| Title | : | The Man Who Crossed Worlds (Miles Franco #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 280 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2011 |
All freelance Tunneler Miles Franco wants is a bit of freedom and a couple of bucks to rub together. So when the cops haul him downtown for illegally smuggling the natives of another dimension to Earth, he'll take any chance he can get to stay out of the pen. And funnily enough, the cops have just the job for him.
A mysterious interdimensional drug-smuggler is staking his claim on Miles' city, and a drug war is about to kick off that will make the city look like the set of a post-apocalyptic horror movie. As a Tunneler, Miles knows all about interdimensional transport, and the cops need his help cutting off the drug lord's supply before it reaches Earth.
But it doesn't take long playing police lapdog before Miles realizes this ain't no ordinary drug he's dealing with. Snooping around in gang business is a dangerous job in a city where everyone's on the take and the gangsters play for keeps.
And there are a lot of ways a nosy Tunneler can disappear.
The Man Who Crossed Worlds (Miles Franco #1) Reviews
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I am not a Harry Dresden fan. There, I said it. I don't know why, but Jim Butcher's series never captured my attention. Because of my lack of love for Harry, I thought I just didn't like male protagonists in urban fantasy novels. I know, it's quite the leap to make but I thought if I didn't like Harry, I wasn't going to like any others. Then, I read a few great books with teen male protagonists and I discovered how wrong I was. In fact, I love male lead characters even more than female lead characters. It just goes to show... don't judge all books by one book in its genre (I know, that is not how the saying goes)!
When I was asked to review this book. I was skeptical that I would even get through page 1. The cover is a bit weird. I didn't know what a "noir-drenched" book was like, and when the character in the book was being compared to Harry Dresden, I was like "oh no". So, what do I do, I notified the author that I would read his book. I'm always up for a good challenge.
Imagine my surprise when I flew through the book. Imagine my surprise when I formulated my review in my head so I could convince other potential readers to give this book a chance disregarding the weird cover, or the what-the-heck book summary. Imagine my surprise when I was grateful for my illogical acceptance of the author's review request!
Miles Franco, is the male protagonist in The Man Who Crossed Worlds. Miles is a Tunneler. He can create a hole (known as the "tunnel") between two worlds (and two separate realities). The other world is nicknamed "Heaven" and has a human-like species known as "Vei". The reality in Heaven can be volatile and because of this, travelers to Heaven must be careful. For example, a gun brought into Heaven might explode in the user's hands because the molecules of the gun might warp before the bullet leaves the chamber. To survive the passage to Heaven, and to survive the warped reality in Heaven once you are there, you need a very good tunneler. Miles Franco is once of the best.
Because Miles Franco is the best, people want to use him. The gangs (very similar to the mafia) want Miles to help transporting drugs to and from Heaven. The police want Miles to stop these so-called gangs. Everyone wants a piece of Miles and they are willing to play dirty. Miles does not know whom to trust and where to run to.
It doesn't help that Miles is a smart ass who doesn't know when to shut up. Miles finds it hard to keep quiet even when facing life ending danger. His way of dealing with his own possible demise is to crack jokes. I liked this about Miles. While obviously talented, and very intelligent, his inability to keep quiet, made him seem more real and personable. Miles is also the first to point out that having this talent, and being good, has caused nothing but trouble in his life but he is still compelled to do good.
There is a ton of world building in this book especially at the beginning. Because the author does a damn good job of world building, the action, mystery and meat of the story does not happen until around the 45% mark. However, Chris Strange is a strong writer so the reader is rewarded for their patience!
Overall- A likable character, a strong suspense filled mystery, and a fascinating new world makes this book a great read. I can't wait to read more from Chris Strange in the future! -
This story is an action packed thrill ride and I loved it from beginning to end. For such heavy content, the book is written with a great amount of humor. This is supplied mostly by Mr. Miles Franco, the main character. Miles is a Tunneler with a soft heart, a hard fist and a shit load of bad luck. The novel is written in 1st person from the point of view of Miles. I liked this very much because I felt I understood him more as a character. Also, being inside the mind of Miles is sometimes a trippy thing.
