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String City
The universe is made of string. When the knots tighten, the cosmos quakes.
It's a tough job being a gumshoe in an interdimensional city full of gods, living concepts and weirder things. Good thing I'm a stringwalker, able to jump between realities. It started when I was hired to investigate an explosion at a casino. A simple heist, I thought, but it turned into a race to stop the apocalypse. So I rolled the dice, and now I'm up against the ancient Greek Titans, an interdimensional spider god and a mysterious creature known as the Fool. I'm going to need more than just luck to solve this one. If I fail, all things – in all realities – could be destroyed. Just another day in String City.
It's a tough job being a gumshoe in an interdimensional city full of gods, living concepts and weirder things. Good thing I'm a stringwalker, able to jump between realities. It started when I was hired to investigate an explosion at a casino. A simple heist, I thought, but it turned into a race to stop the apocalypse. So I rolled the dice, and now I'm up against the ancient Greek Titans, an interdimensional spider god and a mysterious creature known as the Fool. I'm going to need more than just luck to solve this one. If I fail, all things – in all realities – could be destroyed. Just another day in String City.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2019
76 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Graham Edwards
37 books55 followersGraham Edwards is the critically acclaimed author of multiple novels and short stories. His recent fantasy novel, "The Dragons of Bloodrock," revisits the mythical prehistory he created in his first novel, "Dragoncharm," evoking a bygone age before man walked the Earth, when dragons ruled the skies. Meanwhile "Stone & Sky" transports its Victorian hero Jonah Lightfoot to the precarious slopes of a world-sized wall where strange creatures roam and the memories of all humanity are stored.
If it’s crime you prefer, try the interdimensional thriller "String City," which follows the adventures of a down-at-heel gumshoe as he embarks on a cosmos-shaking quest in a strange city perched on the edge of the cosmos. Or travel back to ancient times to meet wandering bard Talus, the world’s first detective, in the neolithic murder mystery "Talus and the Frozen King."
Graham has ghostwritten other novels under various pseudonyms. Formerly senior staff writer at Cinefex magazine, is also a reasearch journalist specialising in behind-the-scenes articles on film and television productions.
"Dragoncharm" and its two sequels were each nominated for Best Novel in the British Fantasy Awards. Short fiction by Graham Edwards has appeared in magazines and anthologies. His novelette "Girl in Pieces" made the longlist for the Nebula Awards.
If it’s crime you prefer, try the interdimensional thriller "String City," which follows the adventures of a down-at-heel gumshoe as he embarks on a cosmos-shaking quest in a strange city perched on the edge of the cosmos. Or travel back to ancient times to meet wandering bard Talus, the world’s first detective, in the neolithic murder mystery "Talus and the Frozen King."
Graham has ghostwritten other novels under various pseudonyms. Formerly senior staff writer at Cinefex magazine, is also a reasearch journalist specialising in behind-the-scenes articles on film and television productions.
"Dragoncharm" and its two sequels were each nominated for Best Novel in the British Fantasy Awards. Short fiction by Graham Edwards has appeared in magazines and anthologies. His novelette "Girl in Pieces" made the longlist for the Nebula Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 17, 2022
The narrator and main protagonist is a detective in an almost absurdist reality, where the world appears to be coming to an end; and he has lots of unresolved cases. When his latest cases start to look connected to each other, and the oncoming apocalypse, he realises he might be in a position to make a difference... oh, and also get an assistant. This is a multidimensional reality with a core components being 'strings', resident gods, magical creatures, zombies, robots and more! And that previous sentence sums up what is wrong with this book for me; there's way too much going on, like the writer tried way too hard to make this feel original and innovative. It's so try-hard, I had to check if it wasn't actually a comedy! Mayhaps it is? It reads like Monty Python, but is obviously meant to be a serious escapist fantasy thriller, but has awful noir homage dialogue! 1 out of 12
Image source: grahamedwardsonline
For balance here's a Five Star review of this read --https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2021 read
Image source: grahamedwardsonline
For balance here's a Five Star review of this read --https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2021 read
February 14, 2019
Graham Edwards showcases his highly imaginative mind in this cyberpunk hard boiled noir detective fiction. His world building is extraordinary and hugely compelling, where gods, horror, and more are interwoven in this mindbending, weird, but oddly addictive storytelling. Our protagonist has no name, referred to as PI or gumshoe throughout, which does work and he just happens to be a stringwalker. String City is where the cosmic string gets knitted so tight that all the dimensions kind of fold together, where everything and anything is reality, where nothing makes sense, but everything somehow hangs together. The economy has taken a downturn but the private investigation business does well in such times. It all begins with a mob of clients baying for his blood outside his office, unhappy with his inability to solve their cases when the sky lights up with a huge explosion at the Tarturus Club, a casino run by the Titan, Hyperion.
Hyperion wants our PI to investigate the heist where a theft of scathefire is discovered, the case ends with a titanic brawl, but it is the beginning of an story where it becomes clear that the city faces an apocalyptic future, and in dire need of a gumshoe to save it. Our gumshoe quips with one liners, refers to women as dames and dolls, encounters femme fatales and has a traumatic back story with the loss of his beloved wife, Laura, which is slowly revealed. He owns a nifty coat that proves to be essential on numerous occasions and an metal plated fedora hat, has a doppelganger, and acquires Zephyr, a capable assistant with a troubling back story, along with Bronzey, a Scrutator, a state of the art robot designed by the Thanes. Along the way he encounters a rich and famous meat mogul, Jason, tax collecting scarab beetles, golems, a flesh eating gigantic spider, Arachne with nefarious plans, a god in charge of the winds, the fool, and the perils of picking up a penny. Then there is Deliciosa, a zombie angel cop, who has every intention of doing her job right up to the bitter end. It all ends up in a thrilling finale in Beyond!
There is plenty of science in String City but Edwards does not make the error of over explaining the concepts which can impact negatively in slowing down the storytelling. This is a fantastic novel, and the only things that stopped me from elevating this to a 5 star read is that the prose could have been more fluent, a need for greater simplicity and more cohesion in some of the ideas, and more developed characterisation. Then we could be in the same ball park as say, Ben Aaronovitch! This is not say I did not love this, I certainly did and I would read anything the author writes. A fabulous and fun reading experience which I recommend highly. Many thanks to Rebellion Books for an ARC.
Hyperion wants our PI to investigate the heist where a theft of scathefire is discovered, the case ends with a titanic brawl, but it is the beginning of an story where it becomes clear that the city faces an apocalyptic future, and in dire need of a gumshoe to save it. Our gumshoe quips with one liners, refers to women as dames and dolls, encounters femme fatales and has a traumatic back story with the loss of his beloved wife, Laura, which is slowly revealed. He owns a nifty coat that proves to be essential on numerous occasions and an metal plated fedora hat, has a doppelganger, and acquires Zephyr, a capable assistant with a troubling back story, along with Bronzey, a Scrutator, a state of the art robot designed by the Thanes. Along the way he encounters a rich and famous meat mogul, Jason, tax collecting scarab beetles, golems, a flesh eating gigantic spider, Arachne with nefarious plans, a god in charge of the winds, the fool, and the perils of picking up a penny. Then there is Deliciosa, a zombie angel cop, who has every intention of doing her job right up to the bitter end. It all ends up in a thrilling finale in Beyond!
