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'Mancer #1
Flex
FLEX: Distilled magic in crystal form. The most dangerous drug in the world. Snort it, and you can create incredible coincidences to live the life of your dreams.
FLUX: The backlash from snorting Flex. The universe hates magic and tries to rebalance the odds; maybe you survive the horrendous accidents the Flex inflicts, maybe you don’t.
PAUL TSABO: The obsessed bureaucromancer who’s turned paperwork into a magical Beast that can rewrite rental agreements, conjure rented cars from nowhere, track down anyone who’s ever filled out a form.
But when all of his formulaic magic can’t save his burned daughter, Paul must enter the dangerous world of Flex dealers to heal her. Except he’s never done this before – and the punishment for brewing Flex is army conscription and a total brain-wipe.
File Under: Urban Fantasy
[ Magic Pill | Firestarter | Bureaucramancy | The Flex & the Flux ]
FLUX: The backlash from snorting Flex. The universe hates magic and tries to rebalance the odds; maybe you survive the horrendous accidents the Flex inflicts, maybe you don’t.
PAUL TSABO: The obsessed bureaucromancer who’s turned paperwork into a magical Beast that can rewrite rental agreements, conjure rented cars from nowhere, track down anyone who’s ever filled out a form.
But when all of his formulaic magic can’t save his burned daughter, Paul must enter the dangerous world of Flex dealers to heal her. Except he’s never done this before – and the punishment for brewing Flex is army conscription and a total brain-wipe.
File Under: Urban Fantasy
[ Magic Pill | Firestarter | Bureaucramancy | The Flex & the Flux ]
429 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
About the author
Ferrett Steinmetz
50 books288 followersFerrett Steinmetz’s latest novel THE DRAGON KINGS OF OKLAHOMA, a.k.a. "The Tiger King but with baby dragons," will be out in September 2024. He was once nominated for the Nebula, for which he remains moderately stoked, and lives in Cleveland with his very clever wife and an occasionally friendly ghost.
He has become wise enough to no longer spray the world with ill-advised words in blogs or social media, but sporadic updates are posted on his website at www.theferrett.com.
He has become wise enough to no longer spray the world with ill-advised words in blogs or social media, but sporadic updates are posted on his website at www.theferrett.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
October 5, 2015
Dear Ferrett,
Don't take the rating personally. It's not you--it's me. Really, there's a lot to like in your book; a parallel world with 'mancers, magic that comes out of passion, distilled magic as part of the drug trade...
Wait, not that last bit. Because while it makes absolute sense, I just don't. I don't do sloppy drug trade setting, and prefer to avoid the realistic setting in anything but Serious Movies. Maybe its because the memory of the last kid I took care of whose 'buddies' dropped him off not breathing and a lovely shade of light blue at the ER. The night was capped off by calling Security when he was ripping out the IV, ready to walk out the door, and his helpless, frustrated mom who walked out before he did. I don't like playing in that world during my free time, because I live in it at work. It is heartbreaking and maddening-- there are too many assholes, a lot of sad stories, a truckload of lies--both unintentional and purposeful--and no happy endings. I suppose you might have reached that message somewhere in Flex, perhaps with the concept of Flux coming back to bite the magician in the butt, but what I mostly got was the idea that Paul would deal with the devil to achieve his goal, and if he could make
Let's talk characters, particularly Paul, underdog hero. His endless guilt trips, particularly the self-flagellation about his daughter, Aliyah, and his directionless wandering in his own life did not build a character I cared about. Again, I'm willing to take blame here. I don't have children and don't understand the endless guilt trip Paul has about saving his kid's life and his obsession about getting her plastic surgery. Maybe because his character doesn't have any balance; there's the ex-relationship, the daughter issues, the work issues. His history comes in context of an unhappy divorce and previously unhappy job. Whatever it is, I have a hard time identifying with him or even rooting for him as I watched him run on his mental gerbil wheel. The best parts were the times that Paul delved into his magic and his joy in creating order from chaos was able to shine. For the rest, well... congratulations on being able to bring a whiny, self-centered six-year-old to life (I know, I know; they all are). Your villain, not so much. If we didn't have you switching to the villain's perspective, I don't think I'd know much at all.
Although, if we're being honest, I'd have to say you should share a tad bit of the blame. The storytelling was choppy. I appreciate an experimental narrative structure in the hands of a practitioner, but chapter installments drew attention to the lack of transitions instead of facilitating them. Sometimes the chapter ended and picked up one second later. Sometimes it ended, and the next began in the future, then flashed back to the middle. It's not a bad idea, but you need a story and style that can use the sophistication of that technique. I suppose the underdog, concealed-power plot is based on the superhero tradition, but could you have classed it up a bit? Apparently Paul is able to identify the villain through magical nausea, but lines like "focusing on her magic was like pushing his head deeper into a barf bag" isn't going to win you much love.
The ending pulled it together in a decent way, and your writing finally had a chance to shine. I wish you luck with your series, I really do, but I have doubts I'll continue. It's got the underdog-double life superhero thing going for it, so I'm sure you'll find an audience. I think it'll especially appeal to fans of Wendig's Miriam Black series. Which I also disliked, so you're in fabulous company.
Really.
Two and a half
September 18, 2015
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/08/24/a...
Okay, I loved Flex. And not least because there was some of this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
Oh and also throw in a bit of this to boot:
But wait, maybe I should back up a bit. You want to know what the story is actually about. Well, welcome to the world of Flex, where it’s actually possible to love a thing so much, the power of your obsession can kick the laws of physics in the ass so hard that reality literally comes undone. This is what gives rise to the many different kinds of magic users. You get illustromancers. Deathmetalmancers. Collectomancers! Or even videogamemancers. In the case of Flex protagonist Paul Tsabo, he loves his job as a number-cruncher at his insurance company SO MUCH that he’s turned paperwork into more than just an art. He’s become a bureaucromancer, and this means he can work magic on anything in the world, as long as what he needs is logged somewhere on paper.
Thing is, if you’re not a ‘mancer, you can still use magic. Distilled magic can come in the form of crystallized Flex, a powerful drug brewed by ‘mancers. But working ‘mancy and using Flex can cause one hell of a blowback. Maybe with the power of Flex you can twist reality to match your vision – but only for a time. After the effects wear off, the backlash called Flux will hit. Because if there’s one thing the universe hates more than anything, it’s being bent to a magic user’s will. It will fight back with a vengeance, and you can bet the universe always wins.
So there’s a good reason why the general public doesn’t trust ‘mancers; the effects of their magic defy normality and prediction, and chaos typically follows where they go. For this reason, Paul has gone to great lengths to hide his bureaucromancy. But now there’s a dangerous ‘mancer known as Anathema out there, brewing some very powerful Flex. It’s causing a lot of accidents, a lot of deaths. One night, Paul and his daughter Aliyah become Anathema’s victims when a Flex user in his apartment causes a gas main to blow up. Paul’s ‘mancy saves his daughter’s life, but the little girl still ends up badly burned. To come up with the money for Aliyah’s reconstructive surgery, Paul must find a way to use his bureaucromancy without causing the Flux that will make things worse. And to do that, he must find a mentor.
Enter Valentine. The gamemancer. My heroine.
First I have to tell you that I’m a sucker for any book or story that has to do with video games. When I discovered what Valentine’s power meant, I had myself a squee moment. Flex is one of those books that worked perfectly for me, because it hit that special sweet spot balancing a complex magic system with all-out fun. The world of ‘mancy is full of potential and the possibility of pretty much any kind of ‘mancer you can think of, but all of it still works within the confines of rules that make sense.
Flex is also a book that’s full of heart. After all, so much of ‘mancy and becoming a ‘mancer has its roots in emotion. It’s about love and obsession, both the healthy and unhealthy kind. It’s the idea that you can want or believe in something so hard that the sheer force of that power will make it happen. For that reason, ‘mancers aren’t always happy people. Some are lonely. Some are angry. Some are lost and afraid. When push comes to shove, their obsessions and resulting ‘mancy are literally their ways to escape from the real world. And when it comes to Valentine, video games as escapism is something I can sympathize with and understand. More often than not though, the magic just makes ‘mancers feel even more alone and marginalized.
And also, who can blame Paul, the father who only wants the best for his daughter, even if it means seeking out a killer to help him give Aliyah the chance for a normal life? Flex is a thrilling journey through the dark underbelly of the drug trade, but it’s also about friendship and devotion and finding acceptance. It’s also a story about the desperate hunt for an evil villain, but one that will also allow you to geek out big time.
And geek out I did. I also laughed. And screamed. No doubt about it, Flex is the most fun I’ve had with a book in a long time. I was so glad when the audiobook finally released, because I had been wanting to read it forever, in part due to the amazing things I’ve heard from other reviewers. Now I understand what everyone was raving about. I’m a bit in love with this book. Can’t wait for the next one! Highly recommended.
Okay, I loved Flex. And not least because there was some of this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
Oh and also throw in a bit of this to boot:
But wait, maybe I should back up a bit. You want to know what the story is actually about. Well, welcome to the world of Flex, where it’s actually possible to love a thing so much, the power of your obsession can kick the laws of physics in the ass so hard that reality literally comes undone. This is what gives rise to the many different kinds of magic users. You get illustromancers. Deathmetalmancers. Collectomancers! Or even videogamemancers. In the case of Flex protagonist Paul Tsabo, he loves his job as a number-cruncher at his insurance company SO MUCH that he’s turned paperwork into more than just an art. He’s become a bureaucromancer, and this means he can work magic on anything in the world, as long as what he needs is logged somewhere on paper.
Thing is, if you’re not a ‘mancer, you can still use magic. Distilled magic can come in the form of crystallized Flex, a powerful drug brewed by ‘mancers. But working ‘mancy and using Flex can cause one hell of a blowback. Maybe with the power of Flex you can twist reality to match your vision – but only for a time. After the effects wear off, the backlash called Flux will hit. Because if there’s one thing the universe hates more than anything, it’s being bent to a magic user’s will. It will fight back with a vengeance, and you can bet the universe always wins.
So there’s a good reason why the general public doesn’t trust ‘mancers; the effects of their magic defy normality and prediction, and chaos typically follows where they go. For this reason, Paul has gone to great lengths to hide his bureaucromancy. But now there’s a dangerous ‘mancer known as Anathema out there, brewing some very powerful Flex. It’s causing a lot of accidents, a lot of deaths. One night, Paul and his daughter Aliyah become Anathema’s victims when a Flex user in his apartment causes a gas main to blow up. Paul’s ‘mancy saves his daughter’s life, but the little girl still ends up badly burned. To come up with the money for Aliyah’s reconstructive surgery, Paul must find a way to use his bureaucromancy without causing the Flux that will make things worse. And to do that, he must find a mentor.
Enter Valentine. The gamemancer. My heroine.
First I have to tell you that I’m a sucker for any book or story that has to do with video games. When I discovered what Valentine’s power meant, I had myself a squee moment. Flex is one of those books that worked perfectly for me, because it hit that special sweet spot balancing a complex magic system with all-out fun. The world of ‘mancy is full of potential and the possibility of pretty much any kind of ‘mancer you can think of, but all of it still works within the confines of rules that make sense.
Flex is also a book that’s full of heart. After all, so much of ‘mancy and becoming a ‘mancer has its roots in emotion. It’s about love and obsession, both the healthy and unhealthy kind. It’s the idea that you can want or believe in something so hard that the sheer force of that power will make it happen. For that reason, ‘mancers aren’t always happy people. Some are lonely. Some are angry. Some are lost and afraid. When push comes to shove, their obsessions and resulting ‘mancy are literally their ways to escape from the real world. And when it comes to Valentine, video games as escapism is something I can sympathize with and understand. More often than not though, the magic just makes ‘mancers feel even more alone and marginalized.
