 | Title: Keeping it Real
  Sexual Content: Sex scenes and references to sex . Rating:
Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. |
Description
The Quantum Bomb of 2015 changed everything. The fabric that kept the universe's different dimensions apart was torn and now, six years later, the people of earth exist in uneasy company with the inhabitants of, amongst others, the elfin, elemental, and demonic realms. Magic is real and can be even more dangerous than technology. Elves are exotic, erotic, dangerous, and really bored with the constant Lord of the Rings references. Elementals are a law unto themselves and demons are best left well to themselves.
Special agent Lila Black used to be pretty, but now she's not so sure. Her body is more than half restless carbon and metal alloy machinery, a machine she's barely in control of. It goes into combat mode, enough weapons for a small army springing from within itself, at the merest provocation. As for her heart, well, ever since being drawn into a game by the elfin rockstar Zal (lead singer of the No Shows), who she's been assigned to protect, she's not even sure she can trust that any more either.
Review
KEEPING IT REAL was reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, ON THE ROAD, and DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? all rolled into one, though the way these elements came together is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Magical and lyric and lovely, this book sweeps from page to page like breathing, wrapping you in the world building so completely it is both foreign and utterly encompassing. Like learning a language through immersion, the music of what you read carries you along until the meaning emerges, and even now I’m still trying to put together the pieces into a greater whole.
This immersion style affects both world building and characters. Both Lila and Zal are presented as inscrutable and larger than life, but as events unfold their secrets start to dribble out on to the page. Not that this makes them any more predictable, nor their happily-ever-after even remotely certain, but the romance aspects of KEEPING IT REAL were the raft that kept me afloat in this complex story. There were definitely parts of the story where losing sight of Lila and Zal had my attention wandering from the book, but never to the point where I lost the thread of the plot. The world building in KEEPING IT REAL is fascinating, and despite an opening primer called “Common Knowledge”, much of what Robson teaches readers comes on the fly, woven into the action of the story. I particularly enjoyed how drastically Lila’s perception of elves changes over the course of the novel, either her growing understanding of elves’ formal, stilted speech or her complicated relationship with the elf who’s torture was the reason Lila had lost so much of herself.
Like classic fantasy and science fiction, KEEPING IT REAL is not light reading in and of itself, and it’s the start of a series that promises to be a serious (if rewarding) time investment. Despite my five bats, I still recommend readers check out the excerpt linked above before buying, the style of KEEPING IT REAL is very different from the usual Urban Fantasy fare (to the point where I don’t think that genre label really applies). Dole this book out to yourself when you’re willing to be immersed and swept away and you won’t be disappointed.
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What a combination of elements to come up with, a lot going on. But it sounds like the author crafted it well, as easy as breathing. =) Nice review! Sounds like a book I would really get into.
ReplyDeleteAs Lexi said, there is a lot going on. But I cant wait to read this it sounds so interesting. I love the ideas and the overall concept.
ReplyDeleteIn the UK this book is definitely classed as Science Fiction and not Urban Fantasy. I have to be in a certain mood to read sci-fi but as I have this one on my shelf I'm sure I will get around to eventually. Thanks for the review :)
ReplyDeleteI grew up reading science fiction so I'll be adding this one to my want list. It's nice to read a book that is not light :). Give me that word building... Thanks for the review Julia.
ReplyDeleteSee I love the sound of this - I love the idea of it being futuristic (near future haha) I'm going to definitely pick this one up thanks.
ReplyDeletePlus - this is good Sci Fi urban fantasy LOL
Pabkins @ Mission to Read
@Lexi & Shain Brown - Trying to describe this book still turns me into a babbler, it's pretty fantastic. If you like Robson's style, you'll get swept up quickly.
ReplyDelete@Book Chick City - I could see where a SciFi rating came in. Though I feel like the technology is treated like just another "magic", the over all style of the book has a SciFi vibe.
@Rain Maiden - Hope you like it!
@Pabkins - There's no "near" about it, but definitely an accessible future. Any world that still has rock stars and shadowy government agencies makes sense to me.
I'll have to check this one out even though I shy away from anything too science fiction-like in books. Good review! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a series that starts out good but, in my opinion, completely derails later tot he point where I quit reading midway trough a book because I couldn't care to finish it.
ReplyDelete@Anon - There is definitely a lull (I mainlined all the books to get to the series end, which was the book they'd actually sent for review), but reading them in under a week meant I didn't get hung up on any of the slow spots. Teazle was actually my favorite character, and my biggest issue with the series over all was the feeling that he never really became a "main" character the way Lila and Zal do.
ReplyDelete