Quatermass' Book Reading Blog 3: Revenge of the Sequel

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Book 14...

REVIEW: One Thing Led To Another: The Real Story by Mark 'Chopper' Read

It is a somewhat disturbing fact of Australian society in particular (not that other cultures are immune) that we are strongly fascinated by criminals. From the stories of Ned Kelly, to the successful TV series Underbelly, Aussies cannot get enough of the underworld. One of those of note is former standover man and toecutter Mark Brandon Read, better known as Chopper.

One Thing Led To Another is the latest book by Chopper. Although he has written accounts of his life before, this is more like a proper autobiography, telling a number of anecdotes from the days when he was fighting battles inside Pentridge Prison, when he was preying on drug dealers, when he finally became an author, and his leaving behind the underworld.

Now, many of the anecdotes in this book can be found in previous Chopper books, but unlike the previous books, which felt more like a man relating yarns that were probably embellished, this book feels more polished, perhaps a reflection of both his increased ability as an author, and his more sober (as in moderate, rather than abstinence from alcohol) mindset.

And this time, he's not alone. Supplementing his writing is his wife Margaret, with sections on how she met Chopper, and various other anecdotes, including how she reacted to an insinuation that the movie Chopper made about her. We also, interestingly, hear from Chopper's mother, and we have the record set straight on a number of issues Chopper had with his mother, and it is heartwarming to hear of their reconciliation.

While there are many anecdotes that will make you laugh (even though you really shouldn't, given the subject matter), this is a more sober and considered book than previous works, as far as I can tell. That being said, it is impossible how much is actually the truth, how much is obscured to protect Chopper or his former criminal colleagues, and how much is BS artistry from the man himself. He is known for the latter, and while I'd imagine that you do not have to take as large a pinch of salt for these tales as the previous books needed, it still requires a pinch of salt.

Disturbing. Funny. Dark. Heartening. Repulsive. Engrossing. These are all words that can be associated with One Thing Led To Another. And while all is said and done and some of Chopper's anecdotes are repulsive, this is still a good book to read if you are interested in the perspective of a man who, while not really a true part of the Melbourne underworld, understands much about it.


8.5/10

First words: If you're into cliches, and come on, who isn't, it was the first day of the rest of my life.

Last words: Ha ha!

Book 15...

REVIEW: The Complete Idiot's Guide to World War II, third edition by Mitchell G Bard

When I was going through the library some time ago, I looked for a relatively easy but interesting read. Having read so many of the Horrible Histories books, I decided to look at other history books that were light in terms of academic terms, but still interesting an informative.

Now, I like my non-fiction books to be entertaining as well as informative. That's probably why I enjoyed the Horrible Histories books so much. And I had read a number of Complete Idiot's Guide To and For Dummies books before (one of my favourites being The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pirates), so I had moderately strong expectations for this book.

I don't know whether it is the effect of abridging about two decades between WWI and WWII and the six years of WWII that did it, or whether it is the style of the author, but I found this book, though informative, fairly dry. Of course, any decent work on war needs to be sober, but this book didn't always engage my interest. Occasionally I was repulsed.

Most of the repulsion came not from the description of the brutalities that occurred during the war, but rather from the heavily Americano-centric emphasis of the text. While given the nationality of the author, this is not surprising, and I learned more about why the Americans didn't want to enter the war (a strange contrast with America's attitude nowadays), it was rather annoying, as more emphasis, I felt, could have been given to the European side of things.

While the Holocaust was far from de-emphasised, there was less on it until the very end of the book, and I felt that it could have gone into a little more detail. Ditto with what life was like in Nazi Germany, or what Australian soldiers had to go through in Papua New Guinea.

But it has to be said, there is a variety of information on various subjects, particularly on the war in the Pacific, and I certainly learned quite a few things. While it has its flaws, this book is still an interesting primer on WWII


8/10

Book 16...


REVIEW: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Although I'm not a horror fan in particular, I enjoyed coming across and reading Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide, a darkly comic and scarily well-researched spoof survival guide against a zombie outbreak. And now, I come to his next work on the matter, a scary mockumentary book called World War Z...

