Customer Reviews

Street Magic (Black London, Book 1)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is an extremely good start to a series - well-structured and original, with unexpected plot developments and convincing characters who are deep and finely-drawn enough to hold the reader's interest. Rather than just presenting us with a cardboard cut-out hardboiled-but-vulnerable heroine and bad-boy anti-hero, the author slowly peels back the layers of backstory at judicious intervals throughout the book to reveal credible reasons for Pete's prickliness and Jack's damage. She also avoids overstretching the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for any fantasy story, by inserting authentically gritty touches - such as the grim realities of using heroin to numb mental pain.

The Black and its assorted denizens are comparable to Simon Green's Nightside, but only to the extent that fans of that series are likely to enjoy this one. Jack Winter's physical description is a touch reminiscent of Spike in Buffy the Vampire slayer, but a sly reference to Billy Idol (to whom Spike is an homage) in the text indicates that this is a conscious credit rather than a crib.

So why only 3 stars? Because the catch is that while the book is set in London, it is not written by an English native, and while the direct speech might be enough like that of a Brit to be accepted in the US, to an English reader it sets the teeth on edge and spoils what is otherwise a very impressive read. The mistakes are subtle, but grating - 'bugger all', for instance, is generally slang for 'nothing' in UK English and is inaccurately used here. Nor does using 'bloody' as punctuation in almost every character's dialogue (it appears at least twice on every single page) substitute for an authentic written English accent - the general effect is of something translated from another tongue by someone to whom UK English is a second language - grammatically accurate but the vocabulary use is just a bit off. If Ms Kittredge sorts out this weakness in future books, the Black London novels could become one of the best new series to hit the fantasy arena.

**Since first posting this review on Amazon.co.uk, other British readers have also commented adversely on Ms Kittredge's grasp (or lack thereof) of UK slang and speech patterns. It's a great pity, but there is still time for her to correct this one flaw before the next book in the series is published. Let's hope ...

I enjoyed this story so much! Pete (short for a horrible first name--but I won't spoil the surprize by telling you what it is!) and Jack Winter are opposites who attract. Both are foul-mouthed and take-no-prisoners personalities, but Jack is a jerk/thief/liar and Pete is a cop who is tough enough to do the job. Together their dialog and interactions are highly entertaining.

I was really impressed by the quality of writing in this book and intend to read the rest of the series. The author's Nocturne City books are a different sort of voice entirely,and I like this series start a lot more, frankly.

The only real flaws to this book were, for me, very ignorable. Some of the fight scenes were a bit too glossed over, and sometimes I found fault with them. Like, for example, when one sorcerer is dragging Pete along with her struggling, she's all helpless, and I didn't get the impression she was faking that. Yet in the next scene she gets free of him easily enough. We also have Pete not recalling the incident that leads into the story, and the reveal about that is a bit inconsistent and rough in that we aren't clearly shown when Pete is pretending not to remember the incident or when she actually doesn't. The moment of change is not clearly shown. It's minor stuff, but important nitty-gritty detail stuff that a good edit should have caught. These little inconsistencies are what dropped this from a five-star to a four-star review.

Overall, though, a great read--if you can handle the constant use of the "c word" and other foul language. (I know that puts some people off, but I found it suited the character of Jack.)

This could have been a great book, the world building is imaginative, the characters are cool and quirky. I was really looking forward to reading a new urban fantasy based in London as I'm from that part of the UK but I was sadly disappointed with the dialect. Okay, Kittredge gets it right in some places but very wrong in others. It's mainly to do with cussing, there was far too much of it for a start and some of the words like 'bugger all' were used in completely the wrong context. The word 'sod' and 'git' is rarely used unless you're a kid or you're in a dodgy soap opera where you don't have the authority to swear. It was unrealistic and instead of using those words she should have just left them out. I tried to get past it because I thought the storyline was good but it kept throwing me off course.

What a shame. I wouldn't have minded reading the next one but I don't think I would get through it.

