Buy on Amazon

The story is told through the eyes of Bill, a man working at a struggling local newspaper in a fading industrial town. The town is never named, but based on description alone, I imagined it as a midwestern town around the desert regions of America.

When a high-profile murder case grips the community, Bill, along with his two colleagues, follows the story closely. The victim is the father of a local Denny’s worker named Ronny Lawton. Only the severed finger of Lawton’s father is discovered, and the town quickly assumes Ronny is responsible for killing his father and concealing the body. As the investigation unfolds, Bill becomes increasingly entangled, not just as a reporter, but as someone at the heart of the investigation.

At first glance, the novel appears to be about uncovering a murder, but it’s clear early on that Collins is interested in much more than the mechanics of a crime. The book acts as a mirror held up to American society, particularly towns that have been gutted by the collapse of industry and opportunity. Through Bill’s narration, Collins captures the aimlessness, frustration, and quiet despair of people left behind by economic change.

What struck me most was Collins’ prose. His writing is laced with irony and dark humor, yet also filled with moments of raw, unflinching honesty. Bill may present himself as simple, but his simplicity masks deep scars. Much of his worldview has been shaped by the trauma of his father’s suicide, and his outbursts and philosophical rants throughout the novel reveal a man grappling with not just the murder case in front of him, but with larger existential questions. There are sometimes passages full of Bill’s abstract commentary on society. These passages are often startling, showing Bill’s pessimistic outlook of the world.

Despite being published in 2000, the book feels timely in its discussions of social decay, captialism, and the costs of progress. Bill is a fascinating narrator because of the contrast between his outward simplicity and his inward complexity. His commentary is often cynical, yet beneath it lies an aching desire to make sense of a fractured world. Through him, Collins gives voice to the contradictions of small-town life: the closeness of the community alongside the gossip and suspicion, the pride in tradition clashing with the despair of stagnation.

Collins himself is Irish-born, but he demonstrates an acute understanding of American life. His depiction of the town feels authentic, almost painfully so, as if he has studied the anxieties of its people.

By the time I finished Keepers of Truth, I felt that I had read something far more substantial than a murder mystery. The crime provides the structure, but the novel’s true achievement lies in how it confronts the fragility of community and the quiet tragedies that shape ordinary lives.

Though they are not diverse, there is an elaborate cast of characters in this book. They are true to the types of people you would find in such a town. On the opposite side of Bill is a character named Darlene, who has a feministic outlook on the world, one that often clashes with Bill’s own outlook. These dynamics are interesting to analyze, although the narrative doesn’t exactly focus on it. The good thing is that these other characters balance out Bill’s sometimes unreliable narrations and judgements.

I enjoyed Collins’ writing so much that I am eager to explore more of his work. Keepers of Truth is bleak, thought-provoking, and at times darkly funny. Many readers might find this book slow or uninteresting, particularly if they are looking for a plot-driven story. The plot itself leaves much to be desired, and readers may finish the book with questions because nothing is clearly spelled out. But if, like me, you’re open to books full of irony and social commentary, then you might go on to understand why this book was shortlisted for the Booker prize back in 2000.

Woman in Black by Susan Hill / Buy on Amazon / Buy on Bookshop.org

Though published in 1983, Hill’s writing convincingly mirrors the style of Victorian literature. The prose feels like it belongs to a much earlier time, with a rhythm and tone that transports readers back to the fog-drenched moors of 19th-century England. For someone like me, who hadn’t read older English fiction in a while, it was a refreshing reintroduction to that style.

One of the most striking things about Hill’s approach is her dedication to scene-setting. In contrast to many modern novels that prioritise pace and dialogue, The Woman in Black often lingers on its surroundings. The descriptions of the eerie Eel Marsh House never felt bloated. Instead, they build an oppressive atmosphere that slowly plants the seeds of uncanny in your mind. While the writing never actually made me feel terror, Hill did her job in setting the eerie atmosphere well.

The story unfolds through the perspective of Arthur Kipps, a solicitor and now a settled older man. During a family Christmas gathering, his children (through marriage) share ghost stories, triggering Arthur’s deep discomfort. It’s clear he has lived through a real supernatural ordeal and feels too uncomfortable to recount it orally. Instead, he chooses to write down his experience in hopes that someone, someday, might read and understand what he endured. From here, the novel dives into Arthur’s past, where his boss at his legal firm assigns him to handle the estate of a recently deceased woman in a remote village. This village is where he encounters the chilling presence of the titular woman in black.

Beyond the haunting, I was intrigued by the novel’s subtle commentary on class and the urban-rural divide in Britain. Arthur, a Londoner, openly admits to viewing country villagers as simple or superstitious, which is an attitude that still lingers today. We see this difference in lifestyle play out in the way that Arthur navigates his task. He stays headstrong and committed to the task at hand, despite his supernatural encounters. The people of the village allude to knowing things about Eel Marsh House, but they’re too reserved to speak of it out loud. It’s through an Inn owner named Mr. Daily that Arthur finds some help. And later in the book, Mr. Daily offers Arthur a female tarrier named Spider to accompany him for his return to Eel Marsh House.

There is a movie version of The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe (2012), and the movie slightly deviates from the book, forming a tighter plot. The plot in the book version isn’t exactly engrossing, but curiosity will make you turn the page to find out where the hauntings of Eel Marsh House started.

While I wouldn’t call The Woman in Black terrifying, the strength of The Woman in Black lies in its mood and execution. It’s not a story that relies on jump scares or shocks, but rather builds unease through isolation, and the proximity to creepy occurrences. At around 200 pages, it’s an easy weekend read that serves as a great entry point into gothic fiction. You may not walk away trembling, but you’ll certainly remember the quiet dread that hangs over every page.

