Low Town

Mar 14, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that I started reading as a palette cleanser between heavier, denser books. Polansky states that Hammett and Chandler were his inspiration for writing this book. Well alright, I love those guys. The back of the book says:

Drug dealers,
hustlers,
brothels,
dirty politics,
corrupt cops . . . and sorcery.
Welcome to Low Town

Sounds great right?
I've been a life time reader and usually have a pretty good filter. I don't get taken in by hype. I don't get in too much of a hur...more This is one of those books that I started reading as a palette cleanser between heavier, denser books. Polansky states that Hammett and Chandler were his inspiration for writing this book. Well alright, I love those guys. The back of the book says:

Drug dealers,
hustlers,
brothels,
dirty politics,
corrupt cops . . . and sorcery.
Welcome to Low Town

Sounds great right?
I've been a life time reader and usually have a pretty good filter. I don't get taken in by hype. I don't get in too much of a hurry to read the new hot book. I now have goodreads to help me make sure I don't spend my hard earned dollars on bad books. I was taken in by this book folks. It happens, but how was I to know that Daniel Polansky sleeps with Smurfs.

The book is just boring, bland, like eating a cheeseburger without the cheese or the pickles or the ketchup and certainly without the onion. The writing was simply uninspiring like it had been put through a polysyllable strainer leaving me to muddle through a monotonous, lifeless text.

I started this book during what turned out to be a really great basketball game between Florida St and Duke. I was reading during the commercials, so I was distracted. The cardboard taste of this book went down easier with the excitement of a close fought basketball game. By the time I realized that I had been bamboozled I was already in over a hundred pages. Absolutely nothing had happened. Polansky spends very little time world building. If the fantasy elements had been taken out of the book I'm not sure I would have noticed. If the hard boiled elements had been taken out of the books I don't think it would have changed anything one iota.

I have struggled with fantasy books in the past. Recently I couldn't get through Brent Weeks. There have been many other fantasy books that have been tossed aside never to be ventured near again. I would give up on the genre except for the fact that I love Jeff Vandermeer, China Mieville and Alan Campbell. Their books light up my brain like a pinball machine. A new writer who I think is fantastic is Mark Lawrence who released his first book last year called Prince of Thorns and the second book is coming out in August called King of Thorns. My advice pick up the Lawrence and give Polansky a pass.

I would challenge Daniel Polansky to a duel for the price that I paid for this book, but really is it the writer's fault? I mean he worked his pants off writing this book and it was the editor who decided this book needed to kill trees. So though it has been 20 years since I said ON GUARD (Kansan for en garde) in my fencing class in college, I would gladly don my equipment and whip a blade through the air once again to reclaim the money that rightful should have rewarded another writer. (less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: september-list

Book Description
Rigus is the greatest city in the Thirteen Lands, a glittering metropolis of crystalline citadels and sumptuous manors, where the gentlewomen hide delicate smiles behind silken sleeves and bored nobles settle affairs of honour with cold steel. But light casts shadow, and in the darkness of the spires the baseborn struggle, eeking out an existence amidst the cast-offs of their betters. This is Low Town, a sprawling warren of side streets and back alleys, of boarded up windows and...more Book Description
Rigus is the greatest city in the Thirteen Lands, a glittering metropolis of crystalline citadels and sumptuous manors, where the gentlewomen hide delicate smiles behind silken sleeves and bored nobles settle affairs of honour with cold steel. But light casts shadow, and in the darkness of the spires the baseborn struggle, eeking out an existence amidst the cast-offs of their betters. This is Low Town, a sprawling warren of side streets and back alleys, of boarded up windows and false storefronts. Here the corner boys do a steady trade to the dead-eyed and despairing, and a life can be bought with a clipped copper penny.

Low Town is an ugly place, and its champion is an ugly man. A former war hero and intelligence agent, now a crime lord addicted to cheap violence and expensive narcotics, the Warden spends his days hustling for customers and protecting turf, until the chance discovery of a murdered child sets him on a collision course with the life he'd left behind. As bodies bloat in the canal and winter buries the city, he plays a desperate game of deception, pitting the underworld powers against his former colleagues in the secret police, hoping to find the source of the evil before it consumes him, and perhaps the city itself.
In the tradition of Daniel Hammett and Gene Wolfe comes LOW TOWN THE STRAIGHT RAZOR CURE, a novel about the taint of blood and the impossibility of redemption. Bold, brilliant writing makes this a debut that will change the fantasy world landscape.

My Review
This is a story where Fantasy fans can get a taste of a hard boiled PI sort of character, with a good blend of dystopia and detective work in Low Town. The main protagonist is a Gritty been there and got the shirt detective Ex Low Town Government Special Services operative. He's now a man people fear on the streets, and is hired by the powers that be to find a murderer. The story is a straight forward search for killer story blended with a different setting, new rules and some new kind of characters to the long existing detective genre.
I am not head over heels in joy was an ok story, the author does present some skilled writing here.
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Oct 10, 2012 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advance-reading-copy, fantasy, www-tor-com-review, www-fantasyliterature-com-review

The sequel to this novel is coming out soon (in the UK at least) so to celebrate I decided to repost this review on my site, Far Beyond Reality...

In a grimy dump of a room above a bar lives the Warden, a man who has led many lives but now finds himself as low as ever. A former soldier and police officer, he is now addicted to the drugs he sells for a living in the territory he carved out for himself in Low Town, the seediest district in the city of Rigus. He’s become a cynical man, leading a da...more

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May 06, 2013 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Katy by: Amazon Vine program

Shelves: vine-book

Please note: I read this in June 2011 from a copy I received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

About the Story: In "Low Town," Daniel Polansky has done something few authors have done - taken a noir mystery thriller and placed it in a fantasy world. I've only seen one other author make use of this type of story-telling idea, and have no idea why, because it is really a fabulous idea that allows a much broader range of ideas to be expressed. Low Town has it all - drugs, vice, viol...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, e-books

5 Stars
This book has a great deal for noir and dark fantasy lovers to enjoy. It plays along some lines that we have seen done before, but does it in a way without ever selling out or coming up short. This is a fairly dark story and the Warden, our main protagonist is a street kid that has gone bad. Sure he did his stint in the military, and tried to work as a detective with the crown. But, in the end, shit happens, and he is what he is. He has no troubles accepting himself and his shortcomings....more 5 Stars
This book has a great deal for noir and dark fantasy lovers to enjoy. It plays along some lines that we have seen done before, but does it in a way without ever selling out or coming up short. This is a fairly dark story and the Warden, our main protagonist is a street kid that has gone bad. Sure he did his stint in the military, and tried to work as a detective with the crown. But, in the end, shit happens, and he is what he is. He has no troubles accepting himself and his shortcomings. You knew all you needed to know about him from his story about when things changed for him as a little boy in a fight with three bullies.

“…And as I watched them retreat I realized I liked the look I had seen in their eyes, liked not being the one to wear it. And if that meant getting my hands slick with little pieces of the boy’s brain, then so be it, that wasn’t much of a price to pay, not much of a price at all.
A wild spurt of laughter bubbled up from my gut, and I vomited it forth at the world.”

