Parasite is the sequel to Residue, which I reviewed previously. After the events of the last book, Jack Bishop has been relocated to Sacramento as part of an elaborate game of evil-mastermind chess between two genetic research firms, one of which is holding his father prisoner, and both are attempting to control Jack.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the sequel. Obviously, I expected more of the same blend of urban fantasy, urban sci-fi, and Diamond’s brand of action-horror; but the back-cover description showed things escalating far beyond what I thought the series was going for. Turns out that was deliberate. The first novel was effectively a stand-alone, almost entirely self-contained, with just a few loose threads intended to lead into a sequel. Another mystery, another secret investigation, another delightful Thin Man-esque back-and-forth between Jack and his mind-reading, gun-toting girlfriend Alex.
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How to Review
One of the many things I’m behind on, especially in regard to this site, is my pile of review to-dos. That doesn’t mean manuscripts; it means books I’ve read (or listened to, in the case of audiobooks) and think are worth talking about.
But a review is actually a delicate sort of art, and — as readers here well know! — I tend to be more on the verbose side. That actually isn’t the way I should be doing it, and as I get back into the swing of things I need to watch that. Part of it is that because this site exists to focus on writing advice, I like pulling out lessons; but that isn’t always the best use of a review even for here, even if the only people reading the reviews are authors looking for tips and tricks.
So what does go into a good review? And what’s the difference between a review and a critique? Continue reading →
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