Customer Reviews

The Stranger (The Labyrinths of Echo, Book 1)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has been getting a ton of buzz online and I picked it up when I heard that Max Frei is a beloved literary icon and bestselling author in Russia. I am a fan of Russian literature and humor, and this book definitely has plenty of it! Also, for those of you who are not big SciFi readers, don't make the mistake of shying away from this book. It really is more accessible than your usual science fiction fare, and while it's undeniably a fantasy book, it's extremely readable and I think it should have a wide appeal beyond its genre.

THE STRANGER is a funny, quirky book filled with magic and imagination. Max's character is so endearing (the bad boy Harry Potter!) from page one that it was easy for me to follow him from one off-the-wall adventure to another. This really was an addictive book and I'm excited for the next installment, which is rumored to be set for Fall 2010.

Plenty of books have magic, even magical mysteries (Dresden Files, etc) but few combine these aspects with zany humor and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings to such a wonderful effect. I have seen several people comment that this book is like "Harry Potter for grown ups" but I haven't seen anybody notice the similarities between The Stranger and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Both involve denizens of our world who inexplicably become involved in otherwordly adventures, politics, romance, etc and both are desperately funny. Magic here is also a conceit that has to be believed. The Harry Potter books focus far more on how magic works, specific spells and so on. In "The Stranger," as in "Hitchhikers Guide," random magical things happen without a lot of explanation. Max develops the ability spit deadly venom much in the same way Arthur Dent learns to fly by forgetting to hit the ground. You will only be irritated by the lack of internal logic if you are the sort of person who is fixated on how things work rather than the story itself. You won't by the end of this book, really understand why or how Max ended up in this new World at all or even who Max was before he arrived. Knowing that, it is a wonderful ride that is definitely worth taking.
Oh, and yes, this book has a strange fixation with food. I don't think a page goes by where someone isn't talking about a certain meal or restaurant they enjoy. Perhaps the universal comforts of a good drink and a hardy meal span Worlds. Sometimes life is going through the day to day routine of a regular cup of coffee (or kamra) a bath (or 8) and a good nights sleep (hopefully avoiding awkward encounters with ghosts or coworkers). You can't battle Magicians every day, after all.

"The Stranger," the first book in "The Labyrinths of Echo" series, is comprised of numerous who-dun-it mysteries that are set in a magical new dimension. When Max, the protagonist, leaves his own dimension into Echo he finds himself befriended by a strange Magician named Sir Juffin Hulley, The Most Venerable Head of the Minor Secret Investigative Force. The two men strike up a close friendship after Max is discovered to have magical skills himself. Russian novelist Frei knows how to tell a good story. Every chapter in the book is a new mystery with dark magic running throughout each. From a demon inhabited mirror, to a Grand Magician who is attempting to beat death by murdering innocents, to the creation of a New World (alternative city) by a `good' magician, each story is well told and told well.

"The Stranger" is reminiscent of Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" and Jasper Fforde's "Thursday Next" stories but with much more action, "The Stranger" is set in a magical Victorian dream world accessible only via an enchanted trolley. Frei has developed well-rounded, believable characters and places but his real strength is his dialogue and the developing friendships of the characters. I always find it compelling when a new author tells a good story set in an alternative world. Especially when done from a unique and creative angle. This is one of those tales.

Engaging and entertaining this book receives 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

From the book flap:
Max Frei's novels have been a literary sensation in Russia since their debut in 1996, and have swept the fantasy world over. Presented here in English for the first time, The Stranger will strike a chord with readers of all stripes. Part fantasy, part horror, part philosophy, part dark comedy, the writing is united by a sharp wit and a web of clues that will open up the imagination of every reader.Max Frei was a twenty-something loser-a big sleeper (that is, during the day; at night he can't sleep a wink), a hardened smoker, and an uncomplicated glutton and loafer. But then he got lucky. He contacts a parallel world in his dreams, where magic is a daily practice. Once a social outcast, he's now known in his new world as the "unequalled Sir Max." He's a member of the Department of Absolute Order, formed by a species of enchanted secret agents; his job is to solve cases more extravagant and unreal than one could imagine-a journey that will take Max down the winding paths of this strange and unhinged universe.

Note: Max Frei (Russian: Ìàêñ Ôðàé) is the fictional narrator of ten Russian fantasy novels which make up the "The Labyrinths of Echo" series ("Ëàáèðèíòû Eõî"), as well as several other novels. He is also presented as the author of these and other works, although in an additional twist of fantasy, it has been revealed that Max Frei is actually a pen name of Svetlana Martynchik and Igor Stepin the true creators of this literary icon.