There is plenty of science in String City but Edwards does not make the error of over explaining the concepts which can impact negatively in slowing down the storytelling. This is a fantastic novel, and the only things that stopped me from elevating this to a 5 star read is that the prose could have been more fluent, a need for greater simplicity and more cohesion in some of the ideas, and more developed characterisation. Then we could be in the same ball park as say, Ben Aaronovitch! This is not say I did not love this, I certainly did and I would read anything the author writes. A fabulous and fun reading experience which I recommend highly. Many thanks to Rebellion Books for an ARC.
November 15, 2018
String City is billed as a mish mash of hardboiled detective and science fiction. It is, however, a Fantastic melding of far more than that as it is filled with fantasy, horror, and philosophies. Like a weird western, this book is a genre-busting behemoth. It’s sort of like a giant funhouse with something new and different around every corner. It’s lots of fun if you just go along for the ride.
It’s far more Hitchhiker’s Guide than Dashiell Hammett. A bit irreverent, quirky, different. You have magic cloaks, dimension-changing dies, titans who run casinos, mindless cyclops, giant spiders,sentient sewage, reality-jumping strings, centaurs, weather-controlling robots, Thor, Zeus, games of Chance, a girl named Zephyr, half-dead giant angels, and the End of the World. In short, everything but the bloody kitchen sink.
Don’t expect everything to fit together neatly or for things not to jump around. Don’t expect answers to all your questions. Just get ready for some entertainment.
It’s far more Hitchhiker’s Guide than Dashiell Hammett. A bit irreverent, quirky, different. You have magic cloaks, dimension-changing dies, titans who run casinos, mindless cyclops, giant spiders,sentient sewage, reality-jumping strings, centaurs, weather-controlling robots, Thor, Zeus, games of Chance, a girl named Zephyr, half-dead giant angels, and the End of the World. In short, everything but the bloody kitchen sink.
Don’t expect everything to fit together neatly or for things not to jump around. Don’t expect answers to all your questions. Just get ready for some entertainment.
April 10, 2019
String City is a high-concept book that will probably only appeal to certain audiences. The world building in this is quite phenomenal bordering on the utterly bizarre- and it's amazing.
Our unnamed noir gumshoe lives in String City, where the infinite dimensions that exist in the universe collide. And I mean they COLLIDE. It's a volatile place barely clinging to equilibrium as the different dimensions constantly smash into each other. Until recently, this city filled with Titans, golems, spider queens, and even a sentient sewer managed to tentatively coexist, but as our PI investigates a casino break-in (with his new assistant and a robot) he soon realizes that all of their worlds are hurtling toward a cataclysmic end.
What an absurd thrill ride this was, a delightful blend of fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and noir. It's the most unique literary world building I've ever come across. I was hooked from beginning to end and really hope this turns into a series.
My only gripe with it was the never ending arsenal of ill-explained gadgets that got him out of every sticky situation (including actual sticky ones). It was a bit like, "Wait, what has he got now?!" I think this might be where a lot of readers will get lost, trying to make sense of the gobbledygook devices he pulls out of nowhere with no explanation as if we know what they are.
That aside, this was a lot of fun to read and I really hope there's more. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this in exchange for a review.
Our unnamed noir gumshoe lives in String City, where the infinite dimensions that exist in the universe collide. And I mean they COLLIDE. It's a volatile place barely clinging to equilibrium as the different dimensions constantly smash into each other. Until recently, this city filled with Titans, golems, spider queens, and even a sentient sewer managed to tentatively coexist, but as our PI investigates a casino break-in (with his new assistant and a robot) he soon realizes that all of their worlds are hurtling toward a cataclysmic end.
What an absurd thrill ride this was, a delightful blend of fantasy, science fiction, mythology, and noir. It's the most unique literary world building I've ever come across. I was hooked from beginning to end and really hope this turns into a series.
My only gripe with it was the never ending arsenal of ill-explained gadgets that got him out of every sticky situation (including actual sticky ones). It was a bit like, "Wait, what has he got now?!" I think this might be where a lot of readers will get lost, trying to make sense of the gobbledygook devices he pulls out of nowhere with no explanation as if we know what they are.
That aside, this was a lot of fun to read and I really hope there's more. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this in exchange for a review.
January 11, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a tough job being a gumshoe in an interdimensional city full of gods, living concepts and weirder things. Good thing I’m a stringwalker, able to jump between realities. It started when I was hired to investigate an explosion at a casino. A simple heist, I thought, but it turned into a race to stop the apocalypse. So I rolled the dice, and now I’m up against the ancient Greek Titans, an interdimensional spider god and a mysterious creature known as the Fool. I’m going to need more than just luck to solve this one. If I fail, all things—in all realities—could be destroyed. Just another day in String City.
String City by Graham Edwards has such a cool premise as a sci-fi, urban fantasy, neo-noir. There's so much to see and the world-building of the titular city is absolutely fantastic. It's incredibly visual and it's easy to imagine everything. I wasn't all that interested in any of the characters, but I did appreciate the main character's dialogue and style. I mean, I can't resist someone who sounds like they'd fit perfectly in a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler story. Plus, that character also has a versatile coat that I think Kell from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab could really appreciate. This could have been a solidly entertaining four star romp, but unfortunately at times it's disjointed and confusing to keep all of the interdimensional hoping and the like straight.
Overall, String City by Graham Edwards has a lot of potential and is quite unique. Edwards's world-building skills are the standout of the novel. It's a lot of fun to see all of the weird things living together in the city. If you're a fan of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, I expect you'll like this as well.
It’s a tough job being a gumshoe in an interdimensional city full of gods, living concepts and weirder things. Good thing I’m a stringwalker, able to jump between realities. It started when I was hired to investigate an explosion at a casino. A simple heist, I thought, but it turned into a race to stop the apocalypse. So I rolled the dice, and now I’m up against the ancient Greek Titans, an interdimensional spider god and a mysterious creature known as the Fool. I’m going to need more than just luck to solve this one. If I fail, all things—in all realities—could be destroyed. Just another day in String City.
String City by Graham Edwards has such a cool premise as a sci-fi, urban fantasy, neo-noir. There's so much to see and the world-building of the titular city is absolutely fantastic. It's incredibly visual and it's easy to imagine everything. I wasn't all that interested in any of the characters, but I did appreciate the main character's dialogue and style. I mean, I can't resist someone who sounds like they'd fit perfectly in a Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler story. Plus, that character also has a versatile coat that I think Kell from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab could really appreciate. This could have been a solidly entertaining four star romp, but unfortunately at times it's disjointed and confusing to keep all of the interdimensional hoping and the like straight.
Overall, String City by Graham Edwards has a lot of potential and is quite unique. Edwards's world-building skills are the standout of the novel. It's a lot of fun to see all of the weird things living together in the city. If you're a fan of The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, I expect you'll like this as well.