The writing style of Chris Strange is very fluid. Character story lines flow in bits and pieces that join together at just the right times. Like waves crashing on a shore, that is how the big ‘A-ha’ moments that come to Miles feel to the reader. The descriptions Strange can muster from his mind are simply beautiful and grotesque. He can describe the perfect woman or the perfect monster in the same paragraph and have the reader’s mind filled with tons of imagery.
The plot was flawless. I loved how exciting the story was to unfold. It made me fly through this book because I just could not wait to see what happened next. The whole concept was fresh and creative. I recommend this book highly.
5 stars to “The Man Who Crossed Worlds” because it took me to Heaven. -
Got this book on special on Amazon and was pleasantly surprised by what appears to be the first book (or nearly so) of this author.
This book introduces us to Miles Franco, a jaded 30-something in a futuristic setting that, while not exactly post-apocalyptic, seems like it might be heading that way.
The story avoids many of the pitfalls that have caused me to throw down other noir/detective books in disgust. I don't want to spell these out - is there such a thing as anti-spoilers? - but definitely appreciate the author for this.
Really clever language at times, some good humor and detailed scenes of action and suspense. I will definitely read more by this author. -
The following is my review of both THE MAN WHO CROSSED WORLDS and the very short prequel to to that novel called THE MAN WHO COULDN'T BE BOUGHT.
I have not read anything under the genre "urban fantasy" before so I have nothing to compare it to. Therefore, this is my first introduction to any "urban fantasy" novel.
I have learned, with this novel anyway, that there are no rules to the world(s) involved. This is a novel whereby the main character, Miles Franco, and others like him can punch holes into reality and can travel from one world to another and be able to understand the realities (fixed or not) in both worlds to survive.
The prequel to this novel (THE MAN WHO COULDN'T BE BOUGHT) introduces us to Miles Franco. Miles is an individual who has been gifted with, and schooled in, something called "tunneling." "Tunneling" allows an individual to travel from Earth to another world called Heaven. In this novel, Heaven is not what religious peoples envision as a place to go after death; it is just another world that has an entirely different reality than what is on Earth. Heaven, in this novel, is simply another world with another species of individuals called "Vei" who reside there. They are a little peculiar but, after all, they ARE aliens with their own culture. Heaven is not like Earth in many ways and it has its very own sense of existing. The laws of physics are completely different in this other world of "Heaven" and only experienced "tunnelers" who have traveled there frequently can understand its twisted and fluid realities and therefore learn their way around this other world and the culture that reside there.
Miles Franco is an experienced "tunneler" and has the necessary skills to harness the strange reality that exists in "Heaven." For this reason he is a wanted man. The cops on earth want to work with him to try to keep peace and harmony between the two coexisting worlds. Individuals in both worlds have a need for his special skills and he finds himself stretched very thin while trying, almost single-handedly, to keep peace between the two worlds. A little too much to expect out of one man but that does not stop Miles!
No matter how hard Miles tries to avoid getting involved in the smuggling of immigrants from Heaven to Earth and avoiding getting involved with the smuggling of drugs between the two worlds -- avoidance never happens for poor Miles. He finds himself in the thick of it more times than not.
Via the short prequel to this novel -- THE MAN WHO COULDN'T BE BOUGHT -- the reader gets a small taste of what Miles can do (for who and why) along with the type of person he is. The reader learns specifically HOW Miles "tunnels" back and forth and what he needs in his possession to do so -- including what it's like INSIDE a tunnel while traveling to or fro. The reader also get a peek into what the "other" world (Heaven) is. Even though there are so many different theories to describe Heaven, Miles explains that it is just pure and simple chaos. But far from a terrible kind of chaos. In fact, many times Miles could have been pleased to take up residence in one corner of that different world.
In the prequel (THE MAN WHO COULDN'T BE BOUGHT) Miles helps a lady from Heaven (of the Vei species) to return to her home city in Heaven after being on Earth for quite some time for personal reasons. What Miles is actually doing, however, is "smuggling" her back to Heaven.
