windchime reviewed Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig (Miriam Black, #1)
Review of 'Blackbirds' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I loved this book. It's a quick read, although not necessarily an easy one. I'm not usually squeamish, but the author got me good with a few of his descriptions - this is not for the faint of heart. There's also quite a bit of swearing, which didn't bother me but might be a problem for some. There's quite a lot of dark in this book, but there's dark humour as well, which I liked. I liked Miriam, the protagonist, too - just the right mixture of ballsy and vulnerable, jaded and hopeful, mouthy and sweet (in spite of her best efforts to the contrary).
The plot races along at an ever-increasing pace, with short chapters which keep you wanting more. The main storyline is broken up with interludes which I think helped the pacing, and added much needed (and often intriguing) back-story to various characters - especially Miriam (although …
I loved this book. It's a quick read, although not necessarily an easy one. I'm not usually squeamish, but the author got me good with a few of his descriptions - this is not for the faint of heart. There's also quite a bit of swearing, which didn't bother me but might be a problem for some. There's quite a lot of dark in this book, but there's dark humour as well, which I liked. I liked Miriam, the protagonist, too - just the right mixture of ballsy and vulnerable, jaded and hopeful, mouthy and sweet (in spite of her best efforts to the contrary).
The plot races along at an ever-increasing pace, with short chapters which keep you wanting more. The main storyline is broken up with interludes which I think helped the pacing, and added much needed (and often intriguing) back-story to various characters - especially Miriam (although I'd still love to know more). I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
In a nutshell: If you like your urban fantasy dark and gritty, with a generous splash of humour, I recommend this wholeheartedly.
