Flex

Synopsis: Flex is the first book in the 'Mancer series by Ferrett Steinmetz. Despite my being in the Angry Robot Army review program, I actually had to buy this book since I only have review copies of the succeeding books. It was totally worth it.Paul Tsabo is a policeman turned insurance investigator, and he has a knack of sniffing out claims that actually involved magic. Magic, or 'mancy as it's called, is highly illegal, especially after a catastrophic incident in Europe. But more and more a sort of drug called Flex is putting mancy in the hands of everyday people unprepared for how to use it. It's a sort of condense 'mancy that can imbue the powers on someone else. But 'mancy means defying the laws of physics - and the universe tends to fight back with Flux, the backlash from wild use of this magic. Paul Tsabo is a great investigator, but he has also recently discovered that he may have a flavor of 'mancy of his own. And when his daughter's life his threatened, he finds himself without any other choice but to use it.What I Liked: Flex has a GREAT concept behind it if you can get past the need for the apostrophe in the term 'mancy. And the apostrophe is there since everyone's magic is unique and their version of magic tends to define the name. Paul quickly reveals to us readers that he has something he calls bureaucramancy, a magic that finds strength in Paul's belief that systems and paperwork make the world go round. His beliefs define his magic and also its limitations - such as how bureaucracy isn't fast and thus his magic must be well planned and thought-out.Throw in an easy to follow yet pretty detailed writing style, the book is a pleasure to read with some great characters and exciting sequences. Some bits seem a little wobbly, but for a first major book in what has become a continuing series. And I really enjoyed this book from start to finish.What Could Have Been Better: I could quibble about some finer points about how the plot was constructed or maybe how some supporting characters could have been fleshed out. but it doesn't seem all that important given how the book ultimately flowed. The book had it's opportunities, but in the end the overall experience helped get past that stuff.TL;DR: Flex is a great read with some fun ideas about what magic could be like and what forms it may take. And ultimately his magic is all about passions, interests and obsessions, and all that makes the magic feel that much closer within reach.

I rarely write reviews for books; usually I've already moved on to the next one.I couldn't move on after this book. I finished it two days ago, and I'm still thinking about it. The author presents one of the most unique systems of magic I've seen in a long time. Magic is born of obsession: a 'mancer (this universe's magic users) becomes so focused on a single idea they're able to warp reality around it. The rules of magic are simple and internally coherent: magic lets you break the laws of physics ("flex" them, if you'll pardon the title drop), manipulate probability, but there's always a cost. You make "good luck" happen for you, then the bad luck (the "flux") has to go somewhere; usually this is to the place you least want it to. Whatever you imagine as the worse case scenario--that is your cost. Magic is illegal in response to the events of World War II, which in this world resulted in the near destruction of Europe. We're never told exactly what happened, but given the images we get when a similar event of significantly limited scale occurs it's likely the stuff of Lovecraftian nightmares. Magic comes in as many flavors as there are obsessions--a wry commentary on the growing niche-ness (it's a word now) of modern society's tastes in this digital age.The marketing for the book makes frequent comparisons to Breaking Bad; in a sense that's true (the lead gets caught up in a lot of nasty business as he learns to make the titular illicit drug, a sort of distilled magic in convenient powder form), but where Breaking Bad is a study in how one man takes the path to destruction, this story's hero does just the opposite: he does "bad" things for good reasons, and rather than being consumed by the darkness he rises above it.And the ending...without spoiling it, there's heart-breaking twist that had me in tears.Kudos also for including a diverse cast: our lead is Greek, his ex-wife is African-American, their daughter is (obviously) of mixed race, his mentor/friend/love interest/partner in magic is woman who proudly isn't the standard Hollywood body type, and that's just the main cast.I accidentally pre-ordered the book twice, so I had planned to keep one copy as mine, and have one to loan out to my friends. Forget that. I'm giving the extra copy to a friend, then ordering a few more for my other friends. This is, hands down, the best book I've read in the last five years.

On finding this book through a slightly circuitous route I was surprised at just how squarely it fit into that center overlapping slice of the Venn Diagram of "books I adore."This may be a spoiler but i want to call attention to the remarkable lack of romantic subplot despite characters who had all the hallmarks of such a path. Without that emotional clutter, the rest of the story was able to build and be carried by action and ethical turmoil. A strange recipe perhaps but one that works.The magic in this book hinges on a fulcrum of true belief and demands balance; it is that balance that produces some of the most intense sequences in the book.I am very happy there are more books in the series which I will begin to read almost immediately.

Flex is an interesting take on magic in the modern world. The story follows Paul, a new mage, as he tries to come to grips with his power in a world which fears and hates magic users. Paul needs to quickly come to grips with his new-found powers, learn how to work with his flex and work to save his injured daughter. Along the way he finds allies, enemies and people who would use Paul's powers to their own ends.Flex is an emotional read, sometimes dark, often sad. It depicts a man struggling in a world that fears his magic and a father's desperate attempts to help heal his injured daughter, using tools he knows will mean his end if he is caught. Flex is also playful and, at times, funny and always deeply human.

I've been following this author's blog for quite a while so I had some idea what to expect, but the book was still able to surprise me. I wasn't entirely drawn in until around the halfway point (don't get me wrong, it was good but not great) but then everything started firing on all cylinders and I just had to know what happened next.With compelling nonstandard characters and more plot twists than you can shake a Ferrett at, I recommend this book.