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Title: Sharp Teeth
Author: Toby Barlow
Publisher: William Heinemann
Published in Hardback: 02 August 2007
Price: 12.99
Review Copy

Before I get into the book itself I have to say that I would buy more hardbacks if they were made like this.  It doesn’t have a dust jack only a striking illustrated cover with a slight bit of texture to it. And it’s that new compact size that’s becoming more and more popular. Much more reader friendly as I don’t have to worry about ripping the paper cover and it fits nice in my hands.

That’s not the only thing unique about this book. It’s a novel-in-verse. No don’t stop reading it’s not what you think. We’ll I’m not sure what you think but if you are imagining some Shakespearean-esque poetic purple prose you’d be wrong.

 To quote Toby Barlow:

‘…I tried to write to the way my eye, a somewhat lazy and easily sleepy eye, tends to work through a page’

And it works; the words just flow as if it’s written in a kind of novelist short hand. Another reviewer suggested that Sharp Teeth ‘is closer to Raymond Chandler, another chronicler of the underside of L.A., than to any poet’ and I’d tend to agree.

The poetic leanings come from the structure and the way story slips into your mind and as with any engine you don’t need to see how it works, you just need to hear it roar.

On top of this engine is a hardboiled crime novel with an animalistic twist:  packs of werewolves’ flight and scheme as a dog-catcher falls for a woman who can’t escape her blood. It has everything you need guns, girls, and a mystery to solve. Oh and blood though blood doesn’t bond these animals. Loyalties change when the wind is no longer blowing in the right direction.

Barlow, has thought this tale through. He sets up the game but the players and their hands remain hidden until the end. There aren’t that many flaws either at least any that wouldn’t count as nitpicking.  

These are no clichéd moon-howling-hounds – they are myths made real.  As with the best urban fantasy, this highly original novel-in-verse grounds itself in reality. So much so you might not look at a stray dog the same way again. You are going to be hard pressed to find something as complete and compelling as this for a while. My only doubt is how Toby Barlow is going to top this. If Sharp Teeth doesn’t win a few awards I’d be highly surprised.

…and what do you mean you’ve only heard of one of them:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker (4th Estate)
• Self Help by Edward Docx (Picador)
• The Gift Of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon)
• The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape)
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)
• The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (Sceptre)
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (John Murray)
• Gifted by Nikita Lalwani (Viking)
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
• What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn (Tindal Street)
• Consolation by Michael Redhill (William Heinemann)
• Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster)
• Winnie & Wolf by A.N.Wilson (Hutchinson)

Ok, I’ve heard of two not that it makes it much better.

Interestingly, there are four debuts:

• The Gift Of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon)
• The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (Sceptre)
• What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn (Tindal Street)
• Gifted by Nikita Lalwani (Viking)

And somewhat surprisingly three of them are by smaller presses. Might be worth a closer look. Luckily John Self and dovegreyreader are on a Man Booker Read-a-thon so they’ll sort the wheat from the chaff!

Tags: reading lists

I’ve just added an update to my recent review of Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley.  I don’t normally feel the need to go back to a review after it’s been posted but I think the night when I wrote it I was a little off the mark. So thinking about it it didn’t do my thoughts about the book justice.  I didn’t explain a few things enough and the snappy comments read alone can be seen as a little too negative.

Don’t get me wrong I still think it’s challenging but that shouldn’t put you off reading it if you’re are interested as the writing and the characterisation is first-rate especially as it’s a début.

 dovegreyreader has her own thoughts on the Vintage Twins:

dovegreyreader scribbles: Vintage Twins
Two companion reads, one modern, one not, both considered classics of their time, shrink-wrapped together as if in utero and the suggestion that a good non-identical but from-the-same mould read will be had. One that will also shrink the passage of time and suggest timeless themes and messages in the world of literature.

I love the idea of shrinking the passage of time. I wonder if we do that when we read any book that hasn’t come out in the last couple of years? There are lots of films and TV programmes that feel as fresh as when they first came out and then there are the ones that date really really fast. Is a classic then something that is shrink-wrapped fresh when we read it, even if it’s 30, 40 or 100 years old?

Oh and the dear dove also mentions a competition where you can win the entire lot here. Though you might not like the question…

Tags: reading lists

I was listening to Open Book the other day when Mariella Frostrup asked ‘What do Irvine Welsh and Charles Dickens have in common?’ Youth apparently, at least according to Vintage Classics. There was a also quite a good debate on the Twining of Older Classics with Modern Classics from the Vintage stable. Definitely an interesting idea.