November 25, 2018
Some books you like from the first sentence, some take longer. This one I sort of had to lean to enjoy and it wasn’t until probably 50% in where I finally got used to the world of String City. Because frankly it’s a weird, weird city. Populated by Titans, deities, zombie angels, robots and all manner of creatures, mythical and otherwise coexisting kind of sort of not really because the city is on the brink of apocalypse. Only one intrepid PI stands in the way of complete chaos. Just a man, his fancy coat (seriously, I swear, I just recently read something where the main character had a magic coat like that) and his armor plated fedora and his associates, a random girl and a super awesome robot. Once again, the robot steals the show. But ok…that sounds fun, doesn’t it? So why wasn’t it a love at first chapter? Because the author overloaded the book, literally, he crammed so much into it that it just positively overwhelmed most of the time instead of, say, wowed. Plus I don’t particularly love the supernatural noir PI stories, but that’s neither here nor there. The main thing with this book was its cornucopic (let’s pretend that’s a word) kaleidoscopic maddening world building. All tied up with quantum strings no less. In fact so much string that some of it got tangled up and created a city, hence the title. It’s all very imaginative and in the end I’ve come to appreciate that aspect above all others in this book, but it’s so freaking much. Too much. It’s like if you went to a circus and every act came out at the same time on the same stage and performed simultaneously. I mean this plot rides a unicycle while juggling on a trampoline that’s spinning around while a magician is making it disappear. If an author with a wildly active imagination was given a chance to write one book and one book only, the result might be something like this. Genre wise it’s also a mash up, neo noir detective story with science fiction with fantasy. So it’s a mess, but kind of a hot mess and kind of in a good way once you get used to it. In its own way it’s very entertaining. There are a lot of original aspects, creative spins and amusing inventions. And if you are a fan of quantum physics and string theory, there are some very interesting take on that too. It didn’t quite work for me, too frenetic possibly, mixed bag of a reading experience, but it certainly had its moments. Plus there was a great robot character, which always, always elevates the story. Thanks Netgalley.
February 8, 2019
2.5 stars, if I could.
A private detective in a really strange and really confusing city goes on maybe five different adventures with absolutely fascinating companions and it gets crazier by the page - that's how I'd describe this book.
And honestly, the premise sounds like it might be my thing. The execution not so much.
I really couldn't get into this world, it seemed such a mess with no real rules and no explanations and while some parts were certainly really interesting the rest just confused me and left me wondering why there wasn't a map or some proper introduction to String City.
I didn't mind the protagonist (who isn't named, by the way) per se but I did mind his regard for his female companions. He basically only calls them "honey" or "darling", needs to save them from God knows what and apart from the Big Spider no female character in this novel ISN'T a love interest/potential love interest.
All in all, I did have some fun reading this but I certainly expected more.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley/the publisher.
A private detective in a really strange and really confusing city goes on maybe five different adventures with absolutely fascinating companions and it gets crazier by the page - that's how I'd describe this book.
And honestly, the premise sounds like it might be my thing. The execution not so much.
I really couldn't get into this world, it seemed such a mess with no real rules and no explanations and while some parts were certainly really interesting the rest just confused me and left me wondering why there wasn't a map or some proper introduction to String City.
I didn't mind the protagonist (who isn't named, by the way) per se but I did mind his regard for his female companions. He basically only calls them "honey" or "darling", needs to save them from God knows what and apart from the Big Spider no female character in this novel ISN'T a love interest/potential love interest.
All in all, I did have some fun reading this but I certainly expected more.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley/the publisher.
February 19, 2022
This is silly, and brilliant.
It's as if Edwards thought "string theory and detective" and started writing, with the plot developing as required (a method called "pantsing," I'm told.) BUT he took very careful notes as he went, and every step fits right in with everything else we've been told. We come to rather like the giant zombie spider and the skeletal angel, but not as much as the coat that becomes whatever fabric the gumshoe needs it to be when he turns it inside out enough times.
There are enough ideas here for three books, but somehow it all works. Tom Holt rewrites Sandman Slim with help from Greg Egan.
Also, what Dave said: here
It's as if Edwards thought "string theory and detective" and started writing, with the plot developing as required (a method called "pantsing," I'm told.) BUT he took very careful notes as he went, and every step fits right in with everything else we've been told. We come to rather like the giant zombie spider and the skeletal angel, but not as much as the coat that becomes whatever fabric the gumshoe needs it to be when he turns it inside out enough times.
There are enough ideas here for three books, but somehow it all works. Tom Holt rewrites Sandman Slim with help from Greg Egan.
Also, what Dave said: here
January 8, 2019
It's an interesting premise and entertaining. It's also confusing and kind of all over the place. Anyway, overall it's a good read.
March 12, 2019
The threads of reality that hold the fabric of existence together all meet in String City. All manner of beings, weird and wonderful, devilish and divine, inhabit the city streets. When things go wrong, and a degree of subtlety is required, then a certain individual is called upon to ensure the wheels of all the multiverses continue to turn smoothly.
How does a down-at-heel shamus navigate through the cacophony of chaos that is String City? Well, a reliable coffee machine, a multi-dimensional filing cabinet and a Swiss Army coat* certainly help. Of course, when you are dealing with the entirety of existence then you are also going to need friends. The good news is that “The Gumshoe” (he is never explicitly named) is not alone. Over the course of his adventures, he manages to pick up some new associates; a young woman called Zephyr, with the obligatory mysterious past, and an artificial intelligence nicknamed Bronzey who has decided there must be more to life than office work. This mismatched surrogate family try to solve the cases that cross their desk, but each new clue seems to point even bigger mysteries including the threat of a forthcoming apocalypse.
There is a nice episodic air to String City. We get to follow The Gumshoe as he uncovers the culprit behind The Tartarus Heist. Who would be stupid enough to steal from a Titan? I mean they are huge, and I suspect their vengeance would probably be, at the very least, pretty damned wrathful). Elsewhere, simple cases of marital infidelity manage to be far more complex than they initially appear. Each new case reveals a little bit more about what is going on whilst still managing to also succeed as a standalone. My favourite parts of the narrative occur in a case called Windy City. Our erstwhile hero gets involved in a local labour dispute with the gods of weather that spirals out of all control. On a side note, I was pleased to discover that of course the tax inspectors in String City are giant insects. I mean c’mon, why wouldn’t they be?
Where I think String City really excels is in the use of language. There are a whole host of marvellously judged throw away lines. Edwards lets rip with a plethora of old school crime busting lingo. We are firmly in the realms of detective noir and there is an expectation that a private eye is going to talk a certain way. The writing embraces this idea wholeheartedly. The voice of the main protagonist is suitably crumpled and ground down by life. I think I was imagining a cross between Columbo and Sam Spade. A little dishevelled, but given half a chance still an ace investigator.
“In String City, the sewer system has a mind of its own. Trouble is, it’s the mind of a serial killer.”
Detectives eh, always with a witty comeback, snarky comment or pithy remark.
Graham Edwards’ latest put me in mind of Simon R Green’s gleefully bonkers Nightside novels and The Office of Lost and Found by Vincent Holland-Keen. If you’ve read any of these then String City is going to feel like a treat. We’re transported to a vast metropolis where anything and everything are possible. Where else will you find ancient Greek heroes, with partial memory loss, captaining a boat on a mystical river? Golems rub shoulders with zombie angels and buildings have a tendency to explode unexpectedly. String City feels all encompassing, like a microcosm of the cosmos.
Blending together fantasy, quantum theory and well-established detective tropes creates an evocative adventure that often delights. I’ll be honest, a lot of the sciencey type stuff was a bit over my head but it sure sounded impressive. I’m a simple soul, much like The Gumshoe himself, but my woeful lack of understanding did not detract from the action one iota.
String City is published by Rebellion Publishing and is available now. If you’re looking for some smart hard-bitten detective noir with a cosmically mind-bending chocolatey centre, then you need look no further. Highly recommended.