Now, there were a lot of things about this book that I really, really enjoyed. I loved the characters of Pete and Jack-- they were gritty, realistic, and watching Jack suffer through the withdrawal of years of heroin as well as the consequences of his previous actions. Watching Pete slowly come to realize what's happened to her and come to terms with her past-- it was a great read. The author took an overdone plotline -- demons come to earth and want to eat your souls -- and puts a unique twist on it all that makes it a joy to read.

Though I have to join the chorus and say that the Britspeak written here almost turned me off of the book completely. It was almost too bad to sit through at some parts. Bloody was used almost literally twice on every page, and the way it was written smacked of.. how do I describe this. It's like she read some bad Harry Potter or Doctor Who fanfiction and used it as speech reference. Whomever she used as a Britspeak checker needed serious replacing here-- perhaps by someone either actually from London, or someone who would give actual corrections to cringe-worthy dialogue lines.

And the constant noting of "Jack lit up a Parliament," or "Pete stole Jack's Parliament" or fag is unnecessary. Switching up the vocabulary is not only refreshing, but it makes it seem less like the author is trying to prove just how British they are by reusing the same brands and terminology repeatedly.

'Street Magic', the first entry in Caitlin Kittredge's Black London series takes readers on a ride through a dark new urban fantasy world. Readers of Kittredge's Nocturne City series should come in with no expectations, good or bad; this series is completely different in both style and tone.

As the most talented writers are able to do, Kittredge takes a common premise, big bad ghoul wants to come back to life and needs to take over a primary character in order to do so, and makes it her own. The world of the Black is unique and captures London's noir roots, in the dark and twisting streets and alleys, and foggy nights echoing with history. Although she does struggle a bit with normal London, tending towards a punk rock tourist's view of the city, (it is certainly never that easy to get a parking spot), those who haven't spent much time in London aren't likely to notice.

Kittredge's characters put urban fantasy norms on their head, an excellent thing as far as I'm concerned. Pete Caldecott, the female lead, is a police detective with a dark and damaged past. Although she's strong, and won't be taken advantage of (see the interactions with the ex-fiancé), unlike many female urban fantasy leads, she is not bitter, broken, and angry at the world. Despite her lack of knowledge of the Black (and magic generally), she is the decisive and physically strong member of the duo, an unusual UF division of labor. Even more unusual, compared to many of the UF heroines I've read lately, she is a true leader; she knows the limits of her own knowledge, and has a good sense of Jack's abilities and problems. She knows when to step back and when to lead. With the exception of a single poor decision, (other UF writers please, please take note), she is not constantly running off into situations that she lacks the knowledge and background to handle. Although the fight scenes could use a little work, I like that Pete, without becoming superhero-esque, is able to physically fight characters who have relied purely on magic for too long.

Jack Winter is a former punk rock singer, legendary (past tense, as most assume he's dead) mage, and current heroin addict. Just who he is, where he comes from, and what he's gone through and why, are slowly revealed throughout the book, answering questions as the story unfolds. Jack is physically, and likely emotionally damaged, from his years as a junkie; unlike most urban fantasy, he is not physically able to protect Pete, and without this crutch to fall back on Kittredge develops the character in unexpected ways. Although the initial descriptions of his drug use and detox are quite realistic, his recovery is a bit too quick and falls by the wayside later in the book; another minor detail, but still an important one. Several other plot points, including Pete's relationship with her father, her dreams, and just how Jack survived that night in the cemetery, were also dropped. Although it's likely that Kittredge is reserving them for a later book, they could have been left more smoothly in this one.

As numerous reviewers have mentioned, Kittredge's version of British-speak leaves a bit to be desired. Although Jack may be a tongue-in-cheek homage to Billy Idol and Spike (of Buffy fame), they themselves are caricatures of Brits, and the author should have realized that their speech is not realistic. As an American living in the UK I have found that, with a few exceptions, the primary differences in language are accent and speech patterns, not vocabulary. In addition, even those differ widely by region and social class, thus there should be greater differences between Jack and Pete's speech. However, as another reviewer correctly pointed out, numerous successful series, including Jim Dresden's Harry Butcher, have begun with rough/inaccurate depictions of language, culture, or the physical location. If they had been condemned we would have lost some fantastic writing, and the author deserves a chance to correct the problem.

