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Blessed and Cursed Alike
A city where magic can lead to murder. A company of adrenaline-addicted motorcycle couriers. A dark occult conspiracy. These threads converge in Blessed and Cursed Alike, an occult murder mystery set in a mythic urban landscape. The couriers’ fast and hard lifestyles collide with a brutal post-colonial legacy, all while unseen forces pursue their own agendas.
- GenresFiction
408 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2013
2 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Kiarna Boyd
3 books12 followersKiarna Boyd is a practicing Geomancer, a certified Permaculture Designer, and a Systems Administrator. Kiarna received her BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston.
While developing her style of performance art and storytelling at the SMFA, she also studied Celtic Literature and Languages at Harvard University Extension School.
She is a founding trustee of Liminal Nation, an international online community of esoteric researchers and practitioners of magic.
While developing her style of performance art and storytelling at the SMFA, she also studied Celtic Literature and Languages at Harvard University Extension School.
She is a founding trustee of Liminal Nation, an international online community of esoteric researchers and practitioners of magic.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 19, 2022
For me, this was more of a 3.5/5, but I am rounding up.
While this was not the high-octane urban fantasy that the back cover advertises, I did enjoy the ride through this atmospheric and character-driven magical mystery even though I wanted more out of the characterization and the ending.
CHARACTERS
The cast of this story was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It's hard to tell at first who's important to the story and who's not as there are a number of different people introduced. The perspective will hop around quite a bit, but tends to follow Zade, a motorcycle currier, and Dis, a dispatcher for the delivery company that Zade works for. Out of these two, I really only found myself enjoying Dis for most of the story, but I liked how tough and unyielding Zade was, so I ended up liking her character in the last 30% or so of the novel. Other characters like Otter, Avery, Boon, and Bone, all came off as a little bland for me in spite of their interesting names, but there were a couple of antagonist characters that I enjoyed (I just don't want to spoil them for anyone).
I think the biggest thing that felt off for me is that these characters go from a hard, tough biker stereotype to almost Hallmark Channel levels of sappy sometimes in the span of a single paragraph. I liked that they were all a little awkward, but I did wish that there were some stronger and more meaningful connections formed between them. Even a characters who form romantic relationships didn't resonate with me as being all that close which made the fact that this story is so centered around this cast a bit of a drawback for me. I also wished that the characters had stronger motives or personal goals to make their threads more exciting. They felt realistic in that most of them are just trying to live their lives, make money, and find love. I guess I just like there to be something a little juicier in fictional characters and Dis was really the only one that felt like he had a "mission" of any kind.
SETTING/WORLD
At first, I thought that this was set in an American city within the world as we know it. I don't know if this is a spoiler or not, but I slowly came to realize that this is actually an alternate world/reality of some kind that is just very similar to ours. There are little world building details like characters throwing three middle fingers instead of one as a vulgar gesture which were nice, subtle ways to differentiate this world from ours, but I wish that there was a stronger sense of setting established right away especially since this isn't actually our world.
What I do think came off very nicely was the overall atmosphere. Everything is shrouded in this air of mystery and I absolutely love that in a story. Once I figured out that we were in another type of world, I enjoyed looking for all the little differences (though I did wish there were more of them) and I found myself wanting to know more about how magic worked here. The magic itself was very interesting as well. I liked the idea of it being more subtle with practitioners trying to influence luck instead of hurling fireballs across the street. The result is a much more low-key type of fantasy that felt more like magical realism than anything, but did fit the overall vibe of the story. Not everything is especially well defined when it came to some of the magic though. There are curses mentioned, but not really explained as well as mythological deities that some characters believe in, but are described in only the vaguest of terms. The cumulative effect is that these elements felt more like occult-inspired window dressing rather than something with more meaning to the majority of the story.
PLOT/TONE
As I mentioned previously, this is much more of a slow-burn mystery type book with mystical elements than the high-energy urban fantasy thriller that the back blurb makes this out to be. While I didn't mind that this was slower paced and am not taking off any points because of this, I think it's important to go into a book with the right expectations. I would also say that the conspiracy promised as part of the blurb was far less wild than it sounded. While I found some of the antagonists to be interesting, I think there needed to be more time spent on their nefarious deeds and sinister intentions.