And also, who can blame Paul, the father who only wants the best for his daughter, even if it means seeking out a killer to help him give Aliyah the chance for a normal life? Flex is a thrilling journey through the dark underbelly of the drug trade, but it’s also about friendship and devotion and finding acceptance. It’s also a story about the desperate hunt for an evil villain, but one that will also allow you to geek out big time.
And geek out I did. I also laughed. And screamed. No doubt about it, Flex is the most fun I’ve had with a book in a long time. I was so glad when the audiobook finally released, because I had been wanting to read it forever, in part due to the amazing things I’ve heard from other reviewers. Now I understand what everyone was raving about. I’m a bit in love with this book. Can’t wait for the next one! Highly recommended.
September 19, 2015
Before I started reading this, I was struck by how much it appeared to be like Michael Underwood's Geekomancy, and after reading it, of course there were a few similarities, but where Geekomancy was all delightful snark and nostalgia wrapped into a wonderfully magical system, Flex was a lot more dark and serious, and...
Shall I say it? Yeah. I have to say this was the better novel of the two. Sorry, Michael! I love your stuff, but this was just too sharp!
We can scratch out most of the nostalgia and jump right into a well-crafted tale. The hero is a damn surprising hero, too. Just hearing about what he did, I honestly wanted to cringe and go... "How is that going to be fun?" And then after reading him in action, all my fears flittered away as I began to realize that this is the freaking Breaking Bad of urban fantasy. Just being a clever and unique magic system is fantastic, too, but my god, we jumped, wonderfully, from a guy who uses magic to do paperwork into a brilliant drug dealer. And not only does it work, but it's far from being the best aspect of the book.
Look. We've got an ex-cop who was branded a hero for accidentally killing a 'Mancer even as he respected what he saw, turned his badge in, as well as losing a foot, to become an insurance agent. If that sounds boring, then stuff it. Mr. Steinmetz makes it work well. The core of the book is about people who focus so much on what they love that they become travelling black holes of universe-changing power that comes with it's own built-in correction system.
For those of us who've played and loved the Mage storytelling system, you're right on target. Mr. Steinmetz acknowledges his debts here and to Mr. Underwood.
MC Paul's arch-enemy was fantastic. Paul was fantastic. Valentine was fantastic. And my heart-strings were so thoroughly manhandled by his poor burned daughter that I wasn't sure I was going to get out of this novel alive.
Sure, it might just be another novel set to destroy NYC, but on the other hand, I felt utter joy in the reading. I literally couldn't put this title down for the life of me. It was magical.
It's true I probably wouldn't have picked this novel up in the first place if I hadn't received an invitation to read its sequel in Netgalley, but that's my own damn problem. I'm leased to be proved an idiot. Never judge a book by either its cover or its blurb. Flex is no sophomore addition to a crappy UF collection. It's serious and it's brilliant.
All you peeps who want magic systems and UF and seriously excellent character progressions need to go out and pick up this title. It's pretty close to perfect.
Shall I say it? Yeah. I have to say this was the better novel of the two. Sorry, Michael! I love your stuff, but this was just too sharp!
We can scratch out most of the nostalgia and jump right into a well-crafted tale. The hero is a damn surprising hero, too. Just hearing about what he did, I honestly wanted to cringe and go... "How is that going to be fun?" And then after reading him in action, all my fears flittered away as I began to realize that this is the freaking Breaking Bad of urban fantasy. Just being a clever and unique magic system is fantastic, too, but my god, we jumped, wonderfully, from a guy who uses magic to do paperwork into a brilliant drug dealer. And not only does it work, but it's far from being the best aspect of the book.
Look. We've got an ex-cop who was branded a hero for accidentally killing a 'Mancer even as he respected what he saw, turned his badge in, as well as losing a foot, to become an insurance agent. If that sounds boring, then stuff it. Mr. Steinmetz makes it work well. The core of the book is about people who focus so much on what they love that they become travelling black holes of universe-changing power that comes with it's own built-in correction system.
For those of us who've played and loved the Mage storytelling system, you're right on target. Mr. Steinmetz acknowledges his debts here and to Mr. Underwood.
MC Paul's arch-enemy was fantastic. Paul was fantastic. Valentine was fantastic. And my heart-strings were so thoroughly manhandled by his poor burned daughter that I wasn't sure I was going to get out of this novel alive.
Sure, it might just be another novel set to destroy NYC, but on the other hand, I felt utter joy in the reading. I literally couldn't put this title down for the life of me. It was magical.
It's true I probably wouldn't have picked this novel up in the first place if I hadn't received an invitation to read its sequel in Netgalley, but that's my own damn problem. I'm leased to be proved an idiot. Never judge a book by either its cover or its blurb. Flex is no sophomore addition to a crappy UF collection. It's serious and it's brilliant.
All you peeps who want magic systems and UF and seriously excellent character progressions need to go out and pick up this title. It's pretty close to perfect.
Want to read
August 11, 2016FLEX: Distilled magic in crystal form. The most dangerous drug in the world. Snort it, and you can create incredible coincidences to live the life of your dreams.
So, basically it's Breaking Bad but with MAGIC!!! Like hell I'm gonna miss this! Of course, I'm in.
November 7, 2015
I have no complaints for this book and several compliments. There is action, humor, and it’s smart. Steinmetz created an alternate reality that includes both magic and the Affordable Health Care Act. …an interesting choice. His magic is ‘mancy. Power born from obsession and escapism. If what you love and respect above all else is rules and paperwork you become a Bureaucromancer like Paul Tsabo. A man who believes in the justice paperwork provides. Steinmetz main character is a skinny ex-cop who decided, by choice, to quit and work for an insurance company, Samaritan Mutual. His job has been to catch ‘Mancers. The people who distort the fabric of reality for their wishes, and it makes them dangerous because reality has to bend back. This process is called Flux. As the universe tries to make up for the imbalance you get earthquakes or storms raining frogs. … It’s quite the day when he becomes one. In ‘Flex,’ Paul is searching for a ‘Mancer by the name of Anathema. She uses her ‘mancy to create Flex, a drug, that gives mundanes the abilities of a ‘Mancer for limited time. They, however, have no idea how to handle their flux and it is creating havoc in Manhattan. It created a gas fire that burned Paul’s daughter, and the Bureaucromancer will do what he has to in order to stop her.
Paul is great character. He’s a divorced father, ex-cop, hero, and insurance claim investigator. He was disabled after his foot was crushed in his fight with ‘the Illustromancer.’ It led to stress in his marriage and escapism in work. He believed if he couldn’t fix his own problems at least he could work on his claims and fix other people’s. The focus and passion for it led to his work becoming ‘mancy. This kind-hearted and loyal man is an unlikely hero. Yes, he was a cop, but not because he had physical aptitude for it. Clothes hang on him like a hanger. It is his determination that got him on the police force and what drives him in his fight with Anathema. He’s a good man, and a good caring father, despite the fact he is not a perfect one. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. What drives Paul is his essential goodness. Steinmetz did well in his creation along with other characters like Valentine. She is described as a sunny, pudgy, goth girl. She’s pretty despite being fifty pounds overweight. She’s messy in how she lives, but when the flux from your ‘mancy takes all you care about away, how else would you live? She’s a solid and flawed character. She cares for Paul’s daughter with the ferocity of someone who hasn’t received the same. You start to see a pattern. Steinmetz characters are kind, well-intentioned, and realistic. They aren’t perfect. Life has dealt them some tragedy that instigated their motivations. There is also diversity without simplifying the characters into tokens. I highly recommend this book from character study alone.
I both read and listened to ‘Flex’ and enjoyed it both ways. I don’t think you can go wrong with either decision. Peter Brooke’s narration is delightful. My attention didn’t stray. Brooke’s interpretation of Steinmetz humor was perfect. It fit. The more I pay attention to a narrator’s ability to differentiate characters the more I am impressed with those who do it well. It isn’t easy and Brooke is successful. When I got interrupted and neglected to pause ‘Flex’ I knew exactly who was speaking in the story. I wasn’t lost. I went back solely because I didn’t want to miss anything.
The second book is ‘Flux’ and I can’t wait to read it. I’m forcing myself to wait a bit because I haven’t fallen in love this way with a book since Wesley Chu’s Tao series. This isn’t to say I haven’t loved and enjoyed other books/series. I most certainly have. The attachment for it comes from the feeling I am left with after reading it. It’s one of goodness, one of hope in an admittedly imperfect world. I love the ridiculousness of the magic system because it feels right. Magic created out of obsession and escapism makes sense to me. Beurocromancy, Videogamemancy, etc. is so preposterous and harebrained it literally rings of reality. I buy Steinmetz alternate universe, and if you are in the proper mood I am betting you will too. If you are looking for something beautiful or grim this isn’t it, however, if you like some humor and bizarre reality in your magic system/fantasy pick this up.
Paul is great character. He’s a divorced father, ex-cop, hero, and insurance claim investigator. He was disabled after his foot was crushed in his fight with ‘the Illustromancer.’ It led to stress in his marriage and escapism in work. He believed if he couldn’t fix his own problems at least he could work on his claims and fix other people’s. The focus and passion for it led to his work becoming ‘mancy. This kind-hearted and loyal man is an unlikely hero. Yes, he was a cop, but not because he had physical aptitude for it. Clothes hang on him like a hanger. It is his determination that got him on the police force and what drives him in his fight with Anathema. He’s a good man, and a good caring father, despite the fact he is not a perfect one. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. What drives Paul is his essential goodness. Steinmetz did well in his creation along with other characters like Valentine. She is described as a sunny, pudgy, goth girl. She’s pretty despite being fifty pounds overweight. She’s messy in how she lives, but when the flux from your ‘mancy takes all you care about away, how else would you live? She’s a solid and flawed character. She cares for Paul’s daughter with the ferocity of someone who hasn’t received the same. You start to see a pattern. Steinmetz characters are kind, well-intentioned, and realistic. They aren’t perfect. Life has dealt them some tragedy that instigated their motivations. There is also diversity without simplifying the characters into tokens. I highly recommend this book from character study alone.
I both read and listened to ‘Flex’ and enjoyed it both ways. I don’t think you can go wrong with either decision. Peter Brooke’s narration is delightful. My attention didn’t stray. Brooke’s interpretation of Steinmetz humor was perfect. It fit. The more I pay attention to a narrator’s ability to differentiate characters the more I am impressed with those who do it well. It isn’t easy and Brooke is successful. When I got interrupted and neglected to pause ‘Flex’ I knew exactly who was speaking in the story. I wasn’t lost. I went back solely because I didn’t want to miss anything.
The second book is ‘Flux’ and I can’t wait to read it. I’m forcing myself to wait a bit because I haven’t fallen in love this way with a book since Wesley Chu’s Tao series. This isn’t to say I haven’t loved and enjoyed other books/series. I most certainly have. The attachment for it comes from the feeling I am left with after reading it. It’s one of goodness, one of hope in an admittedly imperfect world. I love the ridiculousness of the magic system because it feels right. Magic created out of obsession and escapism makes sense to me. Beurocromancy, Videogamemancy, etc. is so preposterous and harebrained it literally rings of reality. I buy Steinmetz alternate universe, and if you are in the proper mood I am betting you will too. If you are looking for something beautiful or grim this isn’t it, however, if you like some humor and bizarre reality in your magic system/fantasy pick this up.
