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Tristopolis #2
Black Blood
From John Meaney, the author of Bone Song and “the most important new SF writer of the 21st century,”* comes a new novel, Black Blood. In it he offers his intoxicating blend of futuristic noir and gothic fantasy in a thriller that carries a cop with a personal vendetta across the barrier between life and death. Here, in a morbidly lush necropolis, he must stop a conspiracy of killers whose power is fueled by spilling… He’s lucky to be alive. That’s what everyone tells him. Except Tristopolitan police lieutenant Donal Riordan doesn’t feel lucky and he isn’t really alive. In one horrific moment not even death can erase from memory, Donal lost the woman he loved even as her ultimate sacrifice saved his life. Now it’s literally her heart that beats in his chest and her murder that Donal “lives” to avenge.While being a zombie cop has its upsides—including inhuman reaction time and razor-sharp senses—Donal’s new undead status makes him the target of Tristopolis’s powerful Unity Party, whose startling rise to power is built on a platform of antizombie paranoia and persecution. The Party is no friend, to be sure—but it’s the secret cabal known as the Black Circle and their stranglehold on the city’s elite that consume Donal’s black heart. For at the center of this ring of evil is the man responsible for his lover’s murder—a man Donal has already had to kill once before.Now, with ominous reports of white wolf sightings throughout the city and a dangerous sabotage attempt at police headquarters, all signs indicate that the Black Circle is planning a magical coup d’état. And the terror will begin with a political assassination triggered by a necroninja already hidden… in a place no one expects. For Donal, it’s no longer a matter of life and death but something far more serious. How can he stop a killer who won’t stay dead and an evil that death only makes stronger?*Times (London)From the Hardcover edition.
Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 14, 2017
Well I finally finished the book - now I will admit I took longer to finish this book than normal and I think that was partly the fault of the book - yes really.
You see this is at its heart this book is a crime noir (and no if you know the story there is no pun intended about the dark reference) but set in a work familiar but at the same time utterly different. The issue was that the world it is set in though incredibly detailed and well thought out would hamper the story.
The reason is for this is that the narrative would sometimes slow or even stop while some fantastic (and well thought out) scene would present itself and the author would just have to explain it further.
The result was I would often stop to re-read those sections so I could fully understand and appreciate what I was reading and at other times I would lose interest in the book as cinematic sections floundered while the focus shifted.
Ironically it took me nearly half way through the book to get to grips with these changes and once I had the book really took off.
Now I wish there was a third instalment (there was actually plans for one but John Meaney has confirmed that no publisher is interested and as such the project is dead in the water) and after finishing the book you can certainly see the seeds of where that book would go and more importantly where it would pick up from.
So it took me weeks to read a third in to the book but it took me a day to read the rest of it. Yes it is fast paced and thinking about it - it would make a specular if surreal film, though I suspect no one dare or could afford to make it.
John Meaney comes up with some fascinating ideas and every time I pick up one his books I always finish it thinking of how creative and deep his worlds are and how I should think about setting aside some more time to try another one - sometime.
You see this is at its heart this book is a crime noir (and no if you know the story there is no pun intended about the dark reference) but set in a work familiar but at the same time utterly different. The issue was that the world it is set in though incredibly detailed and well thought out would hamper the story.
The reason is for this is that the narrative would sometimes slow or even stop while some fantastic (and well thought out) scene would present itself and the author would just have to explain it further.
The result was I would often stop to re-read those sections so I could fully understand and appreciate what I was reading and at other times I would lose interest in the book as cinematic sections floundered while the focus shifted.
Ironically it took me nearly half way through the book to get to grips with these changes and once I had the book really took off.
Now I wish there was a third instalment (there was actually plans for one but John Meaney has confirmed that no publisher is interested and as such the project is dead in the water) and after finishing the book you can certainly see the seeds of where that book would go and more importantly where it would pick up from.
So it took me weeks to read a third in to the book but it took me a day to read the rest of it. Yes it is fast paced and thinking about it - it would make a specular if surreal film, though I suspect no one dare or could afford to make it.
John Meaney comes up with some fascinating ideas and every time I pick up one his books I always finish it thinking of how creative and deep his worlds are and how I should think about setting aside some more time to try another one - sometime.