What started as an outbreak in China soon spread to the rest of the world, an infection that turns its human victims into zombies, for want of a better word. Ten years after the initial outbreak, Max Brooks collates a series of interviews he had with the survivors, ranging from soldiers who had been involved in campaigns both disastrous and heartening, to a young woman who, fleeing from the zombies as a young girl, grew up feral. From an Australian astronaut who helped keep the satellites running, to a South African politician whose Apartheid era plans turn out to be the best defence from zombies. The zombie war had already been won. It's the cost that is the concern of this book...

Okay, so the zombie war didn't happen, I was just trying to write a decent synopsis, but the fact remains is that World War Z acts like it is a records of actual events, via interviews between Max Brooks (who is the son of Mel Brooks) and those who had been involved in the war against the zombies. And it has a touch of realism, building on the scary amount of research that was done for The Zombie Survival Guide.

While naturally, to a degree, Americanocentric, this does focus on a number of people around the world. It examines the various effects that fighting zombies had on the military, on people in general, hell, even international politics. To say that the (fictional) world map gets redrawn as a result of the war and its effects is an understatement.

There are stories both horrific and heartwarming, enraging and inspiring. We have the corrupt corporate executive who manufactured a fake vaccine to the zombie plague as a placebo, and who refuses to acknowledge that he seriously screwed up. We have a soldier who, having parachuted down in the middle of infested country, is led to safety by either a (possibly hallucinated) radio operator, or even, it is speculated, a goddess. And we have a mercenary who was hired to protect a fortress that was holding an extravagant party filled with celebrities, only to flee when normal people overran the fortress.

There are times when World War Z is too short, and times when it dwells too much on a point. While this might be an artifact of both the interview-style writing and the Americanocentrism in some parts, it seems more of a problem of pacing than style. And some characters are somewhat samey at times.

That being said, this is a well-researched and well-written book. While most of those interested would be into horror, I recommend that other people, particularly those into post-apocalyptic drama, or just plain human drama, take a look. It's very good, and well worth your time.


8.5/10

First words: It goes by many names: "The Crisis", "The Dark Years", "The Walking Plague", as well as newer and more "hip" titles as "World War Z" or "Z War One".

Last words: I thought it was a dream, sometimes it still feels like one, remembering that day, that sunrise over the Hero City.

For those of you following this, the next book, in all likelihood, will be Royal Flash, the second Flashman novel.

Book 17 is more than a flash in the pan...

REVIEW: Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser


Last time I did this book-reading blog, I read the first of the Flashman books, about the adventures of unrepentant bully, rake and coward, Harry Paget Flashman. Having enjoyed the farcical romp through the First Anglo-Afghan War, I decided to try and read the next installment, and see if that was enjoyable.

Upon returning from Afghanistan, Flashman is the toast of Britain, despite the fact that his honours are hollow. He is a coward and a rake, but it doesn't stop him from bedding a certain Lola Martez, and humiliating a man who would later become one of the most powerful in Europe, Otto von Bismarck. Four years later, Bismarck has his revenge, roping Flashman into a plot that will rework the map of Europe...

Royal Flash is interesting in that, not only is it a sequel to the original, but it is also one of many pastiches of The Prisoner of Zenda, which I read in my previous book-reading blog as well. Indeed, Flashman claims that Anthony Hope actually took Flashman's story of what happened in about half the book and turned it into The Prisoner of Zenda. However, it is far more entertaining, because this time, it is played for laughs, albeit darkly so.

Flashman himself is as entertaining as ever, being pushed into situations that he can't get out of, and especially here because of his bullying and unpleasant nature. Even though he is grossly unpleasant, you can't help but root for him.

European politics rather than the Afghan War play a role here, and I don't know whether it is the lack of exoticism, or just the more simple plot, but this feels slightly inferior to Flashman. This is still a damn good book and equal to it on my scale, but while Flashman's meandering could be due to the fact that it was the story of his first misadventures, Royal Flash has too much plot to be wasted with being broken into a few segments. Which is a real pity, as I felt this could have been more complex and meatier. The main plot proper doesn't start until a little before halfway through the book, and while the action is there, I'm not sure that there's enough plot to be valid.

