Review: The Metatemporal Detective by Michael Moorcock
SOURCE:
Contest Win
A fellow blogger did a great post awhile ago showcasing Prometheus Books . There was a giveaway attached which I won and I picked this book. Michael Moorcock is a noted fantasy author with a large body of work I’ve been meaning to read. So this collection of short stories seemed like a great way to sample some of Moorcock’s writing.
I really loved the characters in this book and the way the stories crossed through many universes and time periods. Our guide through the stories is Seaton Begg. Seaton is a detective who specializes in unique cases. He has some of the hallmarks of other great detectives like Sherlock Holmes but his astuteness comes from a combination of natal talent and a long standing family strength. In the first story Affair of the Seven Virgins Seaton meets Count Zenith an Albino nobleman who enlists Begg’s help to rescue some innocents from the leader of a governmental overthrow.
The reader gets a sense of Seaton’s talent right away but what isn't clear until the conclusion is the true game Zenith is playing. Zenith is involved in actions that effect the Eternal Balance of the Universe and as the later stories unfold it becomes clear that the two are on opposing sides.
Each story after the first jumps from different time periods and has an interesting range of supporting characters. From the wild West to scheming Nazi’s Seaton and his allies are all moving towards the final confrontation with Zenith.
I read this entire book in a day so I really enjoyed the interconnectedness of each story, they do however stand up as individual reads that you can parcel out one story at a time. This book really made me want to read More of Moorcock’s books especially his Elric saga. A great self contained series and jumping on point for new readers to Moorcock’s creative worlds.
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