February 25, 2012
This was the sequel to Bone Song, and I loved the world building and the characters. Very interesting concepts and characters. The setting is a city in the future where energy needs are met by using the bones of the dead (or in one city, live children)- and to make matters worse, the bones are not unfeeling. There are political struggles, race relations (human vs not quite human or not human at all), romantic relationships, tragedy. Highly recommended- both Bone Song and Black Blood (Although the entry here is titled Dark Blood, the book I had was titled Black Blood- it is the same book- #2 in the Tristopoulos series.)
September 12, 2021
Ok so I’ve finished this book and now I’m really upset to discover it’s left on a cliff hanger and the third book has been cancelled! Uggggghhh.
I really enjoyed reading this sequel, the book is well written and the author puts a nice twist on normal science-fiction crime as the book is very politically motivated, this keeps you reading because you get so angry at the devious things the evil characters are doing with their power in society.
Donal and his team really come into their own in this book. So much happens after Laura’s death and the plot just kept blowing me away with all the new twists and turns. Like the addition of the power company and the weapons companies joining the black circles influence. I don’t understand why they think kids is a sustainable way to power the city!!!! I was even more horrified to discover where they were coming from at the end of the book. It’s so messed up I couldn’t help myself I had to keep reading.
Some deaths in this book were really shocking and I was left jaw dropped and kinda sad. I was also really saddened to see the politicians taking away zombies rights, this book really grips you emotionally. The world building in these books was so good because you can just really get a sense for how horrible it would be to live in these cities.
I would recommend this series but with the warning of no ending because of the cliff hanger. Does Donal get found in his coffin! I must know :( . It’s well rounded book even if at times key points are rushed across a bit fast where their could be more description and explanation.
I really enjoyed reading this sequel, the book is well written and the author puts a nice twist on normal science-fiction crime as the book is very politically motivated, this keeps you reading because you get so angry at the devious things the evil characters are doing with their power in society.
Donal and his team really come into their own in this book. So much happens after Laura’s death and the plot just kept blowing me away with all the new twists and turns. Like the addition of the power company and the weapons companies joining the black circles influence. I don’t understand why they think kids is a sustainable way to power the city!!!! I was even more horrified to discover where they were coming from at the end of the book. It’s so messed up I couldn’t help myself I had to keep reading.
Some deaths in this book were really shocking and I was left jaw dropped and kinda sad. I was also really saddened to see the politicians taking away zombies rights, this book really grips you emotionally. The world building in these books was so good because you can just really get a sense for how horrible it would be to live in these cities.
I would recommend this series but with the warning of no ending because of the cliff hanger. Does Donal get found in his coffin! I must know :( . It’s well rounded book even if at times key points are rushed across a bit fast where their could be more description and explanation.
March 21, 2021
A continuation of the Universe of Bone Song. So deeply textured, and TECHNICAL-- a 'Modern' world of magic and power with nearly mathematical rules and natural laws that literally cut to the bone if ignored. And it is so cool to have a magical universe that doesn't rehash the tired Mage/Magician & Apprentice vs Evil Demon formulas. Politics, dirty finance, ulterior motives, international objectives, murder and the settling of scores. And the best part-- Donal isn't finished yet. This takes the phrase Noir to a new level. I hope the NEXT Tristopolis novel won't be too long in coming.
July 1, 2017
Fantastic book, wish there was a third!
John Meaney does an excellent job of building his dark grim world of magical technology and paranormal creatures. He does it in such a way there is very little exposition, and what little there is comes across naturally without feeling like exposition.
John Meaney does an excellent job of building his dark grim world of magical technology and paranormal creatures. He does it in such a way there is very little exposition, and what little there is comes across naturally without feeling like exposition.
August 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this even though I hadn't read the previous one. I was a little disappointed in the end as I think the last 100 pages or so could have been expanded into another book. Also it could've been an introduction to a whole new series.
August 16, 2017
This man writes this series with so much imagination - it is completely different from anything I have ever read. I hope he writes a sequel.
July 4, 2024
Like its predecessor, Dark Blood is a hugely enjoyable dark fantasy/crime/cyberpunk novel in which the bones of the dead are used to power cities. Fresh and unique world-building and an intriguing plot made this a fun and deeply engrossing read. Highly recommended reading.
