This is the only book I managed to write a thumbnail review of in 2025! I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Mr GirlWhoGotOverIt is going to love this, when it inevitably gets turned into a streaming series.
I came into this without having read any of the Brzrkr graphic novels that inspired it, but with a familiarity with China Mieville’s work. As such, I’m kind of having a giggle a the Amazon reviews that say “don’t read this without a thesaurus.” My initial notes do say, “Is Mieville’s use of language rich & vibrant, or pretentious and misplaced in the genre? Your mileage may vary.”
[The very, very best review, btw, reads “I haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but if Keanu is involved it should be good” – 5 Stars]
It what’s pretty consistent for Mieville, we’re dropped into the universe with no context, and trusted to puzzle out the mythos. He’s very good at writing alternate history, or slightly tweaked present, which makes his worlds really vividly realised.
The protagonist is a weary warrior, ready to die after countless centuries of battle. The usual Evil Black Ops team is on hand to offer him an out, as long as he helps them with one last job. Without adding spoilers, I’d say it’s better to go in with nothing more by way of set-up.
I got utterly lost in this one. With Reeves as co-author, it was easy to mentally cast him in the lead role, but I admit, I fantasy-cast pretty much every other role as I raced through the book. These gentlemen gave me an experience that’s stuck with me, and I’ll be getting into the graphic novels in an attempt to re-immerse myself in the universe.