How does a down-at-heel shamus navigate through the cacophony of chaos that is String City? Well, a reliable coffee machine, a multi-dimensional filing cabinet and a Swiss Army coat* certainly help. Of course, when you are dealing with the entirety of existence then you are also going to need friends. The good news is that “The Gumshoe” (he is never explicitly named) is not alone. Over the course of his adventures, he manages to pick up some new associates; a young woman called Zephyr, with the obligatory mysterious past, and an artificial intelligence nicknamed Bronzey who has decided there must be more to life than office work. This mismatched surrogate family try to solve the cases that cross their desk, but each new clue seems to point even bigger mysteries including the threat of a forthcoming apocalypse.
There is a nice episodic air to String City. We get to follow The Gumshoe as he uncovers the culprit behind The Tartarus Heist. Who would be stupid enough to steal from a Titan? I mean they are huge, and I suspect their vengeance would probably be, at the very least, pretty damned wrathful). Elsewhere, simple cases of marital infidelity manage to be far more complex than they initially appear. Each new case reveals a little bit more about what is going on whilst still managing to also succeed as a standalone. My favourite parts of the narrative occur in a case called Windy City. Our erstwhile hero gets involved in a local labour dispute with the gods of weather that spirals out of all control. On a side note, I was pleased to discover that of course the tax inspectors in String City are giant insects. I mean c’mon, why wouldn’t they be?
Where I think String City really excels is in the use of language. There are a whole host of marvellously judged throw away lines. Edwards lets rip with a plethora of old school crime busting lingo. We are firmly in the realms of detective noir and there is an expectation that a private eye is going to talk a certain way. The writing embraces this idea wholeheartedly. The voice of the main protagonist is suitably crumpled and ground down by life. I think I was imagining a cross between Columbo and Sam Spade. A little dishevelled, but given half a chance still an ace investigator.
“In String City, the sewer system has a mind of its own. Trouble is, it’s the mind of a serial killer.”
Detectives eh, always with a witty comeback, snarky comment or pithy remark.
Graham Edwards’ latest put me in mind of Simon R Green’s gleefully bonkers Nightside novels and The Office of Lost and Found by Vincent Holland-Keen. If you’ve read any of these then String City is going to feel like a treat. We’re transported to a vast metropolis where anything and everything are possible. Where else will you find ancient Greek heroes, with partial memory loss, captaining a boat on a mystical river? Golems rub shoulders with zombie angels and buildings have a tendency to explode unexpectedly. String City feels all encompassing, like a microcosm of the cosmos.
Blending together fantasy, quantum theory and well-established detective tropes creates an evocative adventure that often delights. I’ll be honest, a lot of the sciencey type stuff was a bit over my head but it sure sounded impressive. I’m a simple soul, much like The Gumshoe himself, but my woeful lack of understanding did not detract from the action one iota.
String City is published by Rebellion Publishing and is available now. If you’re looking for some smart hard-bitten detective noir with a cosmically mind-bending chocolatey centre, then you need look no further. Highly recommended.
December 9, 2018
ARC through NetGalley
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
This book left me perplexed. I loved a mind-bending world-building but didn’t warm up to characters.
String City is a hard-boiled, interdimensional detective romp. An inter-dimensional city full of gods, titans, living concepts and weirder things stands out as a character in its own right.
Story’s protagonist, an unnamed gumshoe who can move between realities investigates an explosion at the Titan’s casino. It turns out the event connects to a mysterious member of the Runefolk trapped outside of existence. As he tries to unravel the mystery, he meets and confronts unique cast of characters - a sentient Sewer, the Spider Queen, a god who manipulates the weather. With the help of Zephyr and Scrutator (a mechanical entity), he must question and even battle the fabric of existence.
I loved String City’s world-building. You can easily picture the city, feel it and smell it. It’s one of the most fascinating cities pictured in literary fiction. Add to this Edwards’ excellent and rich prose and immerse in the world. That said, a casual reader may struggle with the world-building involving interdimensional travel, quantum tornadoes and string theory.
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not a String City guide. The book has also a plot and characters. The plot hooked me early on, the characters not so much. I didn’t care about them at all. And while I appreciate Edwards’ amazing imagination and excellent world-building, I can’t rate the book higher because of this. For me, it lacked a genuine emotion and relatable characters.
Fascinating, intellectually stimulating <.>world-building overshadowed characters and their narratives. I may change my opinion after re-reading the book but I’m just not sure if I’ll do it anytime soon.
Absolutely worth the read, though. Nowadays, it’s rare to find truly unique books and String City delivers unforgettable, mind-bending moments.
August 5, 2021
Raymond Chandler meets Jim Butcher and Neil Gaiman
A great mix of fantasy, sci fi and urban fantasy. Imaginative and attention holding leaving without patronising the reader with simple descriptions.
A great mix of fantasy, sci fi and urban fantasy. Imaginative and attention holding leaving without patronising the reader with simple descriptions.
March 12, 2019
String City is where the universe’s different strings come together. Oh, mythological creatures like Zeus, monsters like cyclops and golems, and all manner of strangeness live there too. A world full of infinite possibilities makes some strange bedfellows.
An unnamed private investigator is asked by the Titans to look into an explosion in their casino. He is a stringwalker, one who can move directly along the strings. However, the strings seem unsettled. Could it be the end times?
I wanted to love this as much as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. However, the explanation of string theory and how the world worked seemed overlong and overly complicated. However, if you are okay with extensive world building, you will like String City. The plot and character interactions are clever. 4 stars!
Thanks to Rebellion Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
An unnamed private investigator is asked by the Titans to look into an explosion in their casino. He is a stringwalker, one who can move directly along the strings. However, the strings seem unsettled. Could it be the end times?
I wanted to love this as much as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. However, the explanation of string theory and how the world worked seemed overlong and overly complicated. However, if you are okay with extensive world building, you will like String City. The plot and character interactions are clever. 4 stars!
Thanks to Rebellion Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2019
Well, that was thrilling and clever, like a owl out for a downhill ski run. A superb urban fantasy/sci-fi hardboiled pi novel - Chandler with Gods, monsters and theoretical physics. Some well drawn lead characters and some not so supporting ones, though this seems very redolent of a 40s pi novel so take that with a slice of pizza.
All in all though, neat ending, some chuckles and involving plot so splendid all round.
All in all though, neat ending, some chuckles and involving plot so splendid all round.
August 1, 2019
This reads like noir on acid with the slightest undertone of Douglas Adams. You're really not sure what you're reading . There is so many new concepts, you feel overwhelmed. Just go with the flow and follow the characters, who are likeable and interesting.
June 15, 2025
Loved how mental it was, but could really have done without it trying to be crime noir style - that attitude is long gone and should remain in the past. Didn't sit well at all, and jarred with the rest of the book. Story - good weird, noir style - bad weird...
September 7, 2023
I enjoyed this enormously. It was a roller coaster ride that did resolve itself, in the end, despite reading for all the world as though it might not. Great fun, if you like that sort of thing.
December 7, 2018
Jag har fått en förhandskopia av boken i utbyte mot en ärlig recension
”The Gumshoe” jobbar som privatdetektiv i String City, en stad full av gudar, titaner, moster, robotar och relativt ovanliga människor. Staden ligger lite som en hub för alla omgivande dimensioner. Den namnlöse detektiven, som bara kallas för The Gumshoe, kan resa via de interdimensionella trådar som givit staden dess namn. Men på senare tid har något konstigt börjat hända med trådarna och det börjar bli farligt att hoppa mellan dimensioner. Detektiven får ett erbjudande om ett uppdrag som inte går att tacka nej till. Han ska undersöka en explosion på ett kasino. Från det uppdraget så hamnar han i en vild jakt efter en mäktig artefakt som håller upp hela den existerande verkligheten. Och han måste hela tiden hålla sig på ett lagom avstånd från titan-maffian, en spindelgud och mystiska varelser som kallas The Fools.
