turned me off, and I tried twice.
September 20, 2019
Not bad fantasy. Seemed kind of drawn out and slow paced. Not really my style.
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