Jonathan Wood (1)Reviews

They just saved the world yesterday and no they need to save the British Museum from a zombified T-Rex. Thus is the start of the book. In a world where magic and science both work sometimes even together. We learn that the Russians are planning to disrupt time and change the past to change the future. But no one wants to believe the lead character who they all saw running away from the fight. Unbeknownst to them he was actually in another fight with a Russian that could seemingly teleport and the fight they were in was actually a diversion. And with that the plot truly thickens with MI6 planning an EMP, a la the Matrix, over the greater London area which will stop/kill all electronic devices in use at the time. Fast engaging read and look forward to others in the series.

Aside from an irritating repetition of characters telling the POV character to "grow a pair," I really enjoyed this urban fantasy with a cast of characters even more misfit than usual (especially by the end of the tale).

No spoilers in saying this has Lovecraftian touches as well as some good wry British humor to alleviate pressure.

In all, a good solid read that improves from a slightly slow start (at least the POV character took more warming than usual for me).

Fun, fast-paced, and light-hearted neo-pulp romp in an England with magic.

Think of this as if Helen Mirren's Prime Suspect series got shuffled together with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and other odder magical touches.

Loads of fun to read and the character growth from the first book (No Hero) is organic and sensible.

Looking forward to Mr. Wood's next novel in this series!

Such a fun series, and this latest (and last) installment doesn't disappoint. It had me laughing out loud at times! The mix of characters are really unique and strongly drawn, especially the emotional entanglements. They are like a family... they hate each other, they care about each other, they resent each other, they have each other's back....they are a small secrets unit of the British government that fights supernatural threats. In this case, some Nazi era giant clockwork robot AIs, a death cult. parallel realities, unexpected pregnancy, and a new team member have the members of MI37 scrambling. A fun and creative series that will bring a smile to your face as you read! I am so going to miss this bunch!½

3.5/5
Received through NetGalley from Night Shade Books

This was an awkward book.
On one side there is humour, there are distinct British accents and swear words, crazy dialogues, bunch of ditzy characters who look amazingly comical thrown together as a team of super agents: indecisive Arthur, nerdy magician Clyde, who pops AA batteries like there is no tomorrow, gothic and tattoed Tabitha, the researcher, Kayla, - manic depressive super Scottswoman with a sword...

Some of the descriptions also made me laugh out loud...

"Eventually we make it to the garage where it turns out Clyde drives a Mini that neither of us really fit in. Still, it's a classic vehicle and seems to accommodate Clyde's personality if not his form. We fold into it as best we can and he dials us into classical music, which also seems fitting until "Ride of the Valkyries" begins to accompany our inching crawl down St.George's Street."

"Alright then, gents," Winston says, stepping back, "what can I do you for, then?"
"A book," I say.
"A book he says," Winston barks, his rough voice sharp and loud in the quiet space, "of course a fucking book. I'm made of fucking books. I'm in a fucking library. You're hardly going to be here to ask me about the pleasant summer weather, is you?" (cockney accent)

Also there are prophetic twins in the water with lots of friendly squid :) Kind of reminded me The Minority Report. And there are magic mashrooms-induced aliens like Progeny, Feeders, Dreamers or Runners. The plot is wicked and feels very original.

Now I know you are waiting to hear BUT.

But I didn't like that everything was written from Arthur's point of view in Present Tense. I think it limits what the writer can do when there is only one POV. Also I didn't like Arthur himself. Sure he's got his moments and catch phrases like "What would Kurt Russell do?" but usually he does more harm than help people. I couldn't see why people thought he was a great detective. He is very unsure of things and charges ahead without thinking things through like a bloody teenager. Also I didn't like that his grief after a dear friend dies kind of disappears after a couple of mentions.

So, for me the book wasn't well done. I loved certain aspects of it but not the whole structure. However, I think fans of Men in Black and Gini Coch will like this book. Despite its flaws I certainly enjoyed it!

Great story of a typical Joe doing his job as a police detective til one day he gets a sword through his torso after seeing a woman lop off a man's head and a squid like creature coming out of it! Holy cow, what a start! There is a newness to the story that makes it fresh and different in the genre. I can visualize Bruce Campbell playing Agent Arthur! Loved it, and am already buying the second book "Yesterday's Hero"! What would Kurt Russell do?? Run out and buy this book!

This serio-comic take on cosmic horror exists somewhere in a triangulation between "The Laundry" stories of Charles Stross, the magical police procedurals of Dan Aaronovitch and the collected works of Douglas Adams. Is Wood quite as good as any of those other authors? Probably not; none of the other characters are quite as well done as Wood's put-upon Detective Arthur Wallace. I still look forward to reading more books in the series though.½

No Hero is a fairly slapdash riff on the paranormal govt agency setting. Wood's heart is in the right place, but the weak characterisation and narrative contrivance, and lack of originality let the book down - especially compared to similar-but-superior books like The Rook.

Arthur Wallace's life as a detective is turned upside when he gets involved in a supernatural case, and is recruited into the shadowy MI36, dedicated to preventing eldritch horrors from crossing over into our world.

This book, the first in a series, deals with a particular threat, kickstarted by the prophecy that one of the team members will die. In many ways, the "prophecy" is representative of the broader problems of the book. The only reason it exists is to kickstart the story - as does the only other prophecy featured. There's no reference to previous predictions, no rhyme or reason to the nature of them; they exist in perfect narrative isolation.

This applies to almost every aspect of the helter-skelter plot you care to name. Things only happen when and because they need to, anything eyebrow-raisy can be explained away 'because MAGIC' - but the magic is so damned convenient. No Hero doesn't just have a Chekhov's gun, it has a Chekhov's Red Army, and watching the barrage is tiring as it rids the book of any sense of danger, and often surprise. It's hard to invest in a narrative where you know the author will do whatever is required to move the story where he wants it to go.

Unfortunately these errors are compounded by the characterisation, which is built on wafer-thin types that never grow into real people.

The whole thing just has a real thrown-together quality, as if Wood thought potential readers wouldn't care. I was mystified by the usually-reliable endorsement from Publishers' Weekly, as this is not a strong novel. Worse, for a book set in Oxford and populated by Brits, the actual locations are both super-anonymous, but the language and idioms are almost comically American. A British man calling for his "mommy" is just ridiculous.

No Hero isn't terrible, but it's very, very weak. The kind of book that would make a publisher keep an eye on the writer, but not lose money on.

This is interesting in that I just read about a study that said identifying with your favorite super hero is good for you. It's supposedly good for your ego and causes you to try to be your best self. It certainly works for the hero in this story who asks himself "What would Kirk Russel do?" whenever he is stymied.
There is a hush hush British government organization called MI37 that deals with all the extra-terrestrial, supernatural goings on in England. They are underfunded and don't seem to receive much training, just told they are smart and should jump in and cope as best they can.
There are lots of funny bits and great characters. It's kind of a mix of "Dresden Files" and "MI5". I enjoyed it and immediately purchased the second book which I liked just as well. This is a wonderful diversion during the election season's lies and backstabbing.

This is the rare instance where the second book in a series is as satisfying as the first. More good fun.

This is the rare instance where the second book in a series is as satisfying as the first. More good fun.