Att läsa String City känns lite som hoppa direkt in i sista delen i en bokserie. Jag får uppfattningen att det finns en stor, spännande och välutvecklad stad runt handlingen. Men ofta känns det som att jag helt missar poänger och upplägg i och med att jag vet för lite om staden. Om jag har förstått det rätt så har Graham Edwards skrivit typ 10 noveller om detektiven och String City, men detta är första gången som han skrivit en roman i den här världen.
Här i ligger ytterligare ett problem med boken. Den är uppdelad så att det känns som att boken är byggd av en serie noveller som man sedan försökt binda ihop med en övergripande historia som ska bära berättandet så att det klarar av romanlängden. Vissa bokens delar är i det närmaste poänglösa när det gäller att föra historien framåt. Det känns inte helt rimligt att lägga 70 sidor på en sidohistoria som inte har någon som helst bäring på det övriga som händer.
Från dessa rätt så raka, om än i en klar fantastikmiljö, små deckarhistorier, med en jätteklar noir-känsla så går boken slut rakt in i en extremt komplicerad ren fantasy/sci fi-historia. Det är jättesvårt att hänga med i hur och framför allt VARFÖR boken stora antagonist, som plötsligt dyker upp under de sista kapitlen, gör som han gör. Det blir lite för komplicerat och svårförståeligt.
Med detta sagt så är den korta deckarhistorierna, där Gumshoe och hans medhjälpare löser små fall ganska underhållande. Men jag tror nog att de hade passat bättre som just noveller. Nu är det svårt att får till den övergripande historien och boken känns inte som en helhet.
Det finns lite språkliga saker i boken som efter ett tag blir störande. Framför allt gäller det upprepningarna. Att alla hela tiden tilltalar huvudpersonen med Gumshoe (som väl skulle motsvaras av att han på svenska skulle heta typ Deckarn…) och att det ständigt beskrivs hur många gånger han viker sin rock för att den ska få nya egenskaper är saker som tillslut bara blir irriterande jobbiga.
String City utspelar sig i en intressant värld, där jag tyvärr känner att jag kommer in försent. Världen är redan så klar att jag inte får den beskriven eller förklarad för mig. Det är mycket möjligt att den här boken hade tilltalat mig på ett hela annat sätt om jag hade läst alla tidigare noveller, men det är lite dåligt om detta måste ses som en förutsättning för att få grepp om bokens värld.
https://pkmedianu.wordpress.com/2018/...
www.pkmedia.nu
”The Gumshoe” jobbar som privatdetektiv i String City, en stad full av gudar, titaner, moster, robotar och relativt ovanliga människor. Staden ligger lite som en hub för alla omgivande dimensioner. Den namnlöse detektiven, som bara kallas för The Gumshoe, kan resa via de interdimensionella trådar som givit staden dess namn. Men på senare tid har något konstigt börjat hända med trådarna och det börjar bli farligt att hoppa mellan dimensioner. Detektiven får ett erbjudande om ett uppdrag som inte går att tacka nej till. Han ska undersöka en explosion på ett kasino. Från det uppdraget så hamnar han i en vild jakt efter en mäktig artefakt som håller upp hela den existerande verkligheten. Och han måste hela tiden hålla sig på ett lagom avstånd från titan-maffian, en spindelgud och mystiska varelser som kallas The Fools.
Att läsa String City känns lite som hoppa direkt in i sista delen i en bokserie. Jag får uppfattningen att det finns en stor, spännande och välutvecklad stad runt handlingen. Men ofta känns det som att jag helt missar poänger och upplägg i och med att jag vet för lite om staden. Om jag har förstått det rätt så har Graham Edwards skrivit typ 10 noveller om detektiven och String City, men detta är första gången som han skrivit en roman i den här världen.
Här i ligger ytterligare ett problem med boken. Den är uppdelad så att det känns som att boken är byggd av en serie noveller som man sedan försökt binda ihop med en övergripande historia som ska bära berättandet så att det klarar av romanlängden. Vissa bokens delar är i det närmaste poänglösa när det gäller att föra historien framåt. Det känns inte helt rimligt att lägga 70 sidor på en sidohistoria som inte har någon som helst bäring på det övriga som händer.
Från dessa rätt så raka, om än i en klar fantastikmiljö, små deckarhistorier, med en jätteklar noir-känsla så går boken slut rakt in i en extremt komplicerad ren fantasy/sci fi-historia. Det är jättesvårt att hänga med i hur och framför allt VARFÖR boken stora antagonist, som plötsligt dyker upp under de sista kapitlen, gör som han gör. Det blir lite för komplicerat och svårförståeligt.
Med detta sagt så är den korta deckarhistorierna, där Gumshoe och hans medhjälpare löser små fall ganska underhållande. Men jag tror nog att de hade passat bättre som just noveller. Nu är det svårt att får till den övergripande historien och boken känns inte som en helhet.
Det finns lite språkliga saker i boken som efter ett tag blir störande. Framför allt gäller det upprepningarna. Att alla hela tiden tilltalar huvudpersonen med Gumshoe (som väl skulle motsvaras av att han på svenska skulle heta typ Deckarn…) och att det ständigt beskrivs hur många gånger han viker sin rock för att den ska få nya egenskaper är saker som tillslut bara blir irriterande jobbiga.
String City utspelar sig i en intressant värld, där jag tyvärr känner att jag kommer in försent. Världen är redan så klar att jag inte får den beskriven eller förklarad för mig. Det är mycket möjligt att den här boken hade tilltalat mig på ett hela annat sätt om jag hade läst alla tidigare noveller, men det är lite dåligt om detta måste ses som en förutsättning för att få grepp om bokens värld.
https://pkmedianu.wordpress.com/2018/...
www.pkmedia.nu
March 12, 2019
DNF at 40%.
Although I thought the premise of this book was interesting, it fell flat. The whimsical tone of the book was like Terry Pratchett, with the made-up words, the unexplained but seemingly normal insanity, and the somewhat scientific, somewhat magical nature of String City. Many parts of it were funny. But the randomness was slightly over the edge of "humorous" and into "annoying". The main character was well-done, but all of the supporting characters were very thinly developed.
The hardest thing was the pacing. The book rushed through every scene like an action movie, jumping hastily from one thing to the next without any pauses or slow moments. Everything felt frantic and rushed, unexplained, and disjointed.
I think the concept was unique and interesting, but poorly executed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although I thought the premise of this book was interesting, it fell flat. The whimsical tone of the book was like Terry Pratchett, with the made-up words, the unexplained but seemingly normal insanity, and the somewhat scientific, somewhat magical nature of String City. Many parts of it were funny. But the randomness was slightly over the edge of "humorous" and into "annoying". The main character was well-done, but all of the supporting characters were very thinly developed.
The hardest thing was the pacing. The book rushed through every scene like an action movie, jumping hastily from one thing to the next without any pauses or slow moments. Everything felt frantic and rushed, unexplained, and disjointed.
I think the concept was unique and interesting, but poorly executed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2021
Well where does one start? This is an entertaining read if not a bit odd. It feels like its an American private eye book from the 1940's except it isn't. The "fantasy" elements were very different from the usual magic, swords, dragons and the like although there is magic, a dead angel, and a lot of beetles (although they are towards the end of the book). The book has 100 plus chapters but some of them are no more than a paragraph in length. I would recommend that you give yourself time to read it as some of the elements take time to get one's head around. Enjoy.