Manorism is divided into four parts, each exploring different themes related to identity, family, and belonging. “Genesis” delves into Yomi’s personal history and the experiences that have shaped him. “Loss” is an exploration of grief and mourning. “Legacy” reflects on his family’s history and his place within it. And “Manorism” is where Yomi turns his attention to the wider world, writing about social and political issues.

Some of the themes in Manorism speak to how black people are treated in the media. In one chapter, Yomi hones in on an instance where entertainer Alex Mann went viral at Glastonbury festival for rapping the lyrics of a song by AJ Tracey. Alex Mann went on to be praised on daytime TV for his performance, while the man who wrote the song Alax Mann rapped, was simultaneously being grilled by TV presenters for his violent history that he was trying to escape.

“Alex Mann is celebrated. He reaps the rewards of words that were never his, while the mouth in which the lyrics were born is sealed, unpraised, the artist constantly reminded of the circumstances he grew up in, and which he has since outgrown.”

While the fault isn’t with Alex Mann himself, this segment highlights an unspoken issue that we face in the UK with how the black population is presented. Instead of celebrating our art, the media fixates on our trauma. It sometimes feels as though there is a ceiling for our success. Or that to succeed, we must be pigeonholed to fit the world’s vision of us. Yomi Sode sheds light on these complicated issues in creative ways throughout this collection.

The poem A Sestina for the Curious Oyinbo is about an experience that Yomi had at a writing retreat where a white woman asked if he wishes he was white. The poem walks us through Yomi’s thought process in trying to process the question.

Another poem called On Fatherhood: Proximity to Death focuses on the problems within black communities and the treatment of black men towards each other. In particular, Yomi communicates the anxiety and fear that black men sometimes face as they walk by another unfamiliar black male. Instinctively, we’re always sizing each other up, trying to determine the threat level of the other black man. It’s only when we get the head nod of acknowledgment that we mutually lower our guard and acknowledge each other as brothers. But why is there always that initial hostile energy? I am truly grateful to Yomi for communicating this problem.

There is also a heartbreaking series of poems dedicated to the death of Yomi’s Big Mummy, and the feelings preceding and following her death. Using the depth of his writing to show the strong supernatural strength of his grandmother while suffering through her terminal illness.

Yomi Sode is a Nigerian-British author, so readers should expect some Yoruban words spread throughout the book. As someone not from that culture, I never felt like I struggled to understand what was being communicated. In some instances, it drew me into the poems more.

Manorism is more than just a collection of artistic poetry. It’s a representation of the black male experience. It reflects subjects that have been somewhat difficult to talk about for a majority of black people. Whether you’re African or Caribbean, these themes will be familiar to you. And for anyone else choosing to read the book, it gives a strong enough sense of the black male experience for conversations to be had.

It’s also important to note that the racial topics in this book represent only a portion of the book’s overall themes. There are themes of fatherhood, belonging, anxiety, fear, and many relatable topics for everyone.

Manorism is a powerful and moving book that materializes unspeakable thoughts and emotions. It’s proof that black men are capable of vulnerability and introspective expression in a form other than music. Yomi Sode communicates complicated topics in a way that no one has before.

Manorism by Yomi Sode / Buy on Amazon UK / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Bookshop

Jack and Jill by James Patterson / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK / Buy on Bookshop

About Jack and Jill

Author: James Patterson
Publication Date: September 1996
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Pages: 512

Summary

By now, Alex Cross is a respected detective, taking down some of the most deranged psychopaths in the country, including Gary Soneji and Cassanova. He’s somewhat of a celebrity in Washington D.C. But when a child’s body is found outside the Sojourner Truth School, it’s clear that a child killer is striking a little too close to home. This case becomes personal to Cross because he can imagine the child being one of his own. His son also attends the very same school.

Meanwhile, a male and female duo calling themselves Jack and Jill take out a States Senator and videotape it. Cross is asked by the commissioner and the Chief of Detectives to work on the high-profile Jack and Jill case, but he is reluctant, stating that he has a connection with the Truth School killing and wishes to solve it instead. In the end, Alex Cross has no choice but to leave the Truth School Killer case behind and focus on the Jack and Jill murders. This leads cross to call upon his detective friends to secretly work on the Truth School Murders.

My Thoughts

Jack and Jill turns the Alex Cross series up a notch by introducing political elements. At only three books into the series, Alex Cross is already in the White House on a detail to protect the president. It’s incredible to see this growth for Cross, because he’s now a celebrity in his city after taking down a number of high-profile criminals. But it does make me wonder just how much further his merits will take him throughout this lengthy series.

As with many Patterson books, Jack and Jill‘s plot and structure are butter smooth. I would even go as far as to say that the pacing is the best out of the first three books. Even back in 1996, James Patterson was an industry leader with page-tuners.

This book provides a thrilling reading experience that reaches a high-peaking moment. An argument can be made that the comedown from this peak is a little too steep. The first half of this book is a rollercoaster ride full of moments, as Jack and Jill contend with the Truth School Killer for the number one threat in the country. This sinister competition is one-sided, as the Jack and Jill killers clearly have their own unique motives. But the Truth School Killer wants his work sensationalized. He makes it clear that he’s after notoriety, and that Jack and Jill are stealing his spotlight.

The book reaches its peak when Jack and Jill take out their biggest target. The big kill they’ve been planning all along. It’s an incredibly written segment that really puts you in the moment, allowing you to visualize the chaos that would ensue. It’s a moment in the story that is so standout, that the book can never match that level of intensity again. Not even with the reveal of who Jack and Jill really are.

