Slashback
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Slashback (2013) Rob Thurman
Needless to say, I was eagerly waiting Slashback
So let’s get the bad out of the way first: it felt like this book hadn’t been copyedited. On multiple occasions I had to stop and reread in order to figure out what was actually being said, which threw me completely out of the story. I have never had that issue with any of her books before, so I don’t understand why it happened now.
Which is too bad, because otherwise this was another fabulous book.
The story is divided between Niko’s point of view in the past and Cal’s point of view in the future, and I really liked the switch up. Not only do we see a glimpse into their pasts, but we get to see how Niko became the man he is. I really liked that.
Cal, who is at this point eleven (making Niko fifteen) tells Niko their next door neighbor is a serial killer. He came to this conclusion because the house smells like dead things.
“How many serial killers are devout Christians?” I was really hoping to slide this one past him.
“The Spanish Inquisition?” he said promptly.
“I’d be impressed if I thought that was from your history class and not Monty Python reruns.”
The current story line finds Niko and Cal drawn into a problem they aren’t going to be paid for: there is a serial killer in NYC targeting humans–but the killer is paien.
As always, the heart of the story is the relationship between Niko and Cal.
I’d always known I was lucky when it came to brothers, but sometimes I forgot others didn’t have that. It had been the one thing in my life I’d not once had to question…”
MINOR SPOILER (rot 13)
Pbafvqrevat gur fbzrjung qbjajneq fcveny Pny unf orra ba, jvgu uvf Nhcuvr fvqr gnxvat zber naq zber pbageby, V jnf fb irel tynq gur Avxb svanyyl pbasebagrq Pny nobhg vg, naq gung Pny svanyyl fnj jung ur jnf qbvat.
V jbhyq qb nalguvat, fgbc nalbar jub gevrq gb uheg zl oebgure naq gung vapyhqrq zlfrys. V jnfa’g tbvat gb yrg vg trg gb gur cbvag jurer Avx unq gb qb vg sbe zr. V’q nyjnlf nfxrq uvz gb or ernql naq vg unq abg bapr orra snve gb chg gung jrvtug ba uvz. V jnf erfcbafvoyr. ab bar ryfr. Gung ur unq gb gryy zr jnf onq rabhtu. Ubj gung sryg sbe uvz, V pbhyqa’g vzntvar.
SVANYYL Pny gehyl fgnegf gb gnxr erfcbafvovyvgl sbe uvzfrys, naq gb npprcg uvzfrys.
END SPOILER
And of course, there’s Robin Goodfellow.
“Every trickster, pucks or others, has a law degree. It’s the perfect con.”
There is also a huge major giant mondo reveal at the very end of the story, that I particularly liked. There are major dropped hints of it, but it still surprised me. But mostly it relieved me, since I’ve worried for so long about how Cal and Niko would manage if the other was killed.
I also think that if you had not read a previous book in the series, you could start here without difficulty. The story stands well-enough alone (minus the references to Grimm) and the switch to Niko’s point of view gives plenty of back-story on the relationship between Cal and Niko. But of course I also think you should start at the beginning, because I love this series so very much.
Which is why I really wish I hadn’t come across so many editing issues, which will knock it back a point, and I hate to do that because I love this book, this series, and these characters.
Rating: 9/10
Published by ROC
- Browse the archives:
- What Darkness Brings » »
- « « Hunter’s Prey
No comments