Because the narrative is so heavy on the characters, I think that puts a ton of pressure on their characterization and how they interact with the rest of the cast. I came to enjoy the dynamic between Zade and Dis, but just didn't vibe with any of the other interactions much. Your enjoyment of this book will largely depend on how well or how poorly these work for you. One other minor thing that kept me from feeling fully engrossed is how some of the scenes were "cut." There are very clear section breaks marked with weird symbols that I never quite grasped the meaning of, but the paragraph to paragraph breaks could sometimes be abrupt and disorienting for me.
THE PAPERBACK
As this is an independently published book by an indie press, I don't want to be too harsh about the cover design or formatting, but I think that these elements are just as important as with a book published by "the big five" and are important for making the author's work as enjoyable to read as possible. I didn't hate the cover design at all although I found it to be rather bland and I didn't think it captured the feeling of the story especially well. It does have a simple yet striking spine, which is a good thing since that's likely what you spend the most time looking at when the book is shelved. What I really want to give the publisher a hard time over though is that the cover material felt really odd. It has this sort of rubbery texture that felt a little gross (for lack of a better word) to hold and I am not entirely sure why they went with this choice, but I hope that they stop printing books with whatever that was. The front cover also has not one, but two bright yellow built-in "stickers" that clash horribly with the already mediocre cover art. While it's great that the book received some accolades, I just don't understand why publishers love to ruin covers with sticker-shaped blemishes on front covers. I don't think anyone likes them and they only ever make me LESS likely to buy a book. In terms of the interior, I appreciated all the little symbols and simple artwork that was included. I found the font to be a little tough to look at for some reason, making it hard to read for longer sittings. I think it had more to do with the size than anything since the font itself didn't seem too crazy and the spacing was generous.
While I would recommend a Kindle/eBook version of this book, there doesn't appear to be one available which I think is a huge disservice to the author in this day and age. This also serves as further motivation for me to donate my copy in hopes that it finds a home with someone who will love it more than I did as well as try to help this story get a little more exposure.
CONCLUSION
In spite of weird (and probably petty) gripes about the publishing quality as well as some fundamental issues I had with the characters and world, I really did enjoy the story. For most of the book, I felt like this would be a solid 4/5 for me, but with it being such a slow build up, I felt like it needed a much stronger ending than the one we got. I didn't think it was predictable or boring, just abrupt. I think there may have been some wasted potential with the characters and the more supernatural elements of the worldbuilding, but the air of mystery and intrigue that permeates throughout kept me reading to find out more. If you are looking for something that's moody and atmospheric with a heavy emphasis on it's characters, then I'd definitely suggest you giving this one a try. Those that are more into contemporary mysteries and perhaps even literary fiction may enjoy this a great deal. Those that are more fans of urban mysteries, may just want to go in with adjusted expectations, but I think there is still something here for that crowd as well.
While this was not the high-octane urban fantasy that the back cover advertises, I did enjoy the ride through this atmospheric and character-driven magical mystery even though I wanted more out of the characterization and the ending.
CHARACTERS
The cast of this story was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It's hard to tell at first who's important to the story and who's not as there are a number of different people introduced. The perspective will hop around quite a bit, but tends to follow Zade, a motorcycle currier, and Dis, a dispatcher for the delivery company that Zade works for. Out of these two, I really only found myself enjoying Dis for most of the story, but I liked how tough and unyielding Zade was, so I ended up liking her character in the last 30% or so of the novel. Other characters like Otter, Avery, Boon, and Bone, all came off as a little bland for me in spite of their interesting names, but there were a couple of antagonist characters that I enjoyed (I just don't want to spoil them for anyone).
I think the biggest thing that felt off for me is that these characters go from a hard, tough biker stereotype to almost Hallmark Channel levels of sappy sometimes in the span of a single paragraph. I liked that they were all a little awkward, but I did wish that there were some stronger and more meaningful connections formed between them. Even a characters who form romantic relationships didn't resonate with me as being all that close which made the fact that this story is so centered around this cast a bit of a drawback for me. I also wished that the characters had stronger motives or personal goals to make their threads more exciting. They felt realistic in that most of them are just trying to live their lives, make money, and find love. I guess I just like there to be something a little juicier in fictional characters and Dis was really the only one that felt like he had a "mission" of any kind.
SETTING/WORLD
At first, I thought that this was set in an American city within the world as we know it. I don't know if this is a spoiler or not, but I slowly came to realize that this is actually an alternate world/reality of some kind that is just very similar to ours. There are little world building details like characters throwing three middle fingers instead of one as a vulgar gesture which were nice, subtle ways to differentiate this world from ours, but I wish that there was a stronger sense of setting established right away especially since this isn't actually our world.