That being said, it is still a very entertaining book, if more simplistic than it should be. This is a worthy sequel to Flashman, and it might just tickle some people's fancies for historical comedies.


8.5/10

First words: If I had been the hero everyone thought I was, or even a half-decent soldier, Lee would have won the battle of Gettysburg and probably captured Washington.

Last words: (The end of the second packet of The Flashman Papers)

And hot on the heels, book 18...


REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary (second edition) by Neil Corry et al


I am an unabashed Doctor Who fan, I make no bones about that. But I am careful about what I collect in terms of Doctor Who memorabilia. I don't buy everything Who just because it is there. Which is why, instead of buying this Visual Dictionary, I got it from the library, the best way to get one of these books.

Visual dictionaries or visual guides are a form of book that explains certain things about a variety of subjects. While there have been such things of historical subjects, I am more acquainted with those pertaining to fictional settings, like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I have read the previous edition of Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary, and while moderately enjoyable, didn't add too much to what I already knew about the show.

This concentrates mostly on the new series, which is a vast pity. There is much to get out of the classic series that would fill multiple visual dictionaries, and while there are some insights to be had, there are not as many as a seasoned fan would like.

The presentation is excellent, and the writing, such as there is, is good. But this is pretty insubstantial fare for an older fan.

This one is strictly for the kids and young teenagers.


6/10

First words: Time and time again, fate seems to thrust a mysterious time traveller known as the Doctor into the right place at the right time.

Last words: (Not recorded due to spoliers for Doctor Who: The Big Bang)

What next? Well, I have a few things lined up. I have recently received word that my long-awaited copy of Mogworld by Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw has arrived at the bookshop, and I also have Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony, and Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold. Amongst other things.

The next book might very well be Mogworld, or else Agent to the Stars.

I have been waiting on book 19 for a very, very long time...

REVIEW: Mogworld by Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw

One of my favourite things on the internet is the Zero Punctuation series by Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw, a series of video game reviews done in a scathing, sardonic style that is also quite hilarious. Of late, however, I find his creativity in the videos lacking, with different darkly comic permutations of the same criticism being trotted out time and time again. So I tried to approach Mogworld (which, presumably due to the publishers screwing up, took its sweet time in being delivered to the store I ordered it from) as objectively as possible. And it seems that whatever criticism I could make of Zero Punctuation of late does not truly apply here. Mogworld shows that Croshaw would be better off concentrating on novel writing than internet humour.

Jim was a mage being trained at a magic school when an inter-school rivalry goes very wrong. After six decades of being dead, Jim is revived by a necromancer, but a relatively tolerable unlife of being an undead minion (despite the fact that Jim wants to stay dead) goes horribly wrong when the necromancer and his fortress is destroyed by mysterious creatures known only as the Deleters. Forced to travel the world with a ditzy undead woman and a fanatical zombie priest, Jim is trying to find a way to die for good. He's no hero, and doesn't want to be. Unfortunately, he gets roped into events beyond his control, including a homicidal vicar on a mission from a god. Meanwhile, a group of video game programmers are trying to figure out what is going wrong with their new online role-playing game, and only one of them has become aware that they have created artificial life. Unfortunately, he's also the office a***hole...

Reading Mogworld is reminiscent of reading one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, and not just because of the shared genre of comic fantasy. Like Discworld, Mogworld explores several conventions that we take for granted, especially in MMORPGs, and makes astute, and very unsettling observations. However, Croshaw is more prone to cruder humour than Pratchett, although it must be said that this is his debut (published) novel. Croshaw's style is inferior to Pratchett at his very best, although this isn't saying much. Croshaw is certainly better than most.

Although it would help to understand a little about online role-playing games before reading this, it isn't fully required. The fantasy story is at least engrossing enough to grab attention, and while the influence of the actual game elements are there from about an eighth of the way through, it still takes a while for the beginning of the penny drop.

That the story is set within an online role-playing game is no big spoiler itself, as it is stated on the back cover of the book. But how the real world and Jim's world interacts is a surprise, albeit done well. Postmodern fiction about creators and fictional creations interacting has been around for ages. I have to say that the paragon of this, in my own (admittedly limited) experience was The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse, although this comes a close second.