Then I got an email with more detailed information:

…Each Twin consists of two books: a specially designed limited edition of one of the modern classics and one established work. The two books have been carefully chosen to provide a deliberately thought-provoking combination. They have linked cover designs and are shrink-wrapped together, to be sold at a special RRP of £7.99.

Some of the pairings could be considered controversial but Vintage is keen to incite debate about these works and encourage readers to look at the classics from new and perhaps unexpected angles. Reading books in pairs like this can be more interesting than reading books in isolation, as authors explore themes in different ways. The Twins have been designed to be innovative and highlight both the similarities and contrasts between the novels. Vintage hopes that reading The Twins will also encourage people to read books they might otherwise overlook….

The more you think about it the more this is a good idea, though you might not like some of pairings (some are a little bizarre). This is very much like an adult version of that School classic – compare and contrast – though I wasn’t very good at the then and I might not be now.

Though saying that I’m in the middle of Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow, which has a strong thread of blood and bonds and it’s also a theme in Winterbirth and seemingly in Blood Kin that’s just been reviewed on John Self’s blog.

It’s also supposed to show the influences that writers have on each other, either consciously or subconsciously – I’m not clued up enough on this range of books to made the connections – so perhaps I’m part of their ideal audience?

You can find more information here:

www.vintage-classics.info

What do you think? Are there some combinations of books that just can’t be missed? Or is this a passing fad?

Tags: reading lists

Everyone’s at it:

You’re Siddhartha!
by Hermann Hesse
You simply don’t know what to believe, but you’re willing to try
anything once. Western values, Eastern values, hedonism and minimalism, you’ve spent some time in every camp. But you still don’t have any idea what camp you belong in.
This makes you an individualist of the highest order, but also really lonely. It’s time to chill out under a tree. And realize that at least you believe in ferries.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

I’ve just found this list hidden in the depths of my computer’s hard drive. It’s from October 2005 and it’s a list of books that were on my radar. To my shame most of them I’ve forgotten though a few have found there way to the bookshelves.

But now I’ve been reminded are there any I shouldn’t have missed?

The List:

How I live now Meg Rosoff
Blackbird House Alice Hoffman
Ghosting Jennie Erdal
Like a Fiery Elephant Jonathon Coe
Newfoundland Rebecca Ray
Tigers in Red Weather Ruth Padel.
AD500 Simon Young
Give Us This Day Jonathon Tulloch
Nothing but Ghosts by Judith Hermann
Fascination William Boyd
The Planets Dava Sobel
The Various Haunts of Men Susan Hill (on the shelf)
Oblivion David Foster Wallace
Beyond Black Hilary Mantel ** (on the shelf)
The Closed Circle Jonathon Coe
Firecracker Sean Stewart
Dead Simple Peter James
Home Julie Myerson
Moondust: In search of the people who fell to Earth
Iron Sunrise Charles Stross
Darkhenge Catherine Fisher (on the shelf)
Hellboy: Odder Jobs Various
Silverfin Charles Higson
The Autumn Castle Kim Wilkins
Hounds of Avalon Mark Chadbourn (on the shelf)
Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, gangsters, and the birth of the Comic Book
Author, Author David Lodge
My Trade Andrew Marr

Tags: reading lists

Title: Winterbrith - The Godless World Book One
Author: Brian Ruckley
Publisher: Orbit
Price 7.99
Review Copy

I shouldn’t like this book. It’s a war story and I try to avoid war stories as best I can but when delving into the realms of fantasy it is very hard to avoid them. The good ones make manage to go beyond the fighting and I’m glad to say that Winterbirth does just that. Don’t get me wrong there is a lot of fighting here and blood, a lot of blood but there are also characters that you can’t help routing for.

The back story in Winterbirth is complex and it shows that we can’t really escape our history as It always comes back to haunt us if we want it to or not. It’s also not an easy book to explain as there are a lot of things going on both above and below the surface.

Brian Ruckley shows us two sides to this world: those of the South who are ‘True Bloods’ and those of the exiled ‘Black Roads’. The uneasy truce of the ‘True Bloods’ is weakening as the High Thane goes to war against one of his own. And it is this time that the Black Road march South.

