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| Matthew Swift Series; By Kate Griffin | |
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| Topic Started: February 19, 2011, 8:32 pm (120 Views) | |
| GC Rust | February 19, 2011, 8:32 pm Post #1 |
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Burn With Me!
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Matthew Swift is dead. The Sorcerer's body was never found, but the bloody remains of his tattered clothing was found in a phone box also drenched in blood, receiver dangling uselessly, covered in Matthew's bloody fingerprints. Phone receivers are interesting things. When you pick one up, you hear the tell tale beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep of a waiting connection. But did you know, if you listen long enough and hard enough, you'll hear something else? beeeeeeeeeeeeecoooooooooooooomeeeeeeeeeeeeebeeeeeeeeeeeweeeeeeeee They are known as the Blue Electric Angels. Creatures of Magic, given life from the cast offs of ours. Born in the telephone wires, internet, and other forms of human communication, it was inevitable they would be born as Magic is Life and Life is Magic, and so much Life flows through those lines. So needless to say, when the Blue Electric Angels stopped talking, the magical community took notice. The same night the Angels fell silent, Matthew Swift reappeared. Whole, alive, and almost perfect. I say almost because Matthew Swift never before had Blue eyes... We be light, we be life, we be fire! We sing electric flame, we rumble underground wind, we dance heaven! Come be we and be free! Not too often does a book series blindside me the way Kate Griffin's Matthew Swift series did. Picking up the first book A Madness of Angels on a whim, I found myself immersed in one of the most unique and entertaining Urban Fantasy Settings I've had the pleasure of reading. The world building Kate Griffin does comes from someone who has lived in London their whole life, but more then that, she builds her world based on sensations. Pock Marked cobblestone buildings, busy London streets, graffiti laden walls, and even the All Night Bus come to life in impressions, smells, and a hazy neon glow. It reads like Modern Noir, where nothing's quite real but it can't be anything but. Without spoiling too much (Because you really owe it to yourself to read it for yourself if you're a fan of Urban Fantasy or just Fantasy in general), the prose is First Person perspective also switching to plural first person...often within the same paragraph. This is disorienting at first, but quickly becomes an integral part of the reading experience and building the world. And oh, what a world it is. This isn't your average Urban Fantasy setting. Circles of Protection are replaced by Octagonal Stop Signs, a discarded Yellow Pages atop a Bus Stop is a Arcane Tome of extraordinary power, creatures of nightmare stalk the streets made of literal garbage, and the greatest wand a practitioner of magic can have is a Transit Pass. I stronger recommend this series. There are three books out for it currently: A Madness of Angels, The Midnight Mayor, and The Neon Court (Arriving in March, actually). I'm in the process of savoring the second book at the moment and it's a delightful read. |
| All That I'm After is a life full of Laughter | |
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| Blue Phoenix | February 23, 2011, 9:27 pm Post #2 |
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Administrator-For-Life!
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you had me sold less than halfway through, lol. *puts it on the 'gotta find' list* thanks! these angels sound a bit like Jane, who was Ender's AI in the Ender's Game series. i'm really curious to read the books. |
![]() Come with me and you'll be in a World of Pure Imagination | |
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| GC Rust | February 23, 2011, 10:02 pm Post #3 |
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Burn With Me!
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Just wrapped up the second novel today. Fantastic read, though the ending was a touch anti-climatic, but only a touch. I'm looking forward to digging into the third novel when its released. I especially love Matthew's interaction with the gun toting, super religious woman known as Oda. Any reader of the Dresden Files knows of Harry's relationship with Michael. Matthew and Oda's is almost a 180 degree difference from those two. That being said, they have some of the best chemistry in the books due to their almost playful banter. |
| All That I'm After is a life full of Laughter | |
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| Blue Phoenix | February 23, 2011, 10:06 pm Post #4 |
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Administrator-For-Life!
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grah, i gotta hurry up and go looking for these books, lol! it's all your fault! |
![]() Come with me and you'll be in a World of Pure Imagination | |
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| GC Rust | February 23, 2011, 10:12 pm Post #5 |
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Burn With Me!
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I regret nothing! But seriously, this is definitely a different form of Urban Magic setting. It's very unique. Plus her monsters are just so original and inventive...and sometimes downright terrifying. |
| All That I'm After is a life full of Laughter | |
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| Blue Phoenix | February 24, 2011, 8:06 am Post #6 |
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Administrator-For-Life!
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Urban magic... it appeals to you that the events in these novels could possibly occur in real life? To successfully mix magic with our mundane lives is a hard task; that you are terrified by the possibilities she suggests within her novels is a great compliment! |
![]() Come with me and you'll be in a World of Pure Imagination | |
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it's all your fault!
12:55 PM Jul 11