Three Parts DeadMax Gladstone
Tor Books, October 2012
ISBN: 978-0765333100
Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.
Tara Abernathy has been cast out by the Hidden Schools, but not before she graduated as a Craftswoman, able to use soulstuff to perform God-like tasks. She's hired by Ms. Kevarian of the firm of Kelethras, Albrecht, and Ao, to help with a delicate legal case.
In the city of Alt Coulumb the God, Kos Everburning, has died. The city of Alt Coulumb and the surrounding areas have long relied on the old God for power and heat, so his death would have terrible results for everyone. If they can find the cause of Kos's death, they can possibly bring him back. Ms. Kevarian, hired by the clergy to oversee his resurrection, must contend against her former associate, and Tara's former professor and the reason she was kicked out of school, Alexander Donovo.
There are several interconnected plots set up by various people for various reasons. They take place in a city that's a fascinating mix of technology, religion and magic. The city, for example, has trains and elevators that run off steam produced by Kos. The Craft is an attempt by humans to recreate the power of the Gods by using the stars and soulstuff, either their own or that stolen from others.
Max Galdstone's first novel reads like one written by an established, experienced author. Both serious and witty, Three Parts Dead introduces the reader to a vibrant world that is at the same time new and fantastic, as well as believable and familiar. With strong, unique characters, superior and highly imaginative world building, and an expertly structured plot that gradually builds in intensity until reaching a genuinely stunning climax, Three Parts Dead is an absolutely brilliant debut that works on every level.
MAX GLADSTONE went to Yale, where he wrote a short story that became a finalist in the Writers of the Future competition. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
ISBN: 978-0765333100; ISBN10: 0765333104; Imprint: Tor Books; On Sale: 10/2/2012; Format: Hardcover; Pages: 336; $24.99