One thing James Patterson does well is giving you a glimpse into the minds of the killer. As with the previous Alex Cross books, the chapters told from Cross’ point of view are all in first-person. But there are also chapters from the perspective of other characters that are told in the third-person. Perspective-switching like this is not a common tactic and it takes a brilliant writer to pull it off. In this case, switching does wonders for the storytelling. Gives us a clear view of the killer’s plans and motivations, followed by Alex Cross’ reactions to them. The chapters that are written from the perspective of the killers do a great job of not revealing too much, keeping the reader guessing the true identity of the killers.

In Kiss the Girls, it was revealed to the reader that book one antagonist Gary Soneji had broken out of prison and was back on the streets. This knowledge adds another dimension to Jack and Jill as we’re left wondering if the Truth School Killer is Gary Soneji. I won’t spoil the outcome, but I will say that Patterson is doing a wonderful job building an archnemesis to challenge Cross.

Alex Cross is respected as a character for the psychological understanding, and empathy he deploys in his detective work. And although we read these books to be put into the center of a criminal mystery, a book cannot go without giving us some thread of character development.

In Jack and Jill, we see Alex Cross get emotional when looking at the body of a murdered child. Imagining the body as one of his own children. We see him fight his police chief over his decision-making. We see him regard the president of the United States with the utmost respect. And we also see him in a moment of emotional vulnerability.

Since the murder of his wife—an event that happened before the beginning of the series—Cross has had a slew of failed relationships. In Along Came a Spider, he believed he was in love with Jezzie Flannigan and ended up getting double-crossed. In Kiss the Girls, he builds a strong bond with Kate McTiernan, but the two of them decide that they cannot be together. In Jack and Jill, Alex Cross develops a crush on the headmistress of the Sojourner Truth school. The very same school his son attends. Her name is Christine Johnson, and unfortunately for Cross, she’s a married woman.

In a moment of weakness, we see Alex Cross drop in on Christine Johnson at her home one lonely night. He does in fact have a valid reason to check-in on her, with a killer being on the loose around her school. And it’s through this random check-in that we see just how damaged Cross is. He knows there is something missing in his life, and he’s subconsciously aware that the murder of his wife is still a wound that hasn’t fully closed.

Cross handles himself with class in Christine Johnson’s home, but his longing for companionship and his attraction to Christine Johnson is made clear. And this scene comes back around full circle with some of the events that play out later in the story.

Patterson leaves us with enough interesting character development for us to be wondering about the future of our series protagonist.

Summary

Jack and Jill reaches a whole new level of intensity with its two concurrent murder mysteries. The cases are paced far better than in previous books, and the book features a moment that may be difficult to outdo in later books. We also get a look into the psyche of series protagonist Alex Cross, and a tease of things to come.

While Jack and Jill touches on political destabilization and the people who want to cripple a certain political party, I feel that because of everything else going on in this book, it only lightly touches its most interesting themes. This book made me want to see Patterson put his foot on the gas and go full speed into a political espionage thriller. Enough threads were left open in this book to lead me to believe that we’ll see these elements return to the series.

With this book, James Patterson proved once again why he became the leader of the fast-paced page-turner. I’ve you’ve read the first two books already, then you absolutely should read Jack and Jill.

Comments about this book

Because we had to rebuild this site, we lost some of our comments. But we felt it was only right to preserve the comments on this review because they were so great. Below are the comments left on this review from the previous version of the website.

Shelby James

I’ve read the series twice, even the shorts. I have to admit, the first books were much better than the latter. In fact, I didn’t read the last two. Though most of the series is good, I would say my favorite books are from Jack & Jill to Mary Mary. Cross Country was also one of my favorites but it didn’t come until later. Everything plays out perfectly in Jack & Jill. From the two murder mysteries to Alex’s relationships. The first time I read the series I was focused on the crime stories. The second time I read, I was more focused on Alex’s personal life and relationships.

I absolutely LOVE the love story between Alex and Christine. Thank you so much for mentioning it as it was a pivotal moment in Alex moving on with his life. The way Alex and Christine’s beginning came full circle was poetic. Patterson took his time developing their relationship over three books. They shared so much but especially the losses they experienced. I hated the way it ended and the way they tried to make her seem in the end. She was beautiful, confident, super intelligent, well educated, funny, she had her own family and vocation, and everyone loved her. It was like two full lives coming together. She had it going on and Alex was crazy about her. He won her over and they were crazy about each other. The rest of his relationships don’t come close. Not even with Bree, his current wife. They tore Christine’s character down and never gave her a rehabilitated arc. As a Black woman, I can’t help but take it a little personal. She had it going on too much and they had to cut her down. An action I see and experience way too often from society. She loves her son and we should hear more from her, if but no other reason. I would still like to see them treat her better and give her some kind of rehabilitation story. She’s my favorite relationship for him and his family. She even shared something very near and dear with Nana. I would say more but don’t want to spoil anything. Thank you again for bringing her up. A lot of critics gloss over ltheir relationship but it was awesome to realize the bud of their relationship and to see the way it grew from there!

–Gary Swaby replying to Shelby James

This is an excellent comment. Thank you! And yes, I felt it was very important to bring up those topics, especially being that these are relatable events in the black community. I can’t wait to read Mary Mary and Cross Country so I can see for myself why they’re some of your favourites.

—Shelby James replying to Gary Swaby

Thanks! Please let me know when you’ve completed reading them. I’d love to get your take!

Quality Journalism

The New Yorker is known for its high-quality journalism, featuring in-depth reporting on a variety of topics. It covers politics, culture, science, and technology. The writers and editors at this publication are top-tier.

