Flex ('Mancer)

Synopsis: Flex is the first book in the 'Mancer series by Ferrett Steinmetz. Despite my being in the Angry Robot Army review program, I actually had to buy this book since I only have review copies of the succeeding books. It was totally worth it. Paul Tsabo is a policeman turned insurance investigator, and he has a knack of sniffing out claims that actually involved magic. Magic, or 'mancy as it's called, is highly illegal, especially after a catastrophic incident in Europe. But more and more a sort of drug called Flex is putting mancy in the hands of everyday people unprepared for how to use it. It's a sort of condense 'mancy that can imbue the powers on someone else. But 'mancy means defying the laws of physics - and the universe tends to fight back with Flux, the backlash from wild use of this magic. Paul Tsabo is a great investigator, but he has also recently discovered that he may have a flavor of 'mancy of his own. And when his daughter's life his threatened, he finds himself without any other choice but to use it. What I Liked: Flex has a GREAT concept behind it if you can get past the need for the apostrophe in the term 'mancy. And the apostrophe is there since everyone's magic is unique and their version of magic tends to define the name. Paul quickly reveals to us readers that he has something he calls bureaucramancy, a magic that finds strength in Paul's belief that systems and paperwork make the world go round. His beliefs define his magic and also its limitations - such as how bureaucracy isn't fast and thus his magic must be well planned and thought-out. Throw in an easy to follow yet pretty detailed writing style, the book is a pleasure to read with some great characters and exciting sequences. Some bits seem a little wobbly, but for a first major book in what has become a continuing series. And I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. What Could Have Been Better: I could quibble about some finer points about how the plot was constructed or maybe how some supporting characters could have been fleshed out. but it doesn't seem all that important given how the book ultimately flowed. The book had it's opportunities, but in the end the overall experience helped get past that stuff. TL;DR: Flex is a great read with some fun ideas about what magic could be like and what forms it may take. And ultimately his magic is all about passions, interests and obsessions, and all that makes the magic feel that much closer within reach.

I'll admit, I bought and started this book because I've been a longtime reader of the Ferrett's blog. I enjoyed and finished the book because it was a good story. It's a fast, engrossing read. It's a fun take on magic. The world is richly imagined with culture and history peaking out from behind the staging. The story moves and builds well. I gave it 4 of 5 because some of the supporting characters are shadows. There are 'mancers supposedly defined by their incredible obsession to one thing, but they're fleshed out and given more depth than cliched tropes from central casting (sleazy politician, macho cop, thug, pretty boy, etc). As someone who's read the Ferrett's blog for years, I can see parallels between what he's written about in his personal life, and what he's written about in his fiction. They're there. Ironically, I think I'd have enjoyed the book more without knowing them; because I found the connections I'd see would pull me out of the fictional story and back to thinking about real events or posts. If you're not a reader of the blog, don't let that stop you from enjoying the book. If you are a reader of the blog, it's probably gonna tug at some memories. (But you've probably already read the book, I'm pretty late to the actual book party.) I personally found it overly optimistic; but it stands in fine speculative fiction company there.

This is a special one. Blew through it in a day and enjoyed it immensely the entire way through. The book's greatest achievement is the congruency between its worldbuilding and its character arcs. The magic system, in which a person's obsessions allow them to twist the laws of probability (which eventually builds up a reservoir of bad luck that blows back upon them in disastrous ways), is amazing, and it accomplishes the rare feat of making it actually fun to see people cast spells, because: a) you wonder how they're going to adapt their particular obsession (i.e. w/ video games or w/ bureaucracy) to the given situation; and b) you know that even if their magic is successful, something terrible will eventually happen to them. The nature of the magic system makes it very easy to dramatize the main character's primary conflict, which is that if he does nothing, then he'll experience no bad luck, but he'll also be at the mercy of the universe, whereas if he acts, then he can get his way, but he also risks disaster. It's a very human story: the same story that we all face every single day. But in real life it plays out in subtle and far-reaching way that are maybe hard to understand, whereas in this book, the story plays out with explosions. Still, at its core, this story is very personal and relatable and human. It's about a guy who maybe wants to do good, but who mostly wants to patch his family together and live peacefully and ensure a happy & safe life for his daughter. And that's something I've seen rarely enough in fantasy novels that I thought it was really refreshing. Also, the book is dense and complex. Ferrett is a good student of humanity, and many of the characters, institutions, and situations in the book are startlingly complex. For instance, the main character's employer, Samaritan Mutual, is an evil corporation, but, unlike most evil corporations in fiction, it's a startlingly amorphous and petty evil. There's no evil CEO who forces it to be evil: instead, selfishness and thoughtlessness is bred right down into its bones. The corporation is evil not because of any one person, but because at every level people are rewarded for ignoring people who need help. Anyway, I could go on, but I won't. This one is one of the better fantasy novels I've read in the last five years, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it blew up and became a best-seller or an award-winner.