January 9, 2022
I thought this deserved full marks for originality, being very unusual, and having more twists than any book I have read before! And I have read a lot.
A wonderful mis-mash of genres, with elements plucked from so many different origins, I guess this is what you get when you mix Greek myths with science fiction. In a very good way!
I did keep wondering whether there had been a previous book that I hadn't read, but by the end did find most 'before bits' had been revealed. It certainly was a book I will not forget for quite some while!
A wonderful mis-mash of genres, with elements plucked from so many different origins, I guess this is what you get when you mix Greek myths with science fiction. In a very good way!
I did keep wondering whether there had been a previous book that I hadn't read, but by the end did find most 'before bits' had been revealed. It certainly was a book I will not forget for quite some while!
December 26, 2018
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.
Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a little bit excited to see someone nailing that aspect of writing. If you are a world-building junkie, there is a lot to like, and the sheer scope of ambition is impressive. The science that underpins the setting is a good blend of fantastical, fresh, and believable, blending new and familiar elements alike (eg, dimension hopping and a lot of Greek myth). I also enjoyed the voice of the MC, having a fondness for noir (and it is VERY noir in atmosphere, despite the unusual setting.)
The MC is an intriguing character, and because I don't want to get into spoilers I'll avoid giving too many specifics here, but suffice to say he's had a rather colourful life and is in possession of a varied skill set.
However--and this is where my review strays into the realm of the subjective--he verges into being coy, at times. Zephyr, one of two sidekicks throughout the novel, has this to say about the MC:
"Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer."
...And that's often how I felt as well. The MC's past and history start out as a mystery, and usually unveiled in moments of crisis. For example (no spoilers), MC finds himself in a jam--so we dip into a flashback about the time he did X Y Z, which gave him X item or Y skill, which he then promptly utilises.
The reveals were funny/engaging, and well done. But too many of them began to feel like, the MC would always escape every impossible situation even if we as the reader could not see the way out, because he simply had an endless well of past experiences and items to draw on. Every time I thought I knew the limit of the MC's options, he would pull out something fresh, so I began to assume he would *always* do this, for every encounter.
I hope this makes sense, I feel I am not explaining very well! Either way, it's not a huge issue, and is very subjective as I said, but *for me* this meant some the tension didn't run as high as it might have done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, though, and would certainly recommend it when it's out on shelves. Intrigued to see any sequels and what else the author does with the setting.
Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a little bit excited to see someone nailing that aspect of writing. If you are a world-building junkie, there is a lot to like, and the sheer scope of ambition is impressive. The science that underpins the setting is a good blend of fantastical, fresh, and believable, blending new and familiar elements alike (eg, dimension hopping and a lot of Greek myth). I also enjoyed the voice of the MC, having a fondness for noir (and it is VERY noir in atmosphere, despite the unusual setting.)
The MC is an intriguing character, and because I don't want to get into spoilers I'll avoid giving too many specifics here, but suffice to say he's had a rather colourful life and is in possession of a varied skill set.
However--and this is where my review strays into the realm of the subjective--he verges into being coy, at times. Zephyr, one of two sidekicks throughout the novel, has this to say about the MC:
"Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I'm getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer."
...And that's often how I felt as well. The MC's past and history start out as a mystery, and usually unveiled in moments of crisis. For example (no spoilers), MC finds himself in a jam--so we dip into a flashback about the time he did X Y Z, which gave him X item or Y skill, which he then promptly utilises.
The reveals were funny/engaging, and well done. But too many of them began to feel like, the MC would always escape every impossible situation even if we as the reader could not see the way out, because he simply had an endless well of past experiences and items to draw on. Every time I thought I knew the limit of the MC's options, he would pull out something fresh, so I began to assume he would *always* do this, for every encounter.
I hope this makes sense, I feel I am not explaining very well! Either way, it's not a huge issue, and is very subjective as I said, but *for me* this meant some the tension didn't run as high as it might have done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, though, and would certainly recommend it when it's out on shelves. Intrigued to see any sequels and what else the author does with the setting.
June 2, 2019
String City is bursting at the seams with an originality that left me in awe of the author’s ability to fit so much into one novel. This is a well-crafted, fast-paced detective story, filled with science fiction and fantasy elements. It’s as though everything from the speculative genres converges in this singularly unique place. The author tackles complicated concepts with ease, diving into interdimensional travel as though it’s second nature. The experience is a wild ride, to be sure, and any descriptions I can provide of the epicness won’t do it justice. Check this one out if you want to marvel at an author’s ability to put imagination behind every word.
The story splits between an investigator trying to solve various cases and an overarching terror that continues to escalate. The cases are pretty typical, but it’s the clientele who provide a real spectacle. All of the figures of mythology are here, from cyclops to Jason to Arachne to the Titans. The modernization of these larger-than-life characters brings them down to Earth, adding a hilarity as they go about their strangely normal lives. It’s hard to imagine a Titan hiring a private investigator to catch a thief but in String City, it’s second nature.
I’m a sucker for a brilliant setting and this is one of the most original I’ve seen in years. The scope and inventiveness of every little aspect was mind-blowing to me. The author has taken the concept of string theory and embodied it as a place. The city surprises at every turn. The rips in time are the stuff of fantasies and nightmares, all jumbling together into a vertiginous journey through reality. There are robots, vampires, zombies, and so many gadgets that I can’t begin to explain. Things that make copies of yourself. Things that allow you to travel unfathomable distances in the blink of an eye. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, our protagonist pulls something else out of his pocket and defies further laws of physics.
To sum it up, String City exudes an impressive display of narrative confidence that shines with witty characters, inventive storytelling, and a setting with few rivals. By the end, it’ll seem completely normal to fold yourself in half in order to travel through a rip in the fabric of the universe.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
The story splits between an investigator trying to solve various cases and an overarching terror that continues to escalate. The cases are pretty typical, but it’s the clientele who provide a real spectacle. All of the figures of mythology are here, from cyclops to Jason to Arachne to the Titans. The modernization of these larger-than-life characters brings them down to Earth, adding a hilarity as they go about their strangely normal lives. It’s hard to imagine a Titan hiring a private investigator to catch a thief but in String City, it’s second nature.
I’m a sucker for a brilliant setting and this is one of the most original I’ve seen in years. The scope and inventiveness of every little aspect was mind-blowing to me. The author has taken the concept of string theory and embodied it as a place. The city surprises at every turn. The rips in time are the stuff of fantasies and nightmares, all jumbling together into a vertiginous journey through reality. There are robots, vampires, zombies, and so many gadgets that I can’t begin to explain. Things that make copies of yourself. Things that allow you to travel unfathomable distances in the blink of an eye. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, our protagonist pulls something else out of his pocket and defies further laws of physics.
To sum it up, String City exudes an impressive display of narrative confidence that shines with witty characters, inventive storytelling, and a setting with few rivals. By the end, it’ll seem completely normal to fold yourself in half in order to travel through a rip in the fabric of the universe.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
March 3, 2019
“Talking to you is like peeling an onion. Every time I think I’m getting somewhere, it turns out to be just another layer.” Zephyr to the Gumshoe, ‘String City’.
Thank you to Rebellion Publishing/Solaris for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘String City’, an Inter-dimensional thriller by Graham Edwards.
