Skip to content

Book Review: THE BLUE BLAZES

Written By:

Alister Davison
the_blue_blazes_chuck_wendig

Review: The Blue Blazes / Author: Chuck Wendig / Publisher: Angry Robot / Release Date: Out Now

Mookie Pearl isn’t as sweet as his name might suggest. He’s a thug enforcer for the Organisation, a brute of a man who has left his wife and daughter behind in favour of his gangster life. Yet New York has more than a criminal underworld; below the city lurk goblins, snake-like Naga, ghosts, and vile dark gods that are stirring in their pits, waiting for release.

Only by taking a blue powder can a normal human see where these creatures have infiltrated our world, and it’s Mookie’s job to find them and stop them doing harm to his employers. Add to that the fact that his daughter has returned into his life, this time in opposition to the Organisation, and Mookie’s clearly a man with his hands full – especially as one of them wields a meat cleaver. All this adds up to something which, in the wrong hands, could have been a mess, a brainless hack-and-slash trip through a sinister city. Instead, we have something akin to the Die Hard of urban fantasy; one man against everything, protecting those he holds dear.

Keeping company with Mookie isn’t the easiest of journeys – it’s violent, brutal and full of foul language – but it’s a good one. Wendig’s a writer who grabs hold of the reader as if to strike a blow, but instead an arm slips around the shoulder and leads us deep into his fiction; we’re there, right in the thick of it, thanks to his superb present-tense narrative, but we can do nothing to alter events. To say he’s economic with words would be an understatement, but this means that every one matters and while his terse, often abrupt, style may not suit all tastes, it does guarantee a relentless ride through Pearl’s worlds.

For something so fantastical, The Blue Blazes is remarkably believable. The characters who populate the novel feel real, their motivations and actions understandable and relevant. To call this ‘hard-boiled’ would be an understatement; the dialogue is sharp, the stakes are high and, because we are so involved in the story, most twists come as a complete surprise, even though on later reflection they seem obvious. Rounded off with an emotional finale, The Blue Blazes is a serious contender for book of the year.

Alister Davison

You May Also Like...

chinese remake of anaconda drops trailer

ANACONDA Trailer Grants First Look At Remake Of 1997 Horror Flick

Three sequels and a spinoff-crossover film wasn’t enough for the 1997 creature feature Anaconda, which not only has a new movie in development, but is getting a Chinese remake! From
Read More
black widow star scarlett johansson in talks to lead new universal jurassic world film

Scarlett Johansson In Talks To Join JURASSIC WORLD Film

Another MCU star appears to be taking up the reins for Universal’s new Jurassic World movie: two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in talks to lead the franchise that
Read More

Exclusive Reveal! Titan Comics to Deliver Prehistoric Hysterics in First 2 DUMB DINOS Collection

Titan Comics have exclusively revealed to STARBURST that they’re gearing up to publish the first-ever collection of the hilarious cult digital comic strip 2 Dumb Dinos, and we’re not the
Read More

New Dates For Lovecraftian Key of Dreams

Key of Dreams has announced new spaces for its titular immersive luxury horror event. The critically acclaimed company is known for its overnight experiences that dunk you into a strange
Read More

FAB Café to Host Free Film Screening of New Indie Comedy SECRETS OF A WALLABY BOY

We’re well known for our championing of truly independent filmmakers here at STARBURST, so it’s doubly exciting to be writing about one of our own! After joining the crew in
Read More
colin farrell returns as oswald cobblepot in the penguin series trailer

Colin Farrell Returns In THE PENGUIN Trailer

Colin Farrell returns as Gotham City’s answer to Tony Soprano in the first trailer for Max series The Penguin, which spins out of the world of the 2022 DC film
Read More