August 3, 2016
There’s something about urban fantasy. While scifi looks to the future and high fantasy escapes to a different realm, urban fantasy finds enchantment in the everyday and transforms it into pure magic.
And Flex takes it to a new level.
In the world that Steinmetz creates, magic is born of single-minded passion:
Now that he’s left the police for the Samaritan insurance company, Paul Tsabo spends his days doing paperwork. Since insurance doesn’t usually cover magic-related injuries, much of his work involves linking disasters to ‘mancers or to sales of the ‘mancy-made drug Flex. But even paperwork has its perils: Paul’s obsession with his holy grail, the “Universal Unified Form,” has turned him into a bureaucromancer. His magic allows him to rearrange schedules, magic cars out of rental agreements, and find almost anyone--as long as he has an identifier to start with. He even has magic desk drawers: one gives him access to every type of form; the other, once he submits the right documentation, allows him to access any paperwork, no matter how secret.
Paul himself, “the guy who turned DMV into an art,” is a likeable character, a nerd who wants to be a superhero without the spandex. He’s adorably uptight and usually doesn’t even realize it:
This is one of those books that just hit me perfectly, and it’s really hard to explain precisely why. I loved the idea of ‘mancy, even though the apostrophe drove me nuts. One of the most interesting parts of magical systems is the cost, and in this case, the consequences of magic are fully explored. The world was a little like a cross between Myke Cole and Kate Griffin; I know that’s a rather bizarre mix, but then so is the book. There are a lot of action-packed moments, many of them involving gamemancy. As a non-gamer, most of the references flew right by me, but I loved that part where they pull out a Portal gun. (The cake is a lie.)
But the book isn’t just about drug-filled magical escapades; it’s also about Paul’s struggles to balance being a mancer and a father:
I delayed writing this review for a couple of weeks because I just can’t really explain why I enjoyed the book so much. I loved the idea of bureaucromancy, the burgeoning relationship between Paul and the other main character, the humor and the absurdity. I can't wait to find out more about the world. It’s not a perfect fit for everyone, and I’d have a hard time figuring out the right audience, but for those it fits, Flex is pure magic.
Make that pure ‘mancy.
I received an advanced reader copy ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Angry Robot Books, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you! While the included quotes may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they speak to the nature of the novel as a whole.
Cross-posted on BookLikes. I also interviewed the author here.
And Flex takes it to a new level.
In the world that Steinmetz creates, magic is born of single-minded passion:
“‘Mancers believed so thoroughly in their obsessions that their belief wore a hole through the law of physics.”As a result, there are gamemancers. Musclemancers. Illustromancers. Collectomancers. Huntomancers. Junkomancers. As one of the characters points out, somewhere out in the world, there are probably even polkamancers. But as harmless as all those reclusive cat-hair-covered felismancers might seem, they’re explosions just waiting for the match. ‘Mancers have the ability to “flex” reality, but reality can only be bent so far before it bends back. And when the “flux”--the reaction to flexing reality too far-- hits, disaster inevitably follows. After Europe melted down in an apocalyptic breach in the folds of reality, America cracked down on its ‘mancers, capturing them and forcing them to join their creepy troop of brain-burned Unimancers.
Now that he’s left the police for the Samaritan insurance company, Paul Tsabo spends his days doing paperwork. Since insurance doesn’t usually cover magic-related injuries, much of his work involves linking disasters to ‘mancers or to sales of the ‘mancy-made drug Flex. But even paperwork has its perils: Paul’s obsession with his holy grail, the “Universal Unified Form,” has turned him into a bureaucromancer. His magic allows him to rearrange schedules, magic cars out of rental agreements, and find almost anyone--as long as he has an identifier to start with. He even has magic desk drawers: one gives him access to every type of form; the other, once he submits the right documentation, allows him to access any paperwork, no matter how secret.
Paul himself, “the guy who turned DMV into an art,” is a likeable character, a nerd who wants to be a superhero without the spandex. He’s adorably uptight and usually doesn’t even realize it:
“Not that Paul ever dressed down. He liked suits. And crisp ties. They were armor for the civilized man. At best, he’d roll up his sleeves, and that only because it looked totally badass.”At the same time, Paul is complex and flawed; as one of his friends tells him, he tends to think up “good reasons to justify the things you want to do anyway.” Paul’s belief in a predictable, organized, reasonable world is so strong that it is enough to bend reality. What could be more deliciously ironic than that?
This is one of those books that just hit me perfectly, and it’s really hard to explain precisely why. I loved the idea of ‘mancy, even though the apostrophe drove me nuts. One of the most interesting parts of magical systems is the cost, and in this case, the consequences of magic are fully explored. The world was a little like a cross between Myke Cole and Kate Griffin; I know that’s a rather bizarre mix, but then so is the book. There are a lot of action-packed moments, many of them involving gamemancy. As a non-gamer, most of the references flew right by me, but I loved that part where they pull out a Portal gun. (The cake is a lie.)
But the book isn’t just about drug-filled magical escapades; it’s also about Paul’s struggles to balance being a mancer and a father:
“That was the stupid thing about parenting: the mundane stuff took up so much of your life, you forgot all this pointed towards the future. You spent your days strapping your kids into backseats, reading them bedtime stories, making them bowls of cereal. That’s what you did as a parent: create routines to make the world seem safer.It’s also about dealing with pain and loss. It’s about the struggle to not be defined by a disability or deformity, to be a person rather than a victim.
If you weren’t paying attention, you’d forget the tasks were not the job.”
I delayed writing this review for a couple of weeks because I just can’t really explain why I enjoyed the book so much. I loved the idea of bureaucromancy, the burgeoning relationship between Paul and the other main character, the humor and the absurdity. I can't wait to find out more about the world. It’s not a perfect fit for everyone, and I’d have a hard time figuring out the right audience, but for those it fits, Flex is pure magic.
Make that pure ‘mancy.
I received an advanced reader copy ebook through Netgalley from the publisher, Angry Robot Books, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you! While the included quotes may not reflect the final phrasing, I believe they speak to the nature of the novel as a whole.
Cross-posted on BookLikes. I also interviewed the author here.
October 22, 2015
“the world was hurting us. And instead of dying inside, or hurting others, we opened up new worlds within us. And this gift… yeah, it’s scary. Yeah, it’s dangerous. But to leave it unexplored would be to throw the greatest gift anyone ever got right in the garbage.”
Rating, 3.5
You think Merlin was cool?
Forget Merlin ...
... magic has never had so many shapes and forms.
Bureaucromancy, vdeogamemancey, musclemancy, illustromancy, tell me your obsession, the possibilities are endless.... magic has never been so beautiful, cool, dangerous and explosive!
Paul Tsabo, ex cop, works as an insurance claims investigator at the Samaritan Mutual, specializing in cases involving 'mancers .... he is great at what he does partially because he is one ... a bureaucromancer. He can find or bend or modify or produce anything linked with a single paper form .......hmh......*cricket*.....*cricket*,
hmh, that's one handy power ( I have to hunt down a bunch of forms and permits and whatnot the next few weeks),..... aaaanywaay, let's go back to Paul Tsabo.
Killing by accident an illustromancer and losing his foot during an investigation, Paul refuses a desk job with the police and leaves the force. His marriage crumbles up and his wife Imani cheats on him and leaves him taking with her their daughter Aliyah. Finding employment with Samaritan, Paul soon discovers that now he can do 'mancy .... bureaucromancy.
'Mancy is illegal. 'Mancers are hunted down and reprogrammed ... brainwashed, and used in the Unimancy unit SMASH, to hunt other 'mancers. 'Mancers are born through their obsessions and passions in moments of great stress and traumas. Every each of them is unique, and the reprogramming is in a way a small death. The erasing of everything that differentiates them from the rest of the world, it's ..... dehumanizing.
There are not many 'mancers around but the rest of the world fears them. Nobody wants "a second Europe" to happen. 'Mancers were used (and made) during World War II, and as a result, Europe is no more... Ouch!
“‘Mancers believed so thoroughly in their obsessions that their belief wore a hole through the law of physics.”
'Mancy can be distilled/transformed in drug form FLEX, and it is still another ugly face of 'mancy. FLEX can give magical powers to an ordinary person for a limited time .... and as every drug has it's backlash .... a magical one - the FLUX, always with unpredictable, disastrous consequences not exclusively for the user of FLEX.
Anathema, a mancer-terrorist enters the game and Paul's young daughter Aliyah gets hit with a FLUX backlash by accident and gets severely burned. Paul is out for vengeance. Searching for the terrorist finds in Valentine DiGriz, videogamemancer, an unlikely ally.
“Oh. My. God.” Her voice rose to a fanboy squee – a cheerful gushing that sounded nothing like a murderer.
“What’s your obsession?”
Loved her snark...
"Next time this happens, Paul, give yourself a fake name. A cool one. I mean, ‘Paul���? You could have said, ‘Call me the Whisperer in the Darkness.’ ‘My friends call me Agent Steel.’ ‘I’m Batman.’ Anything. It sort of breaks the mystique when you finally get your lurker and he’s named Paul."
Get ready for the action.
Paul will battle Unimancers, and greedy drug lords trying to use him, struggling to hide his powers from the people around him in his attempt to stop Anathema and help his daughter.
I must admit I struggled with the all the FLUX, FLEX and 'mancy for a while and that the flow of the story was a little bumpy through the first half but. hey, I enjoyed it ... it was something new. I must confess that my favorite parts involved Aliyah and Valentine. Those girls kick ass!
“You – hurt – my – Daddy!” Aliyah shrieked, her voice thrumming in several dimensions."
Oh, and get ready for book two!
Rating, 3.5
You think Merlin was cool?
Forget Merlin ...
... magic has never had so many shapes and forms.
Bureaucromancy, vdeogamemancey, musclemancy, illustromancy, tell me your obsession, the possibilities are endless.... magic has never been so beautiful, cool, dangerous and explosive!
Paul Tsabo, ex cop, works as an insurance claims investigator at the Samaritan Mutual, specializing in cases involving 'mancers .... he is great at what he does partially because he is one ... a bureaucromancer. He can find or bend or modify or produce anything linked with a single paper form .......hmh......*cricket*.....*cricket*,
hmh, that's one handy power ( I have to hunt down a bunch of forms and permits and whatnot the next few weeks),..... aaaanywaay, let's go back to Paul Tsabo.
Killing by accident an illustromancer and losing his foot during an investigation, Paul refuses a desk job with the police and leaves the force. His marriage crumbles up and his wife Imani cheats on him and leaves him taking with her their daughter Aliyah. Finding employment with Samaritan, Paul soon discovers that now he can do 'mancy .... bureaucromancy.
'Mancy is illegal. 'Mancers are hunted down and reprogrammed ... brainwashed, and used in the Unimancy unit SMASH, to hunt other 'mancers. 'Mancers are born through their obsessions and passions in moments of great stress and traumas. Every each of them is unique, and the reprogramming is in a way a small death. The erasing of everything that differentiates them from the rest of the world, it's ..... dehumanizing.
There are not many 'mancers around but the rest of the world fears them. Nobody wants "a second Europe" to happen. 'Mancers were used (and made) during World War II, and as a result, Europe is no more... Ouch!
“‘Mancers believed so thoroughly in their obsessions that their belief wore a hole through the law of physics.”
'Mancy can be distilled/transformed in drug form FLEX, and it is still another ugly face of 'mancy. FLEX can give magical powers to an ordinary person for a limited time .... and as every drug has it's backlash .... a magical one - the FLUX, always with unpredictable, disastrous consequences not exclusively for the user of FLEX.