SO SETS THE STAGE for the novel THE MAN WHO CROSSED WORLDS. Pardon some of the redundancy :
Told in first-person, we get a first-hand account of what happens via the main character -- Miles Franco. Miles is a young man who was educated and gifted with his forte of being a "tunneler." Miles is able to construct tunnels that can whisk him, and anyone who might be with him at any given time, from one world to the next. But this is no easy task and the risk for anything to go wrong is close to 100%. To Miles' advantage he is an expert in tunneling and traveling but not without high costs or losing his life at any given time. Especially when tunnels are beyond unpredictable and the other world (Heaven) has twisted realities.
What happens when two separate worlds (literally) in the universe with two separate cultures (human culture on Earth and a culture called "Vei" on Heaven) are aware of each other and often coincide with each other while the residents living in both worlds share some of the same evils? Pure hell, uncertainty and screaming chaos abounds.
The same evils in both worlds -- namely being gangsters, doctors and drug smugglers -- become inevitable. In this novel, creating and distributing powerful new drugs can change the course of history for both worlds. Or calls for a multi-world war. Author, Chris Strange, weaves a fantasy tale that is not too far from nonfiction for those with open minds.
Because the residents of Earth (humans) and the residents of Heaven (Vei) exist in both worlds and travel back and forth, depending on the circumstances, they have to learn to coexist with other which is far from easy to do. The one thing the two worlds have in common is that there is madness and undesirables in both cultures. But the biggie that exists is the quest for drugs along with the drug lords who will do almost anything to acquire those drugs and be in control of them.
In this novel, a new drug surfaces (created by a chemist) called "Chroma" which has the ability to wreak havoc with individuals. It is a potent drug that has the ability to turn those who inject it into their system into an entirely new species! What transpired with people high on Chroma in Heaven was downright scary enough and those who were on it would always be coming back for more. Miles was beyond nervous as to how his city (Bluegate) would have to deal with the deadly drug. The gangsters who had some of it began to kidnap innocents and "tested" Chroma on them. If it drove normal people mad, the violence would be horrifying. If tunnelers got their hands on it the universe would have gone mad. Therefore, MILES FRANCO TO THE RESCUE!!!
Miles just wants his own little world of peace and harmony with a few dollars to rub together to get by but, being a wanted man, he is always being sought out after and, being a man of great morals, ethics and principles, he wants no great payment for his skills and therefore really can't be "bought" to help others in both worlds of uncertainties. He just wants to keep the peace for humanity in his city on Earth (Bluegate) and save it from falling apart from the inside out because of so many corrupt peoples, greed and drugs that are causing it to fall apart. Sound familiar? As a result, Miles does what he does best -- "tunneling" back and forth between two worlds to try to make a peaceful connection between the two realities of the two worlds. In fact, tunneling REQUIRES that very thing (connection). Because Miles is a "freelance tunneler" he is definitely a wanted man by the best and the worst of both worlds. Miles is wanted by upstanding citizens in both worlds to prostitutes to drug lords.
Miles finds himself trying to figure out who the "bad guys" really are. Who is REALLY killing for the new drug "Chroma?" Could it be the Vei gangster (known as John Andrews) who resides on Earth with a whole lot of money and people behind him or the human detective (Detective Todd) who is supposed to be on Miles' side along with the other cops on Earth? Or someone else?
Miles finds himself working with an attractive female human cop (Vivian) but what part in all of this mess does SHE really play? Miles finds himself torn between the good, the bad and the ugly. Everyone wanted Miles to play their game, from the cops to the gangsters. The cops are always after the gangs and drugs but they never get ahead. The game still exists (as well as the drugs) and that's where Miles Franco shines.
Miles repeatedly finds himself trying to single-handedly do his part (to keep as much peace and harmony as possible) using his educated gift of "tunneling" which has him traveling from one world to another. He accomplishes this by both creating tunnels to travel back and forth from one world to another but, at the same time, also finding himself being sucked into interdimensional abyss' whereby he is not always in control.
Miles is also reckless and bold which even he realizes, after the fact, that these qualities end up in stupid moves putting himself and others into great jeopardy. This makes Miles all the more real to the reader. He is not completely supernatural (with his educated gift for tunneling) and has flaws of his own.