Each article plunges you into a subject that you may have known nothing about, nor had any prior interest in. But somehow it makes you feel like it’s the most intriguing topic to ever enter your consciousness. This is valuable to a writer because it’s important to have a broad understanding of everything in life. Sometimes you need to get outside of the typical interests that hold your attention and learn a new subject or perspective.

Thoughtful commentary

The magazine offers insightful and thought-provoking commentary on a wide range of issues, from politics to art, music, and fashion. Admittedly, I tend to avoid political commentaries because there are some publications that I feel separate people by their views, rather than offering an unbiased take on the given subject.

But with The New Yorker, I feel more open to reading some of their political commentaries because the writers tend to stick to the facts of the situation, allowing the reader to think for themselves rather than trying to force them down a certain path of conclusion. This may not be the case for every single piece that’s been published in the history of the magazine, but I’m more inclined to read about a sensitive topic in this magazine than others.

Where The New Yorker really shines is with its art, culture, and literary commentary. These are the sections of the magazine I’m drawn to the most, as I enjoy learning about new art and media. It’s also healthy to get another perspective on a book or movie that doesn’t always align with your own.

Award-winning fiction

The New Yorker is somewhat of a literary journal, which means that it also features a number of short stories from writers all around the globe. Novels are my main passion when it comes to reading, but I have been training myself to fit more short stories into my rotation. A well-done short story is often a masterclass on writing. The New Yorker features a short story in each issue, making it easy to get a weekly dose of short storytelling.

Art, design, and photography

Every issue of The New Yorker features incredible artwork and quirky comic-style illustrations. There’s also high-quality photography. Sometimes it takes seeing these things on paper for you to appreciate their quality.

This is a critical time when we must preserve the art of journalism

With the emergence of A.I. technology such as ChatGPT, there is the threat that writers and journalists will become obsolete. While I doubt all journalists will disappear overnight, this technology speeds up the process of producing content significantly, and in a capitalist world, speed is everything. This will inevitably lead to the loss of some jobs in markets that are already struggling to retain readers thanks to the rapid pace of social media.

With this in mind, I feel it’s my responsibility to support publications that are preserving the art of journalism. I was around to observe game journalism get shaken up by Web 2.0. A time when at-home game enthusiasts were empowered by new blogging and media tools that allowed them to compete for the same readership as IGN, Gamespot, and other publications. It wasn’t a bad thing. It allowed readers to find new perspectives on games and media that were previously unheard of.

But, this A.I. revolution has the potential to dim the beauty of human expression, in favor of speed-of-information. That’s why it’s more important than ever to support those willing to put pen-to-paper (or word-to-screen) and take readers on an exploration through facts, logic, and eloquent analysis. It’s time to support your choice of written media, whether they’re corporately owned or independent.

Summary

I look forward to my issue of The New Yorker every week, as I know there will be something new and unthinkable to explore in each issue. My subscription also gives me access to their online archive, which dates all the way back to 1925. Allowing me to revisit major events in history. Each issue of The New Yorker also includes crossword puzzles.

When subscribing, I was sent a cool New Yorker tote bag. This was a nice gift considering that we’re charged for bags when shopping in the UK. All I have to do is carry along my tote bag when shopping and I won’t be left carrying groceries in my hand on the way back to the car.

The only downer about subscribing to The New Yorker was perhaps their exploitative tactics when trying to get me to renew. I subscribed annually, paying my subscription in a lump sum. But as I was in a position where I had to watch my spending, I decided to turn off auto-renewal on my Condé Nast (parent company) account, only to find that it was turned back on, causing me to be charged again at the end of my subscription. If it wasn’t for this one gripe, my experience with The New Yorker and Condé Nast would be perfect.

If you’ve thought about subscribing to a sophisticated magazine, then The New Yorker is one of the most influential magazines in the world. I highly recommend it. Just be sure to keep track of your subscription dates and triple-check that your account isn’t set to auto-renewal unless, of course, you want to renew it.

The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black / Buy on Amazon UK / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Bookshop

About the Book

Author: Sacha Black
Publisher: Atlas Black Publishing
Date Published: 27 May, 2020
Pages: 382

Book Summary

The Anatomy of Prose is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create sensational sentences. The book is for beginners who are just getting into the creative writing field, and seasoned writers who are looking to advance their skills further with additional tips.

By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your sentences to give your story, prose, and characters the extra sparkle they need to capture a reader’s heart.

My Thoughts

In this book, Sacha Black promises to help readers improve their prose. For those who aren’t familiar with the idea of prose, the word encompasses all elements of writing that comprise your unique writing style. Prose is a combination of sentences, phrases, paragraphs, rhythm, and voice.

By that definition, I expected that author Sacha Black would offer lessons devoted entirely to developing your style as a writer. I was quite surprised when the book went above and beyond style and became a comprehensive book on writing. Sacha Black’s wisdom expands way beyond grammar, sentence structure, and active voice. There are also important lessons about adding emotion to your writing, getting the right tone, and pacing out your pages.

Typically, craft books can be quite boring to flip through. Many use them as reference books, only reading specific chapters on the subject they’re struggling with most. But what I loved the most about this book is how Sacha Black inserted her own personality into each of the lessons. Her cheeky humor made me read the entire book from front to back. Sacha’s blissful personality shines through every part of the book, even in the chapter headings.