Anathema, a mancer-terrorist enters the game and Paul's young daughter Aliyah gets hit with a FLUX backlash by accident and gets severely burned. Paul is out for vengeance. Searching for the terrorist finds in Valentine DiGriz, videogamemancer, an unlikely ally.
“Oh. My. God.” Her voice rose to a fanboy squee – a cheerful gushing that sounded nothing like a murderer.
“What’s your obsession?”
Loved her snark...
"Next time this happens, Paul, give yourself a fake name. A cool one. I mean, ‘Paul���? You could have said, ‘Call me the Whisperer in the Darkness.’ ‘My friends call me Agent Steel.’ ‘I’m Batman.’ Anything. It sort of breaks the mystique when you finally get your lurker and he’s named Paul."
Get ready for the action.
Paul will battle Unimancers, and greedy drug lords trying to use him, struggling to hide his powers from the people around him in his attempt to stop Anathema and help his daughter.
I must admit I struggled with the all the FLUX, FLEX and 'mancy for a while and that the flow of the story was a little bumpy through the first half but. hey, I enjoyed it ... it was something new. I must confess that my favorite parts involved Aliyah and Valentine. Those girls kick ass!
“You – hurt – my – Daddy!” Aliyah shrieked, her voice thrumming in several dimensions."
Oh, and get ready for book two!
March 18, 2015
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/0...
Reading Flex is like ingesting a solid dose of some seriously bad-ass magic. The world comes to life, possibilities that you hadn’t thought of suddenly present themselves, you find yourself immersed in words that portray a familiar, but yet much more magical world. Flex is in some ways, reminiscent of Breaking Bad with a Ready Player One slant but with an added twist all it’s own.
Our protagonist, Paul, is an interesting character. He is a rule abiding, ex-cop who was injured in the line of duty against a ‘mancer. There are definite shades of grey morality as he is forced to make some very hard choices and re-evaluate his previously black and white view of the world.
I debated about how much plot detail to go into with this. There are some stories that I think are much better experienced straight from the author, and I suspect this is one of them. So, I am going to focus on the world and magic in this review and hope you get a good enough feel for what makes this story such a great read.
Imagine magic that that does not go to a predetermined set within the population, but a magic that stems from the pain of being isolated and the obsessions that people take on to cope with it. Magic that centers around whatever a person focuses on most to ground themselves, magic that comes from that one thing they have found to immerse themselves in to find some level of joy or sanity in their otherwise lonely or painful life. It creates a fascinating world where magic can stem from anything, and each users abilities and limitations are determined by what brings them magic.
These individuals that manifest these powers are called ‘mancers. The first part of it is determined by their unique ability (obsession). There are videogamemancers, deathmetalmancers, crazy cat ladies can become catmancers (or something like that). You get the idea. A videogamemancer’s capabilities must follow the rules from a video game. The only catch is that there are two sides to the magic. The flex (the good stuff you want to happen) and the flux (the bad stuff that is the price of the flex). So, you can’t just magic yourself something great, like winning the lottery, without something horrible happening (like getting run over by a bus) to balance it out. Karma is a bitch, and so is Flux.
The Flux has put people on high alert to fear all ‘mancers. When they are found, they are sent to be Refactored, where they are pretty much brainwashed to operate within a hive mind of other ‘mancers. They work for the government, and are really just shells of their old selves. They seem like brainwashed zombies, just taking orders.
It makes you wonder why anyone would want to do it, but greed and lack of foresight often wins out in life, this world is no different. But then there is motivation that can sometimes make you take the risk of flux, a motivation that is not at all selfish but comes from a need to help, like the love a parent has for a child that is in dire need of medical help. It’s hard to imagine someone with the ability not trying to help (and just cross your fingers that the Flux doesn’t come back and bite you in the ass, undo all the good, plus).
Now, to make it even more interesting, imagine being able to channel this magic into a material that can be sold, distributed and used like a drug. Anyone can experience the thrill of Flex. Seriously, some very cool things going on in Flex.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a shallow, just for thrills book. There is more there than just a surface level action story. The very nature of how abilities manifest, the fact that ‘mancers tend to be lonely people with some sort of problems in their life, the cost of the magic, the balance of flex and flux, and the stigma of being ‘mancer in a society where magic is feared and loathed, all of these things speak at a deeper level if the reader chooses to go there. Flex is raw magic with a deep soul. Highly recommend.
Reading Flex is like ingesting a solid dose of some seriously bad-ass magic. The world comes to life, possibilities that you hadn’t thought of suddenly present themselves, you find yourself immersed in words that portray a familiar, but yet much more magical world. Flex is in some ways, reminiscent of Breaking Bad with a Ready Player One slant but with an added twist all it’s own.
Our protagonist, Paul, is an interesting character. He is a rule abiding, ex-cop who was injured in the line of duty against a ‘mancer. There are definite shades of grey morality as he is forced to make some very hard choices and re-evaluate his previously black and white view of the world.
I debated about how much plot detail to go into with this. There are some stories that I think are much better experienced straight from the author, and I suspect this is one of them. So, I am going to focus on the world and magic in this review and hope you get a good enough feel for what makes this story such a great read.
Imagine magic that that does not go to a predetermined set within the population, but a magic that stems from the pain of being isolated and the obsessions that people take on to cope with it. Magic that centers around whatever a person focuses on most to ground themselves, magic that comes from that one thing they have found to immerse themselves in to find some level of joy or sanity in their otherwise lonely or painful life. It creates a fascinating world where magic can stem from anything, and each users abilities and limitations are determined by what brings them magic.
These individuals that manifest these powers are called ‘mancers. The first part of it is determined by their unique ability (obsession). There are videogamemancers, deathmetalmancers, crazy cat ladies can become catmancers (or something like that). You get the idea. A videogamemancer’s capabilities must follow the rules from a video game. The only catch is that there are two sides to the magic. The flex (the good stuff you want to happen) and the flux (the bad stuff that is the price of the flex). So, you can’t just magic yourself something great, like winning the lottery, without something horrible happening (like getting run over by a bus) to balance it out. Karma is a bitch, and so is Flux.
The Flux has put people on high alert to fear all ‘mancers. When they are found, they are sent to be Refactored, where they are pretty much brainwashed to operate within a hive mind of other ‘mancers. They work for the government, and are really just shells of their old selves. They seem like brainwashed zombies, just taking orders.
It makes you wonder why anyone would want to do it, but greed and lack of foresight often wins out in life, this world is no different. But then there is motivation that can sometimes make you take the risk of flux, a motivation that is not at all selfish but comes from a need to help, like the love a parent has for a child that is in dire need of medical help. It’s hard to imagine someone with the ability not trying to help (and just cross your fingers that the Flux doesn’t come back and bite you in the ass, undo all the good, plus).
Now, to make it even more interesting, imagine being able to channel this magic into a material that can be sold, distributed and used like a drug. Anyone can experience the thrill of Flex. Seriously, some very cool things going on in Flex.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a shallow, just for thrills book. There is more there than just a surface level action story. The very nature of how abilities manifest, the fact that ‘mancers tend to be lonely people with some sort of problems in their life, the cost of the magic, the balance of flex and flux, and the stigma of being ‘mancer in a society where magic is feared and loathed, all of these things speak at a deeper level if the reader chooses to go there. Flex is raw magic with a deep soul. Highly recommend.
Shelved as 'pass'
February 6, 2018Loved the idea, wolfed down the first few chapters at a sitting, started to feel the drag in the middle, DNF at 83% because I don't feel any urge to know how it ends, which ain't good. Plot's gone completely static. A good dev edit could have fixed this, but TBH it also suffers from Ready Player One syndrome (ie if you aren't completely immersed in the videogames one character uses for her magic, you just sit there looking blankly at pages of incomprehensibility. If you like videogames a lot it may be brilliant and hilarious of course.). Pity, the start was great.
December 21, 2015
[Note: I received an advanced reader’s copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.]
Flex is a novel that grabbed me right off the bat, from its evocative cover art to the intense magic-as-a-drug fueled prologue, and sucked me in with Paul’s struggles to cope with and help his tragically burned daughter.
Ferrett Steinmetz is able to quickly construct a familiar world, one where not only is magic real and rightfully dangerous, but which can also be synthesized into a drug called Flex. Needless to say, magic is illegal, with its wielders forced into military service. In the book’s opening pages, Paul learns that he is gifted with ‘mancy, but that it’s use has very real, very serious repercussions. Magic flexes the universe, but that’s not something to simply toy around with because the universe flexes back. And while magic may break the physics that shape our world, it remains true that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And karma, well, she’s a bitch.
After learning that a terrorist named Anathema, who uses the Flex blowback to target her victims, is responsible for nearly killing his daughter, and that the insurance company, who Paul works for, is refusing to cover her treatments, Paul goes into the Flex making business. This is where Steinmetz earns his Breaking Bad comparison, and it’s well-earned. If you’re going to put a magical spin on recent pop culture phenomena, you could do a lot worse than look to that drug dealing drama for inspiration.
One thing that I really appreciated in this title, though, is just how mundane it can be, and that really helps to ground the story. For instance, although magic is dangerous, it’s not exactly sexy. Paul’s powers stem from his love of bureaucracy and filing paperwork, and he’s able to tap into top-secret CIA documents and police reports by magically filing requisition forms. His partner-in-crime, Valentine, is a gamemancer – she’s a video game addict, and her love of Wii and 3DS fuels her magical abilities, along with some healthy inspiration from the Metal Gear Solid series.
It helps, too, that Steinmetz casts his characters are real people, first and foremost. These aren’t part-time models who strut around on the catwalk and then fight crime at night. Paul’s a paper-pusher for an insurance company. An ex-cop, he lost a foot in the line of duty and has a robotic prosthetic that can be a bit ungainly. Valentine is a wonderfully natural heroine, a bit chubby, a bit geeky, a bit sarcastic, and she adopts Paul’s mission as her own out of sincere compassion. They make for a dynamic team, and their relationship shows wonderful growth.
I have to give Steinmetz a lot of credit for inserting as much realism and humanity into the story as he does, and this is a large part of the reason for why the book works as well as it does. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into making the fantastic as relatable as possible, and there’s a terrific amount of world building constructed around the disruption that magic, and its rules, brings to the table. Flex was an absolute delight to read, and my only real lament is that I can’t cast some bureaucromancy of my own to conjure up the sequel right friggin’ now.
Flex is a novel that grabbed me right off the bat, from its evocative cover art to the intense magic-as-a-drug fueled prologue, and sucked me in with Paul’s struggles to cope with and help his tragically burned daughter.
Ferrett Steinmetz is able to quickly construct a familiar world, one where not only is magic real and rightfully dangerous, but which can also be synthesized into a drug called Flex. Needless to say, magic is illegal, with its wielders forced into military service. In the book’s opening pages, Paul learns that he is gifted with ‘mancy, but that it’s use has very real, very serious repercussions. Magic flexes the universe, but that’s not something to simply toy around with because the universe flexes back. And while magic may break the physics that shape our world, it remains true that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And karma, well, she’s a bitch.
After learning that a terrorist named Anathema, who uses the Flex blowback to target her victims, is responsible for nearly killing his daughter, and that the insurance company, who Paul works for, is refusing to cover her treatments, Paul goes into the Flex making business. This is where Steinmetz earns his Breaking Bad comparison, and it’s well-earned. If you’re going to put a magical spin on recent pop culture phenomena, you could do a lot worse than look to that drug dealing drama for inspiration.