While the storyline proper is excellent, something about many of the characters doesn't quite hit home. The main villain in Jim's world, Barry, is surprisingly well done. But some characters are either two dimensional (this is not always a bad thing, as the annoying but consistent character of Thaddeus shows) or else inconsistent. Jim's inconsistency could be construed as seeing a complex character fighting between instinctive self-preservation and his conscious need to surrender to oblivion, and I can buy that character interpretation. But Meryl's character twist seems rather awkward and ill-fitting.

The characters in the real world too seem a little shallow, although given that they are not given as much screen time, so to speak, this isn't that surprising. But the main human villain, while rather singular in nature, is still entertaining.

That being said, this is a very entertaining book that made me laugh out loud at times. It has its flaws, but whether this is because of Croshaw's style or because this is his first published novel, I dunno. Give up Zero Punctuation, Yahtzee, and concentrate on your novels.

9/10

First words: QUEEEEEEK QUEEEEEEK QUEEEEEEK QUEEEEEEK QUEEEEEEK QUEEEEEEK

Last words: Overall: 72.85%

Book 20...

REVIEW: Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

I had been meaning to read this book since my previous book-reading blog, and obviously, it is one of the few in this blog thus far that isn't part of a series. So, finally, I got round to reading Agent to the Stars, which just happened to catch my eye at the library.

Tom Stein is a young, ambitious agent working at one of the most notable agencies in Hollywood, and one day, his boss brings him in to discuss the deal of a lifetime. You see, an alien race called the Yherajk have made contact with his boss, considering Hollywood to be a better way of announcing their presence to the world. On the plus side, they're intelligent and peaceful. But on the downside, they are gelatinous blobs that stink to high heaven. Tom takes up the task, but finds that preparing for first contact between aliens and humanity is no easy task, especially when he has acting clients to juggle, and a very determined reporter on his tail...

I guess that Agent to the Stars should be classified as science fiction comedy, albeit fairly mild. The jokes, while there, don't always make that much of an impact, especially when compared to, say, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Don't get me wrong, John Scalzi's a good writer, and the humour meshes well with the drama involved, but sometimes it seems rather forced.

The storyline's greatest appeal is its novelty. I doubt that there are many alien first contact stories, if at all, involve such a novel means, and to Scalzi's credit, it is done quite well, and in an entertaining manner. The twists aren't predictable, and the ending, while very contrived, is still satisfying.

Scalzi also gets the atmosphere of Hollywood right, about how the world of actors and agencies work, and makes it a cut-throat business, although it wouldn't have killed him to make it a little darker and more complex. I know its meant to be a comedic novel, but I feel that it is possible.

Another complaint, besides the humour, is the characters. None of them are truly one-dimensional, but there really aren't that many fleshed out. They seem very much like Hollywood themselves: style more than substance, and flavour rather than matter.

That being said, Agent to the Stars was a moderately enjoyable novel, and while I cannot strongly recommend it, I suggest you get it out from the library, and give it a try.


8/10

First words: "Fourteen million and fifteen percent of the gross?"

Last words: The ball went thock as it hit the window.

Book 21...

REVIEW: At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft


Although I have read at least one of Lovecraft's short stories (Dagon), most of my experience with the Cthulhu Mythos is second-hand, via homages and parodies, like the video game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and the Doctor Who/Lovecraft crossovers All-Consuming Fire (which also included Sherlock Holmes, and remains my favourite of the New Adventures) and The Taking of Planet 5. But there comes a time when you have to look to where it all came from, and so I tried reading HP Lovecraft's novella, At the Mountains of Madness.

A scientific expedition to Antarctica in the 1930s runs into trouble in more ways than one. When crossing mysterious mountains, part of the expedition finds various fossils, as well as the remains of several strange, alien life forms. But when that segment of the expedition runs into trouble, the lead of the expedition, Professor Dyer, and his student, Danforth, must find out why. But what lies at the mountains of madness is not for human eyes to see, and knowledge has a terrible price...

