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Francis Knight

Författare till Fade to Black

3+ verk 272 medlemmar 16 recensioner 1 favoritmärkta

Serier

Verk av Francis Knight

Fade to Black (2013) 191 exemplar
Before the Fall (2013) 44 exemplar
Last to Rise (2013) 37 exemplar

Associerade verk

2014 Campbellian Anthology (2014) — Bidragsgivare — 23 exemplar
Eve of War (2016) — Bidragsgivare — 3 exemplar

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female

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Recensioner

On the whole, I enjoyed the story. The idea was good, the world interesting if dark (somehow, it reminded me of the bleak atmosphere and darkness in Blade Runner), and the plot was OK.

There were no likable characters, although some have potential, and maybe there'll be a good character development in the sequels.
The ending was satisfying, leaving space for sequels, but could have ended there and then.
Still,there's a lot of potential for further stories, and it will be interesting to see, where Francis Knight will take the story.

Narrator Paul Thornley did an excellent job, and I might check out other novels read by him.

I received a complimentary copy and I chose to willingly post an honest review.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
Belana | 12 andra recensioner | Dec 15, 2021 |
Having just survived his last set of escapades, Rojan Dizon is aiming to keep his head down, stay out of trouble, and hope that the citizens of Mahala will forget about him. Using his magic he is wearing a disguise so he won’t be recognised.

But things are about to get worse. Much worse.

With the power source gone, the city is spiralling into disaster. The divisions of the two populations in the city are becoming more apparent; disturbances and disorder in the populace are becoming riots, and someone is slitting the throats of the mages. On top of that the city is under threat from its neighbours. It will be anarchy or war or possibly both if Rojan doesn’t find the killers.

This second book in the series builds on what Knight started. The characters are building more layers of complexity now, which helps with the narrative. The plot was a little predictable sadly, but that might be because it is the middle book in a series, and you need some characters to go onto the next book. I do like the dark imposing vertical city that she has created though, with its hidden parts, aerial walkways, and the way that she describes the light filtering down through the levels. The society that she has created is good too, though I wouldn’t want to live there, with the subtle use of magic, the combined state and religion and even though there is this authoritarian regime, it still feels lawless and dangerous. Good stuff. Now to find the third book.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
PDCRead | 1 annan recension | Apr 6, 2020 |
Malhala. A vertical city, where buildings and streets are built on top of each other. People move between the area across bridges and walkways that shake when they are used. It is ruled by the Ministry, an all seeing, pervasive authoritarian government. The lowest of the city are the forsaken, who live right at the bottom of the city.

In this almost alien city is Rojan, a single guy who finds people when all is lost. He does this by breaking the law and using his illegal 'power mage' skills. Life for him exists in the shadows until his brother finds him and says that his niece has been taken. Using his power briefly he finds that she is been taken to one of the lowest points of the city. He agrees to descend to the lowest levels and try to rescue her, and to do so he must trust two others.

As Rojan discovers who is holding her, and that he holds the key to Malhala's future, he realises that he is going to have to use his maximum powers, and can hide no longer

Thought it was reasonable good overall, the descriptions of the city and the streets were really good, as it felt dark, creepy and dangerous. The use of pain to do magic was original too, with some not particularly pleasant scenes as he releases his powers. The plot was a little predictable, hence only three stars.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
PDCRead | 12 andra recensioner | Apr 6, 2020 |
Fade to Black by Francis Knight is a book that’s been written in the shadows – no, it’s not bad, it’s just a little darker than your usual urban fantasy novels – Rojan Dizon is our main character and he doesn’t mind sticking around in the shadows, in fact he prefers it, because he’s got a few things to hide himself. Part pain-mage, part bounty-hunter, Rojan Dizon is in his element in the dark. However, when his niece gets kidnapped, he draws on his forbidden power in order to find her, which means he won’t be able to hide forever anymore. It’s a city that’s built upwards, the wealthier you are, the higher up you live… It’s a world where class-differences are still a way of life (and important), but it’s also a world where magic still lives.

Our main character, Rojan Dizon, is an intriguing bloke with a tainted past. He enjoys using women for sex and although he’s slightly unlikeable in the beginning, he starts to grow on the reader. Sure, he’s got a few issues, but that’s what makes him more realistic in my opinion, because we all have issues, don’t we? His character does grow though and I’m sure in the sequel he’ll be a changed man, but regardless of that I kind of thought that more people could relate to him the way that he is in Fade to Black. That being said, he’s not the only reason people should read the book. The world that Francis Knight created is a lot like Sin City/Dredd with hints of fantasy and a lot of dystopian. It also handles real world problems, such as corruption. So yes, it’s much more than just your average urban fantasy. However, I do feel that the book was a little rough around the edges. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fantastic book and the scenery is quite intriguing, not to mention that the characters are fun in their own ways, but here and there I got the distinct impression that there was something lacking.

Fade to Black is worth a read though, especially if you’re in the mood for something out of this world. With the sequel being released in June 2013, it’s probably wise to get your hands on it as soon as you can, because something tells me that Book 2 is going to be even better and it’ll be a must-have.

(originally posted on http://www.killeraphrodite.com/2013/03/book-review-fade-black-francis-knight/ )
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
MoniqueSnyman | 12 andra recensioner | Oct 3, 2019 |

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Statistik

Verk
3
Även av
2
Medlemmar
272
Popularitet
#85,118
Betyg
½ 3.4
Recensioner
16
ISBN
22
Favoritmärkt
1

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