One thing that I really appreciated in this title, though, is just how mundane it can be, and that really helps to ground the story. For instance, although magic is dangerous, it’s not exactly sexy. Paul’s powers stem from his love of bureaucracy and filing paperwork, and he’s able to tap into top-secret CIA documents and police reports by magically filing requisition forms. His partner-in-crime, Valentine, is a gamemancer – she’s a video game addict, and her love of Wii and 3DS fuels her magical abilities, along with some healthy inspiration from the Metal Gear Solid series.
It helps, too, that Steinmetz casts his characters are real people, first and foremost. These aren’t part-time models who strut around on the catwalk and then fight crime at night. Paul’s a paper-pusher for an insurance company. An ex-cop, he lost a foot in the line of duty and has a robotic prosthetic that can be a bit ungainly. Valentine is a wonderfully natural heroine, a bit chubby, a bit geeky, a bit sarcastic, and she adopts Paul’s mission as her own out of sincere compassion. They make for a dynamic team, and their relationship shows wonderful growth.
I have to give Steinmetz a lot of credit for inserting as much realism and humanity into the story as he does, and this is a large part of the reason for why the book works as well as it does. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into making the fantastic as relatable as possible, and there’s a terrific amount of world building constructed around the disruption that magic, and its rules, brings to the table. Flex was an absolute delight to read, and my only real lament is that I can’t cast some bureaucromancy of my own to conjure up the sequel right friggin’ now.
September 14, 2016
Magic comes with a price!!!
With that, time to throw the dice, Paul Tsabo an unassuming man, an everyday man, nothing to make him stand up in a crowd, and yet a married man, but soon to be divorced with a beautiful child named Aliyah Tsabo.....
They are the primary and secondary characters in this novel, in a universe where a person's obsession turns into magic or mancer as they call the person. So in this world you can become a bookmancer obsessed with books, and maybe be seen walking around with Tarzan, Conan and etc, or a pistolmancer with the ability to fire anyone, anywhere or maybe a pornomancer with great big.........ummmmm you know the picture, this universe should be the best anywhere in the multiverse of books(we should have a map of the whole fantasy universe, from Dragonlance's niche at the lefthandmost corner to Clive Barker's Imajica in the lowermost right hand corner), except with the magic comes a serious drawback called FLUX, that is this universe's way to balance what you do with your magic.....and it is always comes out negative, the bookmancer wants to travel with the aforementioned trio, FLUX comes in and those three starts fighting one another, killing a score of bystanders, the pistolmancer shoots an unbelievable shot to halt a sniper, and in doing so the recoil hits him in the head, accidentally breaking his nose and etc.......in short the larger the magic, the stronger the FLUX and it can kill, that is why the 'mancers in this universe are abhorred!!
In comes the unassuming Paul Tsabo, with the wierdest obsession/mancy.......and well you have to read the story, as for world building, well same earth, different magic system........this sounds like karma........wonder if others will see it as it is........
Ok time to go.........in the end, what really drove me is the interaction between Paul and his daughter
the mancy and the hope of seeing how they portray an exhibitiomancer.......hihihihi.......
With that, time to throw the dice, Paul Tsabo an unassuming man, an everyday man, nothing to make him stand up in a crowd, and yet a married man, but soon to be divorced with a beautiful child named Aliyah Tsabo.....
They are the primary and secondary characters in this novel, in a universe where a person's obsession turns into magic or mancer as they call the person. So in this world you can become a bookmancer obsessed with books, and maybe be seen walking around with Tarzan, Conan and etc, or a pistolmancer with the ability to fire anyone, anywhere or maybe a pornomancer with great big.........ummmmm you know the picture, this universe should be the best anywhere in the multiverse of books(we should have a map of the whole fantasy universe, from Dragonlance's niche at the lefthandmost corner to Clive Barker's Imajica in the lowermost right hand corner), except with the magic comes a serious drawback called FLUX, that is this universe's way to balance what you do with your magic.....and it is always comes out negative, the bookmancer wants to travel with the aforementioned trio, FLUX comes in and those three starts fighting one another, killing a score of bystanders, the pistolmancer shoots an unbelievable shot to halt a sniper, and in doing so the recoil hits him in the head, accidentally breaking his nose and etc.......in short the larger the magic, the stronger the FLUX and it can kill, that is why the 'mancers in this universe are abhorred!!
In comes the unassuming Paul Tsabo, with the wierdest obsession/mancy.......and well you have to read the story, as for world building, well same earth, different magic system........this sounds like karma........wonder if others will see it as it is........
Ok time to go.........in the end, what really drove me is the interaction between Paul and his daughter
the mancy and the hope of seeing how they portray an exhibitiomancer.......hihihihi.......
March 4, 2015
Review copy
Flex is distilled magic in crystallized form, gifted to ordinary people by 'mancers. Along with the Flex, and the powers it bestows, comes the Flux. Think newton's Third law, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
In his debut novel, Ferrett Steinmetz has created an amazing world where 'mancy is considered evil (after the annihilation of Europe, I'm not surprised).
Paul Tsabo works as an insurance claims investigator, specializing in sorting out instances involving magic which will void a claim.
As much as I found the story to be fanciful, imaginative, and fun, there were elements that went well beyond my ability to suspend my disbelief. Kind of like Disney's, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" on acid.
The characters were well written and clearly developed. I particular liked the little things, like Paul's co-worker, and friend, Kit, who makes character judgments based on a person's choice of donuts. A nice touch.
The writing style is different, similar to cyberpunk, but in more of an urban-fantasy genre. Not exactly horror, but with elements of that form as well.
Flex is a self-contained novel, but there is more story that could be told should the writer decide to return to this world for a follow-up. If there is ever a sequel, I'd go out of my way to read it and for that reason I give this one 4 Stars.
Flex is published by Angry Robot and is available as a Trade Paperback, Mass Market paperback, as well as, ebub and mobi formats.
Recommended.
Flex is distilled magic in crystallized form, gifted to ordinary people by 'mancers. Along with the Flex, and the powers it bestows, comes the Flux. Think newton's Third law, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
In his debut novel, Ferrett Steinmetz has created an amazing world where 'mancy is considered evil (after the annihilation of Europe, I'm not surprised).
Paul Tsabo works as an insurance claims investigator, specializing in sorting out instances involving magic which will void a claim.
As much as I found the story to be fanciful, imaginative, and fun, there were elements that went well beyond my ability to suspend my disbelief. Kind of like Disney's, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" on acid.
The characters were well written and clearly developed. I particular liked the little things, like Paul's co-worker, and friend, Kit, who makes character judgments based on a person's choice of donuts. A nice touch.
The writing style is different, similar to cyberpunk, but in more of an urban-fantasy genre. Not exactly horror, but with elements of that form as well.
Flex is a self-contained novel, but there is more story that could be told should the writer decide to return to this world for a follow-up. If there is ever a sequel, I'd go out of my way to read it and for that reason I give this one 4 Stars.
Flex is published by Angry Robot and is available as a Trade Paperback, Mass Market paperback, as well as, ebub and mobi formats.
Recommended.
April 5, 2015
Paul Tsabo is the bureaucrat's bureaucrat, like Hermes from Futurama. He loves the order of forms, the power of a signature.
He loves bureaucracy so much, it turns out, that he's a fucking bureaucromancer.
That's right, folks: Flex is about a man who does MAGIC BUREAUCRACY. And it's way more awesome than it sounds, thanks to Ferrett Steinmetz's incredibly clever take on magic.
In the world of Flex, magic takes on all forms, and it's very personal and individual. But it always comes with a price: the Flux, a dangerous blowback that balances out any use of magic with a comparable negative consequence. And again, Steinmetz's clever and creative take on this concept make this book stand out.
What drew my attention to the book was the description of it as "Breaking Bad but with magic," and that description is surprisingly apt, though it is, of course, mostly on the superficial level, as marketing hooks tend to be. Paul hooks up with a lowlife to make drugs—Flex, distilled magic for the mundanes—for the sake of his family (in this case, his daughter, badly burned in an accident [note the cover]), but he's also excited by just doing magic. 'Mancy is illegal, and he faces brainwashing and reconditioning if he's caught, and his favorite co-worker goes after 'mancers like it's his job. Whether intentional or not, I did enjoy mapping various characters to their Breaking Bad counterparts (Hank! Tuco! Gus!), but I didn't feel like the story was derivative, especially because it really breaks out of that mold in the second half.
There is so much to like about this book. The chapter titles, which frequently have cute and appropriate pop culture references. The pop culture references in general, thanks to the aforementioned lowlife's powers of videogamemancy, which allows her to manipulate reality into videogames, leading to things I never thought I would see in a book. (For a gamer, this book is as fun as Ready Player One in the whizzbang cool sense; I do wonder how all those scenes play to someone who hasn't played any of those games.) Paul's relationship with his daughter, Aliyah: Aliyah feels like a real six-year-old girl, and Steinmetz complicates their relationship beautifully by making Aliyah extremely hateful toward 'mancers without knowing her dad is one. The villain. The plotting. The use of the word "motherfuckress."
I found myself handwaving most of the magic, though, as the rules kept evolving throughout the book. I couldn't quite visualize a lot of what was going on, but I got the general gist, and Steinmetz justified what any character was doing enough for me to go along with it. Lots of little neat bits of worldbuilding, like the fact that 'mancy offends physics so much that it can open rifts in reality, don't get explored fully in this book, but I hope they will be in the future.
Flex is a fun read, but as I got more and more into the book, I was impressed with how well crafted it was. The sequel is called The Flux, as if it's the price we have to pay for a book this good. I'll take it!
He loves bureaucracy so much, it turns out, that he's a fucking bureaucromancer.
That's right, folks: Flex is about a man who does MAGIC BUREAUCRACY. And it's way more awesome than it sounds, thanks to Ferrett Steinmetz's incredibly clever take on magic.
In the world of Flex, magic takes on all forms, and it's very personal and individual. But it always comes with a price: the Flux, a dangerous blowback that balances out any use of magic with a comparable negative consequence. And again, Steinmetz's clever and creative take on this concept make this book stand out.
What drew my attention to the book was the description of it as "Breaking Bad but with magic," and that description is surprisingly apt, though it is, of course, mostly on the superficial level, as marketing hooks tend to be. Paul hooks up with a lowlife to make drugs—Flex, distilled magic for the mundanes—for the sake of his family (in this case, his daughter, badly burned in an accident [note the cover]), but he's also excited by just doing magic. 'Mancy is illegal, and he faces brainwashing and reconditioning if he's caught, and his favorite co-worker goes after 'mancers like it's his job. Whether intentional or not, I did enjoy mapping various characters to their Breaking Bad counterparts (Hank! Tuco! Gus!), but I didn't feel like the story was derivative, especially because it really breaks out of that mold in the second half.
There is so much to like about this book. The chapter titles, which frequently have cute and appropriate pop culture references. The pop culture references in general, thanks to the aforementioned lowlife's powers of videogamemancy, which allows her to manipulate reality into videogames, leading to things I never thought I would see in a book. (For a gamer, this book is as fun as Ready Player One in the whizzbang cool sense; I do wonder how all those scenes play to someone who hasn't played any of those games.) Paul's relationship with his daughter, Aliyah: Aliyah feels like a real six-year-old girl, and Steinmetz complicates their relationship beautifully by making Aliyah extremely hateful toward 'mancers without knowing her dad is one. The villain. The plotting. The use of the word "motherfuckress."
I found myself handwaving most of the magic, though, as the rules kept evolving throughout the book. I couldn't quite visualize a lot of what was going on, but I got the general gist, and Steinmetz justified what any character was doing enough for me to go along with it. Lots of little neat bits of worldbuilding, like the fact that 'mancy offends physics so much that it can open rifts in reality, don't get explored fully in this book, but I hope they will be in the future.
