- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Angry Robot (2 Jun 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0857661086
- ISBN-13: 978-0857661081
- Product Dimensions: 20 x 19.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,079,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Mistification
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Product Description
An intriguing modern fantasy from the award-winning writer of "Slights". Marvo is a stage magician. His magic is real. Marvo grows up without knowing his parents, without knowing his heritage, without knowing much about life. The magicians have always been with us, since the beginning of civilisation. They fill our heads with the mist, keeping us from witnessing the stark reality of existence. But are things so bad that Marvo will bring it down on all of us, forever? Marvo begins to understand those around him, and his place in the world; he discovers that his remarkable powers can be put to good, or to evil. He only has to choose -
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Misitification is a book like no other. That sounds cliché, but in this case it's absolutely true. While the set up of the novel is somewhat reminiscent of some of the stories in the classic A Thousand and One Nights - it's a semi-continuous story, interlaced with short vignettes - that which is contained in the narrative and the subjects of the little vignettes is unique, at least in my reading experience.
The opening scenes of the novel reminded me somewhat of the Achterhuis. Indeed, I had this idea that the story might be set in Nazi-occupied territories. And while Marvo and his grandmother are in hiding, we quickly discover that Marvo's world is not a Nazi-occupied one. In fact, I still couldn't tell you where exactly the book took place. However, this doesn't matter as the focus is so tightly on Marvo and his story and his world is so infused with magic, both of the true variety and that of illusions, that where we are is far less important than what, who and how we are.
One of the main plot points in the story is the relationship between Marvo and Andra, which is quite interesting and conflicted. On the one hand Andra seems to be cheating on Marvo at times, on the other hand she stays with him despite his almost callous disregard for her feelings and needs. If one takes Andra as a feminised form of andros, the Greek word for man, you could argue that Marvo's relationship with Andra is a mirror to his relationship with mankind. Going from a curious, young, and naive boy, Marvo turns into a rather bitter and weary man. As a youth he is fascinated by people, by their lives and their stories, but as a grown man, he slowly loses his passion for humanity, as he loses his passion for Andra. Her, and their, stories can't captivate him any more and he grows more and more distant and more and more introverted. In addition, where he started out relatively fearless, he ends up living in paranoid fear that he'll be killed during a performance. As a result he grows ever more elusive to the world around him.
As Marvo moves through life and he loses his innocence, he becomes more and more disillusioned and less inclined to guard the world from mass-depression through his magic of mists. The stories that fascinated him as a young man, which provided his education and a focus through which to see and understand the world, turn from illuminating the wonders of the world and mankind to shining a stark and unrelenting spotlight on Marvo's world and clearly reveal the sharp and unpleasant side of humanity to him. Still the novel ends on a hopeful note, with Marvo coming full circle and choosing a different life for his successor. One is left to imagine that this time around, life will be different for the misty magician and perhaps her life will be more balanced and happier.
Mistification is at once weirdly bizarre and utterly fascinating. It's a tale that'll make you think about the world and the way we view it, about how much our perception shapes our reality. It's a tale that won't be for everyone, but one I loved. For a less enthusiastic (and far more erudite) review see Niall a.k.a The Speculative Scotsman's review over on Strange Horizons. In any case, Mistification was my first taste of Kaaron Warren's writing and I definitely plan to check out her previous books with Angry Robot, Slights and Walking the Tree, because just one taste wasn't enough.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
The opening scenes of the novel reminded me somewhat of the Achterhuis. Indeed, I had this idea that the story might be set in Nazi-occupied territories. And while Marvo and his grandmother are in hiding, we quickly discover that Marvo's world is not a Nazi-occupied one. In fact, I still couldn't tell you where exactly the book took place. However, this doesn't matter as the focus is so tightly on Marvo and his story and his world is so infused with magic, both of the true variety and that of illusions, that where we are is far less important than what, who and how we are.
