Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific sequel!, 16 Feb 2007
Well, let me tell you that Hal Duncan wrote the perfect sequel to Vellum! Ink is everything I wanted it to be and then some!;-) In my opinion, it will doubtless establish Duncan as one of the very best speculative fiction authors in the world today. Too ambitious and unusual to ever be considered mainstream, The Book of All Hours will indubitably become a cult classic.
Evenfall has come, unravelling reality as a whole. In its wake, Hinter has settled over the myriad folds of the Vellum. As was the case with its predecessor, Ink showcases a fascinating variety of locales spread out across time, space, history, and mythology. Duncan's kick-ass, "no holds barred" prose makes each reality leap off the pages.
Once again, the tale is not told in linear fashion. Jumping from one dimension to the next, Ink remains a challenging read. But a very satisfying one, have no fear. The novel is separated into two parts. The first, Hinter's Knights, is at times a little more difficult to get into. Yet the second part, Eastern Mourning, takes you on an unbelievable journey.
The characters which made Vellum such an unforgettable read are back, though a good chunk of the story revolves around Mad Jack Carter. I have to admit that it's been a while since I've liked a character to such a degree.
The Book of All Hours is a mind-blowing feat of ambition and imagination, written by a master storyteller with a "take no prisoners" attitude who's not afraid to experiment. You will either love it or despise it. I doubt Vellum and Ink can leave any reader indifferent. Both volumes are extremely dense, so forget about bringing them along for the morning/evening commute. Essentially, I think that a second and third reading would reveal a ton of details I've missed the first time around.
Ink is without the shadow of a doubt an early frontrunner for the 2007 Book of the Year. Indeed, it will give any other contenders a serious run for their money. Who knows? Perhaps it will even win a Word Fantasy Award or a Hugo Award this time. . . If you can only afford one book this season, make it this one!:-)
As for Hal Duncan, well the guy is pretty damn close to being a fookin genius. With his fertile imagination and a middle finger raised high against the establishment, Duncan has pushed the boundaries of what we consider speculative fiction to new heights. Whatever this man writes next, I'm reading it!
My only complaint pertaining to this multilayered tale would have to be that the ending is a bit anti-climatic. Other than that, this novel will satisfy even the most jaded of readers out there.
The Book of All Hours is a "must" in every fantasy collection.
For more reviews, interviews, book giveaways and more, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty poor, Burroughs-lite imitation, 3 Nov 2009
I've read Vellum which was average and pretentious and gave Ink a good try before throwing it away in exasperation. This is pale attempt to rehash the cut-up novels of William S Burroughs and it fails woefully short of coming anywhere near. One of the central characters (Harlequin) and the story surrounding him is almost lifted straight from Burroughs. Quite incredible. We even have things such as the orgone guns and homosexual assassins. Place of Dead Roads, Cities of the Red Nights, The Wild Boys, Kim Carsons anyone? Come one, this is has been done so much better before.
This is poor stuff really. Dense, self indulgent and nonsensical. Unoriginal too. I was enormously disappointed and won't be bothering with the next installation.
Very rarely do books annoy me, but this managed to.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Marmite, 24 Sep 2007
I don't know whether it was the feat of finishing Vellum first, but I found this sequel a much easier read than the first book, particularly from the midpoint onwards (after the troubadours). As with Vellum, Duncan crams in so much stuff into this book (twentieth-century warfare, the roots of religion and ancient civilisation, modern-day politics etc) that it can make your brain ache. The non-linear layering, zippering between one version of the world to another and the swapping about of dynamics between the `friends' means that the style of writing takes some getting used to, but keep turning the pages and confusion gives way. This is beautiful writing!
I call this the book of Marmite, because I think you can love it or hate it... but I quite like Marmite.
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by Hal Duncan
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DVD ~ Matt Holness
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by Joe Abercrombie
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