The Anatomy of Prose focuses on 12 overall steps, but each step has a bunch of sub-categories within. The 12 steps are as follows:

1. Learning to Sing (The lessons in this step focus on finding your author and character voice)
2. Learning to Learn (This lesson puts you in the habit of learning from the books you read)
3. Where We Cock Up in Style (This chapter shows where most writers go wrong)
4. Show Me the Money…I Mean Story (This one is all about Showing versus Telling in your writing)
5. Chinwag Central (This one focuses on dialogue)
6. World Delicacies (Lessons about word choices, strong vs weak words, slang words etc…)
7. Descriptive Prose (A chapter teaching how to create visual masterpieces in the reader’s mind)
8. Sensory Schmensory, Emotion Potion (This one is all about how to bring out emotions in your writing. It also teaches you how to play up the five senses when writing your character’s experience)
9. Philosophy Poetry, and Quotable Prose (How to enhance your expressionism using aphorism, symbolism, and more)
10. Cracking the Character Code (This chapter has lessons on making your character stand out by creating uniqueness, and descriptions and giving them clear motivations)
11. Self-Editing (A chapter with some useful tips on self-editing your work before sending it off to professional editors)
12. Literary Holy Grails (A lengthy chapter that goes through some of the more general writing tips. But this time, they’re offered from Sacha Black’s perspective!)

When it comes to these craft books, if you’ve read one or two already, then you’re expecting the third one to tell you exactly what you already know. But while reading The Anatomy of Prose, I found myself noting down new ideas on these topics that I’m already too familiar with.

Sacha Black taught me about Gestalt psychology and how it relates to writing. The idea is that your author’s voice is a sum of all aspects of your craft. In other words, your unique style is made up of how you approach a set of overall techniques. Such as the choice of verbs, the pattern of punctuation, the use of adverbs, the length of sentences, the balance of dialogue and prose, the quantity of descriptive prose, and more.

Because this book is so infused with Sacha Black’s own personality, it does include some profanity. This may put off some readers who want a good clean book. It may also not be the best book for young writers for this reason. However, if you enjoy some creative profanity-filled expressions from time to time, this won’t be a problem for you.

Final Thoughts

With most craft books that I read, I end up writing down a bunch of notes from them. After which, I may never open the book again. But with The Anatomy of Prose, I find myself flicking through its many pages of insight again and again, even after taking many notes.

This is hands down my favourite book on the craft of writing. I felt like Sacha Black gave more value than she needed to here. And it has me keen to check out some of her other books including 10 Steps to Hero: How to Craft a Kickass Protagonist, 13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains and 8 Steps to Side Characters: How to Craft Supporting Roles with Intention, Purpose, and Power.

If there was just one book I could recommend to someone who wants to improve their creative writing skills, this would be the one. As long as they don’t mind a bit of swearing, of course!

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK / Buy on Bookshop.org

About The Dragon Republic

Author: R.F. Kuang
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Date Published: August 6th, 2019
Pages: 672

Book Summary

Peace is short-lived. The ruling powers of Nikan are determined to reclaim their land. After becoming the leader of the Cike crew of shamans, Rin is now caught in the middle of a political power struggle. Her only goal is to exact revenge on Empress Daji and The Federation for selling out Nikan. But, with little political power, she struggles to find the means to take down Daji and her comrades. That’s until Rin and the Cike are intercepted by a fleet known as The Dragon Army, who has an offer for Rin that she can’t refuse.

Rin must fight to keep her people safe, confront the demons of her past, and come to terms with the terrible price she has paid for her power.

My Thoughts

What is most impressive about The Dragon Republic to me, is that although the overarching plot progresses slowly, the many character-based twists and turns are deeply intriguing. Rin is a mess in this book. She is flawed in her thinking, and it’s clear from her opioid addiction that she’s mentally scarred from the events of the first book.

Though she doesn’t seem to regret her decision to burn the entire population of an island to death, it is clear that she feels the moral weight of her actions. She continues to be confronted by her actions throughout this book, and rightfully so.

What’s special about Rin as a character, is that I don’t think the author is trying to make us like her. We’re not supposed to be fully behind Rin’s journey. She is, after all, loosely based on Mao Zedong. And it’s the complexity of this reader-protagonist relationship that fascinates me the most in this story.

A tremendous weight has been put on Rin’s shoulders after the events of The Poppy War. Altan has passed away and left her in charge of the shaman group The Cike. But Rin finds herself butting heads with Cheghan, who believes that Altan made a mistake by promoting her to the commander.

Rin’s goal as a leader is to settle her score with Empress Daji for selling out her country, but she must operate as a freelancer to gain capital for the mission. By sheer luck, Rin is granted the opportunity to assassinate Daji early on. But she winds up losing control of her magic and burning down the parade, allowing Daji to flee.

After some reassurance from the Cike, Rin builds up her confidence enough to continue on the mission. Sometime later, the group’s boat is intercepted by a large vessel, and they are essentially kidnapped by The Dragon Army. And, it’s here where the meat of this story really begins.

Extreme spoilers from here on.

The Dragon Army is led by The Dragon Warlord, Vaisra. Vaisra is the father of Nezha (a returning character from The Poppy War). The Dragon Warlord’s goal is to conquer Nikan by unseating the Empress and strongarming anyone who should resist their plan to build a new republic. To achieve this dominance, Vaisra benefits from having the power of Rin and the Cike.

While much of the book focuses on politics and military strategy, R.F. Kuang gives us enough interesting character development to carry the reader along. Oftentimes, I found that the chapters focus heavily on character moments, with a brief passage explaining their intended strategy that comes before the end of the chapter. And although I noticed this pattern a few times, it doesn’t come across as formulaic. You can tell that much attention was paid by Kuang to not beat the readers over the head with strategy, and this is greatly appreciated.