Flex is a fun read, but as I got more and more into the book, I was impressed with how well crafted it was. The sequel is called The Flux, as if it's the price we have to pay for a book this good. I'll take it!
August 4, 2015
Once in a while there comes along a book that completely blows my mind. Flex is one of those books.
Based in an alternate reality very similar to ours, Flex gets the reader to snuggle in with things that are familiar all while destroying the fabric of all reality around you. You have Coke and Super Mario, but you also have 'mancers with magic stemming from whatever thing they have spent their lives obsessing over.
In all of this you also have a father trying to protect his daughter. A man trying preserve order in the midst of chaos. A man who may just be a bureacramancer.
The actions is bonkers and intense. The magic is completely amazing and would make for some very entertaining movie scenes. Even more outstanding are the relationships between and among the main characters.
Read this and be entertained. You may become a fan of The Ferrett.
Based in an alternate reality very similar to ours, Flex gets the reader to snuggle in with things that are familiar all while destroying the fabric of all reality around you. You have Coke and Super Mario, but you also have 'mancers with magic stemming from whatever thing they have spent their lives obsessing over.
In all of this you also have a father trying to protect his daughter. A man trying preserve order in the midst of chaos. A man who may just be a bureacramancer.
The actions is bonkers and intense. The magic is completely amazing and would make for some very entertaining movie scenes. Even more outstanding are the relationships between and among the main characters.
Read this and be entertained. You may become a fan of The Ferrett.
Read
April 14, 2015I can honestly say I’ve never quite read a book like this. I read a lot of good stuff in March, but this is the book that’s stuck with me, for its originality, its insanity, its hilarity, and most importantly, its heart. In the world of Flex, when you love a thing with all your heart, so much so that the universe bends to that love, you can do magic through it. Paul Tsabo, a knight of the pen and a king of the manila folder, has just found out he’s a bureaucromancer, and can do magic fueled from his love of paperwork and order. When a terrorist ‘mancer causes his daughter to suffer terrible burns, Paul has to come up with money for her recovery, and quick. The only way to do it? Find a teacher to help him control his magic, edge in on the magic drug-trade of Flex (distilled ‘mancy), and learn how to control the backlash of magic: the Flux.
Many have said that Flex is Breaking Bad with magic, and while that’s a good indicator of the flavor of story you’re in store for, it barely scratches the surface. Flex is a story about broken people filling the holes in their lives with love. It’s about supposed second-stringers getting a chance to get up off the bench and show the world they’re just as worthy, just as strong. It’s a novel that had me rolling on the floor laughing, flipping pages with anticipation, losing hours at a time trying to figure out what would happen next, because I honestly had no freakin’ clue. Steinmetz puts his prose together like a runaway roller coaster, full of emotional peaks and valleys, swerving from heartbreaking to funny to terrifying in mere moments, with characters so full of life, you can’t help but root for them. If Flex has taught me anything, it’s that magic is nothing but joy. And Flex is pure magic. Highly recommended. — Martin Cahill
From The Best Books We Read In March: https://bookriot.com/2015/04/01/riot-...
Many have said that Flex is Breaking Bad with magic, and while that’s a good indicator of the flavor of story you’re in store for, it barely scratches the surface. Flex is a story about broken people filling the holes in their lives with love. It’s about supposed second-stringers getting a chance to get up off the bench and show the world they’re just as worthy, just as strong. It’s a novel that had me rolling on the floor laughing, flipping pages with anticipation, losing hours at a time trying to figure out what would happen next, because I honestly had no freakin’ clue. Steinmetz puts his prose together like a runaway roller coaster, full of emotional peaks and valleys, swerving from heartbreaking to funny to terrifying in mere moments, with characters so full of life, you can’t help but root for them. If Flex has taught me anything, it’s that magic is nothing but joy. And Flex is pure magic. Highly recommended. — Martin Cahill
From The Best Books We Read In March: https://bookriot.com/2015/04/01/riot-...
February 2, 2015
| ARC kindly provided by Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you a lot! |
Flex es la historia de un padre en búsqueda de la salvación de su pequeña hija de 6 años en un mundo donde la magia puede aspirarse, causando reacciones fuertes, extremas, violentas y totalmente bizarras.
Lo cierto es que éste libro pudo haber sido muy bueno, pero la narración mató, a mi parecer, el potencial del libro. Es decir, teníamos a este personaje, Paul, al borde de la locura, metiéndose en pelea tras pelea, amasando poder a través del Flex para poder hacer cualquier cosa que significara ayudar a su hija pero Steimmetz logró que cada párrafo fuese un mundo diferente que no coincidían entre ellos.
La historia logró atraparme durante el prólogo y luego siguió así pero pienso que llegó a su cúspide muy pronto (capítulo 2) y desde allí sólo me sentí perdida y con ganas de abandonar el libro.
Y es que realmente estoy molesta porque la premisa era tan buena y la historia tan genial y pudo haber sido épico, pero ésa jodida narración. Tal vez estoy siendo muy dura con el libro, pero esperaba más de el luego de la idea tan maravillosa que me había hecho en mi cabeza.
Flex es la historia de un padre en búsqueda de la salvación de su pequeña hija de 6 años en un mundo donde la magia puede aspirarse, causando reacciones fuertes, extremas, violentas y totalmente bizarras.
Lo cierto es que éste libro pudo haber sido muy bueno, pero la narración mató, a mi parecer, el potencial del libro. Es decir, teníamos a este personaje, Paul, al borde de la locura, metiéndose en pelea tras pelea, amasando poder a través del Flex para poder hacer cualquier cosa que significara ayudar a su hija pero Steimmetz logró que cada párrafo fuese un mundo diferente que no coincidían entre ellos.
La historia logró atraparme durante el prólogo y luego siguió así pero pienso que llegó a su cúspide muy pronto (capítulo 2) y desde allí sólo me sentí perdida y con ganas de abandonar el libro.
Y es que realmente estoy molesta porque la premisa era tan buena y la historia tan genial y pudo haber sido épico, pero ésa jodida narración. Tal vez estoy siendo muy dura con el libro, pero esperaba más de el luego de la idea tan maravillosa que me había hecho en mi cabeza.
December 1, 2016
After he lost his foot in a shoot-out with a 'mancer, Paul Tsabo devoted himself to the safety, stability, and rigidity of paperwork. But when a 'mancer starts to destroy civilization, starting with New York City, Paul unleashes his true power: bureaucracy. Because the irony is, Paul has spent his career fighting illegal 'mancers...but he's a 'mancer himself. A bureaumancer. And although it sounds incredibly silly, it actually works exceedingly well. The magic systems (for every 'mancer has their own rules by which their magic, and thus the universe, works) are each fascinating, and the imagination behind them, and the fantastic way the magical battles are written, overwhelmed my misgivings about this book. Because I do have misgivings: I don't love the way Paul thinks about his ex-wife, or the recurrent fat-shaming, and sometimes I don't like Paul all that much either. But guys, seriously, a battle that's won by Paul signing paperwork for food inspectors? That is worth reading.
August 20, 2015
Meh. Classic "nice guy" fantasy. The Leading Man has a poor, injured daughter to protect, so he teams up with a hot (but fat... but not *too* fat, y'know?) lady sidekick to take down the evil wizard. Leading Man has tiny flaws, but the book treats them like they are giant flaws, and Sidekick has no flaws. The enemy is pure evil. And Leading Man is able to win because he's such a special snowflake that he finds a way to use magic with no downside. Pretty generic dude fantasy.
October 27, 2016
אחד הספרים הטובים שקראתי השנה. ואחד הספרים המפחידים שקראתי ממזמן. לא כי הספר מפחיד אלא כי לכל אורכו הייתי בחרדה שעוד רגע הוא ידרדר. שהוא לא יצליח לשמור על הציפיות והרמה שהוא בנה. שעוד עמוד, עוד פרק... ספר מעולה. פשוט מעולה. כתוב טוב, מותח, עולם מגניב ודמויות מעולות.
July 2, 2018
UPDATE 7/2/2018: I recently reread this book and we had a podcast review about it with some friends! Check it out here!
This is definitely a new favorite. The magic was amazing, the characters were complex, it was just wonderful.
Flex takes place in a world where magic is known. And hated. Overuse and abuse caused most of Europe to be blown away so now everyone alive fears magic and those who use it. Each person’s magic is based on their own obsession. Not a “I really like this” kind of obsession, a borderline-clinical problem kind of obsession. Pretty much anyone that has magic also is almost guaranteed to have some sort of mental problems as well. Each “’mancer’s” obsession is so deep that it alters reality to match what the ‘mancer thinks it should be like or imagines it to be. However, every time that magic is used, the user builds up Flux, which is basically extraordinary bad luck. Every time they use their ‘mancy to alter the world at all, something of an equal but negative nature must occur as well to balance it.
There are some obvious types of obessions/’mancy, like art and video games, but our main character, Paul Tsabo, has an absolutely fascinating obsession: paperwork. I loved hearing him talk about his love of paperwork and bureaucracy because it was so different but it was presented in a way that makes total sense. Paperwork is a byproduct of laws and civilization. An evidence form filled out incorrectly by police can be the different in a guilty criminal sitting in jail or getting to walk. Improperly filled out insurance forms can lead to the insurance company not paying out like they should. He has access to all records at all times, can alter or fake any paperwork. I was always eager to see how he would use this to get out of sticky situations.
There was something that bugged me about the story a little as I was reading it. Valentine’s characters felt a little contrived at times, a little underdeveloped. What I mean by this is, Valentine basically meets Paul, a complete stranger, and is pretty much instantly neck deep in a fight that never was hers. This bothered me for a bit. Then I remembered her second time meeting Paul:
She is a videogamemancer. It makes perfect sense that she anxiously awaits her chance to be part a of a real life adventure.
Having 2 different bad guys, Gunza and Anathema, was weird but it seemed like one of them was a stepping stone to more goodies down the way. Anathema was a pretty typical bad guy. I hate everything, gonna destroy the world. Basically all I feel about this is...
[image error]
How her ‘mancy worked was still kind of unclear to me by the end of the book but everything else about the story was so thought out that I am okay with not knowing for now. I think things will be cleared up in the future.
Who should read this book? Anyone that enjoys fantasy and a fantastically original magic system should give this book a shot.
This is definitely a new favorite. The magic was amazing, the characters were complex, it was just wonderful.
Flex takes place in a world where magic is known. And hated. Overuse and abuse caused most of Europe to be blown away so now everyone alive fears magic and those who use it. Each person’s magic is based on their own obsession. Not a “I really like this” kind of obsession, a borderline-clinical problem kind of obsession. Pretty much anyone that has magic also is almost guaranteed to have some sort of mental problems as well. Each “’mancer’s” obsession is so deep that it alters reality to match what the ‘mancer thinks it should be like or imagines it to be. However, every time that magic is used, the user builds up Flux, which is basically extraordinary bad luck. Every time they use their ‘mancy to alter the world at all, something of an equal but negative nature must occur as well to balance it.
There are some obvious types of obessions/’mancy, like art and video games, but our main character, Paul Tsabo, has an absolutely fascinating obsession: paperwork. I loved hearing him talk about his love of paperwork and bureaucracy because it was so different but it was presented in a way that makes total sense. Paperwork is a byproduct of laws and civilization. An evidence form filled out incorrectly by police can be the different in a guilty criminal sitting in jail or getting to walk. Improperly filled out insurance forms can lead to the insurance company not paying out like they should. He has access to all records at all times, can alter or fake any paperwork. I was always eager to see how he would use this to get out of sticky situations.