The Warden, is not a good man, but he does have some semblance of honor, and of a heart. He contains enough good as to give the reader something to grab on to. Although, I cannot identify with him, nor can I overlook all that he does wrong, I did however find myself hoping that all would work out for him. Even though Polansky does give us quite a bit of backstory on him, I would love to know more.

There is a great deal of dirt, grime, and gore in this book. A few scenes are incredibly vivid in the grotesquerie that they convey. A small snippet from an important scene.

“…He let loose a noise that spread into the depths of my skull like rusted screws, and I pressed my hands to my head so hard I thought I might burst my eardrums. Gore poured forth from his nostrils, less a nosebleed than an open wound in his sinuses, and he whipped his head back and forth, struggling against the grip of the abortion. So furious were the Kiren’s attempts to free himself that he crippled his hand raw against the unyielding substance of his foe, his fingers snapping as he clawed at the rough black covering. Some internal pressure erupted and his right eye burst in its socket, and his screams redoubled against the inside of my head.”

The town itself, Low Town, is a perfect setting for a great noir murder mystery. Polansky does a nice job at getting the feel right. He characterizes Low Town, and as some reviewers have said, he places Low Town among the great fiction towns of New Crozubon, Villjamur, and Ambergis. It is a seedy place, a dirty place, and a place that can be the setting for an entire series of novels.

I am a bit shocked that reviews are not higher for this book as it really does have a lot to offer. It has some outstanding writing, language, and vocabulary. Polansky uses small dashes of humor to try and lighten the heavy mood of this dark story. He makes some great observations on people’s behaviors that are relevant today. He also makes some great observations about the nobility and their roles in the world.

“If the human race has ever invented an institution more effective in the propagation of intellectual and ethical cripples than the nobility, I have yet to stumble across it. Take the progeny of a half millennium of inbred idiots, first cousins, and hemophiliacs. Raise them via a series of bloated wet nurses, drink-addled confessors, and failed academics, because Śakra knows Mommy and Daddy are too busy diddling themselves at court to take a hand in the upbringing of a child. Ensure any youthful training they receive extends to nothing more practical than swordsmanship and the study of languages no longer spoken, grant them a fortune upon the attainment of their majority, place them outside the bounds of any legal system more developed than the code duello, add the general human instinct toward sloth, avarice, and bigotry, stir thoroughly and, voilà—you have the aristocracy.”

I really enjoyed this book, the style, and the writing of Daniel Polansky. My only real gripe about it is the fact that here in the USA it is named Low Town, and in the UK it is named Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure, a much more apt and fitting title. I highly recommend this to readers of noir and of dark fantasy.

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Oct 11, 2011 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ve actually put off reviewing Daniel Polansky’s Low Town. Mainly so that my warm fuzzy feelings would fade some and I wouldn’t right some kind of crazy super glowing review. First off I should start by saying the UK title, The Straight Razor Cure, is way cooler than the US title. Low Town is a boring and nondescript title while The Straight Razor Cure is far more evocative of the tone Polansky is going for in the novel. You see Low Town is fantasy noir and in theme, tone, and plot is more remi...more I’ve actually put off reviewing Daniel Polansky’s Low Town. Mainly so that my warm fuzzy feelings would fade some and I wouldn’t right some kind of crazy super glowing review. First off I should start by saying the UK title, The Straight Razor Cure, is way cooler than the US title. Low Town is a boring and nondescript title while The Straight Razor Cure is far more evocative of the tone Polansky is going for in the novel. You see Low Town is fantasy noir and in theme, tone, and plot is more reminiscent of a crime novel with a touch of magic. What sounds more noir to you: Low Town? Or The Straight Razor Cure?

The city of Rigus, jewel of the Thirteen Lands, is not the setting of this novel. Crouched at the feet of Rigus is the place known only as Low Town and there a man known only as The Warden makes his living selling drugs. The Warden wasn’t always a drug dealer. Once The Warden was a soldier, then he was an intelligence agent working for the shadowy Black House. Now though he walks a different path, at least right up until children start getting murdered on his turf. Dredging up unwelcome memories and unwelcome attention from his former masters the trail of bodies leads The Warden into dangerous, though familiar territories.

The first thing you might note is that the plot I sketch above could be from just about any crime novel. Rigus could be Manhattan, and Low Town could be Queens (or whatever the London equivalent of that would be) and with very little tweaking you could have very solid straight up crime novel. The Thirteen Lands are recovering from a recent war whose flashback sequence reminded me of World War I. The notion of The Thirteen Lands as a sort of magically influenced Europe and the idea that this is a society recovering from a devastating loss of life really helped me get into the narrative. The war is even referred to as The Great War.

The Warden is a fascinating character. Addicted to drugs and with a penchant for violence he isn’t the most stalwart of citizens. Yet he still has a sense of honor and obligation. He has problems with authority figures yet seems to manage well stepping into the role of one himself. Loyal to his friends and willing to do the right thing, even at great emotional or physical pain to himself, The Warden feels completely human in his portrayal. He is far from perfect and Polansky some how makes a character whose job really ought to make readers hate or detest him and turn him into someone believable and sympathetic. The story is told primarily from The Warden’s point of view which gives us a limited ability to get in the head of the rest of the novel characters. However, Polansky excels at creating interesting supporting cast members from an embittered and overweight magician, to the doddering and sweet Blue Crane, to the delightfully brusk diviner that works at morgue, to the warmhearted yet physically imposing Adolphus Low Town is full to the brim with unique and interesting characters just begging for further exploration.

I don’t want to get into too many details regarding the plot. It would be far too easy to inadvertently spoil things. It is suffice to say that Low Town is full to the brim with everything you could every want out of a noir-tinged fantasy novel. Corrupt and venal nobles, deadly magic, sinister criminals, physical violence and plenty of twists and turns make for an exciting read that is difficult to put down. I should point out that there was a point where I spotted the villain a bit too early, maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m just a bit too much of a cynic but there was a single moment that seemed so obvious to me that The Warden was oblivious to it seemed highly dubious. The moment is brief and I was able to move past it but it did slightly mar what would otherwise be a near perfect read.

Fans of fantasy and crime fiction will find a lot to like in Low Town. Polansky has created a familiar landscape to ease readers into his world of magic and mayhem. It is a landscape based off an era of history that doesn’t see too much focus these days (and one that American readers a more likely to be unfamiliar with). The Warden is a fascinating entry into both the fantasy and noir/hard-boiled lexicon standing shoulder to shoulder with Sam Spade and, well The Warden isn’t like any fantasy heroes I can name (maybe a mashup of Farfhrd and The Gray Mouser?). This is the most excited I’ve felt about a debut since 2010′s Bitter Seeds. While it is a shame that the US watered down the title that shouldn’t stop anyone from grabbing a copy of Low Town as soon as possible.(less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops . . . and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town. From the back of the book itself, you can see that there's way too much going on here. I would've liked to see a few hundred more pages just to flesh out the whole world or town or land or whatever - had the writing been better. However, while the plot is interesting and Low Town itself is a pretty cool place, the writing is sloppy and could've used a much more stringent editor. It was way too...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Mia rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars really.

