Polansky, Daniel

The battles of politics and war give a real feeling of tension and life to this novel. Readers who enjoy the political complexity and epic battles of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin as well as the classic fantasy of The Nutcracker will enjoy this stand-alone.

Given this title's slim length and the many enjoyable pages devoted to introducing each gang member, there is not a lot of time for the attack itself. Still, Polansky ("Low Town" trilogy) makes the most of his page count and keeps the pacing at the end quick and the violence quotient high. If you ever wondered about a grim version of Brian Jacques's Redwall, check out this novella, one in a superb new lineup from Tor.com.

Polansky has not yet mastered the trick of weaving various populations and languages into a cohesive narrative. The result is a sense of disorder and not the good kind that grows out of the postapocalyptic meaninglessness as in Nick Harkaway's The Gone-Away World. Elements of fantasy and pulp fiction don't mix well here, and the dialog often sounds forced. [See Prepub Alert, 2/7/11.]—Stephen Morrow, Ohio Univ., Athens