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Review
'I can't remember when I last enjoyed a fantasy book this much'
(Books Monthly )'Polansky's writing is confident and punchy from the offset. The action rips along at a brilliant pace allowing us to experience this gritty world through the eyes of a thrilling, dangerous, flawed, yet strangely endearing protagonist. This is modern, dark fantasy at its best and a debut to be envied.'
(British Fantasy Society )'Quite brilliant... The Straight Razor Cure is as good a debut as I've read in along time. [It] has it all - and as the name suggests, it is sharp, steely and viciously bloody. Highly recommended'
(John Berlyne, SF Revu )'Polansky hits all the right notes in his intelligent first novel, a blend of dystopian fantasy and hard-boiled crime... Sharp, noir-tinged dialogue and astute insights into class struggle mark Polansky as a writer with a future'
(Publishers Weekly )'A strong debut novel with a hero who doesn't waste time worrying about the moral implications of cutting someone's throat'
(Kirkus Reviews )'Polansky transplants his love of crime noir into a magic-steeped, secondary-world fantasy setting. It's an inherently troublesome mash-up that could only work in the hands of a silly satirist or a deft, sensitive dramatist with the blackest sense of humor. Polansky is wholeheartedly the latter - and Low Town is brilliant proof ... Wielding vivid characters and scalpel-sharp banter worthy of fellow dark fantasists Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie, Polansky ratchets up the pace ... Polansky has managed to craft an assured, roaring, and rollicking hybrid, a cross-genre free-for-all that relishes its tropes while spitting out their bones. And he does it all while spinning one hell of a gripping mystery'
(avclub.com )'Daniel Polansky has crafted a thrilling novel steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action, and set in an original world of stunning imagination, leading to a gut-wrenching, unforeseeable conclusion. Low Town is an attention-grabbing debut that will leave readers riveted . . . and hungry for more'
(missiontoread.com )'An impossible to put down read, showing how dark fantasy can truly be' (thefoundingfields.com )
'The Straight Razor Cure is dark, eloquent work filled with a very real presence that permeates both the world and the characters within it. Polansky has created a wickedly delicious fantasy that leaves a profound impression on the reader. Despite the plague, murderers and dark magic, I can't wait to pay another visit to Low Town'
(mithrilwisdom.blogspot.com ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.Review
'Saturated with world-weary snark, this is a thoroughly entertaining page-turner which wears its world building lightly. 4 stars'
(SFX Magazine )'Polansky's writing is confident and punchy from the offset. The action rips along at a brilliant pace allowing us to experience this gritty world through the eyes of a thrilling, dangerous, flawed, yet strangely endearing protagonist. This is modern, dark fantasy at its best and a debut to be envied.'
(British Fantasy Society )'Quite brilliant... The Straight Razor Cure is as good a debut as I've read in along time. [It] has it all - and as the name suggests, it is sharp, steely and viciously bloody. Highly recommended'
(John Berlyne, SF Revu )'Polansky hits all the right notes in his intelligent first novel, a blend of dystopian fantasy and hard-boiled crime... Sharp, noir-tinged dialogue and astute insights into class struggle mark Polansky as a writer with a future'
(Publishers Weekly )'A strong debut novel with a hero who doesn't waste time worrying about the moral implications of cutting someone's throat'
(Kirkus Reviews )'Polansky transplants his love of crime noir into a magic-steeped, secondary-world fantasy setting. It's an inherently troublesome mash-up that could only work in the hands of a silly satirist or a deft, sensitive dramatist with the blackest sense of humor. Polansky is wholeheartedly the latter - and Low Town is brilliant proof ... Wielding vivid characters and scalpel-sharp banter worthy of fellow dark fantasists Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie, Polansky ratchets up the pace ... Polansky has managed to craft an assured, roaring, and rollicking hybrid, a cross-genre free-for-all that relishes its tropes while spitting out their bones. And he does it all while spinning one hell of a gripping mystery'
(avclub.com )'I can't remember when I last enjoyed a fantasy book this much'
(Books Monthly )'Daniel Polansky has crafted a thrilling novel steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action, and set in an original world of stunning imagination, leading to a gut-wrenching, unforeseeable conclusion. Low Town is an attention-grabbing debut that will leave readers riveted . . . and hungry for more'
(missiontoread.com )'An impossible to put down read, showing how dark fantasy can truly be' (thefoundingfields.com )
'The Straight Razor Cure is dark, eloquent work filled with a very real presence that permeates both the world and the characters within it. Polansky has created a wickedly delicious fantasy that leaves a profound impression on the reader. Despite the plague, murderers and dark magic, I can't wait to pay another visit to Low Town'
(mithrilwisdom.blogspot.com )'Polansky brings this world to life with many well-chosen phrases, so that you get the smell and the feel of the place living with you as you read. And unpleasant as it may be at times, Low Town is somewhere you'll want to return to soon.' (www.scifibulletin.com )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The author paints a convincing picture of Low Town, a grim, brutish, crime ridden place where violence is ever present. The story is narrated in the first person by a character who goes under the rather enigmatic name of the Warden. As a drug dealer with a taste for his own products, in particular pixie's breath and dreamvine, and an efficient, violent streak whether protecting his territory from criminal rivals or looking after his other interests, he fits perfectly into this environment. Although it would be hard to perceive him as a hero, he comes across as intelligent, persistent and single minded.
