Customer Reviews

The Art of Arrow Cutting : A Novel of Magic-Noir Suspense

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mage (Michelangelo Magistrale) is a photographer by trade and a rootless drifter by nature. When he runs into Amanda Sharmon at a Greyhound bus station in the backwoods of Canada he doesn't realise that by helping a stranger in need he is about to change his own life - and get an introduction to the strange world of Japanese mythology.

I wouldn't call this a mystery novel, though it does have elements of that. Its more like a modern urban fantasy. Its easy to read and the main characters are likeable, though you can get mixed up at times with all the unusual Japanese names which keep on cropping up.

If you like light fantasy and Japanese mythology then this is a book worth reading and I'm happy to read the sequel SHADOWS BITE and see if it is as enjoyable and light as the first book.

My taste is clearly not the same as your average Amazon.com reviewer's, because I loved this book. What did I like about it? For me, the big selling point was the characters. These are cool people. Magistrale and Takumo are people I enjoyed hanging out with in my head. Plus, I think that Dedman really has a light (and I mean light, not "shallow,") touch with dialogue, which made this novel a blast to read.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for a rip-roaring tale of adventure and magic. If you are, too, you'll love this book.

The title of this book can be somewhat misleading for anyone not familiar with Japanese and the martial arts. The subtitle of "A Novel of Magical Noir Suspense" helps, but doesn't even begin to give the multitextured flavor of this unique blend of fantasy, suspense, creatures from the Japanese underworld and just plain good story telling.

Superior writing, excellent imagery and a fascinating, surrealistic feel. And there is even a glossary in the back to help you with the Japanese and ninja terminoligy which give a real punch to the mix. Highly recommended

This story is up there with Bone Yard, Inhuman Beings, and The Anubis Gates. I loved the quick short staccato of action, the cool Japanese mythology and the noirish feel. Well and heartily recommended.

Never heard of Dedman before but I fancied his title and the book turned out to be really well done. Very gritty urban fantasy, like maybe Charles de Lint might write if he was really angry. Well done. I will buy more of Dedman as it appears.

This book is just plain fun to read. The author weaves modern America with Japanese mythological monsters, and creates a story line and characters that are fun. The magic in the story follows a coherent internal logic, and the characters bleed and suffer and have realistic personalities and reactions. The book leaves you hoping for more adventures using these characters.

"The Art of Arrow Cutting" by Stephen Dedman, © 1997

This story has a Japanese flavor. It begins with tattoos coming to life, and all of a sudden you realize that all is not normal. This is a book of magic, wonders of life that ordinary people never see. It is a very interesting story. Mage (appropriate name, given the tone is magical) finds himself visiting with a pretty girl at a bus station. She gives him her apartment key, so he can turn it in for her. She is leaving and not coming back. And the adventure begins.
Mage meets a fellow at the hostel he stays at in Calgary, who knows from his youth in Japan, more about what is going on. This is a very good story of cross-cultural experience.

This tale begins at a Greyhound station in the small Canadian town of Totem Rock. Waiting for a friend, Michelangelo "Mage" Magistrale, photographer by profession and drifter by nature, is approached by a beautiful woman. Introducing herself as Amanda Sharmon, she abruptly asks him for twenty-seven dollars to buy a ticket to Calgary. Mage, sympathetic to her plight, lends her the money. In return, she gives him the key to her apartment, which hangs on a lanyard of braided human hair. He accepts her offer to use her flat while she is gone and pockets the key.

While running errands the next day, Mage realizes he is near Amanda's apartment and decides to drop in. Leaving, he is accosted by an armed man who questions him as to Amanda's whereabouts. Not getting the answers he wants, the hood pulls his gun on Mage only to have it misfire. Mage brains the thug with his camera case, and flees. Seeking to warn Amanda of the danger, Mage hops the next bus for Calgary.

Mage doesn't know it, but he is embarking on a grand adventure. Amanda has stolen a talisman from powerful businessman/gangster/sorcerer Tamenaga Tetsuo, who will use any means to get it back. Failing with human agents, he sends various bakemono, or goblins, to retrieve it. Mage, now in possession of the talisman, battles these demons with the help of new ally Charlie Takumo, Hollywood stuntman and expert in Japanese mythology. Together, they ward off monsters, ninja, hitmen and the police in their search to understand the power of the talisman.

The Art of Arrow Cutting is slick and flashy. Its bare bones plot brings to mind a typical Hitchcock movie, in that a hero, stuck with a MacGuffin (here, the talisman), spends the rest of the book evading a variety of low level bad guys before squaring off against his real adversary. As in Hitchcock's thrillers, the MacGuffin exists to get the story going. Dedman is not big on character development either--his protagonists are as shallow as the plot. Mage and Takumo are typical action heroes, long on style but lacking in depth.

This dearth of plot and character development is not fatal, however--the novel survives on sheer momentum. Dedman's writing demands your attention, as the story careens from one action scene to the next. Though superficial, Mage and Takumo are colorful, charming and witty. Their supernatural adversaries are equally colorful. Dedman taps Japanese mythology to present us with mujinas (false faced demons) and the rukoro-kubi, or spinning head goblin. The latter, a carnivorous monster with disembodied head and hands, is the impetus behind one of the scarier scenes in the book.

Similar in content, tone and spirit to J. S. Russell's Celestial Dogs, The Art of Arrow Cutting is a winning blend of crime and fantasy novel. Essentially an action movie in print, it should translate into one hell of a flick if the special effects crew is up to the task. Overlook its flaws, suspend your disbelief, and sit back and enjoy the ride.

If you want a slightly more recent referent to this character, perhaps consider him a cross between Harry Dresden and John Ross, the Knight of the World.

When a girl that is more broke than he is asks Mage for help, he gets involved with the yakuza, Japanese monsters and wizards, and becomes a magic man.

If you like urban fantasy, you'll enjoy this fun book. However,I wouldn't put it in the same class as my favorite Tim Power's books.I didn't find it particularly angry. I enjoyed the japanese mythology and will keep an eye out for future efforts by Dedman, but only 3 stars from me.