Low Town is a dystopic community of degenerates, criminals, and down-on-their-luck citizens of Rigus. Warden is its resident drug dealer, a status of sorts in Low Town. Warden is intelligent and resourceful and these talents bought him some level of power and authority as a member of the secret police. His lack of prudence, however, caused him to lose his position, necessitating a career change to criminal.

When Warden finds the body of a murdered child, he feels compelled to see...more 4.5 stars really.

Low Town is a dystopic community of degenerates, criminals, and down-on-their-luck citizens of Rigus. Warden is its resident drug dealer, a status of sorts in Low Town. Warden is intelligent and resourceful and these talents bought him some level of power and authority as a member of the secret police. His lack of prudence, however, caused him to lose his position, necessitating a career change to criminal.

When Warden finds the body of a murdered child, he feels compelled to seek out the killer, not primarily out of any sense of justice but more from a sense of territoriality and possessiveness. It happened in his town and part of him deemed it an insult. When other children turn up dead or missing and the suspicion of his former colleagues in the secret police falls on him, it only intensifies his search.

Daniel Polansky writes with restraint, telling his tale with a view towards economy. Absent are the flourish and self-indulgence that is becoming increasingly common in genre fiction. The pace of the story is carefully measured, revelations doled out slowly. This is largely accomplished by a first-person narrative, allowing Polansky to filter the tale through the sieve that is Warden's thoughts and interactions. The tone and acerbic humor is apropos to the crudeness of Low Town. There are many interesting and sympathetic secondary characters, some familiar to fantasy readers -- the tough but parental barkeep and his wife, the defiant apprentice, Warden's mentor and his ward -- a girl Warden saved, the scryer.

Low Town is a tale about the sins of the aristocracy and canaille alike and the lengths they would go to for the protection of their interests, to possess what they desire, to remove obstacles in their way, always defended by their self-righteousness. It is about the sad fate of those insignificant enough to get in the way of such pursuits. Low Town is a noir fantasy -- a thriller with swords and magic with a mystery that only unravels towards the very end. It isn't difficult to guess the details of the mystery earlier in the tale but you still await the actual moment of revelation Polansky chooses.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Hacedores Desierto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, fantasy, fantasía, khardan

Nos encontramos ante un libro un tanto atípico, pero no por ello malo precisamente. De hecho, es uno de los libros de fantasía más realista que he visto este año. Un libro que bien podría inscribirse en una literatrua de género negro, a pesar de la magia y de los nombres extraños que reciben algunos objetos. También hay que tener en cuenta que no es un libro que el típico lector de fantasía vaya a encontrar realmente atractivo, aunque sea muy bueno, debido a su estilo oscuro y un tanto desespera...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Wolf rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a blend of hardboiled detective story and low-fantasy adventure. As such it is perfectly competent but without any particular originality or, sadly for a fantasy, imaginative flair.

The mix of detective story and fantasy is gradually becoming a sub-genre all of its own; even the mash-up of hardboiled and noir-inspired stories in various types of magical worlds is far from original: Alex Bedsoe's 'sword jockey' Eddie LaCrosse (from novels such as 'Burn Me Deadly'), the occasional adve...more This book is a blend of hardboiled detective story and low-fantasy adventure. As such it is perfectly competent but without any particular originality or, sadly for a fantasy, imaginative flair.

The mix of detective story and fantasy is gradually becoming a sub-genre all of its own; even the mash-up of hardboiled and noir-inspired stories in various types of magical worlds is far from original: Alex Bedsoe's 'sword jockey' Eddie LaCrosse (from novels such as 'Burn Me Deadly'), the occasional adventures of Sam Warble, halfling investigator, or, of course, Garrett P.I. in Glen Cook's on going series, all spring easily to mind. What does this story bring that others don't?

One thing that other blends of the hardboiled voice and fantasy worlds have all had in common, to some degree at least, is a sense of fun and comedy. This is something that 'The Straight Razor Cure' largely does not. The narrator has an occasionally amusing turn of phrase but largely this story seems to take itself rather seriously - which is a problem because it throws into relief problems that we might otherwise forgive.

The investigation conducted by the central character is astonishingly poor. He does very little. He bumps into his main suspect when that suspect goes out of his way to introduce himself to the detective. After this he latches onto him as his sole suspect. An acute reader will have spotted a series of promising looking clues long before he does. Which wouldn't matter were it not for the fact that the same central character/detective/narrator is constantly telling us that he was the best investigator in the city. He has either lost all that ability or the others must just wait for criminals to confess.

The fantasy background is uninspiring. Actually, it is largely not that fantastical but a version of twentieth century America with some slight disguise (new names for different races and peoples) and occasional references to magic. Otherwise, it might as well be set in a contemporary US city.

Perhaps, the shadow of Glen Cook hangs heavy. Not just in the obvious parallel with the investigator Garrett, but also the Black Company books. Like those, we have a fantasy told in the first person and where the contemporary is aped very closely in the fantastic. Whereas with Cook, however, the parallel is surprising - flying carpets used as tactical air support, like helicopters, by fantasy armies - here they are just depressingly obvious. The hero, if that is the right term, sells illegal drugs, for instance. We might wonder why they are illegal - banning substances is a very twentieth century obsession and through out most of history it did not happen. No explanation is given or hinted at. The presumption is that it never occurred to the author that fantasy societies might not be exactly like our own.

The final problem is that the central character, Warden, is fairly dis-likeable. He lacks any obvious charm and is prepared to slaughter or torture those who stand in his way: it is hard to warm to him. At one point he takes delight in tormenting a character, albeit one he suspects of a fairly heinous crime himself. It doesn't stop it being distasteful. I was reminded of Frank Miller's Sin City here - only without some of the depth. Given this, it seems churlish to complain at his line in misogynistic dismissals of certain female characters.

I recently read Pratchett's latest story about his fantasy watchman, Sam Vimes. It is a comparison this book suffers badly by. Whilst this book appears to take itself more seriously, Pratchett's lighthearted comedy has more to say and more to tell us about life, more rounded and plausible characters and is simply more enjoyable than 'The Straight Razor Cure'. Personally, I'd either read that or one of the adventures of one of the other fantasy detectives there are out there. (less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Mark Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars

So - I was coming back on the train from my only day out in 8 years (I'd been to hook up with Peter Brett & Myke Cole in London) - a day out on which it must be said my daughter Celyn was hurried back to hospital, so ... I might have to wait another 8 years for the next - and Marc Aplin of fantasy-faction.com said 'Here, read this.' Or something to that effect, and slid a copy of The Straight Razor Cure across the table to me (the title and cover are infinitely better in the UK).

That was Aug...more So - I was coming back on the train from my only day out in 8 years (I'd been to hook up with Peter Brett & Myke Cole in London) - a day out on which it must be said my daughter Celyn was hurried back to hospital, so ... I might have to wait another 8 years for the next - and Marc Aplin of fantasy-faction.com said 'Here, read this.' Or something to that effect, and slid a copy of The Straight Razor Cure across the table to me (the title and cover are infinitely better in the UK).

That was August. I started it just before Christmas and I've just finished it - which believe it or not is fast for me! To be honest I only started it because the book I was reading was upstairs and I was downstairs and if I tried to leave the room to get it Celyn would have woken up ... but this one was within arms' reach. I was quickly hooked. The intelligence and wit of the prose did the job within a few paragraphs.