There was something that bugged me about the story a little as I was reading it. Valentine’s characters felt a little contrived at times, a little underdeveloped. What I mean by this is, Valentine basically meets Paul, a complete stranger, and is pretty much instantly neck deep in a fight that never was hers. This bothered me for a bit. Then I remembered her second time meeting Paul:
”Crap, I’ve been waiting all my life for some mysterious stranger to show up and involve me in an Adventure. What’d I get? Minimum wage jobs. Community college. Zero bearded guys showing up telling me I’m a wizard now, zero droids arriving asking me to rescue hot princes.”
She is a videogamemancer. It makes perfect sense that she anxiously awaits her chance to be part a of a real life adventure.
Having 2 different bad guys, Gunza and Anathema, was weird but it seemed like one of them was a stepping stone to more goodies down the way. Anathema was a pretty typical bad guy. I hate everything, gonna destroy the world. Basically all I feel about this is...
[image error]
How her ‘mancy worked was still kind of unclear to me by the end of the book but everything else about the story was so thought out that I am okay with not knowing for now. I think things will be cleared up in the future.
Who should read this book? Anyone that enjoys fantasy and a fantastically original magic system should give this book a shot.
January 29, 2015
I tend to really like books that push the boundaries taboos set by authors/readers/publishers of books. (Geoffrey Girard's Project Cain, and the companion novel Cain's Blood, are the most recent I've found that really push them, until I came across FLEX.) So the premise of this book is what really drew me in: distilled magic you can snort.
I mean, c'mon that's pretty damn cool. And it hints at some illicit activities in the pages of the book. And who doesn't want to read about mage's cooking up some magic.
The book starts out with a bang doesn't slow down--quite literally--and hooked me. Then chapter two happened, and I knew that, no matter what the author threw at me after that, I wouldn't be putting the book down until it was finished. Nearly every chapter is packed with magic and threats and fights, and I found myself having to put it down. Forced pauses where the book refused to let me breathe. The constant action exhausted me just a bit. I think there really needs to be those spaces where the reader can catch their breath and then brace themselves as the next high conflict situation that's coming down the line, it builds suspense, and, because the pace was so fast there was really no place to build the suspense the book *could* have had.
I liked Paul as a character and really enjoyed that he wasn't given an all-powerful magic. That he couldn't' solve everything on his own and his motives for doing everything he did, kept him relatable and grounded him. He also had very clever descriptions of situations and the environment around him.
One thing that did annoy me was the redundant use of 'mancy. Three times in a paragraph that was only four sentences long? That's a bit much, for my liking. And it dropped the book from 4 stars to three because it NEVER LIGHTENS UP.
I mean, c'mon that's pretty damn cool. And it hints at some illicit activities in the pages of the book. And who doesn't want to read about mage's cooking up some magic.
The book starts out with a bang doesn't slow down--quite literally--and hooked me. Then chapter two happened, and I knew that, no matter what the author threw at me after that, I wouldn't be putting the book down until it was finished. Nearly every chapter is packed with magic and threats and fights, and I found myself having to put it down. Forced pauses where the book refused to let me breathe. The constant action exhausted me just a bit. I think there really needs to be those spaces where the reader can catch their breath and then brace themselves as the next high conflict situation that's coming down the line, it builds suspense, and, because the pace was so fast there was really no place to build the suspense the book *could* have had.
I liked Paul as a character and really enjoyed that he wasn't given an all-powerful magic. That he couldn't' solve everything on his own and his motives for doing everything he did, kept him relatable and grounded him. He also had very clever descriptions of situations and the environment around him.
One thing that did annoy me was the redundant use of 'mancy. Three times in a paragraph that was only four sentences long? That's a bit much, for my liking. And it dropped the book from 4 stars to three because it NEVER LIGHTENS UP.
March 3, 2015
The promo copy promises a mix of The Dresden Files and Breaking Bad.
This is not wrong, and if that's enough to get you interested in the book, go get that sucker right now.
But let me tell you: You'll find more.
There's some pretty deep and intense themes in this book, but Ferrett does something pretty awesome: They're not the reason for the book.
Let me explain.
Flex works as a great urban fantasy story, with solid worldbuilding and a unique (as far as I know) system of magic. It's fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and a fun read.
But while giving us this action-filled romp, Ferrett's characters also have to deal with some pretty cool concepts and hard topics and emotions... and do so naturally, without smacking you with it upside the head.
The man makes bureaucracy look cool, people.
So while the main plot of the story is worth picking up a copy on its own, the underlying concepts that give it a smart and rich conceptual playground for the characters make this book stand above the pack.
Pick this book up, people. Highly recommended.
This is not wrong, and if that's enough to get you interested in the book, go get that sucker right now.
But let me tell you: You'll find more.
There's some pretty deep and intense themes in this book, but Ferrett does something pretty awesome: They're not the reason for the book.
Let me explain.
Flex works as a great urban fantasy story, with solid worldbuilding and a unique (as far as I know) system of magic. It's fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and a fun read.
But while giving us this action-filled romp, Ferrett's characters also have to deal with some pretty cool concepts and hard topics and emotions... and do so naturally, without smacking you with it upside the head.
The man makes bureaucracy look cool, people.
So while the main plot of the story is worth picking up a copy on its own, the underlying concepts that give it a smart and rich conceptual playground for the characters make this book stand above the pack.
Pick this book up, people. Highly recommended.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
February 3, 2015DNF'd at 30%.
Go to Netflix. Pick a random show you've never watched. Go to season 2, episode 3, and tell me how much of it you understand.
That's what reading this book was like. The author has a great idea but has no idea how to tell it.
If you use your magic, it has to be offset. Okay. Magic can be used by a non-magical person in short bursts. Got it. The world doesn't like magic and the people caught using it get punished. Makes sense. These rules are established but then a bunch more get added on without explanation just to move the plot along.
I gave up reading after Paul and his his geeky manic pixie dream girl go into a deserted cabin with a pile of hematite, copper wire, and a bingo machine.
Go to Netflix. Pick a random show you've never watched. Go to season 2, episode 3, and tell me how much of it you understand.
That's what reading this book was like. The author has a great idea but has no idea how to tell it.
If you use your magic, it has to be offset. Okay. Magic can be used by a non-magical person in short bursts. Got it. The world doesn't like magic and the people caught using it get punished. Makes sense. These rules are established but then a bunch more get added on without explanation just to move the plot along.
I gave up reading after Paul and his his geeky manic pixie dream girl go into a deserted cabin with a pile of hematite, copper wire, and a bingo machine.
December 13, 2015
Total Awesomeness.
May 21, 2016
This is a pretty cool concept. It sounds like it’ll be Breaking Bad: Urban Fantasy Style. Unfortunately, a lack of world building and a lack of focus in the plot made the book fall flat.
Let’s start with what I liked. The concept of how magic comes to be is pretty neat. I like the social commentary that magic is outlawed and the only magical people are the ones with an abnormal level of obsession with things. Using the urban fantasy magic element really highlights how different can be both beautiful and dangerous.
A key part of the plot revolves around Paul, who is recently divorced, and his wife trying to figure out how to co-parent. Paul is a majorly invested father. He doesn’t just walk away after the divorce. That’s nice to see. Also, it’s an inter-racial family. Paul is white, his ex-wife is black, and their daughter is obviously bi-racial.
Romance is really not a part of this plot. I thought at first it might be when a new character is introduced but it actually turns out that she’s introduced to develop a friendship with Paul. How often do we get to see genuine friendships between men and women in literature? Not often.
Unfortunately these positives were hurt by other aspects of the book. The worst is that the book reads like it’s one book for the first half then completely changes course halfway through. Essentially, the first half of the book is about drugs and is basically Breaking Bad. The second half of the book that plot is totally dropped and instead the characters are pursuing a Big Bad Buffy the Vampire Slayer style. It’s jarring and makes it feel like you’re reading a draft rather than a final version of the book. Plus, the book is heavily marketed as the drug book, when in fact the drugs are just dropped in the middle of the book, which is disappointing if that’s what you were reading the book for.
The world also isn’t built enough. For instance, we know Europe disappeared but we don’t know precisely how or when. This is a parallel universe to our own. You’d think that something like Europe disappearing would lead to some major changes in the world, but no. It reads like New York City is precisely like how it is in our world just with added ‘mancers. This is illogical. It can’t be both ways. It can’t both be a world with major changes like no more Europe but also simultaneously exactly like our own.
The book reads like the author has an agenda that comes through too clearly at times. How much that will bother the reader will depend upon if the reader agrees with the agenda or not, I’d imagine. I didn’t so it bugged me more than it might bother others. I also felt that some of the descriptive writing was weak or lazy, leading to a two-dimensionality that veers dangerously toward being offensive.
Overall, this is a good idea that was poorly executed. There are some individually cool scenes, particularly if you like seeing an interplay between our world, magic, and videogames. Recommended, then, to readers who seek out scenes like that and don’t mind the other weaknesses laid out in this review.
Check out my full review. (Link will be live May 30, 2016).
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
*initial thoughts*
I wanted to like this more than I did. While I like the alternate universe, it wasn't explained very well. I'm not a fan of some of the ethics espoused in it (albeit with subtlety). Some of the descriptors struck me as two-dimensional (a fat man with triple bypass scars) or lazy.
What I liked:
strong father/daughter relationship
parents trying to parent together through divorce
a male/female friendship with neither interested in a relationship
an inter-racial family as the main character family (white male, black female, biracial daughter)
Let’s start with what I liked. The concept of how magic comes to be is pretty neat. I like the social commentary that magic is outlawed and the only magical people are the ones with an abnormal level of obsession with things. Using the urban fantasy magic element really highlights how different can be both beautiful and dangerous.
A key part of the plot revolves around Paul, who is recently divorced, and his wife trying to figure out how to co-parent. Paul is a majorly invested father. He doesn’t just walk away after the divorce. That’s nice to see. Also, it’s an inter-racial family. Paul is white, his ex-wife is black, and their daughter is obviously bi-racial.
Romance is really not a part of this plot. I thought at first it might be when a new character is introduced but it actually turns out that she’s introduced to develop a friendship with Paul. How often do we get to see genuine friendships between men and women in literature? Not often.
Unfortunately these positives were hurt by other aspects of the book. The worst is that the book reads like it’s one book for the first half then completely changes course halfway through. Essentially, the first half of the book is about drugs and is basically Breaking Bad. The second half of the book that plot is totally dropped and instead the characters are pursuing a Big Bad Buffy the Vampire Slayer style. It’s jarring and makes it feel like you’re reading a draft rather than a final version of the book. Plus, the book is heavily marketed as the drug book, when in fact the drugs are just dropped in the middle of the book, which is disappointing if that’s what you were reading the book for.
The world also isn’t built enough. For instance, we know Europe disappeared but we don’t know precisely how or when. This is a parallel universe to our own. You’d think that something like Europe disappearing would lead to some major changes in the world, but no. It reads like New York City is precisely like how it is in our world just with added ‘mancers. This is illogical. It can’t be both ways. It can’t both be a world with major changes like no more Europe but also simultaneously exactly like our own.
The book reads like the author has an agenda that comes through too clearly at times. How much that will bother the reader will depend upon if the reader agrees with the agenda or not, I’d imagine. I didn’t so it bugged me more than it might bother others. I also felt that some of the descriptive writing was weak or lazy, leading to a two-dimensionality that veers dangerously toward being offensive.
Overall, this is a good idea that was poorly executed. There are some individually cool scenes, particularly if you like seeing an interplay between our world, magic, and videogames. Recommended, then, to readers who seek out scenes like that and don’t mind the other weaknesses laid out in this review.
