⋙ Descargar The Man with the Golden Torc Secret Histories Book 1 Simon R Green 9780451461452 Books

The Man with the Golden Torc Secret Histories Book 1 Simon R Green 9780451461452 Books

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The Man with the Golden Torc Secret Histories Book 1 Simon R Green 9780451461452 Books

Simon R. Green and I have a special connection. Well, no, actually we don't but it's weird how he seems to write the books I want to write and always has ideas I thought I came up with first. Either way, the Secret Histories series has been compared to Esoterrorism a few times so I thought I'd give it a try and see if it was any good. It is.

Shaman Bond, the alias of Edwin Drood, is the greatest secret agent in the world. Sort of. Edwin Drood doesn't work for any government but his family of former druids turned mystics. They guard the world from the vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. However, after a routine mission ends up with him witnessing the suicide of the world's most knowledgeable occultist, Edwin finds himself in hot water with the family. So much hot water that he may be forced to go rogue and seek the protection of the Drood family's worst enemies.

The thing about Simon R. Green's work is it's weird and fun. If you need to know anything about his books, they're that. There's a scene where a bunch of UFOs, elves, and professional assassins attack our protagonist as he's carrying an ancient Stonehenge relic. There's a nymph flower elemental, the immortal embodiment of serial killing, a trepanning Nazi, and various other oddball concepts played entirely straight. Did I mention all of the Droods have magical golden Iron Man-esque armor?

Yeah.

Simon R. Green books are wall-to-wall goofiness and that's part of their charm. The thing is, despite the fact he throws everything and the kitchen sink at the reader, the books never treat their ludicrous situations as anything but serious. The willingness for the characters to internalize the weirdness of their setting helps lend itself an authenticity that makes it kinda-sorta grounded. You believe in the characters and their motivations even when they're visiting an extra-dimensional cat burglar.

I liked Shaman Bond and Molly, the agent and anarchist who form the crux of the book's narrative. They form a good pair of modern-day Avengers with a decent bit of chemistry combined with contrasting worldviews which aren't so different underneath the surface. It was perhaps a little too easy for these two to fall in love given their circumstances but I was rooting for them to so I can't exactly complain, can I?

The Drood family, itself, is a engaging and weird antagonist. A massive conspiracy of scientists, magician, and magically-empowered knights which is too stuck in a rut to really care whether it's serving the side or good or evil. All of us know something of family pressure and it's interesting to have the living embodiment of that as your foe. The family which will control everything in your life from beginning to end while insisting it is all for your good is a bigger nightmare to me than Cthulhu. I also loved the Drood secret as it's just horrible enough to justify all the shocked reactions to it.

I'm also a fan of Manifest Destiny as an enemy. In a world of the supernatural, it's very likely you'd have people who'd want everything to be safe and sane as well as scientific. Unfortunately, Manifest Destiny is unable to keep its truly vile elements under control as one you have a cause, it's all too easy to assume everyone who opposes it is evil. There's a nice bit of foreshadowing with one of the characters we later learn is a member being described in decidedly Nazi terms.

In conclusion, The Man with the Golden Torc is a fun little bit of urban fantasy which is actually fairly conclusive in its ending. While there are many books behind it, I think it functions as a stand-alone if you're looking for a fast read. It may be too over-the-top for some but I think it's great for those who don't take their fantasy too seriously.

9/10


Tags : The Man with the Golden Torc (Secret Histories, Book 1) [Simon R. Green] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. From the New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Deathstalker</i> and Nightside</i> series comes a new kind of hero in an old kind of war. <br/><br/> All those things you hear about as a kid? The boogeyman under the bed? The creature in the closet? They're for real,Simon R. Green,The Man with the Golden Torc (Secret Histories, Book 1),Roc Hardcover,0451461452,1001264287,Fantasy fiction.,ENGLISH SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY,FICTION Fantasy General,Fantasy,Fantasy - General,Fantasy fiction,Fiction,Fiction - Fantasy,Fiction Fantasy Contemporary,Fiction-Fantasy,GENERAL,General Adult,United States

The Man with the Golden Torc Secret Histories Book 1 Simon R Green 9780451461452 Books Reviews

Since the Harry Potter series is over (sigh), I've been looking for more engaging, well written and imaginative books and I fell into Simon Green's work ie the dark Nightside supernatural series by checking some very helpful reviews. The Nightside series was great while it lasted! Looking into his other work I found the Drood family and their never ending battle to protect humanity while having to keep a close eye on their own relatives which has been a good and fun read as well. Interestingly enough, Green infuses characters and references from the Nightside series into the Drood collection as well. A sort of different cast of characters set in the same time period on earth -- sometimes working together and sometimes not!

Jim Butcher is good, Glenn Cook is good and now Simon Green is one of my favorites as well. If you are looking to continue in the vein of werewolves, witches, monsters, gods and fantastic well thought out storylines, I suggest you give this series a look. Just read the 1st one in the series -- either Golden Torc for the Droods or get into the Nightside series by Simon Green. You won't be disappointed in either.