Another interesting theme in this book is the cultural contrast between the West and the East. To further empower his dynasty, The Dragon Warlord finds himself dependent on the Hesperian fleet. The Hesperians are essentially this world’s Europeans. They bring with them their firearms and advanced military strategy. But, in order to support Vaisra’s Dragon Republic, part of their agreement includes access to Rin. To examine and experiment with her magic.

Rin is obviously reluctant to play ball with the Hesperians and doesn’t quite trust their motives. However, she must agree in order to stay alive and remain with the Dragon Army. A few segments of Rin being tested by the Hesperian scientist follow. And during these scenes, we get some interesting dialogue that examines the differences in religion and philosophy between the East and the West. Rin believes that there are many gods. And these gods don’t necessarily represent good. They are agents of chaos. The Hesperians believe in one god, and that their actions while living will lead them to reincarnation in god’s kingdom.

Rin thinks that the Hesperian’s take on religions is idealistic, but part of her likes the idea that you only have to serve the will of one god to then end up at peace after death. This exchange of perspective was interesting to read, and it opened up many more layers of thought for Rin and her journey.

Final Thoughts

I struggle to find too much fault with this book as I came out of it feeling satisfied. There’s much to say about the pacing, as the argument can be made that there isn’t much story progression through the first half of the book. To me, this is forgivable by the fact that the character development is far superior to the first book. There are many interesting twists that come during the book’s final chapters. Some are predictable, but still interesting to read.

The Dragon Republic falls into grimdark territory, and it doesn’t disappoint on that front. Violence, murder, and immorality are persistent throughout the book. The brutality of war is apparent. And we get a look into how these harsh realities can affect the psyche.

The Dragon Republic feels like the book R.F. Kuang wanted to give us this whole time. It’s almost as if The Poppy War was a necessary step for this incredible piece of work to be presented. I have yet to read The Burning God, the third book in the series, but many are calling The Dragon Republic the best in the trilogy. And I can already see why.

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK

About Kiss the Girls

Author: James Patterson
Publication Date: 1995
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 464 paperback

Summary

When Alex Cross gets the news that his niece Naomi “Scootchie” Cross is missing, he goes down south to North Carolina to follow up on leads. During this time, the FBI and DEA inform him that eight girls have gone missing from different states. All of them received notes from someone calling himself Casanova.

Alex Cross must then investigate Casanova and his abduction ring, which he later finds out involves another man calling himself The Gentleman Caller. When Kate McTiernan—one of the abducted women—becomes the first to escape from Casanova’s lair, Cross gets his biggest lead yet. Can Alex Cross learn the identities of Casanova and The Gentleman Caller and save his niece Naomi?

My Thoughts

Reading Kiss the Girls taught me something about the first Alex Cross book. It showed me that although I enjoyed Along Came a Spider, and it was full of thrills, mystery, and intrigue…it actually wasn’t paced well. And I know this because the pacing in Kiss the Girls is significantly better. It manages to be a little longer than Along Came a Spider, but there were no real dry spots.

One of the tactics Patterson used to keep me invested in this story is shrouding the identities of The Gentleman Caller and Casanova in mystery. Throughout the book, these perverts prey on young, attractive women and abduct them. They lock them up in a harem and have their way with them. Drugging them to make them co-operate. But one thing that prevents Casanova and his companion from being discovered, even after Kate McTiernan escapes, is that they wear face masks.

These face masks become an interesting quirk for the bad guys, because these masks define their emotions and personalities at the time of wearing them. They wear them only at the harem, and they change these masks up to suit their mood; giving the girls a hint at what they’re in for each time they show up. But it’s these masks that allow the suspense to plausibly carry on all the way through the book. Without them, it would be difficult for Patterson to keep the identities of these men from the reader. And the desire to figure out who these men are, and see Cross finally take them down is what really carries this book.

If you pay close enough attention, it is possible to figure out who Casanova is before the end of the book. But, Patterson does an excellent job of feeding us red herrings to throw us off. Casanova didn’t end up being the person that I thought he was, but I was close.

Kiss the Girls features some returning characters who play an important part in the life of Alex Cross. This includes Nana Mama and Cross’ children. And also, Cross’ partner in Washington D.C, Sampson. But Cross gains an important companion when Kate McTiernan escapes from Casanova’s lair. Not only does she become a big part of the investigation, but she also keeps Cross in check.

Kate McTiernan is a strong-willed woman. She manages to escape after putting her karate skills to use and attacking Casanova. She runs for her life after this, and comes very close to losing it. Cross and Kate get close in this book, because true to Cross’ therapy background, he treats Kate as more than just an asset to the investigation. However, the end result of this companionship might not be what you think. Patterson handles the situation very respectfully.

Kiss the Girls gives us a classic cat and mouse investigation to enjoy. We’re presented some intense scenes where Cross either comes seconds away from blowing the case open, or comes entirely too close to flopping the it completely. And what makes the whole thing more suspenseful is that we never know exactly how much the criminals are privy to. We often get the feeling that they know exactly what’s going on with the investigation and that they’re toying with Cross and the other agents.

Towards the end of the book, Patterson throws in some curve-balls that no-doubt set up future conflict in this series. An old friend of Cross’ escapes from prison. And at the very end of the book, Cross is informed of a new murder, which presumably leads right into book 3 of this series.

Verdict

Kiss the Girls gives reader two slimy antagonists that they’ll want to see fall. Often in these detective stories, the antagonist does such a great job stringing along the detectives that to some degree we don’t want to see their fall. Kiss the Girls instead hooks us by getting us invested in the downfall of the antagonists. It’s a tactic that Patterson dangles in front of our faces all the way through, by making them more unlikable in every scene.