April 7, 2009
Meaney's world continues to fascinate me. Everything in Donal's country runs on necromagic, energy produced by the dead. I must confess, I'm not entirely sure how the magic system he's created works. Most of it seems to run on bones but there are other parts that get used as well. I think the phone system runs on nerves from the dead, for example. The very rich, of course, can get out of having their bones used for fuel, but there's a suggestion that that doesn't necessarily mean the bones are at rest. It's a complex system and not altogether clear, at least to me, but it's still fascinating. Most people try not to think about where their energy comes from, of course, or about the fact that eventually they'll be contributing to the reactor piles.
One of the key differences is that the neighboring country uses magic from a much smaller number of living beings. It's a plot element in both books and the question remains which system is more inhumane.
This book picks up where the last one left off, with Donal having just been resurrected into a zombie with his now deceased girlfriend's heart. Much of the book is spent with Donal grieving for Laura. I never really bought into their relationship in the last book, (it felt shallow to me, mostly based on sex and certainly not the love of his life) but I was willing to let that go in order to enjoy this book.
Donal has to spend some time getting used to being a zombie and finding out just what that means. He has much more conscious control over his emotions, to the point where he seems able to destroy them at will (or, in one case, unintentionally). It's not like a human would ignore an emotion as best he could for a while, the emotion literally becomes unimportant or an abstract. He also has to learn to consciously control his facial muscles and he gets much better at reading the micro expressions (not a term that's used) of others.
The rest of the team from the first book is back, but they're all worse off than they were before and there's no guarantee they'll stay a team now that Laura's gone and the purported purpose of the team has been accomplished.
Meanwhile, anti-zombie tensions are running high and while Donal has come into a large sum of money through Laura's death, there's a bill pending to make zombies non-beings and thus not capable of owning property, which naturally will be seized by the government.
There are certainly elements ethnic cleansing this time around. Zombies (and other non-humans but mostly zombies) are openly attacked and at one point even rounded up to be shot and killed in a scene that would not be out of place in a concentration camp.
I find it particularly interesting because while it appears that anyone who can afford it can take out a policy to be resurrected as a zombie, it's also true that not many have chosen to do so (we don't hear about the wealthy being a zombie class, for example, though given their long lives it would make sense). But we are told that civil servants such as firefighters and police officers automatically have such a policy in place. So I would think there would be some kind of respect due to zombies just from that aspect of it, but if so it's never shown.
For me the mystery really took a back seat to the world that Meaney has built. It seems unique to me and it's definitely a place I'm interested in exploring further.
The cliffhanger at the end is wonderful.
One of the key differences is that the neighboring country uses magic from a much smaller number of living beings. It's a plot element in both books and the question remains which system is more inhumane.
This book picks up where the last one left off, with Donal having just been resurrected into a zombie with his now deceased girlfriend's heart. Much of the book is spent with Donal grieving for Laura. I never really bought into their relationship in the last book, (it felt shallow to me, mostly based on sex and certainly not the love of his life) but I was willing to let that go in order to enjoy this book.
Donal has to spend some time getting used to being a zombie and finding out just what that means. He has much more conscious control over his emotions, to the point where he seems able to destroy them at will (or, in one case, unintentionally). It's not like a human would ignore an emotion as best he could for a while, the emotion literally becomes unimportant or an abstract. He also has to learn to consciously control his facial muscles and he gets much better at reading the micro expressions (not a term that's used) of others.
The rest of the team from the first book is back, but they're all worse off than they were before and there's no guarantee they'll stay a team now that Laura's gone and the purported purpose of the team has been accomplished.
Meanwhile, anti-zombie tensions are running high and while Donal has come into a large sum of money through Laura's death, there's a bill pending to make zombies non-beings and thus not capable of owning property, which naturally will be seized by the government.
There are certainly elements ethnic cleansing this time around. Zombies (and other non-humans but mostly zombies) are openly attacked and at one point even rounded up to be shot and killed in a scene that would not be out of place in a concentration camp.
I find it particularly interesting because while it appears that anyone who can afford it can take out a policy to be resurrected as a zombie, it's also true that not many have chosen to do so (we don't hear about the wealthy being a zombie class, for example, though given their long lives it would make sense). But we are told that civil servants such as firefighters and police officers automatically have such a policy in place. So I would think there would be some kind of respect due to zombies just from that aspect of it, but if so it's never shown.
For me the mystery really took a back seat to the world that Meaney has built. It seems unique to me and it's definitely a place I'm interested in exploring further.