I could spend many paragraphs going into who is fighting who, who is betraying who, who is helping who, and who doesn’t know that they need to be acting much faster. Luckily this is all explained as you read. This is no slight tale. There is a weighty and mighty book and knowledge of all the pieces is needed if you are to understand the rules of the game and what the game actually is.

As you follow the central band of characters you are left sometimes questioning if events unfold they way they do because of the choices that they make. If you are on the side of the ‘True Bloods’, as our band are, then you may believe that it is all your fault. Though, if you are with the Black Road it is all pre-written and what will happen is already decided.

I found Winterbirth a hard but satisfying read. Ruckley, it seems, has the story all thought out in so much so that he can’t help it pouring out into sections of over-detailed explanation. Not that I can think of a better way of doing it. Everything is there for a reason – there are no meaningless wanderings through forests – though there is a lot of walking that takes place.

The quest element is quite simple – first they need to escape and then they need to find their way back as safely as possible. Not that it’s simple with danger at every turn and there is no where to get back to.

I enjoyed the bands journey and reading the history of the places they passed through. There is also magic in this world. It is however kept frustratingly enigmatic and hidden that I couldn’t really handle what those who wield it can and can’t do.

This could be considered an overly long introduction to a trilogy, but at this level of the fantasy genre this may be expected, as by the end this story is only just beginning.

If there was something that kept me reading even when I was getting swamped in the detail was Ruckley’s excellent characterisation – all the characters are solidly portrayed even those whose blood flows a few pages after they are mentioned. He does have a way of making you care about them and you may find yourself gasping about how merciless he is.

Winterbirth ends on a high level of expectation and I really can’t wait for the next one in the series and to find out the true potential of magic in this tale.

Updated (07/08):

I’ve been mulling over this review for the last couple of days and I need to a add a few points I think.

This is a complex book. It reminds me of a chess board with all it’s pieces in play. I’m not used to reading stories with such a big playing area and that’s really when I mean when it’s a ‘hard’ read - you need to keep the board very much in your mind whilst you’re reading. If, like me, you are not used to reading complex stories with a complex history be prepared that you need to be reading when you are fully conscious throughout.

I think that saying this is an ‘over-long introduction’ and has ‘over-detailed explanation’ is a being a little too harsh on the book. Both stem from wanting to get back to the main characters and their story rather than wanting to know more about what is happening everywhere else.

The greatest strength in Winterbirth is the characterisation of all the characters - they feel real - rather being wooden pawns- they could actually live in this world. Something is learnt from each shift in focus and for me it’s probably more than I need to know - hence the the ‘over-detailed’ - but it works in the structure of the novel.

As for the ‘over-long introduction’ - just I was getting used to the world, it’s characters and the chess game - the ending suggests that it’s actually another game we’ve been playing - and for me this was a little frustrating but thinking about it there are more than enough hints about what might be going on.

So overall, Winterbirth is a confidently written, well plotted, excellently characterised tale, that needs a good level of concentration and a strong stomach - but leaves you wanting more with a lot of questions that just have to be answered in the next book.

Tags: Fantasy

…that is if my reading pile is anything to go by:

Winterbirth - Book One of ‘The Godless World’ by Brian Ruckley

Synopsis:

It is a world of ice. It is a world of blood. It is a godless world.

An uneasy truce exists between the Thanes of the True Bloods.

Now, as another winter approaches, the armies of the Black Road march south, from their exile beyond the Vale of Stones. For some, war will bring a swift and violent death. Others will not hear the clash of swords or see the corpses strewn over the fields. They instead will see an opportunity to advance their own ambitions. But all, soon, will fall under the shadow that is descending.

For, while the storm of battle rages, one man is following a path that will awaken a terrible power in him – and his legacy will be written in blood.

Comment:

I don’t venture too much into pure adult fantasy. I usually mix mine with a tad of reality but I do like indulging now and again and seeing as it’s a debut novel I have a good reason to take the plunge. So far this is a book about blood, lots and lots of blood. It is about the bonds of blood that flow from the past and the rivers of blood shed as clans seek to change the future. It seems that this is the first in a three-part series and from where I am right now in the book he can bring on the next one – though this one is taking a long to finish. Thanks to the lovely people at Orbit.

Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow

Synopsis:

A hot-tongued, howling wolf of a book, strange and tender, luscious and cool, frisky as a pup but with a mouthful of fangs. Once bitten, I was smitten by its beauty. Joseph O’Connor

An ancient race of lycanthropes survives in modern L.A. and its numbers are growing as packs convert the city’s downtrodden into their fold.

Stuck in the middle are a local dogcatcher and the woman he loves, whose secret past haunts her as she fights a bloody one-woman battle to save their relationship. Meanwhile, dog packs fight and scheme all around the them, hiding out in old warehouses, city kennel cages, or the plush comfort of suburban homes. Paying no heed to the moon, these packs change from human to wolf at will, squaring off against one another as they seek dominance at any cost.

Comment:

It’s not often you see a novel-in-verse and if I’m honest I don’t really like reading sequences of poems never mind a novel. The things that swayed me were a quote from Niall Griffiths, the uniqueness of the debut and the theme - it sounds like nothing on earth. From the first few pages I can see myself being dragged in. Thanks to William Heinemann.

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Synopsis

Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Life’s hard for a Greek god in the 21st century: nobody believes in you any more, even your own family doesn’t respect you, and you’re stuck in a dilapidated hovel in north London with too many siblings and not enough hot water. But for Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator) and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic) there’s no way out…Until a meek cleaner and her would-be boyfriend come into their lives, and turn the world literally upside down. “Gods Behaving Badly” is that rare thing, a charming, funny, utterly original first novel that satisfies the head and the heart.

Comment: There is a lot of promise from this debut – not only does it feature the Gods from Athens – my recent holiday destination but it has been raved about by people such as Scott Pack and Susan Hill. Thanks to Jonathan Cape.

The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton

Synopsis:

At the centre of the Intersolar Commonwealth universe is a massive black hole. This Void is not a natural artefact. Inside there is a strange universe where the laws of physics are very different to those we know. It is slowly consuming the other stars of the galactic core - one day it will have devoured the entire galaxy. It’s AD 4000, and a human has started to dream of the wonderful existence of the Void. He has a following of millions of believers. They now wish to Pilgrimage to the Void to live the life they have been shown. Other starfaring species fear their migration will cause the Void to expand again. They are prepared to stop the Pilgrimage fleet no matter what the cost. The Pilgrimage begins…

Comment:

The nice people at Macmillan thought I might be interested in this. I still have Peter F. Hamilton’s last major series sitting on the bookshelves, which weighing in at over 3000 pages, I’ve been putting off. This book is a little more reader friendly 600 pages. As a heavy weight in sci-fi, in more ways than one, he’s got to be worth a read plus he’s already getting some brilliant reviews.

And finally for now…

The Lying Tongue by Andrew Wilson

Synopsis

When Adam Woods takes a job in Venice as the assistant to the reclusive writer Gordon Crace, he does not expect that he will end up writing his biography. Nor does he expect the uncanny similarity between himself and Crace’s former tenant, who died in mysterious circumstances decades earlier. But when his desire to write the book of Crace’s life becomes an obsession that takes Adam from the swampy canals of Venice to the hallowed halls of a great English public school, we get the uncomfortable sense that Adam isn’t all we think he is…An unsettling and deeply atmospheric thriller from the author of a critically acclaimed biography of Patricia Highsmith, Andrew Wilson destabilises our notions of authorship, identity and moral authority.

Comment:

This was on my wish list thanks to a big push from Susan Hill, who kindly sent out six copies to responders to a blog post she made and I was lucky enough to be one of the six. The Lying Tongue is another debut and another I’m greatly looking forward to.

More:

I don’t know if this sounds too much like a plug for the books above but they are books that I would have found a way of getting hold of at some point.

Books that I’ve bought recently that I’m likely to be reading at the same time (for pleasure but you might see reviews and comments about them) are: The Atrocity Archives, Innocent Mage, and Incareron by Catherine Fisher. I’d better get reading.

Tags: reading lists

… it’s August. Eek!

Thanks to everyone who has recently visited and said hello. It’s nice to know people are reading.

August looks like it’s going to be an interesting book month at least if my reading pile is any indication and some interesting debuts and old favourites I’ll say more in the next couple of posts as I’m trying to do this quick.

I’ve spend most of the day trying to build up my computer with second hand bits. I’ve decided that when I’m rich I’m going to just buy a computer with everything working or at least having a customer service person I can shout at to fix it Saying that it’s going to be the dogs dangly bits compared with my old machine when it’s stable.

I am going to finish Winterbirth soon I promise.

More later