Between Heaven and Earth we shall abide. At least that is what protagonist Miles Franco shows us. In this novel Heaven and Earth are simply two different worlds. One world (Earth) is fixed in what we all realize "reality" is. On the flip side, another world (Heaven) is quite the opposite. This is where we have reality and fantasy mixed together. But what in the world happens (pardon the pun) when gangsters and drug cartel want what they always do (power and control) in both worlds?
*** What I really liked about this novel and what I could've done without :
Author, Chris Strange offers the reader to really know his protagonist -- Miles Franco. Miles is full of humor and self-deprecation which allows readers to easily relate to him. He is a do-gooder in both worlds with high standards and principles. But, boy, does he get himself into some messes! He is also a smartass which had me laughing many times while reading the novel. I was going to give this novel only 3 stars because these messes are really over-the-top but then I remembered that this is a fantasy novel and these very "out of this world" messes would be normal in the fantasy genre. Pardon the pun again (re:"out of this world"). :-)
I could really relate to Miles' feelings toward his own hometown on earth in this novel. Miles grew up and lives in a town called "Bluegate" on Earth and is familiar with it even though it fell into a very depressed, trashy state of affairs over the years. My hometown area on Earth did the same thing. My hometown is something I remember knowing and loving (like Miles) yet I can never go back to it expecting it to be the same when it's totally different. And certainly not for the better.
While every reader likes the storyline, I am no exception. But I am also a reader who takes good notice at the style of writing by any author. Chris Strange writes extremely well with fantastic analogies, metaphors, humor and great descriptions of the people and places throughout the novel. Therefore I was easily able to see, smell, taste and feel people, places and things in the novel as if I were right there. This was a huge plus for me!
*** What I didn't like about this novel was that no action really began until after about 50% into the novel. I know that the author had to describe the two worlds, had to describe "tunneling", had to go into detail to let the author know "what was what" but taking 50% of the novel to do that made it quite slow going.
Then, just the opposite occurs. The last 25% of the novel drove me crazy! The last 25% of the novel was consumed with a combination of Cujo, The Langoliers and a whole lot of crazy "new creatures" fighting and chewing and ripping and tearing apart those involved in the last 25% of the novel (including Miles who had to be on his 90th life going through all that). Because of this, the last quarter of the novel lost its credibility with me. I don't mind blood and gore but when it takes up a great deal of a story it seems endless. Especially when it is happening all at once for so long.
Miles is always (too much) in a perpetual state of motion throughout the novel which also took away some of the credibility of the novel for me. On the flip side, however, one might say HOW COULD IT BE OTHERWISE when visiting a world (Heaven) that is always fluid and flexible and moving all the time as well as Miles being thrown in between both worlds -- among gangsters and drug lords and cops and 'new creatures.'
Lastly, the author made a brief introduction (VERY BRIEF) to a character early on in the novel who was nothing more than a passerby. Yet, toward the end of the novel, the author has Miles fighting to make sure this character was okay and going through hell and high water while risking his life TO ENSURE that character's safety. As if the character had been of great importance to Miles all along... which wasn't the case at all.
Author Chris Strange certainly has a gift for writing and his prose is excellent but, in my opinion, he needs to make things more cohesive in future novels as well as avoiding the pitfalls that I just described that made the storyline more boring than it could have been.
The author, Chris Strange, certainly has a great philosophy about writing that I think almost any author would agree with and to read what that is (if you are interested) go to his website found here:
www.Chris-strange.com. With that type of philosophy the sky is the limit for his future writings! -
If there's one thing I can say I've been getting sick of in Urban Fantasy stories, its the oversaturation of the same tropes and concepts. We get it; magic, dragons, gods oh my! So for me to dip my toes in Chris Strange's Miles Franco series was something of a pleasant surprise. The world has more of a sci-fi feel to it than straight high fantasy with portals and an alien species from another dimension.