If sexual abuse is a trigger point, then you’ll want to steer clear of this book. But for those who want a dark but well-paced detective novel with a unique protagonist, then Kiss the Girls is ten times more engrossing than the first book in this series. And Along Came a Spider was a solid book in its own right. The ending has me highly anticipating book 3 in this series. My goal is now to read every Alex Cross book.

Check out my review of book #3 Jack and Jill right here!

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK

About Along Came a Spider

Author: James Patterson
Publication Date: 1993
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 435 paperback

Summary

Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a PhD in psychology. When some deranged killer begins murdering and mutilating victims in the projects, Alex Cross and his partner are keen to find the killers. But when a couple of high-profile students are kidnapped from a school, Alex and his partner, Sampson, are taken off the project murders and put on the kidnapping case. Initially, Cross is unhappy about this, because no one ever cares about victims in the projects. But Cross soon learns that there is a close link between these two cases.

While investigating the kidnappings, Cross finds himself at the heart of the situation. And a romantic interest proves to be more interesting than Cross could ever imagine.

My Thoughts

Detective series’ often have a cheat code. That’s because these types of novels don’t necessarily need a detective that’s an interesting character. Often, it’s the mystery they’re trying to solve that’s the heart of each book. But in Along Came a Spider, James Patterson actually made me care about the life of Alex Cross.

Cross lives a humble life as a homicide detective. He lives with his children, and his grandmother, which he calls Nana Mama because she played the role of both his mother and grandmother in his life. Alex Cross also likes to unwind by playing Jazz songs on his piano, on his porch where everyone can hear him.

At the start of the book, we’re quickly told that Alex Cross is a widow. His wife was murdered, and we don’t receive too many details about this. We’re given enough about the murder to leave us anticipating a full revelation about this in a future book.

But what makes Cross a likable character is his balance of character. He’s your typical detective that’s able to shoot-the-shit with his colleagues, and to a degree, he’s loyal to the force. But he cares enough about his cases to seek out proper justice, even if it’s at the detriment of those on his side of the law. We also get to see Cross use his experience as a psychologist many times throughout the book. And in these scenes, we get to see his humility.

Another reason Cross is so likable is because of the situations he’s forced to overcome in the story. Alex Cross is taken off of a project murder case and forced to investigate a case involving two kidnapped children, who happen to be the children of government officials. Initially, Cross is pissed that so little concern is shown for the people who are made victims in the projects. But despite his distaste, he still shows concern for the lives of the kidnapped children.

As the reader, we get a look at the perspective of the kidnapper, who goes by two identities. Gary Murphy and Gary Soneji. Seeing the culprit’s side of the crime intensifies the suspense we feel as Alex Cross comes closer to the truth. He soon learns that there is a connection between the project murders and the kidnapping case.

Because the case involves such high-profile victims, there are secret service agents involved in the investigation also, and Alex Cross happens to get romantically involved with one of these agents. Her name is Jezzie Flannigan.

Because the book takes place over the course of two years, it can seem like this relationship escalates quickly. That is until we’re reminded of the passage of time that has passed. Cross and Flannigan seemingly fall head-over-heels for one another. And because Cross is black and Jezzie Flannigan is a blonde white woman, we’re reminded a number of times of the racial implications of their relationship. For a book written in the early 90s, these moments feel plausible. But one of these moments is sure to raise some eyebrows.

Because James Patterson is a white male author, it raises some questions about how authentic his depiction of a black detective could possibly be. But if I’m honest, Patterson did a better job than expected. Alex Cross comes across as a regular person and not a caricature. My only gripe is that when Patterson writes characters from the projects, the use of ebonics he portrays is laughable. Ebonics tweaks and adds flavor to the English language, but Patterson has one character from the projects sounding like a foreigner who can barely speak English. Because Alex Cross himself speaks normally, this issue can be overlooked. The character in question only appears a couple of times.

A signature of James Patterson’s books is the short chapters, quick pacing, and deep suspense. Along Came a Spider is Patterson at his best. The story will draw you in quickly and hold your attention the whole way through. Patterson does a phenomenal job of building up tension, and because of how short the chapters are, I always feel like I have time for one more. With every breakthrough Alex Cross makes in his investigations, you always get the feeling that there is something deeper at play.

No moment in the story goes to waste. There are times in this book where it feels like two stories are unrelated, but then they all end up tieing together. There is a major twist later in the book that you may see coming if you’re paying close enough attention. It’s one of those twists that allow the reader to catch on by weighing up all of the facts, but it could also go completely over your head and shock you.

Verdict

I went into this book not knowing what to expect. I’d heard that this was a long-running series by James Patterson and that there are multiple movies based on the detective Alex Cross, but I didn’t think I would enjoy the book as much as I did. And now I have set myself the goal of reading all 30 books in the series. I also thought that the book may feel dated, being that it was written almost 30 years ago. Thankfully, the book holds up well.

If you want to lose yourself in a tense crime thriller, then I highly recommend Along Came a Spider.

Check out my review for book #2 Kiss the Girls right here!

I Never Met Alpo by Troy Reed / Buy on Amazon (US) / Buy on Amazon (UK)

Don’t be fooled by the title. Troy Reed did meet Alpo. In fact, they became as close as blood brothers. The title of this book is a statement. Throughout his fifteen years of interacting with Alpo, Troy became one of the only people who would get to know Albert Martinez. The man behind the legend, Alpo. With the book’s title, Troy Reed is saying that he didn’t meet Alpo initially, he instead got to meet Albert. And now, thanks to this incredible book, he’s giving readers a chance to meet Albert too.

