Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What I love

I love the way this book feels in my head.  So creepy, so subtle.  It's a lurking fear.  A overwhelming situation that is both familiar and strange.  How do you fight a monster you are not allowed to think.  If you think about it it's thinking about you.  If you see it, it sees you.  If you learn about it, it's learning about you and now it's coming for you.  The only way out is to forget about it.  And the only way to fight it is blindly.  And you're already fighting.  You've been fighting it for years, but you don't remember.  Every time you remember it's gotten closer.  It's winning.  It's devoured everyone you know, and is going after everyone who thinks the way you do.  You've already lost...except...you haven't lost yet.  You are the only one left who can fight this thing.  And this isn't the first time you've heard this message!  

The Voice

I loved this book from beginning to end.  And the voice actor's performance on the audiobook was superb.  This book plays well as an audio journey as the audio redaction adds to the atmosphere of the all consuming dread of this situation.  It's easy to follow as the the timelines jump, and characters change.  You do have to pay attention to names to follow the spiral puzzle as it curls tighter.  The drama is built by the irony that you, the reader, will remember what the characters have forgot.  That there is a monster in the room with them.  And there is nothing they can do to stop it.

The Lessons

Learn more about the writer, qntm, here.  I would listen to anything this man as to teach about writing compelling speculative fiction.  This story is easy to follow surrealism - but also very very easy to get lost in the details.  You have to listen (or read) this story very carefully.   It is very easy to get caught up in the beauty of the details of this one.  It's a fun terrifying ride.

If you like this check out more of qntm's free short stories.   Or check this wonderful performance for free on Libby!

If you liked this review please leave me a comment on Bluesky or Facebook.  You can also check my short stories on Wattpad.  

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Review: The Blood of an Englishman

The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I loved

 I love a good cozy murder mystery.  I'm trying to write one right now.  But I'm not sure how I felt about this book one.  Very modern day British.  Very Midsummer Murders but much more punchy.  

What I liked

Agatha Rasin is a likably flawed protagonist.  I'm not used to my cozy decs having a sex drive.  I rather like having a hot blooded older woman to follow around.  I didn't mind the romantic side quests.  However, it did spoil it for me to have the POV suddenly from John Hale's perspective.  I would have liked to find out motives along with Agy so I could feel what she's feelings.  I'm not sure the dramatic irony worked well here.  

image from The Guardian

What I didn't like.

I like Agatha Rasin, as a character, but she is a terrible detective, at least in this book (the first I've read of her series).  She spends the first half of the book alienating witnesses and getting kicked out of places.  Her assistants find more clues than she does.  There is a point in early acts where she's just accusing people willy-nilly (which I did find amusing but odd) And her "eureka" moment only happens because she happens to fall asleep on a movie that spells out the murder's plot.  But by the time she's on the scent on the killer the police don't even want to offer her protection from the goon because she's burned every bridge.

M.C. Beaton was an accomplished Scotish mystery and romance writer under a variety of pen names!  Her career started in 1979 and lasted until 2019.  Learn more about her here. 

Conclusion 

All in all a fun book.  You'll enjoy it very much if you don't take it too seriously.  If you enjoy a good mystery, but you're really looking for a comedy this is for you.  Makes a great vacation read.  Easy to savor and follow along with.

If you liked this book check more of M.C. Beaton's works on Libby, your local library of through these Amazon Associates links!

The Traveling Match Maker series 

The Agatha Raisin Series

The Hamish Machbeth Series

If you liked this review please leave me a comment on Bluesky or Facebook.  You can also check my short stories on Wattpad.  

I'll see you on the next page. 

View all my reviews

View all my reviews