`Street Magic' follows Pete and Jack as they make their way through London's in-between world, trying to save the life of a little girl, and stay alive at the same time. An excellent mix of physical and magical action, interesting secondary characters, and an education in the Black, keep the book moving steadily. The world of Black London is enough to overcome the myriad of minor flaws. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and am looking forward to the second.

I'm a big fan of Caitlin Kittredge and her Nocturne City series, so I had high hopes for her new character, Pete. I totally enjoyed Street Magic, Pete, Jack and the whole dark, gritty Black London. I also liked the difference in character between Pete Caldecott and Luna Wilder. Luna, a werewolf, has first hand knowledge of things that go bump in the night; whereas Pete doesn't. I think that made a big difference between their characters. I do like what they have in common: strong female characters and in law enforcement. I think Kittredge did a great job setting her new series and characters in London and with the way they speak, although it did take me a while to catch on with certain terms, for example,"fag" meaning cigarette. But it got easier as I kept reading. I like how Jack wasn't this perfect hero type - the good-looking-hardly-speaks-but-appears-at-the-right-time-to-save-the-day kind of character. After the botched up ritual when Pete was sixteen, we find Jack a junkie who uses drugs to keep the spirits at bay. He's sarcastic but witty and (I think) funny as hell. I look forward to reading more about Pete, Jack and Black London. Kittredge even gives fans a little look at the next Black London novel.

The best thing I can say about STREET MAGIC is that I finished it because, uh, it was touch and go there for a while. This book seems to consist entirely of the sort of drama drama drama nonsense that gives reality TV such a bad name. If I had to do an elevator pitch for this novel, I think it would go, "It's like the Real Housewives of London, starring Sid Vicious the junkie mage, an annoying groupie, and set in a Hot Topic...."

In the prologue we find out that when Pete was a starry-eyed teenager she accompanied Jack Winter to perform a magic ritual. From what I could tell, he was dating her older sister at the time and they didn't know one another very well. The ritual goes awry and Pete is left with the impression that Jack died. Twelve years later, they meet up again. Pete is a cop, Jack is a junkie. Kittredge goes all out with the descriptions, so we find out how skinny, wrinkly and ruined Jack is...and yet the second Pete sees him, she reverts to reverts to dreamy-eyed teenage behavior. It's actually embarrassing to read. For his part, Jack is supposed to be sexy, I guess? Except that all he does is smoke and pose and mouth off.

The whole book felt like an endless succession of ridiculous declarations, "Why did you leave me there to die, Pete!" and "I never stopped thinking of you, Jack!" The plot (about a ghost that kills children) only exists in order to give Pete and Jack the opportunity to storm out on one another (this time for good!), or else dramatically insist that they'll die for one another, or maybe for one of them to declare that he/she doesn't care about the other, only to dramatically put his/her life on the line anyhow.

Also, another reviewer here commented about the annoying Britishisms. But the reviewer was British and I figured that would make him/her particularly sensitive to a false vernacular. Now that I've read the book I can say: the annoying Britishisms are just as annoying and weird to an American. Every page is so cluttered slang that the writing - which is otherwise of a pretty good quality - becomes outright ridiculous. If you took a drink for every time Kittredge uses the word "bloody" in this book you would die of alcohol poisoning before reaching the halfway point. And not just "bloody": Kittredge also tosses in "bloke" and "telly" and "lift" (instead of elevator - and MAN are there are lot of elevators that need mentioning in this novel), "git" and "bint" and "luv" and "dodgy" and "sodding" and on and on and on, scattering them liberally throughout the text at a rate of three or four per page. It's silly. It doesn't sound British, it sounds like a Saturday Night Live sketch.

So, yeah, I did finish STREET MAGIC but by the time I got to the end I hated Jack, I hated Pete, and I hated the book.

Some prior reviewers suggest that this novel's faux British English might satisfy Americans, but I disagree: any Anglophile, Doctor Who fan, or casual Jane Austen reader would balk. Apart from the spirited but ordinary story or the stock characters, the language is blatantly contrived. But then, this whole book is an example of Level One thinking, when the author goes with the easy, visible idea without pushing for anything higher.

