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Stuart Jaffe

Autor(a) de Southern Bound (Max Porter, #1)

47+ Works 297 Membros 31 Reviews

About the Author

Includes the name: Stuart Jaffe

Séries

Obras de Stuart Jaffe

Immortal Killers: Nathan (2016) 14 cópias
The Water Blade (2021) 9 cópias
10 Bits of My Brain (2011) 4 cópias
Turning the Tide (2022) — Autor — 4 cópias
Founders (2015) 3 cópias
In Shadow (2011) 2 cópias
The Three Fingers Case (2011) 2 cópias
Real Magic (2013) 2 cópias
After The Crash (2012) 2 cópias
Bone Magic (2011) 2 cópias
Prisoner (Nathan K Book 8) (2019) 1 exemplar(es)
The First Battle (Nathan K #5) (2017) 1 exemplar(es)
The Bluesman (2014) 1 exemplar(es)
Immortal Darkness (Nathan K #6) (2017) 1 exemplar(es)
The Spirits of Magic (2011) 1 exemplar(es)
Yukon Massacre (Nathan K #4) (2017) 1 exemplar(es)
Strong Heart Blue (2011) 1 exemplar(es)

Associated Works

In An Iron Cage: The Magic of Steampunk (2011) — Contribuinte — 20 cópias
Under the Rose (2009) — Contribuinte — 5 cópias
The Big Bad II (2015) — Contribuinte — 4 cópias
Strange Pleasures 3 (2005) — Contribuinte — 4 cópias

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
USA

Membros

Discussions

Book 7 of 2012, The Way of the Black Beast em World Reading Circle (Fevereiro 2012)

Resenhas

(2012)Almost a novella, Max Porter and his wife have moved to Winston-Salem NC to get a new start after loosing his last job. He has been hired by a mysterious Mr. Hull to research properties for acquisition. Turns out the job is more sinister as they try to find a journal connected to sordid treatment of German POWs during WWII in North Carolina. They also are trying to release a ghost in their office that has been cursed by a witch, turns out is also connected to Hull. A fun ghost story that I hope sets up a series. If the characters are developed further, could be very interesting.(Jaffe website): When Max and Sandra moved down to North Carolina, they thought they were getting a new beginning. A good job, good pay, and a lovely little place in Winston-Salem.But Max discovers that his office is haunted by Marshall Drummond, PI - a ghost from the 1940s. While his mysterious employer pressures him to research the city for unknown reasons, Drummond pressures Max to investigate his last case.Soon Max is neck-deep in a world of old mysteries and dangerous enemies. One in which ghosts, witches, curses, and spells exist. One in which a simple research job can turn deadly.… (mais)
 
Marcado
derailer | outras 9 resenhas | Jan 25, 2024 |
(2011) Fantasy written by the husband of the couple that broadcast Eclectic Review each week. First I have read by him. I liked the book but may not read any subsequent ones. The book seemed to be almost a video game on paper and a little simplistic in plot. Depending too much on violence and coincidence to be even plausible. Malja is on a quest to kill the two men who raised her then abandoned her after killing her uncle. Along the way she rescues Tommy, a young boy who is acquiring magical powers. Also joining her are a group of people with various motives who want to kill the two men. Ends as a floating castle plunges to their demise and the group just barely escape (of course).(Smashwords) Short descriptionMalja wants answers. The most powerful magicians in Corlin ripped her from her mother's arms, raised her to fight, and abandoned her to die at age ten. Now, as they attempt to recreate the spells which wiped out most of the world's population, Malja pursues vengeance with a single-mindedness that may destroy all she holds dear, forcing her to choose between those she lost and those she has gained. Extended descriptionMalja wants answers. She wants to know why the two most powerful magicians in all of Corlin ripped her from her mother's arms, raised her only to fight, and then tossed her away to die at age ten. She wants to know why they are trying to recreate the spells which caused the Devastation that wiped out most of the world's population, leaving behind skeletal cities and abandoned technology. And she wants to kill them.With Tommy, an orphan bearing the tattoos of a sorcerer, she crosses this shattered land. Despite the challenges they face -- crazed magicians, guitar-playing assassins, mutated beasts -- Malja pursues her vengeance with a single-mindedness that may destroy all she holds dear, forcing her to make a terrible choice between the family she lost and the one she has built.… (mais)
 
Marcado
derailer | outras 10 resenhas | Jan 25, 2024 |
Disclaimer: This was read and reviewed at the request of the author, who provided me with a free digital copy of the book in order for me to do so.

