The Art of Arrow Cutting

Rating:
Summary: Artless Arrow Cutting
Review: "The Art of Arrow Cutting" is a clumsy novel with a clever premise written by a writer who thinks he's cleverer than he is. From the main character's too-precious name (Michelangelo "Mage" Magistrale), to the film-aware dialog (which sounded good when we were in college, up late and drinking too much coffee, but doesn't sound so fresh as dialog in a fantasy book), this is a directionless book that could have used a firmer hand with a red pencil.

Mage accidentally comes into the possession of a "focus", a magical item that causes happy accidents to occur in favor of the user. Regrettably, it also causes the villain, the wealthy wizard, Tamenaga, to hunt the user down and kill him or her (as he had the previous owner). This causes Mage enough consternation that he decides to use the focus to get revenge while being hunted by demons from Japanese mythology.

Sadly, the synopsis is more exciting than the book itself. Dedman's writing skills are at first-year creative writing student levels and this is a tale that requires a defter hand, a better sense of humor and a wider imagination.

This is an interesting read and can be entertaining as long as your expectations are low.

Rating:
Summary: Nice concept, but shallow
Review: I very much liked the concept, but it was a light -- as in lightweight -- read. It's not really noir: The good guys are nearly spotless, the bad guys black as pitch, and the villian much too easily out-smarted and defeated -- like a bad Bond flick. I could have done without the snide jabs at Reagan. Big turn-off. Also, both the author and the editor missed this fact of human physilogy: pupils contract, not dialate, when lights are shined in them (pg. 262.) Luckily for him, the woman Mage shot was, in fact, a monster. Wait for the true paperback -- the trade paperback wasn't worth the price.

Rating:
Summary: Japanese mythology today
Review: Mage (Michelangelo Magistrale) is a photographer by trade and a rootless drifter by nature. When he runs into Amanda Sharmon at a Greyhound bus station in the backwoods of Canada he doesn't realise that by helping a stranger in need he is about to change his own life - and get an introduction to the strange world of Japanese mythology.

I wouldn't call this a mystery novel, though it does have elements of that. Its more like a modern urban fantasy. Its easy to read and the main characters are likeable, though you can get mixed up at times with all the unusual Japanese names which keep on cropping up.

If you like light fantasy and Japanese mythology then this is a book worth reading and I'm happy to read the sequel SHADOWS BITE and see if it is as enjoyable and light as the first book.

Rating:
Summary: Japanese mythology today
Review: Mage (Michelangelo Magistrale) is a photographer by trade and a rootless drifter by nature. When he runs into Amanda Sharmon at a Greyhound bus station in the backwoods of Canada he doesn't realise that by helping a stranger in need he is about to change his own life - and get an introduction to the strange world of Japanese mythology.

I wouldn't call this a mystery novel, though it does have elements of that. Its more like a modern urban fantasy. Its easy to read and the main characters are likeable, though you can get mixed up at times with all the unusual Japanese names which keep on cropping up.

If you like light fantasy and Japanese mythology then this is a book worth reading and I'm happy to read the sequel SHADOWS BITE and see if it is as enjoyable and light as the first book.

Rating:
Summary: A great book, I'd buy fifty more just like it!
Review: My taste is clearly not the same as your average Amazon.com reviewer's, because I loved this book. What did I like about it? For me, the big selling point was the characters. These are cool people. Magistrale and Takumo are people I enjoyed hanging out with in my head. Plus, I think that Dedman really has a light (and I mean light, not "shallow,") touch with dialogue, which made this novel a blast to read.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for a rip-roaring tale of adventure and magic. If you are, too, you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: A great book, I'd buy fifty more just like it!
Review: My taste is clearly not the same as your average Amazon.com reviewer's, because I loved this book. What did I like about it? For me, the big selling point was the characters. These are cool people. Magistrale and Takumo are people I enjoyed hanging out with in my head. Plus, I think that Dedman really has a light (and I mean light, not "shallow,") touch with dialogue, which made this novel a blast to read.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for a rip-roaring tale of adventure and magic. If you are, too, you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Never Really Works
Review: Subtitled "A Novel of Magical Noir Suspense," the book has stylish aspirations beyond its ability to produce. The plot all revolves around a magical Japanese talisman, and the powers that can be channeled through it. A drifter with the heavy-handed nickname "Mage" unwittingly stumbles into its possession, and from there its a pretty typical story of his trying to find out why the woman who gave it to him was killed, and why he is being chased around. The supernatural element comes from various creepy disembodied undead and monsters from Japanese mythology who are employed by the villains. Fortunately, Mage picks up an ethnic Tontoesque sidekick to defend him and help him understand all these mysterious happenings. There are some good fight scenes, but the whole thing is a rather forced, and the portrayal of the Japanese boss behind it all is very cliché.

Rating:
Summary: Witty, Engrossing, and Informative.
Review: This book is just plain fun to read. The author weaves modern America with Japanese mythological monsters, and creates a story line and characters that are fun. The magic in the story follows a coherent internal logic, and the characters bleed and suffer and have realistic personalities and reactions. The book leaves you hoping for more adventures using these characters.

Rating:
Summary: Witty, Engrossing, and Informative.
Review: This book is just plain fun to read. The author weaves modern America with Japanese mythological monsters, and creates a story line and characters that are fun. The magic in the story follows a coherent internal logic, and the characters bleed and suffer and have realistic personalities and reactions. The book leaves you hoping for more adventures using these characters.

Rating:
Summary: A fine story and one I'll keep.
Review: This story is up there with Bone Yard, Inhuman Beings, and The Anubis Gates. I loved the quick short staccato of action, the cool Japanese mythology and the noirish feel. Well and heartily recommended.