The cliffhanger at the end is wonderful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2019
Seriously John Meaney, get off your lazy arse and get to writing another Tristopolis book! You're giving me blue balls!
Kidding!
But seriously John, help a bloke out here.
So the last John Meaney book I read was Bone Song, set in the same universe/arc as Dark Blood. In the previous outing, detective Donal Riordan foiled a conspiracy to harvest the bones of celebrities and high power individuals. You see in the universe of Tristopolis, death carries power, and bones are a conduit to that power. The problem however is that Donal was shot, his lover Laura was killed by a gory shot to the head and now he's been resurrected as a zombie with her heart. He's taken up her position as the leader of a secret police unit that monitors the city and is now investigating a brainwashing scheme overtaking the city.
What Bone Song built, Dark Blood builds higher. Where Bone Song fell down, Dark Blood picks back up. Gone are the long meandering sidestories that felt tacked on and unnecessary. Gone is the awkward romance. Gone are most of the bland characters that I couldn't give a shit about. Meaney's learnt his lesson and created a much more engaging story this time. The sidestories are short and quick, resolving and tying back to the main narrative pretty neatly and without a romance to bog down the story, we get more a look inside Riordan's head, especially now that he's legally dead. Because of this, he becomes a stronger and slightly more interesting character. He's still Riordan with all of his averageness, but his leadership and interactions with his subordinates feels more....alive (badum-tish). The side characters also have a little more in the way of complexity. They're not quite there in terms of deep and varied, but they're a lot more engaging than they were in Bone Song.
What continues to bring me back to Dark Blood and Bone Song however is the breadth of creativity here. The whole series has a film noir feel, smooshed together with a heavy dose of Gothic Horror, a dab of New Weird, a sprinkling of Cyber Punk and Thriller and cop drama and all of this combined makes for a very unique experience. Just the opening scene in Dark Blood should give you an idea: a man is about to be executed. The event is a public spectacle, witnessed by Riordan, the press, the cops, government body and the condemned's mother. How is he to die? By ghosts pulling the nerves out of his body with magical flensing knives to create a gory but beautiful tableau. Seriously where have you seen that shit before?
But it's not all positives. While Meaney has upped his game, the plot still suffers from being a little stock standard. It's a take-over-the-city plot, albeit one that's a little more creatively staged, along with a brainwashing plot that's comes across as a little too obvious. Seriously, you have newly installed big blue telephones in the building and people suddenly change after using them? Uh....DUH!
Maybe I'm a little too entranced by bizarre engaging worlds, but for me, Dark Blood was a definite step up from Bone Song. The storyline is tighter, the characters while still suffering from a touch of blandness are definitely more engaging, the action is focused and the plot starts off slow but around the halfway mark becomes a roaring dive to the finish, with fights, car chases and explosions.
Now if only Meaney would get onto the third bo....
GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY BASTARD!!! ;P
Kidding!
But seriously John, help a bloke out here.
So the last John Meaney book I read was Bone Song, set in the same universe/arc as Dark Blood. In the previous outing, detective Donal Riordan foiled a conspiracy to harvest the bones of celebrities and high power individuals. You see in the universe of Tristopolis, death carries power, and bones are a conduit to that power. The problem however is that Donal was shot, his lover Laura was killed by a gory shot to the head and now he's been resurrected as a zombie with her heart. He's taken up her position as the leader of a secret police unit that monitors the city and is now investigating a brainwashing scheme overtaking the city.
What Bone Song built, Dark Blood builds higher. Where Bone Song fell down, Dark Blood picks back up. Gone are the long meandering sidestories that felt tacked on and unnecessary. Gone is the awkward romance. Gone are most of the bland characters that I couldn't give a shit about. Meaney's learnt his lesson and created a much more engaging story this time. The sidestories are short and quick, resolving and tying back to the main narrative pretty neatly and without a romance to bog down the story, we get more a look inside Riordan's head, especially now that he's legally dead. Because of this, he becomes a stronger and slightly more interesting character. He's still Riordan with all of his averageness, but his leadership and interactions with his subordinates feels more....alive (badum-tish). The side characters also have a little more in the way of complexity. They're not quite there in terms of deep and varied, but they're a lot more engaging than they were in Bone Song.
