Matt McAvoy Book Review

Josh is a good author, and has a great knowledge of a broad range of things.  He is definitely a talent – very eloquent and very articulate.  There is immense detail in every scene, perhaps disproportionately so to the book’s timelapse; one moment might last several pages, then in another page or two, several years might pass.  A little work is perhaps necessary to finalize this book, and in my opinion it should start with clearly identifying scene breaks and timelapse sequences.  But that is not a big deal; once you get used to Josh’s writing style you will realize it has a huge amount to offer and is well worth a read.  I admit, the ending was a little annoying for me; I won’t spoil it for you, but it did feel like a pretty significant investment of time to get to, and I felt the author could have given us a little more.  I also know, though, that it is extremely fashionable, particularly in the fantasy genre, to create worlds rather than simple stories.

The narrative feels strangely mixed.  What opens as a somewhat haunting fantasy then seems to touch on several darker themes, such as the fall of communism in Poland and those living under it.  The politics are well-informed, the author clearly hugely knowledgeable in the subject.  Then, just when you think the book is about to go down a path of espionage and intrigue, it veers off in a wildly different direction – and again, later on.  to be honest, the story seems rather unimportant and even perhaps indiscernible; it is rather a book to just immerse yourself in and go along with Tom for the ride.  It’s worth a read, but be prepared for a few frustrations along the way.