Check out my full review. (Link will be live May 30, 2016).
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
*initial thoughts*
I wanted to like this more than I did. While I like the alternate universe, it wasn't explained very well. I'm not a fan of some of the ethics espoused in it (albeit with subtlety). Some of the descriptors struck me as two-dimensional (a fat man with triple bypass scars) or lazy.
What I liked:
strong father/daughter relationship
parents trying to parent together through divorce
a male/female friendship with neither interested in a relationship
an inter-racial family as the main character family (white male, black female, biracial daughter)
October 2, 2017
I had never heard of the author before, though he appears to have a dedicated online following. This was the pick for my games book club, and I was game to give it a try. I don't think I would have picked it up on my own; the description doesn't really call to me and it's a bit on the fringes of the urban fantasy genre, so I doubt I would have even come across it on my own.
It was definitely different. I enjoyed the world-building a lot, and the hints of what happened to cause 'mancers (basically people who become so obsessed with one thing that that they develop magic focused through their obsession) to become outcasts, both hunted by the government and feared by the people. The drug aspect of this world was definitely unique, and as others have pointed it, it's like Breaking Bad with magic... sort of.
The main character, Paul Tsabo, is an ex-cop who is an insurance company paper pusher. He loves paperwork and order and develops magic through bureaucracy. Weird, right? And cool in its staidness at the same time. And he's content to live out his life as a secret 'mancer, only his daughter gets badly burned and nearly killed after his apartment building burns down due to Flux. Because in this world, there has to be balance, and when a 'mancer does magic, the universe exacts a price. And when a mundane takes the drug Flex to do magic, the price is even greater. So Paul goes on the hunt for the 'mancer who is mixing up the Flux that is flooding the city and leading to exponentially larger body counts.
Steinmetz creates a cast of characters who are distinctly different, with quirks and personality. But the problem is, I didn't really care about any of them. He seemed so focus on creating this world and moving the plot along that he neglects the characters, and I ended up not really connecting with any of them.
I also had to put the book down abruptly about a third of the way through because Paul, who had never been described at all up until that point, is suddenly seen through the eyes of another character, as a "scrawny white guy". Which completely threw me out of the story because until then, I'd been picturing him as black. Given his daughter's and ex-wife's names, the descriptions of both as darker skinned, and his own last name, it was an easy assumption. My disappointment in discovering that the POV character was just another white dude in a sea of books told by white dudes was huge. And I never truly recovered from that.
After about a week's hiatus, I managed to pick up the book again but didn't finish in time for my book club meeting, and honestly, I was severely tempted to just abandon the book altogether. But I forced myself to finish it just to get the plot closure.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot. Two giant thumbs up for an incredibly unique urban fantasy. I am still undecided on whether I'll continue with the series or not, though. There were a few hints that there was a secret society (the "Order" that was mentioned very briefly) hunting 'mancers which I want to learn more about, as well as what the hell happened in Europe. But I'm not sure if I'm emotionally invested enough to proactively seek out the next book.
It was definitely different. I enjoyed the world-building a lot, and the hints of what happened to cause 'mancers (basically people who become so obsessed with one thing that that they develop magic focused through their obsession) to become outcasts, both hunted by the government and feared by the people. The drug aspect of this world was definitely unique, and as others have pointed it, it's like Breaking Bad with magic... sort of.
The main character, Paul Tsabo, is an ex-cop who is an insurance company paper pusher. He loves paperwork and order and develops magic through bureaucracy. Weird, right? And cool in its staidness at the same time. And he's content to live out his life as a secret 'mancer, only his daughter gets badly burned and nearly killed after his apartment building burns down due to Flux. Because in this world, there has to be balance, and when a 'mancer does magic, the universe exacts a price. And when a mundane takes the drug Flex to do magic, the price is even greater. So Paul goes on the hunt for the 'mancer who is mixing up the Flux that is flooding the city and leading to exponentially larger body counts.
Steinmetz creates a cast of characters who are distinctly different, with quirks and personality. But the problem is, I didn't really care about any of them. He seemed so focus on creating this world and moving the plot along that he neglects the characters, and I ended up not really connecting with any of them.
I also had to put the book down abruptly about a third of the way through because Paul, who had never been described at all up until that point, is suddenly seen through the eyes of another character, as a "scrawny white guy". Which completely threw me out of the story because until then, I'd been picturing him as black. Given his daughter's and ex-wife's names, the descriptions of both as darker skinned, and his own last name, it was an easy assumption. My disappointment in discovering that the POV character was just another white dude in a sea of books told by white dudes was huge. And I never truly recovered from that.
After about a week's hiatus, I managed to pick up the book again but didn't finish in time for my book club meeting, and honestly, I was severely tempted to just abandon the book altogether. But I forced myself to finish it just to get the plot closure.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot. Two giant thumbs up for an incredibly unique urban fantasy. I am still undecided on whether I'll continue with the series or not, though. There were a few hints that there was a secret society (the "Order" that was mentioned very briefly) hunting 'mancers which I want to learn more about, as well as what the hell happened in Europe. But I'm not sure if I'm emotionally invested enough to proactively seek out the next book.
November 5, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I had to take a while to think about what I would rate this book. I was impressed by the concept of this book. Magic inspired by our passions and loves made for an impressive, original idea that I was instantly drawn to. And yet, I ended up a bit disappointed. From the very beginning, I felt like I had been dropped into a world that I didn't understand, and it didn't become a whole lot clearer as the book went on. Rules are essential when dealing with a Fantasy of magic-filled world. Here rules are introduced and then broken or bent. A lot. I find myself constantly bewildered at the fact that sometimes the characters could easily do things, while at others they struggled with something simple. It made things feel a little too convenient plot-wise. I didn't really like the characters either. Paul's constant self-loathing put quite a depressing spin on the story as he constantly reminded the reader that he was a terrible Father and person, lonely and isolated, and his ex-wife (who was the least likeable person in the book) was probably right about everything as she constantly put him down. Valentine I liked a lot more, while everyone else (including the villain) I felt pretty underdeveloped. In terms of plot, there were some really nice moments in this book but half the time I had next to no clue what was happening. The fact that Valentine could pull them into a game world at any point only served to confuse me even more. Overall, a really neat idea that wasn't executed very well.
For a full review, see here: http://chasedbymyimagination.blogspot...
For a full review, see here: http://chasedbymyimagination.blogspot...
December 27, 2015
At the start I found this to be crude in an uncomfortable way, and I debated if I should stop the book completely. I actually set it aside for a few days. I decided to continue because one other thing was also clear from the start: THE MAGIC IS COOL.
Flex abounds with dark and twisted magic that manifests when random people's obsessions suddenly become a way for them to channel the mysteries of the universe. That universe still has laws, though. That's why flux exists--it's an immediate karmic backlash that occurs after using 'mancy. It causes death and mayhem, and is a big reason why 'mancers are hunted down and zombie-fied into faithful government drones. Paul has a different kind of power, though, the kind that thrives on order over chaos: bureaucromancy. Pens and forms are literally magic for him. But when his six-year-old daughter is severely burned in another 'mancer's flux attack, forms can only do so much... until he decides to hunt down the person who caused his daughter's pain.
The book reminds me of Chuck Wendig's dark and gritty Blackbirds crossed with Michael R. Underwood's light, fun pop culture magic in his Ree Reyes Geekomancy series. With a dose of Breaking Bad in there, too, with magic as the brew. The start was rough for me, but it evolved into a strong, gripping read. A big part of this were main characters like Valentine (whose magic pulls from video games, which leads to awesome homages to Portal, Mario Bros, and Mario Kart) and Paul's young daughter Aliyah, who with ferocity and passion steals every scene she's in.
Flex abounds with dark and twisted magic that manifests when random people's obsessions suddenly become a way for them to channel the mysteries of the universe. That universe still has laws, though. That's why flux exists--it's an immediate karmic backlash that occurs after using 'mancy. It causes death and mayhem, and is a big reason why 'mancers are hunted down and zombie-fied into faithful government drones. Paul has a different kind of power, though, the kind that thrives on order over chaos: bureaucromancy. Pens and forms are literally magic for him. But when his six-year-old daughter is severely burned in another 'mancer's flux attack, forms can only do so much... until he decides to hunt down the person who caused his daughter's pain.
The book reminds me of Chuck Wendig's dark and gritty Blackbirds crossed with Michael R. Underwood's light, fun pop culture magic in his Ree Reyes Geekomancy series. With a dose of Breaking Bad in there, too, with magic as the brew. The start was rough for me, but it evolved into a strong, gripping read. A big part of this were main characters like Valentine (whose magic pulls from video games, which leads to awesome homages to Portal, Mario Bros, and Mario Kart) and Paul's young daughter Aliyah, who with ferocity and passion steals every scene she's in.
March 6, 2015
Holy crap, guys! This hit so many sweet spots for me. Maybe it's that I play tabletop roleplaying games for the stories and I run them so I get to make the stories, but even when I'm doing neither I find it so nice to just sit there and think of stories in those worlds. Maybe it's that I like well-put-together Excel spreadsheets and neat handwriting, and having my books alphabetized. If you're wondering what I'm rambling about, it's that Steinmetz manages to mash these things together into an amazing, fast paced, urban fantasy (no romance!) that has so many elements that I loved that I can't pick out any that I didn't.
Paul is a burocromancer, he makes rules work in his favor. He loves them and they love him back. The only problem is that 'mancy is super-dangerous, illegal, and seems to have gained him a nemesis. Along with Valentine, a chubby, kinky videogamemancer, Paul sets out to get enough money to afford the facial reconstruction surgery for his recently burned daughter that the tight-fisted insurance company that employs him denied. It's the one bureaucratic hell where he dares not break any rules lest he lose his job, his health insurance, and any hope of his daughter making it back to health without financially ruining him for the rest of his life.
Highly recommended as a book I couldn't put down. I've already pre-ordered the sequel coming out this fall.
Paul is a burocromancer, he makes rules work in his favor. He loves them and they love him back. The only problem is that 'mancy is super-dangerous, illegal, and seems to have gained him a nemesis. Along with Valentine, a chubby, kinky videogamemancer, Paul sets out to get enough money to afford the facial reconstruction surgery for his recently burned daughter that the tight-fisted insurance company that employs him denied. It's the one bureaucratic hell where he dares not break any rules lest he lose his job, his health insurance, and any hope of his daughter making it back to health without financially ruining him for the rest of his life.
Highly recommended as a book I couldn't put down. I've already pre-ordered the sequel coming out this fall.
April 13, 2015
It's nice to see urban fantasy increasingly branching out from the sexy-vampires-and-werewolves template. (Not that I don't like sexy vampires and werewolves as much as the next gal, and plenty of good urban fantasy is still written about vampires and werewolves. But variety is the spice of the reading life.) Flex presents a world where magic is powered by obsessions (with music, with video games, with wealth, with bureaucracy) and magic carries a price in the form of flux, catastrophic bad luck that will take a toll on whatever the magic user holds most dear.
This makes for magic that can be very over-the-top and powerful, and yet never feels like it makes things to easy for the characters. Because although they can do some amazing things, none of it comes for free.
I didn't always find the main characters likeable, but the book is a fast-paced and very enjoyable read, and I find myself very eager to read the sequel.
This makes for magic that can be very over-the-top and powerful, and yet never feels like it makes things to easy for the characters. Because although they can do some amazing things, none of it comes for free.
I didn't always find the main characters likeable, but the book is a fast-paced and very enjoyable read, and I find myself very eager to read the sequel.
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