SF Signal: REVIEW: Keeping it Real by Justina Robson

REVIEW: Keeping it Real by Justina Robson

REVIEW SUMMARY: Not your typical fantasy novel that is extremely imaginative, this book falls a little short for me.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Following a rift in Texas the world we know is joined with 5 other planes filled with fantasy creatures. One of the elves named Zal has become a major rock star whose life is threatened when elements of his home plane move to kill him. Government agent and cyborg Lila Black is sent to help him and ends up with far more than she bargained for dealing with the sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll world that Zal and his pals live in.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Highly unique fantasy setting, very well written dialog, often hilarious
CONS: Simple in structure, character growth didn't seem genuine
BOTTOM LINE: Justina can write (far better than I ever well) and there are lots of things to like in this book. But the characters didn't seem genuine enough to me and as a result I ended up feeling somewhat underwhelmed with the total book.

Half-way through this book I was amazed and seriously enjoying the heck out of it. But by the end, I was left feeling the book hadn't lived up to the beginning. I had a very hard time coming up with a rating for this book and nearly left it off entirely (bowing to convention only at the end.) For me the bottom line is that if you are a die-hard fan of fantasy novels and are looking for something truly unique, this is a book you should get. Otherwise, maybe give this one a pass.

The book opens with a quick prologue telling you about the rift in space that has joined Otopia (formerly Earth) with the other planes of existence and the beings that live there. After that you need to hold on as the book romps hard and fast through a world made very different from our own. Lila gets assigned to guard Zal, a rock-star elf with an entourage filled with drug-addicted magical creatures. Almost immediately there is an attempt on Zal's life that Lila only just manages to stop and the book moves on quickly from there. The book is really funny in lots of places too and that helps.

The first half of the book takes place in Otopia and it is here where the book is strongest. Seeing the elves and other creatures juxtaposed with our world gives them a great alien feel that kept me turning pages long into the night. The second half takes place in Alfheim, the land of the elves, and it is this portion that fell short. While certainly not conventional, this part of the book has a more traditional fantasy feel to it and lost some of the magic Robson had generated early on (pun intended.) The characters also seem to lose credibility here, as the changes they go through (at least after Zal and Lila reconnect) no longer seem genuine. I had a hard time empathizing with Lila at this point.

I didn't dislike the book and I'm glad I read it. I probably won't read any sequels though. Note that my wife - who doesn't care for sci-fi or fantasy - was attracted to the description on Amazon but couldn't finish reading it.