What continues to bring me back to Dark Blood and Bone Song however is the breadth of creativity here. The whole series has a film noir feel, smooshed together with a heavy dose of Gothic Horror, a dab of New Weird, a sprinkling of Cyber Punk and Thriller and cop drama and all of this combined makes for a very unique experience. Just the opening scene in Dark Blood should give you an idea: a man is about to be executed. The event is a public spectacle, witnessed by Riordan, the press, the cops, government body and the condemned's mother. How is he to die? By ghosts pulling the nerves out of his body with magical flensing knives to create a gory but beautiful tableau. Seriously where have you seen that shit before?
But it's not all positives. While Meaney has upped his game, the plot still suffers from being a little stock standard. It's a take-over-the-city plot, albeit one that's a little more creatively staged, along with a brainwashing plot that's comes across as a little too obvious. Seriously, you have newly installed big blue telephones in the building and people suddenly change after using them? Uh....DUH!
Maybe I'm a little too entranced by bizarre engaging worlds, but for me, Dark Blood was a definite step up from Bone Song. The storyline is tighter, the characters while still suffering from a touch of blandness are definitely more engaging, the action is focused and the plot starts off slow but around the halfway mark becomes a roaring dive to the finish, with fights, car chases and explosions.
Now if only Meaney would get onto the third bo....
GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY BASTARD!!! ;P
October 19, 2014
I’ve been looking forward to reading this for some time and I’m glad to say that I was not disappointed although I really should have re-read Bone Song beforehand to remind me of the characters and events.
With the heart of his dead girlfriend beating in his chest, Donal the zombie is again investigating some very shady goings-on in Tristopolis, with old enemies, new & unpleasant politics, dubious purple phones and discrimination, all while trying to get t being un-dead. This is a gothic noir science fiction masterpiece with Meaney’s trademark host of characters, intrigue and interwoven sub-plots. The narrative bowls along at a relentless pace, there’s splendidly witty dialogue, heaps of gloomy gothic atmosphere, zombies, wraiths, bone listeners, sentient vehicles, golems … the list goes on.
This is easily one of the best books I read for a long time and I highly recommend it to anyone who fancies something a bit different. Thanks to Amazon’s apparent trend in stocking fewer ‘minority-interest’ books (hoping, I expect, to boost sales of E-books & Kindles), I bought my copy via the splendid BookDepository dot com although I did get the American edition confusingly entitled ‘Black Blood’ as the UK ‘s ‘Dark Blood’ edition was not available. Interestingly, I believe that BookDepository is now owned by Amazon so I’m sure they won’t mind me plugging them in an Amazon review.
With the heart of his dead girlfriend beating in his chest, Donal the zombie is again investigating some very shady goings-on in Tristopolis, with old enemies, new & unpleasant politics, dubious purple phones and discrimination, all while trying to get t being un-dead. This is a gothic noir science fiction masterpiece with Meaney’s trademark host of characters, intrigue and interwoven sub-plots. The narrative bowls along at a relentless pace, there’s splendidly witty dialogue, heaps of gloomy gothic atmosphere, zombies, wraiths, bone listeners, sentient vehicles, golems … the list goes on.
This is easily one of the best books I read for a long time and I highly recommend it to anyone who fancies something a bit different. Thanks to Amazon’s apparent trend in stocking fewer ‘minority-interest’ books (hoping, I expect, to boost sales of E-books & Kindles), I bought my copy via the splendid BookDepository dot com although I did get the American edition confusingly entitled ‘Black Blood’ as the UK ‘s ‘Dark Blood’ edition was not available. Interestingly, I believe that BookDepository is now owned by Amazon so I’m sure they won’t mind me plugging them in an Amazon review.
July 9, 2009
The setting sells this series and now that Meaney has it firmly established to the reader, he can get on with the action. The weaknesses of the first novel are in most cases healed. Dark Blood or Black Blood, depending on which edition you are enjpying, begins by showing the reader multiple actions that appear relatively unconnected. The team members are working at what appears to be cross purposes without a leader. We begin to percieve the invisible hand behind the action is the Commisioner, which is unsurprising due to his role in Bone Song. While this method of doling out clues might be frustrating, the common link through which most of our perception is filtered is still Donal. This means that we are looking at things from a copper's point of view as he pieces together the elements of the mysterious actions and unrest that threaten to turn the human elements of Tristopolis against the nonhuman or nonliving elements. Once Meaney has given enough clues, he sets the mousetrap in motion and the action unfolds. This is dealt out in two episodes and the finale is not what one would expect. But the clever final page had me both laughing and appreciating the finesse with which Meaney punctuated his story. All the pieces are there if you are observant enough to look.