This was a treat for someone like myself who has long enjoyed the ‘hard boiled’ private detective stories penned by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. The narrator here is never named and referred to by everyone as ‘gumshoe’.
The setting is String City, an inter-dimensional city populated by gods, creatures of myth and legend, living concepts and all kinds of weird things. Insects and arachnids feature in the story and while I have a real aversion to cockroaches, I grew very fond of the tax beetle that turns up to audit the agency’s accounts at an inconvenient time.
The narrator is a stringwalker, able to use the cosmic strings to move between realities. He also has a unique coat and a crate that he inherited when he bought the business from Jimmy the Griff full of quirky gumshoe gadgets.
When an explosion rocks a casino he is hired by one of its Titan owners to investigate. Yet this apparently simple heist quickly leads to a race to stop the apocalypse.
‘String City’ is a novel with an Infinite Improbably Drive at its centre. Weird, surrealistic events and characters inhabit its pages. I enjoyed its strangeness even if at times while reading my brain felt turned inside out. I may well read again as I am certain that I missed plenty as it’s so packed with pop culture references and other fun stuff. The humour is very deadpan.
I found it a highly entertaining mashup with great world-building and certainly scope for further adventures.
March 9, 2019
I’ll be honest – it took me a while to warm to this one. Initially I wasn’t sure if the Raymond Chandleresque writing worked with all those descriptions of quantum physics, jostling up against the likes of titans, wind gods and robots. In addition, I wasn’t sure if I liked the main character much as he also took some getting used to. I wanted to kick him hard in the shins when he kept calling Zephyr ‘hon’ – even when she asked him not to. However, as we got to know him better, I decided that he was one of the good guys, after all.
While there is an overarching case that our nameless gumshoe is trying to unravel (literally, given the parlous state of the interdimensional strings that hold the city together) the book is made up of a series of mysteries he tries to crack. His assistants vary – sometimes he is alone, sometimes the robot is a sidekick and other times it’s the girl. This variation is a smart move as it stops the various adventures from feeling too similar.
However I can’t discuss this book without referring to the extraordinary worldbuilding – this is Edwards’ writing strength as he weaves a savage world where aspects of quantum physics prevail alongside the Einsteinian type we’re more used to. His flights of imagination are literally mind-boggling and while I initially felt uncomfortable at being tipped into such an odd place, Edwards’ confident depictions persuaded me to suspend my disbelief and relax into the weirdness.
It was very much worth the effort – I thoroughly enjoyed this oddball adventure and recommend it to anyone with a taste for adventure with an unusual twist. While I obtained an arc of String City from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10
While there is an overarching case that our nameless gumshoe is trying to unravel (literally, given the parlous state of the interdimensional strings that hold the city together) the book is made up of a series of mysteries he tries to crack. His assistants vary – sometimes he is alone, sometimes the robot is a sidekick and other times it’s the girl. This variation is a smart move as it stops the various adventures from feeling too similar.
However I can’t discuss this book without referring to the extraordinary worldbuilding – this is Edwards’ writing strength as he weaves a savage world where aspects of quantum physics prevail alongside the Einsteinian type we’re more used to. His flights of imagination are literally mind-boggling and while I initially felt uncomfortable at being tipped into such an odd place, Edwards’ confident depictions persuaded me to suspend my disbelief and relax into the weirdness.
It was very much worth the effort – I thoroughly enjoyed this oddball adventure and recommend it to anyone with a taste for adventure with an unusual twist. While I obtained an arc of String City from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10
September 20, 2019
I was given an ARC copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Strings wrapped around strings in an alluring web, woven from intriguing plotlines and engaging characters, interspersed with various world mythologies, a hint of darkness and a thread of humour.
The plot follows a private investigator, plying his trade in String City. He follows a well-worn path of fictional PIs - a dark and troubled past, the loner, dames, a lack of tidiness, etc., but the added element of fantasy and the blending of various legends from around the world allow this PI to traverse a lesser travelled path. The book sees him dealing with several cases along the way and introduces us, and him, to two new assistants as well as other supporting characters, the most striking to me being the zombie angel he works with when needed. String City itself is also a dramatic and changing character throughout the novel, giving succour and friendship to our protagonist which, in turn, he is required to return.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It felt very different from other things I have read, while at the same time, feeling familiar. My only criticism of myself with regards to this book, is that the author cleverly weaves together the strings of several storylines and character backgrounds, which my shockingly poor memory had to work to keep up with and this meant that it took me longer than normal to read this book. However, I also took longer to read it just to allow me to purely relish and enjoy the detail and depth in this - it is, as I have already said, a beautifully woven, multi layered book which I will endeavour to re-read as I am sure that this story will me to pick out new threads on each and every read.
Strings wrapped around strings in an alluring web, woven from intriguing plotlines and engaging characters, interspersed with various world mythologies, a hint of darkness and a thread of humour.
The plot follows a private investigator, plying his trade in String City. He follows a well-worn path of fictional PIs - a dark and troubled past, the loner, dames, a lack of tidiness, etc., but the added element of fantasy and the blending of various legends from around the world allow this PI to traverse a lesser travelled path. The book sees him dealing with several cases along the way and introduces us, and him, to two new assistants as well as other supporting characters, the most striking to me being the zombie angel he works with when needed. String City itself is also a dramatic and changing character throughout the novel, giving succour and friendship to our protagonist which, in turn, he is required to return.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It felt very different from other things I have read, while at the same time, feeling familiar. My only criticism of myself with regards to this book, is that the author cleverly weaves together the strings of several storylines and character backgrounds, which my shockingly poor memory had to work to keep up with and this meant that it took me longer than normal to read this book. However, I also took longer to read it just to allow me to purely relish and enjoy the detail and depth in this - it is, as I have already said, a beautifully woven, multi layered book which I will endeavour to re-read as I am sure that this story will me to pick out new threads on each and every read.
March 14, 2022
String City is a standalone (to my knowledge) sci fi/thriller. To quote the tagline on the front of the book: “an interdimensional thriller.”
There is quite a noir detective vibe to this book. The private detective, down on their luck, mysterious past and enjoys black coffee and bourbon - sometimes at the same time!
The books story is told from a first person perspective and our character is never actually named, they are referred to as gumshoe or other similar labels. Their gender is never explicitly stated either, so the reader can interpret the character how they want. They also have a rather nifty coat that the character can change to suit the situation. It reminded me of the coat from the Shades of Magic series by V. E. Schwab.
Now this isn’t your usual detective thriller, that is down to the titular setting of String City. An interdimensional quantum realm that seemingly exists outside of “normal” reality. I got vibes of Doctor Who and Marvel’s Loki show as the easiest comparisons.
String City is also home to different gods and mythological creatures. A melting pot of different ideas and concepts.
The plot itself is a combination of different mysteries and cases that our detective takes on, just so happens the apocalypse also is on the horizon. The pace is pretty quick and I certainly found it an enjoyable page turner.
At time of writing it a standalone book, but I’d be very happy to see other stories set in String City. Either following our detective or completely new characters. There is a lot of potential with this setting.
There is quite a noir detective vibe to this book. The private detective, down on their luck, mysterious past and enjoys black coffee and bourbon - sometimes at the same time!
The books story is told from a first person perspective and our character is never actually named, they are referred to as gumshoe or other similar labels. Their gender is never explicitly stated either, so the reader can interpret the character how they want. They also have a rather nifty coat that the character can change to suit the situation. It reminded me of the coat from the Shades of Magic series by V. E. Schwab.
