Setting, setting, setting - this author is damned deviously inventive when it comes to setting. Tristopolis is like nothing else out there now. But it comes with some characters that are sometimes as incompletely fleshed out as the zombies that inhabit this dark city. The love affair that Donal, the main character has feels too convenient. The situation provides him with everything that he would need as a sort of deus ex machina of amour. Donal doesn't have to lift a finger to achieve the relationship so it feels flat. It's also a rough transition when the story goes from Donal's perceptions to suddenly encompass the view points of the members of the team. This is not a bad thing, because there are a number of interesting characters. The plot of the story is intriguing and develops well and contains well drafted action scenes. But it's that setting, the completely thought out and envisioned world of Tristopolis that really sells things. Meany has a plethora of ideas and he tosses them out freely. What's even better is the follow up is an easier read, partially because he can now freely pursue these larger themes without the necessity of complex intoductions. ( )

Uninteresting in the extreme for me and I really wanted to like this one. There were many instances where I felt I was missing some important exposition only to realize after rereading and going back and forth through pages that the author wasn't providing the exposition itself. I was well and truly lost in the story and came away not understanding the antagonist's motivations, what the driving force behind the plot was, or why I should care about the protagonist. Maybe it wasn't explained in small enough words for me.

*All thoughts and opinions are my own.* ( )

The author is too obsessed with his own ideas to get out of their way, and the prose isn't great either. I gave it ten pages and decided life was too short.

John Meaney has rich and vivid imagination. He's created an alternative universe where cities are powered by the bones of the dead. Wraiths exist inside cars, motorcycles, even lamps, and seem to be a de-facto for artificial intelligence. I was often caught out by a description that was strange not only to me, but was impressive or different for the main character. I never felt I had an understanding of the rules of this world, I know show don't tell, but there wasn't enough showing. Things were strange, people died, and sometimes they came back. There was also a police procedural and hunt for a cadre of killers, but that aspect of this book was the least interesting. ( )

I was very impressed and intrigued by the world that John Meaney created between the pages of this book. It was full of details that just made you want to know more about it and what else was going on. While it was marketed as Sci-Fi I would label it Urban Fantasy, there are a lot of things that go 'bump' in the night and the dreary days as well.

While I found the world created to be great the story did not quite meet the same standards as the scenery that it was taking place in. I suspect that books 2 and 3 will improve the storytelling aspect since the work of world building is mostly done. Good book, enjoyed it and want to read the next one. ( )