What do readers think of Low Town by Daniel Polansky? Write your own review.

This first novel by the author is a cross-genre story; a science fiction and murder mystery. I found myself immersed into the plot until the very end. People have told me that I have an above average vocabulary, but I had difficulty in reading parts of this book. I'm sure if the author used simpler words, he would reach a wider audience. Overall, I enjoyed reading it.

The title, Low Town, describes exactly what the reader is in for. If you enjoy reading about drunks, druggies, and degenerates, this is the book for you. It is a mystery; and Warden, an ex-government detective, discovers the first of several murdered children and becomes involved. A glossary would have helped to define words - scryer, wyrm. Most of the characters had few redeeming qualities, and I didn't care what happened to them.

This book is very dark and violent. I tried to finish reading it because the plot was intriguing but could not get past the violence and drug underworld characters. The unusual descriptive words prevented the story from flowing and made reading a little difficult.

My feeling about Low Town is one of deja vu: I've been down this road before.

Warden is physically and emotionally scarred by life, a loner, a drug addict and dealer who used to be on the other side of the law. And despite all he's seen, all he's suffered and lost, he still ... cares, looks to protect, seeks justice. He doesn't want anyone to know he still has a bit of a heart, nor that he yearns for some sort of redemption. He's not a likable individual: gruff, harsh, prone to violence, smart, canny, and lethal.

And fiction abounds with precisely this type of protagonist. I wish I could say something about Low Town sets it apart from other similar novels, but there isn't anything particularly new about the author's approach to this theme. Except, perhaps, for the spurts of peculiarly contemporary language -- this is largely a medieval setting, so the vernacular was jarring. There's some small bits of humor (not nearly enough to offset the horrifying brutality), there's suspense, there's a conclusion, and a few of Warden's mysteries are, throughout, revealed. It is well written (despite my snarky comment above about the language), and much of the writing is beautifully crafted. But it wasn't much fun to read, and Warden wasn't much of a hero to root for, so for me it was a disappointment.

Interesting characters. The author does a good job of describing the setting and the characters. It is a dark and grim tale. The author aptly brings this across through his use of words. I found it difficult to read only because the subject matter is sad.

I am definitely not an expert capable of evaluating literature of this genre. I am able to decide that this novel does not appeal to me. I had a hard time following the story line, probably a result of my lack of enthusiasm for a story that has a drug dealer as its hero and is set in a time and place with which I cannot relate.

I know this is David Polansky’s first novel and I wish I could enthusiastically praise his effort but I cannot.

Tales about apocalyptic futures, parallel universes, and alternative histories, have gained considerable popularity over the last several years. Some come across as imaginative and well-written, others appeal to adolescent fantasies, and still others clutter up book racks. Unfortunately, Low Town leans strongly to the last category. A loner named Warden lives in this dark, dreary place, a setting straight out of the pulp fiction of the 1920s and 1930s, except that it bears only superficial resemblances to anything recognizable.
A rambling, shambling plot that quickly grows tiresome, along with awkward constructions, neologisms, and transitions that will try even a patient reader, reveal a lack of consistency and craft in Polansky's writing.
Given the usual high quality of Brookbrowse selections, this title served as a letdown. Since Low Town is presented as a debut novel, perhaps Polansky will redeem himself in future efforts.