[...]

This is a very original new voice in fiction. A dark fantasy with incredible power. Highly recommended.

I am about to give up on this book at only 2% of the way through (hard to do pages on kindle). Very disappointing given the promising blurb and the positive reviews from many people, but really not worth the $$, for all the reasons described in the other low reviews. If you are intrigued, I recommend you download a sample (or read the sample online) as the style is quite odd and may leave you feeling similarly disappointed.

Step aside Harry Potter, There is a new magician in town and he's not a kid. Step inside the world of Echo and alternate world. A world of wonder and delight to Sir Max the main character. This book will take you on a journey that good old Potter couldn't even dream of in his wildest dreams and, is hilarious to boot. If you don't laugh half way threw it with the antidotes of Sir Juffin and Sir Max, the romance with Lady Malimori or anticks of the rest of the members of the Minor Investigative Force go back to reading childrens books. I can't wait till the 2nd book is translated to english to read it.

Just astounding. Unlike anything I've ever read before. Took me about 50 pages to get into, but now, like Max, it's hard for me to get into anything else. When do I get book 2? I need it now... might need to learn Russian.

I read some reviews that compared The Stranger to a cigarette smoking Harry Potter, and I really believe that sells this story way short. Yes there is magic, and therefore magicians, and yes Harry Potter is a fun read, but really that's where I feel the similarities end. Ok, that and there are people and things with weird names, but let's scratch a little deeper into the surface shall we?

I found than The Stranger is a mix of urban fantasy, Sherlock Holmes and Gulliver's Travels. In many ways it feels like a satire to the genre while still being enjoyable within the genre. People have obnoxious titles like the "Diurnal Backside of the Most Venerable Head", and names like Shurf Lonli-Lokli (the Master Who Snuffs Out Unnecessary Lives), but each of the characters and their interactions with each other are absolutely fun to read. Backwards wit and humor pepper the narrative and kept me laughing at loud, or at least smirking on a few occasions.

Each chapter is episodic. (Maybe one day each chapter could be turned into a part in a miniseries or graphic novel, this book would translate very well into a visual medium, in my opinion. ::fingers crossed::) While the information in the previous chapter bleeds over, each has its own adventure and adversary. Like Sherlock Holmes, Max and his cohorts are faced with a new magic mystery to solve. Max, who serves as the audience surrogate to the strange city of Echo and its inhabitants, often saves the day and then, serving as Watson, has to be told exactly how he did it. While this may seem formulaic, it is not. The Stranger is an absolutely mesmerizing and engrossing read.

Sinning Magicians! If you read one book this year, you should read The Stranger. It is far and away my favorite book this year and one of the most entertaining reads I have ever read. The cover states that this is the first book in a series, and I wait impatiently for more. The Stranger gets an easy A+ with my highest recommendations.
(More reviews at [...])

This book is fantastic, wonderful, full of surprises and a must read. You won't be able to put it down and you will be wanting more even before you are done with it. I cannot wait for the next one. You too are going to be a number 1 fan!

"The Stranger" is an odd work of fantasy which I found intriguing despite a number of flaws.

It's hard to decide where to place this book within the fantasy genre. For example, much of it seems foolishly silly, with characters named "Sir Boboota Box" and "Sir Lonli-Lokli." The fantastic world in which it takes place is similarly light spirited: there are apparently no violent murders, people routinely have enormous houses with a dozen bath tubs, cats are enormous but somehow docile as sheep and not predators, and everyone obsesses about their next meal. In contrast to this there are gruesome murders, foul cannibals, and power-mad killer magicians. There is no attempt to explain the internal logic of the world - what is possible and what is not. This is especially frustrating since the plot revolves around crimes but there is no framework in the traditional sense for the reader to appreciate the crime or its solution.

The hero has more than a touch of "Mary-Sue": he is a plain sort who wanders into a world where he is an immediate success, can do magic without training or effort, and instantly rises to a position of power. In fact there is precious little that the hero desires that he does not obtain.

On the positive side, the book is inventive and entertaining. The hero is light-hearted and unpretentious. The book has a different flavor and balance which I think stems from cultural differences. (The book's constant focus on work-place relationships reminds me of the Daywatch series, also by a Russian author). And there is a hint that there is a fundamental reason for the hero's unreasonable success...

Thus, while I would not rate this book as a "must read," it is well-written and off-beat enough to be worthy of consideration.