May 6, 2013
I think this could have done with another pass by an editor. There were some parts where the narrative would stop because the author wanted to explain what you should be getting out of the previous part of the sentence-he was telling not showing.
See how annoying that is? Be confident that you explained things correctly the first time, don't go hammering into my reading brain that I should be understanding things in a certain way. Also, this device was present in about only a hundred pages toward the beginning-middle, and that shaped up.
Speaking of hammers and such, if Harald really is as wrongly impulsive as he seems to be in this series just toward Donal, it makes me wonder if Harald hasn't killed a whole lot of innocent people in the same vein. I still love him and all, but he is always wrong about people, and he acts on it really quickly and violently.
Sometimes the descriptions of the world got a bit overwhelming as well. This is a second book, I think I should know by now enough about how things work not to have to read through three pages of explanations per subject.
See how annoying that is? Be confident that you explained things correctly the first time, don't go hammering into my reading brain that I should be understanding things in a certain way. Also, this device was present in about only a hundred pages toward the beginning-middle, and that shaped up.
Speaking of hammers and such, if Harald really is as wrongly impulsive as he seems to be in this series just toward Donal, it makes me wonder if Harald hasn't killed a whole lot of innocent people in the same vein. I still love him and all, but he is always wrong about people, and he acts on it really quickly and violently.
Sometimes the descriptions of the world got a bit overwhelming as well. This is a second book, I think I should know by now enough about how things work not to have to read through three pages of explanations per subject.
March 11, 2010
This is an interesting world John Meaney has created, a world that runs on the power of bones. A world with other creatures, a world that's almost steampunk. It does have a vaguely victorian air about it.
Our hero, Donal Riordan, now has the heart of his undead lover beating inside him, with guilt and a strange echo of that woman living inside his head. He's trying to come to terms with his new life (there's a hilarious sequence about him exploring knitting which made me chuckle being a knitter myself) or unlife. He has abilities that he hasn't fully explored and if that wasn't enough there are people looking to strip the undead of their rights. Add in some assassination and you've got a complex and involved story that, while not being a fan of zombies and most darker fantasy, I found compelling and interesting.
I look forward to more installments and wonder how the author resolves the cliffhanger.
Our hero, Donal Riordan, now has the heart of his undead lover beating inside him, with guilt and a strange echo of that woman living inside his head. He's trying to come to terms with his new life (there's a hilarious sequence about him exploring knitting which made me chuckle being a knitter myself) or unlife. He has abilities that he hasn't fully explored and if that wasn't enough there are people looking to strip the undead of their rights. Add in some assassination and you've got a complex and involved story that, while not being a fan of zombies and most darker fantasy, I found compelling and interesting.
I look forward to more installments and wonder how the author resolves the cliffhanger.
June 13, 2013
Creatively, I loved John Meaney’s Bone Song, especially the highly imaginative world. At the same time though, I was disappointed by the shallow characters, a formulaic plot, and the disjointed narrative. Because of the uneven experience, I was a bit apprehensive about reading the sequel, but my curiosity in knowing how the story continued prevailed. Fortunately, despite a few hiccups, Black Blood turned out to be an overall much stronger and much more enjoyable effort.
Like its predecessor, the best thing about Black Blood is the incredibly inventive world which blends the paranormal with technology and the familiar for a deliciously unique setting. If you read Bone Song, then you should already be familiar with the deathwolves, necrofusion power ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Like its predecessor, the best thing about Black Blood is the incredibly inventive world which blends the paranormal with technology and the familiar for a deliciously unique setting. If you read Bone Song, then you should already be familiar with the deathwolves, necrofusion power ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
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July 8, 2009Confusing plot skips around from viewpoint to viewpoint, with scraps of relevant info being let drop casually into the narration like used Kleenex. Also a lot of new characters are introduced, often quite similar to previous characters and not destined for long acquaintance in any case. It's a lot of work to parse this story, man. You have to be motivated, which you'll only be if you loved the first volume in the series.
I get the feeling Meaney is bursting with ideas and plot points, but by cramming so many into one story he erodes much of the macabre charm of the first story's more leisurely exposition. A talented author whose pitches often go wild, I hope he finds his control by the next volume.
