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postapocalypticplayground (27 KP) rated The Wicked Deep in Books

May 1, 2018  
The Wicked Deep
The Wicked Deep
Shea Ernshaw | 2018 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating Watch
Everything a contemporary fantasy should be
I got a copy of The Wicked Deep in a book sub box, I had seen it around but didn't know much about it which is perfect because sometimes knowing can turn me away, as i'm often a creature of habit. I'm not really a fan of fantasy in a contemporary setting but this book changed my mind completely! I think that this is because the small town of Sparrow doesn't feel contemporary. Forgotten for most of the year, it's a crumbling town being slowly reclaimed by the sea. With no chain stores or high street names it's kind of trapped in time, which all ends up adding to the authenticity of Swan Season - A short time each year where it's said that the drowned witch Swan sisters return to the shore to claim the lives of men in the town. Despite there actually being annual deaths, tourists still flock to Sparrow every year. The story is also nicely interposed with chapters about the history of the town and the Swan sisters time there, which also gives it a less contemporary feel.

Before I go any further I want to cut to one thing, this book has been published by Simon and Schuster's Children's Division - so set your sights here. Yes this is a tale of darkness, murder and revenge, but don't expect it to be graphic or horrifying - I mention this as I have seen some people complain that it isn't enough of those things. YA covers a large age range and sometimes it's going to be towards the lower end and to be honest, the story telling is so fantastic that it doesn't need to be graphic or over the top. I think Shea Ernshaw does an amazing job of conveying dread without resorting to shock. That's also evident that despite the subject matter this is a really easy and captivating read, I couldn't put it down and read it in a day!

There isn't a character I disliked. The sisters were portrayed brilliantly, all reacting differently to the 200 years of vengeance and I found it a really interesting take on how they can become either weary or sharpened by this. The children of the town as well were thoughtfully considered with how they have come to accept the fate of the town they were born into, and almost embrace it like a birthright, despite knowing what the fates could have in store. I want to be careful of saying too much about the characters as there is some brilliant misdirection and a twist to this tale, which kept me on my toes.

The story feels very ethereal, from the mists of the sisters song to the decrepit lighthouse island and the run down township. Even the antics of the children at the start of Swan Season seems as if they are already under a spell rather than the elaborate dares they look to be playing - perhaps that is a spell over the whole town, in that they float along knowing what is coming yet seem in no hurry to change or move to do anything about it.

I loved this book for so many reasons and it's beautifully not afraid to be a stand alone which is so refreshing at the moment. The cover is gorgeous too! I have no hesitation in giving this book 5*
  
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Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated House of M in Books

Nov 30, 2020  
House of M
House of M
Brian Michael Bendis | 2006
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
*** <i>Read the entire story while listening to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score to GONE GIRL. Not saying it would be for everyone, but it definitely worked for my re-reading.</i>

I have mentioned this in my graphic novel reviews of late, that I have been doing a fair amount of re-reads since making the transition to digital. It's such a delight to be able to read the comics again without fear of ruining the pages if I am eating or drinking! And best of all? The graphic novels (and books) read take up zero space, helping me to continue to maintain a minimalist lifestyle.

Okay, on to the review..

I originally read the HOUSE OF M about a year or so after it was published in trade paperback. At that time, I recall liking it well enough, thinking that Bendis did a good job. It was not good enough, at that time, to leave a lasting impression on me, unlike other Marvel events before it. With the move to digital, and with a price I could not refuse, I felt it was time to revisit the series and see how it would fare with my not-as-cluttered mental state.

First, let me just <b>"WOW!"</b>. No, seriously! For a re-read, it felt decidely fresh and much more engaging that it was for me first time out. The story was quite good, helping fulfill my Daily Minimum Requuirement of Angst Bendis wrote everyone in character, and he made it was easy to empathize with the characters, as they dealt with effects of the world presented in HOUSE OF M.

One thing that really made HOUSE OF M stand out, besides the story, was the art. Oliver Coipel's pencils were perfecting, offering clear expressions, helping to capture the mood(s) needed throughout! Coipel's was given some solid inkers to finish it: Tim Townsend, Rick Magyar, Scott Hanna, and John Dell. And let us not forget to mention the final icing on the cake: that super awesome coloring from Frank D'Armata. Seriously, a big hand goes out to all of this top notch collaborative effort!

I won't try to tell anyone how to read this, or anything for that matter. However, I will say that for my re-reading, I would stop every so often and reflect, to imagine what it must have been like for Wanda (Scarlet Witch) to have to live going forward after being told your children were just fabrications! And then, even further, to learn what she did at the end of HOUSE OF M! Seriously, regardless of whether you love or hate Bendis, this was heavy stuff to swallow! Sadly, it seems to been retconned by Marvel!

If you are tired of the current events "daisy chaining" that Marvel feels compelled to continue churning out, you could do a whole lot worse than HOUSE OF M. Bendis puts forward some interesting ideas, and seeing them play out is a hell of a good read! It is probably one of his best Marvel contributions, next to his DAREDEVIL! I urge you to give it a shot! You, like me, may need a second reading, but I think you will enjoy it!

Now, I am off to read the post-HOUSE OF M stuff, as well as AVENGERS: DISASSEMBLED, which leads into HOUSE OF M, and which I did not read when HOUSE OF M first came out.
  
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