I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really like stories that take mythology and put it in an urban setting. Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors because he’s just such a master of reviving mythology and putting an interesting twist on it. I recently discovered Brom, and he is also fantastic at taking classic characters and reshaping them. I was really excited to read this story, hoping that it would also succeed in this lofty goal.
Ben Garston is your typical guy with an attitude, drowning his sorrows in a bar. At least, that’s what you think. Ben is actually Red Ben, from a world of myth and legend that has been hidden from view. He’s been doing a good job of keeping his identity a secret, but even he isn’t prepared for the hell that is about to break loose. When a centuries-old rivalry resurfaces, it will break the delicate balance between his world and ours.
I really wanted to like this book. And I don’t actually think the story is bad in any way. However, the writing style really put me off. It was far too descriptive and I just couldn’t focus on what was actually happening. The other reason I didn’t like this book is because I didn’t really care about any of the characters. I wasn’t able to form a bond with any of them enough to want to read more about them. Like I mentioned before, this story isn’t a bad one at all. It’s got plenty of action and a fast-moving pace. However, it just didn’t cut it for me, and so I’m going to have to add this to my DNF list. I hope that others who are interested in urban fantasy will still give this novel a shot because there is definitely potential in the overall story!
Happy reading ~