Anyhow. It is as every review says 'a detective thriller in a noir fantasy setting'.

I found the writing to be exceptionally good. Very suited to my taste and very similar in style to what I aim for with my own. It has to be said that one of the most popular 2* reviews on this site is from a guy who loved my books and really didn't like Polansky's style. So opinions on that one are mixed!

Anyhow, the writing is concise, moody, witty, and captures what it sets after.

I liked reading about the main character. He's getting old, has bad habits, deals drugs, isn't the best at anything, but is dangerous and clever. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot. Several important items I guessed early on - perhaps they were telegraphed a little too strongly, perhaps I was just in tune with the story. Don't know.

I enjoyed the world-building. The society did borrow from some real world stereotypes maybe, but it's not a doorstop of a book and this form of shorthand is efficient in getting the reader's imagination to do some of the heavy lifting.

It wasn't a book that exercised me emotionally to a large degree - it wasn't without emotional content, but I wasn't hugely engaged on that level. Mostly I just wanted to have the crime solved!

Either way, it was a book that kept me coming back and rewarded my time by thoroughly entertaining me.

Give it a try!

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Nov 28, 2012 Deirdre rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I seem to be on a non-deliberate kick of junkies who investigate and/or criminal underworlds, this one combines the two.

Warden is an ex-soldier, ex-cop and now he's a narcotic dealer who samples some of his wares, regularly. He's dragged into a murder mystery because he's the first on scene at two of the murders by coincidence and his ruthless ex-boss decides to use his underworld ties to help the investigation along. Warden gets involved in a lot of murky things to try to find out the truth, bu...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Brandon Zarzyczny rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is definitely the best debut book I've read in a long time. It is definitely in the style of gritty noir fantasy, where the protagonist is an anti-hero that is past his prime, with a very troubled and detailed history. This is definitely a genre blend, being a combination of fantasy and mystery. Neither one of them really wins out, but if you just take away the sorcery it could be a crazier version of Sherlock Holmes. The only real weakness of the mystery aspect of the book is that there is...more This is definitely the best debut book I've read in a long time. It is definitely in the style of gritty noir fantasy, where the protagonist is an anti-hero that is past his prime, with a very troubled and detailed history. This is definitely a genre blend, being a combination of fantasy and mystery. Neither one of them really wins out, but if you just take away the sorcery it could be a crazier version of Sherlock Holmes. The only real weakness of the mystery aspect of the book is that there is really only one suspect for most of the book, there isn't the normal investigation process. Also, the big reveal at the end is kind of depressing, though it was truly surprising. However, after the reveal looking back I really couldn't really find any hints or foreshadowing about it, other than a few very subtle things.

The fantasy world is well done, but it is very light. The world, from what we see of it, is pretty similar to our world, but it just has sorcerers, or Artists, whose powers aren't very defined. In this way they are similar to the Lord of the Rings wizards. There is also some sort of gun powder artillery, though there don't seem to be any guns. Most of weapons are nobles rapiers, some other swords, and the main characters weapon of choice, a trench blade.

The best thing about this book, is definitely the writing. It is superbly written, with very intelligent and funny dialogue and a flow that made it impossible for me to stop reading. Some of the back in forths in this book are the best I've ever read, and I just really loved them. The problem I have is that the main character is almost too intelligent and witty for his own good, he doesn't sound like a guy who's been peddling drugs for the past ten years, even though he was partially raised by a wizard and was one of the top investigators.

There isn't too much gory violence in this book, but the action is well written and relatively original. The character knows that he'll never be the greatest swordsman in the country especially at his age, so he uses every dirty trick in the book to win the fights. He also has no problem with running away when the odds are stacked to high against him.

Overall I just absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to a hopefully long and productive career from this new author. (less)

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Feb 02, 2012 Loren rated it 3 of 5 stars

From ISawLightningFall.com

THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS

Longtime readers may recall that I like to cook sweet stuff. What they may not have realized is that I'm something of a hipster when it comes to the culinary arts. Forget traditional desserts. I'd rather bake a pear pie with a cheddar-rosemary crust or whip up a batch of malt-infused ice cream. The only problem with such highfalutin goodies lies in finding a recipe for them. Usually, I have to wing it, combining bits and bobs from various concoctio...more From ISawLightningFall.com

THREE-AND-A-HALF STARS

Longtime readers may recall that I like to cook sweet stuff. What they may not have realized is that I'm something of a hipster when it comes to the culinary arts. Forget traditional desserts. I'd rather bake a pear pie with a cheddar-rosemary crust or whip up a batch of malt-infused ice cream. The only problem with such highfalutin goodies lies in finding a recipe for them. Usually, I have to wing it, combining bits and bobs from various concoctions, using trial and error to cobble together a tasty comestible. It's satisfying when an effort actually works, just as it is when an author manages to combine disparate genre elements into a new sort of story. For example, consider how Daniel Polansky blends hardboiled and fantasy in his debut novel Low Town.

Once upon a time you could've called Warden somebody, back when he wore the gray as a member of the freeze, Rigus' elite investigative force. He came the position honestly enough, distinguishing himself in the long war between the kingdom and the Dren, mainly by killing men and surviving to speak of it. Of course, that was a long time ago, and since then Warden has fallen hard and fast. Foul-mouthed and hard-living, he spends his days selling and sampling all sorts of controlled substances. On the surface, he looks like any other petty criminal skulking the streets of Low Town, that pimple on Rigus' pretty face. But Warden still possesses some ambition. Through conniving and plain brute force, he has consolidated much of the area's less-than-legal commerce, claiming it as his own. If you want to find a pimp or pusher, you talk to Warden. Soon, though, he'll need every one of those sketchy contacts. Seems small children have started disappearing, and that's an outrage Warren simply won't stomach, not in his town ...

Unlike many fantasy scribes, Polansky really and truly understands the grittiness of hardboiled. Unlike many crime writers, he comprehends the appeal of magical and mysterious fantasy tropes. The best part of Low Town lies in watching him weave the two styles together chapter after chapter, braiding them into a story simultaneously hard-edged and exotic. He even throws in a bit of Lovecraftian horror in a couple places, although to explain it more would ruin some of the plot. Not that everything's peachy in Polansky's ghetto. Warden's incessant -- and I do mean incessant -- fondness for drugs and obscenities will rub straight-edge types the wrong way, and the ending comes a bit out of left field. But if you enjoy watching an author pull off a tricky bit of compositional alchemy, you should take a tour of Low Town.(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Simcha Lazarus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Low Town is narrated by Warden, a drug dealer and addict who had grown up an orphan on the dangerous streets of Low Town and rose to become a valuable agent of the government's Secret Service department. But several years ago something happened that landed Warden back in Low Town on the other side of the law, now running the local drug trade with an iron fist. Somehow the brutal life that the Warden has lived has not yet hardened him completely and when a young girl is found savagely murdered he...more Low Town is narrated by Warden, a drug dealer and addict who had grown up an orphan on the dangerous streets of Low Town and rose to become a valuable agent of the government's Secret Service department. But several years ago something happened that landed Warden back in Low Town on the other side of the law, now running the local drug trade with an iron fist. Somehow the brutal life that the Warden has lived has not yet hardened him completely and when a young girl is found savagely murdered he finds himself driven to hunt down the murderer. But once Warden identifies the girl's murderer he realizes the situation is a lot worse than he could have imagined and that a horror from his past may be about to descend on Low Town, unless he can stop it. Warden's former colleagues from the police force are also eager to bring a stop to the murders and they intend to use Warden to so do, and if he doesn't survive, all the better.

I'm not big on gritty stories detailing bloody acts of violence and scenes of misery and abuse so I was a bit apprehensive as to what I would find in the pages of this book, based on its description. But as soon as I started reading Low Town I forgot about my concerns because the casual writing style easily drew me into the story and kept my attention focused on the drama of the unfolding events.

Despite the Warden's reputation on the street and his unsavory occupation as a drug lord he's not an unsympathetic character. He's not as hardened as one would expect from someone in his position and his obvious care for his friends and his lack of casual violence or cruelty make him someone that readers can still connect with. The wry humor in which he expresses himself also helps his appeal. I actually found it a bit irritating at how willing Warden was to repeatedly take responsibility for reprehensible events that were not his fault but still laid at his feet. So I might actually say that I found him to be perhaps just a little too good to be believable, though I suppose if this wasn't the case it would have been a lot harder for readers to care about him.

From the moment that Warden finds the body of the murdered little girl he is on a mission to find out the truth about what happened to her. Egged on by his friends, and threated by his superiors, Warden turns to his contacts for assistance and follows clues around the city until he determines who he believes the murderer to be. From that point on Warden is focused on finding the necessary proof to convict the suspected murderer of his crimes.

Low Town is probably best described as a detective noir story with a few fantasy elements mixed in, but not really enough to properly categorize it as a fantasy novel. I wouldn't call it a mystery either because we aren't really given any clues to help us determine the culprit but instead we tag along with Warden as he rushes from one contact to another without seeming to make any progress. I would have been completely surprised by the ending if Polansky hadn't shown his hand (a bit clumsily) a few chapters from the end, pretty much pointing out the culprit to us.

I was relieved to find that Low Town didn't include of scenes of brutal violence and torture a'la a Joe Abercrombie novel, though the danger and menace of the setting was a constant presence in the background.

For me what really set this book apart from other detective noir, fantasy stories was the writing. In addition to the casual narration style that made it so easy to slip into the story, I really just enjoyed the writing itself. I frequently reread certain sentences and passages just because I liked the way they were phrased, and not necessarily for any particular idea being expressed.

The only complaint I have about the book is that I would have liked to have gotten to know some of the secondary characters a bit better. These include Wren, a young street urchin that Warden takes under his wing, the Crane, an elderly wizard who befriended Warden in his youth, and Celia, a woman who Warden had saved from a childhood on the streets. Though the characters I would have really liked to have gotten to know better were Adolphus and his wife Adeline, who run the pub in which Warden lived. While the two do show up frequently in the story, usually serving Warden breakfast ( Adolphus) or chastising him for something ( Adeline) we only get a superficial look at them and their relationship with Warden, mostly through these interaction. There was one memorable scene in particular, between Warden and Adolphus, that really made me wish Polansky had focused more on the relationship between the two, because it could have been a very powerful element in the story.

Low Town is a very impressive debut novel that I would highly recommend. I can't wait to find out what Daniel Polansky has in store for us next.

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Nov 08, 2011 Everest rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, ficton, own

Really, I'd probably give this book 3.5 stars.

This is a book that left me, in many ways, unsure of my feelings towards it. I liked the gritty, bleak style in which it was written, and really enjoyed the social commentary that was such a big part of this book. Yet, I was never really able to form any sort of connection to the protagonist, or find it in me to care what happens to him one way or the other. The Warden of Low Town is very much an anti-hero, but that, in and of itself, wouldn't preclu...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Mari Stroud rated it 4 of 5 stars

Low Town is a noir drama set in a dystopian world where sorcery and science mingle together and are often indistinguishable from each other. As is often the case in noir dramas, the protagonist is not a nice man. In fact, at book's end I'm not even sure that he's a good man, and I'm saying this as someone who likes what Polanksy is doing here. He's a killer and a drug dealer, perhaps even an outright murderer. If he were a better person, he probably would have wound up dead long before the start...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars

While the setting is rather standard, it was brought to life well by the author's execution. Particularly worth mentioning is the dialogue with the 'chinese' (Kiren) crimelord Ling Chi, which was thoroughly enjoyable in its inventiveness. Also worth special note is how extensive the 'in world' slang is, which really immersed me in the setting.
I found the protagonist's lack of an actual name beyond 'Warden' to be implausable, but it didn't really impact on the story; what did was how obvious the...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

c2011. Unexpectedly brilliant! To me, this was a character driven detective story - but then with so much more. The "hero" is a wonderful mixture of conflicting moralities. The pace is quick, the dialogue believable and the world and its history fairly unique. There is magic and swords but done in such a matter of fact way - that there was no need for a lengthy explanation of how, what etc - it just is. The writing is slick - I don't know how else to describe it - certainly did not have the feel...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Ian Young rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky is a blend of noir crime with fantasy fiction. It is set in Low Town, a crime-ridden and deprived region of a larger fictional world which is not described in detail. The hero of the novel is “The Warden”, whose history is gradually revealed during the course of the book. We learn early on that he is now a drug dealer (although he seems to consume at least as many drugs as he sells), a dominant figure in his own territory within boundaries agreed with s...more The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky is a blend of noir crime with fantasy fiction. It is set in Low Town, a crime-ridden and deprived region of a larger fictional world which is not described in detail. The hero of the novel is “The Warden”, whose history is gradually revealed during the course of the book. We learn early on that he is now a drug dealer (although he seems to consume at least as many drugs as he sells), a dominant figure in his own territory within boundaries agreed with similar neighbouring figures. He seems to be on good terms with most of the populace, though quickly and violently dealing with any incursions from other dealers into his space. In due course, it comes apparent that previously he had been a member of a law enforcement agency, although the events which led him to his current occupation are never quite made clear. The main plot of the book deals with a series of ritualistic child murderers with magical overtones. The Warden is drawn into the investigation of these murders, the root of which can be traced back to events in his past.

Polansky does his best to create a convincing and interesting fantasy world in The Straight Razor Cure. Overall, he does a reasonable job, though there was not anything here which seemed particularly new. Indeed, at times the book seems to fall back on some of the most clichéd motifs in the genre (including a wizard in a tower). Despite this, it is a likeable book which kept me turning the pages. The combination of fantasy with noir crime is an interesting one. There were one or two amusingly black moments and asides, but overall I was still left with a sense that I had read it all before. The Warden is potentially a strong character, and a useful supporting cast is assembled. Plenty of opportunity is left for further novels in the series and I think that there is a good chance that these will follow. Overall, a moderately enjoyable read -- not outstanding, but worthwhile if you have an interest in fantasy fiction.
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Aug 20, 2011 Steve Aryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Straight Razor Cure is an (aka Low Town) unusual book for a number of reasons. From the cover, with a hooded figure and the above description, you might think it’s just another fantasy novel focusing on the criminal underworld. The cover is actually slightly misleading because it suggests the main character is someone who wields magic, whereas he’s a former soldier turned criminal kingpin and drug dealer with no magical ability. Also, although magic is featured in the novel, it’s actually a...more The Straight Razor Cure is an (aka Low Town) unusual book for a number of reasons. From the cover, with a hooded figure and the above description, you might think it’s just another fantasy novel focusing on the criminal underworld. The cover is actually slightly misleading because it suggests the main character is someone who wields magic, whereas he’s a former soldier turned criminal kingpin and drug dealer with no magical ability. Also, although magic is featured in the novel, it’s actually a small part of the overall picture and the story is firmly a street level tale about crime. It deals with murder, revenge, drug dealing, prostitution, and a whole range of other seedy stuff not mentioned, or only referred to in passing in other fantasy novels. If reading about any of that bothers you, or you don’t like the idea of the main character being a drug dealer, then I would seek out a different novel.

This is the darkest, most disturbing and unflinching fantasy novel focusing on the criminal underworld that I’ve read. In Scott Lynch’s GB books the main character, Locke, is a con man, but there is a lot of humour, fun and amusing moments to balance out the darker aspects of the story. In tone the easiest way to describe Lynch’s books would be like Buffy, a good drama with light and shade. There is humour in The Straight Razor Cure, but it is also on the dark side, and very in keeping with the grim setting and tone, making it feel more like an Elmore Leonard novel. I have few complaints about this novel, but the first would be that because it is such a brutal story, dealing with a series of fairly unpleasant murders, I would have preferred a little more light to combat the shade. After finishing it I had to go and read something more upbeat that hinted at the idea of hope and that not all people were selfish and unpleasant. Even though there was a resolution, I didn’t feel elated or happy by the ending, so even though I enjoyed the story, it did not leave me in a good place.

As mentioned earlier, the main character, Warden, is not a nice guy. He’s an ugly man, a disgraced soldier and intelligence agent who fell from grace and then made his mark on the city by becoming a drug dealer and crime lord of a city district. The other unusual element to the novel is that it’s told in the first person. At times it was difficult to read because of how Warden saw the world and riding along with him was not a pleasant experience. Given what’s happened to him it’s not surprising he doesn’t think much of humanity and has a very bleak outlook, but it does make for quite a depressing read.

The other problem I had with the novel was the language which was very over the top at times. I understand the need to create a certain level of realism, and in such a dangerous and unpleasant world, people will talk in a particular way. Also in life threatening situations, saying ‘oh fudge’ instead of using an expletive is unrealistic. I generally don’t have an issue with swearing, but there were moments where extremely strong swear words and phrases were used for no real reason that I could see and they were scattered with a blunderbuss approach. Sometimes the swearing was not there to highlight a tense scene, or underline a strong emotion, it was just there. The problem was the next time that swear word showed up it had lost its shock value and impact, which would have tied me into the scene and make me feel as shocked as the character.

The story was enjoyable as the mystery surrounding the murders was intriguing with Warden being pulled into investigating, mostly against his will. It’s difficult to talk about the investigation and mystery itself without giving anything away, but it is full of a lot of twists and turns and you will not see some of them coming.

It’s also worth noting that Warden is not a reluctant hero, or even someone doing this because he’s seeking a form a redemption. He’s essentially strong-armed by several people into solving the murders, because if he doesn’t they will nag him, or in one case, his life will be forfeit. There’s also the issue that the murders are bad for business and if everyone is focused and worried about their children, his dealing will suffer. Every character wants something, whether its fame or fortune or glory, or is motivated by something, but as far as I could see Warden doesn’t want anything. He gets up, sells his merchandise, defends his territory from time to time, comes home, eats and goes to sleep, usually in a drug-induced haze. He is just living in a rut and has fallen quite far from where he used to be as an intelligence agent. I wish there had been something underneath the routine that spurred him on, a goal that he aspired to rather than just existing.

The story takes place very firmly on the streets of Rigus, a city in the Thirteen Lands, but we never leave its dirty streets and seedy establishments. There might be a wild and wonderful world out there filled with fantastical creatures and other strange beings, but I doubt it fits in with the world Polansky has created. This is a crime novel with an icing of fantasy, where the fantastical elements are almost incidental to the world and the people living in it. Magic is a dangerous and unpredictable weapon, used by a few, and most avoid it because of the risks involved.

Overall this was an intentionally bleak and unpredictable crime novel, set in a fantasy world, where the intriguing story and the mystery kept me going, more than my interest in the main character, who was not very likeable by design. This was definitely a unique fantasy read, and I would recommend this novel to people who like fantasy novels without alien races, and those who prefer a more adult story, or a crime fan who wants to foray into fantasy for the first time but is afraid it’s all going to be elves and dragons. (less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Almost all the other reviews are going to tell you this book is a mix of noir and fantasy. Ok, fine, though I don't think the genre talk is all that illuminating. "Low Town," is a fantasy that looks to me like book one of a series, and is so good I hope there will be a series. Plot, character, language, and milieu are right on the mark, and it's a quick, humorous, and exciting read that doesn't take itself more seriously than necessary

The Warden was a street urchin saved from the streets by a m...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: loanable, novels

It's pretty clear this debut fantasy novel is being positioned as a cool new thing. After all, what was the last time you saw a fantasy book with a 1990s stencil street art-style cover? It's definitely keen to carve out a niche in the genre by mashing up classic noir tropes with a more or less standard quasi-medieval low fantasy setting. Throw in some grim violence, contemporary profanity and slang (for example, at one point, a group of thugs is said to "roll deep"), and hey presto, this ain't y...more It's pretty clear this debut fantasy novel is being positioned as a cool new thing. After all, what was the last time you saw a fantasy book with a 1990s stencil street art-style cover? It's definitely keen to carve out a niche in the genre by mashing up classic noir tropes with a more or less standard quasi-medieval low fantasy setting. Throw in some grim violence, contemporary profanity and slang (for example, at one point, a group of thugs is said to "roll deep"), and hey presto, this ain't your daddy's Tolkien! The author has alluded to his mashed up influences, from Hammett, to Tarantino, and yes, Tolkien. And to be fair, that combination actually is fairly representative of the kind of mix one is getting, with Tolkien being perhaps the weak link. What I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is the clear influence of Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar stories. Those gritty, most city-based sword and sorcery tales are easily the best comparison to this book.

The antihero of this story is a drug dealer named Warden, whose territory covers a portion of the slums of a large capitol city which feels a lot like London. He's got a colorful past: first as a survivor of a vicious plague, then as the protege of the city's most powerful and beloved wizard, then as an officer for five years of trench warfare against the hated Dren kingdom, then as a top-ranking member of the imperial secret police. He left his position of power behind due to an unspecified incident over a woman, and now he's 35ish and living above a tavern run by his old war comrade. The story kicks off when a child is found murdered, and Warden gets caught up in the investigation. Soon enough, he's uncovered ties to the darkest magic, another child is killed, and he's got to race the clock to find out who's behind it.

It's kind of a classic crime story, and it's not to hard to imagine Warden as a down-and-out ex-cop turned private eye, undertaking the same kind of investigation in a modern metropolis. Unfortunately, anyone who's familiar with classic noir tropes will have a pretty easy time identifying the villain of the story well before Warden does. And I have to confess, even while I understood the villain's motivations, I never really understood what their overall goal was. I'm going to need to go back and read the last 15-20 pages or so, and that's never a good sign. The book brims with atmosphere and brio, and there's plenty of snappy dialogue and clever detail -- but it's just a shade too simple. It's the kind of book I can imagine my 18-year-old self falling head over heels for, but for the adult me, it remained just a touch too basic to truly fall in love with. Still, I imagine there will be more installments in the Warden series, and I will definitely pick the next one up with interest.(less)

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Jan 29, 2013 J B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

Superb debut. "Noir fantasy" would make you think of the modern settings with magic genre, but that's not it. It's what's going on in the seamy underground of a relatively straight, if dark fantasy setting. Perhaps more into the pre-Enlightenment era rather than the faux medieval that's standard, as people wear suits of some kind and there are artillery pieces (but not personal firearms). The protagonist's background suggests a war similar to World War I, complete with trench warfare.

Using noir-...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Welcome To Low Town

Here, the criminal is king. The streets are filled with the screeching of fish hags, the cries of swindled merchants, the inviting murmurs of working girls. Here, people can disappear, and the lacklustre efforts of the guard ensure they are never found.

Warden is an ex-soldier who has seen the worst men have to offer; now a narcotics dealer with a rich, bloody past and a way of inviting danger. You’d struggle to someone with a soul as dark and troubled as his.

Bu then a missing...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Liviu rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011_release_read, genre-fantasy, read_2011, series_dropped

I have heard of Low Town for a while now but the blurb you can read in its description was not particularly interesting, so until I saw a glowing review that compared this novel with the masterpiece debut of China Mieville, Perdido Street Station, Low Town was the kind of "check it when published just in case" novel that most books I hear about are.

The China Mieville comparison intrigued me and since the book was available in the Vine program, I said "why not let me ask for it and hope for the b...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Matt Gilliard rated it 5 of 5 stars

I owe Myke Cole a drink, should I ever get the chance to meet him. It'll be a high dollar one too, no PBR for Mr. Cole. Not because I am a gushing fanboy (though that probably has some truth to it) but because of a tweet that led me to Daniel Polansky's fantastic debut novel, Low Town. When I saw Cole's assertion that he would buy Polansky's grocery lists, should he ever decide to publish them, I was intrigued. A quick glance at the synopsis, and I was set to go.

Describing Low Town in simple ter...more I owe Myke Cole a drink, should I ever get the chance to meet him. It'll be a high dollar one too, no PBR for Mr. Cole. Not because I am a gushing fanboy (though that probably has some truth to it) but because of a tweet that led me to Daniel Polansky's fantastic debut novel, Low Town. When I saw Cole's assertion that he would buy Polansky's grocery lists, should he ever decide to publish them, I was intrigued. A quick glance at the synopsis, and I was set to go.

Describing Low Town in simple terms is more difficult than most fantasy novels. Imagine that Quentin Tarantino, possessed by the ghost of J.R.R. Tolkien, did an eight-ball of cocaine and wrote a novel to be read by the late Johnny Cash. Low Town is something like that, only better. I've heard it called noir fantasy. I suppose if you have to put a label on it that one will do. I just call it a trope-breaking tour-de-force with the elegant savagery of a rusted switchblade. But you can take your pick.

The book's back copy does an excellent job of setting the stage, so I'll leave it to the professionals this time.
Rigus is the greatest city in the Thirteen Lands, a glittering metropolis of crystalline citadels and sumptuous manors, where gentlewomen hide delicate smiles behind silken sleeves and bored nobles settle affairs of honor with cold steel. But light casts shadow, and in the darkness of the spires the baseborn struggle, eking out an existence amidst the cast-offs of their betters. This is Low Town, a sprawling warren of side streets and back alleys, of boarded up windows and false storefronts. Here the corner boys do a steady trade to the dead eyed and despairing, and a life can be bought with a clipped copper penny.
Low Town is an ugly place, and its champion is an ugly man. A former war hero and intelligence agent, now a crime lord addicted to cheap violence and expensive narcotics, the Warden spends his days hustling for customers and protecting his turf, until the chance discovery of a murdered child sets him on a collision course with the life he'd left behind. As bodies bloat in the canal and winter buries the city, he plays a desperate game of deception, pitting the underworld powers against his former colleagues in the secret police, hoping to find the source of the evil before it consumes him, and perhaps the city itself.
But virtue is rarely repaid in kind, and Low Town is no place for the righteous.
Sounds pretty awesome, right? Like other standouts in the sub-genre of fantasy with less than heroic protagonists, such as The Lies of Locke Lamora and Among Thieves, Low Town limits the setting to a narrow, but well realized area. The squalor and grit of Low Town is a tangible presence and Polanski milks it in every description, making the setting the most omnipresent character in the novel. Readers can almost feel the dirt collecting under their fingernails as they read and smell arcane sounding narcotics like dreamvine seem to linger in the air.

Polansky chooses an ugly man to tell an equally ugly story of drugs, foul sorcery, and murder. Warden's first person narrative is moody, tense, and unflinchingly honest. Readers may not like the drug addicted crime lord much, but Polansky makes sure they'll understand the path he's trod to become so broken. There is a filthy sort of poetry to Warden's voice as he riffs on the slum of his birth, his time spent in the military and as member of the feared intelligence agency, Black House. Warden is a broken addict with few real friends who sees no hope for redemption. He has no purpose other than to carve out a life of crime in between vials of pixie's breath and smoking dreamvine, until he is pulled into investigating a string murdered children that endangers not only his life but his callous and unfeeling existence.

Readers hoping for a story of redemption and real change in the character will find themselves disappointed though. Polanky seems to understand that, like in real life, addiction and recovery aren't easy and Warden's story arc, while showing glimmers of redemption and subtle character growth, reflect that reality. While it is easy to pull for Warden to get to the bottom of the mystery of the slaughtered children, hoping for Warden to return to the life he led before his addiction derailed his life is much harder. Nonetheless, Warden is a sympathetic and likeable narrator, largely because Polansky shows his admirable qualities through his interactions with the denizens of LowTown. Each character gets their moment to shine, either in action or by impacting our narrator in some significant way. A moment where the usually mild tempered and motherly Adeline gives Warden the sharp end of her tongue and the flat of her hand is a definite standout.

Of particular interests are Warden's interactions with Wren, a street urchin who is pulled into the former intelligence agent's wake through a chance encounter. The adolescent serves as a reflection of Warden's childhood living on the streets, more street tough and petty thief than precocious child. Though our protagonist takes great pains to appear to be more than comfortable letting Wren fend for himself, there is a glimmer of parental instinct and protectiveness that may be the fragile core of Warden's possible redemption. Rounding out the cast of Warden's extended and only family are Adolphos and his wife, Adeline, who tend the inn that Warden calls his home, and the patron sorcerer of Low Town, The Blue Crane and his apprentice, Celia, who figure heavily in Warden's childhood years. The Crane and Celia get more face time than their more common counterparts, but Polansky does an admirable job making all of these secondary characters have agendas and personalities that never seem created simply to toss the irascible Warden against.