I think I've just read the literary equivalent of a guilty pleasure. Not that I hold this novel in low regard. But reading it felt the way you sometimes do when devouring an overly large portion of fast food : - Before taking your first bite, you find yourself salivating over everything included in your chosen menu. Knowing it'll be too much for you, but your eyes have taken over the reins of your hunger, tricking your brain into thinking you'll have no issue eating all of it. Once you tuck in, your sense of etiquette & decorum are out the window, and you're no longer 'eating', but gorging, munching. Subconsciously doing this so your brain won't collapse under the sudden amount of overly salty, overly greasy, overly industrially prepared malnutrition. But screw it, you think to yourself, as it temporarily seems to evaporate all your worries & sorrows. Every bite getting you more addicted, culinary hypnotization turning you into an automaton, a provisional slave to your ever-numbing taste buds. Until your brain finally manages to take back those reins of control, obviously too late. Your bloated belly, oversaturated innards and the slow but steady onset of heart burn are trying to convince you that this isn't good for you. In the back of your head regret & shame are trying to settle in, but you're still consciously marinating in a feeling of total satisfaction ... so, screw you brain! - Did this sound weirdly familiar? Well, that is Ferrett Steinmetz's Flex! You recognize its ingredients, you know the outcome, and yet it's an addictive, pleasurable experience. A bit of an atypical urban fantasy, set in New York, that turns the suspension of disbelief into a game. At times slapping you over the head with it, as well as presenting it to you as convincingly constructed make-believe. Where it deviates from more conventional urban fantasy I've read, is that magic isn't hidden from the world in this one. Though it's loathed and hated. Also because the connective tissue throughout this story almost feels accidental. With a flagrant, punchy prose, Ferrett delivers a zingy, rambunctious story. Part family drama, part satire and social commentary, part R-rated movie blockbuster. Unsurprisingly, this felt like a highly adaptable novel. A very visual style, bordering on the ludicrously imaginative, but with a clear & flowing structure. The author's excitement really jumped off the page. Like that fast food menu, it's a vibrant, eye-catching tale. Steinmetz quickly and regularly infuses his story with intensity, emotional baggage and high-octane action. Sometimes authors choose well-trodden paths, tropes, but by executing them well, they manage to elevate the story they're telling. So it is with Flex. The writer set out visible plot-parameters that created a foreseeable outcome. But within those boundaries, it's a wild, twisty ride told in an almost preposterous manner. Once you've read that initial chapter, like the first bite, you know you're in for a story that's overly saturated with violence, profanity and magic. Before you know it, you want more and more, and find yourself gluttonously devouring chapters. Like an unashamed literary addict, consuming this sometimes sad, convivial, often evocative tale. When you get to the end, with a slightly bloated, slightly damaged mind, you realize you had an utterly enjoyable experience. If you mix elements of Breaking Bad, Limitless, Heroes and The Boys, you might end up with something like Flex. If an obsession-based magic system, a flashy, R-rated urban fantasy crime action thriller sounds interesting to you, and you want to have a conversation with the universe along the way, then Flex could be for you! Order this playful, bonkers, somewhat toxic menu, and devour it in as little bites as you can. Indigestion be damned! - My rating : 8/10

On finding this book through a slightly circuitous route I was surprised at just how squarely it fit into that center overlapping slice of the Venn Diagram of "books I adore." This may be a spoiler but i want to call attention to the remarkable lack of romantic subplot despite characters who had all the hallmarks of such a path. Without that emotional clutter, the rest of the story was able to build and be carried by action and ethical turmoil. A strange recipe perhaps but one that works. The magic in this book hinges on a fulcrum of true belief and demands balance; it is that balance that produces some of the most intense sequences in the book. I am very happy there are more books in the series which I will begin to read almost immediately.

Flex is an interesting take on magic in the modern world. The story follows Paul, a new mage, as he tries to come to grips with his power in a world which fears and hates magic users. Paul needs to quickly come to grips with his new-found powers, learn how to work with his flex and work to save his injured daughter. Along the way he finds allies, enemies and people who would use Paul's powers to their own ends. Flex is an emotional read, sometimes dark, often sad. It depicts a man struggling in a world that fears his magic and a father's desperate attempts to help heal his injured daughter, using tools he knows will mean his end if he is caught. Flex is also playful and, at times, funny and always deeply human.

I've been following this author's blog for quite a while so I had some idea what to expect, but the book was still able to surprise me. I wasn't entirely drawn in until around the halfway point (don't get me wrong, it was good but not great) but then everything started firing on all cylinders and I just had to know what happened next. With compelling nonstandard characters and more plot twists than you can shake a Ferrett at, I recommend this book.