The story is simple enough. A new drug is on the market and its tearing the city of Bluegate apart. Miles Franco is a Tunneler - someone who can tunnel between alternate worlds - and has been roped into solving the case of the drugs by the cops who are as crooked as my piss stream in the morning. If there is one thing I can definitely say about Strange's world, its that compared to other UF series, its certainly unique. I don't think I've ever read something like this before and along with a brisk pace, I never found myself stopping, except when to, you know.....have a life and shit. Miles is fleshed out enough that I found myself wanting to keep up with him, even if sometimes he fell into the same traps as your standard film-noir protagonist.
And that's where I have to get to the problems. For every thing that Strange does right, there is at least one thing he does wrong. For starters is the setting itself. We're never told where Bluegate is exactly, but by its description and general tone, we can assume its in the States. But then Miles will spout something like a simile using Ayers Rock or use the word 'bloody' as an expletive and suddenly I'm out of the loop. I'm a New Zealand borne Aussie so I notice these things maybe a little more than others, but it took me out of the experience to hear them.
On top of that, while Miles Franco is suitably fleshed out - on account of being the main character - a number of the other characters barely hit all the notes of being stereotypes. The main villains just go through the evil villain checklist while the true villain's motives come out of nowhere and are never foreshadowed or hinted at. It's a mystery story where the reader is left waiting for the mystery to solve itself. In addition a number of things just happen because.....reasons. For example, in an early chapter, Miles comes home to his flat to find his landlord's daughter Tania waiting for him. She's sixteen years old and wearing a skimpy negligee. Presumably to seduce Miles into training her in Tunnelling but the whole thing seems so out of place and is honestly a lame way to introduce a character. It just feels tacked on and immature.
That all being said, I did enjoy The Man Who Crossed Worlds. It was creative and engaging and I wouldn't mind sticking my neck back into the world of Bluegate....assuming Miles doesn't drag me down another fucking tunnel. -
If you like Noir and you like Sci-Fi then this book is definitely for you.
I read this in two consecutive sittings and that only because I started in the early hours and at 0615 told myself “No! Not ‘just another chapter’ before I fall asleep”.
Miles Franco (the protagonist) is a deeply flawed but basically decent guy who gets in way over his head when “encouraged” to assist the Bluegate PD,
(think Sin City mixed with Toon Town crossed with District 9 stirred with mob era Chicago)
in stopping a dangerous new drug about to hit the streets.
Throw in another dimension, femme fatales, morally grey cops and a twisted reality.
The plot is complex enough with just a few hand-slapping-forehead-“How did I not see that coming?” moments.
Very fast action pacing, witty dialogue, very amusing introspection and observations and a soupçon of background exposition that creates plausible character motivation.
An added bonus for me was the inclusion of two realistic, non-stereotyped, gay characters (or to be more accurate two guys who are gay [meh! so what!] whom I sincerely hope appear in the succeeding books.
Another reviewer called this Urban Fantasy with a capital “U”, I heartily concur. I received this as a freebie but just as a friend will tell you “You’ve gotta try this book, I think it’s right up your street!” and you then go out and buy all their previous works I’m hooked. -
Cops and gangsters, monsters and fun
Mr Strange has created a strange place with characters you won't believe. Good and corrupt cops, friends who would do anything for you and learning about new and strange dimensions. I loved this new concept complete with people you can relate with. -
Miles is the opposite of what you might expect from a hero and he is the only good guy in the story I thoroughly enjoyed The Man Who Crossed Worlds. I liked the tunneling fantasy, but it was Miles who made the book!
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Really fun pulp-detective story with some interesting sci-fi mixed in
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When tunnels opened up between Earth and another dimension, a connection was made with a new race of people, the Vei. Trade was established and governments quickly moved to regulate traffic between the two worlds. Miles Franco is one of a small group of humans born with the gift of tunneling between the worlds. He operates on the fringes, smuggling Vei (human-like creatures) and Vei products to Earth from the other world, colloquially know as Heaven. The story follows Miles as he's reluctantly coopted by the police on Earth to prevent a gang war.
Part detective and part science fiction, I had a lot of fun reading The Man Who Crossed Worlds. I'm a long way from being a fan of noir. The breathless rush from one danger to the next strains my sense of disbelief. With that caveat in mind, I thought this story was well done and compelling.