One of the main plot points in the story is the relationship between Marvo and Andra, which is quite interesting and conflicted. On the one hand Andra seems to be cheating on Marvo at times, on the other hand she stays with him despite his almost callous disregard for her feelings and needs. If one takes Andra as a feminised form of andros, the Greek word for man, you could argue that Marvo's relationship with Andra is a mirror to his relationship with mankind. Going from a curious, young, and naive boy, Marvo turns into a rather bitter and weary man. As a youth he is fascinated by people, by their lives and their stories, but as a grown man, he slowly loses his passion for humanity, as he loses his passion for Andra. Her, and their, stories can't captivate him any more and he grows more and more distant and more and more introverted. In addition, where he started out relatively fearless, he ends up living in paranoid fear that he'll be killed during a performance. As a result he grows ever more elusive to the world around him.
As Marvo moves through life and he loses his innocence, he becomes more and more disillusioned and less inclined to guard the world from mass-depression through his magic of mists. The stories that fascinated him as a young man, which provided his education and a focus through which to see and understand the world, turn from illuminating the wonders of the world and mankind to shining a stark and unrelenting spotlight on Marvo's world and clearly reveal the sharp and unpleasant side of humanity to him. Still the novel ends on a hopeful note, with Marvo coming full circle and choosing a different life for his successor. One is left to imagine that this time around, life will be different for the misty magician and perhaps her life will be more balanced and happier.
Mistification is at once weirdly bizarre and utterly fascinating. It's a tale that'll make you think about the world and the way we view it, about how much our perception shapes our reality. It's a tale that won't be for everyone, but one I loved. For a less enthusiastic (and far more erudite) review see Niall a.k.a The Speculative Scotsman's review over on Strange Horizons. In any case, Mistification was my first taste of Kaaron Warren's writing and I definitely plan to check out her previous books with Angry Robot, Slights and Walking the Tree, because just one taste wasn't enough.
This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.
Format:Paperback
I started reading this book with great anticipation. Half way through it has been abandoned. Why? It simply doesn't go anywhere. It has little narrative flow and the two main characters are sketchy at best.The book seems to be there to string together a large and increasingly annoying mini fables. I was really intrigued by the main character and his powers, and the world described is unusual, but the story doesn't make any progress and characters don't develop. Yes, I know i should have finished it, but if a book doesn't grab/intrigue/entertain by 200 pages it really is failing in its main function. I've given it 3 stars because it is just that-okay, but not what I had hoped to be reading.
Format:Paperback
As a reader of quite a lot of Urban Fantasy I'm always on the lookout for something either a little different or something that will capture the imagination to take me on a special journey of discovery. It's one reason Angry Robot are always on my To Watch lists as they bring something unique to the cooking pot and present titles quite unlike anyone else. A lot of the time this is successful, occasionally however it fails as was sadly the case with this, the new book by Kaaron Warren.
For me whilst the premise and concept were ideal for my type of tastes it was the execution of this that left it feeling rather flat. The characters felt more like they were there to further a story rather than be the story and when you added the collection of tales from passing cast members it felt more like the author tried to interlink a number of short tales in one big book that sadly failed on so many levels as I didn't have the connection that I desire in such a book.
Whilst Kaaron is a talented author I would sadly have to say that this title is middle of the road for the genre and as such there are better books out there including Kaaron's own Slights which was pretty imagination busting at its release. All in with luck, Kaaron's next title will concentrate on getting back to what she does well and with a bit more character development which is what I demand from any book that I read, as after all, if I can't empathise why should I care about their fates?
For me whilst the premise and concept were ideal for my type of tastes it was the execution of this that left it feeling rather flat. The characters felt more like they were there to further a story rather than be the story and when you added the collection of tales from passing cast members it felt more like the author tried to interlink a number of short tales in one big book that sadly failed on so many levels as I didn't have the connection that I desire in such a book.
Whilst Kaaron is a talented author I would sadly have to say that this title is middle of the road for the genre and as such there are better books out there including Kaaron's own Slights which was pretty imagination busting at its release. All in with luck, Kaaron's next title will concentrate on getting back to what she does well and with a bit more character development which is what I demand from any book that I read, as after all, if I can't empathise why should I care about their fates?
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