![Catskinner's Book (The Book Of Lost Doors 1) by [Misha Burnett]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41V8vhZb32L._SY346_.jpg)
Misha Burnett’s urban fantasy series is weird. That’s all I knew when I picked up Catskinner’s Book. Upon reading it, I can confirm that Catskinner’s Book is, indeed, very weird, but I mean that in the best sense possible. If you want something different from your usual urban fantasy/science fiction fare, look no further.
James has a problem. His culty parents basically grafted an otherworldly, non-physical creature to James’ being. The creature is psychotic and believes violence is the best answer. It can also take control of James’ body to perform superhuman acts of brutal butchery. After spending years in various institutions, James has finally settled down into something approximating a life. He holds down a job at an electrical supply store while Victor, his boss and only kinda-sorta friend, sometimes sends him on missions to kill certain people. Everything works fine until Victor is murdered and James is thrust into the fantastical, horrific world behind the world in order to find Victor’s killers.
Got all that? Good, because Burnett charges headlong into the story and world he’s created without pausing to give you time to breathe. Once the inciting incident hits, it’s pedal to the metal until the end. That said, the world is truly fantastical. There are no witches, or ghosts, or vampires or werewolves. Burnett populates his world with all sorts of unique creatures. We have the Ambimorphs, crazy hot plant-transgender-women-things that ooze sexuality; fiery, metal centipedes; sentient ooze that dissolve your very being; and much more.
None of it feels out of place because Burnett explains how these various creatures function with plausible-sounding scientific explanations (I’m the furthest thing from a science geek, but they do sound plausible). It’s a fantastic world that has a scientific coherence to it. Calling this book urban fantasy might be a disservice because of the connotations of urban fantasy. Many times, it feels more like the science-fantasy of the genre-bending classics of the pulp era. So I guess that would make this an urban science-fantasy-thriller?
This leads me to Burnett’s writing. While Burnett can be poetic, it’s never at the expense of clarity. Far too many authors try to show off their wordsmithing abilities only to end up being opaque with what’s going on. but Burnett manages to be the best of both worlds. There was never a moment where I had to reread a sentence due to confusion or clarity issues. This, more than anything else, is what made me finish the book in less than two days.
James as a character is sympathetic. Sure, he’s not exactly a good guy, but you feel for the guy and the hand he’s been dealt, and you want him to succeed at making the best of his situation. Catskinner’s foreign worldview and mindset keep things very interesting, and his(?) conversations with James are fun to read. I’ll read any book with more Catskinner in it, as he is the most interesting character in the book. Other characters are introduced as well, weird characters indeed, but to talk more about them would spoil the fun of discovery.
A final consideration. This book can get quite racy at times, though it never devolves into prurience or obscenity. Much like the magazine covers of Weird Tales, the book never quite crosses the line, which I find refreshing and much more effective.
If I had any kind of nitpick, and it is just a nitpick, is that the climax of the novel isn’t quite climactic enough. I was expecting a massive fight against a formidable opponent. Burnett sidesteps that fight in a way that feels just tad anticlimactic. That said, he manages to throw a curveball your way which made me immediately get the second book without dropping a massive cliff-hanger on your head.
This is a fantastic book. I plowed through it quickly and enjoyed everything about it. It’s imaginative, sympathetic characters, a truly fantastical world, and a forward-moving plot. This is weird fantasy at its finest and one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read this year.
5 out of 5 stars
- File Size: 534 KB
- Print Length: 281 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publication Date: December 24, 2013
- Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B008MPNBNS
- Text-to-Speech:
Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Lending: Enabled
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#1,048,147 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #26167 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #40096 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Books)
- #4005 in Metaphysical Fantasy eBooks
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