What I do think came off very nicely was the overall atmosphere. Everything is shrouded in this air of mystery and I absolutely love that in a story. Once I figured out that we were in another type of world, I enjoyed looking for all the little differences (though I did wish there were more of them) and I found myself wanting to know more about how magic worked here. The magic itself was very interesting as well. I liked the idea of it being more subtle with practitioners trying to influence luck instead of hurling fireballs across the street. The result is a much more low-key type of fantasy that felt more like magical realism than anything, but did fit the overall vibe of the story. Not everything is especially well defined when it came to some of the magic though. There are curses mentioned, but not really explained as well as mythological deities that some characters believe in, but are described in only the vaguest of terms. The cumulative effect is that these elements felt more like occult-inspired window dressing rather than something with more meaning to the majority of the story.
PLOT/TONE
As I mentioned previously, this is much more of a slow-burn mystery type book with mystical elements than the high-energy urban fantasy thriller that the back blurb makes this out to be. While I didn't mind that this was slower paced and am not taking off any points because of this, I think it's important to go into a book with the right expectations. I would also say that the conspiracy promised as part of the blurb was far less wild than it sounded. While I found some of the antagonists to be interesting, I think there needed to be more time spent on their nefarious deeds and sinister intentions.
Because the narrative is so heavy on the characters, I think that puts a ton of pressure on their characterization and how they interact with the rest of the cast. I came to enjoy the dynamic between Zade and Dis, but just didn't vibe with any of the other interactions much. Your enjoyment of this book will largely depend on how well or how poorly these work for you. One other minor thing that kept me from feeling fully engrossed is how some of the scenes were "cut." There are very clear section breaks marked with weird symbols that I never quite grasped the meaning of, but the paragraph to paragraph breaks could sometimes be abrupt and disorienting for me.
THE PAPERBACK
As this is an independently published book by an indie press, I don't want to be too harsh about the cover design or formatting, but I think that these elements are just as important as with a book published by "the big five" and are important for making the author's work as enjoyable to read as possible. I didn't hate the cover design at all although I found it to be rather bland and I didn't think it captured the feeling of the story especially well. It does have a simple yet striking spine, which is a good thing since that's likely what you spend the most time looking at when the book is shelved. What I really want to give the publisher a hard time over though is that the cover material felt really odd. It has this sort of rubbery texture that felt a little gross (for lack of a better word) to hold and I am not entirely sure why they went with this choice, but I hope that they stop printing books with whatever that was. The front cover also has not one, but two bright yellow built-in "stickers" that clash horribly with the already mediocre cover art. While it's great that the book received some accolades, I just don't understand why publishers love to ruin covers with sticker-shaped blemishes on front covers. I don't think anyone likes them and they only ever make me LESS likely to buy a book. In terms of the interior, I appreciated all the little symbols and simple artwork that was included. I found the font to be a little tough to look at for some reason, making it hard to read for longer sittings. I think it had more to do with the size than anything since the font itself didn't seem too crazy and the spacing was generous.
While I would recommend a Kindle/eBook version of this book, there doesn't appear to be one available which I think is a huge disservice to the author in this day and age. This also serves as further motivation for me to donate my copy in hopes that it finds a home with someone who will love it more than I did as well as try to help this story get a little more exposure.
CONCLUSION
In spite of weird (and probably petty) gripes about the publishing quality as well as some fundamental issues I had with the characters and world, I really did enjoy the story. For most of the book, I felt like this would be a solid 4/5 for me, but with it being such a slow build up, I felt like it needed a much stronger ending than the one we got. I didn't think it was predictable or boring, just abrupt. I think there may have been some wasted potential with the characters and the more supernatural elements of the worldbuilding, but the air of mystery and intrigue that permeates throughout kept me reading to find out more. If you are looking for something that's moody and atmospheric with a heavy emphasis on it's characters, then I'd definitely suggest you giving this one a try. Those that are more into contemporary mysteries and perhaps even literary fiction may enjoy this a great deal. Those that are more fans of urban mysteries, may just want to go in with adjusted expectations, but I think there is still something here for that crowd as well.