When a child is murdered, he chooses to investigate the crime and then comes under suspicion himself when there is a further incident. He is obliged to continue his investigations to protect himself from the attentions of the authorities. Despite the reasonable assumption that life does not count for a lot in Low Town, the child killing creates quite a stir which suggests that the place has its own set of moral values.
As a fantasy setting it probably takes about the first quarter of the book for the reader to be able to feel really familiar with the surroundings. After that the strong story line really takes hold and the book becomes quite a page turner. The writing is of high quality and the descriptions of people and places are particularly outstanding. This is an interesting blend of fantasy with a supernatural overlay and a little hint of romance thrown in. The climax is well thought out and logical though quite unexpected so the reader's interest is maintained to the end.
This is a very impressive first novel from the author and clearly there is plenty of scope for future episodes of Low Town. I believe that this is the first of a three installment deal and I look forward to the next episode.
When a child is murdered, he chooses to investigate the crime and then comes under suspicion himself when there is a further incident. He is obliged to continue his investigations to protect himself from the attentions of the authorities. Despite the reasonable assumption that life does not count for a lot in Low Town, the child killing creates quite a stir which suggests that the place has its own set of moral values.
As a fantasy setting it probably takes about the first quarter of the book for the reader to be able to feel really familiar with the surroundings. After that the strong story line really takes hold and the book becomes quite a page turner. The writing is of high quality and the descriptions of people and places are particularly outstanding. This is an interesting blend of fantasy with a supernatural overlay and a little hint of romance thrown in. The climax is well thought out and logical though quite unexpected so the reader's interest is maintained to the end.
This is a very impressive first novel from the author and clearly there is plenty of scope for future episodes of Low Town. I believe that this is the first of a three installment deal and I look forward to the next episode.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure is a sharp, intelligent and somewhat bleak novel. It centres around the fictional `Low Town', the run down, scabrous heart of a larger city. The people in Low Town are poor, oppressed by their betters, and have more than their fair share of crime and general urban misery. The atmosphere is grim, though not unrelentingly so, with sparks of hope and joy scattered throughout, and I was quickly drawn in amongst the grime, the grit, the crime and the blood.
We are quickly introduced to `The Warden', a grizzled, pragmatic, emotionally wounded inhabitant of this city. He serves as our protagonist, as he begins to investigate (for entirely practical reasons), the murder of a child, which rapidly spins out of control. The investigation itself is convincing and well written - there are no leaps of faith, no requirements to suspend disbelief - the logic is, if not Holmesian, certainly sensible. Whilst there are unexpected twists and turns, none of them are dependent upon the framework of the setting; there are no cop-outs.
The fantasy detective fiction idea isn't entirely new; I was reminded of Glen Cooks 'Garrett, P.I.' series. However, where Cook's text draws on the drawing room exploits of Nero Wolfe and other golden age detectives, `Low Town' carries a more obvious edge - rather than Wolfe, it shares a heritage with the likes of James Elroy.
The supporting characters are plentiful, and recognisable, but it would have been nice for them to have had a little more depth; I suspect they'll be fleshed out as the series progresses. That said, part of this may be our restriction to the first-person view provided by The Warden - and some characters may just be unknowable.
The plot is filled with action, double dealing, and the occasional revelation, wrapped around a core of moral ambiguity. Whilst `page-turner' is an overused phrase, I was certainly finding reasons to keep reading with every page, and ended up tearing through the text.
Overall, this is an intelligent novel, with interesting themes running through it, with a compelling central character in a wonderfully evoked, morally ambiguous world. Well recommended.
We are quickly introduced to `The Warden', a grizzled, pragmatic, emotionally wounded inhabitant of this city. He serves as our protagonist, as he begins to investigate (for entirely practical reasons), the murder of a child, which rapidly spins out of control. The investigation itself is convincing and well written - there are no leaps of faith, no requirements to suspend disbelief - the logic is, if not Holmesian, certainly sensible. Whilst there are unexpected twists and turns, none of them are dependent upon the framework of the setting; there are no cop-outs.
The fantasy detective fiction idea isn't entirely new; I was reminded of Glen Cooks 'Garrett, P.I.' series. However, where Cook's text draws on the drawing room exploits of Nero Wolfe and other golden age detectives, `Low Town' carries a more obvious edge - rather than Wolfe, it shares a heritage with the likes of James Elroy.
The supporting characters are plentiful, and recognisable, but it would have been nice for them to have had a little more depth; I suspect they'll be fleshed out as the series progresses. That said, part of this may be our restriction to the first-person view provided by The Warden - and some characters may just be unknowable.
The plot is filled with action, double dealing, and the occasional revelation, wrapped around a core of moral ambiguity. Whilst `page-turner' is an overused phrase, I was certainly finding reasons to keep reading with every page, and ended up tearing through the text.