I'll be perfectly honest, as well as probably repeating myself. I don't like reading most novels/stories written before, say, 1950. The difference in style between then and novels written more recently is very jarring, and HP Lovecraft writes in a dry, meandering style that I don't like. Reading shouldn't be a chore, but reading At the Mountains of Madness was.

What's more, I get the feeling that parts of this story would make a better short story than novella or novel. It seems rather too stretched out, and the characters seem all too one-dimensional.

However, one thing that HP Lovecraft always gets right is atmosphere. As dry and boring as the writing is at times, when he gets to the horror, he does it well. There is plenty of dread, which is built up expertly. And the moments of horror are worth the payoff.

Not only that, but Lovecraft, even while obscuring it through mangled records, manages to make an interesting background for the Elder Things, and it enthralled me inasmuch as someone who is not a fan of the Cthulhu Mythos, but is acquainted with some of the elements of it. He also at least weaves the history into the fictional world he created well.

While I am not sure whether I can recommend At the Mountains of Madness, I say give it a shot. Even as a novella, it is too long, but what it gets right, it gets very right.


7/10

First words: I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why.

Last words: "Tekeli-li!"

Book 22...

REVIEW: Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

I have stated before, most recently in my previous review (of At the Mountains of Madness) that I dislike reading books published before 1950, because of the writing style prevalent before then. And so, it was with some trepidation that I intended to read Mary Shelley's famous horror and science fiction novel, Frankenstein.

The leader of an expedition to the Arctic encounters a half-dead man, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The man, Victor Frankenstein, tells the story of his life, how he went to medical school, and how he became obsessed with preventing death, by creating new life. Labouring for a long time, he finally creates a living human being, but finding it grotesque and monstrous, abandons it. Problem is, this turns out to be a dire mistake, one that will come back to haunt this modern Prometheus...

The Frankenstein story has gone through so many permutations, it's ridiculous, most of them moving too far away from the original story. So it is rather refreshing to go back to where it came from, stripping away the added cliches of lightning and "IT'S ALIIIIIVE!", and head back to the core story.

I have to say that, for someone writing nearly 200 years ago, Mary Shelley writes in a way that, while still a little dry and meandering, is far more accessible than the writings of HP Lovecraft or Charles Dickens, and it made reading this story a pleasure rather than a chore. There are some very odd spellings of words, and quite some meandering, but Shelley knew how to write a cracking yarn.

The plot is rather altogether too simple and singular, but the themes and many of the characters come through, fully enriched and feeling more real than many characters in modern works. Frankenstein's creature (I hesitate to use the word monster for such a complex character) is a refreshing being, compared to the mindless brute of most film versions. He is complex, eloquent, and a being you can feel sympathy for, even as he causes Frankenstein misery.

My major complaint is that the plot is altogether too singular and just a little too stretched to become a novel. I feel that one or two subplots could have been added, perhaps about the medical politics at the time hinted in the contrasting opinions of Frankenstein's medicine professors. A wasted opportunity, I felt.

But for such an old book, Frankenstein holds up extremely well, and is very accessible to modern audiences. If you haven't read it, and all you have as references to Frankenstein are horror movies, then make an effort and read it.


8.5/10

First words: You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.

Last words: He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance.

Book 23...

REVIEW: On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony

Amongst the various fantasy authors that I have heard of, lately, I have heard much about Piers Anthony, about his Xanth series and the Incarnations of Immortality series. Having been unable to find the first book of the former, I decided to take a look at the latter's first installment, On a Pale Horse.

Zane is poor, desperate, and about to die, living in a world where magic, God, and Satan are very real, as is Fate, Time, and Death. But just before he commits suicide, Death appears before him. Panicking, Zane shoots him, only to find that, by killing Death (who was careless about his protective clothing), he has inherited the office. But now, even though he assumes the office of one of the most powerful aspects in the world, he finds himself embroiled in conspiracies that threaten the world...

I was told by a member of another forum that Piers Anthony trumps Terry Pratchett. Well, I think that this person was exaggerating quite a bit. I find that Terry Pratchett's not dissimilar works Mort and Soul Music are much better. The storyline, while imaginative, is cliched in comparison to Pratchett's works.