I get the feeling Meaney is bursting with ideas and plot points, but by cramming so many into one story he erodes much of the macabre charm of the first story's more leisurely exposition. A talented author whose pitches often go wild, I hope he finds his control by the next volume.
August 19, 2012
3.5 stars. Incredible world-building and likable characters that unfortunately don't get explored enough. In my opinion, the author sacrifices character richness to style. You would have to read it to understand what I mean by style - this is an alternate universe unlike any other I've ever encountered in a book. So yeah, the ideas are brilliant, I just wish the author built more of a connection between his characters and the reader.
The book ends with a terrible cliffhanger and considering it was published in 2009 and since then nothing, it doesn't look like a 3rd book will ever come to be.
The book ends with a terrible cliffhanger and considering it was published in 2009 and since then nothing, it doesn't look like a 3rd book will ever come to be.
March 25, 2009
I'm still utterly delighted by the tone and setting of these books: humor amidst the potential grisliness. A major spoiler for the first book in this series plays out with the proper depth here: not overwhelming, but present and pertinent.
Meaney likes to end his books not on a cliffhanger for the current book's plot, but certainly at a point where you howl to know more anyway -- call it a character cliffhanger.
Meaney likes to end his books not on a cliffhanger for the current book's plot, but certainly at a point where you howl to know more anyway -- call it a character cliffhanger.
March 11, 2012
I really enjoyed Bone Song. Often when I read another book in the series, I cannot remember much about the first one. But because Bone Song was so different, it came back in a flash. The way they generate power is unforgettable...
But I got confused, and wish I could understand the end. Perhaps when I read them again, but if anyone could enlighten me, privately, so as not to spoil this for anyone else, I'd really appreciate it.
But I got confused, and wish I could understand the end. Perhaps when I read them again, but if anyone could enlighten me, privately, so as not to spoil this for anyone else, I'd really appreciate it.
October 8, 2016
You don't need to have read the previous book, Bone Song, to enjoy Dark Blood. I hadn't. But it might help as the first book presumably does most of the work establishing the setting. This said, Meaney does not presume that his readers are familiar with his world, one which I found interesting and fun to read. This book does contain spoilers to the previous one though, so you may want to consider reading that first.
May 16, 2009
This is a whole lot of book. I liked it, but I found myself very lost for the first half, there are so many characters and so many concepts that it was difficult keeping everything straight. It also didn't help that this is Book 2 and I didn't read Book 1.
I liked it enough that I will try to track down Bone Song and keep an eye out for the next Tristopolis story.
I liked it enough that I will try to track down Bone Song and keep an eye out for the next Tristopolis story.
March 31, 2011
Deeper, richer and stranger than the first in the series (Bone Song). I hope we get to revisit Tristopolis at some point in the future.
July 5, 2012
Meh. Same great worldbuilding but I gave even less of a crap about the cast. Really cool telepathic ghostwolves which were not used well enough, just dangled coyly before the reader and then snatched away. The book needed them though--it certainly needed *something*.
July 24, 2012
I read this book about 2 yrs ago, after loving Bone Song so much that I ordered Black Blood. I loved this book as well with its further look at Meaney's dark, horrifying world, but....WHERE IS BOOK 3???
September 18, 2012
Great book, loved the first one and this is on par with that, but what a cliffhanger ending.
Looking online I've been able to find the title of the next book in the series but John Meaney has stated there little chance of him writing it...at least as of yet...stay tuned
Looking online I've been able to find the title of the next book in the series but John Meaney has stated there little chance of him writing it...at least as of yet...stay tuned
August 15, 2008
I didn't think that this one was quite as good as Bone Song, which was the first in this series, but it was still good.
April 19, 2009
Still really enjoying this series. This book had a stronger finish than the last one. The world is crazy and interesting. I look forward to seeing where he goes with it next.
March 2, 2009
I read this on my Kindle, under the American title "Black Blood".
I read the first book in this series last month and I liked it a lot. I think this one is even better.
I read the first book in this series last month and I liked it a lot. I think this one is even better.
July 26, 2011
Fantastic! I would love to see more of this character and world, but anything more by John Meaney would work for me.
September 5, 2010
Zombie Cop in a well developed world. It referred to the first book in the series a bit much. Actual title in the US is Black Blood. Sequel to Bone Song.
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