Overall, this is an intelligent novel, with interesting themes running through it, with a compelling central character in a wonderfully evoked, morally ambiguous world. Well recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Low Town is written so engagingly and intelligently I couldn't put it down, and polished it off over 2 late nights. It was a massively enjoyable read, and a real showcase for what can be done with modern fantasy.
The novel essentially reads like crime fiction, now I tend not to be a huge fan of detective stuff, but the fantasy setting created in Low Town is irresistibly and deliciously noir, and Warden is 100% my kind of character. Put the 2 together, throw in some magic, a bit of plague and a hint of war, and I'm sold. I'm officially now a potential crime fiction fan. It wouldn't surprise me if there are quite a few genuine crime fans out there who'd be newly confirmed fantasy fans on reading this one too.
Warden is a wonderful protagonist, he's greatly flawed, but at the same time full of redeeming qualities. His past would be enough to give anyone pause in judging him. He's honest with himself, fiercely intelligent and a born survivor, I was with him all the way. I love his attitude to authority and nobility, and if it didn't sound incredibly wrong to say this of a violent drug addict and dealer, I'd say the world could use a few more Wardens. The slow reveal of his past is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel, and the genius for me is how in looking back Polansky not only doesn't hamper the ferocious pace of the book, but he actually drives it forward all the more. There's no waiting around for things to happen while we catch up, in fact there's no waiting around at all, the action here is relentless.
Reading a fantasy novel that's brimming with intelligence like this one is always a pleasure. The genre often has such a stuffy and stereotypical reputation, and a book like Low Town just blows it apart. Amazing things can be done with fantasy, and Polansky has produced something truly exceptional here.
So..yeah..I kinda liked it :) And I'm excited about the next instalment.
The novel essentially reads like crime fiction, now I tend not to be a huge fan of detective stuff, but the fantasy setting created in Low Town is irresistibly and deliciously noir, and Warden is 100% my kind of character. Put the 2 together, throw in some magic, a bit of plague and a hint of war, and I'm sold. I'm officially now a potential crime fiction fan. It wouldn't surprise me if there are quite a few genuine crime fans out there who'd be newly confirmed fantasy fans on reading this one too.
Warden is a wonderful protagonist, he's greatly flawed, but at the same time full of redeeming qualities. His past would be enough to give anyone pause in judging him. He's honest with himself, fiercely intelligent and a born survivor, I was with him all the way. I love his attitude to authority and nobility, and if it didn't sound incredibly wrong to say this of a violent drug addict and dealer, I'd say the world could use a few more Wardens. The slow reveal of his past is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel, and the genius for me is how in looking back Polansky not only doesn't hamper the ferocious pace of the book, but he actually drives it forward all the more. There's no waiting around for things to happen while we catch up, in fact there's no waiting around at all, the action here is relentless.
Reading a fantasy novel that's brimming with intelligence like this one is always a pleasure. The genre often has such a stuffy and stereotypical reputation, and a book like Low Town just blows it apart. Amazing things can be done with fantasy, and Polansky has produced something truly exceptional here.
So..yeah..I kinda liked it :) And I'm excited about the next instalment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Average detective story; interesting setting
This story to this novel wouldn't be out of place on an ITV detective drama. It's the setting and its bleakness that saves the novel from being below average.
Published 6 days ago by Richard Cosgrove
Innovative
This is not your average fantasy book. It follows the realtively new style of writing we see which has been termed Fantasy Noir and I just couldn't put this book down till I... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Chase Marshall
Fantasy Noir
Another day and another newcomer to the world of fantasy writing!
Well it is a modern fantasy cliche to avoid any of the old fantasy cliche's so no big hatted wizards,... Read more
Well it is a modern fantasy cliche to avoid any of the old fantasy cliche's so no big hatted wizards,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. A. I. Harrison
Superb dark detective fantasy
There is much about Daniel Polansky's "Low Town: The Straight Razor Cure" that puts me in mind of Gene Wolfe's "The Book Of The New Sun": its reliance on dialogue rather than... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Steve Benner
Enjoyable and kept me reading
I really enjoyed this book and it kept my interest. Not bad for a first novel. I liked the characters, pace and the world created. Read more
Published 6 months ago by N. Offer
Good
I did enjoy this book but can't help feeling my judgement will be made once I see the standard of the second book. Read more
Published 7 months ago by E. H.
Mean Streets
I'm afraid this didn't really work for me, and I must admit that's a personal opinion. I'm a big fan of James Elroy, and his darker than dark noir. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Michael Mooney
Well written but a but seedy.
One of the first things I noticed about Low Town was how well written it was, with a good use of language it immediately felt a cut above a lot of fantasy novels. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ren
good story
good page turner, plenty of action and no small amount of entertainment.well written and some very vivid descriptions, the story moves at a good pace and the characters are... Read more
Published 8 months ago by ross
Low Town
Book Description
Rigus is the greatest city in the Thirteen Lands, a glittering metropolis of crystalline citadels and sumptuous manors, where the gentlewomen hide delicate... Read more
Rigus is the greatest city in the Thirteen Lands, a glittering metropolis of crystalline citadels and sumptuous manors, where the gentlewomen hide delicate... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lou pendergrast
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