This by no means to say that On a Pale Horse is bad. It is fairly imaginative in the way it weaves a fantasy world that is nonetheless one that seems like the modern world. You get the hints of complexity, as well as a conflict, and even cooperation, between magic and science. And the characters, while not always meaty and substantial, fit well into this strange world.

But really, this storyline of romance and how it ties into an apocalyptic plot, it's been done before. And while the new spin is interesting, I think it's probably been done better elsewhere. Not only that, but it takes a little too much to get to the point, and the ending feels rather rushed.

Can I recommend On a Pale Horse? If you're willing to try new fantasy and expand your horizons, then by all means, especially if you do like Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels that have Death as a main character. But while a good book, On a Pale Horse could have been much better.



8/10

First words: "Death," the proprieter said clearly, showing the stone.

Last words: He liked the thought.

Book 24...

REVIEW: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Not more than a few days ago, I finished the famous science fiction horror novel Frankenstein, a rather accessible tale of scientific hubris and tragedy. I decided, then, to try another tale of scientific hubris and tragedy, after having seen so many interpretations of the story and characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Mr Utterson, a lawyer, is hearing rumours of a sinister being called Edward Hyde, who seems to be somehow related to one of his clients and friends, Dr Henry Jekyll, who has been ostracised by at least one colleague for outlandish theories. But Mr Utterson had no idea how the genial Dr Jekyll is linked to Mr Hyde, and what he will learn will blow his mind...

I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed with The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. As famous as the work is, it doesn't take the full potential of the idea to its utmost limits. Even though this was written in Victorian England, I feel that there could have been more to this. It's altogether too simple and not thrilling enough. And it could have been far more longer.

However, what there is that is written is at least engaging enough to ensnare the interest of the reader. Although everyone knows the secret in the end, there is still things in the story that can intrigue the reader.

While not as good as it could have been, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is still a milestone in fiction, and worth looking at. But don't expect anything at all substantial.


7/10

First words: Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.

Last words: Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end.

Book 25, and something wicked this way comes...

REVIEW: The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott


Oh my, I am reading a lot of horror books this time around, aren't I? I mean, first Let the Right One In, then World War Z, At the Mountains of Madness, Frankenstein, and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I'm not usually enamoured of horror books, Koji Suzuki's Ring and Spiral notwithstanding, Mark Z Danielski's House of Leaves, or the Hannibal Lecter books (if you count them as horror). One book, though, that I have meant to read one day was Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. While I am yet to read that, I have read the Australian equivalent, the ABC Fiction Award-winning novel The Pilo Family Circus.

Jamie is a concierge working at a club in Brisbane. His life is pretty much going nowhere fast, but after an incident where he nearly runs over a clown, he finds himself conscripted into the nightmarish Pilo Family Circus. This hellish dimension is filled with the grotesque and the evil, where everything can be deadly. But worse is to come when Jamie is forced to become the clown JJ through dark magic, a dark alter-ego who will one day usurp Jamie's soul...

As I said, I have not read Something Wicked This Way Comes, but while there are probably similarities, being basically about the circus from hell, this feels like a distinctly Australian take on the story. Most of the action in the real world is set in Brisbane, which I live close to, giving this story a chilling edge of reality.

Despite the surreality of the situation, Will Elliott writes his characters extremely well, some against type, some all the way into type. Ranging from amiable but evil Kurt Pilo, to the good veteran clown Winston, they all feel like they fit the world they have been written into, although there are a few shallow characterisations, and a few out of character moments.

There are a few things that I think that should have been further developed in the story. Like what the beings who are behind the circus were, and how Kurt Pilo (unless I missed it while reading) got his rather...horrific (to say the least) attributes. And the resolution and epilogue seem just a tad too rushed. I was expecting something a little more epic.

That being said, The Pilo Family Circus was an excellent, if highly disturbing read. I may read, and compare, Something Wicked This Way Comes sometime. For horror fans, or for those who like a tale to get under your skin and into your head, this is excellent.


8.5/10

First words: Jamie's tyres squealed to a halt, and the first thought to pass through his head was I almost killed it, rather than, I almost killed him.

Last words: Eventually.