Yzabel / April 6, 2014

Midnight Riders by Pete Clark

My rating:[rating=3]

Summary:

“Gather ‘round people and you shall hear
about a bunch of bullshit that is clear.
Of riders and horses and monsters too;
your parents lied – they can still get you.
Hardly anyone who was there is alive
to dispel the rumor, uncover the lies,
but there was more than one man who rode that day
and more than just Redcoats who got in their way.”

Along the way, Longfellow lost something in his translation it seems.

Everyone has heard of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. However, they have not heard about them this way! The American founding fathers had a lot more to deal with at the end of the 18th century than tariffs and tea; avoiding hurled trees from Wendigos and gargoyles falling from the sky took a lot of patience. How is Samuel Prescott supposed to hunt the leader of the Rippers when the British keep infringing upon the colonists’ rights?

Review:

[I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]

The promised combination of paranormal, American history and humour of this novel appealed to me, and I must say I spent quite a good time reading it. While the plot itself is actually quite serious (the War of Independence and the couple of decades that preceded it, seen through the prism of “what if supernatural creatures had plagued the colonists on top of it?”), it also makes fun of a lot of events, tropes, and famous characters—often directly, but sometimes also in a more subtle way. If you want to read a really serious supernatural retelling of history, the humour might break it; on the other hand, if you’re looking for a funny story, and don’t mind a bit of swearing and jabs at political correctness at times, then it may be for you. (As a word of warning, though, it’s best to brush up on your American history first, otherwise some hints and jokes won’t work so well.)

What may contribute to a reader liking or not liking this novel—depending on personal tastes:

* The characters aren’t too developed. The story spans over 20 years, and partly rests on assumed knowledge of the historical personas it makes use of. For instance, don’t expect to be carried on a journey into Paul Revere’s life, thoughts and feelings. Too many characters are involved for this to happen. However, you’ll find a lot of known names.

* Tropes. Lots of tropes. Allusions to red shirts, and the likes… I like when a novel plays on those, so I was glad whenever I found some. Since humour is part of the story, they work for me, much better than clichés thrown into a “serious” plot. (There’s one character in particular who likes pointing out every time a Deus Ex Machina pops up.)

* Recurrent jokes, like zombies and werewolves regularly coming to crash a battle or skirmish. (I must admit that after a while, some of them became a little old in my opinion, though.)

* Historical accuracy: not 100% accurate. Mostly the research was well-done in my opinion, but sometimes, a character will find him/herself in a place a few days too early, compared to what really happened. This said, the novel also plays on those “wrong facts”, using them to lean on the fourth wall. Scratch that: to punch a hole through it, actually. Again, this worked for me, but may not do so well for a reader who dislikes such occurrences.

* The writing: a bit dry in places, but otherwise befitting the humorous undertone. I’ve seen better, I’ve seen worse.

3.5 stars. It has its faults, and sometimes overdoes it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and laughed regularly.