The antagonists fair just as well. The heretic Ling Chi, with his insistence on courtly manners and maddening indirect way of speaking, was a standout, even if he is only marginally important to the main plotline. Lord Beaconfield, the principle antagonist, is gleefully unafraid of Warden's brutal reputation and is his equal not only in intelligence but in his taste for violence. Even conversations between the two read like a well orchestrated fight scene, with parries and ripostes that ring like invisible blades. We get to see Warden's former boss, the head of Black House. While he serves as a driving force for Warden's investigation and growing sense of peril, Polansky seems poised to use him to greater effect as the series continues.

The plot is fast paced with as many blind turns and reversals as the landscape of Low Town itself. The chases and battles are swift and packed with tension. Warden is a man who kills without rage, wrapped in a merciless practicality that life in Low Town demands. Polansky manages to inject enough of Warden's backstory to further flesh out his protagonist without slowing the plot in any noticeable way, leaving the reader without any excuse to stop reading. Polansky concludes with a twist ending that I suspected, though the telegraphing was fairly slight. That said, it was set up brilliantly and looses no points from me. In fact, it seems to be the only fitting end, as much as I wanted something else.

But for me the biggest selling point is Polansky's prose itself. Warden's narration is as dense a first person narration as I've ever seen. Every line of dialogue, exposition, and description seems to serve multiple masters; informing, suggesting, and adding to the mood of the novel. This tightness and attention to utility coupled with the obvious love for language gives Low Town a distinctive voice that, when blended with the weary cynicism of Warden's voice, marks Polansky as an author that genre fans would do well to watch. I've not been this excited about a new voice of fantasy since Patrick Rothfuss. Let's hope that the next Low Town novel, Tomorrow the Killing fares better than The Wise Man's Fear.

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Mar 23, 2012 Jonathan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the advertised mixture of noir and fantasy--Lord of the Rings as written by Raymond Chandler. In practice, the two genres didn't mix as well as I had hoped.

The story deals with an unnamed main character, "the Warden," and his attempts to navigate the slums of Rigus. A former police detective ("agent of the Crown"), he was forced to leave in disgrace and begin a new life as a drug dealer. Occasional flashbacks to his homeless childhood and dark days as

...more

I picked this up because I was intrigued by the advertised mixture of noir and fantasy--Lord of the Rings as written by Raymond Chandler. In practice, the two genres didn't mix as well as I had hoped.

The story deals with an unnamed main character, "the Warden," and his attempts to navigate the slums of Rigus. A former police detective ("agent of the Crown"), he was forced to leave in disgrace and begin a new life as a drug dealer. Occasional flashbacks to his homeless childhood and dark days as a soldier paint a picture of someone who long ago adopted cynicism as his main armor against the evils of the world. But a series of child kidnappings and murders stirs him to investigate, and soon he's mixed up with corrupt beat cops, paranoid mob bosses, sadistic detectives, spoiled noblemen, shifty whores, and an assortment of other underworld characters.

So far, so noir, right? What would otherwise be a serviceable (and fun) dime-store novella has been pained over with a veneer of fantasy elements in a pseudo-medieval setting. His oldest mentor is a sorcerer named the Crane, and his various antagonists regularly use magic to attain their goals. (Even the narcotics the Warden traffics appear to be magical in nature, rather than pharmaceutical.)

What initially sounded like a fun juxtaposition to your reviewer soon turned into a bad clash. I wanted the combination to work, but the story was most engaging when focusing on the traditional noir elements instead of sprinkling on magic potions (figuratively and literally).

But what really knocked this book down from 3 stars to 2 was its abrupt ending. The entire nature of the conspiracy was revealed in the span of only two or three pages, and without too much of a spoiler, the climax relied on a large shift in one of the main characters' natures. (view spoiler) I also got the sense the author was setting up for a sequel, albeit clumsily.

In my opinion, the fantasy-noir experiment just didn't work. And the jarring ending left me unsatisfied.

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May 19, 2013 Kelsey (tandem7) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

"Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops . . . and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town."

A noir fantasy, who could resist? I wanted, desperately, to like this book - but unfortunately ... it was not to be.

It's a shame. The author had all the elements needed for a good book, but it just didn't come together for me. Children are dying, and it's up to an ex-cop, now drug dealer and petty crime lord, to figure out what's going on. Cool, right?

Alas, the story meanders, taking unnecess...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars

To write a novel that blends hard-boiled detective fiction with dark fantasy, you need drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops, and sorcery. Polansky provides this and more in his debut novel that crosses genres with grit and edginess.

The unlikely hero of Low Town is a man who is only known by the title, Warden. He grew up as a street urchin, became a war hero (by surviving), and rose to prominence as an intelligence agent before his proclivity toward drugs ripped him of h...more To write a novel that blends hard-boiled detective fiction with dark fantasy, you need drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops, and sorcery. Polansky provides this and more in his debut novel that crosses genres with grit and edginess.

The unlikely hero of Low Town is a man who is only known by the title, Warden. He grew up as a street urchin, became a war hero (by surviving), and rose to prominence as an intelligence agent before his proclivity toward drugs ripped him of his status. With an iron hand and a taste for violence, the Warden has made a niche for himself in the dark community of Low Town. When he encounters the dead body of a young girl, he embarks on a mission to find the killer.

The Warden’s former colleagues of the secret police are more than willing to let him solve the murder, especially if it means his death in the process. With the assistance of a young orphan named Wren, the Warden travels through the darkest alleys of Low Town, using physical coercion as his modus operandi for obtaining information. But will he track down the killer before his time is up?

Starting with the good parts of the novel, Polansky writes well. The dialog is occasionally a bit stilted, but is believable. Likewise, the setting of Low Town is intruiging and the reader visits dark alleys, rooftops, seedy bars, and high towers. The setting is pre-industrial, but urban, where weapons are steel blades and crossbows instead of guns, requiring the Warden to demonstrate his survival skills in close combat. I also enjoyed the blending of a detective novel with elements of sword and sorcery, or as other reviews have dubbed fantasy noir.

My biggest struggle with the novel dealt with plot, which is a critical element of a mystery novel. The protagonist, who oddly is only referred to as the Warden, seems unlikely to take the lead investigating the series of murders. He has a history of being self-serving with drugs and violence that to embark on this quest seems too good for his character (what benefit does he gain for the risk?). His young assistant, Wren, also seems without motivation to come to his aide. He is adept at thievery (almost to the point that he does it for fun) and has little to gain by working for the Warden. Even after being hired, he sleeps on the streets, not wanting to be indebted to his employer. There are other characters as well and the Warden rushes off in each chapter to meet a new one without making progress in solving who the killer is. While some of these characters are interesting, in the end, we are just along for the ride. One character’s final words reveal to the Warden that he is a better fighter than he is a detective. That is true and the inept detective skills of the Warden leave for an ending that comes out of nowhere.

If you are looking for a gritty and dark fantasy with good action, Low Town is a good read. The world-building is well crafted and the prose flows nicely. The fantastical elements are slight, but in that respect, it is consistent with what the jacket claims was written “in the tradition of George R. R. Martin.” Overall, it was worth the read and I expect to see more novels by Polansky in the future.
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Low Town (Low Town #1)

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