In "Low Town" by Daniel Polansky, readers are introduced to a gritty urban fantasy world where the main character, Warden, navigates the criminal underworld as a drug dealer and part-time user. When he is drawn into investigating a murder that the authorities want to ignore, he finds himself entangled in a larger, sordid plan. The book combines elements of crime novel and fantasy, with a touch of noir, creating a unique and captivating story that keeps readers engaged with its dark and compelling atmosphere.
The writing style in "Low Town" is described as smart, gritty, and entertaining, with a blend of fantasy and noir that works surprisingly well. Polansky's narrative weaves together elements of classic pulps, vivid violence, and morally complex characters, resulting in a story that is both darkly atmospheric and engaging. The book offers a fresh take on the fantasy genre by incorporating noir elements and a realistic portrayal of a city where crime and violence reign, making it a standout in the genre.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Low Town include violence, drug abuse, child murder, and themes of social decay and corruption.
From The Publisher:
Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops . . . and sorcery. Welcome to Low Town.
In the forgotten back alleys and flophouses that lie in the shadows of Rigus, the finest city of the Thirteen Lands, you will find Low Town. It is an ugly place, and its cham-pion is an ugly man. Disgraced intelligence agent. Forgotten war hero. Independent drug dealer. After a fall from grace five years ago, a man known as the Warden leads a life of crime, addicted to cheap violence and expensive drugs. Every day is a constant hustle to find new customers and protect his turf from low-life competition like Tancred the Harelip and Ling Chi, the enigmatic crime lord of the heathens.
The Warden's life of drugged iniquity is shaken by his dis-covery of a murdered child down a dead-end street . . . set-ting him on a collision course with the life he left behind. As a former agent with Black House-the secret police-he knows better than anyone that murder in Low Town is an everyday thing, the kind of crime that doesn't get investi-gated. To protect his home, he will take part in a dangerous game of deception between underworld bosses and the psy-chotic head of Black House, but the truth is far darker than he imagines. In Low Town, no one can be trusted.
Daniel Polansky has crafted a thrilling novel steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action, and set in an original world of stunning imagination, leading to a gut-wrenching, unforeseeable conclusion. Low Town is an attention-grabbing debut that will leave readers riveted . . . and hun-gry for more.
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About the Author:
Daniel Polansky is the author of Low Town, recipient of the Prix Imaginales, as well as Tomorrow, The Killing and She Who Waits. His other works include Those Above, Those Below, A City Dreaming, and The Builders. Polansky was born in Baltimore and currently resides in Brooklyn.
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