September 23, 2013
Ms. Boyd, in her first novel, has created a vivid canvas upon which to stage a mysterious tale. This book gracefully straddles several genres: noir mystery, magical fantasy, and gritty urban fiction. She skillfully builds a world for you so authentic, it feels like you could live there, and perhaps I have. The city itself is a fully fleshed out character, as you get to learn its streets, shortcuts, sketchy alleyways, graffiti...its rhythm, its inhabitants, and a bit of its history. Though the writing is sparse and not overly burdened with excessive narration, the novel is filled with lovely subtleties that are sometimes caught and understood only upon a second read. You are bound to find more than one easter egg in these pages, peeling back another layer, or hinting to you the next turn of events, much like signs and symbols in the city lead the inhabitants on their paths. The characters themselves are written so richly - Zade, Dis, and Otter - they have become dear friends, which makes for an emotionally gripping journey.
Could not put this one down, and was left with that slightly-empty-yet-full feeling that always seems to come at the end of a good book, the kind you wish could just keep on going. When I turned the last page, it seemed the only thing left to do was walk outside, raise a glass of ale to the moon and shout, "To Boon and Zade!"
Could not put this one down, and was left with that slightly-empty-yet-full feeling that always seems to come at the end of a good book, the kind you wish could just keep on going. When I turned the last page, it seemed the only thing left to do was walk outside, raise a glass of ale to the moon and shout, "To Boon and Zade!"
March 17, 2014
Boyd does an excellent job both in her recreation of the feel of a city and in creating an urban magic. Her characters are diverse and feel real, and Blessed and Cursed Alike has more to say about loss, love, and lust than 99 percent of fantasy novels.
There are a few urban fantasy stories I keep coming back to: Christopher Fowler's "Mother London," Fritz Leiber's Our Lady of Darkness. Now I have a new one.
There are a few urban fantasy stories I keep coming back to: Christopher Fowler's "Mother London," Fritz Leiber's Our Lady of Darkness. Now I have a new one.
July 25, 2013
Blessed and Cursed Alike is a fast-paced, edgy urban fantasy with an occult mystery at its heart. Who is killing off the city's most vulnerable residents, and why? I was immediately drawn into this world of shadows and desperation.
The city reminds me of Charles deLint's Newford, only a bit darker. The world is much like our own, yet different enough to be intriguing. In a place where magick is real, but secret and unreliable, the city itself becomes a character in the book. Ms. Boyd beautifully displays the complex life of the city through the lens of its gritty motorcycle courier subculture. All is interconnected here, and the residents know it, if only subconsciously. Life is difficult, but friendship, camaraderie, and even a bit of love help the characters make it through the day.
In this well-written story, Ms. Boyd weaves the experiences of its characters deftly, leaving just enough to the imagination. The mystery makes for a compelling story, and the mythos left me wanting to know more. I won't give anything away, but the ending, the "why" of it all, is surprising and heartbreaking, yet fits perfectly with what we've discovered throughout the course of the book.
The characters are shown in real-life situations, where sexual orientation is diverse, people have to cope with physical disabilities and childhood trauma, and everyday things don't always go well. The city itself is built upon dysfunction and has to deal with its ramifications. The author clearly displays an ethos that embraces diversity and community, but without moralizing or being in-your-face about it.
One thing I would liked to have seen a bit more of is the inner life of the main characters. I felt there was a bit of detachment from them and their deepest feelings. There is a lot that can be shown, but sometimes telling, particularly about how the characters feel in a crisis situation, can be illuminating too. Even so, this is an amazing work, especially for a first novel. I highly recommend it, and eagerly await the next book from Ms. Boyd.
The city reminds me of Charles deLint's Newford, only a bit darker. The world is much like our own, yet different enough to be intriguing. In a place where magick is real, but secret and unreliable, the city itself becomes a character in the book. Ms. Boyd beautifully displays the complex life of the city through the lens of its gritty motorcycle courier subculture. All is interconnected here, and the residents know it, if only subconsciously. Life is difficult, but friendship, camaraderie, and even a bit of love help the characters make it through the day.
In this well-written story, Ms. Boyd weaves the experiences of its characters deftly, leaving just enough to the imagination. The mystery makes for a compelling story, and the mythos left me wanting to know more. I won't give anything away, but the ending, the "why" of it all, is surprising and heartbreaking, yet fits perfectly with what we've discovered throughout the course of the book.
