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A review by antonism
Tomorrow, the Killing by Daniel Polansky
3.0
3 / 5
Tomorrow the Killing, by Daniel Polansky, is the 2nd book in his Low Town series. It is not a middle part of a trilogy and I think it can be read on its own, though the reader will have more background info and more insight about the who and why if they have read the 1st book before this one.
Now, this book ended up as a bit of disappointment for me. Polansky is mighty with the pen and his writing style is amazing and captivating. It was what pulled me in his first book which, if memory serves me right, I gave a 5/5 rating. This one though... while still rocking hard on the same literary style as its predecessor lacks something which is vitally important: a good suspenseful and interesting plot!
I just can't understand how Polansky thought that this was good enough. The plot has good pace and interesting characters but it has no point, no meaning. The readers keep wondering who, why and maybe how but without really knowing why they ask those questions or why they should even care about those answers.
The main protagonist embarks on a incredibly brash and audacious self-imposed mission for no apparent reasons, risking everything he has, even his closest folk for something that makes no sense during the whole book; and I'm sad to say still makes no sense after its end.
Also, the whole narrative structure feels a bit like a table tennis match where the protagonist is the ball. He's constantly moving and talking, back and forth again, to the same characters, getting in trouble all the time but it feels as if the story is not progressing at all, as if nothing important is happening.
Further more, the "past/war" chapters felt completely trite and boring. I didn't gain much by reading them, not sure how the help the main plot thread at all. Other than a platform to showcase his writing skill about the misery, futility, degeneration and hardships of war, there was nothing more there. I could have skipped them and I would not have missed much.
Oh and before I stop my rant... this is a fantasy novel; Where are the fantasy elements? Unless of course we count 2 lines where a character creates a bright light in his hand while playing. Uh uh.. yeah.
But to put things straight, I may sound incredibly angry and negative but this actually not a bad book. To be honest, I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it, as I will read the third one as well. It's just that after that superb first book I was expecting something even better and didn't get that.
If you love Polansky, read it. If you don't mind not having fantastical elements in your fantasy and want to read a noir story with drug-dealers, political scheming and double and triple agents, then definitely read it! But don't expect the same as the first book. Thus the 3/5 rating for this one.
3 / 5
Tomorrow the Killing, by Daniel Polansky, is the 2nd book in his Low Town series. It is not a middle part of a trilogy and I think it can be read on its own, though the reader will have more background info and more insight about the who and why if they have read the 1st book before this one.
Now, this book ended up as a bit of disappointment for me. Polansky is mighty with the pen and his writing style is amazing and captivating. It was what pulled me in his first book which, if memory serves me right, I gave a 5/5 rating. This one though... while still rocking hard on the same literary style as its predecessor lacks something which is vitally important: a good suspenseful and interesting plot!
I just can't understand how Polansky thought that this was good enough. The plot has good pace and interesting characters but it has no point, no meaning. The readers keep wondering who, why and maybe how but without really knowing why they ask those questions or why they should even care about those answers.
The main protagonist embarks on a incredibly brash and audacious self-imposed mission for no apparent reasons, risking everything he has, even his closest folk for something that makes no sense during the whole book; and I'm sad to say still makes no sense after its end.
Also, the whole narrative structure feels a bit like a table tennis match where the protagonist is the ball. He's constantly moving and talking, back and forth again, to the same characters, getting in trouble all the time but it feels as if the story is not progressing at all, as if nothing important is happening.
Further more, the "past/war" chapters felt completely trite and boring. I didn't gain much by reading them, not sure how the help the main plot thread at all. Other than a platform to showcase his writing skill about the misery, futility, degeneration and hardships of war, there was nothing more there. I could have skipped them and I would not have missed much.
Oh and before I stop my rant... this is a fantasy novel; Where are the fantasy elements? Unless of course we count 2 lines where a character creates a bright light in his hand while playing. Uh uh.. yeah.
But to put things straight, I may sound incredibly angry and negative but this actually not a bad book. To be honest, I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it, as I will read the third one as well. It's just that after that superb first book I was expecting something even better and didn't get that.
If you love Polansky, read it. If you don't mind not having fantastical elements in your fantasy and want to read a noir story with drug-dealers, political scheming and double and triple agents, then definitely read it! But don't expect the same as the first book. Thus the 3/5 rating for this one.
3 / 5