Stuart Jaffe’s THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel featuring a strong female lead who is skilled with weapons and fighting. Abused and abandoned as a child, Malja is out for revenge. In her quest to find the responsible parties and exact her revenge, Malja is accompanied by a small, diverse (perhaps mismatched?) band. Most of them are human. One is mute. Membership in this band is rather fluid. While these companions generally help her in her quest but they occasionally cause diversions. Sometimes they get in her way; sometimes they draw her away.

Malja's personality comes across well. She’s a no-nonsense, abrupt woman who knows what drives her but who feels conflicted about killing. Jaffe skillfully lets Tommy express strong feelings, even though he can’t talk. Fawbry is a complex character, not very likable but not completely despicable, and certainly not predictable. Tumus is a human-like being who seems to spend much of every waking moment in sorrow and despair.

The basic storyline is a classic one. The protagonist sets out to achieve her revenge but endures pangs of conscience along the journey. The guilty parties meet their demise in the end, but not because the protagonist is successful. Instead, fate has judged them and found them wanting, and the protagonist has a role in that judgment being meted out. The protagonist has come to a deeper knowledge of themselves and has made a change for the better. Along the path to self-knowledge, the protagonist encounters various obstacles, both physical and psychological, that stand in the way of reaching their goal.

World-building in science fiction and fantasy stories is critical. Many fantasy novels are lengthy simply because it takes a lot of words — even in the hands of a talented writer — to create a world for which we are willing to suspend our disbelief. I found Jaffe’s world-building challenging in several areas.

First, the naming of people (and vaguely-human creatures). There is a mix of names in this novel that range from the commonplace (e.g., Tommy) to the unusual (Tumus the Chi-Chun). I was confused why there should be such a mix. To me, there should be at least a suggestion of a certain logic behind selecting names, even those that are totally contrived. The names in this novel seemed randomly assigned.

Second, the history of Jaffe's world. This history includes a catastrophic event called the “Devastation.” Because of the event (described as an explosion), the appearance of technology (including electrical power), and the use of some common names, it would be natural to assume that Malja’s world is a future version of our own world. (The use of titles such as "Mayor" and "Ms." also contributes to this.) The nature of the Devastation is never adequately explained, nor how magic and technology are able to coexist (with magic ascendant).

Third, creatures. Strange and dangerous creatures -- mutants from the Devastation -- are commonplace in this world. Jaffe is certainly imaginative in coming up with these creatures, but I felt that the story attempted to weave in too many kinds of creatures too quickly. In the first quarter of the book alone, there are seven of these creatures introduced. Masters at creating post-apocalyptic bestiaries, such as Terry Brooks and Justin Cronin, only introduce as many new creatures as they need — no more and no less — and they do this at a more measured pace.

Finally, Jaffe's systems of magic - involving tattoos and music - are well-developed, but religion seems out of place. The relationship between the two predominant religions is explained, but the concept of religion really plays no important part in the story and could have been left out.

The story of Malja and her companions continues in a handful of sequels to this novel. I expect that the unanswered questions from this first story are answered in the later tales. In the end, THE WAY OF THE BLACK BEAST was entertaining, but not compelling.
… (mais)
 
Marcado
MarkLacy | outras 10 resenhas | May 29, 2022 |
i read seven chapters and have no idea what was going on. the plot advanced too quickly and there wasn't enough substance to keep me occupied.
 
Marcado
cthuwu | outras 9 resenhas | Jul 28, 2021 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
47
Also by
4
Membros
297
Popularidade
#78,942
Avaliação
3.9
Resenhas
31
ISBNs
60
Idiomas
1

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