The characters are shown in real-life situations, where sexual orientation is diverse, people have to cope with physical disabilities and childhood trauma, and everyday things don't always go well. The city itself is built upon dysfunction and has to deal with its ramifications. The author clearly displays an ethos that embraces diversity and community, but without moralizing or being in-your-face about it.
One thing I would liked to have seen a bit more of is the inner life of the main characters. I felt there was a bit of detachment from them and their deepest feelings. There is a lot that can be shown, but sometimes telling, particularly about how the characters feel in a crisis situation, can be illuminating too. Even so, this is an amazing work, especially for a first novel. I highly recommend it, and eagerly await the next book from Ms. Boyd.
June 29, 2013
A gripping mystery with compelling characters, Blessed and Cursed Alike calls to mind Jeff VanderMeer's Ambergris novels and the DC Comics/Vertigo series "Hellblazer". While you won't want to wait to find out what happens to Zade and Dis and the other couriers, the real star of the novel is the city itself, its alleys and subways and sacred places. Boyd's writing is sparse and precise; instead of dumping a ton of info on the reader about the ins and outs of the city and its history (or the characters and their histories), she gives the reader bits and pieces that leave you wanting more. The world building is fantastic; here's hoping Boyd will expand on the world in future volumes.
The book's portrayal of magic is fascinating. A grounded, easy-to-understand look at real-world magic, Blessed and Cursed Alike is that rare book that keeps you turning pages and then sends you to the internet to learn more about what you just read.
At its core, though, it's an intense, nicely-crafted mystery with a heavy noir element and some tense motorcycle scenes--a pair of motorcycle races anchor the narrative and prove that, in terms of danger, serial killers and magic don't even come close to being an urban motorcycle courier. Blessed and Cursed Alike crosses all sorts of genre boundaries and zips along dangerously, ecstatically, just like its characters.
The book's portrayal of magic is fascinating. A grounded, easy-to-understand look at real-world magic, Blessed and Cursed Alike is that rare book that keeps you turning pages and then sends you to the internet to learn more about what you just read.
At its core, though, it's an intense, nicely-crafted mystery with a heavy noir element and some tense motorcycle scenes--a pair of motorcycle races anchor the narrative and prove that, in terms of danger, serial killers and magic don't even come close to being an urban motorcycle courier. Blessed and Cursed Alike crosses all sorts of genre boundaries and zips along dangerously, ecstatically, just like its characters.
August 1, 2013
Mix a group of adrenalin junkie motorcycle couriers, an ancient curse and a dash of magic.
This book was a delight to read. The world, not quite ours, but close, is rich and beautifully built, with a history and mythology that underlies and permeates the story without ever overshadowing the characters. The dialogue is quick and cutting, the prose has brutal beauty that is very hard to do well.
This book treats its characters with the respect they deserve, and deals with lifestyle and sex and death and faith in a way that is honest and unflinching but never pedantic.
The threads of plot are carefully woven, but take time to come together. My advice is be patient, let the characters carry you along and enjoy the ride. It's worth it.
This book was a delight to read. The world, not quite ours, but close, is rich and beautifully built, with a history and mythology that underlies and permeates the story without ever overshadowing the characters. The dialogue is quick and cutting, the prose has brutal beauty that is very hard to do well.
This book treats its characters with the respect they deserve, and deals with lifestyle and sex and death and faith in a way that is honest and unflinching but never pedantic.
The threads of plot are carefully woven, but take time to come together. My advice is be patient, let the characters carry you along and enjoy the ride. It's worth it.
September 1, 2013
What an odd book. It's set in what I thought was an alt universe NY, except there is nothing seemingly outside of the city. The natives, who seem Welsh, we're massacred fairly recently in the city history, just a generation back? There is a magical curse, maybe. Tries to mix motorcycles and magic. Just a couple of sex scenes. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere. I feel like I should reread this book to understand it, but I don't have the time/drive.
April 16, 2013
I got to be a stunt reader and I couldn't put it down. I won't give away any of the details but I will say that I love the combination of the underlying gender commentary, upheaval of social norms and good old fashioned courier culture.
May 26, 2013
A cracking blend of motorbike thrills, real magic, dark New World Celtic legacies, and emotional intimacies that are genuinely moving.
Read
June 4, 2021There's such empathy and exchange in this book.
July 23, 2015
gothic other worldly alternate universe San Francisco. influenced by Gibson. messenger and island gods.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews