Martin Adil-Smith

This is horror writing at it's finest. You see nothing but shadows.
You hear nothing but whispers.
And all the while, you know that there is something is coming out of the darkness... coming to claim you.
On the one hand, playing to the ideas that we all have a debt to pay to our Gods, and mixing it with themes that our government agencies do not work for us, The Call of The Black River is one of the rare stories that played as a movie in my mind as I read it.
The touches of humor (The X-files reference was just spot on) were dark and well-timed. The description of Adam Cannon's and Tom's shared tattoo seemed so well described that it could only be based on reality, as is much of the story (Proxmire, Wow, Sagan), and the reference to The Demons of Emily Eldritch was a great touch.
The universe of The Spirals of Danu is so well described, and so shadowy and engaging, that I'll be getting this for my family for their Christmas stockings.… (mehr)

This is a unique fantasy, unlike any other I have read, and I am a big of the like of Magic The Gathering, World of Warcraft, and The Forgotten Realms.

Yes, this is a story about a boy coming of age, and seeking revenge for his father’s death, all set during the Japanese civil war.

But it is more than that; there are whole world’s painted in rich detail. Mythologies that span centuries are brought to life and are woven into the historical narrative. Legends are made flesh, and the battles are immense as they are gut wrenching.

This is not just a story, this is world-creating on such a vast scale that I am in no doubt that Wizards of The Coast and Games Workshop are weeping.

That said, this is not perfect. The main character is a little too close to Anakin (although bearing in mind that is based on recorded history, maybe it is Anakin who is too close to Jion), and the dithering of the Council did slow things down somewhat.

But the arc of The Oni more than made up for it, and I found the character of Celus/Kwon to be absolutely fascinating.

If you like sprawling fantasy, then you will love this.… (mehr)

I don't usually review every purchase otherwise I’d probably be banned for over-use, however when I come across a really bad or a really good book, I like to have my say about it and this book most definitely falls into the latter category.

I should start by explaining that I adore A Gathering of Twine, although it wasn't the first Adil-Smith book I read, but it really stuck with me, so much so, that I make it a point to re-read my battered paperback copy of it last month in preparation for this. So when I heard the news that the concluding part was coming out I awaited its release with much anticipation but also quite a mix of nerves too......what if it was an awful book? What if (god forbid) it completely ruins A Gathering of Twine for me?

It turns out that I needn’t have worried. I remember reading a critics review of the book who said that it was an 'emotional roller-coaster ride' and boy they weren't wrong. The prologue deals with getting us back up to speed with Freeman Sullivan and his publisher, Danielle, and that part of the book was like putting on an old pair of comfy slippers for me, I loved it, one of my favourite parts of A Gathering of Twine is the relationship between Freeman and Danielle and to revisit that was quite lovely.

Shortly after that, we start to read about Irene Tate (before she married George) her part in the poisoning of a village in France. This part was a very difficult read not because it was badly written but just because I enjoyed her character and now shadows were creeping in, that made me reanalyze her motives, and I found it hard to read because I really wanted her to be a creature of purity…. So hard I almost stopped reading the book but I pushed past my emotional connection to Irene as I thought that she should be and continued.

I'm so glad I persevered because that's when the story really kicks into a higher gear, it becomes a very fast paced, exciting, tense and at times incredibly emotional to read, one section in particular had me on the verge of tears. In particular, the chapter that dealt with the airplane crash… it is so realistic, and so moving, that I can only imagine that it is based on fact.

The characters as always are beautifully written so much so that you start to feel as if they are a part of your family, I don't know how he manages it but Martin Adil-Smith reminds me of Stephen King at his best, and always seems to be able to connect you emotionally to his characters.

There are emotional highs and lows throughout the story (again, some parts make for difficult reading if you loved the characters from A Gathering of Twine) and as with a lot of The Spirals of Danu books there are some wonderful tie ins to other stories and other worlds he has created. I loved the villains of the piece, the idea of 'normal' looking people living and working amongst… just watching and waiting for centuries at a time - it somehow made them all the more scary because they didn't look like monsters (I'll never look at my boss in the same way again) and I wonder if maybe the author might re-visit The Call of The Black River one day, there seems to be a whole lot more to their story.

Only one part of the book made me think "oh that's a bit much!" but I guess you will have to make up your own mind about that part, again I don't want to spoil it.

But it's definitely worth a read, like all of his work. This one is really well written so it's great to see that he is still writing incredible books and long may he continue. A real must for any fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker.

Although it doesn't matter too much if you don't do this, I would recommend that you re-read A Gathering of Twine first before starting The Beggar of Beliefs - it makes for a much better read if you read the books together.… (mehr)

I don't usually review every purchase otherwise I’d probably be banned for over-use, however when I come across a really bad or a really good book, I like to have my say about it and this book most definitely falls into the latter category.

I should start by explaining that I adore A Gathering of Twine, although it wasn't the first Adil-Smith book I read, but it really stuck with me, so much so, that I make it a point to re-read my battered paperback copy of it last month in preparation for this. So when I heard the news that the concluding part was coming out I awaited its release with much anticipation but also quite a mix of nerves too......what if it was an awful book? What if (god forbid) it completely ruins A Gathering of Twine for me?

It turns out that I needn’t have worried. I remember reading a critics review of the book who said that it was an 'emotional roller-coaster ride' and boy they weren't wrong. The prologue deals with getting us back up to speed with Freeman Sullivan and his publisher, Danielle, and that part of the book was like putting on an old pair of comfy slippers for me, I loved it, one of my favourite parts of A Gathering of Twine is the relationship between Freeman and Danielle and to revisit that was quite lovely.

Shortly after that, we start to read about Irene Tate (before she married George) her part in the poisoning of a village in France. This part was a very difficult read not because it was badly written but just because I enjoyed her character and now shadows were creeping in, that made me reanalyze her motives, and I found it hard to read because I really wanted her to be a creature of purity…. So hard I almost stopped reading the book but I pushed past my emotional connection to Irene as I thought that she should be and continued.

I'm so glad I persevered because that's when the story really kicks into a higher gear, it becomes a very fast paced, exciting, tense and at times incredibly emotional to read, one section in particular had me on the verge of tears. In particular, the chapter that dealt with the airplane crash… it is so realistic, and so moving, that I can only imagine that it is based on fact.

The characters as always are beautifully written so much so that you start to feel as if they are a part of your family, I don't know how he manages it but Martin Adil-Smith reminds me of Stephen King at his best, and always seems to be able to connect you emotionally to his characters.

There are emotional highs and lows throughout the story (again, some parts make for difficult reading if you loved the characters from A Gathering of Twine) and as with a lot of The Spirals of Danu books there are some wonderful tie ins to other stories and other worlds he has created. I loved the villains of the piece, the idea of 'normal' looking people living and working amongst… just watching and waiting for centuries at a time - it somehow made them all the more scary because they didn't look like monsters (I'll never look at my boss in the same way again) and I wonder if maybe the author might re-visit The Call of The Black River one day, there seems to be a whole lot more to their story.

Only one part of the book made me think "oh that's a bit much!" but I guess you will have to make up your own mind about that part, again I don't want to spoil it.

But it's definitely worth a read, like all of his work. This one is really well written so it's great to see that he is still writing incredible books and long may he continue. A real must for any fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker.

Although it doesn't matter too much if you don't do this, I would recommend that you re-read A Gathering of Twine first before starting The Beggar of Beliefs - it makes for a much better read if you read the books together.… (mehr)