I wish for you the very best in reading enjoyment!
I have been a huge fan of Simon R. Green ever since I got hooked on the Nightside series and from there The Ghost Finders. So it came as no surprise when I finally started the Secret Histories series I was equally hooked,there is just so much to love about it I honestly cannot quantify a single thing. There's no point in my reviewing any of the other Secret Histories novels because everyone one is just as entertaining as the next. To quote my brother,"they just keep getting better"😊
Simon R Green is a great author with a fantastic sense of humor, but he often recycles characters, jokes, and plots through his various series. I like the characters showing up in different series, even in passing, but the jokes and plots are less acceptable. If you read a "Nightside" novel, one from the "Drood" series, and one from "Blue Moon", you'll understand. As a matter of fact, my introduction to SRG was the, "Blue Moon" series, and it's still one of my favorites.
These aren't John Taylor and the Nightside, but the series is still prime Green, and the witty observations and fast pace can be relied upon to provide an entertaining read.
Again I break my rule and give a 5-star rating. I am seldom surprised by the way a story unfolds, and yet I must admit that toward the end there, and many times along the way, I was surprised. I found myself truly liking the protagonist and what may or may not be his love. No one is completely good, no one is completely evil...with one possible exception. I believe you will find the story worth your time.
Being the first book in the series I debated giving it 3 or 4 stars, really it's 3.5 to my mind. The story is good, the humor hit and miss, and the action is enjoyable. I plan to read at least the next book, now that Mr. Green has the backstory out of the way I am hoping that it will exceed this first.
The bad the James Bond cliches are amusing initially but felt somewhat worn by midbook, happily that is when they stopped for the most part. The sheer volume of action in the first half ended up being underwhelming.
The good the second half is far more enticing and the baddies that emerge far more interesting and devious, the dialogue also improved and the characters really hit their stride.
I was happy to have read the book despite being less than awed by the opening. Further, it is a fun mix of fantasy and mystery that other authors have an unfortunate habit of turning into poorly executed erotica. All in all I recommend it and am hopeful for the rest of the series.
Simon R. Green and I have a special connection. Well, no, actually we don't but it's weird how he seems to write the books I want to write and always has ideas I thought I came up with first. Either way, the Secret Histories series has been compared to Esoterrorism a few times so I thought I'd give it a try and see if it was any good. It is.

Shaman Bond, the alias of Edwin Drood, is the greatest secret agent in the world. Sort of. Edwin Drood doesn't work for any government but his family of former druids turned mystics. They guard the world from the vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. However, after a routine mission ends up with him witnessing the suicide of the world's most knowledgeable occultist, Edwin finds himself in hot water with the family. So much hot water that he may be forced to go rogue and seek the protection of the Drood family's worst enemies.

The thing about Simon R. Green's work is it's weird and fun. If you need to know anything about his books, they're that. There's a scene where a bunch of UFOs, elves, and professional assassins attack our protagonist as he's carrying an ancient Stonehenge relic. There's a nymph flower elemental, the immortal embodiment of serial killing, a trepanning Nazi, and various other oddball concepts played entirely straight. Did I mention all of the Droods have magical golden Iron Man-esque armor?

Yeah.

Simon R. Green books are wall-to-wall goofiness and that's part of their charm. The thing is, despite the fact he throws everything and the kitchen sink at the reader, the books never treat their ludicrous situations as anything but serious. The willingness for the characters to internalize the weirdness of their setting helps lend itself an authenticity that makes it kinda-sorta grounded. You believe in the characters and their motivations even when they're visiting an extra-dimensional cat burglar.

I liked Shaman Bond and Molly, the agent and anarchist who form the crux of the book's narrative. They form a good pair of modern-day Avengers with a decent bit of chemistry combined with contrasting worldviews which aren't so different underneath the surface. It was perhaps a little too easy for these two to fall in love given their circumstances but I was rooting for them to so I can't exactly complain, can I?

The Drood family, itself, is a engaging and weird antagonist. A massive conspiracy of scientists, magician, and magically-empowered knights which is too stuck in a rut to really care whether it's serving the side or good or evil. All of us know something of family pressure and it's interesting to have the living embodiment of that as your foe. The family which will control everything in your life from beginning to end while insisting it is all for your good is a bigger nightmare to me than Cthulhu. I also loved the Drood secret as it's just horrible enough to justify all the shocked reactions to it.

I'm also a fan of Manifest Destiny as an enemy. In a world of the supernatural, it's very likely you'd have people who'd want everything to be safe and sane as well as scientific. Unfortunately, Manifest Destiny is unable to keep its truly vile elements under control as one you have a cause, it's all too easy to assume everyone who opposes it is evil. There's a nice bit of foreshadowing with one of the characters we later learn is a member being described in decidedly Nazi terms.

In conclusion, The Man with the Golden Torc is a fun little bit of urban fantasy which is actually fairly conclusive in its ending. While there are many books behind it, I think it functions as a stand-alone if you're looking for a fast read. It may be too over-the-top for some but I think it's great for those who don't take their fantasy too seriously.

9/10