Now this isn’t your usual detective thriller, that is down to the titular setting of String City. An interdimensional quantum realm that seemingly exists outside of “normal” reality. I got vibes of Doctor Who and Marvel’s Loki show as the easiest comparisons.
String City is also home to different gods and mythological creatures. A melting pot of different ideas and concepts.
The plot itself is a combination of different mysteries and cases that our detective takes on, just so happens the apocalypse also is on the horizon. The pace is pretty quick and I certainly found it an enjoyable page turner.
At time of writing it a standalone book, but I’d be very happy to see other stories set in String City. Either following our detective or completely new characters. There is a lot of potential with this setting.
December 15, 2018
Although the main character of this book is a noir detective, it avoids the hopeless alienation of true noir in favour of something more noblebright.
It's very high-concept. A city at the intersection of a number of cosmic strings (as in string theory), inhabited by gods, near-gods, and monsters from various pantheons, plus ordinary people (who don't fare particularly well). This sets the scene for a story full of wonder, conflict, people punching above their weight, loss, destruction, and ultimate triumph.
If there was one thing that irritated me about it, it was that the detective had a near-endless set of devices to use to solve his problems, very few of which were foreshadowed, so it ended up being a little bit Felix the Cat. (In fact, his coat, which he turns inside out a varying number of times to transform it into whatever will be the most appropriate or useful garment for the situation, is strongly reminiscent of Felix's magic bag.) However, at least one of them had a limited number of uses, and it was hinted that the use of them carried a price, though the price never quite seemed to eventuate.
I was pleased that the detective's secretary got to be a character, rather than just a functionary, with a backstory and an arc, though she did fall into the Damsel in Distress trope at one point. There were several other female characters who had agency and weight, though I wasn't a big fan of the femme fatale or of the detective's interaction with her.
All in all, more enjoyable than not, and it ended better than I'd feared, though I'd have to be in the right mood to read a sequel.
I received a review copy via Netgalley.
It's very high-concept. A city at the intersection of a number of cosmic strings (as in string theory), inhabited by gods, near-gods, and monsters from various pantheons, plus ordinary people (who don't fare particularly well). This sets the scene for a story full of wonder, conflict, people punching above their weight, loss, destruction, and ultimate triumph.
If there was one thing that irritated me about it, it was that the detective had a near-endless set of devices to use to solve his problems, very few of which were foreshadowed, so it ended up being a little bit Felix the Cat. (In fact, his coat, which he turns inside out a varying number of times to transform it into whatever will be the most appropriate or useful garment for the situation, is strongly reminiscent of Felix's magic bag.) However, at least one of them had a limited number of uses, and it was hinted that the use of them carried a price, though the price never quite seemed to eventuate.
I was pleased that the detective's secretary got to be a character, rather than just a functionary, with a backstory and an arc, though she did fall into the Damsel in Distress trope at one point. There were several other female characters who had agency and weight, though I wasn't a big fan of the femme fatale or of the detective's interaction with her.
All in all, more enjoyable than not, and it ended better than I'd feared, though I'd have to be in the right mood to read a sequel.
I received a review copy via Netgalley.
March 8, 2019
The biggest thing I can say about this book is that the world-building is fascinating, intricate and detailed. There is so much going on, that it’s easy to get lost in it. Unfortunately, that’s also where this one fell short for me. The plot was great, interesting and I generally liked the characters, but there was so much going on. I kind of feel like I did a whirlwind tour of String City, and I’m still sitting here with culture shock.
One of the strengths of this book, is how it stays fairly true to what I would expect from a hard-boiled PI book, while adding in a whole lot of strange. Definitely makes for an interesting twist on a classic, and I definitely think I would read another book set in String City (I mean, I might be acclimatized?)
That’s about all I have to say about it, it just didn’t strike the right chord with me, it was a bit of a struggle to get through the entire book, though there wasn’t anything wrong with it per say, it was just one of those books that I really had to be in the right mood to read.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel, but looking for a dose of strange!
Like this review? Check out my others at:
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s...
One of the strengths of this book, is how it stays fairly true to what I would expect from a hard-boiled PI book, while adding in a whole lot of strange. Definitely makes for an interesting twist on a classic, and I definitely think I would read another book set in String City (I mean, I might be acclimatized?)
That’s about all I have to say about it, it just didn’t strike the right chord with me, it was a bit of a struggle to get through the entire book, though there wasn’t anything wrong with it per say, it was just one of those books that I really had to be in the right mood to read.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the hard-boiled detective novel, but looking for a dose of strange!
Like this review? Check out my others at:
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s...
April 12, 2019
3.75 rounded up to 4*
I received an ARC copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was both exactly what I expected and also quite surprising. It follows the turbulent ups and downs of our protagonist, a stringwalker private detective working String City, as his city faces the apocalypse. From the first page the style evokes the spare narrative style of Hammett's Maltese Falcon or Cain's Double Indemnity. The worldbuilding is...well...weird but also seems totally normal because it's so fundamental to the universe that it exists within.
we've got Titans, we've got Thanes, we've got sentient sewer sludge, undead angels, kingfishers, spiders, sort of vampires, alternate realities, weather gods, and hungry ghosts. this world is jam packed full of just about every weird myth or folk type character you could wish for, all of it co-existing alongside one another.
Told in 7 parts, the structure of the novel is particularly interesting because the chapters are excessively short. This both works for and against the book. For the first 70-100 pgs i really struggled to get into it simply because of these short chapters. A chapter break is a signal to the reader that they can rest here, and theres a natural tendency to end my reading session at the end of the chapter. this becomes a problem when chapters are only 2-4 pgs. I found myself unconsciously setting the book down almost as soon as i started reading it. I also found that the plot really began to pick up in Part 2 with the addition of several side characters who helped buoy up the protagonist's narrative. Once i hit this part of the story, i flew through the last 300 or so pages.
unsettling and interesting, and i think the readers it clicks with in just the right way will enjoy it immensely. I think this book will shine for that specific cross section of noir fans who also love weird SFF/speculative fiction.
I received an ARC copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was both exactly what I expected and also quite surprising. It follows the turbulent ups and downs of our protagonist, a stringwalker private detective working String City, as his city faces the apocalypse. From the first page the style evokes the spare narrative style of Hammett's Maltese Falcon or Cain's Double Indemnity. The worldbuilding is...well...weird but also seems totally normal because it's so fundamental to the universe that it exists within.
we've got Titans, we've got Thanes, we've got sentient sewer sludge, undead angels, kingfishers, spiders, sort of vampires, alternate realities, weather gods, and hungry ghosts. this world is jam packed full of just about every weird myth or folk type character you could wish for, all of it co-existing alongside one another.
Told in 7 parts, the structure of the novel is particularly interesting because the chapters are excessively short. This both works for and against the book. For the first 70-100 pgs i really struggled to get into it simply because of these short chapters. A chapter break is a signal to the reader that they can rest here, and theres a natural tendency to end my reading session at the end of the chapter. this becomes a problem when chapters are only 2-4 pgs. I found myself unconsciously setting the book down almost as soon as i started reading it. I also found that the plot really began to pick up in Part 2 with the addition of several side characters who helped buoy up the protagonist's narrative. Once i hit this part of the story, i flew through the last 300 or so pages.
unsettling and interesting, and i think the readers it clicks with in just the right way will enjoy it immensely. I think this book will shine for that specific cross section of noir fans who also love weird SFF/speculative fiction.
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