Miles Franco delivers bucket-loads of smart-assed asides. He's imbued with an endearingly old-fashioned moral compass, and hampered by his inability to deal with beautiful women. Miles' innate desire to run toward trouble dogs him on every page.
Miles tunnels between the dimensions using circular artifacts, which he smears with a chemical manufactured on Earth by a dubious underground pharmacist. Large tunnels used to transport Vei or Humans take considerable mental energy. He spends the whole book exhausted. Smaller tunnels--pin-holes--allow him to pull on the chaotic nature of Heaven to change physical laws in Bluegate--a concept I enjoyed.
Heaven doesn't featured much, disappointing, because on the one occasion I visited, it was delightfully Dali-esque and the kind of place you'd want to go for your stag or hen night, or maybe Spring Break.
Bluegate, the Earth city where Miles, the police (mostly crooked), and a number of rival bands of gangsters hang out and fight for control, forms a deliciously sleazy and gritty backdrop for the action. And action is the by-word in this novel. There's not much time spent looking at the scenery, or contemplating the inner motivations of the various factions.
Miles is blackmailed into helping the police prevent a dangerous new drug entering Bluegate from Heaven. Frankly, with the lawless nature of the city, I didn't really see the issue. This bothered me a little (not understanding the story motivation), but not too much--it's that kind of story. You're in it for the ride, not to examine the interior décor.
Apparently, this novel sprang from a `short' the author wrote and published. I'd say the concept of tunneling, and the character Miles Franco have enough depth to carry a sequel.
Disclaimer: This review was originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. I may have received a free review copy. -
These days it seems like the title of Urban Fantasy can be given out to anything that so much as involves a city somewhere. This book is Urban with a capital U; you can practically smell the stench of Bluegate, a city that’s fallen a long, long way from grace. There’s nothing remotely pretty about this story.
Miles Franco is a Tunneler, which means he can do entertaining stuff with reality and pop off to another dimension anytime he feels like it. But that isn’t too rare a skill in Bluegate. What’s unusual about him is that, unlike almost everyone else in the city, he honestly means well. He could’ve taken a well-paid job with one of the many city gangs if he didn’t mind too much about incidental things like morality. But he does, so he doesn’t, and ends up living pretty rough in an apartment barely better than a shed.
Being the only decent bloke also gets him into trouble. When a dangerous new drug seems set to hit city circulation, Miles is dragged into the mess that’s rapidly developing. Really, with the number of beatings Miles seems to attract it’s amazing he’s survived this long. All the more so given what a naive, easily manipulated chump he is. But he manages to be likeable in spite of being constantly duped.
This is a well-written story, very noir with a clear and diverting narrative voice. Miles’s sense of humour is enjoyable, and one of the most likeable things about him is that his sense of the ridiculous never fails, even when he’s in deep trouble. He’s got a line ready for all circumstances. Perhaps it’s the only defence this shrimp can manage to muster, albeit a poor one. Shrimp he may be, by the way, but he certainly doesn’t lack courage.
This story is full of twists and turns and Miles would do well to avoid trusting anyone too much. Most of the twists are well done, and kept me guessing until almost the end. The final one let me down a little when it turned out to be exactly what I was hoping wouldn’t happen. That aside, this was a really strong book and an entertaining read. I’m hoping Miles will grow a bit of a brain in time for the next book, though; maybe next time he won’t be duped by almost everyone. -
I received this via the "eBook Giveaways discussion" on Goodreads.
Miles Franco is a "trained" tunneler, minding his own business, freelancing by smuggling illegal inhabitants to Earth from an alternate reality. Caught in the act, the cops offer a deal and he is forced - completely against his will - into a new job: police lapdog. He is to assist them track down the new drug on the streets. But Miles is a tunneler after all, so what could be easier than "dissappearing" once out of sight of the cops? Well for one, the cops are one step ahead of him....
At first, Miles has the attitude of: "Not my problem" and "I'm outa here" but once things start getting closer to home, his attitude changes and he makes it his problem.
An excellent, well written story, written in the first-person, and full of funny cliches and expressions, suitably altered to suit the author's purpose. An example: "The smell was even stronger in here, thick enough to taste if I breathed through my mouth, and I found myself wishing for something nicer-smelling to put over my face. Sweaty gym socks, maybe."
I enjoyed the various uses of "tunneling" Miles made use of throughout the book. At first, this was unexpected (from the title you expect inter-dimensional tunneling of course) but making use of a pinhole tunnel to put his hand through a door to reach the key inside was not!!!
The story will keep you guessing until the very last page and I hope that a follow-on book will be written! -
Miles Franco is a Freelance Tunneler, who is down on his luck, when he's caught smuggling a Vei family to Earth. During his arrest, he's asked by the Bluegate Police Department to look into a new drug called Chroma in exchange for his current arrest charges being dropped. Miles decides to investigate without police backup which only leads to Miles getting into trouble. Miles heads home to find his landlord's daughter Tania waiting for him; she wants Miles to teach her how to Tunnel. She admits to taking Miles's kemia creating a small Pinhole which upsets Miles when he thinks about the risks she's taken. Miles relunctantly agrees to teach Tania Tunneling. Miles meets John Andrews a known gangster about his involvement with Chroma but Miles learns that Andrews knows nothing about it. Miles is beaten up when John Andrews wife Caterina helps Miles back to his apartment. In Miles's eyes, Caterina is beautiful and beautiful women are always trouble. Miles gets in touch with Spencer Davies about Chroma and getting some more kemia not realizing he's spooked Spencer. Detective Vivian Reed is following Miles Franco because she believes that Miles can't help the Bluegate Police. What is Chroma? How is Caterina fit into Andrews life? Can Miles find the Chroma conection? Can the police help? Will Miles really teach Tania? Who is Doctor Dees? Your answers await you in The Man Who Crossed Worlds.
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A few years before Miles Franco was born the Bores showed up. No one knows for sure what caused them or why they were there, but the governments soon found ways to use them. They've found a way to make "tunnels" to another dimension. The place they call Heaven is anything but. Filled with a race of creatures similar to humans but with a much different perception of reality, it is the perfect place to smuggle things from, but there's so much more to it. No one really knows the full depth of the tunnels and what can come from them.
Miles Franco is a freelance tunneler. He has a certain code of ethics that, while it doesn't include working for gangsters, it also doesn't include working for the cops. So when the cops pick him up on a trumped up charge he knows something is up. Something big, or why would they be bothering with him.
Blackmailed into helping the cops, Miles must call on all his powers as a tunneler. When things sped out of control, and his city and friends get pulled into the mess that is now Miles' life, its time for him to make his stand.
A great urban fantasy mystery novel! With an interesting new theme, creepy new race and a so-not-a-hero hero, this is a fun, fast paced, twisty read. I look forward to reading more of Miles Franco and his world, starting with the short story The Man Who Couldn't be Bought.
I received this copy through LibraryThing and was asked for my honest review. -
The Man Who Crossed Worlds is a page turner full of action and suspense. It’s both dark and gritty and exceptionally well written in both tone and style. The reader is on a dangerous journey with Miles Franco, a Tunneler from Bluegate, an individual who is able to travel between Earth and a world called Heaven. He’s unwillingly pulled into a police investigation that involves the most deadly gangs in the city and the threat of a brand new and mysterious drug that’s about to hit the streets.
Mr. Franco is a lovable character. He has a wry sense of humor, a good heart, and an amazing ability to get into all kinds of trouble. The secondary characters in the novel are just as strong and are added elements that do nothing but elevate the story to a higher level of brilliance.
The author, Chris Strange, does a remarkable job in grabbing his reader’s attention with his use of description in all elements of the story from specific scene detail to action sequences. He has a true talent in writing urban fantasy. Strange has definitely been added to my list of favorite authors. I’m eager to read more from him and his Mr. Franco. -
This is the type of urban fantasy I like reading - loud characters packed full of personality for us to get to known, weird and wonderful magic for us to learn about, and pulpy action scenes for us to ogle at. The Man Who Crossed Worlds is a bold statement by author Chris Strange, a story that goes hard from the start, never backs down, and finishes with a bang.
