Rated of 5
by Catharine L. (Petoskey, not for the faint-hearted
The title, Low Town, describes exactly what the reader is in for. If you enjoy reading about drunks, druggies, and degenerates, this is the book for you. It is a mystery; and Warden, an ex-government detective, discovers the first of several murdered children and becomes involved. A glossary would have helped to define words - scryer, wyrm. Most of the characters had few redeeming qualities, and I didn't care what happened to them.
Rated of 5
by Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT) Low Town
This first novel by the author is a cross-genre story; a science fiction and murder mystery. I found myself immersed into the plot until the very end. People have told me that I have an above average vocabulary, but I had difficulty in reading parts of this book. I'm sure if the author used simpler words, he would reach a wider audience. Overall, I enjoyed reading it.
Rated of 5
by Jill S. (Eagle, ID) Great summer read
Low Town is a great book! Be forewarned, once you start it, you won't be able to put it down. This book has a little bit of everything--fantasy, action, and suspense. Mr. Polansky's descriptions and well developed characters make readers feel that they are actually with the Warden. The ending doesn't even disappoint. I hope to read more of the Warden in the future. Enjoy!
Rated of 5
by Melanie H. (Beaver, WV) Low Town
This book is very dark and violent. I tried to finish reading it because the plot was intriguing but could not get past the violence and drug underworld characters. The unusual descriptive words prevented the story from flowing and made reading a little difficult.
Rated of 5
by Heather K. (Brooklyn, NY) The Road Well Travelled
My feeling about Low Town is one of deja vu: I've been down this road before.
Warden is physically and emotionally scarred by life, a loner, a drug addict and dealer who used to be on the other side of the law. And despite all he's seen, all he's suffered and lost, he still ... cares, looks to protect, seeks justice. He doesn't want anyone to know he still has a bit of a heart, nor that he yearns for some sort of redemption. He's not a likable individual: gruff, harsh, prone to violence, smart, canny, and lethal.
And fiction abounds with precisely this type of protagonist. I wish I could say something about Low Town sets it apart from other similar novels, but there isn't anything particularly new about the author's approach to this theme. Except, perhaps, for the spurts of peculiarly contemporary language -- this is largely a medieval setting, so the vernacular was jarring. There's some small bits of humor (not nearly enough to offset the horrifying brutality), there's suspense, there's a conclusion, and a few of Warden's mysteries are, throughout, revealed. It is well written (despite my snarky comment above about the language), and much of the writing is beautifully crafted. But it wasn't much fun to read, and Warden wasn't much of a hero to root for, so for me it was a disappointment.
Rated of 5
by Dana W. (Elbridge, NY) Low Town
Low Town presented itself as a mystery/lite sci-fi /adventure story. Daniel Polansky does a masterful job of describing both the look and the feel of Low Town and does the same with all of the characters involved with the story. It was an excellent read that I hope will be followed by many more.
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of 5
by Catharine L. (Petoskey, 
of 5
by Jill S. (Eagle, ID) 
