Hardcover, 160 pages
Published Sept. 23, 2019 by Tom Doherty Associates.
"Debut author Jennifer Giesbrecht paints a darkly compelling fantasy of revenge in The Monster of Elendhaven, a dark fantasy about murder, a monster, and the magician who loves both.
The city of Elendhaven sulks on the edge of the ocean. Wracked by plague, abandoned by the South, stripped of industry and left to die. But not everything dies so easily. A thing without a name stalks the city, a thing shaped like a man, with a dark heart and long pale fingers yearning to wrap around throats. A monster who cannot die. His frail master sends him out on errands, twisting him with magic, crafting a plan too cruel to name, while the monster’s heart grows fonder and colder and more cunning.
These monsters of Elendhaven will have their revenge on everyone who wronged the city, even if they have to burn the world to do it."
I loved the opening pages and adored Johann's macabre and unrelenting nature. About halfway through, I lost immersion. Johann was so much more compelling than his royal counterpart, and I'll admit to not fully believing their connection. Overall, the writing was beautiful and visceral; the world building was subdued but highly effective. It's a shame it was lacking in plot exposition.
Gay Bloodborne.
This... was not the book I was expecting it to be. Granted, that's on me for skimming the book synopsis too quickly, adding it to my TBR list months ago, and then picking it up on a whim when I saw it at the store because I vaguely remembered the title.
I was expecting a book about a small town threatened by a local monster until they decide they had enough and did something about it. Instead I got a story told from said monster's perspective, which felt like a first for me. And this self-proclaimed monster is some kind of serial killer with Wolverine-regenerative powers who literally cannot die no matter how hard he tries, so he wrecks havoc on an ugly industrial city simply because he can. It's not until he crosses paths with an incognito sorcerer (also was not expecting honest-to-god magic here) who has a plan …
This... was not the book I was expecting it to be. Granted, that's on me for skimming the book synopsis too quickly, adding it to my TBR list months ago, and then picking it up on a whim when I saw it at the store because I vaguely remembered the title.
I was expecting a book about a small town threatened by a local monster until they decide they had enough and did something about it. Instead I got a story told from said monster's perspective, which felt like a first for me. And this self-proclaimed monster is some kind of serial killer with Wolverine-regenerative powers who literally cannot die no matter how hard he tries, so he wrecks havoc on an ugly industrial city simply because he can. It's not until he crosses paths with an incognito sorcerer (also was not expecting honest-to-god magic here) who has a plan that makes the serial killer think, "This is kinda fucked up even for me... but I kinda wanna see how this goes..."
...and I kinda wanted to see how it went too!
There were some strange dynamics and interactions between characters that I struggle to think of comparisons to previous books I've read, and in this case I consider that to be a good thing. And overall the vibe kind of felt like a Tim Burton-esque movie, except NC-17 and dropped into the grungiest parts of the Dishonored game franchise. The end stuck the landing as well, and it very easily could've missed but it didn't.
I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did, but sometimes that's a good thing.
Maybe I'm the wrong reader. Like if Edward Gorey did Hannibal? Except that sounds compelling and this never quite grabbed me.