DI Pete Caldecott (she's a woman--another wearying contrivance) gets a tip about a missing kid, but she watched the informant die twelve years ago. When his tip proves not only correct but uncanny, Pete pushes Jack Winter for more info, but he's not very forthcoming. Then more kids disappear in the same way as the first. Pete and Jack find themselves unwilling partners investigating the true back of beyond.

Caitlin Kittredge writes with great energy, and if she hadn't tied herself to her London setting and crinkum-crankum conflict, she might be a good storyteller. I've not read her other works. But early on, she seems to have chosen a constricting plot, a setting with which she's only tangentially familiar, and characters straight out of Central Casting. Nothing truly unexpected happens at any point in this well-meaning but routine novel.

I could continue: I could mention the ninja sorcerers who attack and die as casually as Imperial Stormtroopers. I could mention that nothing prevents Pete and Jack reconciling their fractured relationship but their unwillingness to speak the truth. I could mention page 250 when Pete declares "We need to get a new plan, Winter," the first evidence that these characters have any plan whatsoever. Oh, yes, I could go on.

But that would be mean. Deep down, Kittredge's heart is in the right place, and she wants to tell a fun, entertaining story. She clearly enjoys what she's doing, an enjoyment that comes across in a playful sense of humor. But seasoned readers have higher expectations than seeing retreads of stories we've already read. Kittredge sets her bar low, and I don't have time for anything that doesn't try harder.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't finish it.

I first read Caitlin Kittredge in a short story anthology and liked what I saw, so I decided to pick up a couple of her books, since I'm always looking for new authors. Since she had two series out I picked up book 1 of both (Nocturne City is the other). I really enjoyed the Nocturne City book, but I just couldn't get into this one.

I ended up reading about 194 pages before I decided to just cut my losses. It used to be that I would finish a book regardless of whether or not I liked it, but I find that I'm too impatient to read books that I actually enjoy to slog through something that I find painful or "meh."

I think what really did it for me was the painful Brittish/UK English. I can understand wanting to set the feeling for a book, but it seemed forced and akward. I know a number of other reviewers have commented on this as well. For me, the poor dialog, weird heroine name (Pete... for a girl? Yeah, even if I had a horrible first name that could be shortened to Pete I think I would make something up or just use my middle name), and odd character actions (I have a hard time believing Pete as a police officer when she covers things up, takes off mysteriously and without reason from work, etc) make it hard to get through the plot. I think this could have been a great story, and I may go back to it one day (though... my TBR pile grows steadily because of good priced Kindle deals) but it won't be high on my list, and if a library has a book fair it will probably be donated.

I really tried to finish this book. I got to about p. 190 before I threw it on the floor in frustration. The idea behind the story is interesting, though it's derivative of about 100 other books. But most stories are not very original anyway and the way the story unfolds is what really matters, right? However, life's too short to waste forcing myself to finish this book.

More than halfway through this book, I still never got into the story, mostly because of the off-putting prose. The two main characters were thoroughly boring and unlikeable. Add to that people do not act or talk like these characters. This book is also rare because I found the descriptions so vague, I was completely unable to picture the action, and even the main character, in my head as I was reading. The only idea I ever had of Pete, the cop, was from the rather constipated looking model on the book cover. Nevermind that she's just like a zillion other tough-on-the-outside, wounded-on-the-inside detective heroines.

As an American, the fake Brit-speak probably didn't grate like it did for so many other reviewers here. But even to me, it definitely did come off as awkward and "just not right", probably in part because it's so overdone. I think this is a symptom of a larger issue, that the author is perhaps writing about something she just doesn't know. Maybe I'm completely wrong but, just from reading this book, I got the idea she doesn't really know about life in London, or crime solving, or junkies. Like she's read about all this in other books or seen things on tv but doesn't know it for herself. Again, I could be wrong, but this was the idea of got from the lack of description and unreal action.

I'm so disappointed because I love to find new supernatural detective series to get into. This is so not it.