REVIEW: The M Word by Jeff McIntyre
The M Word by Jeff McIntyre is the follow-up to his debut novel, The Garden Gnome, and the second installment in his Theory of Magic series, which explores the imminent return of magic to our modern world that has long been dominated by science and technology.
Although The M Word shifts among a wide range of perspectives, the main protagonist of the series is a young boy, Tony Fitzroy. When we first met Tony in The Garden Gnome, he was only ten years old and the target of bullying at his Chicago area school. Tony finds comfort in an enigmatic garden gnome friend known as Burbolbonomicus, or simply Bob for short. While Tony’s parents—history professor Daniel and businesswoman Sophia—believe that Bob is imaginary, the garden gnome proves to be all too real.
Jeff McIntyre masterfully blends science fiction into his low fantasy world with a breakthrough physics experiment at Fermilab, the U.S. Department of Energy’s national particle accelerator laboratory located in the outskirts of Chicago. The Fermilab plotline involves several other key characters, including Leo Schafer, a science and technology reporter for the Chicago Tribune, and Deb Kazdin, an FBI field agent with obsessive compulsive disorder. Leo and Deb are investigating Nadir, a group who opposes the experiments at Fermilab and might resort to violence or terrorism to achieve its aims.
In addition to Nadir, The M Word features a shadowy multinational group called Knights of the Stone. Drawing from Arthurian legend, the Knights are committed to suppressing magic by any means necessary. Across the Fermilab, Nadir, and the Knights of the Stone organizations, The M Word shines in its exploration of gray morality and the ethical dilemmas posed by the return of magic. Whereas some people see magic as an opportunity for good, others consider it to be a dire threat that must be stopped at all costs.
McIntyre’s prose is the perfect vehicle for delivering this fast-paced Crichtonesque thriller. I especially enjoyed the blend of fantasy and science fiction, which McIntyre overlays with plenty of personal and political intrigue worthy of a James Bond movie.
On the downside, The M Word suffers from having too many point-of-view characters. This didn’t feel like a problem in The Garden Gnome, but it seems more of an issue with this second book of the series. With so many perspectives, it takes too long to cycle back to the ones I care most about. That being said, the stakes are definitely higher in The M Word, which makes for an especially exhilarating second half of the novel.
Overall, The M Word is a lot of fun and highly recommended for readers looking for a fresh take on scifantasy. Grimdark readers will especially enjoy the story’s multi-layered gray morality and its escalating thrills.
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