The protagonist Miles Franco is a cynic and a loner, he has a jaded view of the world, and he just wants to be left alone. That doesnt really sound like a good combination but Strange just breathes so much personality into this guy that you cant help but to be intrigued by him. I would best describe him as a cross between Atticus O'Sullivan and Frank Triggaltheron - yeah he will do the right thing and save the world, but only so he can get some peace and quiet back.
Pros
- Vibrant characters
- Awesome magic system
- Pulp style action scenes
- Witty dialogue
Cons
- Miles suffers from too much introspection
- Steep learning curve
- Pace is just a bit too fast early on
- Not enough time spent in Heaven -
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. Read my review of The Man Who Crossed Worlds here or at
The Akamai Reader.
If you like The Dresden Files then you’ll like The Man Who Crossed Worlds. Chris Strange’s style of writing is similar to Jim Butcher’s without being a totally copy.
To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. I couldn’t wait to click my Kindle button for the next “page”! It was heart-pounding action after heart-pounding action!
The plot was a constant surprise. I never knew which way Miles was heading. What was up was down. What was down was up. He defied the laws of gravity.
Tunneling was completely new to me and totally novel. It’s a fascinating concept that intrigued me. I thought it was a very interesting device to introduce into a book.
The book has a satisfying end with enough of an opening for another in a series. I look forward to reading more about Miles’ adventures. -
I received this book through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway in exchange for a review.
I enjoyed Strange's world building. It made for a unique urban fantasy. It was part noir, part dystopian.
Miles Franco is our protagonist with the ability to manipulate tunnels, which can be used to both travel to another world, Heaven, or distort our world's physics to work similar to how they work in Heaven.
Because of this gift, he's sought after by both the cops and the gangsters, but he works strictly freelance, until he's blackmailed by the cops to work for them to investigate a new violent and deadly drug hitting the streets.
Franco finds that all is not so simple, and with his wits, humor, and compassion has to get through some pretty terrible predicaments. And maybe save a few people along the way. -
I got this book for free from LT and am so glad that I did. The price doesn't affect my review, so believe me when I say that I truly enjoyed this book. Miles Franco made me laugh. I love that he never really took himself seriously even though he spends most of the book terrified. It was a little Urban Fantasy, a little Pulp, and a little Noir. Whatever it's catagory, it was well written and extremely entertaining. Other than making me laugh, two of the best things about this book were the world building and the twists that I didn't see coming (I usually spot plot twists from a mile away). I look forward to the next Miles Franco book.
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I love the noir / pulp spirit of Miles Franco, and the interesting world that Strange has built for his story, but I felt the tropes were played out a bit. There is no subtlety here, just kind of tropic referentiality that almost mocks the genre, instead of mining it for atmosphere. I could have done with less of the dames with guns (or psychopathic tunnels) and more nuance, but I am willing to go for the long ride with this series, as I think Strange has a lot of talent -- I would just like to see him respect and understand the genre with a defter hand, to ensure the narrative doesn't devolve into a parody of itself.
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I sorta, kinda liked this. Urban fantasy is not a genre I love, but I picked it up because it supposedly had "noir" cred. Maybe, maybe not. Sometimes the characters sounded like black & white gangster movies (she pointed a gat, he feared he would "eat lead", etc.) Sometimes they sounded British (petrol slicks, taking a handful of paracetamol). And sometimes just uneducated (ain't got none). The annoyance factor came very close to making me give up on this title. And yet. The story was compelling. This is the first in a series - I might look for subsequent titles.
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This ebook is a fun read. It combines urban fantasy with the hardboiled private detective genre. Miles Franco is a somewhat immature, self-effacing tunneler, who manages to alienate almost everybody with a lip that is a target sign. Miles tells his own story in amusing manner, and the sinuous plot provides more than enough suspense to keep you clicking the page turn arrow.
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The only thing that stands out is the monumental idiocy of the protagonist, he has the survival instict of a 2 year old.
I'm surprised he doesn't stick his fingers in a power outlet or touch a burning flame. -
Good concept , started kind of cheesy but definitely got better as the story progressed. It was a decent read and I would recommend it to some of my reader friends who prefer the supernatural/ sci-fi genre.
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Got a reader's copy and am looking forward to the read. Just started.