The book starts out with Alpo’s first-hand accounts of his own life experiences, including the moments when the Feds busted him. Alpo explains his reasons for co-operating with the government and goes into full detail about the process. All we’ve heard for the past 30+ years is about how much of a snitch or a rat Alpo is, so hearing these explanations from the man himself is mind-blowing. This is nothing like what we heard in Alpo’s FEDS magazine interview. These few chapters from Alpo’s perspective are worth the cost of the book alone.

After Alpo’s chapters, Troy Reed begins documenting his own experiences of meeting Alpo for the first time. It was during Alpo’s incarceration at a witness protection correctional facility. After the success of Game Over, Troy Reed wanted to be the first to make a full-length Alpo documentary with the co-sign of the man himself. After connecting with an associate of Alpo, Troy was added to Alpo’s visiting list. The two men eventually met and Alpo found Troy Reed easy to talk to. From then on Troy would learn all about Albert Martinez.

Troy describes Albert (Alpo) as someone who is 100% self-conscious about their past actions. Alpo’s deal with the government meant that he had to be honest about his 14 murders to avoid the death sentence. This meant that he was allowed to speak freely to Troy about all of his past transgressions. But as he spoke about these things, Troy caught Albert’s compassion for the people he hurt and the families he tore apart.

Later in the book, Troy gives us the true story behind Alpo’s release from incarceration in 2015. Alpo was released into a witness protection program and given a new identity. The plan was for him to live a peaceful life in Maine as a changed man. For a while, Alpo seemed happy to be driving a Pepsi truck and interacting with the locals in Maine. But as this book documents, Alpo would eventually visit his old stomping ground, New York City. And after being treated like a celebrity by people who recognized him, he would slowly slip back into the person we know as Alpo. The same character depicted by Cam’ron in Paid in Full.

When I started to learn about Alpo’s appearances in Harlem on social media, I was shocked to know that this gangster from the 80s, who co-operated with the government, was casually walking around and living his life as if nothing happened. And I think many of us can admit that we were mesmerized by the boldness of Alpo.

Back in 2019, a clip surfaced online of Alpo being driven around Harlem while retelling his experience of murdering Rich Porter. Alpo even goes to the same location where he left Porter’s body in 1990. Troy Reed was directing this footage, and in this book, he explains that this footage was never supposed to be seen. The plan was to film for the Alpo documentary. Troy intended to make cuts to the final version so that you would see the compassionate side of Alpo. Viewers were meant to see that Alpo was truly sorry for what he did. But unfortunately, the footage was leaked online before we could ever see a final cut. The leaked clips show the cold psychopath that Alpo is believed to be.

Troy Reed explains the full details behind the leak, and also why he decided to make an apology video. Sadly, this leak meant that we’d never get a final edited cut of the Alpo documentary that he’d been working on for many years.

The latter parts of I Never Met Alpo focus heavily on Alpo’s descent back into his old ways. He was kicked out of the witness protection program after violating the rules. And after seeing all of the attention he got on the streets, it wasn’t long before he made the streets his home again. Alpo would later move from Maine to New Jersey to be closer to the action.

You can feel Troy’s pain and frustration as he writes about the events that led up to October 31st, 2021. That was the morning that we all got the shocking news that Albert Martinez aka Alpo had been shot and killed in his Dodge Ram 2500 pick-up truck.

However you feel about Alpo, that death signified the end of an era. The well-documented crack era of the mid-to-late 1980s was a unique time to be alive. And although there are many tragic stories of murderous drug dealers breaking up families, there’s one thing we can’t forget. The U.S was allowing the sale of narcotics to fund a war in Nicaragua. And when they had no more interest in doing so, they proceeded to make inner-city hustlers the villains behind the war on drugs.

There’s no denying that men like Alpo made their own decisions. And as Troy Reed shows us, Alpo was aware of his mistakes. But, in an environment stripped of opportunity, there weren’t many other decisions for men like Alpo to make.

With his release into witness protection, Alpo had a second chance to make that decision, and he chose wrong for a second time.

Alpo’s name is the biggest name on the cover of this book, and there’s no doubt that he was a unique individual that the world will never see again. But we cannot forget Troy Reed. Troy Reed has once again captured and documented an important story to the black community. He is the quintessence of black role models. I say this because not only does he pride himself on telling the stories that need to be told, but he takes his time to build with the subjects of his documentaries behind the scenes. In this book, he shows how much he nurtured his relationship with Alpo. From giving him money to help him live while on witness protection, to encouraging Alpo to stay out of New York City and escape falling back into the cycle. Troy shows his understanding of the pain and suffering that Alpo caused. He aimed to shield the family of Rich Porter from Alpo’s bold moves.

Troy Reed didn’t write this book to glorify Alpo or the life he lived. He wrote it as a means to present Albert’s truth to the world. To let the world know about the man who considered him a little brother. Because while people online type the most creative insults they can think of under Alpo videos, a book now exists that documents the cold hard facts behind an unfortunate story. Reed has given us the reality of what Alpo went through since killing his friend and snitching on his enforcer. Because of Troy Reed, you can learn the truth of who Albert Martinez is.

Unlike the media moguls you find on YouTube that cover black tragedy for clicks and ad revenue, people like Troy Reed and Gully TV are continuously showing that there is a way to be respectful towards the people involved in the story. And that is the carefulness and consideration we need to see from those who publish these true crime stories.

I Never Met Alpo is the closest Albert Martinez autobiography that we’ll ever get. If you’re into these true crime stories then don’t hesitate to buy a copy. You won’t be disappointed.